Crossing the Continent in the Eighteenth Century

() Constantinople after the end of the service of the sacrament, the bright sun pierced through the white clouds, casting light and shadow on the domes of ancient buildings and the gradually bustling streets.

In Constantinople, lucrative business abounds.This is especially true for the Roman Empire, which is located in the two continents of Asia and Europe as a transit point. Before 1000 years, reselling silk imported from the Han Dynasty was a lucrative business.Later, Emperor Justinian stole silkworms from the bald donkey, and the silk that survived in the Greek peninsula gradually occupied the market at a relatively low price, so in the end, the most profitable business became the reselling of spices.

Pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon... Those things that cost ten yuan and two catties in the 21st century were worth gold at that time, and even now they are about the same.However, the trade route of spices is no longer the old route of India-Middle East-Ankara-Constantinople, but just like the history of the world in the past, it goes by sea and land.Along with the spices, valuables such as porcelain, damask, silk, tea, ivory, rock sugar, and musk were transported to Western European countries.

But these changes do not mean that Constantinople has lost its function as a transfer station between east and west. Today, there are five most profitable businesses in Constantinople, silk, wool processing and uniforms, coffee, perfume and saltpeter.

Silk has been a major taxpayer of the Roman Empire since ancient times.Regarding the wool processing industry and the uniform industry, as early as when the ancestors of England, the Celts and Saxons were still wild men in the mountains, the Greeks began to herd sheep, so wool processing is an industry developed by the empire based on the geographical environment and historical traditions. .Coffee, this is the drink that the empire vigorously developed to counter tea after it was introduced from Ethiopia according to the manuscript left by the predecessor.As for the perfume, you don’t need to think about it to know that it was made by my predecessor. With the help of the large area of ​​roses and rose manors at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, the rose perfume of the Roman Empire replaced the imperial army to conquer women throughout Western Europe.

To tell you the truth, I really admire that predecessor. He also made perfume and gunpowder, and promoted the ladies' clothing in the [-]th century ahead of the times. God knows if he brought a solar-powered laptop when time travel...

However, this Rome can survive for so long, more or less relying on the new financial resources he created. Didn’t Byzantium in history gradually lose because of the exhaustion of financial resources?

The perfume industry is indeed hugely profitable. Although it has divided up some shares for many kingdoms over the past few hundred years, the shining name of the century-old brand is there, and the rich still love the perfume originally produced in the Roman Empire, just like buying silk. The same reason as the silk of the Celestial Dynasty.But the business the Theofanos have with Wendell isn't perfume.

Saltpeter!This is what we want to talk about, of course it's just a brief talk, the detailed project is none of my business.In fact, it is not difficult to make money from women, but it is also easy to make money from men.As long as it is related to war, there are a lot of violent elements like Alexander and Morris waving gold and silver property to snap up.Who made black powder consist of saltpeter? Cars, armored vehicles, and airplanes in the future cannot do without oil, and now a country's army cannot do without saltpeter, unless they are willing to return their army's combat mode to more than 100 years ago.But this is probably impossible. Everyone knows that today's era is no longer the Middle Ages where you can go on a rampage just by wearing a set of tin cans.

Not every country can produce saltpeter, the Kingdom of England is the most famous example.Luckily they had the East India Company which was in charge of Far East trade.As far as I know, the East India Company sometimes receives tasks like purchasing saltpeter for the kingdom to eliminate half-year taxes.The annual tax that the East India Company has to pay to the British royal family is around 25 pounds, half of 25 pounds, which is 12 pounds.Britain's annual fiscal revenue is less than 300 million pounds, which is 600 million soridos when converted into the common currency of the empire!

The British Parliament can give such a big discount because they purchase a large amount each time, around [-] to [-] tons, and the East India Company has to deduct the trade tax for each transaction in addition to the annual tax every year.As for those small countries that have no navigation industry and lack of saltpeter, they can only buy saltpeter from the Dutch and English at a high price.

When I said that the item to be traded was saltpeter, Wendir put away the elegant smile that had been rippling on her face.

"How many?"

"Three or four hundred tons, every year."

I added a deadline granted by cheap daddy, Wendell frowned and gradually fell into deep thought.

Only then did I have time to look at her compartment.

The decoration layout is very tasteful, and the femininity is also very strong. The printed leather is bright and soft, and the carved curly flowers are lingering and twisted. The scenery is decorated like a pleasing painting.

"This is really a huge number." Wendell said.

I smiled and didn't say anything, wondering if this big beauty has a corresponding level of wisdom besides her breasts.

"Not to mention Britain, which relies on trade routes to supply gunpowder. In the past, they replaced muskets in other countries on the mainland because they did not produce saltpetre in this country, but they still cling to their longbows. Spain, France, Sweden, etc. China, their territory is not small, and their saltpeter output is basically self-sufficient, but like Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden, Württemberg, Hesse, Hanover, and Bremen, their armies basically rely more or less on With the trade of the Dutch and the English, the inventory of five to six hundred tons is enough to hit the entire market of the English and the Dutch!" The beautiful woman was a little excited, but it's no wonder that anyone who heard the huge amount of five or six hundred tons The number would be shocking.After all, this is comparable to the annual purchase volume of a big country.And how much is the huge profit of saltpeter?Let me give you a figure. The East India Company spent more than 16000 pounds to buy local saltpetre cheaply in India, and sold it in Europe for 73 pounds! ! !

Tripling the benefits can make people crazy and desperate, and the price of saltpeter after it was shipped from India to Western Europe has more than doubled by more than ten times!This is because the price has fallen due to the scarcity of wars in recent years!

"In this way, we can't help but annoy the English and the Dutch. The Dutch are fine. Those English have not washed off their barbarism and greed for centuries. As long as the weak fleet and lonely ships touch They will inevitably have to worry about it." Wendell's pretty face flushed, and she said angrily, "The Kingdom of England guards the English Channel. If we don't want to take a long way and do saltpeter business for a long time, we have to fight with them. Relationship, give up some of the benefits."

"It's a very sincere suggestion." I nodded and asked, "Madam, how much do you think we should charge for saltpeter?"

"Sell between 75-80% of the current market price, expand our market at a low price, and later compromise with the English and Dutch, but for those countries that are willing to continue to cooperate with us, they can use treaties and In exchange for our cheap saltpeter in the form of an agreement."

Wendir gave me an uneasy look, trying to find an answer on my face, and then she smiled, probably because she thought she hit on the real purpose of the Theofano's selling saltpeter.She smiled charmingly, proudly opened the small folding fan in her hand, and fanned the breeze back and forth.

The tip of the nose is full of the beauty's fragrance.

Wendell, this is a very smart woman, she is not fanatical about religion, she has a good figure and good looks. Well, I was a little uneasy and resistant to this marriage at the beginning, but now I have basically no resistance. So the rest depends on how I can conquer a charming 15-year-old enchanting with a 25-year-old youthful body.

It's just the difficulty, hey...

"The condition given by our Theofano family is half of the current market price, and we will make a deal with the countries in Germany..."

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I heard a piercing scream, and the groom who was controlling the horse was obviously startled, the whole carriage shook violently, and a few seconds later, the carriage stopped.

Although the attendants climbing on both sides could see the two of us through the window, they still asked in panic, "Madam, are you okay?"

"It's okay, you continue."

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure." Wendir turned to me with an apologetic smile.

"It's okay." I waved my hand and continued to tell the decision made by my cheap daddy, "For long-term cooperation friends, we can even lower the price and sell them saltpeter. As for Madam, and your chamber of commerce, we I will give you half of the profit."

Wendir smiled bitterly: "Why did you choose me?"

"What do you say?"

The carriage passed through the busy neighborhood, and after waiting quietly for a while, Wendir spoke.

Wendir asked with pleading eyes: "Can you give me a few more days to think?"

"Ma'am should be very adventurous?" I asked for no reason at this time, which made her a little overwhelmed.

"What?" the woman asked back in a little astonishment.

"Compared to the manor where I stay quietly, my wife should prefer the vast and boundless sea. Well, quietly leaning against the wooden rail of the sea boat, the sea breeze is gentle, and the sea boat loaded with priceless commodities is under your feet. The white petrel hovers, and every time it sails, it is like a grand expedition, but what will be waiting for the lady on the other side of the sea? Wealth? Victory? Because I don’t know, I look forward to it even more, don’t you?” After a long speech that even I thought was too literary, I suddenly changed the subject, “Are you interested in playing a game?”

"Oh? What game?"

Wendir put away the folding fan in her hand with longing eyes, squinted her eyes, and sank into the seat leisurely, her eyes were tactile and shimmering, probably until this moment, she showed a little old style, very Lazy, very charming woman.

"Like conquering the world..." After finishing speaking, I handed over the choice to Wendir.

"Ah?" The big beauty stared straight at her eyes.

I knew that in this world, only a handful of geniuses like Hitler and Napoleon could understand Alexander's dream, not creatures who lacked a bit of art and sense of humor, such as Churchill and Stalin, not to mention that this person belongs to the ranks of smarter normal people big beauty.

I had no choice but to say: "It's a business, um, I'm sorry, it's not convenient for me to disclose, but I guarantee with the dignity of a royal family, it is definitely a profitable business!"

"Then how much do you need?"

"Not much, maybe five or six million soridos."