In the side hall of Chunhe Palace, Gao Pangshi was immersed in thinking about the future strategy of the Ming Dynasty. Li Zhizao, who was reviewing the cabinet, came in a hurry and handed over a greeting card.
"Yuanfu, Mr. Xijiang wants to see you." Li Zhizao was afraid of being too pragmatic and forgetting things, so he explained: "It's the missionary Mr. Matteo Ricci whom I mentioned last time."
Gao Pangshi was quite surprised. He glanced at the invitation and asked, "Isn't Matteo Ricci running a network in the capital? Why did he come to Nanjing?"
"The lower official also asked. He said that he went south urgently on the orders of Pope Clement VIII to discuss important matters with Yuan Fu."
Gao Pragmatic was no stranger to the name Matteo Ricci. When he asked Li Zhizao to be his political advisor - now renamed Cabinet Washer - Li Zhizao mentioned to him that he knew Matteo Ricci. Not only that, Li Zhizao
He also told Gao Pangshi that this missionary had been active in the Ming Dynasty for many years and had won the respect of many scholar-bureaucrats with his profound knowledge and humble attitude.
In fact, Li Zhizao did not need to tell this. As a time traveler, Gao Pragmatic certainly knew that Matteo Ricci was not only a missionary, but also a scholar. He had profound attainments in astronomy, mathematics and other fields, and had extensive relations with scholars of the Ming Dynasty.
Exchange. However, this time he suddenly went south to Nanjing on the order of the Pope, which is a bit interesting.
"Invite him to the study for a chat." Gao pragmatically ordered, and then he went to the study first. Li Zhizao responded and hurriedly went out to pick him up.
Soon, Matteo Ricci was introduced to the study of the side hall of Chunhe Palace. He was dressed in a simple Chinese Taoist robe. His hair was graying, but his eyes were still clear and firm.
"Mr. Matteo Ricci, I've heard of him for a long time. I'm lucky enough to meet him today. It's a pleasure to meet you." Gao Pragmatic greeted him with a smile.
"Yuanfu is too flattering. Matteo Ricci's trip is under the order of Pope Clement VIII. He has important matters to discuss with Yuanfu." Matteo Ricci bowed slightly and spoke calmly. In addition, he spoke Chinese very well.
Well, even the weird "Western Chinese" accent isn't serious.
But Gao Pragmatic had already known how powerful this person was, so he was not very surprised when he saw this. He just smiled and motioned for Matteo Ricci to sit down, and the two of them took their seats respectively.
Matteo Ricci seemed to be very familiar with the etiquette of dealing with people in the upper echelons of the Ming Dynasty. He took out two letters from his arms and handed them to Li Zhizao who was next to Gao Jingshi. However, facing Gao Jingshi, he said: "This is an autographed letter from the Holy See to Yuan Fu.
, as well as the translation and transcript of this letter below, please have a look."
Gao Pragmatic took the letter from Li Zhizao and found that the Pope's letter was written in Latin characters that he was familiar with but did not recognize at all, while the letter translated and copied by Matteo Ricci was directly in Chinese, and the handwriting was quite visible.
Skill.
"Please wait a moment." Gao Pragmatic nodded to Matteo Ricci, first opened the Pope's letter and took a look, and then opened Matteo Ricci's translation. The strange thing is that although Matteo Ricci translated it into Chinese,
Following the pope's format, I wrote it in a horizontal layout with left and then right, as if Gao Pragmatic was accustomed to this format:
Dear Prime Minister of the Ming Empire, His Excellency Margrave Gao Pragmatic:
May this letter bring you blessings of health and prosperity. I, Clement VIII, send you my most sincere greetings in the name of Saint Peter.
In your far west, we are facing an unprecedented challenge. This challenge is not only related to the survival of our faith, but also related to the peace and order of the entire civilized world.
The Ottoman Empire, the terrifying giant that was once defeated by your ancestors and fled to the West, eventually rising in Anatolia, is now expanding its power at an unprecedented rate, threatening every corner of Europe. Their armies are on land
Sweeping thousands of armies, their fleets are rampant on the sea, and their ambitions are boundless and never-ending.
As the guardians of Christendom, I and the kings and monarchs of the West must stand up and fight against this powerful enemy for the sake of faith, freedom, and the future of civilization.
In the century-long conflict with the Ottoman Empire, we have paid a huge price. But we still firmly believe that the power of justice will eventually defeat evil, and light will eventually dispel darkness. However, we also need allies and those who also cherish peace.
Backed by the power of order.
Not only do we know that your ancestors once defeated the ancestors of the Ottomans and drove them away, but we also know that not long ago, the Ming Empire once again successfully defeated the Ottomans' eastern ally, the Bubu Empire of the Yuan Empire, in the far east.
Yanda Khan and his Prime Minister Prince Burihatu.
Congratulations and salutes to you! This victory is not only a heavy blow to the Ottoman Empire, but also a great encouragement to the entire Christian world. Your country, with its powerful army and navy, has proven its unparalleled military strength and has no
Doubt has become a key force in maintaining world peace.
Therefore, I hereby beg for your support and for the Ming Empire to form an alliance with us to jointly fight against this enemy that both parties have agreed upon - the Ottoman Empire. I believe that through our cooperation, we can not only weaken the power of the Ottomans, but also limit the Ottoman Empire.
ambition, and can also ensure the security and prosperity of our respective countries and peoples.
In addition, I must point out that such an alliance would also be of immeasurable benefit to the Ming Empire. Through our cooperation, your motherland will be able to continue to expand its influence in international trade, ensure the security of its maritime trade routes, and perhaps even
Obtain new territory and resources. This will be a cooperation that is beneficial to the common interests of both you and us, and it will also be an alliance that can bring long-term benefits to our respective countries.
I implore you, Your Excellency, the pragmatic Prime Minister, to seriously consider my proposal. I look forward to your positive response and to the fact that we can work together to face this common challenge to world peace.
May God bless us and may our alliance become a glorious chapter in history.
Sincerely
salute
Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Lord of the Disciples, Supreme Priest, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome, Head of the States of the Church and Servant of the Servants of God
Clement VIII
September 6, 1600.
"The Pope wants to form an alliance with the Ming Dynasty?" Gao Pragmatic felt that it was a bit outrageous. He frowned and asked Matteo Ricci: "He should know how far away Beijing is from Rome, right?" Gao Pragmatic didn't care about the Pope's treatment of him.
After all, the title "Marquis of the Empire" was signed in September 1600. At that time, he was indeed not the Duke of Jingguo, but the Marquis of Nanning.
"Yes, Your Excellency Yuanfu, based on the great explorations of Spain and Portugal and the reports of missionaries, the Holy See clearly knows the distance between Beijing and Rome." Matteo Ricci nodded in affirmation, and then immediately added
He said: "But the Holy See believes that justice will not be diminished because of distance, nor will the distance between two great civilizations diminish the power of mutual attraction."
Gao pragmatic couldn't help laughing and said: "You are very good at talking, Mr. Matteo Ricci."
"And you have always been famous for your wisdom, Your Excellency Yuanfu."
Gao pragmatic smiled, pointed to the Pope's letter, and asked: "The Pope proposes to form an alliance with the Ming Dynasty. It's easy to say that the Ming Dynasty is okay, but I don't know if the Pope wants to form an alliance with the Ming Dynasty.
Does it include the Papal States, or other Catholic countries that are currently hostile to the Ottoman Empire - I mean, such as Austria or the Habsburg countries, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the chaotic Hungary?"
Matteo Ricci was quite surprised and said: "I didn't expect you to know so much about the situation in Europe."
Gao Pragmatic smiled again, glanced at the time of the Pope's signature, thought for a moment, and asked: "The Pope's letter was written a year and a half ago. I wonder if the last time you learned about the situation in Europe was also by
If so, I can also tell you some new news."
Matteo Ricci was even more surprised and said: "Do you know more recent news? If so, I am indeed very curious. Please inform Yuan Fu."
Gao Pragmatic did know what happened after the Pope wrote this letter. After all, as a veteran player of a certain strategy game, he was relatively familiar with the "Long War" (also known as the Fifteen Years War, the Habsburg and Ottoman Wars).
Understood.
The matter is naturally complicated, but if I want to make a long story short, it is a series of wars that broke out on Hungarian territory between the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire, which started in 1591 and ended in 1606.
Roughly speaking, the allies of the Habsburg Empire include the Papal States, the Principality of Transylvania, the Principality of Wallachia, and the Principality of Moldavia, while Safavid Persia is also containing the Ottomans on the Eastern Front.
empire.
Although the Ottoman Empire had no allies, foreign peoples living under its rule, such as Serbs and Bulgarians, also participated in the war.
Compared with before the outbreak of the war, the Habsburg Dynasty performed better this time than in the previous wars. It only lost a few castles that were not particularly important, such as Naugikauni and Egerburg. The Ottoman Empire was considered a small victory.
, and then the Grand Vizier "Gravedigger" went to fight Persia (the Grand Vizier is equivalent to the Prime Minister or Prime Minister).
The real unlucky ones in this war are the family of Prince Bathory of Transylvania and the family of Prince Dracula of Wallachia (the family from which the vampire legend originated). They are the two families who really lost.
.
Gao Pragmatic nodded lightly and said: "The Pope's letter was written in 1600. The situation at the beginning of this year was quite unfavorable to the Habsburg family. The outstanding Hungarian general Miklos Buffy died in the spring. In early June
, Walloon mercenaries who were owed military pay launched a rebellion in the city of Pappo, and the guard general Mihai Los Mallory and others were imprisoned in the city, and the deputy guard Ferenc Vatai could only escape quickly.
The rebels were furious and wanted to give the castle to the Ottomans in exchange for their unpaid wages. Fortunately, the Ottomans did not trust them at all and thought it was a fraud, so they missed the opportunity.
Count Schwarzenberg was quickly sent to restore order. Although he tried to negotiate with the Walloons, he still had to retake the castle through siege. What was even more unfortunate was that he himself was unlucky to fight in the siege.
Death. Some Walloons fled Papo and joined the Ottoman army.
Not long after, the Habsburg army recaptured the city of Papo and divided the captured rebels into two categories. Ordinary soldiers were executed locally, while senior officers were taken to Vienna and tortured to death. Walloon mercenaries who committed numerous crimes
They received the punishment they deserved, but I have to say that the root cause of this matter is that the Habsburg family has been in arrears with payments for too long.
By the end of August of that year, the main Ottoman forces led by Grand Vizier Ibrahim began to besiege Naugikaunira, the most important outpost of Danube in the west. Hundreds of Walloon mercenaries who had previously escaped from Pabo City
The soldiers joined the besiegers in the camp.
The castle here is protected by a small guard of 1,000 men led by George Paradesel. Philippe Emmanuel de Lorraine, Duke of Mercol, who went to rescue Naugicaunirao, clearly led 20,000 men.
The army was large, but they did not dare to fight the Grand Vizier, and they were unable to mobilize reinforcements into the castle.
After an eight-week siege, Paradeser, the defender of Naugikauni, handed over the castle to Ibrahim on October 22 in exchange for his freedom to leave. I estimate that Paradeser will also be released.
Execution, just like Haggard, the former defender of Gyor City.
After that, the Ottoman Empire established the province of Garnier here, and the states of Zolo and Wash also became the front lines against the Ottoman Empire. Soon after, Archduke Ferdinand led an army of 30,000 people to besiege Garnier, hoping to
to recapture it, but at least when I learned the news, he had not yet succeeded.
Also in this year, the Sekkei and Saxons sided with Michael II and elected him Prince of Transylvania, but Emperor Rudolf was only willing to recognize him as governor of Transylvania.
(Transylvania can basically be regarded as eastern Hungary.)
However, although the Transylvanian nobles initially sided with Michael II, they were soon betrayed by Michael II. Michael appointed Wallachians to almost all important positions.
So the loyalty of the Transylvanian nobles to him was greatly reduced. Only the Sakaei remained loyal to him because he liberated them from serfdom and organized an army of the Sakaei themselves.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! During his reign, he completely plundered the treasury of the princely kingdom. However, even so, he was later unable to pay his mercenaries, so these mercenaries began to rob and
Looting places. In order to save the financial situation, Michael II also attacked and occupied Moldova, but soon discovered that the situation in Moldova was not optimistic. The place was dissatisfied with his rule, and the nobles continued to launch rebellions in many places. As a result, Michael
II's army was defeated at the Battle of Mirislo, and he was forced to flee temporarily.
Therefore, on the order of Emperor Rudolf, the commander-in-chief of Upper Hungary, Giorgio Besta, recalled Sigismund Bathory to the princely kingdom. However, Sigismund also disappointed Rudolf and gave up.
He changed his previous policy and began to negotiate with the Ottomans. To this end, Besta joined forces with Michael II this time and defeated his army at the Battle of Goroslo, and he himself was forced into exile again.
On August 19, Besta sent Walloon mercenaries to kill Michael II. Then he became the new agent of Emperor Rudolf and the actual ruler of Transylvania.
.As of the last information received by this cabinet, this person is carrying out a reign of terror in the country, and his mercenaries are ruthlessly plundering local wealth.
On the other side, in western Hungary, the Habsburg family also launched a large-scale counterattack that year. Philippe Emmanuel de Lorraine, Duke of Melkor, led an army of 20,000 and began to besiege
Szekesfehérvár, and captured the castle on September 20.
The new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Hassan Jamisi, led a 50,000-strong rescue force and arrived near the castle late in early October. Despite its superior strength, as of the last news received by our cabinet, the Ottoman army was in this battle.
No results have been achieved in the battle.
However, from what I can see, the Habsburg family has used its power to the limit. If it cannot obtain more assistance, I am afraid it will be difficult to hold on to the castle here for a long time under the siege of 50,000 Ottoman troops."
Gao pragmatically spoke so clearly and clearly reported the names of all the people. It was really hard for Matteo Ricci not to believe him. He couldn't help but be extremely curious: "I'm sorry, why Yuan Fu knows so much about things far away in Europe, even better than Ricci?"
Is your information much better informed?"
Gao Pragmatic smiled slightly: "Jinghua has been doing business in Europe for many years. As long as the Spaniards and Portuguese get the news, how can Jinghua not know about it? Mr. Ricci probably doesn't know that the Spanish have bought at least 100,000 goods from Jinghua in the past three years.
Forty thousand Wanli Type II muskets, right?"
Matteo Ricci looked a little unhappy. After all, the more Gao Pragmatic knew about the situation in Europe, the harder it would be to trick him into signing an alliance treaty, which meant that the difficulty of his task had obviously increased.
However, it is difficult to return to the situation. After all, it is a matter entrusted by the Pope. No matter how difficult it is, we must persist in doing it.
Matteo Ricci smiled bitterly and said: "Since Yuan Fu knows about the chaos in Europe, he should also be able to feel the huge threat from the Ottoman Empire. This is the basis for our alliance..."
"It is true that this is the basis for your alliance with me, the Ming Dynasty, but how can you say that it is the basis for the alliance between my Ming Dynasty and you? The Ottomans threaten your Catholic countries, not our Ming Dynasty." Gao Pragmatic shook his head and put on a pose.
He looked completely unconcerned: "Besides, since the Pope knows that the ancestors of the Ottomans were defeated and expelled by us, he should also know that even the Ottomans today, with the strength of the Ming Dynasty with millions of armors, are not
Don't think it's a threat to us."
Matteo Ricci's heart sank to the bottom. He already felt that this errand was going to end in failure, and a look of deep disappointment appeared on his face.
However, after twists and turns, Gao Pragmatic suddenly said: "However, to say that an alliance is beneficial to both parties, I think it is not completely unreasonable, but..."
As if he had been given a shot in the arm, Matteo Ricci quickly cheered up and asked: "Just what? Please give me some advice from Yuan Fu."
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