At the end of December 1488, thirty-five thousand miles away in the east, the Kingdom of Portugal, the port of Lisbon.
Thousands of sails stand erect, and a forest of masts forms. Hundreds of merchant ships of various colors docked here, with dozens of flags of commercial city-states flying on the bows. Dark-skinned coolies loaded and unloaded goods, exquisite carriages carried nobles, and the market at the port was full of merchants. This is one of the most important trading ports in Western Europe and a trading node connecting the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
As the Kingdom of Portugal established a series of castles and strongholds on the coast of West Africa, spices, gold and silver, ivory, and slaves from the southern continent were continuously transported by the powerful kingdom fleet to this ancient coastal city. , injecting the most vigorous vitality.
Thirty-five years ago, when the mighty Ottomans captured Constantinople and completely cut off the Silk and Spice Road between the East and the West, Lisbon Port became the only stable spice port in the Catholic world. Even though the spices that can be provided here are just a drop in the bucket compared to the huge demand in the world of God.
Among the many spices, pepper is the most preferred by the nobles and bishops of the Catholic world. Pepper has been an important cooking spice since ancient Roman times. In medieval medicine, it was also an extremely important medical ingredient. The priests of the church, together with the doctors of the college, believed that pepper could cure all pain, swelling, inflammation, invasion of evil spirits... and... impotence.
In addition, in this era of plague, pepper, cloves and cinnamon were also used to prevent plague, using their special aroma to resist the "rotten smell" in the air. This outstanding knowledge has even been recognized by the Pope of Rome.
Therefore, the spices from the southern continent make the port of Lisbon so special and important. The large number of gold coins minted by the Kingdom of Portugal also made the commodity trade here more prosperous. The port of Lisbon in this era is full of vitality and vitality!
At this moment, the supervisor of the Portuguese royal family, Captain Bartolomeu Dias, was standing on the port of Lisbon, looking at this vibrant coastal city. After 16 months of difficult sailing, he finally returned to Lisbon and set foot on his homeland.
"O merciful Lord! Thank you for your generous gift! Praise you for granting your devout believers to cross the waves of thousands of miles and return to the kingdom of God with the good news of the Eastern Route!...Ah! In our Lord Jesus Christ Before Christmas Day, the 1488th year since our birth, we finally returned to our hometown!..."
Captain Dias closed his eyes, held the silver cross around his neck, and prayed quietly. Unconsciously, the corners of his eyes became moist.
The bright sunshine fell from the sky on the coast, as if the merciful gaze of God fell into his heart. This long voyage has experienced the devil's land, the waves in the sky, potential rebellions, the discovery of new routes, and the killings on the way back... Now, he is finally back, bringing with him a discovery that changes the world, and also brings with him With the merits of being canonized after death, he returned successfully!
"...Praise the Lord!"
Behind Dias, the new captain Bruno lowered his head, tried hard to pray, tried hard to be pious, and tried hard to shed tears. The return trip from Cape Storm took nine months and once again experienced terrible waves that killed dozens of sailors. During the long return journey, Captain Dias, who was always strict, also relaxed the discipline of the fleet and allowed the sailors to go ashore to plunder. It's like the owner of a vicious dog loosens the leash in his hand, and the wolfdogs salivate and swarm forward ferociously.
Walking past the desolate coast of Namibia, you will find villages along the coast of Congo. The sailors wielded their machetes and hacked the weak indigenous tribes to death. They vented their desires and pressure on their dark bodies, and even plundered the village's belongings. After several raids, all the sailors had gained a lot. Their accumulated dissatisfaction and resentment towards the captain's forced exploration were finally replaced by instinctive awe and obedience.
After arriving at Elmina Castle, after repairs, five Caravel sailing ships, loaded with gold, silver and spices from the southern continent, joined the returning fleet under the escort of Portuguese soldiers. With the addition of the kingdom's soldiers, the wolfdogs were tied to chains, and the last leg of the voyage went without any ups and downs.
"Well, there are more and more caravans from the commercial city-states in the port!... Which company should we trade with for the gold, silver, ivory and spices we got this time?"
Bruno prayed hard while looking around. As a captain, it is naturally impossible to return empty-handed. In fact, according to the rules of the sea, the official captain can monopolize one to two percent of the loot, while the pirate captain usually only has the income of four to five ordinary sailors. Well, the difference brought about by the endorsement of official forces is still very obvious. As for the trophies snatched privately, they will definitely not go from the kingdom's caravans, but to the city-state business groups with higher prices.
"Praise the Lord! After selling the loot this time, I can probably buy a knight's manor on the outskirts of Lisbon... Well, the kind with a windmill and mill!"
Bruno prayed devoutly and moved his eyes, looking for potential buyers. The kingdom's ports are so prosperous and full of wealth. The opportunities brought by the great voyage were enough for the illegitimate son of a down-and-out noble to completely change the fate of the poor.
"Portugal's Southern Fleet...the cabins are filled with goods worth ten times the profit!"
A Jewish businessman wearing a small round hat stood dozens of steps away from the military port, looking for possible sellers. With greedy eyes, he looked at the Portuguese fleet, which had a deep draft. Then, his shrewd eyes paused for a moment, thoughtfully, on the two caravel sailboats that were covered with repair marks. Then, he looked at Captain Dias, who was standing in front of everyone, praying devoutly. He frowned uneasily, lowered his head, and avoided looking at him.
"The pious nobles...are all brutal butchers in Hell!..."
The Jewish merchant Eleazar cursed in his heart with an indelible fear, which was the shadow of countless slaughters of his compatriots. Finally, he saw Bruno in captain's uniform. After observing for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Ah!...Is this?...the smell of devil and wealth..."
After a moment, Eleazar reached out his hand, patted the Slavic entourage on the shoulder, and whispered instructions.
"Go, go to the merchant group's warehouse and get two bottles of wine! And prepare some exquisite snacks. I want to invite important guests..."
"Yes, sir."
The Slavic follower nodded naively. Then, he scratched his beard and asked with some confusion.
"Wine? Which one do you want? Well, do you want the Bordeaux or the Julanson..."
"You idiot!"
When Eleazar heard what his attendants said, he was so furious that even his goat's beard trembled with rage.
"Who asked you to get the expensive Aquitaine red wine? Bring me the Catalan red wine from Aragon! Remember, add 40% water and some grape juice!"
"Yes! I listen to you, Mr. President."
The Slavic entourage immediately turned around and walked towards the Jewish business group at the port. But Eleazar's voice came again, with pain in his tone.
"Today's guests are indeed more important. Forget it, just give it 20%... no, 25% water!"
"Yes! Mr. President."
The Slavic entourage nodded heavily, paused, and strode away again. Eleazar looked for a moment and then turned back. Eyes twinkling. New business opportunities are just around the corner!
Nearby, the devout Captain Dias had finished praying. He turned his head and gave some serious instructions to the other captains. The captains also nodded respectfully and made the sign of the cross.
Then, Captain Dias straightened his spine, mounted the Lusitano horse brought by the kingdom's soldiers, and rode away under the guidance of two palace knights and a dozen knights' attendants. Without stopping, he rushed to the Palace of Sintra, fifty miles away to the north. There, the wise and wise King John II was sitting on the throne, waiting for his loyal royal steward.
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