Time flies by, and it is already the end of March.
After destroying the Pahang Kingdom and subduing other countries, Zhang Yanling and others returned to Malacca and entered a period of extremely boring and idle state.
It's not that there is nothing, but these things are not serious business for Zhang Yanling. For example, attending the ceremony of the King of Malacca re-erecting the monument on the Western Mountain, participating in large and small meetings, attending various activities. As well as being invited to go to the other side of the strait.
The small country on the island of Sumatra, having banquets and entertainment with those small kings, etc.
What's outrageous is that in order to flatter Zhang Yanling, these small Southeast Asian countries built a statue for Zhang Yanling's national temple and asked Zhang Yanling to unveil the inscription. This is really an embarrassing thing.
Zhang Yanling didn't want to do something so outrageous. Although he had to have prestige among these people, Zhang Yanling still didn't want to see it rise to such a level. This was the treatment that the Sanbao eunuch Zheng He received after his voyage to the West.
After Zheng He's voyages to the West, monuments were erected for his statues, temples and shrines were built in various parts of Southeast Asia, and he was highly respected.
As the first person to open up a new situation in the Ming Dynasty's seven expeditions to Nanyang, it is natural that these honors and respects should be placed on Zheng He. However, Zhang Yanling believed that she was not worthy to be compared with Zheng He. At least not yet.
Moreover, Zheng He's voyages to the West were to promote the power of the Ming Emperor and spread his kindness. However, these small Southeast Asian countries may not really respect themselves, but do so out of fear. To a certain extent, this is a kind of
You must be wary of the behavior of flattery and killing, and be careful not to get carried away.
What’s even more outrageous is that these Nanyang rulers not only sent a lot of gold and silver jewelry, but also many beautiful girls to serve the Duke of Ming Dynasty. Although, looking at those dark-skinned and skinny girls,
Zhang Yanling really didn’t dare to compliment their beauty.
, and even suspected that these kings were playing pranks. But looking at the shining eyes and swallowing throats of the local indigenous officials, Zhang Yanling understood that this was a difference in aesthetics. These girls were indeed the real ones they thought they were.
The peerless beauty.
Of course, Zhang Yanling cannot keep these girls around. Although all of these girls are women from well-known families, and they are all virgins. But Zhang Yanling is obviously not the kind of person who is greedy for food. All the girls were sent back, and the gold and silver treasures were
Accepted. Zhang Yanling’s explanation for this is that money beauties must
Take the same thing, otherwise it will betray the good intentions of the other party and is not conducive to unity. Women are not blessed, but gold and silver treasures can be accepted. What Zhang Yanling lacks now is money, and all his savings have been invested in opening up business roads.
Go up. Although I didn't deliberately search for it, it was naturally disrespectful to bring it to my door.
Zhang Yanling's behavior of refusing beautiful girls from various countries gave Zhang Yanling a high reputation in the local area, but it also brought some rumors. Some people suspected that Zhang Yanling was a eunuch. After all, there was a tradition of eunuchs going to sea in the Ming Dynasty. Zheng He was also a eunuch at that time.
Eunuch, this Protector may also be a eunuch. Zhang Yanling did not expect this result.
You can't blame others for such rumors. Men in the Ming Dynasty grew beards because they were weak, but Zhang Yanling didn't like having beards that would affect his appearance, so he made a special knife to shave. Every day, there was not a single hair on his mouth, except for those around him.
I know, that's special for the Duke of Guo.
Outside of custom, outsiders will naturally be suspicious. People in the Ming Dynasty naturally knew that the Duke was not a eunuch, otherwise how could he marry so many wives and concubines and have sons. But what do the Nanyang natives know? After Zhang Yanling learned about this rumor,
, but smiled bitterly in surprise, feeling rather annoyed.
In fact, these things are just some episodes, and Zhang Yanling doesn't care about these trivial matters. He is counting the days in his heart, waiting for Zhang Yin to come back one day earlier. It has been nearly two months since the fleet returned to China. Logically speaking,
He should be on his way back already. Zhang Yanling hopes that Zhang Yin can
Enough to lead the newly built armored ships to arrive. In this way, the several warships waiting to be installed with iron armor will also have repair materials. The strength of the fleet will also be enhanced, and the replenishment of ammunition and troops will be completed. Then you can plan to attack Tin
The Folangji fleet at the seaport of the Lan and Garo Empires attacked.
Zhang Yanling is also looking forward to the letter Zhang Yin will bring home and the news about his wife, concubines and children. In this foreign place, especially during his recent leisure time, Zhang Yanling dreams about them almost every night. His thoughts about them are getting stronger day by day.
Strong. If I can get their news and letters, it will be enough to comfort my deep lovesickness.
Another thing that worries Zhang Yanling is the return of Helena and her daughter to China. It has been nearly two months since they left, and the sea is really vast and there is no news. Zhang Yanling is quite worried, not knowing what the outcome will be. She has no idea.
There is no way to help but to wait for news.
Zhang Yanling actually has an ominous premonition in his heart. Such a long time has passed. If the affair between Almeida and Helena and her daughter succeeds, then the enemy forces in Guri Port and Ceylon Port will not be able to remain silent. If Prince William falls,
, Alfonso is bound to be unlucky. Then there must be some changes in the Folanji Eastern Fleet.
But everything is calm now, which shows that things may not go well for Almeida and Helena and her daughter after they return to China. If things have failed, then Helena and her daughter will most likely have been killed. As a result, Zhang Yanling will naturally
It's hard to accept, but I know this is a very likely outcome.
That night, the moon was bright and clear. Zhang Yanling couldn't sleep, so she got up and went out for a walk in the yard. Unknowingly, she walked near the Governor's Mansion and saw that the lights in a room on the second floor of the Governor's Mansion were still on.
Zhang Yanling suddenly remembered that he had not seen Catherine for a long time and did not know how she was doing.
During this period of time, Catherine quietly stayed with Zhang Yanling to work. Zhang Yanling asked her to serve as an interpreter, but now there is no one in the port of Malacca, so naturally there is no need for an interpreter. Zhang Yanling attacked small countries and attended various occasions.
, the schedule is very busy. Naturally, it is impossible to take Catherine to attend these occasions. When I am busy every day, I almost forget the existence of Catherine.
When I saw the light on the second floor today, I remembered that Catherine was still here. It seemed that I had neglected her a little too much. In fact, in Zhang Yanling's heart, he no longer had some of the previous rejection of Catherine. Ever since Catherine took the initiative to continue writing his father's notes
, after helping Helena and her daughter, Zhang Yanling admired her quite a bit and felt that she was a woman who understood the overall situation and the overall situation.
Zhang Yanling wanted to turn around and walk away, but somehow he got in. He walked through the dark hall and went up the stairs to the second floor. He walked slowly to the door of the room with the light on. He hesitated whether to knock on the door or not.
, but heard Catherine’s soft voice coming from inside.
"We are different, noble man,
It is our duty and our future to be different.
The angel above you and me is flying towards us,
Wings touched wings, staring at each other
Shocked eyes. You think, you are in the Hua Palace,
The concubine’s distinguished guests, thousands of pairs of attentive bright eyes
(Even if they are covered with tears, they can’t teach my eyes
With this brilliance) I ask you to be the lead singer.
Then what are you doing? Looking through the screen window where the light shines?
Look at me?——I, a desolate, wandering person
The singer leaned tiredly against the cypress tree, sighing
In the vast darkness, holy oil is applied to your head——
Pity me, my head is suffering from the cold night dew.
Only death can equalize such a pair."
At first, Zhang Yanling thought it was Catherine talking to herself. But after listening to this low and plaintive chant, Zhang Yanling realized that she seemed to be reciting poetry.
"Then what are you doing through that screen window shining with light?
Look at me?——I, a desolate, wandering person
The singer, leaning tiredly against the cypress tree, sighed
In the vast darkness."
Such a sentence is sad and beautiful, and Catherine recited it in the language of the Ming Dynasty, which gives people a different feeling.
Could this be a poem written by Catherine herself? Zhang Yanling thought this way and reached out to push open the door.
Under the candlestick, Catherine's blond hair is hanging loose, her long skirt is wrinkled, and she is sitting on a chair with bare feet. There is a lot of messy paper on the desk in front of her. The quill is stuck in the ink, and the table is dripping.
dripping ink.
Catherine was holding a silver wine cup in one hand and a piece of paper in the other hand, with lines of words written on the paper.
After feeling the door open, Catherine turned around in surprise, and when she found Zhang Yanling standing at the door, she widened her eyes and let out a cry, shaking her hand, and the red wine in the glass spilled on her body.