Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. These four places not only belonged to Huo Chong in name, but he also sent troops into various cities.

After receiving the teacher's invitation to the banquet, Gao Pang, the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, immediately decided to... think about it again. But thinking about it was useless. Gao Pang asked the servant sent by the teacher, "Sir, can you tell me who are the guests this time?"

"The master just sent me to invite Gao Zhuangyuan, and didn't say anything else."

Gao Pang didn't want to go. Recently, the gentry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang tried every means to get in touch with Gao Pang, which made Gao Pang very annoyed. It was just the teacher's invitation, and Gao Pang didn't want to refuse. If he sent someone to tell the teacher about the difficulties, it would not be appropriate. Finally, Gao Pang made up his mind, "Please report to the teacher, I will definitely go."

The next afternoon, Gao Pang, wearing casual clothes and a fuku on his head, arrived at his teacher's house leisurely.

When the teacher saw the outfit, he praised it and said, "Very good."

Gao Pang looked at his teacher's melon-shaped hat with a golden rat tail pattern and swallowed the words "Han people's clothes are beautiful" back into his stomach.

The two of them started chatting. The teacher did not ask about the recent uproar over the suppression of counter-revolutionaries, but about the imperial examination.

Gao Pang replied: "The Chinese court does not use the old theory of meritorious service, and there are no officials, only civil servants. The governor issued an order that the establishment of official civil servants must be completed through examinations."

"Civil servant...it's a good name." Chen Mingtai praised.

Gao Pang thought that the teacher might hope that the Chinese court would recruit talents through the imperial examination, so he did not dare to respond. Sure enough, he heard Chen Mingtai ask, "I wonder what this civil service examination is about."

"There are regulations on exam content..." Gao Pang explained to the teacher.

Chen Mingtai listened for a while, and when he heard that the political exam was ranked first, his face changed. Gao Pang saw the teacher's complicated expression and stopped for a while. However, Gao Pang knew that teacher Chen Mingtai was a very respectable person and did not like to interrupt others suddenly. He was a little speechless for a while.

The master and the apprentice were silent for a while, and the apprentice sister brought in tea. Gao Pang saw the apprentice sister's walking posture, thanked her and said to her teacher: "Sir, as the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, I have issued an imperial decree to ban foot binding and require foot unbinding. The governor has taken this matter as a priority to change customs and habits."

The junior sister's eyes lit up and she looked at her father Chen Mingtai in surprise.

Gao Pang couldn't help but look at the rat's tail on his teacher Chen Mingtai's head. Then he saw Chen Mingtai reaching out to straighten the braid, "As a governor, you need to issue an imperial decree. Why not just declare yourself emperor and be done with it. Gao Pang, when did your governor issue an order to cut the braid?"

"The governor has issued an order. There is no rush on the issue of the braid. Many people are worried about whether the Huaxia Dynasty can be maintained. Keeping the braid is just to save their lives. When the Huaxia court destroys the Qing Dynasty, there is no need for an order. The people will naturally cut off their braids. There are regulations in the civil service examination. Both men and women can take the civil service examination. Men are not allowed to keep braids, and their family members are not allowed to bind their feet. Women can also take the civil service examination, but they are also not allowed to bind their feet."

Miss Chen had understood what she heard, and her face was filled with shock. "Brother, can I also take the civil service exam?"

Gao Pang nodded, "But you have to put your feet down."

Miss Chen immediately said to her father: "Dad, I want to take the civil service exam!"

Chen Mingtai sighed, "Don't you really want to bind your feet?"

Although she could see her father's dissatisfaction, Miss Chen mustered up the courage to say, "Yes, I don't want to bind my feet!"

The atmosphere in the living room seemed to have become more confrontational. As an elder, Chen Mingtai said nothing. He just stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the window , looking at the spring scenery outside.

Gao Pang looked at his junior sister and saw her snow-white teeth gently biting her rosy lips and her rosy cheeks. Coupled with the disgust that the junior sister had just shown for foot binding, she looked cuter and cuter.

When the junior sister saw Gao Pang’s gaze, her face suddenly turned red and she stood up and left.

After his daughter left the living room, Chen Mingtai turned around and sighed, "Gao Pang, Huo Chong really looks like an emperor. Does he know what an imperial decree and an imperial edict are?"

"It's mentioned in the civil service exam. An imperial edict is a conclusion reached after discussion at court. All relevant departments have participated in the discussion. Once an imperial edict is issued, the court must obey it. An imperial decree is an order issued by the emperor in his capacity as the emperor. The six censors can refute it. However, in the Qing dynasty, although censors still exist, it's the same as if they didn't exist."

Chen Mingtai turned back to look at Gao Pang and said in surprise: "Huo Chong actually knows this?"

"Yes. The governor may not be good at writing, but he is not someone who doesn't read."

Chen Mingtai was a little angry, "He...he wants to rule the world right away. Doesn't he know that this is impossible?"

"The governor has already issued an order to adopt the civil service examination. What else do you want, teacher?"

"Since it's an order, you agree to it? You actually agree to let a woman be an official?" There is something very interesting in the sarcasm in Chen Mingtai's tone.

"Teacher, the governor not only agrees that women can serve as officials, but also welcomes women to work in society. He also told you privately that the governor's eldest disciple Qian Qing is a woman, and she may be crowned king soon. The governor made it clear that it is better to have a woman crowned king than to shout about women's liberation a thousand times."

"This...he is so brave!" Chen Mingtai stood up angrily again and turned to the window.

The silence between the master and the apprentice was broken by the master's wife's notice of dinner. Gao Pang thought there would be other people, but it turned out to be just the master, the master's wife, the apprentice sister and himself. The meal was also very simple. However, the master's wife picked up the food that Gao Pang brought and brought it out, adding a few meat dishes.

Gao Pang was somewhat surprised by such a home-cooked meal. Chen Mingtai drank a glass and then said sarcastically, "Why do you think I want to run errands for those people?"

Gao Pang was very happy after hearing this, and then he heard the teacher continue: "Even if someone asks me to come, I can't refuse, and I will tell you first. If I invite you to come, then it's just me who invites you to come."

The master's wife looked at Gao Pang with a kind gaze, as if she liked him very much.

Gao Pang thanked his teacher. But his teacher's wife asked, "Gao Pang, I heard that you have brought disaster to the salt producers in Jiangsu."

"Harming the salt makers?" Gao Pang was stunned for a moment, then he remembered what his master's wife was talking about, and quickly explained: "Master's wife, that's not the case. The salt makers in Jiangsu are just making a fuss because the Yellow River has returned to the north. There is still water in the Yellow River this year. But it may not be the case next year or the year after next."

"Brother, did your emperor really dig up the Yellow River?" Miss Chen asked very carefully, but it was obvious that she was extremely excited about such great news.

"Yes. Originally, the future Queen of Qi, Miss Qian Qing, was to lead the army, but Qian Qing had something else to do, so Lei Lao Hu was sent instead."

"Lei Lao Hu? Is that man very vicious?"

"Not vicious at all."

"Then does he have a word 'king' written on his forehead?"

"Haha. Do you think this is acting? There's even writing on the forehead! Lei Hu just has a "tiger" in his name, so everyone calls him Tiger as a joke..."

The atmosphere at the banquet became lively, and various interesting questions were asked, and Gao Pang answered them one by one.

After the banquet, the master's wife asked, "Gao Pang, do you want to get married?"

Gao Pang felt that he seemed to understand a little bit, and his face turned red for a moment . His lips moved and he said in a low voice: "If there is a good family willing to marry me, that would be... great."

The master's wife seemed very satisfied with this answer, but she looked at Chen Mingtai next to her and just said, "Then I'll find a good family for you!" and left.

Only the master and his apprentice were left. Chen Mingtai sighed, "Gao Pang and Huo Chong are really brave. They dug the Yellow River just like they said they would."

"Teacher, before I returned to the south, I went to see the Yellow River. It is indeed a hanging river, with the riverbed several feet higher than the two sides. It's not that the governor is brave, as long as he dares to dig, the Yellow River will definitely flow north. It's the people in the past who were really brave. The Yellow River should have flowed north long ago, but it has been held back until now. The governor is just following the will of heaven and the people."

"Just follow the will of heaven and let women become officials?"

"If we don't do this, then the liberation that our Chinese court's political philosophy talks about is nonsense. Women make up half of the world's population, and we ignore the oppression of the other half of the population. Can this be called liberation?"

"Girl... Oh... Never mind. What you said does make sense..."

"That's called logical consistency," Gao Pang explained.

"Is the logic self-consistent? Haha, Huo Chong is indeed very courageous. Let's forget about this for now. I have something to ask you. You have acquired so much land. How do you plan to operate it?"

"Soil and water conservation comes first, and adapting to local conditions comes second..."

Chen Mingtai listened for a while and said sarcastically, "Changing rice crops to mulberry trees is a national policy. Do you really believe this kind of nonsense?"

"There's nothing wrong with not believing it. It just depends on whether the silk we collect can be sold."

"Oh? Do you really think you can sell so much silk?"

"Just give it a try." Gao Pang was unwilling to explain more to the teacher.

While the master and the apprentice were chatting, the Spanish fleet commander, Oda Hideyoshi, had already docked at the port of Songjiang Prefecture. The fleet commander led eight large ships. After getting off the ship, he saw Feng Yukuan coming to greet him and immediately went forward to hug him warmly, "Brother Feng, is the honorable Lord Huo in good health recently?"

Feng Yukuan did not answer such a sensitive question, but asked: "Brother Oda, you are rich."

Looking back at the large ships, the Spaniard Oda Hideyoshi smiled and said, "Four of these ships are from America and temporarily joined my fleet. When we return, they will no longer be under my control. Brother Feng, you have to help me hold the fort, and don't let these people look down on me."

Feng Yukuan said nothing more and led Oda Hideyoshi and others to the trading company, where porcelain, raw silk, silk, brocade, tea and other items were already prepared.

Oda Hideyoshi looked at the other captains and saw that although they were trying their best to remain calm, it was not easy for them to remain completely calm when they saw these mountains of luxury goods for the first time.

"What have you prepared for the transaction?" Feng Yukuan asked.

The Spanish fleet brought out their own goods, which were rubber and various seeds.

Oda Hideyoshi probed: "Pyrethrum, English cabbage and rapeseed, sea island cotton, as well as seeds of colonial crops such as corn and peanuts. This took us a lot of effort."

Feng Yukuan laughed and said, "Haha, this is not a one-time deal, what are you afraid of? Even if you ask us for a high price, will you not come again in the future?"

The transaction was quite difficult, and the Spanish fleet had never expected that they would be able to ship such a huge amount of goods. At this time, the Spanish galleons had long lost their prestige in the ocean. With the rise of the Dutch, the coachman of the sea, the tonnage of ships became larger and faster.

The Spaniards at the time also adopted a lot of this style. In particular, there were not many pirates in the Pacific Ocean, and even fewer pirates along the coast of China, and their equipment was very backward, so they were no match for the Spanish fleet.

The only problem facing the Spanish was that there were too few Chinese ports that allowed them to trade. For example, Songjiang Prefecture was not open to the Spanish before.

At this time, eight ships were transporting 10,000 tons of goods. Even in Europe, it was not so common to trade 10,000 tons of goods at a time. And on the return voyage, it was unimaginable that the Spanish fleet would be loaded with 10,000 tons of Chinese goods.

While Oda Hideyoshi let the merchants trade, he discussed more important matters with Feng Yukuan, "I wonder if other ports are open to us as well?"

"Our governor has already ordered the establishment of a customs office. You will have to pay customs duties next time you come here," Feng Yukuan replied.

Oda Hideyoshi was excited when he heard it, "This is good! This is good! This is great!"

Tariffs refer to a tax imposed by a country's customs on imported and exported goods passing through its customs territory in accordance with the country's laws. Tariffs are generally a high-level tax with a tax rate specified by the highest administrative unit of a country. For countries with developed foreign trade, tariffs are often the main source of national tax revenue and even national fiscal revenue. The government can impose tariffs on imported and exported goods, but import tariffs are the most important and are the main trade measure.

At this time, Europe had already established and improved its customs tariff reforms. On the contrary, China never had such customs tariffs from the beginning.

The customs tariffs were actually imposed after China was invaded by foreign countries and were the key to the survival of the Qing Dynasty.

The Spaniard Oda Hideyoshi was of course no stranger to tariffs. After praising them highly, he said, "Since you are going to collect tariffs, I guess the honorable Lord Huo is going to build a navy, right?"

Feng Yukuan was stunned. Huo Chong did want to build a navy, and even part of the money for building the navy had to come from tariffs, which was also proposed by Huo Chong.

The Spaniard in front of me described the entire process as if he had heard it.

Feng Yukuan asked tentatively, "You want our navy to wipe out all the pirates, right?"

Speaking of pirates, the Spaniard Oda Hideyoshi was furious, "All pirates should be hanged! If your fleet can wipe out all the pirates, we will pray for you every day."

Feng Yukuan heard that Oda Hideyoshi wanted to preach again, and he admired Huo Chong even more. These things were all said by Huo Chong . For example, the Spanish have a passion for preaching, the Spanish are happy to eliminate pirates, and the Spanish will not refuse customs duties. But they will ask for naval protection.

Then the next thing might be interesting. Feng Yukuan asked, "Since Spain once dominated the sea, I think you can also help us train our crew."

"If Your Excellency wishes to establish a navy, we are not only willing to train crews, but we are even willing to send ships to provide services to Your Excellency."

Hearing the word "service", Feng Yukuan's heart skipped a beat. Huo Chong had been talking about "service" repeatedly in his studies recently, and he wanted the Chinese court to have a sense of service.

However, this service is not the same as being driven by others. And the service that the Spanish refer to seems to have the same meaning as what Huo Chong said.

Reluctantly regaining his composure, Feng Yukuan asked the Spaniard to tell him about the latest movements of the ships.

Oda Nobuaki did not make up the story. He first boasted about the Spanish galleon of the 15th century.

A Spanish galleon is a large three-masted sailing ship used from the 15th to the 17th century. It usually has two or more decks and is used especially by Spain as a merchant ship or warship. The most notable feature of a Spanish galleon is its high bow and stern decks, which can easily board an enemy ship when two ships are stuck side by side in war. Its intimidating castle-like appearance also serves to intimidate the enemy psychologically, and its 50-pound cannonball has a range of 400 meters.

Feng Yukuan was very surprised. Finally he asked, "The 50 pounds you mentioned means a 45-jin shell, right?"

Oda Hideyoshi nodded in agreement, "Yes! This kind of shell can even destroy a large ship with one hit. Or even penetrate a small boat!"

Feng Yukuan said nothing. The tonnage of the Chinese Navy's ships is about 800 tons. If such a ship is equipped with a 10-jin gun, it will be stable. However, if it is a 45-jin gun, it is estimated that if I fire a shot, the ship will capsize first.

I didn't expect that those Europeans who made their living on the sea were really desperate. They dared to build such cannons hundreds of years ago and use them on ships.

Oda Nobunaga divided the navy into three types of warships: