I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 774: Where are the funny and interesting parts?

Xiyuan was in a meeting, and Marcelo and Leon were waiting in a hotel outside.

The manager of the foreign guesthouse that hosted them said that officials from the Honglu Temple would come to meet them soon.

In less than an hour, the manager of the foreign guesthouse came hurriedly to report that officials from the Honglu Temple had arrived.

The leading official was in his thirties, wearing a green robe with a white pheasant patch and a black gauze hat. He was elegant and well-mannered. He brought an interpreter and several attendants with him. He greeted everyone in Portuguese with a smile.

"Olá, Muito prazer!"

Marcelo and Leon were stunned for a moment. This Ming official in charge of foreign affairs could speak Portuguese?
But the next sentence brings them back to reality.

"I, Guo Changshun, the Director of the Protocol Department, would like to extend my warmest welcome to the Portuguese envoys, Marquis Marcelo and Baron Leon, to visit our country."

It turns out that I only know one word in Portuguese: hello.

Marcelo nodded and said, "Hello, Director Guo. Nice to meet you. This is the letter of authorization issued to me by His Majesty the King of our country. It is also the document proving our envoy status."

Guo Changshun took the document handed over by Marcelo, glanced at it, and passed it to his deputy and interpreter next to him.

After they checked it carefully, they handed it back and nodded to Guo Changshun.

The Ming Dynasty had a lot of dealings with the Portuguese and came into contact with a lot of official documents, so it had a lot of experience in verification.

Moreover, the news that Marcelo and Leon were ordered to go on the diplomatic mission was quickly transferred to the capital by a speedboat while they were still quarantined on Bintan Island.

Upon receiving the urgent report, the Honglu Temple did not dare to delay and had already verified the true identities of Marcelo and Leon through various channels and confirmed that they were correct.

If the identity is real, it is unlikely that a fake document can be produced to fool people.

Guo Changshun handed the authorization letter back to Marcelo, "Marquis Marcelo, Baron Leon, let's go to the hall and sit down and talk."

Entering the hall, Guo Changshun unceremoniously sat down at the main seat, the first seat on the left, and asked Marcelo and Leon to sit at the first seat on the right.

After the waiter at the foreign guesthouse served tea and left, Guo Changshun got straight to the point and said, "Two envoys, you are representing Portugal to send me to the Ming Dynasty. You have traveled thousands of miles by sea, and you have experienced the rough seas. You must have worked hard along the way.

I, the Honglu Temple, will be in charge of the reception. For the time being, please stay at the foreign hotel. If you need anything, just let the foreign hotel know and we will do our best to meet your needs."

Marcelo asked impatiently, "When can we meet with your emperor and when can we hold talks with the officials of your Honglu Temple?"

Guo Changshun waved his hand, "Marquis Marcelo, don't worry. Right now, the most important thing for my Ming Dynasty court is to celebrate the birthday of the emperor on May 5th, and to successfully convene the plenary sessions of the Advisory Bureau and the Imperial Court Council.

The official meeting between me, the official in charge of the Honglu Temple, and the two envoys should be held after these two important matters are completed. As for the audience with the emperor, we will have to wait for the notice from the Western Garden."

Marcelo and Leon looked at each other.

Guo Changshun's answer was pretty much what they both expected.

"Director Guo, do the envoys from the Ottoman Empire and Persia have the same itinerary as us?"

"That's right. Everyone who comes here is a guest! Your country, like the Ottoman Empire and Persia, is a distinguished guest of our Ming Dynasty. Please stay here and I will receive you one by one."

Guo Changshun changed the subject and said, "In order to improve efficiency, you two can also submit a letter to me, listing the topics you want to discuss with me.

We can also prepare in advance to avoid being confused and wasting time for both parties."

Are all Ming Dynasty officials so direct?
I've heard from Jose and Comman that although bureaucrats from all over the world are the same, Ming bureaucrats are far ahead in beating around the bush and guessing riddles.

How can you speak so directly? It's completely different from what you said.

But this is also a good thing.

The journey is too long and it is not easy to come here. We must hurry up for the talks. No matter how the talks go, we must rush back during the right monsoon season, otherwise we will have to wait another year.

I wonder how arrogant the Spaniards will be in a year.

Marcelo immediately responded: "No problem, we will deliver the letter to you as soon as possible."

Guo Changshun chatted for more than ten minutes, asked about the situation along the way, and once again told them to stay there and feel free to ask for anything they needed, then he stood up and said goodbye.

"Your Excellencies, I still have to visit the Ottoman and Persian envoys. I'll take my leave now."

According to Ming customs, Marcelo and Leon sent Guo Changshun to the gate of the courtyard where they lived, and a man came towards them.

Guo Changshun spotted him at a glance, cupped his hands and asked with a smile: "Master Shu, why are you here?"

Shu Youliang also smiled and bowed and replied: "Director Guo is busy!
I sailed north with Lao Ma and Lao Lai from Shanghai, and we had a very pleasant conversation along the way. Now my master is in Xiyuan for a meeting, and I have nothing to do, so I took them out for a walk to see the splendor of our Ming Dynasty.

Guo Changshun smiled and said, "Mr. Shu is thoughtful. But I'm sorry to bother you, but we in the Honglu Temple cannot pay you."

"That's right. Who told me to run into such a sly-faced master? Even if I were to shamelessly ask for it, you Wu Zhengqing wouldn't dare to give it to me."

Guo Changshun smiled even more happily, and bowed, "Master Shu, you have worked hard, and I will take my leave now."

Marcelo and Leon watched the two men's words and actions, and couldn't help but secretly guess that Mr. Shu had a wide network of contacts! He knew people wherever he went.

According to Jose and Komuman, the key is his master, or the "master" he mentioned, who is well-known and the most honest official in the Ming Dynasty. He is not only famous in the court and the country, but also highly respected by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The two of them thought about it for more than a dozen times, and when Guo Changshun left, they bowed to Shu Youliang and said, "Master Shu is here."

"Come on, let's go, I'll take you to visit the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

"Thank you, Master Shu."

The three were in front, followed by Condorcet and other followers.

After leaving the hotel, Marcelo and Leon stood on the street, looking at the busy streets with cars and people shuttling back and forth, as well as the vibrant and prosperous scenes near and far. Their minds were confused and they didn't know where to start.

"Lao Ma, Lao Lai, what do you want to see? Just say it, I'll take you there.

Frankly speaking, I am very familiar with the capital. When my master was in poverty, I took jobs everywhere, such as being a sedan bearer, writing petitions, ringing a doctor's bell, and even pretending to be a bald donkey and a Taoist priest to perform water and land rituals and dip in water for others.

I can show you the five cities of the capital with my eyes closed."

Marcelo and Leon looked at each other, not knowing where to start, or perhaps they wanted to see everything.

Sophnia walked out from the back of the crowd and said, "We want to see where painters and singers gather, or where there is a strong artistic atmosphere."

Shu Youliang glanced at her and said, "Hey, you Western barbarian woman are full of artistic bacteria all over your body, and you actually like this." Artistic bacteria?

We understand art, but what are bacteria?
A new term invented by the Ming Dynasty?

"Master Shu, what are bacteria?"

Leon asked carefully.

"It is a tiny living thing discovered by the Imperial Hospital using a microscope. The official term for it is organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Their scientific name is bacteria. The doctors at the Imperial Hospital said that it is one of the root causes of our illness.

When it was published in the newspaper, everyone thought it was very strange, and then joked that others were covered with bacteria. As time went by, it became a joke.

She has artistic bacteria, Lao Ma has wise bacteria, Lao Lai has worry bacteria, Xiao Kong, you are full of violent bacteria.

Ha ha! "

Shu Youliang started laughing first.

Marcelo and others looked at each other, what's so funny?
Seeing the puzzled looks on Marcelo and the others' faces, Shu Youliang's laughter became dry and dull.

It doesn't resonate with me, it's really meaningless.

Shu Youliang coughed twice and said, "Then let's go to Liulichang. It has now become a street of calligraphy, painting and antiques. The whole street is full of artistic bacteria."

Marcelo nodded and said that to understand a country in depth, one should start with its culture and art.

"Okay, please lead the way, Master Shu."

"How can we get there? Walking is too far and takes too much time. Taking a carriage, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, my goodness, there are seven of us, one carriage can't fit, we have to call two carriages, what a waste.

If you want to call a rickshaw, you have to call four. No, Lao Ma and Lao Lai, you are Portuguese envoys, you can't lose face and bring shame to your country. You have to take one rickshaw each, so you have to call five, which is even more uneconomical.

Why don't we just take the horse-drawn tram? It's cheap and affordable, and yes, we can also see the scenery of the capital along the way."

Shu Youliang muttered a few words, and brought Marcelo and his party to the intersection of Fengli Street, where they waited for the horse-drawn carriage to Liulichang.

After waiting for five or six minutes, a string of bell sounds came from far away on the street.

Marcelo and others looked up and saw a long carriage pulled by four horses slowly moving along two rails.

Shu Youliang looked happy after seeing it clearly, "I'm lucky, this car is quite empty."

When the carriage stopped, Shu Youliang waved his hands vigorously, as if he was driving cattle and sheep, "Get in, get in quickly!"

Marcelo, Leon and their group got on the bus in a daze. Shu Youliang was the last one to jump through the front door and pay a few dimes to the ticket seller next to the front door.

"Seven people, thirty-five cents, all here."

The carriage started shakily into motion.

Although the carriage was relatively empty, the seats were all occupied. Marcelo and others stood in the middle of the aisle and, imitating the passengers in front of them, reached out and pulled the lever hanging from the middle of the roof.

Marcelo, Leon and others looked around curiously, while Shu Youliang started chatting with the two passengers sitting next to him in a familiar manner.

The person closest to him was a Taoist priest.

"Old Taoist, which Taoist temple are you from?"

"Baiyun Temple."

"Oh, you Quanzhen Taoist priest, are you free to come into town and take a look?"

"Go to Liulichang and buy two magical instruments and a few Taoist books."

"Buying books? Are you a student at Baiyun Taoist Academy?"

"No."

"I was saying, you look over 40, how could you still be a student at the Taoist Academy? Then why did you buy Taoist books?"

"After the Dragon Boat Festival, it's Mid-Autumn Festival. The three-yearly examination for monks and Taoists is about to begin."

"Oh," Shu Youliang suddenly realized, "then you have to hug Sanqing's feet well."

Marcelo and Leon were confused and couldn't help asking what was going on.

Shu Youliang explained: "According to the Regulations on the Management of Monks, Taoists and Other Religious Persons in the Ming Dynasty promulgated in the first year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty, any monks and Taoists, including the Nestorian Church you believe in and the Muslims the Ottomans believe in, who want to build churches and monasteries in the territory of the Ming Dynasty and legally preach, must obtain a certificate of ordination issued by the Monks and Taoists Department of the Ministry of Rites. After obtaining it, within 20 years, they will be examined once every three years. If they fail the examination twice, their certificates of ordination will be revoked."

Marcelo and Leon were a little surprised.

The Ming Dynasty is truly a country of trials!

In the Ming Dynasty, not only did one have to take an examination to become an official, but one also had to take an examination to become a priest.

To enter the industry, you need to take an exam and get a certificate. You also need to take regular exams every three years. If you don't do well in the exam, you will lose your job.
It seems that it is not easy to be a priest in the Ming Dynasty.

The person sitting by the window on the Taoist's side was a businessman, and Shu Youliang started chatting with him.

"Although this tram is convenient, it's still a little bit lacking."

"You are wise, but I heard that the tram will be changed soon."

"What car do you want to modify?" Shu Youliang asked calmly.

"Don't you know? The horse-drawn tram was changed to a steam locomotive."

"You must be kidding. How big is a steam locomotive? It's longer and bigger than this horse-drawn carriage. With a huge thing in front and a string of carriages in the back, how can it turn around on the streets of the capital?"

The businessman couldn't help but look at Shu Youliang.

Hey, today I met a guy who was pretending to be a pig but actually wanted to eat the tiger. He knew more details than I did. Just now I wanted to show off in front of him, but fortunately I didn’t say much and didn’t make a fool of myself.

The tram was slowing down and there was a creaking noise in front of it, as if blocking the way.

Everyone leaned out of the car windows and looked forward. What had happened?
Is there something interesting happening on the street ahead?
(End of this chapter)