Cheng Qiyun saw Yang Ling's sullen face and couldn't help but blink. She smiled and said, "Your Excellency, what's wrong?"
Yang Ling touched his nose and said, "Does this count as Wang Zhaojun going out of the fortress to make peace?"
Cheng Qiyun held back her laughter and said, "No … I don't think so? If it counts, then it's also marrying into the family. "
As soon as Cheng Qiyun finished speaking, she burst out laughing, unrestrained and unpretentious. She laughed happily. Yang Ling had never seen her laugh so freely in front of him. Her voice was crisp and clear. Infected by her, Yang Ling finally couldn't help but laugh.
The bodyguards and maids at the door poked their heads inside in surprise and quickly shrank back.
Yang Ling laughed and sat back in his chair. He gave Cheng Qiyun a meaningful look and said, "Cheng Qiyun's' best strategy 'is not desirable. You, although you have a lot of wisdom, some ideas are still shackled by a woman. That is, you can't distinguish between state and family affairs. Besides, let's not talk about the dignity of the imperial court. For this purpose, it's not a gentleman. What are you looking at? Am I not a gentleman? "
Cheng Qiyun wrinkled her nose playfully and thought for a while. Then she rolled her eyes and said slyly, "Then … there's only a two-pronged approach …"
"Oh? What do you mean? "Yang Ling looked at her suspiciously.
Cheng Qiyun whispered to him. Yang Ling listened and thought for a while. He said with a faint smile, "It seems that I won't be able to hear any honorable strategy from you. Haha, let's give it a try …"
※ ※ ※
Adeni was fluent in Chinese, but she did not know Chinese characters. This was not surprising. Most of the Han people who smuggled ships or even ran to the Westerners as sailors were illiterate. She was very smart to be able to learn Chinese so well in just two years of association.
Yang Ling still had a lot of documents to deal with every day, but now that Cheng Qiyun had arrived, many of the matters could be handled by Cheng Qiyun. All the important official business was sent to Yang Ling's study by the various government offices. After Yang Ling read through it, he picked out the ones he needed to deal with himself and left the rest to Cheng Qiyun's study. This task was handed over to Adeni.
Adeni was competent and happy to do this, and Adeni was obviously tired of hiding in her boudoir all day. Once she had a job, even if it was the simplest thing, it would make her become energetic, and her eyes would be bright and full of spirit.
Once Yang Ling gathered the officials of the military, political, tax and labor departments as well as the local minorities to discuss politics, military, economy, administration, taxes, labor and other aspects, as long as Adeni was present, she would listen attentively and pay close attention.
Especially when Yang Ling talked about many modern and scientific theories and concepts that were beyond the current era, it made Adni's eyes shine with a strange light, and she appeared to be extremely impressed. When there were only two people in the room, Yang Ling reviewed the official documents, while Adeni gently waved her feather fan and served tea.
"Well, I didn't expect such a small matter like the Ryukyu garrison would have such a big reaction. This is the first time that Ming Destiny has sent a permanent garrison abroad, and the surrounding small vassal states have reacted strongly. Some hope to follow this example and ask Ming Destiny to garrison to ensure safety, while others are very nervous, worried that the imperial court will interfere too much with them. "Yang Ling pointed to a secret report from the factory guards.
Adeni already knew the geographical location of Ryukyu and the relationship between Ming Destiny and other states. Hearing this, she smiled playfully and said: "Of course, the more powerful a country is, the more unwilling it is to be controlled by others. In fact, the small countries around the Great Ming Dynasty have been established for at least several hundred years and have a perfect system. They only need to submit to the Great Ming Dynasty. The Great Ming Dynasty is so powerful and has such a large population. Why don't they expand further and open up colonies? "
"Colonial?" Yang Ling was startled.
Adeni said: "Yes, many places do not have a unified country, but some loose tribal organizations that occupy vast lands and are easy to conquer. Occupying these places and setting up a governor, even if it is not for plundering, as long as it is used as a raw material source and sales market, it will generate huge wealth for the country. "
Yang Ling thought for a moment, then shook his head and smiled: "Impossible. We Han people have been around for thousands of years and have formed the concept of a unified country. If we don't want to expand outwards, we can gradually change people's consciousness by opening up the sea and trade. But in terms of political system, the imperial court will not allow an independent and powerful armed force to exist outside the central government, far away and unable to restrain it. "
Adeni frowned slightly: the Han people's thinking is really strange. No one in her country would even consider this problem. It seems that what is true in the West may not be true in the East.
But Adeni was not convinced. She thought carefully and said: "If … the wealth produced in these places is enough to tempt the imperial court, and there is no need for the imperial court to send a large number of troops to station in Ryukyu, spending a lot of money and manpower, and these places can still be brought under the rule of the empire, will the emperor not allow it?"
Yang Ling straightened his back and said with interest: "Go on, what do you mean?"
Adeni said confidently: "I just said that there are many places with only a lot of loose tribes and extremely backward. With the weapons and equipment of the Ming army, a small number of troops can conquer them.
These places originally had nothing to do with the imperial court, but now they can be brought into the territory of the empire, providing a lot of wealth and dumping the produced goods. I don't think a great emperor would be so short-sighted and not be tempted by it … "
Yang Ling nodded and said: "What about continuous rule? Since there is a vast land there, it obviously can't be maintained by this small number of troops. How to ensure order there, formulate relevant laws, transport a lot of supplies, collect taxes, and implement rule? "
Adeni seemed to be interrupted by his question. She frowned unhappily and said a little forgetful: "Sir, it is very impolite to interrupt a lady."
She was young, and although she was knowledgeable, she was not shrewd. Once she debated, she completely forgot the identity of the other party, and completely did not think that in Ming Destiny, a woman casually interrupting a man was extremely impolite.
Yang Ling, however, did not feel offended. He raised his eyebrows, nodded with amusement, and hurriedly closed his mouth to listen to her.
Adeni thought for a moment and continued: "As for the worry of sending a large number of expeditionary troops to the ends of the earth, it would be like establishing oneself as a king and eventually suffering a backlash. This kind of situation will not happen. First of all, as long as the central government is guaranteed to be strong and unified, it will be difficult for the colonies to rebel. After all, their existence depends on the central government, and independence requires many conditions. It can be said to be full of difficulties.
Secondly, because those places originally did not have a strong, unified government, there is no need for a large number of troops. A thousand Ming Destiny army is enough to conquer those poorly equipped tribes with cannons and swords. Would the empire be afraid of a thousand troops?
In the future, they can recruit local officials and mercenaries, and hire people from abroad to listen to their own troops. My country does this. In this way, the supreme ruler of the place belongs to Ming Destiny, but they are in the minority, and rely on the power of the empire to conquer the area, and do not have the courage to rebel.
Moreover, the governor can be changed every three years, and there is no opportunity for him to build a private army that absolutely obeys his orders. And the local natives are afraid of the military force of the empire, and at the same time, many of their people are hired by the empire to become beneficiaries, so it is difficult for them to organize an effective resistance. You know, they originally did not have a country, and as long as they are not treated too harshly, it is difficult for them to form a strong anti-government organization with a common belief! "
She was so excited that she forgot herself and pulled a chair, sat opposite Yang Ling, and continued: "Perhaps, after a few hundred years, they will have the power to resist, but what does that matter? As the current Emperor, he only needs to send a Qianhu, a place that originally did not belong to him, to serve his court loyally for hundreds of years, to provide hundreds of years of wealth. Even if he were to abandon it one day, there would be no loss to the Great Ming. "
Yang Ling's heart palpitated. He pinched his chin and thought for a while, then laughed: "It seems to make some sense. Now, Ming Destiny has the Tartars in the north and the Japanese pirates in the south. After these places are pacified, the opening of the sea trade has also been effective. Our navy is also stronger, familiar with the countries near and far, the sea march, and the war. All the conditions are ripe, I will speak to His Majesty."
Adni pursed her lips into a smile and stood up proudly. She did not notice the flickering look in Yang Ling's eyes as she let out a meaningful smile.
Yang Ling often read official documents and picked out the main points to tell her. At first, Adni still pretended to be ignorant, not knowing that a good person who had always been considered honest and simple, once he pretended, it was the easiest for people to be deceived when they were unsuspecting.
Yang Ling initially only skillfully asked how these things were handled in her country, and only asked her to describe the facts of the country's operation. In this way, even if she revealed something, it would not be inconsistent with the identity of a village girl, not to mention that Adni was very used to the behavior of women participating in politics.
As she reluctantly revealed and appropriately narrated, she angrily refuted some of the opinions shown by Yang Ling, and was driven step by step by Yang Ling, an opponent who was familiar with the psychology of others and best at debating, to improve her own opinions without a trace. Adni also said more and more, not realizing that what she expressed was no longer in line with her identity.
Although Adni was knowledgeable, she was, after all, an 18-year-old girl, so how would she know so much about the cunning of officials? What's more, this eastern country had existed for thousands of years, and its officialdom was far more complicated than the West, far more complicated than her small country that was not even a province of Ming Destiny. Even though Yang Ling was a rookie in this officialdom, it was still easy for him to deal with her.
This was not the first time that Yang Ling had discussed political affairs with her, and she had unknowingly gotten used to this kind of status that was close to being an advisor. Furthermore, she was quite happy to be able to show off her intelligence.
Yang Ling listened to her eloquent and eloquent speech, and often had her own unique opinions. So when he encountered some difficult questions, he would casually share them with her. The two of them expressed their own opinions, sometimes getting carried away, even arguing until their faces were red.
At this time, Adni was like a competitive child, completely forgetting her identity as a slave girl. She pulled a chair and sat opposite Yang Ling, then began to talk about facts and evidence. Whether it was politics, economics, or military, she talked endlessly and did not notice Yang Ling's playful and playful eyes.
After all, Yang Ling came from the modern world, and his ideology and consciousness were hundreds of years more advanced than hers. Sometimes he refuted Adni until she was speechless, but when she thought about it carefully, she would calmly admit that Yang Ling was right. This kind of frank personality was very likable.
But too advanced a consciousness was often unrealistic in the environment and conditions at that time. Sometimes when Yang Ling's idea that he thought was right was put forward, Adni would raise a few basic material conditions and consciousness requirements necessary to realize it and ask Yang Ling. Every time this happened, Adni would raise her eyebrows, and her expression was indescribably charming.
Unknowingly, the two became familiar with each other. The relationship between them was not like that of an adult and a maid, but more like that of a boss and a female employee in an office, very easygoing and harmonious. As a foreigner living alone in a foreign country without relatives or friends, even though Adni was so independent and self-reliant, she became more and more dependent on Yang Ling emotionally.
This was the great Eastern Empire described in Marco Polo's travels. After drifting on its ocean for more than two years, I finally set foot on its land as a slave.
Fortunately, this place was more civilized than the world described by Marco Polo. The adults here did not regard female slaves as personal belongings that could be disposed of at will. He … this Eastern Marquis was very respectful to me. He had profound knowledge and a noble upbringing.
She quietly glanced at Yang Ling. Yang Ling was bare-chested, wearing a silk waistcoat, and was concentrating on an official document. The thick and black hair, the firm and straight nose, the smooth lines of the face, and the focused and spirited eyes quietly stirred up the feelings of a young girl in Adni's heart.
This is the most handsome Eastern man I have ever seen, and he has a witty way of talking. It is impossible for me to go back to my homeland. Will he be the man I will accompany for the rest of my life? Perhaps, for a female slave, there is nothing happier than this. After all, he is such an excellent man.
A governor who commands hundreds of thousands of troops. Oh my god, including all the old, weak, women, and children in my country, there is only a population of one million. The six provinces he governs are six times larger than our kingdom.
Adni once dreamed of a handsome knight riding a tall horse to her side, kneeling on one knee, kissing her hand gently, and then taking her back to his manor and castle. Although it was not the scene she imagined, he should be the prince destined to belong to her.
Drifting for thousands of miles, a girl tossing and turning among wolves, until she was so lucky to meet him, was it not God's will? Such a relationship was crazy. There was no ball, no banquet, no date under the moonlight, and no roses that he personally picked for her. She was about to become his woman, and … she seemed to really fall in love with him.
Adeni's heart pounded like a fawn. Ever since she was born, she had never had a man in her heart, because she had been learning aristocratic etiquette, ladylike speech, and dancing since she was five years old.
She also learned fencing, riding, and shooting. In terms of language, history, and philosophy, she was taught by the best teachers in the country, and was proficient in Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian.
She was the pride of Agave, the most popular lady in Portugal, the most beautiful woman in the world. Handsome knights, young barons, and viscounts circled around her skirts, treating her as if she were the noblest of princesses. But now she was reduced to a slave.
Adni sighed softly. She noticed that Yang Ling's eyebrows were also locked, and there was an uncontrollable anger on his face. The hand holding the document was trembling slightly. She couldn't help but stop the fan in her hand and asked with concern: "Sir, what happened?"
Yang Ling didn't talk to her about the contents of the document as he used to, but looked at her with a trace of disgust and hatred. Adni couldn't help but take a step back in surprise. Yang Ling lowered his eyes and forcibly suppressed his anger. After a long while, he coldly said: "Give this document to Madam Cheng and have her read it immediately."
Adni obediently didn't ask any more questions. She agreed and took the document. She hurriedly walked to the door and heard Yang Ling call out: "Wait, um … if Madam Cheng isn't too busy, tell her to see me after reading the document."
"Yes, sir." Adni hurriedly agreed and quickly slipped away.
In Cheng Qiyun's room sat two officials in green robes, who seemed to be talking business with her. Adni had always been afraid of Cheng Qiyun's eyes that seemed to see through everything. Cheng Qiyun may not have as much knowledge as her, nor as many skills, but her understanding of human nature and her penetrating understanding of people's hearts often made Adni feel like she had nowhere to hide in front of her, so she often unconsciously avoided Cheng Qiyun.
After repeating Yang Ling's words, Adni silently left the room. Yang Ling had never spoken to her in such a cold tone, and the way he looked at her was with disgust. If Yang Ling had treated her as a slave from the beginning and never respected her, she might not have cared so much about Yang Ling's attitude, but now she was very sad.
Adni had just walked out of the door when she heard Cheng Qiyun's angry shout: "Beast!"
Adni was startled. She couldn't help but stop in her tracks. She looked around and saw that there was no one outside the door. She quietly dodged to the side and leaned against the grape trellis to listen. She heard an official in the room ask in surprise: "Madam Cheng, what happened?"
Cheng Qiyun seemed to still be angry and coldly rebuked: "The Franji pirates of Manchu took advantage of the time when our dynasty was gathering troops to wipe out the Wokou pirates and took advantage of the gap to occupy Tuen Men Island. They attacked Dongguan County and robbed women and children. Those foreigners raped women and ate children raw. They are a group of devils!"
Adni was shocked: The Franji pirates attacked the Ming Dynasty? She knew that these pirates from her own country were cruel by nature. They had invaded and humiliated those small countries along the way, and killing people was a common occurrence. But for the pirate ship she was on, because they had never figured out the true strength of this huge empire, they were afraid of Ming Destiny and rarely took the initiative to provoke the Ming Dynasty. She didn't know how many pirates there were in Manchu that they dared to directly attack Ming Destiny's territory.
But when it came to eating children raw, Adni felt quite wronged. The Ming people had always regarded them as savages, but they didn't know that along the way, they were always worried that the natives of those countries with strange appearances and clothes would be cannibals. The pirate ship she was on employed the people of Ming Destiny. Those people often talked and laughed about how they had wronged the barbarians in the past. Seeing their strange appearance, the people said that they came from a cannibal country. They also said vividly that they ate children the best. They often used iron pots and steamers to steam the children until they were sweaty and then brushed off the bitter skin with an iron brush. At this time, the children were still alive, so they cut open their stomachs and cooked them. Hearing this, Adni felt nauseous.
But she didn't dare to turn around and defend herself, because the women who were kidnapped were bound to be humiliated and eventually sold to India or the West as slaves along with the children. This was the main purpose of the pirates' human trafficking, and it was also full of evil. What did she have to defend herself?
No wonder Mr. Yang looked at her like that, it was because of this reason.
Adeni felt even more wronged. Their country was not like the Great Ming Dynasty, where there were many small countries and many races. Because of different religious beliefs, they would often fight with each other. So the aristocracy paid the most attention to the family group, and did not have a strong sense of national and ethnic consciousness like the Ming Dynasty people. So she didn't feel close to those pirates just because they were Frang Ji's people, nor did she feel that she should take responsibility for the pirates who were born in Frang Ji.
But although Adni thought so, she also knew that the Easterners didn't think so. Otherwise, there wouldn't be something that couldn't be understood or existed in their criminal law. This was the legal basis that was born from the different ideologies of the Eastern and Western social systems for thousands of years. Adni had to return to Yang Ling's room in a depressed mood.
On this day, Yang Ling was extremely cold to her, and the attitude of all the servants and officials in the mansion towards her quietly changed. As a human who needed to live in a group, especially since she had gradually adapted to the environment and atmosphere here, this indifference of being abandoned by everyone made Adni depressed, and she couldn't even eat dinner.
On the second day, Adni took care of Yang Ling in every possible way, serving tea, and fanning him. But Yang Ling was busy, and although he was very polite to her, he didn't have the cordiality of the past. When it was almost noon, Cheng Qiyun suddenly rushed into the room and happily said: "Sir, Frang Ji …"
She then noticed that Adni was also there, and hurriedly said to her: "Adni, you leave first, I have something important to discuss with Sir."
Adni silently saluted and quietly left. She turned around the door and walked a few steps along the corridor. As soon as she was out of the sight of the door, she stepped over the railing, lifted her skirt, and tiptoed to the windowsill and squatted down. This place was covered with wisteria, and inside was where Yang Ling's desk was placed. If Cheng Qiyun wanted to discuss business with Sir, she should be able to hear it clearly here.
She heard Cheng Qiyun mention Frang Ji. For the past two days, she had been given the cold shoulder by others because of this matter. How she would be dealt with in the future would probably be related to this matter, so how could she not be concerned?
Adni squatted down under the window and heard Yang Ling ask: "What's the news?"
She heard Cheng Qiyun say: "Sir, my secret agents posing as merchants have made contact with the people of Ming Destiny on the Frang Ji pirate ship. I told them about righteousness and promised them a lot of money. They have agreed to escape the pirate ship by small boat tonight. If it's convenient, they can also bring a small Frang Machine Cannon. If it's not convenient, it doesn't matter. They already understand the manufacturing and use of that kind of cannon. They can just draw a picture with our cannon craftsman and describe it."
"Good! Great! "Yang Ling said excitedly:" Arrange for a large number of troops to provide support, and make sure that these sailors come ashore safely. Although our warships and cannons can deal with these evil pirates, our firepower is still slightly inferior. If we are familiar with the structure and power of their cannons, it will be much easier to win, hahaha … "
Adni was surprised: "So Sir sent a spy to bribe the sailors on the pirate ship to steal the secret of the cannons. He … he asked me if I was familiar with western cannons that day. Was that also the reason? I … I thought he had doubts about my identity … "
As Adni was thinking, she heard Cheng Qiyun say: "Sir, you already know that Adni knows how to use swordsmanship and firearms. How can a commoner know these things? For a slave that had been kidnapped and sold, if the pirates wanted to sell her for a high price, it was naturally possible that they would keep her virginity. However, the pirate ship came to the Great Ming Dynasty and allowed her to stay on the ship for two years before selling her. How could this be? Now we are going to war with Frang Ji, and she is Frang Ji's person. It is too dangerous for her to stay with Sir. "
Adni almost shouted: "What does the killing of those pirates have to do with me? Despicable, she is trying to drive me away from Sir. "
She heard Yang Ling's hesitant voice say: "I think … Adni is innocent and kind-hearted, and doesn't seem like a person with evil intentions. Besides, those pirates have done many evil things, and she is also a victim of the pirates. How can she be suspected?"
Adni's heart warmed, and a warm current of gratitude and happiness flowed through her body.
Cheng Qiyun snorted coldly: "Sir, since she is good at using firearms and swords, how can she be completely ignorant of cannons? Sir asked her that day, why did she hide it from Sir? Since she is a victim captured by the pirates, why should she hide her true identity from Sir?
Sir is concerned with the safety of the six provinces. As the saying goes, the son of a noble family should not sit in a corner. I am responsible for Sir's safety. How can I allow a person with a mysterious background who may be dangerous to Sir to stay by Sir's side? Whether she is a spy or not, such a person cannot be kept by Sir's side. Sir, please think twice. "
Adni bit her lip and was secretly annoyed in her heart: 'This woman must be jealous. I knew she liked Sir long ago, but I didn't expect her to frame me. My identity is indeed special, but I … I never thought of harming Sir. I just don't dare to say my identity.'
There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Yang Ling's voice was low: "So … what are you going to do with her?"
As soon as she heard this, it was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over Adni. She hung her head in despair, and two teardrops gently dripped onto the green grass. Cheng Qiyun's voice in the room said coldly, "She's just a woman of unknown identity sent by the pirates. What other place can she be placed? It is better to just kill her. "
Adni's body trembled, and then she heard Yang Ling say anxiously: "No!"
Cheng Qiyun immediately said: "Then … sell her to a brothel."
Adni bit her lip until it was about to bleed: "Woman! Sure enough, only women are the real enemies of women. Jealousy is like a cup of poison, making them as vicious as snakes and scorpions! "
"No!" Yang Ling stopped her again. He sighed and said: "Alas! I really hope that Adni is a trustworthy person. Unfortunately, we are now at war with the Franjis, and her identity is unknown. It is really not appropriate for her to stay in this important military place. Forget it, I … I'll go back and ask her again. If she's still not willing to be honest with me … she's a woman of a different race and can't survive, help her find a family that's willing to accept a woman from another race and marry her off. "
Adni's tears streamed down. In the room, Cheng Qiyun stood opposite Yang Ling, raised her eyebrows, and silently mouthed to him: "Sir, you are also, getting, more, evil."
Yang Ling also mouthed: "I learned from you." Then the two looked at each other and smiled.
Cheng Qiyun had been gone for a long time. Adni slowly moved away from the window, stood up with her somewhat numb thigh, staggered back to the door, and stood there for a long time.
Yang Ling was flipping through a pile of official documents and did not notice her appearance. Adni bit her lip and struggled for a long time. Finally, she gathered her courage, raised her head, and said: "Sir!"
Yang Ling turned around in surprise, and when he saw her, he nodded and said: "Adni? Come in. "
After he finished speaking, he turned his head and suddenly felt a little strange, and turned back to look at Adni. This 18-year-old foreign girl was still dressed in the clothes of the Ming Destiny woman, but that always humble and even a little cowardly smile was gone.
She was dressed in women's clothes, but her body stood straight, exuding a reserved, noble, elegant, and confident temperament, as if … there was a bit of solemnity like going to the execution ground. On her beautiful and exotic face, due to nervousness and seriousness, her delicate and rosy thin lips were tightly pressed together, her bright and moving eyes, and her straight nose were charming with a sense of heroism.
Yang Ling frowned and asked in confusion: "Adni, what's wrong with you?"
Adni had an expression of throwing caution to the wind. She took a deep breath and then stepped into the door. Her feet hit the ground with a bang, she raised her head, stood upright, and said a string of strange words.
Yang Ling did not understand. He put down the document in his hand and stood up to ask, but Adni had already repeated it in Chinese.
She looked at Yang Ling and said very seriously, word by word: "Captain of the Royal Portuguese Navy, instructor of the San Francisco Maritime Academy, Baron Adni, greets the Governor Ming Destiny, His Excellency Yang Ling!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
