Located in the lower valley of the Guadalquivir River in Spain, Seville is a city that thrives on its port, and is also one of the most well-known cities in the Western world, and is the gateway from Europe to the Americas. The riches of the city were due to maritime trade and gold and silver wealth, but also to the people at home and abroad who lived with it—Christians, Jews who had converted to Christianity, baptized Moors, slaves, slaves who had been freed, vagabonds, thieves, prostitutes, nobles, commoners, who lived together. It can also be called the most cosmopolitan European city in the 17th century.

On this day, when two merchant ships escorted by two warships appeared off the coast of Seville, they still caused a sensation in the city - the Chinese are coming!

Three months earlier, the Dutch, who had withdrawn from Batavia to Europe, had shocked Europe with the news that the Ming Kingdom, also known as China, had occupied Batavia and that they would soon send envoys to the Netherlands to discuss the conflict between the two countries.

Of course, although this conflict was triggered by the surprise attack of the Dutch on the merchant ships of the Ming Kingdom, at first, the news was covered up by the news of the Anglo-Dutch war, but soon, the news of the occupation of Galle (Ceylon) and the Cape of Good Hope reminded the Europeans that the Ming people had arrived.

Just as Europeans began to discuss the "arrogance" of the Dutch after tea and dinner to offend an Eastern empire more powerful than the Ottomans, Chinese warships and merchant ships appeared off the coast of Seville and caused a sensation in the city.

To a certain extent, Spain was not an enemy of the Ming Dynasty, at least not for now, of course, this is not because the Ming Dynasty needs silver imported from Spain. Of course, Luzon under its occupation will also be needed in the future, but for now, both sides are still ...... Friend.

The fleet that sailed into Europe for the first time did not recklessly break into the port, but lowered the sails off the coast of Seville, and at the same time as the sails were lowered, Zhao Fengyang sent his adjutant Li Yilin ashore to meet the mayor of Seville and inform him about the fleet's visit, which was a normal visit etiquette, aimed at telling the other party that they were not hostile. When Li Yilin returned, the second-class battleship "Liang Guo" fired a 13-gun salute to the shore, and the other party immediately replied.

Li Yilin returned to the ship with not only himself, but also a port official from Seville, who, along with several of the most prominent nobles, boarded the ship to pay tribute to Li Long, the envoy of the Ming Empire, and invited the envoy to land. Everything is done in accordance with Western etiquette.

Li Long, as a special envoy, wore a magenta official robe, and he accepted the invitation, and at the same time, he ordered the entire crew of the ship to dress up, put on a white sailor's uniform, and prepare to sail the whole team. The so-called "sailing formation" is a special naval etiquette, a ceremony that is only held on solemn occasions or when dealing with the most prominent figures. Not only is it very special, but it is also very appreciative to some extent, and of course it is also a test for the people on board.

On board the ship were all dressed in their best sailors' uniforms, and the sailors stood upright at the ends of the poles, all as close together as they could, hands clasped together, arms outstretched, ropes tied horizontally, to prevent them from falling. In this peculiar appearance, all the sails were crowded with people, all the way to the big mast. Seafarers use this

Posture stood until the envoy landed on the island.

On this occasion, the gunners were heavily armed on the port side of the aft deck, and the sailors were on the starboard side, and the lines on both sides of the deck reached the landing ladder. When Li Long passed by the cabin, the whole team saluted him and played military music, which did not stop until he left the ship.

As the chief envoy and deputy envoy, Li Long and Xiong Cilu sat on the same barge, and the other attachés sat on the other barge. So the "Zheng Guo" fired a 15-gun salute, and the batteries on the shore fired the same number of cannons. At this point, all the etiquette of mutual salute has been done.

The mayor of Seville, together with local dignitaries, has prepared a welcome at the port. Without exception, they were all extremely excited, because it was the first time they had met Chinese, and the first time a Chinese had visited the city.

"Look, they're coming!"

Marcos, who was not very tall, even lifted his toes involuntarily, and as he watched the approaching barge approach the dock, he immediately straightened his clothes.

"Wise, it's really Chinese!"

"It seems to be a little different from the appearance of the Indians."

"Their skin seems to be whiter."

"Their clothes seem a bit like Moorish."

"Much prettier than Moorish clothes!"

"Oh my God, that envoy is so young!"

Under the curious gaze of the people, Li Long and Xiong Cilu finally landed on the land of Seville, and at this moment, their mood was excited, and after more than half a year of sailing, they finally arrived in Europe.

"Welcome, Your Excellency!"

Marcos took a step forward, and while he was welcome, the band was already playing a piece of music to welcome the envoy and his party.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Excellency Mayor."

Although wearing the magenta official robe of the Ming Dynasty, Li Long abides by the etiquette of Europeans and follows the customs of the locals.

At this time, the entire Seville, a city accustomed to seeing the world, was boiling with the arrival of the Ming mission. People scrambled to crowd the way from the pier to the town hall to catch a glimpse of the Chinese mission from their far east.

At the invitation of the mayor, Li Long, who sat in the carriage with the mayor, fully felt their enthusiasm, and the enthusiastic citizens surrounded the road. There were even many girls who threw flowers onto the carriage from time to time, and the praise came and went. Seeing these Westerners welcoming them so solemnly, the civil and military officials of the mission were all proud, and even showed the majesty of their Celestial Empire with the intangibles of joy.

Europeans are curious about Chinese, even in Seville, a city full of people of all races from all over the world. They don't know much about the Ming Kingdom, but for China, almost everyone can say what they imagine China to look like.

In the past, they imagined China, but now they saw a very different group of Chinese, wearing elaborate black gauze hats on their heads and Moorish-like robes. But even ordinary people could tell at a glance that the robe was sewn from the finest silk, and that the animals embroidered on the chest were extremely exquisite.

It was on this day, after the Mongols and the Tatars, that the people of Seville learned that in the East, in addition to the barbarian Tatars, there was also a civilized ethnic group - the Han Chinese. The oriental civilization they aspired to was created by the Han people.

As for the barbaric Tatars, they will only destroy!

The enthusiasm of the people of Seville was not only towards the envoy, after the envoy met with the mayor in the port, the military commander of Seville agreed to the envoy's fleet to enter the port, and allowed the sailors on board to go ashore in batches to rest, which also allowed the people of the city to have direct contact with the Ming people, even if they were only soldiers, but also to the sailors on board to contact Europe.

"You have to be careful that we are here as guests, and we must avoid conflicts, but we must not let others bully ......"

Before going ashore, although the boatswain had loudly confessed the precautions, after a few months of sailing, the sailors, who had long been eager for land, looked at the city with anticipation, and from time to time touched the money bags that were fastened at the waists of their trousers, which contained the Spanish double-column silver dollar, the most popular hard currency of the era.

Wine, beauty, we're coming!

The long voyage made every sailor crave a moment of indulgence, regardless of the sailors of any era, and this was the main reason why the disease spread to the world.

"You have to pay attention, you must pay attention, you must pay attention to check the prostitute's body, whatever, if you are infected with willow disease, when the time comes, you will be the one who suffers, don't be hard below, forget everything, understand?"

Again, the boatswain was there to reprimand, but what was the use of his reprimand?

Looking at the wolf-like appearance of those sailors as they looked towards the port, he knew that if he continued to talk about it, maybe these sailors who had been holding back for months would throw him into the sea.

"All right, brethren...... Have fun! ”

Almost at the moment when the boatswain let him go, Zhao Laoliu, who was standing on the side of the gunwale, did not even go down the gangway, but jumped out directly from the side of the ship, and went down directly to the barge along the climbing net on the side of the gunwale. Then he stepped on the barge to the docks, where his brothers were even jostling to be the first to be the first to be there.

"Sixth, sixth, wait for me......"

Wang Erpeng, who jumped down behind the sixth child, followed him. At this moment, he saw a few red-haired Yi who wanted to show their chests the size of watermelons beckoning to him, and just when his soul was attracted by the white swaying chest, Zhao Laoliu grabbed him and said.

"Don't worry, there are many sick people on the dock, look for ...... in the city"

As a veteran, Zhao Lao Liu is naturally extremely proficient in certain things, he may be anxious, but he will never accompany his body for this.

"They look at us like monkeys."

Feeling the curious eyes of the people, Wang Erpeng, who was being watched, looked a little unnatural.

"It's the same, when we used to watch Hongmaoyi, it was the same, and when we got used to it, we ......"

Just when Zhao Lao Liu didn't finish speaking, the softness under his feet made him immediately scold.

"Stepped on...... Why do you stink so ......?"

At this moment, the change in the direction of the wind brought a disgusting smell, and looking ahead, you can see the feces of pigs, dogs, horses and cows everywhere on the road, and even a few pigs foraging in the mud puddles between the roads......