Yan Siqi withdrew his gaze from the vast sea and fell on Zheng Haizhu's eyes reflecting the tall ship's mast.
"You say it's both right and wrong, so how do you say it?"
Zheng Haizhu said in harmony: "Brother Yan, rich people like Shen Wansan were fined, their homes were confiscated, and their high-rise banquet building collapsed overnight. This is because they are just rich, rich but without soldiers, and
Living in a city or a quiet corner, in the eyes of the court, of course, it is just a money bag. You can dig it out when you want it, and throw it away when it is empty. In the Jiangnan area of Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huaiyang, such luxury seems to be incomparable, but in fact it is like walking on thin ice.
The family has been like a crucian carp crossing the river for generations, and Shen Wansan is not the only one who has suffered a miserable end. But Brother Yan, you are different from them. You, the Taiwan Xuanfu envoy, earn your own money while guarding the Ming Dynasty.
The imperial court accepts your tribute and filial tax, but does not spend a penny on your soldiers. How can it be willing to kill you? Unless..."
Zheng Haizhu stopped and pointed to the sky above where the clouds were surging.
"Unless the emperor listens to the slander and thinks you are going to rebel. Or, if you are gradually going downhill, a new powerful person will appear, and the court wants to replace you."
Yan Siqi squinted his eyes, and suddenly realized something: "Azhu, your words remind me of what General Mao told me before about Li Chengliang, the general of Liaodong."
Zheng Haizhu nodded: "Yes, I was in Liaoyang this time, and I saw and heard a lot of things. The Li family is in Liaodong. What kind of business can they not do, and what kind of money can they not make? But they also have troops, and they do defend the enemy on the border, so
Even if there are constant rumors in the capital about the faults of the Li family, and even if the governor of Liaodong or the commander-in-chief are no longer the people Li Chengliang originally befriended, the Li family is still safe and sound. By the way, Brother Yan, let me show you something."
The two of them entered the cabin sheltered from the wind, and Zheng Shoukuan brought a bundle.
A thick cover bag made of Songjiang Yexie cloth with a layer of waterproof oil paper inside.
Zheng Haizhu opened it carefully, took out a scroll and unfolded it. It was a map more than four feet wide and two feet high.
Yan Siqi took a closer look, and although he could see at a glance that it belonged to a maritime map, it was from a perspective he had never seen before.
Zheng Haizhu's finger landed northwest of the central crosshair on the map.
She lit a piece of land that looked like a camphor leaf and said, "Brother Yan, we are here, this is Taiwan."
Starting from Taiwan, Yan Siqi quickly found Penghu Island, Zhangzhou Yuegang, Ningbo Shuangyu Port, the long and magnificent coastline of the Ming Dynasty, and the small countries of Japan, Luzon, Champa, and Siam.
But what really excited him was that outside the "Asia" continent where the Ming Dynasty was located, on the left and right ends of this picture, Yan Siqi found "Europa", "Levia", and "North Ammo" respectively.
Four continents with four names: Liga" and "South America".
Between these five continents is a large blue area marked with the words "Little Eastern Ocean", "Great Eastern Ocean", "Little Western Ocean", "Atlantic Ocean", and "North Sea", which are the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean in later generations.
.
Since escaping to Hirado, Japan, Yan Siqi has had countless contacts with Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands in his ten years of rough life, but this is the first time he has found the familiar "France" on the clearly graphic continent of "Europa".
Place names such as "Gee" and "Italya", as well as "South America" and "Chile" that are heard from Chinese people in Luzon.
Zheng Haizhu watched the changes on Yan Siqi's face.
Although Yan Siqi's reaction was within her expectations, it still made her feel as happy as a sword to reward a confidant, and a pearl without a secret cast.
Only a Chinese like Yan Siqi, who is full of adventurous and pioneering will and has an eye on the ocean, can look at this Chinese version of the world map and show an expression as if he has seen the rare treasures of the world.
Zheng Haizhu said: "Brother Yan, this is the land and sea where we, our friends, and our enemies live together."
…
When Zheng Haizhu visited Taiwan again, he brought this map, which was written by Li Zhizao.
As Xu Guangqi's favorite disciple, Li Zhizao, more than ten years ago in the 30th year of Wanli, together with the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci, drew the Chinese version of the world map that was highly praised by later academic circles: "The Complete Map of Kunyu and Ten Thousand Kingdoms"
.
This map is ten feet wide and six feet high. Perhaps considering the Holy Intention of Chenghuan, Li Zhizao and Matteo Ricci put the territory of the Ming Dynasty in the center, but it also explained that the earth is round and that there is no barren land outside the Ming Dynasty.
concept.
Emperor Wanli, who was deeply opposed to his ministers, was not opposed to Western learning. At that time, he not only allowed Li Zhizao and others to print the map, but also asked the court painter to draw a more exquisite version and gave it to the emperor's relatives for collection.
】
However, in a country where the eight-part essay has become the only criterion for talent selection, science, especially the parts of science related to Western learning, still cannot be included in enlightenment education.
Zheng Haizhu traveled back to the third or fourth year of the late Ming Dynasty and had never seen any physical geography textbook or book similar to "The Complete Map of Kunyu and Ten Thousand Kingdoms".
Finally, last year, Li Zhizao was hired from Hangzhou, who was idle at home, and Zheng Haizhu asked him to draw a simpler map of all nations. The area is only one-quarter of the original large version, making it easy to carry.
At this moment, Zheng Haizhu explained the source of the map, and after waiting for Yan Siqi's excitement to calm down slightly, he got to the point.
She stretched out her finger and crossed the entire Pacific region from Luzon on the map to the land marked with the five Chinese characters "New Ethibania".
"Brother Yan, this 'New Isbania' is New Spain. We in the Ming Dynasty do not distinguish between the Francois of the two countries, but in fact, one of them is Portugal and the other is Spain. The two countries have long been competing for sea power.
The situation was the same as fire and water. Spain occupied this area of Northern America and named it New Spain. It also occupied Luzon, south of Taiwan, and established a governor in Manila. Every year, large sailing ships sailed across the ocean. Northern America had
The Indians, like the Siraya people in Taiwan, are common people who have lived for generations. And we Han people have also been traveling to and from Luzon on sea ships since the Song Dynasty. However, after the Spaniards discovered these two places, they began to demand
The Indians and Han people surrendered and even went on a killing spree."
In order to save the Chinese people in Luzon from the butcher's knife, Yan Siqi offended the Spanish colonists and almost died in Penghu.
He sighed and said in a deep voice: "Azhu, I know the character of these foreigners very well. In the past, the court said that we were pirates, but in fact we are just businessmen who want to run boats across the sea and earn hard money. These foreigners are
The real thugs and thugs still hang up a cross and tell lies about pity for the world."
Zheng Haizhu said: "Yes, the current maritime situation is like this. The Spanish have occupied Manila, and we cannot drive them away for the time being, but we must beware of the Red Barbarians, those Dutch who have opened the East India Company.
Beware of them coveting the Fujian and Taiwan area. Brother Yan can deal with the Dutch severely, which will naturally be of great benefit to our maritime trade. The imperial court will regard him as the gateway to the southeastern country to rely on for peace and stability. In the future, if we can
It would be even better to strengthen the navy, expand the gunboats, and drive out the Spanish further south. The profits of our Chinese merchants from trading in Luzon can be doubled at most, while the profits of the Manila galleon merchants can be ten times."
Yan Siqi listened very attentively, and his eyes moved back and forth on the route mentioned by Zheng Haizhu.
He already knew everything about navigation. Now combined with the map in front of him, it was clear that the starting point for sailing from the Daming coast and relying on wind, ocean currents and star board navigation to the north and south continents of America was Manila.
When setting off from Japan, stick to the north, as large ships can easily get frozen in the ocean.
He raised his head, looked at Zheng Haizhu and said: "Since I have taken root in Taiwan, I naturally want the route to the east from Luzon. But what you just said is right, the Hongyi people are the disaster that must be solved first. Azhu
, you came from the Zhangquan area this time, have you heard of the name 'Xu Xinsu'?"