Several leaders of the mission left the customs office. Matteo Ricci couldn't help but said: "Father Franco, why don't you save these two poor people? I think we are a formal mission. If we insist on
If so, he will let them go."
Fan Li'an was born in Naples, and his full name is Alessandro Franco. Hearing the dissatisfaction in Matteo Ricci's words, he smiled and said: "Father Matteo Ricci, you should have a deeper understanding of the customs of this country."
Luo Mingjian took over and said: "Yes, Matteo Ricci. East Asian countries are very hierarchical. Blocking the government offices like today must be a serious crime in this country. It should be said that this customs official is actually very restrained. If he had put these
If everyone is killed, the emperor will only praise him."
After hearing this, Matteo Ricci turned pale, crossed himself and murmured: "God, what a barbaric country this is!"
After hearing this, Fan Li'an's face suddenly became serious, and he said to Matteo Ricci: "Matteo Ricci, you can't use the standards of our careless kings and lords to treat their subjects to evaluate this big country. You have to know that this country
The area is larger than the whole of Europe - Guangdong alone is twice the area of mainland Portugal. Without strict laws, it would have been torn apart like our Europe."
"And in Europe, if people block and make trouble in front of the lord's castle, the knights will still kill them. Today's sticks have taught these ship owners, including us, a lesson, that is, whether doing business or preaching, you must follow other people's rules
Come. Otherwise, what awaits us will be failure or even death."
"Father Matteo Ricci, I think Father Luo Mingjian has repeatedly warned you about what Father St. Xavier taught us."
After hearing Fan Li'an's serious criticism, Matteo Ricci blushed and nodded to show that he was taught. Ines Fernando, the secretary of Governor Alfonso who just went in to handle the formalities, interjected: "I'm going to tell these two unlucky guys what they should do."
do what."
Matteo Ricci raised his head after hearing this, not knowing why. Luo Mingjian smiled and said: "Matteo Ricci, you also need to understand their speaking habits. They are not as direct as us. They are used to hinting at what they want in their words. I sincerely
I suggest you learn this as your first lesson when entering China.”
After hearing this, Matteo Ricci recalled what Lei Yingzhi had just said, and hesitated: "He...he is asking for a bribe, one hundred Chinese pounds of silver?"
Luo Mingguo nodded and replied: "Yes. This is a very obvious hint."
Matteo Ricci: “…”.
...
The Portuguese mission returned to the Liuxihe Wharf in Guangzhou and took a boat to Nansha Port. At this time, Nansha in Guangzhou was affiliated to Dongguan County. The largest island among them was called "Dayang Longxue Island", referred to as Longxue Island, and Humen
In contrast, Nansha Port is located northwest of Longxue Island.
After the imperial court reformed and opened the sea, the island has developed into a berthing place for the Nanyang Navy and a berthing port for Chinese ships. At this time, there were three piers. When the Portuguese mission arrived, they found that many people were building new piers there.
Ines looked at the surrounding landscape and smiled: "This is a very good naval base. If forts are built on both sides of the river, it will be easy to block the entrance to the sea here - God, they are really building forts!"
The Portuguese at this time did not have telescopes in their hands, so Ines did not see the construction sites on the hillsides on both sides of the Pearl River at first. When he was talking, he saw a mass of clouds rising from Ya Niang Shoe Island (later Weiyuan Island).
White smoke followed by a roar.
"They are testing cannons! Jesus, I...I think I should write to Governor Alfonso immediately and ask him to give up all unrealistic thoughts. It is best not to even have temptations. Hopefully...
.... I hope to find merchant ships bound for Goa here."
Unfortunately, there are no merchant ships going to Goa from Longxue Island. There are only Chinese merchant ships here, and they only run the route along the mainland coast. If Ines wants to send this letter, he still needs to take a boat back to the Guangzhou pier. It’s a toss-up back and forth.
Fan Li'an couldn't stand it.
He asked Ines: "Why do you have to send this letter? I have just arranged for someone to send a letter back in Guangzhou to inform us of our progress."
Ines smiled bitterly and said: "Governor Alfonso is very concerned about the safety of our mission, because he is afraid that we will fall into a barbaric country and suffer the same treatment as Tomei Pires once received. He has a plan B."
Fan Li'an stared at Ines with serious eyes and motioned for him to continue. Ines blushed and said: "This plan B is to be implemented using warships."
Fan Li'an slapped his forehead and said angrily: "My God, Mr. Ines! I think I have made it very clear to the Goa authorities that this mission will be dominated by the Jesuits! Tomei Pi sixty years ago
Although Mr. Leith has been treated unfairly, I think China has done nothing wrong. The fault lies with Simon Andrade who provoked the Tuen Mun naval battle, that stinking piece of shit!"
"Now Governor Alfonso is going to put us in danger again in the same way?! This bastard! And you, Mr. Ines Fernando, I hope you can be more frank in the future, otherwise, you will give me the consequences now
Ah! I have this power!"
Seeing the angry Fan Li'an, Ines' face turned pale. He stammered: "Yes...yes, Father Fan Li'an. I promise you there won't be a second time. I will find a boat to go back now."
, send this letter back to Goa to avoid causing an irreversible mistake."
Fan Li'an roared for a while, and had no choice but to arrange for two people to accompany Ines back to the Guangzhou Customs Wharf. They looked for a ship in Nansha and waited for Ines to return from Guangzhou.
...
After a lot of trouble, the mission finally found a lucky ship willing to go north on December 10th. Because the Chinese New Year was approaching and traveling from south to north was against the monsoon, they had to pay more than three times the usual ship fee.
Although the shipowner charged a high price, he still complained that it was time-consuming and laborious for the mission to go north at this time. Fortunately, it was sailing along the coast and could borrow some wind. If it plunged into the depths of the ocean, it would not be possible to go north this season.
The Portuguese understood this better than the shipowner, but they all agreed with him and asked him repeatedly. Before sailing, the shipowner strongly suggested that they disembark in Songjiang and wait until the weather gets warmer after the New Year before continuing northward - because
Tianjin Port often freezes during this season. If you continue to go north, it will be a big problem if you encounter ice on the sea surface.
Although Fan Li'an, the leader of the mission, was anxious, he did not dare not listen to this. So they decided to disembark at Shanghai Port, enter the inland with customs clearance documents, and first make contact with the upper class in the south to see if the Chinese were interested in Christianity.
These people were used to riding on ships. At first they were interested in looking at the coastline, but after a few days they lost interest. The Jesuits were either holding meetings on the ship to study how to persuade the emperor, or they were looking forward to the glory of churches all over the vast continent.
.
On December 17, the ninth year of Wanli, after seven days and seven nights of sailing, the mission finally landed in Shanghai. Matteo Ricci will never forget that when they arrived, it happened to be shortly after sunrise, and the rare red sun shone in winter.
On the sea, the somewhat narrow pier was reflected in a red light.
After everyone in the mission completed the immigration formalities, they truly set foot on a land that Europeans have cherished for nearly a thousand years. Because of the Arabs' obstruction, Europeans have always been full of imagination about China, which can produce silk and fine porcelain - too much
Europeans believed that there was a great country in the east of the world full of gold, spices, and silk.
The spread of "Marco Polo's Travels" in the West indirectly contributed to the great journey of the Age of Discovery. Today, sixty-six years after Tomei Pires died unjustly in Guangzhou, the second
An official visiting mission finally set foot on this land again.
The unfinished work of Tomei Pires in the past was picked up by three missionaries who were about to extinguish the torch. In the days that followed, they would see a civilization completely different from the legacy of Greece and Rome. She quietly
He stayed in East Asia and nurtured the largest and most successful nation in mankind for more than three thousand years.
In this time and space, this great civilization will be inclusive, learn from the strengths of others, erect a flag that is completely different from the shattered lighthouse of the original time and space, illuminate the future of the world, and lead mankind to explore another unknown path forward.