Mr. Lando opened his cipher box - this is one of the few mechanical products imported by Lingao to Europe. The Foreign Intelligence Service and the Political Security Bureau are the main users. Lando's cipher box contains a code pad written on tissue paper.
and tablets of secret writing potion.
When he started to spread out the paper and write a boring ordinary business letter, he suddenly remembered something:
"What? Portuguese ship?"
"Yes, there is a Portuguese ship."
"I'll try to find out tomorrow who the owner of the ship is and what kind of cargo it is carrying?"
Weiss Lando did not maintain his playboy-like flamboyance for long. On this day, Sebastian Andrade was ordered to go to Parian District to check the local business tax collection status. When he accepted Parian
On the suggestion of District Mayor Juan Aguilar, he went to a tavern to observe the public sentiment and talk about the expenditure of the public funds of the overseas Chinese community. His Royal Highness, Count Fannanova, walked out of the tavern. He was dressed in white like a sailor.
He wears a Dutch fine linen shirt with an open collar. Although the Manila straw hat in his hand is exquisite, it is not as gorgeous and eye-catching as the wide-brimmed hat decorated with bird feathers. Only his breeches are not decorated with ribbons and ribbons according to popular European habits.
The rope is tied to the hem of the shirt, but is tied tightly around the waist with a buffalo leather belt. The gold belt buckle is carved into a roaring lion. The long leather boots are polished and the one that never leaves the body.
A saber with a scabbard inlaid with gems. Such a half-baked appearance made the financial officer realize that the earl was first a arrogant warrior, secondly a rich warrior, and finally a fake nobleman.
In the eyes of Andrade, who studied philosophy and Latin at Complutense University and dreamed of becoming a court scholar but was sent to a remote colony as a supervisor, warriors or soldiers are synonymous with drunkards, idiots and gangsters.
.Maybe the count is not an idiot, but he does smell of alcohol and gangster-like ferocity at the moment. A short, slightly hunchbacked Chinese man followed the count out of the tavern and disappeared around the corner in the blink of an eye.
Andrade didn't pay much attention to that guy, because the contrast between the count's current image and his usual appearance-oriented demeanor was too strong and too eye-catching, and he was greeting his group.
"Ah, hey, it's God's arrangement." Weiss waved the straw hat in his hand and walked towards the group. The Spaniards sat on a soft sedan with a canopy, carried by Chinese coolies. Two people walked in front of the sedan.
The Chinese who led the way nodded and bowed to Andrade and Aguilar with great respect. Weiss recognized this as Huang Jian. The two Huang Xiang brothers were both wealthy Chinese businessmen who were devout Catholics and Parian Chinese appointed by the colonial government.
Administrator and Registrar.
"I have just negotiated a deal with a respectable Chinese gentleman. He promised to provide my men with three hundred Japanese muskets. And the asking price is only half of that of Mr. Joe de Cross (note). Two distinguished gentlemen
Sir, please come and drink a toast to my luck."
The count's smile made Andrade feel uncomfortable, as if he was hiding some kind of sarcasm with a smiling mask. If the financial officer knew that this grinning expression was the result of Weiss imitating Jimmy Carter, perhaps
They would laugh at his efforts; but if they knew that the fake earl was meeting informants in this tavern a minute ago, collecting intelligence and plotting against the colonial authorities, they would definitely admire his acting skills.
Although he thought he could become James Bond in the seventeenth century, the result of the former mercenary's hard work on the intelligence front for nearly a month was only to develop a few informants who were willing to provide him with information, including small traders, sailors and colonists.
Low-level employees who run errands for the agency. These people have low status. They are all Chinese or mixed-race people living in the local area. They can only provide some general information of average value. Despite this, Weiss still knows very well that if what he does
In order to be exposed in front of the colonial officials, there is absolutely no good harvest. The count was thinking about which subordinate or agent to contact the informant, and at the same time continued to observe the words with a smile. The eyes of the two Spaniards looking at each other and the hesitant expressions showed that
Their appearance and invitation were unexpected.
Sure enough, the mayor said he wanted to inspect the prison in the Parian district. He thanked the count for his kindness, but left with a bitter look. The finance officer sincerely stated that he must return to the city immediately because the Governor of Salamanca
Still waiting for his report in the official residence.
"Then please give me the honor to use my carriage. As for the sedan chair, it is the product of the stale life of the Eastern people for thousands of years. They like this cradle-like means of transportation, so they do not value heroes. Men in their prime are as timid and childish as babies. They are destined to
It is to be conquered. As you know, Caesar won the whole of Rome standing on a wheel, but Atahuallpa lost his empire sitting in a sedan chair." After making this strange argument, the count continued
He turned around and whistled, and two pairs of black horses with white spots on their foreheads pulling a four-wheeled carriage came slowly and stopped in front of them. Andrade was so surprised that he even forgot what he wanted to say to refuse.
He said, his feet were like nails on the ground, his eyes were circling back and forth on the golden-trimmed red flag carriage, and he was looking greedily at the four vigorous and elegant horses and the shining silver harness on the horses. Until the count signaled
Schlick helped Andrade onto the velvet-covered steps, and he was still immersed in that trance-like state.
The treasurer came to his senses only with the slamming of the door. The count's black slave jumped onto the carriage from behind and stood in his seat. The coachman pulled up the reins and the carriage began to move forward slowly. Andrade stretched out his hand to caress
The shiny satin on the sofa seat - this is the best Nanking satin!, then he stared at the interior paneling decorated with cloisonné, the gauze curtains, and like a curious child imitated the count, turning the handle to turn the glass
The car window rolls up and down.
"Sir, people only know that you are a man who got rich due to luck." Andrade sighed and continued: "But now I want to change my view. If you are just rich, no matter how much money you have, you will be rich."
It's not enough to make people in this abandoned corner of the earth live like the Prince of Naples. This may require some kind of magic or magic power."
"Be careful, Lord Quaestor, you are about to describe me as a wizard. I hope the Inquisition has not been established in Manila, otherwise I will be too unjust."
"Forgive me, Your Highness, I think I am not ignorant. This kind of horse was mentioned in Alexander's expedition, and the princes of India were willing to exchange gems and gold for it as their own mounts. Don Esteban Salvador
Mr. Navria wanted to buy a pair of such famous horses to match his carriage, but no one was willing to sell it to him even if he offered a thousand pistoles. As for estimating the value of such a carriage - "
"Slow down, Your Excellency." Weiss interrupted Andrade, opened a hidden compartment on the panel, and took out a delicate small silver box with four carved goblets lined with velvet.
Bottle. "No matter how much I spend on my carriage and horses, tell me, has that money detracted from their beauty?"
"No, no. I just wanted to point out that-" Andrade coughed repeatedly after taking a sip of rum. "Oh my god, this drink is really strong."
"Don Esteban Sanabria. The name you gave me tells me that he is an out-and-out nobleman. I think this gentleman should be among the first-class gentlemen in Manila."
.”
"Your Excellency, your question will get a Pyrrhonian answer, which can be said to be yes or no. Mr. Sanavria is a first-class rich man. Without this premise, he is not a gentleman, let alone a gentleman.
A true aristocrat."
"Can you please elaborate?"
"You must have heard it." After a few glasses of rum, the reserved atmosphere mixed with politeness and caution no longer existed. Andrade rested his head comfortably on the back of the sofa, and the conversation became more and more interesting.
Con. “The Philippines is known as the pearl that God bestowed upon our monarch, but its light attracts poor people who have nothing but dreams of getting rich. These people are so embarrassed that they cannot even settle down in New Spain. Sanafri
Mr. Ya was such a person when he was young, but he quickly got money in Manila. It is said that he won a large sum of money from a Chinese millionaire by playing dice - but there is more reason to believe that he robbed it - three
He was a 'volunteer' during the Chinese uprising ten years ago." As he spoke, a smile appeared on the financial officer's face.
Lando understood the meaning of his smile - the so-called volunteers at that time were a group of gangsters. They did not receive any military pay and relied on robbery for all expenses and supplies.
After that, Mr. Sanafria made several successful speculations, especially when he once married a wealthy widow. After she "died" of illness soon, his wealth finally accumulated enough to buy a "tang" in his name.
to prove his noble family background. Soon he began to visit the houses of dignitaries in Manila and made a lot of money.
Weiss continued to fill the financial officer's glass. Facts have proved that whether it is a Chinese, Japanese or Spanish, as long as he can drink a bottle of wine, things will be much easier.
"I guess the gentleman you are talking about did not spend a lot of money on this 'donation', at most it would not be more than the small amount of money he paid for the horse he liked. You know, the nobles in the East despise us.
For barbarians who wield swords and guns, their most important treasures are horses and beauties, and the cost of replenishing the stables is much higher than replenishing the harem. Mr. Sanavriya was only willing to pay for the two best mawari horses.
The horse took out a mere thousand pistols, which would be too detrimental to the status of a first-class rich man. (To be continued...)
ps: Note: One of the founders of the Macau Gun Foundry.