Ming East India Company

Inside the room, looking at Zheng Jiong lying prostrate on the ground, Bai Ye said with a smile:

"Although my Bai family has occupied Ryukyu, we do not intend to give up our tributary relationship with the Ming Dynasty, and the trade agreement will not be interrupted."

In this situation, appearances must still be maintained. Once you become the King of Ryukyu, you only need to do one thing: continue sending tribute to the Ming Dynasty every two years. I think this should be a piece of cake for you!

Zheng Jiong then realized that Bai Ye was treating him as a senior Tang Rong Si Envoy.

But there was nothing Zheng Jiong could do; he had no bargaining power left and immediately bowed his head in agreement.

"The angel is right, and I will do it immediately."

"Just keep calling me 'Master'! It sounds more comfortable that way."

Shiro picked up the strong tea on the table and had to admit that the unfermented green tea tasted really mediocre.

"However, Master, there is something I would like to suggest: should we make preparations in advance for the arrival of the Ming Dynasty envoys?"

According to the established system between the Ming Dynasty and our dynasty, each time a new king of Ryukyu ascends the throne, an envoy from the Ming Dynasty must come to bestow an official title before he can officially assume the throne. We can't keep using the name of the dead Shōei, can we?

These words made Bai Ye frown. He had previously thought that the Ming Dynasty only accepted tribute from its overseas vassal states and ignored everything else. He hadn't expected that it still had some binding force.

Theoretically speaking, using Shang Yong's name would be the safest option, but Bai Ye felt that this tribute was an important opportunity to communicate with the Ming Dynasty's high-ranking officials, and it shouldn't be wasted.

After much deliberation, they decided to "create" another "King of Ryukyu" to make a name for himself.

Zheng Jiong, who frequently had to travel to the Ming Dynasty to pay tribute, certainly couldn't assume the role of a ceremonial emperor, but he also didn't trust the local Ryukyu people, especially the Shang family...

Zheng Jiong, seeing Bai Ye deep in thought, guessed that Bai Ye was troubled by the selection process, and stepped forward to kneel down, saying:

"I dare to recommend someone to the master."

"Oh, tell me who it is?"

"His name is Geng Jian. He used to be my subordinate and once accompanied me on a mission to the Ming Dynasty, but he didn't get much exposure, so not many people in the Ming Dynasty probably remember him. Moreover, he also served as the etiquette officer of Shang Yong, so he is very familiar with the relevant etiquette of the Ming Dynasty and Ryukyu."

Most importantly, he is a descendant of the thirty-six surnames of the Min people, making him a natural ally of us. Moreover, three generations of his family have married local Ryukyu women, so outsiders would absolutely not be able to tell them apart in appearance.

Bai Ye thought about it and felt that what was said made sense, but he felt that he had heard the name before, so he asked Wang Sanshi, the attendant behind him:

"Sanshi! Do you know this guy named Geng Jian?"

Wang Sanshi was a close attendant selected by Bai Ye from the garrison soldiers.

Since establishing the national policy of making these surrendered garrison soldiers the core of his rule, Bai Ye promoted many of them to be his confidants. Wang Sanshi, who had attended a private school for a period of time and had good writing skills, became his close attendant.

At the same time, Wu Yu, Su Zhongman, and Taihe were also selected from the garrison soldiers to become his close attendants.

"Reporting to the master, this is one of the prisoners of war we captured after breaching Shuri Castle. A few days ago, Lady Viper took him away, saying she wanted to get a eunuch to play with."

"Ah!" Shirono immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Mrs. Vicious" is an honorific title for Bai Ling. Since establishing her rule, the entire Bai family has risen to prominence, and many people now address her by her official title rather than her original name.

Bai Ling was scheduled to return to the Ming Dynasty to manage her family's assets there, so she didn't have an official position for the time being. She created this nickname for herself.

A few days ago, Bai Ling suddenly had a strange idea, saying that she wanted to see how eunuchs were castrated, so she asked Bai Ye to use prisoners for experiments, and Bai Ye had no choice but to agree.

"Oh no. Has the person been castrated?"

"It shouldn't be that bad. In my humble opinion, before castration, one should abstain from rice and water for several days, so according to the normal procedure, the egg should still be there."

Zheng Jiong, as expected of a veteran who had spent many years in the Ryukyu court, was also very knowledgeable about these unorthodox methods.

Shiro quickly led his men straight to the fan room next to the palace.

Geng Jian and several other men were tied to the bed. The knife maker was heating a knife over a fire, while Bai Ling watched with interest from a distance.

It seems that Bai Ling can't wait to do her "scientific experiment".

"Wait, I still have a use for this person." Bai Ye was already out of breath from running.

He knew that no one on the island besides him and Bai Wenzheng could control his eldest sister, so he had no choice but to come himself.

While stopping the knife-cutting craftsman, Bai Ye repeatedly explained to Bai Ling the usefulness of the Geng Sword to him.

"That won't do. The knife craftsman just said that his urine is the yellowest these past few days, so castration would be the most effective," Bai Ling refused with great pride.

"My dear aunt, can't we find some hobbies that are closer to human nature? What girl in this world spends all her time at home casting men for fun? Whoever marries you will be doomed for eight lifetimes."

Bai Ling put her hands on her hips:

"Your eldest sister isn't getting married. What's wrong? Are you out of rice?"

After much persuasion from Bai Ye, Bai Ling finally agreed to "pardon" and return the person to Bai Ling.

Upon returning to the palace, Geng Jian was terrified, his face ashen. He had not eaten or drunk anything for several days, leaving him in a daze. When he saw Bai Ye, he was as numb as a wooden doll, even forgetting to greet her properly.

Bai Ye had someone give him some food and water, and Geng Jian regained his senses. After confirming that he had not only saved his life but would also gain power in the new government, he was able to achieve his goal.

Geng Jian went from despair to joy and actually burst into tears:

"I will follow you closely, my lord, and I will never dare to have any disloyalty in the future."

"From today onwards, you two are the kings of Ryukyu. You will be fully responsible for how to hand over power to the Ming Dynasty. Send a letter to the Ming Dynasty tomorrow, stating that the former king of Ryukyu, Shōei, has passed away."

With the new King Shang Jian ascending the throne, the Ming Dynasty needs to send a new envoy to Ryukyu for investiture.

Baiye knew that the Ming Dynasty and the Eastern Ocean were locked in a fierce battle, so now was a good time to fish in troubled waters.

"Furthermore, the letter states that we are responding to the call of the Ming Dynasty to fight against the Japanese pirates and have won a great victory. We request that the Ming Dynasty send someone to inspect our results."

Then he turned to Wang Sanshi and said, "Go and cut off the heads of a dozen or so Japanese in Ryukyu, put them in a jar and give them to our Ambassador Zheng as a gift."

Wang Sanshi understood and immediately nodded to make the arrangements.

"Once you arrive in the Ming Dynasty, spread the word about the battle between Ryukyu and the Eastern Ocean. Tell the Ming Dynasty about our achievements. If necessary, give the officials of the Maritime Trade Office some extra money. Make sure the emperor believes it."

"Your humble servant obeys." Zheng Jiong nodded in agreement.