1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 773 Civilization and Barbarism

December 1660, 12, Batavia.

During this period, when it came to the wealth of the country, the prosperity of the economy, and the degree of monopoly in foreign trade, the Dutch ranked second, and no one dared to claim the first.The Netherlands' gross national income is 700% higher than that of England, Scotland and Wales (all of which have a population of around 30 million) combined.

By the middle of the 17th century, the Dutch global commercial hegemony was firmly established.With a population of just over 200 million, its trade volume actually accounts for half of the global trade volume.By 1660, the proportion of its trade volume increased to three-quarters of the total global maritime trade.

In the Baltic and North Seas almost all shipping was monopolized by the Netherlands.Agricultural products, furs, potash and fish roe shipped from Russia, and iron, shipbuilding wood, and wax shipped from Sweden were all transshipped from the Netherlands to Lever, Venice, and other more distant sales places in France and Italy. .In Western Europe, most of France's foreign trade, the trade in western Germany, and the trade between North and South Europe were also in the hands of the Dutch.

The Dutch East India Company and the West India Company respectively controlled the maritime trade between Europe and the East, and between Europe and the Americas. Even goods between Britain and its colonies were transported by Dutch merchant ships. In the first half of the 17th century, most of the products of the colonies in the world, especially the spices of the East, were also transported to the Western countries through the Netherlands.

Dutch merchants took advantage of the tens of thousands of merchant ships under their control to travel around the world, and at the same time took advantage of the price differences in various regions of the world to carry out worldwide entrepot trade and obtain huge profits.The annual re-export trade volume of the Netherlands reaches 9500 million to 1.1 million Dutch guilders.

Although the Anglo-Dutch War that broke out a few years ago (1652-1654), due to lack of preparation, made it somewhat embarrassed and lost face in front of England, it still relied on its strong global sea power and the crown of Europe. The wealth of the Netherlands enabled the establishment of the Dutch maritime hegemony.

Amsterdam was the center of European commerce at that time. It was a distribution center for oriental spices, European grain, oil, timber, and fur. There were often more than 2000 ships moored in the port. In the 17th century, the capital accumulation of the Netherlands was greater than that of all European countries combined, and its foreign investment was 15 times that of the United Kingdom.

Amsterdam's exchange market became the center of the international stock market.Over 3.4 million guilders were invested in foreign bonds of Europe, the East Indies and the Americas.A large part of the British national debt is also in the hands of the Dutch.In the form of dividends alone, more than 2500 million guilders enter the Netherlands from the United Kingdom every year. The Netherlands also receives 2500 million guilders from France and 2 million guilders from several small countries such as Spain, Russia, Sweden and Germany.Amsterdam has also become a center for general banking and transactions, with a turnover of 5 million guilders per year.

As the most influential colonial company in the country, the Dutch East India Company has developed even more rapidly. In the past ten years, the trade volume has almost quadrupled to 4500 million Dutch guilders (about 3.5 Dutch guilders = 1 tael of silver), accounting for almost half of its total domestic and foreign trade.

When Liang Yunan learned of these huge trading currency figures and financial profit figures from the discussions of Dutch sailors and merchants, he was stunned.

My darling, the people under my Qing Dynasty probably have 2000 to [-] million people, but the taxes and fees received by the imperial court are only a few million taels of silver every year.It was the money that was collected by the local government that scraped the ground and worked hard to get it with great difficulty. It was used to maintain the daily expenses of the court and feed hundreds of thousands of troops.As for wage arrears, shortfalls, and local arrears, since the Qing Dynasty lost Jiangnan and lost the largest source of wealth, these are common things.Otherwise, how could the imperial court tacitly accept some of the guarding generals and raise part of the local food and salaries to ensure the fighting morale of the officers and soldiers, and at the same time persuade the wealthy businessmen to pay and donate from time to time to make up for the financial deficit.

His grandma's, my Qing Dynasty is actually not as rich as a foreign trade company under the jurisdiction of this Western country!
This season is winter, and the northeast monsoon prevails, which is very unsuitable for sailing north.Therefore, Liang Yun'an had to temporarily stay in Batavia.After taking out a large amount of cash for the acceptance bank notes that he was carrying, the Dutch officers and sailors also blackmailed most of them, leaving only more than 200 Hanzhou silver dollars in his pocket.However, if you save money, it will last until the arrival of the southwest monsoon in May and June next year.

In order to avoid being captured by the people of Qi, Liang Yun'an could only accept the arrangement of the Dutch and live in a neighborhood where the Dutch live together.A dilapidated and damp hut even required him to pay a high monthly accommodation fee of five Hanzhou silver dollars. Although he was slandered in his heart, it made him helpless.

At the beginning, the Dutch seemed to be very interested in him. From time to time, a well-dressed "gentleman" or an officer dressed like a big rooster came to him frequently to ask me about some affairs of the Qing Dynasty.How many people are there under your jurisdiction, how many troops are there in the country, what good ports are there in the north, what valuable specialties are there in the region, how much raw silk can be supplied, can you provide a large amount of tea, silk, sugar, or porcelain at a favorable price? ...

At the beginning, Liang Yunan was very excited, these barbarians must want to do business with Da Qing.Not only do you want to know the strength of my Qing Dynasty, but also what special products my Qing Dynasty can produce, so that you can come to trade boldly.

My Qing Dynasty is naturally full of martial arts, with millions of troops, and the Eight Banners Iron Cavalry is even more invincible.As for the various products mentioned by these barbarians, my Qing Dynasty may, perhaps, probably can produce them, and the quality is high, the quantity is large, and the price is favorable. If you want to buy it, hurry up!
However, for some unknown reason, these barbarians suddenly lost their enthusiasm for him. For ten days and a half months, not even a small shrimp came to pay attention to him.This made him very disappointed. Could it be that they think the distance is too far and the goods are not good enough, so they don't want to come to Qing Dynasty for trade?Or, is it because of the fear of the state of Qi, afraid of being stopped at sea by others, and forbidden to do business in the coastal areas of the Qing Dynasty?
When he was depressed, Liang Yunan walked out of the dilapidated hut and wandered around the Dutch neighborhood to relieve his depression.Later, seeing that there was no danger, the scope of activities gradually expanded, and gradually came to hang out in the more lively Mingren Street.

Although the rapid rise of Qi State in the southern Hanzhou Continent did not affect Batavia as the most influential trade center and commodity distribution center in the region.The population of the entire urban area has reached about 10, of which the number of Ming people has reached more than [-], making them the second largest urban residents after the indigenous population.

Perhaps because of the rise of the Qi State in Hanzhou, coupled with its claim to be the protector of all Ming people in Nanyang, Batavia's Ming status has been significantly improved, and it is no longer the second-class citizenship it was before. , It seems to have become a local force that rivals the colonial forces of the East India Company.Moreover, the Ming people’s right to rule here also belongs to the dual management of the Dutch and the Qi State. Any criminal trial or settlement of disputes must be judged and executed under the supervision of the Qi State’s civil affairs representative in Batavia.

However, the government of the State of Qi has restrained itself from interfering in Batavia's internal affairs. Apart from providing necessary protection to the Ming people, it has basically taken a bystander attitude towards the affairs of the Dutch people. human suspicion.

Liang Yunan was walking on the streets of Batavia, and was very surprised to find that, because of his short hair and obvious Hanzhou costumes, no matter where he went, he would receive a lot of awe-inspiring eyes from passers-by, and a little bit of awe. A warm greeting.

His grandma's!Back then, my Qing Dynasty forced people to shave their hair and change their clothes, so it aroused countless people to revolt in the pass, killing people's heads and blood flowing like rivers, and only then did my Qing Dynasty establish its power.There is no mandatory requirement for people in Qi to shave their hair and change their clothes, but nearly half of the new immigrants will take the initiative to follow within two years after arriving in Hanzhou, probably because they want to get this kind of feeling of superiority outside.

Well, on this point, I, Daqing, need to learn from it, and let the people under my jurisdiction be grateful instead of afraid of power.

On this day, in a bustling tea shop, he heard a piece of news that made him extremely excited.From May to July, the pseudo-Ming King Sun Kewang tried to take advantage of the fire and rob me when my Lord Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty passed away.Mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, launched a violent offensive from the Jianghuai and Huguang areas to our territory in the Qing Dynasty.However, under the wise leadership of the auxiliary ministers Aobai and Suksaha, they defeated the Puppet Ming Dynasty in Xuzhou and Wuhan respectively, beheaded thousands of people, and repelled the massive attack of the Puppet Ming Dynasty.

However, Liang Yun'an expressed deep doubts about the slight loss of Puppet Ming. With the combat power of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, how could it be possible for Puppet Ming to lose thousands of people?

"This is the shame of my Ming people!" A Ming businessman in his forties slapped the table angrily, "More than a hundred thousand troops, thousands of miles of defense lines launched an attack at the same time, but they didn't make an inch, but lost their troops and land, and were wiped out. The captives fought back and abandoned more than ten cities. It only made the Qing captives' arrogance rise sharply, laughing at our weak military strength."

"I heard that the Northern Expedition launched temporarily by His Royal Highness King Qin has a lot of obstacles." Another Ming businessman said with a worried face: "It was originally agreed that the Ming army from Jiangsu and Zhejiang and Zheng Zhilong's navy will support us. Attracting Qing soldiers. But when the army attacked north, the two Ming armies chose not to move, so that the Qing soldiers could concentrate the defense forces from all over the Yangtze River and Huaihe River in Xuzhou, and forcibly overwhelm the Northern Expedition army. Not to mention, far away in Tamna His Royal Highness Yongwang of Daohe Yunzhou (today's Hokkaido) did not send a single soldier to threaten the Qing captives in Liaodong, Tianjin, and Shandong, so that the Qing captives did not have any worries and could fully deal with our Great Ming's Northern Expedition. "

"I heard that in recent years, His Royal Highness King Qin's various political measures have somewhat offended the interests of the country's gentry and scholars. In addition, the King of Qin intends to cut vassals against local forces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Chaozhou. Therefore, , will make these local townsmen react passively to the Northern Expedition.”

"That's why you, Ming Dynasty, are not united internally. You each have your own calculations, how can you drive the Qing captives out of the pass, and then unify China." A businessman from Hanzhou sighed and said: "In other words, the Qing captives Attacking from outside the pass, including armored soldiers, women and children, there are only 30 to [-]. However, this barbaric and backward fishing and hunting tribe can capture our mainland of China, slaughtering and humiliating tens of millions of Ming people. If it is not for the help of our country Qi I'm afraid Daming would have been completely wiped out by these Tartars long ago."

"This..., this... If you look at it from the perspective of the general trend of history, it doesn't seem too absurd." A few businessmen from Ming Dynasty were a little embarrassed, and argued: "Brother, you need to know that there are thousands of people in China. In the history of the past [-] years, there were not a few great countries that were destroyed by barbarians from the north. There was a rebellion in the Jin Dynasty, and the former Song Dynasty also had the shame of the Jinmeng. Gaining profits, and even entering the pass, almost destroying our Ming Dynasty, can be regarded as a lesson from the past."

"Hey!" The Hanzhou businessman sneered coldly, "Da Ming occupies the mainland of China, has hundreds of millions of people, has an army of millions, and is equipped with countless firearms, but it makes a fishing and hunting tribe living in the northeast corner They lost their teachers and ground, suffered a crushing defeat, and then almost destroyed the country. Looking at the world today, there has never been such an absurd thing.”

"That's right. My King Qi said a few years ago that with the large-scale advancement of firearms in today's era, those nomads and fishing and hunting tribes that once tortured the settled people have long since lost their former glory. The unprecedented expansion years ago was the climax and peak of nomadic expansion for thousands of years. After the peak, there was an unstoppable decline. Looking around the world for a hundred years, it is almost impossible to find small nomadic or fishing tribes that have overturned the clouds and wiped out even one A record for a middle power."

A naval officer of the State of Qi in military uniform interjected: "It is said that European Portuguese and Spanish colonists often have conflicts with backward and ignorant natives in distant America, India, Ceylon, and this South Sea region. In wars, staggering exchange ratios can be achieved. More than 100 years ago, the Westerners even massacred the Native American country with a population of tens of millions with only a few hundred people. What's more, Portugal is a small country in the West, and there are people in the country. There are only a million or so, but in Malacca, Ceylon, and India, they can often produce hundreds of soldiers, or even dozens of people, defeating tens of thousands of backward indigenous troops."

"Since 200 years ago, the traditional nomads or fishing and hunting tribes have been powerless in the face of constantly upgrading technology. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine that in the Ming Dynasty decades ago, there were many The population, whether it is culture, technology, or a large country with many resources, will be wiped out by an extremely backward and extremely sparsely populated nomad-fishing and hunting tribe. This is truly lamentable!"

"Well, this military lord is right. According to our country of Qi, your Ming Dynasty is an advanced and civilized country, and it is really not good for you to be beaten up by a barbaric tribe whose strength is far inferior. It should be so. In other words, it is outrageous and absurd for such a thing to happen."

Several businessmen from Daming in the tea shop were robbed for a while, but they couldn't find a reason to refute for a while, and their faces flushed with embarrassment.

Liang Yun'an, who was sitting in the corner, heard this, and his eyes lit up.

Go!Our Qing Dynasty had a population of only 10 and [-] armored soldiers, so it entered the pass and quickly swept the world.Over the past ten years, they have conquered the Shunni, Xianthieves, Tu Nanming, and the rebellious people, and almost seized all of Daming's territory.What martial arts is this!
"You know, the strength of the Qing captives is far inferior to that of the Mongols hundreds of years ago. The premise of the rise of the Mongolian slave chief Temujin was that he unified almost all tribes in Mongolia, and even more so The northern nomadic forces. Those who have a little knowledge of history like me know how powerful the unified Mongolian tribe nomads were in the era of pure cold weapons. Decades ago, when our Ming’s strength faced the Qing captives, it was indeed Possesses an absolute crushing potential. Then, in a very short period of time, he was beaten to almost subjugate the country. Isn’t this absurd enough, isn’t it outrageous enough?” A Chinese businessman living in Batavia slapped the table angrily and said .

"...However, in my Ming Dynasty, there are weather changes that have caused famines for years and many rogues swarming up, and there are more brutal and fierce Mongols and Jiannu who are constantly attacking and harassing the border. It's just like..." A Ming's The businessman argued weakly.

"Weather changes? The problem is that the weather is fair to everyone. Are extreme cold weather and famines only aimed at you, Daming? What's more, Jiannu in Liaodong may feel more malice from the weather. Well, even famine and civil strife are the prerequisites for the decline of your Ming Dynasty, but at that time you had a population of 30 million under the control of your Ming Dynasty, and the total population of the Jiannu tribe when it started was only a few hundred thousand (some people think it was 10). Ten million It is unreasonable to say that a country with a large population has its head shaved by an extremely backward barbaric and ignorant tribe with hundreds of thousands of people. No matter how many reasons and excuses you find, you cannot deny this fact!" The officer said angrily .

After hearing this, Liang Yunan was so excited that he almost got up to applaud his remarks.For his grandma, how difficult it was for me to enter the customs and seize the world in the Qing Dynasty. It is an impossible and shocking move to dominate China with a small clan.

"Your Ming's plan for the present is to unite as one, reform internal affairs, and learn from our country Qi, advocate technology, seek industry, and make yourself more advanced, more civilized, and stronger, so that you can defeat barbarism And ignorance, completely expel the Tartars, and then restore China, and reappear the light of China!"

"it is good!"

"That's right!"

"That is, Daming should develop by itself, and don't always rely on my country, Qi, for support.... You have to rely on yourself!"

"That is, an advanced and civilized country should not be bullied by a barbaric and ignorant Tartar!"

"..."

"Of course, if Daming doesn't think about making progress, it is not impossible for him to be swallowed up by the more backward and barbaric Qing captives." The officer showed a mocking smile, "But if the Qing captives think that this is enough Enjoy peace, continue to sit in the world with barbaric and backward thinking and methods, sooner or later he will be pushed to the ground by a country that is more advanced and civilized than him, his nose and face are swollen, and then he will suffer endless humiliation!"

(End of this chapter)