Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

at the same time.

In a secluded courtyard not far from the Nanjing Grand Canal Wharf, bamboo and trees form a grove, creating a very elegant atmosphere.

Zhu Jian, Cao Bianjiao, Zhou Yuji, He Renlong, Liu Guoneng, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and more than 500 soldiers were waiting for Zheng Zhilong's arrival.

Prosecutor Zhu also wanted to meet this maritime overlord and learn about the firearms and equipment of the Dutch and Portuguese at that time!

While Zhu Jian and the others were enjoying tea, a medium-sized warship slowly approached the Nanjing dock. On the deck of the warship, Zheng Zhilong, his brother Zheng Zhibao, and his son Zheng Sen (Zheng Chenggong) looked towards Nanjing.

"Nanjing is far more prosperous than Fuzhou!" Zheng Zhibao exclaimed.

"Indeed, how can Fuzhou compare to the place where the founding emperor rose to power?" Zheng Zhilong replied.

Zheng Zhibao thought for a moment and asked, "Brother, aren't you afraid that the emperor will harm us?"

When Xiong Wencan spoke to Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Zhibao felt that going north to Nanjing was too dangerous. If the emperor suddenly launched an attack, these people might not be able to handle it! But Xiong Wencan said that if Zheng Zhilong did not go north, the emperor would go south. In short, he wanted to see Zheng Zhilong. After thinking it over, Zheng Zhilong decided to go north. After all, he was only a general at the time, and he could not refuse the emperor's offer.

Zheng Zhilong laughed and said, "The seas are not peaceful right now. If we lose our protection, there are pirates in the south, Jurchens in the north, and bandits in the west. In that case, the Ming Dynasty will be on the verge of collapse. The emperor must know all this."

He paused, then a slight smile played on his lips: "I feel that our trip this time has only brought benefits, not harm!"

After saying this, Zheng Zhilong glanced at Zheng Sen (Zheng Chenggong) beside him and sighed, "It's just a pity that Sen'er won't be able to participate in this year's imperial examination! I heard that the number of successful candidates from all provinces has increased this year, because the Emperor wants to recruit three thousand Jinshi!"

Zheng Sen looked resolutely at Nanjing: "I don't think there's anything to regret! The Ming Dynasty is now engulfed in war, with smoke signals rising everywhere. A man should defend his country; why should he care about the titles of Juren or Jinshi?"

"The Guangdong governor, Chen Xinjia, contacted us before, saying he wanted Sen'er to be the Crown Prince's study companion. I think it's feasible! That's the Crown Prince, the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty!" Zheng Zhibao chimed in from the side.

After listening, Zheng Zhilong remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Zheng Zhibao: "The future emperor, but isn't he the emperor now?"

In Zheng Zhilong's mind, only the tangible benefits were real. Who could predict the future? After all, the crown prince was only eleven years old, and the emperor was not yet thirty. Both were young and impetuous, and he didn't have high expectations for the crown prince. He preferred to follow the emperor himself, where he could obtain real benefits!

Clang!

Just then, the sound of the ship docking came, and a crew member shouted, "Master! The ship has reached the shore!"

"Let's go! Let's go down together and carry down the gifts I prepared for the Emperor!" Zheng Zhilong said, and then took the lead on the ship's ladder.

Yang Changqing, the Vice Minister of Rites from Nanjing, who was on shore to greet Zheng Zhilong, stepped forward and said, "This must be General Zheng Zhilong, right?"

Zheng Zhilong cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Indeed!"

"His Majesty is at that villa in the distance, please!" Yang Changqing turned slightly to the side and gestured for him to enter.

"Excuse me!" Zheng Zhilong said, and then walked towards a separate courtyard ahead.

Before long, Zheng Zhilong arrived at the villa, and the soldiers pushed open the gate, gesturing for him to enter.

Zheng Zhilong walked slowly along the winding bamboo path into the courtyard and instantly saw the people inside.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, looking at Zhu Jian sitting in the middle, he felt a sense of oppression, an oppression brought to him by the group of people in front of him.

Cao Bianjiao, Zhou Yuji, Li Dingguo, and others were also keeping an eye on Zheng Zhilong.

"Your subject Zheng Zhilong pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Zheng Zhilong said, bowing to the people behind him.

"No need for formalities!"

"Come sit down!" Prosecutor Zhu beckoned to Zheng Zhilong.

Zheng Zhilong slowly rose and stepped forward, while Zheng Zhibao and Zheng Sen remained behind him, glancing at the Ming Emperor a few more times.

"Dingguo, this is the naval commander I have invited, the overlord of the seas!"

Li Dingguo stepped forward: "Greetings, General Zheng!"

"Your Majesty flatters me!" Zheng Zhilong said, then bowed slightly to Li Dingguo, "Greetings, General!"

"I summoned General Zheng today for two reasons. First, I want to see this hero who guards the southeastern coastal defense of the Ming Dynasty with my own eyes! Second, I want to hear what General Zheng thinks of foreigners!" Zhu Jian said bluntly.

"Foreigners!"

Seeing that Zhu Jian nodded, Zheng Zhilong continued, "The foreigners are far away from us, but their ships and cannons are already around us. I have fought several battles with the foreigners before, and although I have won some minor victories, I have also suffered considerable losses!"

Zhu Jian nodded slightly and continued, "I have heard that foreigners still occupy a part of Taiwan. Is that true?"

"It's true. Several cities in the southeast of Taiwan are under the rule of the imperial court, while most of the northeast is in the hands of foreigners. They use those places as transit points for trade!" Zheng Zhilong replied without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jian sighed deeply: "How can the territory of the Han people be occupied by foreigners? It's a pity that the imperial court lacks the power to suppress them!"

The Ming Dynasty doesn't even have a well-organized navy, let alone the ability to suppress the Dutch on Taiwan...

Zheng Zhilong understood Zhu Jian's meaning. He felt that Zhu Jian wanted to borrow troops to conquer Taiwan, but now all the provinces of the Ming Dynasty were in chaos, and there was also the Jurchen in the north. From the perspective of the court, it would be a very unwise decision to use troops against Taiwan at this time.

"I still have some warships and elite troops nearby, willing to fight for the court. However, we are currently short of provisions and will need to raise funds for some time!" Zheng Zhilong felt that if the court wanted to fight the foreigners, he could send troops, but the court would have to pay for the military expenses.

After hearing this, Zhu Jian didn't say much. He looked around and smiled, "It's already past noon. Bianjiao, lead General Zheng's men to lunch!"

"Dingguo, stay!"

"Yes!" Cao Bianjiao replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong rose, bowed, and turned to instruct, "Bring up the gifts I prepared for His Majesty first!"

As soon as Zheng Zhilong finished speaking, his personal guards carried over three large boxes.

A moment later, three boxes were placed in front of Prosecutor Zhu.

Zheng Zhilong stepped forward and opened them one by one. Instead of the gold and silver that Zhu Jian had imagined, they contained all sorts of miscellaneous items.

Zheng Zhilong stepped forward, picked up a short, reddish-brown firearm, and presented it to Zhu Jian with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is a Franco-Frankenstein firearm. It does not require an open flame; it is filled with gunpowder and ignited with flint! Its effective range is about twenty paces, and it can be used for self-defense!"

Upon hearing this, Prosecutor Zhu abruptly stood up, grabbed the short firearm, and examined it repeatedly, thinking to himself: A flintlock musket! This thing is far superior to the current three-barreled musket in every way. This short one has a range of about thirty meters...

Zhu Jian knew that flintlock muskets had appeared as early as the Ming Dynasty. More than two hundred years later, during the Qing Dynasty, Britain even presented them as gifts to the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors. However, the Qing rulers used them for hunting and never equipped their troops. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the world had already transitioned to percussion caps, and only then did the Qing court remember to equip its troops with flintlock muskets!

Seeing that the emperor liked the gifts very much, Zheng Zhilong knew that the gifts had pleased the emperor. Originally, Zheng Zhibao wanted to bring 100,000 taels of silver, but Zheng Zhilong felt that even 1 million taels of silver might not be enough to please the emperor. After thinking about it, he exchanged the 100,000 taels of silver for goods from overseas.

Attached is a picture!!