Elector Friedrich Wilhelm treated the envoy very well, with a small banquet every three days and a big banquet every five days. Franzbekov was so happy that he stayed in Brandenburg for more than a month, showing no signs of leaving.
None.
This made Dong Xuan and Li Shouzhi anxious, so they came to find him hand in hand.
"Servant, although Liangyuan is nice, it is not a home for long-term love. We still have business to do."
"That's right, Minister, Your Majesty has ordered us to make friends. The task of containing Tsarist Russia has not been completed yet. How can we be trapped in this land of drunkenness and wealth?"
Franzbekov listened to the two of them talking a lot with a smile, and waited until their mouths were dry before he explained: "I am staying in Brandenburg. According to Ming's words, actually...
'Xiangzhuang dances with sword, aiming at Pei Gong'!"
"Xiang Zhuang dances with the sword, is it for Pei Gong? Minister, what do you mean?" The two of them were confused and asked him for advice.
"Haha, the Electorate of Brandenburg is the second most powerful country in the Holy Roman Empire. I don't know how many pairs of eyes are staring at Duke Frederick William. Please imagine that he treated the Ming envoy as a distinguished guest.
After the news of the ceremony spreads, what will other princes think? What will the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire think? What will His Majesty the Pope think?"
It turns out that among the eight electorate states, the three ecclesiastical electorate states are relatively weak, not to mention: among the remaining five secular electorate states, the Habsburg family, who is also the emperor of the empire and the king of Hungary and Bohemia, is the strongest.
;The second is the Electorate of Brandenburg, who is also the Duke of Prussia; the third is the Electorate of Bavaria; then the Electorate of Saxony; and the weakest is the Electorate of Palatinate, which refuses trade.
Since the Electorate of Brandenburg held a pivotal position within the Holy Roman Empire, its every move was easily imitated by other princes. Therefore, Franzbekov often attended the banquets of Elector Frederick William.
, in fact, it was made for other princes to see, "Xiangzhuang's sword dance was intended for Pei Gong."
"I see, we misunderstood the minister, please forgive me." The two suddenly realized and apologized quickly.
"It doesn't matter, he who doesn't know is not guilty."
Dong Xuan asked: "Servant, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Franzbekov smiled slightly and said, "We have been staying for more than a month. The news has spread and we can leave. We will leave tomorrow for the Electorate of Saxony."
??
The Electorate of Saxony was small, but it was the economic and cultural center of Germany. Leipzig within its territory was the most important commercial city in this era; Wittenberg was the place where Lutheranism spread, and the vigorous religious reform originated here;
The capital Dresden is also the "spoken word for culture" of Germany.
In the Dresden Palace, there is a lot of music.
The court musicians in formal robes sit upright, with a Violet on their knees, which has sloping shoulders, wide sides, and a thin and flat back. Unlike the four strings of a violin, this kind of violin has six strings and needs to be played vertically.
Because the sound is particularly soft, it is also called the soft violin.
The musicians were hired from Italy at a large cost, and their superb piano skills soon struck a chord with John George II. The elector had no other hobbies and was only fond of music. He was good at music.
It must be very difficult. It is precisely because of his hobbies that musicians from home and abroad came to perform at the palace one after another, making Dresden a music center.
"Father, the envoy from the Ming Dynasty has arrived in Dresden, have you summoned him?" Prince Johann Georg asked cautiously. This prince married Princess Anna Sophie, the daughter of King Frederic III of Denmark.
My father-in-law has established a transportation business with the Ming Dynasty, so he is naturally willing to facilitate this matter.
John George II squinted his eyes, intoxicated by the music, and waved his hands impatiently. That means, I am busy and have no time.
Prince Georg had no choice but to accompany his father to enjoy the music. Finally, the song ended, and John George II took a long breath.
"Father, I have received news that the Elector of Brandenburg, Frederick William, treated the envoys of the Ming Dynasty very well. He personally welcomed them and entertained them continuously." The prince spoke again.
"Brandenburg?"
Upon hearing these four words, John George II's eyes lit up and he began to think.
During the Thirty Years' War, unlike the Electorate of Palatinate, which firmly supported Protestantism, and the Electorate of Bavaria and Habsburg, which firmly supported Catholicism, the Electorate of Saxony and the Electorate of Brandenburg were in two camps.
The two countries have been relatively consistent in their diplomacy for a long time.
Brandenburg is willing to establish transportation links with the Ming Dynasty. It seems that this matter is indeed very beneficial to promoting trade and restoring the economy. Although Saxony-Wittenberg has a small territory, it is densely populated, and Leipzig is an important trading city.
Commerce is much more developed than Brandenburg. If you trade with the Ming Dynasty, the profits will be greater than Brandenburg!
After understanding this, John George II happily ordered an audience with the envoy.
The negotiation went smoothly, and the agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations and trade was signed effortlessly.
"Dear envoy, if you have time, I hope to invite you to visit my principality," John George II said with a smile.
Franzbekov smiled the same way, "Yes, my lord, if possible, I hope to go to Wittenberg Castle Church to worship, because I believe in Lutheranism (Lutheranism) like you."
”.
Saxony is the birthplace of the Reformation. In 1502, Elector Frederick III established a university in Wittenberg. In 1508, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther became professor of philosophy at the university and pastor of the Wittenberg Castle Church.
.On October 31, 1517, he posted the "Ninety-Five Theses" on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, opposing the sale of indulgences and other actions of the Catholic Church, which kicked off the religious reform. To this day,
The Lutheran faith remains the dominant faith in Saxony, and any other faith is prohibited.
Upon hearing that Franzbekov also believed in Lutheranism, John George II became more friendly and immediately ordered Prince Georg to escort the envoy to Wittenberg.
The devout Franzbekov worshiped devoutly as soon as he arrived at Wittenberg Castle Church, and then visited the university where Martin Luther taught. During the visit, because he could not suppress his excitement, he cried several times.
Du burst into tears.
Seeing that the envoys of the Ming Dynasty were also devout believers, the accompanying Saxon officials all felt good about him and were happy to make friends with them. It didn't take long for the Ming Dynasty and the Principality of Saxony to become brothers.
Things in this world are often icing on the cake. After Franzbekov returned to Dresden after praying, he was greeted by an envoy from the Principality of Renswick-Lunenburg.
It turns out that the principality has always focused on commerce, and its capital, Hanover, is a famous commercial city. During the Thirty Years' War, Germany was in turmoil, but Hanover survived. Therefore, in 1636, Duke Georg of Renswick-Lüneburg moved the capital to
Hannover.
The Duke of Renswick-Lunenburg is a long-established nobleman and has the same ancestor as the Duke of Saxony. Naturally, the relationship between the two countries is excellent. Hearing that Saxony and the Ming Dynasty were establishing diplomatic relations, they also sent envoys to establish diplomatic relations.
When he felt sleepy, someone gave him a pillow. Franzbekov was overjoyed and happily signed a contract with Hannover.
Then, he led the delegation south to Vienna to visit the Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, and King Leopold I of Hungary and Bohemia.
This chapter has been completed!