open sea

Chapter 808 Literature
The once resplendent port office in Changsheng County is heavily guarded. There are guards with guns standing outside the lobby downstairs, and there is even a team of patrol guards stationed outside.

On the second floor of the yamen, 23 military officers and civil servants who are proficient in Ming and Western languages ​​are carefully selected from the Eastern Army Banner Army. Even if the door is closed, you can still hear the sound of flipping books inside.

Chen Mu was on the other side, holding the battle report sent by Shi Qi, enjoying the fruits of his subordinates' hard work.

The storm caused Deng Zilong's fleet, which was scheduled to attack Peru, to flee to Panama. Panama City, whose geographical location is particularly important, is not worth mentioning in terms of defensive strength compared to New Spain, which is in a state of war.

The Spanish conquistadors were not scourges, they would flee if they were absolutely at a disadvantage. During the siege of Panama, more than 400 defenders ran away in a few days, which was close to half of all the Western troops there.

This was almost the easiest battle fought since the Ming army landed in the New World, and the loot was also the richest.

Panama has permanent staff from various European commercial firms, but their wealth and goods are not large, which even disappointed Deng Zilong. They searched the entire city, only to find about 400 taels of silver and gold coins.

In addition, there are some jade wares, European paintings and porcelain, but the value of these things needs to be estimated, so Deng Zilong wholeheartedly ordered Shi Qi to escort the lost imperial army back, and at the same time send back the news that the Nantang ship and Chen Ju were missing.

Chen Mu's heart twitched fiercely. The fleet sent back only more than [-] imperial troops, and half of the imperial troops, Nantang ship, and Chen Ju were missing. Deng Zilong sent a fleet to search the coast for [-] miles. traces of them can be found.

At this time, no one can do anything.

Chen Mu didn't look down on these trophies, such as sugar, rum, canvas, and cotton cloth. As long as he owned this land, these things would be continuously produced. On the contrary, Nantang Ship and Chen Ju were more important to him.

At this moment, he suddenly felt that it was a stupid idea to propose to build those three giant ships to travel around the world—he shouldn't be so exaggerated, he should have honestly sent ten fleets to sail eastward if he knew earlier.

According to the current situation that half of the world's oceans are controlled by the Ming army, as long as they don't sail into the Mediterranean Sea, their chances of being destroyed by humans are very low. There must be a fleet that can return to Daming in a year or two, right?

"Now these two boats feel a bit smashed into my hands." Chen Mu, who was holding the battle report, was full of bitterness: "I'm afraid I will lose it when I send it out, and it will be a waste if I keep it in my hand."

You can't conquer a sea area and let the Wanli ship follow you, right?

What was agreed was just to travel around the world, wouldn't it be a good idea to take the little emperor's ship to conquer the world?
Along with the bad news, four wooden boxes of Western books were sent to Changsheng Port. The bottom of the box was covered with straw that was used to prevent moisture from the Ming army's guns on the ship, and the books were well protected.

These books come from scholars who surveyed the terrain in Spain. They not only record the process of the Spaniards discovering the New World, but also analyze the plants, terrain, and mountains of the Isthmus of Panama. Thanks to the fact that most of the captains of the Ming army were Nanyang officers who were familiar with Spanish, otherwise they would probably Missed these important documents.

For example, on the table in front of Chen Mu, there is a six-volume copy by a scholar named Las Casas called "Discovering the West Indies with Untold Hardships——Navy of the New World, as Western Europeans call it" written by a scholar named Las Casas decades ago. A History of the Life and Career of Admiral Don Christopher Columbus, which reproduces many of the original words in Columbus's voyage diary.

This monk named Las Casas participated in the third voyage of Columbus in his early years, and later became a priest, preaching among the Indians, and participated in the conquest of Cuba as a military priest, and returned to Spain to call for an end to the Indians of torture.

Granted the titleless 'Protector of the Indians' by the royal family in 1516, he wrote this book after serving as abbot of the Buerto de Plata Monastery on the island of Hispaniola, but this This book didn't seem to attract people's attention, and it was the most dusty and damp book among all the books Shi Qi sent.

There is also a conquistador captain surnamed Vasco, who wrote a book mainly focusing on the villages, ports, agricultural products and topography of more than 2000 leagues from Darien Bay on the east coast to Honduras, which is equivalent to more than [-] kilometers of coastline.

The book also includes a letter he wrote to Philip's father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The letter was dated in 1524. The letter mentioned that Charles V clearly proposed to build a canal in Panama last year. Then he made some suggestions, pointed out four sites that could be used for digging canals, and also mentioned that the Indians in Mexico City had unique methods for digging canals.

Chen Mu intends to finish reading these two books in his spare time first, and his officers will jointly translate more books next door, and then copy the copies of the translations, and bring them back to Daming when the next imperial convoy returns.

There are many books here that were written by the conquistadors and priests who accompanied Spain to the New World in the early years. They not only involve the situation of the New World, but also the influence of themselves and the New World on Spain. These books need to be sent back to Ming Dynasty and given to China Officials bring more enlightenment.

"Master, Acosta has been sent away by the students!"

Zou Yuanbiao walked up to Chen Mu's door with his head held high, opened the door and saluted respectfully, got up and took two quick steps, eager to see what Chen Mu was looking at, and said: "He doesn't have much thought about Panama, After a few words, I gave up."

"However, in order not to let the imperial court completely cut off its transportation, he said that Guatemala must be left to them."

After speaking, Zou Yuanbiao stopped with a proud expression, and asked Chen Mu cautiously: "The commander-in-chief has no idea about Guatemala, does he?"

"Guatemala?"

Chen Mu closed his eyes and thought for a while. He seemed to have read about Guatemala in the books on the table, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He asked, "Is that the center here before they attacked Mexico?"

Guatemala was not only the center of America before the Spanish before Mexico City, but also the center of Mayan culture in the past.

Chen Mu turned to Zou Yuanbiao and asked, "Have you promised them?"

The magistrate's head shook like a rattle drum: "The military government didn't give an order, how dare the students make decisions on their own—co-government, co-governance."

Chen Mu was just asking casually. Hearing this answer, he nodded with satisfaction and said, "Well, there are many mines here. Even if there are no mines, there are still trees. The more land we have, the better. If it's not ours, then Co-governance, if you can’t give it to them, you won’t give it to them.”

"Take it easy, this contract won't come out in half a year, but once it comes out, things will be much easier here in the future."

"With the exception of England, the better the relationship with us, the worse it will be."

Chen Mu said this sentence with a smile, because he suddenly thought of the book compiled by monks and scholars about the West Indies. There was such a passage about the Europeans’ speculation about the other side of the ocean before they discovered the New World—there were demons waiting on the other side of the ocean. .

　Good morning!Recommend the new book "Zhao Weidi in the Warring States Period" by the elder brother Ximeng's father. Friends who like this theme can read it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)