I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 854 Don’t put eggs in one basket
Semrao Castle was a military fortress that served as a bastion against invasions from the northern sultanate.

Sixty or seventy years ago, the Kingdom of Calicut was robbed of the city of Calicut by the aggressive Portuguese.

The Calicut Zamorin lost the most brilliant jewel in his crown, and his entire kingdom fell into ruin.

Surlit VII's father, Surlit VI, angrily "moved the capital" to Semrao Castle, all the while planning to take back his most precious diamond.

Surlit VI participated in anti-Portuguese alliances many times.

He participated in the Battle of Diu, and was also present in the Siege of Surat and Goa. He contributed money and manpower, and spared no effort to drive out the invaders and regain his hometown.

Unfortunately, they all ended in failure.

Surlit VI died of depression. Before his death, he held the hand of his son Surlit VII and said, "Son, you must take back the city of Calicut. It is our foundation."

Without the city of Calicut, we would be just a bunch of local landlords and would not have the strength to resist the threats from the sultanates in the north.

With the city of Calicut, we are rich men. With money, we can recruit soldiers and horses, resist the covetousness of the jackals in the north, and protect the foundation left to us by our ancestors.

Our ancestors had a hard time starting a business, we cannot let it fail in our hands.
Surlit VII kept his father's last words in mind and continued to participate in the movement against foreign invaders.

Just a few years ago, the foreign invaders changed from the Portuguese to the Ming people, who became even more difficult to deal with.

When Surit VII heard that the Portuguese were driven out of Calicut by the Ming people, he was overjoyed.

More than a hundred years ago, people from the Ming Dynasty came here several times. Their leader was called Zheng He, and they called the city of Calicut "Guri City".

At that time, the Kingdom of Calicut was also under threat from the surrounding sultanates and was almost destroyed.

At that time, the Zamorin, Surlit VII's great-grandfather Ramsegar II, was very smart. When he saw Zheng He bringing hundreds of large ships and two or three thousand troops, with a strong army and powerful soldiers, who beat the pirates along the way, he flew over and hugged Zheng He's thighs.

Godfather, please accept my greetings.

Zheng He felt his sincerity and accepted this henchman.

At the same time, he also announced to all sides that the Kingdom of Calicut was under the protection of the Ming Dynasty. Not giving face to Ramsegar II would be like not giving face to Zheng He, and not giving face to Zheng He would be like not giving face to the Ming Dynasty's hundreds of large ships and twenty to thirty thousand soldiers and horses.

Therefore, the surrounding countries gave face to Calicut and Ramsegar II.

To express his gratitude, Ramsesgar II even sent envoys on Zheng He's ship to the capital to pay tribute and accept the Ming Dynasty's enthronement.

Every time Zheng He went to Southeast Asia, he would visit the city of Calicut if it was convenient to support Ramsesgar II.

With such strong support, the Kingdom of Calicut survived the most difficult period since its founding. At the same time, taking advantage of Zheng He's fleet, it developed trade with Arabia, Persia, East Africa, Bengal, Ceylon and other places, reaped a lot of wealth, recruited soldiers and horses, and gradually strengthened its national strength.

Ramsaygarh II also had a special relationship with Zheng He.

Zheng He died of illness in Calicut, and Ramsegar II cried like a tearful man out of shame.

With such a connection, Surlit VII ran excitedly to the city of Calicut, ready to call the Ming people "adoptive father" and reminisce about their past friendship, and then take back the city of Calicut without spending a penny.

The abacus has jumped from the west coast of India to the Sanbao Strait.

However, Surlit VII never expected that these Ming people today were not from the same place as those who came more than a hundred years ago.

We acknowledge the friendship between Sanbao and eunuch Zheng Gong, as it is recorded in history.

Why should we return the city of Calicut to you?
Just because you call me godfather a few times?
What a joke! We snatched these port castles from the Portuguese with blood and fire, not by calling us godfathers.

Now if you call me godfather a few times, I will give it back to you. Is there such a cheap thing in the world?
Why didn’t you call the Portuguese your foster father or grandfather at the beginning? And see if he would return the castle and the port to you.

Surlit VII was stunned at the time. This was completely different from the gentle and respectful Ming people in the legends passed down by his ancestors!
There was no other way, so he talked about the relationship between Zheng He and his ancestors, and said that his great-grandfather had built a cenotaph for Zheng Gong, and every year his descendants would follow the ancestral teachings to worship him.

The Ming people said, we know about this, and in order to commemorate this great friendship, we decided to change the name of Calicut City from Guli City to Zhengling City.

The sky is falling!

What happened to this world?
Where did the people of Ming Dynasty, who were so humble, polite, and righteous, go? How did they suddenly become a group of greedy villains who are only interested in profit and turn against their will?

Surlit VII was angry!

He resolutely joined the anti-Ming alliance, made contacts everywhere, and contributed money and manpower.

Among them, the Kunjali family ran around for him and even contributed a sum of money as military expenses.

The Kunjali family was a famous merchant family on the west coast of India, and once controlled more than half of the cotton and printed cloth trade in the Calicut region.

The Ming Dynasty's woven cotton cloth flooded into the Indian region like a tide. The Kunja family was greatly impacted and suffered heavy losses, so they secretly joined the anti-Ming alliance.

Since they have Arab-Indian ancestry, they naturally have close ties with the Arab region. Surit VII and even Muzaffar Shah III often contacted Arab merchant groups through them and recruited Arab pirate groups.
But now he is with his troops, occupying the Castle of Semlao, and why is he closing the door and not letting me in?

"Kunjadajara," Surlit VII rode on his horse, enduring the fatigue of running for four days and four nights without a good rest, raised his head and shouted the name of the head of the Kunja family, "What's wrong with you?"

"Sullit, isn't it obvious? I have become the master of this castle and this land."

Kunjadajara stood on the city wall, spread his arms and said with a smile.

Surlit VII was so angry that his face turned pale. "Who gave you the courage? Who made you so bold?"

Kunjadajara continued with a smile: “It was the Ming Dynasty that accepted the loyalty of the Kunja family and gave the Semrao Castle and the surrounding land to the Kunja family.

Long live the Ming Dynasty, long live the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!"

The officers and soldiers behind him also raised their weapons and shouted in unison: "Long live the Ming Dynasty! Long live the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!"

Surlit VII's face turned pale. "Kunjadajara, how could you... Didn't the Ming Dynasty cause your family's business to suffer heavy losses?"

"We were short-sighted. We didn't realize that times have changed. Now is the industrial age, and machine-woven cotton is the king."

Kunjadajara waved his hands and spoke passionately.

He actually didn't understand what the Industrial Age was, but he thought these words used by the Ming people were so powerful and trendy that he couldn't help but translate them and copy them to show off.

“The Ming Dynasty agreed to grant our Kunja family a license.

What is the most valuable thing in the Ming Dynasty? Everyone knows that it is the license! There are only three licenses for the cotton cloth agency on the west coast of Tianzhu. Our Kunjia family got the first one, and we can get 45% of the share every year.

In just one year, our Kunjia family will be able to make up for all the losses of the past decade, and then we will have a lot of profits every year, and we will become one of the richest families on the west coast of Tianzhu!"

Surlit VII roared angrily: "Traitor! Shameless villain! You betrayed your ancestors and your beliefs. You are a traitor who betrayed everything!"

Kunjadala smiled faintly: "Haha, Surlit, we are just businessmen, pursuing profits. If you can't beat them, just join them. As long as we can make money, we don't care whether it is handmade cotton cloth or machine-woven cotton cloth.

As long as they can give us wealth and glory, we don't care whether it's Zamorin or the Governor of Ming! But there is a small problem now."

"what is the problem?"

"We need to hand you and your family over to the Ming people, and they have to pay a pledge of surrender! I have already captured your family, and you are the only one missing."

"what!"

Surlit VII realized something was wrong and immediately turned his horse around, calling on his only two or three hundred remaining guards to leave quickly.

But an army quickly came from both sides and soon surrounded them.

Kunjadala smiled coldly as he looked at Surlit VII who was pulled off his horse and tied up like a dumpling.

If it wasn't for the purpose of luring you in front of the city gate so that my army can outflank you, I wouldn't have wasted so much time talking nonsense with you here!

Kunjadara brought Surlit VII and his family to Zhengling City. After completing the handover, Kunjadara went to visit his old friend Komuman.

"Kunjadara, I heard that you have made great achievements and will soon become the Maharaja of Semrao! Congratulations!"

Kunjadala hugged Kemuman tightly, put his face to his left and right sides, and said gratefully: "It is thanks to your help in connecting me that I was able to board the Ming ship in time."

"Haha, you're welcome, we are old friends. The Greater Nanyang Commercial Agency has approved your agent's license, and you will be able to get it in a few days."

The Greater Nanyang Commercial Agency was an institution established by the Shaofujian in the port of Gorong, Ceylon, to handle the commercial affairs of the Ming Dynasty in the Greater Nanyang region, including India, Bengal, Pagan, Persia, Oman, East Africa and other places.

Kunjadara was overjoyed.

The Qinglong Fleet Agency can guarantee that you will become the Lord of Semrao, but the agent license must be issued by the agency.

Kunjadara attaches more importance to agent license.

Without this license, you can't make big money. Without money, you can't recruit soldiers. It's useless even if you call yourself Emperor Semlao.

Now that the agent license has finally been issued, Kunjadara couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Isn't it for this that he lurked as a spy and pretended to deal with Surit VII and Muzaffar Shah III?

"Brother Kunja, you have now got what you wished for. We will have plenty of opportunities to cooperate in the future."

Kunjadala immediately replied: "Brother Kemuman, don't worry, all the funds of Kunja Trading Company are deposited in Nanyang Commercial Bank. I can swear to Brahma on this."

It would not work if we did not put it in the Nanyang Commercial Bank. Where in India is there such a convenient and trustworthy bank?

Komuman said, "I believe you, brother Kunja, but I am telling you something else."

"what's up?"

"Now that you have become the agent of the Ming Dynasty in Tianzhu, we are family. I will speak to you from the bottom of my heart."

"My good brother, please speak."

"Brother Kunja, don't hide your wealth in temples and castle basements like Surlit VII did. As a result, you lost both your life and your money."

Yes, the money that Surlit VII hid in the Semlao Castle was divided up 50-50 by Kunjadala and the Ming Navy Special Forces Regiment sent to support him.

"Brother Komuman, what suggestions do you have?"

"You can deposit all your family's wealth in Nanyang Commercial Bank."

Kunjadala's eyes flashed, "All in Nanyang Commercial Bank?"

"That's right. Nanyang Commercial Bank is currently registered at the Hong Kong Registry, but its headquarters is located in the Greater Nanyang region, in Gaulang, Ceylon.

Then branches will be opened in Jiaozhou, Xinzhou, Longkou, Chadi (Jida), Zhengling, Cochin, Jizhou, Goa, as well as Muscat, Basra and Aden.

Brother Kunjadala, the major shareholder of Nanyang Commercial Bank is the Shaofujian, which is the imperial property of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty. Do you believe in its strength?"

Kunjadara nodded repeatedly: "I believe it, more than I believe in Brahma."

"You know the rules of the Ming Bank. They only recognize passbooks, seals, and secret stamps." Kemuman leaned his head closer to Kunjadala and said in a low voice, "Anyone can come and withdraw money if they have all three.

Brother Kunjia, your family's money is deposited in our Nanyang Commercial Bank to leave a way out. Tianzhu has been in chaos for many years, can it be peaceful for a while?
Impossible. If anything goes wrong, the Kunja brothers will take their families and flee to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. With the passbook, seal and secret seal, the money will still be yours. It won't be like that fool Surlit, who lost both his life and his money.

We have a saying in the Ming Dynasty: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Kunjadara was a successful businessman and of course he heard this as advice to avoid risks.

But this suggestion is very correct. The Ming Dynasty is so powerful that even if India is defeated and the land is sunk, it will not be affected at all.

He deposited his family's wealth in the Nanyang Commercial Bank. If anything happened, he could just take the passbook seal and secret seal and run away. He could continue to live a carefree life in the Ming Dynasty.

In the minds of Arab and Indian merchants, the credit of the Ming Bank is more guaranteed than that of God and Brahma.

Kunjadala nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Kemuman, for reminding me. I will make arrangements as soon as I get back."

Komuman smiled and continued, “Brother Kunja, I have two more suggestions for you.”

“Please go ahead.

"You can give yourself a Chinese name, work hard to learn the official language of the Ming Dynasty, and then try to send your children to study in the Ming Dynasty. Now my Ming Dynasty's middle schools are recruiting a large number of children of foreign nobles."

Kunjadara understood and nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, yes! Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

(End of this chapter)