"What's wrong? Has our navy also been attacked?" Zong Lin asked while coughing.

Zong Huan silently took out a handkerchief, wiped the tea off his face, and shook his head, "Not really. Wakabayashi Zhenxing and his navy are still staying in Usuki Port."

"That's good, that's good." Zong Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. The war with the Mori family could not be separated from his Bungo navy. "What are the Ming Dynasty people doing here?"

"They didn't come in person, but sent Omura Juntada as an envoy to propose an alliance with us." Zong Huan put away his handkerchief and said, "They said that as long as we agree to their three conditions, they can help us defeat the Mori family."

"What a big tone." Zong Lin sneered and said, "What are the conditions?"

"From now on, Kyushu Island can only do business with the Tamra Chamber of Commerce designated by them, and no other foreign ships are allowed to dock." Zong Huan said as he glanced at his lord's face. In fact, he felt, like Omura Juntada, that this condition was quite European... After living with the southern barbarians for a long time, they could speak a few words of Western language.

Otomo Sorin, however, stroked his shiny head and remained silent. After a while, he slowly shook his head and said, "I refuse."

"Why? It doesn't matter who you do business with?" Zong Huan asked puzzledly.

"We are already sure to win this battle. Even if the Ming people don't help us, we can still win." Then I heard Zong Lin say: "So why should I pay for something I already have?"

"And I've had enough of their blackmail. Whether it's Wang Zhi or the southern barbarians, they have earned too much gold and silver from us over the years!" He paused, snorted coldly, "Ming silk, tea, and porcelain, as soon as they are shipped to us, the price will immediately increase tenfold. They treat us as suckers! What's their basis? Isn't it that we have no choice but to do business with one company?"

"Yes." Zong Huan nodded. He also heard that these were common items in the Ming Dynasty, but they were sold at a very high price in Japan. For example, a blue and white porcelain plate only cost a dozen coins in Hangzhou, but it cost two hundred yuan in Japan. It was really too shabby.

"Now, we finally have a chance to get rid of their blackmail, and we must not miss it!" Otomo Sorin stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the maple leaves falling into the pond in the courtyard with his bright eyes, and said firmly: "Tell Omura Juntada that at most I agree that the people of the Ming Dynasty and the Nanman have the same rights - they can trade freely in my territory! I can't give them more."

He was talking about his own territory, not Kitakyushu. Because he just didn't want to be exploited by foreigners, but that didn't mean he didn't want to exploit his own people. So he naturally wanted to monopolize the foreign trade of the entire island, not that anyone could do business with foreigners.

"If they are dissatisfied, they can just go and wrestle with the southern barbarians. We can't afford to offend anyone." Otomo Sorin stretched and said calmly.

"But if this happens, will they side with the Mori family?" Zong Huan reminded him.

"Hiss..." Otomo Sorin frowned upon hearing this, and after a while he shook his head and said, "Even if they want to form an alliance with the Mori family, Lord Motonari will probably not agree. The Mori family's navy is stronger than ours, and they also have the help of the Murakami navy. Lord Motonari could not have expected that we have..."

Involving the top secrets of this battle, even if there were only the two of them, Otomo Sorin chose to jump over and said, "So I believe that Lord Yuanjie will not agree to them."

"But maybe the Yuanjiu Guild will just pretend to agree." Zong Huan thought of another possibility: "First pretend to agree to it to appease them, and then turn against them after the battle."

"No," Otomo Sorin said decisively, "The Ming Dynasty's fleet can even defeat Western ships. Trying to trick them will only lead to bad results."

"And how can we count on foreigners?" Zong Lin couldn't help but twitch his lips as he spoke. He had suffered such a loss once before.

That was eight years ago, when the Otomo clan fought against the Mori clan for the last time. Because Sorin had long seen the strength of the Nanman people's ships and cannons, he threatened to cut off trade with them and asked them to send ships to help him attack Moji Castle, which guarded the Kanmon Strait.

The Nanman's artillery was very fierce, and soon the Mori army under the mountain castle was blasted into pieces, and fled into Mojiyama Castle. But the Nanman's artillery was not good at attacking the city. After firing a few shots and seeing no effect, they began to work without effort, and on the same day, they resigned from the battle on the grounds of insufficient ammunition. As a result, the Otomo family finally gave up the attack on Moji Castle and handed over the control of the strait to the Mori army, which resulted in the final defeat. He and his generals had to take responsibility by becoming monks.

As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one becomes afraid of ropes for ten years. After the last lesson, how could he still pin his hopes on outsiders?

If he doesn’t know how to do it, how could the wisest general in the West know how to do it?

~~

Usuki Castle Town, inside the Seaside Church.

The sunlight shines in through the colorful glass, and the piano plays elegant religious music.

Under the crucifix, Father Louis, wearing a black priest robe and a golden cross, is leading the reading from the Bible.

"If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, I will give you rain in its season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will yield their fruit..."

Omura Juntada, who came from afar, was kneeling respectfully in front of the statue of Jesus and chanting devoutly.

"I will give peace to your land... I will cause evil beasts to cease from your land, and the sword shall not pass through your land. You shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred by ten thousand; their enemies shall fall by the sword. And I will visit you..."

"I will be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God." The priest slowly closed the Bible, made the sign of the cross on his chest and said: "Itemissaest."

"Thank God." Omura Junchu also made the sign of the cross devoutly. After standing up, he bowed and kissed the back of Father Louis' hand and said, "Thank you, Father, for holding a mass specially for me."

"The Lord always favors his most devout believers, such as you, Don Romeo." Father Luis smiled and invited, "Come and take the Eucharist."

The two of them went to the small restaurant in the church and enjoyed blood-red wine from glasses and golden toasted bread.

The priest gently shook the glass in his hand, and the wine reflected his worried face. "My child, have you seen Father Torres?"

"Yes." Omura Juntada swallowed the bread in his mouth, wiped the corners of his mouth with a snow-white napkin, and replied: "He and Captain Pinto are both safe and sound. The Ming people gave them the treatment they deserved."

He crossed himself again, thinking that emptying toilets was also a promising job. "Of course they still hope to be freed as soon as possible."

"Of course. Father Torres is the pioneer who came with Father Xavier and is also the most important spiritual pillar of our Jesuit Order in Japan." The priest said in a deep voice: "I have reported this matter to the parish priest in Kyoto. Someone will be sent over soon. We will definitely rescue him as soon as possible."

After a pause, the priest continued, "Of course, there are also Colonel Pinto and his crew."

"Father, do you mean that we don't need to wait for a reply from Macau?" Omura Juntada asked in surprise.

"They are all children of the Lord there. In an emergency, our Jesuits can negotiate with the Macau side on their behalf." Father Luis nodded and added, "Of course, we have already sent a speedboat to Macau to inform them of this matter as soon as possible. The final result still needs the approval of the Governor."

"I see." Omura Juntada nodded, thinking that he had underestimated these harmless missionaries, who could actually represent the Nanman military.

"By the way, my child, what is the attitude of those Ming Dynasty people towards our Chiechinism?" Louis suddenly asked anxiously.

"Nothing particularly obvious." Omura Junchu thought for a moment and replied vaguely, "It seems that there is no particular interest either."

"Not like those Buddhists, who are irreconcilable?" Louis continued.

"No." Omura Junzhong had to answer honestly: "In fact, that Mr. Zhao seems to know a lot about Christians and you Portuguese. But you know, Father, we East Asians believe in keeping our minds hidden. The higher the position, the less we can let people below us know what we are thinking. So, how he sees you, I'm afraid we have to not only listen to what he says, but also observe what he does."

"Listen to what they say and watch what they do?" Louis thought this sentence was great. "Is this another Chinese phrase?"

"Yes." Omura Junzhong nodded and said, "China is our teacher. Our civilization is thanks to them."

"Yeah." Father Louis couldn't help but show his longing. Going to China to preach was the purpose of the Jesuits coming to the East - especially after they realized that they couldn't conquer this great empire by force, they wanted to infiltrate it with religion.

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Father Xavier never set foot in the mainland of the Ming Dynasty. He died with regret on an island in Guangdong and was buried in Macau.

For every Jesuit who dares to challenge, conquering China is their ultimate goal. Whoever can be the first to preach in China will receive supreme glory and will definitely be canonized as a saint in the future!

"My child, when will you go back?" Father Louis could hardly contain his excitement.

"Wait for the Otomo family to reply, and then I will go back to Yokozeura to report." Omura Juntada replied. The thoughts of these red-haired devils were written on their faces, and it was easy to see what they were thinking. But Omura Juntada was also happy to see it happen. If these missionaries could develop Mr. Zhao into a believer, wouldn't everything be easy?

Hallelujah!

"What do you want, Father?"

"Wait for two days." Father Louis said in a deep voice, "After Kyoto sends someone, we will set off with you."

"That's great." Omura Juntada nodded happily. This way, even if the Otomo family disagreed with the alliance, he would have an explanation.