【Continue Asking for Tickets】

"When I was in Guangdong, I didn't meet a few gentlemen in the Jesuits, and this time I went north and unfortunately missed the two masters of Qiyuan (Yang Tingyun) and Liang'an (Li Zhizao), and I missed it again when I heard that Zanshan was recuperating in Tianjin and didn't want to go."

Wang Xingping was not too surprised when he saw Xu Guangqi, if he didn't say that he just looked at the dark skin and a home robe of the old man opposite, and said that he was an old farmer who had just entered the city, some people believed it, it was indeed different from most of the Ming officials he had seen, and this Xu Zanshan actually came with his family.

Although the Xu family only has an only son of Xu Ji, but there are many grandchildren, and now the eldest grandson Xu Erjue, the second grandson Xu Erjue and the second granddaughter Xu Gandhi Daju live with Xu Guangqi in the capital, and they have all been baptized early. Mrs. Wu first took the three grandsons of the Xu family to play in the chapel, and Xu Guangqi, his son and the doorman found another quiet room to meet Wang Xingping, which made him feel quite cordial.

When Wang Xingping was in Hangzhou, he wanted to visit Yang Tingyun, but not long after the Nanjing Lesson Case, Yang was debating with the Hangzhou government and Buddhist and Taoist forces, and Wang Xingping was reluctant to go to troubled waters. And Li Zhizao is in Gaoyou County because of the errand of the Capital Water Division, but unfortunately although Gaoyou is on the canal, Li Zhizao has been busy renovating the Nanhe River and has not been able to see it. thought that he would be able to meet Xu Guangqi when he arrived in Tianjin, but because of the Liao affair, Xu Guangqi was recalled by the emperor to Beijing, and Wang Xingping failed to catch up.

Xu Guangqi chose Matteo Ricci's Catholic Church as the meeting place really has a special intention, I heard Wang Zunde introduce that his nephew is quite interested in Western studies, although there is a recommendation in the same year, but Xu Guangqi himself was not interested, and it is not a small number of juniors who come to meet him, and he only politely agrees to make an appointment. But when Wang Xingping handed a booklet written by himself to Xu's mansion first, Xu Guangqi's attitude changed greatly, and after reading the booklet of tens of thousands of words, he had the idea of recruiting Wang Xingping into the church.

Wang Xingping didn't know that a summary of his work in Guizhou in the past year could be so valued by Xu Guangqi, he originally only wanted to express his sincerity through this booklet, but now it seems that he really cares about such a detailed work manual for a technocrat like Xu Guangqi.

In front of his predecessors, Wang Xingping did not hide his intentions, he came to ask Xu Guangqi for help, and now he is training in Tuntian in the southwest, and he needs the assistance of talents, even if he can really train a strong army, it is impossible to rely on himself to lead it for the rest of his life. Therefore, he had the intention to recruit Zhou Yiming along the way, and he also tried his best to make friends with other scholars, which was not only for the trust of the Senate and Gu Ziming. And Xu Guangqi is doing these two things in Tuntian and training at the moment, and with his understanding of Xu Guangqi, the other party will probably agree to help, after all, as a model of technocrats in this era, Xu Guangqi has no city government, or his people have never been pragmatic.

And Xu Guangqi was also quite happy to see Wang Xingping, because today Wang Xingping also brought a picture album drawn by himself, and Xu Guangqi only felt a little surprised after a cursory look at a few pages.

"This is the armament of your place now? Chu Yang, do you want to see if you can recognize this firearm? Xu Guangqi only glanced at Wang Xingping's improved electric switch pattern, and then beckoned the people around him.

The middle-aged man had a wide face and a wide nose, three strands of long hair that were shrewd and capable, and a pair of Danfeng eyes showed joy after just one glance, "This should be the electric switch made by Zhao Fuzi back then, but looking at your pattern, it seems to be more sophisticated." ”

The middle-aged man turned the page again, and when he looked at it, he was even more amazed, "Isn't this Tessie artillery?" This fort is built using the Western method of fortification......"

I saw that the picture was painted in the shape of a fortress-like building, and some small cannons were erected on the fort wall to control the surrounding terrain, and the whole drawing was also vivid, making people look as if they were overlooking the nearby mountains.

Wang Xingping said to Xu Guangqi: "This fort is not the shape of the current Jierong Fort, but the tun fort that the little nephew plans to build around the Jierong Fort in the future, but this cannon is indeed Taixi artillery, which was purchased from the Wannu Xing in Macao. It's a pity that the road is far away and the transportation is inconvenient, and now there are only these few, and the little nephew also has an iron factory in Guiyang, and also produces some ordnance for the Tun army, but it is impossible to cast cannons, which is a pity. ”

"Tiancheng, do you want to build a fortress around Guiyang?"

"This is exactly what Zhang Fujun is doing step by step."

"Step by step?"

Seeing that Xu Guangqi and his disciples were interested, Wang Xingping told him about his actions around Guiyang for more than half a year and the strategy he formulated for Zhang Heming.

"And where did you learn this method of building a city?"

"When I first purchased artillery in Macao, I also hired a Franco machine gunner, and I learned from him that this fort was used, and I combined it with the use of firearms in several battles and added some ideas of my own."

The middle-aged man pondered for a long time when he heard this, and finally smiled: "Tiancheng is really a great talent, I have also heard some of the structure of this multi-ridged fortress, but now I look at your picture and feel that it is subtle, Tessie has strange people, but in my opinion, Tiancheng is not below them." I first heard that you have made a lot of contributions in the southwest, and now I really believe it. ”

Xu Guangqi still looked like he was kind on weekdays, and after listening to them, he said: "According to Tiancheng, the situation has opened up around Guiyang now, and I don't know what the old man can help you." ”

"In fact, there is a shortage of people, craftsmen, farmers, and military households, there is no shortage of them."

"Don't talk about farmers and military households, it's not difficult to be a craftsman, didn't you say that you have been to Guangdong? As far as I know, the blacksmiths in Foshan Town are not bad. ”

Wang Xingping smiled bitterly, "There are many craftsmen in Foshan Town, but they are not short of food and clothing, and where are they willing to go to Guizhou to eat soil, but the missionaries in Macao can endure hardship, but some people are faster than me." ”

"It seems that Tiancheng knows about the Australians?" Hearing this, Xu Guangqi pondered and asked.

"Zanshan also knows Australians?" Wang Xing was suspicious, Gu Ziming and they had only been in Guangdong for more than a year, how could there be news even from Beijing? It's going to be too fast.

However, Xu Guangqi quickly relieved Wang Xing's confusion, and he said slowly while drinking tea: "I have just received news from Macao, Brother Lu Ruohan's sermon in Qiongzhou has been very smooth these days, and now there are many priests in Macao who are going there. ”

According to Xu Guangqi, Lu Ruohan began to preach in the local Huihui since he arrived in Sanya, and there were many conflicts at the beginning. But those Australians were good at business, and their subordinates were also very good, and it didn't take long to take control of the situation. So unwilling to be lonely Father Lu in a short period of loss of life goals simply took a few Japanese Chezhi Dan deep into the Li Mu Mountain to begin to preach to the Li people, what I didn't expect was that the effect was unexpected, now there are dozens of Li people in Sanya, inspired by this news, originally because of the Nanjing teaching plan from the north back to Macao dormant many priests have set off to Qiongzhou, Yang Mano, Xiong Sanba are among them, I heard that Sanya is now a big place.

Hearing this news, Wang Xingping was a little crying and laughing, I don't know how Fu Xiaofei should have a headache now, these priests seem to be very dedicated, and they should also be helpful to the construction of Sanya, but the force is a little too violent, I am afraid that the first thing to attract the attention of the government is not the Senate but the Society of Jesus.

However, it is true that because of the development of Sanya, some of the best clergy in Macao have now gone to Qiongzhou, and if they want to find someone to preach in Guizhou, they will not see immediate results, and the road is indeed more difficult, and it is difficult to become an attractive proposition.

Wang Xingping said: "Australians call themselves a kind of Chinese, and I heard that it is the Han people who crossed to the south of the Song Dynasty, and they have made great achievements in industrial and commercial affairs. ”

"Quite accomplished? Tiancheng thought of them too simply. Xu Guangqi said lightly, and then took out a delicate instrument from his sleeve, "What can make this kind of thing is an ordinary industry and commerce." ”

Xu Guangqi's hand is a fan-shaped instrument, about 90 degrees up and down, Wang Xingping recognized, this is Wan Tong put on the market half a year ago 'octant', is a simplified version of the Fubo Army's own sextant, dedicated to nautical observation, once it came out, it attracted a lot of attention, the price is also expensive, Rao is so at that time the captains who were moored in Guangzhou are still eager for this thing, but Xu Guangqi, who was in Beijing so quickly, has already got one that is also beyond his expectations.

The middle-aged man said: "I heard from Father Lu Ruohan that the Australians built a lot of forts in Sanya in the name of Tuntian, and there are cannons, but now it is more like Jincheng soup pond than Yazhou Prefecture." ”

"The little nephew hasn't heard of this." Wang Xingping felt that he had cleared his relationship.

Xu Guangqi didn't care, "Don't talk about the Australians, Tiancheng will first talk about how you want me to help." ”

He is now more optimistic about this young junior who acts rigorously and well-founded, and he very much hopes to recruit Wang Xingping into the church, so he pulled the topic back, hoping to show favor to him.

"Actually, the little nephew wants to ask my husband to help me write a book, and send more craftsmen who have recently been sentenced to exile in the north to Guiyang."

"Your uncle can do this, so why bother to go far?" Xu Guangqi asked, but did not refuse.

"There are many people and there is great power, and the little nephew feels that more people need to say about this matter in order to achieve success."

Xu Guangqi laughed when he heard this, "A good person has a lot of strength, but he is just a craftsman, and this military household is not easy to do." ”

More than a month ago, Father Pang Di wrote to the emperor with a sick body, which was sincere, and the religious officials in Beijing added fuel to the fire in the name of casting cannons to aid Liao, and the wave of attacks on the Holy Religion since last year has greatly eliminated, which makes Xu Guangqi feel happy, but it is indeed as Xu Guangqi said, even if it can really solve some craftsmen, this military household is also a problem, and it can't all be solved by exile prisoners, after all, there are not many exiles in the Ming Dynasty in a year.

Wang Xingping hurriedly said: "The little nephew has taken care of this matter, I'm afraid it can be done in just a few months, and it can be regarded as a merit." ”

"It's strange, how come I haven't heard of anything like this."

"It's actually quite simple." Wang Xingping made a shocking assertion lightly, "Liaodong will be defeated." ”

[References]

1, "Daming Huidian"

2, "Records of Emperor Mingshen Zongxian"

3, "History of the Ming Dynasty • The Biography of Xu Guangqi"

4, "History of the Ming Dynasty • The Biography of Sun Yuanhua"

5, "Wanli Shuntianfu Chronicles"

6, "Wanli Ye Ed" Shen Defu

7, "Tao'an Dream Memories" Zhang Dai

8. "A Brief Description of Beijing Economy in the Ming Dynasty" by Han Dacheng

9. "Wanli Shuntianfu City Restoration Map"

10, "Emperor Ming Fengyi Doctor, Right Chunfang, Right Concubine and Hanlin Academy, Reading and Presenting Zhan Shifu Shao Zhan Shikun Fuyang Cemetery Epitaph" Sun Chengzong

11, "Kangxi Huiji County Chronicles"

12, "Imperial Scenery and Things" Liu Tong, Yu Yizheng

13, "Wan Department Miscellaneous Notes" Shen Bang

14, "History of the Late Ming Dynasty" Fan Shuzhi

15. Introduction to the History of Catholic Missions in China, Xu Zongze

16. "The Economic Life of Beijing in the Ming Dynasty" Xu Daling