"Ambassador Dimen, can we reach Europe before Donglu's delegation?"
"It's a little too late. We have been delayed in Siam for too long. If we continue to go around Africa as planned, we may fall behind the Donglu mission."
"So...is there any shortcut we can take? Is it possible without going around Africa?"
"Yes! We can pass through Ottoman lands!"
"The Ottoman Empire? Where is this country? Is it powerful?"
"This country occupies the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. It is currently the most powerful country in the world."
On a rickety big bird boat sailing westward on the Arabian Sea, Ji Kun, who is naturally not prone to seasickness, is sitting in the cabin with Van Diemen and Li Shaoyou, who is used to the rocking. Discuss the westbound route.
Ji Kun's delegation was delayed in Siam for more than two months. Only when the earthen fortress on the island was completed did it set sail south again. When they arrived in Batavia, they learned that the Spanish sailing ship aboard the Qing envoy had passed through the Strait of Malacca a month ago.
This made Ji Kun a little anxious. Although diplomatic activities do not talk about first come, first served, there is always a first priority in everything. If the Qing envoys were allowed to arrive first and engage in activities in various European countries, they might create many unnecessary obstacles for the Ming envoys.
According to Van Diemen's analysis, the Ming Dynasty mission would probably run into big trouble in Europe, because Zhu Cihong's understanding of God was newer than "Protestantism"!
He also put forward a request for "protection rights". With the national power of the Ming Dynasty, if Zhu Cixi converted to Catholicism, he would certainly be able to obtain "protection rights".
But not only is it impossible for Zhu Cixiang to become a Catholic, but he also has his own understanding of God. This understanding is also supported by a whole set of philosophical theories (Neo-Confucianism), and this theory is close to Protestantism...
Under such circumstances, how could the Pope hand over the power of patronage to Zhu Cihong?
If there is a conflict between the two sides on religious issues, how can the "Spain blessed by God" jump up and down to rebel against the Ming Dynasty?
There are still a group of filial sons of God in Europe, why shouldn’t they join in the booing?
There will be big trouble then!
Therefore, Van Diemen suggested that the Ming Dynasty mission arrive as early as possible before the Qing mission, so as not to cause the Qing mission to suffer too.
But it seemed that it was too late to bypass Africa - in fact, it was still too late, because the Spanish took the Qing envoy to India to find the Mongolian Empire, but the Ming envoy did not know about it. So in their opinion, the only way was to pass through the Ottoman Empire.
"The Ottoman one should be the Rumi Kingdom who always gave us rare birds and animals during the Hongwu and Yongle years."
The person who interrupted was Li Shaoyou. He had made full preparations before going on the mission and knew a lot about the West.
He added: "That Rumi gun was also produced by them, but they changed the country's name to Osman at some point."
"Deputy Ambassador Li," Van Diemen said, "This country has always been called the Ottoman Empire. As for Rumi, maybe it is a homophone of Roma or Rome? But this is not important. What is important is that the Ottoman Empire is very powerful and it is a A country where Tianfang religion is the state religion.
In the West, the war between Catholicism and Tianfang Sect has lasted for nearly 1,000 years. The hatred between the two sides is deep, so you'd better not mention any religious issues. If the Ottomans raise this issue, you will respond with religious freedom or something like that.
If they ask about the purpose of your visit to the West, just say it is for trade issues...Don't talk to them about heaven and God. They are sometimes more difficult than Spain. You must avoid getting into trouble. "
Van Diemen is now playing the role of an old friend of the Ming people and a loyal advisor to the Ming diplomatic corps.
Of course, the suggestions he made were based on the interests of the Dutch Republic. When this major premise is met, he is still willing to put forward some constructive suggestions.
"How powerful is the Ottoman Empire?" Ji Kun asked, "How is it compared to the Ming Dynasty?"
"Of course it is stronger than the Ming Dynasty, whether at sea or on land." Van Diemen said truthfully.
Ji Kun asked again: "Then will they colonize the Western and Southern Oceans like you Europeans?"
Ji Kun's worries are not unreasonable in light of the world situation in the 17th century. The Ottoman Empire was more powerful than any other European power, and at least until the defeat in Vienna, it looked like a superpower that would be difficult to defeat, whether at sea or on land.
If the Ottoman Empire had not spent its main energy on the war for hegemony on the European continent, but on the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean, the Dutch and Portuguese would not have been so easy.
"This is indeed a problem," Van Diemen shrugged, "so you'd better not irritate the Ottoman Empire on colonial and overseas trade issues. If they shift their attention from Europe to the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, they will attack our two countries. It’s not a good thing to say anything.”
...
Istanbul, Topkapi Palace.
Sultan Ksem, who had just finished his morning classes, was sitting in the Sultan's Audience Hall in Kubalti, the imperial parliament hall. Through a golden window, he was paying attention to the ongoing meeting in the hall.
The fact that the Ottoman Empire could maintain hegemony for hundreds of years certainly had its merits politically. This empire takes the true meaning of "foreign monks like to chant sutras" to the extreme!
Although the Ottoman Turks were the ruling nation of the empire, today the members of the parliament who discuss state affairs in the Kubarti Hall include the Grand Vizier, the Military Leader, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Grand Mufti, At least half of them, including the parliamentary secretaries and others, were not Ottoman Turks.
The Sultan Ksem sitting behind the golden window is also not a Turk. She is a Greek woman. Although she is respectfully called Sultan, she is actually a queen mother. At the age of 15, she entered the Ottoman harem as a slave girl and was favored by Ahmed I, and gave birth to Murad IV and Ibrahim I.
In 1623, his son Murad IV became Sultan and gained the power to "listen to politics behind the curtain". He returned to power for the first time eight years later. In 1640, after the death of Murad IV, who was brave and good at war but had no son, he once again "listened to politics behind the curtain" and helped his mentally ill son Ibrahim I to govern. In 1648, he deposed Ibrahim I and replaced the Sultan with his grandson Muhammad IV, who continues to "listen to politics behind the curtain" until now.
However, Sultan Ksem sat behind the golden window instead of entering the meeting hall and meeting with his ministers sitting on the couch. This was not because of the "curtain", but because of the unique system of the Ottoman Empire.
By Chinese standards, the "power" of the Ottoman Empire was very heavy. When the Grand Vizier presided over the Imperial Parliament, the Sultan did not even have to show up. He just stayed behind the golden window and watched, and when he wanted to express his opinion Knock on the window again.
If you meet a lazy Sultan, just ask him to lower the curtains and you can squint behind the golden windows for a while.
When the elderly grandmother Ksem Sultan was yawning and falling asleep, her foreign minister suddenly mentioned a very novel thing.
"The governor of Basra has just sent a report that a large diplomatic mission from the Emperor of China has arrived in Basra."
The Finance Minister was a little surprised, "A mission from the Emperor of China? Isn't their country closed to the outside world?"
"Maybe things have changed now," the imperial vizier stroked his long beard, "I think we can entertain these Chinese people and learn about things in the East. It might be interesting."
Dangdangdang...
At this moment, a black eunuch knocked on the golden window, and the meeting of the Imperial Parliament was temporarily suspended.
Then the black eunuch was heard shouting: "His Majesty the Sultan wants to summon the Grand Vizier and the Foreign Minister!"
