I'm really not doing business

Chapter 852: Don’t Win Just for the Sake of Winning
Xu Guangqi very sincerely invited Galileo to study at the Royal Institute of Technology because after confirming the existence of gravity, more talents were needed to study the measurement of gravity together.

"The downward acceleration of all objects due to gravity is the same." This is how Galileo expressed his understanding of gravity at that moment.

Galileo did not have much idea about the exact number, and neither did the Academy of Gewu, because more precise measurements and observations were needed to determine it.

"No, no, no. Before that, we need to determine one thing. Is everything in motion? What I mean is, will an object always maintain its own state of motion without external interference? This is the first thing we should determine." Xu Guangqi discussed his discovery with Galileo with great excitement.

Everything in the world seems to be in one of two states, motion or stillness, until external forces intervene.

After the two met, they avoided all other topics and began to explore the infinite principles of all things. Xu Guangqi was very sure that he had discovered some truths about force.

The exploration of the infinite principles of all things is the mission of Daming Institute of Gewu.

The doctors of the Science of Things enjoyed special treatment. They had to explain how the world works and how people should use these rules to change nature and improve people's ability to change nature, that is, to improve productivity. This has been explained very clearly in the Production Diagrams.

Human labor in a broad sense gives value to nature. Minerals have no value in themselves if they just sit there because mining them is very troublesome. It is humans who have built roads, bridges, and ditches, allowing these minerals to flow from mines into workshops and become commodities that people can use, which gives nature value.

Minerals, like land, have no value when they just sit there. It is human labor that gives value to commodities. This is the core theory of the production diagram.

On the ninth day of the ninth month of the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign, autumn was in full swing and the maple forest had dyed the entire West Mountain red. The autumn sun was high in the sky and the sunlight penetrated the thin clouds and sprinkled on the maple forest, adding a bit of brightness. The autumn wind blew, and the fiery red leaves swayed. The maple forest was crowded with tourists and the mountain was bustling with traffic.

On September 9th, the Double Ninth Festival, people climbed high places to see the distant views, admired chrysanthemums to welcome autumn, inserted dogwood branches, and drank chrysanthemum wine. It was such a lively day that a large number of foreigners dressed in strange costumes came in from Yongdingmen, the south gate of the capital.

They came from the Laotian Xuanwei Office and came to Beijing to pay tribute.

Nan Zhangdao Lansheng, the chief of the Lao Xuanwei Division, personally brought twenty of his tribesmen and various specialties of the Lao Xuanwei Division to the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

The reason for this trip to Beijing was that the road from Ming Dynasty to Laos was repaired. Dao Lansheng also had another purpose for this trip, which was to request the Emperor of Ming Dynasty to confirm his son as the heir. This enthronement was very important to Laos.

Without the approval from the Ming Dynasty, he didn't know what kind of predicament Laos would be in.

Duke of Qian, Mu Changzuo, promised that as long as Laos guaranteed the supply of Jingjue salt, the Duke of Qian’s Mansion in Yunnan would guarantee that there would always be a knife on Annan’s waist, preventing him from invading Laos.

Mu Changzuo kept his word. Annan no longer dared to invade Laos. This security commitment was expanded the year before last. The conditions remained unchanged, but the scope of security guarantee was expanded to include the Toungoo Burmese thief.

In recent years, Laos has been bullied by Annan and Toungoo. The Toungoo Burmese bandits even broke through the Laotian capital Nanghan (Vientiane) three times. If it were not for the Ming army, Dao Lansheng would not have been able to recapture the capital Nanghan.

"Can you understand Chinese?" Yu Liangshi, the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, asked the interpreter. Judging from the news sent back from Yunnan, Dao Lansheng should not be able to speak Chinese. The Shaoqing and the interpreter confirmed this.

The interpreter even took out a thick book of vassal state rituals, turned to the Laotian page and said, "I don't understand. Although they have paid tribute 34 times since Yongle, they always went to Dali, Yunnan and returned. In recent years, they were beaten by Annan twice and Burmese three times. Each time, the country was destroyed and the family was ruined. They are like swordsmen, but they don't understand Chinese."

Judging from the limited records, Dao Lansheng could not speak Chinese.

"I can speak Chinese!" Dao Lansheng didn't know who the Ming official who was receiving him was. He pointed at himself and said, "I can't speak Chinese well, but I can speak Chinese. I studied for two years, but I didn't learn it very well because I didn't have a good teacher."

"In Laos, from the old men to the young children, everyone is learning Chinese, because only in this way can we do business with the Ming people."

Yu Liangshi looked at Dao Lansheng and said with a smile, "It's good that he can speak Chinese, but it's still better to have an interpreter."

Have an interpreter to prevent people from talking too much and starting quarrels.

If Dao Lansheng dared to quarrel with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the news would spread to Yunnan and Laos would be destroyed. This was an era of feudal monarchy where the emperor humiliated his subjects and their subjects died. In order to prevent possible quarrels, it was very important for interpreters to mediate and ease the mood.

Of course, Dao Lansheng came to Beijing to pay homage to his eldest brother. He was afraid that the Ming Dynasty would not ask for anything. The more excessive the Ming Dynasty asked for, the better. It would be best if Laos could be turned into a county directly, so that he would not have to suffer so much.

Just as the official from the Ministry of Rites said, after five requests for help over the years, the Ming Dynasty only advised and did not send troops to intervene. This was because the Ming Dynasty had no demands on Laos and had nothing it could value, so the Ming Dynasty naturally would not waste the effort. It was already the most it could do and could stand up and say a few fair words.

Recently, the Ming Dynasty has finally become interested in Jingjue Salt, a mineral that Laos must seize the opportunity.

Minerals have no value just lying there. They only become valuable after being mined by human labor and turned into commodities. For Laos, those mines can never be fully mined.

"We brought some gifts, because we are so poor and don't have anything good, so we brought some beauties and, of course, Jingjue salt." Dao Lansheng pointed to the team behind him. Yu Liangshi took a look and frowned. Laos was not fooling around. Those were indeed carefully selected beauties with good figures. At least the children would not starve.

This can be considered as a characteristic of that place. Many of the beauties who were offered as tribute from the Three Xuans and Six Weis were like this.

Yu Liangshi was a Jinshi in the second year of Wanli. After the debate on Chinese and barbarians, he was not particularly interested in these beauties. Shaoqing Yu Liangshi took a sword and stayed in Siyi Pavilion.

"You have come from afar, what do you want?" Yu Liangshi was not overly polite. Under the leadership of two Grand Masters of Ceremonies, the atmosphere in the Ministry of Rites was a bit bad. In the eyes of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, these barbarians who came to pay tribute had ulterior motives and various purposes, so they went straight to the point and asked about the purpose of their visit.

"Can it be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty?" Dao Lansheng asked very seriously.

"Wait a minute." Yu Liangshi stretched out his hand to signal Dao Lansheng to pause. He asked in confusion, "Is your Chinese not good, or did I hear it wrong? Are you saying that the Lao Xuanwei Division will be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty? You should know that after the annexation of the Ming Dynasty, you will no longer be the king."

This was a very strange request, and Yu Liangshi had never heard of it before.

"Angels don't know that I have never really been a king. I have only managed to keep my people alive."

Dao Lansheng looked a bit miserable, and he sighed and said, "It takes me a long, long time to get to the capital. Along the way, I saw everything. I saw the good and the bad of the Ming Dynasty. I also saw officials asking for bribes. We want to be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, and we can accept both the good and the bad."

"We have no ability to protect ourselves. The Burmese and Annan people always bully us. If the Ming Dynasty can incorporate Laos into the Ming Dynasty, I will be worthy of my people."

"Angel, the Annan people even joined forces with the Japanese pirates to attack us, asking us to send envoys to the Japanese capital to pay tribute!"

Dao Lansheng was very pragmatic. What terms were there to negotiate? Did Laos have anything that Ming Dynasty valued? While Ming Dynasty was interested in Laos, he directly annexed it!

What if one day the Ming Dynasty loses interest in Laos again? Wouldn’t that be a shame?
The Ming Dynasty is so big, and it hasn’t discovered those mines yet. Is it possible that it won’t discover them in the future?

If the Ming Dynasty could let the Lao people take advantage of a little bit of its resources, they wouldn't have to live in fear every day. Dao Lansheng doesn't even know where Japan is, yet they still have to go there to pay tribute. Dao Lansheng is really fed up with this kind of life!
Is this the king? He is just a punching bag that anyone can step on.

Yu Liangshi was actually very clear that the Ming Dynasty had been searching for Jingjue salt for two or three years, but there was really no mine with very rich reserves.

"This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty will take every word you say seriously. Are you sure you want to join the Ming Dynasty?" Yu Liangshi was somewhat helpless and reiterated, "Once you join the Ming Dynasty, you can't regret it."

"Everyone in the Ming Dynasty cares about their reputation. Today you said you would join us, but tomorrow you regret it. This is a humiliation to the Ming Dynasty. The elite soldiers and generals of the Ming Dynasty will never tolerate such humiliation."

"Of course." Dao Lansheng said very affirmatively.

Yu Liangshi would not know that after the Ming Dynasty and Laos were in contact again, Laos discussed a possibility: deliberately attack the Ming army, and then let the Ming army invade Laos, so that it could be incorporated.

But after much thought, the Laotian nobles decided that it was too crazy. It was too dangerous to be an enemy of the Ming Dynasty. What if the Ming army could not control its strength and killed everyone?

"This is the letter of submission signed by all the powerful lords. Please ask the angel to present it to Your Majesty." Dao Lansheng saw that there was hope for this matter, so he took out a crumpled memorial and handed it to Yu Liangshi.

The paper for the memorial was also obtained from the Duke of Qian's Mansion.

Meng actually means city-state, and Mengzhu refers to all the city lords in the Lao Xuanwei Division. This letter of submission was written in Chinese, and each Mengzhu signed on it to confirm that they approved of this letter of submission.

"For us, Laotians, some people dream of going to Annan or Toungoo, because they are at least safer there. Why don't they think of going to Ming? Because they don't dare."

"This time the Ming Dynasty asked us to provide Jingjue salt. I think it's an opportunity to curry favor with the powerful." Dao Lansheng's Chinese was not good, and he didn't know how to express himself accurately, but he expressed his thoughts.

This is also the idea of ​​almost all Mengzhu.

"This is beneficial to the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty is fighting against Toungoo. Just as Prince Mu said, our position is like a knife on their waist." Dao Lansheng added the benefits that could be obtained by annexing them.

In Dao Lansheng's opinion, the incorporation of Laos into the Ming Dynasty was a complete loss, otherwise the Ming Dynasty would have continued to move south from Yunnan long ago. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty had no interest in it and it was obvious that it was quite disgusted with that place.

Yu Liangshi thought for a moment and said, "I will report the truth to His Majesty. This is your last chance to regret. Are you sure you want to join us?"

"I'm sure." Dao Lansheng said without any doubt: "I can stay in Ming Dynasty as a hostage and let my son return to Laos to help Ming Dynasty establish its rule!"

Dao Lansheng talked with Mu Changzuo, the Duke of Qian, three times, and Mu Changzuo taught him what he could say and what he could not say.

"Okay, I will report to Your Majesty truthfully." Yu Liangshi thought that Dao Lansheng wanted to discuss tribute trade. For the sake of the Jingjue Salt Mine, the Ming Dynasty could trade with Laos, but this time they were discussing annexation, which was not something he, a Shaoqing, could decide.

Soon, Yu Liangshi wrote a memorial about Laos' request, which was sent to the cabinet through the Tongzhengsi. After discussion, the cabinet ministers wrote their own memorials and sent them to Tonghe Palace. Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu were summoned by the emperor to the imperial study in Tonghe Palace to meet the emperor.

"No need to be polite, just sit down and talk." Zhu Yijun had just returned to Tonghe Palace from reviewing the troops at the Beida Camp when he saw Dao Lansheng's request.

"I have read the opinions of all the cabinet ministers. There are four cabinet ministers with four different opinions. The Ministry of Rites supports, the Ministry of Revenue opposes, the Ministry of Justice respectfully requests the Holy Judge, and the Prime Minister reserves his opinion. This is another case of disagreement." Zhu Yijun sat on the dragon chair, looked at the memorial in front of him and said with a smile: "Prince Minister, please tell me the reasons for your opposition."

Zhang Juzheng's silence was deafening, and his reservations were often opposition.

Zhang Juzheng said frankly: "In a useless place, you can't win just for the sake of winning."

"This kind of relationship is just right right now. Laos' Jingjue salt can only be sold to the Ming Dynasty. It has nowhere else to sell it. The Ming Dynasty can make Laos submit to it by providing some security guarantees. There is no need to merge with the Ming Dynasty. This is not a cost-effective deal. If it is merged, the human, material and financial resources required to rule Laos will be absolutely immeasurable."

"Opening up new territories is a natural achievement, but some places may seem to be natural achievements, but in fact, after they are taken, they are just for vanity."

"I think the sea is the long-term goal and interest that the Ming Dynasty should focus on. With such a large-scale investment, it is better to seize Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), which is an important fulcrum in the Western Ocean and the capital of the Goa Governor's Office."

Zhang Juzheng spoke his mind. In this matter, he was just a humble scholar with a penchant for actuarial calculations, trying to stop the emperor from annexing territory out of his ambition.

Zhu Yijun looked at the huge geomancy map hanging in the imperial study and said, "What you said is very right, sir. It is not that easy to establish a king. Emperor Taizu Gao ordered the King of Zhongshan Xu Da to lead troops to recover the north of Qinling Mountains. Wherever he went, he wore left-lapel clothes. Chinese clothing is no longer used. Chinese characters are not used. There is no poetry, no literature, no rituals and music, and no education. The King of Zhongshan broke through the Northern Yamen. The people of Yanyun do not know the Han and Tang dynasties."

The people of Yanyun do not know about the Han and Tang dynasties. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have not belonged to the Central Plains for more than four hundred years. The people here do not even know about the prosperity of the Han and Tang dynasties, and are proud to be the running dogs and minions of the Hu people.

"After two hundred years of patchwork, the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty were transformed into the Han Empire again." Zhu Yijun stared at the geomancy map in a daze. Sometimes Zhu Yijun wondered what would happen to the Central Plains without Zhu Yuanzhang and the Ming Dynasty.

In a few hundred years, will even the Chinese characters be lost, and the brilliant fire of civilization be extinguished in the long river of history? Once the inheritance of Chinese characters is cut off, will everything become like the murals and stone carvings of the ancient Inca Empire, and no one will be able to understand their meaning.

"Sir, if it weren't for the opening of the sea, the development of navigation and stargazing technology, would you have abandoned Korea?" Zhu Yijun asked a very interesting question. If Wanli had not opened the sea, what would have been the outcome of Korea? Would a Korean royal family have been established again?

After all, there are not enough sea vessels, and relying solely on land transportation in North Korea is really not worth the cost.

"We can't let the Japanese pirates go ashore either." Zhang Juzheng expressed his opinion very clearly. If the Japanese pirates attack Korea, the Ming Dynasty must drive them back to the sea. If the Japanese pirates are allowed to go ashore, the Ming Dynasty will be a sinner for all eternity.

As for North Korea, it is still the same as before, with no mines or fields, so what is the use of that piece of land?

The reason for all this is the cost of ruling. To some extent, Zhang Juzheng supported the contraction and abandonment of land that began in the Renxuan period because the cost of ruling was high. Now it is different. The cost of ruling Korea is low, and even Japan can be taken into the pocket.

The cost of sea transportation is much lower than that of land transportation. This is Zhang Juzheng's logic and the reason why Zhang Juzheng now opposes the annexation of Laos. Laos is a completely landlocked country with no access to the sea. The only interest of the Ming Dynasty in Laos is Jingjue salt, and the current relationship is just right.

"What do you think, Prime Minister?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and asked for his opinion.

"Please give your opinion." Wang Chonggu did not express his opinion clearly, but maintained the same attitude that the emperor had the final say.

For the Labor Party, Jingjue Salt is very important, but Wang Chonggu is very indifferent to whether to annex it. His idea is somewhat similar to that of the Ministry of Rites. Incorporation is not a bad thing. It can be incorporated in name only, but actually be co-managed like Mubang Prefecture and Mengyang Prefecture, and gradually transform the natives into officials and gradually become kings.

In another two hundred years, it will basically be completely digested.

"Let Laos join the Ming Dynasty. This is one of my achievements. I will have something to say to my ancestors in the future." Zhu Yijun looked at the geomancy map and shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter if I win, just to get a claim."

Zhu Yijun made the final decision and surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, providing some emotional value for the people of the Ming Dynasty.

In actual administration, Laos Prefecture, like Mubang Prefecture and Mengyang Prefecture, is nominally a county, but in reality, it still follows the basic ruling framework of the Three Xuans and Six Weis, with military, economic, cultural, and political control.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "This is actually what Laos wants. They are caught in a dilemma. The Burmese thieves beat them when they are unhappy, and the Annan people also beat them when they are happy. Even the Japanese pirates run to them to pay tribute. Instead of suffering so much, it is better to surrender directly to the Ming Dynasty. What Laos wants is security and stability."

"Ming has huge interests in Laos. The Jingjue Salt Mine cannot be found in a short time. The mine is there. If the enemy invades, Ming cannot sit idly by. We must contribute and have a reputation."

"Your Majesty is wise." Wang Chonggu bowed his head and said, His Majesty made it very clear that it was just a simple victory, not really to kingize Laos in a short period of time.

"Your Majesty, do you mean that you will not invest a large sum of money to completely rule it in a short period of time like you did with Suiyuan?" Zhang Juzheng understood that the emperor wanted both face and substance, but he would not give any money.

The emperor's reasons were very sufficient. Regardless of whether it was annexed or not, Ming Dynasty had huge interests in Laos. No matter who attacked Laos, Ming Dynasty had to help and contribute manpower. Otherwise, there would be problems with the supply of Jingjue salt. If some Jingjue salt was sprinkled in the water and fertilizer, the crops would grow stronger.

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Even if I put all the revenue of the national treasury for the next ten years into it, I still can't subjugate Toungoo and Laos. I'll just let the Qianguo Mansion handle it slowly."

Laos is different from Suiyuan. Suiyuan is the heartland of the Ming Dynasty, so huge investments must be made. Even for Suiyuan, the Western Regions must be reopened to ensure the strategic security of the Ming Dynasty's heartland.

"Then I have nothing to worry about." Zhang Juzheng immediately agreed, as long as it doesn't cost any money.

Zhu Yijun said very clearly: "I will let the Ministry of Rites make it clear to Dao Lansheng that Wang Hua will never succeed overnight. We need the cooperation of the Lao people with the Duke of Qian's Mansion and work together to succeed. If he disagrees, we can maintain the status quo."

"Chen Lin, the Governor-General of the Ryukyu Governor-General's Office, submitted a memorial requesting the abolition of the regulations of the Ryukyu Governor-General's Office and its incorporation into counties." Zhu Yijun talked about another memorial he had just received.

The biggest difference between the Ryukyu Governor-General's Office and other governor-general's offices is that the Governor-General of Ryukyu is the Navy Governor-General Shuri Hou Chen Lin, who is usually not in Ryukyu, so the three Ryukyu Islands are actually under the management of Songjiang Prefecture.

Zhu Yijun pointed at the geomancy map and said, "My plan is to put the Ryukyu Islands under the jurisdiction of Songjiang Prefecture, and Keelung Island and Penghu Inspection Office under the jurisdiction of Fujian."

Zhu Yijun pointed at the geomancy map and said, "Sir, Songjiang Prefecture is too small. A prefecture has a governor. Even if it is the world's trade center and economic center, it is still too small. If the Ryukyu Islands are incorporated into Songjiang Prefecture, the governor of Songjiang will be worthy of the title."

"Fujian is too poor. Even with Jilong Island and Penghu Inspection Office, the number of acres of farmland is still not enough to be considered a big province. It would also help Fujian better coordinate manpower to go to Jilong Island to reclaim land and cut down trees."

The Ryukyu Governor-General's Office is the governor-general's office with the lowest presence. This does not mean that Ryukyu is not important. On the contrary, because of the existence of the Daikoku Strait, all ships have to bypass Ryukyu to reach Songjiang Prefecture, making Ryukyu extremely important. This is the World Sea Bridge, especially in the era of sailing ships.

From the very beginning, the Ming Dynasty court planned to establish Ryukyu as a county, so the Ryukyu Governor-General's Office has never been established, nor has it been out of the control of the court. Now it is directly strengthening its rule.

"My idea is exactly the same as yours. We should pursue both land and sea operations, but our main focus should be on the sea. Bringing Southeast Asia and Jupiter completely under the control of the Ming Dynasty is what I should do." Zhu Yijun always practiced what he preached and would not talk nonsense with his ministers. He always explained very clearly what he was going to do and why.

Strengthening control over Southeast Asia and the Continent is the historical mission of Emperor Zhu Yijun. If he wants to really build the five large tiled houses, the development and profits on land are simply not enough.

Zhu Yijun continued, "Chen Dazhuang, the commander of the Datieling Guard, is taking risks again. He has entered the central area of ​​Juezhou. Looking along the way, there are only shrubs and Gobi, but not deserts. Is Juezhou really a Jedi?"

"Chen Dazhuang doesn't think so. The rainfall there is more than twelve inches, which is much better than the Western Regions. You should know that the Western Regions have been building karez since the Han Dynasty, and it has continued to this day. In comparison, the Western Regions are a dead end."

"The natural endowment of Juezhou is much stronger than that of the Western Regions. There are at least 10 million hectares of grassland that can be used for animal husbandry."

The Stargazing Ship seriously underestimated the natural endowment of Juezhou. Admittedly, compared with the fertile fields of Java, Juezhou is a little inferior, but it is actually arable land. If it is developed in the long term, the benefits will be much greater than reopening the Western Regions.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng was pulling the emperor back, preventing him from carrying out his rule over Laos regardless of the cost. This was not a wise decision for the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli Reform.

The benefits of the Wanli Reform were used on the Dinghai school system and the civil service examination system, which was a good use of the best resources.

The imperial edict of the Ming Emperor was quickly delivered to the Ministry of Rites, and Shaoqing Yu Liangshi conveyed the imperial intention.

"Your Majesty's edict is very clear. Laos, as the Lao Prefecture, is directly managed by the Yunnan Bu Sansi. The Ming court can accept Laos, but its status will be equivalent to that of Mubang Prefecture and Mengyang Prefecture." Yu Liangshi further explained His Majesty's meaning in detail. The court will not invest too much in the kingship of Laos.

"I kowtow to thank God for his grace!" Dao Lansheng was overjoyed. He kowtowed three times in a row before happily putting away the imperial edict.

Yu Liangshi emphasized again: "Well, the conditions are still quite harsh."

"It's already very good. The Ming Dynasty court is high and long-lasting, but the Qianguo Mansion is right in front of us. Only when Laos is incorporated into the Ming Dynasty and there is trouble in Laos, the Qianguo Mansion will be able to intervene directly. It's already very good." Dao Lansheng said happily.

Laos asked Ming for help five times, but Ming did not send troops once, because there was no legitimate reason, and the Duke of Qian just wanted to help, but without the right reason, the words would not go smoothly. Now, as long as Ming recognizes Laos as its territory, Annan and Toungoo will not dare to bully the Lao people in the future.

It is the greatest honor to be a dog of the Ming Dynasty. Unlike some stray dogs, they run around without knowing who their owners are.

Toungoo was just like a wild dog, barking at the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty had been beating him on the head for four years, and the beatings would continue. Mang Yingli couldn't even die. Mang Yingli's head did not belong to him, but to the Ming Dynasty. He could only die if the Ming Dynasty let him die.

"The Burmese bandits of Toungoo bullied us the most. They killed our men, robbed our women, children and the elderly, seized our capital, and burned our palace. The royal army of the Ming Dynasty severely reprimanded Toungoo and avenged us. It is only right that we should submit to the Ming Dynasty." Dao Lansheng explained why the powerful leaders all agreed to join the Ming Dynasty. It was because in the eyes of the Lao people, the Ming Dynasty helped them avenge their blood feud that they could never avenge.

Yu Liangshi thought of Wan Zongbo's theory of the barbarians recognizing a father. In Wan Zongbo's view, the barbarians must find a father for themselves in order to feel at ease. For Laos, after choosing among many options, the Ming Dynasty is indeed a good father.

(End of this chapter)