Chapter One Thousand Five Hundred and Eighteen: European 'Sweet Party' Praises 'White Sugar'!
"Sugar! It is the blessing of the Lord, the embodiment of goodness in the world, and it is like the nectar of an angel when you enter the mouth! This is the most sacred gift, it is white gold, it is the all-powerful medicine!"
On the green coast of Brazil in the New World, in the barren colonial camp of Natal, Bruno closed his eyes, recalling the sincere praise of "sugar" from the Catholic world, and chanted it softly with the heartfelt pursuit of the European aristocracy.
.
"Ah! Praise white sugar! Its sweetness can balance the body fluids; its smoothness can purify the turbidity of the soul. It is a symbol of holiness and wealth, and it is a beauty that only the noble can taste!..."
Yes! In this era of Europe, the vast majority of Catholic nobles, clergy and wealthy businessmen are undoubtedly the real "sweet parties"! The remaining 95% of the common people have no access to "sugar"
of inferior people!
As the saying goes, "God comes first, then heaven, and gold and white sugar come first." In the European continent ruled by the "Sweet Party", "sugar", like "spice", has been given the meaning of "religion, medicine, wealth, and status".
Four layers of halo, awe-inspiring and inviolable.
In religion, "sugar" is sacred, a "white miracle" that soothes the soul. It can be made into "holy cookies" or directly smeared on "saint sculptures". In medicine, "sugar" is regarded as
A universal medicine, no matter what disease you have, the doctor will add "sugar" to the treatment prescription.
Not to mention wealth and status! Throughout the Middle Ages, "sugar" was called "white gold" and was a luxury product imported from the mysterious East. Its price was 20 times that of local honey in Europe and more expensive than African pepper.
2 times, one pound costs at least 6-12 gold coins, which is as expensive as red dye!
"O Lord of Light! The 'white sugar' wealth produced by the sugar cane plantations in Madeira Islands is almost 30% of the value of the goods shipped back by the Royal Navy from all the colonies in West Africa! Where sugar cane can be grown, it is the real 'white gold'
Mint'!... And Father Faria actually said that this colony in the New World is likely to be able to grow sugar cane? It is likely to produce sugar?! Isn't that a gold mine planted in the soil?!..."
At this moment, Bruno was greatly shocked! He looked around at the forest and red soil around him, and the boiling desire in his chest seemed to be rolling and burning like a mountain fire. But soon, he captured two key words, turning this wild forest into a
Prerequisites for becoming a white gold mine…
"Respect the wise, kind and generous priest! You just said that growing sugar cane requires fertilizer and manpower?"
"Yes! The Lord testifies that I have been to the sugar cane plantations in Madeira. In fact, many large monasteries in Lisbon have tried to plant sugar cane, but no one has succeeded... This is the nectar given by the Lord. There is no
So easy to get! You must have a hot and rainy climate and fertile enough land to plant..."
When it comes to the sacred "sugar", Father Faria's rough face also shows a bit of yearning. Even a monk who restrains his desires also likes "holy sweet pastries" and the "spiritual purification" brought by sugar.
". Well, just like the priests of various tribes in Central America, they all like sacred smoke.
"Baron Bruno, the red land here is actually okay for growing grains. But to grow sugar cane, it needs to be more fertile. To make the fields fertile, it is nothing more than introducing livestock and poultry, using cows, horses, sheep and chickens.
Pour the manure on the ground after it is cooked. The best ones are cow manure and chicken manure. Sheep manure is also okay. Horse manure is relatively acidic, so you have to mix it with grass, dead leaves, wheat husks or sawdust and then compost it. If the ground is sour, you can also compost it.
You have to mix in some lime..."
As a monastery monk who farms his own land, Father Faria is no stranger to farming and is even considered proficient in it. After all, the cheese and wine from the Notre Dame Monastery have always been popular goods in the Lisbon market. He talked about how to increase the amount of land.
Fei's skills, and smiling, talked about the problem of manpower.
"God bless! As for the manpower for farming... Baron Bruno, this still has to fall on the converted native tribes! You know, growing sugar cane is real hard work, much more tiring than growing grain. If you want this colony to produce sugar
', you must first have enough
'Food'. Only by first developing the colony to a scale of three to four thousand people and tens of thousands of acres of fields can we have a foundation for developing sugar cane plantations that produce 'white gold'! And relying on the sweet residue after sugar cane extraction,
You can also make wine, which is easier to sell than sugar..."
"Holy Mother! Gather thousands of people and develop tens of thousands of acres of fields?..."
After hearing this prerequisite, the fire in Bruno's heart was finally poured with a basin of cold water, and he instantly calmed down a lot.
Obviously, sugarcane plantation is a project with large investment, "high infrastructure" and huge output. In just a few years, we should not think about it. At most, we can try planting a few acres of sugarcane to see if it can survive. But in Natal
In the early stages of colonial development, if you wanted to make a fortune, you still had to cut down mahogany trees and extract dyes...or take great risks and plunder or smuggle them from the ancient Xipan natives!
"Manpower, manpower...convert the native tribes?...After all, the priest still wants to convert the natives, spread the faith, and open up a new parish!..."
Bruno calmed down and quickly understood the intention of the priest's words. It was nothing more than a plan to let him restrain his sailors and soldiers so that the priest could naturalize these yellow-skinned "Tupi natives" in the New World.
But as a new nautical rich man, he was not so enthusiastic about the spread of religion, at least not as much as he was pursuing wealth. He hoped more to obtain slaves in plantations, and after opening up fields and estates, he would work until he died of old age, with no way to escape.
The kind!…
"God bless! Perhaps, compared to these natives running around in the jungle, these indigenous people with tribes to rely on...another cheap product on the West African coast are more suitable for my Natal pioneer territory...those who are truly
A useful and strong slave! After all, it only takes a month or less with favorable winds to get from Sierra Leone in West Africa to this New World port! I can even take the navy and do it myself..."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Thinking of this, Bruno lowered his eyes and secretly hid these calculations that were not easy to confess to the priest. Father Faria glanced at Bruno and frowned.
After thinking for a while, he asked again.
"Baron Bruno, this exploration and development of colonies in the New World seems to be much faster than the colonization practice on the West African coast! And the royal family and your eager attitude?..."
"ah?"
"Before I came here, I heard that...the holy King João is ill and has not gone to Lisbon Cathedral to worship for several months!"
"..."
Bruno was silent for a moment, his thoughts returning to reality from the shining gold coins. He smiled bitterly and nodded in response.
"Yes! With the blessing of Our Lady, His Majesty's condition is indeed not optimistic... His Majesty hopes that the southern passage of the new Atlantic route can be verified as soon as possible and he heard clear good news... This is why I immediately went south to explore when I arrived here!
It's a pity that the southern coast of the New World is as desolate and vast as the southern coast of Africa, with no end to be found..."
"As for me... I also hope to develop this colony as soon as possible with His Majesty's support! After all, if there is a new Majesty later... I don't know what his attitude will be and whether he will give such full strength.
support…"
"Ah, that's it! Baron Bruno, the support of the royal family is indeed crucial... Of course, for a possible new continent, a vast new diocese, whether it is the Lisbon Church or the Holy See, they will also be very excited and willing to provide sufficient support.
Support! However, the Holy See must know first..."
Father Faial pondered for a while, made the sign of the cross, and asked meaningfully.
"Baron Bruno, before I came, Jorge da Costa, Cardinal of the Holy See and Archbishop of Lisbon, sent someone to tell me that the place I was going to was a large overseas island newly discovered by the Kingdom of Portugal... If
It seems that His Majesty Ang did not tell Archbishop Costa, let alone the Holy See, that the Kingdom had discovered a new continent?..."
"Well…"
Bruno was speechless for a moment, hesitated for a few breaths, and then managed to smile.
"Dear Father! Archbishop Costa is very old, almost 90 years old... He is spending his old age in the Holy See. His Majesty Joao may not want to bother... bothering the Archbishop to worry about... What's more, His Majesty Joao is also ill.
Maybe I didn’t expect it…”
“May the merciful Lord protect His Majesty Joao!…”
In just a few words, Father Faial had confirmed the attitude of the Portuguese royal family and sensed the subtle hostility between Portugal and Castile. He pursed his lips and was silent for a moment before sighing.
"Witness the Lord! This new jungle continent is so vast and has the possibility of communicating with the new Atlantic route. It is understandable that His Majesty Joao wants to monopolize it and wants to delay and conceal it..."
"It's just...Quem semeia ventos, colhe tempestades! He who sows wind will reap storms! His Majesty rejected the mediation of Pope Alexander and still insisted on the Treaty of Alcasuvas in 1479, unwilling to accept a clear division with the two kings
The 'New Papal Meridian' belonging to the Atlantic Ocean even imprisoned Captain Columbus of Castile for nearly two years... This is really, really dangerous!..."
Speaking of this, Father Faial shook his head. The hostility between Spain and Portugal, as well as the disapproval of the Roman Church, made him, a priest of the Portuguese Church, really worried.
"His Majesty's choice...to reject the mediation of Pope Alexander...this is also the will of the entire royal family..."
Thinking of the dangerous situation on the peninsula, Bruno was also a little silent. King Joao clearly rejected Pope Alexander's mediation last year and did not sign the "Treaty of Tordesillas". This is certainly not a rejection of the "Pope Meridian West" that is beneficial to Portugal.
"Move" and refuse to add "Portuguese overseas territories recognized by the Holy See".
The crux of the dispute lies in King Joao's insistence on retaining a "supplementary treaty" in the Treaty of Alcasuache, which "provides Portugal with a monopoly on the African coast and Atlantic waters, including future exploration and conquest"
!". The reply from the two kings of Castile was that this "supplementary treaty" must be cancelled, and both parties would directly divide the world's ownership according to the new papal meridian...
In other words, with the news brought back by Columbus, the Kingdom of Portugal changed its attitude and firmly believed that there was indeed a "New Atlantic Route". In order to retain the nominal monopoly of this "New Atlantic Route", King Joao would rather
Maintaining hostility with Castile, engaging in maritime competition in the Atlantic, and even preferring war...rather than accepting "safety" and accepting the Pope's new promise of "270 leagues", that is, the "complete division of the Atlantic Ocean"
New Papal Meridian”.
"Hey! These vicious, bull-fighting Castilians, these unchecked and dangerous mad dogs!..."
"Lord! Let King Charles of France invade Italy and the Kingdom of Sicily as soon as possible! As long as France invades the Kingdom of Sicily, the Kingdom of Aragon will definitely not be able to help participating in the war! By then, the Kingdom of Castile will also be involved.
After the war in Italy, we, the Kingdom of Portugal, can safely operate the colonies in the New World and find new routes to Khitan and Seris in the west!"
Thinking of this, Bruno stretched out his right hand and followed Father Faria in making the sign of the cross devoutly. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the vast Atlantic Ocean and the return voyage that he would embark on in two months.
He would return again in the fall, bringing more Portuguese settlers, more naval fleets, and perhaps slaves from the West African coast...
But, what will the Castilians do when the wind is favorable? You know, Captain Columbus, the Genovese captain who loved to write diaries and was full of lies, had already returned to the Kingdom of Castile.
The news of the "discovery of prosperous India and Sipangu" was brought to the ambitious and indebted kings of Castile...
"Ah! Who is cursing me? Merda! Is it the Portuguese navigation scholars who were slapped in the face by me and whose heads were filled with donkey dung? Or is it the poor German mercenary group in front of me?..."
Thousands of miles away in the Kingdom of Aragon, in a small town on the outskirts of Barcelona, Columbus sneezed loudly and wiped his red nose vigorously with the sleeves of his aristocratic clothes. Then he sat down at a height of 1.6 meters
The tall Castilian war horse pulled the reins with great satisfaction, and shouted triumphantly to the astonished mercenary captain Reinhard in front of him.
"Reinhard! I, the Admiral of Castile, the glorious nobleman of the Kingdom of Castile, the Queen's most trusted navigation advisor, the great navigator who discovered India and Sipangu, Don Christopher Columbus
…I have returned from India and Sipangu, and come to see you again!…”
"Gottverdammt! What a ghost!..."
The mercenary captain Reinhard swallowed, his face extremely alert and his expression extremely solemn. His eyes were fixed on the tall and mighty Columbus... Behind him, there was only a fully armed cavalry of two hundred people.
The team, under the banner of the Royal Family of Castile, was divided into two teams in a charging formation, faintly surrounding his German mercenary group!