Jingming

Chapter 424: Unwavering National Policy

Zhu Houcong did not need or ask for kneel down or not.

Above the main hall, the only voice was Zhang Fujing reciting the translated credential loudly.

"... Yelang, a small country on the border, is arrogant and has offended the Ming Dynasty. He has suffered such a disastrous defeat and has become frightened. Since His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has received the holy grace, he still forgives him and allows trade. He is willing to make a treaty and pay 200 taels of silver..."

When the words came to this, the officials inside and outside the palace who heard it, and those who were not involved in the strategy were all shocked in their hearts.

They only know this news now.

Twelve million taels of silver?Many people suddenly became jealous.

This guy in weird clothes, how could their small country be so wealthy?

Zhang Fujing continued to recite: "To show sympathy for the soldiers and civilians who suffered in the Ming Dynasty, to reward the Ming Dynasty's expeditionary troops, and to thank the Ming Dynasty for its peace. The alliance has been established, and the two countries have good relations. João Manuel, King of Portugal and Algarve I would like to swear by the God I believe in that I will never invade the borders of the Ming Dynasty or invade the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty. However, His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty allows His Excellency Alfonso, Count of Nan'ao of the Ming Dynasty and Duke of Portugal and the Kingdom of Algarve India to travel on my behalf. If Europe and the Ming Dynasty have the right to trade with each other and the vassal states, then..."

That's the most important information, the rest are just kind words.

Guo Xun and others' eyes widened when they heard that Alfonso suddenly became the Duke of Portugal.

But think about it, it makes sense for the Count of the Ming Dynasty to be the Duke of the small Portuguese country.

After all, it is a small country.

After Zhang Fujing finished reciting, Zhu Houcong spoke: "In general, there is no problem. It's just that Ming Dynasty is here, and Ming Dynasty will not refuse anyone who abides by Ming Dynasty rules and brings goods. Alfonso wants me If he is allowed to monopolize the shipping routes, it depends on whether he can do it. The Spanish have already reached Luzon from the east, and this restriction on the Ming Dynasty does not need to be written in the peace treaty."

Although the treaty was just paper, it was signed and sealed by the Ming Emperor after all, and Zhu Houcong would not just put a yoke on himself.

Based on the current situation, basically all ships coming from Europe are fleets led by the Portuguese.

But the future is uncertain. When Louis returns to Portugal, the signal to Europeans must at least be that Ming Dynasty does not refuse trade, but don't think about knocking on the door with guns.

Louis was a little anxious to distinguish. After Zhu Houcong heard this, he only said: "I naturally only trust Alfonso at the moment. The peace treaty can only be signed for ten years. I also give your brother a convenience and agree to implement a special trade licensing system. This The first license is given to your Bright Road Company. With the benefits of trade with the Ming Dynasty, your Portugal has become more powerful in Europe. When the contract is renewed, no one can break through the blockade between the Bright Road Company and you Portugal. Then naturally I can’t give a second permission.”

The so-called Bright Road means "the road to the Ming Dynasty", and Alfonso knew how to name it, and moved Zhu Houcong's more advanced and standardized company system in the Ming Dynasty.

Europe is relatively loose. Whether he can succeed or not depends on himself.

And if Spain really came from the east from the Americas, and if it also brought gold and silver from the Americas to buy goods, would Ming Dynasty refuse?

The peace treaty is just a peace and trade treaty, and it will not mention the news of Portugal's defeat.

Although Malacca changed hands, as long as normal trade with Daming was indeed going on and on a larger scale, then it would be normal development after both parties confirmed their strength.

Of course, if Spain feels that Portugal is too weak and still tries to establish a colony in a place like Luzon despite the fact that Malacca has been recaptured by the Ming Dynasty, then the expanding Ming Navy fleet will not mind fighting another battle at home.

Now, let's give him ten years to see if Joao III can let go of the past and really use Alfonso, turn danger into safety, and use the opportunities brought by trade in these ten years to suppress other competitors.

As for the disadvantages caused by the monopoly of shipping routes... until the scale has increased, and before Alfonso has established a firm foothold, that is not a priority.

The first thing now is that the newly established Nanyang Protectorate can indeed bring a steady stream of benefits to the Ming Dynasty as planned.

Ten years later...Zhu Houcong estimated that he might actually be able to go to Europe in ten years.

Spending so much money and raising so many people, is it just for keeping the house?
Maritime Great Wall Company, Nan'ao Marine Trading Company and Huang Mingji Marine Trading Company will not always only operate the route from Malacca to Guangzhou and Ningbo.

Ming caravans can also go to Europe.

At the court meeting, this matter was only announced to the ministers, and the specific signing of the treaty was a matter after the court dispersed.

After it was stated that 200 million taels of it would be used to support Alfonso to establish a foothold in the West and bring more benefits to the Ming Dynasty, many people became even more envious and their eyes turned red.

Damn it, that ghost guy, now that he has returned to his hometown and is "powerful", he still has 200 million taels of oil and water to make!
Are there so many benefits to having the courage to go to sea?

Although everyone knew the subsequent information, His Majesty only asked for 1000 million taels, and the extra 200 million taels were obtained by Alfonso after he took a risk and returned to Portugal as an enemy, but he was still jealous.

Of course, this is His Majesty's foresight and it is extra money that the treasury can get.

Twelve million taels, but we still have to inform the world through "Ming Pao", so that people know that the previous battles of the Ming Dynasty were not just for the sake of great success.

The Battle of Outer Yunnan recovered some tributes from previous years, the Battle of Hetao and Xuanda gave the border town a long period of peace and a lot of land and herdsmen, and the Battle of Nanyang was more simple and crude: 200 million taels of silver.

The people in the capital, who had been talking about Louis' strange clothes for several days, finally knew what he had brought.

Damn, that dick bag is rich!
In the State Palace, there are two treaties to be signed.

The first one was for surrender and compensation.Portugal is naturally prepared to keep this part secret, but of course it has to be signed.

For Daming, this is an honor and a certificate.

It is indeed impossible for Portugal to take out so much at once.

According to the people sent by Alfonso to come with Louis, after various financings, he first sold the goods he brought back from Malacca and lent the money to Joao III.

As for João III, by creating some special national debt, by eradicating some opposition and borrowing money, and by borrowing some money from the royal family, by the end of this year, they will be able to send 20 taels of gold, 100 million taels of silver and valuables. 70 taels of silver cargo, including some ships.

Why were the goods shipped from Lisbon not sold to Daming but given away for free?The sea is rough and the shipwreck is reported as a loss.

Over and over again, there will always be losses, and the account will be even.

Therefore, Portugal’s compensation must be paid off in ten years.A little more at first, then gradually decrease.

In response to Louis's uncomfortable expression, Zhu Houcong kindly told him about the necessary debt scale and the benefits of leverage in order to stimulate Portugal's enthusiasm for expanding trade with the Ming Dynasty.

There is a large amount of goods coming and going, that is an ironclad fact.Money is just circulating, and the part that disappears is gradually covered by the part that is gained.

But Louis felt even more uncomfortable about this, because the debts all belonged to the royal family, and the royal family's shares in the Bright Road Company... On the surface, it was 50.00%, but 20.00% of it was recorded in the name of Princess Maria. Down.And Maria...she was only thirteen years old and had already entered into a marriage contract with Alfonso.

So, when will the royal family’s debt be wiped out?
Apart from the surrender and compensation contract, the peace and trade treaty was much simpler.

It is full of nice words, which can be used by João III to "brag" and "deceive" after taking it back.

For this reason, Zhu Houcong jokingly called him "Conqueror of the Western Storm, Close Friend of the Ming Empire, and Master of the Deep Sea Python Robe."That's right, Zhu Houcong ordered his people to come up with a set of clothing: "This is a gift from me. Because I didn't know enough before, I offended the Ming Dynasty. This was a strategy arranged by his father, and he took the responsibility for his fate." The price. Now that he has stepped back from the brink and calmly chosen to be friends with Ming Dynasty, then I am willing to have a new beginning with him. This is not a conferment from me, but the python robe woven and embroidered with the finest silk should be the only one in Europe. A gift.”

His heart was bleeding, but his face was full of smiles. Zhu Houcong did not hesitate to help Joao III show off.

He looked at Louis' crotch bag again, with a smile on his lips: "You have come from afar and have a sensible attitude, so I will give you a set. In the Ming Dynasty, only princes, princes, and those who have been granted titles can wear python robes. Al Fang Although you claimed the title of earl of the Ming Dynasty, you were not given a python robe, only a unicorn embroidery patch. What I gave to your brother was the python robe of the prince and the king of the county. Although Alfonso is the earl I canonized, I ordered him to return to the country, only To allow your brother to assess the situation and value peace."

At this time, Louis felt that the Ming Emperor was very kind, because he said: "The king is the king, and the minister is the minister. Alfonso learned a lot in the Ming Dynasty. If your brother can reuse him, what is lost today will be back tomorrow. But I I trust Alfonso, but do not encourage him to do anything that exceeds the rules. He will be wary of the python robe I gave him. This python robe is just a gift, a sign of my friendship, and does not conflict with the coronation of your pope."

Lewis looked at Zhu Houcong in shock: "You... know so much?"

Zhu Houcong smiled slightly: "The Eastern Empire has been going on for a long time, and I don't know how many people have come from the west. The Black Death has been raging in Europe for a long time. Although the Holy See is greedy, the people are devout in their faith. Naturally, I will not let Joao be ridiculed for surrendering to me. That's right. Canonized by me."

The Emperor of the East even knew about the Black Death that was raging more than 100 years ago and claimed tens of millions of lives in Europe. Louis was indeed shocked.

In fact, it was precisely because of the raging Black Death that the authority of the Holy See was constantly being undermined, and the religious reform began to sprout.

Although the word used by the emperor has not been officially proposed, it is indeed very similar to the sayings in some places, and it is also very consistent with the characteristics of that terrible epidemic.

When Zhu Houcong mentioned this, not only Louis was shocked, but his shocked expression also shocked Zhang Fujing and the others.

The emperor's understanding of thousands of miles away was still beyond their imagination.

Zhu Houcong brought up this topic because he wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to talk more with Louis.

As the top nobleman in Europe, Louis may not be very powerful, but the information that the Portuguese royal family can obtain is definitely not less.

He asked about what happened after Magellan's fleet returned to Spain, and mentioned another name, Copernicus, which shocked Louis even more, followed by more names: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo...

In the State Palace, Zhang Fujing and the others gradually looked at Zhu Houcong in shock and fear.

It can be seen from the reaction of the brother of the Portuguese king that the emperor mentioned real people, and they were famous people in Eurobach, and some were even still alive or even newly famous.

In fact, it has been more than ten years since he came here, and Zhu Houcong's memory of those years is gradually fading.

It's like when a person becomes an adult, the memory of his childhood will gradually become blurred.The amount of new information will always gradually overwrite old memories.

Even though Zhu Houcong thought a lot and secretly recorded a lot of things closely related to the Ming Dynasty, he also forgot a lot.

Now is a good opportunity to refresh some memories from this exchange.

Zhu Houcong's purpose in asking these questions was to show curiosity and make Louis think that he was actually a very good person, a person who was very interested in the West, and even a potential Eastern emperor who might be preached by the West.

"Back then, Buddhism was introduced here from India, and now there are many monks in the Ming Dynasty. In many vassal states of the Ming Dynasty, they also believed in Islam, and the leader of the country was called Sultan." Zhu Houcong sighed, "I know a little about Christianity, but My empire is too huge, so I am very cautious about preaching to avoid confusion. It is not easy for you to preach. However, I enjoyed talking with you today, and I thought I could improve our understanding first."

He saw clearly: "I am interested in many things you said. After you return to China, if you can continue to help me find the latest books on Europa, then maybe I will give you this opportunity. I believe that, your brother It will also gain more support from the Pope.”

With Zhu Houcong alone guiding the direction, many scientific and technological breakthroughs were still very slow.

If there are some ideas that are not too far away from this era and are too advanced, the collision may be able to stimulate the potential of the potential scientific talents of Ming Dynasty.

After all, Zhu Houcong was just an accountant in his previous life. He could control the direction and knew more systematic talent training and scientific research methodologies, but he could not replace some of the most basic skills and process improvements.

For example, Lewis just said that Copernicus is now a priest. He is actually a doctor with excellent medical skills, but he did anger the church because of the heliocentric theory. I heard that he was even deprived of the right to marry by the church.

Although Leonardo da Vinci has passed away, because he created a large number of works of art for the Pope and many royal families all year round, the manuscripts he left behind are indeed being collected by some people.

Zhu Houcong knew that his manuscripts contained a lot of understanding of engineering, mechanics, physics, and medicine. Naturally, he wanted to systematically collect the knowledge that the West had accumulated from now on.

This matter has been told to Alfonso, and now it is told to Louis in the name of understanding the West, and in the name of finally being able to allow missionary work.

There is even a hint: "The reason why I asked João for compensation is not because Ming Dynasty is in urgent need of the money. It is just a lesson that the defeated should learn. But if we can really become friends, I will not be able to use other preferential aspects of trade to make him a friend in the future." João recovers some losses. Duke Beja, I gave you gifts. When you return home, I hope to get more books on Europa in return. As you can see, I am rich in the world, and I can only satisfy my curiosity. .”

"His Majesty the Great Emperor, you are the most knowledgeable and tolerant person I have ever met." Louis was completely impressed by his knowledge of Europe. "I will definitely convey your kindness to my brother."

"In the next time, you can let people set off first and send the treaty I signed back to Lisbon. And you, as a rare trip, can stay in my capital for a while and also get to know the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Houcong was not worried about what information he could detect in Beijing.

Currently, Beijing is the place with the latest and most efficient climate in the entire Ming Dynasty.There was no way they could deal with such an emperor.

And anyone who has stayed in the East for a long time will only deeply feel the side of this huge country that cannot be underestimated.Population, products, peace, living standards...

With these personal experiences, when he returns to Portugal, Joao III will be more rational and more willing to be the Ming Dynasty's agent in Europe and bring what Zhu Houcong wants to the Ming Dynasty.

After Louis left the Palace of State, the emperor who had been so pleasant just now suddenly became serious: "Don't be fooled by his submissive, restrained, and polite appearance. Do you know why princes and nobles like them are so popular in this dress?"

Zhu Houcong's change of expression made Zhang Fujing and the others uncomfortable for a moment: Who just seemed to be old friends with him?It's not a lie to talk happily.

"...Please give me some advice, Your Majesty."

There was an indifferent light in Zhu Houcong's eyes: "Europe is so big, and there are many countries. The religion they believe in is extremely exclusive. If you don't believe in other religions, it is a heresy. And Europe is bitter and cold, and the Pope has been respected for hundreds of thousands of years. Although there has been a rough unification , but it can always be called the time of chaotic wars after the Spring and Autumn Period. Those generations fought endlessly, and the thoughts of barbarism and conquest were deep in their bones, so they were proud of their bulging pockets."

Zhang Fujing didn't expect that the emperor was talking about this, so he opened his mouth in shock.

"They are graceful and wealthy above, majestic below, and the women have their waists girdled and their breasts puffed up. They have to show what they have." Zhu Houcong looked at the crowd, "If Portugal really doesn't pay this money, how can I really work hard on the expedition? Do they really want to die and wipe out the country? No, because they can get the money, or they can earn it back through gambling. In that dangerous place where there were constant battles, they only respected strength."

After a pause, he said: "This time the Ming Dynasty won, but I have never forgotten how miserable the Tuen Mun No. [-] was in the early days of my imperial reign. I work hard and sleep hard at night, and the Ming Dynasty's weapons By borrowing from Western firearms, we were able to catch up a little bit. However, Europe is so big that it also has a lot of talented people. In this era of great strife, a small country can conquer thousands of miles away, occupy foreign lands, plunder all over the world, and rely on the sea. Mao Zhifu promised compensation of ten million taels of silver."

"These are enough for the Ming Dynasty to be vigilant." Zhu Houcong mentioned the old things again, but now his prestige is different, "I answer that a lost dog will never become a serious problem. If there is a big enemy in the Ming Dynasty in the future, it will definitely come from the sea, from the west! The country is far away The road is so long that it is extremely difficult for the Ming Dynasty to conquer and defeat it. Only the benefits of sea trade, the Great Wall of the Sea, and the opportunity for maritime power must not be missed! The wealthy enemies of the Ming Dynasty are all along the coast. If I had not paid attention to the navy, they would How can the Ming Dynasty survive if we sail huge ships, use artillery to ply the sea frontiers, and plunder like northern barbarians?"

Because the emperor is different, the Japanese pirates have not intensified for the time being.

But the vast sea, the harassment and plunder from the sea, are indeed just like the Beilu bandits in the past: they are impossible to guard against and cannot be pursued.

"If I had not paid attention to naval troops and firearms, and every time barbarians came from the sea, every battle would be like the first battle at Tuen Mun, what would happen to the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Houcong issued a soul torture, not to show his foresight, but to convey his decree decisively: "The Great Wall on the Sea is an unshakable national policy, you and others need to remember it!"

　make up for yesterday

　　
　
(End of this chapter)