The Governor of Macau, Antonio Basabo Romario, is really not in a good mood during this period!
Because he was very worried that he would become the last governor of Macau... This was not because he had any ability to predict the unknown, nor was it because the news of Zhu Heji's plot to seize Macau was leaked, but because of "Shang Wu changing vassal" The news reached Macau.
The Qing Dynasty moved the coastal boundaries in Guangdong, which originally included Macau. According to the instructions of Emperor Kangxi and Obai, the Portuguese in Macau also had to move to the mainland.
Of course, the Qing Dynasty treated people far away preferentially and would not allow the Macao Portuguese to move to the mainland to become farmers.
When Ao Bai was still here, he asked Li Qifeng, the then governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to discuss the issue of inward relocation with the Portuguese authorities in Macau. And they also offered generous conditions - after the internal relocation, they would collectively raise the flag! Directly add the yellow flag to form three Portuguese collars.
All Portuguese people in Macau, including those of yellow and white mixed blood, went to Beijing to serve as bannermen, and all Portuguese people of other colors became flag slaves with yellow flags.
From now on, all Portuguese people in Macau will be the slaves of the Qing Emperor!
What a glorious thing!
But the Portuguese people in Macau were not happy... They tried every means to stay in Macau and become businessmen. First, Yao Qisheng, the magistrate of Xiangshan County who had direct contact with Macau through the Qing Dynasty, bribed Yao Qisheng. As a result, Yao Qisheng was dismissed from his post and investigated, and returned to Zhejiang to eat old rice.
Later, the Portuguese in Macau fawned over Shang Kexi, who was not afraid of corruption investigations, and allowed Shang Kexi to make money again and again through "monopolized free trade", and finally managed to stay in Macau.
As for armed resistance to the Qing Dynasty... This is the early Qing Dynasty, not the Daoguang and Xianfeng years, but no foreigners dare to look down on the Qing Dynasty.
The foreigners also evaluated the Qing's combat effectiveness. Although they had not fought against the Qing, they could use Zheng Chenggong as a ruler to measure the strength of the Qing soldiers.
Back then, Zheng Chenggong relied on more than 10,000 troops to cross the sea and attack Taiwan. He also captured the Dutch bastion of Rejelan City. During the siege, he used rattan soldiers to fight with the musketeers and pikemen sent by the Dutch. Fight and win a big victory!
At that time, the Dutch invested no less than 2,000 troops in Taiwan!
The 2,000 Dutch East India Company mercenaries were actually defeated by Zheng Chenggong's more than 10,000 men with a bastion to rely on... Although Zheng Chenggong only took the city of Rejelan through a long siege. But this does not discount Zheng Ming's victory, because at that time, the battle for bastions in the West mainly relied on siege.
Moreover, during the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War in Europe, the Dutch navy and army were also top-notch in Europe! The Dutch's ability to build and defend bastions is absolutely the best in the world.
In East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean and other places, the navy and mercenaries of the Dutch East India Company are also top-notch existences! Although they suffered a defeat in Macau, they also fought in Manila once, but returned without success.
But if we lose the entire colony like we did in Taiwan, just this time!
Therefore, after Zheng Chenggong regained Taiwan, the Western colonists wandering around East and Southeast Asia regarded Zheng Ming's military power very highly.
And the Qing army, which repeatedly defeated Zheng Ming's army in land battles, was certainly more powerful in the eyes of these Western colonists!
Even the Dutch East India Company, which existed in East and Southeast Asia, was robbed of its entire colony by Zheng Chenggong. How could the Portuguese in Macau, who had long been the last among the colonists, dare to provoke the Qing soldiers who could easily defeat Zheng Chenggong on land?
Therefore, in the face of the "forced evictions" from the Qing Dynasty, the Portuguese people in Macau always responded by begging and paying bribes... But now, it is gratifying to see that they have finally succeeded in begging and using money to create a backer. I am moving to Yunnan. Wu Sangui, who replaced Shang Kexi and came to Guangdong, was the strongest and most brutal among the three vassal kings of the Qing Dynasty!
These days, the Portuguese Governor of Macau, whose Chinese name is Luo Dongni, has secretly contacted Liu Xuanchu, the manager of the Guangdong Grain Station of the Pingxi Palace on behalf of Wu Sangui. The other party’s asking price is twice as high as the acceptable price!
The reason is also very good. Wu Sangui's troops and horses are more than twice as many as Shang Kexi's, so more money must be added!
But the problem is... I don’t have that much money!
What should I do? Rodoni was almost crying!
Do you really want to go to Beijing to become a slave of the grape army with a yellow flag? Will he be the slave Rodoni from now on?
What? Don't be a slave and go back to your hometown in Portugal?
That doesn’t work either! Today's Portugal is no longer as glorious as it used to be... In 1580, due to the failure of its heirs and the disastrous expedition to Morocco, the Kingdom of Portugal was forcibly pulled over by Spain next door to form a co-monarchy federation. Later, it was even believed in God. The "nervous Spanish" who believed in this was a bit stupid and emptied his family's fortune.
By 1637, the Portuguese nobles finally couldn't bear it anymore and started a revolution to restore the royal government. As a result, this revolution lasted thirty years. It was not until 1668 that the Treaty of Lisbon was signed with Spain, officially declaring Portugal's independence.
But more than fifty years of Spain's hollowing out rule and the subsequent thirty years of revolutionary war have turned a wealthy Portugal into poverty.
Moreover, during the War of Independence, Portugal sold out a large amount of interests in order to gain support from the United Kingdom... This allowed the United Kingdom, which had a large merchant fleet, to free ride on Portugal and seize a large amount of profits, which in turn squeezed out Portuguese businessmen. Interests.
Therefore, the restored Portugal is getting poorer and poorer. Its local industry and commerce are not good. Only the two overseas territories of Goa and Macau are still a little bit prosperous.
In order to get the position of Governor of Macau, Rodoni lost all his money and borrowed loan sharks to pay bribes... He wanted to work hard for a few years, make more money, pay off the debt, and get his capital back. I can still save a lot of money.
But he didn't expect that even the colony could not be saved now... If he really lost the Macau colony, he would not dare to go back empty-handed.
If he really goes back, even if his creditors don't tear him apart, Pedro, the ruthless regent who exiled his brother and married his sister-in-law, won't be able to spare him!
Thinking of this, this elderly Portuguese nobleman almost shed tears!
But crying didn't solve the problem. After thinking about it, he still felt that he should take some practical actions to save himself... and pray to God!
Just when he was about to go to St. Paul's Cathedral in the Macau Fortress to worship God, the anxious voice of his adjutant, De Figo, suddenly came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty the Governor, the British East India Company's Great Eastern is on fire at the pier of the Haojiang Inner Harbor. Thick smoke is rising, and the fire seems to have spread to the shore..."
"What?" As soon as Rodoni heard the news, he stood up from behind his desk, strode to the door of the office, and opened the door. A young and handsome Portuguese white face appeared in front of him.
"Figo, what did you say?" Rodoni asked looking at his most trusted lieutenant.
"Your Excellency, the Governor, the Great Eastern is burning at the Haojiang Inner Harbor Pier. It is emitting frightening thick smoke. The fire is extremely fierce and has even spread to the Inner Harbor Pier!"
"Damn..." Rodong Ni was anxious. The area near the Inner Harbor Pier was the essence of the Macau colony. There were a large number of warehouses, markets and businesses. Moreover, the Inner Harbor Pier was very busy. There could not be only one Great Eastern ship. , if the fire spreads, the losses will be staggering.
Thinking of this, Rodoni didn't even bother to go to the church to worship God. He rushed out of the office, then trotted up to the wall of the Macau Fortress...On the wall, he realized The situation is really not good, there is thick smoke billowing from the inner harbor pier!
More than one Great Eastern was burning, and seven or eight merchant ships that were very close to the Great Eastern were also emitting frightening thick smoke.
In addition, the smoke on the shore of the inner harbor pier was also very strong and seemed to be spreading continuously. It seemed that it was about to burn down the British East India Company's business building!
Governor Rodoni was shocked by the fire scene in front of him and shouted, "Quickly, sound the alarm bell and summon people to put out the fire!"
