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Chapter 867: Sow Beans and Reap Beans

Chapter 867: Sow Beans and Reap Beans
Just as Hong Tao was lingering in the university lecture hall, immersed in teaching and educating, and even his fishing career was gradually neglected, the sudden arrival of two people made this hardworking gardener disappear in an instant. He retreated to the Yangxin Palace and stayed up all night staring at the map and sand table.

Jan Pietersjohn Cohen, head of the Indian Commission of the Dutch East India Company, returned to the capital quietly with Liu Shimin, who had been visiting Europe for four years.

What is important is not the people, but the many information and requests they bring, which force Hong Tao to pay close attention and make the right decision as soon as possible.

As Spain and Portugal cut off the routes to the East and the spice trade was at stake, Cohen, against all odds, joined forces with the Ming Empire to restore the supply of spices and raw silk. At the beginning of the year, he was promoted by the Dutch East India Company to the Governor-General of Batavia and member of the Indian Commission.

Not only was he the top leader of India and the East Indies, he also had enough say in the committee. According to the expression of Han culture, he was a typical provincial governor.

Having gained both fame and fortune, it is only natural for you to come and visit your partners. It would be even more perfect if you could bring a big gift with you.

Cohen did exactly that. He did not come to see the emperor with his paws empty and his face licked like last time. He first went to Manila to deliver a large order to the Nanyang Governor Zuo Guangdou, which was to purchase four ships of felt and wool yarn every year, and then went north to ask for an audience with the emperor.

Why did he give Zuo Guangdou a gift? It was a personal gift. We have to ask Liu Shimin. With his advice, Cohen was able to give the gift in a way that was effective and unobtrusive.

How did these two people get together, and why did Liu Shimin suddenly return to China? This is a long story, involving the relationship between several European countries.

Four years ago, Liu Shimin, Xu Xiake and more than a dozen graduates of the Hai Hu Division traveled to Europe on a merchant ship of the East India Company. Naturally, the first country to arrive was the Netherlands.

When the merchant ship docked at the port of Rotterdam, even though these young people had learned world geography beforehand and had a lot of relevant exchanges with the Dutch crew on the way, they were still a little timid when they saw the bustling crowds on the dock and the various buildings in the distance.

Especially those women who wore long robes that exposed most of their chests and whose hair and eyes were colorful. It was simply unbearable to look at them.

But young people have a characteristic, they have strong adaptability. After living in the hotel arranged by the East India Company for a while, they were taken around by local staff every day and soon got used to it.

Moreover, each of them has a good foundation in Latin. They may not be able to communicate with ordinary Dutch people, but there is no language barrier with the more prestigious and educated middle and upper classes, especially religious people.

After the familiarization period, the expedition team was divided into six teams according to the pre-planned plan and traveled to different countries and regions. Liu Shimin stayed in the Port of Rotterdam, and he and two companions found a new job to keep accounts for the merchant ships of the East India Company.

Why do you want to find this job? According to Liu Shimin, working for the locals is the fastest way to integrate into the local community and see the most real social situation.

The bookkeeping work was very helpful for traveling around Europe, because most of the ships of the Rotterdam branch traveled between European countries. For foreigners who were unfamiliar with the place, what could be more convenient, safe and quicker than following the merchant ships? Not only was it free, but wages were also paid. This job lasted for more than three years. During this period, Liu Shimin visited dozens of ports in the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Denmark, Sweden and other countries, but the one that impressed him the most was Arkhangelsk. This sudden return to China was also because of this port.

The Port of Arkhangelsk is located in the Dvina River Delta in the north of the Russian Empire, facing the White Sea. The White Sea is part of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean close to Russia, and Arkhangelsk is Russia's largest seaport.

Why not use St. Petersburg, but a port at such a high latitude and in such a remote place? The answer is simple: it’s not that they don’t want to, but that they can’t.

A look at the map of the early 17th century will show that St. Petersburg belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden at that time, and the Russian Empire had no access to the Baltic Sea. If it wanted to engage in maritime trade, it could only go through the White Sea and go north around Sweden into the North Sea.

Due to historical and religious reasons, Russia in the early 17th century was not taken seriously by major European countries, and its maritime trade was underdeveloped. There were only two major trading countries: England and the Netherlands.

England started early. Since the 16th century, merchant ships have been traveling to the port of Arkhangelsk, purchasing furs, timber, caviar, iron ore, and selling woolen cloth and firearms.

This route to the White Sea was also first explored by the English, and is part of the Northeast Route. For this purpose, a company called Moscow was specially established, with a charter issued by the Queen to monopolize trade with Russia.

With the rise of the United Provinces, Dutch merchants began to spread all over the world. They would never allow the British to monopolize trade with Russia, and began to use the Northeast Passage to explore the port of Arkhangelsk.

When we got there, we realized that it was the perfect path. The Federal Republic had developed industry and commerce, but was extremely short of natural resources. Russia, on the other hand, was vast and rich in resources, but its industry and commerce were very backward. We could complement each other perfectly.

Okay, don't let the British take your good stuff and let's play together. My family can also produce muskets and cannons, but we lack iron, coal, wood, and food. Anyway, I lack everything you have, and the purchase price is higher than the British!
In terms of pure business, the British were no match for the Dutch. In less than a decade, the number of Dutch merchant ships docked at the port of Arkhangelsk was twice that of English merchant ships, and the goods they sold were not only cheap, but also of good quality and in sufficient quantity.

When the Moscow Company saw that things were not going well, it immediately resorted to its traditional trick of political interference. It used the commercial contracts that had been signed to put pressure on the Tsar to interfere with maritime trade through administrative orders.

At this time, Tsar Mikhail I was no longer as pro-British as his previous tsars. He even tended to lean towards the Netherlands because the pro-Dutch faction led by his uncle Ivan Nikita Romanov had the upper hand in the court.

But at present, the Russian Empire is still facing the military threat from the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania and the Kingdom of Sweden. Britain is indeed a bit overbearing, but its influence in Europe far exceeds that of the Netherlands.

In order not to offend his few supporters, the Tsar reluctantly ordered a ban on Dutch merchant ships using muskets and cannons produced by the United Provinces as exchange goods.

(End of this chapter)

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