"Probably only the port tax officer can tell the exact figure of Sanavria's wealth. His residence is even more famous in Manila than the governor's residence. The captains of the Wang family's East India Fleet envied Sanavria the most. Leah’s private boat. He likes to show off the fastest and most luxurious carriage he owns in the country. Of course -" the financial officer made a contemptuous gesture: "That is by no means a comparison with your carriage."
"Ah, if His Majesty Philip II knew that he could obtain so much wealth by extorting and robbing the Chinese, how much he would regret giving up his plan to expedition to China." Weiss lit a cigar for Andrade. , although the latter was a little drunk, he still stared curiously at the gold-plated Australian tinder box in the earl's hand, wanting to see what happened.
"An expedition to China is an unrealistic fantasy." Andrade exhaled smoke. "There are too many Chinese. Even the tens of thousands of Chinese in Parian - they are cowardly and fighting among themselves - The governor is always worried, lest they be incited by some Chinese to cause rebellion."
"After the riot thirty years ago, they should know what cannons feel like."
"It is said that 30,000 Chinese died in the riots thirty years ago, and the blood dyed the river red. Many people thought that the Chinese would never come to Manila again, but look, Parian's The population is several times greater than that of that time. From a purely profit perspective, the Chinese are more suitable subjects than any kind of native here."
"But they are all superstitious pagans who do not believe in God..."
"Yes, I completely agree with this. The Chinese are indeed full of bad habits. But those pious and lazy people. What use are they to us? Besides, they are not pious at all." Andrade drank. We smoked cigarettes and had a lot of fun talking. "Whether it's building roads, building houses, doing business or farming, it all depends on the Chinese! Carpenters, brickmakers, blacksmiths, sugar refining, iron smelting... As long as you want to get a job, you have to let the Chinese do it. Head tax They were also paying. They kept pouring in."
"A lot of Chinese people have come recently?"
"Although the Governor is worried about the number of Chinese people all day long, he has recently been recruiting a large number of Chinese craftsmen to Manila. This is all because of the temptation of that guy who appeared from nowhere and squandered money wantonly on various projects. On all kinds of new gadgets, he is as generous as the Marquis of the Valley."
He fell silent at this point, seeming to realize that it was inappropriate for him to discuss the Governor with someone he didn't know very well.
Lando deliberately changed the topic:
"Please tell me. Who is Don Esteban Sanafri? If he is a country squire, how many properties does he own? If he is a merchant, what is his business?"
"According to the royal decree, Manila implements the bulk transaction law on Chinese goods. The goods shipped to them are valued in bulk by an official appointed by the governor, and then sold to local Spanish merchants in proportion. During the valuation Private transactions were not allowed before. Generally speaking, port tax officials will be sent to conduct valuations. But Mr. Don Basilio and Mr. Don Sanafria obviously have a good relationship." Andrade showed a meaningful smile , "So he can always know the lowest price in advance. He gets the best Chinese goods according to the largest share. He also has his own merchant ship, plying between Manila and Coromandel. Chinese silk satin and porcelain, Indian Ivory and spices filled the cargo holds he occupied on the royal galleons. The deputy king of New Spain ordered each galley to carry only four thousand bales of goods to Acapulco, but only Mr. Sanabria The goods were close to this number. Instead of being able to compete with him, other merchants often borrowed money from him. He only failed twice, once when the galleon San Ambrosio was shot by the Dutch. It sank, with a loss of three hundred thousand pesos of cargo. Another time it was because of the Australians. Some weirdos who lived on a Chinese island."
"Be careful, you're sitting in a carriage built by these weirdos."
"I don't mind the goods made by these weirdos at all. Their goods are great. Not only are they in short supply here, they are popular everywhere from India to the Near East." Andrade said nonchalantly, "If I can get a stable If I were to supply Australian goods, I would have been the richest man in the entire Philippines.”
At this time, the carriage drove through large coconut groves and bamboo groves, passed through several Tagalog villages, and rushed past huts. These huts are extremely simple, with the walls just made of fences made of green bamboo from the edge of the village, and covered with banana leaves to serve as roofs. Women were busy inside and outside the house, and men gathered in groups on the roadside and in the corners of houses. Almost everyone had a rooster under their arm. Weiss knew as early as three hundred years later that cockfighting was a national pastime for Filipinos. A group of naughty children chased the carriage and begged for rewards. The red-flag carriage sped away, leaving them behind in the blink of an eye. The road from Parian to Manila via Bilenlo was highly valued by the colonial authorities and was repaired from time to time. However, the unhardened road surface was still full of ruts and potholes. Under the dual action of the shock-absorbing spring and the sofa seat, even if the coachman whipped his horse and galloped away, the passengers in the car would only feel a slight shake.
"The strange thing is that these people only occupy an island about the same size as Formosa. In the eyes of the Chinese emperor, such a remote island is just a small grain of sand on the edge of the world. This is the group of people who built a They created a prosperous city, and all Chinese goods were transformed by them and became more than ten times more sophisticated. The first fleet of the Southeast Asian company dealing in Australian goods arrived in Manila, and the whole city was shocked. The governor was also shocked, because they sang The salute even drowned out the cannons of Fort Santiago. So when the Australians refused to accept the Whole Deal Act, the Governor of Salamanca agreed to their request. So Mr. Sanafria was ready to make a fortune the old way, As a result, nothing was caught. He hated them to the core. He often lobbied the governor to seize the ships and cargo of the Southeast Asia Company - at least to fine them a large sum of money..."
"Why? Just because he didn't get any benefits?"
"You can say that." The financial director sneered, "Of course, everyone knows that the major shareholders of Southeast Asia Company are actually Australians. Since the Australians took away our two ships, Don Sanafria's claim has been confirmed Many people agreed, but the governor was still hesitant - the Southeast Asian Company's trade is essential to the colony..."
Andrade doesn't point out that he strongly disagrees with the idea: Abaca shipped by Southeast Asian companies now accounts for half of his annual sales.
Weiss knew that the Southeast Asia Company's merchant fleet that Andrade mentioned. Because the Manila trade was able to bring back much needed logs, abaca, tobacco, and copra. The Planning Institute spoke highly of Manila's trade voyage. He wanted to divert the conversation away from the Australians. At this moment, there was a low muffled sound, as if a huge drumstick was hitting the ground. The former mercenary jumped to the car window like a reflex.
"Mr. Salamanca went back to see his new baby cannon," Andrade said.
The woods on both sides of the road passed by as the carriage sped by. Delicate, bright banana trees and slender, gloomy coconut trees intertwined into an endless hedge. Several khaki barracks seemed to be exposed in the gaps between the branches, but they passed by in an instant under the cover of the wide banana leaves. The sound of gunfire continued one after another, and Weiss' heart suddenly tightened. He heard the long and shrill tail of the shell, reminding him of the 76mm Tito cannon that was very common in service in the Balkans, followed by the roar of the explosion, and a cloud of white smoke billowing from the hedge, mixed with flying particles. grass and clods of soil.
Weiss impulsively wanted to stop the car immediately and go down to see what was going on. But he immediately changed his mind and reached out to ring a bell in front of his seat twice. This was a signal to hurry up. The two pairs of horses seemed to have wings under the driving of the coachman. The dust mist raised by the wheels drowned other things on the road. Several Spaniards galloped over, wanting to catch a glimpse of this dazzling car that was flying like a shooting star. Finally, All were left behind. After passing the narrow wooden bridge over the Pasig River and under the gray city wall, the soldiers guarding the gate seemed familiar with the carriage and the coat of arms on it. They saluted as it rumbled and rushed through the city gate like a whirlwind. present. The red-flag carriage rolled with a thundering noise through the city's gravel-paved streets. Pedestrians rushed to the roadside one after another, looking at the count's carriage and the horse with flowing mane in surprise and envy.
"I didn't know until now that people get pleasure from speed," Andrade said, a little sober from his drunkenness: "Ah, be careful, Count, there's a carriage ahead!"
The carriage driving in front of them was inlaid with a large coat of arms with a very complicated pattern. Although the coachman tried his best to maintain his lead over the latecomers, his efforts were completely in vain. The overly wide body, the different sizes of the front and rear wheels, and the suspension device connected by belts all determine that this is not a vehicle suitable for high-speed travel. Amid the screams of onlookers on the roadside and in the buildings, the red flag carriage easily bypassed the carriage in front and left it behind. When the two cars met, the white satin window curtain of the carriage was opened, revealing a shiny head with only a few locks of hair left. The high cheekbones, aquiline nose and a pair of fierce eyes were all Weiss's. Familiar with me at the mayor's mansion banquet.
"It seems," Andrade said, "Don Esteban Sanabria has become your enemy." (To be continued...)
ps: Note: sangley refers to the Chinese who came to the Philippines, or their mixed descendants with the locals.
