My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 400 Li Min has become a homebody
"Also, I'm afraid your purpose is not just as simple as finding a route and preaching, right?"

Ali continued to ask, although it might seem like he was overstepping his authority, but he felt it was his obligation to ask for clarification on behalf of the distinguished Duke.

Akaros hesitated for a moment. His purpose of coming to the East was certainly not just to find a route and preach, but he didn't dare to say the other purpose!
Under Ali's repeated questioning, Akaros had no choice but to tell the truth. When Ali relayed his confession to Xu Da and others, everyone was stunned.

For a moment, I didn't know whether to be furious or laugh at the two of them.

For Xu Da and his men, it was easy to understand that they were looking for a route, but to preach in the Ming Dynasty? Declaring Temasek a territory of the Kingdom of Castile was a bit too much!

At this time, Zhu Di and others finally understood why this kid with a strange name called Tang would set up a stage in the West Market. It turned out that he was not just enclosing land, but also expanding the territory for the country!

But, you bring a few hundred people with you, set up a stage and make some big speeches, and you think you are expanding your territory?

Isn't this a bit too ridiculous? Do all Western countries do things in such an unreliable way?
After finding out the origins and purpose of Macaros and Father Antonio, they looked at each other as if they were listening to a joke, feeling a sense of absurdity like an ant trying to shake a tree.

However, the Ottoman Empire mentioned by Ali and Akros at the end made several people alert.

This country has now begun to block the shipping routes from the East to the West. If the Ming Dynasty wants to go west in the future, the Ottoman Empire will be an unavoidable obstacle that must be faced seriously.

As for the present, Xu Da really didn't know how to deal with the two people. If he killed them, that would be a bit like arguing with a three-year-old child. If he didn't kill them, although the actions of this group of people did not cause enough harm, they were indeed very insulting.

After much deliberation, Xu Da decided to give each of them dozens of strokes of the stick, then arrest them and bring them back to the Ming Dynasty to be dealt with by His Majesty, so that His Majesty could see something new.

As for Ali, after rewarding him with 10,000 strings of precious coins, it was decided to bring him back to the Ming Dynasty. In the near future, the Ming Dynasty would cross the Strait of Malacca and sail all the way west. Someone who knew both the official language of the Ming Dynasty and foreign languages ​​would be very useful.

Ali was more than happy about this. He came to the East to make money and do business. Now he had established a relationship with the top nobles of the Ming Dynasty. This was far beyond his expectations. His future prospects were truly limitless!
One day later, the Ming fleet set out from Temasek and sailed eastward in a mighty manner.

Father Makaros and Antonio finally achieved their wish and set sail for China, but they never expected that it would be achieved in this way.

Moreover, the beatings they received forced them to sleep on their stomachs in the cell, which was an early experience of the characteristics of the mysterious East.

After the two men recovered, they were allowed to go to the deck to get some fresh air under the supervision of Ming soldiers.

However, when the two saw that the ship could still sail on the sea without sails, they were shocked again. But this time, Father Antonio no longer dared to say that this was the power of Satan.

He just kept repeating "Oh my God" in his mouth.

Of course, Makaros knew what the priest was thinking. Although he didn't say it, he must be secretly talking about black magic in his heart. The reason he didn't say it was probably because he was afraid of being beaten.

Moreover, that damn Saracen Ali was watching him with a covetous eye.

Makaros didn't think it was black magic, but some kind of magical oriental skill. However, when he asked, Ali evaded the question by saying "science, do you understand science?"

The fleet was getting closer and closer to the Ming Dynasty day by day, and the Ming Dynasty did not stop its advance.

In Yingtian Prefecture, on the campus of Imperial College London, Lu Youcai was running on the campus road, panting, his face full of anxiety.

Today, he has risen from a small craftsman who entered the Industrial Department to earn a little money to become the head of the subject of the Imperial College. Of course, his major is the steam engine, which is his old profession since he entered the Industrial Department. Although he has no rank, his salary is much higher than that of ordinary county officials. He can wear silk and enjoy the high-standard treatment of not kneeling when meeting officials. On the contrary, ordinary county officials have to bow and address him as Mr. Lu when they see him.

On campus, many students would greet him and call him Teacher Lu when they saw him, but at this moment, he had no intention of greeting the students.

He hurried to the school's steam engine laboratory, pushed the door open, and after seeing the people inside, he felt relieved.

"Master Li, you are here indeed!"

Although it is a laboratory room, it is as spacious as a production workshop. It is filled with various workbenches and steam engine model parts, as well as several new steam engines that the school is developing.

Lu Youcai was out of breath. Looking at Li Min who was busy in the laboratory, he felt angry and amused at the same time. After staying with Li Min for a long time, he was not as reserved as before.

"Master Li, why are you still in the experimental room?"

Li Min then raised his head, glanced at Lu Youcai, then lowered his head again and continued to work with other school teachers, saying:

"Lu Youcai, as the president of Imperial College, where else can I go if I'm not in the laboratory?"

Lu Youcai didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Sir, my Shangshu Sir, you are not only the principal here, you are also the Shangshu of the Ministry of Works. Why do you always come to school instead of staying in the Ministry of Works?"

He paused, then continued, "His Majesty went to the Ministry of Works to look for you, but he didn't see you and he's getting angry."

"Your Majesty is looking for me?"

Li Min was stunned for a moment, then continued: "That must be a railway matter. I won't go, just let Your Majesty go directly to the Railway Bureau.

By the way, Lu Youcai, come here quickly. You are the person in charge of the steam engine department. Why don’t you stay here and run to the Ministry of Industry all day long? You are really not doing your job properly!"

Lu Youcai was stunned. Who of us is not doing our job properly?

Ever since Li Min became fascinated with generators, he has been thinking about combining generators with steam engines all day long, and he has reached the point of obsession.

Now even his food and accommodation are in school. The Shangshu's wife has come to the school several times, but when she found that she couldn't persuade him to change his mind, she could only shake her head and give up. However, she was worried that he would not eat well in school, so she sent someone to deliver food to him every day.

Even the Shangshu's wife couldn't stand him, let alone these subordinates.

Lu Youcai is helpless with this precious minister. His Majesty has already issued an oral order to see you, and you are still dawdling here. Are you trying to disobey the order?
Does His Majesty have to use a sedan chair carried by eight people to invite you?
Lu Youcai was about to go forward and persuade Li Min to go to the Ministry of Works immediately so as not to delay His Majesty's business, but he heard Li Min suddenly give an order:

"Keep the records. This is the tenth steam generator experiment. Lu Youcai, come over and help. Hu Dean, Sun Shaolu, the two of you, hurry up and shovel the coal for me!"

Following Li Min's order, everyone immediately became busy and the atmosphere became tense. Lu Youcai smiled and shook his head and could only step forward. It seemed that the precious Shangshu would not give up until he finished this experiment.

(End of this chapter)