After careful consideration, Zhu Mo completed the "Order of Apprehension by the Zhoushan Public Office for War Criminal Faria Mario Souza." Though not lengthy, it was crafted with considerable thought—
"From ancient times, humanity, progressing from ignorance to civilization, has been a harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Civilizations like Youchao’s dwelling, Suiren’s fire, and the inventions of boats and iron smelting were not the achievements of a single individual. The firearms and sturdy ships of today are likewise products of collective effort. It is said that Western nations, driven to extreme hardship and humiliation, invented remarkable instruments and dominated the seas. They are indeed vessels by which Heaven disseminates its fire. However, unworthy individuals from these Western lands have used these sharp instruments to unleash their ferocity, causing nations to experience the tragedy of heaven and earth collapsing.
To restrain barbarism with righteousness is the great principle of the world; evil cannot overcome good, this is the natural law. Yet, righteousness sometimes faces adversity in the human realm, leading to times of peril and decline. In such eras, the wicked become arrogant, countless vermin emerge, occupying positions of power and deceiving the world with false fame. When things reach such extremes, heroes rise forth, the common folk cry out, and a decisive judgment awaits them. (From Kuaishu Pavilion)
Now, Faria Mario Souza of the Franks, using sturdy ships and powerful cannons, has oppressed various nations. For twenty years, private pirates have roamed the seas, treacherous heroes have seized control of nations, common people have been plundered, and mountains and rivers have become depleted. The human way has reached its limit. Therefore, extreme situations lead to reversals, and the great way is revived.
Heaven's will favors the Ming, achieving this extraordinary feat. The Zhoushan Public Office is established. Though its navy is nascent and its firearms newly developed, it has extinguished the multitude of villains and upheld justice. Where righteousness resides, the Emperor's will is fulfilled.
Now, it is proclaimed to all the world that the navy and firearms are the common benefit of all under Heaven; maritime wealth is the great possession of all people. The seas shall be as orderly as the Central Plains. Those who gather private pirates again, sell women and children, rob property, murder civilians, seize small nations, smuggle military supplies, or occupy islands and incite rebellion, shall all be apprehended and judged. Disputes between merchants and citizens of various nations that cannot be resolved may also be submitted to the Zhoushan Public Office for arbitration. Furthermore, any nation that dares to harbor the offender Faria Mario Souza shall be punished with death.
Humbly, as per the mandate.
Chief Administrator, Zhoushan Public Office
Grand Scholar
Zhu Mo."
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His intention in writing so extensively was, of course, to propagate a shared, civilized worldview. Speaking as a high-ranking official of the Great Ming would be difficult to gain trust. However, adopting the title of Chief Justice of the Zhoushan Public Office, a semi-official and semi-private capacity, and presenting himself as an arbiter of justice, would increase acceptance.
The essence of this apprehension order was actually quite simple—
The emergence of human civilization was not the product of a few individuals but the result of collective efforts by all. From Youchao, Suiren, and Shennong, to the sturdy ships and cannons of the Westerners, it has always been the crystallization of humanity's shared wisdom. The reason Westerners were able to develop firearms first was due to their prior blockades by the Turks, which plunged them into extreme poverty. Talented artisans then stumbled upon their invention, originally intended to benefit the world, not to be private possessions of a few Western rulers. This was, in essence, the principle of change that extreme situations lead to reversals.
Originally, Heaven's will allowed the Westerners to possess superior arms first, and they should have widely disseminated them, benefiting all, as the ancient sage kings of China did. However, unscrupulous individuals like Souza, relying on firearms, engaged in colonization, bringing immense suffering to the Eastern nations.
Consequently, Heaven's favor shifted, allowing the Great Ming to acquire superior firearms, quickly defeating the colonizers. Unlike the Westerners, the Ming people were upholders of justice, deeply understanding that Heaven's will for the Ming's resurgence was to bring fairness to the world. This was the reason for the establishment of the Zhoushan Court.
He, Zhu Mo, as the Chief Justice, would henceforth set the rules for the Age of Discovery, pursuing all manner of crimes. For disputes between nations that could not be resolved, the Zhoushan Court would also provide justice…
After careful consideration,
Zhu Mo felt his message was clearly conveyed. He then enlisted a group of multi-lingual translators, and within three days, the decree was translated into Japanese, Korean, Annamese, Frankish, Persian, and Mongolian-Tibetan. He then expedited the printing and distribution. A few days later, it was sent via the postal service to the Ministry of Rites, where the Department of Guests and Hosts was tasked with distributing it to various nations.
Furthermore, to accelerate the spread of information, he had foreign merchants at the Huating Silk Trading Post take copies with them, distributing them wherever they went.
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After a few days of busy work,
On this particular day,
Zhu Mo accompanied Zhang Juzheng to Jingde Town once more.
At this time,
The imperial kilns had expanded, now numbering 90 in total. As for the civilian kilns, due to Zhu Mo's prior objections and Zhang Juzheng's cautious discretion, they had not been further developed. However, the main benefit this time was that the customized ceramics had begun trial production.
Previously,
Zhang Juzheng had received a batch of orders in Jiujiang. Foreign merchants were highly interested in subjects like flowers, birds, fish, and insects, stating they sold very well in the Persian and European markets. Several Frankish merchants also expressed a desire for custom orders with Western patterns and designs for their royal courts and nobility. However, the pattern books they provided were very simple, and despite multiple attempts by the kiln workers, the results were still unsatisfactory.
Zhu Mo consulted the system and found an abundance of contemporary porcelain and metalwork. He immediately took Zhang Juzheng to the "Porcelain Arts Academy." He Chaozong, as the master craftsman, was both interested and highly perceptive about this matter. He had already done some preliminary work and presented some draft sketches to the two.
The sketches were truly masterful. The Persian designs posed no problem; forms like the octagonal vessels had precedents in the previous Yuan Dynasty, and Jingdezhen possessed samples from that era, making reproduction straightforward. However, Western designs proved quite challenging. While the aesthetic forms were quite close, the patterns consisted only of very simple lines.
Zhang Juzheng sighed,
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"Master He, your great works are remarkably similar… Several months ago at the Jiujiang auction house, I also saw vessels from Western merchants. They had many patterns and diverse forms, yet they were not as simplistic as these…"
His words were naturally measured.
He Chaozong shook his head and sighed,
"Minister Zhang, Scholar Zhu, I have heard from some old craftsmen that there were Western vessels during the previous Yuan Dynasty. Unfortunately, they were all smashed by Chen Youliang during the late Yuan period. He also burned some Persian design charts. After the founding Emperor established the dynasty, some were collected… Now, when attempting to replicate them, while Persian vessels can still be found in the民间 (minjian - folk/private sector), Western ones are gone…"
Zhu Mo chuckled,
"Master He, perhaps you could wait a few more days. I previously brought back some design charts from Ryukyu. I will have someone send them over in a few days."
The two were naturally surprised. However, Zhu Mo did not wish to reveal the specifics.
This trip took four to five days. Zhu Mo copied some of the vessel designs from the system, resulting in over thirty drafts. Although his drawings were not exceptional, to a master craftsman like He Chaozong, even a hint of a clue was enough for imagination to flourish, let alone complete depictions. He, a devotee of art, took the charts home immediately.
Feeling a lack of further engagement, Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng decided to inspect the civilian kilns.
On this issue, the two ultimately could not reach an agreement. After a few tentative attempts to probe each other's thoughts with disappointment, the matter was temporarily set aside.
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One afternoon,
As the two were about to return to Hangzhou, a young man resembling a potter suddenly arrived at the courier station. He handed Zhu Mo a piece of paper and then ran off.
Zhu Mo unfolded it and saw a line of small characters:
"Grand Scholar Zhu, someone is secretly burning imperial kiln porcelain and having the Directorate of Weaving and Dyeing sell it to foreign merchants."