Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 313 Macau... Gone.

The Wuying Hall in the Nanjing Imperial Palace was quiet and somewhat desolate.

In the silence, there was only a very faint rustling sound, as someone behind the sandalwood desk was slowly writing something on a scroll of bright yellow silk with a vermilion brush.

Emperor Zhu Youjian of the Ming Dynasty sat upright before his desk, dressed in a black robe with a dark dragon pattern.

What was laid out before him was not a single imperial edict, but three.

The three imperial edicts, whether in terms of the brocade material or the cloud and dragon patterns, all looked exactly the same.

However, upon closer inspection, one can discern the key differences between the individual annotations, each carrying immense weight.

In the past few days, he has secretly summoned the three groups of Western visitors who traveled across the ocean.

The true meaning of those words—the subtle wit, the promises, and the coercion—was known only to Zhu Youjian himself and the few involved parties.

After those several battles fought without weapons, everyone except the emperor seemed to have gotten what they wanted, but also seemed to have paid what they were unwilling to pay.

These three imperial edicts are the contracts that were finally put on paper after several arduous struggles.

All three imperial edicts had been stamped, and Zhu Youjian carefully rolled them up and placed them in three separate dragon-patterned brocade boxes.

He raised his head, his thin face revealing neither joy nor anger, and whispered an instruction to Wang Chengen, who stood respectfully to his side.

"Cheng'en, find three capable people to send over."

Wang Chengen bowed and accepted the order. Just as he was about to leave, the emperor added calmly, "Don't let anyone suspect anything."

Wang Chengen felt a chill run down his spine, and though he agreed verbally, he already understood perfectly well what was going on.

Once Wang Chengen's footsteps had disappeared outside the hall, Zhu Youjian finally let out a slow sigh of relief, leaning back wearily on the large dragon throne.

He showed no sign of pride; instead, there was a faint trace of weariness in his eyes.

Dealing with those old foxes who came from afar, whose minds were more convoluted than the Yellow River, was just as mentally taxing as reviewing disaster reports for a whole month.

The Dutch were as greedy as hungry wolves, the Portuguese as struggling as sick tigers, and the English were the most unfathomable. They seemed as docile as sheep, but in reality, their eyes held the cunning and patience of a fox.

Each party has its own desires, and each party also has its own bottom line.

Being able to get what you want within their bottom line involves exchanges and compromises that are best left unsaid to outsiders.

Before long, three young eunuchs of different ranks, but all of whom looked shrewd and capable, each received a heavy dragon-patterned brocade box from Wang Chengen.

They verified their waist tokens at different gates in the palace and stepped out of the palace gates at almost the same moment.

……

In the east of the city, VanderMeer, the senior business representative of the East India Company, paced back and forth restlessly like a lion trapped in a cage.

The emperor's hesitation made him anxious.

The price he paid was enormous—three of the United Provinces' newest warships, along with the complete blueprints and personnel.
VanderMeer was convinced the deal was worthwhile, but the emperor’s silence made him wonder if the young monarch had a bigger appetite and might even want to devour them whole.

At three quarters past Shen time, an announcement finally came from outside the mansion gate, saying that someone from the palace had arrived.

VanderMeer perked up, quickly straightened his lace-trimmed robe, adjusted his wig in front of the mirror, and once again put on his usual arrogant expression, a mixture of disdain and confidence.

He strode into the main hall, ready to receive the fruits of victory bought at an exorbitant price.

A young eunuch entered carrying a brocade box, amidst the wary gazes of the Dutch guards.

The ceremony of proclaiming the imperial edict was simple and quick. Vandermere received the edict, but inwardly he sneered, thinking to himself how empty formalities the Eastern monarch was putting on.

When he took the bright yellow imperial edict from the eunuch and began to read it, the expression on his face froze instantly.

When he read the words, "...the Dutch East India Company is hereby granted special permission to open a port in Songjiang Prefecture for trade and to establish a trading post. So be it," the doubts and unease on his face vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable ecstasy.

Songjiang!

According to the secret talks, this is clearly a brand-new commercial port personally planned by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty for the purpose of opening up the sea, and it will be the leading place for the Ming Dynasty to trade with the world in the future!
The emperor kept his promise and gave far more than he had ever dared to imagine!

Considering this, the exorbitant cost of those two warships seemed insignificant.

To be able to take the lead in this future golden city is more than just a matter of breaking even in five years.
This is tantamount to planting the Dutch flag on a newly discovered gold mine for the first time!
This gamble not only paid off, but it also secured an immeasurable future!

……

at the same time.

The Portuguese Governor of Macau, Alfonso, was kneeling before a statue of Our Lady of Lisbon, devoutly making the sign of the cross and muttering incantations.

His aged face was filled with worry.

The Dutchman's aggressiveness and the emperor's unfathomable nature both filled him with a sense of despair.

When the butler announced that an angel had arrived at the palace, Alfonso's heart skipped a beat.

He stood up unsteadily and was almost supported by someone to walk to the front hall.

He looked at the bright yellow brocade box in the little eunuch's hand as if it contained God's final judgment.

He received the imperial edict with his hands trembling slightly from nervousness. He didn't even dare to open it himself, but instead had the interpreter beside him read it aloud.

When the translator read out the words, "...Considering that Portugal has been compliant for many years, it has specially permitted the establishment of a trading post in Guangzhou Prefecture for trade...As for the place called Haojing'ao, it is originally the territory of the Great Ming Dynasty. Your long-term residence there has caused you much inconvenience. You are hereby ordered to return to the authorities immediately and choose a better place to live...", Alfonso felt a buzzing in his head.

He froze completely, and the color drained from his aged face instantly.

Macau... is gone!
That only promised land in the Far East was taken back by this young emperor with a mere imperial edict!
A sense of utter despair, like the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing, mixed with the anger of being humiliated, gripped his heart.

But... when he heard the second half of the sentence, that they were permitted to open a trading post in Guangzhou, his heart, which had sunk into an icy sea, was forcibly pulled back a little.

Guangzhou? That's the gateway to the entire southern part of the Ming Dynasty!

Compared to Macau, which is located in a remote corner, its trade potential is more than ten times greater.
Is this...is it a punishment or a reward?

Alfonso's mind was in complete chaos.

He suddenly remembered the newly appointed Governor of Guangdong—Lu Xiang-sheng.

These days, this name is almost synonymous with death throughout the coastal areas of Guangdong.

The spy's report stated that as soon as this man arrived in Guangdong, he swiftly killed countless unruly officials, gentry, and landlords, and massacred several prominent families who colluded with pirates.

His army, numbering nearly 20,000, consisted entirely of fearless young soldiers, whose combat prowess was astonishing.

If the emperor had authorized this man to use force against Macau… Alfonso’s heart sank.

With Macau's formidable fortifications and powerful artillery, Portugal might not lose a defensive battle, but... what would the cost be?

Even if Macau manages to survive a brutal conflict, it will inevitably suffer a severe blow.

At that time, wouldn't the Dutch, who have been watching from the sidelines with predatory eyes, be able to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?
Moreover, even if they could hold onto Macau, so what?

The Ming Dynasty only needed to issue a decree to cut off all supplies destined for Macau.

For these merchants, what difference is there between an empty city without silk, tea, and porcelain and a magnificent tomb?

What's the point of keeping it except to increase consumption?

Thinking of this, Alfonso's faint sense of relief, as if he had just escaped a disaster, vanished instantly.

The Ming emperor used an almost cruel, overt strategy to lay out all the advantages and disadvantages before them, leaving them to make the only "correct" choice!

This was a deal, a deal they had no right to refuse from the very beginning.

……

Sir Courtney stood with his hands behind his back by the pond in the backyard, leisurely scattering fish food into the water, watching the colorful koi carp scramble for a few grains of bait, stirring up ripples in the clear water.

His deputy, Philip, stood behind him, still with that anxious and uneasy expression.

Just then, a servant rushed in to report that someone from the palace had arrived.

Philip was overjoyed, but Courtney simply nodded calmly, as if he had expected it.

When the eunuch arrived, he received the envoy with impeccable manners, neither servile nor arrogant, and calmly accepted the imperial edict.

Unfolding the imperial edict, the text was simple and clear: "The British East India Company is permitted to establish a trading post in Guangzhou Prefecture. All matters shall be subject to the control of the Maritime Trade Office. This is hereby decreed."

Philip's face fell instantly.

Is this the result of the Jazz's painstaking efforts and even the heavy promises they made?
This is practically treating a beggar like this!

Courtney showed no disappointment or even a hint of surprise. He respectfully saw the eunuch off and then turned back to the pond.

He scattered the last pinch of fish food into the pond, watching the koi carp fight even more fiercely for it.

Courtney suddenly whispered to Philip beside her:

"See that, Philip? The Emperor threw two of the fattest pieces of meat into the Colosseum, letting two of the hungriest beasts fight to the death. But he secretly gave us a quiet path so we could sneak into the kitchen and steal those unassuming but filling loaves of bread."

His eyes appeared even more profound in the setting sun.

"We will not compete with them for the delicacies on their tables. Inform India that our era will begin in Guangzhou!"

……

Dusk, Wuying Hall.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the huge window frames, casting interlaced shadows on the polished gold-brick floor.

The entire hall was enveloped in a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

Wang Chengen bowed and stood to one side of the imperial desk, reporting to the emperor in detail the news brought back by the three eunuchs.

Zhu Youjian listened quietly, and after Wang Chengen finished speaking, he nodded slightly.

"Tigers are easily angered, old dogs are grateful, and foxes are cunning—all of this is perfectly reasonable. They all performed their roles well. I have finished watching."

Wang Chengen felt a chill run down his spine and dared not speak.

Zhu Youjian slowly placed the three memorials side by side on his desk, the smile on his lips finally becoming undisguised. This was his true reward.

The Dutch presented three second-tier main warships, along with a complete set of construction blueprints and skilled craftsmen that would allow the Ming Dynasty to go from imitation to surpassing them.

The Portuguese sent four agile Caravelle-type fast ships and forty cannons.

In order to gain a foothold in Guangzhou, the British spared no expense, not only promising to convert four large armed merchant ships, but also promising to transfer two second-class battleships from India within three months, second only to their royal flagship!
Zhu Youjian stared intently at the memorial before him.

Why wouldn't he want to use the Ming Dynasty's own shipyards to build this fleet ship by ship, one by one?
But that would take at least two or three years, and he couldn't wait that long!
All intelligence sources from outside the Great Wall indicate that the natural disasters currently befalling the so-called Qing Dynasty are no less severe than those suffered by the Ming Dynasty.

Especially after he swiftly eliminated the eight major Shanxi merchants and ordered the severing of all maritime smuggling routes, the economic lifeline that was supplying the Later Jin dynasty was completely cut off!
Huang Taiji and his princes, who were on the verge of madness, were living in dire straits.

Even a cornered beast will fight!

An enemy driven to the brink of despair will inevitably unleash its most ferocious counterattack.

The intelligence gathered has clearly indicated that Huang Taiji is gathering all his strength, preparing for a decisive battle with the Ming Dynasty, a fight to the death!
So, we can't wait any longer!
He must possess a power capable of turning the tide right now!

(End of this chapter)