Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Just as the nobles of the capital were bustling about, a special fleet arrived off the coast of Tianjin.

On the bow of the ship, Sun Yuanhua looked at the Tianjin Port ahead, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

After the turmoil of his stay in the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area, he no longer had the initial excitement of returning.

Instead, because they failed to complete their mission, they worried about how the imperial court would treat them.

"Although this mission brought back a lot of things, the most important task was not accomplished."

"I wonder how the imperial court will treat us?"

He never forgot that his mission was to explain the transformation of the Church of the Great Ming to the Roman Catholic Church and to reach an agreement with the Papacy.

Unfortunately, the Vatican didn't think much of him, and he ultimately gained nothing.

Ge Jiusi wasn't a religious person and didn't care much about it. He smiled and said:
"It would be good enough if we could return safely. The Emperor didn't expect the Roman Catholic Church to accept the Ming Dynasty's conditions anyway."

"Bringing back the collected items would be a great achievement, and the Emperor will surely reward us."

As he spoke, he glanced into the cabin, where the Western ladies he had chosen for the emperor were located.

With these people by his side, he believed the emperor would not blame him.

The emperor would even overlook his past transgressions of siding with Wei Zhongxian.

Sun Yuanhua wasn't as confident as him, but since things had come to this point, he could only face it bravely.

To his surprise, as soon as they arrived at the Tianjin port, the customs officials, upon hearing their identities, immediately reported them.

Then, Huang Lijie and Prince Lu, who had already arrived in Tianjin, greeted him with great fanfare, accompanied by their entourage.

This scene attracted a lot of attention, and the people of Tianjin at the port soon learned that the imperial delegation to the West had finally returned after nearly four years.

Many people were extremely curious about the mission and about the West.

The onlookers asked curiously:

"Where is this Taixi?"

"Why does a diplomatic mission take four years?"

An insider said:

"Taixi is far to the west, tens of thousands of miles away from the Ming Dynasty."

"The plank boat originated from the West, and there are still their missionaries in the capital."

Tens of thousands of miles is really too far.

Upon hearing this, the people discussed it extensively.

Some people were puzzled by the arrival of Westerners in the Ming Dynasty, wondering what their purpose was in traveling thousands of miles to come to the Ming Dynasty:
"The Ming Dynasty and the Western Regions are so far apart, how can goods transported there possibly be sold in the Western Regions?"

"The shipping cost is too high; won't the price increase several times over?"

Upon hearing the merchant's words, a scholar dressed in a Confucian robe sneered:
"What's a few times over?"

“The silk and porcelain of the Ming Dynasty are priceless treasures overseas.”

"Don't you read the newspapers more often? Ming Pao often publishes overseas news."

He recounted some of the content published in Ming Pao, which caused a stir.

Regardless of their social status, these people would involuntarily straighten their chests whenever they thought of the prosperity and wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

Articles circulating in newspapers discussing the distinction between Chinese and barbarians further fueled this sentiment.

It should be said that Zhu Youjian's promotion of nationalism was effective; when faced with barbarians, they generally showed greater contempt.

Even ports like Tianjin, which frequently engage in foreign trade, are no exception. In fact, many merchants have traveled to places like Korea and Japan and are even more aware of the wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

Even inferior porcelain from the Ming Dynasty could be sold there.

In their view, this was the kind of place they considered, even lagging behind Korea and Japan.
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Sun Yuanhua didn't care how ordinary people viewed him; he was extremely excited. He had never expected that the emperor would send a prince and the Grand Secretary to greet him—

When he set off, Huang Lijie was still the Grand Secretary. Even now that he has stepped down, it is an unparalleled honor for him to be there to greet him.

The emperor's praise on the imperial edict he brought filled him with immense satisfaction, and he wondered where he was.

"Will the Emperor bestow upon me a title, or will it be a hereditary title?"

Still dazed, Sun Yuanhua asked, unable to believe it.

Huang Liji said with a smile:

"A title is certain; the Emperor has compared Lord Sun to Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang."

"If Zhang Qian was granted a marquisate during the Han Dynasty, then Lord Sun would naturally be able to obtain a hereditary title."

"I wonder what Lord Sun thinks? Will he accept the investiture now, or will he receive the title after retiring from office?"

Sun Yuanhua had been away for several years and was naturally not very familiar with the court's policies.

They didn't even know that the emperor had already granted titles on a large scale, and that it was no longer so difficult to confer titles.

Huang Liji explained the court's policies to him and said:

"According to the regulations of the imperial court, high-ranking nobles are not allowed to hold the position of minister or prime minister."

"If you choose to accept the title now, you will be a nobleman. Not only will you be unable to become a minister, but it will also be very difficult for you to become a high-ranking official, and it will be very difficult to obtain the recommendation of the civil officials."

"His Majesty considers Lord Sun a rare talent, so he asked you whether you would continue to serve as an official or accept the title?"

Sun Yuanhua couldn't figure this out for a while, so he chose to return to Beijing and ask his teacher, Xu Guangqi.

Ge Jiusi's choice was simple: he would accept the title conferred by the imperial court.

However, since his contributions were not as great as those of the leader, Sun Yuanhua, he could only receive the title of viscount.

The same applies to Xu Xianchun, a relative of the emperor who served as an envoy as a count and also received a hereditary viscount title. Becoming a count himself was not entirely impossible.

However, on his return journey, he was stranded on the road due to a boat accident and needed to be picked up.

As a member of the imperial clan, Prince Lu naturally had to show concern for this relative of the imperial family. He said:
"After I return to the capital, I will report to His Majesty and have a ship sent to bring Commander Xu back."

"Let's get to the capital as soon as possible. The Emperor is waiting for you there."

The group returned to the capital with their heads held high and smiles on their faces.

In the capital, Han Kuang, the chief minister, was ordered by the emperor to lead all the officials in welcoming him.

When Sun Yuanhua saw the Grand Secretary and his teacher coming to greet him, he hurriedly said he dared not accept such praise, and tears streamed down his face.

He felt that all his hardships along the way had been worthwhile, and that the imperial court had rewarded his efforts.

He was deeply grateful to the emperor for treating him with such courtesy and swore to be loyal to the emperor.

Painters such as Rembrandt and Franz, who accompanied them to the Ming Dynasty, were also amazed by the grand ceremony and planned to paint everything they saw.

After the ceremony, Sun Yuanhua arranged for people to hand over the duties to the court officials, and then asked his teacher:
"How is the teacher?"

"Students overseas always think about their teachers."

"It's a pity that I didn't fulfill my teacher's instructions and failed to reach an agreement with the Vatican."

Xu Guangqi looked somber, and he also felt regretful about it.

He knew that the Nestorian Church was in dire straits in the Ming Dynasty because of this incident.

When news of Sun Yuanhua's failed negotiations with the Papacy reached the church, Nestorianism suffered a severe blow, with only one in ten remaining as believers.

Even now, Nestorianism still carries the label of an unorthodox church, and although its spread is permitted, it is strictly restricted.

He didn't know when this situation could be changed, or whether Nestorian Christianity would ever have a chance to rise again. (End of Chapter)