Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 1156: Conditions of Vassalage

The conditions proposed by Zhu Su made not only John I, but also Li Jinglong, Tie Xuan and other civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty look at him with surprise.

Tie Xuan could guess Zhu Su's thoughts. He thought that it was a rare commodity, so instead of wasting time and energy to attack this country, it would be better to subdue its leader and make his country work for Ming. However, the leader was captured by Ming at this time, so even if an alliance was signed, it would only be a treaty under siege.

As the saying goes, a treaty signed under siege cannot be kept. If we release this person and he turns against us later, then all the soldiers’ wasted artillery shells and hard work will be in vain.
Zhu Su only looked at John I with burning eyes. After the interpreter relayed Zhu Su's words, John I was surprised at first, but then he calmed down earlier than Tie Xuan and others, and asked Zhu Su in a relatively calm tone:
"Your Excellency, the Honorable King Zhou of the Ming Dynasty... Even if I agree to your request now, will you not worry that I will break our oath after I return?"

Zhu Su smiled. The fact that John I chose to make things clear actually showed that he was a smart man who truly knew how to weigh the pros and cons.

"Haha, to be honest, if Your Excellency the Lord agrees to this outright, I will choose to imprison you for a long time."

"And the fact that you said you might break your oath shows that you will seriously consider my proposal."

He waved his hand, signaling his attendants to untie John I, and asked someone to bring a chair for him. John I thanked him, first tidied his messy hair, and tidied his clothes that were messy because of being tied up, then saluted Zhu Su, sat down, and said to Zhu Su:
"Your Excellency King Zhou, I am sorry to disappoint you. Although we are only a small country compared to the Ming Dynasty, as the King of Portugal, I have my own beliefs and honor."

"My honor does not allow me to make my country a vassal for the sake of my own life. You can take my life, but you cannot humiliate my country. I will protect my country at the side of God."

He said. Although his tone was not calm, he looked directly at Zhu Su and showed his excitement. Li Jinglong raised his eyebrows and stepped forward to draw his sword, but was stopped by Tie Xuan.

"Young Master, although this man is a barbarian, he has the spirit of a righteous man. He is also the ruler of a country and should not be humiliated lightly." Tie Xuan shook his head at Li Jinglong.

"What kind of righteous king is this? He is just a prisoner. It would be fine if you don't shed tears of gratitude for your uncle's kindness, but you dare to act like this. Why don't you die?"

"If I don't teach him a lesson, he will think that the swords of the Ming Dynasty are not good enough...Is it possible that I have killed too many chieftains and kings?"

In order to intimidate Nanyang, Li Jinglong personally ordered the execution of quite a few Nanyang chiefs, Western nobles, pirates, etc.

In his opinion, there was not much difference between the barbarian ruler of Portugal and the chiefs of the South Pacific islands and the pirates who roamed the South China Sea.

Seeing Li Jinglong's aggressiveness, John I's face changed and he seemed to struggle, but in the end, he closed his eyes and looked ready to be killed.

Zhu Su saw everything and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, you are so impatient. I haven't finished what I want to say yet."

"I want to accept your country as a vassal, not to humiliate you, but because I see your bravery and fearlessness, and I think you are a great leader. That's why I want to help your country and make progress together with you."

"Do you think it's easy to be a vassal of the Ming Dynasty? There are countless countries in the world that want to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, but how many of them are qualified to pay homage to the emperor of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Let's not talk about anything else. As a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, we were invaded by your Western Church. The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent us to lead a fleet thousands of miles away to seek justice for the three sultanates. Have you ever seen such a humiliating method?"

John I opened his eyes, and the determination in his eyes had weakened.

"Let's not talk about anything else. If you become a vassal of the Ming Dynasty," Zhu Su continued. "The Fengmingzhou route can be opened to your country. And our Ming Dynasty goods can also be traded with your country... I heard that your western land is full of wars and many countries are fighting. If you become a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, with the Ming Dynasty as your backing, will anyone dare to bully you, Portugal, in this western land?"

"Are you willing to give these warships and that terrible weapon that emits fire to us Portugal?" John I suddenly asked.

Zhu Su secretly cheered in his heart. This man was indeed an ambitious ruler in history. His words hit the nail on the head. Not only did he see the most valuable thing of the Ming Dynasty at a glance, but he also put Zhu Su, who had already spoken the words, in mid-air.

However, this was exactly what Zhu Su was thinking. He laughed and said, "If you want it, how can the Ming Dynasty be stingy?"

"But the treasure ship's cannons are very expensive. I'm afraid your country's national strength cannot afford it."

Zhu Su did not mind spreading firearms and shipbuilding technology to the West. The Age of Exploration had already begun, and these seemingly simple shipbuilding and cannon-making technologies could not form any technical barriers.

Moreover, after several years of development, the Ming Dynasty's treasury had already accumulated many obsolete firearms, and the treasure ship technology had also been innovated. Finding a good buyer for these obsolete firearms and technologies was also a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.

As for whether these countries' weapons would pose a threat to China... Zhu Su believed that the Ming Dynasty was now very different from its previous life and would no longer be bullied by the West.

Moreover, by making Portugal a vassal, the strategy of managing Europe can be more effective.

John I was indeed very tempted. He had only heard about the power of the Ming Dynasty's treasure ships and artillery in the past, but now he had seen it with his own eyes. For an ambitious ruler like him, the temptation of such artifacts was self-evident.

Moreover, there is the Fengmingzhou route that Western European countries dream of. The reason why he set his sights on the sea, in the final analysis, is not because he covets the Fengmingzhou route discovered by the Ming Dynasty?
Now that Zhu Su has presented the route to him, how can John I not be tempted? After all, he did not know at this time that Fengmingzhou was actually much closer to his Portugal than going through the Ming Dynasty and then crossing the Pacific Ocean.

"As a vassal, what price does the Ming Dynasty want us to pay?" he asked after thinking for a long time.

Zhu Su thought to himself that it was done. Since he asked about the price, he was already inclined. Now was the time to propose conditions.

"As a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, you should inherit the learning of the Ming Dynasty and pass on the aspirations of the Ming Dynasty. From now on, you Portuguese royal family cannot believe in Western religions, and the nobles in your country should learn the Chinese language and pass on the Chinese learning. Even the etiquette system should be inherited from the Chinese system. Only in this way can you be a vassal of the Ming Dynasty."

"Are you willing?" Zhu Su asked.

(End of this chapter)