The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

This is normal. Wang Wenlong nodded and asked: "Which businessman is not willing to participate?"

Yang Tiansheng said: "Li Jin, a native of Haicheng, was originally just a mountaineer. In the past two years, he has really become more prosperous by doing business with people abroad. He has a lot of weight among the Western guests."

When Wang Wenlong heard this, he said with disdain: "Li Jin and Li Xingpu? It's normal for him to have this idea."

Yang Tiansheng asked curiously: "Does Duke Jianyang know the name of Li Jin?"

This man Wang Wenlong is really impressive. He is one of the strange people in China during the Wanli period.

Li Jin is a native of Haicheng County, Zhangzhou. He was born in poverty. He went out to do business since he was a child and now settles in the Pattani Sultanate. His early experiences are unknown, but it is certain that he has been mixed with the Dutch for a long time, is proficient in Dutch, and has left rich records in the history of various countries.

Li Jin is the earliest Chinese known to have arrived in Europe during the Ming Dynasty. Last year, he arrived in the Netherlands on a merchant ship of the Fort Meade Company and was baptized as a Christian there.

From then on, this guy got involved with the Dutch. A few years later, he helped Wei Malang, the commander of the First Fleet of the Dutch East India Company, to attack Macau. The Dutch attack on Macau was unsuccessful. He also suggested that Wei Malang occupy the Penghu Islands as a Dutch colony. He planned to invade Penghu, and he also helped the Dutch go to Fujian to bribe Gao Yin, trying to get the Ming Dynasty to agree to the Dutch establishing a colony in Penghu.

After the Dutch were driven away, Li Jin also found a way to escape from the Ming Dynasty. A few years later, he participated in the Dutch plan to siege the Portuguese colony of Malacca.

Li Jin was very trusted by the Dutch. In the threatening letter sent by the Dutch to the Portuguese Governor, he received the following comment: "We regard him as a Dutchman rather than a Pattani... All harm to him is harm to us. "

In addition to leaving records in the history of the Ming Dynasty and Dutch colonial history, Li Jin's influence even extended to a hundred years later in a wonderful way.

As the earliest Chinese to arrive in Europe, Li Jin caused a sensation in the Netherlands after arriving in the Netherlands. The Dutch barrister Wevers went to see him and drew a portrait of Li Jin in his "Book of Friends". Let Li Jin write a commemoration on it.

Li Jin's appearance is also used as a model for Chinese people's appearance. The Dutch painter Peter Paul Rubens, an early representative of the Baroque school, drew a sketch of Li Jin and regarded him as a representative of Eastern Christians. In the famous work "The Miracles of Saint Francis Xavier".

And this matter is not over yet. Hundreds of years later, Rubens's sketch spread to the United States. The Americans did not know the origin of this painting. Seeing that the clothes of the people in the painting did not look like the clothes of the Qing Dynasty people in their impression, they just The painting was titled "Man in Korean Clothing".

In 1983, just as South Korea's economy was booming, Koreans were extremely patriotic. When they saw this painting, they directly regarded it as evidence that their ancestors came to Europe in their early years. So a Korean businessman sold this painting for a transaction price of pounds. The painting was purchased, setting a record for the highest auction price for a sketch of a figure at that time, and greatly publicizing the painting in Korea.

Even though the circulation process of this painting was later discovered, people went all the way to Weavers' "Book of Friends" and discovered that the earliest version of this painting was Weavers' color painting, and there was Li Jin's own inscription underneath the painting, It clearly stated that he was a businessman from Haicheng County, Fujian Province, but this was not publicized in South Korea, either accidentally or intentionally. Many Koreans still thought that this painting was about a Korean businessman.

Decades later, debates over "Hanfu" and "Hanfu" arose online. Many Korean netizens still used this painting by Li Jin as evidence, believing that people in the Ming Dynasty learned their clothes from Korea.

Li Jin was a maritime businessman who was born in poverty and became rich after hooking up with the Dutch. It is difficult to expect this guy to have any sense of loyalty. Everything was calculated for profit. He had connections with foreign countries in the Ming Dynasty, and the Dutch felt that his conversion to Catholicism was their fault. People, but he probably has some reservations about the Dutch.

For example, among the Dutch, he always claimed to be from the Sultanate of Pattani, but when he actually inscribed Weavers's painting, Li Jin still wrote "Mountain guest of the Ming Dynasty, (character) Xingpu... He also comes to the Netherlands and goes to Banten by boat." , go to the Ming Dynasty." He said in his tone that he was from the Ming Dynasty.

The reason why Li Jin had doubts about developing Taiyuan Island is also very simple. As a comprador of the Dutch East India Company, how could he dare to let his ships participate in the activities of establishing a colony?

Wang Wenlong said disdainfully: "The development of Damuan Island is related to the interests of dozens of sea owners. It doesn't matter if he and his family are missing. He is just working with the Dutch. Even if the Dutch are willing to oppose it, is it possible that the Damuan Netherlands on the edge of Fujian How can one person defeat so many merchants and soldiers? If there is a benefit, he might secretly participate."

Yang Tiansheng nodded. Wang Wenlong's judgment on Li Jin's choice was similar to his, but the confidence in Wang Wenlong's tone still made him more confident in Fujian Yamen's support for development officials.

This matter was not urgent at the moment, but after two conversations, Yang Tiansheng found that Wang Wenlong seemed to have a far-sighted view of the current situation in the world, and he wanted to hear Wang Wenlong's views on other matters.

Yang Tiansheng changed the topic and asked insinuatingly: "I wonder if Jianyang thinks there will be progress in fighting for the country's foundation?"

When Zhu Changluo will be established as the prince is a matter of concern to the whole world, even businessmen like Yang Tiansheng are no exception.

Wang Wenlong glanced at him and said with a smile: "Yang Haizhu, don't lie to me. I won't recognize the next words Yang Haizhu says if they come out of this room."

Yang Tiansheng smiled and said quickly: "I just want to hear some analysis from Duke Jianyang. We who are maritime merchants inevitably have to communicate with each other, for fear of misunderstanding the situation."

It would also be good for Wang Wenlong to make good friends with these maritime merchants, so he nodded and said: "It will only take a year or two at most. It will probably be done by the experienced hands of Shen Ge."

Yang Tiansheng asked quickly: "But Mr. Zhao Ge never got things done when he was in power."

"Zhao Chief Fu's party foundation is not deep, so naturally nothing can be accomplished." Wang Wenlong said with a smile, "If you want to get something done in the court now, just having a high-ranking official, even if he takes the position of Chief Minister, wants to do something. If it is not enough, you must at least recruit dozens of people to support and protect you in order to carry out your own affairs. Shen Ge, the old man, has a Zhejiang Party member. If he takes the position of chief assistant, he will be able to do more things than There are many chief ministers Zhao."

"What difference can it make?" Yang Tiansheng asked.

Wang Wenlong said with a smile: "Since Zhao Fu came to power, there have been a lot of memorials criticizing him. He couldn't do anything he wanted to do, and he was so angry that he was so angry. But when Mr. Shen Ge came to power, you would probably find that these memorials criticizing the cabinet were temporary. All gone, Shen Ge always has such strength, even for the current Holy Emperor, it is necessary to have a good relationship with him."

Yang Tiansheng asked: "According to this, the Zhejiang Party will be in power in the future?"

"It can last for a few years."

Yang Tiansheng was quite surprised when he heard this: "How come it's only a few years?"

(End of this chapter)