As a time traveler who is determined but has never forgotten the word humility, Zheng Haizhu knows that she is not here to perform in the first seaport of the Ming Dynasty.
So after speaking only one sentence in English, she looked a little surprised and said to Liu Gonggong, who was also surprised: "I have learned a few superficial words from the missionaries in Haizhu and Songjiang. No matter how much I learn, I won't be able to speak anymore."
Unexpectedly, Liu Shimin quickly put his aside and happily talked to a group of officials, including the magistrate of Haicheng County, and said proudly: "How about talking about the outstanding people in Jiangnan? You little fellows are hanging around in Susong." Within a year, we all knew that the Hongyi people had opened an East India trading company on the sea."
This time, it was Zheng Haizhu's turn to be completely surprised.
Liu Shimin also understands English?
And he also knew that he was talking to the Dutch businessman about the East India Company?
However, the word "company" did not exist in Chinese at this time, so Eunuch Liu equated "pany" with "trading company".
Seeing Zheng Haizhu's instant reaction, Liu Shimin pursed his lips and said: "Little girl, our Suzhou Prefecture is closer to Nanjing than your Songjiang Prefecture, and there are more Thai and Western missionaries. Our family sells silk goods to the Banshee Lord. , If you don’t learn some words, isn’t it like General Ma leading his troops on the battlefield but not being able to recognize new types of firearms?”
When Zheng Haizhu heard this, he couldn't help but sigh. It was said that the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty had the highest level of culture in the past, and it was true.
And this Liu Shimin, as recorded in historical records, was the most academic among academics. It was rare that he did not reject Western learning and foreign literature like Xu Guangqi.
Ma Xianglin on the side also smiled at the scene, and naturally understood in his heart the real reason why Eunuch Liu was familiar with overseas affairs.
Today, Liu Shimin planned to use some knowledge to suppress the Hongyi people who had just begun to occupy territory on the southeast coast. When he saw Zheng Haizhu shooting an arrow for him, he stopped and patted his face with the words "You still need it". Are you a villain?" The Yaxing translator said kindly: "Old brother, our family is just like this girl. We don't know much about Saxon and Frankie, so I still have to help you."
As he spoke, Liu Shimin made a gesture, and Zheng Haizhu and Fan Polu immediately followed the officials and women of the Weaving Bureau and quickly opened the camphor wood boxes engraved with the word "Emperor" and took out all kinds of silk cloth goods. .
White, neatly wound raw silk.
The sparkling brocade, forging, damask and tsumugi.
Cotton with a fine fleece that feels like a baby's cheek.
This Su embroidered silk handkerchief is palm-sized and can display the spring scenery of the garden.
The fabric is silent, but with its pure color, soft luster, beautiful pattern and excellent feel, it vividly tells the world how skillful, careful and meticulous the hands of Ming craftsmen are.
Suddenly, the sun-drenched courtyard was more beautiful than the flowers on earth, as straight as the fairy flowers in Langyuan in heaven.
The Dutch business leader who came to see Eunuch Liu today through Yue Gang Yaxing was called Gullit.
With the strong support of domestic dignitaries and the overseas East India Company, Gullit, like other Dutch merchants, drove their flat-bottomed sailboats in the past few years, holding a cross in one hand and a sword in the other, and traveled to Malacca, Anhui and Anhui. Timbon (today's Indonesia), Champa (today's Vietnam), Chenla (today's Cambodia), Siam (today's Thailand), Borneo (today's Wenlai), Luzon (today's Philippines), and Hirado (today's Japan).
The Dutch firmly believe that Portugal and Spain have lost their power after they found the first few pots of gold in the Age of Discovery, while the British seem to have just woken up and may not have the strength to get a share of the pie right away.
Therefore, after these ambitious maritime coachmen from the Netherlands completed their occupation of the small countries in Southeast Asia and their penetration of Japan, the next thing they had to do was to target the Ming Dynasty, the huge but heavily guarded Eastern Empire, and strive to conquer the Ming Dynasty in the shortest possible time. During the period, they kicked away the Portuguese and Spanish and monopolized the maritime trade with the Ming Dynasty.
Last autumn, Gullit had already bribed local officials in Xiangjiang to sneak into Macau, where the Ming Dynasty allowed the Portuguese to do business. He quickly sold linen, leather shoes and hats, sugar, metal utensils, and cheese products on the coast. and dried herrings, and bought back a whole shipload of porcelain, tea, Sichuan brocade and Guangzhou embroidery.
At that time, Gullit and his subordinates were stunned by the Shu brocade and Guangzhou embroidery that were far higher than the level of Japanese fabrics, and they all sighed. No wonder Governor Cohen told them that the Ming Empire was a huge oriental treasure house.
Unexpectedly, this time, his luck got better and better. Not only could he squeeze into the group of merchants in Yuegang, but he also used gold coins to conquer an old tooth shop and be able to do business directly with officials of the Ming Dynasty.
What impressed the Dutch even more was that these silk and cotton fabrics, which were said to have been shipped from the most fertile land in the Ming Dynasty, were even more magnificent, or even softer, than the silk goods they had seen in Macau before.
Gulit's eyes lit up when he saw it, he directly picked up two strands of raw silk and asked how much it cost.
When they first asked about the price, the local officials in Yuegang, under the leadership of the county magistrate, resigned to Mr. Liu knowingly.
After only the people from the Weaving Bureau and the Dutch merchants were left in the courtyard, Liu Shimin made an offer without haste: "Two hundred taels of silver per load, we Ming Dynasty can have as much as we want. Well, one load is one hundred kilograms, which is the same as A Langi man has about the same amount of money as a fanega.”
Then he pointed to another box and said: "The colored silk over there is two hundred and thirty taels of silver per load. I have checked that the Japanese people go to Haojing to buy the raw silk from the Frankie people, and the asking price will never be lower than The price of our colored silk.”
Zheng Haizhu, who was listening attentively, was once again refreshed by Liu Shimin's performance.
She originally thought that the people who came out to discuss the details and settle accounts with the Dutch were officials from the Weaving Bureau, but Liu Shimin actually went into battle in person, like a skilled Fujian businessman. From what he heard, Eunuch Liu was planning to engage in dumping.
At this time, Japan has indeed raised a large number of silkworm babies, but in terms of quality and quantity of raw silk, our Ming Dynasty can still crush it.
The blue eyes of the Dutchman Gullit were indeed shining.
However, the businessman's composure and pursuit of greater profits made him still shake his head and ask the interpreter from Yahang to tell Eunuch Liu: The price of raw silk is indeed the going price, but the colored silk is too expensive. Since the Netherlands got rid of the rule of the Franks, they have planted a large number of dye plants on their own land. In just a few years, they have been very effective. Even the Saxons now use ships to transport wool and woolen cloth to the Netherlands. The land is dyed.
The implication of the Dutch is very clear. Since we can dye it ourselves, why buy such expensive colored silk unless the price comes down.
After Eunuch Liu heard this, Yun Danfeng smiled softly, turned to Zheng Haizhu and said, "Miss Zheng, this red-haired man is sitting on the ground to pay back the money. You also know how to dye. Come on, talk to him."
The sudden command was to test whether this girl had a sharp mind and a fighting will.
Zheng Haizhu was listening attentively all the time. This was the first time she had experienced higher-level maritime trade negotiations in the empire since time travel. It was such a rare opportunity for practical combat. Therefore, she followed every sentence of the interpreter and simulated a response in her mind. .
At this moment, listening to Liu Shimin's call, Zheng Haizhu was like a soldier ready to go. When he saw the flag signal, he immediately entered the state of attack.
She walked to the box containing colored silk, rummaged through it briefly, and selected three or four handles of red colored silk. She then went to another box and took out the silk-cotton face towel blended by the Han family weaving workshop. She walked up to Gulit and said politely He gestured: "My Ming Dynasty advocates red, and is also the best at dyeing red. But God has taken care of it, and some plants or minerals used as dyes can only be produced in the land of my Ming Dynasty."
Gullit perked up: "May I ask this knowledgeable lady, what kind of plant or mineral is it?"
Zheng Haizhu thought to himself, there are too many, Polygonum cuspidatum, Big-leaved Ficus, Madder grass, Daizhe, and Xiapu grass in Zhangquan area, but do you think I am stupid, I will tell you their names directly.
Then she smiled and said: "It's useless just to find these plants and ores. There are many exclusive formulas and techniques in the dyeing process. We in the Ming Dynasty call it intangible culture. These are not important. What is important is that I believe Mr. Gullit saw it. Actually, I already have an answer in my mind. Are our beautiful silk threads, satins and cottons the same color as the woolen threads and woolen fabrics dyed in your country?"
That month, the translator at Hong Kong Yaxing was confused when he heard the words "intangible culture" and thought to himself... I don't even know what this word means in Chinese, so how can I translate it into Hongyi dialect. Hearing the words "these are not important" again, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Miss Zheng was absolutely right. There is no need to talk nonsense with the Hongyi people. Just tell him that you will definitely not be able to dye something so beautiful, that's all.
How could a foreign fighter like Gullit disarm in the first round?
He still put on a smile that seemed to be respectful but was actually suppressed, and asked Zheng Haizhu for the silk-cotton blended handkerchief. He rubbed the red velvet part on it for a while, which was as bright as the morning glow, and shrugged disapprovingly: " For example, this color is indeed very red, but it’s not impossible to dye it outside of your country.”
As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag containing cut tobacco, pulled it flat, and showed it to the proud Akito in front of him.
"Everyone, please see, the red clothes of the bishop on the bag are the same as the red of this turban in your country, right?"
Liu Shimin took a closer look and had to admit that the embroidery work of the foreign monk pattern on the tobacco bag was really poor, but the threads embroidering the cassock were indeed bright and dazzling red.
Eunuch Liu had stayed in the palace for many years and knew that no matter whether it was porcelain or weaving, the craftsmen had a reaction of "talking about the red color", because the pure and beautiful red, whether it is fired or dyed, is a test of skill and sometimes requires Depends on luck.
Therefore, just now Zheng Haizhu picked red goods to challenge the Dutch, and Liu Shimin was quite approving of it.
Unexpectedly, the red-haired fan also has a trump card.
Zheng Haizhu glanced at Liu Shimin's slightly frowning brows, and asked for instructions with a pretense of caution: "Eunuch, this Hongyi is trying to trick him. Can Ah Zhu say something more serious? If Hongyi loses face, they will walk away, father-in-law." Can you blame me?"
