Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1180 Four Major Trade Areas in Europe
"Europe has four important trade areas on the sea - the Mediterranean Sea, Northern Europe, the Atlantic coast, and ocean trade. The trade in grain, salt, salted products, oil, wine, cheese, leather, pottery, and textiles in the Mediterranean is prosperous. However, the spices from the East are the most prosperous. Venice, Genoa, Levant and other places have been quite prosperous because of spices in the past 200 years. They obtained spices from Chinese merchants and Indian merchants, and then shipped them to Europe through the Red Sea. Originally, Chinese merchants The 3000 pounds of spices bought there may cost more than [-] pounds or even higher when they arrive in Britain, and the price of some spices will increase dozens of times.”

"Britain also established the Levant Company, which often organized fleets to go to the Mediterranean for trade, mainly to sell the woolen cloth we produced to the Ottoman Empire. Even Queen Elizabeth secretly invested 4 pounds in the Levant Company. The Ottomans sold as much as £15 of woolen cloth."

"However, with the opening of a new sea route, you have monopolized the spice trade in the east, and the trade in the Mediterranean has declined a lot. I just don't know if the Ottoman Empire will be dissatisfied with your east. After all, they have obtained huge benefits from monopolizing the trade between the East and the West. , You wiped out the country of Aceh under their control, imposed a high tax on spices, made it more expensive for them to buy spices from Malacca than before, and transported more than ten boats of spices by sea."

Sir Greenville poured a glass of brandy for his son-in-law Li Jinde, and introduced him to the current trade situation in Europe.

"Isn't the Mediterranean area infested by the Ottoman navy and Barbary pirates? I heard from British sailors that the Ottoman navy and Barbary pirates would treat captured people as slaves and sell them to the desert, where they will be slaves forever." Li Jinde Some surprises.

"The Ottoman navy once dominated the Mediterranean Sea. They have amazing recovery capabilities. They can manufacture more than 200 paddleboats and 10 three-masted sailboats in half a year. However, their warships and tactics have begun to lag behind our Western Europe. They still have to Facing threats from the Austrians and Persians. Therefore, as long as there are naval escorts and protection fees paid to Barbary pirates, it does not matter even if they go to the Mediterranean for trade. For example, the French Prime Minister Richelieu has more than 20 ships in the Mediterranean The Mediterranean fleet composed of large oar warships can also send the sailing fleet of the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean to fight in times of crisis. Even the Ottoman Empire and Barbary pirates would not attack such a powerful navy for no reason. What's more, even pagans need us in Europe The Ottoman Empire has reached a trade treaty with Britain and France for decades. Although our King James and King Charles once made anti-Ottoman remarks, the trade between the two countries did not shrink, but expanded. said Sir Greenville.

"If that's the case, I'd like to go to the Mediterranean region to see the rumored Ottoman Empire with a population of 3000 million." Li Jinde said.

Although the population of the Ottoman Empire is smaller than that of the Huaxia and Mughal Empires, it may be the third largest empire in terms of population. It used to monopolize the trade between the East and the West by itself, and it was against the whole of Europe.

"Levant's headquarters is located in Aleppo in the Middle East. Aleppo, Constantinople, Alexandria and Smyrna all have Levant's factories. Every year there will be 20 to 30 merchant ships. The trading fleet transported woolen goods, munitions and tin to the Mediterranean in exchange for silk, rum, raisins and carpets. Didn’t Sir Henry, who is in charge of the Levant Company, buy a batch of smallpox vaccine from you? You can enter the Mediterranean through your relationship , to see the gesture of the Ottoman Empire," Sir Greenville said.

At this time, Li Jinde thought of the businessman Henry who bought 1000 smallpox vaccines from him.When he arrived, he claimed to be the governor of the Levant Company. It turned out that the Levant Company was responsible for the monopoly trade between Britain and Ottoman, and now the annual trade volume may reach hundreds of thousands of pounds.

At this time, the Levant Company is even more profitable than the East India Company in the eyes of the British, and the person who can serve as the governor of the Levant Company can be regarded as the No. [-] big shot.

"What about the trade situation in the other three places? Northern Europe, the Atlantic coast, and the ocean." Li Jinde intends to learn more about European trade from Sir Greenville so that he can benefit from it in the future.

"Nordic sea fur, grain, fishery, and timber trade are active, and the market is divided up by the Hanseatic League, the Netherlands, and Britain. Among them, the Netherlands, which has tens of thousands of merchant ships and fishing boats, occupies a dominant position. They Seized the North Sea fishing grounds and monopolized shipping. The Atlantic coast is industrial products, wine, liqueur, salt, and as an intermediary for the other three sea areas. Ocean trade is naturally spices from the East, sugar, salt, tobacco, leather, and pearls from the Americas. African……"

Sir Greenville still has a good understanding of the European trade situation, which made Li Jinde nod and gained a lot.

"You two big men are discussing these things again?" Mrs. Grace came over with the tea set, and found that Sir Greenville and Li Jinde were already reeking of alcohol.

Originally, Li Jinde gave her a purple sand tea set from Suzhou, a famous commercial capital in the East, which she liked very much, and she planned to learn how to make tea, but the two of them drank brandy shipped from the Netherlands.The smell of wine made Mrs. Grace frown slightly.

"What else can men talk about in private except war, money, and women?" Lord Greenville said, "In this troubled world, wars are fought where there should be wars, and business is still done where business should be done. Every year there are a lot of Many merchant ships were sunk and captured by privateers and pirates, but there are still thousands of ships sailing on the sea. Why? Because life is still muddling along, and people always have to eat.”

"Okay, you participated in the war with the Spaniards when there was no armistice in Spain, and later you went to the battlefield of the Netherlands to help the Netherlands resist the Spanish attack, and finally you were expelled from the Netherlands because of the mission to the east. Is it too long to be dispatched back from the battlefield in Lanzhou? Even Selina stayed in the east because of you, if you, an old man, died on the battlefield, do you want me to be alone in London?" Mrs. Grace talked about this One thing, another burst of anger.

Sir Greenville was also a soldier when the war broke out, participated in a series of wars with Spain, and returned to London as Britain gradually withdrew from the Thirty Years War.Monk also served under Lord Greenville, and only later became the earl of Leicester's servant after Lord Greenville had withdrawn from the war.

It is precisely because of the superior-subordinate relationship between George Monk and Sir Greenville that Sir Greenville planned to entrust his daughter to Monk, but Li Jinde came out halfway.

(End of this chapter)