Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 233 Join the great Christianity and become a knight of the faith! Sorry, I'm a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Wang Zheng's devotion to Catholicism is beyond doubt; at least, that's what he said about Johann Adam Schall von Bell.

In the third year of the Chongzhen reign, Wang Zheng was still observing mourning in his hometown of Jingyang County. Perhaps he was really bored, so he wrote a letter to Johann Adam Schall von Bell in Beijing, inviting him to Xi'an to help build a small church and spread the gospel of God.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell was intrigued: after years in the Ming Dynasty, he had accomplished nothing and was almost forgetting his identity as a missionary. He was almost being influenced by reverse missionary work and becoming a Confucian saint!
So he bid farewell to Xu Guangqi and embarked on his journey to Xi'an. Although Xu Guangqi tried his best to persuade him to stay and continue working for the court, Tang Ruowang refused, and even a raise couldn't keep him.

Xu Guangqi exclaimed: What a devout believer! He could not be corrupted by wealth or subdued by power! He must remind His Majesty to be wary of Christianity!
However, out of consideration for their long-standing friendship, he still issued Tang Ruowang a travel permit at his request and presented him with a newly made electric musket from the Ministry of Works.

The so-called "lightning gun" can be understood as a miniature version of the Franz cannon, with a magazine that can be changed. Although each magazine only has a pitiful one bullet, it is still more convenient than a muzzle-loading gun.

However, while pursuing a higher rate of fire, the price, durability, and armor-piercing ability are significantly reduced. It is not enough to deal with the Jurchens. This is a special treasure weapon for the northern barbarians and bandits. It is more than capable of bullying bandits and outlaws on the road.

After all, Shaanxi was not peaceful at the time. Although Xu Guangqi did not support Johann Adam Schall von Bell's missionary work, he did not want his Western friend to lose his life.

After bidding farewell to his friends in Beijing, Johann Adam Schall von Bell began his journey south by boat. The small, flat-bottomed sandboat rekindled in him the passion of his youth, when he had sailed across the Eritrean Sea with Captain Jack Sparrow!
He was grateful for the concern of his architect friend, but he hadn't gotten to where he was today entirely by God's grace; every excellent missionary should be an experienced explorer.

Before setting off, Johann Adam Schall von Bell had already hired several guards, one of whom was a former imperial warrior who had participated in the terrifying defense of the capital last year.

Although he was lame, a lame warrior is better than a cowardly able-bodied one, and he will surely be able to protect himself on his journey!

Following the Grand Canal downstream, it took Johann Adam Schall von Bell less than three days to reach the Lu Canal section in Shandong. Since the Yellow River changed course and flowed into the sea via the Huai River during the Song Dynasty, the Yellow River's estuary has shifted hundreds of miles south from the Bohai Bay, where the Grand Canal intersects with the Yellow River.

So Johann Adam Schall von Bell and his party turned around here, changed to small boats, and headed west. The Yellow River's waters flowed down from the sky, and this time, sailing against the current was not so easy. Fortunately, the current in the section where they crossed the Huai River was relatively calm, so although their sailing speed was affected, they could still pass.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell had expected a solitary journey, but the excitement along the way far exceeded his expectations. He was extremely interested in all the sights and sounds he encountered, and he recorded them all in his diary.

As far as he knew, he was probably the first European, after Marco Polo, to venture deep into the heart of China in centuries. Marco Polo's travelogue sparked a gold rush in the East, and he was initially lured there by Marco Polo's words.

Upon arriving in the Ming Dynasty, he was astonished to find that while it didn't have gold everywhere, its prosperity truly shocked him. He marveled at the Ming's "governance and culture" and felt that his hometown was far behind the Ming in terms of "social system."

However, as he spent more and more time in the Ming Dynasty, he gradually gained a deeper understanding of it. He witnessed a great empire declining and dying, which often filled him with a nameless sadness and even a nameless anger.

Unfortunately, although he was willing to help the Ming Dynasty, the doors of power within the Ming Dynasty were not open to him. His friend, a construction official, had recently gained the emperor's favor, but what did that have to do with him? He knew it was time for him to leave.

The upper reaches of the Yellow River mostly wind through impoverished mountains and steep ridges, with rapid currents and numerous reefs. A single misstep can result in shipwreck and loss of life, making navigation almost pointless.

Descending from the geographical steps, passing by Tongguan, and flowing into Sanmenxia, ​​one arrives at a vast plain.

However, once it reaches the plains, the Yellow River's flow does become gentler. But without a significant drop in elevation, the river begins to erratically again, flooding frequently. The river changes course every year, silt accumulates, and it becomes a suspended river above ground.

The suspended river itself is navigable, but due to the elevated terrain and the absence of tributaries, shipping is not possible in all directions, greatly reducing its value. Its only function is to transport goods from east to west to Xi'an.

In winter, the upper reaches of the Yellow River freeze, and the water level in the lower reaches drops significantly, sometimes even ceasing altogether. This is the perfect time to repair water conservancy projects. Farmers, during their off-season, can be conscripted for corvée labor, and the silt dredged from the riverbed is a valuable resource, used to fertilize the fields. Johann Adam Schall von Bell wrote in his diary: "In the far East, I witnessed this great labor. Along the riverbanks, hundreds of thousands of farmers participated under the guidance of officials."

They were united and orderly, with few slacking off and no need for overseers with whips, a stark contrast to the lazy farmers in our country.

I still don't know how the imperial officials manage so many people; perhaps I'll get the answer when I meet my friend in the western capital.

Yes, the great Ming Dynasty had three capitals: Xijing, Nanjing, and Beijing, or perhaps four?

I had seen the word 'Tokyo' in the poems of Eastern bards, but unfortunately, this Tokyo seems to have mysteriously disappeared, just like the location of the tomb of Genghis Khan, the Tatar ruler, which has become an unsolved mystery.

Here, I record an Eastern poem:

Hey~ Hey~ Oh my~ Ha~

Hey!

Let's all bow down.

Hey!

Get up, hey!
Hey!

Hehe, hey-yo!
Keep walking forward.

Hey!

Charge forward!

Hey!

Breaking out of the ravine!
Hey!

I don't know who created it, it certainly wasn't me. I can't steal someone else's work like a despicable Jew. I can only say it was played by thousands of boatmen on the great river, and it sounded more pious than a church choir!

"Lieutenant Zhao Erhu, do you want to convert to my Lord and believe in the great God?! If you agree, I will personally baptize you and hire you as a great knight of the faith, with a monthly salary of three silver tyrs, equivalent to two taels and three mace of silver!" Johann Adam Schall von Bell approached Zhao Erhu for the eighth time to try and persuade him.

Zhao Erhu secretly rolled his eyes and once again politely declined Johann Adam Schall von Bell's invitation.

"Damn it, I'm a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard now! Who's going to be your knight-errant? Your filthy shrine will be destroyed by the imperial court sooner or later!"

(End of this chapter)