It was a sunny day, and a large British merchant ship carrying sixteen cannons was sailing on the blue ocean.
Merchant ships loaded with goods departed from London, followed the African coastline, and sailed around Mong Kok. Their destination was Guangzhou Port.
Since the rise of the Yi Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty's sea trade state of wantlessness has changed, and it has shown a strong desire to purchase.
Whether it is steel, copper, iron, wood, food, cloth, or even various ores and coal, there is a trend of purchasing large quantities.
The changes in the Yi Dynasty greatly delighted merchants from all over the world, especially those from European countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom. In the past, they could only exchange gold and silver for the silk, porcelain, and porcelain they needed. Although such trade would not cause losses to those maritime merchants regarding luxury goods such as tea, the huge trade deficit still made them feel extremely frustrated and helpless.
Now that Yi Chao can purchase various materials in large quantities, they can not only reduce the pressure on cash, but also earn more profits from each sea trade trip. Therefore, today's Yi Dynasty's reputation in European countries has also been greatly improved. Every merchant ship that visits China is full of various materials.
The merchant ship has been sailing for nearly six months①. Fortunately, everything is going well. The ship will soon reach the Strait of Malacca and obtain supplies there.
…
"Hey, Jerry, how long will it take for us to get to the nearest dock?" On the rare good weather, a passenger came to the ship's owner, Jerry, with a glass of wine in his hand and asked.
Judging from the tone of conversation between the passenger and Jerry, they should be friends.
"Danny, how long will it take for us to dock?" Jerry turned to Captain Danny, who was not far away and was looking at the sea view.
"Boss, if God bless everything goes well, we will be able to approach the port in about half an hour." After hearing the boss's call, Captain Danny naturally did not dare to respond carelessly.
"Okay, man, it's great to have you." After Jerry responded, he turned back to the person who asked the question and said, "Kennedy, my brother, did you hear that?"
"Yes, brother. But this journey is really tiring." Kennedy said: "Especially after spending the past month on the boat, I just want to go out and walk."
"I understand, brother. But God willing, if everything goes well, we will make a lot of money on this trip, and then all the hard work will be worth it." Jerry said.
"I hope so. In fact, making money is secondary. What I want to see more is what Marco Polo wrote about the Kingdom of Heaven. It just so happens that I am also worried about my sister coming here alone." After Kennedy took a sip from his wine glass, he looked again Looking at the sea view in the distance with a slightly expectant look.
"Haha, you are a rich child of a noble family. I can't compare with you. I care about making more money. But Alice is really lucky to have you as a brother." Jerry couldn't help but laugh and said
"Look at what you said, isn't my sister also your sister?"
"It's natural. Alice, a beautiful lady, really got an advantage over that boy Jonathan." Jerry said with an envious tone.
"Speaking of Jonathan, if he hadn't written back recently, even his parents would have thought he went to God, and it would have made Alice sad for so long." Kennedy looked angry.
"No, who would have thought that he would be robbed by the Dutch. Thanks to God, he is safe and sound, and now he can become a minister in the Yi Dynasty." Jerry asked.
"According to the letter he wrote to Alice, it is indeed true." Kennedy replied: "Isn't it him who invited Alice to China now? That silly girl Alice was stupid enough to take such a long boat ride."
…
"Brother, Jerry, what are you talking about here!" As he spoke, a white woman wearing a plain silk skirt came forward and asked.
The woman is about 1.7 meters tall, with curly blond hair, a high nose bridge, blue eyes, and a fair complexion that sets off a pair of beautiful and flawless cheeks. In her youthful days of eighteen or nineteen, she appears to be Caucasian. The peak moment of beauty unique to women.
"Oh, Alice, we were just talking about you!" Jerry said with a smile as he looked at the woman coming over.
"Talk to me, I have nothing to talk about." Alice looked confused.
"Oh, okay! Actually, we were talking about your fiancé Jonathan. I wonder how he is doing now, and I wonder if he can help us sell all the goods we brought this time." Jerry He spread his hands and said that with a look on his face.
"Haha, Jerry, what you said is honest. But don't worry, Jonathan said that he followed His Majesty Yihuang when he first conquered the world. He is also considered one of the old ministers, so he and the ministers of the Ministry of Commerce also It's considered familiar, so it's okay to say hello." Alice said with a proud smile inadvertently showing on her face.
"Oh, really? That would be really nice."
………
"Boss, the port of Malacca is just ahead..." While Jerry and others were chatting without a word, Captain Danny shouted to this side.
"Really? Thanks, old man." Jerry replied happily.
It is rare to have a calm journey.
As the ship continued to sail, a huge port could soon be seen in front.
"I really envy the Dutch. They were able to seize such a big port. How much money will they make from the ships that come and go every day? How much better would this be if it were the port of our British Empire." Looking at the many people staying at the port for supplies Jerry couldn't help but envy the ship.
"Indeed, if it were a port of the British Empire, at least our supply problem would be much easier." At this time, Captain Danny came over to take over the conversation at some point.
"Let's just say this here. After all, our British Empire fought several wars with the Netherlands and did not get any benefits②. So how can the ministers of the empire have the courage to reach out here." Kennedy said.
…
"Report, captain, there is a ship ahead signaling us to stop for inspection." Suddenly, the crew on the lookout pole reported.
Note ①: The data refers to the data from the British mission’s visit to Qing Dynasty. The British mission traveled from London along the African coastline, around Mongkok, and in July of the next year to Hangzhou. During this period, it was lost at sea for a period of time due to a storm.
②: Referring to the Anglo-Dutch naval battles, the first three ended in the defeat of the British. The fourth took place in 1780 and has not yet started.
