Traveling through the busy farmland of a peasant girl

Chapter 426: Danger of Pirates

In the Beichen court, the atmosphere was as solemn as a dark cloud, and the ministers each held an opinion and argued endlessly.

Xuan Ye sat upright on the dragon throne with a gloomy expression, the anger in his heart had reached its peak.

"Your Majesty, I still think that Lord Shen's appointment as the Admiral of the Navy is too hasty."

Imperial Censor Zhao Qiming was the first to speak out, bowing and speaking earnestly, "Our Beichen has always been peaceful, and we have never heard of any pirates wreaking havoc. Now forming a marine corps is clearly a needless waste of national strength. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

General Zhao Chongwu immediately echoed, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhao is absolutely right. I have been stationed at the border for many years and have never noticed any unusual movements along the coast. There is really no need to make such a fuss about this."

Li Wenhan, Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty, conferring the title of Princess Fuxi as a princess and adopting her as your adopted daughter is truly against ancestral rules. The position of princess is extremely noble and cannot be easily bestowed upon others. I hope Your Majesty will respect the rules of our ancestors."

Prime Minister Xie Jinan frowned slightly and advised worriedly, "Your Majesty, I understand that you value talent, but establishing a navy requires a huge amount of funds. The national treasury is currently not well-off. This move may place a heavy burden on the people. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully."

Prime Minister He Changting, the empress's father, had always been dissatisfied with Xuan Ye's adoption of Shen Li as his adopted daughter. His face was now filled with displeasure, and his words were fierce: "Your Majesty, I firmly oppose the title of princess to Shen Li. Commander Shen is already in a high position of power, and to give his daughter such an honor is simply unacceptable. I, an old minister, am solely concerned about the interests of the court and the people, and I will not stand by and watch the court's resources being squandered!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Chongshan, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward and echoed, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is right. Building the harbor and warships, for example, requires a vast sum of money. A while ago, Commander-in-Chief Shen sent envoys to the Ministry of Revenue to demand payment, but his attitude was unbending and he showed no regard for the Ministry's difficulties. The treasury is now empty, and we simply cannot afford such a huge sum."

Vice Minister of War Wang Yue and Vice Minister of Works Zhang Qiwen exchanged a glance. Although they did not speak, their expressions were full of doubts about these proposals.

The debate in the court has been going on for many days, and the ministers are refusing to give in and each holds their own opinion.

However, an urgent report from Jinghai Town, like a bombshell, instantly shattered the stalemate.

Xuan Ye unfolded the urgent report, his face instantly turned ashen, and with a "bang", he slammed the memorial on the dragon table, shaking the writing brush and ink on the table.

His eyes widened as he glared at the courtiers below, angrily scolding them: "Look at what you've all done! Dozens of pirate warships and approximately 200,000 men have already reached the waters of Jinghai Town, only a few dozen kilometers from our land, and yet you're still here arguing and doing nothing!"

Xuan Ye's gaze was like a sharp blade, shooting straight at Liu Chongshan, the Minister of Revenue: "Liu Chongshan, as the Minister of Revenue, you are in charge of the national financial power, but you are making things difficult for Shen Shaodong everywhere.

In order to build ships and resist pirates, Shen Aiqing even had to use the income of Princess Fuxi's Fuxi Tower.

If it weren't for you guys dragging your feet behind the scenes, things wouldn't have come to this! The country supports you so that you can solve problems for the court, not so that you can argue and shirk responsibility and hinder national affairs! "

Liu Chongshan was so frightened that his face turned pale as paper. He knelt on the ground with a plop and kowtowed profusely: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I know my crime and I deserve death!"

Xuan Ye's anger was still lingering. He swept his cold gaze over every minister present, his tone piercing his bones: "Now that we are facing a formidable enemy, if you still only care about your own selfish interests and disregard the safety of the country and the lives of the people, I will punish you severely and show no mercy!"

Just at this moment, Admiral Shen Shaodong strode into the hall, his cloak fluttering with his movements.

He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists in salute, and spoke in a loud and powerful voice: "Your Majesty, the pirates are invading, and I have come to challenge them! This time, I will do my utmost to repel them and restore peace to the Beichen Sea!"

Xuan Ye looked at Shen Shaodong, his expression slightly relaxed, and he nodded slightly, saying, "My dear Shen, the situation is extremely urgent now. I appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the bandit suppression, and you will be fully responsible for all matters related to this resistance. I will fully support the required manpower, material resources, and financial resources. You don't have to worry about anything."

Shen Shaodong was about to thank him and accept the order when Prime Minister He Changting stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Fuxi's master is an immortal with unfathomable magical powers. I wonder if we could ask him to come out and deter the pirates? With just a little magical power, perhaps the immortal could make the pirates flee without even a single soldier."

Xuan Ye frowned slightly, turned to look at Shen Shaodong, and asked, "Shen Aiqing, what do you think about asking Master Li'er to come out of seclusion? Is it feasible?"

Shen Shaodong shook his head without hesitation, his expression firm: "Your Majesty, the whereabouts of immortals are erratic, and Li'er may not be able to find them in a short time.

Moreover, the men of Beichen are all brave and fearless. The pirate invasion is the perfect opportunity for our navy to demonstrate its strength and enhance our national prestige. In my opinion, we must rely on our own strength to repel the pirates, so that we can stand tall before other nations in the future!"

Xuan Ye agreed deeply and nodded heavily.

At this time, the eldest prince Xuan Chen stepped forward. As a general, he stood tall and straight, his eyes firm, and he loudly requested to fight: "Father, as a general, I have the responsibility to defend my country. This time, the pirates are invading. I am willing to lead the navy to fight and repel them!"

Xuan Ye's face was filled with sorrow as he rebuked him, "Although you are a general, naval warfare is very different from land warfare. You don't know how to sail. We at Beichen have a limited number of ships. If you go, you will die in vain! I will never allow you to take such a risk!"

Xuan Chen knelt on one knee and said sincerely, "Father, I have been familiar with military books since childhood and have experienced many battles. I also have some knowledge of naval warfare. I am willing to go to war with Lord Shen. With mutual cooperation, we will surely return victorious. I sincerely ask for your approval!"

Xuan Ye fell into deep thought, and the hall fell silent for a moment. After a long pause, he sighed, "Well, since you've made up your mind, I agree to let you join the army. But you must obey Lord Shen's orders. Safety is paramount. If anything goes wrong, you will be held accountable!"

Xuan Chen was overjoyed and bowed in thanks, saying, "I will definitely live up to your trust!"

The Second Prince Xuan Heng's eyes rolled as he stepped out and knelt, saying respectfully, "Father, since Lord Shen, the Admiral of the Navy, is willing to go to Jinghai Town and join the army. I am willing to serve under Lord Shen, make contributions to the country, and defend my homeland!"

Shen Shaodong was about to speak to dissuade him when the old general Xiao Zhenting came out with a steady but slightly staggering step. Although his temples were already gray, his eyes revealed a determination that no one else could do it better than him.

The old general straightened his back and said loudly, "Although I can't swim, I am willing to join the army in the battle. Even if I can only kill a few pirates on the boat with my own hands, it can be regarded as my humble contribution to Beichen!"

Immediately afterwards, several young generals stepped forward, enthusiastically requesting to fight: "Your Majesty, we are willing to follow Commander Shen into battle, swearing to defend Beichen to the death and fight the pirates to the death!"

Xuan Ye looked at this scene in the court, his heart deeply moved, his eyes slightly red.

He cleared his throat and said loudly: "Okay! I order Shen Shaodong to be the commander-in-chief of this bandit suppression. All generals must fully cooperate and obey the orders of Commander-in-Chief Shen in all actions!

If necessary, all the resources of the court are at your disposal! This time, we must let the pirates know that I, Beichen, am not someone they can bully at will!

Xuan Ye paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the ministers who had previously opposed Shen Li being named a princess, his tone firm and unquestionable: "As for Fuxi, also known as Li'er, the contribution she has made to our Beichen is not something you can compare to.

In recent years, the people of Beichen have been benefiting from the high-yield and high-quality seeds donated by Li'er. Grain production has increased significantly, and the people have been able to have enough food and clothing.

The movable type printing she introduced allowed for the widespread dissemination of culture, bringing countless benefits. She also invented the rain-making charm, which has alleviated droughts across Beichen in recent years, saving countless people from disaster.

Now that she has finally regained consciousness after four years of coma, why shouldn't I confer her the title of Princess? For so long, you've been arguing endlessly about this matter in the court, completely ignoring everything she has done for the country and the people!

I tell you, Li'er is worthy of being named Princess. If anyone dares to question it again, don't blame me for being rude! "

Shen Shaodong clasped his fists and accepted the order. Thus began a magnificent battle against pirates.