"Probably only the port tax officer can tell the exact figure of Sanafria's wealth. His residence is even more famous in Manila than the governor's residence. The captains of the Wang family's East India Fleet envied Sanafria the most.
Fria's private boat. He likes to show off that he owns the fastest and most luxurious carriage in the country. Of course -" the financial officer made a contemptuous gesture: "That is by no means the result of comparison with your carriage."
"Ah, if His Majesty Philip II knew that he could gain so much wealth by extorting and robbing the Chinese, how much he would regret giving up his plan to expedition to China." Weiss lit a cigar for Andrade.
, although the latter was a little drunk and drowsy, he still stared curiously at the gold-plated Australian tinder box in the count's hand, wanting to see what happened.
"An expedition to China is an unrealistic fantasy." Andrade exhaled smoke. "There are too many Chinese. Even if it is the tens of thousands of Chinese in Parian - they are cowardly and fighting among themselves -
The governor is always worried, lest they be incited by some Chinese to cause rebellion."
"After the riot thirty years ago, they should know what cannons feel like."
"It is said that 30,000 Chinese died in the riots thirty years ago, and the blood dyed the river red. Many people thought that the Chinese would never come to Manila again, but look, Parian's
The population is several times greater than that of that time. From a purely profit perspective, the Chinese are more suitable subjects than any kind of native here."
"But they are all superstitious pagans who do not believe in God..."
"Yes, I completely agree with this. The Chinese are indeed full of bad habits. But those pious and lazy people, what use are they to us? Besides, they are not pious at all." Andrade drank the wine,
After smoking a cigarette, the conversation was very lively. "Whether it's building roads, building houses, doing business, or farming, it all depends on the Chinese! Carpenters, brickmakers, blacksmiths, sugar makers, iron smelters... as long as you want to get a job, you can get it."
Let the Chinese do it. They are also paying the poll tax, and they will keep pouring in."
"A lot of Chinese people have come recently?"
"Although the Governor is worried about the number of Chinese people all day long, he has recently been recruiting a large number of Chinese craftsmen to come to Manila. This is all because of the temptation of that guy who appeared from nowhere and squandered money wantonly on various projects.
On all kinds of new gadgets, he is as generous as the Marquis of the Valley."
He fell silent at this point, seeming to realize that it was not appropriate for him to discuss the Governor with someone he didn't know very well.
Lando deliberately changed the topic:
"Tell me, please, who is Don Esteban Sanafri? If he is a country squire, how much property does he own? If he is a merchant, what is his business?"
"According to the royal decree, Manila implemented the bulk transaction law on Chinese goods. The goods shipped by the 'frequent' (note) were valued in bulk by an official appointed by the governor. They were then sold to local Spanish merchants in proportion. In
Private transactions are not allowed before the valuation. Generally speaking, the port tax officer will be sent to do the valuation. But Mr. Don Basilio and Mr. Don Sanafria obviously have a good relationship." Andrade gave a meaningful expression.
Smile, "So he can always know the lowest price in advance and get the best Chinese goods according to the largest share. He also has his own merchant ship that travels between Manila and Coromandel. Chinese silk satin and porcelain. India."
The ivory and spices filled the cargo hold he occupied on the royal galley. The deputy king of New Spain ordered that each galley can only carry four thousand bales of goods to Acapulco, but Mr. Sanabria was the only one
The number of goods was close to this number. Instead of being able to compete with him, other merchants often borrowed money from him. He only failed twice, once when the galleon San Ambrosio was destroyed by the Dutch.
It was sunk, with a loss of 300,000 pesos of cargo. The other time was because of Australians, some weirdos who lived on a Chinese island."
"Be careful. You're sitting in a carriage built by these weirdos."
"I don't mind the goods made by these weirdos at all. Their goods are great. Not only are they in short supply here, they are popular everywhere from India to the Near East." Andrade said nonchalantly, "If I can get a stable
If I were to supply Australian goods, I would have been the richest man in the entire Philippines."
At this time, the carriage drove through large coconut groves and bamboo groves, passed through several Tagalog villages, and rushed past huts. These huts were extremely simple, and the walls were just fences made of green bamboo from the side of the village.
It was covered with banana leaves to serve as a roof. Women were busy inside and outside the house. Men gathered in groups on the roadside and in the corners of houses. Almost everyone had a rooster under their arm. Weiss as early as three hundred years later
You know that cockfighting is a national entertainment for Filipinos. A group of naughty children chased the carriage to beg for rewards. The red flag carriage sped away, leaving them out of sight in the blink of an eye. From Parian to Manila via Bilenlo
The road was highly valued by the colonial authorities and was repaired from time to time. However, the unhardened road surface was still full of ruts and potholes. Under the dual effects of shock-absorbing springs and sofa seats, even if the coachman whipped his horse, he would ride hard.
Cheng flew away, and the passengers in the car only felt a little shake.
"The strange thing is that these people only occupy an island about the same size as Formosa. In the eyes of the Chinese emperor, such a remote island is just a small grain of sand on the edge of the world. This is the group of people who built a
They transformed all the Chinese goods into a prosperous city and became more than ten times more sophisticated. The first fleet of a Southeast Asian company dealing in Australian goods arrived in Manila, and the whole city was shocked. The governor was also shocked, because they sang
The salute even drowned out the cannons of Fort Santiago. So when the Australians refused to accept the Whole Deal Act, the Governor of Salamanca agreed to their request. So Mr. Sanafria was ready to make a fortune the old way,
As a result, nothing was caught. He hated them to the core. He often lobbied the governor to seize the ships and goods of the Southeast Asia Company - at least he would fine them a large sum of money..."
"Why? Just because he didn't get any benefits?"
"You can say that." The financial director sneered, "Of course, everyone knows that the major shareholders of Southeast Asia Company are actually Australians. Since the Australians took away our two ships, Don Sanabria's idea has been confirmed
Many people agreed, but the governor was still hesitant - the Southeast Asian Company's trade is essential to the colony..."
Andrade doesn't point out that he strongly disagrees with the idea: Abaca shipped by Southeast Asian companies now accounts for half of his annual sales.
Weiss knew that the Southeast Asian Company's merchant fleet that Andrade mentioned was because the Manila trade could transport back a lot of urgently needed logs, abaca, tobacco and copra. The Planning Institute spoke highly of Manila's trade voyages.
He wanted to divert the topic away from the Australians. At this moment, there was a low muffled sound, as if a huge drumstick was beating on the ground. The former mercenary rushed to the car like a conditioned reflex.
By the window.
"Mr. Salamanca went to see his new baby cannon again," Andrade said.
The miscellaneous woods on both sides of the road passed by as the horse-drawn carriage sped by. Delicate, bright banana trees and slender, gloomy coconut trees intertwined into endless hedges. Several khaki barracks seemed to be exposed in the gaps between the branches, but in the
Covered by broad banana leaves, it passed by in an instant. The sound of artillery continued one after another, and Weiss's heart suddenly tightened. He heard the long and shrill tail of the cannonballs, which reminded him of when he served in the Balkans.
The very common 76mm Tito cannon, followed by the roar of the explosion, and a cloud of white smoke billowing from the hedge, mixed with flying grass and soil.
Weiss impulsively wanted to stop the car immediately and go down to see what was going on. But he immediately changed his mind and stretched out his hand to ring a bell in front of the seat twice. This was a signal to hurry up. The two pairs of horses seemed to be driving under the driver.
Wings were inserted, and the dust mist kicked up by the wheels drowned everything else on the road. Several Spaniards galloped over, hoping to catch a glimpse of this dazzling car flying like a shooting star, but in the end they were all left behind. Passing through the narrow Pasig River
On the wooden bridge, under the gray city wall, the soldiers guarding the gate seemed to be very familiar with the carriage and the coat of arms on it. When it rumbled and rushed through the city gate like a whirlwind, they even saluted. The red flag carriage belt
A thunderous noise rolled through the city's gravel-paved streets. Pedestrians rushed to the roadside one after another, looking at the count's carriage and the horse with flowing mane in surprise and envy.
"I didn't know until now that people get pleasure from speed," Andrade said, a little sober from his drunkenness: "Ah, be careful, Count, there's a carriage ahead!"
The carriage driving in front of them was inlaid with a large coat of arms with a very complicated pattern. Although the coachman tried his best to maintain a leading position over the latecomers, his efforts were completely in vain. The body was too wide, and the front and rear wheels were of very different sizes.
And the suspension device connected by a belt determined that this was not a vehicle suitable for high-speed travel. Amidst the screams of onlookers on the roadside and in the buildings, the red flag carriage easily bypassed the carriage in front and left it behind.
When the two cars met, the white satin window curtain of the carriage was opened, revealing a shiny head with only a few locks of hair left. The high cheekbones, aquiline nose and a pair of fierce eyes were all Weiss's.
Familiar with me at the banquet at the mayor's mansion.
"It seems," Andrade said, "that Mr. Don Esteban Sanabria has become your enemy."
PS: Note: Sangley refers to the Chinese who came to the Philippines, or their mixed descendants with the locals.