Refused to stay for dinner, Zhang Juzheng went back, although his plan was rejected, but if the ticket number can be placed under the supervision of the imperial court, in addition to controlling the issuance of silver tickets, it will be of infinite use to the next step, whether it is to levy commercial taxes or implement a whip law.

Shen Mo seemed to be put on the table, but he was not frustrated at all, he didn't take this matter to heart at all. It won't take long for Zhang Juzheng to understand that what anyone promised you doesn't count, only what you can do is counted, but Zhang Juzheng reminded that those who don't plan for eternity are not enough to plan for a while. He realized that the authority of the current semicolon shopkeeper was too great, and although they were all Ruohan's favorite candidates, it was extremely unreliable to expect a person to always be wise and never degenerate. Collective decision-making and strong supervision are the guarantees for long-term prosperity, and the establishment of a board of directors without a board of supervisors in Huilian must be put on the agenda...... In fact, Shen Mo had such a plan for a long time, but he was disobeyed by Ruohan Yang and delayed.

Shen Mo knew that she was unwilling to divide power, let alone be constrained, thinking that it would not be conducive to her own performance, but if she didn't improve the system at an early stage, she would definitely suffer a big loss in the future. You can't be careless just because it's smooth sailing, you have to go back and communicate well.

Watching Zhang Juzheng's sedan chair leave, he silently turned back to the inner courtyard, and saw Wang Qiming coming over, and said respectfully: "My lord, there is a Xiyi, who claims to be your friend, and has been waiting in front for a long time. As he spoke, he took out a famous thorn and said with a smile: "I can speak our words, and I understand this." ”

Shen Mo took it and saw a cross painted on the cover, so he understood, opened it and looked, sure enough, it was "after studying in the West and entering the well in Xavier, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Hurry up and ask ......, or I'll go in person." As he spoke, he patted Wang Qiming: "What are you doing in a daze, leading the way in front of your head." ”

"Oh,............" Seeing that the adults attached so much importance to the Nayi people, Wang Qiming couldn't help but beat the drum in his heart, it turned out that the acquaintance in front of him didn't have a very good attitude towards the Nayi people, and he almost kicked them out.

Shen Mo came to the living room, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw a red-haired, blue-eyed and red-bearded foreigner, wearing a green cloth robe, a black satin jacket, and a ** hat of the same color, "Drinking tea there decently."

"Hahaha, Father Chamelius, it's great to see you." With hearty laughter, he walked silently into the hall.

"Lord Shen......,......" Xavier quickly got up, bowed deeply to Shen Mo and said, "It's great to see you." ”

"It's all good" Shen silently helped him, and after the two sides re-seated, he said with a warm smile: "Farewell to the southeast, it's been more than a year in the blink of an eye, and the priest is fine." ”

Xavier's feet were wearing square-toed longevity shoes, forked hair and beard, all neatly combed in accordance with the rules of the Ming Dynasty, "In every gesture, the Chinese flavor is much more mellow than before" He smiled when he heard this: "Yes, starting from the adult's hometown, I spent a few months in the next road to the north to come to Beijing, and I was in the adult's brother............ Under the care of Mr. Nanming, I have been living happily in the capital for more than a year. "Nanming is the number of Zhu Dashou" was silent before separating from Xavier, and the official introduction letter also introduced him to Zhu Dashou in Beijing and asked him to take care of him.

Shen Mo said in his heart, you live in a stable place, and you don't plan to immigrate, right? smiled and said, "I'm really sorry, it's been more than a year since I returned to Beijing, but for various reasons, I never had the chance to see you again." ”

"I've heard everything about adults, Mr. Nanming." Xavier said, "You have to worry about state affairs, so you don't have to be distracted by me at all." ”

"There is still ...... time" Shen Mo waved his hand and said: "Tell me about the best situation in Beijing, right............ Have you started a mission? ”

"Hehe......" Xavier shrugged his nose slightly and said with a wry smile: "It's more difficult than I imagined, I'm in Macau, Fujian, and Shanghai, which are all open cities, and people are no strangers to foreigners, so it's easier to communicate." After a pause, he said: "But in Beijing, some officials from the south, most of the civilians, have never seen me like this...... Everywhere I went, people followed me, and when I spoke, they laughed and scattered, looking at me like a monster. ”

"Haha............" Shen Mo laughed and said, "Rare and strange, this is no way." ”

In this case, "I had to put the missionary business aside." Xavier smiled and said, "The main energy is spent on learning the understanding and customs of the Ming Dynasty, studying the traditional classic books, and making myself no different from the Ming people from the inside out...... In this way, the people in the capital can make friends. In fact, he actively studied Chinese culture for another purpose, which was to integrate the head of Catholicism into the ancient Chinese scriptures...... He took great pains to extract entries about "Tian, Wu" emperor from books such as "The Mean", "The Book of Songs", "Zhou Yi", and "Shangshu", which were used to compare the Western Catholic doctrine to the fact that God was more likely to be accepted by the Ming people in Catholicism. Of course, there is no need to talk to Shen Mo in such detail.

"You've got a heart." Shen nodded silently: "The people of this country have deep-rooted traditions, and if they don't respect these traditions, they can't live in this society, let alone preach. He saw Wang Qiming at the door and hummed a gesture to pick up vegetables, so he smiled and said, "It's time for dinner, let's talk while eating." Saying to Wang Qiming, "Let's eat here." ”

Wang Qiming brought people up, put the dining table on the table, brought a copper basin up, and asked the two of them to clean their hands. Only then did the four meats, four vegetables and eight dishes be taken out of the food box and placed ......, although they were not sumptuous, they were all exquisite, and Wang Qiming was well versed in the taste of the minister.

"During work hours, I won't drink with you." Shen Mo said to Xavier: "But you can drink some."

"Whatever the guest wants." Xavier shook his head and smiled: "If you don't drink it, I won't drink it either." ”

"Then I'll replace wine with tea." Shen Mo picked up the teacup and said to Xavier, "Cheers to our reunion." ”

"Honorable Lord." Xavier hurriedly picked up the teacup with both hands, gently touched Shen Mo, and took a sip. He put down his teacup and said, "Your enthusiasm makes me feel like home." ”

"There are friends from afar, don't you say it?" Laughing silently and modestly, the two had a quiet meal for a while, and then he asked, "So, what else have you done besides studying?" ”

"I also followed the instructions of the adults to introduce some of Taixi's scientific and technical ends, as well as novel Western squares to people, attracting the attention of the Ming people." Xavier hurriedly put down his chopsticks and said softly: "I also use Western medicine to treat the people, and as more and more patients are cured, I have become a little famous-"

"It's all preparation for a mission, right?" Shen Moyan said in a moving voice: "You Jesuits are urging you, right?" ”

"I can't hide it from my lord." Xavier was a little embarrassed and said, "My superior, the president of the Society of Jesus, Loyola, ordered me to start working as soon as possible to obtain the legal right of the Jesuits to preach in Daming. After a pause, he said, "That's why I came to the Yamen to visit my lord" because it was a formal request. ”

He sat up straight and said, "Please speak." ”

"The Jesuits have prepared a boatload of gifts and sent them to the capital, please present them to His Majesty the Emperor on your behalf." Xavier looked at Shen Mo with a smile and said, "And recommend it on your behalf." In his view, seeing the emperor was the key to opening the door of mission.

"I'm happy to help," Shen Mo laughed, taking a sip on the teacup, and said apologetically, "But in my opinion, you probably won't be able to achieve your goal." ”

"Why?" Xavier said a little anxiously: "As far as I know, religion in your country is free......"

"What you said is right", Shen Mo said lightly: "But the situation is stronger than people, and no one can do anything." As he spoke, he picked up the wet wipes on the table, wiped his hands, and said, "You should know that our country has just lost an emperor—"

"Yes, during the state funeral, I also prayed for the first emperor." Xavier regained his composure, and the last thing a missionary lacked was patience, otherwise he would not have been able to do it.

"Then you should know that during the reign of the first emperor, because he was obsessed with a religion, he not only built a lot of buildings, raised believers, and even abandoned political affairs, and practiced with believers all day long. Even the reason for his final death is suspected to have been due to taking the pills offered by the believers. Shen Mo said in a low voice: "Now that the Criminal Department is interrogating this matter, you can't have heard of it, right?" ”

"I've heard of it." Xavier nodded and said, "It is said that the Emperor's Edict and His Majesty's Edict of the New Majesty both emphasize the need to severely punish those believers. ”

"That's what I'm talking about," Shen Mo said with a sad face: "His Majesty the Emperor and the ministers generally believe that the first emperor misled the country and even damaged the dragon body because of religion, and his trust in religion has dropped to the freezing point, and he even began to dislike religious people. ”

These words came out of the mouth of the Shangshu of the Ming Rite Department, and the blow to Xavier can be imagined, although he is used to seeing the wind and rain, he still can't hide his frustration and says: "My lord, what should I do?" ”

"You can rest assured, the Ming Dynasty is a civilized country, and there will be no religious extremist events like those in Europe", Shen Mo stopped moderately: "I just think that if I meet the emperor now, the result may not be too good." ”

"Then I won't see you yet." Xaviser was a little anxious, and he clenched his fists and said, "Please don't look at this religion differently." In a hurry, he rarely used the wrong idiom.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Shen Mo smiled and comforted him: "My consistent attitude will not change, just like in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Suzhou, I will fully support you, my friend." ”

"It's my pleasure." Xavier smiled silently and gratefully: "I can know my lord, it is a blessing from the Holy Mother, you and your friends, for your care and help to me, I will not be able to repay it in my life, and the Lord will definitely bless you." ”

"It's also my pleasure to know you," Fr. ”

The silent smile, as warm as the sun, made Xavier regain his composure: "Please give me some advice." ”

"Actually, you've been doing a great job all along." Shen Mo enthusiastically made a plan: "Before being accepted, you can't act in a hurry, you must first establish a good image of yourself." Now that your personal image has been established, everyone knows that Xavier is a good man, a wise man, and a Shinshi, but the understanding of your sect is far from enough. You rashly ask for a missionary, and even if our emperor is merciful, I am afraid that the ministers will not agree. ”

What do you mean, "Let me first spread the word about this religion in private?" Xavier asked.

"Can't mention the teaching word......,..." Shen Mo bluffed with a face: "Now that the Chinese people are sensitive, you are a foreign race, I am afraid that as soon as I hear your propaganda, I will immediately send it to the official." ”

"So what to do?" Xavit was a little confused.

"Sage Cloud, Dayin Ruoxi, Dacheng Ruoxi", silent and unfathomable: "The most clever propaganda is not to shout how powerful your sect is, but to automatically realize it to the people of the station. The merits of your sect. "I see. Xavier was pleasantly surprised: "Are you asking me to do anything in the future under the banner of this religion?" ”

"Yes" Shen Mo said lightly: "Although I can't approve you to preach, as an official in charge of religion in the Ming Dynasty, it is still no problem for you to allow you to operate in the capital as a Catholic." He also said: "You can also greet no more than 50 people in the name of the Francois Mission, and the number of companions who live temporarily in the capital is the limit of the number of people allowed by the Ming Dynasty to enter Beijing, and after the mission enters Beijing, there are too many situations that depend on it for several years. This is not an abuse of power, but a flexible approach within the scope of the mandate, and no one can find fault with it.

"Great......" Hearing the silent preferential delivery, Xavier burst into ecstasy: "Your Excellency, you are really an angel." If it weren't for the etiquette of the Eastern world, he really wanted to step forward and hug him hard.

"Stick a knife in your friend's ribs." He smiled generously and said, "But don't remember to preach privately!" Of course you won't, Father, but your later companions may be in a hurry and make some uncontrollable faces, and that will not be easy. ”

"Don't worry, my lord, I swear in the name of the Virgin Mary that I will select my companions to enter the Beijing and will definitely restrain them." Xavier nodded heavily, "I won't cause you any trouble." ”

"Good." Shen Mo nodded and smiled: "I believe in you." As he spoke, he stood up and said loudly: "Okay, Father, your worries are gone, and our meal is finished, why don't we go for a walk in the garden and talk about your opinion of Daming?" ”

"I can't ask for it." Xavier had already held back his opinion, he knew that now was the perfect opportunity to clear his doubts, and ...... could listen to the opinions of this wise and high-ranking official, and he would definitely benefit himself in the future.

The two of them left the parlor "and went into the small garden in the backyard...... There are few people in the Ministry of Rites, "the yamen is not small, and the officials of all the departments are working in the front yard, and the whole courtyard is left to the Shangshu and the waiter", compared to the crowded household department and the official department, it is very luxurious.

Coming to the stone path covered with yellow leaves, he asked silently and softly: "You have been in Daming for a few years, you might as well tell me your views on this country" He looked at him and said: "I'm not a court official now, just your friend" So"

"Of course I'll tell the truth, liars can't go to heaven." Xavier is in the right way.

"It looks like I'm destined for hell. Li Shen couldn't help but think sadly, "Please speak." ”

"This is a great empire with a vast territory and abundant resources, and there is no doubt that it is the largest and richest country in the world, and all the countries of Europa together cannot be compared without the Ming Dynasty." Xavier's statement is a bit flattering, but it is true.

"I'm not just going to hear good words." Shen Mo didn't buy it: "Over the years, you just said that it was good, and now I want to listen to the bad places..."

"Uh......" Xavier is a Westerner after all, with a straightforward temperament and is not good at concealment, so he really had to open the conversation box and said: "I found that most of the people and officials of the Ming Dynasty have no understanding of the overseas world, so that many people think that the Ming Dynasty is the whole world, and the rest of the small countries are only in the corners of the world." You seldom go to a foreign country in your writings, and even if you do so, you will be in what you rightfully call a wild place. Of course, adults are different."

After speaking, he looked at Shen Mo, saw that his expression was as usual, motioned for himself to continue, and continued: "As a result, they are quite repulsive and not resistant to outsiders like me. Rarely had a chance to talk, Xavier simply spit out: "The Ming people regard all foreigners as savages without knowledge and call us such words!" ”

It seems that the priest's self-esteem was "despised by the Heavenly Empire, and it was not lightly hurt."

Shen Mo comforted softly: "The Ming Dynasty has been locked up for a hundred and fifty years, and I haven't seen a foreigner for several generations, so it's inevitable that there will be some fuss, but please believe me, the people of the Ming Dynasty are well-educated, and most people will still treat each other with courtesy." ”

"I couldn't agree more." Xavier nodded, "After the initial strangeness, we all became good friends, and we all vied to invite me to dinner, asking this and that, very friendly and curious. After a pause, he said: "I found that the Ming people have a naïve temper, once they realize that the quality of foreign goods is better, they prefer foreign things over their own things; Once they believe that foreign ideas are correct, they completely reject their own traditions. I feel that "their arrogance is not rejected, it is out of their ignorance that there is something better in the world, that there is more science without truth." Said and stroked his head and said: "But it's no wonder, the Ming Dynasty is surrounded by barbarian countries, it is difficult for people not to have this kind of pride, but the truth is revealed at a glance" They are like changing people, in the words of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the knowledge of mistakes can be changed, and the good is great, right." ”

Sorry, a bit late. But finally, the mess was finally sorted out, and all that was left was to drive at full speed, hehe......