Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan are both extremely professional envoys, so they call Felipe II king instead of emperor. Felipe II is not an emperor. This is a very certain fact that even Felipe II must admit. .
If Felipe II was not a believer, he could still claim the title of emperor, but his persona is that of a devout believer and a vanguard of anti-Protestantism, so the title of emperor is destined to be missed by Felipe II.
Don Juan said that Felipe II wanted to create the illusion that the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets had the same status as the Ming Dynasty.
But Felipe II was really not an emperor.
The word "Emperor" corresponds to Imperator in Latin, which means triumphal general and the highest military commander. It was an honorific title given to generals who returned from battle in ancient Rome.
Later it gradually evolved into a synonym for the supreme ruler of the known world.
In fact, both Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan have always believed that the word Caesar can describe the emperor more accurately. This word means Caesar.
This is how the emperor was defined in the Ming Dynasty. The supreme ruler and nominal co-owner of the known world has become so accustomed to this definition that it is difficult to give up.
The supreme ruler of the known world is very easy to understand. In the known world, he is the co-lord of the world. Similar titles include Khan of Heaven, Lord of Kings, and King of Unification of the Four Seas. The King of Unification of the Four Seas is the tribute of the vassal country. This is the honorific title given to the Ming Emperor at that time. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, he conquered every place he could reach.
The nominal co-owner, even if a powerful minister is in power, is the emperor as he is.
Cao Cao coerced the emperor to order the princes. When Cao Cao died, he was still the king of Wei, not the emperor. Similarly, the current Ming Dynasty is dominated by Zhang Juzheng and the emperor Youchong; before it was Gao Gong, Li Chunfang, Xu Jie, Yan Song, Xia Yan, etc. When the country was in power, Emperor Jiajing and Emperor Longqing were not very involved in affairs. Although these chief ministers could decide most matters of the Ming Dynasty, the supreme ruler was still the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
The third one is so accustomed that it is difficult to let go. In fact, a long time ago, the Central Plains Dynasty has realized that the world may be really big. Under the sky, could it be the king's ministers? On the shore of the land, could it be the king's land? It is just a beautiful and beautiful place. An unattainable dream, Zhang Qian, the Han envoy, had opened the door to a new world for the Han Dynasty. Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty made seven voyages to the West, exploring the vastness of the world.
But I have become accustomed to being called an emperor, and I no longer care about why the emperor who has the virtues of the three emperors and the achievements of the five emperors is not the highest ruler in the known world.
This kind of definition is somewhat conflicting and contradictory, but conflicting and stable states are everywhere.
Even though the sun never sets on the Spanish Empire, Felipe II was not the emperor. At this time, there were two emperors in Spain, one was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the other was the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople.
The Holy Roman Empire is indeed neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire, and the Ottoman Sultan is even more of a pagan, but he is indeed an emperor, and the imperial title of the Ottoman Sultan is very authentic. After all, the Ottoman Sultan was really eliminated. The Eastern Roman Empire gained the throne.
Gao Qiyu continued: "Why does the king have such a mentality? He wants to cross the ocean and attack the Ming Dynasty, which is thousands of miles away. Has the conflict between us become so intense that we have to fight each other? I don't even understand, the king Why are you so confident?"
"I heard that your country's commander-in-chief, Don Juan, seemed to have been defeated by the Ottomans when they were fighting for Tunisia the year before last. The opponent's general Ulrich Ali captured the King of Tunisia and sent him back to the castle. Oh, now It should be called Istanbul.”
"The threat of the Ottomans is so close, and the king actually wants to attack the Ming Dynasty thousands of miles away. This is really incredible and puzzling."
Gao Qiyu's words directly poked Felipe II's lungs and talked about Felipe II's defeat.
In the second year of Wanli, Tang Juan was defeated in Tunisia.
The Ottoman general Ulrich Ali was defeated in the previous naval battle of Lepanto. After returning, Ulrich fought hard and fought hard to win back in the second year of Wanli. Don Juan's defeat in Tunisia was very detrimental to Spain's strategy. Because the defeat of Don Juan proved two things, the first is that the Armada is not invincible; the second is that Spain is not invincible;
The Tunis Strait divides the entire Mediterranean into two parts, the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, and Tunisia is the key. Whoever holds the Tunisian region has the initiative in the Mediterranean. The victory of the Ottoman Kingdom in the Tunisian battlefield allowed the Ottoman Kingdom to gain this strategic initiative in the battle for sea power in the Mediterranean.
The defeat of Don Juan, the commander-in-chief of the Holy Alliance, made the whole of Texi very uneasy.
When Felipe II heard Gao Qiyu talk about the defeat in the Tunisian naval battle, his expression became even uglier. He looked at his younger brother. If Tang Juan had not been defeated in Tunisia, he would not have been so ridiculed by the Ming Dynasty's envoys.
The cause of the matter was initiated by Felipe II. He took the lead and said that his army was invincible and could conquer all the places he wanted to conquer, which caused Gao Qiyu to fight back.
Moreover, Gao Qiyu's counterattack was so sonorous and powerful that Felipe II was a little unbearable, but he had to accept this humiliation. If he had never fought before, he really had never fought. If he couldn't win, quarreling with the Ming envoys would not solve the problem.
"Yes, the situation in Tunisia is just as the envoy said, but we will definitely win it back." Felipe II said a little more, and no longer mentioned the conquest of the Ming Dynasty.
"Really? Then I wish the king will realize his long-cherished wish as soon as possible." Gao Qiyu gradually reduced his aggressiveness and began to talk to Felipe II about trade with the Ming Dynasty, confirming some details of mutual trade.
This kind of trade is partially reciprocal. For example, the Ming Dynasty agreed to allow the large sailing ships assigned by Felipe II to enter the Ming Dynasty. Then the Ming Dynasty's sailing ships should not be blocked when they came to Seville. The Ming Dynasty had a ban on raw silk, and Felipe II Lippe II found that he had no corresponding ban. Should he ban silver?
This kind of trade was also partly unequal. For example, the Ming Dynasty had absolute pricing power over goods, but Felipe II was firmly opposed to this. The two parties did not reach an agreement on this matter. Gao Qiyu was not in a hurry, let alone quarreled. There was no fuss, just skipping the topic.
When protected by strong troops, the advantages of goods are fully reflected.
It's you, Spain, who needs Ming's goods, not Ming who comes to supply them. This is completely a seller's market. Felipe II openly disagrees with it, and Spain can only accept it when Ming raises its price.
The prerequisite for the commodity advantage to be able to do whatever it wants is that Ming must have enough force to guarantee Ming's commodity advantage.
After certain results were achieved on these key issues, the atmosphere became heated.
Felipe II dedicated a Chinese hall to display goods from the East, such as silk, porcelain, colored glaze, etc., and the painting of the Nanjing Glazed Tower that Antonio brought back was placed in the center. Lippe likes this glazed tower very much.
"If possible, I hope to build such a tall tower with all glazed glass, but I can't. The huge military expenditure has made me bankrupt twice. Although I can pay off these debts, there will always be some problems. Without any negative consequences, it is blooming quietly, such as the general resistance in the Netherlands in the Low Countries." When Felipe II took Gao Qiyu to visit the Chinese Hall, he looked at the Glazed Tower and was filled with a kind of yearning.
He also wanted to build one, but there were not enough craftsmen, or he couldn't do it.
"You are a wise monarch. Your diligence has been heard even as far away as the Ming Dynasty." Gao Qiyu did not hesitate to praise him and said with a smile. He said it sincerely. Compared with the lazy Emperor Ming Dynasty, Gao Qiyu didn't waste his time. Lippe II is absolutely diligent.
"Oh? Really? Thank you for your compliment." Felipe II was happy when he heard that. If he praised him in other aspects, he might think that Gao Qiyu was exaggerating in business, but in terms of diligence, , even the Netherlands, which was most opposed to him, strongly agreed with this.
Felipe II could still tell whether he was sincere or out of politeness.
Felipe II had to deal with 2,000 official documents at most in one day, and spent seven hours every day on these official documents. He once told his secretary Maria Jose Rodríguez Salga I have complained many times: There are always 100,000 documents placed in front of me. After disposing of them, there will be even more the next day.
In order to reduce these cumbersome official documents, Felipe II specially formed a number of councils. Although these councils can share some general affairs for him, these councils are difficult to coordinate with each other and all require Felipe II. Handle it myself. The most important thing is that many times, the resolutions reached by the council will conflict with the king's opinions, or even be completely contrary to them.
In order to make sure that he or the council's decision-making was more beneficial to the empire, Felipe II would also write letters to the governors of various places and personally ask for their opinions before making a decision.
"Is the Emperor of Ming Dynasty also as diligent?" Felipe II asked curiously. He really didn't know the life of Emperor Ming Dynasty. Legas's letters did not describe the emperor's life clearly. I really don’t know. He doesn’t know much about the life of the Ming Emperor. Even in the Ming Dynasty, he doesn’t know much.
Felipe II's words unintentionally poked Gao Qiyu's lungs.
Was the Ming Emperor diligent? the answer is negative.
Emperor Jiajing had not been in court for more than 20 years, and sometimes even the memorials could be backlogged for several months. Emperor Longqing directly turned on the hidden mode and left everything to the courtiers. During the Aoshan Lantern Festival, Emperor Longqing was one year old. It is the time when I speak the most to foreign ministers.
This should have been a question that Gao Qiyu couldn't talk about.
"Yes! Our emperor of Ming Dynasty also worked very hard."
"Our Majesty is only fourteen years old this year, but after getting up at midnight, he begins to listen to government affairs, give banquets, practice martial arts, farm, study agricultural books, arithmetic, calendar, and write letters to officials in various places. To appease them, especially martial arts, he can already shoot a sixty-three-pound stiff bow at the age of fourteen." Gao Qiyu couldn't help but puff up his chest when he talked about the hard work of the Ming Emperor.
Gao Qiyu didn't know about the emperor's hard work. After being kicked out of the Quanchu Guild Hall by Zhang Juzheng, Gao Qiyu went to find out more about it and found out that it turned out that the Ming Emperor changed his temper and became diligent!
This diligence is so incredible, as magical as the sun rising in the west.
Gao Qiyu didn't believe it at first, but after he met with His Majesty at Xuanwu Gate and watched His Majesty's hard work in Baoqisi, he could no longer question this ironclad fact. Although this thing was very outrageous, it did happen.
A born noble man actually knows what a heavy burden he carries on his shoulders and works hard to become a noble scholar.
Now, Gao Qiyu has successfully completed the mission assigned by the emperor. He came to the West to meet the King of Spain. While presenting his credentials, he also reached a number of specific treaties on business exchanges.
"So hard work?" Felipe II said with envy: "An emperor who rules a population of 100 million, and whose territory is even more vast than the entire Ming Dynasty in Western Europe, is only fourteen years old. Such diligence is indeed What a blessing to the empire.”
Felipe II is really envious. Diligence is inevitable for the heir to an empire and the helmsman of an empire.
But his son Don Carlos, because of his relationship as the eldest son and heir, committed evil deeds and eventually turned into an unscrupulous and lawless lunatic. Although Felipe II kept emphasizing that his eldest son Don Carlos was ill, Felipe II himself knew that his son went crazy after being imprisoned by him because of his arrogance and willfulness.
Although his successor Don Carlos, together with his brother Don Juan, intended to overthrow the rule of Felipe II, and even publicly criticized Felipe II many times, the reason that made Felipe II determined to imprison his son was , it was Don Carlos who made the shoemaker eat the shoe.
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan will next participate in a grand tour, starting from Madrid and traveling throughout the West. This grand tour is planned to go to Lisbon, France, the Netherlands and England, and then to Austria, Germany, and the Holy Roman Empire. and Tsarist Russia, if possible, would also go to the Ottomans.
Gao Qiyu did not plan to go to Rome to see the Pope, and Zibuyu would confuse the gods with his strange power. Just like Felipe II did not understand that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not need to be canonized by the Holy See, the people of the Ming Dynasty actually did not understand the matter of a human divine envoy canonizing a human king. .
Not to mention Taoism and Buddhism, even Confucianism and Master Yanshenggong's family, if you have any such thoughts, even breathing is a mistake.
Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan will stay in Western Europe for a long time, observe the customs and customs of various countries, record them in books, and send them back to the Ming Dynasty. This is their second mission as envoys.
In early April of the fourth year of Wanli, Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan set sail again, heading for Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
At this time, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was far away in the world, was attending the affairs of state as always. The table of the Wenhua Palace where the Nine Ministers of the Ming Dynasty were conducting the court deliberations, which should have been the seat of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was empty.
Four months passed by in a flash, and Zhang Juzheng still had not found a suitable official minister.
"Today we have to decide on a Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs no matter what." Zhang Juzheng's tone was a little helpless. The selection of the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs was not difficult, but very difficult. Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Chonggu and said: "I still nominate the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments to be moved to Wang Chonggu. "
"Yuanfu, although I am working for the Ministry of Justice and working in the official factory of the Ministry of Industry, I will never be the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel." Wang Chonggu immediately objected. He himself opposed being the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
From the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Personnel, if Wang Chonggu agrees, he can be in charge of the selection of hundreds of officials. It seems to be an ordinary promotion, but it is a real promotion and greater power.
Wang Chonggu refused to agree because he knew very well that his identity should not be tainted too much by things like power. Even if he was to join the cabinet, he should not be in charge of selection.
The power of the Minister of Punishment was neither too big nor too small, but just right. Wang Chonggu only wanted to make money, and he was also in the cabinet for official affairs.
"It's understandable that the chief minister doesn't want to be a minister in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. How about letting Ge Zongxian do it?" Wang Guoguang suggested Ge Shouli. Yang Bo is the leader of the Jin Party, Zhang Han is a member of the Jin Party, and Wang Chonggu is a member of the Jin Party. It is better to let Jin Party leader Ge Shouli continue to work.
"I don't want to do it. I'm old and weak, and the official department is busy with official duties. I can't do it. If I were asked to do it, then I would have to become an official." Ge Shouli refused very clearly. The reason for Ge Shouli's refusal was very simple. In the yamen, the general affairs are busy and he can't handle it. He is old and old. The last time he became an official, His Majesty persuaded him to stay, but Ge Shouli has gradually faded away from the core of power and concentrated on party building.
The Shangshu of the Ministry of Personnel is the inherent territory of the Jin Party. Whether it is Yang Bo, Gao Gong, or Zhang Han, they are all members of the Jin Party, so candidates from the Jin Party must be nominated.
But this person cannot be an extremist. For example, someone like Zhang Siwei is determined. What Zhang Han did in this position is really a bit mind-numbing.
Zhu Yijun coughed slightly and said: "I asked you to take charge of both of them, but you refused, so the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel has been vacant for four months, and the Ministry of Personnel is in good condition, so why not make a sign with the name "Minister of Personnel" engraved on it? Minister, let Paizi be the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"
The little emperor's ability to humiliate people was recognized both inside and outside the Ming Dynasty.
The meaning of these words is that even if you become a minister of the Ministry of official affairs, it is better than Zhang Han.
Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I still have some suggestions for candidates. I propose that the Minister of Rites, Wan Shihe, be appointed as the Minister of Rites, Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel and Ma Ziqiang, the vice president of the Ming Dynasty Huidian."
Don't tell me, don't tell me, Wan Shihe is really suitable to be the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
Wan Shihe was born in the Jin Party, and Wan Shihe was ordered to sit on the fence. Wan Shihe was not extreme, and even too tactful. He was indeed an excellent candidate. This was a key position in the power struggle. It was not a bad thing to have such a person in power.
At least Wan Shihe and Xini's temperament will not further intensify the contradiction between Zhang Dang and Chu Dang. He is ordered to sit on the wall and visit all the Chu, Jin and Zhejiang guild halls.
Everyone looked at Wan Shihe. Wan Shihe pointed at himself and said, "Me? How can I be so virtuous and capable? I won't do it."
"I agree." Wang Chonggu was the first to agree. Everyone else sat on it and started grilling, except Wan Shihe. Who made Wan Shihe smooth?
Wang Guoguang thought about it seriously, nodded and said, "I agree too."
Ge Shouli smiled and said, "I have no objection."
Tan Lun, Minister of the Ministry of War, thought about it again and again and said with a smile: "Very good."
Seeing that more than half of the people agreed, Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Excellent, it's decided. Let's let Uncle Da Zong be the Minister of the Ministry of Official Affairs." Zhu Yijun thought about it for a while and felt that there was no problem. Ma Ziqiang is the vice president of the "Da Ming Huidian" and is the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Official Affairs. He has the qualifications to be the Minister of the Ministry of Etiquette. is enough.
After Ma Ziqiang printed the Dijian Tushu for the young emperor, he returned to his hometown. Ding You returned to the court at the end of his term and took charge of Zhan Shi's office. He then served as Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He was one of the few civil servants in the Ming Dynasty who was proficient in history. In this Neo-Confucianism , Under the background of Xinxuehua historiography, Ma Ziqiang’s knowledge is no problem.
It is very noteworthy that no one recommended Zhang Siwei.
"It's so good, how can I be the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs?" Wan Shihe still did not give up his struggle, and said with great conviction: "The great Situ Wang Guoguang was also born in the Jin Party, and his qualifications and reputation are among the best in both ability and political integrity. I propose that Grand Situ Wang Guangguang be the official of the country."
"Qing Zhang, returning the land, six books and one account, one whip, no matter what it is, I can't find a replacement, what do you think, Uncle Zong?" Wang Guangguang said with a smile: "If I can find one, If someone can be the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, it is not impossible for me to be the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
"Zhang Xueyan?" Wan Shihe asked tentatively. Zhang Xueyan's arithmetic was recognized by the court. At least the landowners in Liaodong could be sorted out by Zhang Xueyan.
Zhang Juzheng thought about it and shook his head again and again and said: "He is in Liaodong and is not suitable for transfer."
Hou Yuzhao went to Liaodong. Zhang Xueyan could not return to the capital for a short time, and he had to watch Li Chengliang. Don't forget what Li Chengliang said in the capital. He changed his mind when he returned, and all the Ming Dynasty's arrangements in Liaodong were in vain.
"Okay." Wan Shihe finally agreed. Isn't he the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel? If you haven’t done it before, why can’t you become a brand? !
Anyway, the method of passing the examination is already very mature. If you just put your name on the draft list or fill it in the booklet, what kind of trouble can you cause?
Zhang Juzheng wrote the floating stamp and escorted the book to the emperor for his majesty to seal it.
Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Uncle Da Zong, do a good job."
"I obey the order." Wan Shihe obeyed the leader's orders again. He had already made up his mind. He did not seek merit but sought no fault.
Zhang Juzheng took out the second memorial and said: "The second thing is that Ning Yuanbo Li Chengliang sent a congratulatory gift, saying that the Haixi Jurchen gave Li Chengliang a monetary gift, which was dug near Huining Mansion. It is money cast by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, with the inscription Xuanhe Yuanbao written on it. This item is extremely precious, and to this day, only this one remains."
Song Huizong minted a total of sixty-six Xuanhe Yuanbao gold coins. After the country was broken and captured, Song Huizong's money made of gold was forged by the Jinren. This one is the only one left, which is ten of preciousness.
Li Chengliang saw such a rare thing and sent it directly to the capital as a gift.
The reason why Zhang Juzheng wanted to talk about this was because he wanted to discuss the Ming Dynasty Money Law. The expansion of Yunnan Copper production was on the line, and the Ming Dynasty War Bureau finally came up with silver coins that satisfied the emperor.
Zhang Juzheng shook his sleeves, took out a row of silver coins, opened them one by one, and said: "This is one tael (37.25g), five coins, and one silver coin. These are white copper coins. Copper coins are mixed with tin, lead, and iron, and Wanli Tongbao is one." Two silver coins are equal to one thousand copper coins, five silver coins are equal to five hundred copper coins, and one silver coin is equal to one hundred copper coins.”
"Your Majesty, I have a lot of money to offer to the treasury." Guo Chaobin, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, bowed his head and said.
"Send it over." Zhu Yijun thought that the big money was at most the size of a palm, but he misestimated the size of the money.
When it was presented, Zhu Yijun looked at the big money the size of a wheel and asked blankly: "Is this big money?"
Guo Chaobin bowed his head and said: "Yes, this is the treasure coin made by the minister. It is one foot eight inches and seven cents in diameter. The copper coin weighs 83 catties, 9 taels and 8 cents. The silver coin weighs 98 catties, 7 taels and 4 cents. The money weighs 180 catties, 2 taels and 8 cents. money."
The weight of gold, silver, and copper coins of the same size increases with the increase in density. Zhu Yijun looked at the three large coins that were carried up. The town treasury naturally has the meaning of town treasury.
First of all, its most important significance is that the currency design of the Ming Dynasty can be vividly displayed on a large coin of nearly two feet.
The copper coins were cast and still had the original shape. The sky was round and the place was flat, making it convenient for the people of the Ming Dynasty to use and carry.
Gold and silver coins, on the other hand, have the hole in the middle removed and are rolled in a circular shape. This is naturally based on the Thai coinage method, and it is also a practical practice, because rolling can easily deform the hole in the middle, so When rolling, the engineering department chose a round shape.
There are complicated and exquisite patterns on it to prevent counterfeiting. The pattern chosen by the Ministry of Industry is wheat ears. In the view of the Ministry of Industry, it is of great significance for His Majesty to establish the Baoqi Division himself, so he directly took the meaning of the Baoqi Division and used two Curved wheat ears are used as fillings, with Wanli Tongbao written on the front, and the weight of the money, one tael, five qian, four qian, and the specific time, Wanli four-year system, written on the back.
If the coinage is not exquisite, it is better not to coin it at all.
The significance of casting large treasury coins also represents the innovation of Ming Dynasty technology, from coin casting to rolling process improvements, and this improvement means that the unsightly pores on silver coins no longer exist, and the silver coins are sparkling and durable. The mill, and most importantly the dimensions and weight, were regulated.
"Okay, okay!" Zhu Yijun held the silver coin that was about to be issued in his hand and said with a smile: "Okay, okay, great, Guo Shangshu can do things well, very good."
Zhu Yijun listened in detail to the reports of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household on several aspects such as the rolling and issuance of silver coins, and spoke highly of the work of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household. The Ministry of Industry is responsible for minting money, while the Ministry of Household is responsible for issuance. The division of labor is very clear.
"Yesterday, it was reported that Qinglong Fort of Daningwei had fallen, and Tuman Khan came to Xinglin Fort." Zhang Juzheng said another matter with a solemn expression.
In the battle of Daning Guard, the Ming Dynasty took advantage of winter to attack, but now that spring is blooming and everything is recovering, the enemy's mobility began to recover, and they began a counterattack against the Ming army entrenched in Daning Guard.
Moreover, the momentum of the counterattack was extremely rapid, taking the lead and capturing Qinglong Fort.
Everyone was worried, except for the little emperor who looked relaxed. The fall of Xinglin Fort and Qinglong Fort was expected. After all, winter cannot be built. As soon as the spring warmed and the flowers bloomed, the Tuman tribe began to attack.
Please give me a monthly ticket, wow! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
(End of chapter)
