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Chapter 1168 Speculator 4
"Your Majesty, can I ask one last question?" It turned out that Lisboa was very smart. He got the answer in less than 20 seconds, but he needed to add another parameter.

"When I was a business representative at the Port of Muscat, I met many Egyptian merchants from the Red Sea. According to their descriptions, there were also camel caravans in the Port of Suez that carried goods from ships to the Mediterranean coast to sell to Venetian merchants.

And that section seems to be only five or six days' journey. If Your Majesty wants to open a trade route connecting Europe and Asia, the first choice is definitely Suez Port. If it is to punish the arrogance and rudeness of the Ottomans, Suez Port is also a good choice. "

It is said that people with broad knowledge are not easy to deceive. Lisboa should have been to most of the famous ports in Asia. At least he is very familiar with geography and quickly noticed the major anomaly. If it cannot be proved that this is an oversight, then there must be a big conspiracy behind it.

"In fact, my first choice was indeed the Port of Suez, and I made efforts for it, but it was rejected by Murad IV.

But sometimes failure is not all a loss. It was because of Murad IV's refusal that I had the opportunity to learn more details. Then I found that using the Port of Suez as the main trade route connecting Europe and Asia has a disadvantage that is difficult to overcome.

No matter which route you choose, you will have to cross hundreds of kilometers of desert Gobi from the Port of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea. It is very hot during the day and cold at night, and there is a lack of drinking water for people and animals, which is not suitable for long-distance travel.

The local camel caravans mainly transport high-value, low-weight goods, so as to free up enough weight to carry more drinking water. Even so, they often get lost in the desert due to sandstorms, and there are also Bedouin bandits who come and go like the wind.

You should be familiar with all of this, and you can easily tell which side is more suitable with a simple calculation. I will give you two days to discuss the specific terms after I take over Basra. You can also use this time to think carefully about the pros and cons.

Don't force it, and don't overthink it. This is not politics or military affairs, but business, and both sides must be profitable to make it work in the long run. Remember, this is a long-term investment, and the greater the return, the greater the risk, so you must be mentally prepared. "

Hong Tao is really not afraid of Lisboa's wide knowledge. As a strategic partner, the smarter the better. If he has the ability to stand on his own, that would be even better.

However, I have to say it first. Acting as an agent for the Ming Empire in Mesopotamia is not a purely commercial act. Not to mention how the Ottoman Empire will retaliate, the Persians and Arabs are not easy to deal with. Once they recover, they will be no easier to manipulate than the Ottomans.

"... Two days... Your Majesty, if my Chamber of Commerce manages the trade route from Faw Port to Beirut Port, can we obtain the agency rights for some goods like the Dutch?"

Lisboa listened carefully, pondering the meaning of every word, such as the time of capturing Basra. Even though he had seen the fighting power of the Ming army in Fao Port, Basra was the real city.

If someone else said that it would take two days to conquer the city, it would be considered bragging, but the emperor's words to his face carried much more weight. The stronger the Ming army's combat effectiveness, the safer it would be for its partners. But military strength alone was not enough to secure the deal, and a bargaining chip had to be added.

"Are you jealous of the Dutch? Well, I can't be partial. I'll give you the agency rights for fine cotton cloth, but only to the west of the Arabian Sea, for a period of one year. If you and your Chamber of Commerce can gain a foothold in Faw Port and Basra City, you can extend the period and get the agency rights for a few more commodities.

In addition, I will send people to support you with 1000 muskets and cannons, as well as a small number of officers for training. You can recruit the remaining number yourself, and I won't say more about how to use them. "Hearing this condition, Hong Tao was very happy. He originally hoped to support the Portuguese to curb the monopoly of the Dutch, but before he could open his mouth, the knife handle was handed to him, which saved him a lot of trouble.

But the more you have to keep calm at this time, you can't show any emotional fluctuations, and you can't give everything you want, as if you can't wait. There is a saying that it is not a good deal to rush, and you must firmly grasp the initiative when you can.

"Don't think about it, just sign the contract according to the conditions Your Majesty said... uh... do we need a contract?" Before the emperor finished speaking, Lisboa had already thought it through. The conditions were excellent, the profits were considerable, and the opportunity was rare, so he must seize it.

As for the danger, the Portuguese used the ocean to explore between the continents for hundreds of years and established hundreds of trading points, all of which were obtained at the cost of their lives, or in other words, were seized by robbery.

The trick of holding a Bible in one hand, a gun in the other, and goods in the other does not need anyone to teach it, it is a special skill. But there is another special skill that needs to be matched, the contract. This thing can be said to be useless or useful. Sometimes it is indeed a piece of waste paper, but it is better to have it than not to have it.

"Don't worry about the contract. Think about it slowly and write down all the terms you can think of. I will also send someone to draft it. We will sign it after we defeat Basra. According to the custom of the Ming Dynasty, this is called double happiness!"

Coincidentally, Hong Tao also believed that the cooperation between the two parties must sign a formal contract, but not now. Business and politics are sometimes two different things, and sometimes they are the same thing. Although Lisboa swore to the sky with full confidence, once the Ming army suffered a setback in the war, they would be the first to turn against him.

If you want to make these profiteers submit, you have to show enough strength. Also waiting to see the outcome of this war are the Persians and Arabs. These guys are also famous for being fence-sitters, chasing ups and downs without hesitation. It would be difficult to open up a trade route from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean without their approval.

With the paddle boats leading the way, the fleet moved faster than the navy expected, and the city on the right bank of the Shatt al-Arab could be seen with the naked eye the next morning.

In fact, the low Arab houses and city walls are easily obscured by the dense date palms and date palm forests, and only the towering minaret is particularly eye-catching. And as long as there is a tower-like building, it means that there is a city of considerable size.

"What a pity! Such a beautiful building is likely to be destroyed in the war. Notice everyone to avoid the minaret when bombarding unless necessary. Let's get started, Zhao En, don't embarrass me. Whether the Imperial Stables can become famous in one battle depends entirely on you!"

As the black hot air balloon slowly rose, dozens of small boats loaded with warriors sailed towards the shore. With the combat experience of Faao Port, Hong Tao had nothing to tell them, and could only give some encouragement from a spiritual level.

"I obey your order!" Zhao En didn't waste any words. He saluted, turned around, and climbed down the side of the ship with the guards. There was not much determination in his eyes, but full of confidence.

Since setting out from the port of Fao, he has been holding meetings with the army staff, discussing only one thing: how to give full play to the power of new weapons and reduce casualties in the next battle.

(End of this chapter)