Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 987
On the second day, the turmoil brought about by the Ming mission was still prevalent throughout Amsterdam, and people rushed to discuss the entire mission, clothing, speech and actions, and everything about the Ming Empire.

In the early morning, Carl de Magus, the owner of the bakery, opened his wooden door and set up his stall as usual.

His bakery is one of the largest in Amsterdam. It employs two chefs and six assistants. It works from morning to night and receives countless customers every day.

What made him most proud was that piece of glass the size of a window cost him thirty Dutch guilders, and he could see delicious soft bread from outside the door.

This is the best way to attract nobles.

As for the free folk, it would be nice to come in and buy some black bread.

He carefully wiped it with a towel, breathing out from time to time, cherishing it very much.

"Damn it, Thomas, you lazy bastard, if you were half as hardworking as the donkey in the mill, I would have opened a branch."

It was only now that Carl de Magus saw his son coming in a donkey cart with two sacks of wheat flour on it.

This wheat also comes from their mill.

Thomas complained: "Father, I got up earlier than the donkey, just to feed him and grind wheat. I'm not diligent."

"Bah, those Kun girls were happy again last night, don't think I don't know."

Carl scolded: "Although we are businessmen, our ancestors are also nobles. How can we find such a woman?"

"As long as you seduce a noble lady, you can be happy, and if you can't keep it, you can also cheat some money!"

Thomas rolled his eyes, unloaded the wheat on his own, and drove the donkey cart away.

However, he still turned his head and said to his father: "Father, when I was happy yesterday, I heard from those women that the stock market is particularly hot recently."

"Spices, silk, and the East India Company may all rise sharply!"

Hearing this, Carl rolled his eyes, and immediately realized: "That's right, the wise men are here, and these companies are destined to skyrocket. This is a good opportunity to make a fortune."

He turned around quickly, and brought out a bag of silver coins from the shop, at least two or thirty guilders.

"Stay at the store and wait for the guys to come before you leave." Carl ordered hastily, and then turned his buttocks towards the stock exchange in a lightning-fast manner.

"I knew it, why talk too much." Thomas wanted to slap himself.

As early as the Middle Ages, the Netherlands was the food center of Europe. At that time, the Arab Empire conquered North Africa and needed a lot of food to develop gold mines.

The Netherlands concentrated European grain, then shipped it to Gibraltar in Spain (at this time an Arab colony), and then transferred it to North Africa, thereby earning the first pot of gold.

When Spain became a colonial power, most of the large amount of gold and silver mined went into the pockets of the Dutch.

So in 1602, Amsterdam established the world's first joint-stock company, the East India Company.

In 1613, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange was established, making the Netherlands the financial center of Europe.

From 1780 to 1785, in order to retaliate against the Netherlands for supporting North America, Britain launched the fourth war against the Netherlands and transferred the European financial center to London.

This is Britain's biggest compensation for losing North America.

Therefore, the so-called independence of the United States is basically the United Kingdom fighting against three, the Netherlands, France, and North America.

How much is a colony worth?It doesn't matter where the financial center comes from.

Therefore, Britain was very decisive in giving up on North America.

The stock exchange occupies a small area and can only accommodate more than a thousand people. The wooden building cannot withstand the hustle and bustle inside.

As soon as we arrived at the door, there was already a long queue of people who wanted to trade.

Five windows are simply not enough.

On the black wooden board, the stock price written in chalk can change almost instantly.

The prices of many eager stocks are constantly being shot.

Karl looked at the stock price of the East India Company, which reached fifty guilders per share.

(one pound equals ten Dutch guilders)

You know, the middle class in Amsterdam, the tutor, is only three hundred Dutch guilders a year, which is his two-month salary.

In the first two days, the East India Company was only ten Dutch guilders.

"God, that's my net profit for the week."

Carl grumbled, then twisted his fat buttocks and squeezed into the queue.

Beside the line, several security guards watched carefully, the queue was the most rampant time for thieves.

"Sir, which stock do you want to buy?"

At this time there were no stockbrokers, only salesmen and scribes.

"East India Company, I want to buy shares in the East India Company."

"Sorry sir, everyone in the East India Company is asking for it. If you insist on buying it, you must pay more than the market price."

Glancing at the blackboard, the man suggested: "You can give 55 guilders."

"Okay." Carl gritted his teeth and said, "I want ten shares. If anyone wants to sell it, you can find me at Carl's bakery."

After leaving the address, he was about to leave, but when he saw the crowd, he immediately changed his mind.

Looking at this situation, the stocks of the East India Company are hard to find, and no one wants to sell them at all.

"I have 20 shares of the Indian company, and each share is [-] Dutch guilders. You can sell them for me."

"Sir, do you want to sell it? I can give it to you directly."

At this time, a well-dressed man behind him had a surprised smile on his face.

"Of course—" Carl laughed too.

Witnessed by the stock proceeds, the two reached a deal, and also offered a certain percentage of the transaction fee.

He was overjoyed by a big bag of Dutch Guilders.

Turning around, he deposited it in the Amsterdam bank not far away.

The stockholders who have always wanted to buy are laughing at him as a fool.

Karl is proud of himself: "A group of fools, they can take their pockets at ease. Now that Ming people come to the Netherlands, they can bring business to the Netherlands in a blink of an eye."

"By then, wouldn't the profits of the East India Company be greatly reduced?"

On the way back, holding a large amount of Dutch guilder, he wanted to go to a tailor shop to make a piece of clothing to reward himself.

As soon as I stepped into the store, there were a few strange clothes in front of my eyes.

It's loose, it's not like clothes at all, it's worse than a skirt.

"This is?" Carl was puzzled.

"Sir, this is a Ming-style robe that is popular in Amsterdam recently. Look at the material, one can stand up to two of ordinary clothes."

The tailor smiled and introduced, like a cunning fox: "Don't look at it as baggy, but in the Ming Dynasty, it is actually the clothes of nobles."

"Think about it, how dare those ordinary people use the fabric of two clothes to make one?"

"That's true." Carl revealed his thoughts.

"Look at this waist and these legs, they can definitely cover up all shortcomings..."

Before he knew it, the owner of the bakery, who considered himself aristocrat, left with a Ming-style robe.

After the old tailor left, he hurriedly turned around and shouted behind him: "Mar, you idiot, hurry up and make oriental robes, make a few more, we're almost sold out."

At the same time, everything about the Ming Dynasty has been sought after by the entire population of Amsterdam.

The travel notes of Marco Polo, which were snapped up in the past, were sold out again.

Several sailors who had been to the East India Company talked about what they had seen and heard; the missionaries gathered together to discuss missionary work.

As for the nobles and businessmen, they kept communicating on how to expand business contacts with Ming Dynasty.

At this time, the East India Company, which monopolized the entire Asian trade, was not only sought after, but also attacked by many nobles.

When the East India Company was established, there were not many stocks in circulation, and many nobles didn't get started at all. When they wanted to get started, they would have no chance.

Monopoly will naturally suffer from the blows of others.

At this time, Prince Orange Mansion.

The 16-year-old William III also heard about it.

The noble boys around him kept talking about oriental rumors and novelty stories.

"In this way, the finances of the Netherlands will be improved to a higher level in a few years."

A certain prince supporter sighed.

William III's eyes couldn't help dimming a bit.

Even though he is still young, power has already eroded his brain and has been inseparable from him since he was a child.

The ancestral power is gone, and a group of nobles who support the Orange family are naturally unwilling. This is not a small force.

Seemingly noticing the unhappiness of His Royal Highness, a handsome nobleman said:
"I heard that in the East, the Ming Emperor has the supreme power, and the Pope is appointed and dismissed by him. Even powerful officials can only prostrate at his feet."

"This is the real monarch—"

William III sighed in his heart,

……

A hurricane from the east landed across the entire European continent. Portugal, Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands, these European powers are all shadows of Ming Dynasty.

For the nearby Italian peninsula, the news is not so good.

With the end of the Thirty Years' War, Catholic countries had to compromise their faith under financial pressure, and the Pope's authority was further curtailed.

So far, the sphere of influence of the Papal State has been further reduced.

Pope Alexander VII, who came to the throne in 1655, had to accept religious reconciliation after witnessing the Thirty Years War.

Also due to the persecution of the situation, his thoughts are more open and free than his predecessors.

For example, it continues to allow the Jesuits to preach while continuing the Ricci order.

However, ideological enlightenment is only for maintaining power.

When it comes to Jansenism (emphasizing that the power of the Holy See is in the Sanhedrin rather than the Pope), he, as always, holds up the sword of power.

Now, along with this shareholder hurricane, the news of the Jesuits that was suppressed into the archives has to be brought up again.

The Eastern emperor required that all bishops in his country must be appointed and removed by the emperor.

This is unacceptable to the Holy See.

The missionary business is in full swing, but the right to appoint bishops has been lost. Is such a business still necessary?
And will this be spread to Europe and cause other countries to follow suit?

This is unacceptable for the declining Holy See.

But for many true missionaries, enlarging the Lord's flock is the greatest contribution.

What is the mere right to appoint bishops?
Those who supported this part were naturally the Jesuits.

Because the main body of missions in the East is the Society of Jesus.

No matter how the Ming emperor was appointed or dismissed, it was nothing more than tossing about in the Jesuits. The meat was still in the bowl, but chopsticks replaced the knives and forks of the Holy See.

"His Holiness—"

Alexander VII sat on a soft chair, with a cup of steaming hot tea beside him, rippling the charming fragrance.

He held a thick "New Testament" in his hand, and the sun shone on his face, everything was so pious and sacred.

A group of bishops who came to visit naturally had a deep understanding of the Pope's private life, and were not as blind as ordinary believers, but they had to bow their heads to his power.

Before the pope is selected, the cardinal is the boss, and once elected, the pope is the well-deserved leader.

What's more, this Alexander VII is the great-grandson of the former Pope Paul V. He has a strong family background and a huge influence in the Holy See, so his succession is a matter of course.

What?Catholics don't allow marriage?
Fuck, how can there be a wife for an illegitimate child?

"Ok!"

After waiting for a long time, the bishops saw the Bible closed by the Pope, with a smile on their faces.

"What's the matter, everyone?"

Facing a group of gray-haired cardinals, even the Pope can't help feeling a little stressed.

"Your Majesty, the Orientals have arrived in Europe, and their missions have been stationed in the Netherlands. I am afraid they will come to Rome soon."

The first one, with wrinkled face, thinning white hair, slightly stooped, but his face is full of worry:
"The matter of the bishop must have a result...

"

"It's absolutely impossible—"

At this time, Alexander VII was like a frightened wild cat, with a sharp look in his eyes: "This is related to the authority of the Holy See, and I will never agree."

"Your Majesty, if you refuse, you will have to accept the result."

At this time, a Jesuit bishop said: "The power of the East has arrived in the Philippines, and it is next to the East India Company. At that time, the entire Eastern Church will be completely defeated."

"The Holy See will lose all influence in the East."

"The hard work of thousands of missionaries of the Jesuits for hundreds of years will be a complete failure."

Hearing this, Alexander VII hesitated.

Although the Eastern missionary world does not bring tithes.But it can bring a strong influence of the Holy See.

At the same time, he would lose the hearts of the Jesuits.

You must know that the missionaries who join the Jesuits are basically old-fashioned and stubborn, and they are not afraid of anything except preaching.

It has a very large influence in Spain and Portugal, and a bad one will even shake the prestige of the Holy See in the two countries.

You must know that the Spanish Inquisition is subordinate to the king. In order to make money and consolidate power, the Inquisition will not restrict or exempt bishops.

The so-called Inquisitions in Europe, especially in Spain, were nothing more than centralizing power and collecting money for the king under the guise of the Pope.

Coincidentally, the Jews were the most persecuted.

The richer you are, the more dangerous you are.

"It is okay to transfer some power, but not all." Alexander VII made a compromise.

(End of this chapter)