More than the fine food, utensils and architecture, the bustling markets in the capital made Bill feel dizzy.

According to the introduction of Tongyi, there are three major markets in Beijing: Lamp Market, Chenghuangmiao City, and Inner City. In addition, there is a spontaneously formed private market near Zhengyangmen and Chongwenmen on Qipan Street.

Accompanied by an interpreter, Bill went to the Longfuji Square near his residence, hoping to see what the so-called market was like in the Ming Kingdom.

When Bill went, it happened to be the day of the temple fair, and the square was crowded with crowds and stalls. All pearls and jades, ayaluo, clothes, food, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, flowers and birds, insects and fish, and ordinary daily things, Xingbu acrobatics, etc., are everywhere.

The people of the Ming Dynasty who came to visit the temple fair were not curious about Bill, who had blonde hair. Some scholars in Confucian costumes even reprimanded Bill and told them to avoid it, and they were not allowed to collide with the accompanying women.

The sergeant accompanying Bill did not teach these scholars a lesson as he imagined, but was submissive to these weak scholars, pulling Bill aside.

Bill was amazed at what was happening, but he was soon dazzled by the goods on the market. He first spent a tael of silver to buy two flat white cloths, and then spent 4 cents of silver to buy a pound of plastic dates.

As Bill delved deeper and deeper into the square, the more he saw the more merchandise he saw, the more he wanted to leave.

Especially in the porcelain stall in the middle of the square, those beautifully made large porcelain ** made him even more insightful. If such a pair of half-person-high porcelain ** in front of you are transported back to Amsterdam, I am afraid that it will immediately cause a sensation in the whole Netherlands, but here a pair of porcelain ** is only 24 taels of silver, almost 20 florins.

This price is equivalent to a month's salary for him, but if he can bring the pair back to the Netherlands in its entirety, it will be worth at least thousands of florins.

If the porcelain depiction is a biblical character, or the coat of arms of a European princely family, then the porcelain will have a staggering price.

Seeing Bill drooling at a pair of blue and white porcelain ** painted with a hundred child patterns, Zheng Cai, who served as an interpreter for him, couldn't help but smile and said: "Mr. Bill, if you love this pair of porcelain ** so much, you might as well buy him, you don't have to stand here in a daze like this." ”

"Don't laugh, where can such a big porcelain ** be transported back. As long as there is a big wind and waves at sea, it will be shattered, but it is just a waste of money. Bill said regretfully.

"Then let's look at something else, find something that doesn't break easily." Zheng Cai said nonchalantly.

Bill could only nod his head and follow Zheng Cai out of the porcelain stall. When Bill came to the capital, he had 120 florins with him, and when he returned from visiting the temple of Longfu, the sergeants who accompanied him were full of belongings, and Bill had less than 10 florins left.

Even so, Bill praised the cheapness of prices in Beijing, at least one-third to one-fifth of the prices in Europe.

When Bill and the others returned to the mansion where they lived, they happened to see Lu Jiude chatting with Zheng Zhilong and others.

Bill immediately entered the living room in the front yard, and after bowing to Lu Jiude, he said with some excitement: "Lord Lu, we haven't seen each other for a few days, how is it?" Your Majesty, the Emperor, when will you summon me? ”

Lu Jiude looked left and right, the hall was full of the leaders of the Eighteen Zhi, and they were also concerned about when Chongzhen would be able to meet him.

Lu Jiude smiled and said: "It will take about three or five days, and the venue is being renovated in Jiale Palace, and I believe that everyone will be able to hold a meeting to discuss problems soon."

This time, I'm just here to see what you need, and to pick up Bill to meet his fellow Europeans. If you have any ideas, I can also forward them to your Majesty's decision. ”

Zheng Zhilong gave his younger brother a look, Zheng Zhihu suddenly stood up and said: "I've been bored in the city these days, I'm really bored to death, I want to go out of the city tomorrow to relax, I don't know if Gonggong Lu can allow it?" ”

Lu Jiude pretended to be stunned and said, "In such a cold weather, you want to go out of the city?" There's nothing fun out of the city right now, is there? ”

Zheng Zhihu stubbornly said: "We men on the sea, come in the wind, go in the waves, what is there to be afraid of a little wind and cold." ”

Lu Jiude immediately replied: "Since Brother Zhihu feels that it is too boring, then go out of the city and go around, if others feel bored, they can also go out of the city for a walk." However, you should remember to return before the gates are closed, otherwise you will have to spend the night outside the city. ”

Zheng Zhihu's temptation once again reassured the two brothers, Zheng Zhilong said with a smile: "Zhihu is playful, but it makes Grandpa Lu embarrassed..."

The other pirate leaders didn't think about whether the court would have other ideas, and since Chongzhen's banquet, these rude pirate leaders have relieved their suspicions about the court. In the past few days, he has either walked around on the left or hidden in the house to gamble.

However, Liu Xiang's brother Liu Peng, who has been a little bored with gambling money in the house these days. After thinking about it, he followed Lu Jiude's tone and couldn't wait to interrupt Zheng Zhilong's polite words.

"Father-in-law Lu, I heard that the scenery of the East Courtyard, Bensi Hutong, and Goolan Hutong in the capital is not comparable to the wind and moon in Nanjing's ten miles of Qinhuai, I don't know..."

Before Liu Peng finished speaking, he was dragged down by his companion who covered his mouth. Asking a eunuch about the news of the Qinglou, isn't this wanting to make a feud with Gonggong Lu.

Zheng Zhilong and the others hurriedly opened the topic, and Lu Jiude only smiled slightly and did not delve into it.

If it was in the past, it would be nothing if he ordered someone to take these pirates to see the customs of the Beijing Teaching Division.

However, Chongzhen seems to be an emperor who is extremely disgusted with this kind of Fengyue place, and the Beijing Jiaofang Division was also abolished by him on the grounds that it hurt the national body, and the rule that the female actors in the Jiaofang Division were regarded as prostitutes.

Originally, the prime minister of the Southern Courtyard, which was prosperous in the capital, was also hit by a few left, and he didn't dare to swagger through the market anymore.

Therefore, Lu Jiude pretended not to know, and exchanged a few words with Zheng Zhilong and others, and then beckoned Bill and Zheng Cai, who was the interpreter, to leave.

When Bill learned on the road that the person Lu Jiude was going to take him to meet was a Jesuit priest, his face suddenly changed to be very exciting.

As a Calvinist Protestant, I had nothing to talk about with a Jesuit priest of the Catholic Order.

Moreover, as a citizen of the United Provincial Republic, and the Jesuits of East Asia, which were supported by the Kingdom of Spain, were themselves in a hostile relationship. Not to mention the Dutch East India Company, which once attacked Macau, the Jesuit stronghold in China.

Bill tactfully told Lu Jiude that he and the Jesuits did not share the same beliefs, and I am afraid that there is nothing to talk about.

Lu Jiude looked at him in surprise and said, "Aren't you believing in the same God?" ”

Bill cautiously explained, "Yes, even though we believe in the same God. However, Calvinism believed that God did not send popes, bishops, or priests to rule over his people. Those who believe in God can be saved, and there is no need to fear the end times. ”

Lu Jiude scratched his head, and then said: "Since there is only such a little difference of opinion, the miscellaneous family thinks that there should be no problem for you to sit down and talk a few words, right?" ”

Bill had to say a few more words, "My lord, because it's different. In Europe, the "Protestant League", in which the United Provincial Republics participated, had been fighting a war with the "Catholic League" for nine years, and I still do not see the end of this war in sight. ”

Lu Jiude grew his mouth, looked at the people around him seriously for the first time, and asked in disbelief: "Just because of this?" You can also fight the war for 9 years? ”

Although Bill felt that this Grandpa Lu looked at him as if he were looking at those ignorant natives in the colonies, he did not feel angry, but felt that his back was a little itchy.

After Lu Jiude was silent for a while, he said to Bill, "Okay, don't get out of the car for a while, wait for the miscellaneous family to go in and report it." ”

In the renovated Xuanwumen Chapel, Chongzhen, dressed in civilian clothes, was chatting with Xu Guangqi, Jinnige and others in a wing room in the chapel.

"Although this way of using Latin to phonetize Chinese is convenient, but Father Jin, you are all studying Chinese in Macau, so this phonetic is based on Guangzhou official dialect, which is obviously not suitable for northerners.

And using the pronunciation of the Latin alphabet itself as the phonetic of Chinese, some words can't be marked at all? In my opinion, it is better to adopt the form of these 26 Latin letters, and then use the Beijing official dialect as the standard, re-give the pronunciation of these 26 letters, and then use them to mark the text.

On the one hand, it can simplify the time for ordinary people to learn the written language, and on the other hand, it can also change the situation that it is difficult to communicate in various local dialects. Mr. Xu, what do you think? ”

Chongzhen's words made Xu Guangqi quite agree, and he also said: "Your Majesty said exactly what the minister wants, the minister has always felt that although this Latin phonetic is convenient, but the pronunciation of some letters is different from China and foreign countries, and it cannot be used in my Chinese characters. ”

Zhu Youzhen said casually: "In the study of rhyme and exegesis, there are many people available in the Hanlin Academy. Mr. Xu can select people from the Hanlin Courtyard and work with Father Jin to get a dictionary with pinyin and phonetics. ”

Xu Guangqi happily accepted the order, editing the dictionary is a literary ceremony, as a literati, he is still very happy to obey the fate.

Immediately, Zhu Youzhen asked Jinnige that among these Western missionaries, there were people who were familiar with farming.

Regarding Chongzhen's question, Jinnige also said that he could not help, and there were no experts in agriculture among the Jesuits who came to the East, but he said that he could find experts in this area for Chongzhen in Europe.

However, Xu Guangqi's familiarity with agricultural affairs surprised Zhu Youzhen, and he really deserved to be the scientist who compiled the "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration".