I'm really not doing business

Chapter 982 The final winner will inevitably be the Ming Dynasty.

The rule that no one other than a member of the Hanlin Academy could enter the cabinet was established after Emperor Yingzong of Ming. After Emperor Yingzong, among the 179 cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty, only 7 were not members of the Hanlin Academy, while the rest were all members of the Hanlin Academy.

The reason for this system is entirely to prevent rats like Yang Shiqi from climbing onto the table again and making reckless decisions.

In the second year of the Zhengtong reign, civil officials were found to have arbitrarily killed military officers. While the promotion of civil officials over military ones was absurd, it resulted in military officers like Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo being unable to attend court. The arbitrary killing of Commander An Jing had left no room for any military man willing to fight to the death. It was utterly ridiculous.

The existence of the Hanlin Academy as a safety net meant that those who entered the cabinet were not necessarily virtuous officials, but they were certainly not scoundrels.

It was this conservative safety net system that allowed the Ming Dynasty to maintain stability for nearly a century. From the Tianshun to the Zhengde era, the Ming Dynasty remained unchanged and slowly decayed. There was a brief attempt to make changes in the early years of the Jiajing reign, but ultimately it failed due to the enormous inertia.

This system is certainly not good, and it has the suspicion of being a waste of resources, but even if it's bad, it's still much better than having rats on the table.

The Wanli Reforms were a grand undertaking. The reason why Wang Chonggu was allowed to enter the cabinet, breaking the rule, and why Shen Shixing angrily denounced the Hanlin Academy for severing ties with it, was because the Examination and Assessment Law was established to select virtuous officials, and a better system was available to replace it. However, this did not mean that the Hanlin Academy, as a safety net, was no longer needed.

It is far better to decay slowly in a state of stagnation than to be destroyed in a raging fire. Both bring suffering to the people of the Ming Dynasty, but one is a slow-acting, chronic death, while the other is an earth-shattering catastrophe that is a devastating blow to the people.

Gao Qiyu, accompanied by officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, waited at the Guanchao Pavilion in Tanggu Port, the place where His Majesty reviewed the fleet. The Minister, Vice Minister, and Interpreter of the Court of State Ceremonial were whispering among themselves, their voices low, but their eyes were all subtly fixed on Gao Qiyu.

A few days ago, there were rumors that Shen Shixing was going to handle this task, but no one knows what happened, and in the end, it was Gao Qiyu who took it.

Gao Qiyu paid no attention to these gazes. His Majesty had finally seen and recognized his efforts. With the favor of being named the Junior Assistant Star of Ziwei and this protection, Gao Qiyu's belief gradually strengthened. He was determined to be the sole minister.

This path is feasible.

The arrival of the fast sailing ship Dingyuan meant that the three governors of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance had arrived.

Gao Qiyu's expression turned serious. He wanted to secure more benefits for the Ming Dynasty. He had three notebooks in his hand, which contained intelligence gathered in the eighteenth year of the Ming Dynasty's opening of the seas on the three governorates. The information about the governor of Mexico was very detailed.

Since the ninth year of the Jiajing reign, the Manchus discovered 34 silver mines in Mexico, including three super-large silver mines: Sausito, Fresni, and Potosí. From the seventh year of the Wanli reign, Mexico replaced Peru's rich silver mines as the world's largest silver-producing country, earning it the title of "Land of Silver."

These thirty-four silver mountains are divided into three huge silver mining clusters, producing more than 650 million taels of silver annually, of which 600 million taels are shipped back to Spain every year.

Three silver mining clusters, thirty-four silver mines—this is the biggest fat sheep among the fat sheep. Gao Qiyu vowed that in his lifetime, no matter what means he used, he would definitely bring these silver mines into the hands of the Ming Dynasty!
Such a treasure mountain should be occupied by a virtuous person!
Of the three governors who came this time, the most important was Peto de Roca, the governor of Mexico.

Peto was very easy to spot. Gao Qiyu noticed him as soon as he disembarked. He was quite tall and strong, with a head of striking red hair, thick eyebrows, and a full beard, making him look particularly fierce. Peto's skin was bronze from living at sea for a long time, making him look exceptionally tough.

Peto wore a wide-brimmed hat, with two daggers slanted across his chest, a foot-long musket also inserted there, and a longsword at his waist.

His attire and appearance made him look somewhat like a pirate. In fact, Peto was a pirate; he had three pirate crews that specialized in robbing passing merchant ships. If Spain had left him a couple more ships, he wouldn't have had to become a pirate as governor, let alone personally rob them.

Behind the three governors were Reyjaz, Galileo, and others, Kepler from Württemberg.

Behind Kepler was a woman named Barbara Muller, who was holding the hand of a little girl and looking around. This woman was Kepler's lover.

Kepler wanted to seek the truth, but he was reluctant to leave his beloved. After receiving his teacher's invitation, he hesitated. However, his beloved supported his pursuit of the truth and used her wealth to pay for Kepler's travel expenses and boat ticket. She also accompanied him on his journey to seek the truth.

"Is this the genius disciple Mr. Michael mentioned? Did he ever have smallpox?" Xu Guangqi saw Kepler's appearance and noticed several spots on Kepler's arm. He inquired about the situation of this genius disciple of Michael.

"The illness didn't take his life, but it weakened his eyesight and made it difficult for him to use his hands, limiting his ability to look up at the universe. Even so, he is still a rare genius in the entire Tess region," Michael said with great emotion.

After Michael finished speaking, Xu Guangqi and Galileo noticed that Kepler's walking posture was very strange, just as Michael had said, he did indeed have difficulty moving his hands.

As a child, Kepler contracted smallpox, a serious illness that tormented his eyesight and hands.

"Who is that woman?" Galileo asked with some curiosity, as it was already quite unusual to have a woman on board.

“A very wealthy lady provided him with a lot of help when he was studying at Kepler.” Michael frowned slightly before saying helplessly, “She was not only very rich, but her love story with Kepler was also very memorable. It’s truly an enviable stroke of luck.”

A wealthy true love, willing to risk everything for his beloved's path to truth.

Xu Guangqi and Galileo exchanged a glance. Sure enough, God closed a window for Kepler but opened a door for him.

Gao Qiyu, along with the officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, received the three governors. The three governors, Kepler, Barbara, and her daughter boarded the train, and after the whistle sounded, the train slowly started moving.

Peto gripped the handrail tightly. This was his second time taking the train. The first time was in Songjiang Prefecture, from Wanguo City to Shanghai County.

Songjiang Prefecture has a road connecting four counties, and Wanguo City is also a stop. Even on his second ride, he was still surprised, even somewhat frightened. Could such a terrifying machine really be a man-made product?
Peto had witnessed the Ming Dynasty's fast sailing ships in Songjiang Prefecture, and the skills of the Ming Dynasty's craftsmen were truly ingenious.

That afternoon, Peto had his first mate communicate with officials from the Court of State Ceremonial and then requested a meeting with Gao Qiyu, who readily agreed.

“The natives are lazy and their customs are dull. We Han people are honest, trustworthy, hardworking, and resilient. The eight hundred Han people living in Sun City, Mexico, run restaurants, shops, gardens, hotels, and other businesses. I heard that last year, some foreigners brazenly targeted and killed people from our Great Ming Dynasty, looting and plundering at will, slaughtering anyone they saw, young or old.” Gao Qiyu began by questioning them.

Since the start of the galleon trade, galleons regularly traded between Manila, Daming, and the port of Acapulco in Mexico. The crew members who worked on the ships gradually formed a community in Mexico City, running small businesses.

As a result, last year, a search and killing incident specifically targeting Han Chinese occurred. As an official of the Ministry of Rites, Gao Qiyu naturally had to inquire about it and hold those responsible accountable.

"That's not how it happened. The fight actually broke out over the profits from the distribution of goods in the Ming Dynasty, and it has been completely resolved." Upon hearing this, Peto quickly waved his hands in denial.

Peto really wasn't good at reasoning. Last year, the Mexican Viceroyalty sent an envoy to discuss trade regulations with the Ming Dynasty. Since then, Peto had been doing his best to restrain his men from robbing those seemingly fat sheep.

These Han Chinese are indeed plump, but robbing them would easily break your own front teeth.

In a struggle for the profits from the distribution of Ming Dynasty goods at the port of Sun City, the Han Chinese and the Spanish engaged in a three-month-long conflict. By the time Peto returned to Sun City, the Han Chinese had already won a great victory.

The Ming Dynasty had a Mingguan (Ming Pavilion) in Sun City. When Wu Tingfang, the steward of the Mingguan, reported to the emperor, he was vague. For example, Wu Tingfang said: "The interests and rights of the entire port are almost entirely in the hands of the Han people. The barbarians and local people are not convinced and are fighting for their interests."

This actually corroborates Peto's statement that it was indeed a struggle for control of the bulk cargo, and that the profits from these bulk cargoes were controlled by the Han Chinese, which was the root cause of the conflict.

"When I went out to sea and returned to Sun City, the battle was over. The Han Chinese had won, and won decisively. That street had become their territory; no one dared to offend them. They were everywhere—on rooftops, in treetops, in pits—wielding muskets or crossbows." Peto thought carefully before speaking solemnly.
"The people of the Ming Dynasty, living in the Celestial Empire, really couldn't understand what a place without order would be like. Once they won, that place belonged to them."

Last year, the envoy who went to the Ming Dynasty to discuss the "Regulations" returned to the Governor-General's Palace in Mexico and exaggeratedly stated that this trip to the Celestial Empire was an unforgettable journey, a purification of the soul, as if he had seen a divine kingdom on earth.

Of course, the envoy also reminded the governor that the officials residing in the divine kingdom, especially in the capital, harbored unrealistic fantasies about their governor's mansion.

The illusion was that the governor's office could effectively govern its territory, when in fact, everyone from the governor to the colonists knew that the governor's office could not govern effectively.

"I've been to Mexico, and I know what Mexico is like." Gao Qiyu said that he had already set sail for the West in the third year of the Wanli reign and successfully returned to the Ming Dynasty. It was an adventure, and he paid the price for his mistakes.

Gao Qiyu had seen Mexico with his own eyes, and it was not a pleasant trip. The governance there could only be described as a complete mess.

“I wasn’t governor back then, and I hadn’t met you.” Peto paused for a moment. He had killed the governor who had received Gao Qiyu and drowned him at sea before becoming governor himself.

Felipe didn't care who the governor was; he only cared about delivering enough gold, silver, and specialties on time to fill his treasure ships.

"The Kingdom of Jinshan has been attacked, and His Majesty is furious." Gao Qiyu did not dwell too much on the first matter. As the opening of the seas continued, the Ming Dynasty gained more influence overseas. Ming merchant ships would conduct circumnavigation of the globe once a year, and the East Pacific route twice a year.

If a fight really breaks out, it's uncertain who will suffer the most, especially since the Mingguan steward said that the final outcome would be that the rights and interests of the entire port would still remain in the hands of the Han people.

The ultimate standard for determining the outcome of this conflict is who ultimately holds the right to control the distribution of goods in the Ming Dynasty.

"Before I set off, I had already assigned my most trusted subordinates to make compensation to the Kingdom of Jinshan. Although I don't know if we can win His Highness Prince Lu's forgiveness, this is already our greatest sincerity." Peto had already sent people to make compensation before he set off, and he was unaware of the outcome of the negotiations.

Peto explained the amount and details of his compensation in detail before speaking, "Although it was my subordinate who contacted Xie Ruixiang without my knowledge, I am the governor and am indeed guilty."

Peto and his secretary believed that maintaining good relations with the Ming Dynasty would be far more profitable than paying 300,000 taels of silver in compensation each year.

"The Court of State Ceremonial will naturally communicate with the Kingdom of Jinshan. If His Highness Prince Lu is satisfied, this matter will naturally be dropped." Gao Qiyu sat up straight and looked at Peto, saying, "Governor Peto, there is something I don't quite understand. Mexico receives 6.5 million taels of silver annually, so why does the Governor's Office only receive a mere 500,000 taels?"

"As far as I know, most of the silver from Peru's rich silver mines was left at the Lima Mint to be minted into silver coins, but the Mexican Viceroyalty did not receive the same treatment."

“The reasons for this are somewhat complicated.” Peto’s face was full of bitterness when he heard this question; this was his most painful experience.

Both were governorates, both were in the eastern Pacific, and both used the amalgam method to refine silver. Peru could retain most of it to mint silver coins, while Mexico could only keep half a million taels of silver. This was a source of pain for him, for many reasons.

The most important reason is that Peto's pirate crew is no match for Felipe's treasure ships. The treasure ships that come to collect silver every year are not just ships, but also various cannons and muskets. Peto has no choice but to hand over the silver with a heavy heart.

The second reason is the need for supplies from the mainland. Fortified cities, water gates, and supplies were the main methods of Western colonialism at that time.

If the natives rebel, simply close the gates. After a while, these natives, unable to conquer the fortified city, will disperse. Even those who hold out for longer will not exceed two years. As long as the sea routes are open and supplies are sufficient, the governor's office can survive. If they cannot win, they have no choice but to pay, relying on local supplies, and dare not refuse.

Another strange reason is that the indigenous uprisings in Peru were large-scale and long-lasting, while the indigenous population in Mexico was smaller and less prone to prolonged unrest. Therefore, Felipe would not allocate more silver to the governor-general's office to suppress the indigenous rebellions.

“So that’s the complicated reason. I thought Governor Peto was sacrificing his own interests voluntarily.” Gao Qiyu noticed the resentment in Peto’s tone and probed gently.

Some people, with just a little probing, or even without any guidance, will walk down that dead end on their own.

“I am indeed a pirate, but Prince Felipe is even more of a bandit than a bandit. We defeated those natives in the jungle and in the mountains and protected the mines, but Felipe only gave me 500,000 taels of silver. What can such a small amount of silver do?”

“My men are wounded, my men are bleeding, my men are dying, while Felipe only needs to send one court secretary each year to take away the vast majority of my output!”

"And the guards and nobles stationed at the mines, who are even closer to the secretaries in the Royal Palace of Madrid, the silver that kept the guards and nobles loyal was taken from me!"

Peto grew angrier as he spoke. Before he became governor, he was besieged by the navy. Now that he was governor, he still had to endure this humiliation. It was even less comfortable than when he was a pirate.

Before his departure, Peto's secretary repeatedly told him to rely on Mexican silver to make profits by repeatedly switching between the Ming Dynasty and mainland Spain.

However, the emotional Peto had forgotten these reminders and instead began to pour out his grievances to Gao Qiyu.

Gao Qiyu calmly agreed, "Indeed, it's a bit excessive. We should at least leave more silver for the Governor's Office and distribute the pensions."

"However, after the signing of the Charter of the Pacific Rim Business Alliance, we will not have to rely so much on local supplies. At least we will have more friends and more options."

Gao Qiyu reminded Peto that with the establishment of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, one of the shackles on him had broken, at least he no longer needed to rely on supplies from Spain.

"By the way, I heard that His Highness Felipe launched an expedition against England a few days ago. I wonder how it went?" Gao Qiyu reminded Peto again that the invincible Armada was no longer invincible.

"His Highness wanted to launch an expedition against England. At the time, the Council of State strongly opposed it, believing that it was unnecessary. Now, his fleet can only stay on the mainland as much as possible to defend against attacks from the English and pirates. He can no longer care about us, the Governor's Office."

"The entire navy was wiped out, except for ten five-masted ships that survived the Atlantic storm." Peto became even more excited when he said this, which was the fundamental reason why he dared to contact the Ming Dynasty.

The second shackle did not break; the Spanish treasure ships still possessed the overwhelming power to overwhelm the Viceroy's palace.

Gao Qiyu asked with a smile, "The five-masted ocean-going ship actually withstood the storm. I wonder if Governor Peto is familiar with the five-masted ocean-going ships that our Great Ming sells?"

Peto's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "When I visited the Songjiang Shipyard, I asked about it, but the shipyard's general manager told me that His Majesty's imperial approval was required. I don't know the details."

“The Director is being a bit too cautious.” Gao Qiyu reached out, and the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial handed him the price list.

"A five-masted ocean-going ship, three three-masted deck ships, 28 eighteen-pound naval guns, 36 nine-pound naval guns, close-in weaponry such as bowl-shaped muskets, ballistae, and weapons for 800 men, are now being sold as a package for only 500,000 taels of silver. Plus, there's a ten-year maintenance package. As long as the ship is sailed back to the new port of Songjiang Prefecture, it can be fully maintained," Gao Qiyu introduced the first package.

The cost is approximately 50,000 silver coins, while the profit is only a paltry 450,000 silver coins.

The subsequent sale of gunpowder also generated a steady stream of income.

“I don’t have enough sailors to operate these ships.” Peto was very tempted after reading the offer; it was within his budget. Although Felipe took most of the profits, he still had some savings and a small silver mine he had discovered that he could mine.

Gao Qiyu reached out and handed him a price list for the Maritime Academy. He smiled and said, "The Maritime Academy can help Governor Peto train naval officers, first mates, and second mates. As for the sailors, Governor Peto will have to recruit them himself."

Peto's eyes brightened. The price list written in Latin wasn't expensive. The gates of the Spanish Maritime Academy were never open to these governorates. Controlling the navigators was also a means of controlling the overseas governorates.

Moreover, Felipe himself doesn't even have enough navigators.

The entire set of ships, cannons, navigators, first mate, and second mate costs only a mere 600,000 taels of silver.

“I need three of these warships, but I don’t have enough silver to pay for them.” Peto looked at the price list for a long time. The good stuff was right in front of him, but he couldn’t afford it.

These things are very expensive, but the high price is not the ship's fault, it's the fault of Tabetto. Good things are never cheap, and good things are never available on the market.

As the general manager of Songjiang Shipyard stated, they were not qualified to purchase these ships.

Gao Qiyu reached out and placed a war loan contract in his hand. He smiled and said, "With the establishment of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, as overseas tributary states, the Ming Dynasty and Mexico are now friends. When friends are in trouble, we should naturally lend a helping hand."

"His Majesty is benevolent and willing to lend money to Governor Peto."

"As the governor, it is only natural that you should have your own fleet."

"Borrowing 10,000 taels of silver would only incur an annual interest of 3,600 taels of silver. This is still during wartime. The Pan-Pacific Merchant Alliance has established a council office in Ryukyu. If Governor Peto believes that the war has ended, he can submit an application to the council office to confirm the end of the war. In that case, the interest rate on the war loan will be reduced to 4% per annum, which is an extremely favorable interest rate."

“Governor Peto, a veteran of countless battles and having traversed tens of thousands of miles by water, naturally knows very well that this interest rate is unavailable anywhere else.”

After reviewing the loan agreement, Peto said with considerable approval, "I have heard of His Majesty's generosity. That stray dog ​​Antonio became the King of Portugal because of His Majesty's generosity, and Portugal was even reborn because of His Majesty's generosity."

"Your Majesty's good name is known in every corner of the world!"

Antonio's career is so successful that it's the envy of countless people!

There was nothing fishy about this loan agreement; the Ministry of Rites had not set any traps in it. Moreover, as long as Governor Peto submitted an application and the conditions for a ceasefire were met, the Council would certainly report it to His Majesty.

His Majesty, who keeps his word, would not squander his hard-earned credibility for a mere sum of silver.

Throughout the entire process, the Ming Dynasty acted with goodwill, and its sole purpose was to incite the Mexican Viceroyalty to fight against mainland Spain.

Once a war breaks out, Mexico will have nowhere to go but to seek refuge with the Ming Dynasty.

With a sharp weapon in the body, the murderous heart starts from the beginning.

Once Governor Peto acquires far greater power from the Ming Dynasty than he currently possesses, the pent-up anger within Peto and everyone in the Governor's Mansion will be ignited. The enormous profits from three large silver mining clusters and 34 silver mines are enough to drive people to their deaths.

"Young Master, I have a question. Does His Majesty like silver as much as rumored? His Majesty possesses the Great Ming Dynasty and has wealth far exceeding that of anyone else in the world. Why would he still engage in these businesses?" Peto asked this question after reviewing the three price lists.

His Majesty the Emperor's fondness for silver has somewhat diminished his image in Peto's mind.

“It’s all my fault.” Gao Qiyu sighed heavily and said, “I submitted a memorial on the Dinghai Education System. His Majesty wanted to implement it, so he took out all the money from the imperial treasury to promote the Dinghai Education System.”

Gao Qiyu gave a brief introduction to the Dinghai Education System. The overall goal of the Dinghai Education System was to achieve, within one hundred years, that everyone in the Ming Dynasty would have access to education.

Peto was stunned when he heard about the contents of the Dinghai Education System. He was even more surprised to hear that His Majesty had actually taken out his own private savings to do this. His Majesty's image in his mind became even more magnificent than before!
In the West, knowledge is extremely expensive! In the West, the threshold for knowledge is much higher than that of this burly man, Peto!
If he hadn't become governor, Peto wouldn't even have been able to read.

However, His Majesty the Great Ming Dynasty is actually implementing a plan to ensure that everyone in the Ming Dynasty has access to education.

“So this is the Holy Emperor.” Peto put down the three price lists and looked at Gao Qiyu, saying, “If I fail, can I bring my child to the Ming Dynasty and live a peaceful life here like Li Yashi?”

Peto had struggled at sea for so many years, and at first he was indeed very emotional, but later he understood what Gao Qiyu meant. If he could be so easily swayed by a few words, he would not be able to be the governor.

If he were defeated and fled to the Ming Dynasty in a sorry state, would the Ming Dynasty allow him to stay there? This was something he needed to find out; it was a way out.

“Absolutely. You know that the Ming Dynasty and Japan are enemy countries, but Oda Nobunaga’s children are living very well in the Ming Dynasty,” Gao Qiyu said immediately.

As for whether or not the line will end, that's no longer Gao Qiyu's concern; someone else will handle that.

"Let me discuss this with my secretary." Peto picked up three price lists, choosing to discuss it with his secretary rather than agreeing outright.

Gao Qiyu got up and left the Siyiguan. He stood in front of the Siyiguan and looked at the stars in the sky. The star navigation technique was really amazing. By relying on the twinkling of these stars, the direction of the ship could be guided and it would not get lost.

"Young Master Zongbo, will Peto agree?" The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies asked somewhat uncertainly. Conflict with the homeland is a risky act, and it should not be launched unless absolutely necessary.

Gao Qiyu smiled and said, "I will agree. Peru also has silver mines, but most of Peru's silver is kept in the governor's mansion. Peto rose from pirate to governor. He likes adventure and is fascinated by the rewards of successful adventures."

"Whether he agrees or not, the Ming Dynasty will ultimately win."

Gao Qiyu was very confident that the Ming Dynasty would be the ultimate winner.

(End of this chapter)