Chapter 883: What? The Qing Is Gone! — End (Please Subscribe)

Zhu Cilang had at last laid eyes on the legendary Oboi, the foremost warrior of the Manchus!

To be honest, the man did not live up to his reputation!

He had expected the foremost warrior of the Manchus to be a ruthless man who feared neither heaven nor earth, yet the figure now standing in the great hall of the traveling palace on Yunlong Mountain was a pale-faced, stiff-postured, dull-eyed coward whose very steps trembled — how could such a coward be the foremost baturu of the Manchus?

And who was he so afraid of, anyway? There was no one frightening in the hall: Li Yan and Su Ziwen were two pale-faced scholars, Qian Qianyi a decrepit old man, Huang Xiaobao a eunuch, and the shift captain of the guards, Hei Wentao, was a strapping military man of the Han General background — but even he should not have frightened Oboi into this state!

"Are you really Oboi?" Zhu Cilang asked in a deep voice. "Are you that Oboi, the foremost warrior of the Manchus?"

"Yes... this humble official is Guan Oboi."

Guan Oboi? Zhu Cilang thought to himself: isn't it supposed to be Gūwalgiya Oboi?

"Grant him a seat!" Zhu Cilang waved a hand, and the guards brought a chair for Oboi; Zu Dashou and Zu Kefa, who had accompanied Oboi, were also given chairs, and everyone sat down together to talk.

But Oboi still appeared extremely ill at ease, sitting on only half the seat with both hands on his knees, somewhat trembling with anxiety.

"Your Majesty, Admiral Guan is the admiral of the Qing Pacific Fleet," Zu Kefa began the introduction. "He has just returned from the New World."

"Is that so?" Zhu Cilang thought to himself: no wonder Zheng Jiangong circled the coast of Japan several times — so many times that the Tokugawa shogunate sent Tokugawa Mitsukuni to protest — and still could not find the Qing fleet. So they had wandered off to the Americas!

"How did you get across?" Zhu Cilang asked.

"We drifted across from the east coast of Japan by the northeast route, with favorable winds the whole way. Near the coastline of the New World the wind turned southward, and we continued sailing with the wind until we reached a port on the west coast of the New World called 'San Diego.' We stayed there for a time, met a special envoy of the Viceroy of New Spain, purchased some firearms and cannon, then put to sea again heading south. After a stretch the wind turned west, all favorable winds, and in not many days we were blown to the Philippines, which is under Spanish jurisdiction. It was quite convenient, actually — if we had not lingered so long in San Diego, we would have arrived long ago."

Oboi had taken the Spanish-controlled trans-Pacific route: the Japan Current — the Pacific Current — the California Current — the North Equatorial Current — the Japan Current, a complete clockwise circle of favorable winds.

Though this favorable-wind circuit is more than twenty thousand kilometers long, because the winds are favorable the entire way, the time required is actually not great. Departing from the Philippines and reaching the port of Acapulco in New Spain takes only six months, including time for trade along the way. And the return voyage, sailing directly with the current, takes at most three months.

In other words, one full circuit, including trade and rest and refitting, can be completed in a single year!

A year seems long, but in this age when navigation still depends on the wind, being able to complete a round trip in that time is not slow at all.

On this entire circuit, apart from the stretch of the North Equatorial Current where there is no business to be done, every other leg offers opportunities for trade.

Sailing north from the Philippines, one can carry spices and timber. The southeast coast of China and Japan produce abundantly, and there is great business to be done there as well. The northwest coast of the Americas, for its part, produces furs and gold. The gold mines have not yet been discovered, but —

the American mink is already famous!

Historically, it was in search of fine furs that Russia's colonists wandered all the way to Alaska!

Moreover, the land of northwestern America is relatively fertile and suitable for cultivation.

Of course, in the short term it is unrealistic to send large numbers of Chinese peasants on months-long sea voyages to farm in America. But the fertile land and suitable climate can still allow a small number of plantation owners to open up vast, rich farms in the northwest of the North American continent, supporting Ming colonists panning for gold or hunting furs in the northwest of North America. And adventurers whose gold dreams are shattered can also obtain a farm in northwestern North America and settle down.

In this way, once the American sea route is opened, Ming adventurers carrying dreams of wealth will go to northwestern America on their own.

This kind of spontaneous, profitable colonization by the common people is the most economical for the Great Ming dynasty — the problem is that there is a "Neuro Spain" holding the Pacific in its grip, refusing to let Ming ships pass!

Of course, the Pacific has no lid; if Spain refuses, Ming can still send ships wandering over. But the problem is that the Ming navy has no sea charts — and while charts can be drawn oneself, drawing charts requires a great deal of time spent groping about, and it cannot possibly succeed on the first attempt! And the exploring ships coming and going would need to find landing points and resupply on the other side of the Pacific.

Yet most of the eastern Pacific coast is under Spanish control, and a Ming exploration ship wandering over might well be sunk outright!

Even if it were not sunk, with everything pitch-black before one's eyes, it would be very hard to find a place to put ashore.

Therefore, exploring without sea charts is extremely risky, and the Zhu Emperor has too few naval talents capable of crossing the Pacific to waste them in this way.

For this reason, Zhu Cilang had never initiated any action to colonize America.

"This humble official has written a travelogue," Oboi said, producing the "Oboi's Journey to the East," which Zhu Cilang's guards had already inspected three times, and handing it to Huang Xiaobao. "I have brought it precisely to present to Your Majesty. It records this humble official's observations of the west coast of the New World. Oh, and while traveling in San Diego, this humble official also happened to pick up a Pacific sea chart drawn by the Spanish..."

What? Picked up? You can pick up that sort of thing on the streets of San Diego?

The Zhu Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Oboi. "Where is the chart?"

Oboi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the sea chart is of course in the hands of my lord. If Your Majesty were to enfeoff my lord as Khan or King, then naturally an edict could be issued commanding him to present the chart."

"Heh heh," Zhu Cilang laughed. "And what title does Dodo seek?"

Oboi said, "King of the Jin State, and Grand Protector of Andong."

"Grand Protector of Andong?" Zhu Cilang snorted. "He wants to march into Joseon and grab a handful, is that it?"

The Andong Protectorate was also a Tang-dynasty office, originally established at Pyongyang to administer the former territory of Goguryeo. If Dodo obtained the title of Grand Protector of Andong, he would have a pretext for sending troops into Joseon.

"Your Majesty," Oboi said, "my lord sincerely submits and wishes only to guard the frontier for the realm!"

Zhu Cilang shook his head and said, "The title King of the Jin State is too exalted to be granted; he can only be enfeoffed as Prince of Jin, equivalent to a Prince. The office of Grand Protector of Andong can be granted to Dodo. However, the Protectorate is the title of an inner vassal. If Dodo wishes to be Grand Protector, he must transform from barbarian to Chinese: the soldiers and civilians beyond the passes must wear Han clothing, speak the Han language, observe Han rites, keep Han hairstyles and topknots, and adopt Han surnames. If Dodo truly and sincerely submits to our Great Ming, he should agree to these demands. Otherwise, how can We trust him?"

Oboi nodded and said, "This humble official has heard that Prince Gong has already memorialized to adopt Chinese ways. My lord admires Han civilization no less than Prince Gong, and will surely also be willing to adopt Chinese ways."

Jin Fulin's adoption of Chinese ways was the idea of his mother Bumbutai. If he did not agree, Shi Kefa would be going to Beijing! So Jin Fulin immediately recognized the great trend of ethnic integration — everyone is one family now, so why distinguish between this and that?

As for Dodo's side, following the example of the Western Wei and Northern Zhou is certain! There are not many old-Manchu Eight Banners left, so what else can be done? There are hardly enough people left who even understand the Manchu language!

Besides, Dodo could not openly promote barbarization — otherwise what right would he have to call himself a subject? Shi Kefa is currently garrisoned at the Tianjin garrison, not far from beyond the passes!

Zhu Cilang nodded. "Then We shall have someone draft a treaty for you to take back for Dodo to sign. We will dispatch the Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage to go beyond the passes to inspect the adoption of Chinese ways. If everything conforms to ritual and law, then We may enfeoff him as Grand Protector of Andong and bestow upon him the surname Jin. Henceforth he shall be called Jin Dodo."

Oboi let out a breath. It had gone more smoothly than he had imagined! Though this Ming Emperor was murderous and cruel, there were times when he was quite easy to talk to.

Also, he did not seem inclined to protect Joseon. That was unexpected — one wondered whether there was some scheme behind it.

(End of Chapter)