"God bless you! Mr. Isaac, I haven't seen you for many years. You have indeed become a lot more prosperous! In the Lisbon Commercial Port, where land is expensive, there is such a small warehouse courtyard and two-story building near the sea..."
"Aha! Dear Lorenzo...the Grand Steward of the Guild, this is the city-state Republic (La Serenissima) with an outstanding reputation. The guild merchants operate honestly and are blessed by the Virgin! And as a member of the city-state business guild, I
It was with the help of the reputation of the guild that I was able to gain a foothold in Lisbon and make some modest contributions to the Lord and the Republic..."
"Haha! Isaac, humility is a virtue taught by the Lord, but excessive humility is pride! Before I came here this time, I also met with the bishop of the city-state... The bishop was very satisfied with the spices sent by the Chamber of Commerce.
Dedication is also greatly appreciated!”
"Ah... the bishop's donation? I, uh... oh, yes! I also have a gift from the Southern Continent, for the patrons of the Chamber of Commerce, distinguished members... Yes! It has been prepared a long time ago, ready
Understand!…"
The waves of the North Atlantic move south along the rugged Portuguese coast until they pass a bend, and then suddenly slow down. The open bay twists and turns inward, and the natural deep-water harbor can withstand wind and waves. The long Tagus River is also there
It merges into the ocean, which not only brings rich riverside fields along the way, but also creates a relatively flat river mouth plain. These excellent geographical advantages come together to form the largest port city on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula.
, Lisbon, the royal capital of Portugal.
At this moment, in the corner of Lisbon's outer port, several dignitaries dressed as wealthy businessmen, escorted by more than a dozen retinues, quickly walked into a two-story building in the seaside warehouse district. The Jewish businessman Eleazar in front had a full face.
They laughed and led the way. The two people behind, an old man and a young man, both cautiously wore businessman's wide hats and walked into the courtyard where the small building was located in a low-key manner. It was not until the door of the courtyard was closed that the "old rich businessman" took off his hat.
The hat revealed a weather-beaten Italian face, it was none other than the old knight Lorenzo.
"God bless you! Knight Lorenzo, although this small building is a little off, it is an excellent viewing platform! I often stay here, watching the merchant ships coming and going, and estimating the type and quantity of the goods..."
"Haha! Isaac, you are really a born businessman, as smart as gold coins with eyes..."
"Aha! They are all serving the city-state and the guild..."
Everyone climbed up the small building with a smile, and their tone became much more relaxed. Looking out from this small building on the seaside, the prosperous scene of the port was unobstructed. Hundreds of dark-skinned slave workers were busy loading and unloading at the port, sweating profusely. From
Large and small merchant ships from various countries, all flying the flags of different kingdoms and city-states, gathered in the outer port of Lisbon in Tagus Bay. The Portuguese royal fleet, which had just returned from the southern continent, was ten times more profitable than the fleet brought back.
The coveted goods from the southern continent are undoubtedly the most fundamental source of attraction for this commercial prosperity.
"Lord! This is really a prosperous port, which is almost different from the commercial port of Venice... The Portuguese have really made a lot of money from the trade in the southern continent, making the council members of the city-state envious!..."
"Lorenzo, the proverb of the city-state says, 'The road to glory is not paved with flowers', 'Only smart people can make a fortune'... The Portuguese can have this kind of prosperity, which comes from their wisdom in shipbuilding and navigation.
Their courage and fearlessness in exploring the sea! In my opinion, the spirit of adventure and exploration of the Portuguese nobles is comparable to those noble councilors in the city-state who sit in the manor and enjoy the gardens and beauties, and those fat-headed guys who are addicted to wine, sex and wealth.
We are much stronger!…”
"Well…"
Hearing this sharp comment, the old knight Lorenzo hesitated slightly, and looked helplessly at the young man behind him who was wearing a hat and puffing out his chest. Eleazar, the Jewish businessman who was leading the group, was obviously taken aback.
He asked carefully while smiling.
"Chevalier Lorenzo, who is this young, heroic and wise nobleman?..."
"Ahem! Isaac, let me introduce you... This is the eldest son of Senator Sylvester Tran, Knight Giovanni Tran!..."
"Ah! He is actually the eldest son of Senator Teran and the great-grandson of Governor Moro?! No wonder he is so handsome and so noble, like a flying lion in mythology..."
The Jewish businessman Eleazar had a smile on his face and greeted him for a while. The young Giovanni took off his hat, raised his head reservedly, and glanced at the Jewish businessman with a half-smile, obviously looking down on him.
Leazar laughed along with her, while turning her head and greeting the honest and stout Slavic servant.
"Ivan! Go and get my best barrel of Douro wine! I want to entertain distinguished guests!..."
"Uh...Master, you mean, the best?..."
Hearing this, Ivan's honest and dull face showed a rare surprise. The master once told him repeatedly that when guests come to the house, if they say "good wine", they should mix it with 70% to 80% water. If they say "the best"
"Wine" means half wine and half water. Only when "the best wine" is said, the original wine is brought up without any water. But he has been with the master for several years, and this is the first time he has heard this
The other party said, "bring up the best wine"...
"Not bad! The best Douro wine, produced in the Douro Valley in Porto in the north, the same barrel from ten years ago!...These two are the most distinguished guests!..."
With a wave of his hand, Eleazar drove out the stupid Slavic servant. Facing the two visitors from the Republic of Venice, he always had a smile on his face, much better than running away from a debt. It is said that when he went to sea to send off the dead Columbus,
It was simply a world between heaven and earth.
After all, as a Jewish businessman who lends money, he has no king to rely on and no nobles to be loyal to. He is like a duckweed in the world of God. Although he seems to be wealthy and leisurely, he is actually rootless and even walking on thin ice.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! In front of the knights and nobles who often kill creditors to pay off their debts, the only things he can use to protect himself are the tiger skin of the church and his identity as the head of the Venetian city-state chamber of commerce. Between the two
Among them, the church is more powerful, but it only regards it as a white glove that can be discarded at any time. It is completely unreliable at critical times. On the contrary, it will eat all its bones. Only the Republic of Venice, which values business and has complete laws,
, understands the value of using businessmen, and has less discrimination against his origin. He is the only one who can save his life at a critical moment...
"Master, this is the best bucket! It's not watered down at all!"
After a while, Ivan picked up the entire wooden barrel filled with wine and muttered a few words in difficult Slavic. Several Slavic servants were busy working, first setting up a U-shaped wooden table and placing it on the Jewish businessman's table.
As a signal, the two Venetian guests were seated on a higher cushion, indicating that the guests had a higher status and to show respect. Then, the dining table was covered with a layer of white linen cloth, hanging down to the guests' knees. At this time, there was no
The habit of using napkins, the hanging part of the tablecloth, is used to wipe hands and mouth.
Then, Ivan brought a locked golden goblet and placed it in the middle of the table. The Jewish businessman personally took out a delicate key, opened the goblet, and showed the clean and empty goblet to the two of them.
Bottom of the cup. This is one of the traditions of noble gatherings in the Middle Ages. First, it is proven that there is no poison in the cup, and then everyone takes turns drinking from the same cup... Well, if they want to die, they will die together.
"The Lord testifies! This is really good wine... Come! Let me take a sip first and bless the city with prosperity and prosperity, and the gold and silver of the Chamber of Commerce flowing!..."
The Jewish businessman Eleazar poured a full glass of red wine and took two sips first as a sign of respect and sincerity. Then he passed the wine glass to the old knight Lorenzo. The old knight took a shallow sip and blessed with a smile.
, and passed it to the young knight Giovanni. Giovanni raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, letting the wine flow down his neck like blood.
"Ha! Good wine, really a good wine for a knight!"
Seeing the spilled wine, Eleazar shivered in distress. But he still smiled and ordered his servants to bring the "treasure ship" containing salt, spices, knives and spoons. This is a ship-shaped container with a cross engraved on it.
, also locked for food safety. Then, a larger open "treasure ship" was brought up, with three silver plates inside, containing sliced white bread, bacon and dry cheese.
"This is white bread from Lisbon, ham from Serrano, and cheese from the Burgundy monastery... It's not lunch yet, let's eat some simple cushions..."
Eleazar introduced them with a smile, and also took two bites of each to show safety. The old knight Lorenzo tasted a few times, and his old face showed satisfaction.
"Oh! The Portuguese's white wheat bread, the Castilian's black pig ham, the Burgundian's goat cheese...not bad, really good!..."
The young knight Giovanni was startled. He also rolled ham and cheese and ate some bread with his hands. These exquisite meals may not even be enjoyed by ordinary barons and viscounts, and they are even more expensive than those he followed the Dutch regent Mark.
When Simian was a knight's retinue, he had better food.
"Huh? This Jewish businessman who betrayed Jesus... is so rich? It's not that simple..."
At this time, the servant Ivan brought a few forks over, first handed one to the Jewish businessman, and then handed it to the old knight. The old knight raised his eyebrows, thought for a moment, and waved his hand. Then, Ivan hesitated and looked at
Young knight Giovanni.
"Uh...fork? Or?..."
"Huh? Ask me if I want a fork?..."
Seeing the fork handed to him, the young knight Giovanni was stunned, his expression changed, and he yelled angrily.
"Damn it! Do I look like a cowardly woman, or an old man who can't hold food?... How can this corrupted Byzantine thing be the tableware that a strong and brave knight should use?! A real knight,
You should eat with the hand holding the sword! Get out of here!…”
"Uh...yes!"
Hearing the young knight's reprimand, the servant Ivan was a little confused, but he lowered his head and stepped back carefully. The Jewish businessman looked at the fork in his hand, his face showed embarrassment, and he didn't know what to say. As a moneylender,
, he really doesn’t know much about the rules of the knights.
As a type of tableware that was first popular in the Byzantine Empire, the fork was labeled as corrupt and extravagant by the Roman Church as soon as it appeared. Later, this type of tableware that was too "girly" was also disliked by the martial knights.
Seen as weak and powerless. In their view, a real knight should use a knife to cut meat and eat with his hands, a spoon can only drink soup, and a fork should be a sissy!…
Although in the Italian city-states at this time, with the prosperity of commerce and the emergence of various foods, convenient forks had entered the daily lives of the nobles. However, this kind of tableware was still difficult to be elegant and was not suitable for formal nobles.
At the party. Not to mention France, HRE and Spain, which are still shrouded in the spirit of chivalry. And Giovanni's boyhood happened to be spent next to HRE's 'model knight'...
"Ahem! Isaac, the Lord is witness! I came here this time for two things..."
The old knight Lorenzo coughed slightly, which relieved everyone's embarrassment and talked about the business of the trip.
"The first thing is the supply of spices. With the end of the Holy War on the Peninsula, the whole Republic has benefited a lot, and the demand for spices has also increased greatly. However, the spices supplied by the Ottomans are limited and the prices are surprisingly expensive...The parliament sent me
Come here, think of ways on the part of the Portuguese, and get more spices from the southern continent..."
"The second thing is more important and has to do with the Portuguese's new shipping route... The Cruzado 'Crusader' gold coins minted by King Joao are flowing into the market continuously. Although the number of such gold coins is not high at the moment,
It’s not too much, but the growth momentum is very strong... The members of the parliament are very worried and specially appointed me as a representative to investigate the matter..."
"I need clear information! About the Portuguese's gold mine output in the Southern Continent, about the number of gold coins they can mint... If it can be arranged, I need to contact the 'supplier' you know, the one who runs the Southern Continent
Portuguese naval officer, meet in person in private!…”
