Bishop Antonio became more deferential and said: "Your Majesty's plan is so merciful, I will certainly try to get it passed." ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded, and said again: "Also, as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, I made a proposal to the Kingdom of Portugal to transfer the city of Malacca to the Ming Dynasty. Can you deliver this message to me? ”

Bishop Antonio nodded quickly and said: "The current Malacca City has no meaning to the kingdom at all, as long as Your Majesty can agree, in the future, Portuguese merchant ships can still stop and transit in Malacca City, and pay a little more price, I believe that the Portuguese and Indian Governors will definitely resell this city to Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youzhen touched his chin, and then said with some embarrassment: "Mr. Bishop, you don't seem to have heard clearly, I mean the transfer without compensation, of course, the Portuguese merchant ship stops in Malacca City, and there is naturally no problem." ”

Bishop Antonio glanced up at Chongzhen, then quickly lowered his head, and said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, although the city of Malacca has declined, after all, this is also a port that the kingdom spent a lot of money to build, and this is free..."

"I heard that the population of the Dutch is less than that of a province of the Ming Dynasty, Bishop Antonio, do you think that if the Ming Dynasty is willing to support the Kingdom of Portugal and redistribute the trade share of the Spice Islands, it will not be worth a city of Malacca?"

Bishop Antonio was stunned and looked at Chongzhen speechless, and he said with some expectations: "Your Majesty's idea is naturally very likely to be discussed. ”

Seeing that Bishop Antonio was a little late to react to his proposal, Zhu Youzhen patted his clothes and stood up and said, "Okay, it's not too early, I still have something to do, so I won't delay your chat." Bishop Antonio, think about it, I await your good news. ”

Seeing Chongzhen turn around and want to leave, Father Jinnige and Bishop Antonio did not dare to slack off, and immediately stood up to send them off.

Walking out of the quiet back hall, the noise in the lobby outside suddenly reached the ears of the three of them.

The Jesuit priests in Beijing had a lively conversation with an old acquaintance from Macao, and no one noticed that the three of them came out of the back hall.

Zhu Youzhen turned around and stopped the two and said, "You don't have to send it anymore, I don't want to alarm others." ”

Father Kinny Pavilion and Bishop Antonio stopped at Chongzhen's words and bowed down to him to say goodbye.

Before the two could straighten up, a figure suddenly rushed towards the three. Zhu Youzhen turned back amid the exclamations of the crowd behind.

A black-robed man about his height was stopped by an embroidered spring knife one step away from him. Zhu Youzhen looked the black-robed man in front of him up and down, and the expression on his face did not change at all.

Zhou Zhijian, the owner of this embroidered spring knife, looked at this person who was shrouded in black robes, and the muscles of his whole body tensed. His Majesty only brought him and Lin Yuanzhong two guards with him when he left the palace this time, if something happened, he would really be dead.

He thought in his heart that he was still too careless, and after checking that this group of people did not bring weapons into Beijing, he thought that there would be no accident in this courtyard, but he didn't expect that there would really be an accident.

"Everyone stepped back and stood against the wall. Who are you, put the hood down. Zhou Zhijian first shouted to everyone in the hall, and then turned his head to question the black-robed man.

Lin Yuanzhong and Wang Chengen, who were guarding outside the hall, suddenly ran in and guarded in front of Chongzhen. Everyone in the hall was speechless in shock in the face of this strange scene.

In Zhou Zhijian's shouting, the black-robed man slowly raised a pair of slender white and tender hands and lifted his hood backwards.

A typical Western beauty appeared in front of Chongzhen: her eyes. Large, black and bright, the eyes are sparkling, very moving; The nose is straight and makes people feel quite delicate; The most memorable should be the pair of ruddy and bright red lips, which attracted Chongzhen's eyes just for a moment.

Zhu Youzhen was distracted for a moment, and he didn't even hear the girl's self-introduction. Father Kinnie Ge thought that Chongzhen did not understand the girl's accent, so he translated for him: "This girl claims to be Isabella, Antonio's granddaughter. ”

Zhu Youzhen just sighed, then looked at the embroidered spring knife in front of the girl's neck and said, "Put the knife away, it's too rude to treat a girl like this." ”

Zhou Zhijian glanced at Wang Chengen with some surprise, and after nodding slightly at him, he finally put away the embroidered spring knife, but still stood on the side of Chongzhen and the girl, just in case.

After seeing that the girl's pale face in front of him had just faded, Zhu Youzhen turned back to Bishop Antonio and asked, "Bishop Antonio?" Is this your granddaughter? Doesn't look like he's the right age. ”

Bishop Antonio's face darkened a little, and he forced out a smile and said, "What this young lady is talking about is that Antonio, the abbot of the Crato Monastery, is also one of the heirs of the Portuguese royal family. ”

Thinking that the embroidered spring knife had almost scratched her face just now, Isabella's heart fluttered, and when she heard Bishop Antonio's words, she immediately mustered up the courage to retort.

"In 1579, at a court meeting in Almerin, King Philip II of Spain refused to attend, and Her Royal Highness Catarina, Duchess of Braganza, announced her withdrawal from the candidacy for the throne, so my grandfather Antonio, as the only candidate, should be the King of Portugal, and not one of the heirs of the Portuguese royal family."

Agostinius, who had been in charge of guarding Isabella, was annoyed that he had let Isabella slip into the hall without checking for a while, and he didn't know that the young nobleman standing in the middle of the hall was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so after hearing Isabella's words, he immediately retorted.

"You're just an orphan girl living in Japan, but no one can prove that you're Antonio's granddaughter."

Isabella's face suddenly turned red, and she turned to Agostignus and said with her neck on her neck: "If I am not the heir to the Portuguese throne, how can you ransom me back from the Japanese."

My grandfather went into exile in the Azores, and after the last hope of the Marquis de Santa Cruz was extinguished, he gave up his dream of restoring the Portuguese throne. He went into exile in England, married my grandmother, and gave birth to my father, Sousa.

But the King of Spain never gave up on arresting my grandfather, who had to take my father to France, and my grandfather died in Bordeaux.

A year after my father's marriage, the secret agent of the King of Spain came to the door again, and my father had to take my mother to Mexico and then to Japan. But there they all died in Nagasaki because of a sudden illness.

If it weren't for Agostinius, you recognized the ring in my hand, how could you have paid off the Japanese debt for me? ”

As she spoke, Isabella showed her right hand in front of everyone, and a shiny brass ring was worn on her hand.

Agostinius was suddenly choked and speechless, and a steady middle-aged man standing beside him had to relieve his companion and said: "No matter what, Agostinius finally rescued you and took you to Macau, in the past two years in Macau, don't we treat you well?" Why are you doing this today? Did you know it, but it can get all of us into trouble. ”

Isabella was silent for a while, then curtsy to the middle-aged man and said, "Mr. Petro, I have always respected your integrity. I heard that Manila sent an emissary asking for a search of my whereabouts in Macau, is it true? ”

Bishop Antonio was finally unwilling to continue the farce in front of the Ming Emperor. Accepting Isabella was just because they wanted to leave a chance for the future, not to let her anger the Ming Emperor and bring disaster to the residents of Macau.

He stopped Pietro before he could speak, and reproached Isabella: "If we want to hand you over to Manila, will we take you to the capital?" Whatever misunderstanding you have about us, please apologize to this noble man of the Ming Kingdom now, and then step down. I'll explain it to you later, Miss Isabella. ”

Isabella looked around the front of the hall and noticed that the faces of these people were full of impatience, disgust, and irritation, and none of them seemed to sympathize with her, which made her a little angry.

Isabella suppressed the panic in her heart, then turned to Chongzhen and curtsied and said, "This lord, can you help me deliver a request to Emperor Daming?" ”

Bishop Antonio immediately reprimanded in a low voice: "Miss Isabella, do you know what you are doing?" Hurry back down, this noble man is not..."

Zhu Youzhen stretched out his hand to stop him and said, "It's okay, this Miss Isabella, you can say your request, the Ming Emperor is still very merciful." ”

Isabella immediately plucked up her courage and said, "I, the heir of the Aveish dynasty of the Kingdom of Portugal, hope to be able to see the Ming Emperor and be protected by His Majesty the Emperor. ”

Except for a strange smile on Zhu Youzhen's face, he lowered his body and approached Isabella, but quickly straightened up.

"You can't see His Majesty the Ming Emperor like this, I think Miss Isabella, you need to freshen up. Wang Chengen, take her back and give her a hot bath. ”

Zhu Youzhen covered her nose and spoke, which made Isabella a little embarrassed and annoyed, but soon she became a little flustered.

"What are you doing here?" Isabella dodged Wang Chengen's hand, who wanted to take her away.

"Didn't you want to ask to see the Ming Emperor? Why do you want to regret it again? Zhu Youzhen looked at her and said curiously.

Isabella was stunned for a moment, but looking at the silent crowd around her, she also knew that she had offended the Portuguese merchants in Macau now, and if she wanted to anger the nobles of the Ming Dynasty, I was afraid that she would really be given to the king of Spain by these merchants.

I thought that if I returned, I might be imprisoned in a convent in Spain for the rest of my life. Isabella suddenly relented and followed Wang Chengen away.

Bishop Antonio had to lean forward in front of Chongzhen and whisper a few words, but Zhu Youzhen just shook his head, and then said with a smile at him.

"I like the gifts you brought very much, how can you go back with the gifts you gave you, it's rude. And, Mr. Bishop, don't you think I've got a better deal for now? ”