Rule over Ming Dynasty

Just when the Ming Dynasty was trapped by the shackles of surrounding forces, and Zhu Youtang shouted one, two, three and prepared to bare his fangs for a three-front battle, exciting news came to Western society.

Affected by its own conditions and the fact that Catholicism has occupied the best resources, outward exploration has become a top-down demand of the entire society.

Originally, they also hoped to have a regional conflict, but no matter how hard they tried to go east, they could not see the end. It seemed that they would never be able to reach the golden east with their legs.

Although their navigation technology had achieved breakthroughs, the place they dreamed of was the far east, and their sea areas could only go north, south and west.

Originally they thought they could only go to the mysterious East by land, but the great Portuguese ship Navigator Dias broke through the storms and discovered the Cape of Good Hope, thus discovering the sea to the mysterious East.

However, traveling to the East not only has to face taxation and difficulties from the Ottoman Empire, but also the looting by various pirates. This route is still full of difficulties for ordinary nobles.

Fortunately, after tireless exploration and adventure, Western society finally saw the light.

"Haha...we discovered the ancient golden country!"

"I'm afraid the governorship of the ancient golden country will fall to Columbus!"

"If I had known I would have sent a fleet there, the earth is really round!"

……

As the great Italian navigator Columbus returned from his voyage to the west and brought back treasures from the East, the entire Western aristocratic society fell into madness.

The entire European society knows the name of Columbus, but Columbus was previously known to the world for his greed, and European nobles called him a greedy guy.

Columbus was a supporter of the theory of a round earth. Even before Diaz had discovered the route from Europe to the Eastern Sea, he had already proposed the idea of ​​heading west into the Atlantic Ocean and heading toward the East.

For this reason, he really paid tribute to Su Qin, and imitated Su Qin's example of holding high banners to lobby the six countries in order to be reused.

It’s just that the conditions proposed by Columbus were too harsh. Not only did he require the title of Navigation Commander, but he also required a return of 10% of the spoils. He also required that the governorship of every country or region he discovered be passed on to his descendants.

For example, if Columbus discovered the ancient golden country, even if he unfortunately died in the East, he would have to hand over this mysterious ancient golden country to his descendants to govern as governor.

A navigator who sets such harsh conditions will naturally find it difficult to be reused in the end, and has even been called a greedy guy.

Who would have thought that Columbus would be in luck.

Queen Isabella I of Spain experienced hardship since she was a child and was a devout Catholic. After the civil war depleted her family, she bet her private money on Columbus, who claimed to be able to find a new route.

Columbus signed an agreement with the Spanish crown that gave him the title "Admiral of the World Ocean" and a share of all future profits.

The Spanish crown provided Columbus with three ships: the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Ninha, as well as half the funds to purchase supplies.

Columbus led 87 sailors, including translators, secretaries, auditors and experienced shipping experts, from Port Barros, Spain, firmly believing that heading west was also looking for a new route to the East.

Many European nobles did not see this adventurous voyage and even believed that Columbus must be buried in the sea or that he would never reach the distant east.

But no one expected that Columbus would actually come back from the East, and it was said that he also brought back treasures from the East.

"It's only been half a year since he traveled back and forth to the East, right?"

"I bet we all went in the wrong direction, the shortcut is to the west!"

"You only need to sail west for a few months to reach the east. This is really exciting!"

……

Now that they knew that Columbus had returned from his exploration in the East, and that the trip was much shorter than they imagined, the entire European aristocracy was in an uproar.

Even if some people believe in the round earth theory, no one dares to try to find a new route from the west. After all, the cost of adventure here is too high.

But now the situation is completely different. Now it only took a few months for the fleet led by Columbus to reach the East, which simply opened a treasure for them.

Affected by this incident, nobles from all over the world were ready to raise funds to build ships and recruit crews to go to the East to pan for gold.

Of course, some rational European aristocrats remained rational. Even if they knew that they could reach the east by going west, without a navigation chart, they would be seeking death.

The guy who was once looked down upon by them now holds the greatest wealth code in the world.

Spain, royal palace.

Although it is not as luxurious as the Madrid Palace of later generations, it still has traces of luxury. The whole palace has a bit of a church feel.

Outside the towering arched windows, sunlight falls on the exquisite and complicated Moorish-style patterns, casting mottled light and shadow, adding a touch of oil painting style to the place.

Spain was very excited to learn that Columbus had returned from the East.

Queen Isabella I of Spain personally conducted the interview, and held a grand summoning ceremony for this purpose, which also attracted a large number of Spanish nobles.

Queen Sabella I of Spain sits on a throne inlaid with ivory and gold. Her long dress is made of the finest silk. The skirt is as wide as the waves. She wears a crown inlaid with bright gems on her head. The crown The weight seemed to make every move she made seem particularly solemn.

She is over forty years old, and time has left crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but her eyes are deep and firm, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

"The Queen is so wise!"

"Huh? Why doesn't our king come out?"

"I heard that the king was opposed to it at first, but the queen had to spend her own money to get it done!"

……

Facing the queen on the throne, but not seeing Spanish King Fernando II, it inevitably aroused some speculations, and soon some nobles with gossip revealed the "inside story."

"What did that greedy guy bring back?"

"I guess it's mostly gold. That's an ancient golden country!"

"No, spices are everywhere there. He must have brought back a boatload of spices!"

……

The topic quickly turned to Columbus. Now they were not here to gossip about the queen or the king. They were most concerned about Columbus' achievements now.

"Admiral World Ocean has arrived!" In a report, the palace music here played.

Columbus, the most legendary figure in Europe at the moment, came here, wearing traditional European aristocratic clothes and a sword hanging from his waist.

He stepped into the hall with firm and powerful steps. Under the curious eyes of many Spanish nobles, he came to the throne and knelt down on one knee to the queen.

Columbus bowed his head in salute and placed his right hand clasped on his left chest. This is the highest military salute in Spain.

This successful return from the East not only achieved results that were destined to be recorded in history, but also finally made him proud and became a practical figure of the round earth theory.

Of course, the most important thing is that he has unlocked the code of wealth, and he will join the upper class of Europe.

Queen Sabella I of Spain was very satisfied that Columbus had lived up to her expectations. Her voice sounded deep and powerful: "Admiral, you have opened up a new route for Spain. Your loyalty and courage are the pride of all our Spanish people."

Her words echoed in the hall, and every word seemed to be endowed with magic power, making everyone present feel excited and smell the wealth of Zhongnanhai.

"My great Queen, it is my greatest honor to be loyal to you!" Columbus understood the principle of carrying people in a sedan chair, and it was also a way of showing loyalty.

The nobles present couldn't help but applaud when they saw this harmonious scene between the monarch and his ministers.

Now the importance of Columbus is rising. As long as Columbus is willing to continue to serve the Spanish royal family, then they can get a share of it.

Queen Sabella I of Spain felt brighter on her face and asked with a curious smile: "Admiral, can you tell me about your experiences on this trip to the East?"

"I would like to report!" Columbus was naturally satisfied when faced with the queen's curiosity.

Although since he returned to Portugal in Europe, news about his successful finding of a new route has spread, and various praises about him have come to him, but only he knows the hardships involved.

He led three ships provided by the Queen of Spain, used the money given to buy a large amount of living supplies, and after recruiting nearly a hundred crew members, he decided to venture into the Atlantic Ocean.

His fleet first sailed southwest, then turned westward in early September and sailed into the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Starting from September 9, the first day after sighting land, Columbus began to conceal the true speed and distance of his voyage, and underreported the distance traveled to prevent the crew from panicking because the voyage was too long and they were too far away from the land.

After more than a month of sailing and no land in sight, many crew members complained and cursed, and some even wanted to rebel.

Columbus knew that there was no turning back. If he failed to return this time, he would not only become a joke to the whole of Europe, but also be chopped up and fed to the dogs by the Queen.

Even though the Queen didn't have any harsh words before setting off, if he really dared to return without success, a crazy revenge would be waiting for him.

That's why he ignored the sounds on the ship and moved forward, constantly observing the changes in the ocean and sky to find clues to the land.

After more than two months of arduous sailing, on October 10, Columbus's fleet finally discovered an island in the Bahamas Islands in Central America.

October 10, the fifth year of Hongzhi's reign, was an important day in world history. Later, more than a dozen American countries, including the United States, commemorated this day as Columbus Day, the Discovery Day of the Americas.

As for Spain, it is celebrated as a national day.

"After more than thirty days of sailing without seeing land or docking, I finally arrived in India. I landed on San Salvador Island in the West Indies, and I also found Indians living on the island!" Columbus thought of the day he discovered the island. The scene is almost like a dream.

He originally thought that he would be lost in the sea, or could only return in vain, but in the end, he managed to reach West India successfully.

"Have you really seen an Indian?" Queen Sabella I of Spain asked excitedly after being confirmed by Columbus.

Columbus smiled slightly, and then clapped his hands.

But they saw two tall sailors escorting a tied-up man in. This was a young man, but his skin color was different from that of Europeans. It turned out to be a very rare yellow skin.

This is a young man with long and disheveled hair, mottled war patterns on his face, and a thin body, but with clear muscle lines, revealing a kind of wild power.

His eyes were wide open, looking at the Spanish nobles and Spanish Queen who were looking at him around him, full of uneasiness and fear.

"So this is an Oriental!"

"Orientals are really different from us Europeans!"

"Look, their skin is very similar to the color of gold!"

……

The Spanish nobles looked at the Indian slaves in front of them as if they were looking at a rare animal captured by them, and they also commented one after another.

Roar……

Although Tariq could not understand their language, he could see the contempt and ridicule towards him from the other's expressions, and he immediately fought back with his teeth bared like a wild beast.

puff!
Just a flash of sword light, and a splash of blood.

Columbus's sword had been unsheathed. Facing the Indian prisoner he had brought back all the way, he slit his throat without blinking.

Tariq looked at the knife-wielding Westerner with confusion. He gave them food when they landed on the island as a sign of friendship. Even after being captured, this man was very concerned about him on the way, but now he suddenly Kill yourself.

"I brought such an uneducated person to the palace, but he dared to offend Her Royal Highness the Queen. Please forgive me!" Columbus stopped looking at Tariq who fell on the ground as if he had killed a fly.

Queen Sabella I of Spain naturally would not be angry with such slaves, but she asked curiously: "After you arrived in West Indies, what happened next?"

Tariq's body was dragged away, and everyone's attention returned to Columbus.

Columbus sighed secretly at first, and then told the subsequent development.

Although they successfully reached the West Indies and discovered islands such as Cuba and Haiti, they seemed to be on the edge of the East, and the places they passed were very desolate.

On the island of Cuba, he encountered some resistance, causing his flagship, the Santa Maria, to run aground and sink.

He had no choice but to use wood and debris to build a small fortress, named Lanavidad, and left some crew members there to wait for rescue.

He gave up further exploration and did not dare to go deep into the hinterland of the East. Instead, he chose to return to Spain with two other ships.

In terms of results alone, he has discovered a new route through the East this time, and it will take much less time than imagined, and their conquest of the mysterious golden ancient country in the East is just around the corner. (End of chapter)