Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 285 Pilgrimage (V)

September 1634, 9, Forbidden City.

At dawn, golden sunlight shines on the glazed tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, reflecting brilliant light.

On the white marble steps in front of the hall, civil and military officials in court robes stood solemnly on both sides.

Inside the hall, the Ming Dynasty Emperor Chongzhen sat upright on the dragon throne, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown on his head, with a solemn and majestic expression.

His eyes were deep, with a hint of fatigue, but also revealed unquestionable majesty.

Outside the hall, bells and drums rang, and the sound of ritual music began.

Following the ceremonial officer's chant, an envoy dressed in clothing different from that of the Ming Dynasty slowly walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

He was dressed in simple yet unique clothes, walked calmly and had a firm gaze, which was in sharp contrast to the ancient palace atmosphere around him.

When the envoys reached the center of the palace, the ceremonial officer shouted, "Envoys from Xinhua, you come to see the Emperor! ... Salute!"

"Xinhua envoys pay their respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty!"

Meng Shengxin took a deep breath, with a bitter smile on his lips, he slowly knelt down on the ground, put his hands on the ground, touched his forehead to the ground, and kowtowed.

Then he stood up, knelt again, and kowtowed again.

Repeat this three times, for a total of nine kowtows.

Every time they kowtowed, they had to behave with utmost respect and solemnity, with slow and humble movements, to show respect for the Ming Emperor.

Is this servility or compromise?
Just to get something out of the Ming Dynasty's pocket, I have made a huge sacrifice!

After the ceremony, Meng Shengxin stood up, held up the gold-painted wooden box in both hands, raised it above his head, walked slowly forward, and walked to the foot of the imperial steps.

The ceremonial officer took the wooden box and presented it to Emperor Chongzhen.

The emperor nodded slightly and signaled the eunuch beside him to take it.

The eunuch carefully took out the letter of credence and presented it to the emperor with both hands.

Emperor Chongzhen took the letter, glanced at it briefly, and then placed it on the imperial desk.

He raised his hand slightly, signaling the envoy to stand up without any formalities.

His gaze lingered on the envoy for a moment, a hint of doubt and curiosity flashing in his eyes.

The envoy's words and actions seemed to be somewhat different from those of any previous envoys from vassal states.

His clothing, temperament, eyes, and even words revealed an inexplicable confidence. He did not have the fear and timidity that envoys from small countries would have when meeting the emperor of the Celestial Empire. This made Chongzhen feel unfamiliar and curious.

"Where are you from?" Emperor Chongzhen spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful.

Meng Shengxin raised his head, quickly took in the appearance of Emperor Chongzhen, then bowed slightly and replied, "I am from the Xinzhou Huaxia Republic."

"Xinzhou Huaxia Republic?" Chongzhen smiled slightly and asked, "Are you following the example of Duke Zhou and Duke Zhao of the pre-Qin period, with several people jointly ruling the country?"

"Your Majesty... is wise!" Meng Shengxin bowed and replied.

However, this republic is not that republic.

"I have heard that your Xinhua forces have repeatedly assisted our Ming army in defeating the Jiannu and rebellion forces, and have also presented us with many powerful firearms and Dongjiang garrisons. This brings me great comfort."

"Your Majesty, an envoy from a small country dares not praise you." Meng Shengxin said solemnly, "We, the Xinhua people and the Ming Dynasty, are both descendants of the Han people. We are of Chinese blood. We should be of the same blood and fight against the invaders together to protect the integrity of the Chinese nation."

"..." Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly after hearing this. "You, the Xinzhou Huaxia, have helped the Ming Dynasty so much. I would like to thank you."

"The envoy of a small country is terrified." Meng Shengxin immediately displayed a submissive demeanor and leaned forward to respond, "I am doing my humble part for the Ming Dynasty and to relieve the emperor's worries. This is a heartfelt gesture from Xinhua. I would never dare to trouble your majesty with a single word of thanks."

"Well, you Xinhua... are very good." Emperor Chongzhen looked at the Xinhua envoy with great satisfaction.

He knows the big picture and knows how to act. Although he is a small foreign vassal, he has devoted all his efforts to help our Ming Dynasty.

This was far superior to those vassal states that simply came to the Ming Dynasty seeking rewards. According to the established protocol, after a brief audience in the palace, the emperor would grant a banquet as a sign of consolation, and finally bestow some Ming artifacts upon them, thus concluding the pilgrimage from this foreign vassal state.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was plagued by internal and external troubles and disasters at that time. Emperor Chongzhen had to deal with countless government affairs and make decisions. He did not have much time to deal with such a ceremonial ceremony.

Just as Emperor Chongzhen was about to raise his hand to signal the eunuchs to set up a banquet in the side hall to entertain the Xinhua envoy, he saw that the other party looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, which aroused his curiosity.

"Does your Excellency have anything to say?" Emperor Chongzhen asked loudly.

"His Majesty."

When Meng Shengxin heard Emperor Chongzhen's question, he felt relieved.

"Your Majesty, Xinhua is willing to fight against the invaders and slaves for the Ming Dynasty, dedicating all our national strength to uphold the shared ties of Chinese culture. If the Ming Dynasty needs us, we can provide artillery, muskets, and refined swords and spears."

"I understand Xinhua's intention." Chongzhen smiled slightly.

This small foreign vassal state has a sincere heart.

"If Xinhua can provide the Ming Dynasty with some artillery to suppress the Jiannu in Liaodong, the Ming Dynasty will certainly treat you well. I will entrust this matter to the Ministry of War to hand it over to you, Xinhua."

"Your Majesty, the artillery and muskets that Xinhua supplies to the Ming Dynasty will be priced 20% lower than those forged by the Portuguese. We will not let the Celestial Empire waste its treasury."

"The Xinhua envoy's sincerity is truly heartening to me." Chongzhen, upon hearing this, felt a sudden surge of affection for Xinhua. "Our Great Ming is rich and prosperous, and we will certainly not allow Xinhua to be excessively wasteful. Well, I wonder if Xinhua has anything to ask of us, but please ask, and I will grant it."

When the Minister of Rites Lin Yuji, who was on the left side of the palace, heard Emperor Chongzhen's response, he felt something was wrong. He immediately widened his eyes and stared at the Xinhua envoy.

Hey, you are not going to repeat your Xinhua’s request to His Majesty in this Hall of Supreme Harmony, are you?

Once your Majesty has spoken, there is no way to take it back!
You know, I had only been polite to the envoy at the Ministry of Rites, but he took advantage of the situation and made a lot of demands based on my promise, more than a dozen in total, and he was not polite at all.

After sending him back, the envoy actually came to the Ministry of Rites several times to ask whether the Ming Dynasty had responded to the several requests he had put forward, which made him very annoyed.

In the end, he simply hid in the main hall, refusing to meet him or give him any reply.

Look at what demands your Xinhua has put forward?
Any of these items is not something I, the Minister of Rites, can decide.

If these conditions were submitted to the cabinet or before His Majesty, it would probably cause more trouble.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, for more than two hundred years, we have never granted these special rights to foreign vassal states.

Isn’t this a fantasy?
Even though you, Xinhua, and my Ming Dynasty share the same Chinese bloodline and have provided a lot of military support to our Ming Dynasty, it will not work.

Besides, no vassal state of the Ming Dynasty has ever made these "unreasonable" demands.

Whatever the Ming Dynasty can give you, I will naturally reward you generously.

If the Ming Dynasty cannot give you something, then you cannot take the initiative to ask for it.

By the way, how come you Xinhua are so "honest"? You just casually said "If you need anything, please tell me", and then you made so many demands in one breath without any politeness.

Now, His Majesty seemed to be moved by the words of the Xinhua envoy, and even said, "If you have any request for my Ming Dynasty, please ask for it and I will agree to it."

Will the Xinhua envoys put forward their demands in front of His Majesty and all the civil and military officials in the court?

"The envoy of this small country thanks Your Majesty!" Meng Shengxin bowed to Emperor Chongzhen, then raised his head and said loudly, "Xinhua is located in a remote and desolate place. The people are tired and the land is barren. Supplies are extremely scarce. Therefore, Your Majesty, please grant Xinhua the benefits of free trade!"

"Well, I'll allow it. We can follow the example of the Portuguese in the trenches."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Our Xinzhou is vast but sparsely populated, and our people are not strong enough. Please allow Xinhua to recruit landless farmers or famine victims from within the Ming territory to cultivate and cultivate the land."

"..." Chongzhen hesitated after hearing this, "Let me discuss this matter with the ministers in the cabinet before giving you a reply."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! There are few craftsmen in Xinhua who can make tools, which has caused great inconvenience to the people. Please grant us artisans in various trades to meet the needs of our people."

"..."

"It's over. Your Majesty might be taken advantage of by the Xinhua envoy this time." After listening to a few words, Lin Yuji closed his eyes and sighed in his heart.
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(End of this chapter)