In the customs office in Batavia, several Ottoman merchants who took the lead in smuggling spices were pushed to the execution platform. Many merchants who traded in Batavia were watching.

"What did they do?"

"It is said that they were conducting spice smuggling activities in the Maluku Islands. On their way back, the ship was blown to the nearby waters by strong winds and then intercepted by patrolling gunships."

"The merchants from the Ottoman Empire have been attacking Europe for a hundred years, and they have also surrendered to Tunisia in the Mediterranean and kidnapped countless Europeans. Unexpectedly, their merchants were arrested and sentenced by the Orientals."

"It seems that their smuggling amount has reached 30,000 kilograms, reaching the threshold for the execution of the death penalty in the Nanyang Province in the east. It is estimated that it will be difficult to escape."

"There are indeed many smuggling sites in the Malugu Islands. Some black merchants and pirates conduct secret transactions with local indigenous people to avoid the high spice tax, but they are also in a bad luck and are caught and sentenced."

The merchants onlookers included Chinese merchants, Western merchants, and Nanyang merchants, but they were more interested in watching the fun, and no one stood up to avenge the merchants of the Ottoman Empire.

Regarding smuggling in the Maluku Islands, many businessmen know that there are smuggling sites. Excessive spice tax will definitely make people take risks for their livelihoods and higher profits. Smuggling is one thing, but being caught is another.

Since I have been in the territory of Chinese people to do business, I can only accept my fate if I am caught.

A small team of customs soldiers carrying muskets came to the execution position and took the musket behind them into their hands.

They will end the lives of smuggling merchants in a decent way.

The Ottoman merchants standing on the execution platform trembled with their legs, their faces were pale and they shouted something.

"Go and ask them what their final words are." The civil affairs officer in the Nanyang Province personally supervised the execution. When he saw one of the Ottoman merchants shouting, he sent someone to ask.

The leading Ottoman merchant seemed to have grabbed the life-saving straw and spoke a big word to the sailor next to him without hesitation, and then the sailor conveyed it.

"He said that their family was a big family of the Ottoman Empire, and it was related to the Barbary pirates. He hoped to redeem his life with a large sum of money. This is roughly what it means." The official who conducted the translation said to the civil affairs officer.

"At this time, the government cracked down on smuggling. I have summoned so many merchants. If I let her go, wouldn't it be detrimental to the majesty of our government? Without any negotiation, I will immediately execute the sentence and confiscate all the spices from their ships." said the civil affairs officer.

Bang!!

The sound of muskets rang out, and several Ottoman smuggling merchants fell on the execution platform, and the execution of customs soldiers then dragged them down.

The onlookers and the dock workers exclaimed, and the government's strict threat to smuggling caused them, forcing them to restrain their behavior.

After the smuggling merchants were executed, the customs soldiers rushed onto the Ottoman merchants' merchant ship and moved all the pepper, cloves, nutmeg and Indian terribs inside.

Not only did they fail to smuggle successfully, they lost their lives and all their goods, which made everyone feel shocked.

"The local indigenous kingdoms that provide them with smuggling also need to be punished, after all, a slap cannot be sounded." After the Nanyang civil officials executed several smugglers, they still remained unsatisfied.

"It can be used as a reason to lower the purchase price of their spices," said an official.

"It's good." The civil affairs officer nodded.

In addition to charging high spice tax, there is also a fundamental profit method to lower the price of purchasing spices, and then raise the selling price to Western and Indian merchants, and earn the difference from it.

"What should those Ottoman sailors deal with?"

"Return the empty ships to them and expel them from the country. If the Ottoman merchants engage in large-scale smuggling in the future, they will be prohibited from trading in this area of ​​waters." said the civil affairs officer.

The severe punishments for smuggling spices by the Nanyang Province soon spread throughout Batavia.

"Although the government is trying hard to monopolize the trade of spices to ensure the high price of spices, the higher the price of spices, the more serious the smuggling of merchants from various countries in secret. Not only Ottoman merchants, but also Chinese merchants are also secretly smuggling." Japanese businessman Nobuchadne Otomo muttered after learning the news.

He took Miyamoto Musashi and more than a dozen samurai hired, ready to set off for the rubber plantation.

"Does Westerners want spices?" Miyamoto Musashi and other samurai asked, asking if they didn't know the trading system of the Spice Islands.

"They regard this thing as more important than gold and silver. But that happened decades ago. Later, as more and more spices were shipped out of the Spice Islands, their enthusiasm decreased. It is still a highly profitable product. But, the government's efforts to monopolize and squeeze the indigenous kingdoms that grow spices will definitely cause chaos." Nobuta Otomo said.

"For the disobedient indigenous kingdoms, just send troops to suppress them." said a dozen ronin warriors from Japan disagreed.

"If something can be done by force, you are very wrong. Without the indigenous kingdom, who will provide cheap labor to help us work?" Otomo Nobuta hung his luggage on the mule. "Let's go to the rubber plantation. Compared with spices, plantations are the future of the spice islands."

Miyamoto Musashi was in trouble and carried a long sword of the Japanese sword and followed Otomo Nobuta to his rubber plantation.

After several Ottoman merchants were executed, the remaining Ottoman sailors were driven onto the ship and ordered to leave Batavia immediately.

At this time, what the Ottoman sailors got was almost an empty ship. The cargo in the cabin was confiscated by customs, and only food and fresh water were left.

"Damn Orientals, they shot our master. How should we explain to the family where our master is? We will definitely be executed with the most severe torture!"

"I think we should not return to the Ottomans. It is better to wander in East Africa and be a pirate. If we go back, we will die. If we wander outside and become a pirate, we may be able to be free."

"But our wives and children are all in Constantinople. If we don't go back, they will be executed on our behalf!"

"Otherwise, before we return to our country, we will try our best to explain the cruelty of the Eastern people towards us, so that our master's family will resent them and forgive our behavior."

A group of Ottoman sailors were pondering on the ship how to explain to the large family in the Ottoman Empire.
Chapter completed!