"Returning to your Majesty, the assassins didn’t know that your Majesty was going to Yuquan Mountain. Since December 18th, they sneaked into the capital. After many observations, they can see the true face of His Majesty. But there are too many guards around His Majesty. Wandering around in the capital, the dynasty meeting was closed during the Xinyuan period. They thought that they had no chance to start, so they went to Yuquan Mountain to play, and met your Majesty by chance."
"Occasionally?" Zhu You, who really happened by chance, didn't have to worry, "How did they know that I was going to Zhaohua Temple?"
"They are just guessing that if your majesty does not go to Zhaohua Temple, they will act hard when your majesty returns, even if it is... even if the fish die and the net is broken."
"Oh," Zhu Youjian found no flaws. In fact, after the Ouchi guards entered Zhaohua Temple, the remaining two assassins were indeed desperate, "Are their confessions reliable?"
"Your Majesty, when the ministers interrogated the assassins, they were detained and interrogated separately, and the confessions obtained were the same. They should have no possibility of colluding the confession unless it was designed by them in advance."
"Designed in advance?" Zhu Youjian estimated that it should not be possible.
"Furthermore, they said they turned into Yuquan Mountain from the surrounding wall. The minister personally inspected it. There was still dust on the wall when they climbed over. The footprints are very high from the ground. It is definitely not the work of ordinary people. If they were really in Yuquan Mountain. Setting an ambush will not make such a shocking move in broad daylight, which will attract the attention of outsiders."
"Then... Do they still have accomplices?"
"According to them, there are four other comrades, but this time the assassination fails, your majesty must strengthen the guard, they should sneak back to Toungoo."
Zhu Youjian thinks it is logical that if the Toungoo Assassin really ambushes in Yuquan Mountain, then they should gather all the personnel to ensure that they will hit the emperor with one blow. There will not be a lot of opportunities. Since the assassins are not concentrated, they should be They found the target by accident, and they didn't have time to inform the other party members, "Qiao Aiqing has worked hard."
"This is the duty of the old minister." Qiao Yunsheng bowed his hands and bid farewell to Zhu Youjian.
The issue of the assassin did not involve the result that Zhu Youjian was most worried about. He relaxed, and now he can be sure that the assassination was just a trivial matter in Ming's political life. Although some people felt that the assassination of the emperor was to destroy the nine tribes, Zhu Youjian quickly forgot.
He will tell Mu Qiyuan, who is about to go on an expedition, in a new way of secret decree: When he goes on the expedition to Dongyu, all the rich and powerful will be killed.
To eliminate the upper class of Toungoo, the lower class people are more likely to assimilate, and the assassination of Zhu Youjian will develop in a direction that is beneficial to Daming.
After the Lantern Festival, the Ming Dynasty civil and military officials’ holiday is over. For the folks, the holiday may still continue. Now the weather is still cold and the farmland does not need to be taken care of.
Zhu Youjian temporarily left the harem and continued to be busy.
The first is to arrange matters in Luzon Province. However, Zhu Youjian did not worry much about this matter. The officials were arranged by the Ministry of Personnel. Zhu Youjian only appointed Li Tong as the prefect of Fulin House, the capital of Luzon Province. The garrison of Luzon Province, the last time stationed in Taiwan was a division of the 24th Army, and now it happens to be garrisoning the remaining two divisions in Luzon. The specific affairs are arranged by the staff of the National Defense Academy. The sergeants will take the South China Sea Fleet. The transport ship goes to Luzon in batches.
Zhu Youjian’s focus was on his mission to Spain. Vice Foreign Minister Huang Xiaofu was nominated as an official envoy by Zhu Youjian, and there was another deputy envoy, the famous traveler Xu Xiake.
The South China Sea Fleet will send a small fleet to carry all the personnel envoys to Spain, led by Tabola, and leave Spain by sea. As for the thousands of Spanish prisoners of war, they will have to stay in Xiamen for the time being. They will be released if the World recognizes the "Mingxi Beijing Treaty", but now the treaty has not officially entered into force, they can only serve as laborers in Xiamen, otherwise, Ming will not support them in vain.
Before Huang Xiaofu and Xu Xiake left for Spain, Zhu Youjian summoned them at the Palace of Qing Dynasty.
"Chen Huang Xiaofu, see your Majesty!"
"Caomin Xu Xiake, see your Majesty!"
"Two flats!" Zhu Youjian asked the eunuch to serve tea to the two of them, and let them relax first. "The two have heavy responsibilities and are about to go to Spain. Do you know Spain?"
"Your Majesty, the minister has known about Spain a long time ago, but his understanding is not detailed enough, but recently, the minister has been looking up Spanish classics." Huang Xiaofu is the vice minister of foreign affairs. Many times, in front of Zhu Youjian, he was not too nervous.
"Just grind the gun, it's not happy, yes," Zhu Youjian first admired, and then changed his tone, "However, what Huang Aiqing saw in the classics of the Ming Dynasty is Spain in the past. Now Spain has undergone a lot of changes. Especially after the great voyage."
"Your Majesty, what is a great voyage?" Huang Xiaofu did not see the term great voyage in the classics.
"Oh, it is to find sea routes. When I introduce Spain, I will briefly talk about it." Zhu Youjian temporarily avoided this question. "Spain is always changing, just like our Han regime. If you understand Daming If you look up the materials of the Han and Tang dynasties, or even the materials of the "Five Random Han" era, you will not be able to see the real Ming."
"Your Majesty, the minister understands a bit," Huang Xiaofu nodded and said, "but now in Spain, the minister can't find relevant materials."
"It doesn't matter, I will say it later," Zhu Youjian turned his gaze to Xu Xiake, "Zhenzhi, do you know the current situation in Spain?"
"The Caomin Committee really doesn't know!" Xu Xiake looked at Zhu Youjian, "Your Majesty, Daming has many mountains and rivers, why go to faraway Spain?"
"Haha, it seems that Zhenzhi doesn't like Spain, and he doesn't want to travel far."
"Yes, your Majesty, why go to Spain? Caomin is not an official of Ming Dynasty." Xu Xiake was a bit dull at first, but Spain is tens of thousands of miles away. The time spent on the road alone is enough for him to explore several famous mountains. , He really didn't want to go to Spain.
Zhu Youjian is not angry. He knows that people with special pursuits have some special personalities. They are only professionals and it is difficult to become generalists. "Zhenzhi likes to travel. Is it because he only loves landscapes?"
"Your Majesty means..." Xu Xiake didn't understand, besides traveling through mountains and rivers, could he also travel through life
"Have Zhenzhi heard that there is a Western book called "Marco Polo's Travels"?"
"Cao Min has never heard of it," Xu Xiake thought for a while, or shook her head, "Your Majesty, what kind of book is this?"
"From the perspective of the name, it is a travel note. It seems that Zhenzhi also wrote a lot of travel notes, right?" Zhu Youjian knew that Xu Xiake was a traveler. "But "Marco Polo's Travel Notes" records not only landscapes, but more Local customs, with this book, Westerners have become familiar with our big eastern country."
"Western?" Xu Xiake was still not interested.
"Yes, Westerners, Westerners read this book, they gradually understand Daming, and now their caravan has come to Daming, but Daming doesn’t understand the West. Huang Aiqing is a senior official of Daming’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and can’t find it. Books about Spain."
"Your Majesty said, let Caomin also write a travel note about the Western world?" Xu Xiake understood Zhu Youzhen's thoughts.
"Well, if Zhenzhi can write down what he saw and heard in the West, Daming will be able to understand the West better, and this travel note written by Zhenzhi will also be included in the annals of Daming." Zhu Youzhen knows that the Chinese have a good name and can It is the dream of almost every Han Chinese to live forever, and he hopes Xu Xiake is like this.
"Your Majesty..." Xu Xiake was finally moved.
"Isn't Zhenzhi unwilling to make some contributions to Daming during his lifetime? Moreover, along the way from Daming to Spain, there are many scenery that Zhenzhi has not seen in Daming along the way."
"Your Majesty, Cao Min is just... Cao Min is not familiar with Da Ming etiquette." Xu Xiake expressed his worry.
"Zhenzhi is not an official of Daming. Huang Aiqing is responsible for the negotiation. You only need to use your heart and your pen to write down your overseas experiences. I believe this will be Daming's best-selling travel note."
"It's not a waste of time to be able to see the scenery overseas and see the customs and customs of the West along the way. Your Majesty, the grassroots are willing to be born in Spain."
Zhu Youjian Long was delighted, "Zhenzhi can think so, and I am very relieved that this visit to Spain is very important to Daming. Zhenzhi will act as my imperial literati for a while!"
"Your Majesty, what exactly will the Caomin do when he is on a mission to Spain? Your Majesty said clearly that the Caomin can uphold his majesty's will."
Zhu Youzhen thought for a while. Xu Xiake sent his love to the landscape and should turn his perspective into social life. "Zhenzhi only needs to do two things well, one is to ensure the authenticity of his travel notes, and the other is to write more about the social reality of Spain. Let the people of Daming know more about the real status quo in Spain. I let Zhenzhi act as a deputy to provide convenience to Zhenzhi. I hope that Zhenzhi will have more contact with Spanish officials and people."
"Your Majesty, Caomin understands." Truth is the basis of travel notes and Xu Xiake's lifelong pursuit. In order to obtain first-hand information, he traveled widely in famous mountains and rivers, and even risked falling into the mountain stream. However, in social travel notes, Xu Xiake never I haven't written it, mainly because the Han nationality has a long history and culture, and there are many taboos. Since Zhu Youjian asked him to write about the social scene in Spain, he has no scruples.
"It's so good," Zhu Youjian regained Xu Xiake, and then introduced the domestic situation in Spain to the two, from the relationship between Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, to King Felipe IV of Spain, and from the era of voyage to Europe. The colonial expansion, from Asia to America.
In fact, Zhu Youjian’s understanding of Spain is mainly from later generations and is not very accurate. Therefore, he repeatedly warned the two envoys that everything he saw with his own eyes prevailed. The Spain he knew was the Spain of the past, maybe The current situation has changed.
In addition, Zhu Youjian also told Huang Xiaofu and Xu Xiake that there were many countries and ethnic groups along the way from Daming to Spain. It was necessary to write down their locations and understand their customs and conditions. If possible, draw with reference to the original Spanish materials. Create a new world map.
This is the first time Xu Xiake has seen Zhu Youjian. He thinks that Zhu Youjian has established the Daming Academy of Sciences. Unlike other emperors, he has a strange feeling in his heart, but what is this emotion? I can't tell myself.