Dear Excellencies,

I obeyed the orders of Your Excellency and our master, and sailed on the sailing ship of the Jiangnan merchants of the Ming Kingdom, who had been inspired by our Lord, to go to a world where no European had ever set foot. This filled me with the joy of serving my Lord on this trip, and I couldn't wait to see the gospel of my Lord echoing in the wider land.

I wrote this letter in the second compartment of the ship's cabin, which was said to have come to Macao through the communication channel from Jiangnan to Guangdong. However, according to the information I received from the captain, this communication channel, even if it was very smooth, would have taken nearly two months. I am afraid that the vastness of the Ming Kingdom is far beyond our understanding. According to Xu Jinglian, an enlightened merchant, the voyage from the south of the Yangtze River to the capital was no less than the voyage south to Guangdong, so it seems that our lord chose a central point for the spread of the gospel in the Far East.

Sailing at sea is undoubtedly boring, but I spend every day in excitement. Praise my lord, Xu Jinglian is not a simple businessman. He was the grandson of the former prime minister of the Ming Kingdom, and at the same time a nobleman with a junior title (Andewang's misunderstanding). I have to say that it is really amazing that the Ming Kingdom awarded knighthoods and officials with fair selection of learned people. From this point of view, I cannot justify their belief that Europe is the land of barbarians, and that they can attain exalted status by bloodline alone.

Contrary to what we assumed, this inspired merchant and descendant of a prime minister was at the same time an extremely learned scholar and a proud young man. He was only sixteen or seventeen years old - according to the custom of the Ming people, there were two ways to calculate the imaginary age and the real age. When I asked about the difference, he replied, "The imaginary years are counted when they leave the father's body, and the real years are counted when they leave the mother's body." "I was deeply puzzled about this, until he explained to me in depth the details of what our Lord had ordered men and women to make—a strange knowledge that only he knew, as much as he knew all the nations of Europe. It's puzzling. But I believe that this is the knowledge that our Lord gave him when He opened His Mind.

What follows has been very sad for me for a while, and I ask you to be prepared to hear the bad news.

Xu Jinglian did not recognize the supremacy of our lord, and he even replied to me in praise of my lord in the common words of pagans, "Perhaps." This gesture shows that he does not know that he has been inspired by our Lord. Of course, Our Lord enlightens the foolish lamb in every way. No mortal should speculate on the power of our Lord, nor the mind of our Lord.

Xu Jinglian is full of desire for natural science. Perhaps this is because he already knows more about European politics, law and history than I do. He repeatedly mentions the philosophers of ancient Greece who were able to articulate Euclid's identity, while also denying Aristotle's exposition of mechanics, but acknowledging the usefulness of Aristotle's logic. As you know, I am not a very knowledgeable scholar, and it was only because I studied Chinese with Father Xavier that I got this rare opportunity. I can't show the wonders of natural science, I can only remain humble and silent.

My Lord is above. Xu Jinglian was very dissatisfied with me, but he did not deny European civilization because of my ignorance. He expressed on several occasions that he hoped to be able to send to the Ming Kingdom with the help of His Excellency, priests who were well accomplished in mathematics, physics, astronomy, and art, and that it would be better to bring with them the latest European books on these knowledge. He said he was willing to pay in gold and silver.

My lord blesses, it is said that no one can make more money than Xu Jinglian. He was known as the god of wealth. I'm surprised by this almost blasphemous title. If the people of the Ming Kingdom had their own belief in gods, how could they embrace the sacred to mortals? Since they may have given a mortal the title of god without any guilt, does that mean that their faith is not firm and religious? Perhaps this is why our Lord revealed him to be a messenger of the gospel. Excellency. I can't wait to get your opinion, that will give me strength.

……

Andwang writes here. The rumbling of cannon was heard in the distance.

――Did you encounter pirates?

He hurriedly put down the quill, grabbed a handful of stone powder and sprinkled it evenly on the letterhead, and then folded the letterhead and hurriedly put it into the envelope. Because of the panic, the letter was very dishonest and the envelope was bumped around.

Andwang muttered, "My lord, I hope this letter will reach the priest." Our Lord willing! ”

"Mr. Ann. The ship is about to enter the port. The sailor shouted outside the door, "Zogor asks if you can go ashore." ”

Andwan was relieved, only to find that his forehead was already covered with beads of sweat. He wiped his sweat lightly and replied, "Okay! Please tell Mr. Jing Lian, and I will go up immediately. ”

There was a sneer from the sailors outside the door, apparently more than one waiting to hear Andrwang's strange accent.

Andwang was a little ashamed. A blush appeared on his face. He opened the letter again, but could not think of anything more to write, so he wrote at the end of the letter:

Your Excellency, the sailors have just come to inform me that the fleet is about to enter port. Mr. Xu Jinglian asked me for my opinion for the first time and asked me if I would like to go ashore. I suspect that this is the port that he can control, and that the port is welcoming him in the form of a salute - something I haven't seen since leaving Europe.

Now, my honorable Excellency, I intend to go ashore to see if there is any chance of delivering this letter to Macao.

May the gospel of our Lord be preached throughout this mysterious nation.

All glory be to our Lord!

Your faithful servant, respectfully.

After writing the last paragraph, Andwang blotted the ink with stone powder again, and this time he sent the letter paper into the envelope without a hitch. He hurriedly melted a piece of wax, sealed the envelope, and stamped his emblem on the surface of the ring. When everything was ready, he put on the Ming people's scarf and hat and walked out of the cabin.

Xu Yuanzuo stood on the deck, letting the sea breeze blow his clothes. As far as the eye can see, there is a thin layer of smoke over the harbor, which is the salute to welcome Xu Yuanzuo's fleet into the port. This slightly Western-style sailing etiquette was not really learned from the Europeans, but an evolution of the generals who went in and out of the gate to cheer them on. Don't look at Lin Daoqian as just a pirate, he is also the water envoy of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and there are many pirates who are born as sailors in the Ming Army.

Xu Yuanzuo was flanked by Luo Zhenquan, and behind him was the loyal old Zhejiang soldier guard. These guards were all mountain miners, and they were very nervous about the sea, and some of them even suffered severe seasickness. But Xu Yuanzuo found their protection impeccable and reassuring. Of course, next time he will still recruit some Zhejiang sailors from Huai'an and other places, although Kang Chengsi and Kang Pengzu refused to use these chaotic soldiers, but Xu Yuanzuo felt that the requirements of the merchant fleet did not need to be so high.

The key is to be reliable.

The key to reliability is to balance interests.

He heard the footsteps of a little daughter-in-law behind him, and it was Andwang. Xu Yuanzuo didn't mean to scare the young monk. It's just that his long-term attitude of not being angry and arrogant does look scary. What's more, Xu Yuanzuo's gentle treatment of others is out of emotional control with high emotional intelligence, not nature. By nature, he is definitely a strict person, both to himself and to outsiders. A waste missionary who added the wrong skill point obviously couldn't get Xu Yuanzuo's gentle treatment.

Lin Daoqian personally greeted Xu Yuanzuo at the port, with mixed feelings. He got the letter from Xu Yuanzuo to be stationed in Beigang first. Along with the letter came the secret letters of many squires in Chaoyang, Guangdong. Xu Yuanzuo found him through the Changle Zheng family that day, so much so that he thought that Xu Yuanzuo's relationship in Fujian and Guangdong was nothing more. Who knew that Xu Yuanzuo went to Guangdong and had a relationship with so many Chaozhou squires.

Chaoyang County, Chaozhou Prefecture. It is simply Lin Daoqian's second hometown, and it is also his biggest foothold now. If it weren't for Lin Dachun to deal with him, the government would have found an opportunity to kill him a long time ago. And this Xu Yuanzuo turned out to be a student of Lin Dachun!

――Didn't you say it earlier that you had such a strong relationship? What are you looking for Zheng!

Lin Daoqian didn't know how many times he had slandered Xu Yuanzuo.

Xu Yuanzuo didn't expect Lin Daoqian to have such a relationship with his own teacher. He couldn't figure out why Lin Dachun had to deal with a pirate - although they were all surnamed Lin, they were definitely not from the same clan. Of course, Lin Dachun didn't explain, he actually just adhered to an old saying: "A soldier who surrenders without a fight is also a good man." Now Lin Daoqian is no longer entrenched in Chaoyang. Isn't it "a soldier who surrenders without a fight"?

"Report the big boss! The flotilla entered port. ”

Lin Daoqian squinted his eyes and boarded a small boat: "Come over." ”

Xu Yuanzuo didn't expect Lin Daoqian to come on the boat to greet him in person. I thought that this pirate had made a mistake, and politely greeted him.

Lin Daoqian saw Xu Yuanzuo and bowed deeply: "Xu Xianggong's trip is hard, hard. If it weren't for the opening of North Harbor, I should have sent you away. ”

Xu Yuanzuo smiled noncommittally, and followed the topic: "How is Beigang progressing during this time?" ”

Lin Daoqian said respectfully: "The Zheng family has sent fifty families to the island this month. Among them, there are 72 strong men. Spring ploughing has begun. However, I heard that we need to plant bean grass for one year first. The main thing is to fill in swamps, dig ditches, and open up fields. In addition, there are a lot of struvite stones that Xianggong said, and there are indeed several small islands in Penghu, and people from Dongsha have also been sent there. It is a shortage of manpower and far away, so it is mainly mined struvite on this side of Penghu. ”

Xu Yuanzuo was a little surprised: When did Lin Daoqian become so obedient! This gesture is not a partner at all, it is simply a subordinate, okay!

He didn't show the slightest hint and said, "Yes, how is struvite used?" ”

"It's the photographer who said it, and after grinding it, bury it in the soil." Lin Daoqian said: "Do you want to go and see?" ”

Xu Yuanzuo shook his head: "I said everything that should be said, they listened, life is better, if they don't listen, it's themselves." I'm not going to bother too much about it, as long as I can get the candy then. ”

Lin Daoqian smiled and said that he understood.

The fleet docked, and Xu Yuanzuo went ashore safely under the dual care of Luo Zhenquan and Lin Daoqian. Lin Daoqian asked Xu Yuanzuo to go to Beigang Town to rest, while knocking on the side to see if the Guangdong squires also had the intention of developing Taiwan. However, as Xu Yuanzuo had known for a long time, the squires in Guangdong were still bound by the land of Guangdong, and did not open up the demand for Taiwan. They prefer to be traders, making the difference by changing hands to trade, without risk, and with high profits. Why bother to get a bunch of people to grow sugar cane?

They will not be willing to take this step unless they see the huge profits brought by Taiwan's development.

In this world, explorers are a minority after all, and few of these explorers become pioneers, and they often become martyrs.

Xu Yuanzuo is a strange person in the eyes of the world, just because he is an explorer, and he is also an explorer who does not want to be a martyr.

Beigang Town has not changed in the slightest from the last time Xu Yuanzuo came, but there are a few more houses outside the town, and the abandoned fields seem to have been reclaimed. Standing on the only two-story building in the town, and still seeing the ashes of the burned plants and trees in the distance, that is the first step in clearing the wasteland.

"The vegetation grows luxuriantly here, and it's not easy to open up the wasteland." Lin Daoqian stood beside Xu Yuanzuo, and he couldn't leave an inch, which made Luo Zhenquan very worried about what bad intentions this old pirate had.

Xu Yuanzuo said: "It can always be developed." By the way, what is the status of the disease? ”

"No one has contracted yet. Everyone heard that it was transmitted by mosquitoes, but now they are much more careful. The area around the house is filled with silt as much as possible, and there are insects-repellent plants and trees burning everywhere. "The forest road is dry.

Xu Yuanzuo nodded and said, "Prevention is always good." All the water must be cleared and boiled and drunk, otherwise there will be a plague, and that will be a big piece of death, and there will be no salvation at all. ”

Lin Daoqian didn't think Xu Yuanzuo was alarmist, and he agreed again and again.

"Well, I want you to help me prepare some materials. I heard that there is a lot of wood on this island, and there is good wood for me to keep. Xu Yuanzuo said. Generally, it takes three or five years to prepare for the cutting and use of ship materials, so now we start to store wood, and when Xu Yuanzuo's warship is finished, it can be manufactured in large quantities.

Lin Daoqian thought with his toes that Xu Yuanzuo wanted to expand the fleet at sea, so he naturally agreed.

Xu Yuanzuo also reminded Lin Daoqian not to be complacent, but also to find other suitable places to prepare for the opening of a new port in the future. Taiwan is so big that a Beigang alone is definitely not enough. If it was before, Lin Daoqian would definitely disdain this, but now that he knows Xu Yuanzuo's relationship in Guangdong, he guesses that this new territory may be prepared for the Chaoyang squires, so he is naturally cautious.

Xu Yuanzuo took a short rest in Beigang, and after the inspection, he turned to Changle. Changle is the place where the fleet can be greatly supplied. It's just a pity that there are no specialties here worth bringing back to Songjiang, and the price of spices is slightly more expensive than Chaoyang. Xu Yuanzuo's goods with the ship had already been sold, most of them had been invested in advance, and the rest had been exchanged for spices and iron. The profits made after returning to Songjiang should be able to cover the cost of the trip, and if you want to have a surplus, I am afraid it will depend on luck.

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Ask for a monthly pass~~Ask for a recommended ticket~!

*(To be continued.) )