I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1037 A War Without Gunfire: Ideological Colonization
When Gao Qiyu saw the Dutch envoy, Houghton, angrily cursing England, he knew clearly that the cognitive seed he had planted had been planted in Houghton's mind and was taking effect.

Gao Qiyu was disciplining Hotman; more specifically, he was waging a war without gunfire—ideological colonization.

To carry out ideological colonization, the Ming Dynasty needed to stand on the high ground of the Celestial Empire and point fingers. Therefore, creating a villain, an antagonist, and a morally bankrupt figure became extremely important.

England happens to be a perfect target, encompassing almost everything: villain, adversary, and morally bankrupt.

After all, even the two Japanese kings, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, issued bans on piracy more than once, prohibiting the Nagasaki pirates from causing trouble. The Japanese pirates not only caused trouble for Ming Dynasty Korea, but also caused a lot of trouble for the Japanese mainland.

Houghton's reaction suggests that the shaping was relatively successful.

As he said to the emperor, the maritime court and the maritime trade law are not important at all; what matters is etiquette and law, right and wrong.

Gao Qiyu truly didn't care whether the Dutch accepted the Ming Dynasty's just ruling, or about the ownership of the 240 lives lost on board and the cargo worth 500,000.

He was initially unwilling to get involved in this matter, but in a flash, he thought of the maritime tribunal, trade law, and ideological colonization, which made him willing to devote so much energy to this task.

The fundamental purpose of ideological colonization is to make the rest of the world obey the will of the Ming Dynasty at a lower cost, thereby increasing the efficiency of the Ming Dynasty in plundering wealth.

We must not allow the Wanli Emperor's opening of the seas to follow in the footsteps of the Yongle Emperor, whose high moral standards led to insufficient plundering efficiency and a hasty end.

In addition to military and political victories, a cultural victory is also necessary.

The winning philosophy of the Ming Dynasty is a performance-based winning philosophy; true victory is what matters, and this can be considered the construction of the winning philosophy of the Ming Dynasty.

Gao Qiyu suddenly thought of the Zhuge bronze drums that had been continuously seized during the suppression of the rebellion in the southwest.

After Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times and pacified the southwest, he used the Zhuge Bronze Drum to achieve a political victory. Without the Zhuge Bronze Drum, no matter how powerful one was, one could not gain widespread recognition.

The Zhuge Temple, which exists in the southwest and even throughout the entire Dongyu region, is part of this cultural triumph.

He suddenly realized that what he was doing was not something new from the Wanli Reforms, but rather the established laws of his ancestors.

The purpose of ideological colonization is, of course, to make it so that all land under heaven belongs to the king and all people within the borders are his subjects. That is, to expand the territory from real concepts such as tangible counties, vassal states, tributary states, and barbaric lands to a metaphysical, intangible territory.

Because of the obstruction of the vast ocean, the Ming Dynasty's overseas expansion was limited and relatively slow. Apart from Southeast Asia, the Ming Dynasty's control over the overseas expansion through its governor-general offices was extremely weak.

It was only after the Nanyang Fleet was established that the Ming Dynasty's control over the South China Seas was strengthened, whereas it had been just as weak before.

However, ideological and cultural colonization can continuously expand invisible territories, casting the entire world under the will of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, compared to physical colonization, ideological colonization is much faster.

The key to achieving ideological colonization lies in free trade, or in other words, material things are the foundation of the spiritual world.

Through free trade, Ming Dynasty goods were brought to every corner of the world. These goods could subtly change everyone's lifestyle, alter their definitions of truth, goodness, beauty, falsehood, evil, and ugliness, and gradually change the perceptions of foreign lands around the world.

Through free trade, the wisdom, books, aesthetics, entertainment, and other customs of the Ming Dynasty can be brought to every corner of the world, traveling with goods to every corner of the world and leaving the mark of the Ming Dynasty on the world, including on people's minds.

Discipline is finally completed.

By completing the discipline of individuals, the discipline of the dynasty is completed, and the idea that the Ming Dynasty is the Celestial Empire can be imprinted in the minds of everyone in the world.

His Majesty called it long-distance animal husbandry.

When Marion came to the Ming Dynasty as a saint on pilgrimage, His Majesty spoke these words to Wan Shihe, the Minister of Rites.

Gao Qiyu's handling of the dispute over the looting of ships was essentially a way of disciplining Haotman and Paulino, disciplining these foreigners, and Gao Qiyu felt no remorse whatsoever.

The impending doom hangs over the Ming Dynasty. If it clings to so-called morality and fails to increase its plundering efficiency, it is tantamount to watching the Ming Dynasty collapse under the threat of this impending doom.

We need a cultural victory, we need to colonize the world with our minds. Knowing is one thing, but when it comes to principles, everyone can talk a good game about them.

The ability to transform ideas into reality and theories into practice is the moment that truly demonstrates one's capabilities.

Clearly, Gao Qiyu was not lacking in ability; the maritime courts and maritime trade laws he constructed were important means of achieving ideological colonization.

Thinking about this, his understanding of the concept of contradictions became much deeper.

Phenomenon, problem, cause, and solution – this is the methodology of the theory of contradiction, the fundamental way to analyze and solve any problem, which is the unity of knowledge and action, or the transformation of theory into practice.

The idea of ​​turning theory into practice is the biggest enemy of empty talk about morality.

As the theory of contradictions became more widespread and gradually became a prominent field of study, it brought about a near-complete transformation to the Ming Dynasty.

If you attend any gathering or poetry party and only talk about principles without discussing practical application, you will be laughed at. Anyone can talk the talk.
Gao Qiyu's face turned very ugly. He had armed himself with his teacher's theories, he had used his teacher's theories to complete his promotion, he had used his teacher's theories to fulfill His Majesty's entrustment, and he had displayed his ambitions, but he was expelled from his teacher's school.

He had even forgotten what he was thinking and what his purpose was in setting the question "Shun also commanded Yu" in the provincial examination of Yingtian Prefecture. For this, he had already received enough punishment in reality.

But the deep-seated self-examination, self-reflection, and self-criticism will continue indefinitely.

Just as Zhao Mengyou and Zhao Tishuai always say, criminals can't actually clearly state their motives and details of the crime. Human memory isn't that strong, and people can even deceive themselves, constantly embellishing their criminal motives and forgetting those details.

“If you two agree with the ruling of the Maritime Tribunal, then submit it to the Imperial Court in writing. If it is not seriously implemented, the Portuguese side can apply for enforcement, and the Ming Dynasty will do what it can.” Gao Qiyu stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left without waiting for a reply.

Paulino and Hotman exchanged bewildered glances. The Minister of Rites, who had just been all smiles, suddenly turned from a sunny disposition to a stormy one, which was quite alarming.

"What did you do? Did you anger the Heavenly Official?" Paulino asked in a low voice.

Houghtman shook his head and said, "I didn't do anything. I acknowledged the Ming Dynasty's ruling and even planned to pay compensation, so why is the Heavenly Official angry?"

"Is it possible that we wasted too much of the Heavenly Official's time, and that the Heavenly Official's patience has run out, which is why he is showing anger?" Paulino found a very reasonable reason.

Hultman nodded solemnly and said, "Perhaps, just as you said."

"I have entrusted my captain to your Portuguese king. I hope your Portuguese king will handle things properly. Death may be inevitable, but please do not humiliate me excessively."

Paulino said with a complicated expression, "Your Highness Antonio needs to give the people an explanation. Your willingness to hand over the captain to us is the result."

"In fact, we should think more about the phenomenon mentioned by Gao Shangshu: when did the maritime trade, where even goods could be redeemed, turn into such a terrible situation as it is today?"

Paulino was on his fourth mission to the Ming Dynasty. He was also a shipowner and captain. Gao Qiyu was right; the maritime trade environment had indeed deteriorated considerably.

"Damn Englishmen! Damn it!" Houghtman stood up abruptly, his face flushed, and cursed a few more times.

When the overall environment deteriorates, people change with it, and troubles that could have been avoided increase, making the already dangerous ocean even more dangerous.

This may be the English's intention: to create more chaos so that England can gain more benefits from the confusion.

The atmosphere between Paulino and Houghton eased somewhat because of the Ming Dynasty's ruling. Since they were both captains, they naturally struck up a conversation: "The Spanish envoy to the Ming Dynasty, Ricardo, recently wrote a joke. Have you seen it?"

Houghtman asked with some curiosity, "It's a pity. He was a very talented person, but he no longer writes jokes. I've read his jokes, and they were all very well written, but for many reasons, he no longer has the courage to do them."

"The emperor of the Ming Dynasty was indeed very magnanimous, but the subjects of the Ming Dynasty were not so magnanimous."

“He wrote another one,” Paulino shared the joke with Hultman.

The kings of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and England gathered together to discuss countering the ever-expanding naval power of the Ming Dynasty.

King Felipe II of Spain declared: "Listen to me, all of you! Let's attack together! The Ming Dynasty may be powerful, but we are no less formidable!"

King António of Portugal said: "Why not follow my example and directly surrender? We can avoid hundreds of years of detours. If we can't defeat them, we can join them."

King Maurice of the Netherlands said: "The key is to obtain the fast sailing ships of the Ming Dynasty, as these ships are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's maritime hegemony."

Queen Elizabeth of England said: "If the Ming Dynasty refuses to sell its fast sailing ships, why don't we give the Ming Dynasty the silver for twelve fast sailing ships every year? In return, the Ming Dynasty will send twelve fewer fast sailing ships to sea. This way, the dilemma will be resolved."

Emperor of the Ming Dynasty: I know this, it's called tribute!
The joke is funny because it's based on the situations of different countries. Felipe is pursuing hegemony, Antonio is easygoing, the Netherlands is a country of artisans and is very interested in the shipbuilding technology of the Ming Dynasty, while England is a troublemaker who likes to take unconventional and unorthodox approaches.

The most interesting thing is that the Ming emperor, who was not present at the gathering, suddenly joined the discussion. This actually represents the Ming Dynasty's increasingly powerful intelligence gathering capabilities. Even things that happened far away in the West, the Ming emperor knew very well.

Whether it was the maritime patrol vessels within the Ming Dynasty's controlled area or the Ming Dynasty's offices established in various ports under the guise of trade, both were sources of intelligence for the Ming Dynasty.

"The Ming Dynasty can build twelve fast sailing ships a year. If we give the Ming Dynasty enough silver, it will build 48 fast sailing ships a year!" Haotman said, quite annoyed after hearing this. Then Haotman smiled wryly. This was the irony of the joke. No matter what they did, it seemed to be in vain.

The most brilliant part of this joke is that it satirizes the fragmented state of the West and the powerlessness of a vast empire like the Ming Dynasty in its involvement in maritime expansion.

“There’s another one,” Paulino said enthusiastically. “Because of this joke, Li Yashi was thrown into the dungeon and stayed there for a full twenty days before being released!”

Paulino shared a second joke, which was much funnier.

At Zhenyi Pass, the only exit from the Great Valley of Jinshan Kingdom, Prince Lu swung his horsewhip. The whip swayed in the air for a moment before transforming into a golden light that shot straight at the old chieftain of the Huopi tribe. He shouted, "Barbarian!"
The old chieftain cried out inwardly, "Oh no!" and was captured.

The Prince of Lu took the old chieftain into the alchemy furnace and continuously channeled his power. In no time, the old chieftain was refined into a 'birthday pill'.

Meng Jinquan, the prime minister of Jinshan Kingdom, frowned slightly as he looked at the birthday pill in the hand of the Prince of Lu. He said, "It's a pity that the ingredients in this birthday pill have not been fully refined. If it is forcibly presented to the emperor, the officials will find out its origin and launch a major impeachment. I'm afraid it will incur His Majesty's wrath. What should we do?"

Prince Lu smiled slightly and said: What's so difficult about that? I'll just be the victim.

After saying this, the Prince of Lu no longer concealed his aura, which soared to the highest level of the hypocritical realm. Under his powerful aura, the barbarians were so shocked that they had no choice but to be completely refined into the longevity pill and then fall silent.

"Li Yashi was only imprisoned for twenty days? Wasn't he executed? His Majesty is truly very magnanimous!" Haotman said sincerely after listening to the excerpt from "The Romance of the Golden Mountain Kingdom".

Despite such a fabrication, His Highness Prince Lu was only imprisoned for twenty days.

Haotman envied the Ming Dynasty even more. It was truly a divine kingdom on earth. The Ming Dynasty was open and inclusive, which made Haotman yearn for it and even unwilling to leave.

It seems that in the Ming Dynasty, as long as one speaks the truth and is not slandering, even a Westerner like Li Yashi would not be executed directly. In the West, speaking recklessly would result in being burned at the stake! Without a doubt, Li Yashi was telling the truth. His Highness Prince Lu's expansion in the Kingdom of Jinshan was a dazzling achievement for the Ming Dynasty, but it was indeed a disaster for the barbarians who had lived on that land for generations.

This also means that the Ming Dynasty is lowering its standards and doing things that it used to disdain.

However, compared to the more violent and bloody Western colonization, the Ming Dynasty's colonization was still extremely mild and civilized.

In all the silver and gold mines in the Jinshan Kingdom, Japan, and the Juezhou, the Ming Dynasty used the ash-blowing method instead of the amalgam method. The amalgam method for refining silver and gold would result in death in five years at most, let alone eight years of forced labor.

Even the Japanese slaves, who were employed by the Ming Dynasty, generally lived for more than ten years, while the slaves used by Western colonists had an average lifespan of only six years.

Li Yashi's jokes cannot deconstruct the narrative of the Ming Dynasty, because the evil deeds of Western colonizers serve as a reference.

Moreover, the people of the Ming Dynasty also need some truth. They shouldn't take everything for granted. The endless flow of silver, sugarcane, sugar cubes, palm oil, rubber, copper, and countless other goods into the Ming Dynasty is a burden that Your Majesty bears with infamy and guilt.

Moreover, since this barbarian, Li Yashi, said that His Majesty was angry and arrested Li Yashi, the scholars and officials of the Ming Dynasty could no longer use these words to attack Prince Lu, because His Majesty was fully aware of the truth, and attacking Prince Lu was tantamount to attacking His Majesty.

By using rumors, prophecies, and jokes, some pressure can be released in advance, increasing His Majesty's flexibility in governing.

Zhu Yijun found Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang at the fishing pond next to the palace. He lazily leaned back in his recliner, and without baiting the hook, cast it directly into the water.

Whether you catch any fish or not doesn't matter; casting the line is what matters.

"Sir, you've managed to escape some leisure, while I'm busy to the point of dizziness." Zhu Yijun handed the newly written memorial by Gao Qiyu to Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng carefully read through the nearly ten thousand-word memorial from beginning to end. The amount of information contained in classical Chinese was truly enormous. After finishing it, he rubbed his forehead with a headache and asked with some confusion, "What does Gao Qiyu want to do? Does he want to become the Grand Secretary?"

"With the Dinghai Education System, he should have been remembered in history; with this Overseas Governance Strategy, he will be remembered in history, but he will probably be both praised and criticized."

The Dinghai Education System was a truly benevolent policy, a downward distribution of the great benefits brought by the Ming Dynasty's overseas expansion and increased productivity. The newly completed Wensu Pavilion was also part of the Dinghai Education System, which aimed to popularize education.

Gao Qiyu, who was sent as an envoy to the West and even as a meritorious official in the Eastern Expedition, paled in comparison to the Dinghai Education System.

However, after the publication of this straightforward and direct "Memorial on Overseas Governance," Gao Qiyu was bound to face countless criticisms.

Ling Yunyi is fond of killing people, and even now he is openly and subtly mocked by scholars.

Gao Qiyu divided colonization into two types of methods: heavy and light. The heavy method involved political domination, economic control, and military threats, while the light method involved culture and values. He aimed to strengthen the culture of the Ming Dynasty, demonstrate the superiority of the Celestial Empire, establish a Ming-centric view, make everything the model of the Ming Dynasty, and establish and maintain long-term, effective, and extensive overseas rule.

Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Juzheng and shook his head, saying, "I can't control him. I ring the bronze bell every day to tell him not to speak so directly, but he insists on being a sovereign minister. He really doesn't need to go down the path of being a sovereign minister, given the great contribution of the Dinghai school system to promoting education."

"But what he said makes sense."

Gao Qiyu's memorial to the throne had only one core argument.

Political domination, economic control, and military threats based on heavy-handed methods and hard power cannot form a long-term and stable rule. Only by combining both heavy and soft approaches, and using both hard and soft tactics to achieve complete conquest in reality and ideology, can a lasting rule be achieved.

That's true, but it's better to do these things with the lights off.

“Actually, Gao Qiyu’s memorial is mainly for His Majesty to see, so it’s better to be more direct and clear, so that His Majesty doesn’t have to read it carefully,” Qi Jiguang said from the side. He pulled on his fishing rod and caught a carp weighing more than a pound.

Sometimes, the scholars and officials speak too euphemistically, and Your Majesty has to carefully ponder the deeper meanings of a memorial, which consumes too much of Your Majesty's mental energy and enthusiasm. After a long time of careful reading, Your Majesty will naturally get tired of it.

Qi Jiguang felt that Gao Qiyu's actions showed respect and deference.

"If you're not afraid of being scolded, let him do it." Zhang Juzheng reviewed the key points again and returned the memorial to the emperor.

His Majesty gave him the memorial so that he, as the head of the conservative faction, could review it. As a conservative, Zhang Juzheng felt that Gao Qiyu's actions were not problematic, but he spoke too plainly and lacked refinement.

“Shen Shixing has reduced the scope of the performance evaluation system.” Zhu Yijun took out another memorial and began to discuss the situation in the capital.

Ling Yunyi remained in the capital to deter villains. His reputation for killing became even more terrifying after the emperor left. The capital was very peaceful, and even the usually talkative Hanlin scholars kept quiet during this period.

The mischievous Zhu Yiliu only likes to humiliate people, but Ling Yunyi is a killer. Being humiliated and losing face means being killed.

During this period, Shen Shixing carried out sweeping reforms to the Assessment and Evaluation System, delegating overall planning to the Six Ministries, but supervision remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet.

In this way, Shen Shixing, the successor in charge of the performance evaluation system, had a much lighter workload, while his authority remained intact, and the efficiency of the performance evaluation system was greatly improved.

"His subtraction was just right, neither too much nor too little, just like him—always striving for perfection in everything." Zhang Juzheng studied it and approved of Shen Shixing's actions.

The performance evaluation system was implemented for 21 years. Because too many additional requirements were added, not only was the person in charge, Zhang Juzheng, exhausted, but the people doing the work below were also exhausted. Many things had become a mountain of documents and endless meetings. In some matters, the performance evaluation system not only failed to increase efficiency, but also had a side effect.

No government decree can remain unchanged forever; they must be revised at any time to adapt to the environment.

This subtraction was done perfectly.

Zhang Juzheng admitted that his era had passed, and the Ming Dynasty now needed a less authoritarian chief minister. The new policies and decrees of the Wanli Reforms needed to be revised based on lessons learned and experience.

This is a good thing for the Ming Dynasty, as it means that the Ming Dynasty has completely escaped the perilous situation of the past, passed through the most dangerous period, and is no longer sliding towards destruction. The Ming Dynasty can move forward more calmly and steadily.

This was also a good thing for Zhang Juzheng. He no longer needed to be the weightlifting champion of the Ming Dynasty, nor did he need to carry the weight of the country and its people on his shoulders while seeking a way to survive. The words "the country and its people" were just too heavy a burden.

Now, even more people are shouldering the responsibility for this country and the expectations of the people.

"Is this what you and Commander Qi are having for lunch?" Zhu Yijun looked at the busy kitchen staff preparing lunch. The dishes were plentiful, but the taste was really not good. There was almost no oil or salt, and the flavor was too bland.

Qi Jiguang looked bitter and glanced at the small kitchen. With an extremely complicated expression, he said, "This is only because His Majesty came. A few meat dishes were added at noon. The chief physician has decided that the maximum amount of salt per day is one qian and three fen (5g), and the maximum amount of oil is one liang (30g). This includes the oil from the meat. That's all we can do."

"I'm not getting enough to eat."

When Qi Jiguang said he was not getting enough to eat, a rare emotion emerged: he felt wronged.

During the Battle of Cengang, where he was made meritorious and his crimes were redeemed, Qi Jiguang never showed the slightest bit of resentment.

Because of his symptoms of diabetes, including excessive thirst and high blood sugar, even his lunch, which was the largest meal he could eat, was only 300g of rice. For a military general like him, eating so little meant he was starving from morning till night.

However, he did not lose weight in the past year or so, and was in very good health. He could still wield his spear with great skill, and his spirit and sleep were much better than before. It was clear that the diet that the chief physicians tailored for him was truly for his own good.

However, he was truly hungry. Sometimes, when Qi Jiguang had just caught a fish, he would want to take a couple of bites of it raw.

Chief Physician Pang Xian said with great emotion, "That's because Marshal Qi and the Prime Minister have far more perseverance than ordinary people. We chief physicians set the diet, but Marshal Qi and the Prime Minister refused to follow it, and there was nothing we could do."

As long as Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng were alive, those with ulterior motives would not dare to act rashly.

The longer the Wanli Reforms lasted, the greater their inertia became.

The Ming Dynasty needs them both to live, even if they are not involved in affairs. As long as they are still alive, the pillars of stability will remain.

Pang Xian wasn't talking nonsense; he truly possessed superhuman perseverance.

Since the official gazette published the symptoms of diabetes, the chief physician has been tracking and treating five hundred wealthy merchants and powerful figures who fit the symptoms for a long time. Only a mere fifteen people were able to resist the temptation of food with great willpower.

After the chief physician Pang Xian finished speaking, he glanced at His Majesty again. In fact, His Majesty's diet was similar to that of Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng. However, because His Majesty was going to inspect the troops, the portions were slightly larger, and more salt and oil were given. But each time, His Majesty was only about 70% full and would get hungry before mealtime.

The chief physicians were very impressed; these three giants were not just powerful, they were power itself.

In this world, no one can restrict their behavior, but the three of them still used their perseverance to go against their instincts and uphold their integrity and principles.

The Ming Dynasty was truly reassuring under the leadership of these three individuals.

After lunch, Zhu Yijun was supposed to inspect the troops, so he came here to slack off and have half a day of free time.

"These are shoes from Mingyi Shoe Shop; they are indeed well-made." Before leaving, Zhu Yijun gave two gifts: two pairs of shoes.

The shoes Zhu Yijun ordered from Mingyi Shoe Shop in Songjiang are indeed quite good. The vulcanized rubber sole has a layer of hardwood inserted in the middle, achieving a contradictory effect—both soft and hard.

Rubber that has not undergone vulcanization is called raw rubber, while vulcanized rubber is called varnished rubber.

Raw rubber softens when heated and hardens and becomes brittle when cooled, making it difficult to shape, not durable, and prone to wear. These disadvantages can be changed by treating rubber with sulfur. The amount of sulfur used, the temperature of the sulfur material, and the duration of the treatment all affect the final properties of the treated rubber.

Clearly, Mingyi Shoe Shop had its own secrets to making shoe soles, but Zhu Yijun didn't grasp them all at once and master them instantly. Instead, he gave the shoe shop his foot measurements and asked them to make custom-made shoes for him, Qi Jiguang, and Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun did not demand them under the guise of tribute; he paid for them. The shoes were very expensive, costing as much as three taels of silver per pair.

Mingyi Shoes was flattered and immediately presented all of its own recipes to the Emperor, thanking him for the favor!

Even my grandfather, the Emperor, said it was great after wearing it!

This is a golden brand; how could we worry about the shoes not selling? It's a tribute item personally selected by the Emperor; with this golden brand in place, the shoes are bound to sell out.

Gao Qiyu handled several trade disputes in a swift yet comprehensive manner, earning praise from many envoys.

In fact, if you look at many cases closely, there's no need for them to escalate to the point of life and death. The problem is that there's a lack of someone to mediate, or rather, a lack of a place to argue. As a result, the conflicts escalate and eventually lead to armed conflict.

Gao Qiyu deserves praise because he is fair, impartial, seeks common ground while reserving differences, and takes care of almost all parties involved.

In this context, the maritime tribunal quickly gained widespread acceptance, and its framework was initially established.

What's unusual is that the Maritime Court's office wasn't located in Shuri Prefecture of Ryukyu, but rather next to the Shanghai County government office.

The Ministry of Rites believed that foreign affairs were one of the inviolable imperial powers, and it was inappropriate to place them in Ryukyu. It would be more appropriate to place them under His Majesty's nose.

(End of this chapter)