Lu Ming

The two gentlemen focused their attention on the bathroom in the villa, which was more capable of displaying national power.

Speaking of washing the bathroom: the joke "Europeans don't take a bath" has a long history and is well known in later generations.

What is the real situation?

In the era of ancient Rome and ancient Greece, the bathing culture in Europe was very developed. At that time, public bathhouses spread all over the city, and mixed bathing by men and women was very common.

Since the beginning of the 14th century, a black death has spread throughout Europe, killing one-third of Europeans.

This catastrophe has become a church carnival. Taking this opportunity, the Catholic Church began to promote an advanced concept: a dirty body is closer to God, and not taking a bath has become a symbol of holiness, and those who have enough courage not to take a bath for many years , and even be canonized as a saint!Just like the chastity archway where the Chinese praise widows.

In the past, the healthy lifestyle of the Romans who liked to take a bath was despised as a sign of weakness. Therefore, under the influence of the church, believers always took pride in not taking a bath or washing their clothes all year round.

The house leaks happen to rain overnight: The ancient Romans used lead as water pipes all year round, which caused a sharp drop in physical fitness and IQ, and they were finally unable to resist the invasion of the Germanic savages. As a result, the developed bathing culture disappeared under the joint attack of the church and the barbarians up.

This is also the beginning of the Dark Ages.

As the example of the people, the royal families of various countries can only bow their heads and admit defeat when the power of the church is in full swing at that time, and not taking a bath has become a kind of "political correctness": including the famous Emperor Charlemagne, Queen Victoria and many other European monarchs will not take a bath Touted as a personal achievement...

In order to cover up the stink on their bodies, nobles need to use a lot of face powder... This is one of the reasons why Europeans have such a strong interest in Asian spices.

However, time has changed, with the passing of the Dark Middle Ages, the beginning of the Thirty Years War, and the opening of the Age of Discovery, all these have led to the birthplace of all ignorance: the power of the Catholic Church began to decline day by day.Protestant countries including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and even Catholic diehards like Spain, have put aside the church's nonsense about bathing.

The reason is simple: in hot Brazil, Peru, Chile, on the even hotter Gold Coast of Africa, in the super hot Philippines and Spice Islands, you can die without a bath.

In fact, basically only the French and Spanish, who believe in Catholicism, are so perverted in banning bathing in Europe.Other countries have slowly recovered the habit of bathing since the 16th and 17th centuries, especially the Protestant countries, which recovered earlier.

Therefore, in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, the French, who were later called a model of elegance, actually had the worst hygiene habits in Europe.

Those well-mannered French gentlemen and ladies in oil paintings are actually dirty people with dirt on their bodies and lice in their hair, and they rely on perfume to solve their problems.

……

Of course, since it is the so-called "political correctness", there must be a set of official propaganda, and there will be situations where the public does not accept it behind the scenes.

Don't take a bath, this kind of brain-dead propaganda initiated by the church, which violates the essential needs of human beings, is actually the same as those chastity archways in the East, and there are no mandatory measures.

Henry IV's mother insisted on not taking a bath all her life, and was canonized as Saint Agnès... Henry IV also didn't take a bath, but the oil painting of his mistress and his sister taking a bath in the bathtub was spread generously in the Ming Dynasty. Hereafter.

The same is true for the chaste archway: countless widows remarry every day, but how many archways are there?

This hypocritical style of "political correctness" has been carried forward in later generations of American emperors: well-dressed white politicians yelled to eliminate all racial discrimination in front of the camera, but anyone who has been there to study and live... There is discrimination No, whoever goes will know.

……

During the period of 1628, there were no colonists in East Asia who did not take a bath.Or it can be said this way: All those who survived took a bath.

East Asia is not the cold high-latitude Europa. The altitude here makes all kinds of germs in the most active state all the time. The weather in India, Batavia, and the Philippines can kill a person covered in bedbugs and lice within 7 days. kill.

Therefore, colonists like Alonso and Juan, who have adapted to the environment, attach great importance to the bathrooms in the commercial hall.

It was not only the running water and the toilet that attracted their attention, but also the whole set of exquisite cast iron system.

Unlike the kingdoms of heaven, which closed their doors and came to cheer, the European countries have lived their lives in a tumultuous manner for hundreds of years, so the elites are quite sensitive to various military industrial technologies.

Whether it is ceramic tiles or those exquisite cast iron pipe fittings, combined with all kinds of huge and dexterous steel machines seen along the way, the two emissaries of noble origin quickly reached a consensus: the master here has a powerful, mysterious industrial manufacturing capacity.

"Dear Juan, gentlemen in Manila regarding these Ming country pirates... well, I am eager to know the evaluation of the nobles." After eating another piece of mango cake, Alonso planned to get to know the gang from the side pirate.

Baron Juan, with a short beard and light blue eyes, laughed at this moment: "Maybe we should go for a walk?"... Not long after, the two walked slowly south along the riverside walkway outside the business hall go.

"There have been a lot of rumors here, I mean the news about Macau. So, the relationship between Manila and the officials, I don't think I can help you." After walking a short distance, Juan began to relax. Slowly organized his words: "You know, sometimes, the same person can be an angel or a devil."

"For reference, it's just for reference." Alonso said politely.

"Well, here I have to regret to tell you that the gentlemen in Manila are full of affection for the big man." Juan said here and shook his head: "In fact, the trade with the big man has saved us almost everything .Dear Alonso, the top people, including Governor Juan, will not interfere in the disputes between you and the officials."

……

During this period of time, the local nobles of Portugal were trying to get rid of the control of the Spanish suzerain and were always preparing to establish an independent country, so the relationship between the two sides was quite bad.

However, in East Asia, thousands of miles away, the relationship between Manila and Macau is relatively close.In the face of Dutch villains, British thieves, Ming pirates and the complicated East Asian trade situation, the two sides had to maintain a loose alliance - for the sake of the common Catholic faith and the common Philip IV For the king's sake.

However, from the day when the first trade fleet departed from Dayuan arrived in the Philippines, this relationship was no longer valid in front of the crossing country.

Chapter 272 The choice of the Spaniards

Back to the end of May.At that time, the Spaniard encountered the Yuandou on the way of the Alicante departing from Taipei, and was hijacked to Dayuan. Finally, he was forcibly stuffed with some cargo and served as a messenger.

And when Ensign Diego Sandoval sailed back to Manila in early June, it immediately caused a sensation.

Governor Juan Nino de Tabora, after happily reading the diplomatic documents, watched the part-time mason Andrés Iniesta Jr.'s performance of plastering red bricks and cement, and finally he decided to put these lines Neat high-quality red bricks and magic cement are used in the newly built battery in Manila.

As for the raw silk, silk, velvet and other daily necessities including glass and porcelain, they were quickly divided up by merchants, nobles and churches in Manila.

As for the Visayan prisoners who were imprisoned in prisons, as well as the beggars, vagabonds, and drunks in the city, the days suddenly became sad recently: the sheriff and his guards became just and strict overnight, and many Homeless people without family members who came to pay premiums started disappearing.

Although the Governor is still negotiating with the officials, the merchants with a keen sense of smell have already begun to organize the supply of goods. When Second Lieutenant Diego Sandoval told the trade conditions of the crossing country at the big man's banquet, he was on the spot. There are a lot of people who think of the nearly free beggars and Visayan prisoners.

The Lord's people have no psychological barriers to turning the rebellious Visayans and Malays into slaves...Manila has imported many black slaves, and now it is God's will to export some yellow slaves. A docile Tagalog will do just fine.

……

And when the merchants were actively organizing "supply sources", after two rounds of short meetings, Governor Juan not only fully responded to the trade requirements of the officials, he also sent a young special envoy——with himself Viscount Juan with oblique kinship.

There's a reason the Spaniards were so "reactive".

Looking at these colonial forces that have gained a foothold in East Asia, if those less popular roles are removed, such as the Danish East India Company, then among the existing top three of the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, only the Spaniards can get along well. worst.

In fact, even the British, who are still very weak at the moment, still show great vitality in colonization and trade.

However, the Spaniard's territory was always in danger.

The danger does not come from artillery and warships, but from the trade pattern - the Spaniards who have long lost their pioneering spirit and are used to buying and selling with silver have lost their own hematopoietic mechanism and become porters of precious metals .

It is different from the UK and the Netherlands, which start businesses and have their own core competitiveness.The Spaniards are now like the kind of cheating rich second generation. They only take money from their pockets to spend, but they have no ability to invest and make money themselves.

However, the good old days are gone forever. The silver austerity in Europe caused by the 30-year war, and the outrageous military expenditure of the Habsburg dynasty, all of which exposed the naked Spaniards: the silver dug out from South America every year is not even enough to pay the loans of those greedy businessmen Interest.

Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that Spain's colonies around the world began to shrink day by day... Dad has no money in his pocket, and the second generation will naturally have a hard time.

Pie faces even passed this gene perfectly to their offspring: Venezuela.

Venezuela, whose national income once ranked among the top ten countries in the world, would rather provide welfare to the whole people than engage in basic industries when it was rich. Then when the oil price fell, the inflation rate was 80000%. Looking at history, only Zimbabwe can compare It's too late, even one space is not enough.

In short, a country without self-hematopoietic ability is the porter of nature, whether it is silver or oil.Once the international situation changes, they are the first to kneel.

The Philippines in the 17th century was no exception: the Dutch had established their own trade channels and distribution networks in East Asia with the spices from the Spice Islands as the core, and various triangular trades were flourishing.

However, the Spaniards are now living more and more: with the reduction of royal subsidies, the "China-Mexico" middleman trade that Manila has been relying on for a living is also shrinking; the Spaniards are competing with other colonists. become increasingly disadvantaged.

And at this moment, there was a thunder on the sunny day: Dad is here.

All the trade terms proposed by the crossing people are the most urgent needs at the moment in the eyes of the Spaniards, and there is no reason to refuse them.As for the small castle, it's a joke, the Iberian people are talking about the colony, and the pinpoint-sized castle is not within the consideration of gentlemen.

In fact, once enough goods from the Ming Dynasty were obtained from the officials, the foundation of Taipei itself would lose its meaning: Wasn’t the reason why Taipei was built in the first place to attract merchants from the Ming Dynasty?

……

In this case, a highly efficient operation rarely seen by the Spaniards began.Regardless of the March 21th and [-]st in Manila, the high-level officials who had long been anxious about the strategic situation set off two merchant ships loaded with slaves at an extremely fast speed and went straight to Dayuan.

You know, Governor Juan at this time is still negotiating with various people about the license, share and tax amount of the slave trade...

The trade fleet was captained by Second Lieutenant Diego Sandoval, an "old friend of the crossing people". The passengers on board included no fewer than 10 merchant teams, 400 slaves used to test the waters, and of course, Mr. Special Envoy .

The cargo on the ship was prepared according to the trade list given by the public: a large amount of Philippine rice and a small amount of native products similar to abaca and Indian cotton.Of course, the most important silver coins must not be missing.

A week later, the fleet arrived at Taijiang Wharf smoothly.The straight-line distance between Manila and Tainan is only 950 kilometers. If the wind is favorable, it will only take a week at most.

After coming to Dayuan, everything did not disappoint the big cake faces.The magical steel machines, the beautiful and tidy streets and buildings prove that Ensign Diego wasn't lying when he was in Manila.

The merchants who had always held a skeptical attitude couldn't help but be ecstatic after seeing all kinds of industrial products produced by the crossover crowd.

In fact, the most exciting moment for the insightful people in the fleet was the moment when the slaves were successfully sold: From this moment on, Manila finally got rid of its status as an empty middleman, just like the Dutch have spices , The Spaniards now also have an inexhaustible "fist product", which is more important than anything else.

Chapter 273 Castle Price

Regarding the test of the slave trade between the two parties in the west, it is generally a transaction where everyone gets what they need.Of course, when doing business for the first time, there will usually be a small situation in the process: Ming slaves and black slaves.

The vast majority of the 400 slaves were Visayans.This race is of local Malay descent in the Philippines, with a large population base.And due to the successive incidents of resistance, the confrontation between the colonists and the Visayans was caused, which gave the more docile Tagalogs a chance.

The seeds were planted at this time: in later generations, the Tagalogs, the second largest in population, are the most economically and culturally developed nation among the various ethnic groups in the Philippines. They have always been in an advantageous position in domestic politics, economy and culture. Most Tagalogs are in business or work in government agencies, and many hold leadership positions in the government.

There is a term that explains this phenomenon: coating.

So it is no surprise that, in the 17th century, Spanish cabins were filled with Visayans.

However, even though the races of the required slaves have been indicated on the trade documents, the 10 or so black uncles mixed with the yellow people are still so cool, like fireflies in the dark, so bright, so outstanding.

In addition, several slaves yelling in Hokkien also attracted the attention of customs officers.After careful questioning, it turned out that these people were all Ming people living in Manila, who were imprisoned for violating the law in the aristocratic district.

Generally speaking, general disputes are resolved within the Chinese community itself.But in a situation like this, someone had to pay a fine to the white guards before releasing them.Unfortunately, these few were poor ghosts and had no family members, so they were packed and transported to Dayuan.

The guiding ideology of the time travel people to treat these two kinds of uninvited guests is different.

Regarding Uncle Hei, the Customs responded by "confiscating".It is very simple to confiscate, just like the airport confiscating lighters from passengers in later generations.

And when the Spanish slave traders who were enthusiastic and prepared to give these so-called nobles (pirates) of the Ming Dynasty a good science about the benefits of black slaves found that their "samples" used to test the water were confiscated, they had no choice but to admit that they were unlucky up.

And when they spoke to dock officials, the only answer they got was... no answer.

Of course, the crossing crowd will not describe to their subordinates the end of the countries that raise black slaves in later generations-this issue is too complicated, and the society, politics and economy are all-encompassing, so it cannot be explained.

The crossing people only need to give a simple order: all black slaves who enter the country will be confiscated and assigned to open up forest farms, isolated from the world.As for those slave traders, they won't get a penny.

No profit, no business, the merchants who tried to open up the black slave market here finally gave up their minds.

Then it was the turn of those Ming people.In this matter, no money is out of the question: there is no reason why Spaniards should be required to carefully distinguish every yellow race.

Even in the later generations with advanced information, blindness still exists among different races, let alone slave owners in the 17th century.

Unlike those black uncles with obvious characteristics, the Spaniards can completely explain these Ming slaves with the reason of being unable to distinguish the rascals.

The last resort was a discount: as long as the slaves could speak Chinese fluently, they were paid three-quarters of the price.Not giving money at all is not acceptable, it is not in line with business ethics.

And the acquisition at a lower than the standard price will also prompt the Spaniards to focus on the indigenous Filipinos in the future instead of playing the ideas of those smart people.In fact, it only takes a few more years before the gunboats will block the gates of Manila. By then, the Spaniards will understand a truth: if you come out to mess around, you will have to pay it back one day.

……

After the largest and most important slave trade was completed, other commodities were also sold at a good price, especially rice.

For a force with a geometrically expanding population, food is always the number one strategic material.So the Spanish merchants discovered a strange thing here: among all commodities, the tariff rate of rice is actually negative.

The so-called negative refers to an additional reward mechanism: local officials call it "points."

On the basis of zero tariffs, merchants will get some points for every ton of rice shipped.And this point will be used when they buy some rare goods, such as kerosene lamps in the showroom.

The emphasis on rice in the crossing country will soon affect Manila’s trade policy: soon, the share of the slave trade will definitely be occupied by some big figures at the top of the pyramid, and businessmen who have failed in the competition will focus on collecting rice.

You know, points can be traded, and it is not difficult to collect rice in the hot Philippines - just ask those nearby villages to increase the planting area, and a wave of harvest can be harvested in a few months.

The same policy, the Dutch have begun to promote around Batavia.Because if they don't ship in sufficient quantities of rice, then they won't get high-end goods like bleach and kerosene lamps.

While the businessmen were running around excitedly, trying to find more business opportunities in the dazzling crossing country, Special Envoy Juan also started negotiations with Cai Feiming in the villa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first item of negotiation is of course the Taipei Castle, which has been blocked.In this regard, Mr. Special Envoy has full power. He can easily agree to the traversing people to withdraw the garrison of Taipei Castle, as long as the other party can offer some benefits.

However, the cross-travelers are well aware of this, so Cai Feiming told Juan: the city of San Salvador in Keelung Bay must be handed over.As for the city of Santo Domingo at the mouth of the Vale: "His Majesty Philip's brave soldiers can continue to be stationed there, and they can even take a boat to have a drink at the Pirate Bar during their vacations. This is a manifestation of the friendship between our two countries. "

The Spaniards are not stupid, and Juan quickly figured out Lao Cai's sinister intentions: to keep a castle that has no trading ability at all, and is located in the estuary where mosquitoes and leeches are everywhere... This is to use the lives of Spanish soldiers to help the other party. Suppress the natives?

So the two sides had a big fight on this issue, but Juan finally compromised: After all, the value of the two castles is nothing compared to the super proposition of the slave trade.

In the end, the agreement between the two parties was as follows: the Spaniards resold the two castles to the crossing people at the price of two gold coins.

The senior officials are responsible for transporting back the castle soldiers and some artillery, and the Spaniards will send messengers with order documents to help take over the castle.

Chapter 274 The Holy Light Shines

After discussing the ownership of the two most important castles in name, the next step is the main event: the slave trade negotiations.

Considering that this is the first time since the Spaniards came to East Asia more than 50 years ago, they have "self-produced fist commodities" other than silver, so the policy still needs a little support: Cai Feiming's slaves in 1628-1629 In the trade agreement, the Spaniards were given a 5% discount on the purchase price.

After signing the agreement, Baron Juan couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief: Only God knows how difficult the situation in East Asia is for the Philippines, which has to import pots and pans from Ming Dynasty.

As expected, when the agreement was made public among businessmen, the Dutch who heard the news immediately went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express strong protest and serious concern—everyone sold Malay goods, so why should the Protestants suffer a 5% loss? ?This is blatant racism, no, not even if the discount is only for one year.

In the end, the Dutch, who only got a helpless look at the Foreign Ministry, could only turn their grief into strength: in the following year, the Dutch not only increased the number of joint Malay pirate attacks on Spanish colonies, but also on many fronts. Continued suppression of big pie faces... These are things for later, so I won't mention them for now.

After the Spaniards signed the trade agreement with Chuanzhong, the Spanish merchants who had become "bad men" hurriedly set off with two merchant ships loaded with industrial products and Ming Dynasty groceries.

How the industrial countries of later generations did business with the colonies, the same is true for the countries that travel through.All the guests who come here rely on exclusive goods: no matter how many silver coins and slaves the poor merchants bring in, the people from across the country can always use more expensive industrial products to make up the difference, and then let the guests "return full of debts".