Great Ming Dynasty Wen Chao Gong

Chapter 153 can be written about the Assassin’s Creed series
"Actually, there is another way for you to accumulate reputation." Zhang Xiao thought for a while and decided to talk to Matteo Ricci.

"Oh? Is there any way? If the officials and people of Ming Dynasty can be more convinced of us, I am willing to try." Matteo Ricci said.

"You can find out any useful elixirs. You can also bring in any useful fruits, vegetables, grains and seeds. For other things, the more the merrier. In short, both the officials and the people of the Ming Dynasty are very practical, and they only talk about some mystical things. And no one likes to hear mysterious things. And I must remind you in advance that you'd better not criticize Ming Dynasty's cultural customs, otherwise you will soon be regarded as an unpopular person. Of course, there is a more effective The quickest way is to open a hospital to treat the disease, but I don’t recommend you to use this method. After all, hanging a pot to help the world is a great meritorious deed, but if you treat the wrong person, it’s hard to say what the consequences will be."

"Zhang Zhanshi, your opinion is very precious. I will cherish your opinion, but I am just an ordinary priest and I can't say much. In fact, the Pope sent me to Daming to see if Daming is that kind of person." Like the rich country filled with gold recorded in "The Travels of Marco Polo", could the emperor of the Ming Dynasty become the legendary Elder John of the East? The Pope will be very interested in reporting what I have seen and heard now, but he should also be interested Disappointed, because the emperor of Ming Dynasty was not interested in becoming Elder John of the East. Zhang Zhanshi, do you need me to explain the meaning of Elder John of the East?"

"No need to explain, I know the meaning of this name. I can give you a clear reply here. I have read "The Travels of Marco Polo". It is hard to say whether Marco Polo actually arrived in China. Even if he did, maybe he just The glittering glazed tiles on the palace are regarded as gold. If you want to write a letter to the Pope, you can tell him that the Ming Dynasty has no intention to participate in the conflict between you and the Crescent Sect, and our place is not full of gold. Of course, our place There's a lot of wealth, but trying to treat us like the Aztecs and Incas would be ridiculous."

"Zhang Zhanshi, I'm here on behalf of friendship."

"I know, but it's hard to say whether it's true for others. After all, even now, the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Franco Kingdom, that is, the Spanish Empire, is not very good."

"I understand that the war between Ming Dynasty and Japan also affected the officials and people of Ming Dynasty. When the war was at its fiercest, I was in Nanjing, and I could feel the vigilant eyes coming from beside me. I would be cautious and very Thank you Zhang Zhanshi for being willing to make a foreign friend like me."

"By the way, there's another question. I'm just curious. Does the Pope of the Cross still have plans to regain Jerusalem? Will he form a Crusade?"

"Zhang Zhan, such a big thing is not something that a small priest like me can know. But regarding the Crusade, since the defeat in the Battle of Varna more than a hundred years ago, the Holy See has never organized a Crusade again. Zhang Zhanshi, you also know that the Ottoman state is too powerful, and the coalition forces of several countries are no match for them."

Of course, necessary historical background narration is necessary. Zhang Xiao decided to tell the story of the Crusaders, Knights Templar and Assassin clearly at the beginning.

"It doesn't matter. Next time I want to write a story about China, I'll ask you for help. Just help me proofread this book."

"The void of void, everything is void." The beginning of the original book is very good. Zhang Xiao quickly set up the framework and started writing the beginning.

Not to mention "The Deer and the Cauldron", the era is not right at all, and if the era background is forcibly replaced, it would be nondescript.

"I didn't say anything. Mr. Li, if you make random guesses on your own, it has nothing to do with me."

"Li understands. Thank you Zhang Zhan for telling the truth frankly."

"The Knights Templar disobeyed the Pope's orders and degenerated into a criminal organization greedy for profit. They were ordered to be disbanded and eliminated hundreds of years ago. How could Zhang Zhan become interested in the Knights Templar? If Zhang Zhan If you are really interested, I would like to find some related books to dedicate to you."

The story Zhang Xiao plans to write is the story of Altaïr in the first Assassin's Creed, and the story of Ezio in the second part. The times are not too far apart, and it is just right to use these two books to popularize them among readers in the Ming Dynasty. this period of history. As for the plot of modern time travel, Zhang Xiao thought about it and omitted it. After all, this plot was too ahead of its time. However, Zhang Xiao decided to keep the stories about the Golden Apple and the Garden of Eden. After all, in a novel, it would be abnormal if it didn’t have some strange power and chaos.

"Mr. Leigh, do you know anything about the Knights Templar?"

So the conversation with Matteo Ricci just now reminded Zhang Xiao that he could not write "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Sword", but "The Story of the Heaven and the Dragon Sword" also mentioned the story of an old man in the mountains. The story of "Assassin's Creed" is also familiar to him. , I have also played the game, and read the novel, and I can write it casually. Anyway, it is difficult for Ming readers to find out some flaws in the details. At least I can copy the stories from the previous ones. As soon as he said it, Zhang Xiao decided to return to his old career and write Altaïr's story first.

In Uncle Ning Yuan's house, the elderly Xu Wei was saying his final farewell to Li Rusong.

"Ah, this is beyond my control. This is the responsibility of Taichang Temple. Don't ask me, just say no."

In this way, Ricci left happily.

"Of course that's good. I will also ask the emperor to recruit some talents who are familiar with your language and translate more useful books you have brought."

"Dongjia, I can only help with this book. I really don't know these stories about Xiyi. It would be better if Dongjia writes Chinese stories. But I think the content is really innovative. Anyone who wants to read it There should be quite a few, after all, everyone is interested in foreign assassins."

“That’s great, but can you also translate the Gospel of the Lord?”

Logically speaking, the era of "Tian Long Ba Bu" is not a big problem, but it is somewhat politically sensitive. After all, Song and Liao are at odds, and there is also the rise of the Jurchens. It is easy to be compared maliciously, and Zhang Xiao is not sure about the character of the protagonist Xiao Feng. Whether the readers of Ming Dynasty can accept it, Zhang Xiao thought for a while and it would be better to stay still for the time being.

For example, martial arts novels, Mr. Jin's books, the only ones that can be copied are those long novels. "Swordsman" is definitely a no-brainer. If you dare to copy it in this era, you will definitely commit suicide. After all, the original work has a political satirical effect. It's very strong and will definitely be used as a target when the time comes. As for "Eternal Dragon Sword", that is a topic that cannot be touched.

"Lu Zhang, I'll give you a chance to make extra money. How about you help me continue writing this novel?" Zhang Xiao called Lu Zhang in and asked.

I don’t know how long I wrote before Zhang Xiao raised his head.

However, it was not all without gain for Zhang Xiao. These days he was either writing serious articles or doing serious things. Zhang Xiao had not been able to write a novel properly for a long time. In addition to being busy, another important reason is that Zhang Xiao doesn't know what to write. After all, now that my identity is here, it is inconvenient to write or copy many books.

"Teacher, are you going back to your hometown just like that?" Li Rusong said.

"Teacher, it is natural for the leaves to return to their roots when they grow old. I have lived here for a few years, and I don't know how much trouble I have caused you. It is enough to extend your life for a few years out of thin air."

"Teacher, is this the last time we meet?"

"Probably so. Rusong, if you have time, you can come to Jiangnan for a walk. It's really beautiful. I still have two boxes in my bedroom. The first box is my collection of essays. After so many years of wandering around, I still have two boxes. There are only these words left, so you can hand them to Zhang Zhanshi for me and ask him to help with printing. The second box contains some of my experiences in military and political affairs over the years. Most of them are old words, but they are still of some use. , just take a look at this box yourself." "Teacher, are you going back alone? Do you want me to make arrangements for you?"

"Teacher is already an old man and is not worth mentioning. I can see you Rusong establishing such a great achievement. Teacher is already satisfied. Don't worry about me. I will leave Beijing this afternoon."

"It's so fast and I haven't been able to say goodbye to the teacher properly."

"Life is short, we must say goodbye eventually. Rusong, I still want to tell you a story."

"Students are all ears." Li Rusong said while making tea for the teacher.

"Back then, I served as a staff member under Hu Butang, and I was very prosperous at that time. At that time, Hu Butang was commanding the Zhejiang Army. A soldier in the Zhejiang Army was captured by a restaurant owner. He said that the soldier had eaten his wine and salted fish, and then If you don’t give me the money, I’ll ask Hu Butang for an explanation.”

"At that time Hu Butang asked me to come up with an idea, so I told the boss and cut open the soldier's stomach. If there was salted fish inside, the soldier was guilty. If it was empty, the boss would have to take his life. The boss just agreed, and the soldier's stomach was cut open, and there was indeed fish inside. Hu Butang was very satisfied with this, and praised me for my wisdom." Xu Wei narrated calmly.

Li Rusong remained silent.

"Rusong, do you think the teacher's method is very wise?" Xu Wei asked.

"Of course he has wisdom, but if this soldier hadn't eaten fish, wouldn't his death have been in vain? Then the boss would have died too, and two more lives would have been saved at once," Li Rusong said.

"Yes. It's just that Xu Wenchang relied on Hu Butang's favor and thought he could denounce Fang Qiu. Why not exchange the life of a mere soldier for the reputation of strict military management. But the good days did not last long, and Hu Butang's glory Within a few years, he was also knocked down and committed suicide. Xu Wenchang, who was once glorious in the past, was also imprisoned and was no better than a pig or a dog. Later, I was released from prison and traveled around, only then did I know the sufferings of people's livelihood. Not to mention greedy for a mouthful of anchovies. So what if you eat people. Xu treats the soldiers as pawns, and Xu is just a bigger pawn. Even Hu Butang is a big chess piece. No matter how big the chess piece is, it is still a chess piece and can still be taken. Lose."

"Rusong has learned a lesson."

"This is the last lesson the teacher gives you. Rusong, the teacher also wants to ask you one last thing. Print the teacher's collected works. If you can put a copy in front of your tomb, the teacher will be satisfied."

The next day, Zhang Xiao, who was still writing and creating in the study, received a letter of greeting from Li Rusong.

"General Li, I took the time to come to the humble abode today. The humble abode is really full of splendor. But you are already here, why did you bring a box of things with you?" Zhang Xiao asked.

"Zhang Zhanshi, this box is a manuscript left by Rusong's teacher Xu Fuzi. He wants to ask you to help print it." Li Rusong explained.

"Old Master Xu is a literary giant in the world. It is my honor as a younger generation to be able to help print his collection of essays. But for such an important matter, I might as well pay a visit to Old Master Xu. I am afraid that if I don't ask clearly, I will print it out when the time comes. The old gentleman looks dissatisfied."

"Zhang Zhanshi, Mr. Xu has already set off to return to his hometown. He said that he would not stay in the capital for a long time because he wanted to return to his roots. He said that Zhang Zhanshi, you are well-informed and knowledgeable, and it would be easy for you to help print the book. "

"Thank you, Old Master Xu, for your trust. I will take care of this matter." Zhang Xiao nodded solemnly.

"Zhang Zhanshi, I haven't seen your new book for a long time. Since you have become more and more powerful, I'm afraid you won't have time. Even the recent history of the Ottoman Empire is an abridged version. Li is curious about what has been deleted. "

"It doesn't matter, all the irrelevant content has been deleted. General Li, you're here at the right time. I'm writing a novel right now. I've just started writing it and I'm working hard on it. Take a look and see how it goes."

"Oh? That's Li's honor. But why does Zhang Zhanshi have time to write a novel?"

"Zhang has just been reinstated as an official, and the specific work needs to be rearranged at the peak. I just had a few chats with Matteo Ricci and thought that the story of the Western Crusades was somewhat interesting, so I wanted to write this story. "

Li Rusong took the manuscript and read it.

I don't know how much time passed before Li Rusong raised his head.

"Zhang Zhan's story is over in just a few chapters?"

"I just wrote it a few days ago, and these manuscripts are already good. General Li, you are now the first reader of this book."

"This article touches on something important, but why it's gone. It's really disappointing. Altaïr has made such a big mistake, how on earth is the Old Man of the Mountain going to punish him? Logically speaking, Altaïr should be the protagonist of this book, but he is so arrogant and arrogant. , disobeying orders, it wouldn’t be a big deal if he was killed directly, otherwise it would not be enough to quell public anger and demonstrate military discipline. But it would be a pity to kill someone with such outstanding skills.”

"Since General Li asked, I will give you a small spoiler. Altaïr is indeed the protagonist, but it is difficult to say more. If I say more, the suspense of the novel will be gone."

"This story is very exciting. If you write Zhang Zhanshi, at least I would like to read the whole story. It is the hidden sword mentioned in this book. What kind of weapon is it? The book says it must rely on fingers You have to bend and stretch to pop out the Hidden Blade, so wouldn't it be better to stab at close range with a dagger?"

"General Li, this book is just a novelist's statement, and the hidden sword is just a weapon I arbitrarily conceived." Zhang Xiao had no choice but to tell the truth. Zhang Xiao didn't want a generation of famous generals to actually try this hidden sword.

"Ah, it's just fiction? What a pity." Li Rusong said with emotion.

(End of this chapter)