RPAGF Chapter 19 Wang Tiqian's Return from Southeast Asia
Chapter 19 Wang Tiqian's Return from Southeast Asia
Beijing, Zhangjiawan Wharf.
The midday sun hung scorching overhead, making the bluestone slabs on the dock scorching hot.
The dock was more than ten times busier than usual.
The canal boats were driven to anchor on the opposite bank, and merchant ships couldn't even get close to the dock. The entire Zhangjiawan Wharf was emptied today.
Thirty-six ships.
Thirty-six ships, flying the Ming Dynasty dragon flag, sailed into the dock in a grand procession.
The fleet began to appear from the bend in the canal, one ship after another, masts like a forest, sails obscuring the sky.
The dragon flag at the bow of the ship fluttered in the sea breeze, its golden dragon pattern dazzling in the midday sun.
The boat had a deep draft, with the gunwales almost level with the water surface, making it clear at a glance that it had returned fully loaded.
The canvas was whitened by the sea breeze, and there were several patches with large, crooked stitches, as if the people on the ship had patched it themselves.
Several ships still had fresh wooden patches on their sides, clearly indicating that they had been temporarily repaired after being damaged en route.
The shore was packed with people.
The official from the Ministry of Revenue was holding a stack of blank account books, sweating profusely, wiping his forehead with his sleeve, and muttering, "Where are the lists? Where are the lists?"
More than a dozen eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs arrived, led by Li Chaoqin, Wang Tiqian's godson, who craned his neck to look at the bow of the ship.
A large crowd of onlookers, who were stopped by the Imperial Guards at the outer edge of the dock, stood on tiptoe to peek inside, and their discussions buzzed loudly.
A figure appeared at the bow of the ship.
Wang Tiqian stood at the bow of the flagship, staring blankly at the sea of people on the shore for a long while.
There weren't this many people at the dock when he set off.
Li Chaoqin was the first to rush forward, kneeling down with a thud: "Godfather!"
Wang Tiqian glanced at him but didn't say anything.
This godson was someone he took in before he passed away. He was clever, but he loved kowtowing too much.
So he raised his hand to signal him to get up, then turned around, facing all the people waiting on the dock, and cleared his throat.
"All the cargo of the fleet is here."
His voice was hoarse, but every word was firm and resolute: "The list is being compiled, please wait a moment."
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue breathed a sigh of relief, as did the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Emperor Tianqi, Zhu Ming, had been waiting for this for a long time, and there were some things he was really eager to use.
Wang Tiqian didn't look at them anymore. He said to the people around him, "Prioritize moving the goods designated by His Majesty. We're waiting to return to the palace to see His Majesty."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Qianqing Palace, West Warm Pavilion.
Zhu Ming sat behind his desk, holding the list in his hand, flipping through it very slowly.
Spices, gemstones, ivory, sappanwood, chili peppers, minerals... each item is labeled with its quantity, origin, and purchase price.
A long appendix was also attached, written by Wang Tiqian himself, recording his observations along the way, the local customs and traditions, the hydrological conditions of the ports, and the possibility of the imperial court establishing trading posts in these places.
Zhu Ming turned to the last page of the appendix and paused for a moment.
"Did you write this appendix?" Zhu Ming looked up at Wang Tiqian in front of him.
Wang Tiqian stood before the imperial desk, his hands hanging at his sides, his back ramrod straight.
"Your Majesty, I am not very literate and my writing is poor. Please forgive me," he said in a hoarse voice, his tone respectful.
Zhu Ming remained silent.
He closed the list, placed it on the table, then stood up, walked around the imperial desk, and stood in front of Wang Tiqian, looking him up and down.
She's lost weight. She's gotten darker. She's aged.
"Very good! Wang Daban, you've worked hard these past six months!"
"Serving His Majesty is not hard work," Wang Tiqian said, raising his chin slightly. His voice was a few decibels lower than before, revealing some regret and self-blame. "It's just that... I originally wanted to return before the military parade, but I encountered a typhoon and was delayed in Fujian for half a month."
He recalled the Tianqi Grand Military Parade.
As the imperial envoy sent to Southeast Asia, he should have stood on the viewing platform to see the ships and the envoys from various countries brought back from Southeast Asia on behalf of the emperor.
He should be by the emperor's side, pointing out to him which envoy is from Annam, which merchant is from Luzon, where this spice comes from, and how much silver that gem cost.
He should be here.
He missed it.
The fleet encountered a storm at sea, which delayed them for half a month. By the time he arrived in Tianjin, the military parade had already ended.
Moreover, he also heard that a huge explosion occurred on the day of the military parade.
The Wanggongchang gunpowder depot exploded, only a few miles from the Forbidden City.
I heard the explosion covered a very wide area, and the rumors are getting more and more outlandish.
If he had been in the capital at that time, he would have stayed by the emperor's side.
It wasn't to show loyalty, but because he was a eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial, an inner court official of the emperor, and he should be there when his master was in trouble.
But he was at sea, thousands of miles away.
"The sea is always unpredictable, so some delays are quite normal."
Zhu Ming's voice was neither loud nor soft, and there was no questioning, no blame, and not even urgency in his tone, only a reassuring calmness: "I don't blame you."
He looked at Wang Tiqian's dark and thin face. In the past year or so, he had gone to Southeast Asia twice. It must have been extremely hard work.
"Thank you... thank you, Your Majesty," Wang Tiqian's voice trembled.
He boasted when he set off that he would definitely be back before May.
As a result, he was more than half a month late, and the emperor not only did not pursue the matter, but also said that he did not blame him.
This leniency made him feel flattered and ashamed.
"But..." Wang Tiqian took a deep breath, his voice lowering, "this time we lost nearly ten ships and over a hundred crew members. I am guilty!"
He bent his knees, about to kneel down.
Compared to my first trip to Southeast Asia, which only took me as far as Annam, everything went smoothly without any major mishaps.
This trip to Luzon was much longer, and there were nearly fifty ships on the way there, a magnificent and impressive sight.
When they returned, only about forty ships remained, nearly ten fewer than expected.
Ten ships, more than a hundred lives lost.
Zhu Ming did not make him kneel down.
He reached out and supported Wang Tiqian's arm, not with much force, but very steadily.
"I know," Zhu Ming said calmly. "General Shen Yourong has already reported it."
Wang Tiqian's knees froze in mid-air, maintaining a posture that was neither kneeling nor not kneeling, staring blankly at Zhu Ming.
Zhu Ming had already received the relevant report.
Half of the ships were damaged due to misjudging the storm, while the other half were destroyed by attacks from the Dutch and some pirates.
Wang Tiqian's lips trembled again, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
"I don't blame you," Zhu Ming released his grip, took a step back, and looked into his eyes. "The pirates at sea are too rampant for you to control. You've done a great job bringing back more than forty ships, clearing the route, and bringing back so much cargo."
Wang Tiqian's eyes reddened, but he forced himself to hold back.
"The ores and rubber I needed have all been brought back!" Zhu Ming paused, his gaze falling on Wang Tiqian's face. "You deserve immense credit."
"Your Majesty..." Wang Tiqian's voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.
"Alright," Zhu Ming waved his hand, walked back behind his desk and sat down. "Tell me about those ores."
Wang Tiqian took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and pulled out a small booklet from his sleeve. He opened it and his voice regained its usual calm and official tone: "As Your Majesty instructed, I traded with Western merchants in Macau dealing in that type of ore. A shipload of ore has already been brought back and transported to the Ministry of Works, where it can be inspected at any time."
"How's the quality?" Zhu Ming paused for a moment before continuing to ask.
"I had the local craftsmen examine it, and they said it was a high-quality ore that could be refined into a blue-purple pigment," Wang Tiqian replied respectfully, then paused for a moment, "Your Majesty, I also brought back something else."
"What?"
"The craftsmen are from the West!" Wang Tiqian's lips curled into a slight smile. "I heard they are highly skilled in manufacturing mechanical cannons, so I took the liberty of inviting them here!"
"From Portugal?" Zhu Ming said subconsciously, his tone more of a confirmation than a question.
Wang Tiqian was taken aback.
He had originally planned to keep it a secret and make his emperor happy, but he didn't expect his emperor to just say it directly.
"Yes," he nodded, his voice tinged with embarrassment at being seen through. "We happened to run into them at sea. They admire the prestige of our Great Ming Dynasty and, having heard that a grand military parade was to be held in the capital, came to observe. However... they missed it."
If so, it is possible that the group consisted of 31 Portuguese gunners, technicians, and craftsmen, led by Gonzalo de Sheira!
Gonzawe Desila.
The name surfaced from the depths of memory. In the original history, it would have taken Xu Guangqi two years before this person was introduced to Beijing to help the Ming Dynasty cast cannons and train gunners.
They arrived ahead of schedule and were unexpectedly "picked up" from the sea by Wang Tiqian.
God willing?
No, it was luck.
Good luck is also a skill.
With this group of people, the project of casting mechanical artillery received a significant boost.
He has blueprints, craftsmen, ores, rubber, and now he even has people who know how to operate Western firearms and cannons.
"Good. Very good." Zhu Ming smiled. "Where are those craftsmen now?"
"On the ship, I have instructed my servants to make proper arrangements for you, awaiting Your Majesty's decision."
"Send them to the Ministry of Works," Zhu Ming nodded, his tone relaxed. "Tell the people there to treat them well, provide them with good food and drink, and don't mistreat them."
"Yes."