Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 107: Guests Arrive at Xu Mansion
"Forget it." The scholar's kind response comforted Ding Baiying. But she still bluntly declined the invitation. She hadn't forgotten that her employer still had important matters to discuss.

"In that case, I won't force you to stay any longer. Please do as you please, lady."

"Goodbye." Ding Baiying said goodbye.

"Goodbye." Zhu Changluo nodded in response.

After leaving the tavern, Ding Baiying finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is there a factory guard in that store?" Zhang Shirui finally spoke.

"They should be. They're all on floors one through three." Ding Baiying nodded. "I don't know what's going on, but I feel like those soldiers have murderous intent in their eyes. If I even make the slightest move, they'll pounce on me and tear me to pieces."

"Murderous intent? You didn't say anything wrong." Zhang Shirui looked towards the third floor of the Lintai Tavern and saw the middle-aged scholar leaning against the railing, looking at them. "He's looking at you."

"Why is he looking at me?" Ding Baiying looked up when he heard the words, and happened to meet the scholar's eyes. Ding Baiying subconsciously turned his head away, but then raised his arm and bowed goodbye.

At the end of the long road, the shadow of the Lintai Tavern gradually faded from sight, swallowed by one street corner after another and a winding road. Turning another corner, the three-story building was completely out of sight. At this moment, Ding Baiying turned back again, but couldn't catch sight of the elegant scholar. She smiled softly, shook her head secretly, and said self-deprecatingly: Qin Liangyu? Perhaps going to Liaodong to fight the enemy and serve the country is also a good option. Perhaps when presenting prisoners and evaluating merits, I can even receive an audience with the emperor.

Ding Baiying, who was once confused and didn't know where to go, seemed to have found a new direction.

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After dinner, Zhu Changluo took Zhu Youxiao to continue to tour Beijing.

The capital outside the Forbidden City looked nothing like the Beijing of nearly four hundred years later. There were no tall buildings like those I remembered; the densely packed houses were mostly single-story tiled houses. A light snow was falling, but the fresh white of the snow couldn't mask the yellowish gray of the dirt roads. Most roads had ditches along their sides to drain rainwater, but the further one got from the imperial city, the more congested the roads became.

From time to time, one could see street sweepers, but human and horse manure was still common. At one street corner, Zhu Changluo even saw a strong man working against the wall to drain water.

He thought to himself: No wonder people of a certain status are unwilling to walk on their own. It is really disgraceful to try to win a prize by stepping on gold on the road.

At 15:00 in the afternoon, the bell rang.

Under the astonished gaze of the officials in the hall, Xu Guangqi stood up, leaning on the armrest of his chair, and announced: "The court is adjourned today."

This was truly unprecedented. You know, ever since Xu took over as Minister of Rites, the office had never been dismissed at the appointed time. Lord Xu was determined not to leave until dusk.

Xu Guangqi ignored the officials' surprise and walked straight towards the sedan chair in the Xu Mansion.

The Ministry of Rites was located right next to the Daming Gate, and quite a distance away from the Imperial Examination Hall. So it took almost three-quarters of an hour for the sedan chair carrying Xu Guangqi to arrive.

"Sir, we're home." The sedan bearer lifted the curtain and called out.

Xu Guangqi opened his eyes, pulling himself out of his deep thoughts. As soon as he entered, the chief steward, Xu Jian, came to greet him and said, "Master, the five merchants from the Atlantic Kingdom have arrived and are waiting in the side hall at the back."

"These people are really anxious." Xu Guangqi snorted.

"Master, don't you want to change clothes?" Xu Jian asked proactively when he saw that Xu Guangqi did not order him to change clothes.

"Even when I have a meal at home, I am not selfish towards those foreign merchants." Although Xu Guangqi was baptized into Christianity, it does not mean that he is willing to get too close to foreign merchants overseas.

In his view, although the Jesuits lacked official status, they possessed a wealth of knowledge and culture. Some were even erudite, truly qualified as "Western scholars." Meanwhile, the foreign merchants were even more mercenary and despicable than the average Chinese merchant. Apart from discussing trivial details of adultery, nothing else emanated from their lips.

Xu Guangqi had heard from Jesuit missionaries that these foreign merchants often prioritized profit over honesty and moral integrity in their dealings. When faced with the Nanyang vassal states, which lacked strong military forces, they were practically no different from pirates. They would force purchases, kill, rob, and enslave people—anything they could to reduce costs and increase revenue.

"Take a few smart servants with you to wait at the door. Don't let the distinguished guests from the palace knock on the door themselves." Xu Guangqi ordered Xu Jian.

"Yes." Xu Jian bowed and accepted the order, then turned around to greet the servants in the mansion.

At about five minutes past three in the afternoon, the distinguished guests from the palace arrived. What surprised Xu Jian was that the guests actually came on foot.

"Please come in. My master has been waiting for you for a long time." Xu Jian greeted him with a smile on his face.

He didn't recognize any of the people who came, but Xu Jian could tell just by looking at the fabric of their clothes that the middle-aged man walking in the middle with a tired look on his face was the one with the highest status among the four people in the group.

After entering the room, the skinny old man in coarse clothes spoke first and said to Xu Jian in an unquestionable tone: "Go and call Xu Guangqi out."

Xu Jian was displeased to hear the eunuch address his master by his name. But Xu Guangqi had warned him in advance: no matter what the visitor said or what he asked, he should not object and just do as he was told.

"Master, the distinguished guests from the palace have arrived." Xu Jian came to the study and reported.

"How many people are here?" Xu Guangqi put down the book.

"Four. Two old ones, one strong one, and a young man." Xu Jian replied.

"Young man?" Xu Guangqi was a little confused: Wang An is at this age and still has a godson?
Xu Guangqi, lost in thought, adjusted his facial expression, trying to appear both friendly and calm. But as soon as he entered the courtyard and saw the "young man" who was commenting on the wooden ornaments in front of him, his energy-cultivating skills were instantly broken.

The eldest prince had arrived, so Xu Guangqi looked around and soon saw the "middle-aged Confucian scholar" sitting on a chair to take a break.

He stepped forward quickly and kowtowed three times, five times bowing. "Your Majesty, I, Xu Guangqi, greet you, Long Live the Emperor! Your Majesty, I was unable to greet you from afar. I beg your forgiveness."

This sentence, like the greeting on the first page of the table above, is a meaningless standard format. Even if Xu Guangqi went to the palace gate to greet him and then personally brought the emperor home, his first sentence would still be "I was unable to greet you from afar."

"I forgive you." Zhu Changluo also cooperated and completed this "superiority and inferiority" process in a very strict manner.

It wasn't over yet. Xu Guangqi still had to perform the four bows required of a prince meeting Zhu Youxiao. "Your Highness, your humble servant, Xu Guangqi, pays respects to you."

"Please stand up, Xu Shaozhan." Zhu Youxiao did not call Xu Guangqi "Ministry of Rites", but called him "Shaozhan". This was not a derogatory term, but a euphemism for expressing closeness.

After Xu Guangqi stood up, Zhu Youxiao performed the etiquette of a disciple paying homage to his master, echoing the title of "Shao Zhan" in his actions.

"Your Majesty has condescended to visit my humble residence today. I am deeply apprehensive." Xu Guangqi was puzzled and asked directly, "Why did you bother the Emperor to come here today?"

"Today's matter is just a side note." Zhu Changluo explained, "I have lived in the deep palace for a long time. It can be said that I have been trapped in the palace for as many years as I have lived. I have never even seen the 'best place' outside the imperial city."

"If you live in a well for a long time and look up at the sky, how can you rule the world well?" Zhu Changluo thought to himself: After completing the rectification of the inner court and the army, I will also learn from Qin Shihuang and tour the country!

(End of this chapter)