"I would like to know, Mr. Governor, when I will be able to go to China and meet their Emperor."

In a luxurious villa in Goa City, India, a middle-aged man in a neat dress is questioning Albuquerque, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.

"Two years, Mr. Governor, I have been waiting here for you to conquer Luzon for two years."

"O great Viceroy of India, thou hast triumphed over numerous mighty enemies in the East, and on the day of thy victory over the Indians, thy name was sung throughout Portugal, but thou hast now been slain by the Viceroy of a small island in the South Sea."

The middle-aged man faced the governor, but his tone was not very polite, and even slightly mocking.

Two years, do you know how I spent these two years?

He came here from the fourteenth year of Zhengde, because at that time the Portuguese merchants and the Ming completed a smooth trade in Guangdong, obtained a large amount of profits, and they also learned that the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty could trade with them at will, which naturally aroused the eyes of the Portuguese, so the king of Portugal, Manuel I, sent him, Pires, to lead a delegation to the Ming Dynasty to establish trade relations with the imperial court.

In this time and space, many things have changed due to the existence of the Yan family and the Governor's Office of Luzon.

In the original history, Albuquerque launched a conquest campaign against Manchurian in the sixth year of Zhengde, but this time and space due to the warships of the Governor's Palace of Luzon rampant across the ocean to escort merchant ships, aroused the alarm of the countries along the way, and the military strength of South India was strengthened to guard against each other, until the tenth year of Zhengde He completely conquered Goa, and the fourteenth year of Zhengde officially launched an attack on Manchuria.

In the same way, the duke should have been in the tenth year of Zhengde because the king of Portugal was jealous of his great prestige and relieved him of the status of viceroy of India, so that the sixty-two-year-old man suffered a huge blow and was unwilling to die, but this time he was not so famous because of the long time of conquest and the considerable number of casualties, so he did not arouse the king's jealousy, and now he is still rampant at sea.

It was at that time that Pires received an order to lead a mission to China to discuss trade with their emperor.

Soon after he received his appointment, however, he saw the army returning to Goa in disarray, and he learned that the Duke of Goa had just launched and defeated the Battle of Manraka, and that the Strait of Manraka, which had been impassable at will, had been completely closed off by the Viceroyalty of Luzon.

He was very dissatisfied at the time—he was preparing for trade, and he made such a moth.

But this was also in line with the Portuguese foreign strategy, which was how they conquered Goa, and Albuquerque was rewarded by the king and worshiped by the court for his occupation of Goa, so he didn't say anything.

But two years! Over the course of two years, Albuquerque launched three attacks, each of which claimed that he would be able to defeat the Luzon army when he regained his strength, but he had just learned that the once invincible Duke of Goa had once again fallen at the hands of the Luzon navy.

Several defeats had already caused him to lose his reputation at home, and Pires had doubts about his commanding skills.

"Pires, if it weren't for the fact that we didn't know who spread the drawings of our naval guns, we would have won......"

"The last time you said you had failed because you were carrying a light warship, this time you had a Carak galleon with plenty of firepower, but you still suffered a miserable defeat, and then you made an excuse for the ship's guns."

But Pires didn't buy his account:

"I have to warn you, Mr. Governor."

"I have the mission of His Majesty the King on my shoulders, and I have been overdue for two years, and His Majesty is now anxiously awaiting my reply in the country."

"Admit it, Mr. Governor, you have failed, you may have a glorious past, but you have been utterly defeated by this opponent whom you see as vulnerable."

"You are old, and as an old man of sixty-eight years old, why don't you go back to Goa to enjoy your peaceful life and let me lead my mission to China? You must know that the governor of Luzon was only an official appointed by the emperor of China. ”

"Since you can't conquer this place, it's time to settle it by peaceful means."

"You see, Your Majesty, you are not happy with your repeated failures......"

Albuquerque clenched his fists so hard that he wanted to smash them on the table, but he was afraid of causing the emissary to be dissatisfied, and he would go to the country to speak ill of him.

He was unwilling, he had been at sea for a long time, he had defeated country after country, he had established colonies for Portugal, and he had even defeated the vast empire of India and became the governor of India.

He couldn't bear his defeat, and he wanted to fight the governor of Luzon until the end of his life, but he had to admit that he had to stop fighting.

He knew that his defeat had caused his reputation at home to plummet, and there were already rumors that he was too old to fight abroad for the king, and that if the ambassador made any further suggestions to the emperor, he would indeed be transferred back to the country.

The title of Viceroy of India, which he had earned over many years, he must not allow to be stripped away, was his greatest honor.

"Okay...... Pires, take your mission, and go. ”

"It's just that I doubt that the Chinese governor of Luzon will allow you to pass through the Manraka Strait, after all, we have just finished fighting."

"Of course I do." Pires looked confident:

"We will first go overland, offer gifts to the Emperor of China, and then ask him to order the governor of Luzon to open the Strait of Manraka for our caravans to enter."

Albuquerque nodded slightly, he only felt a little tired:

"Go, go, do what you want!"

"May God bless you."

……

In the first year of Jiajing, Pires led the Portuguese mission into Yunnan through India and got in touch with the local officials, who were naturally surprised.

In their experience, in general, such tribute personnel would not be denied.

Sure enough, soon, news came from Beijing, ordering them to enter Beijing for an audience, and they must not slack off along the way.

The little emperor was still very excited when he learned that Franc was coming.

Because it has always been the countries in the Chinese cultural circle that show their submission to the Ming Dynasty, it has been a long time since a new country has come.

As soon as he ascended the throne, the country came to attach himself - in his eyes, to come to pay tribute is to attach himself to the Ming Dynasty and be willing to become a symbol of the vassal state, isn't this a proof of his sanctity?

So he sat on the throne of the Jingshi and happily awaited their arrival.

(End of chapter)