Cao Wenzhao looked at his nephew, saw that he was clenching his fists, full of fighting spirit, and suddenly became calm, reached out and put his hand on his nephew's shoulder and asked, "You really decided?" ”

"It's decided!" Cao Bianjiao nodded vigorously and replied without hesitation.

Cao Wenzhao patted his nephew on the shoulder, didn't say anything more, turned around and walked back to the main seat to take a seat.

Cao Bianjiao saw it behind him, and asked with a little surprise: "Uncle, do you agree?" ”

Hearing this, Cao Wenzhao suddenly turned around, stood still in front of Cao Bianjiao, and seemed to ask with a hint of expectation: "If my uncle finds a way to transfer you to Denglai, will you go to Lu Zhongcheng's side?" ”

As soon as he heard this, Cao Bianjiao knew that his uncle still hadn't given up, and he was still thinking about changing his decision. He thought of the heroic Lu Xiangsheng, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate a little.

When Cao Wenzhao saw it, he immediately added: "Lu Zhongcheng has a good impression of you, after you pass, not only do you not have to start from scratch, I believe that with Lu Zhongcheng's ability, it is not impossible for you to make meritorious contributions." How is it? ”

Cao Bianjiao didn't answer immediately when he heard this, lowered his head and pondered for a while, then suddenly raised his head and asked, "Uncle, even if my nephew goes to Lu Zhongcheng's side and makes great contributions, at most he will only be the same as Wu Sangui." Right? ”

"......" Cao Wenzhao was speechless when he heard it, your uncle and I are still deputy generals, listening to your tone, you don't even disdain the general soldiers?

Seeing his face, Cao Bianjiao obviously guessed his uncle's thoughts, so he immediately explained: "Uncle, don't blame, my nephew just wants to surpass Wu Sangui." Riding and archery and the like, under the teaching of his uncle, his nephew believes that he is no worse than him! ”

Cao Wenzhao listened very comfortably, and his face looked a lot better. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Cao Bianjiao say resolutely: "My nephew believes that with my nephew's ability, I will definitely be able to occupy a place in the new army!" As my uncle said, the emperor must have high hopes for the new army. If the new army can really become a strong army, at that time, the nephew's backer will be the emperor! Only in this way can the nephew surpass Wu Sangui in the future! In addition, even if he went to Lu Zhongcheng's side, his nephew didn't think he could have this opportunity! ”

Speaking of this, he clenched his fists to his chest and said categorically: "My nephew must be stronger than him Wu Sangui!" ”

Listening to Cao Bianjiao's oath, Cao Wenzhao looked at him in a daze for a while, then suddenly strode forward, stretched out his hand and patted his nephew's shoulder heavily, and praised loudly: "Okay! You have such ambition, uncle will stop you again! This road, after all, is for you to walk by yourself, you will give your uncle a road to the sky! ”

Cao Bianjiao was overjoyed when he heard this, he immediately clasped his fists and saluted, and said firmly and loudly: "Uncle, don't worry, my nephew will work hard a hundred times harder, and he will definitely break out of the sky!" ”

The next day, that is, the second day of the Lunar New Year, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, as the minister who supervised the promotion of sweet potatoes throughout the country, went to the Wenhua Hall to bid farewell to the emperor.

Hu Guang has high hopes for this. But he also knows that it will take at least a few years for sweet potatoes to spread across the country. Now Xu Guangqi's trip is just to sow seeds all over the country.

After some encouragement, Hu Guang suddenly felt that Xu Guangqi seemed to have something to say but was hesitating, so he asked a little curiously: "Xu Qing, if you have any concerns, say them together, I will be the master of Qing!" ”

When Xu Guangqi heard this, he seemed to have made up his mind, and immediately said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, after the news of the minister's departure from Beijing came out, several missionaries from the Beijing division came to see the minister. ”

At this point, he paused, and then said with a look of earnestness: "Your Majesty is very knowledgeable, even if you don't have those missionaries. But Your Majesty has a lot of opportunities, and those Western knowledge still have to be taught by others to teach the people of the Ming Dynasty. The minister recommended Fang Langzhong Sun Yuanhua to learn Western studies from these Westerners, and then was able to educate the people of the Ming Dynasty. ”

When Hu Guang heard it, he understood what Xu Guangqi meant. He still wanted to intercede on behalf of the missionaries, hoping to repeal the ban caused by the Nanjing Case, so that Sun Yuanhua could learn Western studies from Western missionaries.

After thinking about it for a while, he asked Xu Guangqi, "What is the foundation of Sun Yuanhua's Western studies?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, Sun Yuanhua is a student of the minister, and he also converted to Catholicism like the minister, and learned from Western missionaries, who are better at learning Western artillery." When Xu Guangqi heard that it seemed that the emperor was moved, he hurriedly replied.

When Hu Guang heard this, he nodded and said: "Qing is busy with sweet potato matters, and Xixue will let Sun Yuanhua sort it out for me, if you don't know how to play the chapter on the ground, you can give it to me." As for the Western missionaries, I have already said that there is no room for bargaining! ”

Xu Guangqi was happy to hear it at first, but when he heard it later, he found that the emperor still hadn't changed his mind, and he couldn't help but be a little anxious, and hurriedly played: "Your Majesty, now the court is an eventful autumn, and there are grievances all over the Ming Dynasty, and Your Majesty has every opportunity to ...... it."

"Xu Qing!" Hu Guang listened, interrupted Xu Guangqi's words, and said a little seriously: "I said that these missionaries came to my Ming Dynasty not only to preach, but also to harbor evil intentions, don't be deceived by their current behavior!" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister really can't feel it, I hope Your Majesty ......" Xu Guangqi felt that the emperor was really biased, at least in his opinion, those Western missionaries really had no malicious intentions, so he wanted to advise again before leaving Beijing.

Hu Guang interrupted Xu Guangqi's words again and instructed him: "Since Qing doesn't believe it, send those Western missionaries to see me, Qing is listening from the side." ”

Xu Guangqi really didn't believe it, and when he saw that the emperor wanted to see those missionaries, he couldn't help but feel happy in his heart. He believed that as long as the emperor was willing to contact them, he would feel their profound knowledge and broad mind, and he was willing to travel thousands of miles to come to the Ming Dynasty to preach and spread Western learning.

Those missionaries knew that Xu Guangqi would make another speech to the emperor today, so they waited outside the noon gate for news. Therefore, it didn't take long for them to meet the supreme ruler of the Ming Dynasty in the Wenhua Palace.

Seeing them come in, Xu Guangqi immediately glanced at John Tang, who was the leader.

Tang Ruowang and the other five people all took a deep breath, faced the emperor, stretched out their hands to touch their chests, and said in a Chinese accent unique to Westerners: "...... I've seen His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty! ”

Seeing this, Wang Chengen, the eunuch on duty beside Hu Guang, suddenly shouted loudly: "Bold, don't you kneel down and salute?" ”

Xu Guangqi was stunned when he heard this, what was going on? In the past, monks and Taoists did not need to kneel and kowtow when they entered the palace! Even if this father-in-law is young, he should know this!

Tang Ruowang and the others were also stunned when they heard this, and then Tang Ruowang, who took the lead, replied: "Your Majesty, we are missionaries sent by God to the Ming Dynasty, and we salute Your Majesty according to my Catholic etiquette......