In Beijing, contact between Nicolò Longobardo and Rodrigues was avoided to maintain the fiction that the Jesuits at court were entirely unrelated to the foreigners occupying Macao. The expedition of gunners was otherwise well received. Based on the battle at Zhuozhou, Corrêa claimed in a memorial to the throne that the Manchus continued to pose a threat to China but "300 Portuguese and a few loyal Chinese would be enough to scare off the Tartars and even to punish them in their lands". He offered his services as a negotiator with the Portuguese. Paul Xu, recently appointed Vice-Minister of War, published memorial on 2 March 1630 claiming that European weaponry consisted of better-quality metal and gunpowder, forged and sighted more accurately than their Chinese equivalents. Rodrigues submitted a memorial of his own, generally praising Macao and the Jesuits. The Chongzhen Emperor referred the question to the Ministry of Rites, which oversaw foreign affairs as well as religious ceremonial, but permitted Xu to be transferred there. As Vice-Minister of Rites, Xu offered a formal proposal on 5 June that Rodrigues be sent back to Macao to hire an infantry detachment, purchase cannon, and recruit gunners, totaling 200 men in all. He also had Giacomo Rho, the hero of the Dutch siege of Macao, visit Beijing to build interest and support. The proposal was accepted and, although some sources report that Corrêa returned to Macao to assemble the forces, he remained in Beijing to offer assistance with its defense while Rodrigues went south with Jiang Yunlong and two other high-ranking mandarins instructed to report any interference with his journey.