Perhaps some of the ships anchored on the sea were impatiently waiting, or unwilling to pay high tariffs, or both, when two plywood boats in the distance suddenly rode the sails of the west wind, and rushed straight towards the entrance of the strait in the distance.

"Hey! Look at the people! That's what we Dutch people should be! "The people of the Fortune, who could not help but admire their bravery and fearlessness in their violent behavior, from the appearance of the plywood boats, to their fellow countrymen.

With the help of the west wind, the two ships reached the entrance to the strait in one go, and seemed to be about to rush through the banknote pass.

"Comfortable! If I were in that boat, I wouldn't have to work so hard! A small merchant aboard the Fortune, grinning at the bulging hard object in his crotch, saw the two boats trying to break through in the distance, and couldn't help but beat the deck of the ship with all his might, and applauded it.

"Don't be too busy applauding, wait and see, maybe you won't say that after a while."

From the mast above his head, a sailor's words floated down coldly.

As if to make a note on this sentence, from the entrance to the strait, suddenly thunder sounded.

"Boom!"

"Boom, boom!"

There were four sounds in a row, and although there were ships blocking the scene and not being able to see the distant scene, people were very keen to catch the dangerous information.

A burst of cries came faintly from a distance, and a high column of smoke rose from the sea, and the smoke column was mixed with red flames, and the flames danced on the sea, which was very beautiful and strange.

In the midst of this scene, which was half sea water and half flames, the little merchant who was still there applauding the people who broke through the pass was so shocked that his jaw almost fell to the surface of his feet.

"Damn infidels. The tyrannical monarchs of the East, they actually treated a group of peaceful merchants like this! ”

Well? This sounds a little awkward, if the people on these two boats do not violate the rules set by the monarch here, how can there be such a result and end? Look at the heads of the people on the surface of the sea, and the two ships that have been hit by unknown weapons that have penetrated the deck below the waterlog. As a philosopher, mathematician, and physicist, Descartes felt that the destination of the monarch was becoming more and more attractive. It was evident that a large amount of sea water had poured into the cabin, and it was believed that in a short time both brave men would be swallowed up by the sea.

Those who jumped into the sea to survive were rescued by nearby boats lowering their dinghys or ropes. Sailors and passengers brought blankets and mulled wine for them. Let these people who have just just swam in the sea get a sense of warmth and security.

"Hey! I said, what the hell have you encountered? Two cannons sent you to the sea? A sailor asks a survivor who was rescued by the Fortune about the situation.

"I don't know, I was in the cabin and didn't dare to go to the deck. Only two loud bangs were heard. I felt as if a strong man was swinging a huge hammer and smashing the deck. The people on board began to shout, and one of the cabins was pierced, and the sea rushed in. Then, the sailors on the deck shouted that there was a fire. ”

Standing on the crossbar of the mast, pulling the sail rope in one hand and holding a monocular in the other, Descartes observed with great interest the situation of the two ships in the distance.

As a former artillery officer, Descartes thought that he knew a thing or two about all kinds of artillery and weapons in today's world, but it seemed that no weapon could achieve such lethality and destructive power, let alone arson.

After a burst of burning on the surface of the sea, the two ships began to sink slowly, and as the bow entered the water, the water began to appear around the ship, and soon two huge whirlpools were formed, making a series of strange and frightening sounds.

One of the sailors who was guarding him next to him was very curious and asked him a question that was very appropriate to the current situation.

"Sir, I have been serving on ships for many years, and I have seen shipwrecks a few times, why is it that every time the ship is fully in the water, there are whirlpools and strange noises? Is it really like the legend, Poseidon roars under the water? ”

"When the ship sinks, a low-pressure area is formed around the ship, and the water rushes in at a faster speed, so because the ship sinks, the water has a downward force and a force that flows to the middle, forming a whirlpool. At the same time, because when the ship sinks, there is a lot of space in the ship, as if there is a hole in the part of the sea, so after sinking, a large amount of water around the ship will quickly pour into the hull to fill the air inside the ship, so there are bursts of strange sounds. ”

The ships on the surface of the sea were silent, as if in silence for the two sunken ships, or perhaps in horror at the great violence.

Soon, the appearance of two brigs broke the short, but deathly silence on the sea.

The sailors skillfully maneuvered the schooner, allowing the ship to bypass the water where the two ships had just sunk, and the sails on the mast made the most of the wind with the movement of the ship, and the schooner sped in the rippling blue waves like two flying fish on the water. The two huge cannons in the bow of the ship, with their black holes exposed, came straight towards these ships.

On the bow of the ship, several officers held copper horns in their hands and shouted: "Listen to all the ships on the other side, you have entered the waters of the Xuanfu Embassy in the old port of Daming, and we will inspect, count, and collect taxes on the goods you carry according to the relevant tax rates." I now order you, in the name of Li Shouhan, the president of the Southern Chinese Army of the Ming Dynasty, to drop anchor and set sail immediately, otherwise we will take the necessary military action!" Don't be unpredictable! ”

This passage was repeated twice by the officers in Chinese, Dutch, and Spanish, and all the ships were obediently anchored and sailed, and the captain and owner stood at the bow of the ship and bowed to the officers on the two schooners.

"What did you bring with you? How many people are on board? ”

The tax collector repeated it twice in Chinese, not very fluent in Helan dialect. The people on the Fortune began to hurriedly count their goods and numbers.

Well? This tax-collecting guy seems to be a Fuso person?? Look at the obvious marks on the top of your head from shaving, and then look at the way you walk. More and more like Fuso islanders.

Several small businessmen aboard the Fortune suddenly saw hope, and they also lived in Fuso and knew the characteristics of this group of people.

"Isn't the old man from Dongying? I also used to live in Dongying, where I still have a woman and a child. I'm going to visit them this time, I wonder if the master can make it convenient? ”

In the same stammering Japanese, the little merchant made a friendship with the Fuso tax collector, and while he put the friendship in his mouth, he quietly stuffed a hard and shiny thing in his hand.

"Yaga! You dare to bribe the officials! ”

Goro, a Fuso man, was one of the first Japanese laborers to work on plantations in the Jiulong River, because he was diligent and willing to work. Soon he stood out from a group of native laborers. First, he was promoted to foreman and managed nine laborers, but after a few years, he received a Chinese household registration. Became Japanese-Chinese. It just so happened that Manraka opened a banknote customs. He gathered people everywhere, because when he was in Japan, he used to work in the Nanban Merchant House, and he could speak a few words such as Dutch and Spanish. was selected here to act as a tax collector, just to be grateful for the kindness of the lord, this businessman actually bribed him in front of a cadre, isn't this a slap in the face in public?

Since the opening and closing of the Manraka Customs, dozens of people have become dead people on wooden shelves, and more than 100 people have become lifelong hard labor in the mines. Lao Tzu's life is now given a big name, and I want to live here for a few more years!

With a wave of his hand, he knocked a ruby handed over by the merchant to the deck, "Who's the ship's owner?" Come out and speak! ”

Mr. Basten walked out of the cabin, and the moment he walked out of the hatch, he was very attentive to etiquette to see if his clothes were neat.

"Now, as the tax collector of the Southern Central Army, I will explain to you the regulations of the Manchurian customs. Ruby sapphires, lapis lazuli, diamonds and other items belong to the category of luxury goods, and 40% of the luxury tariffs are charged. This guy intended to bribe the tax officer, and a fine of 10% was added, and 50% of the tax should be collected. ”

"Handmade items such as gold and silver, cotton cloth, and Indian Tianfang are general goods, and they will be charged according to the standard of four draws."

"Cotton, wheat, jute, horses. It belongs to the encouraged imports and is listed as a tax-free category, have you ever had it on this ship? ”

Gorou, who was a tax collector, was preaching to the shipowner about the scope of tax collection, tax rates, and types of taxes, and among the soldiers who accompanied Gorou on board, two of them carried pails of paste, found a relatively dry and flat plank, wiped them a few times with a burlap dipped in water, smeared the paste on the wooden board with a brush, and then pasted a notice written in both Chinese and Spanish.

"This is the scope of tax collection, the type of tax, the tax rate, as well as the name of the tax-exempt goods and tax-free items, you can go and see for yourself, if in the process of taxation, the tax rate is not clear, the amount of tax collected does not match the actual amount, etc., you can go to the tax department to appeal after arriving in Penang tomorrow. In the process of tax collection, tax officials can report acts such as eating and taking cards, soliciting and accepting bribes, etc. ”

The Fortune is a large ship with a theoretical carrying capacity of 800 tons, but Mr. Van Basten, who wants money and does not want to die, actually stuffed 1,000 tons of cargo on board, not including the cargo carried by those who take this Fortune, the total displacement should have exceeded 1,200 tons! For the sake of these goods, as well as the horses, Mr. Basten decisively reduced the various provisions to a minimum standard, five days of grain and three days of water. Fruits and vegetables are even more pitiful, only a few dozen people are needed, if it is not for the docking and replenishment of various islands along the way, I am afraid that it will not be possible to sail directly from the west coast of India to the sea surface of Lingjiawei.

"Mr. Tax Officer, I have 400 tons of wheat, 200 tons of cotton, and 200 tons of cotton, which you have to give to my friend Governor Li Shouhan, except for jute, which I do not have on my ship.

The corners of his mouth showed a smug smile, these goods were slightly ridiculed by several merchants on the ship when they boarded the ship in India, people thought that these goods, not only occupy space, but also have no profit difference, it was not expected that Mr. van Basten, who was known for his incomparable shrewdness in business, would make such a low-level mistake, rather than transport these goods to the past, it is more valuable to exchange some spices to sell in Nanzhong than to transport these wheat and cotton to the past.

But. The customs gave them a solid lesson.

Those spices, and handicrafts produced in India, are general goods, and a tax of 25 percent is levied, and of course, if you pay these taxes, you can get the security of the Manraka Strait, and you can be escorted by the naval division of the South Chinese Army, and if you pay another insurance fee, then even if you encounter pirates, hurricanes, reefs, and so on in these waters. So. Nanzhongjun will also pay compensation according to the amount you insure.

Accompanied by the captain, Goro, the tax collector of the Nanchu Army, led several sailors to the cargo hold to inspect the goods, while Mr. Basten himself was in the eyes of many people full of envy, jealousy, hatred and many other emotions. The two Indian maids who accompanied him set up a small table on the deck. Make good tea. Invite Galileo, Descartes, Frank and others to taste the magical oriental leaves in this rare leisure time.

He had already made up his mind that this boatload of cotton, wheat, and peons would be handed over to the merchants of Governor Lee. In addition to buying those best-selling weapons, you must buy more of this magical oriental leaf to go back, I believe that it will not be less than the profit earned by that magical oriental cloth.

Those who use the method of imposing high import taxes and various import surcharges to restrict and prevent the import of foreign commodities will adopt the form of tax reduction or exemption or tax reduction and then refund for the raw materials they need to encourage imports, thereby raising the cost of imported commodities and thus weakening their competitiveness, playing a role in protecting domestic production and domestic markets, and improving the competitiveness of export products. This kind of behavior, known to economists as tariff barriers, is abhorred by trade scholars.

However, in this era, it was regarded by merchants as a road to fortune paved with gold bricks.

And Mr. Basten is the leader of this avenue with his head held high, oh, or is it the party leading the way?

"I used the gold coins I brought from the Netherlands to the Mughal Empire and asked the Jagils to help me buy cotton and wheat, as well as the peonies in their stables. Then it was transported to the territory of the Southern Chinese Army and sold to Governor Li, who exchanged with him for his extremely fine woven cloth, which was far less expensive than Indian cotton, as well as the weapons and armor and porcelain that were very much loved by the princes and nobles of India, the princes and dukes of Europe, and the chieftains of the Middle East, as well as the artillery and gunpowder needed by the armies of various countries. The import and export of these goods are exempt from tax. I ship these goods to India for gold coins and gems, to the Middle East for horses, and back to Europe, what can I get back? It seems that there are only gold coins?! ”

Basten blinked his gray eyes, drawing the golden roadmap of this trade transaction in his mind from time to time, yes! What else is there in Europe? What else is there in a land of war and carnage?

Monsieur Descartes, Monsieur Galileo, and Monsieur Frank, on the other hand, were not as complicated as his inner thoughts, and the three of them not only rushed to tea with Monsieur Basten, but also invited some of the priests who had traveled by boat.

Mr. Basten has always been respectful of these servants of God, and although he also wore a cross on his chest, he believed most in the gold that made the cross, or rather, Marshal Zhao Gong of China.

Oh, and the Chinese deity system is more perfect, and people can choose who they worship instead of the so-called all-powerful God.

"Oh! Could this be the famous Batavia porcelain? As soon as a priest who had clearly not seen much of the world sat down, he began to exclaim aloud at the tea set on the table. The two Kshatriya caste maids from Tianzhu couldn't help but roll their eyes, and quietly expressed their disdain.

As the stronghold and center of the Dutch in Asia, Batavia served as a distribution center for the concentration and transshipment of special products from China and Japan, and this function also made many oriental products mistakenly believed by the local turtles in the European countryside that these things transported from Batavia were Batavia's products. (It's not the first time they've done this kind of thing, and the most famous is the Arabic numerals, poor third brother!) Their own cultural achievements were plagiarized by the bearded turbans. ）

The Dutch and the British, who were large importers of porcelain, turned a blind eye to this mistake and even promoted it, consciously or unconsciously, with the sole purpose of preventing people from finding the true origin of these fine porcelain.

Unfortunately, the bone porcelain developed by Shouhan more than 100 years in advance by using the kaolin resources of Annam and combining with the porcelain firing technology of Guangdong was called "Batavia porcelain" by this group of turtles. And all kinds of tableware and tea sets are treasured as high-quality products. Sadly. The teapots and cups used by Chinese people to drink tea were used as coffee utensils by people in the European countryside. It can be described as a typical example of one device, two systems, and the combination of China and foreign countries.

Looking at the shadow of tea leaves looming through the thin walls of the cup, several missionaries were amazed, and they felt more and more yearning for the mysterious Orient and rich China.

"It's not the best porcelain, and it can even be said to be a foreign product. Because we sailed at sea, these fragile porcelains were too squeamish and belonged to the consumables of Yan zhòng. Really good porcelain, I once donated to the Cathedral of Pisa a seven-foot-tall statue of the Virgin. ”

The best show-offs are often just casual understatements. Basten's words surprised the missionaries present. They had all seen the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of Pisa, together with the bronze statue of John the Baptist, which is the jewel of the church. In the baptismal hall. The Virgin Mary, with a very kind expression, looks more and more magical and dazzling under the reflection of the candlelight and the light refracted from the window.

As the patron saint of the city, the Virgin Mary has an unrivalled place in Pisa. This statue of Our Lady was laid from the beginning. It has been worshiped by countless believers and citizens. People knelt and wept at her feet, trying to be redeemed.

"That statue of Our Lady is your offering?" One priest was somewhat surprised, and he began to re-examine Mr. Basten's wealth and status.

"Yes. I pleaded with the church with this statue of Our Lady to help me save the life of a friend. ”

"I praise you for your noble character. Thank you for helping someone you don't know in a critical moment. Mr. Galileo was the first to take up his teacup and salute Mr. Basten. And Descartes and Frank can roughly guess the mystery. Only the priests did not know what was going on. They didn't know why the old man, dressed in an expensive silk robe and ramie shirt, said that.

"Allow me to introduce you to our new friends, how blessed it is to meet several friends with the same interests and hobbies during this long and lonely journey." Mr. Desten began to introduce Mr. Basten to the new group of friends he had made on the ship. "They have their own unique attainments in mathematics, physics, chemistry, metallurgy, geometry, drawing, medicine, etc., and the communication with them along the way made our journey very pleasant."

"Yes! I have promised to publish a book for their trip to the East, and I am sure it will be a great work that surpasses that of Mr. Marco Polo. For this I have paid a royalty of three silver coins to each of the priests, though they are shepherds of the Lord, as an advance payment for their great works. ”

"I would like to ask, what is the name of this great work you are talking about?"

Publisher Frank waved his hand very generously, "Oriental Experience." I believe it will be a work that goes beyond the memoirs of Marco Polo. It contains my group of friends and my own experiences in the mystical East. ”

"As a friend of yours, I propose to you that this work that you are about to publish should preferably be published in Nanzhong Press, because as far as I know, the cost of printing here is much lower than in Europe, so low that you don't want to believe it."

Without having time to exclaim, accompanied by the captain, Goro and the others walked up from the cargo hold. Obviously, the goods in the hold corresponded to the declared type of goods.

"Yes sir, you are very cooperative. As the tax collector of the Southern Central Army, I thank you and wish you all the best in your business. ”

Gorou quickly filled out the tax stamps in triplicate with a water-dipped notebook, and was about to tear them off and hand them over to the captain of the Fortune, when suddenly a noisy noise came from the deck of the second floor, and then two sailors twisted the arm of a passenger and escorted him to the first deck.

"We conducted random inspections of the passenger's carry-on cargo, and among his cargo and luggage, we found two Indian gems, which were not large, but also exceeded the value of his cargo. This guy! He still dares to deny that it is not his! ”

In the crowd watching the excitement, Basten's deputy manager exchanged glances with him very secretly, and they understood each other. Basten had a bloodthirsty smile on his face, and he was happy to help those who dared to disobey and disobey his will and challenge his dignity and prestige.

With regard to attempts to carry out smuggling in the form of entrainment and concealment, the Yugoslav and Chinese armed forces have never been soft in cracking down. And Gorou just needs such a person to prove his work achievements. He narrowed his eyes: "Sir, do you know anything about his behavior?" ”

"Oh! No! I just know that he was a passenger on my boat, and I don't know anything else. "Mr. Basten has cleared himself.

Mr. Basten's words were like the executioner tightening the last button on the noose around the neck of the petty businessman, and as the highest-ranking official of the Nanchu Army on this ship, Goro's eyes looked at the guy who had been found for smuggled gems, as if he were already looking at a dead man.

"Nope! Those two gems are not mine! ”

The merchant's voice was close to the wail of a dying moment, and the two boats that had tried to break through the checkpoint to evade taxes had let them know what would happen if they were found to have tried to evade taxes.

"For the sake of all Catholics who believe in God, for the sake of the Virgin Mary, please help me!"

The merchant, who was dragged off the ship by two sailors like a dead dog, wailed and begged the passengers on the ship to help him.

But the boatload of people just watched him silently, and a few soft-hearted women sobbed incessantly and drew crosses on their chests.

"Sir, let me ask you one last time, is there any entrainment on the ship that has not been declared? If so, it's still too late. Otherwise, once you are checked out by the tax officer there in the waters of Lijiapo, your result will be the same as the two boats in front. ”

"Oh! You can rest assured! I definitely didn't take smuggled goods! ”

Mr. Basten raised his hands and pleaded with Goro, biting the "goods" hard.

"I can assure God that there is no smuggling of goods."

"Of course, abducted people don't count."

Looking at the departing brig, Mr. Basten looked back at Descartes and Galileo.

"The price given by Governor Lee is much more appropriate than buying a horse. What will I ship back next time? Population? Or horses? (To be continued......)

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