Alfaro's Chinese is indeed not very good, especially since he learned Chinese from a Cantonese businessman, while Jinghua's translator and Huang Zhiting communicated in Mandarin, which made it even harder for him to understand.
It wasn't until Huang Zhiting said coldly "I would rather start a war" that he realized something was wrong from her tone and the atmosphere in the scene suddenly turned murderous.
He did not get up, but quickly turned to the interpreter and asked: "Mr. Zhou, is there something wrong? I feel like there is some misunderstanding?"
Of course, "Mr. Zhou" did not dare to relay it easily. He could only cough dryly and said: "Vice-General Huang will not accept your Castilian etiquette. You must kneel down and worship according to the Ming Dynasty's custom, otherwise... there will be a war."
The muscles on Alfaro's face twitched, but he didn't hesitate for long and quickly asked: "Is it just in my own name?"
Zhou Tongyi obviously did not understand the difference, and asked inexplicably: "What else?"
"Oh, that's easy to handle, that's easy to handle." Alfaro was obviously relieved and asked: "What is Daming's kneeling ceremony like? Kneel down on both knees and crawl over to kiss her insteps?"
"No, no, no!" Zhou Tongyi was shocked, his face turned pale with fright, and he quickly said: "Kneel down from a distance, knock your head on the ground and don't move. If I don't let you get up, just keep prostrate. Never do anything to her.
Any reckless act of intimacy!"
Alfaro is indeed a devout missionary. In order to successfully preach, he is not only willing to sacrifice his own life, but also to sacrifice things such as glory. He immediately said: "No problem, Mr. Zhou, please convey my sincere apology.
I have no intention of offending, and will immediately act in accordance with Ming etiquette."
After he finished speaking, he didn't hesitate. He knelt down and knelt down, knelt his head on the ground, and said something in a very respectful tone.
Huang Zhiting's expression remained unchanged, and she looked towards the interpreter. Zhou Tongyi had already explained, saying that the missionary did not understand Ming etiquette very well, but he had corrected him. He was willing to start over again according to Ming Dynasty etiquette, and sincerely apologized to the capital.
.
"It's common sense that the other country has a long road and poor etiquette. I don't need to pursue it this time." Huang Zhiting's face softened, she glanced at Alfaro who was kneeling in front of him, and said calmly: "Since he is here as an envoy, and
Let him get up and answer."
Zhou Tongyi personally "directed" Alfaro's actions this time, asking him to kowtow once more before standing up.
After Alfaro stood up, the expression on his face was quite calm, and it seemed that he did not feel humiliated. Whether it was the people from the Jinghua fleet present or the close associates around Huang Zhiting, they now had a better impression of this "monk".
, secretly thought: Although this person doesn’t know etiquette, he seems to be someone who can educate.
In fact, they don't know that there is a misunderstanding here.
Alfaro is not the Spanish ambassador. Although he has a high social status even in Spain, in his philosophy, as long as he does not kneel on behalf of the kingdom, there is no problem. Because from the previous introduction, he subconsciously
Huang Zhiting's status in the Ming Dynasty was high.
In Europe, a person with a personal territory of more than 10,000 square kilometers and an army of more than 20,000 cannot be managed by a count. Almost all of them are at the level of duke or above. Especially the "20,000 standing army" is too amazing. Many principalities have
No monarch has such a strong military force, so in his opinion, Huang Zhiting should be at least equivalent to a duchess.
It is natural to pay tribute to a powerful duchess in a personal name. Is there any problem? No.
So that's how the misunderstanding came about.
Then he discovered that although this "Her Majesty the Duchess" was strict about etiquette and had to follow her rules, she was still very polite - because she got up immediately.
People on the Ming side also felt that Alfaro's performance was okay, because he not only strictly followed Zhou Tongyi's instructions to kowtow in return and then stand up, he even bowed slightly after standing up.
Now, the etiquette issues have been resolved, and it's time to get down to business.
"Ask him why he came here." Huang Zhiting didn't know much about "diplomacy", so she followed the military's standards for receiving enemy envoys.
Translator Zhou Tong then quoted Huang Zhiting's words and asked, "I ask you why you came to see her."
Alfaro said: "Dear Countess..."
Zhou Tongyi interrupted: "It's Dutong!"
Alfaro didn't understand, but he still adhered to the reminder of the first batch of missionaries who came to China to "do as the Romans do." He nodded and said: "Okay, okay, as you wish."
He paused slightly and continued: "Dear Lady Metropolitan, although you should already know my identity, out of politeness, I still need to introduce myself: My name is Pedro de Alfaro
, my father and elder brother are the Counts of Rioja in the Kingdom of Castile. I am the second son in the family, so I have served God since I was a child and joined the Franciscans.
With the gift of the Holy See and the permission of the King, I was first made a priest of the Province of San Jose (Note: the San Jose here is not San Jose in California, but the San Jose that would become the capital of Costa Rica in Central America), and then Acting President of the Province of Manila.
.
The reason why I am here today is that I originally set out from Manila with the treasure fleet of the Kingdom of Castile, and was planning to go to Malacca to discuss with the local bishop the matters concerning the missionary work of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Portugal in the East.
However, we met your fleet on the way.
Baroness... Your Excellency, Lady Metropolitan, please know that I am here to convey my goodwill to you and your fleet in order to avoid misunderstandings between two powerful fleets that are meeting at sea for the first time."
Translator Zhou Tong finally translated such a long statement to Huang Zhiting. Huang Zhiting did not answer much after listening, but simply asked: "The way you express your goodwill is to attack the rearguard formation of my fleet?"
"Ah, that was a misunderstanding, Your Excellency, Your Majesty the Metropolitan." After hearing the translation, Alfaro immediately defended: "What happened was originally like this: the Treasure Fleet discovered that part of your fleet has been following us, and the Fleet Commander thought that this approach
It was contrary to international practice, so a formation equal to your fleet's rear guard formation was sent to inquire. However, there seemed to be a misunderstanding between the two sides due to different maritime etiquette, resulting in an unnecessary and tragic battle.
In this battle, our fleet had the tonnage advantage, while your fleet had the firepower advantage, but in the end it was our fleet that first realized that this was an avoidable war, so it took the lead in withdrawing from the battle area and returning to the big fleet.
until your arrival."
"The report I heard is somewhat different from what you said, but I don't want to worry about why the war started." Huang Zhiting asked lightly: "I just want to know whether you will choose war or peace next."
Alfaro was stunned when he heard this, and thought to himself: Father Luo Mingjian and others said that the Chinese are cautious and tactful in their language. Why is the Baroness so straightforward and even aggressive? It seems that she is extremely confident in the force she possesses.
But now the form is stronger than the person, Alfaro has to give a clear reply, so he has to say: "Your Excellency, the female capital, the Kingdom of Castile and myself have a clear understanding of the power of the Ming Empire. We have no idea about the power of the Ming Empire."
No ill will, no ill will toward you and your fleet.
I have just said that the previous battle was a misunderstanding... Moreover, judging from the results of the battle, our losses may have been greater. I personally went to Jinggang with Father Luo Mingjian and had the honor to visit the local governor (translation problem
) Mr. Gao Mengnan and Mr. Gao Wuqin, the Deputy Governor, they are true gentlemen and our exchanges were very pleasant.
At that time, on behalf of the Kingdom of Castile and the Governor-General of the Philippines, I reached a number of verbal agreements with them, including that after the Philippine territory was stabilized, the Kingdom of Castile would send a fleet to visit Golden Port and would also send more merchant ships.
Go to Jinggang to carry out trade, etc. I believe these are things that will help both parties understand each other and cooperate with each other.
In view of the bright prospects for cooperation between the two parties, both the Commander of the Treasure Fleet, Sir Diego, and I believe that today's battle should not be complicated or politicized. We sincerely hope that this unexpected incident can be resolved peacefully and amicably, and provide a better future for both parties.
Cooperation lays the foundation of friendship.”
After hearing this, Huang Zhiting did not answer immediately. After a while, she said: "You just said that this time you were going to Malacca to discuss some missionary matters with the local bishop?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Very good. Since you talk about cooperation at all times, I happen to have a cooperation to discuss with you. I hope you can show the goodwill you mentioned."
"I feel very honored, Your Excellency." Alfaro said happily: "I wonder what kind of cooperation it is? Oh, please allow me to explain in advance: When the Treasure Fleet was in Manila, it had already conducted a huge cooperation with the Quanzhou Squadron of the Nanyang Fleet of Jinghua Company.
For commercial cooperation, our ships are now almost full of all kinds of goods from your country, and we can no longer trade."
Huang Zhiting shook her head slightly and said: "Trade matters are not my business. What I want to say is another matter."
"I am all ears, Your Excellency."
"This fleet is about to pass through the Strait of Malacca. I heard that the king of your country is also the king of Portugal...so I hope that you or your fleet commander can persuade the local Portuguese officials in Malacca not to hinder our actions, and finally
It would be nice if we could stop at Malacca City for supplies, can you do that?"
Alfaro had already thought about why such a large fleet from Jinghua appeared here, so now he was not very surprised, so he just asked: "Sir, with all due respect, can I ask about the destination of your fleet?"
?”
Huang Zhiting was silent for a moment, nodded and said: "Okay, we are going to Myanmar."
Alfaro was slightly surprised. He didn't know about the Battle of Ming-Myanmar yet. He couldn't help but frowned. He hesitated and asked: "Well...I wonder if your fleet is going to bring trade or war to Myanmar?"
"Does this have anything to do with you?"
"It really has nothing to do with me." Alfaro smiled bitterly: "But it may have something to do with the Portuguese - to be precise, Portugal has great interests in Myanmar."
Gao Jingshi once briefly mentioned this to her, but Gao Jingshi did not pay special attention to the specific situation of Portugal in Myanmar in his previous life. He only knew that there seemed to be Portuguese mercenaries in Myanmar, so he only mentioned a few words. Huang Zhiting knew
Of course, it was very limited, so he asked: "What does it matter?"
Alfaro then told what he knew.
It turns out that as early as the sixth year of Hongzhi (1493), shortly after Columbus discovered the New World, Pope Alexander VI delineated the dividing line for the two maritime powers at that time, Castile and Portugal, to carve up the world, known in history as "
"Pope Meridian". So the Spanish went west to America, and the Portuguese went east around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and advanced all the way to Asia.
Portugal moved quickly. In 1510, the Portuguese captured the Indian port of Goa; in 1511, they captured Malacca, an important maritime trade town, thereby occupying the maritime artery leading to the Ming Dynasty.
In 1513, the first Portuguese to reach the Ming Dynasty landed in Guangzhou. After that, his compatriots came in large numbers, and then stayed in Macau and did not want to leave. Finally, after a tentative war, Portugal realized that it could not force the Ming Dynasty, so it had to use other methods to force the Ming Dynasty.
In a roundabout way, he asked for "temporary residence" there, and the local officials agreed due to trade considerations—and of course bribery considerations.
The Portuguese entered Myanmar earlier than they entered the Ming Dynasty. In the Arakan Kingdom on the west coast of Myanmar and the Mon Kingdom on the east coast, there were Portuguese traders and soldiers for a long time.
During the process of the Taungoo Dynasty unifying Myanmar, the Bamar army was surprised to find that when they faced off against the Mon soldiers, there were actually foreign soldiers wearing bloomers and beards among the Mon troops. They used advanced weapons to help the Mon soldiers.
The tribesmen defended the city.
However, the outnumbered Bamar army finally broke through the enemy's defenses, and learned from the Mon prisoners that these foreigners were Portuguese mercenaries. At that time, King Toungoo treated these foreigners with courtesy.
, persuaded them to join his army, and even the Portuguese became his military advisers.
The Portuguese not only brought military knowledge to the Toungoo court, they also brought something that the Burmese had never enjoyed - wine. Soon, the king became addicted to wine and his behavior became weird. He teased ministers
His wife told dirty jokes in the court, and if she didn't get her way, she would be executed and beheaded. His behavior increasingly aroused the disgust of the people of the country. Soon, on a journey to find the white elephant, the king was killed by his guards.
Killed - this king was Mang Ruiti, Mang Yinglong's wife and uncle.
Mang Yinglong, who succeeded to the throne, was the first generation of "Mang Chief" in the Ming Dynasty. He was completely different from the previous king. Although he also admired the Portuguese, he only needed their military capabilities and stayed away from their fine wine.
Mang Yinglong selected a group of warriors he liked from among the captured Portuguese, "issued" each of them a Burmese wife, and formed a "reverse door" foreign gun team. This team was under his command
, fierce and good at fighting, invincible, and made great contributions to the unification and expansion that followed.
Arakan (later Myanmar's Rakhine State) in the west also made good use of the Portuguese and became a wealthy kingdom. It not only resisted the annexation of the Toungoo Dynasty, but also expanded its territory outwards, from the Ganges River to
The Irrawaddy River covers the entire southwestern coastal area of Myanmar and part of present-day Bangladesh.
Arakan's wealth mainly came from maritime robberies and the use of robbed goods to trade with the inland areas. The king of Arakan opened trade to the Portuguese fleet, established a treaty port, and used the port as a transit point for Europeans to trade slaves; he
The Portuguese free gunmen were recruited and established a quite powerful naval fleet to plunder other countries' ships in the Strait of Malacca.
Among the robbery troops of the King of Arakan, there was an adventurer from Lisbon named Filipe de Brito e Nicote. This man came from a poor family and jumped on a sailing ship at a young age.
Sailing to South Africa, dreaming of escaping poverty.
However, he did not find any good opportunities in South Africa. Instead, he came to Arakan and finally joined the kingdom's navy. At that time, he had grown from a small crew member to a very experienced sailor and warrior. Soon, he was promoted to a ship's officer by the king.
Captain, led the Arakan soldiers to roam across the Indian Ocean.
Because of his experience in Arakan, he has always coveted Myanmar, hoping that one day he could find an opportunity to go to Myanmar to establish his own colonial territory and gain domestic recognition and appoint him as the local governor.
Portugal, or the Governor-General of Goa, is very supportive of his adventurous move and has provided him with a large amount of resources.
In other words, Portugal has now regarded Myanmar as its own dish, and is just waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of it.
After hearing this, Huang Zhiting understood what Alfaro's wry smile meant.
If Jinghua's expedition was to conquer Burma, then it would be equivalent to grabbing Portugal's favorite prey. In fact, it became a situation where two tigers were competing for food.
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