He Zhenwu's thoughts Ma Lin didn't care, and after his 100 guards lined up, Ma Lin began to arrange for the sailors to carefully carry down the 9 Galapagos tortoises that he had selected.

These 9 Galapagos tortoises are the 13 surviving tortoises in the best health and are naturally the most suitable gifts. When the nine tortoises were lifted down, He Zhenwu's mouth was wide enough to swallow two eggs......

Lao He has lived for more than forty years and has never seen such a huge turtle. Before, he received a task to take on a turtle, but he didn't believe it, thinking that it was a barbarian who was asking for a reward. And it turned out to be true......

Not only He Zhenwu was stunned, but the Ming soldiers who were watching were also very confused. Obviously, they were all shaken. Kong Tai, who was accompanying Ma Lin, looked a little laughing, in fact, when he saw the tortoise for the first time in Keelung, he was no better than these Ming soldiers.

Seeing that He Zhenwu and other soldiers of the Ming Army's Tianjin Guard were dumbfounded, Ma Lin had to remind:

"General He, this is auspicious, why don't you take it?"

In ancient times, auspiciousness was very important. There is auspiciousness, which means that a court has face. It's not a good thing to snub Xiangrui.

He Zhenwu reminded Marin that he woke up from a dream and hurriedly arranged for someone to receive the Galapagos tortoise. However, the soldiers who were arranged did not dare to step forward.

Why? The Galapagos tortoise is huge, weighing hundreds of pounds, like a beast of prey. Moreover, many turtles are carnivores and bite people.

But the Galapagos tortoise is actually a mild breed that eats fruits and vegetables, but these Ming soldiers don't know it. After all, the Galapagos tortoise is a deterrent for its size. Ma Lin explained, and these Ming soldiers came over to carry it tremblingly. The Galapagos tortoises were then carried into very clean rooms, better than human.

Later, Marin reminded that these turtles do not eat meat, but only fresh fruits and vegetables and young grass. Of course, He Zhenwu gave him ten dares and didn't dare to let these auspicious uncles known as "Xuangui" eat grass. Therefore, these Galapagos tortoises eat all fresh fruits and vegetables bought in the market, and these tortoises eat with relish. Fortunately, it is early summer, and vegetables are abundant, but in winter, it is very difficult to get fresh vegetables. Ordinary people can't eat it at all, only some royal estates, which use hot springs to grow vegetables, will eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

……

After arranging these turtle uncles, He Zhenwu began to arrange the accommodation of Ma Lin and the others. Because he was a foreign feudal lord, Ma Lin's treatment was naturally not bad, and he lived in the best inn room here in Dagukou Port. Its 100 guards were also assigned rooms.

However, the soldiers and sailors on the ship, He Zhenwu did not dare to let them land. After all, these soldiers seem to be very elite, and if they go ashore and cause trouble, he can't afford it.

Therefore, He Zhenwu finally decided to let the 900 guards and sailors continue to stay on the ship. However, He Zhenwu ordered people to deliver food and water boats to supply the soldiers and sailors on board. As for whether to let those people get off the ship, He Zhenwu told Marin that it would have to wait for Jingli's instructions. Moreover, he also sent his subordinates to the capital to ask for instructions.

Dagukou is not far from the capital, only 340 miles away, take the post station system to change horses and gallop, you can arrive on the same day. On the day that Ma Lin landed from Dagukou, He Zhenwu also sent a message to the capital to ask for instructions. After all, he was just a local guard officer. He didn't understand the reception of Fanbang envoys and even the lord of the country.

Then, Ma Lin and his entourage temporarily stayed at Dagukou and waited for a response from the capital......

……

When the news reached the capital, it immediately caused an uproar in the Manchu Dynasty. Some conservative civil officials believed that it was not in accordance with the etiquette system for the lord of Beihai to land in Beijing from Dagukou, and that it was only right that he should land from Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and other ports that received foreign vassals.

However, Liu Jin said that when the DPRK envoy came to the DPRK, he did not go through these three ports. Moreover, the other party is here to offer auspiciousness, and the special points are normal. Then, Liu Jin's group of minions also supported Liu Jin's views. Some people actually say that the auspicious Xuangui turtle landed from the Dagu mouth in the east, which is more auspicious. Because, this represents "purple qi coming from the east", which is the most suitable for the arrival of the turtle.

This metaphor is very ingenious. Now, those aggressive counselors can't refute it. After all, the Confucian Dynasty still attaches great importance to auspiciousness. Only with auspiciousness can we show the rationality of the existence of these ministers of the DPRK and China.

Therefore, the ministers discussed, and the main and guest department of the Ministry of Rites sent a foreign minister (equivalent to the deputy director) to lead a team to Weidagukou, Tianjin, to be responsible for receiving Ma Lin, the lord of the country. At the same time, welcome back the auspicious turtle.

However, in determining the rank of Marin, the courtiers had their own opinions and quarrels. According to the convention, vassal states such as Korea, Japan, and the Ryukyus had the same status as the prince of the county, and the Mongol tribes were uncertain. But the actual situation is that the imperial court recognized their status as equal to that of the county kings, but on the side of the Ming Dynasty, when the court or banquet, the vassal king stood or sat (during the banquet) under the marquis and uncle of the Ming Dynasty.

This is mainly to show the dignity of the Ming Dynasty, look, you are the lord of a foreign domain, and your status is also under my Uncle Hou of the Ming Dynasty. But in addition to their lower ranks, their ranks are not low. For example, they did not need to salute the Hou Bo of the Ming Dynasty, but only needed to salute the emperor, crown prince, and prince first. Moreover, they saluted the prince four times, and the prince had to return the two salutes. As for the princes and uncles of the county, they saluted each other. It stands to reason that their rank is higher than that of Hou Bo, but the Ming Dynasty considers itself superior, and Hou Bo's status is no less than that of the vassal monarch. In addition, although the vassal king and the king saluted each other, it was generally the feudal lord who saluted first.

……

Of course, that's not the point. The point is - how to calculate Marin's level......

If Marin claims to be the king, then there is no need to talk about it, just refer to Siam, Malacca and other kingdoms. But Ma Lin called himself the Grand Duke, which made the Ming Dynasty monarchs and ministers a little dumbfounded - what the hell is the Grand Duke? Is it a king?

It stands to reason that the Grand Duke should belong to the Duke. But the problem is that the North Sea Kingdom is an independent country, not a principality on the surface.

Then, some ministers asked-is it a monarch like the prince of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? Everyone nodded in agreement, but how should an independent prince like the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period be placed in the Ming Dynasty now? Moreover, let's say that he is a duke, and there is a "big" word in front of it......

In the end, Liu Jin was also annoyed and said:

"Don't fight, since he himself calls himself the Grand Duke, then let's not give him the status of the king of the vassal country, give him the rank of a prince. Of course, when the class is in the court, it is below Uncle Hou! When you see my court, you must salute first! ”

The ministers hurriedly called it "good......

Then, since the level is set, it is necessary to set the court uniform. Moreover, the general court clothes were rewarded by the Ming Dynasty. According to the regulations, the prince wears a black gauze hat, wears a jade belt, and embroiders a unicorn on his clothes (civil officials embroider birds, military attaches embroider beasts). The only problem is that Marindo is high......

Regarding this issue, Liu Jin also gave an opinion - when the Ministry of Rites sent the staff of the host and guest department to the reception, according to the system, it was necessary to let Ma Lin and his entourage officials "practice etiquette for three days", so as not to go to the court when they officially went to the court. And the person in charge of teaching etiquette is naturally the outsider of the host and guest division.

What Liu Jin meant was that during the three days of teaching etiquette, this outsider could completely measure Ma Lin's height, fat and thin, and then hurried back to the capital with someone to report the data. Then, the Scarf and Hat Bureau, one of the eight bureaus of the Inner Court, rushed to produce a suitable official uniform and sent it to Marin before he left for Beijing......

As for the 9 turtles, Liu Jin also attached great importance to them, and ordered Jinyiwei to send a team of Han generals to Dagukou to welcome back those auspicious "turtles" as soon as possible......

As for the question of whether Marin's other 900 guards are logged in, Liu Jin also thought about it carefully, and thought that it should be put ashore, otherwise Daming would weaken his momentum. However, it is okay to be put ashore, but it is not allowed to carry weapons ashore to avoid disaster......