Xinshun 1730

Chapter 278 Don't Dream
The whole cargo ship is like a mole that can't see the light, carefully avoiding the inspection of the Dutch.

In Bangka, he loaded the tin blocks that were transported to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to turn into tin foil, and with the help of the local local snakes, he slipped away before the arrival of the Dutch patrol warship.

After crossing Fujian, I went to Ningbo to unload the tin ingots and keep the shellac to go to Songjiang. It was also blessed by Xu Zhenjun and Mazu Niangniang, so it was in time for the Ching Ming Festival.

Songjiang in this season seemed a little deserted.

The cargo ship bound for Japan has not yet returned, and it will take two months for Western cargo ships to arrive on a large scale. The grain ships transporting rice from Songzhou, Jiangsu Province by sea will have to wait another two months before going north, and the ships transporting soybeans from Liaodong will have to wait even more. Wait until September to go south.

Even so, Songjiang's foundation is still solid.Even when Huai Guan came ashore, he felt that this place is far richer than Batavia. The rows of shops and the hurrying pedestrians on the road all have a kind of vitality far better than Batavia.

He is considered a figure in Batavia, but here, he is not even qualified to say that the strong dragon does not overwhelm the local snake.Although it is not the bottom kind, it is just a small earthworm.

"Is this the Celestial Dynasty?"

Lian Huaiguan was similar to those French missions, except that they saw the most prosperous Jiangnan in Dashun, and Dashun was divided into North, Jiangnan, and Fujian and Guangdong.The common people society in the north, the gentry and landlords and Confucian societies in the south of the Yangtze River, the clans and Catholic groups in Fujian and Guangdong, and perhaps now the immigrant soldiers of the Songhua River and Jinghai, all have completely different styles of demeanor.

He thought that Songjiang Mansion was the entire Celestial Dynasty, and he naturally thought why the Celestial Dynasty always said that he had everything.

If the whole of Dashun and even Yili in the Western Regions were like Songjiang Mansion, it would be worthy to say that they look down on the earth.

A series of rented houses for foreigners near the pier, coupled with the surrounding Yangzhou tea shop, looks somewhat similar to Batavia, but it is not the same after all.

The Dutch in Batavia are the masters, while the Dutch in Songjiang Mansion can only rent local houses honestly. They couldn’t leave the foreigner’s area casually before, and it’s even more impossible now—although Dashun just banned Catholicism, but The Jiedu envoy of Jiangsu was too lazy to distinguish between Protestantism, Calvinism, Reformedism and Catholicism, so he simply killed them all.

This can be called a lazy government. One thing more is worse than one thing less. In the past few years, the imperial court’s biggest move in Jiangnan was to ban religion. There were also Catholic rebels in Fujian. It's better to save energy across the board than to take care of these shit.

In addition, after the French mission left, Jiedu envoys from all over the country received decrees to strictly prevent Westerners from stealing porcelain, silk and other technologies, and the investigation was even stricter.

Lian Huaiguan didn't know what was going on here, he could only see the Dutch people who were domineering in Batavia, one by one here honestly, and sighed in his heart.

He can't speak official Chinese, nor can he speak Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Wu dialects. Fortunately, there are quite a few Fujianese in the restaurant.

Hearing a few familiar local accents, even Huaiguan didn't dare to be careless like Batavia, so he sang carefully and asked where the trading company he was going to was.

The merchants who spoke Hokkien looked at Lian Huaiguan for a few moments, and seeing that his complexion was dark, they asked with a smile, "Are you from the sea? Or are you planting sugar in Xiaoliuqiu? If you are here to buy stocks, but It’s late. How can anyone be willing to sell the good ones? Don’t even think about transporting rice.”

Even Huai Guan couldn't understand what was going on here, seeing that the person on the other side was more talkative, he could only say: "I'm from Batavia. I'm going to meet a friend. Why, there is still a place for buying and selling stocks near the trading company?"

"Yes. The imperial court built some yamen near there. If you go, there will be mules, horses and carriages when you go out. Just go. You are from Bacheng? This is rare. Could it be that Bacheng also knows about the stock offering? ? It's a pity that it's too late."

Even Huai Guanxin wondered how Bacheng knew about this place, but he didn't tell the truth. After asking about the location of the trading company, he followed Mantou's instructions and resigned these people.

After going out, on the corner of the street, there were indeed some mules, horses and carriages.

As early as the Ming Dynasty, there were many mules and horses on the corners of Jiangnan, but now there are more four-wheeled carriages from Weihai in Songjiang.

Rich and noble families all ride in this four-wheeled carriage with a shock-absorbing structure. The window glass is transparent, and the horses pulling the cart are also cleaned, as if they want to make the gray mules around them pale in comparison.

In the Elizabethan era of England, there were carriages with bogies and shock-absorbing structures. Although Songjiang was late, it caught up with the era of technology improvement and price reduction. In addition, the roads here are better, and this thing is popularized quickly.

There are many such cars in Batavia. There is also a large western-style garden named "Amanus Gracht" in Lian Fuguang's house in Kapitan, which is also very famous in Amsterdam.

It's just that he doesn't know that Lian Fuguang's "Amanus Gracht" is not worth mentioning in Jiangnan.The gardens in the south of the Yangtze River pay attention to introversion. Many rich people live in Songjiang for the convenience of business. The real gardens at home are enough to receive the emperor. Because the shape should be carefully presumed, it is more exquisite.

What he saw in his eyes was only superficial glitz.The real prosperity is hidden among the garden mansions in the surrounding cities.

But just this superficial glitz is enough to make Lian Huaiguan feel like a Javanese walking from a village to Batavia.

"The Celestial Dynasty is really rich, no wonder it regards Batavia as a barren land. Before I thought about it, it was just that the rich merchants of the Celestial Dynasty had never been to Bacheng; now it seems that I have only seen Bacheng, but I have never been to the Celestial Dynasty."

With such emotion, I can't help lowering my posture a little bit.

After getting off the carriage, I saw a complex of buildings under construction, next to it was the trading company hall with an open facade.

There were a few patrolling soldiers at the door, but they did not stop people entering or leaving the trading company hall.

Carefully handed Mantou's handwritten letter and a token, and soon, someone from the trading company came out to greet him.

Lin Yunwen ran to Nagasaki back then, had dealings with Fuzhou gang and Zhangzhou gang, and also spoke some dialects from various parts of Fujian.

When I saw Mantou's token, I knew that this person was very important. Even if I was already an executive member of a trading company, I had to come out to greet him in person when I encountered such a relationship.

After entering the hall and serving tea, I asked about Lian Huaiguan.

When Lian Huaiguan said that he came from Batavia, and that he detained and inspected the Free Trade Ship in Batavia, Lin Yunwen couldn't help scolding: "This Dutchman is really reckless, and the official ship of the Celestial Dynasty is also Dare to buckle?"

Lian Huaiguan was inexplicably surprised by cursing.

Lin Yunwen also traveled less to Nanyang before, and before he went bankrupt and became a "Japanese language teacher" for Liu Yu, he also traveled more to Nagasaki.In Nagasaki, the Dutch, like the Chinese sea merchants, had to look at the face of the Japanese side, and they all ate based on the face of others, let alone look down on anyone.

In the past few years, he has risen up, and the status of the people he contacts has become higher, and he has no fear of the Dutch.

It's not that he doesn't know Liu Yu's temper, he is someone who will never suffer, isn't the Dutch doing this to death?
He thought that Mantou was asking Lian Huaiguan to send a message, telling Liu Yu that he was arrested and inspected in Batavia, so he was more polite to Lian Huaiguan.

"The strong man came from Bacheng, and he has worked hard all the way. Since you have Master Mi's token, I will arrange a boat for you to go north as soon as possible. But I don't know that the Free Trade has already left Bacheng?"

There is a saying called Juyi Qi Yang Yi body, the people Lin Yunwen has been in contact with in the past few years, and he has become the executive committee member of the trading company, in terms of some so-called tolerance, it is beyond the capabilities of Lian Huai, who was mixed in Batavia Than.

Lian Huaiguan bowed subconsciously, and said respectfully: "The Free Trade has already left Batavia. The Dutch did not stop them, but they stayed in Bacheng for a few days before leaving. And the two ships from Sweden Together, we left Bacheng for Europa."

Lin Yunwen originally thought that something happened to Bacheng, but now that the boat had left Bacheng, he was greatly relieved.

The cost of the Free Trade is not cheap, and the cost of a transcontinental ocean-going ship is not as high as that of the Fuchuan Shachuan, especially when many of the wood is made of oak and cypress.

The cost is high, the route is dangerous, and it is a route that has never been taken.The captain is a steamed bun. Although he has an official status, in fact the ownership of the ship is still owned by the trading company.

Although Liu Yu made a suggestion, it was the members of the executive committee who made the decision.Lin Yunwen wants to manage his own affairs in his position, and the company's decision-making is responsible to all parties involved in the company.

If there is a problem with the first trade with Europe, not to mention that the shareholders who participate in the shares will be dissatisfied with the current members of the executive committee, the company's subsequent development will also have big problems, and they have the most shares, and they have the most stakes close.

The company is now in a bottleneck period.

Japan has already communicated the ban on the trade of private rice shipments this year. It is difficult to intervene in Nanyang trade for the time being, and can only hope to open up the trade to Europe.

Lian Huaiguan said that Batavia did not detain the Free Trade for too long, and Lin Yunwen's worries dissipated a little.

According to Liu Yu, the Swedes always return to Europe earlier than the Dutch and British, so that they can sell at a high price before more goods arrive.

Just for the fact that the Free Trade ship sailed to Europe this time, the executive committee members of the company also had a very clear position in their minds.

Without the support of the imperial court, there is no possibility of the company's development.

The Anglo-Dutch East India Company had money and guns and was able to run the government, collect taxes, and conscript soldiers. Dashun’s trading company could not have such power.

The trade with Japan depends on Liu Yu.

As for European trade, it also depends on the imperial court.Without the Jinghai Palace official school of the imperial court, and without Liu Yu being ordered by the imperial court to train a large number of people capable of ocean navigation, trade with Europe would not have been possible, because there were no captains who could go to Europe.

Don't talk about anything else, just because he was detained in Batavia this time, if it wasn't for Mantou's official status, Batavia would not have let him go so easily.

Now that Lian Huaiguan talked about Batavia's arrest of the ship, Lin Yunwen couldn't be more clear in his heart. The future of the trading company can only be tied to the imperial court's foreign wars, just like Xijing and Shanxi The same goes for the Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia.

The imperial court relies on the army to open up the situation and drive away obstacles, so that businessmen like them can follow behind and benefit. For example, the British and Dutch East India Company has its own guns, can levy taxes, can conscript troops, and can even organize political power. Don't count on it.

It is impossible for the court to allow it.

Just the fact that Batavia detained the ship for inspection made Lin Yunwen full of hostility towards the Netherlands.If the imperial court goes to war against the Netherlands in the future, he feels that the major shareholders in the trading company will definitely support it.

He asked some more about Batavia, and Huai Guan didn't even mention the real purpose of his visit, and kept it a secret, only saying that he was going to meet the person Mr. Mi wanted him to meet.

When Lin Yunwen learned that Batavia did not arrest the ship, he knew that Lian Huaiguan's arrival was definitely not as simple as he thought, and it was unlikely to be just a simple trade issue.

After accepting the letter in Lian Huaiguan's hand, he arranged for Lian Huaiguan to go to rest first, find someone to find a boat to Tianjin on the way overnight, and take this letter to Liu Yu on the way first, so as to ensure that Liu Yu can know Lian Huai in advance. Observe the purpose of this trip and make corresponding decisions so as not to be overwhelmed.

It has been several months since this letter was written in Batavia, from Batavia to Bangka, to Fujian, to Songjiang, and finally to Weihai.

Liu Yu checked the mark to make sure no one had removed it.

After reading the letter carefully, Mantou did not make an arbitrary judgment on Lian Huaiguan, but just described what happened in Batavia in detail, and I hope Liu Yu can judge for himself whether he is trustworthy or not.

After reading the letter himself, he handed it to his confidant Kang Bushao.

Kang Bu slack glanced at the ten lines and asked, "Young master, do you think this person is trustworthy?"

"Credible, quite credible. If the Dutch were so vigilant, they would have taken action against us long ago. How did they know that they would definitely intercept the Free Trade? Since they didn't know, how could they prepare such a detailed operation in advance?" Come to test? In Mantou’s letter, the meaning is actually very clear, and I trust this Lianhuaiguan. I’m just not sure what this Lianhuaiguan means.”

For Lian Huaiguan's visit this time, Liu Yu can tell that Lian Huaiguan is dissatisfied with the Netherlands.

However, being against the Netherlands does not necessarily mean being loyal to Dashun, and this must be made clear.

Since Lian Huaiguan can run from Batavia to Songjiang and go north to Weihai, he must have ambitions.

Talking about his own judgment with Kang Buxiu, Kang Buxiu also nodded and said, "This man is ambitious. It's just that the young master thinks that this person's plan for the young master's management of Nanyang is a benefit or a disadvantage?"

Is it profit?

Is it a disadvantage?

After pondering for a while, he smiled and said, "It's hard to say."

"Batavia should be the four towns of Anxi, not the small city-states of Anxi. Just ask him to find out how capable this person is."

The matter of Batavia is very complicated.How great is Lian Huai Guan's ability? You only need to ask him a few questions to find out.

If he is the lord of Bacheng, what is the land policy like?Does the rule still rely on Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan to pay taxes?How can the hired workers of the sugar cane plantations ensure their survival when the price of sugar falls?How to maintain the rule of the Javanese?
These things, Liu Yu estimated that even at the level of Huai Guan, he must have never thought about them.

He didn't expect Lian Huaiguan to answer, but he just hoped that Lian Huaiguan would be more clear-headed. Without the support of his home country overseas, he couldn't stand up.

Don't even think about being a chieftain.

(End of this chapter)