Upon hearing this, Chen Mo could only say, "Goodness gracious."
The cost of going to sea would be covered by the national treasury, but all the profits from overseas trade went entirely into the Emperor's private treasury. It was no wonder the civil and military officials couldn't agree and kept submitting memorials.
"What does Chancellor Geng think?" Chen Mo asked.
"During Emperor Ling's time, the Maritime Trade Bureau was established in the River Sea and Cangzhou, with four ports constructed. Now all of them have been closed. If Your Highness could persuade His Majesty to issue a decree to reopen these four ports and re-establish the Maritime Trade Bureau, placing it under the control of the Fish Scale Guard, within a year, the national treasury would certainly be flush, and there would be enough funds to rebuild the North and revive the northern livelihood," said Geng Songfu.
