Chapter 973: The Final Winner Must Be the Great Ming

The rule that one cannot enter the Grand Secretariat without being a Hanlin scholar was formed after the reign of Emperor Yingzong. Since then, among the 179 Grand Secretaries of the Great Ming, only seven were not Hanlin scholars; all the rest were of Hanlin origin.

The reason such a system emerged was entirely to prevent "rats" like Yang Shiqi from climbing onto the table again and making reckless decisions.

In the second year of the Zhengtong era, the incident where civil officials arbitrarily executed military nobles broke out. While "promoting literature and suppressing martial arts" is one thing, it reached the point where the Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, a military noble, could not even attend court, and the Regional Military Commissioner An Jing was arbitrarily executed. Which military man would still be willing to fight with his life? It was simply absurd.

The existence of the Hanlin Academy as a bottom-line mechanism ensures that while those entering the Grand Secretariat may not necessarily be virtuous ministers, they are certainly not "rats."

It was also this conservative bottom-line system that maintained the Great Ming's stability for nearly a hundred years. From the Tianshun era to the Zhengde era, the Great Ming remained stagnant, slowly rotting away. There was a bit of a stir in the early years of the Jiajing era, but ultimately, due to immense inertia, it did not succeed.

This system is certainly not good and carries the suspicion of "letting things rot," but even so, it is far better than having "rats on the table."

The Wanli Reform was grand and sweeping. The reason Wang Chonggu was allowed to enter the Grand Secretariat to break this rule, and why Shen Shixing angrily scolded the Hanlin scholars and cut ties with the Hanlin Academy, was because there was now a better system—the Examination of Merit—to select capable officials. This does not mean the Hanlin Academy's bottom-line mechanism is no longer needed.

Being able to slowly decay while remaining stagnant is still far better than being destroyed in a fire of "cooking oil on a hot flame." Both bring suffering to the people of the Great Ming, but one is a slow, chronic death, while the other is a world-shattering collapse—a devastating blow to the populace.

Gao Qi was waiting with officials from the Court of State Ceremonial at the Tide-Watching Pavilion in Tanggu Port, the place where His Majesty would review the fleet. The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, the Vice Ministers, and the interpreters were whispering to each other. Their voices were very low, but their gazes fell, intentionally or not, upon Gao Qi.

Rumors had it a few days ago that Shen Shixing was to handle this errand. No one knew what had happened, but in the end, it was still Gao Qi.

Gao Qi did not mind these gazes. His Majesty had finally seen and recognized his efforts. With the grace of the "Purple Sub-Assistant Star" and this protection, Gao Qi's conviction grew firmer; he was determined to be that "independent minister."

This path was viable.

The fast sailing ship *Dingyuan* had arrived, meaning the three Viceroys of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance had arrived.

Gao Qi's expression turned serious. He wanted to secure more benefits for the Great Ming. He held three notebooks in his hand, containing intelligence gathered over the eighteen years since the Great Ming opened the seas regarding these three Viceroyalties, with the information on the Viceroy of Mexico being particularly detailed.

Since the ninth year of the Jiajing era, the "Red-Haired Barbarians" had discovered 34 silver mines in Mexico, including three super-large ones: Saucito, Fresnillo, and Potosí. Since the seventh year of the Wanli era, Mexico had replaced Peru as the world's largest silver producer, earning the title "Land of Bai Yin."

These thirty-four silver mountains were divided into three massive silver mine clusters, producing over

6.5 million taels of silver annually, with 6 million taels shipped back to the Spanish mainland each year.

Three silver mine clusters, thirty-four silver mines—this was the "fattest of the fat sheep." Gao Qi swore that in his lifetime, no matter what method he used, he would get these silver mines into the hands of the Great Ming!

Such a treasure mountain should be possessed by the virtuous!

Among the three Viceroys who came this time, the most important was the Viceroy of Mexico, Pedro de Roca.

Pedro was easy to recognize; Gao Qi noticed him as soon as he disembarked. He was quite tall and sturdy, with a head of red hair that was rather flamboyant, thick eyebrows, and a full beard, looking exceptionally fierce. Because of his long life at sea, Pedro's skin was bronze-colored, appearing remarkably tough.

Pedro wore a wide-brimmed hat, two daggers tucked into his chest, a foot-long flintlock pistol, and a long sword at his waist.

This attire and appearance made him look a bit like a pirate—no, not like one; Pedro *was* a pirate. He had three pirate fleets that specialized in robbing passing merchant ships. If the Spanish mainland had left him two more mouthfuls to eat, he wouldn't have had to act as a pirate in the capacity of a Viceroy, or even rob people himself.

Behind the three Viceroys was Kepler from Württemberg, the person Li Ya-shi and Galileo were waiting for.

Following Kepler was a woman named Barbara Müller, who was pulling a little girl and looking around. This woman was Kepler's lover.

Kepler sought the truth, but he could not bear to part with his lover. After receiving the invitation from his teacher, he hesitated, but his lover supported his pursuit of truth and even brought out much wealth to help Kepler pay for his travel expenses and ship tickets, accompanying him on the path to seeking truth.

"Is this the genius disciple Mr. Michael spoke of? Did he ever suffer from smallpox?" Xu Guangqi saw Kepler's appearance, noticed the spots on Kepler's arms, and asked Michael about the situation of this genius disciple.

"The disease did not take his life, but it weakened his eyesight and caused his hands to be clumsy, limiting his ability to gaze at the universe. Even so, he remains a rare genius in all of the West," Michael said with deep emotion.

After Michael finished speaking, Xu Guangqi and Galileo noticed that Kepler's walking posture was very strange; just as Michael said, his hands were indeed clumsy.

In his childhood, Kepler had contracted smallpox, and this severe illness had caused his eyesight and hands to suffer from the torment of the disease.

"Who is that woman?" Galileo asked with some curiosity. The fact that there was a woman on the ship was already very rare.

"A very wealthy noblewoman who provided him with much help when Kepler was in school." Michael frowned slightly before saying helplessly, "While being very wealthy, her love story with Kepler is memorable. Truly an enviable stroke of luck."

A very wealthy true love, willing to face danger together for her lover's path of truth.

Xu Guangqi and Galileo exchanged glances; sure enough, God had closed a window for Kepler but opened a door for him.

Gao Qi led the Court of State Ceremonial officials to receive the three Viceroys. The three Viceroys, along with Kepler, Barbara, and her daughter, boarded the train. After the whistle blew, the train slowly started moving.

Pedro gripped the handrail tightly. This was his second time riding a train; the first was in Songjiang Prefecture, from the City of Wan Guo to Shanghai County.

Songjiang Prefecture had post roads connecting four counties, and the City of Wan Guo was also a stop. Even though it was his second time riding, he still felt surprised, even a bit terrified. Could such a terrifying machine really be a human creation?

Pedro had once witnessed the Great Ming's fast sailing ships in Songjiang Prefecture; the craftsmanship of the Great Ming's skilled artisans was truly miraculous.

That afternoon, after Pedro had his first mate communicate with the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, he requested a meeting with Gao Qi, to which Gao Qi readily agreed.

"The natives are lazy, and the people are indolent. We Han people are honest, trustworthy, and hardworking. The eight hundred Han people living in the Yangcheng of Mexico operate restaurants, shops, gardens, and inns. I heard that last year, some Red-Haired Barbarians blatantly searched for and killed our Great Ming people, looting and slaughtering them regardless of age or gender." Gao Qi started by holding them accountable.

Since the start of the Great Galleon trade, the galleons had regularly traded between Manila, the Great Ming, and the port of Acapulco in Mexico. The crew members working on the ships gradually formed a gathering area in Mexico City, all operating "small-scale" businesses.

As a result, last year, a search-and-kill incident specifically targeting Han people occurred. As an official of the Ministry of Rites, Gao Qi naturally had to inquire and hold them accountable.

"That's not how it happened. Actually, it was a conflict over the profits of the Great Ming goods distribution center, and the conflict has completely subsided." Upon hearing this, Pedro hurriedly waved his hands to deny it.

Pedro was really not good at reasoning. Last year, the Viceroyalty of Mexico sent envoys to discuss the trade regulations with the Great Ming. Since then, Pedro had tried his best to restrain his subordinates from robbing those "fat sheep" that looked very plump.

These Han people were indeed plump, but robbing them was easy to break one's own front teeth.

In order to compete for the profits of the Great Ming goods distribution center at the port, the Han people and the Spanish engaged in a conflict in Yangcheng that lasted for three months. By the time Pedro returned to Yangcheng, the Han people had already won a complete victory.

The Great Ming had a "Ming Hall" in Yangcheng. When the Ming Hall steward Wu Tingfang reported to the throne, his words were vague. For example, Wu Tingfang said: "The profit rights of the entire port are almost entirely in the hands of the Han people; the barbarians and natives are dissatisfied and have resorted to conflict."

This actually corroborated Pedro's statement; it was indeed for the power to distribute scattered goods. Likewise, the profits from these scattered goods were all controlled by the Han people, which was the root cause of this conflict.

"When I went out to sea and returned to

Yangcheng, the fighting was already over. The Han people won, and they won very thoroughly. That street had become their district, and no one dared to provoke them. They were everywhere—on the roofs, in the treetops, in the pits—using flintlocks or crossbows." Pedro thought carefully before saying solemnly:

"The Great Ming people living in the Celestial Empire really cannot understand what a place without order is like. They won, and that piece of land belonged to them."

After the envoys who went to the Great Ming to discuss the "Regulations" last year returned to the Viceroyalty of Mexico, they extremely exaggeratedly stated that this trip to the Celestial Empire was an unforgettable journey of a lifetime, a purification of the soul, as if they had seen the Kingdom of God on Earth.

Of course, the envoys also reminded the Viceroy that the officials living in the Celestial Empire, especially those in the capital, held an unrealistic fantasy about their Viceroyalty.

This fantasy was that the Viceroyalty could effectively govern its jurisdiction. In fact, from the Viceroy to the colonists, everyone knew that the Viceroyalty could not govern effectively.

"I have been to Mexico; I know what Mexico is like." Gao Qi stated that he had gone to sea to the West in the third year of the Wanli era and had successfully returned to the Great Ming. That was an adventure, the price paid for his own mistakes.

Gao Qi had seen Mexico with his own eyes; it was not a pleasant journey. The governance there could only be described as a mess.

"I wasn't Viceroy then; I didn't meet you." Pedro was silent for a moment. He had killed the Viceroy who had received Gao Qi back then, sank him in the sea, and then became Viceroy himself.

Felipe did not care who the Viceroy was; he only cared whether enough gold, silver, and specialty products were paid on time to fill his treasure ships.

"The Kingdom of Gold Mountain was attacked; His Majesty is furious." Gao Qi did not dwell too much on the first matter. With the continuous opening of the seas, the Great Ming had gained more influence overseas. Great Ming merchant ships circled the globe once a year, and the East Pacific route was traveled twice a year.

If they really started fighting, it was not certain who would suffer, especially since the Ming Hall steward said the final result was: "The profit rights of the entire port remain in the hands of the Han people."

The standard for the final victory of this conflict was who held the profit rights for the distribution of Great Ming merchant goods.

"Before I set off, I had already instructed my most trusted subordinates to compensate the Kingdom of Gold Mountain. Although I don't know if I can win the forgiveness of His Highness the Prince of Lu, this is our greatest sincerity." Before Pedro set off, he had already sent people to compensate. As for the result of the negotiations, he was not clear either.

Pedro detailed the amount and details of his compensation before saying: "Although it was my subordinates who contacted Xie Ruixiang without my knowledge, I am the Viceroy, and I indeed have the guilt."

Pedro and his secretary both believed that maintaining a good relationship with the Great Ming was far more profitable than the compensation of 300,000 taels of silver per year.

"The Court of State Ceremonial will naturally communicate with the Kingdom of Gold Mountain

If His Highness the Prince of Lu is satisfied, this matter will naturally be dropped." Gao Qi sat up straight and looked at Pedro, saying: "Viceroy Pedro, I personally don't understand one thing: Mexico produces 6.5 million taels of silver annually, so why can the Viceroyalty only obtain a mere 500,000 taels?"

"As far as I know, most of the silver from Peru's rich silver mines is left at the Lima Mint to be cast into silver coins, but the Viceroyalty of Mexico does not receive the same treatment."

"The reasons for this are somewhat complicated." Upon hearing this question, Pedro's face was full of bitterness. This was his most painful point.

Both were Viceroyalties, both were in the East Pacific, and both used the amalgamation method to refine silver. Peru could intercept the majority to cast silver coins, while Mexico could only keep 500,000. This was the pain in his heart, and there were many reasons.

The most important reason was that Pedro's pirate fleet could not beat Felipe's treasure ships. The treasure ships that came to collect silver every year did not just carry ships, but also various cannons and flintlocks. Pedro could only grit his teeth and hand over the silver.

The second reason was the need for supplies from the mainland. Fortified cities, water gates, and supplies were the main ways the West colonized at present.

When the natives rebelled, they would just close the gates. After a while, these natives could not take the fortified city and would disperse on their own. Those who persisted a bit longer would not last more than two years. As long as the shipping routes were clear and supplies were sufficient, the survival of the Viceroyalty could be guaranteed.

If they couldn't beat them, they had to pay; relying on mainland supplies, they dared not *not* pay.

There was another strange reason: the native rebellions in Peru were large in scale and long in duration, while the local natives in Mexico were relatively few and would not cause long-term turmoil, so Felipe would not allocate more silver to the Viceroyalty to suppress native rebellions.

"So that's the complicated reason. I thought Viceroy Pedro was sacrificing his own interests voluntarily." Gao Qi sensed the unwillingness in Pedro's tone and probed gently.

Some people only need a gentle probe, without even needing guidance, to walk onto that dead end themselves.

"I am indeed a pirate, but that His Highness Felipe is even more of a robber than a robber. We defeated those natives in the jungles and mountains, protecting the mines, but Felipe only gave me 500,000 taels of silver. What can such a little silver do?"

"My people are injured, my people are bleeding, my people are dying, and Felipe only needs to send a court secretary every year to take away the vast majority of my output!"

"And there are the guards and nobles guarding the mines. They are closer to the secretaries in the Madrid palace. The silver that keeps the mine guards and nobles loyal is taken from my hands!"

The more Pedro spoke, the angrier he became. When he wasn't Viceroy, he was hunted by the navy; after becoming Viceroy, he had to suffer this humiliation, which was even less comfortable than when he was a pirate.

Before setting off, Pedro's secretary repeatedly told Pedro to rely on Mexico's silver to repeatedly

jump back and forth between the Great Ming and the Spanish mainland to seek benefits.

But the emotionally agitated Pedro had forgotten these reminders and began to pour out his grievances to Gao Qi.

Gao Qi echoed him calmly: "Indeed, it is a bit excessive. At the very least, more silver should be left for the Viceroyalty, at least enough to pay out the pensions."

"However, after the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance regulations are signed, in terms of supplies, there will be no need to rely so completely on the mainland. At the very least, more friends mean more paths."

Gao Qi reminded Pedro that the shackles on him had already broken one strand with the establishment of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance; at the very least, there was no need to rely on supplies from the Spanish mainland.

"By the way, I heard that a few days ago, His Highness Felipe launched an expedition against England. I wonder how it turned out?" Gao Qi began to remind Pedro again that the Invincible Armada was no longer invincible.

"His Highness wanted to launch an expedition against England. At the time, the Council of State strongly opposed it, believing there was no need to do so. Now it's fine; his fleet can only shrink back to the mainland as much as possible, defending against sneak attacks by the English and pirates, and can no longer take care of our Viceroyalties at all."

"The naval battle resulted in the total annihilation of the fleet; only ten five-masted ocean-crossing ships escaped the Atlantic storm." Pedro became even more excited when he mentioned this. This was the fundamental reason he dared to contact the Great Ming.

The second shackle had not broken; the Spanish mainland treasure ships still had the combat power to crush the Viceroyalty.

Gao Qi asked with a smile: "The five-masted ocean-crossing ships actually withstood the storm? I wonder if Viceroy Pedro has ever learned about the five-masted ocean-crossing ships sold by our Great Ming?"

Pedro's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said: "When I visited the Songjiang Shipyard, I asked, but the general manager of the shipyard told me that it required His Majesty's vermilion approval, so I didn't learn the details."

"The general manager was a bit too cautious." Gao Qi reached out, and the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial handed the price list to Gao Qi.

"One five-masted ocean-crossing ship, three three-masted galleons, twenty-eight 18-pound naval guns, thirty-six 9-pound naval guns, close-defense bowl-mouth guns, bed crossbows, swords, spears, and halberds for eight hundred men—now sold as a package for only 500,000 silver, and it includes ten years of maintenance. As long as you sail the ship back to the New Port of Songjiang Prefecture, you can get comprehensive maintenance." Gao Qi introduced the first package.

The cost was about 50,000 silver, and the profit was a mere 450,000 silver.

The subsequent sale of gunpowder was also a continuous source of income.

"I don't have enough sailors to operate these ships." Pedro was very tempted after reading the quote; it was a price within his acceptable range. Although Felipe took away most of the benefits, he also had a little savings, as well as small silver mines he had explored himself that could be mined.

Gao Qi reached out, and a quote from the Maritime Academy was handed to him. He smiled and said: "The Maritime Academy can help Viceroy Pedro train boatmen, first mates, and second mates. As for sailors, you can only

recruit them yourself, Viceroy Pedro."

Pedro's eyes became even brighter. The price on this Latin-written quote was not expensive. The gates of the Maritime Academy on the Spanish mainland were never open to these Viceroyalties, and the control of pilots was also a means of controlling the overseas Viceroyalties.

Moreover, Felipe himself did not have enough pilots.

Ships, naval guns, pilots, first mates, second mates—a whole set only cost a mere 600,000 silver.

"I need three sets of such warships, but I don't have enough silver to pay." Pedro looked at these price lists for a long time. Good things were in front of him, but he couldn't afford them.

These things were very expensive, but the high price was not the fault of the ships; it was the fault of him, Pedro. Good things were never cheap, and good things were never circulated in the market.

Just as the general manager of the Songjiang Shipyard said, they did not have the qualifications to purchase these ships.

Gao Qi reached out, and a war loan contract was placed in his hands. He smiled and said: "With the establishment of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, as an overseas vassal state of the tribute trade, the Great Ming and Mexico are friends. When a friend is in trouble, one should naturally lend a helping hand."

"His Majesty is benevolent and willing to lend to Viceroy Pedro."

"As a Viceroy, it is only natural that you should have a fleet of your own."

"Borrowing 10,000 silver, the annual interest is only 3,600 silver. This is during wartime. The Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance has established a Council in Ryukyu. If Viceroy Pedro believes that the wartime has ended, you can submit an application to the Council. Once it is determined that the wartime has ended, the interest on the war loan will be reduced to an annual rate of 4%. This is an extremely favorable interest rate."

"Viceroy Pedro, you have been through a hundred battles and traveled tens of thousands of miles of water; you naturally know very well that this interest rate is not available anywhere else."

After reading the loan contract, Pedro said with great approval: "I have heard of His Majesty's generosity. That wild dog Antonio became the King of Portugal because of His Majesty's generosity, and even because of His Majesty's generosity, Portugal ushered in a new life."

"His Majesty's beautiful name spreads to every corner of the world!"

Antonio's experience was truly too successful, successful to the point that countless people were jealous!

This loan contract had no tricks; the Ministry of Rites had not set any traps in it. Moreover, as long as Viceroy Pedro submitted an application and met the conditions for a ceasefire, the Council would definitely report it to His Majesty.

And His Majesty, who kept his word, would not consume hard-won credibility for a mere bit of silver.

Throughout the whole process, the Great Ming was full of goodwill. The Great Ming had only one goal: to make the Viceroyalty of Mexico and the Spanish mainland fight.

As long as they fought, Mexico would have no way out and could only rely on the Great Ming.

Carrying a sharp weapon, the desire to kill arises on its own.

Once Pedro, this Viceroy, obtained a strong

power far exceeding the present from the Great Ming, the anger buried in the hearts of Pedro and everyone in the Viceroyalty would be ignited. The massive benefits of three large silver mine clusters and 34 silver mines were enough to make people fight for their lives.

"Junior Minister, I have a question: Does His Majesty like silver as much as the rumors say? His Majesty sits on the Great Ming and possesses wealth far exceeding anyone in the world; why does he still do these businesses?" Pedro asked a question after reading the three price lists.

His Majesty the Emperor actually liked silver so much; the image in Pedro's mind was a bit less majestic.

"This is all my fault." Gao Qi sighed heavily and said: "I submitted a memorial on the Dinghai School System. His Majesty wanted to realize it, so he took out all the silver from his private treasury to promote the Dinghai School System."

Gao Qi briefly introduced the Dinghai School System. The overall goal of the Dinghai School System was to realize, within a hundred years, that everyone in the Great Ming had an education.

Pedro was stunned after hearing the content of the Dinghai School System, especially when he heard that His Majesty had actually taken out his own private money to do this for this goal. He was even more surprised. The image of His Majesty the Emperor in his mind became majestic again, even more majestic than before!

In the West, knowledge is extremely expensive! In the West, the threshold for knowledge is far higher than a sturdy man like Pedro!

If he hadn't become a Viceroy, Pedro wouldn't even be able to read.

But the great Great Ming Emperor was actually promoting a plan to let everyone in the Great Ming have an education.

"So, this is the Holy Son of Heaven." Pedro put down the three price lists, looked at Gao Qi, and said: "If I fail, can I bring my children to the Great Ming and live a stable life here like Li Ya-shi?"

Pedro had struggled at sea for so many years. At first, he was indeed very emotionally agitated, but later he understood what Gao Qi meant. If he were really provoked by a few words, he wouldn't be able to be a Viceroy.

If he were defeated and fled to the Great Ming in a sorry state, would the Great Ming let him stay? This was something he had to ask clearly; this was a retreat.

"Absolutely. You know that the Great Ming and Japan are hostile countries, but Oda Shi and Oda Nobunaga's children live very well in the Great Ming." Gao Qi said immediately.

As for whether they would have no descendants, that was not Gao Qi's concern; there were people to handle that.

"Allow me to discuss it with my secretary." Pedro picked up the three price lists and chose to discuss it with his secretary instead of agreeing directly.

Gao Qi got up and left the Four Barbarian Halls. He stood in front of the gate of the Four Barbarian Halls, looking at the stars in the sky. The star-tracking and ocean-crossing technique was truly magical; relying on the twinkling of these stars, one could guide the direction of the sea ships without getting lost.

"Junior Minister, will this Pedro agree?" The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial asked a bit uncertainly. Conflict with the mainland was a risky act; they wouldn't launch it unless it was a last resort.

Gao Qi smiled and said: "He will agree. Peru also has silver mines, but most of Peru's silver stays in the Viceroyalty. Pedro went from a pirate to a Viceroy; he likes adventure and is obsessed with the harvest after a successful adventure."

"Regardless of whether he agrees or not, the final winner will always be the Great Ming."

Gao Qi was very confident that the final winner would be the Great Ming. ===== CHAPTER 974 =====