Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 27 Governor
Pang Tianshou felt the young prince's gaze from above, and he couldn't help but get nervous.
When Pang Tianshou learned from Li Guoyong that Zhu Lang had summoned him to inquire about firearms, he felt quite confident.
He was ordered by Emperor Longwu to go to Haojing to discuss the purchase of firearms. Naturally, he knew that Emperor Longwu attached great importance to firearms. What the emperor liked, Pang Tianshou liked.

Therefore, during his time in Macau, he really put some effort into firearms and gained some basic understanding of them.

This kind of understanding is just common sense for the Ming army generals who have been using firearms for many years, but it is more than enough to fool the princes of the Zhu family.

On his way here, he had already made preparations, hoping to gain Zhu Lang's attention by being proficient in military firearms.

But he had never expected that the King of Gui could understand the Yi language and communicate directly with the Red Yi.
Even if Pang Tianshou is proficient in firearms, can he be more familiar with firearms than those red barbarians? And now the King of Gui can communicate directly with the red barbarians. If he wants to know something, he can just ask the red barbarians directly. There is no need for Pang Tianshou at all.
Thinking of this, Pang Tianshou couldn't help but feel a little resentful. You are a vassal of the Zhu family. You should just eat rice in the royal city. Why are you so versatile? Is this unreasonable?
Pang Tianshou lost his support and became more and more uneasy. If he lost the favor of King Gui, he, the eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration in the Longwu Dynasty, would be reduced to his original state in an instant and have nothing.

"What is the current situation in Haojing and who is in charge?" Zhu Lang said softly.
After hearing Zhu Lang's words, Pang Tianshou was startled. After a brief thought, he spoke respectfully.

"The system of the Hongyi in Haojing is very different from that of our dynasty. The person in charge of Haojing is the governor appointed by the king of the Hongyi. It is said that this governor is a nobleman in the Hongyi country."

"But under the Governor, there is another government office called the Council. The number of members in the Council is not fixed, and they are called Councillors. These Councillors are all powerful local merchants from the Red Barbarians in Macau."

"The Red Barbarians are thousands of miles away from our dynasty, so most of the local affairs in Haojing are controlled by the Council. Although the Governor of Haojing is appointed by the King, most things must be discussed with the Council before they can be implemented," Pang Tianshou said respectfully.
Zhu Lang listened to what Pang Tianshou said, and suddenly he felt a sense of familiarity. Isn't this the parliamentary system in the West in the previous life?

The leaders of various industries serve as members of the parliament, representing the interests of all parties, and the Governor of Macau is equivalent to the minister who handles daily affairs. If the minister wants to make any major decisions, they must first be reviewed by the parliament before they can be implemented.

Although Zhu Lang's understanding was generally correct, it was actually different from the actual situation in Macau at that time.
The situation in Macau at this time was more complicated than Zhu Lang had imagined. Although the Governor of Macau was nominally the chief steward, he was actually in charge of the local Portuguese guards in Macau.

The local council is very powerful, and even daily affairs are managed by the council members. The Governor of Macau is basically just a captain of the guard.

Therefore, the struggle between the local council and the governor of Macau was extremely fierce. It was only in recent years that it was slightly calmed down.

"What is the attitude of the Hongyi in Haojing towards our Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Lang asked again

"The Red Barbarians are different from the Japanese pirates. They are quite respectful to our Ming Dynasty. They pay rent and taxes on time every year and always abide by the laws of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Lang glanced at Pang Tianshou below, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

The Portuguese abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty and are respectful to it?

Don't be ridiculous. How many people dare to engage in transoceanic trade in this era?
If these Portuguese people really obeyed the laws of the Ming Dynasty and paid taxes honestly, then the sun would really rise from the west.
If these Portuguese people followed any Ming Dynasty rules, they followed the rules of bribing officials. This is the rule of Ming Dynasty officialdom. Feeling the coldness in Zhu Lang's eyes, Pang Tianshou's heart tightened, a trace of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his mind turned rapidly, and then he spoke again
"These red barbarians look submissive, but in fact they are quite cunning. They will do anything to gain their business. They really have no sense of propriety or shame. But when I went there this time, I found that these red barbarians were quite submissive to our Ming Dynasty."

"I secretly sent people to inquire, and only then did I know that the Red Barbarians were occupying a port called Maji in Southeast Asia by a group of Dutch barbarians. The Red Barbarians' maritime trade routes were cut off, so they became more and more dependent on the Ming Dynasty."

"Malacca, that port is called Malacca?" Zhu Lang asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, I remember now, it is Malacca."

Pang Tianshou looked at the young prince above him, and was surprised. This Gui Wang not only understood the barbarian language, but also seemed to know the situation in Nanyang. Thinking of this, Pang Tianshou felt a sense of awe.

Some people may still find Malacca unfamiliar, but if you mention Singapore, everyone will be familiar with it.
The Strait of Malacca in Singapore is the most important shipping and trade channel in the Southeast Asia region, but it is now occupied by the Netherlands.

Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with a thoughtful look. Since Portugal had even seized the Strait of Malacca, it proved that the Netherlands had now replaced Portugal and become the new overlord of the Nanyang region.

From the conversation with Ferreira just now, he already knew that Portugal's headquarters in the East is now in Goa, India. Losing the Strait of Malacca means that the Portuguese in Macau have now lost normal contact with the headquarters.

The risk of the Nanyang trade route has increased greatly, and the contact with the headquarters has been lost, so these Portuguese people are so eager to show goodwill to the Ming Dynasty.
The Netherlands is so aggressive that it is about to wipe out the Portuguese forces in the Nanyang region and dominate the Nanyang region. Maybe the next moment they will come to the door and remove the Portuguese nail in Macau.

The Governor of Macau is a Portuguese nobleman. At worst, he can just run back to his country.
But the local councillors in Macau have their businesses in Macau, and they can't run away. At this time, apart from clinging to the Ming Dynasty, what other choice do they have?
Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with brilliance. After thinking clearly about the situation of the Portuguese in Haojing, Zhu Lang became more confident in his plan to equip the Ming army with large-scale firearms.
He glanced at Pang Tianshou who was waiting with his head down. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed a very familiar ornament hanging on Pang Tianshou's chest.
"Cross? You are a believer of a foreign religion." Zhu Lang narrowed his eyes slightly.
Yes, what was hanging on Pang Tianshou's chest was a silver cross.

"Yes"

Pang Tianshou felt the Gui King looking at him from above, and he couldn't help but groan in his heart. How come this Gui King seemed to know everything? He could even recognize this foreigner at a glance?

A layer of cold sweat appeared on Pang Tianshou's face. After an unknown amount of time, he heard a calm voice from above.
"It's fine to believe in religion, but you still need to remember that you are first an official of the Ming Dynasty, and then a believer of a foreign religion."

"Yes, I know I was wrong. I will quit this foreign religion when I return," Pang Tianshou said quickly.
"There's no need to retreat. Those red barbarians are all believers. With your identity as a believer, it will be convenient for you to deal with them," Zhu Lang said calmly.

"Yes, I will obey your Highness."

Pang Tianshou finally gave up at this time and no longer dared to have any luck with the King of Gui above.
The King of Gui actually knew that the Red Barbarians generally believed in religion. He understood the Barbarians better than he, a believer in foreign religion.
(End of this chapter)