I'm really not doing business

Chapter 951 reached the other shore of benevolence and upheld the creed of righteousness.

After Zhu Yijun gave his clear instructions, Gao Qiyu and Pedro resumed negotiations, but this time the talks were not as amicable.

Pedro's refusal to translate it into Latin was actually a way to leave himself an out; if Felipe suddenly changed his mind and stopped launching the expedition against England, this trans-Pacific business alliance could be torn up immediately.

Even if Felipe still insisted on the expedition, Pedro was not a sinner, after all, it wasn't written in Latin.

He couldn't understand the Ming Dynasty's demands. In fact, establishing the framework of this business alliance was more important, as the Ming Dynasty could use this alliance to exert influence over the governor-general's offices in the Pacific Rim.

Pedro refused to translate it into Latin under any circumstances, fearing that Felipe would kill him if he saw it.

The negotiations stalled because Pedro could not understand the Ming Dynasty's demands.

Inside the Court of State Ceremonial, officials of the Ming Dynasty and four envoys led by Pedro sat facing each other. Negotiations had reached a dead end, so Gao Qiyu had two pots of tea served to ease the tense atmosphere.

"Your Excellency probably finds it hard to understand why the Ming Dynasty insisted on translating these articles into Latin." Gao Qiyu took a sip of tea before saying, "There was a Minister of Rites in the Ming Dynasty named Wan Shihe, who mentioned before that the country is divided into two types: a resident state and a traveling state."

"What is a country to live in? It is a country where people can live and work in peace and contentment. People have camps and villages in the countryside, regular market days, and county towns, prefecture towns and capital cities to escape the flames of war."

"What is a nomadic state? Nomads, merchants, pirates, and roving robbers, without a fixed abode, living by water and grass, and resorting to robbery when they lack food and clothing. They say they are using war to sustain war, but they are nothing more than roving bandits."

Pedro's face turned red. He knew, of course, that Gao Qiyu was cursing him. His lips twitched, and he said sharply, "Grand Herald! The Ming Dynasty is indeed a celestial empire, but Spain is also a country where the sun shines forever. Grand Herald's words are rather disrespectful!"

"Could it be that the Ming Dynasty is really going to supply England with firearms and military supplies? England is a bunch of pirates!"

The Ming Dynasty was a stable country with a permanent population. Apart from the Ming Dynasty, there were no permanent countries in the world at present; they were all temporary states. Even Spain was plundering the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.

“The English pirates and the Japanese pirates are basically no different.” Gao Qiyu reminded Pedro again, “It was the Spanish who broke the agreement first, Lanchilot, but they were caught red-handed by the Ming Dynasty.”

Pedro was furious but speechless. Lanchilot should have committed suicide the moment the truth came out, instead of leaving behind so much trouble!
Gao Qiyu continued, “Whether it is a country in residence or a country in transit, both need ledgers. The ledger of a country in residence is history. If you want the people to live and work in peace and contentment, even if you have to make it up, you have to make up a proper and long history. The ledger of a country in transit is religion.”

"The ledger is actually not that complicated. It's like a banquet. It really only involves four things: who invites the guests, who pays the bill, who does the work, and who gets the credit."

"The Ming Dynasty's account book is history, which is that the emperor hosts the banquet, the court pays the bill, the people do the work, and the people receive the credit; while the Western account book is religion, which is that God hosts the banquet, believers pay the bill, the common people do the work, and God receives the credit."

"Actually, there's not much difference. The only difference is that the emperor is a person, while a god is not a specific person."

Not much difference? Absolutely huge difference! Because of the difference between humans and gods, the one who receives the credit becomes God, not the one who does the work!
The invincibility of religion lies precisely in this.

The Ming Dynasty produced goods, covering all aspects of life from clothing and food to housing and transportation, allowing everyone to live like human beings. However, religion would distort these contributions.

Under the alienation of religion, it became believed that the Ming Dynasty's refusal to provide sufficient goods for free meant that it had failed to fulfill God's expectations, and therefore had no merit, not even hard work, only the original sin of failing to fulfill God's expectations.

Therefore, God's chosen people, these believers, will not only not be grateful, but will resent the Ming Dynasty for its 'shoddy workmanship and opportunism'.

From the Ming Dynasty's perspective, this is ungrateful and repaying kindness with enmity. However, in the eyes of these believers, they would feel that they are righteous and are representing God in demanding repayment from the Ming Dynasty.

The fundamental logic of royal power and divine power is different. For example, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would push the cart wheels to send off the general when he went to war, and would go down the steps to welcome the army when the general returned in triumph.

Theistic religions all claim that God's will is enough to fool people.

“The account book of the country of residence is history, so history must be solemn. Every single detail must be made clear enough, not just a shoddy job, otherwise it will become the account book of the country of travel.” Gao Qiyu explained the difference between the country of residence and the country of travel, and explained why the Ming emperor insisted on translating everything.

Such an important matter must not be vague; it must be completely thorough. Otherwise, who knows how this history will be arranged in the future, or even turned into spurious literature, which would be even more troublesome.

"I'll think about it some more." Pedro immediately started to have a headache after understanding what Da Ming was so insistent on.

Once the Ming Dynasty starts to reason, it means there is absolutely no room for maneuver. When the Ming Dynasty doesn't reason, it means there might still be a chance for things to turn around, but once it starts to reason, it means that this is the Ming Dynasty's bottom line.

This is the principle by which the Ming Dynasty does things—upright and honorable. Let me tell you why the Ming Dynasty does things this way.

In fact, Pedro knew very well that once the Trans-Pacific Commercial Alliance was established, the Ming Dynasty could use the tariff coordination system to clearly arrange the Trans-Pacific Governor-General's offices. The Ming Dynasty's industrial clusters were all located in the heart of the Ming Dynasty, not in these Governor-General's offices.

It wasn't that the Ming Dynasty was unwilling to relocate its industries; it was that other regions lacked the capacity to absorb them.

Pedro sat there somewhat dejectedly, and said with a solemn expression, "There is an old saying in the Ming Dynasty, 'To take righteousness and achieve benevolence,' but even Confucius and Mencius, who proposed the concepts of righteousness and benevolence, cannot be said to have achieved righteousness and achieved benevolence."

"But those who die for their country are generally considered by the Ming Dynasty to have reached the other side of benevolence and implemented the belief of righteousness. Taking righteousness to achieve benevolence is the highest moral evaluation of a person in the Ming Dynasty."

“There was an envoy named Rui De in the Goa Governor’s Office. Even though he roared at the court, His Majesty did not execute him. He returned to Malacca and made a second mission to the Ming Dynasty. When Rui De heard that Malacca had been recovered by the Ming Dynasty, he chose to commit suicide to be buried with Malacca.”

"The Ming Dynasty buried him, left him a tombstone, and even went to the West to find his past deeds to add to the epitaph."

"I have actually thought that, faced with the Ming Dynasty's aggressive approach, dying directly in front of you gentlemen might be the only and most correct solution."

Pedro said, even more dejectedly, "But what should I die for?"

"For His Highness Felipe, who refuses to listen to any advice? Or for the colonists who plunder everywhere, burn a few indulgences to ease their conscience, and continue to commit those evil deeds, to die for their country?"

"not worth it."

Pedro faced a choice between two possible outcomes: if the Ming Dynasty sold military supplies to England, Pedro would die; if this trans-Pacific trade alliance emerged, he would also die. His best option was to commit suicide in the Ming Dynasty.

But why? Why did Pedro die?

"Perhaps, this is the best outcome for the Governor-General's Office in the Pacific. There's an old saying in the Ming Dynasty: 'It's good to take shelter under a big tree.' At least I've done right by these pioneers." Pedro finally decided to sign and translate the entire document.

Pedro signed and stamped the document across the seam before looking at Gao Qiyu and solemnly saying:

"About seven hundred years ago, Spain was conquered by the Arab Empire. It took us seven hundred years to reclaim all our lost territories through the Reconquest Movement. We, Spain, are a country on the back of a sheep. Actually, this is a mocking term used by the Spanish to describe us, implying that we are too poor. It is not nobles who deal with sheep."

"Rome didn't make a lightning-fast comeback, but Spain did."

"These colonists who established the colonies were brutal and bloodthirsty. Their sins could not be redeemed by any number of indulgences. But to us Spaniards, these colonists were heroes. They brought back a great deal of wealth and resources."

"I hope the Ming Dynasty will treat you well."

Pedro was not worried that the Ming Dynasty would go too far; the Ming Dynasty never resorted to conspiracies or tricks.

"Young Master Zong." A steward hurried in and whispered something to Gao Qiyu. Gao Qiyu was first taken aback, then showed a shocked expression. He immediately stood up, took two steps, and then stopped.

“Special Envoy, sacrificing oneself for righteousness is not just about dying for one’s country. His Majesty is currently in the Imperial Hospital, where there is a brave warrior whose actions I believe exemplify sacrificing oneself for righteousness.” Gao Qiyu invited Pedro to the Imperial Hospital.

The establishment of the Pacific Rim Business Alliance should be reported to His Majesty. Secondly, Pedro, as an envoy, can also have an audience. Moreover, this matter is in line with the noble moral principle of sacrificing oneself for righteousness.

On his way to the Imperial Hospital, Gao Qiyu suddenly said, "By the way, Envoy Pedro, even if you don't sign and stamp it, our Great Ming will not provide England with military equipment, because in the eyes of the Great Ming, they are no different from Japanese pirates."

“There was absolutely no need to tell me this! I’ve already signed and stamped it!” Pedro’s face was extremely pained. He had guessed that the Ming Dynasty wouldn’t do this, but he didn’t dare to gamble. It turned out that the Ming Dynasty really wasn’t going to provide military equipment to England.

When Gao Qiyu arrived at the Imperial Hospital, he learned the whole story and why the matter had alarmed His Majesty.

On the banks of the Tonghui River in Shuntian Prefecture, a couple who made tofu were arguing. For some unknown reason, the wife jumped into the Tonghui River. The husband, who couldn't swim, jumped in to save her. Then, three passersby also jumped into the water, and all five of them ended up drowning.

Zhang Xinhe, a garrison commander of the Ming Dynasty's capital garrison, was passing by with his elderly mother when he heard cries for help. Without hesitation, he jumped into the river and rescued four people. When he was rescuing the fifth person, Zhang Xinhe knew that he had reached his physical limit and that jumping into the river again to save someone would be a matter of life and death.

Zhang Xinhe kowtowed to his elderly mother, then jumped back into the river and rescued the last person who had fallen in. Zhang Xinhe was already extremely exhausted, but he still managed to get ashore thanks to his physical strength honed through long-term training.

The police are still investigating the details of the case.

Pedro saw His Majesty sitting in the pavilion from afar. The Ming Emperor was a tall and imposing figure, sitting there like a small mountain. His Majesty was gazing at the sickroom.

Pedro also saw the old woman sitting next to His Majesty, who was clearly Zhang Xinhe's mother. The emperor was talking to her gently, as if to comfort her, but more like to chat casually.

In that instant, Pedro suddenly understood what it meant to sacrifice oneself for righteousness.

Zhu Yijun comforted the old lady, saying with a smile, "Auntie, the chief physician said that Zhang Xinhe was quite conscious when he was brought here and was fine. He's just undergoing examinations and taking precautions against catching a cold. There won't be anything wrong with him."

"Our second son was seriously ill a while ago and almost died, but the chief physician saved him."

"Don't worry, auntie, good people will surely be rewarded."

The old woman was very emotional and kept crying. She kept saying, "Young man, this is my only son. When he kowtowed there, I was really afraid that he would not come back. But if he wanted to go, I had no choice but to let him go. This child has been very stubborn since he was a child."

To the old woman, this suddenly appearing nobleman in green robes seemed more like a young military officer. She didn't know he was the emperor. Fortunately, the nobleman was kind and willing to listen to her rambling.

"Where are you from, ma'am?" Zhu Yijun asked in a friendly tone, trying to distract the woman.

When asked, the old woman said haltingly, “We are from Xiayi in Guide Prefecture. My son, eighteen years ago, insisted on joining the army, saying that the Beijing garrison was selecting elite soldiers. Luckily, he was strong enough to be chosen.” “In the second year of the Wanli reign, he sent back a lot of silver, as much as seventeen taels. The postman in Xiayi County insisted on taking seven taels of silver as a legwork fee.”

Zhu Yijun's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

It was a common practice for soldiers of the Ming Dynasty to send money home. Zhu Yijun (Emperor Wanli) issued a special decree forbidding them from misappropriating the money, under penalty of severe punishment. However, in the second year of Wanli's reign, he was still young, and it seems that these men did not take the emperor's decree seriously.

"Auntie, you don't need to worry about this. If someone dares to embezzle money, they might have the life to take it, but not the life to spend it!" Zhu Yijun's tone turned cold.

"Oh, that's not how it is. The next day, the magistrate of Xia County returned the silver with a few couriers." The old woman said with a smile. This was a glorious thing for her son. It seemed that being a soldier in the capital garrison made him a very important person, and even the magistrate of Xia County took the initiative to stand up for the common people.

"In that case." Zhu Yijun still intended to have the Imperial Guards investigate to see if this phenomenon was an isolated case or a widespread one.

“Young man, do you think this counts as meritorious service? I don’t understand this. My son has been longing to make a first-class meritorious service to pass on to the family. He tried in Liaodong, Suiyuan, and Korea, but he couldn’t get it. He said those bandits ran away too fast and he didn’t get it.” The old woman carefully inquired about the situation.

"Of course, according to the Ming Dynasty's system of rewarding merit, he should be awarded the title of First-Class Meritorious Official." Zhu Yijun said with great certainty that rescuing three or more people in peacetime would be rewarded with the title of First-Class Meritorious Service, which was a rule that had been established long ago.

The old lady still seemed very nervous, and her rambling words were somewhat incoherent as she talked about some things from Zhang Xinhe's past.

For example, when Zhang Xinhe was young, he was a handsome young man in the surrounding villages, and matchmakers came to propose marriage to him so often that they almost wore down his doorstep.
For example, Zhang Xinhe had a lover. After Zhang Xinhe joined the army, his lover got married, but Zhang Xinhe also married and had children in the Northern Army.

The old woman wasn't very satisfied with her daughter-in-law and kept nagging about her shortcomings. Zhu Yijun listened carefully and occasionally chimed in with a few words, and the old woman's emotions gradually calmed down.

Qi Jiguang came from the Beidaying camp and arrived a little late. He didn't wait long and went straight over, bowing his head and saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun introduced to the old lady, "No need for formalities, Commander Qi, please sit. Madam, this is Commander Qi Jiguang. If you don't believe me, you can ask Commander Qi. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Garrison."

"Your Majesty? The Emperor?" The old woman was incredibly surprised. The young man she had been chatting with for so long was actually His Majesty the Emperor!
Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "I am indeed the emperor."

"This old woman greets Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" The old woman was terrified and was about to bow when Zhu Yijun quickly helped her up.

Zhang Xinhe and the chief physician walked out of the ward. Zhang Xinhe was not particularly strong, but he looked quite capable and was relatively tall. He was in excellent spirits and had obviously recovered from his brief period of exhaustion.

The old woman ignored the emperor and the general and went straight over. When she saw that the man was alive and well, she burst into tears. Her cries were quite mournful, and she released all the anxiety she had been waiting for.

"My son, what if... what if you don't come back!" The old woman cried, but deliberately lowered her voice so as not to be heard by the nobles.

"The soldiers trained by Commander Qi are truly formidable; the rigorous training of two hundred steps of hard-hitting techniques has indeed yielded results." Zhu Yijun was quite pleased with Qi Jiguang's military training.

The rule of "two hundred steps of hard kung fu" is a concept derived from the cannons of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty's artillery was not accurate enough. During the charge, the Ming infantry often needed to maneuver at high speed within a range of 200 paces. The range of artillery coverage would change due to the sound of drums, flag signals, and small flags. The Ming infantry had to maneuver according to these commands, which led to the concept of "two hundred paces of hard work".

Clearly, it was this specialized training that gave Zhang Xinhe the physical strength to rescue people and allow him to get ashore safely without drowning.

Zhang Xinhe was a battalion commander, which meant he had already moved beyond the ranks of junior officers. The next step would have been a brigade commander, which would have placed him within the general's rank. But Zhang Xinhe still jumped into the river without hesitation.

That kneeling was a testament to the inability to reconcile loyalty to the emperor with filial piety. The Beijing garrison's report to the emperor to save the common people was never just empty talk. Many soldiers, even after retiring, still strictly adhered to the regulations and refused to harm the people.

Loyal to the court, His Majesty, and the Ming Dynasty, and loyal to himself, he would have to save people when he was exhausted, which would very likely prevent him from fulfilling his filial duties.

The principle of sacrificing one's life for righteousness, and the actions of a true man, is difficult to explain clearly.

Qi Jiguang watched as Zhang Xinhe comforted his mother before whispering, "He wasn't a soldier under my command. He was always in Li Rusong's Zhenwu Regiment. He was a soldier trained by Li Rusong. He used to be a troublemaker, but Li Rusong subdued him. He has three children, two sons and a daughter. If he were to drown, his wife, children, and elderly parents would all lose their support. For them, it would be like the sky had fallen."

"It won't collapse. If no one else will support them, I will." Zhu Yijun immediately said, as he could still afford to support the livelihoods of several people.

"Your Majesty is wise." Qi Jiguang was taken aback. He also understood why Zhang Xinhe was able to go without hesitation. He knew that even if he drowned, the emperor and the court would treat his family well, so he went.

The soldiers of the Beijing Garrison were not all trained by Qi Jiguang alone, but there is no doubt that the soldiers trained by Li Rusong were also excellent!
The spirit of the army belongs to all the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison; it is a consensus that unites people's hearts and minds, not just Qi Jiguang's.

"Young Master, does the Ministry of Rites have any objections to this first-class meritorious official title?" Zhu Yijun asked Gao Qiyu, who had been waiting for a long time.

Gao Qiyu immediately bowed his head and said, "That is the proper way. Your subject obeys the order and will carry it out."

"This humble general Zhang Xinhe pays his respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty is mighty!" After comforting his mother, Zhang Xinhe hurried to the small pavilion to pay his respects.

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Xinhe and asked, "Looking at your resume, are you planning to retire? You have served the country loyally for eighteen years. I will now give you two choices. One is to retire and go to the Guanchang Legal Affairs Office, where you can become the co-director of the Legal Affairs Office and be in charge of the supervision of the entire Guanchang legal affairs."

"Secondly, I would become a student at the Military Academy, in charge of training junior officers."

Zhu Yijun had given these two assignments a lot of thought. Feng Bao checked the records of the Beijing garrison commanders and found that Zhang Xinhe had been wounded on the Korean battlefield and was no longer old enough to fight. He had served the Ming Dynasty loyally for eighteen years and deserved a rest.

If you go to the Legislative Affairs Office to work as a coordinator, your descendants can go to the government factory, which is considered the rear area, so your descendants won't have to fight on the battlefield.

Going to the Military Academy meant that one had made plans for their descendants to continue serving in the Beijing Garrison.

"This humble general wishes to go to the Military Academy. I dare not speak of anything else, but I am quite confident in my ability to train people." Zhang Xinhe had indeed thought about it for a while and finally chose the Military Academy. He felt that he did not understand the laws and regulations of the government factories, and if he went to the government factories, he would only be causing trouble.

"Alright, you'll have the First-Class Merit Award, the Medal of Honor, the plaque, and the official gazette. Go back and rest for a few days, then report to the Military Academy," Zhu Yijun said with a smile and a nod.

The Ming Dynasty awarded five ranks of merit plaques, each with an inscription personally written by the emperor. These plaques could be hung above one's own door. As long as the Ming Dynasty existed, this plaque would protect the family and ensure their safety, and at least some cruel officials would not dare to come and harass them.

The official gazette published all of Zhang Xinhe's deeds and issued a commendation.

"This humble general thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness." Zhang Xinhe bowed again to express his gratitude. He left the Imperial Hospital with his mother. As soon as they stepped out, they ran into Li Rusong and several adjutants and captains.

"You little brat, are you out of your mind! Why are you continuing even when you're exhausted?" Li Rusong walked up, carefully examined Zhang Xinhe's condition, and, confirming that he was still full of energy, felt relieved.

Zhang Xinhe hesitated for a moment, then ultimately didn't say what he really thought. He smiled and said, "If I don't save him, no one else will. I have to go. If I don't go, that person will drown."

"Great, very good. You've really brought honor to our Zhenwu Regiment. When we get back, come to my place and get twenty catties of beef." Li Rusong smiled broadly, patted Zhang Xinhe on the shoulder, and then continued, "I'm going in to meet the Emperor."

Several officers and platoon leaders rushed forward and tossed Zhang Xinhe into the air several times, cheering continuously.

Zhang Xinhe was carried onto the small train to Beidaying, heading to the Beijing garrison to celebrate.

After Zhu Yijun and others paid their respects to Li Rusong, he said with great certainty, "You have trained your troops very well. Keep it up and do not disappoint me."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Li Rusong clenched his fist tightly, his face full of smiles. This incident was an isolated case, quite accidental, but it completely proved that the troops he led were also elite soldiers who reported to the emperor to save the common people, rather than Liaodong household soldiers and mercenaries.

This meant that the last obstacle to his succession as the commander-in-chief of the Beijing garrison had completely disappeared, as he had proven his ability.

"Pedro." Zhu Yijun didn't change locations; he met the special envoy Pedro, who had come along to watch the spectacle, at the Imperial Hospital.

Pedro hurried forward. He looked somewhat haggard, but he still bowed and kowtowed very respectfully, saying, "Spanish envoy Pedro greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yijun gestured for Pedro to rise.

"I am very dissatisfied with Felipe's actions, especially his supply of saltpeter to Japan. If you refuse, then the Ming Dynasty will have no choice but to retaliate in kind." Zhu Yijun reiterated that the Ming Dynasty would not aid England for the sake of order, but that England was not the only enemy of Spain.

The Ming Dynasty could choose to support the Netherlands, which had passed the "Severance Act," thus making it impossible for Spain to reclaim this land.

Pedro said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, I, a humble envoy from afar, beg you to write a decree to advise Prince Felipe that continuing the expedition will only hasten Spain's decline."

Zhu Yijun asked curiously, "Are you sure that if you take my imperial edict back to Spain, you will be able to persuade the mad Felipe, instead of enraging him? You, the messenger, are very likely to be killed by the enraged Felipe."

This imperial edict will not dissuade Felipe at all; on the contrary, it will become Pedro's death warrant.

Pedro took a deep breath and said helplessly, "It is like this, there is a high chance of being executed, but I beg Your Majesty to write a decree of admonition. His Highness Felipe greatly admires you, and His Highness can still listen to some of the prophet's words."

"In fact, His Highness Felipe is in a dilemma. He knows that the expedition is very difficult, but the situation does not allow His Highness to stop it at will. His Highness is in a situation where no matter what he does, it will be wrong."

"His Majesty's decree will be a good way out, allowing His Highness, who is in a difficult position, to end this farce with dignity."

Pedro knew it would be difficult, but he was willing to try anyway. So what if he died? He would die in a few days anyway, serving the increasingly autocratic tyrant Felipe.

Westerners also value dignity, as it is part of authoritarianism.

"I will not write it." Zhu Yijun said very clearly: "His sending an assassin to kill the Sword Saint Marcus and his order for Lanchilot to smuggle saltpeter to Japan are unforgivable."

Zhu Yijun had no reason or motive to write this imperial edict. In Zhu Yijun's mind, Spain had already become an enemy country; it was just not appropriate to directly break off relations.

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(End of this chapter)