Chapter 4: The Ming Dynasty

During the Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as cultured pearls. A string of pearls with such exquisite quality would have been considered a rare treasure at that time. However, He Wenhai, being a seasoned trader for many years, had long since learned to conceal his emotions.

Li Ming unwrapped the package and took out several exquisite gift boxes

After speaking, he extended his hand and invited Li Ming into the back hall. Once both parties were seated, the shopkeeper smiled and said: "I am He Wenhai, may I ask what business you have to attend to in our establishment?"

Li Ming stepped out of the light gate, quickly retracted the wormhole, and then cautiously surveyed his surroundings, only to find that it was completely dark around him

Although he was very excited inside, he did not show it. Instead, he continued to open several other gift boxes.

Without saying anything else, just by looking at these few boxes, one can already guess that the items inside are destined to be extraordinary. Upon hearing Li Ming say this, he smiled and exchanged a few polite words, then picked up a gift box and carefully opened the lid.

An hour later, the sky began to brighten, and Li Ming put away the flashlight and quickened his pace

This young gentleman, please see what you would like to choose, we...

It turns out that this space-time is completely identical to the history of the world he currently inhabits. What astonishes him the most is that it is now the sixth year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty, which corresponds to the year 1626 in history. In just two years, it will be the first year of the Chongzhen era, which is when that unfortunate individual hanged himself on Coal Mountain in history

The Manchu Emperor Hong Taiji ascended the throne this year, and twenty years later, the Manchus will march into the pass. By then, the entire Central Plains will be in devastation, and the hundreds of millions of Han people within the pass will perish under the blades of the foreign invaders

Before his death, Chongzhen said a phrase that left a deep impression on Li Ming: "You are not a king who has lost his country; I and the scholars are all ministers who have lost our country"

Li Ming saw the old man struggling to open his broken silver, and he secretly scolded himself for being foolish and forgetting about this matter. However, he did not take it seriously, threw down a piece of broken silver, grabbed a handful of copper coins, and left.

Li Ming has now come to the Ming Dynasty. To be honest, it is not really for money; he simply wants to find a place to settle down in the Ming Dynasty, occasionally traveling back and forth between the two time periods, treating it as a vacation.

The Ten Days of Yangzhou, the Three Massacres of Jiaxing, and later the policy of keeping the hair while cutting off the head; throughout history, there has never been an era in which so many people died over issues related to hairstyles.

Li Ming waved his hand to interrupt him, his face stern as he asked, "Is the manager in?"

I have looked at the items, and they are truly excellent. However, I am unsure how many of these items are available and what their condition is like

By the time Li Ming entered the capital city, the sky had already brightened significantly. Li Ming strolled through this ancient city, as early risers hurried past him. Observing the shops adorned with old signs lining the streets gave him a sense of temporal dislocation.

Later, Empress Dowager Cixi was also very compliant with foreigners, readily ceding territory and paying reparations as if settling a bill. She would say, "If you want it, I will give it to you," and would agree to cede or compensate without hesitation. In her words, it was to "measure the resources of China and win the favor of the nations."

Here, he was close to the official road, and in less than an hour, dawn would break. He discerned the direction and walked towards Beijing. The sky was very dark, but fortunately, this was the official road. Li Ming took out a compact LED flashlight and cautiously proceeded along the official road.

The shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment, but then immediately smiled and said, "Let us discuss this in the back."

Although the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were increasingly inept in governance, when it comes to integrity, they were far more principled than the Manchu Qing Dynasty

The fellow was so frightened by Li Ming that he hurriedly ran to the back hall. After a while, a slightly plump middle-aged man came out. He had a fair complexion and a friendly, prosperous appearance. Upon seeing Li Ming, he smiled and clasped his hands together, saying, "May I ask, young sir, what brings you to me?"

However, the other party happens to be a scholar, and how could a small vendor afford to offend him? These scholars are the most difficult to deal with.

Li Ming found a stall on the street and took a long time to eat before finally settling the bill and leaving. However, he did not have any cash on him, only some small silver coins. The old man running the stall was in a panic, thinking that Li Ming was deliberately making things difficult for him

An elder in my family has brought back some items from overseas and has entrusted me to inquire about the market situation here in the capital. These are merely samples, and if the shopkeeper finds them appealing, we can consider making some.

He Wenhai said with a smile: "Young master, please rest assured. I, He Wenhai, have been in this business in the capital for several decades, and I will certainly give you a fair price. However, could you please entrust all these items to my shop?"

He found a manufacturer specializing in cultured pearls online, wholesale purchasing a large quantity of high-quality cultured pearls, and also wholesale purchasing a certain number of synthetic gemstones, all of which were selected for their best quality and appearance

Li Ming said with a smile: "It's nothing serious, I just wanted to discuss some business with you"

Any one of these could plunge a nation into endless turmoil, yet the Ming Dynasty has encountered each and every one of them, making it difficult to avoid destruction

This inquiry was quite alarming, nearly giving Li Ming a fright

The shopkeeper's eyes began to shine as soon as he took out several exquisite gift boxes from behind Li Ming.

The more people there were on the road, the more they were mostly farmers from the outskirts of Beijing who had risen early to prepare to enter the city. Upon seeing Li Ming, their faces were filled with astonishment, and they hurriedly stepped aside, respectfully allowing Li Ming to pass first

I never expected that after discussing the price with He Wenhai today, the profit calculated according to the exchange rates of the two time spaces would still be several dozen times. Holding a wormhole, it would be difficult not to prosper.

The old man was so delighted that he seemed foolish. The smallest piece of Li Ming's broken silver was almost one tael, and the quality was 925 silver, which was entirely different from the dirty broken silver from the Ming Dynasty. The old man hurriedly packed up his stall and left in a rush.

Li Ming said with a smile: "You can rest assured about this, there are still plenty of items. My elder went overseas, and these items were obtained in the far western land of Europa. He has been living in Jiangnan for many years and it is not convenient for him to come to the capital, so he entrusted me to inquire on his behalf"

The total amount of war reparations in silver was 1.95 billion taels, a figure equivalent to 16 times the revenue of the Chinese treasury in 1901. This was a world record set by the Qing government, but it was not a glorious record; rather, it was a record of shame

He is indeed an emperor, so one can only imagine the depth of resentment that would lead him to utter such words. It is conceivable that the situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty had reached a critical point. The signs of the nation's demise are already evident, and even if the Jade Emperor were to descend to the mortal realm, he would be unable to save the Ming Dynasty

From 1840 to 1905, more than 700 unequal treaties were signed between foreign powers and the Qing Dynasty, resulting in the cession of 1.74 million square kilometers of Chinese territory, which is approximately equivalent to the land area of three Frances

Last night, he was still in the brightly lit modern city, but this morning he found himself walking on the streets of the ancient capital from three hundred years ago. He breathed in the fresh air with delight, closing his eyes to enjoy the first rays of sunlight bathing him.

Li Ming's alcohol tolerance was such that he could handle 1.2 kilograms of Erguotou without any issue. He casually tried to get He Wenhai drunk, and before long, He Wenhai was quite intoxicated. In the process, Li Ming also took the opportunity to learn a lot about the news of this era

At this time, all the shops on the street had already opened. Li Ming strolled around the street for half a day before he found a shop that sold various gold and silver jewelry. Li Ming stepped inside. The shop assistant, seeing that the person who entered was a scholar and quite well-dressed, immediately greeted him with a smile.

Initially, he regarded Li Ming as an ignorant scholar, hoping to take advantage of him and deceive him. However, after examining these several gift boxes, he immediately abandoned that idea. This is an opportunity; he must win Li Ming over and secure this business deal.

Upon returning home, Li Ming sat in the courtyard, having spent the entire night without sleep. The era of the Ming Dynasty had long since ended, and the endless natural disasters caused by the Little Ice Age, along with the shameless land annexation by the gentry, loomed large. Beyond the borders, a ferocious wolf with a mouth full of fangs lay in wait.

He Wenhai was immediately overjoyed upon hearing this, and he patted his chest to assure it. He then began to negotiate the price with Li Ming. He Wenhai was determined to secure the deal, and the price offered was considered fair. Li Ming was indifferent, as he would profit regardless of the outcome.

Li Ming thought for a moment and smiled, saying: "If I were to grant you full authority, it wouldn't be impossible. I simply do not have the energy to manage this business. As for whether I can collaborate with Manager He, that will depend on whether Manager He has the sincerity. Although I do not understand these matters, my elder has indeed informed me about some market conditions."

He Wenhai successfully closed this deal, and he was in very good spirits. At noon, he hosted a banquet for Li Ming, and the two of them went to a private room in a restaurant, ordered food and drinks, and began to enjoy themselves. Li Ming also subtly inquired about the matters he was curious about.

And that saying, "Better to give to a foreign ally than to a domestic servant," how utterly nonsensical it is

Thinking of this, the frustrated Li Ming simply decided not to think about it anymore; it was enough to live his own life well, why bother with so much, and returned to his bedroom to sleep soundly

When Li Zicheng breached the city of Beijing, Chongzhen ultimately hanged himself at Coal Hill, truly embodying the principle of the emperor guarding the nation's gates and the monarch dying for the state

These gift boxes are filled with various styles of artificial gemstones, which are beautifully colorful and arranged side by side in the boxes. Although He Wenhai has experienced many ups and downs, he was still taken aback upon seeing these boxes of artificial gemstones

After parting ways with He Wenhai, Li Ming remained immersed in endless sorrow. He wandered aimlessly out of Beijing until darkness completely enveloped the sky. It was only then that Li Ming arrived at the outskirts of the city, opened the light portal of the wormhole, and returned to modern society

Inside the box is a string of exceptionally fine cultured pearls, each exhibiting a luster reminiscent of a rainbow, displaying a myriad of colors, which makes them appear extraordinarily beautiful

It can be said that the Qing government perished only after exhausting all possibilities, sacrificing its sovereignty and humiliating the nation, ultimately harming the people, and its level of shame can be considered the highest in history

By the late Qing Dynasty, the Qing government had reached the extreme of losing power and national humiliation

No ceding of territory, no payment of reparations, no submission, no marriage alliances, no tribute; the Son of Heaven guards the national borders, and the monarch dies for the state. This is not mere rhetoric; even when the Ming Dynasty reached its late stage, with the nation already in disarray, it still stood firm against adversity.