Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 253 The crew of "Baby Annie": King Wu, if you do this, we will be excited
The armed merchant ship "Annie's Baby", bow.

The red-haired Smith put away his telescope and cursed angrily:
"Fock!"

[Note, this is Fuck with a London accent, which looks noble. 】

The sailors next to him hurried over, one holding a rag to help him clean his boots, and the other holding a mop to clean up the dirt on the road he must pass.

Looking around, the muzzle of Jinshanwei Fort can be clearly seen, aiming this way.

There was also a group of musketeers on the plank road with flat-ended flintlocks on alert.

Smith stepped off the gangplank and took off his hat gracefully.

Bend slightly:

"Hello, gentlemen. I, Smith, am an old friend of Mr. Li. You can call me Mr. Shi."

"Aki, you translate."

The captain was stunned, he suddenly understood. The official Li mentioned just now refers to our prince, right? The background is not small.

Boatswain An Weiji, whose ancestral home is Fujian, automatically acquired all Nanyang nationalities.

One-eyed Smith shrugged indifferently:

Rookie sailors live on the lowest deck, commonly known as the "cow deck."

"As you wish."

In the 18th century, there was a strict hierarchy on sea ships.

Especially Westerners!

……

If there was a war writer on the sampan at this time, he would definitely be able to write hundreds of thousands of words of reportage or make a movie around this fork.

They must have encountered a terrible pirate ship, and the two sides started a fierce confrontation.

Wei Zilong, the commander of the Jinshan Guard Squadron who was riding on the sampan, watched for a long time and had already sketched out the ship's maritime experience in his mind.

In fact, Wei Zilong's guess was basically correct.

The decks of these two armed merchant ships were dirty and dirty, and there were some traces of naval battles on the sides of the ships.

"Master Jun, please look."

On the way, I asked about some information about the ocean, especially the monsoon currents in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as the sailing life of my colleagues.

Because there are no windows, it is low, dark and damp, so people can only walk around bent down. They often raise livestock and place goods, which is a typical mix of people and goods!

The pirates even stuffed the knives and forks used for eating into the barrel of the cannon and blasted them out. Then the fork, which was firmly wedged in the gap in the ship's plank, was corroded by the sea water and rusted into what it is today, which is infinitely emotional.

There were 10 people traveling with Smith, all of whom were senior officers of the two ships (captain, boatswain, helmsman, deputy helmsman, and picket leader).

A business contract signed by Li Yu unfolded crumpled.

This area belongs to the living area of ​​​​the captain and senior crew members. Ordinary sailors will be whipped if they enter casually.

He came to Suzhou as a special envoy last year, contacted Li Yu, and the two sides reached an agreement.

The oarsman was surprised to find that there was a red and rusty (eating) fork stuck under the gunwale.

Smith and the others are playing the pirate ship!
……

The port sent a small sampan to inspect the ship.

He smiled and said:

Just swap the identities of the two parties and it will be consistent with the facts.

After wandering at sea for a long time, people are very tired, so the fresh fruits, meat, and wine taste particularly delicious.

It is necessary to show your strength. Especially people like Smith who have done well in Nanyang and are used to switching flexibly between the two identities of pirate and maritime merchant.

People fear power but not virtue.

The above is serious food.

Then he led the sailors and wandered away from the dock, took a break to change clothes, eat and drink.

Non-serious foods include weevils, cockroaches, maggots, and mice~
Experienced sailors will even use serious food to cultivate non-serious food, thus forming a perfect closed loop that will never end.

Jiangning City,
Li Yu was very surprised and asked Smith and the leaders to be brought to Jiangning City.

This trip is to fulfill the contract.

"Everyone, please moor the ship and go ashore to have a good rest. The gunwales must be closed, the sails must be lowered, and only two people are allowed on the ship to guard the cargo. From now on, we are responsible for your safety."

The food on board generally includes wheat porridge, beans, dried cod, hard bread that has been baked twice and contains no moisture, and rum.

The experienced sailors lived on the second gun deck, which had windows and slept in canvas hammocks.

Ship's doctors, tailors, carpenters, cooks, etc. also live on the second floor, but they are located at the back and the sailors' area is at the front.

Take Smith's ship "Baby Annie" as an example. The best rooms are on the stern.

The battle was very fierce and all the artillery shells were fired.

Wei Zilong was also sailing westward with Smith, mainly going to Jiangning along the way.

……

Under the translation of Boatswain An Weiji, the two parties chatted happily.

At every town they visited along the way, they disembarked to eat fresh food, and these senior crew members were extremely happy.

Binge eating on Heisei, especially the drinks.

This made Wei Zilong realize that the farther away from the land, the harder the life of the crew would be.

The way my colleagues eat like hungry ghosts is not rude, but helpless.
In fact, the appearance of the crew members who stayed in Jinshan Guard could not be described as rude. They were probably creatures that were a cross between a hellhound and a wild boar.

Every time I eat, I feel like I am fighting for my life.

The daily entertainment life of the crew of the "Baby Annie" included chatting, playing chess, gambling, singing, smoking, and boxing.

Fighting is allowed on board the ship with impunity.

But if you hold a weapon, you will be severely punished, and your palms will be nailed to the mast with a short knife.

The captain's words are supreme.

Along the way, Wei Zilong gained a lot.

One helmsman even drew a drawing of "Baby Annie" as a gift to himself.

As allies, and allies with vastly different strengths, there is no point in keeping it secret.

In the eyes of everyone, this gentleman Li should be a powerful governor, an oriental noble, with a rich territory, a huge population, and a formidable army.

Those Western-style military uniforms made these senior sailors feel more familiar, and thus they also had a strong interest in the governor-general whom they had never met before.

As for the war with the Qing court, these people understood it as a game between the king and the nobles. This kind of story is common in Europe.

Some people were secretly glad that they had caught up with the good times when they arrived, and the war meant that they had many opportunities to make a fortune.

Earn countless gold coins like Boss Smith, and then return to your hometown to retire.

There was no honest sailor in the 18th century.

Their only pursuit is gold coins!
Surrender your life to God and boldly embrace all risks.

……

Under Jiangning City.

The group was too shocked to express their feelings.

If the word "Fake" were removed from the English language, many people would become silent.

"The Giant City of the East."

A group of cavalry came out of the city gate to welcome them into the city.

Along the way, these people stared wide-eyed, trying hard to remember this wealthy city.

Smith knew that these guys were thinking about whether they could get back to the ship alive if they took action.

Former Liangjiang Governor's Mansion,
Li Yu, with a smile on his face, met these senior crew members.

Smith took the lead, knelt on one knee and shouted:
"Meet His Highness Prince Wu."

Although the title is a bit strange, it is still acceptable.

Europe likes to suffix noble titles with fiefdom names, such as Prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Cambridge, etc.

Therefore, this group of people call themselves the Princes of Wudi, which is a combination of Chinese and Western cultures, and a cultural fusion.

"I'll give you a seat and serve tea."

At the entrance to the high-quality Biluochun, everyone's eyes lit up.

As we all know, Europeans love to drink tea, especially the Saxon Empire, which is commonly known as "the sun never sets." [During World War I, among the military supplies they transported to the front line, tea ranked second, and its status is self-evident. 】

Li Yu said calmly:
"When you leave, each person will be given a pound as a gift."

……

Smith pulled out a list of the cargo that had come with the ship.

Li Yu just glanced at it briefly and handed it to Hu Xueyu, the Minister of Commerce and Trade beside him:
"According to the market price, 3% above the price will be accepted." "Yes."

"Gentlemen, do you want to be a sailor for the rest of your life, or do you want to do something big?"

After An Weiji translated, everyone's eyes lit up and they became visibly excited.

Li Yu smiled slightly, everything was under control.

"Open a route for me, high-quality gunpowder, saltpeter, machine tools, canvas, and of course, if there are finished warships or armed merchant ships, we will also accept them. Price is not an issue, but the goods must be good."

……

"Dear Your Highness, do you need loyal subordinates? Wesson from the Netherlands has 15 years of sailing experience and is especially familiar with Luzon and Borneo. He is willing to be your subordinate."

Wesson, the chief helmsman of the Baby Annie, actively wanted to change his job.

In front of the boss, I started working as a second-year-old boy.

Smith was stunned and regretted not leaving him on an uninhabited island and letting him survive in the wilderness. Seeing Li Yu glance over, his eyes immediately became gentle and respectful.

As a gentleman, be tolerant!

There was silence for a while, when everyone began to feel uneasy, especially when Wesson's forehead was covered with sweat. He knew that if he failed to change jobs today, he would die!

Li Yu spoke:

"The king and Mr. Smith are old friends and have a very close friendship. Let's make an exception for once, Wesson, and I will accept you. But it will not be the same again, and the business friendship must not be ruined."

"Minister Hu."

"Your Majesty is here."

"Lead the way to the bank to settle the account with Smith."

……

Smith was ecstatic, and a little bit of unhappiness disappeared.

Three thick warehouse doors opened, and the heavily armed warehouse guards lit dozens of oil lamps one after another.

On the thick wooden shelf, 50 taels of silver ingots were placed neatly, layer after layer.

The sailors screamed with joy, feeling their souls being sucked out.

A person is so weak for a moment that he can't even stand firmly. Is this like heaven?

A bank officer holding an account book with a serious expression.

Report loudly:
“今日应出库，货款6万3千两，加欠款13万3千两，共计19万6千两。”

"Start counting."

A group of men wearing only calf-nosed shorts began to take silver from the racks.

The whole process was solemn, quiet, and orderly. Except for the sound of the collision of silver ingots and the sound of counting, there was no sound.

Smith's expression was one of intoxication, while the expression of the person under his hand was one of dementia.

In such a beautiful scene, even the mantra Fake couldn't say it, for fear of blaspheming the God of Wealth.

He just whispered: "sweet", "honey" and the like.

When walking out of the bank, Hu Xueyu accidentally took the wrong path.

He led everyone past a warehouse where inventory was being stored.

Box after box was tilted at an angle under the influence of the crowbar. Crash, broken silver sloping down like water.

Smith let out a scream of pain and covered his eyes.

The silver light stung his eyes and dazzled his men's eyes.

Everyone was helpless. They moved step by step and left the bank with difficulty. They felt that they would never see such beautiful scenery again in their lives.

……

Hu Xueyu said with a smile:

"Have you ever heard of Marco Polo? He is a fellow countryman of yours. He came to Jiangning hundreds of years ago and expressed the same emotion."

Surprisingly, most people know about it.

Marco Polo's Travels is no stranger to adventurers. Many people have read it, which is equivalent to a spiritual pillar.

Hu Xueyu stopped smiling. He suddenly felt that these colonists had evil intentions. If it were not for the military deterrence of the Ming and Qing courts, I am afraid they would have landed on the Yangtze River long ago.

He was not mistaken, and this was actually the case.

Smith suddenly remembered something:

"Your Excellency, I heard something mentioned by a senior employee of the East India Company in Luzon, which may interest you."

"Oh?"

"Because the Guangzhou government of the Qing Empire promulgated an unprecedented benevolent policy towards European merchant ships, the Saxon East India Company, deeply encouraged, requested London to send a high-level mission to visit the Qing Dynasty."

Hu Xueyu's eyes suddenly became sharp.

"Grapevine?"

Smith shook his head:

"It should be true. This is huge news. I'm afraid it has spread throughout Southeast Asia."

……

Hu Xueyu immediately reported the matter to Li Yu.

After Li Yu heard this, he was first shocked and then ecstatic.

"That's great, God help me."

"Your Majesty, this is not a good thing. Once the negotiation is successful, the Qing court will have an additional ally, and it is a powerful maritime ally. At the least, it will block our sea routes and interrupt our sea trade plans. At the most, the Qing court may be attacked from both sides! Not good at water warfare, but the Saxon Empire is good at it."

Seeing that Hu Xueyu was extremely nervous, Li Yu smiled and said:
"Don't worry Taishan, they can't reach an agreement."

"What if?"

"I'll take action."

The two of them moved to an empty pavilion to make sure there was no third pair of ears. Li Yucai gently taught him the instructions and told him not to worry.

"Don't take it lightly. This matter must not be spread outside, otherwise it will delay important events."

Now that this matter has surfaced. Li Yu simply summoned Fucheng again.

As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down on one knee and said very respectfully:

"Deputy Minister of Commerce and Trade Fucheng, pay homage to the prince."

"Get up. How is the research on the raw silk industry going?"

Fucheng took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it over respectfully:

"The raw silk production in the Taihu Lake Basin accounts for half of the world's total. The other half is scattered in the southern provinces, mainly the Pearl River Basin and the Sichuan Basin."

Li Yu nodded. The area around Taihu Lake has always been a traditional area for sericulture, silk reeling, and silk tapestry.

The prosperity of Jiangnan is half supported by silk.

It declined until the 20th century.

He secretly made up his mind to firmly grasp the silk and tea channels, so as to lay the foundation for the future empire to take off.

……

"There are six large households in Jiangnan that purchase raw silk from retail investors. Three of them are in Huzhou, two in Suzhou, and one in Songjiang."

"Then what happens after they acquire the raw silk?"

"Then they are sold to large silk weaving companies and processed into various silk fabrics."

"Can these big silk merchants afford it?"

"My lord, I don't know. In fact, the big households will also distribute it to many retail households. The retail households have two or three looms at home and earn a handicraft fee. Everyone in this link is acquainted, so they can be borrowed on credit."

Li Yu suddenly realized that it was equivalent to "processing with supplied materials" in later generations. Sure enough, there is nothing new under the sun.

"How much can a qualified weaver earn per year? How much can an embroiderer earn?"

"The weavers are twenty to thirty taels. The embroiderers are doubling the number."

"so much?"

"Yes, so girls with skillful skills in Jiangnan are very popular, and some can become embroiderers at the age of ten."

Li Yu smiled, and he suddenly realized something.

In the so-called families in Susong area, the reason why women have a high status is their income!

……

All problems in the world can be explained by economics:
The economic base determines the superstructure, and personal income determines family status.

In other areas, men are superior to women because the only way to make a living is farming, and women obviously cannot do the physical work of farming. I can only do some housework, wash and dry, but it doesn't bring any income.

Women in Jiangnan raise silkworms, weave silk, and embroider, and they belong to the high-income group.

(End of this chapter)