Chapter 10: Chongzhen! Alive!
Finally, the three officials looked at each other, and Huang Jin said, "We three have a basic understanding of your country's affairs. May I ask what is the purpose of your envoy's visit to our court to pay tribute?"
"To be honest! Our country has been hit by natural disasters for several consecutive years. The people have no harvest and refugees are everywhere. My father wants to ask your country to send troops to help us!" When Zhao Xiaofei said this, Huang Jin's eyes twitched. He thought, we are already busy with our own affairs here! How can we care about your Nan'ao country's affairs?
Zhao Xiaofei knew what the current wealth of the Ming Dynasty was like, so he just said it casually. To be honest, did he come to the Ming Dynasty to buy some antiques and make a fortune? So he continued, "Later, when I arrived in your country, I found that the Ming Dynasty was willing but unable to do anything. So I just wanted to obtain the Ming Dynasty's protection and allow me to stay in the capital."
Huang Jin heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to follow up on this. You say the Ming Dynasty won't intervene! That's inappropriate! The Ming Dynasty will lose face! So, intervene! Right now, the treasury is full of scoundrels, and the Ming Dynasty is struggling to take care of itself. Now that they've made the request, it's easy to handle. It won't hurt the Ming Dynasty's reputation. If the Ming Dynasty ever recovers its strength, we can talk about sending troops. (But that day won't come soon!)
"Okay! I will report what you mean to His Majesty. His Majesty is wise and will probably agree! I will arrange for officials from the Ministry of Guests to arrange accommodation for you!" Huang Jin said.
"Minister Huang! I have a grievance. I've been staying at Imperial Physician Hu's house. Both I and the second son of Imperial Physician Hu are fascinated by medicine, so I'd like to discuss academic matters together," Zhao Xiaofei said. He actually felt that staying at Imperial Physician Hu's house, where he'd be cared for, would definitely be more comfortable than the Ministry of Rites' posthouse. After all, he was the Hu family's savior, and it would be convenient for him to get around. He was just about to explore this 17th-century Beijing.
Huang Jin and the two left and right ministers discussed the matter after hearing it. Huang Jin said, "Alright! But it's best for the envoy not to run around. Rest well and wait for the emperor to summon you."
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Zhao Xiaofei quickly saluted.
As soon as Zhao Xiaofei left, the three officials began to exchange opinions. Minister Huang asked, "Do you think this young man is impersonating an envoy?"
Qiu Yu said, "Master Huang! I think this boy is definitely a prince from a foreign country! He is very knowledgeable and knows the customs and products of his country like the back of his hand. This is clearly something that only someone who has lived there since childhood can say."
Liu Chun said, "I think so too, but the little prince didn't tell the truth. He's wearing clothes with a four-clawed dragon. His father, the King of Nan'ao, must be wearing a five-clawed golden dragon. So they are definitely not kings in Nan'ao, but emperors. As for rebellion in the country and refugees everywhere, that's possible. But why would their country send a second prince to the Ming Dynasty? I guess he failed in the fight for the throne and fled because he was afraid of being silenced! Otherwise, why would a prince travel thousands of miles and take such a risk to come to the Ming Dynasty?"
Huang Shangshu and Qiu Shilang nodded repeatedly after hearing this, believing Liu Chun's analysis to be correct. However, regardless, this had nothing to do with them. They just needed to confirm through conversation that this person wasn't someone else impersonating an envoy. Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to the Ming Dynasty!
If Zhao Xiaofei knew how well these three officials from the Ministry of Rites could conjure up such a story, he'd probably die of laughter. He was currently tossing Xiao Si around the capital, visiting gemstone shops, painting and calligraphy shops, and pawnshops. He'd practically spent all his money on antiques and paintings. Xiao Si, clutching his belongings, followed with difficulty.
They arrived at a very quiet building entrance with the words "Yanyu Tower" written on it. It had three floors, and occasionally one or two guests would come in and out. Zhao Xiaofei said to Xiao Si, "Go back and put your things at Hu's house first. I'm going to have some food. Come find me here when you're done."
Xiao Si said with a lewd smile, "Little Prince! You've just arrived in my Ming Dynasty and may not know much about this. This Misty Rain Tower is not a place to eat. It's a brothel! You can't see the girls there if you don't have a few thousand taels in your pocket! And they haven't opened the door yet! The ones you saw coming out just now were all pimps."
"That's what I thought! It feels like this place is different from other places! Is it really that expensive here?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"Of course! But unless you have a special talent for writing, and write poems and couplets well, so that the girl upstairs admires you very much, she might even give you some money! If you want to come, please come after the lights are turned on. Then it will be lively here!"
"Forget it! I don't have much literary talent! Composing poems and couplets is not my strong point. Let's go! Let's go back!" Zhao Xiaofei thought to himself that today was not the right time to come. He should go back to modern times and copy a few poems from the Qing Dynasty to show off.
When Zhao Xiaofei was walking down the street with Xiao Si, Emperor Chongzhen was looking at himself in front of the mirror he had given him. Although Chongzhen was an emperor and there were so many treasures in the palace, he had never seen such a large and clear mirror. Ever since Korea was conquered by the Qing Dynasty and no longer recognized the Ming Dynasty's suzerainty, no small countries around it had paid tribute. Now a prince from such a small country came to pay homage and presented such a generous gift, which made Chongzhen happy from the bottom of his heart. This shows that the majesty of the Ming Dynasty can still deter the four barbarians. This also indicates that there is still hope for the revival of the Ming Dynasty. I don't know where Chongzhen got his confidence from?
After taking a few more photos and glancing at the glassware on the table, Chongzhen asked Wang Chengen beside him, "What do you think I should give him in return? A prince has come all the way to pay tribute to our dynasty. We can't be too shabby!"
"Your Majesty! I heard the prince wants to stay in the capital. Why not give him a mansion?" Wang Chengen said. He knew the Ming Dynasty was short of money, but he couldn't refuse a gift, so a mansion was the most appropriate gift. With so many ministers executed and their properties confiscated by the emperor, there must be many mansions available. Giving him a mansion would be more appropriate than giving him silver or other treasures, and it wouldn't hurt the emperor's reputation.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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