Chapter 516: Agriculture is the first of all industries, and when agriculture flourishes, all industries flourish

The Great Ming is very strange, the more it reaches the end, the stranger it gets. In the war against the Later Jin, people like Wang Zaijin and Wang Huazhen could lead heavy troops to fight at the front. This is a very grotesque phenomenon.

What are things like Wang Zaijin and Wang Huazhen? They are the most typical "cheap scholars"—no military talent, but they like to talk big. They haven't fought a war, but they like to point fingers, often writing thousands of words, scolding political enemies, praising themselves, and opposing for the sake of opposition.

These "cheap scholars" like to immerse themselves in wishful dreams, talking to themselves. What is even more unimaginable is that in the Tianqi and Chongzhen eras, facing the fierce war in Liaodong, the court's court recommendation could recommend people like Wang Zaijin and Wang Huazhen to Liaodong to lead troops. People who talk on paper and have no command ability were actually reused to command the empire's most elite troops.

These "cheap scholars" couldn't turn the tide, they could only make the situation in Liaodong even worse.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Ming imperial court's system appeared to have fundamental dysfunction and defects. In the end, the Great Ming died in the civil unrest of the people rising up. The fate of "rising because of this, and perishing because of this" makes people sigh and sigh, but where did the problem actually appear?

Hai Rui said it was the Emperor, while Lin Fu said it was excessive freedom, leading to the "chaos of the four valves," and Lin Fu believed that the academic valve was the head of the four valves.

Wang Huazhen could go to Liaodong to lead troops because his mentor was the current Senior Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao, and Wang Huazhen's crushing defeat in Guangning and Xiong Tingbi being killed and his head passed around the nine borders was the symbol of the Great Ming and Later Jin's offensive and defensive positions changing.

The academic valve born from the *zuoshi* (mentor) system brought about the complete alienation of the standards for the promotion of the Great Ming's officialdom and the complete failure of the Great Ming's talent selection mechanism. In the end, things have to be done by people, but there were more and more people in the court who were colluding for personal gain, while those who actually did things were squeezed to the edge or even into prison.

In the end, the Great Ming became the grotesque appearance of the late Ming Dynasty.

What is interesting is that Lin Fu could say these things because he was under the protection of Wang Qian and the Emperor, so he could be so unscrupulous and talk big. This itself was also a kind of protection and indulgence similar to the *zuoshi* system.

Otherwise, as soon as Lin Fu said the matter of the He clan of Gaoyang being annihilated, he would be invited to a banquet. People like You Qi in the homes of the bright officials in the court would talk to Lin Fu. After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, the servants of the bright officials would start to complain about how difficult and hard their master was, and what kind of trouble Lin Fu's inappropriate remarks had caused.

When someone talked to Lin Fu, Lin Fu only had one path, and that was to apologize sincerely and then shut up. Lin Fu had to apologize for his inappropriate remarks for the trouble and trouble caused to the big figures, otherwise, this banquet would become his own funeral banquet.

Lin Fu was not barefoot. He had parents, wife, and children, and he also had the Guangde Bookstore. Behind the bookstore was the proprietor. The servants of the big figures would still chat with you. That was still talking about reason. If you talk about reason, you have to listen, be sensible, and know the general situation, so as not to make it difficult for everyone.

This was also the reason why Lin Fu wanted to leave the capital at that time. Lin Fu never thought that Young Master Huang could be so capable! He had been talking endlessly for so long, but not a single person came to him for tea or a banquet!

No matter how bold Lin Fu was, he didn't dare to associate Young Master Huang with the Emperor himself.

In the twelfth month of the tenth year of Wanli, the Third Lady entered the capital again, and on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, she had an audience with the Great Ming Emperor in the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

"Lady Zhongshun, you have had a hard journey. No need for formalities, no need for formalities." Zhu Yijun was very appreciative of the Third Lady's performance. After all, she didn't bring those remnants of the Altan Tian Kehan, acting in compliance in public but opposing in private, appearing submissive but doing shady things behind their backs.

This could be seen from the growth in the quantity of wool.

The grassland is transforming from nomadic to fixed grazing, and the transformation from semi-natural economy to small-scale peasant economy is underway. The change in production materials and production relations makes the grassland from now on integrated with the Great Ming, and there is no possibility of separation again.

As for the Oirat horse-raising slaves in the north, the real Tatars don't treat them as family.

Intensive cultivation of a large amount of forage, enclosure-style animal husbandry, timely green storage and winter storage, prevention and treatment of diseases, etc., will give the nomadic people who were previously displaced a stable home.

Zhu Yijun also learned from the Third Lady's memorial that when nomadic, livestock would get sick, and they would die in patches. And because of nomadic life, it would often cause animal diseases to spread rapidly on the grassland. Every large-scale epidemic of animal diseases would make the already not-so-rich life of the grassland people worse, and it would often lead to the destruction of the whole tribe.

"The Eternal Supreme Eternal Heaven bestowed it upon the human world. He sent the Emperor to bring stability and harmony to the grassland. The respected Emperor is the Emperor of the human world, guiding us lost lambs to find the home we want. Thank you for the Emperor's generosity and benevolence." The Third Lady bowed again and finished what she wanted to say.

Eternal Heaven is the highest belief of the grassland. Now the Emperor is the human spokesperson of Eternal Heaven, which can be considered as completely integrated into the Great Ming Son of Heaven narrative system.

The Third Lady actually thought about the title of "Tengri Qaghan," but in the end, she still called him Emperor. Wan Shihe of the Ministry of Rites was very understanding of His Majesty. His Majesty only wanted to be the Emperor of the Great Ming and did not want to be the Great Monarch of the Four Seas, the Holy Son of Heaven, the Tengri Qaghan, etc. His Majesty expressed refusal to all of them.

Putting the interests of the Great Ming people first is the most fundamental pursuit of Zhu Yijun, this Great Ming Emperor.

Are the Old Heaven of the Great Ming hinterland and the Eternal Heaven of the grassland the same? Zhu Yijun felt that this question was not important. What was important was that the grassland must acknowledge the Great Ming's *de facto* rule over Suiyuan, not just loose control or enfeoffing barbarian kings. It must implement the Great Ming imperial court's decrees, not act in compliance in public but oppose in private.

This secular imperial court of the Great Ming must carry out real-land county administration in Suiyuan—stationing troops, collecting taxes, registering the people, and having the same tracks for vehicles and the same characters for books; personnel, financial power, and miscellaneous affairs should all be based on the Great Ming. As long as real-land county administration is being carried out and the Great Ming's decrees are being implemented on the grassland, then even if the Third Lady says he, Zhu Yijun, is Eternal Heaven, Zhu Yijun will acknowledge it. 【51

Currently, Suiyuan lacks a Prince to guard it; if there were a Prince to guard it, it would be perfect.

After Zhu Yijun communicated with San Niangzi about the development of the Suiyuan region and gained a detailed understanding of enclosed animal husbandry, he told San Niangzi not to overgraze, which would lead to the continuous degradation of the grasslands. Overgrazing for a short time only brings short-term gains, but the evil consequences are borne by descendants, leading to eternal poverty. The Suiyuan region has gold, silver, copper, and coal as supplementary output, so basic living can be guaranteed. At the same time, the imperial court will also strengthen investment in Suiyuan's post roads and mining industry to promote the common development of the central and local governments.

In order to recover Suiyuan, the Great Ming Capital Battalion has invested over 2 million silver taels annually for nine consecutive years. To effectively govern Suiyuan, the Great Ming dispatched hundreds of officials led by Viceroy Pan Jixun, invested over 20 million silver taels in Suiyuan's post roads and mining industry, and simultaneously sent seven engineer regiments directly under the Ministry of Works to Suiyuan, while mobilizing half of the Three Borders military colonies to the Hetao region.

At the same time, in order to effectively hold Suiyuan, the Great Ming is actively planning to reopen the Western Regions, ensuring that the Hetao region becomes the heartland of the Great Ming and will not be threatened militarily.

This is a huge investment by the Great Ming, and it is also the sincerity of the imperial court's civilizing mission.

Zhu Yijun urged San Niangzi to explain clearly to the Hu people in the Suiyuan region the imperial court's position: one Great Ming, all are subjects of the King, with neither special treatment nor inequality. Do not follow ambitious people to gather and cause trouble, affecting common development and the overall situation of reconciliation.

"The Great Ming imperial court has never had such a huge investment, just so that the northern border of the Great Ming has no worries. I hope that the scourge of war will no longer poison the Northwest." Zhu Yijun summarized this audience to San Niangzi with earnest words. The long twenty-five-year war between Altan Tian Kehan and the Great Ming was a common pain for the heartland and the border people. Countless people died in the long war; this is the most appropriate and suitable opportunity for a thorough reconciliation.

"Your subject will respectfully obey the holy instruction." San Niangzi bowed her head again to accept the order.

Between the northern grasslands and the Central Plains heartland, since the pre-Qin period, there has been "you in me and me in you," rising and falling for over two thousand years. They have long since merged physically, with bloodlines, culture, and economy blending together. Plus, the Yuan Dynasty ruled the Central Plains for a hundred years, and Zhu Yuanzhang himself acknowledged the Yuan Dynasty as the legitimate succession. In the thirteen northern expeditions at the beginning of the dynasty, the Great Ming completed the reckoning, and the beheading of those above the rank of company commander under Altan Tian Kehan was also a reckoning.

The Great Ming imperial court is now willing to pay a huge price for reconciliation.

If the grasslands gather to cause trouble again, or simply rebel, then does the imperial court still have the patience to continue reconciliation? Obviously not.

San Niangzi read many official gazettes and miscellaneous reports in the capital and saw the methods used by the Great Ming in the Nagasaki Governor's Office. San Niangzi felt heartfelt relief; as a representative of the reconciliation faction, she brought vitality to the grassland people, like the dawn light piercing through the darkness.

What the Great Ming did in Nagasaki was simply not something the previous Great Ming imperial court could have done.

What the Great Ming did to the northern barbarians was to treat them as their own people, while what they did to the Japanese pirates was the way to treat enemies.

And the Great Ming Emperor shouldered the sin of retaliation alone; in future historical judgments, the title of executioner will definitely be pinned on the Emperor.

"Following the imperial court's orders, the grassland has already begun to ban goat grazing." San Niangzi mentioned a detail, which is that goats eat grass roots.

Cashmere is the best wool material and also the material for worsted wool. The biggest problem with goats is that when they eat grass, they eat the grass roots, which is also the reason for grassland degradation. Because cashmere is expensive, the number of goats has surged since the wool business became more and more prosperous.

What is banned is grazing, not enclosed farming.

Zhu Yijun asked carefully before he realized it was a method given by Pan Jixun.

San Niangzi left the Zhao Wenhua Hall. This visit to the capital was very fruitful; her advocacy finally slowly turned into reality in the hands of His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, originally because of the Capital Battalion's campaigns, the expected coarse-washed wool arriving at the factory this year was only 60,000 bags, but the result was 100,000 bags, which is an increase of 20,000 bags compared to the 80,000 bags of last year. It can be seen that the Suiyuan region is indeed carrying out enclosed grazing. With 100,000 bags of wool this year, the two factories in the capital can produce 600,000 bolts of coarse-spun wool and 100,000 bolts of worsted wool, totaling 700,000 bolts; the wool sent to the Lanzhou wool factory is 20,000 bags, producing about 150,000 bolts of worsted and coarse-spun wool." Wang Chonggu reported the results of the last wool tribute market in the tenth year of Wanli.

One Lanzhou wool factory = England's total wool production; two official wool factories in the capital = Spain's total wool production.

This is the Great Ming's terrifying productivity.

Wan Shihe looked left and right and whispered: "The increase in the amount of wool means that the imperial court's decrees are being executed. Why can it be concluded that the Great Ming's civilizing mission to the grassland is effective? Is there any inevitable connection in this?"

"Because of enclosed farming." Zhang Juzheng answered this question concisely. Wan Shihe understands rituals and laws, but he does not quite understand war and the grasslands.

"Right, what is the relationship between enclosed farming and the civilizing mission?" Wan Shihe nodded and asked. He didn't quite understand, and it wasn't just him; Li Youzi also looked puzzled.

Minister of Personnel Liang Menglong smiled and said: "Enclosed farming means settling down, no longer nomadic, which means the grassland people are losing their previous advantages. In the past, the northern barbarians had no fixed residence. As divine as Emperor Chengzu, as heroic as Emperor Chengzu, thirteen northern expeditions still could not exterminate their descendants. After settling down, the northern barbarians raise sheep instead of horses, so they can only become a part of the Great Ming, and they must firmly support the imperial court."

"Even if we reopen the Western Regions, the border people will become the Great Ming's help, not a hindrance."

After Wan Shihe carefully understood Liang Menglong's words, he suddenly realized!

"At the beginning, His Majesty gave me a wool shear, a wool carding board, and a formula. Later, he sent the special envoy to the West, Xu Jiugao, who brought back high-quality pasture. The purpose was to make the grassland raise fewer horses and more sheep. Now it seems that this goal is being realized step by step." Wang Chonggu talked about the past. After filling the hole in the Great Wall's construction, Wang Chonggu returned to the capital and obtained the dominance of the wool business.

This is a wealth that pours from the heavens, and Wang Chonggu caught it.

Zhu Yijun looked at the court officials and shook his head, saying: "Actually, I just saw that the Spanish royal family, controlled by Philip II, the Mesta Association, was doing wool business and making a fortune. At that time, the imperial court's inner treasury and state treasury were empty, and the financial use was greatly deficient, mainly just to make money."

The Great Ming Emperor emphasized that the main purpose in the early stage was to make money, and the main purpose now is the civilizing mission.

"Is there a possibility that it cannot be sold after production?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and asked. With the production of nearly one million bolts of wool material every year, Zhu Yijun inevitably worried about the possibility of overproduction.

If the product supply is sufficient and the demand is not strong enough, then the product can only be sold at a reduced price, the profit will become lower, plus the inherent bloatedness and rigidity of official factories, the return on assets becomes lower, and it is even impossible to maintain its own normal operation. This is the reason why Lin Fucheng once loudly said that official factory group manufacturing would inevitably fail.

Wang Chonggu said quite definitely: "The demand for wool material is still very strong. After all, both Suiyuan and Liaodong need a large amount of wool. The scale of production will continue to grow. It is possible that it cannot be sold. Unrestrained expansion of scale is also a kind of rigidity."

"No need to worry in the short term, at least within ten years, this is not a problem."

One million bolts of wool material per year, there is no problem of oversupply at all now. As long as it can be woven, it can be sold. But in ten or twenty years, with the expansion of the breeding scale in the Suiyuan region, the Great Ming wool material may really have the problem of oversupply.

The Great Ming needs a potential market.

The West is a very good dumping ground. In fact, the fighting method has already been very clear and bright: large-scale distribution, destroying their fragile manual workshops, and then dumping. Market competition is always so cruel.

It is also necessary to continuously adjust internal contradictions. The Great Ming itself is the largest consumer market, and stimulating domestic demand is a delicate job.

Wang Chonggu actually vaguely felt that overproduction and overpopulation are both false propositions, but the scale of official factories has not developed to such a huge extent. At least for the current Great Ming, there is no worry about overproduction.

The northern winter is freezing cold, and everyone has a piece of wool material. Three wool factories would have to produce for hundreds or thousands of years to satisfy it.

"Your Majesty, the Nagasaki Governor's Office suddenly transported a huge sum of 2.98 million silver taels to Songjiang Prefecture before the year. Is there a change in Nagasaki?" Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang said with great worry. No matter how you look at it, it looks like entrusting future affairs. This sum of silver is like the last ripple of the Nagasaki Governor's Office.

Xu Wei is an out-and-out madman. The officials who came from the Jiajing Dynasty know this clearly. A madman who felt he killed Hu Zongxian and committed suicide seven times, lived in confusion after coming out of the sky prison, until he went to Nagasaki, which was considered finding a direction again: exterminating the Japanese pirates.

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and shook his head, saying: "I am not very clear either. Governor Xu did explain things very clearly, but I cannot guess what Oda Nobunaga will do."

"Your Majesty, your subject thinks that the possibility of Oda Nobunaga's military conquest is very small. Uesugi, Hojo, Mori, and Chosokabe are eyeing covetously. He must unify the main island of Japan before he can plot against Nagasaki." Zhang Juzheng stood up, stood in front of the map, and made a judgment as the Grand Secretary.

The Great Ming navy is pacifying the Japanese pirates in the Nagasaki Governor's Office. Oda Nobunaga cannot do anything in the short term.

(The Third Oda Encirclement Network)

"If Mori Terumoto, Chosokabe, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Hojo Ujinao can unite with Oda Nobunaga, then the Nagasaki Governor's Office will be very dangerous." Zhang Juzheng looked at the court officials and then at His Majesty, saying: "According to common sense, brothers quarrel inside but resist insults from outside. As the ruler of the world, Oda Nobunaga can completely call on the daimyo to resist the Great Ming together."

"Unfortunately, Japan has not learned this sentence. For them, infighting is more important than anything else."

Zhang Juzheng also worried about whether other daimyo would become vigilant after the Nagasaki Governor's Office issued paper money, and then flock under Oda Nobunaga's name to drive the Great Ming's forces out of Japan. But in the end, Zhang Juzheng was sure that Japan would not reach such an alliance.

"The Master rarely makes such a definite judgment." Zhu Yijun asked curiously about the reason for Zhang Juzheng's judgment.

"Because it will not stop until victory." Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, in the past, when pacifying the Japanese pirates, Yan Song and Xu Jie fought in the court, and Hu Zongxian, Zhang Jing, and Li Tianchong fought in the local areas. It was really not stopping until victory. This was just party strife. If it were a direct armed conflict, it would be life-and-death. If a result cannot be fought out, it is impossible to stop."

Japan's internal contradictions have intensified to the point of meeting with swords and soldiers. Where is there any possibility of forming an alliance?

"The Master's words are reasonable." Zhu Yijun recognized Zhang Juzheng's judgment.

The Great Ming and Japan are in conflict. Even if there is no direct military conflict, there are economic, political, and financial conflicts. And they have fought several rounds. The focus of the entire confrontation is that the Great Ming is preventing Oda Nobunaga from unifying Japan. Oda Nobunaga must complete the great cause of unifying Japan under heavy difficulties before he can have any chance of winning.

It is difficult for Oda Nobunaga to break through the daimyo who oppose him in a short time because the Great Ming imperial court is selling arms to Japan, arming these Warring States daimyo, and through the coinage tax, several Warring States daimyo have become very fat.

The moment to test whether Oda Nobunaga is the true master of destiny in Japan has arrived. The Great Ming has severely increased the intensity for Oda Nobunaga.

The new policy implemented in the tenth year of Wanli, census of households and abolition of humble status, was not completed this year. Only the Southern Yamen and Northern Yamen completely completed the census of households and the abolition of humble slave status. The rest have to wait until next year. Abolishing humble slave status is that the imperial court no longer recognizes humble status and indentures at the legal level. To truly obtain personal freedom, what needs to be changed is the relations of production.

"The Ministry of Rites decided on the agenda for the first Great Ming Technological Progress Award after the Spring Festival. We will prepare to present the awards after the New Year." Zhu Yijun arranged the last things before the New Year. Wei Youshan, who tinkered with ammonia water, is going to leave his name in history.

When Zhu Yijun mentioned this, a heated discussion immediately broke out in the court. The Great Ming is an agricultural country, and encouraging agriculture and sericulture is also the primary matter. Regarding the appearance of water fertilizer, the court officials burst into unparalleled enthusiasm.

Raw materials for production, production technology, transportation of water fertilizer, application of water fertilizer, how to preserve, the proportion of fertilization, etc., were all fully discussed. At this moment, Wang Chonggu felt the feeling of being the center of attention. He excitedly introduced the various aspects of water fertilizer and answered one question after another from the ministers.

"The biggest feature of water fertilizer is that it can be made with coal gangue. After coal gangue is put into an earthen kiln and distilled, it can still be used as a raw material for burning cement. The Xishan Coal Bureau is exploring it, hoping to burn it in a cement factory. In this way, the cost will also drop significantly!" When Wang Chonggu said this, his face was extremely rosy.

Zhang Juzheng asked about the cost. If it is really to be promoted on a large scale, cost is the key.

Cheap raw materials, simple burning, and uncomplicated process flow are all advantages of water fertilizer. It is one of the products of coal and steel joint operation.

"This is very good, this is very good. Vice Minister Wang is indeed a talent for governing the country!" Zhang Juzheng was also quite excited when he heard this. Low cost is the best. If the cost is too high, it is not conducive to large-scale promotion.

Wang Chonggu waved his hands repeatedly and said: "It is all the credit of the great craftsman Wei Youshan. Grand Secretary, what are you saying? If you push the credit to me, isn't it stealing the credit of heaven? I dare not say that, I dare not say that."

Zhang Juzheng said with great emotion: "It is still good that Vice Minister Wang presided over the Xishan Coal Bureau."

If it weren't for Wang Chonggu's Xishan Coal Bureau, Wei Youshan would just be a clever craftsman. The talent screening for official factory group manufacturing and engineer regiments has already been effective. This is the biggest surprise.

"Vice Minister Wang, the Master's words are reasonable. Talent display requires more than just oneself. If it weren't for Vice Minister Wang, this coal bureau would not be in this scene today." Qi Jiguang rarely praised Wang Chonggu in the court.

Qi Jiguang never had a good face for Wang Chonggu. When Wang Chonggu led the Capital Battalion, Qi Jiguang entered the capital to receive rewards. At that time, the Jin Party prevented Qi Jiguang from being enfeoffed, and even caused deaths. After the initial conflict, Qi Jiguang never said a good word about Wang Chonggu again, and even avoided communication if possible.

And this time regarding water fertilizer, Qi Jiguang knew that the significance was extremely significant, so he rarely praised Wang Chonggu and affirmed Wang Chonggu's contribution.

"Oh? Is that so? Ah, haha." Wang Chonggu was stunned for a moment, and then laughed. He said extremely modestly: "I just did a little bit of what I should do. It's nothing, really nothing. Everyone is really overpraising, overpraising."

Qi Jiguang's recognition made Wang Chonggu feel a sense of relief. Over the years, Qi Jiguang, who led the Capital Battalion and won countless great victories, has become the hereditary Duke of Great Ming, and is a military official who sits in the Zhao Wenhua Hall, the head of military officials.

Qi Jiguang did not care about the conflict of that year because he did not want to turn his blade inward, not because he did not care. Even when Wang Chonggu cleared the party internally to ensure that the Capital Battalion's attack would not be hindered by the rear last time, Qi Jiguang did not say a good word about Wang Chonggu.

Today's recognition is not reconciliation, just recognition of his achievements, which is already extremely precious.

People always have to pay for the mistakes they make. Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang's prejudice, or even hostility, toward Wang Chonggu is a continuation of the events of that year.

"We will start trial production next year." Zhu Yijun smiled and said: "Just practice while summarizing experience. Start the pilot in the capital area first, and then slowly push it out."

"Agriculture is the first of all industries. If agriculture flourishes, all industries flourish."

The capital is preparing for the New Year, and far away in the West, some people are also actively preparing for the New Year. That is the Great Ming's special envoy to the West, Portuguese Minister of State Xu Fan. After Xu Jie died, Xu Fan crossed the ocean to the West. Once he left, returning to the Great Ming was remote and indefinite. Distance is one aspect, and his father's death is another.

Alone in a foreign land as a stranger, I miss my family even more during every festival.

Xu Fan and Chen Dazhuang simply prepared for the New Year in the Chinese Hall of the Sintra Palace in Portugal, and King Antonio of Portugal also sent many gifts. The New Year is a very important festival for the Great Ming people.

"My Minister of State, you seem to have not sent blessings to my child yet. As a wise man from the East, as an envoy of the Great Ming, your blessings to the child are very important." Antonio brought the Duchess to the Chinese Hall. The Duchess had a big belly. Even the Holy See sent people to bless the Duchess for being pregnant, but Xu Fan had never blessed her.

Xu Fan didn't know how to bless, so he chose to change the subject and said: "The Great Ming ships came from Songjiang Prefecture and have arrived at the City of Freedom. Your Highness, how do you plan to choose? Are you going to open the port of Lisbon to accept these ships?"

"That is of course!" Antonio said quite definitely: "I am King Antonio enfeoffed by His Majesty. Is there anyone more suitable than me? No! This is really wonderful. I may become the richest king in the entire West!"

Accepting these ships means that the cotton cloth on the ships will be eaten by Antonio, and Antonio can happily and joyfully be a middleman.

The ocean-going merchant fleet jointly established by the five major Maritime Trade Offices has successfully crossed the violent Atlantic Ocean and arrived at the City of Freedom, the nickname of Seville. Local merchants are actively contacting the captain of the ocean-going merchant firm, Liu Ji, hoping to eat this batch of cotton cloth.

Large ships cannot stay for long. The transaction cycle is too long, so a middleman is needed, and Antonio is also actively communicating and has reached a preliminary consensus.

(End of this chapter)