Early in the morning, after Zhengde had finished eating, he summoned Yang Ling to see him. After half a day, he finally saw Yang Ling dilly-dallying as he hurried over. It was still somewhat inconvenient to walk, and his two eyes were red.
Only now did Zhengde remember that he had fallen yesterday. He asked in surprise, "Yang Ling, what happened to you?"
Yang Ling grimaced. "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject was in a hurry to rush out yesterday and sprained my ankle, so I limped when I walked."
Zhengde suddenly understood. He nodded, then suddenly asked, "Then your eyes …?"
"Oh, my eyes. Last night, I spent the entire night organizing that scroll, so …"
Zhengde was moved and grasped his hand, saying, "Beloved subject, only you are willing to share zhen's worries like this."
He gave a long sigh and shook his head, saying, "When zhen saw that scroll, zhen's heart turned cold. Around zhen, there are some who flatter and flatter me all day, and some who criticize and impeach the ruler on the surface all day, acting like incomparably righteous and upright officials. In the end, who is sincere, and who is just putting on an act? "
He sat back down in his chair, saying in deep thought, "This night, zhen also thought a lot. King Ning's rebellion is not as simple as the rebellion itself. If some problems are not solved and not dealt with, who knows when it will erupt. But you are right, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Sometimes zhen has to pretend to be confused. There are some things that I want to deal with, but I cannot be too hasty. Ai! The way of an emperor, just thinking about it really gives one a headache. "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Your Majesty does not need to be anxious. King Ning rebelled, had troops and money, but was still easily destroyed by Your Majesty. How much harm can those colluding local officials cause? Your Majesty is only worried that they will take risks out of desperation and cause further damage to the country's politics and the people's livelihood. As long as we do not make a move and plan slowly, these illnesses will slowly subside without harming our strength. "
"En!" Emperor Zhengde nodded his head and smiled: "Ever since I was young, I have always been playful and do not know much about the politics and strategies of the country. Fortunately, I have the assistance of my beloved minister, so I do not panic when faced with problems. Oh, that's right, my beloved minister, the matter in Jiangxi has almost been settled. We want to leave Mount Longhu today. We will first return to Nanjing, then take the water route and return north. This way, we can also go to Suzhou and Hangzhou, which have the reputation of being a paradise on earth, and see the scenery of Jiangnan after the ban on the sea was lifted. "
Hearing this, Yang Ling couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and repeatedly said: "Good, good, this subject will immediately make the arrangements. We will immediately leave Mount Longhu."
Yang Ling bowed and left. He immediately went to discuss the preparations with Du Fu. Right now he was afraid of meeting Zhang Fubao. He had taken advantage of that little girl enough. She had stayed in the Taoist Master's mansion since she was young, so she was ignorant about the matters between men and women. But Yang Ling had a guilty conscience, so he always felt uncomfortable living in the Taoist Master's mansion.
Yang Ling and Du Fu arranged the carriage and the guards of honor and immediately rushed back to the mansion. They saw the Taoist master Zhang standing next to Zhengde. Yang Ling saw his elder brother and with a bit of a guilty conscience, he bowed and said with a smile: "Taoist Master, thank you for your hospitality and help the imperial court capture the rebel, resolving this matter without using weapons. Yang will accompany you back to the capital. If fate allows it, Yang is willing to receive you in my own mansion. "
Zheng De laughed out loud and said: "The time has come! Taoist Master and I have discussed scriptures and Taoist Master and have gained a lot of insights. I am inviting you to the capital so that I can learn from you. "
"Ah? Taoist Master also wants to go back to the capital? "Yang Ling said in surprise.
The Taoist master Zhang said with a smile: "Why, you don't welcome me?"
Yang Ling quickly turned his surprise into joy and said: "That's good, that's good. Taoist Master and I feel like old friends at first sight. It's a pity that we didn't have much contact because we were busy. It's good to go to the capital together, haha, haha!"
After saying this, Yang Ling asked with concern: "What does Taoist Master need to bring with him? You can move the carriage outside the mansion first. "
The Taoist master Zhang said with a smile: "I am a man of Taoism. I am alone in this world with no worries, so I don't have many things. But my sister might have more things." He asked the housekeeper at the door: "Has Eldest Miss's things been moved?"
Yang Ling was shocked again: "Your sister also wants to go to the capital with you?"
Celestial Master Zhang gave him a strange look and sighed. "Yes, my sister has always liked to travel with me. Whenever she hears that I'm going on a long journey, she'll always pester me to go with her. This time it's strange. I want to go to the capital, but she doesn't want to go with me no matter what. "
"Then don't force her. Girls have grown up and don't like to travel around." Yang Ling saw the opportunity and quickly dissuaded him.
The Taoist master Zhang said nervously: "No, no, you must bring her with you!"
He covered his mouth and whispered to Yang Ling: "Duke, you don't know. This girl is causing trouble at home and almost stole all the rare herbs that I collected with great difficulty. This trip will take a few months. If I leave her alone at home, the Taoist will be worried!"
Yang Ling was speechless. Of course, he knew how crazy that lass was when it came to refining elixirs. He had eaten her elixirs twice. One time, he had almost died from diarrhea, so he must have died from it. Now that the lass was randomly refining elixirs at home, thinking about it … To be honest, he was also worried.
Zhengde finally set off. A large group of people left the Taoist Master's mansion. The imperial carriage was in front. The Taoist master Zhang stood in front of the mansion and said impatiently: "Why hasn't Eldest Miss come out yet? Housekeeper, go and urge her again! "
"I'm coming, don't rush me." Zhang Fubao came out of the gate with red eyes. He was dressed in a light green robe and his long hair was tied behind his shoulders. He looked gentle and lovely.
"Huh? What's wrong with your eyes? "Taoist master Zhang asked curiously.
Beside him, Yang Ling felt his scalp tighten. He hurriedly turned around and shouted at the head of the Board of Rites, Du Fu, who was busy giving orders, "Eunuch Du, I just remembered something …" Yang Ling said as he hurriedly slipped away.
The Emperor's fleet left Mount Longhu and left the Taoist Master's mansion. They followed the picturesque Lu River into the distance.
The fleet left Mount Longhu and was moving forward when an imperial guard in a bright yellow robe rushed to Yang Ling's sedan chair. He cupped his hands and said: "Duke, Princess Xiang wants to see you."
"Oh?" Yang Ling opened the curtain of the sedan chair. He rolled his eyes and said calmly: "Got it. Reply to the Princess, I'll be there immediately."
Yang Ling made some preparations. He changed to a horse and followed the long fleet to the Princess' guard of honor. He asked for Princess Xiang 'er's carriage, then stepped forward and said in a clear voice: "Your humble servant greets Your Highness."
"Duke, please enter the carriage." A clear and melodious voice came from the carriage.
"Yes, your humble servant obeys!" Yang Ling abandoned his horse and boarded the carriage. The Princess' carriage was very spacious on the outside. There was a bright yellow curtain hanging from the mouth of the sedan chair. Yang Ling bowed and said: "What orders does Your Highness have?"
"When I came to the south this time, I suddenly thought of buying some local products to send back to Bashu. It can also be considered as filial piety. I want Duke to help me buy some things when you return to Nanjing. Oh, Duke, please come in to answer me. I have too many things listed, it is inconvenient to answer outside."
Yang Ling hesitated. He looked at the two maids sitting on the left and right side of the sedan chair, then lifted the curtain and walked in. He saw Princess Xiang 'er in a bright yellow palace dress. Her face was beautiful beyond compare.
As soon as she saw Yang Ling enter, Xiang 'er immediately put on a happy expression. She pulled on the long sleeve of his official robe and pulled him to sit on the wide bright yellow seat. She sat on the side and held his arm.
Yang Ling nervously said in a low voice: "You've gone mad. Someone saw."
Zhu Xiang 'er chuckled and said: "Who would dare to look in without permission? Hey, listen to me. I dreamed of you last night. "
"Really?" As Yang Ling answered, he nervously looked left and right. He pulled the curtain and moved his butt forward, ready to stand up at any time.
"It's true," Zhu Xiang 'er said happily. She rested her face on his shoulder and smiled sweetly. She said softly, "It's so beautiful. I'm laughing even in my dreams. Hee hee, you're so naughty in your dreams."
Yang Ling looked at her helplessly and said in a low voice: "My great aunt, you are a little girl. You have the nerve to tell me about your wet dream? Be careful … "
"Yes, I will be careful." As Zhu Xiang 'er said, she squeezed her butt closer to his side. She smiled and said: "So, dreaming of a man is a wet dream. Hee hee, yes, I had a wet dream."
She said in a soft voice: "Guess what I dreamed about? I dreamt that the two of us seemed to have returned to Sichuan. Hey, don't look around. I dreamt that you put me and my father under house arrest. That damned big stick wouldn't let me go out to play no matter what. I swore that even if your Marquis came back, he wouldn't dare to be so rude. I wanted him to kneel down and lick my toes.
Then, I dreamed that you really came back and came to apologize to me. I didn't listen, so you knelt down and really took off my boots to lick my toes. Hee hee, it was so itchy. I pulled my feet back and you just wouldn't let go. It was so embarrassing. You are so naughty. You said it was an apology, but you flirted with me. "
As she said this, she hit Yang Ling's chest sweetly. Yang Ling said gloomily: "It was your dream. I didn't really flirt with you. How am I naughty? Then … what happened after that? "
"After that? Nothing happened after that. You just kept licking my toes. It was itchy, so I woke up laughing. "
Yang Ling rolled his eyes: "That's it? Oh … then I'm going back. "
Zhu Xiang 'er hugged his arm tightly and pouted: "Isn't this wet dream fun? I still want to laugh when I think about it. I told you about it, but you didn't even smile when I saw your sour face. "
Yang Ling bared his teeth and laughed dryly: "This is the carriage. It's not good for me to stay here for too long. Now that I've laughed, can I go?"
Zhu Xiang 'er pushed him and said angrily: "You're just brushing me off! Wait, don't go first. I was just about to ask you, what should we do about our matter? Imperial Brother has the intention of betrothing Sister Yongfu to you. If you beg him, he will definitely agree. But Ming Destiny has betrothed a princess to a married man. You're the first one. No matter how ridiculous he is, he won't agree to let me marry you. Have you thought of a way? "
When Yang Ling heard this, he frowned and said: "It's not that easy to think of a way. You know it's difficult, don't you? You're a princess. I'm also worried about what to do. No matter what I say, I'm afraid the Emperor will be furious. But with the way things are now, can you marry someone else? "
Zhu Xiang 'er said angrily: "Fine! I'll castrate you first before marrying someone else! Anyway, you have to think of a way. No matter how difficult it is now, there's only the Emperor. Once you get past him, what's done is done. Once we return to the capital, humph! Just wait and see. You'll have to get past the Empress Dowager, right? You'll have to get past all the civil and military officials, right? I'll worry you to death. "
Yang Ling suddenly had an idea. He thought for a moment and said: "That's right. Now that we're outside, as long as we get past the Emperor, there won't be a problem. Once we return to the capital, our status will be set. Then we won't have to fear anyone. Let me think about it. The Emperor … the Emperor … Hmm! I have an idea. This matter still falls on Yongfu. "
Zhu Xiang 'er asked in surprise: "What do you mean?"
Yang Ling whispered into her ear. Zhu Xiang 'er was startled: "If that's the case, will we be able to take advantage of a loophole?"
Yang Ling spread his hands and said: "Is there any other way? Yongfu is gentle and well-educated. If we do this, she'll definitely help me. Then … if she agrees, it'll be easy to deal with the Emperor. "
Zhu Xiang 'er thought for a moment and nodded. Then, she looked at him with a faint smile and said: "You sure have a lot of ideas. Aren't you afraid that I'll tell the truth to Sister Yongfu in the future and let her deal with you?"
Yang Ling laughed dryly: "That's a matter between us as a family. It's better than this. If Xiuning can't take it, then let her execute the family rules on me. The Yang family rules are very strict. "
Zhu Xiang 'er giggled: "Alright, alright. When the time comes, Sister Yongfu will give the order and I'll execute the punishment!"
"Really?" Yang Ling swallowed his saliva. He imagined two beautiful little princesses, half naked, their bodies spread out. One with her hand supporting her cheek, her breasts half exposed, the other with her hands on her shoulders, her palms lightly patting her buttocks as if flirting. His heart couldn't help but sway.
Zhu Xiang 'er bit her lip and smiled. She imagined him holding her feet in front of Sister Yongfu and sucking her delicate and cute toes. Her heart itched and she couldn't help but curl her toes in her boots …
※ ※ ※
When Zhengde's imperial entourage returned to Nanjing, the civil and military officials of Nanjing rushed to welcome them. Yang Ling saw that Qian Ning was in the group and couldn't help but sigh secretly. This Qian Ning was too greedy and lustful. He became the Nanjing Imperial Bodyguard's Commander and was still not satisfied with the beautiful women and money that King Ning sent to him. Then, he took advantage of his position to steal the blueprint of the Bureau of Ordnance's Frang machine gun and gave it to King Ning. The crime of supporting the enemy's weapons was unforgivable.
When King Ning was arrested, he held a selfish fantasy and didn't confess to any hidden accomplices. He was a prince and couldn't use torture to extort a confession. During the trial, Emperor Zhengde was furious and immediately beheaded him. Qian Ning's heart was finally relieved. But he never thought that Zhengde would bring back King Ning's Crown Prince alive.
Qian Ning stood in the welcoming line and nervously observed the expressions of Zhengde's entourage. He saw that they looked calm. Even Yang Ling nodded and smiled when he saw him. There was nothing strange. He couldn't help but feel lucky. Perhaps the Crown Prince didn't know that King Ning had sent him a secret? In this way, he could rest easy.
But this Crown Prince was still a thorn in his side. He was escorted to Nanjing. He didn't know if the Emperor would execute him immediately. If not, he had to find a way to get rid of him as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be a disaster.
He secretly thought of getting rid of King Ning's Crown Prince, but he didn't know that Emperor Zhengde and Yang Ling had already finished discussing on the way. He was already a person to be arrested. But because it involved a lot of people, before returning to the center of power, Zhengde didn't want to reveal the bribery list found on King Ning's Crown Prince.
Zhengde returned to Nanjing this time just to go to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to say goodbye to Taizu, and then he would sail back to Beijing by water. He didn't plan to stay in Nanjing for long, but he didn't expect that as soon as he returned to Nanjing, Siyi Guan reported that the Kingdom of Frang Ji in the far west had sent an envoy to visit the Emperor Ming Destiny. Now he had stayed in Siyi Guan for three days.
Zhengde remembered that after Yang Ling defeated the Frang Ji fleet last year, he once said that the king of that country was interested in trade with Ming Destiny, so he hurriedly called Yang Ling to discuss. Yang Ling heard that the envoy of the King of Portugal had arrived, so he urged the Emperor to meet him and discuss the trade between the two countries. Zhengde had no objection to this.
Yang Ling remembered that the West didn't have the etiquette of kneeling on both knees. Every time he negotiated with the West, he was often stuck on this matter, and it always caused a big wave. Only then could he reluctantly ask the West to kneel on both knees. This bad habit was really not desirable. He didn't want to use both carrot and stick to force the envoy to kneel three times and kowtow nine times.
In his opinion, whether Ming Destiny had a position in the hearts of the West depended on his strength. And as a large country, Ming Destiny should also seek the greatest interests of the people and the court. The stupid behavior of paying for face in the past tribute system should have been stopped long ago. Therefore, this time the envoy of the West came to negotiate trade matters, and not the tributes of Ming Destiny's vassal country, so they didn't have to kneel to the Emperor. Therefore, he made a suggestion to the Emperor.
What Yang Ling was most worried about was that the officials of the six ministries would protest, so he had prepared a full speech early. He didn't want to fight for the rights of the West's envoy, but he wanted to correct the bureaucratic style of Ming Destiny's court that didn't focus on actual interests, but on false reputation. Although this first step was difficult, once it was taken, the future generations would have a basis to learn from.
Zhu Xiang 'er's words reminded him that the Emperor was not in the capital now, and there were fewer constraints. The Nanjing Six Ministries were not as powerful as the Beijing Six Ministries, so they were easier to deal with. As long as this was overcome, there would be a precedent to follow, and the court would have a lot more convenience in the future.
Yang Ling didn't expect the officials of the Nanjing Six Ministries to be more pragmatic than the officials of the Beijing Six Ministries. Things went unusually smoothly. Although the old men of the Nanjing Six Ministries also raised objections, they didn't say anything more after Yang Ling explained a little.
It turned out that these Jiangnan officials were more or less attached to many rich and powerful families in Jiangnan, so the Jiangnan officials' attitude towards business was ten times stronger than the officials in the north. The reason why capitalism could take off in Western Europe was because of the implementation of mercantilism, which was an important prerequisite for the development of capitalist industry.
However, Ming Destiny had always emphasized agriculture and suppressed business, so that land rent and usury were far more attractive than setting up industry and commerce. Take the most famous Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants for example. After they became rich, they also bought land and opened pawnshops, so that the huge wealth gathered in their hands would flow back into traditional industries, and hindered the possibility of wealth being turned into industrial capital.
This kind of awareness was especially serious in the north and inland, but Jiangnan was an exception. There were many large merchants in the Jiangnan area. Since the lifting of the ban and opening up the sea, Yang Ling relied on the internal factories to open up transportation and other industries.
In order to form a common interest and ensure that this powerful interest group would not be destroyed because of one person, he roped in many members of the royal family in the north, including the current Emperor to buy shares in the business. In the south, Cheng Qiyun took the lead and first united the large merchants and rich families in various places, and then used them as branches to attract more gentry, celebrities, and officials.
Now, this joint-stock business method of sharing benefits and doing business together had finally blossomed and borne fruit. Even the officials of the Nanjing Six Ministries had been more or less infiltrated and influenced, changing their backward and decadent ideas.
There was a rule in Ming Destiny's court that officials above the fourth rank were not allowed to do business, but now this system only existed in name. In the capital, Zhengde had opened royal shops. Duke Cheng, Marquis Wu, and Marquis Of Shouning were doing business. Although the officials were secretive and did not dare to make it public, in fact, most of them also ran some businesses.
In Jiangnan, many officials were doing business, especially many officials of fourth-level and above, including those who had retired from official positions in the capital, were opening all kinds of shops, workshops, and sea and land transportation. They had students and old acquaintances in the officialdom, good friends, and colleagues. Through their infiltration and influence, the thinking of the Jiangnan people was becoming active and began to produce earth-shaking changes, even though these intangible things could not be seen or touched.
Yang Ling was very welcome to the arrival of these westerners. After accompanying them to meet His Majesty the Emperor, he accompanied the bishop and some nobles, businessmen, and soldiers of the country to tour around the scenic spots and watch the ceremonial parade of Ming Destiny's army and navy. He let them see the richness and luxury of Jin Ling city and the strength of Ming Destiny's army.
The richness of Jin Ling city and the beautiful scenery of Qinhuai River fascinated these westerners, and they shouted that they were in a paradise. The army of the Great Ming Dynasty had strong ships, sharp cannons, and was fully equipped with firearms. Even those aristocratic generals who were originally a little proud couldn't help but lower their proud heads. Yang Ling generously promised to allow them to build churches at will in such a paradise, including more cities, and spread their doctrines, which made those missionaries even more ecstatic.
However, for many days in a row, Yang Ling only treated them with great hospitality and sightseeing, and did not mention anything about the trade between the two parties. That made Archbishop Lamario and the nobles start to get restless after they sobered up a little. After all, their main task was to establish mutual economic and trade relations with the rich and powerful country in the east. They were not a group of tourists, and Yang Ling, an important minister of the eastern country, did not seem to care about this. How could this not make them anxious?
In fact, Yang Ling was also elated by their timely arrival, because they had brought three important items that could help the Great Ming Dynasty soar. However, it was obvious that they did not realize it, so Yang Ling did not have to appear to be in such a hurry. He could make these guests who had come from afar unable to restrain themselves and take the initiative to bring up the trade between both sides to the agenda. That way, he would be able to obtain the greatest benefits from the negotiation table.
Now that the internal affairs of Ming Destiny had stabilized, the voices of opposition to the reform had become extremely weak, and Ming Destiny could now move towards commercialization and industrialization step by step. As long as Yang Ling consolidated this goal and catalyzed the development of this process, he would be able to see the giant ship of the east sail towards the right path with his own eyes.
There was a basic law of the development of civilization: the pyramid law. When the existing technology and culture spread on a large scale, it would spontaneously give birth to the next level of technology and culture. Then, people would create new systems and consciousness based on them, and then continue to give birth to new technology and knowledge.
Yang Ling did not want to rely on his hundreds of years of advanced knowledge to forcibly build a castle in the air on the basis of Ming Destiny's dynasty. He wanted Ming Destiny to sail steadily and step by step on the right historical course.
Now this goal was gradually being realized, but there were three things that Ming Destiny could not accomplish by itself now, which required the role of external forces.
These three things were the necessary accumulation and promotion factors to complete the commercialization and industrialization development. One was the ideology of valuing business and profit, one was currency, and one was market demand. And these three things, like the three carriages of economic development, were exactly what these westerners could bring to Ming Destiny.
Dealing with these westerners, allowing these western missionaries to enter, spreading western science, culture, ideology in time, communicating with the east, and sharing resources could greatly promote the transformation of this ancient eastern country's feudalism for nearly a thousand years to a more advanced ideology.
Silver, an important item that Ming Destiny currently seriously hindered the implementation of "One Whip Law", hindered the process of commercialization development, and hindered the economic take-off, could also be realized in this trade process. Yang Ling knew that with the vision of the people of the Great Ming Dynasty, coupled with the geographical location of the Great Ming Dynasty, and thousands of years of cultural heritage, it was unacceptable for the morals and history of the people of the Great Ming Dynasty to allow them to venture out to sea and plunder some backward and weak tribes.
Now that the west had begun to plunder America by force, Ming Destiny could use its advanced production process and manufacturing technology to carry out economic plunder through dumping trade. A large amount of gold and silver plundered by the western powers from America, plus the gold and silver produced by their own mining, would be continuously transported to the east in this trade process. They would become a transit station for the global transfer of gold and silver. The ultimate goal was China, which would create the silver standard of China's currency, and encourage Ming Destiny to use sufficient gold and silver reserves to derive monetary credit. This kind of plunder would have more long-term benefits than plunder by force. Because in this process, Ming Destiny would take the continuous export of commodities as the premise, which would greatly catalyze the process of industrialization development of Ming Destiny, and encourage more businessmen to invest in and set up industries in order to provide a large number of high-quality and cheap eastern products urgently needed by the westerners. The demand would encourage the industrial owners to promote the advancement of industrial technology and the formation of industrial system, so that China could become an industrialized country before them.
Silver and gold from all over the world would continuously flow into the pockets of Ming Destiny's empire, and the whole world would pay hard currency to the Ming Destiny's empire to support the industrial development of this huge empire, and use the demand of their products to promote the development of this process. Just thinking about it made people's blood boil.
What's more, this would definitely deal a heavy blow to the western countries, which had just started, and did not have large-scale production capacity and enough advanced technology to compete with the eastern industrialization. As a result, their industrialization process would be delayed by a hundred years, or even longer.
Some knowledgeable people in these countries might discover this unfavorable factor in the future. However, businessmen valued profits, and the common people hoped to buy cheap and exquisite goods. Their efforts would be very limited, and it was destined that the eastern Han people would continue to maintain their position as the most powerful country in the world, and they would naturally continue to rule the east as a great empire!
Yang Ling's plan worked. After pretending to be elegant gentlemen for two more days, Archbishop Lamario and Marquis Barmond could no longer hold themselves back. Even though they had never tasted the delicacies of the Orientals, they felt that the food was tasteless.
Archbishop Lamario and Marquis Barmond exchanged a look before smiling at Yang Ling, who was sitting at the head of the table. "Honorable Duke, we've come to this beautiful eastern country with the hopes of His Highness the Pope and His Majesty the King. On one hand, we're here to offer our friendship to His Majesty the Great Ming Dynasty, and on the other hand, we'd like to discuss the trade between our countries."
"And …" He licked his lips and said, "There are some ignorant and arrogant soldiers in our country. They have offended the majesty of the emperor Ming Destiny and were punished by the law of Ming Destiny. I heard that they are now herding sheep in the cold, dry, and sandy west? Oh God, there are at least twelve of them who are nobles. With our sincerity, we beseech the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty to pardon them. We hope that he will allow us to bring them back to our country. I believe that after this lesson, they will no longer be rude to the invincible Great Ming army. "
Yang Ling waved his hand, and the music suddenly stopped. Two rows of enchanting and beautiful dancers retreated. Yang Ling took a sip of the wine and smiled, "The archbishop and Marquis Bamond have come from thousands of miles away, and brought the letter of credence from your king to see the emperor of my dynasty. This is enough to prove our sincerity.
As for the punishment of those war criminals, for the sake of your king, we can end it in advance, as a proof of our sincere friendship with your country. As for the trade, I want to know, what is your country's plan? "
"It's like this, Your Excellency," Marquis Bamond said, "You know, your country's silk, porcelain, cotton, tea, and so on are very popular goods in our country. Our country's navy is the most powerful …"
He looked at Yang Ling's eyes and added, "Oh, yes, it is the most powerful in the whole west. We have enough ability to ensure the safety of the ocean-going fleet, and ensure that the countless exquisite goods of Ming Destiny are sold to the west. No damned pirate dares to attack us. We hope to establish our purchasing agency in the important seaports and commercial ports of Ming Destiny, and establish a unique trade relationship between our country and yours. We hope to get your permission and support."
Yang Ling laughed, "You want to monopolize the channels of eastern goods to the west? Hmm, you have a big appetite. Can you eat such a big business?"
"Of course, our economic strength and military force are enough to guarantee it. As long as the generous Emperor of Ming Destiny agrees, we will do the rest."
"No, no, no," Yang Ling shook his head, not showing the slightest bit of interest. "You know, honorable Marquis, the Ming Empire is vast and rich in resources, and we have trade relations with many of the surrounding countries. As for the western countries that are tens of thousands of miles away, in reality, there is currently no urgent need for trade. The reason why His Majesty allowed us to do business with you is because he hopes to strengthen the relations between our two countries and increase our friendship. Hmm! Allowing your country to set up churches in our country is also for this purpose. Tolerance is the magnanimity of the Eastern Empire. "
He looked at the archbishop, the marquis, and the generals who were sitting upright and still. He smiled and said, "As far as I know, England, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Venice all have powerful fleets in the west. This is their military guarantee. Perhaps any one of them is not enough to threaten you, but what if your monopoly prompts them to form an alliance?"
Yang Ling raised his glass and smiled, "In fact, we have nothing that can be imported from the west. England's textiles are the most valuable in your country, but their lowest cost is still more than three times that of Ming Destiny. The quality of the best cotton fabrics in the Netherlands cannot be compared to the products of an ordinary handicraft workshop in Jiangnan.
The prices are high and crude. It can be imagined that once the goods of Ming Destiny arrive, they will become the goods that all the merchants are eager to fight for. If you monopolize all the business, you will also have a stranglehold on the entire western trade market. Our purpose is to enhance mutual friendship. We do not want to see you ignite the flames of war in the west, or even spread to the Indian Ocean. You cannot afford such an outcome. "
Archbishop Lamario and Marquis Bamond looked at each other. They did not expect Yang Ling to know so much about their country. "Damn it! Those stupid prisoners of war must have confessed everything to him! "Bamond cursed in his heart.
The archbishop said cunningly, "Honorable Duke, you should know that our fleet has always been on the sea line between the east and the west. We have the power to compete with them. If … your country's navy is willing to support us, what is there to be afraid of?"
Yang Ling said seriously, "How can we do that? Our emperor is not only generous, but also benevolent. He hopes to get along well with the western countries. He does not want to use force to show off his power. His Majesty will not agree to that. "
Yang Ling would not let him have a monopoly. It would be more beneficial for Ming Destiny to have more western countries come and compete with each other. However, there was no doubt that Portugal's eagerness and initiative could get them a generous gift. So, Yang Ling quickly said, "Of course, I will not completely reject your request. You can choose two of the many goods that you need to be the exclusive agent."
Yang Ling said slowly, "What I mean is that for the western countries, we will only sell these two products to your country, and then you will resell them. I believe that this profit is already very lucrative. Of course, in exchange, we also want to send people to your country, and get the legal protection and support of your country. "
Colonel Sander couldn't help but say, "Your Excellency, we have come from afar. Don't you think this is too stingy? In fact, we can get many goods through smuggling. We are now willing to only trade with the Ming Destiny government. Your country will get a large amount of tax. This is not harmful to your country. "
Yang Ling smiled faintly and said, "I'm afraid that the large-scale smuggling trade you mentioned will not work now. Those big smugglers are now under the jurisdiction of the Ming Destiny government. They are operating legally and law-abiding. No one dares to rely on force to smuggle on the sea. I hope you will also abide by the laws of my dynasty in the future. "
He put down the glass and said seriously, "Otherwise, we may have to regretfully refuse any trade with you and look for other partners. I think you may know that your country's smugglers have made a lot of money in the east. Do you know how they established themselves in the east and how they made money? Mainly by trading with Japan.
Because Japan often violates the laws of the Great Ming Dynasty, there was a period of time when they lost the right to trade directly with the Great Ming Dynasty. Even though we are only separated by a short strait, they can only obtain the Great Ming goods they need from the smugglers of your country.
Because of this, the prices in their country are very high. A catty of silk is worth six taels. A catty of silk is worth two taels. A catty of red silk is worth seventy taels. Mercury is worth three taels. A needle is worth seven taels of silver. Even an inconspicuous iron pot is worth one tael of silver. Your smugglers resell Ming Destiny's goods every year, and the difference in price is millions of taels.
Your country is even further away from our country. If you anger His Majesty Ming Destiny, he will refuse to trade with you directly. Then you will have to buy eastern goods from your neighbor at a high price. I think the extra price you have to pay will be even more shocking! "
"No, no, no. Colonel Sander is a professional soldier. He doesn't know anything about trade. Please don't take it seriously, Your Excellency!" Marquis Bamond said with a face full of smiles. At the same time, he glared at Sander.
Archbishop Lamario asked cautiously, "Then, Your Excellency, you mean that we can choose two goods to be the exclusive agents of Ming Destiny in the west. What about the other goods? Can we buy them? "
"Of course, if there isn't another friendly Western country that has established an agency relationship with us, you can buy as you please." Yang Ling smiled and said, "Actually, you don't have to be nervous. Don't forget that you are the first esteemed guests to arrive, and you are also the first to choose. So, the products that you choose to represent will most likely be the two products with the highest profits, right?
Hahaha, if there are other friendly countries that come here after hearing the news and choose some goods, you don't have to worry about spending a lot of money to buy them. You have to know that you also have goods that they don't have. In this case, you can sit down and negotiate to set a price that both parties are satisfied with. Of course, before that, you, the first group of friends who came to visit us, would have already taken out a bunch of gold coins from their pockets. "
Marquis Bamond and the others laughed. Negotiations were always decided by strength. Now that they had met such a smart official of Ming Destiny who knew everything about them, they couldn't bargain with Ming Destiny to get more benefits. Now, they had to decide which two goods to choose as the agents and ship them to the west as soon as possible. They had to make a killing first.
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