The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Liangxiang, in the canal.

More than a dozen large ships sailed into the bay, and the French got off the ships in an orderly manner, attracting the gentry and people of Liangxiang to stop.

The most eye-catching big box.

It was tightly sealed and covered with a layer of brown coarse cloth. Four strong men lifted the four corners, and no one knew what it was.

But strangely, there was no one around the box.

The French didn't seem to dare to approach it.

At the dock, Hong Yuan, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, and officials from the Ministry of Rites were ordered to come to receive it.

Hong Yuan pointed at the box in confusion and asked: "Your Majesty of our dynasty does not like birds of prey. If you want to pay tribute to wild beasts, forget it." He was afraid that Zhu Houzhao would see it.

A French said in a jerky tone: "This is our entourage."

"Then let's go, the emperor and the officials have been waiting for you for a long time."

...

Fengtian Hall,

The officials held the plaque, and the emperor Hongzhi paced in front of the hall, as if waiting for the arrival of the French.

Yan Chengjin stood in the hall, looking around. The officials were a bit like an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her parents-in-law, with frowns and a bit of vigilance and precaution.

After the increase in commercial taxes, the court needed to obtain a large amount of silver from overseas trade in silk, tea and porcelain.

Therefore, it attached more importance to exchanges with the French.

But the court did not succumb to the French.

The little eunuch sang: "Pan Chen, the royal family of the French, came to see the emperor."

The officials frowned slightly.

There was a noisy discussion among the officials.

How could the French call the Han people by their names?

The retired emperor Hongzhi looked outside the hall with a strange expression. Could the French envoy be a Han Chinese?

Walking into the hall, Hong Yuan bowed and said: "The name of the French is too long. I am afraid that he will lose his manners, so I give him the Chinese name Pan Chen."

On the way into the palace, he also taught court etiquette.

According to the rules of the Honglu Temple, the audience should have been held in a few days, but the emperor summoned him urgently, so everything had to be kept simple.

"Respected Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the French are willing to purchase silk and tea.

But I hope that the Celestial Empire will also purchase a large amount of French spices and pepper, which are equivalent to silk and porcelain."

Yan Chengjin showed surprise in the depths of his eyes. The French had some brains.

The total value of silk and tea sold by the Ming Dynasty to the French was far greater than spices and other items.

It was in a trade surplus position.

That is, the silver earned by the Ming Dynasty from selling commercial goods to the French was

more than the silver earned by the French from selling spices to the Ming Dynasty.

The French were losing money!

The eyes of the emperor Hongzhi moved slightly: "What do you want?"

"Sign a trade agreement with the Ming Dynasty, and silk and tea must be equivalent to spices." The French said.

The king and the law could not stop merchants and nobles from buying silk, so they had to come to the Ming Dynasty again.

After signing the terms, the price of spices and pepper increased, and the silver earned from the Ming Dynasty could offset the outflow of silver.

Liu Jian and his men held the plaques, and they all seemed to have something to say.

Pan Chen, the Frenchman, continued: "The French have another thing called the Golden Apple, which can stimulate people's lust. It is a sacred object in the Garden of Eden and can multiply the population in large numbers. Does the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty want it?"

The officials were extremely curious and looked at the thing brought by the Frenchman.

The little eunuch lifted the red veil, and Yan Chengjin looked at it and saw a small golden round object on the brocade plate.

Tomato!

Judging from the color and size, it is obviously not improved.

When the tomato was first discovered by the French, it was called the Golden Apple because of its golden color.

Some Western scholars believe that Adam gave Eve this thing to eat, and then human beings were born, which is quite sacred.

Yan Chengjin looked at Pan Chen and saw that he looked respectful and admiring, and knew that he was also deceived by the scholars.

However, tomatoes were introduced to the Ming Dynasty from west to east.

Now, it was brought directly by the French, more than 50 years earlier, which is considered an achievement.

The French retreated.

Because of the land and sweet potatoes, the Ming Dynasty attached great importance to the things introduced by the foreigners.

The retired emperor Hongzhi and the officials came up and looked at the foreign things carefully.

"If it can really increase the population of the Ming Dynasty, there is no need to worry about the prosperity, but how to eat it?"

Li Dongyang shook his head: "This is the first time I have seen it."

Yan Chengjin was thinking whether to tell the retired emperor to fry eggs for eating?

But he was worried that he could not explain how he knew it.

At this time, Cui Yan, the Grand Secretary of the Dongge, was puzzled: "If this thing can increase the population, why don't the French send troops to the Ming Dynasty, why give it to our dynasty?"

The retired emperor Hongzhi's face was uncertain, and his eyes looked at the tomato, which made some sense.

"Lao Gao, what is this?" Zhu Houzhao picked it up with a beaming eyebrow.

At that moment, the emperor and the officials looked at Yan Chengjin. All foreign things, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, were discovered by Yan Chengjin.

This boy is quite knowledgeable about foreign things.

The hall fell into a brief silence.

"I dare not deceive the emperor and the officials. This thing is called tomato. It is picked from Southeast Asia. The French must have been deceived."

The emperor Hongzhi's face became ugly.

The enthusiasm of the officials faded, and the light in their eyes dimmed.

Like a businessman who failed in gambling on stones.

"Can this thing be used as a staple food?"

Yan Chengjin shook his head: "It's no different from fruits and vegetables. It can be planted in Guangdong and Guangxi."

The emperor Hongzhi and the officials were completely uninterested.

Until now, Yan Chengjin was just a little confused. Why didn't he see Jiang Bin?

Four days passed in a blink of an eye.

Chengxian Street, Huimin Pharmacy.

Early in the morning, many people lined up in a long line from the door to the end of the street. Some people who couldn't wait even went to ask other doctors.

Wang Ji, wearing a muzzle, carefully looked at the tongue coating of the gentleman in front of him.

It's the same symptoms, my forehead is hot, my body is shaking, I have a headache but no strength...

Hu Dalong also noticed something and hurried over, lowering his voice: "Doctor Wang, do you want to report to the court?!"

In just a few days, thousands of people suffered from the same disease, perhaps an epidemic.

Wang Ji's expression paused for a moment: "Put the person in the pharmacy and I'll go see Mr. Yan."

Going to court today,

Yan Chengjin was a little stunned because there were some officials missing from the left and right gates. Just now he heard the comments from the officials around him, and it seemed that they all took leave.

"Why did you ask for leave?" Xiao Jing took a small notebook to record.

"Not feeling well."

"Next."

"There is a funeral in the family..."

"Next."

"If your waist can't bear it, take a day off."

The golden bell rang, and the ministers lined up to enter the Fengtian Hall in an orderly manner.

There were many fewer officials, and the Supreme Emperor Hongzhi was a little unhappy. Xiao Jing hurriedly handed over the small book, glanced at it briefly, and said nothing more.

After going down to court, Yan Chengjin was about to return to the check-in room, but Fang Xue trotted over: "Sir, Wang Ji wants to see you."

"Why don't you enter the palace?"

"I don't know, I would like to ask you to go to the Meridian Gate."

Yan Chengjin came to the Meridian Gate in confusion and saw Wang Ji standing far away from the palace gate, as if he did not dare to approach.

When he was ten steps away from him, he was stopped by Wang Ji.

"Sir, can you dismiss the surrounding soldiers and guards? The students have something to say."

Seeing Wang Ji's solemn expression, Yan Chengjin couldn't dismiss him anymore. He took a step back and stood behind Fang Xue, "Go ahead."

"..." Fang Xue.

Wang Ji was a little confused. After a long time, he said: "There is beetle in the capital."

One stone sets off a thousand waves.

Fang Xue's face suddenly darkened.

The guard who was standing in a military posture looked over suddenly, regardless of the fine, with a look of fear on his face.

Only Yan Chengjin stood still, lost in thought.

Smallpox is smallpox, and it was introduced into China from outside.

Counting the time, now is the time when smallpox broke out in the West. No wonder Jiang Bin didn't come back.

Fang Xue came to his senses and turned around to see Yan Chengjin with a calm expression on his face, confused: "Sir?"

"Go to Honglu Temple and check out the Franji people."

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