PNB Chapter 395 Armada
Chapter 395 Armada
Chapter 395 The Invincible Fleet
Bai Wuyou didn't linger, but before leaving, she gave Shen Li a box: "I saw it on the way and brought it for you. Keep it."
After saying that, he stood up without looking at Shen Li's expression and turned to walk out.
"What is it? Aren't you going to let me finish reading it?" Shen Li called out to him, but he didn't respond.
She couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. Why was she in such a hurry to run away? She wasn't going to eat anyone.
After the person left, she opened the box and found a beautiful white jade inkstone inside. It was cool to the touch and exquisitely carved. Even someone as used to seeing fine things as her couldn't help but be amazed.
"This is a good thing." Shen Li looked at the inkstone and then at the dagger at her waist.
This holy son is certainly making a grand gesture.
She wanted to thank them, but they didn't give her the chance, and Bai Wuyou went to the palace that same day.
According to Gu Chang'an's report, Emperor Cheng was overjoyed after Bai Wuyou entered the palace and approved the idea of building a fleet without hesitation. He also ordered Gu Chang'an to prepare funds for the Ministry of Works.
"He's so easygoing, he just asks for money on a whim." Shen Li snorted, "As if he earned that money himself."
At times like these, she felt deeply sorry for her husband. He had devoted himself to the court, but because of his poor background and lack of support, he had taken an especially difficult path and was constantly being called a treacherous minister.
This is absolutely outrageous!
Seeing her puffed-up face, Gu Chang'an's gaze softened: "It's not really his, it's ours."
Building a paradise on earth is absolutely impossible without military deterrence, and a fleet is the best guarantee.
They want to work together to build an invincible fleet.
“If it weren’t for that, I would have definitely ruined this whole thing.” Shen Li said, shaking her head. “The manpower and resources required for the fleet are enormous, and he actually agreed to it just for that vague and illusory pursuit of immortality.”
Such an emperor, she only felt sorrow, her eyes were filled with power struggles, and she had no regard for the people's livelihood.
"That position will always change once you sit in it," Gu Chang'an said with a sigh.
Hearing his empathy, Shen Li couldn't help but ask curiously, "Would your husband feel the same way?"
"Ah Li is joking. I wouldn't take that position even if it were given to me. Although I'm confident I won't be a foolish ruler, the wiser a ruler is, the more completely he cuts off his emotions."
Gu Chang'an said with a look of apprehension, "I don't want to become a lonely person. I just want to be with A-Li for the rest of my life and live a carefree life, preferably without getting involved in the power struggles of the moment."
“Me too.” Shen Li nestled in his arms, relieved to have reached a consensus.
Of course, even if Gu Chang'an had this idea, it would be illegitimate and unjustifiable. A powerful minister usurping the throne would inevitably cause chaos in the country, and far more people would die then than when Li Heng rebelled.
However, although he doesn't have grand ambitions, he does have some small ones, such as wanting to acquire a piece of land and become a local tyrant, far away from the vortex of struggle.
To achieve these goals, a military deterrent must first be ensured, and ships are essential.
The emperor ordered the Ministry of Works to produce shipbuilding blueprints that would satisfy Bai Wuyou, and the Ministry of Works began to expedite construction.
Meanwhile, preparations for the imperial examinations, which had been delayed due to the rebellion, were underway, and the court entered a busy period. However, with the recent imprisonment of Wu Yong's faction and Zheng's cronies, vacancies had appeared in all six ministries, and there were quite a few of them.
The emperor ordered the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to temporarily take charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel and to discuss the list of replacements with the cabinet.
It was at this time that Shen Li submitted her petition for a position. She had been training at the Hanlin Academy for a year, and although she was not yet qualified to enter the Six Ministries, she had made outstanding contributions and still wanted to take this opportunity to try.
She didn't need to seek an official position herself. This Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was already one of their people when he exposed the Zheng family's crimes, so it wouldn't have been a problem for him to include her on the Ministry of Rites' list.
But if he did that, the emperor would suspect the relationship between the Ministry of Personnel and the Shen family. It would be better for him to bring it up himself, which would make him seem more sincere.