In the first month of the fourth year of Wanli, the capital was full of joy. Firstly, it was the Chinese New Year, and secondly, it was because the court won another battle last winter. In the first year of Wanli, it was Duzhangman, in the second year of Wanli, it was Gule Village, and in the third year of Wanli, it was Daningwei. Daming has been winning battles recently, which makes him even more cheerful.
The victory in the second year of Wanli and the third year of Wanli is related to the vital interests of everyone in the capital. At least in the short term, the people of the capital don't have to worry. Anda Khan and Tuman Khan have invaded again. They must find a way. Only by defeating the Daning Guard can we go south.
The capital has regained some of its former prosperity and vitality. In just eight years from the first year of Longqing to the third year of Wanli, the emptiness of the capital has been somewhat alleviated.
The route that Anda Khan took was different from that of Ye Xian. Ye first defeated the Beijing camp in Xuanfu (Zhangjiakou) and then entered the invaders from Zijin Pass, while Anda Khan and Tuman Khan went south at Gubeikou and Xifengkou.
Qi Shuai is at least stable in the north.
There has never been a lack of impeachment of Qi Jiguang in the court, but because this kind of calming effect is still there, and Zhang Juzheng is still in power in the court, it is difficult for Qi Jiguang to be overthrown by some empty and hypocritical remarks, such as Persian beauties. Son.
As always, the young emperor met with foreign officials, county magistrates, elders and common people at Huangji Gate, and every year, Zhang Juzheng carefully selected people.
The foreign officials I met this year were Prime Minister Hedao and Jiangxi Governor Pan Jixun. Prime Minister Pan Jixun was the Yellow River Hedao, and he was the governor of Jiangxi. Both positions have real power.
"Sir, how can Governor Pan manage river affairs in Jiangxi?" Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Jixun. Pan Jixun was very thin, with bright eyes and very shrewd eyes.
Zhang Juzheng said: "Because of the Yellow River incident, only Pan Jixun can bind the Zhuolong with his hands."
The Yellow River, the mother river, has a very bad temper. It always wags its tail on the North China Plain, leaving the people in the North China Plain trapped in the pain of Yellow River flooding. As the weather turns colder, the water flow of the Yellow River decreases, and the water flow from the loess high slopes The sediment settles on the river bed, and the Yellow River becomes an above-ground river.
There were only natural disasters, but there were also man-made disasters. The Northern Song Dynasty was still unable to regain the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, so the Khitans of the Liao Kingdom could go south at any time.
The Northern Song Dynasty court was still unable to raise troops to regain the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, so Song Taizong began to dig holes everywhere in the North China Plain. For example, Baiyangdian was dug at that time, in an attempt to use water instead of troops to stop the northern invaders.
Under the guidance of Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi to use water to replace troops, the Northern Song Dynasty continued to use water to replace troops for more than a hundred years.
Sanyi Huihe was carried out under this guiding ideology. What Sanyi Huihe did was really wicked.
Can using water instead of troops really stop the northern invaders from going south? Actually no. At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin people marched southward. During the Jingkang crisis, Song Huizong and Song Qinzong went north to hunt directly.
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin army that captured the Second Emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty failed to occupy Kaifeng and withdrew its troops. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, the wise man who replaced Zongze stayed in Tokyo and Kaifeng Prefecture Yin Duchong feared that the Jin soldiers would abandon Kaifeng and dug out the Kaifeng section of the Yellow River. The people fled south. After Du Chong dug up the Yellow River, the Yellow River took the Huai River and flowed into the sea.
It is worth noting that Du Chong, who was entrusted with an important task by Song Gaozong Zhao Gou, was in charge of the defense of the Yangtze River. When the Jin people went south, Du Chong directly surrendered to the Jin people.
Du Chong dug up the Kaifeng section of the dike, and the Yellow River's temper became even more violent.
Later, the Jin Dynasty began to regulate the Yellow River, which broke its banks once every three days and once every five days. In the Yuan Dynasty, because of the management of the Yellow River, the Mo Dao Stone Eye was created, which provoked rebellion in the world.
The Yellow River is difficult to control, and in front of Zhu Yijun stands a water conservancy expert, Pan Jixun, who can tie the dragon with his hands.
When Pan Jixun heard Zhang Juzheng's comment about tying the turbid dragon with his hands, he just shook his head and said with a little sadness: "Yuan Fu was so ridiculous. The only thing I am good at is building embankments to contain water, using water to attack sand, and collecting clear water to clear away muddy water." , it is just a method of scouring the river bed to preserve canal transportation, and it is just a method of squeezing water to wash away sand. It is not worth mentioning, it cannot do its full work, and it cannot bear such ridiculous praise."
"Governor Pan, speak directly if you have anything to say." Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Jixun's hesitant expression and asked him to speak out what was stuck in his heart.
Pan Jixun took a deep breath and shook his head and said, "I don't want to harm you, sir. Talking nonsense in front of the Quanchu Guild Hall will only make things difficult for you."
This is still a senior brother!
"But it's okay to talk. It was your idea to come out to meet the foreign ministers. It's been the third year now." Zhu Yijun reiterated that there is nothing that cannot be said!
In the original historical line, the matter of meeting foreign officials was only done once in December of the first year of Wanli, and it was stopped amidst opposition. Meeting foreign officials was regarded as a hard work that shocked the emperor. You, Zhang Juzheng, can do it. Your disciples and former officials are all over the world. Who are you trying to scare?
Meeting foreign officials was an ancestral law established during the Yongle period of Hongwu. Zhu Yijun thought it was very good, so he marked an X on any impeachment memorial and retained it.
Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "That's what you say."
"To control the river, we must first control the river. Without controlling the river, it is impossible to control the Yellow River. The former chief minister Xia Yan died because of the river, so I dare not say anything." Pan Jixun thought for a long time before saying.
After Zhu Yijun heard this, he expressed his position very solemnly and clearly: "There is nothing that cannot be said. Da Sima is clamoring every day to restore Hetao and restore Ningwei. Isn't it true that Ningwei has come back? We can talk about restoration, and It must be said.”
"Can I talk about it?" Pan Jixun was stunned. He returned to Beijing to report on his work this time, and he did not have a clear grasp of the public opinion in the DPRK.
"Of course, I am the emperor, and I can speak gold and gold, and it's hard for a horse to catch up with me!" Zhu Yijun once again clearly expressed his attitude. It can be said.
Pan Jixun's water-reinforcement and sand-washing method, a set of combined boxing techniques, has been used to control the Yellow River flood control system until the 21st century. It is still the core guiding ideology. In addition, Pan Jixun clearly pointed out in his memorials during the Wanli period that to control the river, treat the river first. .
If the sediment is not removed from the source, water flushing will not last long.
Zhang Juzheng felt that Pan Jixun could bind the candle dragon with his hands, but Pan Jixun thought that he could not do his best.
Zhu Yijun specially ordered Pan Jixun to stay in the capital for a few days, and go to the side hall every day to explain the "Water Reinforcement and Sand Washing Method". Pan Jixun had never personally entered the Loop, so his method was missing another important component, the control of the Loop. .
Engineering is just like mathematics, it doesn't lie.
On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the fourth year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun copied the "Overview of River Defense" and "Guide to the Two Rivers" written by Pan Jixun, "Yongding Maoba Shipyard Chronicles" written by Wang Chonggu, "Songjiang Shipyard Chronicles" written by Guo Rulin, Zhao Shizhen and others. "Longjiang Shipyard Chronicles" and "Fujian Shipyard Chronicles" were put into the display window representing engineering.
Zhu Yijun covered the glass display window and stood in the side hall for a long time, while Zhang Juzheng stood aside, also full of relief.
Your Majesty has the ambition to inspire the Ming Dynasty. This is Hong. Your Majesty has the perseverance far beyond ordinary people. This is perseverance. Why worry that the Ming Dynasty cannot rise again?
"Sir, our Ming Dynasty is booming." The smile on Zhu Yijun's face was bright and sunny, and he was happy from the bottom of his heart.
On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the fourth year of Wanli, the thirty-two people of Ming Dynasty who were farthest away from Ming Dynasty were also celebrating the New Year. However, the conditions were simple and they could only open a bottle of Guojiao to pay homage to the capital to celebrate the New Year.
The Ming Dynasty fleet led by Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan is still on the four-masted sailboat. In the past six months, they have become people on the water.
Getting on the ship is a very, very hard job.
In the past six months, Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan have experienced many dangers.
For example, there are heavy fogs caused by the collision of the Kuroshio. There are also rivers in the sea. This is something Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan knew before going to sea. Rivers in the sea are also divided into hot and cold. When hot and cold conflict, big waves will occur. fog.
Different from the heavy fog on the road, the heavy fog at sea blocks the sky and the sun. After sailing for several days, I can’t distinguish my fingers with my hand. The fog repeatedly changes into various shapes under the influence of the wind, which makes me uncomfortable. The lonely voyage became even more terrifying. A mood called loneliness spread in everyone's hearts, as if the passage of time was stopping.
And in the thick fog, there was a sudden storm.
The weather at sea is always so unexpected. Amidst the heavy rain, strong winds and huge waves, the three four-masted sailing ships finally got separated. Everyone tied themselves to the ship with ropes for fear of being thrown out. I didn't dare to tie them too tightly, for fear that I wouldn't be able to escape when the ship sank. In fact, it was all a pointless struggle.
Human beings are so insignificant in front of nature.
The ship began to lack fresh water, or spirits. The fresh water on the ship could be replenished with rainwater, but only by mixing it with spirits to ensure that there would be no diarrhea. After communicating with the captain Antonio, Gao Qiyu made the decision and gave it to King Felipe of Spain. The second generation's liquor national cellar was taken out to ensure the supply of fresh water for the ship.
After being separated for nearly a month, the two lost boats miraculously appeared around again. People on the boats shouted enthusiastically and fired firecrackers into the sky to celebrate the reunion. The firecrackers swept the sailboat There were holes in the sails, and Captain Antonio could only cheer and curse.
In fact, Antonio was prepared to lose both ships.
Even if one ship can arrive at the port smoothly, the profit will be enough to make up for the loss. The return of two ships is simply a miracle.
There were no pilots on the two ships. Translated into the Ming Dynasty's words, there was no pilot who could guide the stars across the ocean.
The art of guiding stars across oceans is a profound knowledge. In the Ming Dynasty, the crew also regarded them as gods who could do calculations and calculations. Under the heavy fog that obscured the sky, they could still navigate with the help of a compass. This was an extremely terrifying thing. ability.
A navigator needs to have profound arithmetic skills and stargazing abilities. In the West, there are not many navigators willing to board a ship. In fact, from - Manila Moon Harbor - Acapulco (Mexico) - Lima Port (Peru) - The Strait of Magellan - La Plata (Argentina) - Pará (Brazil) - Cape Verde (the westernmost tip of West Africa) - Seville (Spain) is still very unstable and immature, especially when crossing When the Pacific is calm, there are still too many dangers.
People prefer the Macau-Goa (India)-Cape of Good Hope-Lisbon (Portugal) route. This route does not need to cross the rough Atlantic Ocean. There is land along the way, and fresh water and food can be replenished at any time. Most importantly, this route The route has been around for decades and is very mature.
The Spanish and Portuguese navigators actually did not like the new route opened by Spain, which was considered to be full of dangerous adventures.
So the separation of the two ships without a captain meant death, but they still followed the river in the sea and followed the flagship with a captain.
Xu Fan put down the telescope in his hand and said to Gao Qiyu: "There are no captains on the other two ships, which is also a means of restraint. Without the flagship, they will definitely die if they get lost on the vast sea. The captain is Felipe II. That rein in your hand.”
"The crew can die at sea, but they can never steal Felipe II's wealth."
"It's also possible that Felipe II couldn't equip enough sailors." Gao Qiyu thought of another possibility.
In the logbook, Xu Fan and Gao Qiyu have updated a lot. The topic they discussed this time was that the other two large ships were not equipped with navigators.
Antonio said with certainty: "Gao's idea is right. It's not that Felipe II doesn't want to equip enough pilots. He can't do it. The explanation is not very complicated."
"Felipe II was even more domineering. He made clear regulations that the colonies could only trade with the mother country and not with any other country. Trade between colonies was also expressly prohibited. And the trade between the colonies and the mother country Trade, a monopoly granted by Felipe II to a few merchants, was concentrated in the port of Seville, much to the dissatisfaction of the Low Countries and the Principality of Aragon."
"The designated trading port in the colony was the Port of Veracruz, also known as the evil monopoly port, Felipe II's pocketbook."
Antonio's communication with Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan was very strange. Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan spoke Chinese, while Antonio spoke Latin. The two sides communicated bilingually in this way. Both sides could understand what the other was saying, but Everyone has their own position. Even if Gao Qiyu can speak Latin, he won't speak.
Gao Qiyu is the envoy of the Emperor of Heaven.
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan glanced at each other. They could understand what Antonio was saying. Zheng He's voyages to the West were stopped during the Yongle and Xuande years. There were many factors, including the imperial court's monopoly on maritime trade, which ultimately led to opposition. Public opinion intensified, and eventually it was shut down.
Even in the Ming Dynasty, in a country with a high degree of centralized power, a government order was both top-down and bottom-up, and it had to comply with the theory of contradiction before it could be implemented. However, the Ming Dynasty had a monopoly on trade in official ships.
Now Spain is facing the same dilemma, with opposition so widespread that Felipe II can't even find a pilot.
Because the Maritime Academy was in the hands of nobles, powerful people and religions, and the pilots were also in their hands, the monopoly of trade became precarious.
Under this decree of Felipe II, there was shocking smuggling. The governors of various colonial governorates tacitly exercised convenience for merchants in the light of the empire where the sun never sets;
The Spanish magnates resisted this decree by not giving Felipe II a pilot, while the Low Countries of Niland took up arms to resist this decree.
Antonio smiled and said: "The dangerous time of this journey has passed. We are about to arrive in Acapulco. When we get there, we will get off the ship and walk to the port of Veracruz. In only three months at most, we can Arriving at the port of Seville.”
"Damn it, we have to change ships then. The sanitary conditions of those ships are extremely bad. They are full of rats and fleas. It's so damned."
"Why can't we learn the hygiene techniques of the Ming Dynasty!"
Antonio's smile disappeared!
He thought of something extremely bad. In the past six months, he had gotten used to the fact that there were no rats on the ship. Before, he would wake up every morning and see his dearest friend - the forearm-long rat. The pair had become accustomed to it. It would be a nightmare for Antonio without a rat ship.
He was used to the poor sanitary environment in the past and didn't think it was anything. But now, when he thinks of that scene, he even breaks out in a cold sweat!
It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.
"Oh? Will we be able to arrive in three months?" Gao Qiyu said worriedly: "I am still a little worried. After all, the conflict in Luzon has cast a shadow over this mission. I am more worried about seeing the mission. There was an unnecessary conflict when it came to the King of Spain.”
"There is no need to worry." Antonio looked around and whispered in Chinese: "Actually, Felipe II doesn't know where Manila is. Francisco has not reported the details of Luzon in detail, and now , he was captured by you, let alone reported."
"Not the Spaniards who sailed to Luzon actually thought that Luzon was a province of the Ming Dynasty, because the cargo of the large sailing ships were often goods with strong oriental colors, such as silk, tea, porcelain, spices, cotton cloth, paper, etc. Liuli, etc., not everyone is like the Ming Emperor, who insists on figuring out where his territory is."
"The Art of Flying Stars, a cool name. Even for religious reasons, the fact that the earth is a ball is not commonly talked about, even if it is a proven fact."
Antonio said something that was not complicated.
The furthest Felipe II had been was the Low Countries of the Netherlands. Felipe II did not know clearly the situation in Luzon. Luzon was really too far away.
"What the captain means is that if we don't explain this matter, we can fool the King of Spain in such a stupid way?" Gao Qiyu carefully tasted Antonio's words, making sure that he heard correctly, and felt a sense of familiarity.
That's right, this is how the Ming Dynasty deceived the emperor, built an information cocoon, and trapped the emperor in a dream of a celestial kingdom from which he could not extricate himself.
Antonio said with great certainty: "In fact, it is not uncommon for governors to be killed by local natives. If Felipe II doesn't ask, there is no need to explain in too much detail the most important significance of Manila to Felipe II. Isn’t it just trade? As long as trade is still going on, Felipe II will not ask too many questions.”
"Legas knew this very well, so he never talked about the loss of Manila in his letters. I was Felipe II's opponent, so it was right for me to deceive him, and Legaz was Felipe II. Even the envoys of this world, Legaz would deceive his monarch, and I have no moral burden."
"Very reasonable." Xu Fan nodded.
Deception is common, just like smuggling is common. In fact, a son will not tell the truth to his father. Xu Fan told the truth to Xu Jie, and the result was that he changed from his father's good son to a murderer, and was eventually exiled from the army. As a retinue, he was sent to Taixi as an envoy.
For example, there was a shortage of spirits on the ship. Gao Qiyu made the decision and used all the spirits from the national cellar that were gifts from the Ming Emperor to Felipe II. As long as no one said anything, no one would know.
"We are almost to Acapulco. The rest of the journey will make you two very disappointed." Antonio spread his hands and said: "Don't have too many expectations for Tessie. The real situation may be a little worse than... Your imagination.”
"Are we almost there?" Gao Qiyu was actually fed up with the days on the boat, and it felt really good to be down to earth.
"Yes, this is why Felipe II invested in me. I am an excellent pilot. I am the pilot of the large sailing fleet." Antonio said with a smile on his face.
Felipe II chose Antonio because he really couldn't find a pilot.
Pilots are not very scarce in the West, but these pilots are not loyal to the royal family and are mainly found in the Principality of Aragon and the Low Countries. The Principality of Aragon is a partner of the Spanish Empire, and the Low Countries of the Netherlands are the vanguard of the resistance to tyranny.
In the dim light of the morning light, three large sailing ships slowly sailed towards the port from the distant horizon. Their appearance was like a painting slowly unfolding.
The first thing that appeared was the mast of the ship, and then the soft sail with the red cross. When the wind blew on the sea, the soft sail swelled, like wings spreading out to fly, making the cross more full.
Every patch and every trace on the sail seems to tell its past stories and adventures. Many of them are the holes made when Antonio fired his gun at the sky during the reunion. Antonio jumped with his feet. curse.
Then there is the angle of the bow of the ship. At the tail of the angle is a stone sculpture of an eagle-beaked figure, carved by Indians.
The morning sun shines on the hull of the large sailing ship. The three ships draw a beautiful waterline on the blue waves. The hull is wide and the lines are smooth. This is the largest ship in the Spanish Empire. It is loaded with goods from the far east. .
When the four-masted galleon approached the port of Acapulco, people in the port began to run and cheer, and small boats began to leave the port one after another, attaching hooks to the large ship and towing the ship into the port.
The weather was sunny and cloudless, and the waves gently lapped the hull of the ship, creating sprays like pearls. After the ship docked, people from the entire Acapulco port rushed forward from the pier, thinking Want to see the heroic appearance of the large sailing ship.
Majestic indeed.
At this time, the crew of the large sailing ship also began to get busy. They skillfully operated the ropes and tied the ship firmly to the dock. Then the crew of the large sailing ship began to unload the cargo from the ship, boxes of goods. After being moved to the pier, the entire pier instantly became lively, with cheers constantly erupting.
Mercury was mined from the Ijo River in South America and then transported to Rico Peak to refine the silver. It was minted into silver coins in the city of Podosi and sent to the port of Acapulco, which was the distribution center for goods and commodities throughout the New Spanish world.
The arrival of this large sailing ship made the port of Acapulco more prosperous and active. People were trading goods on the docks, and cheerful, lively sounds echoed in the air.
And those three large sailing ships have become the symbol of this port, parked quietly on the pier, telling its past maritime adventures and future journeys.
Gao Qiyu got off the boat, and then fell down. On the boat, he got seasick, and when he got off the ground, he got dizzy...
Walking was as weird as walking on cotton under your feet, and it even took one to half a day to adapt, not only to Gao Qiyu, Xu Fan and Daming's envoys, but also to Antonio, the excellent captain.
After a day's rest, everyone got used to it. After adding enough fresh vegetables, Gao Qiyu finally no longer looked like a water ghost, his lips were as white as paper, and he regained his former elegant and easy-going attitude.
Gao Qiyu’s food is very simple. The staple food is crispy grilled corn chips, spicy burritos rolled with chicken or beef, a plate of chili sauce, two slices of lemon, a pinch of sea salt and a glass of tequila, which is the local Food, and the taste of this tequila was not delicious. Gao Qiyu refused to drink this strange-tasting wine.
This time I went to sea, it was very difficult, tiring, and hard work, but it was very rewarding.
"Have you discovered? Their ship sailing on the sea can be regarded as a gift from God. It is as rough as the silk they weave and dye. It is a complete adventure." Xu Fan finished writing the voyage log and faced the same excitement. Gao Qiyu, who writes quickly, said.
They use hard pens, that is, pencils. There are no conditions at sea to write calligraphy with calligraphy, so it is really difficult.
"It is indeed an adventure, going with the flow, relying entirely on the rivers in the sea to move forward." Gao Qiyu agreed very much with Xu Fan's point of view, so all those who arrived in Luzon were desperadoes, people from the bottom, Antonio, Legashi and the fox demon Luo Lian is a noble.
Xu Fan said helplessly: "As the captain said, we don't have to have high expectations for the rest of the journey. This place is extremely simple."
"According to the captain, after we disembark, we will walk a land route of about 800 miles and board the ship again at the port of Veracruz on the Atlantic Ocean. If we choose to go south to the Strait of Magellan, we will need to walk more than 10,000 miles. It will take at least more than half a year.”
"And this journey over land is more dangerous than the journey by sea."
Gao Qiyu closed his logbook and was silent for a long time before saying: "I only hope that our logbook can successfully return to the Ming Dynasty. There used to be an Indian kingdom here, which was destroyed by the Red-haired Fans more than fifty years ago. "
"In fact, from the captured red-haired fan manuscripts, it is not difficult to find that they just couldn't defeat our Ming Dynasty. They tried many times, but were repulsed. Sure enough, what Uncle Zong said made sense. Barbarians have wolf faces and beast hearts. Awe of power but not moral."
Xu Fan nodded and said, "I agree with your point of view. After they destroyed this Indian kingdom, they began to enslave this place."
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan set out again, from the Port of Acapulco on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean to the Port of Veracruz on the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This land journey was very dangerous.
In addition to the harsh weather that rained for ten and a half days, there were also countless venomous snakes, mosquitoes, wild beasts, and howling Indians with faces painted in various colors rushing out of the jungle and attacking the convoy.
All this made Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan miserable. Even the Tiqi and Xiaowei who were accompanying them lost three people in battle. One died from poisonous snakes, one died from mosquitoes, and one died at the hands of Indians. This part of the journey was so dangerous. , the driving force that drives merchants to cross the tropical rainforest is profit and wealth.
After a journey of nearly three hundred miles, the convoy began to enter a country called Tenochtitlan, also known as Mexico City. It was the capital of the Aztec Kingdom and was occupied by the Spaniards in the 16th year of Zhengde. After more than fifty years of development, there are no traces of Indians here anymore.
In this place known as the City of the Sun, Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan were surprised to find that nearly a thousand Han people lived here.
They live in a place called the Chinos Gathering. Doctors, tailors, weavers, gold and silver jewelers, carpenters, barbers and businessmen from the Central Plains are active in this City of the Sun.
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan had some contact with these people. They were all Han Chinese who immigrated to Luzon in the Ming Dynasty. The boatmen on the four-masted sailing ship came across the ocean and took root. Some of them were sold as slaves. here.
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan didn't know how to describe it. These Han people had integrated with the local area. Some of them had never returned to the Ming Dynasty and could not even speak Chinese.
After resting for three days in the City of the Sun, they set off again. This part of the journey was downhill and went very fast. After only seven days, they arrived at the Port of Veracruz and set sail again.
The map of Gao Qiyu's route is under intense production. It will appear in this chapter in half an hour at most. There will be something to do during the day tomorrow, and the update will be in the evening. There is probably only one chapter. Please give me a monthly pass, woohoo! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
(End of chapter)
