Penglai City was the first colonial stronghold built by the Ming Dynasty on the east coast of Golden Island. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and stands in the beautiful bay area. It has beautiful scenery, a mild climate, and extremely beautiful scenery.
In addition, the land in the area is open, flat and fertile. With the continuous arrival of immigrants from the Ming Dynasty, a large amount of land was reclaimed, quickly forming a fertile field, and the food grown was too much to eat.
Farming is a traditional skill of the Ming Dynasty people, and it cannot be lost no matter where you go.
But apart from farming, the most important things here in Penglai City are trade with Europe and shipbuilding.
Trade with Europeans was very prosperous, especially with the Spanish. According to the agreement signed between the Ming Dynasty and Spain, Spain enjoyed exclusive trade rights with the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, several islands on the east coast also belonged to Spain.
Therefore, Penglai Island has always been an important colonial point for trade between the Ming Dynasty and Spain, and a large number of large and small firms and merchants from the Ming Dynasty gathered here.
At the same time, there are a large number of Spanish businessmen coming here from Spain to do business. Almost every day, more than a dozen cargo ships arrive at Penglai Port, and there are also more than a dozen cargo ships departing from here to go to Europe loaded with goods from the Ming Dynasty.
This greatly promoted the development of Penglai City, allowing it to rapidly grow from a small colonial city to a large city with a population of 300,000.
Although the population of 300,000 is far from being compared with the Ming Dynasty's capital, Tianjin, Songhu, Nanjing, etc., it is definitely the largest city in Huangjinzhou. Even if it is placed in Europe, it can be ranked first.
Enter the big city in the front line.
Clean and tidy streets, straight roads, and neatly planned areas are dotted here and there, with tall buildings and glass windows shining dazzlingly in the sunlight.
There are a huge number of shops, where you can buy any goods from the Ming Dynasty, you can also buy palace dresses from Europe, you can also buy corn, potatoes and peppers grown by the local descendants of the Yin Shang in Huangjinzhou, etc.
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If you look up casually, you can see the gentle Ming people wearing gorgeous clothes, you can also see the Spaniards who exude strong body odor and cover it up with low-quality perfume, and you can also see those strong and well-dressed people.
descendants of the Yin and Shang dynasties.
This is Penglai City, a city that grew rapidly due to trade.
“What a beautiful place~”
Father St. Pio stood on a rooftop in Penglai City, overlooking the booming city in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh.
Busy and lively streets, four-wheel carriages passing by, hurried pedestrians, a ship moored in the harbor in the distance, and the roar from the shipyard not far away.
Looking further away, between the water and the sky, seabirds are circling in the sky, making bursts of calls. On the land, looking up, the endless fields are neatly planned and square.
Yes, the rice and corn in the fields have begun to turn yellow, and a golden autumn with a bumper harvest will soon arrive.
It has been more than a year since he came to Penglai City. In this period of more than a year, he has learned the Ming Dynasty dialect, can even write with a brush, and can also read the Ming Dynasty newspapers.
He fell in love with the life of the Ming Dynasty. Like the people of the Ming Dynasty, he was accustomed to bathing frequently and using Daming soap, otherwise he would feel uncomfortable all over.
He also likes drinking morning tea, eating pastries, reading the Ming Dynasty Morning News, the food of the Ming Dynasty, the clothes of the Ming Dynasty, and everything here.
He liked every place here very much.
Living here, he can feel all-round comfort and convenience, which is completely different from living in Europe.
Here you don't have to endure the stench that floats everywhere. Almost all cities in the Ming Dynasty have extremely strict regulations. Penglai City is a new city. There are running water and sewers throughout the city, so dirty things can be washed and drained.
Here, almost all roads are hardened with cement, which are spacious, clean, and convenient. However, in Europe, there is mud everywhere. During the rainy season, you can't even leave the house.
Here, when drinking tea, he can add sugar to it as much as he wants, because the price of snow sugar from Nanyang in the Ming Dynasty is only more than 100 yuan per catty, which is very cheap, but in Europe, the price of a catty of sugar is ten yuan here.
More than times.
He liked everything here, the only thing that bothered him was the lack of belief in God.
He is a devout believer who came to Golden Continent with a mission, wanting to spread the light of the Lord to this confused land and guide the lost sheep here.
However, not only the people of Ming Dynasty were unwilling to believe in God, but also the natives of Golden Continent were unwilling to believe in God. In more than a year, he worked hard to preach here and only developed less than two hundred believers.
This made him feel very frustrated and discouraged.
"It is indeed a beautiful place, but it is a pity that it does not belong to us Spaniards."
Next to St. Padre Pio, the Spanish businessman Amansi also sighed.
Amansi was a Spanish businessman and a navigator with rich sailing experience. He specialized in traveling between Golden Continent and Spain, conducting trade between the Ming Dynasty and Europe.
"Amansi, your idea is very dangerous. You must know that this is the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Empire is not comparable to those tribes in Africa. If the Ming Empire is angered, we in Spain cannot bear it."
After hearing this, Padre Pio couldn't help but remind him.
He knows very well that these so-called merchants, who appear to be merchants, are actually often engaged in piracy business. As long as it is possible to obtain wealth by force, they will never do business with you honestly.
That is to say, in the past two years, they have made a lot of money by relying on trade with the Ming Dynasty. Coupled with the power and fear of the Ming Dynasty, they have been honest. Otherwise, the Spanish pirates may not be any better than the English pirates.
go.
"Of course I know, that's why I feel like this~"
Amansi smiled and nodded. He knew better than anyone else the powerful power that Ming had on the sea.
On the east coast of Golden Continent, the Ming Dynasty has hundreds of strongholds, and dozens of specialized warships belonging to the Ming Dynasty navy are escorting them. The merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty are almost armed to the teeth. All they need is an order from the Ming government, and they will be dispatched immediately.
Can be dispatched.
Even on the European side, Ming Dynasty still has a powerful force. The fleet stationed in Hong Kong, the fleet on the Mediterranean side and the Black Sea Fleet, any one of them is enough to frighten the European countries.
He is also aware of the artillery technology of the Ming Dynasty. He even participated in the Ming Dynasty, Spain's war with England, France and Portugal. He saw with his own eyes the terror of the Ming Dynasty artillery. It can attack your ships with incomparable accuracy from a long distance.
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So after coming to Golden Continent, he has always been honest, because he knows that if you cause trouble here, the Ming people will give you a heavy punishment. The key is that the Spanish Kingdom behind you will not give you any protection.
Because for Spain, maintaining friendly relations with Ming Dynasty is the most important, and anyone and anything that damages this relationship will not be allowed to happen.
"But you're right."
"This is really a beautiful place. It's a pity that it does not belong to our great Spain. Otherwise, we could forcefully proselytize, instead of being like now, where proselytizing is very difficult."
Padre Pio thought about it and said with great regret.
The Ming government prohibited foreign missionaries like them from privately preaching in the Ming Dynasty, so he could only stay here as a businessman to preach secretly.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Amansi asked after thinking for a while.
"This is exactly why I came out to find you this time~"
"Can you and many businessmen jointly apply to the county magistrate of Penglai City to build a church? I am in urgent need of a church so that I can carry out some mass, prayer and other activities, and also provide a church for religious children.
A place of worship.”
Father St. Pio smiled and said.
"I am happy to help. I will contact all parties immediately after I return, and everyone will apply to the local Ming Dynasty government together."
Amansi agreed immediately.
And being a devout believer, he immediately began to contact the Spanish businessmen in Golden Island, and also contacted some Ming businessmen who felt good about it. Together, they asked Li Zheng, the magistrate of Penglai City, for permission to build in Penglai City.
A church.
In Penglai City County Government Office.
"Hmph~"
"These Spaniards haven't given up yet and even want to preach in our Ming Dynasty territory."
"How credible is this kind of religion that has no king and no father? It is still a dream to build a church in Penglai City!"
Li Zheng held in his hand a decree that had just been sent from the Ming Dynasty, requiring all government offices in Huangjinzhou to strictly eliminate foreign missionaries in the territory and resolutely prevent the spread of foreign religions in the Ming Dynasty.
"Come here~"
"Immediately arrest the missionaries in Penglai City. All foreign monks who secretly preach in the Ming Dynasty will be arrested and executed!"
As Li Zheng's order was conveyed, the entire Penglai City began to panic.
In the area where Spanish businessmen gathered in Penglai City, with the sound of neat steps, Li Zheng came here with more than a hundred Penglai City policemen and surrounded the residence of St. Pio Padre.
"Master Li, what are you doing?"
Seeing Li Zheng coming with people, the Spanish businessmen became nervous, and some businessmen who were familiar with Li Zheng also hurriedly stepped forward and asked.
"What?"
"St. Padre Pio secretly preaches to our people, which has seriously violated our Ming law. Now I am here to arrest Padre Pio and others in accordance with the law of the Ming Dynasty."
Li Zheng looked at the Spanish businessmen in front of him. They were gathering more and more. Together with the sailors under these businessmen, etc., there were hundreds of Spaniards gathered around him.
