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Chapter 1165 Speculators

"Your Majesty, your glorious deeds are widely known in the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Gabriel once told me in person that you are the most just, selfless and God-like emperor in the world.

To show my respect, and to prevent the slaves in the hold from destroying this respect, I am willing to risk providing all the help to the Ming army, free of charge. I can speak Arabic and Greek, and I also know the lord of Basra. Not only will I not cause trouble to Your Majesty, I can also provide help. "

However, this senior representative of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, who looked very similar to the later football star Zidane, not only did not leave, but also vowed not to cause any trouble and tried his best to prove his worth.

"Do you know Gabriel?" Hong Tao treated all their promises as bullshit. Anyone who believed in these people would be in trouble.

For commercial purposes, they could kneel down to the indigenous chiefs with great sincerity, almost acknowledging them as their fathers. But once they had established their foothold, they turned their backs on them and pointed their guns at their heads, calling them their grandsons.

However, there is a name that can still be used. Gabriel not only brought many plant seeds and seedlings produced in America to the Ming Dynasty, but also served as the governor of Macau for nearly 20 years. He has never stood on the wrong side in terms of betrayal, and must be considered a friend of the Ming Empire.

Although he never called himself a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, he had already regarded the Ming Dynasty as his second home. After he had to resign from his post as the leader of Macau due to his advanced age, he moved his family to Xiaoliuqiu. At the age of 80, he managed a large camphor forest on the island and sent his great-grandson and great-granddaughter to a new school in Guangzhou.

“Yes, Mr. Gabriel was my father’s captain. Due to health reasons, my father had to leave the sailboat and return to Portugal, where he died shortly afterwards.

But among his belongings were letters to Mr. Gabriel. It was with those letters that I took a boat to Macau, found Mr. Gabriel, and got a loan, which led to the establishment of the fleet and chamber of commerce today.

If your Majesty wishes, I can give you my correspondence with Mr. Gabriel over the years. He has been like a father and a mentor to me, and has provided me with valuable experience in both navigation and business."

Seeing that the emperor was interested, Lisboa hurriedly emphasized his close relationship with Gabriel. This time, he not only had a story, but also letters to support it.

"We should add one more point: speculation! Gabriel is good at choosing opportunities and is willing to pay the price for his choices." Having said that, Hong Tao roughly knew what this guy was going to mention next, which was still business.

But I don't feel bored. As a businessman, if I can't always think about the opportunity to make money, then I am not dedicated. But before discussing business, there must be a prerequisite, credit.

I don't want to cooperate with someone who is fickle and who sits on the fence. Although businessmen are all profit-seeking, they also have different visions. If Gabriel had not stood firmly on the side of the Ming Dynasty when the Ming Dynasty and Spain were at odds, the Portuguese community in Macau would have ceased to exist long ago.

His choice, or wisdom, not only protected the interests of him and many of his compatriots, but also fulfilled himself. This is a very good example that should continue to be carried forward.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. My Chamber of Commerce and I are willing to stand together with the Ming Empire. Even if the Governor of Goa disagrees, as long as safety can be ensured, my Chamber of Commerce and I will still choose the Ming Empire. I, Raphael, Lisboa, swear in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"

Lisboa obviously heard the hidden meaning, and then he gave a decisive answer, adding the heaviest oath, his dark green eyes flashed with excitement, like a hyena seeing an animal corpse. "Hehe, Governor of Goa, he will be very sad if he hears you say that." Although Hong Tao never believed in oaths, he was also amused by Lisboa's serious expression.

European merchants who came to Asia to do business were roughly divided into three factions. They all pursued profit, but each of them exhibited completely different characteristics.

The first group is religious people, such as fervent Catholics and missionaries. When they boarded the exploration ship to sail, they not only had a desire for wealth, but also a firm belief in religious beliefs, and even a heroic spirit of selflessly sacrificing themselves to save all mankind.

Regardless of whether it really saved all of humanity, many countries in later generations were deeply influenced by it, and in a sense it did achieve its ideal.

But it was this group of people that Hong Tao hated and feared the most. Some of them could be reformed, such as Xiong Sanba and Tang Ruowang, but most of them were die-hards. Over the years, dozens of European missionaries were expelled from Macau, Manila and other places alone.

The second group is adventurers or ambitious people. These people have high status and living standards in European countries, and they are not fanatical religious people. However, they have the adventurous gene in their bodies, and they don't want to live a stable life. They want to explore the unknown world, and it would be best if they can become famous.

Hong Tao both likes and dislikes these people. He has an adventurous gene and has dreamed of sailing around the world since he was a child. However, he lacks courage and ambition, and is always bound by worldly affairs, making it difficult for him to take the first step.

The third group is small businessmen like Gabriel and Lisboa, who come from humble backgrounds and do not live a rich life, belonging to the bottom of society. They have no connections or funds, and can only work hard to change their living conditions.

Most of these people died, and many of the rest turned into desperadoes and profit-seeking villains, with only personal interests in their eyes, becoming pirates and mercenaries, and extremely unreliable. However, there are a few who have not been worn out by danger and suffering, and can still maintain their bottom line while pursuing interests.

Hong Tao prefers to cooperate with this small group of people, not for maximizing profits, but just to save trouble. Such people will not pursue profits too much, so they are not likely to take radical actions, and they are more in line with his own needs.

"Your Majesty may not know that the Governor of Goa has gone from being the best position in the Portuguese court to the worst. More than ten years ago, many people had to pay a large sum of silver coins to bribe the king to get it, but now they have to pay silver coins to bribe the king not to be sent to Asia.

If Philip IV hated someone, he would do everything he could to appoint him as the Governor of Goa. In fact, this job was not easy. The Spice Islands were controlled by the Dutch, and the situation in the East Indies and the Arabian Peninsula was not stable, and changes happened every few days.

If the goods cannot be transported back, the king and ministers will blame us. If the trading post cannot be protected, the captains and sailors will curse us. Even the mercenaries will blame the governor for any losses they suffer.

Lisboa is very talkative, and after being encouraged by the emperor's smile, he could not stop. He said everything he could and everything he couldn't say, and even the political ecology of Spain and Portugal became a topic of conversation.

(End of this chapter)