Chapter 134: Great Ming, strangled by fate

"Investment?" Zhu Yijun looked at Antonio and said, "May I ask, Prince, what do you have to gain my investment? And you have already obtained the investment of the King of the Portuguese Kingdom, Philip II, who is a King who established the Empire on which the sun never sets. My territory is limited to the land, oh, recently I have one more, Lu Song."

When Zhu Yijun said this, the court officials of the Great Ming all had heavy faces. The Empire on which the sun never sets was undoubtedly an achievement, or a sufficiently great title, and the supreme Emperor, the Son of Heaven, was actually compared by another King.

In the known world, who could be more majestic than the Emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty?

Now this title appeared in front of the court officials of the Great Ming, which was the Empire on which the sun never sets.

Broken!

Zhang Juzheng's breathing became a little rapid. In the process of frequent exchanges with the Red-Haired Barbarians, the Prime Minister of the Empire realized a very serious problem: the Great Ming's ritual laws were challenged.

Under the whole heaven, although the land is vast, there is no land that is not the King's land. On the shores of the earth, although there are many people, there is no one who is not the King's subject.

This is the legal principle of the Son of Heaven, it is the Mandate of Heaven!

In an imperial country, there are only two ways to challenge ritual laws: either capture this title, or not know about this title. But now this title has come out of the Emperor's mouth, and the Emperor clearly knows the meaning of this title.

There is a globe in the side hall of the Zhao Wenhua Hall, and the meaning of the Empire on which the sun never sets is that the sun will always shine on the territory of the empire.

But Zhang Juzheng thought about it, this doesn't seem to be a problem. The ancestors of the Great Ming have incorporated the known world of the Great Ming into the Great Ming's command, at least nominally. Even Japan was enfeoffed by the Great Ming as the King of Japan—the Ashikaga Shogunate.

Now at least one goal has appeared in the eyes of the Great Ming's Son of Heaven.

At the very least, he must capture this title to maintain his supreme authority as Emperor.

"Philip II is also my opponent," Antonio said helplessly, "I found many people and described my plan, but no one was willing to help me. They would only sneer at the huge difference between my ambition and my strength. Only Philip II was willing to act as my relative and find something for me to do, just like now, being a captain, so as not to cause him any trouble."

Finding an investor was a very difficult and painful thing for Antonio, especially for someone like him—an illegitimate son who only gained the support of commoners. Almost no one would approve of him inheriting the throne, and no one was optimistic that he could inherit the throne.

The current Portuguese King Henrique I was the uncle of the Spanish King Philip II, which meant that Philip II was also a legitimate heir to the Portuguese throne.

The Duke of Savoy, who controlled the military in the Portuguese Kingdom, and the Duke of Parma, who controlled the religion, strongly supported Philip II inheriting the Portuguese throne.

If you measure the gap between Antonio and Philip II using the Great Ming's usual rhetoric, it is the difference between clouds and mud.

In military, economy, culture, and politics, Philip II was a natural protagonist. He was strong enough and had the support of the vast majority of nobles. Antonio only had the support of commoners.

How powerful was Antonio's opponent, Philip II? Philip II could declare bankruptcy.

When he couldn't pay back the debt, he would declare bankruptcy, which could wipe out old debts and borrow new ones. And he had already done this twice. The creditors who lent him money had to lend him money again.

Antonio had been looking for his investor, but in the end, he only found Philip II as his shipowner. Philip II was showing a kind of mercy. If Antonio was obedient enough, he could let Antonio be a wealthy man, rather than killing Antonio.

"You are very honest, but honesty cannot move investors," Zhu Yijun shook his head. If Antonio was a high-quality project, it would never be his turn, the Great Ming Emperor far away, to invest. The world has never lacked ambitious people and speculators.

Money is money, and money doesn't lie.

Antonio was also somewhat disheartened, but he still had to offer the gifts he had to offer. He bowed and said, "Respected Your Majesty, I have a second gift to offer."

"The Great Ming's territory is very vast, and the population is so large that the entire West combined is not even one-fifth of the Great Ming's population. This is a huge group, and this is also a huge market. I have some plantations in the Great Ming's South Sea, and I have a material that the Great Ming needs. Its name is palm oil."

"From the palm trees in West Africa, its oil palm can be pressed for oil. This is my second gift, oil."

Zhu Yijun looked at Antonio, then at that bowl of somewhat clear oil. As Antonio said, the Great Ming had no extra land to plant palm trees, sweet potatoes, and sugar beets. The Great Ming had too many people, too little land, and this land was largely controlled by powerful families and gentry.

The gift Antonio offered this time also included various seeds. Antonio believed wishfully that these seeds would make the Great Ming Emperor happy. In fact, Antonio succeeded; the Great Ming indeed needed these, and the little Emperor highly recognized Antonio's heart of submission.

Zhang Juzheng taught the "Emperor's Mirror Pictures." When Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty didn't like pearl ornaments, he said: "A wise monarch values the five grains and treats pearls and jade as cheap, so as not to harm the useful with the useless."

Palm oil is indeed not good to eat, but one jin of flour, six liang of oil—the calories of 100g of starch are 350 kcal, while the calories of 100g of palm oil are 900 kcal. One jin is sixteen liang, one jin of oil = 2.5714 jin of starch.

Antonio continued, "Thank you for the Emperor's praise. The Great Ming people are many, many, more than the entire West combined. The Great Ming's land is not very much, because I can see their hunger, so my goods, for the supreme Emperor, can nourish the Emperor's subjects."

"I have another gift to offer. I believe the supreme Emperor will definitely be very interested."

Two small eunuchs carried up a box, and Antonio opened the box and said very earnestly, "Supreme Emperor, this is a strange thing. Its name is cane sugar, a reddish-brown square sugar."

"Like palm oil, it can block hunger. Hungry commoners always make kings have headaches. When they gather together, you either kill them or turn them into thugs. So, I brought square sugar, a block of sugar, which is delicious and can fill the stomach at the same time."

"Sugar has swept the entire Western world. Preserved fruits, sweet cakes, honeyed preserves, and other sweets have become important features of the royal families of various Western countries, so much so that monarchs appoint officials specifically responsible for the candy department. This official also needs to be skilled in preparing various sweets for the royal table. During the meal, servants must learn when and how to use sugar."

"For example, the dessert official in England uses sugar as a seasoning for partridges and pheasants, or sprinkles it on roasted herring. The British even designed special tableware to slide the sticky sugar into the mouth smoothly."

"In France, sugar can add sweetness to dishes, preserve fruits and vegetables, and make sugar sculptures and models."

"Sugar sculpture statues are a display and show-off of power, wealth, and status in the West."

Those who sell smiles can't beat those who sell medicine, and those who sell medicine can't beat those who sell sugar. Selling sugar has always been a profiteering industry. Therefore, Antonio had the ambition to confront Philip II, who was unrivaled in the entire West.

In his many years of sailing, Antonio had obtained a large amount of money and almost countless plantations. Because of the universal use of black farm tools like the Black Barbarians, the cost was roughly the same as the shipping cost.

Because the royal families of various Western countries ate a lot of sugar, they all fell into serious oral diseases, such as tooth decay, missing teeth, gum disease, oral collapse, and even disfigurement. And obesity.

"How much? How much palm oil and square sugar can it bring in a year?" Zhu Yijun looked at that bowl of palm oil. As Antonio said, the Great Ming had no extra land to plant palm trees, sweet potatoes, and sugar beets. The Great Ming had too many people, too little land, and this land was largely controlled by powerful families and gentry.

The gifts Antonio offered this time also included various seeds. Antonio believed wishfully that these seeds would make the Great Ming Emperor happy. In fact, Antonio succeeded; the Great Ming indeed needed these, and the little Emperor highly recognized Antonio's heart of submission.

Antonio bowed and said, "Respected Your Majesty, palm oil and square sugar are all packed in a large barrel. This barrel is about 20 fanegas, each barrel is one ton, equivalent to 1,700 jin per barrel in the Great Ming, and I can guarantee 20,000 barrels of palm oil and 30,000 barrels of square sugar every year."

The tonnage tax requested by Legazpi is not based on the type of goods, but is collected according to the number of barrels on the ship.

The unit of ton, in the third year of Wanli, is a volume unit like the Great Ming's shi. It represents a barrel that can hold 20 fanegas or 34 cubic feet or 252 gallons. One hundred tons means one hundred such barrels can be placed.

In the West, taxes on ships are all Venetian bushel tonnage taxes, which means regardless of what is loaded, it is collected according to the size of the ship. The most typical is the flat-bottomed ship transporting coal from the upper reaches of the River Tyne in England to the downstream estuary. Each chaldron of coal is charged two pennies.

"Very good." Zhu Yijun highly approved of this quantity that could arrive at the port.

"Then the exclusive rights to glass will be handed over to the Prince." Zhu Yijun intended to end this gift-offering activity. Antonio's behavior was all commercial behavior. Those seeds were Antonio's gifts.

"I think I might need more help." Antonio was still impatient.

Zhu Yijun said quite calmly, "That requires more bargaining chips. The seeds you offered are indeed very precious, but your purpose is to trade, to open up a new market. In the West, the production and sales scale of these things is approaching saturation, and the development of your plantations has also fallen into a standstill. You need a huge market to continue to expand your career."

"This is a mutually beneficial thing. This is just a business deal, yet you hope that a business deal can obtain my support for you. This is a kind of greed."

Zhu Yijun's logic was extremely clear. Antonio's seeds were indeed an excellent gift, so Zhu Yijun rewarded him with the exclusive rights to the imperial manor's glass, but the rest of the matters were all business deals, mutually beneficial. Why should there be more preferential treatment?

"Respected Your Majesty misunderstood. I am not so greedy. I have new gifts to offer." Antonio gritted his teeth and said. How could the little Emperor be even more like a businessman than him? Shouldn't they be the ones who care most about face?

In the West, those royal families were so poor they had to pawn their pants, yet they still had to wear silk. Those nobles would rather go bankrupt than maintain their dignity. Yet he didn't see any dignified behavior from this most noble person in the world. Every word was about profit. Every time Antonio spoke, he fell into a terrifying illusion of trading with the devil.

That was not an illusion. The person in front of Antonio was indeed a devil.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "You don't have to take them out first. I want to know what you want first. If it is something I cannot bestow, such as land, such as people, such as tariff exemption, such as exclusive rights to various commodities."

"My imperial palace is indeed magnificent. You have indeed seen the solemnity and solemnity, and it seems that I can do anything. I only need to say a word, and everything can be done. In fact, you misunderstood, but the things I can decide are actually very few. The glass of the imperial manor is one of the few things I can decide myself."

"Then you had better not take them out, otherwise the officials of the empire will snatch those gifts from you."

Zhang Juzheng heard the little Emperor say this, came out and bowed, saying, "I am ashamed."

In an empire designed based on the monarch, the Emperor can only manage his own one-third of an acre of land. This is a trampling on imperial power, but the situation is indeed like this now.

"Sir is also joking." Zhu Yijun smiled and waved his hand. Changing to another Prime Minister, it is impossible to do better than Zhang Juzheng. Changing to another Prime Minister, with orphans and widows, it is afraid to be even more difficult.

Antonio clenched his fists and said, "I hope to obtain weapons, armor, cannons, muskets, bows and crossbows, long and short weapons, etc. I need weapons to confront Philip II."

"Why don't you just ask for a regiment of 20,000 people? I'll just pack them up and send them to you. Anyway, you don't have professional soldiers." Zhu Yijun sneered. Antonio was indeed greedy.

"That would be even better." Antonio's eyes lit up. Zhu Yijun was asking rhetorically, but Antonio heard it as an initiative.

"The Red-Haired Barbarians are part of the Great Ming's pirates. I cannot sell weapons to you, because you cannot guarantee where these weapons will flow. So, let's stop here." Zhu Yijun made it clear this time. Every feather arrow Zhu Yijun sells might be shot at the Great Ming's head.

Before the Great Ming's maritime patrol and maritime defense system are established, weapons will not be sold as commodities.

"My conditions will definitely make Your Majesty's heart beat, to invest in me." Antonio said urgently.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "That will only make you die faster. Philip II will specially write a letter to express his sorrow for your death, and at the same time express his gratitude to me. After all, I removed a trouble for him. The fall of Constantinople, the holy city in the eyes of the West, wasn't it the Sultan of the Ottomans killing the last competitor for the throne?"

"Any of my sons, chosen by God as the Sultan of the Empire, killing his brothers for a better world order is appropriate. This is Fatih's famous saying."

The Ottoman Empire's succession law is the Janissary succession system. Whoever can kill other heirs is the only king. Whoever controls the Ottoman Empire's Janissaries controls the throne, or rather, the Janissaries let whoever be the king, and that person is the king.

The Ottoman Empire is the biggest enemy of the entire West. To show the difference from the Ottoman Kingdom, Philip II cannot kill Antonio, but Antonio dying in the Great Ming, Philip II will only express regret and gratitude. This is a trouble, a trouble that is not big or small.

"I have no other choice." Antonio said helplessly, "Supreme Emperor, I guarantee that these weapons will be sent to the West and will not stay in the distant East, causing trouble for Your Majesty. Otherwise, how could I bring large sailing ships here to trade?"

"Tell me about your gifts." Zhu Yijun thought for a while and finally loosened his mouth.

Antonio bowed and said, "Your Majesty seems to have built a maritime academy in Songjiang Prefecture, but as far as I know, Your Majesty still hasn't solved some problems of long-distance sailing, and I brought the solution."

"To be more precise, it is some books. These books can solve Your Majesty's distress. This is my submission. With the Great Ming's majesty, even if I am far away in the West, once I betray the respected Your Majesty, it seems I cannot escape Your Majesty's punishment."

Legazpi's whole face changed. Before, Legazpi held the attitude of watching the fun. An illegitimate son wanting to confront the powerful Philip II was a very interesting thing. Legazpi was watching it as a joke. When Antonio said the books for long-distance sailing, Legazpi finally changed his face greatly.

Damn businessman Antonio! He didn't know what he was taking out at all. That was the experience of more than a hundred years of the Great Age of Discovery. This damn businessman, for the sake of the throne, actually took out such expensive gifts!

"We are just trading, it's not about betrayal. Submit it for me to see." Zhu Yijun signaled Antonio to take out his bargaining chips.

Soon a large box appeared in front of Zhu Yijun. Zhu Yijun opened it and looked. He had already learned Latin, so it was not difficult to understand. Like the old case of "Zheng He's Voyage," the books in this box were what the Great Ming urgently needed.

For example, in this box, there was a "Star Chart of the Northern and Southern Celestial Spheres," recording a large number of stars that could only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition to sea charts, there were also experiences in long-distance sailing, such as mixing spirits with water, scurvy, etc., recording the customs of many places, and the concentrated production areas of cocoa beans, coffee, sugar cane, etc.

Zhu Yijun looked at Antonio and said, "I have seen it, so I cannot lose it. You are a stupid and smart businessman, and you have an extreme understanding of the Great Ming, knowing that if you said it in advance, it would be more troublesome."

"I am in a dilemma."

Antonio had an extreme understanding of the Great Ming Empire, because Huo Zhe Yasan and the court pharmacist lived in the Great Ming for a long time, bringing the top-level thinking mode of the Great Ming back to Portugal, and the Portuguese living in Macau sent the bottom-level news of the Great Ming back continuously. These news were one-sided and scattered, but they were indeed very accurate news.

The time of contact between the Great Ming and Portugal was longer than that between the Great Ming and Spain.

Starting from the eighth year of Zhengde, when the Portuguese merchant Jorge began to contact the Great Ming, the Great Ming and Portugal had been trading in reality for sixty-two years.

Antonio was stupid because he revealed his cards. Showing his cards in a business deal was a big taboo. Similarly, Antonio was smart because he was already taking risks. He knew that the Great Ming Emperor was bound by etiquette. When he placed these bargaining chips in front of the Emperor, he would not only not die, but also get a response.

"Prince, then I wish us a happy cooperation." Zhu Yijun finally made a decision.

Antonio knelt respectfully on the ground, bowing his head, saying, "Thank you for the Emperor's generosity, thank you for the Emperor's great grace."

The latter sentence was spoken by Antonio in very unfamiliar Chinese. Zhu Yijun, on behalf of the Empire, agreed to Antonio's request to buy Great Ming weapons.

Antonio and Legazpi left the Zhao Wenhua Hall, and the court officials all looked at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "The court discussion is exempted today. I will have a chat with the Prime Minister."

"We retire." The group of officials looked at each other and left the Zhao Wenhua Hall, discussing it one after another on the way.

"Sir is in charge of the country, yet I agreed to Antonio's request," Zhu Yijun said with some emotion, "Sir won't be angry, right?"

Zhang Juzheng was stunned, his brows furrowed, and he said, "Does Your Majesty mean that I should go to the Meridian Gate to be beheaded, or hit a pillar?"

Why not just go back and eat a jin of arsenic? That way, when you die, it won't be so miserable, at least you won't be separated from your head.

"Sir is not angry?" Zhu Yijun asked with some surprise.

Zhang Juzheng said quite affirmatively, "I am the Minister entrusted by the late Emperor, and I am the lecture teacher of Your Majesty, but I am also Your Majesty's subject. Your Majesty has the power of exclusive management. Even if I break the sky, I cannot oppose Your Majesty's decision."

Zhu Yijun looked at the silk curtains rolling in the autumn wind, somewhat distracted, and said, "New policies, Sir, are the first mate of the new policies, and I am the captain of the new policies. So, what kind of power is driving this ship of new policies forward?"

"I think it is grain and silver. What does Sir think?"

"Losing silver, the Great Ming's goods will lose the ability to circulate. Losing grain, the Great Ming will lose everything."

"Indeed, now Antonio and the Red-Haired Barbarians are bringing a large amount of grain and silver to the Great Ming to trade. But whether it is active or passive, once we lose the silver brought by the Red-Haired Barbarians, then the new policies will become unsustainable. This feeling of handing over one's fate to others is like being strangled by a pair of hands, a powerlessness."

"We now have a commodity advantage, but our Chinese silk fabrics, musk, pearls, etc., are transported to Malacca, then bypass the Cape of Good Hope, and sent to the West, where they can make thirty times the profit. We have everything, but the shipping routes are not in our hands. As long as Philip II exerts a little force, he will make me unable to breathe."

Zhang Juzheng deliberated carefully and said, "Your Majesty, it's a bit too much, a bit exaggerated."

If Philip II had the ability to cross the ocean and strangle the Great Ming, those Red-Haired Barbarian merchants wouldn't be hanging the damn British on their lips all day long. From the Red-Haired Barbarians' description, the British live on an island, about the same size as Japan.

The shadow Emperor Feng Bao did not approve of the little Emperor's acting skills.

"It is indeed a bit exaggerated." Zhu Yijun nodded and recognized Zhang Juzheng's words. His acting skills were indeed a bit exaggerated.

Zhu Yijun restored his expression and said quite affirmatively, "Actually, it is just that the benefits Antonio can bring are greater than the risks, so I agreed to him."

"I think so too." Zhang Juzheng said quite affirmatively, "Putting eggs in one basket is very easy to break."

Both the monarch and the subject spoke of profit. Spain being the only one dominant is not conducive to the Great Ming's maritime trade. Only by dividing the opponents at all times can we ensure our own interests.

"Sir, the Minister of Personnel Zhang Han recommended the Xuan-Da Viceroy Wang Chonggu as Minister of Justice," Zhu Yijun said, speaking of the major personnel appointment in the court.

"I already know. Minister Wan found me and talked about this matter," Zhang Juzheng said with a strange face, "I didn't expect Minister Wan to find me. He now has a good relationship with the Jin Party and the Zhe Party, and his relationship with me seems to be good too?"

Wan Shihe's state is a bit weird. Wan Shihe is smooth and dances, wandering between the major parties, seeming to maintain a good relationship with everyone, and seeming not to be so close to anyone. This kind of person is more like the top card in a brothel, having a harmonious relationship with all the romantic talents.

How did Wan Shihe change from an old pedant to this kind of person? What happened in the middle is no longer important. What is important is that he is like this now.

It is also necessary for such a person who is not very concerned about face to exist in the court. Wan Shihe always appears in various occasions where he shouldn't appear, and it is extremely reasonable.

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhu Yijun revealed a sunny smile, looked at Zhang Juzheng, and said, "Sir doesn't seem to care much about Wang Chonggu returning to the capital."

Zhang Juzheng said quite affirmatively, "The Ministry of Personnel recommended it, I cannot question it. The time is different now. If he continues to stay in Xuan-Da, his foundation will be even deeper, and he will form an obstruction to the Great Ming's six books and one account edict."

Wang Chonggu returned to the capital before, the capital camp was not strong, and Wang Chonggu could threaten the Emperor's power of prestige and happiness, but now, Wang Chonggu could no longer do it.

Wang Chonggu lived very comfortably. In Xuanfu, using "eating, drinking, and having fun" to describe it was not an exaggeration. He was extremely comfortable. Then an order was sent from the capital to Xuanfu, and Wang Chonggu was stunned.

Return to the capital for what? Return to the capital to face Zhang Juzheng, who eats people without spitting out bones, is insidious and cunning, and simply cannot be fought? In Xuanfu, he could make money and enjoy life, doing whatever he wanted. Returning to the capital, layer after layer of shackles were put on him. On Zhang Juzheng's turf, what could he use to fight Zhang Juzheng?

"Stupid! Extremely stupid! Can you people use your brains before doing stupid things, even if you tell me?" After Wang Chonggu returned to the capital, Zhang Siwei, Zhang Han, and Wan Shihe took Wang Chonggu to Zhang Siwei's mansion, and Wang Chonggu scolded them directly.

A bit late today, my deepest apologies. Thanks to "Buhaoyisi aaaaa" for the 4500-point tip; thank you for your support and recognition. Begging for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 135 =====