Win the Ding 1617

ps: It's the last few days, do you still have your monthly pass?

"Tea, only fifty guilders per pound!"

As China’s traditional export commodities, the status of tea, silk, raw silk, and porcelain is unquestionable. They exchanged a large amount of silver for China, allowing China to have a huge trade surplus and become an import superpower for a long time.Thus triggered the shameful Opium War.However, it was not the British who first drank tea in large quantities in Europe, but the Dutch.

Beginning in 1610 AD, Dutch merchants took advantage of navigation to ship green tea from Macau to China, to Java, and then to Europe.At the beginning, due to the imbalance between supply and demand, the price of tea was very expensive, and ordinary people could not afford it. Tea was only a luxury for the court nobles, wealthy families, and family as health preservation and social etiquette.People drink tea to show off their elegance and compete for wealth. Therefore, tea quickly became popular in the entire upper class. Some wealthy housewives are proud of having unique tea rooms, precious tea leaves and exquisite tea sets in their homes.

Can't think of it?Tea, like silk and porcelain, is a tool used by the nouveau riche in Europe to show off their wealth.

Not only is it used to show off wealth, tea also has medicinal value in the special geographical environment of the Netherlands.Because the Netherlands is humid, rainy and foggy, many Dutch people suffer from gout, pleurisy, foot disease, constipation, headache, scurvy, fever and other malignant diseases, and tea is a good antidote to these diseases.

And Shou Han got the tea accumulated in Wuyi Mountains for several years from Zheng Zhilong as a gift, that is, old tea.

"My tea leaves are all processed brick tea, which is convenient for your storage and transportation. Each piece weighs about one pound, and you only need fifty Dutch guilders."

The brain behind Basten's fat face has not been eroded by the food and wine at all, and it is still very sharp.Not only did he use this image of a fat man raised by wine and meat, he successfully completed strategic deception time and time again.At the same time, he has won dozens of times the accumulation of wealth for himself. [

Tea, shipped to Europe, can be sold for thirty francs per pound in Paris, while in England, the price of a pound of tea can be as high as six to ten pounds.According to the exchange rate between the British pound and the Dutch guilder, which is one to ten, this price is very astonishing.

But fifty guilders a pound.Such a purchase price does not seem to be attractive.After some bargaining, Mr. Basten finally bought 40 pounds of tea from Shou Han at a price of [-] Dutch guilders per pound.

"Ha! This fool! I slaughtered the sheep!"

Both Shouhan and Basten couldn't help laughing triumphantly in their hearts.

Now that the business talks are over, let's start talking about the business of Mr. Basten's visit this time.

"Tell me about your peace terms!"

Shou Han leaned back on the chair.Make an effort to sit comfortably.

However, Mr. Van Basten, as the representative of the Dutch East India Company in the peace negotiations with the South China Army, made Shouhan furious at the terms of the negotiation!

"Joke! Did you defeat it, or did I defeat it?! How dare I ask Laozi to open up trade with each other? A joke! If I want to do business, just go directly! You still need to turn around hand?"

The conditions offered by the Dutch were clearly a slight change of vocabulary from the conditions proposed by the Ming court before the Battle of Liuluowan, and the content and core basically remained the same.The purpose is to monopolize trade.

What you can't get through artillery on the battlefield, you actually want to get it at the negotiating table through this kind of deception?These guys really have a good plan!

"Come on!"

Shou Han stood at the door and shouted loudly.

A few personal soldiers who stood on duty at the door of the study ran to Shou Han at a galloping pace with their waists and knives in their hands, "My lord!"

"Go! Get this guy out of me! The priests. Let them deport him!" [

Basten seemed to be looking at the scene in front of him as expected, and he didn't feel angry or guilty at all because his duties and missions were not completed.

Escorted by several tough soldiers, he walked out of Shouhan's study room, while Xiao Huamei and Liu Guidan, the master and apprentice, who came out from the side courtyard happened to see this scene from the side.

With a silk handkerchief on her head, a pair of cowhide boots on her feet, and Xiao Huamei in a red dress, she wiped the sweat from her head and complained to Liu Guidan in a coquettish way: "Master, can you not practice like this next time?" How much? I can’t even hold my chopsticks when I’m eating!”

"If you want to learn from me, that's not too much." Liu Guidan still had that expression of ignorance from ordinary people.

Xiao Huamei stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Master! Look! A red-haired barbarian has been kicked out from my dad!" Xiao Huamei excitedly pointed to the figure of Van Basten and motioned for Priest Liu Guidan to look.

"I see." It was still a voice without any emotional factors.

"It must have offended Dad! Otherwise, Dad wouldn't let people deal with him like this!"

Ignoring the excitement and speculation in the apprentice's tone, Liu Guidan just narrowed his eyes and stared at Basten's strange steps, watching Basten swing his arms stiffly, and pinched his fingers tightly on his sleeve unnaturally cuff.

"I hope this red-haired barbarian didn't steal any military documents!"

Liu Guidan, who has a lot of experience in the world, found something like paper hidden in Basten's sleeve at a glance, and this person had just been kicked out of Shou Han's study.Maybe he took advantage of the chaos and stole something from Shou Han's house.

A few days later, in the conference room of the Middle East and India Company in Batavia City, Mr. Basten lashed out at his colleagues.

"Gentlemen, I told you that when you were going to conduct peace negotiations. You must make certain concessions, because it was we who were defeated by Governor Li, not Governor Li who was defeated by us!"

After a trip to Hue, Mr. Basten, who returned with a full load, naturally did not have to break down the negotiations with the South China Army.In fact, he is still looking forward to the breakdown of the negotiations between the two sides.In this way, he can build his own business empire on the ruins of the East India Company, and maybe he will also have a place in the European royal family in the future.

He took out something from his beautiful silk-lined and woolen-lined robe sleeves, and with a "snap", Basten threw it on the table.

"Everyone, open your eyes that have been blinded by whiskey and gold coins and silver dollars and take a good look! What is this!"

All the directors and senior officials opened the paper folded into a hard square suspiciously. They were surprised by the drawing on it, and then laughed again.

This is a blueprint of a battleship that Basten stole from Shou Han's study that day.

If one of these people is also a time traveler like Shou Han.You can recognize it from the iconic four-layer gun deck on the drawings. This is the craziest Saint Trinidad among sailing battleships.

However, it is extremely regrettable that none of the directors is a time traveler, just like it is impossible for everyone who buys a lottery ticket to be able to win the 7000 million jackpot.

"The drawings are beautiful, but Mr. Van Basten. Are you going to tell us that Governor Lee is building such a ship?"

A chubby director pinched a corner of the drawing with two fingers in disdain, and asked Mr. Basten contemptuously.

"We all came to this land from the sea, and we are no strangers to the manufacture of ships sailing at sea. Whether it is our plywood boat, or a Chinese-style Fuchuan, Arab boats or Indian boats, the most important thing is A thing that can be used to make keel wood! Where can I find the wood for a ship of such a large size? Even if I search all over the earth, I may not be able to gather the materials to make it!"

"So, I have to say that although this drawing is the best and most clear description of all the elements of a large ship that I have ever seen, I must say that it will always be just a drawing."

"That's right! And its accompanying artillery! There are at least 120 artillery muzzles on the four-story gun deck. How much time, manpower, material and financial resources will it take to complete such a large number of artillery?"

"That's right! Mr. Basten, I have to say that you are risking your life. The blueprint stolen from Governor Lee's filing cabinet may be just a toy for the young Eastern monarch to make a big fuss. It won't do us any favors." It will not cause any actual threat, at least within ten years!"

The words of several directors resonated with everyone, and these gentlemen who cared about their own interests above everything else kept nodding or giving each other approving glances, expressing their support and agreement with your opinion.

"There, gentlemen!"

As Chairman of the Committee of 17.It is very dignified to stop people's discussion.

"I think Mr. Basten's views are very correct. If we intend to continue to expand our business in this area, we must make some concessions to the Governor Li and Zheng Yiguan in the Fujian waters to a certain extent. OK!"

"The company has sent letters back and forth between the Dayuan's shop and the Fusang shop, since our military operations along the coast of Fujian were set back. In the trade with the Spaniards in the Philippines, with the Japanese shogun and those daimyo's Trade has shrunk to varying degrees. Over 30 of the 20 or so business houses of Dayuan have suffered losses! This is unprecedented! I have written to Governor Putesman, asking him to reverse the situation as soon as possible. Such a situation!"

Basten, who was ridiculed by everyone's remarks just now, was so angry that he sat aside and drank cup after cup of tea, and threw out a sentence in his seat, "It is estimated that there will be no Spaniards from the Philippines soon. The trade! This island, I believe it will soon be in the pocket of Governor Li!"

Seeing the faces of those who mocked him with affectionate language just now looked like eggplants beaten by frost, Mr. Basten felt a burst of relief in his heart.

"It's not just the business and trade activities in the Philippines that will be affected. If we fail to meet General Lee's wishes, I believe that trade activities in Japan will also be devastated."

"I would like to ask you all, among the raw silk, porcelain, and gunpowder we sell to Japan, and among the copper, screens, and swords shipped out of Japan, is any one produced by us? Is there one we need? None! We Just traders!"

Just as he was about to analyze for everyone how Li Shouhan Group and Zheng Zhilong Group would crowd out the prospects of the Dutch East India Company in trade activities with Japan, a company employee knocked open the door of the conference room in a panic, with a "clang" sound. The loud noise almost caused a director to spill all the teacup in his hand on his pants.

Even if the director was a well-bred gentleman, he couldn't help but feel angry from his heart, and a burst of extremely dirty curse words fell like a cannonball on the head of the eager employee who had no time to knock on the door.The other directors and executives also looked at this guy who didn't even know the slightest basic etiquette with dissatisfaction.

Seeing that the employee was almost scolded, Mr. Chairman asked him, "What happened to make you lose your composure?!"

The voice has not had time to fall in the future.All the people in the room became very surprised, or extremely frightened!

At the door, several captains who should have gone to Europe in the Indian Ocean have seaweed and conch all over their heads and faces, and one of them has a cute little crab lying on his head in his wet hair.

"You! You!"

The people in the room stuttered a little, and the scene flashed through their minds, a situation that they didn't want to admit to happening.

"Did you encounter pirates?"

But Mr. van Basten was very sure.Holding the teacup in his hand, he savored the taste of this year's autumn tea.

"Sir, yes!"

The captain with a small crab on his head lowered his head and reluctantly announced the result.

"Wow!"

Immediately there was a commotion in the room, noise, shouting and cursing.Sobbing, intertwined and mixed together.

I can’t blame these European gentlemen for being so gawkish, because these four plywood boats carried them in Batavia City to plunder the Java Islands over the years, traveling between Luzon, Dayuan, Japan, Daming, and Badawi. The wealth accumulated from trade in Asia and other places.

Fearing that Li Shouhan, Zheng Zhilong, or other British and Portuguese besieged the Dutch stronghold of Batavia in East Asia after the defeat in the battle of Liuluowan, the gentlemen of the 17-member committee packed up their belongings collectively.Hand over the four best plywood ships that the East India Company can use now to transport them to their hometown in the Netherlands.

I didn't want to, but I was robbed halfway!

After careful questioning, I found out that these four treasure ships disguised as ordinary merchant ships declared taxes to the customs stationed here in Lijiapo, and paid the export duties honestly.

Not bad, when passing through the strait, there are ships escorting all the way, but.Just after passing Lingjiawei Island, the situation has changed!

"Two gunboats rushed over from the north, another three boats rushed over from the west, and two boats came from the south, all under the flag of the Portuguese Restoration Army. Our artillery fire was far less violent than theirs. There are so many things, and the direction of turning is not as fast as others. In this way, the four boats were robbed by this group of people!"

The Mr. Director who almost spilled his own trousers of tea, definitely went out today and didn't take a good look at the almanac. He was on the four boats.Half the shipload of gold and silver and other treasures such as precious stones and diamonds was his.Such a loss is unbearable for him!

"You! Why don't you turn around and go east, and escape into the tax customs of the South China Army?"

"Sir, we went! But the customs officials said that if we want to go, we must declare to the customs, explain what kind of goods are on board, and then pay taxes."

Under the harsh bureaucratic style and inaction of Lingjiawei Island customs officials, four plywood boats loaded with gold, silver, precious stones and various works of art were robbed by the damn Portuguese in front of the Nanzhong Military Customs.

"Damn the Portuguese! They also came to take advantage of the fire?!"

"This group of damned! Let's go and loot their Haojingao immediately!"

Basten couldn't help but chuckled when he saw the group of colleagues in front of him, who had been talking and laughing with dignity just now, but now they were hopping and cursing like the fisherman in the vegetable market who had his money bag stolen.

"Do you really think that the pirates who robbed are some kind of bullshit Portuguese Restoration Army? Even if they are, these wild dogs have the guts to rob the fleet in front of Nanzhong Military Customs? Isn't this a slap in the face, what is provocation? "

"Which gentleman said to rob Hao Jingao just now? Where do we go to find so many ships, artillery, and troops to rob Hao Jingao? Even if there are, according to the news I learned this time when I went to Hue The Portuguese in Haojingao have announced their submission to the Portuguese Restoration Army. I think you all know what this so-called Portuguese Restoration Army is.”

"If we go to attack Haojingao, the first thing to consider is whether there is so much military expenditure to support this military operation. Besides, if we attack Haojingao, others will attack our Chixian City and Zeelandia City What should we do? Da Yuan is the company's cash cow! Last year, he bought as many as [-] buckskins from Da Yuan!"

"First, sir!"

The captain took the cute little crab off his head, and looked at the big guys in front of him with some trepidation.

"To shut up!"

What these captains brought today was neither wealth nor glory, but bad news one by one, which made the directors of the company look at them as if they were looking at a pile of dog excrement.

"After we were robbed, we asked for help from the Navy of the South China Army, because we paid the transit fee, and they should guarantee our safety. But," he muttered a little.

"Say it! Did they defeat those pirates? Get our belongings back?!"

"They refused. The reason is that we have left the Malaga Strait and are not protected. And, and."

"And what, say it!"

"First, we did not declare to the customs according to the actual content of the cargo. We are suspected of smuggling and leaking taxes. Second, because the Dutch East India Company is still in a state of war with the South Central Army, the Managa waterway is very important to the Dutch East India Company. The belonging ship is closed!" (To be continued...)