The list of guests of the British East India Company to Daming this time was sent to Beijing only a month later, and Zhu Youzhen just glanced at it and was attracted by the name of one of them.

Oliver Cromwell.

Leader of the bourgeois revolution in England and protector of the Republic of England.

He is one of the 100 great figures in world history.

Has he ever been to China in history?

Zhu Youzhen couldn't think of this allusion after thinking about it for a long time, so he was a little puzzled.

It doesn't make sense, no matter how powerful your butterfly effect is, it can't affect Europe thousands of miles away.

If you insist on explaining the butterfly effect, you can only say that it is because you recruited Zheng Zhilong, and then invited the East India Company to China.

This is something that has not happened in history.

As for the other characters in this visit, most of them have no impression.

Zhu Youzhen's so-so world historiography is only limited to the characteristics of major historical events and historical figures, and in the period of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it basically went around in the domestic circle.

The Ministry of Rites handed over the list, and the wording was also very strict, using an academic exchange mission rather than an embassy.

This was not sent by the British state, but by the East India Company, who was unofficially and unilaterally invited by the Ming Dynasty.

Why is it an unofficial invitation, because the inviter is not Zhu Youzhen, but borrowed the names of Xu Guangqi and Tang Ruowang.

As far as an academic exchange between the East and the West is concerned, there is no official cooperation and no political significance.

This is the tone of Zhu You's verification, so as not to be recorded in the history books.

Because there are some of the next collaborations, they can't be recorded in history.

As for the place to receive the British exchange delegation, Zhu Youzhen chose it in the Central Pole Hall.

This day can make Oliver remember it for the rest of his life.

The shock of the Chinese Imperial Palace to the more than 20 people of the East India Company can only be known through their respective retrospective records in the future, Zhu Youzhen has no interest in appreciating the shock and admiration on the faces of each of these people, he is wearing a new and straight court dress, under the guard of the carefully selected Han general, he slowly walked to his own dragon chair and sat down.

"Ministers see my emperor, holy bow Wan'an!"

Today's banquet was accompanied by Zhou Yanru and other six ministers and nine secretaries of the central government, and at this moment they also bowed down one after another and saluted the court.

And Oliver and other Britons naturally received etiquette training from officials of the Ministry of Rites before entering the palace, but the Ministry of Rites did not require the East India Company and his party to perform the Daming Ceremony because of Zhu Youzhen's greeting in advance.

They did the same thing as they did when they met the king in their own country.

Some bowed, some knelt on one knee.

"I'm bowing to you, friends and families from the ocean are exempt."

Zhu Youzhen raised his hand, and the interpreter invited from Guangzhou next to him immediately spoke in English.

The English of this period is roughly the same as the English that Zhu Youzhen has learned, only the pronunciation in some details is not very similar, but it does not affect the whole.

"Your Majesty Xie (His Majesty the Emperor)."

The translator was just about to translate for Zhu Youzhen, but the latter had already raised his hand.

"I understand."

After saying this, Zhu Youzhen also said to Oliver and the others in English: "Welcome to Daming, friends from afar." ”

"Oh God." The captain of the regiment, Captain Henk, who came from this visit, exclaimed: "Your Majesty the Emperor, you actually know the language of our country. ”

"A little dabbling."

"Your erudition is admirable."

Zhu Youzhen laughed and stretched out his hand to lead: "Everyone take a seat, let's eat and chat." ”

Wang Chengen immediately clapped his hands, and in the side hall, the internal supervisor of the Shangshan Bureau raised his voice to speak.

Hundreds of Gong Ladies rushed in and brought in one delicacy after another.

In order to entertain this group of people, Zhu Youzhen had a luxury for the first time since he ascended the throne and prepared this state banquet.

Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hui, Hunan, Fujian, Suzhou eight local dishes each choose 12, plus the palace 12 famous dishes, a full 108 to form this state banquet, full in the middle of the hall in a temporary eight zhang long table.

Zhu Youzhen was distressed when he looked at it.

But in order to maintain the dignity of the country as the only big empire in the world today, it can only endure the pain now.

Of course, a lot of money was spent, but this row is definitely full.

Don't you see that this group of British people are all looking straight?

Color, fragrance and taste, Chinese court cuisine has achieved the ultimate in this world.

The historical heritage of more than 4,000 years can be lightly revealed in just one sentence.

"We have an old Chinese saying that it is very happy to have friends from afar, which means that when friends from afar come to visit, it is a very happy thing."

As the host, Zhu Youzhen lifted his wine glass and smiled: "Come, I would like to welcome you to China, and I wish you all an unforgettable and pleasant time here." ”

Zhu Youzhen didn't go to talk about anything serious at the state banquet that day, just eating and drinking, halfway through the state banquet, Zhu Youzhen left halfway, and the rest of the entertainment matters were naturally arranged by Zhou Yanru and them.

With the amount of alcohol that Zhou Yanru and the old oilmen of officialdom have, it is easy to bring down Oliver's group of Britons.

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Zhu Youzhen officially met with Genk and his party three days later, and the address was not in the palace, but in the palace.

This is the palace outside the palace before Zhu Youzhen became emperor.

Here, a lot of words are too convenient to talk about.

There were also very few people involved in this conversation, only Zhu Youzhen and Henk.

Thanks to Zhu Youzhen's ability to speak English, although his English is slightly different from that of the 17th century, it is very subtle and does not affect the overall smooth communication, so even the translation is omitted.

This also ensures that no third person will ever know what the conversation is about.

On the other hand, Zhu Youzhen did not meet the British academic exchange delegation to China from beginning to end.

In the sunny private room, the fragrance of tea is overflowing, and Zhu Youzhen stretched out his hand to falsely lead: "Taste the good tea I treasure, it is definitely much better than the tea you bought from the Silk Road." ”

Henk thanked him and praised him after tasting it.

"This is the first time that you English people have come to China, and it is also the first time that we Chinese have communicated with Western European countries, and I believe that the exchanges between us will be very pleasant."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Emperor, your open-mindedness and friendliness are not found in any king I have ever seen in my life." Henk opened his mouth and praised: "As you wish, we will have a very pleasant exchange." ”

"Of course." Zhu Youjian smiled and nodded: "We Chinese like to make friends the most, in our China there is an old saying, called for friends in the ribs, everyone who is friends with our China, we are willing to do our best to help friends." ”

Henk's big red nose was even brighter: "Your Majesty the Emperor, I just don't know if you have the honor to be a friend of your country." ”

Zhu Youjian laughed: "As long as Mr. Henk is willing, of course it is our friend, as I said before, we Chinese like to make friends the most." ”

"Since His Majesty the Emperor said so, then as a friend, shouldn't you know everything and say everything?" Henk said: "I beg your Majesty's forgiveness for your presumptuousness, but Your Majesty has sent someone to India to invite us to your country in his busy schedule, not just for academic exchanges. ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled.

"So, Mr. Henk, what do I think I'm for?"

"The next group of people got off the boat from Guangzhou, your country, and almost passed through the entire country of your country all the way, and naturally saw some of the situations along the way." Henk said: "Your country seems to be experiencing a catastrophe that is rare in a thousand years, and I have heard that there seem to be some enemies in the northeast of your country. ”

The smile on Zhu Youzhen's face was even worse: "It seems that Mr. Henk is well prepared for his homework, yes, my country is indeed facing some trouble, so I need some help." ”

"What does His Majesty the Emperor need?"

"Food, the more the better."

Zhu Youzhen stared at Henk and said frankly: "The East India Company has been operating in India for nearly forty years, and your country has gained a lot of benefits from India. ”

"How much does His Majesty the Emperor want?"

Zhu Youzhen stretched out three fingers.

"30 million tons per year!"

In the Ming Dynasty, one stone was less than two hundred catties, one ton was about 14 stones, and 30 million tons was equivalent to 400 million stone of grain.

According to the calculation of the 120 million population of the Ming Dynasty, the average person can get 3.5 stone grain per year, which is about 550 catties.

I can't finish it, I can't finish it at all.

Now if the victims in northern Shaanxi can have 100 catties of grain in the pot a year, they will not starve to death, let alone rebel, 550 catties?

That's enough to get by.

The richest place in the Ming Dynasty is Jiangsu and Zhejiang, according to the Suzhou Mansion to calculate, an average household has four acres of land, a year two crops per mu yield of 500 catties, a year is 4,000 catties of output.

Of the 6,000 catties, one twentieth of the two lessons in the spring and autumn period should be taken, that is, 300 catties, and converted into silver for the imperial court.

The Ming Dynasty began to implement a whip law from the beginning of the Wanli Dynasty, and later began to apportionment of Liao, which fell on the heads of the common people, about two taels of silver per household per year.

The people of Suzhou have to sell two stones of grain every year to pay Liao, which is another 300 catties.

After deducting the miscellaneous taxes and taxes, they are calculated together in a mess, even if it is five taels of silver per year, then it will be exchanged for about 800 catties of grain.

All of them add up to 1,400 catties of grain taxes every year, leaving 2,600 catties.

A household of five to eight people eats 200 catties of grain per year, and it is more than 1,000 catties of grain.

The rest of the grain was sold by the common people, and the money from the sale was used to buy clothes, medicines, lives, and personal exchanges.

In the end, there is nothing left, and there may even be some financial constraints.

If you calculate the details in this way, it will be clear at a glance.

Zhu Youzhen asked for 30 million tons of grain, without considering the cost of living and the quality of life, it would be enough for the people of the Ming Dynasty to not starve to death!

And 30 million tons of grain is under pressure for the East India Company?

In the Hongwu year of the Ming Dynasty, the peak of the country's grain supply reached 42 million stones, and according to the tax ratio of 30 to 1 at that time, the total grain output of the country was 1.26 billion stones!

That's about 100 million tons.

And the actual output is definitely 30% or more higher than this figure.

Because there are hidden households, tax-exempt fields, employment fields, royal villages, royal properties and a large number of privileged royal laws.

If it were not for the huge disaster of the Xiaoice River, there would be no pressure at all to feed 120 million people based on China's existing arable land.

Da Ming has no pressure, India has a fart pressure.

How terrible was the East India Company's expropriation?

In 1769-1770 alone, nearly 20 million people died of famine in India! In Bangladesh alone, 10 million people starved to death!

If so many people starved to death in Daming right now, Zhu Youzhen could hang himself directly.

Because the whole country has to rebel.

There is no doubt that Zhu Youzhen does not want to see anti-people everywhere.

Henk silently raised his teacup: "Your Majesty, 30 million tons of grain, we are afraid that the East India Company will not be able to take it out, if we can squeeze it out, what can we get?" ”

"I can buy it with money."

"Your Majesty, I know that your country is rich all over the world and has a vast territory of thousands of miles, but we don't need silver in Europe."

Henk's words are true, Europe has achieved the gold standard, and silver, all of which has long been outflowed.

Where have you been?

Da Ming!

Now two-thirds of the world's silver is in China.

It has caused serious inflation and deflation in the Ming Dynasty.

As for why there are two completely opposite phenomena of expansion and contraction at the same time, we will talk about it later.

Silver, the East India Company does not want, and gold, Daming is not much.

The country with the highest reserves and production of gold in the world is India.

It's on the territory of the East India Company.

Zhu Youzhen asked, "So, what do you want?" ”

Henk shrugged his shoulders: "Your Majesty, Zai Xia is just a small captain employed by the East India Company, such a big matter, where can you say anything about it, with your wisdom, it will not be difficult to think of it." ”

"I know what you want."

Zhu Youzhen said to himself: "You are competing with the Dutch for the right to sail and for the sea route to open up a new world, and the competition requires war, war, people, and sacrifices, and your British Isles are too far away from us, and it is too difficult to transfer troops from the mainland."

So over the years, the British East India Company has been suppressed by the Dutch East India Company, I helped you drive out the Dutch, this battle, I fought for you, soldiers, I came out for you.

I don't have much of anything, just a lot of people, there are 120 million people, and it will be easy to drive away the Dutch, and then without the Netherlands, you can monopolize the sea power of the entire new world. ”

The light in Henk's eyes flickered violently.

Just as Henk was about to speak, Zhu Youzhen said again.

"But my Ming Dynasty's current level of naval warfare is very backward, and the navigation technology has long been surpassed by the Netherlands and your Europe, and I need your East India Company to send people to the ships, soldiers, and artillery needed for naval warfare.

I need shipbuilders, war officers, and artillery workers, and I will provide them with the best living environment, and bear all the expenses and security of their lives, which is the condition that I can come up with, and after Mr. Henk returns to India, you can talk to your boss, and if you want, then we will determine the details at that time. ”

The smile on Henk's face was even worse.

"Your Majesty, as you wish, I will be happy to serve you."

Playing for yourself?

Zhu Youzhen smiled reluctantly, and the sweet tea was so bitter when he drank it in his mouth.