"Haha, I really didn't expect that when you came to see Emperor Gaozong, you would talk to us for a long time just like "Longevity". After not seeing each other for more than 20 years, your Chinese is no worse than that of ordinary people.

Ruan Yuan unexpectedly discovered that Xiao Si Dangdong had gone from being stagnant in learning Chinese to being able to answer questions fluently now. He was both surprised and delighted.

"Yes, Mr. Ruan, I have been in Macau for half of the past twenty years. Over the past ten years, I have naturally learned Chinese. Sir, in the past few years, for the convenience of negotiation, I also transferred your country's

"The Laws and Regulations of the Qing Dynasty" has been translated into our English. In the past, when our merchants came to Guangzhou, many things were difficult to deal with. In the future, it should be... it will be better." I just thought that although I had translated this code, this time

The mission still ended in failure, and Xiao Si Dangdong felt a little unhappy.

"The Laws and Regulations of the Qing Dynasty..." Ruan Yuan listened to Xiao Si Dangdong's words, but he pondered for a long time, and then asked: "Then what is the reason for your mission this time? Why haven't you met the emperor yet?

Just come back?"

"Master Ruan, this is because...because the two adults who met us this time, they...they are all liars! We are not willing to perform your kowtow ceremony, and want to ask them if they can do what you did before,

They tried to find a compromise for us, but they just... kept perfunctory and indifferent to us. On the day of the audience, they directly forced us to salute. We cannot accept this kind of behavior, so

...So I didn’t meet the Great Emperor.” Seeing that there was no one else around, Xiao Si Dangdong thought that Ruan Yuan had given him a lot of advice on Chinese when he was in the mission, so he truthfully told Ruan Yuan the whole story.

.

However, before Ruan Yuan could answer, Lin Zexu could no longer bear it and immediately asked Xiao Si Dangdong: "Envoy, are you going too far by saying this? If I, the officials of the Qing Dynasty, see the emperor during a grand ceremony, what will happen?"

Is there anyone who can't perform the ritual of three kneels and nine kneels? What's more, this is just the simplest and easiest etiquette for a big ceremony. Our Qing Dynasty is a country of etiquette. Officials should naturally act in accordance with the etiquette in every move. You are not allowed to do so.

Waiting for other great gifts is already the greatest tolerance shown by the Emperor to you and others. Why are you waiting so endlessly and insisting on skipping the three-kneel-and-nine-kowtow ceremony, will you be satisfied?"

"My lord, in our European country, no country can practice such etiquette! We have always only kneeled down on one knee to our own King, if we come to your country every time, we have to kowtow.

Then how can we go back and see our King?" Xiao Stangdong also argued with reason.

"Okay, don't argue anymore." In fact, Ruan Yuan's thoughts were similar to Lin Zexu's, but considering that it was not easy for Xiao Si Dangdong and others to come, Ruan Yuan still thought that if there were some changes, it would be okay.

. But even so, Ruan Yuan did not think that the British envoy should abandon the ritual of three kneels and nine kowtows when meeting Jiaqing. He only asked Xiao Si Dangdong: "What happened back then? When I see you today, I also want to

It's quite a lot. I should have told your father at that time that from the looks of it, you really want to come to our Qing Dynasty and make friends with us. But in this case, you must also do this due courtesy.

What's the point of preparation? If you were dissatisfied last time, you should send envoys a few more times. By then, maybe the emperor will be more familiar with you and others, and you will naturally find a way to work around it.

.And maybe the people in your country see that the emperor has no dissatisfaction with you and others, and they won't care if you perform these three kneels and nine kowtows. But why do you wait for twenty-three years?

How about sending another envoy?"

"To be honest, our country has been at war over the years and has no spare capacity to send envoys." Xiao Standong replied.

"This envoy, don't I remember this? When I was in Hanlin, I saw old records. In the 60th year of Qianlong and the 10th year of Jiaqing, there were records of tribute from England? Why did it come to you, but there is no record?

Do you have enough energy to come?" Lin Zexu was familiar with the old files in Hanlin, so he naturally discovered the differences.

"Sir, you are talking about the Dongyin Company...is our business in Guangzhou, right? If so, then these two interviews should be the result of their own initiative and not His Majesty the King's intention." Xiao Stangdong

It is clear that Chinese people often cannot directly understand what "East India Company" is, so they have to change the word "Hongshang".

"Your country is really strange. Merchants dare to give gifts to our Qing Dynasty without the king's permission. You really... don't know etiquette." Lin Zexu couldn't help but argue to Xiao Si Dangdong.

"Yes, tell me, your merchants have never done anything inappropriate when they pay tribute to us. Your king sends you to wait, but there are so many troubles every time. This... this is a dilemma.

What's the situation?" Ruan Yuan was thinking about Dongyin Du Company's tribute, and said to Xiao Si: "Think about it, since your businessmen are never disrespectful, then we will only think that you are waiting for the next one.

Sending envoys is naturally not a problem, but your merchants cannot explain the etiquette to your king in detail. If this happens, there will naturally be a gap between us. According to me, either you will

, will only the merchants from Guangzhou come to pay tribute, or will you just wait for the king to send envoys, and you merchants and the king will go their own way, but there is no feasible customization? "

"But sir, we...our country's overseas affairs have always been like this?" Xiao Si Dangdong was unwilling to give in.

"Then there's one thing I want to ask you. When you go to the Qing Dynasty as an envoy, do you want to have a sincere relationship with the Qing Dynasty, or do you have other motives? When you come here this time, besides going out to the Qing Dynasty,

Besides being an envoy, are there other important things as before?" Ruan Yuan asked Xiao Si Dangdong again.

"Sir Ruan, you should still remember what happened back then? I was thinking, how great would it be if we could set up an embassy in your capital and open a port for trade in Ningbo like Guangzhou? Besides, your country has

Lend Macau to Portugal... the Atlantic people live there, so why can't they follow the example of Macau and give us an island to live temporarily? If we can live like the Atlantic people, it won't be any inconvenience to your country?"

"Lending Macao to the Atlantic people for temporary residence was done hundreds of years ago by the former Ming Dynasty. After the Ming Dynasty was established, it was also remembered that the Atlantic people's old residence in Macao had become a custom and it was inconvenient to expel them again, so they followed the old practice of the previous dynasty.

, that’s it. But the Chinese government has not allowed any foreign country to live in Macau anymore?” Ruan Yuan also explained to Xiao Stangdong.

"Then...what's wrong with your country if you open Ningbo to us? Your country has such a large sea area, but you only open Guangzhou Port to foreign countries. Don't you think it's too little?

"Xiao Si Dangdong asked again.

"Guangzhou is not the only place where our country trades with foreign countries." Ruan Yuan also replied: "If you wait for the West, trade is in Guangzhou, Ryukyu in the east of the sea pays tribute in Fuzhou, and Korea and we are in Zhongjiang

We can trade with each other. In addition, Siam, like you, is also in Guangzhou, Vietnam on land is in Guangxi, Burma is in Yunnan, Russia is in Kyaktu, and Kokand is in Ili. In this way, the places where our Qing Dynasty trade is not only

It’s like Guangzhou. It’s just that you have to do business with different countries in different places. This is also convenient, just like Fuzhou. The local people are used to communicating with Ryukyu, and it is naturally convenient to deal with Ryukyu people. But if you also go to Fuzhou,

Or as you said, if you are allowed to trade in Ningbo, what will happen to other countries? If this port does not allow them to enter the port to trade, wouldn’t it be unfair? When the time comes, we will have more officials to be responsible for communicating with other countries.

Why is this necessary? Besides, I heard that you and other Western countries have more than a dozen people who come to Guangzhou for trade. Other countries have no objection to the trade in Guangzhou, but why do you insist on it?

How about establishing an additional trading place?"

"This... Mr. Ruan, if there are more ports for trade, you can make more money?" Xiao Si Dangdong replied.

"But our domestic merchants can still make money when traveling overseas? Do you think that we allow you to do business in Guangzhou, so our merchants can only go to sea from Guangzhou? In fact, this is not the case. In our four provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, merchants travel to the East and the West

There are no restrictions on Nanyang. Every year, many businessmen are willing to go to Nanyang to do business. I also served as governor of Zhejiang. When I was in Zhejiang, Zhejiang Customs was able to collect a lot of commercial taxes on Nanyang goods. For us, making money

It's not that we opened this extra port for you." While Ruan Yuan was explaining to Xiao Si Dangdong, he also remembered some old things from that year and asked again: "But I was thinking that there is one thing that you have been through.

After twenty-three years, why don’t you understand? You, England, maybe...maybe you also respect your king very much. I, the Qing Dynasty, will not interfere with this, but to me, the Qing Dynasty, you are actually just...

A Western country thousands of miles away, it is so difficult to come and go even once on a daily basis, let alone other things? But twenty years ago, when you came to our Qing Dynasty to have some contacts, you even thought about coming up with so many terms and conditions.

Let me accept it. Twenty years later, you are still the same. You only want us to accept something, but do not consider our thoughts at all. Think about it again, if it is just a relationship between two people, you force him to do it.

What, will he agree to you so easily?"

"Yes, anyone who knows etiquette will know that when you go to a stranger's house, you should do as you please. Even if you want your friends to change something, the only people you can advise are familiar friends, right? Where are the strangers?

Is it true that when you are a guest, you still require strangers to obey your words?" Lin Zexu also added at the side.

"Sir Ruan, this...what you just said is indeed reasonable, but..." Xiao Si Dangdong pondered for a long time, but he could only reply to Ruan Yuan: "I understand your point, but our country decides on external affairs.

They are not me. They... they may not understand this. Moreover, what you just said about opening the port for trade, I... I also insist on my own ideas. You have too many restrictions on trade.

Already."

"Well, in that case, we can't continue talking about anything else." Ruan Yuan also knew that there seemed to be a huge obstacle between himself and Xiao Si Dangdong that he couldn't overcome. In this case

, Naturally, we should not force other things, so we had to persuade Xiao Stangdong again: "There is just one thing. I hope you can tell your king when you return to the country. If our Qing system is indeed inappropriate and inconvenient,

Where the national economy and people's livelihood are concerned, we will naturally consider flexibility, whether to trade, and how to trade. This is just a small detail, not an irreversible holy law. But even so, whether this change or not depends only on whether we are willing to change.

But it’s not that you want us to change, we have to change according to your ideas. Do you know this?"

"Sir Ruan, I...I will find a way to communicate with the country about these matters. In fact, I have been in China for many years, and naturally I don't want to see our country turn against your country one day. It's just...I'm just...

In fact, human power can't change anything." Little Stangdong had no choice but to agree to Ruan Yuandao. After all, in his opinion, bowing on one knee, opening the port for trade, and allowing the British to stay temporarily were all justified.

Even though he can firmly believe in it, it is impossible for him to truly agree with Ruan Yuan's views.
Chapter completed!