unclear

Chapter 1259 Let’s get straight to the point

"Mr. René, is that the palace of the Ming Emperor over there?"

The Prince of Orange, who was visiting the capital for the first time, did not seem to be afraid of the cold. After getting off the car, he did not enter the yard immediately, but stood on the side of the road and looked around with interest. He soon discovered the red wall to the west, and compared it with the red wall behind him to make a rough guess about its height.

"Yes, Your Highness. Before it became an inn, this place was called the Tenth Prince's Palace, and it was also the prince's residence, second only to the imperial palace."

Compared to the Prince of Orange who treated the winter in the capital as the winter in the Netherlands, Descartes was dressed more than enough. His thin body was almost completely wrapped in fur, and he wore a shiny otter skin hat.

Today's welcoming process went more smoothly than expected. As soon as the two sides met, the prince recognized his former subordinates. Although he couldn't remember their names, it was always a pleasure to be remembered by a great man for so many years.

On the way from Tongzhou Prefecture to Beijing, the prince took the initiative to invite me to ride with him, and then they talked about many things and people, including the past and the present, as well as Europe and the Ming Dynasty.

After a few words, the current situation was naturally mentioned. At this point, the purpose of the visit could no longer be hidden. Although no specific issues were discussed, the general meaning was expressed very clearly.

The Prince of Orange was indeed commissioned by European countries, mainly the monarchs of France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and England, to come to the Ming Dynasty to meet with the emperor, to condemn the attack on the New World and to seek the possibility of not further escalating the conflict.

According to the prince, the Spanish fleet would not be held responsible for the damage, and it was just a misunderstanding. However, the Ming Empire had to make some financial compensation, and the specific amount could be negotiated and decided.

In order to avoid similar unpleasant things from happening again, European countries suggested dividing the Pacific Ocean into two parts. The eastern part would belong to European countries and the western part would be exclusively for the Ming Empire, with the Pacific Islands as the boundary.

The Pacific Islands are the Hawaiian Islands, and its many islands must be divided equally according to their geographical locations. Neither side is allowed to station troops on the islands, but they can build commercial ports and civilian buildings.

Descartes was born into an aristocratic family and had worked in many industries. He had rich life experience and was not a political novice. As soon as he heard the prince's words, he knew what he meant. This was a test before the formal negotiations. He wanted to make an offer to the emperor to see the reaction.

However, Speaker Peter and Mayor Cornelis were also in the carriage at the time, and he had no idea of ​​their inclinations, so he could not convey the emperor's intentions to the prince. He decided to wait until tomorrow when he visited the Royal Academy to find an opportunity to explain it to him in private.

"Is that really the case?" The Prince of Orange seemed unconvinced, and deliberately turned around and asked Governor Cohen behind him in front of Descartes.

"Yes, Your Highness. Every time I come to the capital, I stay in another inn that is specially used to receive foreign envoys. It is to the south of the imperial palace, and this is to the east."

Governor Cohen really lived up to the old saying that money can't buy you leanness in old age. The flesh on his body seemed to be inversely proportional to his age. He would lose noticeably less weight every time he came. His face was nothing but skin and bones, and he already had a bit of a chubby cheek.

However, he was still as vigorous as ever, with green eyes sparkling and lively. Judging by the standards of later generations, he should be considered a very distinctive handsome old man.

"Your Highness, please go in first. The temperature here is lower than that in the North Sea. I am almost frozen." Seeing that the prince was not going to enter the courtyard immediately, the short and bald man could not help but make a limited protest. "Well, I hope it is as mild here as where we stayed yesterday. Oh, Governor Cohen, please ask where we can buy the heating stoves used in the lower inn. If it is not too troublesome, it would be best if you can purchase a few sets and send them to the ship.

I want to bring a few more back. Although the winter in Amsterdam is not as cold as here, it is still very uncomfortable when it is cloudy. "

The Prince of Orange showed no obvious dissatisfaction when his interest in appreciating a foreign capital was interrupted. He walked into the courtyard while discussing private matters with Cohen in a relaxed tone.

"I'm sorry, I may have stayed in the tropics for too long and never thought about heating. Your Highness, don't worry, this stove is sold in many places. I will purchase as many as possible and ship them back to the Netherlands. Compared with the fireplace, it is more convenient to use and can burn both wood and coal."

But from Cohen's perspective, a trace of obvious annoyance flashed across the prince's face. He knew very well why it was a good temper not to duel on the ship when sailing across the ocean with a political enemy. But he couldn't control or care about such things, so he continued to talk about the stove.

"Your Highness, we will drive to pick you up early tomorrow morning to visit the Royal Academy. Please get some rest as soon as possible."

Kader did not follow him in. According to diplomatic conventions, this courtyard was currently the prince's temporary palace. It would be very rude to enter without receiving an invitation from the owner.

"Wait a minute, I'm not tired yet. If you three gentlemen are not tired either, please come in and chat. This place is too big and too different from Europe. I still have a lot of things I want to know."

However, the Prince of Orange, who had already stepped into the gate, suddenly stopped and temporarily extended an invitation to Descartes, Mersenne and Helmont.

"…As you wish! Find someone to lead the way to the main hall and prepare refreshments, and the rest of you take care of the luggage and entourage!" Descartes was a little surprised. His Royal Highness seemed to be very calm along the way, so why did he suddenly become so anxious?

But there was no problem in chatting. The three of them were authorized by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to represent all the European scholars in the Imperial Academy to persuade the prince to support the establishment of a new world order. Anyway, it would be said sooner or later, so he waved to the eunuch inside the door and asked him to lead the way.

Although the North Huitong Hall is deserted, its regulations are more than one level higher than the South Huitong Hall. Its predecessor was indeed a prince's mansion, which was specially used for the princes who were waiting to leave Beijing to live in the vassal state.

Compared with the Forbidden City, this place is only a little smaller in scale, and the buildings and equipment are lowered in level according to regulations, but the overall layout is not much different. After turning seven or eight times and passing through one courtyard after another, just when the group was almost dizzy, they finally arrived at the main hall of the courtyard.

The host and the guests sat down, and soon the eunuchs brought up hot tea, cocoa, and snacks. In order to prevent them from getting cold too early, hot water was poured under the containers, which was very delicately made.

"I am not visiting the Ming Dynasty this time just for the sake of it. I am here on purpose. You should have heard that the Ming Dynasty navy suddenly attacked the Spanish fleet and ports in the New World in the summer, causing great losses."

As expected of a military man, the Prince of Orange didn't even make the necessary greetings. He picked up a cup of cocoa tea, blew on it, and without warning got straight to the point, without beating around the bush.

(End of this chapter)