Ming East India Company

Zhang Cheng's mind raced, and before Emperor Wanli's expression could completely darken, he quickly jumped out:

"Your Majesty, Ryukyu is located in a remote area, far from our Great Ming Dynasty but very close to Japan. If what Chief Minister Wang said is true, then it is an ominous sign for Japan, not for the Great Ming Dynasty."

"I have long heard of Japan, a small and insignificant country, yet its ruler still presumptuously calls himself Emperor. Now that the dragon has fallen into the shallows, it must be a sign that the enemy chief has fallen from his horse, a warning from Heaven."

Before Wang Xijue could say anything more, Zhang Cheng took the initiative:

"Prime Minister Wang, before the dragon bones arrived, you criticized His Majesty, saying he was greedy for treasures, reminiscent of the Northern Song Dynasty's 'Flower and Stone Tribute'; now that the dragon bones have actually arrived, you say it's an ominous sign, detrimental to the Ming Dynasty. You've said both the truth and the opposite; what else is this but nitpicking?"

Then Zhang Cheng kowtowed to the ground:

"Your Majesty, since the time of the founding emperor, Ryukyu has been respectful and dutiful, paying tribute and receiving investiture for over two hundred years. Their loyalty is as clear as day. The pepper and sugar they offer have been used by our Ming court for centuries. What is there to worry about?"

This dragon bone must be a sacred gift bestowed by Heaven out of pity for Your Majesty's health. Why doesn't Your Majesty use its form to nourish your body?

This sentence completely brightened Zhu Yijun's eyes. Since assuming power, Zhu Yijun had been plagued by a leg injury. Countless doctors and alchemists were helpless, and various folk remedies were ineffective. Now that "dragon bones" were available, the Wanli Emperor had renewed his hope of using the shape to cure the body.

Before the courtiers could utter another word, the Wanli Emperor immediately descended the steps, lightly tapped his vertebrae with his ivory tablet, producing a clear, resonant sound that lingered for a long time. He clapped his hands in praise, exclaiming, "What a strong bone! The sound of this bone, clear and resonant like metal and stone, perfectly reflects the enduring stability of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

Zhang Cheng, holding the ancient book, turned to the page on "Auspicious Omens" and proclaimed loudly: "The ancient book records, 'When the dragon bone appears, the world is at peace, the four barbarians submit, and all nations come to pay homage.' Now, our Great Ming's northern reinforcements to Korea and southern victories against the Japanese pirates have repeatedly achieved great victories, winning the hearts of the people. This dragon bone has just descended from the heavens, truly proof that Your Majesty's holy virtue has moved Heaven, touched the heavens, and the rivers and seas have shown their divine favor!"

After playing with it, the Wanli Emperor rushed back to his throne, overjoyed, and said:

"I have reigned for twenty-three years, diligently governing and loving my people, revering Heaven and honoring my ancestors. I originally thought that governing the world was nothing more than seeking national prosperity and the happiness of the people. I never expected that such auspicious omens would descend from Heaven. It is truly a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and a blessing from our ancestors!"

The Wanli Emperor's voice was full of joy. He turned to face his ministers, his gaze sweeping over both sides:

"All of you are pillars of our Great Ming Dynasty. Today, the auspicious appearance of the dragon bone signifies the flourishing of our Great Ming Dynasty's military prowess and civil virtue, and also fulfills my wish to govern the world together with you."

He paused, then continued, "Supervisor Luo Sigong's timely verification of the auspicious omens and his respectful presentation to the Emperor are invaluable contributions. Luo Sigong is hereby promoted one rank and awarded one hundred taels of silver; the officials responsible for sealing and escorting the dragon bones are each awarded ten bolts of silk!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials bowed in unison and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! He is wise and sagacious! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Wanli then ordered brocade to be brought over and personally covered the dragon bones. He also ordered the Ministry of Works to choose an auspicious day to enshrine the dragon bones in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, so that they could be worshipped alongside the news of the great victory in the war against Japanese aggression and aid to Korea.

Subsequently, he personally wrote the eight characters "Peace and tranquility prevail, the dragon bone brings good fortune" and ordered them to be carved on the white jade base next to the dragon bone.

After making the gesture, he specifically instructed Zhang Cheng to grind the dragon bone into medicine as soon as possible after the dragon bone sacrifice was completed, so that he could take it himself.

That evening, inside the Qianqing Palace, Wanli, having finished all this, was overjoyed and thinking about the effects of the dragon bone.

Zhang Cheng, sitting below the stage, was filled with unease, because along with Luo Sigong's memorial, there was also a secret letter containing the Ryukyuans' conditions.

Now that his mission of bringing auspicious omens to Wanli is complete, it's time for him to fulfill his promise to the Ryukyu people...

"Your Majesty, Ryukyu has submitted another memorial, requesting assistance from our Great Ming."

"What is it?" Wanli, who was in high spirits, greeted him with a smile.

"The Ryukyuans request permission for the Ming Dynasty to send immigrants to Ryukyu to strengthen its borders?"

"Immigration to the border?" Wanli's smile vanished.

Although the Ming Dynasty lifted the maritime ban during the Longqing era, it essentially still maintained a complete maritime ban. Let alone allowing ordinary people to go to sea with their families, even going to sea to do business was absolutely politically incorrect in the imperial court.

Now that the Ryukyuans are directly asking people to immigrate and settle on the border, Wanli can't help but have some concerns.

"Your Majesty, the Ryukyuans' memorial states that in the past two years, they have fought numerous bloody battles with the Japanese pirates of the East Sea. The island's inhabitants have suffered repeated ravages of war, and now only one in ten remains. In order to make up for the population loss, they urgently need our Great Ming to supply people."

"Otherwise, if this continues, Ryukyu will be in grave danger," Zhang Cheng sighed.

"Isn't there a military supervisor on Ryukyu Island? What was his name again, Luo Sigong? What did he say?"

"This is a secret letter from Luo Sigong, Your Majesty. Please take a look." Zhang Cheng handed over Luo Sigong's memorial.

In his memorial, Luo Sigong lamented the tragic situation, describing how the island's inhabitants suffered retaliatory looting by Japanese pirates, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

This summer, a fierce storm swept through Okinawa, leaving its people homeless.

During the autumn harvest season, a locust plague struck, resulting in a complete loss of harvest for the people.

It was so sincere and heartfelt that after reading Wanli, I believed it to be about 80-90% true.

"It seems that Ryukyu is isolated overseas, which is indeed not easy. However, this immigration to the border is tantamount to letting people go to sea, which is not in line with the national policy of our Great Ming!" Wanli was also very hesitant.

"But if we don't support Ryukyu, Ryukyu is a small country after all, and the East is powerful. Even if its fighting strength is strong, it will eventually be exhausted. At that time, I'm afraid the Japanese pirates will become powerful, which will be detrimental to the southeastern provinces!"

During the heyday of Japanese pirates, the number of people lost in each invasion was probably ten times that of the immigrant population to Ryukyu.

Zhang Cheng's words awakened Wan Li, and he began to ponder deeply.

"Moreover, Luo Sigong also said that the native inhabitants of Ryukyu Island have been almost completely lost. If we can immigrate Ming people to the island in time, within ten years at most, the island will be inhabited by Ming people. This will give him, as the military supervisor, more confidence on the island. In the long run, it is not impossible to abolish the feudal system and establish counties, and expand the territory."

Wanli finally nodded:

"So how many people does Ryukyu need?"

"Five hundred households every year, but the Ryukyuans say that in order to avoid putting too much pressure on our Great Ming, these five hundred households need to be evenly distributed from the southeastern provinces and counties, with no more than ten households per county on average."

Wanli laughed heartily:

"These Ryukyuans really do please me. They even know how to understand the difficulties of the court. That's right, distributing people more evenly will prevent the pressure on various regions from becoming too great. It is indeed a good idea."

"Alright, let's do it their way! And give the Ryukyuans some extra reward money as compensation."

"Yes, ma'am." Zhang Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief after agreeing.