The Chinese envoys stayed in a manor outside London.
On this day, two young people came.
They were all riding horses with long swords hanging from their waists. They seemed to be nobles, but they did not bring any followers. Although their clothes were not cheap, they definitely did not appear luxurious.
The men responsible for guarding the manor were soldiers sent by Cromwell.
An officer asked: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The leading boy said: "We are from the countryside twenty miles away. We heard that the Chinese envoys have arrived in London, so we want to travel to China with them."
It was obvious that both young men came from the country gentry class!
In France in the 17th century, society was undergoing drastic changes, and the same was true in England.
The traditional British aristocracy is declining day by day, spending huge amounts of money, squandering and selling off its land, while the gentry class is rapidly rising.
Squire is a general term that includes barons, knights, gentry (non-aristocratic officials), and gentry (wealthy farmers).
For example, the British House of Commons was founded by the gentry class.
In addition, the British middle class was also emerging, including citizens, merchants and yeoman farmers.
There is a large emerging class in Britain that is in a period of vigorous growth. They do not have the decadent extravagance of traditional aristocrats, they are relatively simple, they are bold and enterprising, and they are full of vigor and vitality.
The wind of traveling with a sword also appeared at this time.
A large number of wealthy British squires supported their children and grandchildren to go out and see the world.
The initial travel goal was limited to Italy, to visit the birthplace of the Renaissance, and later gradually expanded to France, Spain, the Netherlands and other places.
After the trend of traveling became popular, the British nobles also joined in, causing the traveling activities to gradually change.
Young masters from these aristocratic families are always greeted when they travel far away, and they also bring their family's luxury carriages with them. There is more than one luxury carriage, and all of them are shipped by ship, and the cost is extremely shocking.
The trend of traveling began in the 17th century and lasted until the 19th century.
These young people are elites. They have seen the conditions of various countries and felt the essence and shortcomings of each country. When they return to their country to inherit the family business, they will have an international perspective and lead the family to continue to develop and grow-the UK can become Japan's
Not falling into an empire has something to do with this group of elites traveling around the world.
"You guys wait, I'm going to report."
Many of Cromwell's soldiers came from the middle class. They couldn't stand the traditional nobility, but they felt close to the gentry class, and they cooperated with each other during the revolution.
Why is it said that Cromwell was engaged in a bourgeois revolution? Because the emerging class made great efforts!
Not long after, the two teenagers were received.
One is named John, and the other is named Thomas, which are very common names. The former’s father is a country knight, and the latter’s father is a farmer. They are both from very humble backgrounds, but they became rich due to social changes.
The young people stood upright, without much knowledge, but with a sense of vigor.
Zhang Ruifeng asked about their identities and their thoughts, and couldn't help but wonder: "We are going to China, traveling thousands of miles across the sea, and will be buried in the belly of a fish if we are not careful. Why do you have to follow them all the way?"
John replied: "I was originally going to Rome, where there are great thinkers and artists. My father said that Britain is too small, and men must go out and broaden their horizons. Since it is to broaden their horizons, why not go further? The exquisiteness of China
The goods have been sold to Britain, so China must be very powerful. I will travel to China, learn more skills, and lead the family to strive and grow. My father is just a country knight now, but one day, I will become a real nobleman with
My own private estate!"
Thomas said: "My father used to be a yeoman (yeoman) and now has a large farm. I studied in a missionary school and I know some Latin. I was expelled from school because of a fight with aristocratic children. Although my family
I am not very rich, but my father supports me to travel. When I arrive in China, if the money is not enough, I will become an apprentice and work on my own to earn living expenses. When I return to the UK, I will definitely be more capable. I will make the farm at home more beautiful.
Da, if I have the chance, I will strive to be a knight!"
Zhang Ruifeng was quite emotional: "Young people traveling far and wide with swords have a legacy from ancient times. I also traveled far away from home when I was more than ten years old and followed my father in business. You two have great ambitions and are much better than those big nobles."
John said: "The great nobles are all vampires, they are guys lying on gold waiting to die!"
Hard work can make you rich, but hard work alone will never make you cross class.
Thomas's father, for example, was just a yeoman farmer in the past. He only used a small amount of money to buy land by currying favor with noble lords. Moreover, the purchase was public land, and his behavior was extremely bad: first, he was harvesting the king's wool, and second, there were farmers on the public land, so he purchased the land.
The land was then directly enclosed. Some farmers were forced to become homeless, and some were left as tenants. This was part of the enclosure movement.
Thomas, a seemingly simple and energetic young man, was able to travel to China only because his father's hands were stained with the blood and tears of farmers.
Of course Zhang Ruifeng didn't know this. He only thought that the two teenagers were very ambitious, and immediately said: "You can go to China with the ship, and you will not be charged for the ship. However, you need to pay for the food along the way. When you arrive in China
, I will recommend you to study at Jinling University, provided that you can afford the tuition. I will ask someone to calculate an account, and you must have an idea of the amount of money you will spend in China over the next few years."
Two British country boys were overjoyed. After receiving the accounts for their cross-sea travel, they immediately rode home to ask for money from their parents.
It was extremely expensive. The boy who came from a knight family could barely afford it because his family had a lot of land and was doing business. As for Thomas, who came from a farmer's family, even living in China for a few years was not enough, let alone studying at university at his own expense.
.
But they still chose to go overseas. Thomas's idea has not changed. He went to China to work and make money.
After sending away the two young men, Zhang Ruifeng was called over by Lu Tianxiang.
Lu Tianxiang said with a serious expression: "When we return to Portugal, we can't dock in Portugal, and don't ask for any of the sheep we bought from there. News just came in that smallpox broke out in Lisbon. The king's eldest son and second daughter all died of smallpox.
"
"Such a thing could happen!" Zhang Ruifeng was shocked.
Although the Portuguese prince invited Lu Tianxiang to dance, it was not a sin because the customs of the two parties were different. As for the Portuguese princess, she was very quiet and beautiful. She had not seen her for two or three months, and she was taken away by a plague.
Lu Tianxiang added: "I don't know how to treat diseases. You go and order the army's medical doctors to check all the people on the ship. Whoever is sick must be strictly isolated."
Zhang Ruifeng immediately accepted the order, and at the same time comforted: "We have been away from Portugal for a long time, so no one should be infected, otherwise the symptoms would have been there long ago."
"No matter what, let the doctor check it first," Lu Tianxiang said. "Also, we can't stay in Europe too long. Who knows if smallpox will spread to the UK."
They had arrived early. If they had arrived ten years later, the plague would have broken out in London, taking away one-tenth of the population.
After a thorough inspection of all members of the mission, there were many sick people. However, most of them were normal diseases and were mostly due to acclimatization. No plague symptoms were found for the time being.
The main members meet collectively.
Fan Chao asked: "We haven't gone to Rome and the Ottomans yet, and we haven't gone to Northern Europe yet. How can we return directly after visiting England? How can we fulfill the emperor's order?"
Zhang Ruifeng said: "It is said that all the countries in Italy do not allow Jesuit priests to land. The Pope has broken with the Jesuits. The reason is that the Jesuits allow Chinese believers to worship their ancestors and worship Confucius. Even if we go to Rome
, I’m afraid I won’t be able to see the Pope. As for the Ottomans, although their territory is close to Persia, their capital is far away in Europe, and they are fighting naval wars with European countries. The Ottoman merchant ships rarely go to Southeast Asia, so it doesn’t matter whether they pay a visit or not.”
"Since Your Majesty has an order, it must be completed," Fan Chao said, "Let's do this. I will personally lead the fleet and take a few civil servants to Rome and the Ottomans. You continue to stay in England, and I will be back in a month at most.
As for the Netherlands and Northern Europe, there is no need to go there. I asked around and found that Britain and the Netherlands are still at war, and there is no peace if they continue north."
The next day, Fan Chao left with the fleet, and the rest stayed in London, waiting to meet Cromwell.
Cromwell was very arrogant and never showed up. But there was a reason for this. He wanted to wait for the outcome of the Anglo-Dutch negotiations before discussing diplomatic matters with the Chinese.
What did Cromwell want to do?
I want to follow the example of Spain and Portugal in the past, and draw a line on the globe. From then on, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands divided the world. Even the United Kingdom and the Netherlands became a union, with the United Kingdom as the leader and dominating the world.
Although whimsical, this was really Cromwell's idea, and it was clearly put forward during the negotiations.
Both the British and the Dutch thought Cromwell was crazy.
At the negotiating table, the two countries once again broke down.
Back in his office, Cromwell unbuttoned his collar and asked, "Are the Chinese impatient with waiting?"
General Lanbai said: "No, there are good food and drinks. But their fleet left, saying it was going to visit Rome and the Ottomans."
Cromwell said: "China is very powerful and has defeated the Netherlands many times in Asia. If the Netherlands still does not agree to negotiate terms, we will pretend to form an alliance with China and remove all the Dutch colonies in the East!"
"I'm afraid it won't scare the Dutch," General Lanbai said. "Both sides understand that the UK is about to be unable to hold on, and the Netherlands is about to be unable to hold on. The Dutch are just stalling for time until our military expenditures are exhausted, and then
obtain more favorable negotiating terms.”
"Damn it!" Cromwell cursed depressedly.
Britain cannot continue the war because its military expenditure has been exhausted and it is currently looking for businessmen everywhere for loans.
The Netherlands could not go on fighting because the merchants were pursuing profits, and the war had too serious economic damage. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, prices had skyrocketed due to the blockade for several months, and the East India Company's trade was in a state of shrinkage.
General Lanbai said: "This proposal of a union between Britain and the Netherlands is too unrealistic. Let's give up. It is impossible for the Netherlands to agree."
The successful dispersal of Parliament in England made Cromwell feel a little distraught.
He subconsciously believed that a union between England and the Netherlands could be achieved. No one would be ruled by a king. After the union, the Netherlands would be given sufficient autonomy, and the overseas forces of both parties could also unite. This would not be harmful to the Netherlands. Why didn't the Dutch agree?
Woolen cloth?
Neuropathy!
The ignorant Dutch asked Cromwell to calm down a little. He frowned and said: "Then give up the union and establish an Anglo-Dutch offensive and defensive alliance."
General Lanbai added: "It is unrealistic to ask the Netherlands to give up its overseas interests. They are a group of businessmen. Blocking their financial path will force them to really fight. If they are forced hard, maybe the Dutch businessmen will still
Stay together instead of falling apart like now."
The two planned carefully and basically established the next negotiation plan.
It was nothing more than demanding the cession of colonies and demanding reparations from the Netherlands. There were also many face-saving clauses, such as Dutch ships passing through British waters must stop and salute British ships.
Of course, we still have to continue to open our mouths, such as forcing the Netherlands to recognize the Navigation Regulations.
During the subsequent negotiation process, the atmosphere was significantly more relaxed, and it was only a matter of time before the negotiation was successful.
Under this situation, Cromwell finally met with the Chinese envoy. In order to show his sincerity, he visited the manor in person, but due to financial constraints, he did not bring any decent meeting gifts.
