The Eagle of Eastern Europe

The mighty fleet sailed towards Constantinople, and all the merchant ships they encountered along the way made way for them. The sailors and merchants on board looked at this huge fleet with great curiosity, and their curiosity reached its peak when they discovered that there were some ships among them that they had never seen before.

"What kind of ship is this? I've never seen it before."

"Me too. I've been out on the sea a hundred times and I've never seen a ship like this."

The sailors were discussing curiously, while the merchants were discussing strange things recently, such as the number of merchant ships heading to Constantinople had increased several times.

The company used a lot of connections and caravans to finally transport the goods to Port Said. The merchant ships there were ready and they could just load them and leave. Before the arrival of the Eastern fleet, they were already in the warehouses of Constantinople.

Constantinople is fully prepared today, and the mayor is waiting at the dock in person. The citizens looked at this kind of battle with an expression of disdain. Who are they trying to welcome?

They soon got the answer. A fleet entered the Golden Horn, and this fleet was too long to see the end. You must know that a person who owns a fleet of more than 20 ships is quite wealthy. With so many ships now, I am afraid only the rich can afford them.

"Your Majesty the Special Envoy, we have arrived at Constantinople. The capital of our country is also the most beautiful and rich city."

Zheng He looked at the city with different scenery. Compared with Nanjing, this city is smaller, but compared with other overseas cities, it is quite large. Moreover, the different buildings, ships, and people gave the members of the Ming Dynasty fleet a strong sense of exploration.

The fleet docked, and Mason and Zheng He walked off together. At this time, Mason also served as Zheng He's translator, and he had to translate the conversations between the two parties.

"Welcome to Constantinople the envoys of the Eastern Empire."

The mayor welcomed Zheng He's arrival, and through Mason's translation, Zheng He also expressed his gratitude to the empire for its welcome. After a brief greeting, the mayor led Zheng He to his resting place, preparing to meet the emperor early tomorrow morning.

All the goods on the ship were also lifted off. Because there was too much cargo, it took until midnight to complete. Several warehouses were full and were guarded by troops for fear that these things would be lost.

As for the crew members, they only play in their own small circle because of the language barrier. Some couldn't resist the temptation and played with those prostitutes.

Although the ships brought by Zheng He were only half of the previous ones, they still had more than 10,000 members. They gather here and spend a considerable amount of money.

In addition to receiving salary, these officers and soldiers also asked some of their friends to quietly bring some Eastern goods with them and sell them when they arrived in Constantinople. The remaining money was divided 50-50.

Spices, medicinal materials, cotton cloth and other commodities brought from the East can be sold at high prices here. After they made money by selling them in Constantinople, they continued to invest in various local service industries and contributed to Constantinople's tax revenue. .

Some small traders sell their goods to these people who come from afar, and more people are curious to see them. The news of the arrival of foreigners spread around with various news, and some foreigners also wanted to take a look. After all, this was a once-in-a-century opportunity.

The people wanted to see them, and Peter chatted with Mason. After two years of not seeing each other, Mason is darker than before, and the Lord Governor also has a lot to say to him.

"Your Highness, this is the tea I brought from the east."

Mason asked his men to make tea for Peter to taste. As soon as he picked up the tea cup, a refreshing fragrance hit his face. Great tea!

"This time I went to the East for two years, and I gained a lot."

"Yes, Your Highness, not only did I find the country Marco Polo mentioned this time, but I also brought back many good things."

Mason presented Peter with the good things he had acquired in the East, including porcelain from a place called Jingdezhen, and one that was said to have been used by the previous emperor. The blue and white pattern on it fascinated Peter, and later generations would go crazy for it.

"Your Highness, this is silk produced in the East."

Peter looked at the silk in this big box. Whether it was a luxury item in the past or in the future, boxes and boxes appeared in front of him. He thought it was a dream.

"Okay, okay. It seems that you have achieved a lot in the two years in the East."

"Yes, Your Highness, I already know that the mysterious East is an empire called Ming. Their army, economy, cities, and villages are much stronger than ours. Their ruler gave an order, and hundreds of ships were built. It is completed and can summon hundreds of thousands of troops at any time. This kind of command capability is impossible for any country in Europe."

"Moreover, their smelting, textile and other industries far exceed those of our country, even those of India. With such conditions, it is no wonder that they are said to be a land of gold and silver."

Mason introduced the basic situation of Ming to Peter, and summarized it in one sentence: Ming is too strong, and no one can defeat him alone.

"Now that we have arrived in the Ming Dynasty, will their ruler agree to give us a piece of land for trade?"

Peter raised this question, and Mason quickly lost his previous expression and began to tell Peter about the internal political situation in Ming Dynasty.

"Their ruler was very interested in trade, but the officials working under him kept opposing it. They said that the previous ruler had given an order and the person who wanted to succeed must obey it."

"Your Highness, these people are really strange. They have to rely on domestic taxes to increase their income. That emperor is not such a person. I heard that His Majesty is planning to move the capital, which will cost a lot of money."

Peter smiled. From this time on, sea trade became the focus of controversy in the East. But basically the opposition won, and the sea ban was strictly adhered to. As a result, trade can only be carried out through smuggling. Who are the smugglers? Those noble officials.

"Their emperor is also very difficult, but is it feasible to establish a transit place nearby?"

"Your Highness, don't worry. I have already established a business store and a fortress not far from the Ming Kingdom. It is very close to the Ming Kingdom and you can reach it by going north through here."

Going north through here, it's either Luzon or Xiaoliuqiu. It seems that Mason has given himself such a big surprise. The empire has another colony.

No matter which empire you take in these two places, you will make money. The local land is fertile and the location is important. More importantly, the local area is still in the tribal era, so colonization is less difficult. With ten years of patient governance, this place can feed back the empire itself.

"And Your Highness, I was on a mission to the East this time. I accidentally learned that there was some conflict between the Ming Dynasty and a country called Japan in the east. The trade between the two countries was unstable, so I took charge of this trade on my own initiative."

Peter was stunned for a moment when he heard this. "Can you say that again?"

It seems that His Highness reacted greatly to the news, which was also expected by Mason. After all, it is overseas trade with Eastern countries, and it is also overseas trade with one country.

Thinking of this, Mason said again.

"I not only take care of the trade between Ming Dynasty and Japan, but also the trade between another country, Korea and Japan. Your Highness, these two trades are left to the imperial merchants."

Peter struggled to wrap his head around the idea that Mason meant Rome contracted the official trade between Ming and Japan as well as the trade between Korea and Japan. Except for trade between the Ming Dynasty and North Korea, all other matters among the three countries in East Asia were handled by the empire.

This is too much information, so he needs to be slowed down.

Okay, it's slowing down.

"You did something big, something that could change history."

Peter praised what Mason had done, contracting two trade lines among the three East Asian countries. In addition to the benefits, it also allowed spies to be released. After all, who doesn't want to manipulate the politics of other countries?

The Ming Dynasty had officials and gentry, Korea had the Yangban, and Japan had the guardian daimyo and other forces from various places. There will always be a place for infiltration to creep in, and it will be wonderful when foreign powers become part of the political participation.