"What, brother, do you have a problem with that?" Zhang Ruoyun glanced at his older brother and said irritably.
As an insider, he knew how rare this opportunity was. Without sufficient qualifications, no matter how much money you offered, the government wouldn't pay attention to you.
In comparison, the profits here are enormous.
"Hey-hey!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruohai's face stiffened, and he waved his hands repeatedly to deny the claim, forcing a dry laugh, "What I meant was that His Majesty is just too kind. Even while he's eating meat, he doesn't forget to give us soup. He truly deserves to be called a great emperor!"
"Hmph, it's good that you understand. Compared to Zhang Wanhao and the others, we are already considered fortunate!" Zhang Ruoyun rolled her eyes at her older brother and said irritably.
Zhang Ruohai was speechless. He was all too familiar with the Emperor's tactics. The last overseas fishing expedition used the same method; this was just a different approach.
However, he dared not say this, not because he was afraid of his younger brother, but because he was worried about a hidden Net.
Once you give someone a pretext to criticize you, the consequences could be disastrous. So it's better to be sensible; stubborn mules don't usually end up well.
Just then, the butler came running in from outside.
"Sir, someone is looking for you outside!"
Who is it?
Zhang Ruohai's face darkened, and he couldn't help but worry. Had the Hundred Riders come knocking on his door after he'd only said a few words?
"Master, it's Master Qian and Master Xiang!" the butler whispered.
A hint of surprise appeared in Zhang Ruohai's eyes, and he frowned, saying, "It's actually them!" These aristocratic families haven't contacted him for a long time, but he didn't expect them to come knocking on his door now.
He glanced at his younger brother, then walked out with a hint of doubt.
Upon arriving in the living room, they indeed saw Qian Yulong and the others, who seemed to have planned to come together.
"Haha, Brother Zhang, you've finally come out! We've been waiting with bated breath!"
"That's right, that's right! We brothers haven't seen each other in ages, we're going to drink until we drop tonight!"
"We, the noble families of the North, share the same lineage and naturally must help and support each other, advancing and retreating together."
Everyone wore smiles, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time, and were exceptionally enthusiastic, with wrinkles appearing on their faces from smiling.
However, Zhang Ruohai was not moved at all; instead, he felt uneasy.
These guys weren't on good terms with me, especially since I had deliberately kept my distance from them to avoid attracting the Emperor's attention.
The fact that they're being so enthusiastic now is definitely suspicious.
Zhang Ruohai said irritably, "You lot, that's enough. Just say what you have to say. If you take too long, you might attract the attention of the Net (Net of Heaven), and that would be a huge problem."
These days, powerful families aren't exactly glamorous. Once they're targeted by the Net ), their lives become unbearable, and it's definitely not a good thing.
"Haha, why are you suddenly so timid, brother? The Emperor's opinion of our aristocratic families has changed quite a bit these days. As long as we don't court death, the Emperor won't punish us." Qian Yulong waved his hand and said with a smile.
After several rounds of selection, those who survived are the ones who withstood the test; they are all from Great Liang.
As long as we don't act cleverly and don't target or scheme against Great Liang, we will never end up with our families destroyed and our lives lost; at the very least, we will have a glimmer of hope.
They had followed the Great Liang from the very beginning, and had given away most of their wealth. They had always been law-abiding citizens.
Moreover, the Emperor's approval of the selection of daughters from aristocratic families is excellent news. It undoubtedly indicates a softening of the Emperor's attitude towards these families, which is entirely good news.
What a load of rubbish!
Zhang Ruoyun her eyes at him. There were no absolutes in this matter. If they provoked the Net of Heaven), the consequences would be unimaginable.
Gu Ruotang, standing to the side, didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Our reason for coming here this time is very simple. This time, His Majesty achieved a tremendous victory in the waters of the Great West Empire and became the overlord of the seas."
It's said that the sea is teeming with wealth, and the emperor has decided to exploit it. We should at least get a share!
The powerful families of the south entered Southern Liang and seized control of most of the country's wealth. The north could not just sit idly by and watch the south dominate.
"That's right!"
"It is said that the ocean not only contains various precious fish, but also mineral resources from Great Liang, and even a considerable amount of gold and silver mines, which are all valuable treasures."
"We don't need much, just a sip of soup with the Emperor, is that alright?"
Everyone's eyes gleamed with anticipation for the profits on the high seas—a veritable treasure trove. If they could obtain it, it would surely allow them to feast to their hearts' content.
Qian Yulong nodded and smiled, "That's right. I heard the Emperor set up some kind of sponsorship fee; I think that's perfect for us!"
We aristocratic families may lack many things, but we certainly don't lack money; we can always afford it. Using a little money to follow the emperor is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruohai had been tempted earlier, couldn't sit still any longer. He couldn't help but look at his younger brother and whisper, " Ruoyun, do you think this can be done? This is a policy issued by the Emperor; it shouldn't go against the Emperor's wishes, right?"
"Sponsorship fee!"
Zhang Ruoyun's eyes flickered, and she seemed to be deep in thought.
He had some understanding of this sponsorship fee; to put it bluntly, the emperor was using it to build warships and achieve maritime dominance.
To put it simply, the emperor obtained a large number of warships without spending a single penny.
This matter is indeed for the Emperor's benefit; perhaps it's worth considering. After all, this is building warships for the Emperor, and he has no reason to blame us.
After thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Perhaps we can give it a try, but I think we can invest in sponsorship. Both the Great West and Frostwest Empires are within the attack range of Great Liang, which means that if Great Liang wants to expand in the future, it will have to carry out cross-sea operations."
You all know what's needed for cross-sea operations, right?
"Of course, it's warships! How can we cross the sea without ships?" Gu Ruotang said instinctively.
What is needed for cross-sea operations? This is practically a freebie; it's far too easy.
Zhang Ruoyun smiled slightly and said, "That's right, it's a warship. Although His Majesty has many shipyards, they still consume resources, which is the origin of the sponsorship fee."
Since His Majesty needs warships, we will fund the construction of them for him; His Majesty will certainly not treat us unfairly.
Qian Yulong's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "That makes sense! If we give all the money to the Emperor, we won't be seen as a thorn in his side, and we can even curry favor with him."
The interests in the ocean are so vast; even a small portion of the soup given to us by the Emperor is enough to make us incredibly wealthy.
This is really promising; we have to fill it up!
Although the Emperor dislikes the greed of aristocratic families, he couldn't possibly dislike it if we sent him money to build warships.