Yan Congjian, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the late Jiajing period, predated Gu Qiyuan by several decades, meaning he was closer to the incident. His account states that Liu Daxia had "hidden" the nautical charts and archives beforehand, and during questioning, he threatened to "destroy them." In other words, he only threatened to destroy the charts and did not actually carry them out.
This is where the disagreement arises. Because his timeline is earlier, in a sense, his account is more convincing. Liu Daxia simply hid it, but didn't burn it.
However, some were not satisfied. Upon closer examination, he had hidden it away, keeping it hidden from the world—essentially the same as burning it. And historically, these items had indeed disappeared. Therefore, Liu Daxia couldn't escape involvement. So, they needed to find some more 'powerful' evidence. Because this kind of thing required a major reversal to attract attention.
Later, they found Lu Shusheng's *Changshui Richao* (Ming Dynasty). This person lived earlier than Yan Congjian and was closer to Liu Daxia's time. His record was even simpler: 'First, they searched for it, then hid it in the register.'
To be honest, I personally feel this record is the most reliable because it's the simplest. And what does this simple, one-sentence record represent? It represents that, in the person involved's mind, this wasn't a big deal, just something to jot down casually. It may seem unreliable, but precisely because it wasn't taken seriously, it's more objective, devoid of any emotional bias. Therefore, the record is more truthful.
Of course, Liu Daxia also kept Lu Shusheng's records, but did not burn them.
Later, there were also accounts in Zhang Dai's *Kuaiyuan Daogu* (Ming Dynasty) and Jiao Hong's *Yutang Congyu* (Ming Dynasty). A large amount of Ming Dynasty material records this event to varying degrees. However, they all only record that Liu Daxia hid it but didn't burn it. Or that he intended to burn it, but there's no record of him actually doing so.
Actually, I think this matter should be considered settled here. The conclusion is that he hid it, but didn't burn it. However, the result is the same as burning it. Because knowledge, if it cannot be passed down, is as if it never existed. This was the problem with various schools of thought in ancient China, which is why good things are always lost. From any perspective, Liu Daxia is a sinner. Saying that he burned the nautical charts is not an exaggeration at all.
But then something interesting happened. Someone found new evidence. Good heavens! The Biography of Liu Daxia in the History of Ming. Upon seeing this, Lu Xuan didn't want to read any further. Because the other party then cited the Veritable Records of Ming (Ever since seeing the Records of Ming's account of the Battle of Sarhu, I've lost faith in the Records of Ming. I'd rather believe the old Manchu archives than the Veritable Records of Ming).
Lu Xuan, who came later, didn't examine it closely either. In short, after some investigation, the other party finally concluded that Liu Daxia had never had any contact with Zheng He's treasure maps in his life. He neither burned nor hid them. Because he had never even seen them... Therefore, Liu Daxia is a figure of unparalleled injustice throughout history!
After agonizing over the lost treasures for ages, Lu Xuan finally received some good news. Silva was back, and not only back, but he brought back a whole bunch of people...
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Chapter 157 I Sold Myself (Please Subscribe)
Silva, covered in dust and bearing wounds, was followed by a large group of people. Among them were about twenty fully armed mercenaries, and several dozen men and women.
Lu Xuan was also annoyed at first glance. He realized that this guy had not only brought him some craftsmen for weapons development, but had even brought their families. And judging from the situation, this guy had hired a group of people to kidnap them all.
This Western barbarian is truly savage. He agreed to pay a high price, but he went straight for the hard way. However, Lu Xuan wasn't offended by this; in fact, he even found it a little amusing.
“Your Excellency, look. These are all the best firearms craftsmen in all of Europe. These are the people who designed the mainstream firearms and cannons on the European battlefield today. I not only brought these people here, but I even brought their families with me. In this way, they can serve Your Excellency wholeheartedly.”
Good heavens, this traitor is truly qualified. He's even thinking ahead of Lu Xuan.
“Very well, but your methods are somewhat problematic. These are all my distinguished guests, how could you treat them like this? Someone, take these distinguished guests to rest.”
Silva was no kind man. He brought over twenty mercenaries and forty or fifty craftsmen crammed onto one ship. The group was now reeking of filth and looked emaciated.
A large group of guards and servants rushed up, separated the men and women, and forcibly dragged them to the bathhouse. These people, who had been adrift at sea for a long time, needed to bathe and disinfect themselves before entering General Lu Xuan's mansion.
Even Silva was dragged away by several guards and forcibly washed and disinfected before he returned to Lu Xuan's reception room.
Looking at the hot tea before him, Silva almost burst into tears. He hadn't received this treatment the last time he came. This general was truly honest. But this also reassured Silva even more. He preferred business partners who prioritized mutual benefit; those who talked about feelings made him more uneasy.
"Your Excellency, I've brought the person. You promised me..."
"Gold? Don't worry." Lu Xuan said, clapping his hands lightly. A dozen guards then carried in box after box of gold.
Silva nearly jumped up. He strode to the boxes and opened them one by one. Inside were countless tiny, adorable gold pieces. To Silva, it was truly the most beautiful sight in the world. However, when he saw the last box, a guard suddenly stopped him and pulled it back.
"Governor..." Silva panicked when he saw the little cutie run away. He couldn't sleep for a week if even one piece of gold was missing, let alone a whole chest. He'd spent all the gold Lu Xuan had advanced him to kidnap those artisans. If he couldn't recoup his losses, he'd have to sell his body.
Initially, these craftsmen weren't given much attention. But by the time he'd tied up the sixth, direct firefights had already broken out. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hired a group of ruthless mercenaries to work for him. He still owed those mercenaries a considerable amount of wages and was desperately waiting for that money to come. In a sense, Silva had risked his life and fortune on this job. But in this era, who among those who dared to come to the East to seek their fortune didn't risk their lives and wealth?
“There’s a small problem. Mr. Silva, you’ve only brought nine craftsmen. So, ten chests of gold doesn’t seem quite right.”
"But sir..."
"There are no buts, only nine chests of gold. Unless you can find another qualified candidate. And during this time, you cannot leave my territory. I need to verify whether those craftsmen are truly skilled. Only after I have verified that will you be free to move around."
Silva didn't hear a word Lu Xuan said after him. All he knew was that a chest of gold was about to leave him. How could he accept this? Did he know how much effort he'd put in to bring these people over? He'd clashed with bounty hunters from Portugal, Spain, and even Great Britain more than once, risking his life to pull off this deal. And now, an entire chest of gold, just gone like that?
However, Silva knew that this governor of the East was not someone to be trifled with. Without offering sufficient bargaining chips, the gold would not be in his hands.
"No, there's one more. With me, ten people will be enough. Although I can't make firearms, I can get these people. As long as I have enough time and gold, I can get any craftsman that an adult wants. I currently have a mercenary group under my command who are familiar with the process and specialize in this. I think I should be able to be worth a craftsman."
Lu Xuan: "......"
.................
Fidel is a Spanish musket expert (a fictional character). He's completely bewildered because he only recently learned that he's somehow arrived on the Eastern continent.
Suddenly found himself bound to the Eastern Continent with his entire family, Field's mind was a complete blank; he couldn't understand what had happened. But after much thought, he figured it was probably related to firearms. After all, that was his specialty.
His wife and son were separated from him. However, Field wasn't too worried. He noticed that the rulers here didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards them. Although the guards were rude, they didn't harm them at all, and were even a little afraid that they might hurt them.
After a long and arduous afternoon, Field, his body flushed red like a ripe shrimp, finally emerged from that bizarre bathroom. They were then led to a normal room and dressed in Eastern-style robes. Then Field was reunited with his family.
Like him, his wife and son were rosy-cheeked. However, they didn't receive any special treatment. Not long after the family met, more people came to their door. They were invited to a dinner party.
Sensing that the real show was about to begin, Field straightened his clothes and went to the banquet with his wife and children.
There were many people, but most of them were with him, kidnapped by that despicable human trafficker. Although they didn't know each other before, they had communicated quite a bit during their time as hostages. Field, being Spanish, even learned some Portuguese.
Looking around the crowd, he noticed one family was missing. The Dutch family was gone. At the same time, he also saw someone at the banquet—Silva, the very man who had kidnapped him.
Field felt a surge of anger and rushed over to confront him. But then, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Field froze. He realized that some powerful figure who could decide his fate had arrived.
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Chapter 158 The Real Farming (Please Subscribe)
Regarding Silva selling himself out, Lu Xuan thought it was a bit too outrageous, almost causing him to strain his back. But upon further reflection, it wasn't entirely unacceptable. After all, the fact that this guy could gather so many talented people over half a year meant he himself was a special kind of talent.
Not to mention he'd hired a group of mercenaries specializing in this. He was incredibly skilled at it. Calling him a special talent wouldn't be wrong. Lu Xuan thought for a moment, then casually handed him the last box of gold. After all, Lu Xuan was currently implementing a talent 'import' plan. This guy could be considered a special talent. After all, among all criminal activities, kidnapping requires a very high level of technical skill...