Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 186 Negotiations ([-])

Gao Mo and Bai Siwen packed their briefcases and prepared to go out.They will go to Blanco Almeida's manor outside San Vicente, where the scenery is beautiful and the conditions are comfortable, and it is the usual vacation place of Blanco's family.

In the manor with more than 100 rooms, there are dozens of servants of their family and hundreds of black slaves from Guinea.The black slaves are responsible for farming a large area of ​​land, where wheat and corn are planted. In recent years, with the increasing demand on the east coast, the Almeida family has replanted a considerable part of the land with cotton to export a large amount to the east coast. Earn high profits.

It had just rained two days ago, so the road looked quite muddy.Gao Mo and Bai Siwen were sitting on the bumpy four-wheeled carriage. The carriage without shock absorbers shook violently, making people feel extremely uncomfortable.The faces of Gao Mo and Bai Siwen, who were originally tense because of the difficult negotiation, showed signs of turning pale at this moment.

Looking out through the window on the carriage, you can see a large area of ​​flat farmland around.The winter wheat planted a few months ago showed tender green shoots. On a wasteland beside the wheat field, a large group of black slaves in shackles were loosening the soil in preparation for the upcoming spring sowing.

A small fort that can accommodate a dozen people is built at intervals around the field.The fortress is a brick-wood mixed structure. Speaking of which, Blanco had imported a large amount of red bricks from the east coast back then, and it seems that all of them were used to build the fortress.These forts were built to guard against the ever-increasing frequency and scope of the Black Palmares (meaning palm trees) confederacy, a loose association of mostly fugitive slaves hiding in dense palm groves Between them, it was called the Union of Palm Trees.

The early palm tree alliance had been helped by the Guarani people who were also hidden in the jungle, and even the immigrants under the Dutch rule in northeastern Brazil had made deals with them.But the good times didn't last long. Later, the Dutch farmers who immigrated gradually changed their positions after raising black slaves, and began to adopt a hostile attitude towards the blacks of the Palm Tree Alliance.The Palm Tree Alliance was also extremely dissatisfied with their enslavement of blacks, and even small-scale battles often broke out between the two sides.

The protracted war between the Dutch and the Portuguese in Brazil had been going on for many years.The losses on both sides are extremely heavy, and they both feel a little exhausted at the moment.Even some Portuguese aristocrats and Brazilian native white elites are beginning to prepare to recognize the legal right of the Dutch to rule in northeastern Brazil in exchange for the Dutch taking the initiative to end the current state of hostility between the two sides.

During the war between the Dutch and the Portuguese for so many years, the power of the Palm Tree Alliance has also grown. According to local white Brazilian estimates, the current black population of the Palm Tree Alliance is estimated to have exceeded [-] and is approaching [-].These blacks are armed with simple cold weapons, and only some elites are equipped with some captured matchlock guns.Taking advantage of the emptiness in the rear created by the Dutch at war with the Portuguese, they frequently came out of the jungle to attack the manors and farms of these white gentlemen, killing any white residents they saw, freeing all enslaved black slaves, and destroying the white people. tools, stole the livestock of the white people, and even burned down the farms or manors of the white people before retreating.

These blacks allied with the Guarani people and became the third force controlling the battlefield in Brazil.Both the Dutch and the Brazilians were extremely troubled by this, and there were even absurd incidents where the two warring parties on the front line heard that the rear was attacked by blacks, and at the same time they stopped the war and went back to suppress it.At this moment, the forts that Gao Mo and Bai Siwen saw were built by the Blanco family. As an indigenous white family that has been operating in San Vicente for several generations, the Almeida family owns land and the number of slaves is Huge, so they naturally became the focus of attacks by the blacks of the Palm Tree Alliance.

For this reason, the Blanco representative family will import a large amount of red bricks, lime and cement from the east bank every month to build these continuous small forts.Some heavily armed white or Mameluco (mixed white and Indian) soldiers were stationed in the fort, and they were the main combat force to prevent black attacks.

After bumping for a while, the carriage finally arrived at the Blanco family's estate in the countryside.This extremely vast manor stands alone on a plain, and the trees in the vicinity have almost been cut down, replaced by artificially dug moats and wooden fences.This kind of behavior based on safety awareness made Bai Siwen feel stunned when he got out of the carriage and saw the manor, which was really different from the "beautiful environment" European country manor in his impression.

A group of eight cavalrymen with muskets came out of the manor. They were sent by the Almeida family to meet them.Blanco, who was dressed in a hunting suit, stopped his horse, then smiled at Gao Mo and Bai Siwen and said, "Gao, Bai, today's weather is good, it's really suitable for hunting. You know, I haven't done this kind of hunting for a long time. Fun in action."

"Branko, it's a pity that we still have important negotiating tasks today." Bai Siwen smiled reluctantly and said, "Maybe after we reach a peace agreement with the British representatives, I can invite you to the east coast for a negotiation." Exciting hunting action. You know, there are cougars and leopards in the dense forests and grasslands, and there are even fascinating crocodiles. I think you will love it there."

"Haha, Bai, thank you for your invitation. I will seriously consider it—after you and the British have reached a peace agreement that satisfies both parties." Blanco laughed heartily, "You are all my friends, But there is a war going on, which is really regrettable. In fact, there is a basis for peace between you, and maybe it is a very good result for both sides to take a step back."

"We have nowhere to go." Without waiting for Bai Siwen to speak, Gao Mo said first: "The British have too much appetite, which we cannot agree to. Although we have always hoped for peace, we will never beg for peace. Britain People will pay the price for their arrogance. The outcome of things like war is unpredictable, and there may be jaw-dropping changes on the battlefield in the next moment."

Blanco looked at Gao Mo in silence for a while, then put his mouth close to Gao Mo's ear and whispered: "Gao, I think maybe you have more reasons to ask the arrogant British to take a step back. A week ago, Garner News came from Fort Elmina that several strongholds of the British East India Company and the Merchant Adventurers Company near the Gulf of Guinea were attacked by a fleet and destroyed. The British lost a lot of men, goods and slaves. The loss is said to be in the tens of thousands of pounds. Before that, this fleet also wiped out several British ships at the mouth of the Gambia River, and destroyed the trading station of the British Guyana Trading Merchant Company there, looting a large amount of precious gold Waiting for the goods. It is reported that the British were extremely furious. The East India Company and the Merchant Adventurer Company are sending some warships to the local area for investigation, and the Guyana Trade Merchant Company, which has suffered heavy losses, has announced that it has withdrawn from the East India Company’s campaign against you people on the east coast. Alliance. Moreover, it is said that Virginia and other North American colonial companies also intend to withdraw part of their forces to protect their North American interests. As for the East India Company, they are currently in trouble. Their restless king is raising military expenses and building an army..."

After finishing speaking, Blanco looked at Gao Mo meaningfully, and then laughed loudly: "Gao, Miss Esmeralda is very interested in you, she said you are the most knowledgeable person she has ever seen The gentlemen are much better than those shallow playboys. Haha, seize this opportunity, Gao, Miss Esmeralda is a passionate lady."

Gao Mo pretended to be reserved and smiled, but he was quickly digesting the amazing news that Blanco had just delivered to him.The naval fleet has disappeared since it went out to sea, and no news has been sent back.A while ago, the Portuguese in Brazil had rumors that the entire naval fleet was annihilated at the mouth of the Gambia River. Those who said this spoke with certainty, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.To be honest, Gao Mo didn't believe it at first, but he couldn't help but there were people around who kept saying that. These people even described the details of the navy fleet very closely, so Gao Mo himself was a little shaken.

Therefore, he sent his concerns back to the country by letter, and was going to discuss it with Bai Siwen and some other committee members.Unexpectedly, Bai Siwen was a little panicked when he saw the letter, and then there was a big disturbance, which almost involved him, Gao Mo.

At this time, the news that Blanco passed to him should be extremely accurate, because this is the first-hand news from the Portuguese from their colony in Fort Elmina in the Ghana region of the Gulf of Guinea, and the credibility is extremely high. of.So in this way, the rumors about the East Coast Fleet in San Vicente a while ago were very suspicious, or did the British deliberately reveal them to confuse their sights or put pressure on themselves?

Gao Mo's thoughts changed sharply. At this time, he already had the confidence to fight for a favorable negotiation result with the British.Blanco revealed to him such an extremely important news, this favor is huge, no matter what, people on the east coast have to accept his favor.At least at this critical and delicate moment, he duly showed some of his inclinations and released obvious kindness to the East Coast people.Then, in the future, it may be possible to carry out more in-depth cooperation with Blanco's family.

(End of this chapter)