Chapter 195 Hai Rui: This respect is bestowed upon you by the Ming Dynasty, not earned by your own strength!
Want magic?
Doesn’t that mean you need some magic?
For the Ming Dynasty, everyone from officials to ordinary people had a common failing, and that was fate with immortals.
It is not so difficult to explain to the common people and ordinary officials. After all, the court has never publicly announced to them the existence of immortal magic. They firmly believe that the court has a connection with immortals.
But no matter which one it is, in the hearts of all subjects, immortal magic belongs exclusively to the Ming Dynasty and its people.
Anyone who dares to get involved would be a provocation to the Ming Dynasty.
At this moment, not only Wang Yongji and Hai Rui's faces turned black, but even the Ming officials at the post station also instantly turned cold. The head constable standing nearby had already placed his hand on the hilt of the knife.
Even the official at the post station who was in charge of translation had a cold face at this moment. He silently moved a step to the side, appearing very indifferent.
However, the envoy of the Kingdom of Spain did not notice the change in the atmosphere and still looked at Hai Rui with an arrogant expression.
"Our Kingdom of Spain is the hegemonic country in Europe. Now we have formed a powerful Holy Alliance Army," Fernando said with pride, "If you really have any 'divine magic', we can share it..."
"Can anyone tell me what happened just now?" Before the translator could finish his words, Hai Rui waved his hand and turned to look at the others.
Hai Rui was too lazy to say anything more to this person. Now he just wanted to handle the case according to the law. It would be best if this so-called envoy was not the principal culprit when the sentencing was to be carried out!
When he discussed these overseas countries with Wang Yongji before, he did have some admiration for these races outside of China.
But don’t forget that when they compared these powerful countries with the Ming Dynasty, they first compared all these countries together as the opposite of the Ming Dynasty for reference!
Secondly, all comparisons are made using the power at the mortal level.
If the Ming Dynasty had not completed its internal cleansing and regained its position at the top, or even reached its peak before facing internal and external troubles, it would naturally attach great importance to the arrival of these powerful countries.
But now, things have changed. Immortal magic exists in the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor is a cultivator in the late stage of foundation building.
Not only that, there is also the Xianwu Guard which is still expanding and gradually replacing the entire army.
Moreover, with the huge financial resources of the Ming Dynasty today, I believe that the replacement will be completed in a short time.
By then, the Ming Dynasty’s military strength will surge again!
As long as the war breaks out, to be conservative, none of these overseas countries will be able to withstand it.
The most important thing is that the so-called sea distance is not a problem for the Ming Dynasty. The shuttle can directly bring the troops there.
We showed respect to these envoys before because the Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette and is willing to give them this respect. Since they don't know how to show respect, we should just act according to the law. This is the Ming Dynasty. Standing on the land of the Ming Dynasty, we must follow the laws of the Ming Dynasty.
"Reporting to the governor," the captain also heard the dissatisfaction in Hai Rui's words at this time, and immediately stepped forward, "It was the envoy of the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad Osman Pasha who provoked first, and the first to take action was the envoy of the Kingdom of Spain, Fernando!"
"The Portuguese envoy Pedro is an accomplice."
The captain of the police did not exaggerate but told the truth.
It's not that he is upright, but because he knows the temper of the prefect Hai very well. He cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes, especially when it comes to the law, and he will not allow anyone to trample on it.
If he dares to exaggerate and falsely report the fight between these envoys today because of his personal likes and dislikes, then he will be the one to be punished afterwards.
After hearing the translation, Fernando and Pedro's expressions changed slightly.
Of course, they were not scared, but mainly because the attitude of the Ming official in front of them in handling the matter was beyond their expectations!
In their view, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal were powerful dynasties no less powerful than the Ming Dynasty, or even stronger than the so-called Ming Dynasty. The officials of the Ming Dynasty should have treated them with courtesy. However, the result was that they treated them in a impartial manner and even held them accountable!
For a moment, both of them couldn't accept it.
The most important thing is that in their view, even if someone is to be held accountable, it should be the senior officials of the Ming Dynasty or even the emperor.
A small prefect in Spain or Portugal is just the chief or mayor of a remote area far away from the royal capital. Why should he be held accountable to the envoys of their two powerful empires?
(Note: From the late Middle Ages to the early modern period, the mayoral system in England and many other European cities had become relatively mature.)
As the thought flashed through their minds, after a brief moment of shock, anger suddenly appeared on the faces of the two envoys.
"In that case," after listening to the captain and other posthouse officials' stories, Hai Rui waved his hand and looked at the Ottoman envoys, Mehmed Osman Pasha, and the Spanish envoys Fernando and Pedro, and said, "We will punish them severely according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Catch them!" Wang Yongji, who had been unhappy for a long time, shouted loudly. Then the captain of the police, who had been waiting impatiently, waved his hand, and several constables stepped forward and caught the three men directly.
"Damn it! What are you doing!?"
"I am an envoy of the great Ottoman Empire. How dare you, a small official, judge me? You will be punished!" The Ottoman envoy struggled and roared at Hai Rui.
Following the translation and narration of the inn officials beside them, Hai Rui and Wang Yongji also knew that this Muhammad was a holy warrior of the Ottoman Empire and not a civil servant himself.
"Officials of the Ming Dynasty, how dare you judge us?" The translator present never stopped, so the envoys could hear clearly what Hai Rui and others said.
Knowing that Hai Rui was going to use the "laws" of the Ming Dynasty to judge them, the Spanish envoy, Fernando, who always looked a little proud, was panicked, but more angry!
He couldn't imagine that since the beginning of the Age of Exploration, the envoys of the great Kingdom of Spain would be treated like this. Which European country didn't respect the Kingdom of Spain? Which envoy of the Kingdom of Spain was not respected?
When did it become their turn for others to treat them like this?
The envoys of the Holy Roman Empire, Maximilian von Habsburg-Lorraine, the envoy of the Kingdom of France, Charles de Lorraine-Montmorency, and the envoy of the Kingdom of England, Richard Winsam Hawkins, who had been standing aside watching the show, were also a little nervous because of this sudden change.
After all, the Ming Dynasty dared to attack other envoys, so it also dared to attack them. If they were beaten in public, it would not only be a blow to themselves, but also the face of the entire empire.
Of course, at this moment they were more shocked.
According to what the merchants in their country heard, the subjects of this country are very hospitable and know etiquette. How could they suddenly turn against each other? Aren't they afraid of war?
Although the naval power and strategic focus of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France were not concentrated in the Mediterranean region, they were aware of the power of the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Spain.
Is the Ming Dynasty really not afraid of war?
You know, if you attack the envoys of several powerful empires at once, you will most likely face the joint attack of these countries.
Either the Ming Dynasty was really strong and could deal with several empires at the same time, or this official acted on his own initiative.
But no matter which one it is, the Ming Dynasty is destined to give an explanation to the major empires for what happened today!
Just as the envoys from the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France were getting nervous and making guesses, even imagining what they would do if Hai Rui attacked them, Hai Rui had no intention of attacking them. He just stepped forward and began to pronounce the verdict.
"According to Volume 20 of the Great Ming Code, Article 22 of the Criminal Code," Hai Rui came to the three people who were forced to kneel on the ground and said in a cold voice, "Fighting is fighting, and hitting is assaulting."
"If someone hits someone with his hands or feet but does not injure him, he shall be flogged 20 times; if he injures someone or hits someone with other objects but does not injure him, he shall be flogged 30 times; if he injures someone, he shall be flogged 40 times. If the wound is blue, red or swollen, it is considered a wound. If it is not caused by hands or feet, the rest is caused by other objects, even weapons without blades. If the hair is pulled out and is more than an inch square, he shall be flogged 50 times."
"If blood comes out of the ears and eyes, or if there is internal damage and blood is vomited, the person shall be beaten with eighty sticks. If anyone defiles the head and face of others with filthy things, the crime shall be the same!" After saying this, Hai Rui raised his hand, and immediately a doctor from the post station came forward and forced the Ottoman envoy, Muhammad, to examine the injuries.
"Reporting to the governor, the envoy Muhammad has a swollen nose and face, an injured eye, and blood oozing from his ear, which meets the standards of criminal law for injuries." The doctor bowed to Hai Rui and clasped his fists in reply.
"Come on, take them all down!"
Hai Rui looked coldly at the three people kneeling on the ground.
"Yes!" Immediately, several yamen runners brought a long bench, pressed the Spanish envoy Fernando and the Portuguese envoy Pedro on the bench, and pulled off their clothes.
"As for you, the Ottoman envoy, Mehmed Osman Pasha, you were the first to provoke and insult others. According to the Ming Dynasty Code, Volume 21, Article 8 of the Criminal Law, those who insult others shall be flogged ten times, and those who insult each other shall each be flogged ten times."
"Considering that you are envoys and are not familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the Spanish and Portuguese envoys will be exempted from flogging."
"Execute!" After Hai Rui had said everything he needed to say, Wang Yongji beside him didn't waste any more words. He waved his hand and signaled the captain to execute the sentence. "Yes!" As the captain gave the order, screams of pain suddenly rang out in the inn.
Of course, there were also wooden sticks and bamboo sticks beating on the flesh, a sound that made many people grimace.
Seeing the Ottoman envoy who was howling in pain and even begging for mercy, Wang Yongji's face, which had been ugly because of the words of the Spanish envoy, relaxed.
As for the other people in the post house, they were also very happy at this moment. They felt that these envoys from the so-called maritime powers should have been dealt with long ago. No one knew better than them how difficult these people were to serve.
Relying on its status as a so-called maritime power, it ordered them around after they moved into the inn.
This time I finally got my revenge!
These constables were all veterans in the field of criminal justice. They only used a few dozen canes and a dozen bamboo sticks to whip people, and the execution was completed quickly.
Looking at the envoys from various countries who were helped up, their faces pale and groaning in pain, Hai Rui finally spoke, "Everyone, you are all envoys sent by overseas countries to our Ming Dynasty!"
"Since you have come to our Great Ming, as the prefect of Ningbo Prefecture, I, Hai Rui, will certainly welcome you with open arms. However, I have to say something ugly in advance. Since you have come to our Great Ming, please abide by our Great Ming laws and do not provoke trouble, otherwise you will be severely punished!"
As he spoke, Hai Rui's eyes swept over the envoys.
At this moment, not to mention the Ottoman envoy who had been defeated, the envoys from England, France and the Holy Roman Empire all looked away, not daring to look Hai Rui in the eye even for a moment.
They were afraid that if they gave them the wrong look, this wild Ming official would beat them again.
"Hai Rui will arrange for the envoys to come to the capital to pay homage as soon as possible," he said, waving his hand and saying to the officials at the posthouse, "Send the envoys inside to rest."
Originally, Hai Rui and Wang Yongji wanted to contact these envoys in advance, find out their intentions, and report to the court in advance.
But now it seems that it is no longer necessary, because these envoys came here just for the Ming Dynasty's magic.
Immortal magic is undoubtedly an absolute taboo in the imperial court. Not to mention what the emperor thinks, the cabinet alone will not allow immortal magic to fall into the hands of overseas barbarians, and there are also high-ranking officials from the six ministries.
The five military commanders, the provincial governors of the two capitals and thirteen provinces, all of these people are eagerly waiting, how can it be an outsider's turn?
After Hai Rui finished speaking, he was about to take Wang Yongji away. However, at this moment, he heard the angry and shrill roar of the Spanish envoy behind him, which immediately stopped Hai Rui and Wang Yongji.
"What did he say?" Hai Rui looked at the hesitant official in the post station who was in charge of translation.
"This," the translator hesitated, but immediately began to translate, "He said that you, the governor, trampled on the envoy of the great Kingdom of Spain, which is equivalent to trampling on the dignity of Spain!"
“This is disrespectful to them!”
"When I meet your emperor, I will make him give an explanation to our Kingdom of Spain!"
Upon hearing the envoy's words, Hai Rui's face suddenly turned cold.
"Respect?" Hai Rui said as he took a step forward and approached Fernando, scaring the latter so much that he shuddered again. However, when he thought of his previous bold words, he straightened his back immediately.
"Let me tell you, from the moment you set foot on Ming soil, the Ming has given you enough respect. It is you who do not cherish it... Don't say anything!" Seeing that Fernando was about to speak, Hai Rui raised his hand to interrupt him.
Fernando: “…”
Looking at the Ming official in front of him with his eyes wide open and exuding a special aura, the arrogant and proud Fernando no longer cared about the pain behind him.
He was completely defeated after only making eye contact with Hai Rui for a moment.
"Today I have to tell you the truth," Hai Rui said coldly, "I hope you can understand that this respect is bestowed upon you by the Ming Dynasty, not earned by your own strength!" After saying that, Hai Rui simply waved his hand and said, "Send the envoy to rest!"
When several officials at the post station saw that Hai Rui was angry, they quickly carried the envoys from various countries away.
Wang Yongji, who was standing not far away, was also shocked by Hai Rui's sudden domineering attitude.
It was the first time he saw Hai Rui so angry!
The underlying meaning of Hai Rui's words was that if you are not satisfied, just come and fight me.
Based on his understanding of Hai Rui, he would not speak like this.
Why are you so angry all of a sudden?
At this time, everyone else in the post house also dispersed. It was because Hai Rui was too domineering at the moment, and everyone was afraid of angering the prefect.
The main reason why Hai Rui suddenly turned cold and behaved so aggressively towards envoys from various countries, which was completely different from his previous style, was naturally because Fernando mentioned Jiajing.
In Hai Rui's heart, apart from the Ming Dynasty, Jiajing was a taboo that absolutely could not be violated by anyone.
Hai Rui has always regarded Jiajing as a great king and father. Whether it is Jiajing's arrangements for the Ming Dynasty or his support and tolerance for Hai Rui, Hai Rui is willing to sacrifice his life for them.
At first, he was demoted to Ningbo Prefecture because he opposed the premature enthronement of the immortal officials of the Immortal Dynasty. He thought that the emperor would be very angry with him. However, instead of being angry, the emperor gave him all the rewards.
Now he has everything that the elders in the cabinet have!
Apart from the fact that there is no spiritual vein leading to the house, the small courtyard at the back of the prefectural government office is also a spiritual field with rich spiritual energy.
The emperor even gave him a lot of rewards. No one knew that not long ago, the emperor also rewarded him with a storage bag specifically for storing spiritual resources.
Despite all these generous favors from the emperor, this so-called envoy from the Kingdom of Spain actually had the audacity to ask the emperor to give him an explanation. How could this not anger Hai Rui?
"Brother Gangfeng, are you okay?" Wang Yongji stepped forward and comforted him.
"I'm fine." Hai Rui shook his head, putting the matter of the envoys behind his mind, and then said: "The purpose of these envoys coming to our Ming Dynasty is now clear, and we need to report it to the court as soon as possible."
"That's right!" Wang Yongji also nodded and said, "There is no time to lose. You write a memorial to the court and I will report it to His Royal Highness Prince Yu."
"it is good!"
In the evening, two huge falcons flew out from the back hall of the Ningbo Prefecture's yamen and headed towards the capital.
At about three quarters after tuesday, the two falcons arrived at Yuxi Palace and Prince Yu's Mansion respectively. Unfortunately, Jiajing was in Qianqing Palace at the moment, and Lu Fang was naturally serving in the palace.
Ling Falcon stood at the window for a long time, but no one answered the letter, so he could only continue to wait. However, the window at the back of Yuxi Palace was not accessible to other eunuchs, so poor Ling Falcon was destined to continue waiting.
Of course, in less than a moment, several specially trained falcons flew into the residences of high-ranking officials in the court.
The events that took place in Ningbo Prefecture were also presented to Yan Song and others.
"Bang!" In the thatched cottage in the Lingtian courtyard of the Yan Mansion, the young cabinet minister Yan Shifan slammed the table, stood up and shouted angrily:
"presumptuous!"
"You barbarians from overseas, with your wolfish ambitions, dare to shamelessly ask for the immortal arts from our Ming Dynasty? You deserve to die!"
"This so-called Kingdom of Spain is nothing but a barbarian country. Just send a large army of Immortal Guards to destroy it!"
"Damn thing!"
"..."
(End of this chapter)
