The unfamiliar idols, unfamiliar prayers, and the sacred and pious worship made the officials who greeted him at the venue at a loss and looked at each other in bewilderment.
The crowd gathered at the pier was also silent...
The Heavenly Concubine was carried away?
Isn’t it a thousands-year-old custom of our ancestors to worship Mazu when we return from the sea?
Even during the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties, the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasty ships had to follow this tradition. Don’t dare to show any disrespect to Mazu!!
However, when a dozen people knelt down and kowtowed, it was not over yet.
I saw an envoy from a foreign country standing aside. After singing with a young man, he also kowtowed in the direction of the unknown statue, and the mountain roared in unison——
"Praise my Lord, praise..."
"Equilibrium consists in..."
The ceremony is completed.
Everyone gets up.
Without Wang Jinghong's further orders, someone carefully "invited" the statue back.
Finally there was a commotion on the pier.
"Why don't you respect Mazu?"
"Who is that statue just now? Could it be the Dragon King of the Sea!"
"It could also be Buddha..."
"But I heard that the imperial envoy Mr. Zheng still believes in Islam. The true source of Islam is in the West. Maybe he brought back some powerful Islamic sage statues overseas!"
The crowd in the distance cannot see the appearance of the "god statue".
This would save Zhou Li'an the trouble.
Dong Chengfeng was also surprised at the side: "It stands to reason that you don't need to kneel down to pay homage to someone who wants to offer incense. You just need to bow down and perform three obeisances while offering incense."
"Unless you go to a Taoist temple and host a Dharma ceremony, you must kneel down so solemnly!"
"Could it be that this god and Buddha appeared and protected the Western Fleet, and that's why the Imperial Envoy is so pious?"
Indeed, Zheng He acted too seriously.
It's just a customary practice at the pier to say "meaning" to the gods and gods; after all, there will be a formal vow ceremony afterwards.
In addition, the Ming Dynasty did not respect kneeling.
Just like Fang Cai, although Zheng He was of the fourth rank, Fujian Chief Secretary participated in politics as a subordinate of the third rank. Because the former had the status of imperial envoy, the latter should pay homage to him.
When visiting, you only need to bow and salute, there is no need to kneel down.
Kneeling down and worshiping is a bad custom introduced by the Mongolian people. The Ming Dynasty wanted to abolish the old ritual.
Nowadays, it is really shocking to kneel down and kowtow at the dock.
Snow Girl said quietly: "Where can there be so many gods and Buddhas in the world?"
"Ouch." Dong Chengfeng exclaimed softly, "Miss Si Nuo, please don't lie. There are gods in your head. Be careful to blaspheme the existence in the dark."
Xue Nu was incompetent in her defense and found it funny, so she only looked at "her young master" Yingying.
Zhou Li'an stopped her with his eyes again, telling her not to say more.
If everyone's attention hadn't been focused on Zheng He and others just now, Xue Nu's "Modoc language" might have been discovered by Tiaoyu and others.
It's normal for others to be insensitive to Yuki-onna's voice.
But Zhou Ruoyu has been beaten since childhood, and his growth cannot be separated from Xue Nu's punches and kicks...
Shrouded in shadow, as soon as the voice came out, it was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and its hair suddenly exploded.
Before the welcoming ceremony.
The sacrifices of pigs and goats were useless, leaving an embarrassing situation.
The statue of the Imperial Concubine was even more lonely, and a dozen strong men didn't know whether to stay or leave.
Zheng He also knew that the situation was embarrassing at this time, but Wang Jinghong was the one who responded to situations like this, so he was better able to control the situation.
The first and second officers make eye contact to promote tacit understanding.
Wang Jinghong said: "Now that the ceremony has been completed, let's enter the city quickly! I will wait for one or two years. All matters in the court still need to be explained in detail by your lords. I will also send a three hundred miles urgently to report to Your Majesty and the princes in the court.
!!”
"Master Zheng and Wang, carrying His Majesty's Holy Order, led our Ming Dynasty's 20,000 elite soldiers and generals to live up to expectations, declare their power overseas, and invite all countries to come to court..."
"Yes, yes, yes!" The prefect of Quanzhou responded immediately and issued an order: "The guard of honor will open the way, sprinkle peace money, and all the people will rejoice and congratulate, and welcome Master Wang's triumphant entry into the city!"
The gongs and drums started playing again, and there was the noise of firecrackers, which instantly dissolved the previously stagnant atmosphere.
Everyone at the dock moved to follow him into the city.
Dong Chengfeng lamented in distress: "Oh, I didn't even mention the reception banquet this time. That's bad...Brother Zhou, I have to go to the general director of the Chamber of Commerce to contact the general director about the matter. If I arrive late, there will be no seats for you and me."
"It doesn't matter whether you go or not."
Zhou Li'an naturally doesn't care.
Zheng He returned to the court, and he felt relieved.
Next, it’s time to leave Quanzhou and go to Nanjing to have a look around and learn about Zhu Di and the Ming court’s attitude toward equilibrium.
Today's episode at the pier will definitely cause waves.
The dignified imperial envoy did not return the wish to the Heavenly Concubine Mazu, but worshiped an unknown god;
What is even more incredible is that not only Zheng He, but also more than a dozen eunuchs and young eunuchs were all devout and fanatical.
Including Zhou Ruoyu and Zhou Ruonan will be paid attention to by interested people.
The young man shouted angrily, his words were not polite, but Zheng He and others were not angry, but calmly comforted him, as if they were afraid.
Such an unusual situation must be reported to the court secretly as soon as possible.
And Zheng He is also smart...
Just now they kowtowed and worshiped, and there were only a dozen of them.
The rest of the ship's officers did not take any action, which can be understood as "personal will" and does not affect everyone.
In short, just as he was wandering around, he made an oath.
May surrender and faith be balanced;
But the kindness of the Dragon Lord of the Ming Dynasty must be repaid!
The "balance issue" will definitely shock the court, but for Zheng He and others, the blessings and disasters are unknown.
The undercurrent is already surging at this moment...
And now.
Dong Chengfeng didn't want to miss such an opportunity and said: "Brother Zhou, this banquet is a major event for returning from the West. I know you are from overseas, but you don't want to pay a visit to the noble envoy of that foreign kingdom?"
"We don't dare to dream if we can't be received by the imperial envoy;"
"But if you gain the favor of your noble envoy, your money will be endless!"
"Leave this matter to me. No matter what, I got two invitations to get started."
He went in a hurry and made a promise.
Zhou Li'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "This old director is an honest man. We have been together for more than a month and he has never asked me for anything."
"No wonder this business has never done much..."
The snow girl was puzzled: "Sir, isn't it a good thing to be honest? Why do you fall into the inferior category?"
"I'm not saying I'm a low-ranking person. When it comes to dealing with people in the world, being honest is naturally pleasing to the eye, and it's easy to make good friends;"
"But at the same time, it is easy for evil people to be deceived and suffer the consequences!"
The snow girl was thoughtful for a while, then laughed again: "But his sincerity satisfies the young master. Will the young master help him?"
"You are the only one who is smart." Zhou Li'an couldn't help laughing, "We can't live in other people's courtyards for nothing, right?"
at the same time.
The imperial guard of honor entered the city.
The people who could not squeeze into the dock set off another wave of carnival in the streets, shouting the name of the imperial envoy and praising the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.
A group of foreign envoys finally saw the power of the Ming Dynasty.
The high city stands tall, the streets are smooth, everyone is well-dressed and in good health, carriages and horses can be seen everywhere, and there are bright shops.
This is unprecedented in a city-state like Malindi.
Of course, business is prosperous in East Africa, but it is more reflected in the trade of caravans. However, the local people are mostly poor and have not developed a certain consumption power, so there are no such grand scenes of shops.
Ma Huan, Fei Xin and other generals introduced along the way: "Quanzhou is only a city under the jurisdiction of the Chief Secretary of Fujian Province. If you go to Fuzhou, the prosperity and prosperity cannot be expressed in words."
"There are millions of people living in the capital city. Every day, vendors from outside the city come into the city to sell vegetables and rice. There are more than a dozen markets, and this does not include the storefronts in the city..."
The envoys from other countries were stunned and speechless.
I only heard that the Ming Dynasty was powerful, but after seeing it, I realized that their previous imagination was too poor.
What is the concept of millions of people living in one city?
And in the first row.
Tiaoyu and others were also shocked, but they all deliberately restrained their emotions and did not show it too much.
The eyes of the four jumping fish were bright and lively, and they did not seem to be admiring, as the flames danced repeatedly in their eyes.
Since this fire is anger, it is unwilling to lag behind others.
This fire is also the fire of hope;
Balance must lead to great prosperity and be invincible in the world;
Therefore, the holy name of Balance is praised by everyone in the world;
His joyful Kingdom of God will finally come!!
Zhou Ruonan can empathize with the emotions of several people because he once followed and served our Lord and the shaman, and participated in Zheng He's journey of more than a dozen people...
The valley prospered;
There is even a country as powerful as Tepanix!
Today's balance is far from perfect, but Zhou Ruonan has never felt inferior.
Because no matter how prosperous and powerful the country is, if it loses sight of evil and darkness, it will only be destroyed by the thought of our Lord, the True God.
And a country that bathes in God’s grace will surely rise and take off.
She praised silently in her heart.
Looking next to him again, he realized that Zhou Ruoyu had been silent all the way after setting off from the pier, and his mood was extremely abnormal.
at the same time.
Tang Jing was also guarding him.
Wang Jinghong had long ago told him that this little divine messenger was extremely (ge) spiritual (ci) qi (head)!
After returning to the Ming Dynasty, you must take good care of him. It doesn't matter if he hurts others, you are just afraid that others will hurt him.
The last one who injured the divine envoy had a good trip around the gate of hell.
Because of this relationship, Tang Jing, who was the party involved in the last incident, took over the important responsibility.
And he and Zhou Ruoyu really get along well, making others envious.
Tang Jing was also strange.
It's so unusual that the tiger suddenly became a sick cat.
Just as Zhou Ruonan's eyes glanced over, the two looked at each other and felt the same strange feeling in each other.
Zhou Ruonan woke him up: "Ruoyu, what's wrong with you? You've been suddenly depressed since you started at the port."
"You, you really didn't hear that?" Zhou Ruoyu came to his senses, frowning and still looking around.
Tang Jing couldn't help it anymore: "What did you hear?"
"Oops." Zhou Ruoyu waved his hands hurriedly: "You don't understand, only Ruonan understands..."
So, Tang Jing saw the two little ones starting encrypted communication.
“…%#…”
“……￥%￥?!!!”
“￥#!!!”
Finally, it was Zhou Ruonan's turn to whisper: "Impossible, did you hear that correctly?"
Zhou Ruoyu smiled bitterly: "How could I have heard wrong? I am too sensitive to the witch's voice. I felt like a slap was going to hit my head in the next second..."
"Impossible, impossible, my lord and Wu Yuan are in the Kingdom of God..." Zhou Ruonan wanted to refute, but halfway through her words, even she lost confidence.
On the one hand, they felt guilty as thieves, so they sneaked onto the boat, feeling ashamed in their hearts.
On the other hand, this universe and heaven and earth were created by our Lord. Balance is everywhere, and nature can come to any place at any time and at any time.
On the side, Tang Jing's expression also changed drastically.
The gods have reached the Ming Dynasty?!
This matter should be reported to your Lordships!
However, Zhou Ruoyu changed the subject again: "But now that I recall it carefully, I wonder if I heard it wrong."
"Hey, I don't know either, I don't want to think about it anymore!"
Zhou Ruonan pondered for a moment and said, "Well, I also think that if my Lord comes, why doesn't he show a miracle?"
Tang Jing gasped and gradually calmed down...
Since it is not certain, it is better not to add extraneous details to avoid causing disturbances.
Although he has a straightforward character, it does not mean he is stupid.
The worship at the dock must have had some impact. Zheng He and Wang Jinghong will have to face the court officials to report this matter and bear great pressure.
If they are disturbed by panic again at this time, it will affect their judgment.
All in all, no matter how cautious you are when dealing with the gods, you can never be too cautious.
He calmed down and saw the sick cat transform into a ferocious tiger, grinning and making comments at the surrounding streets and people.
"The Ming Dynasty is nothing more than this."
"False is all false!"
"Hey, where is that? Why are there so many women standing on the building, still waving to us?"
Tang Jing looked up and immediately couldn't laugh or cry.
Only the southern governments dare to open brothels on main streets so blatantly.
If you are in the capital, you can only go deep into the streets to find flowers and willows. Officials of the imperial court are not allowed to enter and exit, and only merchants and common people can enjoy the fun.
Not to mention...
My lords, this is not going to poke a sore spot.
"Tang Jing, where is that place?"
Tang Jing coughed lightly and said righteously: "I don't know!"
"Nonsense, how dare you lie to me?"
"I just don't know..."
"Okay, okay, just wait for me!"
The procession passed through the city, cheered by thousands of people, and finally arrived in front of a manor house.
On one side of the gate of the mansion, there is a three-story building with a plaque reading "Siyi Pavilion".
This place was originally built for envoys from various countries who visited the Ming Dynasty, because they always rested in Quanzhou every time they returned.
As Dong Chengfeng said, every year when the fleet returns, a grand banquet is held.
Along the way into the garden, river water is introduced into the garden and a waterside pavilion courtyard is set up.
Come to a main hall.
Wang Jinghong begged for mercy and turned around to look for him. He first smiled at the envoys from various countries and then walked straight to Tiaoyu and others:
"There will be a reception banquet tonight, and it is still early. I will first invite all the envoys to stay and rest..."
"When you have regained your energy, there will be a lot of music and singing tonight, and you will have a night of fun!"
Tongshi Lianzuo translated.
There were officials and servants from the government who started to lead the way and make arrangements;
Tiaoyu, Zhou Ruoyu and others were naturally led by Wang Jinghong personally to a separate courtyard.
When he arrived at the place, he said again: "I will order the tailor from the cloth shop to come here later to measure the postures of several divine envoys and rush to make a few regular clothes..."
Tiaoyu and others did not bring much luggage. They had been sailing for several months and mostly wore the same clothes as the officials and people of the Ming Dynasty, which were modified by the old women on the boat.
Now that he has landed, Wang Jinghong wants to express his views.
It also involves a visit to Beijing later, so how can you not prepare some suitable outfits?
…
In the political hall, everyone sat down to talk.
The Chief Secretary of Fujian Province asked directly: "Sir Zheng, how come there are descendants of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty among the foreign envoys?"
"During my previous trip to the West, Mr. Zheng brought back news that there are still remnants of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty overseas who are still struggling to survive, support their own troops, and become chiefs and lords of the country!"
"Have you made any discoveries during this trip?"
"The Mongolian boy on the dock may have been born in a foreign, barren and barbaric land, and he doesn't know any etiquette..."
"Could it be that he still doesn't know that the Great Yuan Dynasty is dead!!"
His words were cold and angry.
It even resonated with everyone in the room.
If it hadn't been interrupted by the episode of walking incense to repay one's vows, how could a group of people have allowed a remnant of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty to be so wanton in the land of the Ming Dynasty!
However, they thought that all the eunuchs and envoys would share the same hatred.
Unexpectedly, Zheng He and more than a dozen people remained silent.
The atmosphere turned sharply once again and fell into a stalemate.
Just as the political leader was about to ask another question, Zheng He finally sighed: "Everyone..."
"Those people are not remnants of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty;"
"The reason here is of great importance, so I can't reveal it!"
"And you all need to know that during these few days in Quanzhou City, you must not slack off your distinguished envoys, and you must treat them with the highest courtesy..."
Everyone's faces were full of weirdness and weirdness.
"No matter whether they are envoys from foreign cities or countries, even their monarchs come to court, they must respect the majesty of our Ming Dynasty, otherwise how can they declare their power overseas?!"
"Master Zheng, I don't understand what the so-called highest etiquette... means!"
"What do you mean?!" Just at this moment, Wang Jinghong returned, but before anyone arrived, the voice came first——
"If you hurt a single hair of your young master, my king will be the first to kill his whole family, and then ask for an imperial edict to punish all nine of his clans!"
"Master Wang..." Zheng He stood up suddenly and wanted to give some words of comfort.
The Chief Secretary was also angered by these words and cursed loudly: "The prince has passed the test!!!"
"No matter how incompetent Chen is, he still participates in politics as Chief Secretary of a party, and his official position is from the third rank..."
"Eunuch Wang can still kill my whole family?!"
"Just for a few Meng Yuan remnants?!"
Wang Jinghong smiled instead of getting angry: "Hahahaha..."
"The remnants of Meng Yuan?"
"Master Zheng, did you hear that? I just gave a warning, and this person took his seat!"
"If you don't say ugly things in front of others, this person will definitely cause a huge disaster!"
He glanced at the eunuchs, young eunuchs and other insiders.
"What do you think?"
I saw everyone sighing.
Swish swish swish.
Everyone stood up from their seats, silently came to Wang Jinghong's side, and put pressure together.
"Master Chen, please respect yourself and don't make a mistake and... harm your family and clan!"