I'm really not doing business

Chapter 691: The giant ship makes the barbarians polite
The Southern Court of the Ming Dynasty was the hinterland, and there were generally no city walls. All the city walls built at the beginning of the country were demolished. In the middle of the Jiajing period, after the Japanese pirates broke out, city walls began to be built again. But as the war progressed, more and more generals believed that the security of the southeast lay in the sea, not on land, and the best defense was offense, not defense. It would be better to have more ships than to build tall city walls.

After the Ming Dynasty began to open up the sea, the city walls in the south were generally demolished again.

The initial plan for the construction of the New Luzon City included tall city walls and a gate tower that could accommodate three carriages in parallel. However, Yin Zhengmao called a halt to the construction.

Because the new city plan was expanded again and again during the construction process, Yin Zhengmao initially planned to build a military fortress with a circumference of ten miles. Later, when construction began, he found that the circumference of ten miles could not serve as the capital of Luzon, so he expanded it to thirty miles. By the time a landmark city gate tower was actually built, the plan for the new Luzon city had exceeded fifty miles.

Manila is a place like a trading port. Goods from all over Southeast Asia circulate in Luzon. A huge industrial cluster has been formed around the Luzon Maritime Customs. The scale of the city has also been continuously increasing due to this practical need.

Instead of building a city wall of 50 miles, it is better to put a few more large ships into the sea to deal with the threat from the ocean.

"What kind of people gather over there? I feel like it's very different from here." Galileo was curious about everything. As he walked, he saw a group of buildings with very different styles. The specialness of the building was obvious at a glance.

The road where Galileo passed was a cement road. Although it would not be muddy when it rained, it was still a bit dusty on sunny days. There were very few shops on the street, and most of them were markets where people sat on the ground and spread out blankets to trade. It was a bit messy and noisy, with people coming and going, and they all wore mainly linen clothes and straw shoes.

The place he was pointing to was obviously a wealthy area. The roads were at least paved with bluestone or lime. There were many shops with signs hanging on them. People walking around were all wearing Confucian robes, made of cotton or silk, and there were also horse-drawn carriages passing by.

"That's where the Luzon nobles are. If you want to go in, you need a fire card from the government office, and you can't bring weapons. They are all scholars exiled to Luzon and Java by the Ming Dynasty. The school in Manila is also over there." The interpreter said indignantly, "They eat even better than the governor. When there was a shortage of meat, they were given priority, and it's still the same now."

"All the exiled people are criminals, but they are treated so well here?" Galileo was extremely surprised. Is this the treatment that prisoners should have? This is clearly the life of the nobility. Even for the nobles of the West, to have such clean streets, they would have to build a castle themselves and hire a large number of servants.

"We can't help it. There are no scholars in Luzon. The Governor needs them to educate the people." The interpreter spread his hands and said, "Otherwise, who will come to the school? Even with such preferential treatment, they have no gratitude at all, and they keep writing articles to accuse them of living like cattle and horses, just like people living in a cowshed."

"Indeed, this kind of life is not as good as the life they had in their hometown, where they had everything they wanted, but it's not as bad as being in a cowshed. This is the best condition Luzon can offer. What else can we do? Alas."

The interpreters were very dissatisfied with the Luzon nobles, because at the beginning they were treated better than the governor, but they had no gratitude at all. They even wrote articles to denounce Luzon as a barbaric place, calling the place they lived a cowshed and the food they ate pig food. They have been doing this for almost ten years, and the abusive articles could be piled up into a mountain, but they are still cursing.

The interpreter didn't know what these criminals were thinking. Didn't they know they were prisoners? If it weren't for the Lord of the State rescuing them, they would be fighting with gorillas and crocodiles now!

There are a total of 56 surnames of Luzon aristocrats, all of whom are exiled prisoners from the Ming Dynasty. When exiled to Java, they must pass through Luzon. Yin Zhengmao would always leave scholars behind every time. There were no scholars on Luzon Island, but Wang Hua definitely needed scholars because he was exiled himself and was very resentful and hostile to the court.

Yin Zhengmao's position was that he was a firm supporter of the emperor, so the Luzon gentry ate Koxinga's food and cursed him.

"Isn't your Guoxingye a royal relative who has lived in exile? How can he tolerate such rude people?" Galileo couldn't understand. The Governor of Luzon, Guoxing Zhengmao, was a real royal relative. If he killed those who dared to offend him, would the Emperor of Ming Dynasty still be troubled?
The interpreter thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Who says it's not true? But what can we do? There is a lack of scholars here. Hey, the King of the Country is also for the long-term stability of Luzon. It won't hurt to be scolded a few times."

"I don't quite understand. In the West, there is no severe punishment for a noble to kill a commoner. Why do they dare to scold the nobles openly?" Galileo was so shocked that the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were bolder than him, a rebel against the Holy See!
Galileo never publicly criticized the Vatican's conservatism and its obstruction to scientific progress, but the scholars of the Ming Dynasty dared to eat the governor's food and scold the governor. You must know that this is the Governor's Office, which is what the scholars of the Ming Dynasty call a barbaric place. The governor's words are the world of law.

Teams of neatly-dressed soldiers appeared on the streets and marched in unison towards the area where the Luzon nobles gathered. Galileo and the interpreter hurriedly made way. The soldiers were wearing armor and even carried bows, crossbows and firearms. This shocked Galileo extremely. The 500 soldiers in front of him were enough to fight a major war in the West.

"What happened?" Galileo asked puzzledly.

The interpreter spread his hands and said, "Like you, I want to know what happened."

It seemed that the Luzon nobles had done something unforgivable, and finally Koxinga could no longer tolerate it, so he decided to take drastic measures to deal with them.

"Can I go and take a look?" Galileo also liked to watch the fun. It was human nature. He wanted to go and see what the Ming soldiers were going to do.

"No, have you seen those natives? They hate the red-haired foreigners very much. If you go over to join in the fun, there will be too many people and it will be easy for them to kill you. So I suggest you not to go. It's fair. The colonists from the West killed their relatives, and they will also kill you." The interpreter stopped Galileo from going to watch the fun.

The hatred of the natives of Luzon towards the Westerners is very obvious. If it were not for the protection of the Ming army, Galileo would not even be safe to see the brick kiln.

"Well, it's really regrettable." Galileo accepted the result.

Five hundred soldiers suddenly appeared on the streets of the fifty-six surnames of the Luzon nobles, and these five hundred soldiers surrounded seventeen houses. If the doors did not open after they knocked three times, they would use battering rams. The battering ram was a battering ram, which had an iron block in front of a thick log. It could break down a city gate that was not particularly strong, let alone a small courtyard door.

Deng Zilong led his soldiers to break down the doors, arrested all the seventeen surnames, and then escorted them away without explaining to the onlookers why they were arresting people.

Deng Zilong was unreasonable in his actions. In addition to arresting these 17 families, he also removed the doors of all other houses in the aristocratic areas. This was considered an old skill. As he hadn't removed doors for many years, these guys had forgotten the fear of having their doors removed.

It was not until the next day that the specific charges against these 17 surnames were posted on notice boards. Only then did the people of Luzon clearly know what had happened. Everyone spat and cursed inwardly, saying that they deserved it.

It was not because they cursed Koxinga, but because Koxinga could no longer tolerate it. Their crimes were treason, opium trafficking, extortion and treason.

Naturally, it was discovered that two of the gangs were involved in the assassination of Wang Chonggu, and seven were involved in opium trafficking. The remaining eight were involved in extortion, which is what they did in the heartland of the Ming Dynasty. If you don't pay them, they will deliberately make things difficult for you.

The Luzon gentry were scholars, and many of them worked in the offices of the Luzon Governor, the Governor's Office, and the Twelve Towns. Working in the yamen meant having some power, or they could gain power by forming cliques and sharing power. Tax inspection, land surveying, tax burden, customs clearance, etc. were all extortions made by these Luzon gentry in all aspects.

These seventeen families had a common crime - treason, but the details were not given in the notice, which only mentioned it briefly.

But in fact, these seventeen families reached out to the guards of the Governor's Office. This was the reason why Yin Zhengmao dealt with it with thunder. For example, as for the bribery, Luzon and the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty were different. The fact that mergers and bribery could be discussed in Luzon proved that Luzon had a certain degree of county system, which was a good thing that could only be achieved after the kingship. As a three-way intersection of maritime trade, it was also a hard-hit area for smuggling.

However, since he had touched the governor's vital point, no matter how good-tempered Yin Zhengmao was, he had to take action for the long-term stability of Luzon.

"It's time to deal with these bastards. If they live in a cowshed, then what do I live in? A pigsty! A bunch of ungrateful wolves. If we send them to Java and let them reclaim wasteland, they won't complain so much! A bunch of bastards, forming gangs and factions, and now they are bringing trouble to me!" Deng Zilong had a hot temper. After receiving the governor's order to arrest people, he returned to the governor's mansion, slammed the table, and his face was full of joy.

Deng Zilong had disliked them for a long time, and this time he vented his anger. In addition to arresting people and tearing down the door, he also severely warned the remaining nobles. Deng Zilong could understand Yin Zhengmao's indulgence of these people, but he still had a lot of resentment accumulated in his heart.

"Isn't it a good thing that they can experience the traditional culture of the Ming Dynasty in Luzon?" Yin Zhengmao said with a smile, "Send them to Java, and Yingyang Hou will treat them very well. The theory of contradictions tells us that there are universal contradictions in everything, especially in the process of development."

Deng Zilong said confidently: "It's because the Governor has such a good temper that they dare to take advantage of him."

"I agree with General Deng. They are cut from the same cloth as those despicable scholars in the Northern Yamen. They won't move when led, and they retreat when scolded. They will only move when beaten. It would be best to teach them a lesson." Li Ya had not been in Luzon for a long time. From what he had seen and heard, Deng Zilong's handling of the matter was just right. In a few years, these guys might not know the difference between big king and small king.

"They have completely forgotten the fact that they are criminals and need some means to arouse their fear," Legazpi added.

Legazpi was a Westerner, and a special envoy sent by Philip II to the Ming Dynasty. As the biggest traitor during the Wanli period, Legazpi believed that these criminals lived too well and had forgotten the fact that they were exiled, and some action was needed to remind them.

Yin Zhengmao sighed and said helplessly: "In fact, they only reached out to the guards, which is not a serious matter. This kind of collusion, as long as it is not too common and maintains a certain connection, is not a big problem in my opinion. General Qi is also a disciple of Yuan Fu, and I am also a scholar, a Jinshi of the Ming Dynasty. Put yourself in their shoes. If you are in a foreign land and don't maintain a good relationship with the biggest violence, you will feel very insecure."

"But they are still not satisfied and actually want your Majesty's red copper. This is intolerable no matter what."

What really caused Yin Zhengmao to fall out was red copper. This was the emperor's red copper, a strategic material. His Majesty used Ming's goods and banknotes to exchange for enough red copper to regulate Ming's economy and keep it vibrant. However, these Luzon gentry used various means to steal nearly two million kilograms of red copper and smuggled it. This was something Yin Zhengmao could not accept.

As for the seven noble families who sold opium, they had already been on the liquidation list.

"Are you crazy? You dare to touch His Majesty's money?!" Li Yashi showed an expression of disbelief. The emperor was a miser, and even Westerners knew that he was really courting death.

"The seventeen families will be sentenced to flogging and then drowned in the sea." After Yin Zhengmao sorted out all the files, witnesses and evidence, he made the judgment.

First they were whipped, then dragged to the sea, tied with stones, and sunk directly into the sea to die. They were exiled prisoners anyway, so no one would care if they died.

As the governor, Yin Zhengmao had unlimited power in Luzon, but he still sorted out all the files and sent them to the court, telling the court why he wanted to execute these seventeen families. All those under the age of fifteen were sent to Java, and those over the age of fifteen were drowned at sea.

Yin Zhengmao thought that demolishing the door was no longer a deterrent, so he innovated and invented a new project, sinking the sea. "Sinking the sea is good!" Deng Zilong applauded. As the governor of a region, Yin Zhengmao never fought back or responded to insults like a good guy. He tolerated these nobles again and again. How shameless!

Chen Hai, this is what a governor should be like!

There was actually another reason why Yin Zhengmao chose to take action at this time. There were more and more scholars in Luzon. Thanks to these dissatisfied guys, they had been writing articles and cursing for years. After these articles were spread to the Ming Dynasty, the poor scholars of the Ming Dynasty finally knew the treatment of the scholars in Luzon and began to migrate to Luzon.

Luzon is not short of scholars, so Yin Zhengmao will naturally not indulge them anymore. Shen Hai had planned it long ago, and he wanted to use these people's heads to ensure the authoritative status of the Governor's Office.

Yin Zhengmao was a scholar, so naturally he did things as ruthlessly as a scholar. When he needed people, he would greet them with a smile, but when he didn't need them, he would start to make a list and settle accounts.

"Perhaps one day, even the people of Luzon will curse the Luzon Governor Guoxing Zhengmao as a brutal executioner, but what does that matter? Let them curse all they want. After all, Luzon belongs to the Ming Dynasty." Yin Zhengmao made a final summary. Ever since he started to levy military pay among the families in Guangzhou to pacify the Japanese pirates, he knew that he would not be a good person in the eyes of the writers.

Let history judge one's reputation after death.

On the day of the sinking, the entire Luzon Harbor was filled with people. Deng Zilong read out the charges against these people, and then ordered the soldiers to start flogging them. Before the sinking, each person would be lashed with fifty lashes, until their skin was torn and their flesh was bloody. Only then would they be pulled onto the ship and sunk into the sea. Naturally, they had to be tied with stones when sinking.

Galileo was stunned. On the boat, he imagined that the literati were synonymous with noble moral character, but these literati seemed to be no different from those bad and festering priests. In other words, the literati were no different from priests. Not all Western priests were bad people. On the contrary, there were also priests who spent their whole lives doing good deeds, but they were very rare.

The extremely long coastline of Luzon Port was filled with civilians. After the flogging was carried out and all the criminals were dragged onto the ship and sunk into the sea, cheers broke out on the dock.

Galileo was an outsider, and he saw things more clearly. Most of the people were actually just watching the fun, while some were applauding. The most excited group of people were probably the victims of extortion, while the literati dressed in silk, satin and cotton clothes had fear in their eyes, as if they were recalling some terrible memories. Some of the literati were glad that they were not as stupid and ignorant as these people.

It was a very interesting experience, everything was so new.

"Is that the Ming Dynasty's fast sailing ship Youlong? I have heard of its name in the West, but when I saw it with my own eyes, I still couldn't believe that it really existed." Galileo said dully, pointing to a giant ship approaching in the sky.

The fast sailing ship he saw was coming from a distance. At first, only a mast was visible, and then the sails were like clouds blocking out the sun, and the hull was almost invisible. It was like a flying fish crossing the sea, leaving a long white tail on the sea.

"That is indeed a fast sailing ship, but it is not the Youlong. The Youlong is much larger. It is a modified warship. The Youlong generally does not fight in combat." The interpreter affirmed and denied. It is a fast sailing ship, but it is not the Youlong, because the Youlong is much larger and looks more powerful, but in fact its combat capability is not as good as the improved version. The Youlong is closer to a merchant ship and is more bloated.

Galileo was a little confused and asked curiously: "The modified warship, the Ming Dynasty has the ability to mass-produce fast sailing ships, which is not surprising, but won't the Youlong be used for combat?"

The interpreter smiled and said, "Yes, in the words of the Governor, the Youlong is a flagship that does not undertake combat missions. This sentence sounds strange, but it makes sense in the Ming Dynasty."

The Youlong and Feiyun are both ships for verifying technology, a bit like the face of the Ming Dynasty. Because of its huge size, the Youlong will give some small boats some opportunities to take advantage in battle. The fact that it does not undertake combat missions is an imperfect design, but it is also the flagship, because these two initial ships are of vital significance to the design of Ming Dynasty ships.

The Youlong and Feiyun were always present at every naval review.

"It sounds a bit wasteful, but the Ming Dynasty is very rich." Galileo had heard from Li Yashi more than once that the people of the Ming Dynasty were very concerned about their reputation, and having a flagship that did not undertake combat missions was indeed something the Ming Dynasty could do.

The interpreter thought for a moment and continued, "Actually, the fast sailing ship doesn't have much combat mission. A five-masted ocean-going ship or a three-masted horse ship is enough. Its function is to wake up everyone who sees it."

"Giant ships make the barbarians polite."

"When communicating with people who don't have a clear understanding of their own strength, they will be very rude. This is a huge problem after the Ming Dynasty opened up the sea. But with fast sailing ships crossing the sea and anchoring in the port, these barbarians will become very polite."

"Indeed, I think I can be very polite." Galileo agreed with what the interpreter said. When he saw the fast sailing ship, he knew clearly and specifically that this was force.

This fast sailing ship is the annual armed patrol of the Ming navy. Its purpose is to show power to the world and make the barbarians calm down and listen carefully to what the Ming Dynasty wants to say. If they refuse to listen, the Ming Dynasty also knows how to use force.

Galileo set off. He changed a ship and, like Legazpi, boarded the ship from the Luzon Governor's Office to Songjiang Prefecture instead of the large sailing ship from the West. The captain of the fleet this time was Chen Chengyi, the general manager of the Luzon Copper Factory. He wanted to represent Luzon and offer auspicious signs to His Majesty, which was the red copper on his ships.

As soon as Galileo boarded the Ming ship, he immediately felt the difference. They were both five-masted ocean-going ships of the same model, but the Ming ship was obviously neater. At least when he woke up in the morning, there were no rats longer than his arms, staring at him with their tiny eyes.

That was truly horrific, and Galileo didn't want to go through it again.

Galileo listened to Li Yashi talk about many things in the Ming Dynasty. For example, before meeting the emperor, one had to bathe and change clothes, that is, make oneself clean. If there was a peculiar smell or uncleanness, one would be driven out by the ceremonial officer or even beaten with a stick. This was completely different from the common Western culture of not taking baths.

"All the nobles of Tethys, even the king, stink like ferocious beasts. The king and queen smell like old goats, whether it is winter or summer. Tethys' definition of uncleanness seems to have some misunderstandings. Is it really holy to have a dirty body, fleas crawling in the hair, covered in filth, and even let worms crawl on festering wounds?" Galileo was very satisfied with the clean environment.

Galileo smiled and said: "Philip II bathed secretly, especially after his third wife died, he bathed more frequently. The court pharmacist refused to wash the queen's body, and eventually the queen died of bedsores."

"It seems that our young people have long had sincere doubts about the corrupt rules of the Holy See. Believe me, in Ming Dynasty, you have the right not to believe in religion." Li Yashi was also stunned when he heard this. He knew that Galileo was a traitor to the Holy See, but he did not expect that he had already been dissatisfied to such an extent.

Galileo asked in a low voice: "Don't you have to believe in the Great Light Religion? Isn't it said that Your Majesty is the embodiment of the wisdom of the Great Light Religion?"

When this was mentioned, Li Yashi laughed so hard that he fell backwards and gasped for breath. He shook his head and said, "Well, Your Majesty is probably more disgusted with these supernatural theories than you are. The theories of supernatural beings are heresy in the Ming Dynasty. To put it more clearly: Your Majesty believes in no one but yourself."

Li Yashi smiled happily. On the one hand, he would be able to return to Ming Dynasty soon. On the other hand, the emperor knew that he had become the god of the Great Light Religion. He had a look of astonishment and surprise on his face. The last smile was at Galileo, who was actually worried about the issue of converting to the religion in Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty is not the Holy See of the East, but the Rome of the East.

"Listen, kid. Just like after the fall of Rome, everyone began to miss Rome and even claimed that they were Rome. The same is true in the Far East. The surrounding small countries are always looking forward to the fall of the Eastern Rome so that they can wear the orthodox crown. But the Eastern Rome still exists." Legazpi looked at the birds flying in the sky, and finally shook his head and said, "You will understand it only if you experience it yourself."

"This is called the unity of knowledge and action in the Ming Dynasty."

The fleet was moving very fast. On the third day of May in the 13th year of Wanli, the Luzon fleet arrived safely in the Ming Dynasty. Chen Chengyi, Li Yashi and Galileo soon got on the carriage and went to the Nanya Nanhu Villa to meet the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty." Chen Chengyi saluted very respectfully.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "No need to be polite. General Manager Chen came at the right time. I was still worried about not having enough copper coins, and you immediately sent me tens of millions of kilograms of red copper, which solved my urgent need. The people of the Ming Dynasty thank the Luzon Governor's Office for its efforts."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Your Majesty, the Governor-General of Luzon asked me to apologize on his behalf. He arbitrarily sank a group of Confucian scholars who were exiled to Luzon and Java into the sea. I ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness. Your Majesty, they have gone too far." Instead of standing up, Chen Chengyi talked about the incident of Yin Zhengmao sinking people into the sea before leaving.

Zhu Yijun said calmly: "I know everything that happened in the Luzon Governor's Office."

"The Marquis of Sishui has passed the coastal defense inspection and reported it to the court. When I received the memorial, I was also shocked. I was not shocked by the Marquis of Sishui's actions, but by the fact that these exiled villains could still stir up trouble in Luzon! I underestimated their abilities. It was my fault. I did not anticipate this situation in advance and did not send enough scholars for the Marquis of Sishui to dispatch."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with sinking the ship. In this situation, it has to be sunk. When people's hearts are in turmoil, drastic measures are needed."

The Luzon gentry had great influence in Luzon. Yin Zhengmao's action meant that the situation had reached the point where it had to be dealt with. Waiting for the court to reply would miss the best time to deter the enemy. Instead, Yin Zhengmao was using his posthumous reputation in exchange for long-term stability in Luzon.

"The governor is old, please ask the court to grant him the title of Marquis of Sishui." Chen Chengyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had always been worried that Yin Zhengmao's thundering measures would arouse the dissatisfaction of His Majesty. After all, he did not follow the procedure of three reviews of the death penalty. But considering that the Luzon Governor-General's Office is still the political framework of the Governor-General's Office, this is actually not a big problem.

Chen Chengyi also felt that it was not worth it for His Majesty to fall out with the King of the State because of some criminals and the royal family, especially because of their children's in-laws.

But there were many evil trends in the Ming Dynasty, and sometimes, this method of quickly stabilizing people's hearts could easily be packaged by some people as Yin Zhengmao's intention to establish himself as king.

(End of this chapter)