Daming Jingtai: I am the eternal benevolent king

Chapter 358: Chen Jiayou visited Europe, Zhu Jian went to attack the Ottomans

AD 1475, the twenty-sixth year of Jingtai in the Ming Dynasty.

Milan Street can only be described as dirty and messy, filled with stench, cockroaches and rats are everywhere, and feces are dotted in every corner of the street.

There are no toilets in Europa, so you can only defecate everywhere. When walking on the street, you can always see people taking off their pants and squatting on the ground.

Also collect excretion tax.

Leonardo da Vinci was lying on the street, being robbed by passers-by, leaving only a pair of underwear, like a street child, when he was kidnapped by two strong men into an alley, intending to have an in-depth communication.

Da Vinci woke up with a start and drove away the aggressor, saving the last bit of dignity.

But he sat on the ground and cried.

How did people's hearts become like this?

Milan in his impression is a paradise-like country. Although the nobles are arrogant and extravagant, the people are still kind and yearn for a better life.

How did you become a thief, a robber, and a special enthusiast?

Although he is also a fan of this area, he does not like to guard.

Tired of crying, he stole a piece of clothing from the hanger and returned to his residence. After treating the wound, he drew a picture of what happened today.

However, the painting beautified himself and described himself as a savior-like figure, which influenced several thieves.

I didn't go out for a few days and concentrated on painting a painting.

Until the Duke asked him to paint the lady, he saw the lady dressed in silk and satin, her bloated body holding an umbrella, completely ruining the oriental beauty.

Milan is located at the top of the Italian boot, next to Switzerland and France, and is an important stop for Ming Dynasty's exports. Especially the Milanese nobles are extremely extravagant. Ming Dynasty signed a large number of orders with them and customized goods specially for them.

Therefore, in the Milan palace, you can see Ming products everywhere. The gold, diamond and gem necklaces worn by the noble ladies were specially customized by Ming Nong Yuxuan for the Duke of Milan.

Nong Yuxuan is a state-owned enterprise of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in the 24th year of Jingtai. It makes high-end jewelry and specializes in providing high-end customized services to the world's nobility.

There is also the crown on the lady's head, the rings and bracelets on her hands, the gemstone belt on her waist, and diamond leather boots, all of which are high-end customized products from Nong Yuxuan.

The workmanship is first-class, the style is novel, and the key point is to conform to the wishes of the lady.

The only drawback is that the cost is extremely high.

This set of jewelry is worth 70 silver coins, but it must be settled in gold.

But don’t think that the Duke of Milan is a fool. Just this set of jewelry can be doubled if it changes hands in Europa. The more times he wears it, the more valuable it becomes.

Because customized products are one-of-a-kind, Nong Yuxuan is not allowed to produce a second set because of the contract.

Therefore, today we hired Leonardo da Vinci to paint to advertise this set of jewelry.

From this set of jewelry, Nong Yuxuan only made 20 yuan. It required a fleet of escorts to go back and forth. After passing through Osman, Osman took 10% of the handling fee.

If Nong Yuxuan wants to build a reputation, it must have extremely high collection value. Therefore, it makes little money and Nong Yuxuan cannot cheat. Reputation is the most important thing.

Da Vinci was painting seriously, feeling sad in his heart.

The Ming Dynasty is really good at business. Milanese craftsmen can also make such jewelry, but it cannot catch the eyes of the nobles. Foreign monks like to chant sutras, and the Ming Dynasty provides high-end customization, and they flock to it.

Moreover, the entire European aristocracy is coveting the Duke of Milan's jewelry, and many royal families have paid high prices to buy it.

Thinking of the days when he met Chen Jiayou, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. That was a happy and joyful time.

He and Chen Jiayou had been talking about Dante's Divine Comedy for a long time, and the Ming Dynasty envoy actually had very profound insights into the poetry of the Italian poet Dante.

He even said that there was a poetry club in Ming Dynasty that specialized in studying Dante's poetry.

The most ridiculous thing is that in Italy, the birthplace of poetry, not many people have studied it, right?

He thought that Chen Jiayou was the most knowledgeable person in the Ming Dynasty, but Chen Jiayou smiled and said that he was just an ordinary Jinshi. There were millions of Jinshis like him in the Ming Dynasty, and there were hundreds of thousands more powerful than him. He was just one in the Ming Dynasty. It is difficult to be a prefect, but there were hundreds of prefects in the Ming Dynasty.

He thought it was bragging, but after he was shocked by Ming products again and again, he became extremely interested in that mysterious civilization and really wanted to travel across the ocean to have a look.

Nowadays, many books about Ming travels have appeared in Europe. Because of the good sales, writers have mass-produced them, describing the Ming Dynasty as a rich treasure land, which has aroused the interest of many Europeans.

Of course, this does not rule out that Daming did it.

Unfortunately, Chen Jiayou has left Italy and visited Eastern Europe.

Chen Jiayou told him that he would return to Milan in a year and would invite him again. If he considered it well, he could go to Daming with the mission.

Daming is an open country. If you don't like Daming, Daming will send you a ship to leave.

There, everything is free. As long as you are talented, the emperor will promote you and let you shine in a useful position to realize your ideals.

You don’t have to worry that there is no place for you in the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty is twice as big as the whole of Europe. Your little Milan is just a small village in the Ming Dynasty.

He couldn't believe it.

For a long time, he painted for ladies and gained a new understanding of this set of jewelry.

The person who made this set of jewelry was a Persian, and that Persian also worked for Nong Yuxuan.

I heard that there were two top jewelry forgers in the Ming Dynasty, one was Nong Yuxuan and the other was Yunshuizhai. The latter was the emperor's property.

Nong Yuxuan takes the affordable route, while Yunshuizhai takes the most high-end route. The customization fee is the most expensive, and they do not accept small orders.

So far, no Yunshuizhai products have been released in Europe.

The Ming Emperor was like the great Genghis Khan, broad-minded and eclectic in his use of talents. Many Persian and Jewish businessmen were working for the emperor.

He did not know that the Jews were expelled by the Ming Dynasty, the men were driven away, and the women were forced to stay and marry Ming people.

As for how they could maintain the purity of the ethnic group, the emperor didn't know. Anyway, they even kept the girls.

The Jews had accumulated treasures for thousands of years, but most of them were taken away by the Ming Emperor. They left the Ming Dynasty and went to India like bereaved dogs.

They were used to wandering anyway.

I am also used to doves occupying magpie nests.

Chen Jiayou, on the other hand, traveled long distances with gifts and visited every country in Europe. Regardless of the country's size, he sent gifts and conducted friendly negotiations.

The end point is the Kingdom of Lithuania, which is the largest country in Eastern Europe. After visiting Kiev, he will return.

Because the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Osman became increasingly cold, he was worried that if he didn't go back, Osman would close the shipping route, making it impossible for him to return to the Mediterranean.

The fleet sailed back from the Black Sea, took Istanbul to the Aegean Sea, passed through the Ottoman Empire, returned to Rome, visited the Pope, and then came to Milan for the second time.

Invite Leonardo da Vinci to the Ming Dynasty.

On top of the Ming Dynasty fleet, there are envoys from various countries, as well as some talents from various countries who are willing to go to the East, followed by gifts from various countries to the Ming Dynasty.

Today is July of the 27th year of Jingtai.

In order to facilitate his movement in Europe, Chen Jiayou paid homage to the Pope three times and invited the Pope to preach in the Ming Dynasty.

Only then did he get through Europe smoothly. The Pope in Rome was very impressed with Chen Jiayou, and Chen Jiayou even converted to the Lord.

Along the way, he visited, invited various countries to come to the Ming Dynasty, did business with the Ming Dynasty, and recruited talents.

He wanted talents in astronomy, mathematics, literature, medicine, painting, music, and all kinds of talents.

But he still couldn't forget Da Vinci. Da Vinci was the most powerful talent in his impression, and he was also the only one whose heart was moved.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to delay his trip and came to Milan for the second time to visit the thatched cottage.

Da Vinci saw Chen Jiayou again and was very sad. Within this year, Ming products were significantly reduced in Milan. Because of the bad relationship between Ming and Osman, Osman closed the transit channel and did not allow Ming products to enter Europa.

Everyone in Milan was extremely dissatisfied with Osman's hegemonic behavior.

He sensed that war was approaching.

The Ming Dynasty's mission was able to successfully pass through the hostile Ottoman Empire, which impressed him with Chen Jiayou's abilities.

When Chen Jiayou left the capital, he knew that the emperor would not allow the Ottomans to monopolize trade between China and the West, and that the King of Chu would entrust it to North Africa in order to open up trade between China and the West.

So he had already made preparations. When he first arrived, he bribed many high-ranking Ottoman officials so that the mission could pass smoothly.

"The Ming Dynasty has been preparing for this war for ten years. It will not be defeated." Chen Jiayou and Da Vinci talked about this war with confidence.

"Da, after this battle, you will see the strength of Ming Dynasty."

"The Ming Dynasty never lost a battle."

“Back then, the powerful Oara Tatars were ten times more difficult to deal with than the Ottoman Empire, but they were still defeated by His Majesty the wise Emperor.”

"The Ottoman Empire is just a country established by the descendants of the Turks who were defeated by our Tang Dynasty."

"The Turks are the defeated generals of our Han people!"

Chen Jiayou has great confidence in this war, because the Ming Dynasty cannot be defeated and does not allow failure.

"Da, I know you don't want to leave your hometown."

"But after the Ming Dynasty forces entered North Africa, they mastered the key points of communication between the East and the West. In this way, you can come back whenever you want."

"I can guarantee that you will be reused in Ming Dynasty."

"I can take away the people you want to take with you and let them hold official positions. Your family can enjoy a better life in Ming Dynasty."

Chen Jiayou issued a sincere invitation: "I came back to Milan from Lithuania just for you, otherwise I would already be in Lisbon, Portugal at this moment."

"With my introduction, you can directly meet His Majesty. His Majesty has a broad mind that you have never seen before."

"Everything about Ming Dynasty is beyond your imagination."

"You see the Ming Dynasty products in Milan, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. I even tell you rudely that they are things we don't care about eating or using. The products from the Ming Dynasty are the best in the country."

"I can only give you one last day to think about it. If you don't want to, I will return to Daming."

Chen Jiayou sincerely hopes that Da Vinci can return to the Ming Dynasty with him.

When they came, the mission numbered 1.7 people. When they returned, the number was as high as people. There were nearly talents from various countries who were willing to serve in the Ming Dynasty.

Others were envoys from various countries, carrying gifts and escorts to the Ming Dynasty.

"No need to think about it, I will go to Ming Dynasty with you to have a look. If I am not used to Ming Dynasty, please allow me to leave freely." Da Vinci was moved by Chen Jiayou's sincerity, and he really wanted to go to a bigger empire and seek more things. that power.

The fleet set sail for Lisbon, Portugal.

When he met the Portuguese royal family, he learned that the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottomans had already begun, and the main battlefield was Cairo.

Chen Jiayou felt nervous, but he heard that Holy Rome, Spain, France and Britain had all participated in the war. The five-nation coalition sent millions of troops to attack the Ottoman Empire.

Even Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Hungary were ready to join the war at any time to divide the Ottoman Empire.

This Osman who blocks everyone's way of making money is really annoying.

In the past year, Ming products have been unable to enter Europa, causing the prices of various commodities in Europa to skyrocket, and the royal families of various countries are also losing money.

Their interests in the Ming Dynasty were also damaged, especially the slave industry and the shipping industry, which suffered the most.

At this moment, Chen Jiayou was eager to return home and wanted to go to Cairo immediately to join the war.

But he knew very well that he was an envoy, and his focus was to bring the mission home, rather than rashly joining the war.

The mission paid heavily to hire a Portuguese fleet to escort the mission to Madagascar, where it was then escorted by the Ming Navy.

Entering Datang Yang is home.

Portugal doesn't dare to play tricks. If you dare to play tricks, Ming Dynasty will dare to play tricks on you, unless you never want the interests of the East.

As the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty turned against each other, Portugal made a lot of money. They controlled the Ming Dynasty's trade.

They least wanted the war to end.

now.

Zhu Jianshen personally took charge of the army, with Guo Deng as deputy commander, Zhou Xi and Liu Ning as generals, and commanded 32 Ming troops in a bloody battle in Cairo.

The most disgusting thing is that the allied forces of Britain and France, waiting to pick peaches, did not attack the Ottoman mainland at all, but watched the excitement outside Cairo.

Zhu Jianshen's face was cold. This was the first time that he had commanded a large army, and he was fighting against a large empire across Asia, Europe, and Africa, but he was not panicked at all. At worst, he would return home if he was defeated, and then change his fiefdom.

Guo Deng has been in Africa for nearly four years and has become familiar with the fighting methods of the Ottoman Empire. He also specially bought a group of prisoners of war from the Ottoman Empire. People who were full of resentment against the Ottoman Empire served as a servant army.

When the Ming Dynasty fought, it was just like the Mongols.

Ming people are better because of their sharp firearms. They throw incendiary bombs into the city as if they are free, and then massacre them without restraint.

But this method works on the frontier.

It doesn't work to open Cairo. Cairo is a city built on the desert. This is not Ottoman territory, but Egyptian territory.

Egypt was destroyed by the Ottomans, and many slaves were sold to the Ming Dynasty. Except for the pyramids, which were too big and were not sold, the rest were packaged and sold to the Ming Dynasty.

The Ottomans did not care about the casualties of the local population. They simply withdrew from the city, formed a servant army, and engaged in field battles with the Ming Dynasty.

They use the same fighting style as Ming Dynasty. Anyway, these people are also our slaves.

On the contrary, Ming could not defeat it.

Guo Deng was in a stalemate in Cairo for 91 days and had to withdraw from Cairo. He set fire along the way to save his retreat and trekked hundreds of kilometers through the desert before boarding the ship at the port and returning to Djibouti.

When the four-nation coalition saw that the Ming army had withdrawn, they wanted to withdraw too.

Osman is a flat-headed brother. How can he tolerate these countries watching the fun and immediately send troops to attack the Four-Nation Alliance. The Four-Nation Alliance is stealing chickens but losing rice.

It was entangled with the Ottoman Empire and kept sending messages to invite the Ming army to join the war.

Zhu Jianshen and Guo Deng discussed that this is Europa's territory after all. If you don't keep your word, you won't be able to gain a foothold in the future. You have to look at the long term.

We can only grit our teeth and head north to join the battle group.

The Ming army was defeated first, and then participated in the second battle across thousands of miles. They landed by ship and crossed the desert. The army was exhausted, resulting in heavy casualties.

Zhu Jian gritted his teeth and used his life to fill the gap.

After 37 days of fierce fighting, the Ottoman army was finally defeated and the city of Cairo changed hands.

When the four countries saw the victory in the war, they immediately seized the Egyptian territory and refused to pursue the Ottomans, and the Ming army was unable to pursue it.

"They're all a bunch of stupid pigs!"

Zhu Jianshen was furious: "Why did I join forces with such a group of stupid pigs? If you beat the snake, you will suffer the consequences instead! Don't you understand such a simple truth?"

"Just focus on this bullshit profit in front of you. It's all desert. How can this useless land be of any use!"

Zhu Jianshen was furious.

Without looking at the map, the Ming Dynasty could return to the Red Sea, but the Ottomans could not cross the Red Sea because the Suez Canal was not open.

The Mediterranean was different. The Ottomans could attack the countries along the coast at will.

Guo Deng's face was so gloomy that he said: "Our army can no longer withstand it. Several structures have collapsed. If the rewards were not enough, they would have collapsed long ago."

"Besides, if we lose too much, the European countries will definitely eat up our territory."

"These short-sighted losers!"

Zhu Jian gritted his teeth and said, "Let's retreat!"

"withdraw?"

Guo Deng shook his head resolutely: "We fought hard to conquer Cairo. This area is considered an oasis. We can build the capital here."

"We must not evacuate. Once we evacuate, how will we take care of our generals? The blood of our brothers has been shed here. There were 6 casualties in two major battles!"

Guo Denghu’s eyes were filled with tears: “They are all good men of the Ming Dynasty, one is worth ten heroes!”

"Sixty thousand! I have never fought such a useless battle! Sixty thousand!"

"Can't evacuate, evacuated, sorry brothers!"

This battle lasted four months and he knew very well how difficult it was.

In the later stages of the fight, supplies could not be transported, so we had to rely on noodles and dried meat for ten days. How many heroes were suffocated to death!

"Do I want to give up?"

Zhu Jianshen said in a sad tone: "But if we don't give up, can we hold on? Sixty thousand people have already died, we can't suffer any more losses!"

"Let's go, give the interests to other countries, and let them withstand the Ottoman Empire's counterattack."

"Let's recuperate first, and then come back and take back Cairo when we're ready! The blood of our brothers will not be shed in vain!"

Guo Deng was almost sixty and had fought in battles all his life. This battle was the most ferocious. If the coalition forces had not ended the battle and forced the Ming Dynasty to send troops a second time, they would not have lost so much.

Even in the later stages of the war, if the various countries gave the Ming Dynasty some supplies, the Ming army would not be so miserable. Drinking water would be a problem.

The key outcome of this battle was all achieved by the Ming army. They were just standing there waiting to pick peaches, this bunch of rubbish!

But Zhu Jianshen was right. If the Ming army was crucified in Cairo, it would be the target of the Ottoman Empire, and all the anger would be borne by the Ming Dynasty.

Returning to the Red Sea, Ottoman had no choice, because the other side was also a desert. Marching in the desert was dangerous, but it was not insurmountable.

The key is that before the war started, the Ming Dynasty killed the Ottoman fleet on the Red Sea and burned the Arabian ports.

Rebuilding takes time, and Osman just doesn't have the time.

Therefore, withdraw and give up the main battlefield to the European countries and let them have a taste of Ottoman bullets.

"Withdraw!" Guo Deng wiped away his tears: "Take all the brothers and go back to Jizhou (Djibouti)!"

The Ming army won a great victory, but everyone was depressed and withdrew their troops from Cairo.

There was no benefit, but 60,000 people died, and the morale of the army was shaken.

Returning to Djibouti, a monument to heroes was erected on Djibouti to bury the 60,000 people who fought in the battle. Zhu Jianshen knelt in front of the tomb and confessed to the soldiers.

It can be regarded as saving the morale of the army.

Sure enough, as soon as the Ming army withdrew, the four-nation coalition started fighting in Cairo. They all wanted to occupy Cairo and take advantage of it without paying for it.

Italy, which had been watching and waiting for opportunities, was the first to send troops to seize Cairo.

Cairo has instead become a meat grinder.

Everyone is grabbing it, everyone wants it.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty retreated so far is because it is all desert and wasteland, and it is useless to take it. If it occupies Djibouti, it occupies the entire bay. Ships can go north at any time and take away Cairo.

Zhu Jianshen ordered all armies to rest and recruit new soldiers.

This year is the twenty-eighth year of Jingtai. The Ming Dynasty sent a total of 107 million people, including people from all walks of life, with doctors the most. However, the total population of the Chu Kingdom was only 84, and the others died because they could not adapt to the climate.

The central government gave Chu Zongguo two million a year in military expenses and established an ordnance factory on the Gulf of Aden, making Chu Zongguo self-sufficient in arms.

Nowadays, all walks of life have been established.

The life trajectory of Ming people can be seen throughout the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. There is almost no difference between this place and the country. The only difference is that there are only about 200,000 Ming girls.

There are a lot of white girls, there are about a million white girls, all bought from various countries.

Zhu Jianshen's family hasn't sent it over yet.

Because it was unsafe, he wanted to wait until his eldest son had grown up before coming over. His eldest son was named Zhu Youtang, a name given by the emperor himself and named him the Prince of Chu.

Now he is studying with the prince in the capital, but it is a pity that Zhu Youtang was not born to his favorite Wan family.

Although Wan was his concubine and a title given by the emperor, she was pregnant, but the first child was not saved.

When he left Beijing, Wan was pregnant again and received a letter saying that she was a son, the fourth child.

He also has four sons.

In fact, there was another reason why he didn't come, that is, it would be more beneficial to him to be a hostage in the capital to reassure the emperor.

Only when the emperor is at ease can he continue to support his kingdom. He had served the emperor for so many years and knew the emperor's character too well. The emperor wanted profits and was at odds with Osman because Osman was too greedy.

Therefore, Zhu Jianshen was supported and allowed to establish the Chu Zongguo here.

Zhu Jianshen also had to reciprocate the favor, reassure the emperor, and let the emperor teach his son so that the Chu Zongguo would not break away from the Ming Dynasty.

Sure enough, as Zhu Jianshen expected, the Ottoman Empire could not bear the humiliation and immediately sent troops to retake Cairo and fight bloody battles with other countries.

Everyone was defeated, and the entire area dozens of kilometers near Cairo was reduced to ruins.

In the end, the Ottomans won miserably, suffering huge losses and not even making any profit.

As soon as the coalition forces of various countries withdrew, the Ming Dynasty came back again, defeated the Ottoman Empire soldiers, and occupied Cairo again.

Then, the Ming army did not build Cairo, but sent out cavalry to loot and burn the city along the Nile River.

When the Ottoman Empire came back again, tens of millions of refugees were waiting for food along the entire Nile River.

The Ming army retreated to Djibouti.

The Ottoman expedition to Djibouti was unrealistic. The Suez Canal was not open at this time, and crossing the desert was simply impossible.

Osman could only burst into anger.

Then he vented his anger on Italy, because Italy was the closest to him and the place he coveted most, so he simply swallowed Italy.

Zhu Jianshen sent envoys to contact the Mediterranean countries and once again raised the coalition forces to attack the Ottomans. This time Zhu Jianshen promised heavy profits.

at the same time.

Chen Jiayou is currently docked in Malacca.

It was five years since I left the Ming Dynasty. When I left, Malacca Province was not yet open to the outside world. Now Malacca is full of Ming people, exactly like the mainland.

There are some people with very white skin and blue eyes, like mixed-race people, but they all speak Chinese and proudly say that they are Mingren.

"Did you see it? This is the Malacca Province of the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Jiayou introduced to the envoys from various countries: "This place is tens of thousands of miles away from the capital."

The envoys were not surprised. After leaving Madagascar, their destinations were all ships from the Ming Dynasty. Chen Jiayou said that the entire Tang Dynasty was the maritime territory of the Ming Dynasty.

He pointed to the territory on the shore and said which province of Ming Dynasty.

After arriving in Malacca, the fleet rested for three days, replaced new ships, and then set off.

"This is the Ming Dynasty's Jiaozhi, and the other side is the Ming Dynasty's Borneo."

"Ming Dynasty's Borneo covers 77 square kilometers, which is larger than your Holy Roman Empire."

"And this, these are just the three provinces of the Ming Dynasty."

"There are forty provinces like this in the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Jiayou was full of pride and pointed to the ocean: "This is the inland sea of ​​the Ming Dynasty. It used to be called the South China Sea. Your Majesty changed its name to Yanhai because the people of the Ming Dynasty are descendants of Yanhuang and there is the Yellow Sea to the east."

"That island is Qiongzhou Prefecture, a prefecture of the Ming Dynasty, which is bigger than your kingdom."

"Such a vast sea is the inland sea of ​​the Ming Dynasty, which is much larger than your Mediterranean Sea. The Ming Dynasty has four major inland seas, the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the Yanhai Sea."

"We will not land in Guangzhou, we will go to Tianjin and enter the capital directly."

"The Ming Dynasty is so big that one person can never complete the entire territory of the Ming Dynasty in his lifetime."

"The Ming Dynasty is fifteen thousand miles from north to south and five thousand miles from west to east."

Chen Jiayou looked excited. After five years of absence, he could feel that the Ming Dynasty was more prosperous than before, with more and more ships coming and going.

After entering the Yanhai, head all the way north.

"Did you see it? We are walking along the inner sea of ​​the Ming Dynasty, and the land of the Ming Dynasty is along the way!"

Enter the Yellow Sea.

"Across the way is Ming Korea, here is Jiangsu, and to the north is Shandong."

"Opposite is the Japanese state, which is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Although it is a country, it is actually a province of the Ming Dynasty."

"We will disembark at the Bohai Sea and go directly to Beizhili."

In October of the twenty-eighth year of Jingtai.

Chen Jiayou led the fleet to disembark in Tianjin.

Although it is winter, Tianjin Port is even busier, because many sea-going fishing boats have to return, and some ships transporting goods from north to south have to transport the last cargo.

"Is this the Ming Dynasty?"

As soon as Leonardo da Vinci landed, his sight was the towering Drum Tower.

Then there is the extremely majestic Tianjin City.

He clearly remembered that it took 47 days from the territory of the Ming Dynasty mentioned by Chen Jiayou to the landing. The ocean distance of the Ming Dynasty could be calculated based on the speed of the ship.

I really have to marvel at the greatness of the Ming Dynasty.

The supply islands along the way are all decorated with dragon flags, which shows that Ming Dynasty is in actual control.

He has been to several small islands, which are about the same size as Milan, but very desolate. It is obvious that the Ming Dynasty did not pay attention to construction.

However, after landing in Tianjin, the targets were all people.

The huge dock, as far as the eye can see, is full of busy dock workers, with countless goods being shipped on the dock.

At this moment, you can feel the power of Ming Dynasty.

The mission will rest in Tianjin for three days, and then take a carriage to Beijing.

These European envoys were not country bumpkins like Indians, but they were still extremely shocked when they walked on the asphalt road.

Chen Jiayou told them: "All forty provinces in the Ming Dynasty have this kind of road. This is called an asphalt road. It was first discovered in the Ming Dynasty."

"Every province in the Ming Dynasty is larger than your empire. The Tianjin you see is just a city. In the Ming Dynasty, it is called a county seat."

"A prefecture will be composed of more than a dozen counties."

The capital and Tianjin are almost connected. There are shouts of hawkers along the way, and there are business people everywhere. It is extremely prosperous.

You can even see many pairs of women walking around on the street.

The carriage went directly from Tianjin to the capital and stopped only during meal time. They ate in restaurants and let the envoys order their own dishes.

Then he sang and danced to the fullest, feeling the enthusiasm of the bright women, and then set off on the road after resting.

They did not know that the people serving them were Indian women and Japanese women.

It took us twelve days to walk from Tianjin to the capital, and we enjoyed a lot of beautiful scenery along the way.

Da Vinci only saw extreme prosperity.

It was indescribably prosperous, and in the restaurant, not all were shouting and complaining. Some were talking about business, some were talking about poetry, and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.

He also talked to some literati, and they all had read Du Europa's works, and they had read them deeply. Many of them could recite a few lines of poetry.

But the strange thing is that the author they mentioned is different from the one he knows.

October twenty-seven.

The mighty mission finally arrived in the capital.

The huge capital intimidated everyone. The people of the Roman Pope knelt on the ground and muttered something.

Not to mention the mission, Chen Jiayou was also surprised. The capital seemed to be much larger than when he left.

In fact, the entire Gyeonggi Province is a city, built along the roads.

The capital is no longer a city, but a huge city, spread across the entire capital, with a population of more than 7 million, but it is not the first city in the Ming Dynasty, but only the fifth.

"Is this the capital of the Ming Dynasty?"

The envoys of the Holy Roman Empire were confused. Even in their books, the greatest was Rome.

But compared with today's Beijing, Rome is far too different.

It was the most majestic city they had ever seen.

And the biggest impression is that it is big.

Then it is clean, there is no stink or shit everywhere.

After entering Beijing, we took a horse-drawn carriage for three hours to reach the Forbidden City.

They knew that this was where the Emperor of Ming Dynasty worked and lived. Standing at the foot of the Forbidden City, a huge sense of oppression hit their faces, and they were so oppressed by the imperial city that they couldn't breathe.

Officials of Honglu Temple settled the residence of the mission.

Qin Tianjian will choose an auspicious time and enter the palace to see him.

Chen Jiayou, after washing up, went into the palace to pay homage to the emperor.

Walking through the familiar corridors of the palace, Chen Jiayou was both happy and proud, with a hint of nervousness and timidity about being close to home, restored to the extreme.

The emperor was waiting at the door of Yangxin Hall: "Are you back?"

"Your Majesty!" Chen Jiayou burst into tears instantly and fell on the steps, tears streaming down his face.

"Get up and go into the palace to speak!"

Zhu Qiyu opened the door and helped him up: "After more than five years, you are finally back!"

"I have been looking forward to it since I received the news from Liang Yue. I finally have you back."

Entering the main hall, Chen Jiayou saw a dozen figures, like a school, each with their own table.

"They are all my sons."

Zhu Qiyu pointed at Chen Jiayou: "He is Chen Jiayou who has been on the diplomatic mission for five years. Do you still remember him?"

"My sons and ministers are not impressed." The princes were sincere.

Now the emperor has seventeen adult sons, all of whom are handling government affairs in the Yangxin Hall. The older ones have already helped the emperor share the government affairs.

The emperor is fifty years old this year, and his energy is not as good as before, so he gradually delegates power and only focuses on big things, leaving small things to the princes.

This way he can relax a lot and stay alive like a tortoise.

"Well, this is a man of great merit."

Zhu Qiyu sat on the soft couch: "Sit down and tell me what you have seen and heard over the years."

Chen Jiayou presented a book: "This is a travel diary written by Wei Chen. It is what Wei Chen saw and heard along the way. Please read it."

"Prince, put it away and read it to me when you are free."

Chen Jiayou thought that the emperor had an eye problem, so he carefully looked at the emperor and found that the emperor had almost no change from five years ago, and no sign of aging was seen.

"I'm old, and the hospital says I shouldn't overwork myself."

"Besides, my sons have grown up and it's time to share the government affairs with me."

"To learn government affairs, you can't learn it by just listening. You still have to put it into practice, read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles."

It’s not that Zhu Qiyu is not greedy for power, but he wants long-term hegemony.

Then you have to learn to let go.

He would be happy to leave small matters to the princes, and hold major matters in his hands, so his power would not be reduced.

Empress Dowager Sun passed away in the 27th year of Jingtai. In the past two years, Empress Tang was also in poor health, but Concubine Tan was in the best health.

This is what Concubine Tan persuaded him to do, telling him how to maintain his health. The secret is to let go.

The emperor also tried to let go.

"You mean Leonardo da Vinci?" Zhu Qiyu frowned. Isn't this guy the one who painted eggs? There is no shortage of painters in Ming Dynasty!

"Your Majesty, Wei Chen believes that Leonardo da Vinci was an all-rounder, with all-round military, political, mechanical, and medical skills. He is a rare genius that can only be seen in a century. Therefore, Wei Chen delayed his trip and went to Milan for the second time just to recruit him."

"The blessing of our ancestors allowed Wei Chen to recruit Leonardo da Vinci."

"Wei Chen, please meet him. He will definitely give you a huge surprise. However, talented people have quirks. Please use the etiquette of Marquis Wu to meet him."

Chen Jiayou spoke sincerely.

"What is the etiquette of Marquis Zhuge Wu? Let Your Majesty visit the thatched cottage three times?"

Zhu Jianqi said: "Master Chen, are you too mysterious? Is this Xi Yi comparable to Zhuge Liang?"

"Prince, it's time to change your contempt for foreigners."

Zhu Qiyu said: "You have also read the history of Europa and the history of Alexander's attack on Qin. Why are you still questioning Europa?"

"Besides, how many Europeans in the DPRK are serving in the Ming Dynasty? Don't you know what they are capable of?"

"You, don't look down on the world's heroes. You can't sit in a well and watch the sky."

"Father taught you a lesson." Zhu Jianqi was a little unconvinced.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Chen Jiayou: "To be valued so highly by you, this person must be a great talent. I can trust your vision."

"The elites you brought back from India must number a thousand. They are really capable people."

"You have a sharp eye and can discern pearls. I trust you very much."

Chen Jiayou knew that as long as he recommended him, the emperor would definitely reuse him.

He glanced at the prince again.

If the prince were in power, the Ming Dynasty would not have such a grand occasion. Fortunately, his majesty is still healthy and he can go to Europe as an envoy again for the rest of his life.

If the prince succeeds to the throne, I'm afraid he will go back to his original trajectory, alas.

"Fourth, go and see Leonardo da Vinci in person."

Zhu Jianjian glanced at the prince and accepted the imperial edict happily.

"Chen Qing, according to what you say, Europa will become a serious problem for the Ming Dynasty." After hearing what Chen Jiayou said, Zhu Qiyu sighed.

"Your Majesty, I will never dare to make alarmist remarks."

"The countries of Europe may seem small, but in fact, capable people are everywhere among the people."

"As long as a powerful monarch is replaced, the countries of Europe will explode with terrifying power."

Chen Jiayou said seriously: "Weichen has explored the reason. This is Europa's hundreds of years of technological accumulation, which has led to the vitality of the people."

"It's just that the stubborn aristocracy is in power now, just like the old aristocrats of the Qin Dynasty. They took power and eventually led to the death of Great Qin II."

"And the great Han Dynasty is so brilliant, which is directly related to the foundation accumulated by the Great Qin Dynasty."

"So, Wei Chen believes that Europe is in the stage of Hu Hai's rule. Once an uprising breaks out, strong men will be born."

"Da Ming has to guard against it."

This statement is similar to what Zhu Qiyu guessed.

The Industrial Revolution did not happen overnight, but was the result of three hundred years of technological accumulation in Europa.

Then came the Industrial Revolution, the Renaissance, and then the Second Industrial Revolution.

What is missing is a finishing touch, what is missing is primitive accumulation, so the Industrial Revolution will push European countries to seize colonies and complete primitive accumulation.

Seventeen years after the Ming Dynasty opened the sea, primitive accumulation was stronger than that of Europe.

However, the industrial revolution was not born. In fact, industrial development has become increasingly slow and has reached a bottleneck due to a lack of technological accumulation and a serious shortage of technical talents.

Therefore, in the 26th year of his stay in Jingtai, Zhu Qiyu proposed a plan to recruit Western talents to join the Ming Dynasty.

But he was interrupted by Osman.

Osman was at odds with Ming Dynasty and forced Ming Dynasty to fight him. Zhu Jianshen was capable, and Zhu Qiyu was sure to defeat Osman in the end.

But this process may take several years.

It's useless to be anxious.

This time Chen Jiayou brought back these talents, which will be a good complement to Ming Dynasty.

"Write your analysis into a memorial and submit it to the court tomorrow morning for your ministers to discuss it."

Just talking.

A eunuch hurriedly came to report: "Your Majesty, Minister Geng has passed away."

Zhu Qiyu paused for a moment. Geng Jiuchou had wind dizziness, which was the same disease as Cao Cao. He had been sick frequently in the past few years. When he got sick, he couldn't sleep for several days. It was better to be alive than dead.

The surgeon suggested a craniotomy. When Geng Jiuchou was in unbearable pain, he agreed, but regretted it after he recovered.

Zhu Qiyu was not allowed to test important officials.

This kind of surgery must be done under sterile conditions, but Daming did not have this condition.

"It's better to go and save yourself the pain of this disease."

Zhu Qiyu sighed. Last year, Gong Yongji, Mao Sheng, and Mao Zhong passed away one after another. This year, Zhang Gu, Xu Gui, and Xuan Shi are gone. Now Geng Jiuchou has also passed away. There are really not many veterans in the court.

The saddest thing is Xuan Xuan. Xuan Xuan should have been admitted to the cabinet department, but his health was so bad that he only served as minister and had no energy to truly serve as minister. After lingering on the bed for more than ten years, he finally left.

"In addition, Geng Jiuchou was granted the title of Grand Tutor, a bachelor of the Huagaidian Palace, and a first-rank Zhuguo. He ordered a temple to be built in the place where Geng Jiuchou served as an official to commemorate his achievements so that future generations would remember him. The capital chose a street and named it after Geng Jiuchou. .”

Zhu Qiyu was in a sad mood: "He transferred Xiang Zhong to be the Minister of the Ministry of Husbandry, and transferred Ma Jin to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment."

"Your Majesty, the minister of Dali Temple is also seriously ill, isn't he..." Feng Xiao reminded.

Zhou Xuan's health has been very poor in recent years, and he has long been unable to serve as the minister of Dali Temple. However, the emperor thought of his merits and could not bear to let him return to his hometown for retirement, so he appointed five young ministers to share the duties of Dali Temple.

"Transferred Zhang Fuhua to return to Beijing and serve as minister of Dali Temple."

I originally wanted to transfer Ma Wensheng back to Beijing, but there were always rebellions in Borneo, so last year I transferred Ma Wensheng to Borneo as governor.

"Chen Qing, I am not in the mood to talk today."

"The old ministers who followed me are abandoning me one after another. I feel uncomfortable in my heart."

Zhu Qiyu said sadly: "Those old ministers are gone one after another."

"Every morning, I see people asking for leave but not coming. In a few years, they will all be new people."

"Your Majesty, please show your condolences." Chen Jiayou advised.

"Father, please express my condolences." The sons knelt on the ground.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "Let's all go and let me sit alone."

He is not young anymore, he is fifty years old!

The old ministers who had made great achievements with him were all gone. He was a little worried that maybe if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't be able to open them tomorrow.

If you want to develop medical skills, you have to do it quickly!

Sadness is fake, fear of death is real...

(End of this chapter)