The Volume of Changning Kingdom: Section 26: The Clash of the Big Cities
Sultan Jariru Abba is leaning in the golden wooden pavilion in the middle of the palace hall. This golden wooden pavilion is his favorite place to stay in the palace - the fifth Sultan Bolki more than a hundred years ago
During the reign of Ya, the Huang family of Widow's Hill (Mount Kinabalu) carefully carved this amazing work from a whole Borneo big-leaf huanghuali tree.
It is said that this large-leaf huanghuali, which is harder than iron, can only grow from gold mines, so it is extremely precious. Of course, whether it really grows from gold mines is another matter. When this golden wooden pavilion
When the Huang family paid tribute to the Bolkiah Sultan, the Balni Kingdom conquered the entire Borneo and part of the Sulu Kingdom in the north, reaching the pinnacle of its history. This golden wooden pavilion also confirms the glory of Balni.
More than a hundred years have passed, and the golden light of the wooden pavilion has not diminished. It is still the most eye-catching presence in Ruaba's simple wooden palace. The Australian water donated by the Australians allowed Ruaba Sultan to recall the past glory here.
It felt more refreshing and comfortable... After drinking a glass of Australian water, Ruaba moved his eyes downwards, returning to reality from the memories of the past.
"I once again implore the king to prohibit Westerners from collecting native people in Bo Ni and selling them overseas!"
Under the golden wooden pavilion, the man kneeling and sitting on the table is Huang Shibei, the eldest son of Huang Zongbing, Huang Qilin. Since the ancestor of the Huang family, Huang Senping, formed an alliance with the First Sudan, the head of the Huang family has been serving in the palace for more than two hundred years.
Occupying the important position of Temenggong (that is, the Minister of Military Affairs and Justice, responsible for military affairs and judicial power), Mr. Huang resigned to King Ruaba four years ago because he was getting older and was not in good health.
Huang Shibei inherited his father's position at the age of 33.
Ruaba did not directly reply to Huang Shidong's suggestion, but stretched out his fingers to touch the wooden pillars of the Jinmu Pavilion carved with azaleas: "Huang Qing's family, this big-leaf huanghuali wooden pavilion that your ancestors paid tribute to is really a good thing. This touch
It is as smooth as a woman's skin, and there are golden threads in the lines. It has not lost half its luster after so many years. Do you think this tree really grew out of gold?"
Huang Shibei was stunned, why did the king suddenly ask this question: "Report to the king, the large-leaf huanghuali wood used to make this golden wood pavilion was indeed obtained from a gold vein by our ancestors. It is also miraculous, ancestors
After this large yellow rosewood tree was cut down to make a wooden pavilion, the gold veins here also gradually dried up and became less and less gold, making it no longer suitable for harvesting."
"That's it, that's it..." Ruaba smiled and nodded, directly cutting off the rest of the words. Fortunately, his original intention was not on this illusory gold mine. Then he said: "Huang Qing,
In this palace, what I love most is the golden wooden pavilion that you paid tribute to. It is as refreshing as the sun shining into the dark rain forest..."
"Thank you for your love, Your Majesty. I am very grateful!" Huang Shibei quickly saluted the King.
"But..." Ruaba said meaningfully after a short pause: "These trees are not real gold."
Huang Shibei now understood the king's intention. Selling the natives of Borneo to the red-haired people seemed to be a big deal, and the king obviously benefited from it.
Of course, the words also contain the meaning of "if you can come up with enough benefits, this matter is not out of the question."
"Seventy years ago, the Spaniards invaded our country and burned down all our palaces. The country has not yet recovered. Now Dutch merchants are willing to trade with us peacefully. What's the point of exchanging these barbaric natives for us real money?"
No? Besides, as Lord Tianmeng, you also know that these natives have the custom of headhunting and hurt our subjects every year. Wouldn't it be a good thing to catch them and sell them to the Westerners? For you, it will also reduce your day and night vigilance.
Hard work, why does Huang Aiqing still oppose this matter?"
"What the king doesn't know is that our Huang family received help from these natives when we first arrived in Bo Ni. The real estate in Borneo is very different from that in the Central Plains. It was these natives who taught our ancestors of the Huang family about the edible products here so that our ancestors could settle down along the Broken Hand River.
For this reason, our ancestors set down ancestral precepts to ask the Huang family to treat these natives well from generation to generation. As for the barbaric headhunting of the natives, it can actually be changed through education. Many of the natives near Changning Mountain were taught how to farm by our family.
I no longer have to live a life of eating hair and drinking blood, and I can live in peace with my people and farm and fish together."
"Then you are really capable..." When Ruaba said this, he covered his face with an Australian glass filled with Australian water, so that Huang Shibei couldn't see the expression on his face clearly.
However, the conversation between the monarch and his ministers was not pleasant, and both sides held their own opinions. Huang Shibei's proposal was once again "non-committal", which was equivalent to being rejected.
In desperation, Huang Shibei had to resign.
"Invite Mr. Basten," Ruaba ordered the servants on the side after confirming that Huang Shibei turned out of the hall.
"Mr. Basten, the Huang family's obstruction to our business is getting bigger and bigger. Today, they have united with several Tigadan (civilian officials) to file a petition demanding a ban on selling natives to you..." Ruaba shook.
He sipped his Australian glass and stared leisurely at Dambasten and Armand standing under the pavilion.
"Dear Sultan, aren't you the only ruler of Kalimantan? Your will is the will of the Lord..."
"Mr. Basten, you are getting better and better at talking now." Ruaba put away his smile, leaned forward slightly, and made a listening gesture towards the two people under the pavilion: "But you also know that Huang Shi
As Temenggong (Chief of Defense Justice), if he tries his best to stop it, then I must come up with reasonable reasons to support your business..."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I do have something puzzling. In my country, the people who hold important military positions are held by the king's favorite confidants, but why in your country are people like the Huang family?
What if an outsider without faith holds such an important position as Temengong?"
"It's a long story..."
Ruaba then told the two of them the history of how the Huang family formed an alliance with the First Sultan to save the Bo Ni Kingdom and integrated into the royal family.
"For two hundred years, the Huang family has been responsible for the safety of our country. This is also an ancestral system. They have served the successive sultans without fail, and they are loyal and diligent. The Han people under the Huang family are diligent, intelligent and good at doing business. Our country's taxes are very high.
A large part of it also depends on the Huang family's business. Naturally, it relies heavily on the Huang family. The golden wooden pavilion here is a tribute from the Huang family. As for the grand palace, there are no Han craftsmen and contributions from the Huang family.
, I’m afraid it will also be difficult to cultivate.”
The Chinese's tradition of ingenuity and hard work is obvious to all. The Dutch also know very well that the construction and prosperity of Batavia is inseparable from the contributions of local Chinese workers and merchants.
Basten knew that just relying on a few words to sow discord was wishful thinking to get Sudan to support him. So his starting point was interests. He briefly organized his thoughts and said:
"As far as I know, the Huang family's annual profit from the agarwood wood medicines sold to the Ming Dynasty can amount to tens of thousands of pesos in silver..." Basten is in charge of the spice business in Borneo, so he is naturally interested in his competitors.
They have a full understanding of the trade situation. Although the Huang family exported a variety of commodities in Daming's business, as many as hundreds of species, only agarwood, camphor and precious wood were the most profitable commodities.
Camphor and agarwood are Borneo's well-known local products. In the market in Guangzhou, a pound of Bo Ni camphor sells for about 40 taels. Although the price is ten times higher than camphor in Fujian and Kaohsiung, the supply in the mainland market is still in short supply. Especially
Australians are now also huge consumers of camphor.
The market for agarwood is even wider. Whether it is the three desert sects in the west or the Buddhism in the Central Plains, all major sects unanimously regard agarwood as a holy object to exorcise evil spirits, and the agarwood produced in Borneo has always been regarded as the best among agarwood.
Ordinary agarwood feels harder, while Bo Ni agarwood soft silk feels soft and feels like a moist paste. Even the agarwood silk cut with a knife will curl naturally. In terms of taste, after being heated, Bo Ni agarwood has a rhyme in the head, middle and tail.
Each one is different, and the aroma has rich and varied levels. When you first smell it, there will be a very clear and clean honey-sweet aroma; when you smell it again, it will feel cool and the bottom of the tongue will produce saliva; and the final rhyme is mellow, elegant and without any other notes.
The refreshing and pleasant feeling of floral fragrance and fragrance is difficult to describe in words, and tasting it at room temperature can also make people have endless aftertaste.
The wood materials include Bo Ni big-leaf yellow pear wood and sandalwood. These two high-end woods were deeply loved by the dignitaries of the Ming Dynasty. It can be said that the Bo Ni Huang family was able to establish a foothold in Borneo for two hundred years because they monopolized this North Borneo region.
The supply and market of camphor and agarwood wood.
"...It is rumored that sporadic gold veins have been discovered in the mountains under their rule. Of course, there is not much gold, but the excavations have never stopped in the past two hundred years. It is conceivable that in the secret vault of the Huang family
There is probably a lot of gold hidden there.”
Ruaba knew that the Huang family was rich, but he never delved into the success of the Huang family's business. As long as he could pay him tribute and taxes on time, it was enough. But when the Dutch said this today, he realized that the Huang family could actually give him more.
Could be more…
"Are you telling the truth?" Sudan sneered.
"Look, why do I need to deceive you, Sultan?" Basten said, "Look, there are no two suns or two moons in the sky. The Chinese under your rule are obviously your best subjects.
Why let them follow another sun? Military and financial resources must be controlled by the king. This is a truth of governance recognized by every king in our country." Basten gave Ruaba the final blow.
"What you said is very good. So, you are here to help me..."
"I am your loyal servant, Your Majesty. My cousin and I are here specifically for this purpose. Please grant us convenience."
"In my opinion, there is nothing inconvenient for you in our country." Sultan laughed loudly, "Go and rest, I will rest in this beautiful palace and will not interfere with anyone's good affairs."