Putmans felt like a gangster who was ready to fight hard to seize a piece of territory. But when he led his younger brothers to attack the territory, he was suddenly told: "I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Yes, come quickly."
Having been in Taiwan for so long, Putmans is very aware of how vigilant this ancient oriental country is to the outside world. He has made several requests for trade to the Fujian government through Zheng Zhilong, but they were all rejected by the government without hesitation.
.And this time Putmans was obviously prepared to be rejected by the other party again. He never thought that the other party would agree so readily and neatly. This strong contrast made Putmans feel a very unreal feeling.
"Your Majesty General, are you... are everything you said true?" Putmans was stunned for a while before he stammered.
"Yes, Mr. Putmans." Pang Gang smiled and nodded, "But as I said just now, if you want to trade in our Qingzhou, you must pay the corresponding taxes to our customs in accordance with the regulations.
Otherwise we will not open our market."
Putmans suppressed his inner excitement and asked hurriedly: "Is your tax the same as the commercial tax in the Ming Dynasty?"
"Of course not." Pang Gang secretly despised the foreign devil and then said, "Our tax rate has always been based on 20% of the commercial value."
"God, this is too high. You must know that your country's business tax has always been one-thirtieth, which is 3.3%. Your tax is really too high." Putsman revealed.
A look of astonishment.
"Is it high?" Pang Gang sneered, "Mr. Putmans, I would like to ask how much your country's commercial tax is? Is the tax rate we have set high compared to your country's commercial tax?"
"This..." Putmans couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Business taxes in the West have always been very high, not to mention 20%, even 40%. They have been around the world several times.
, the country that can set a business tax rate as low as 3.3% can only be set by the weird court of the Ming Dynasty. But for people like Putmans, it is not possible for him to take advantage of it.
their style.
Just when Putmans wanted to say a few words, Pang Gang said first: "Okay, don't say any more. I can tell you clearly that 20% is the lowest bottom line. If possible, I will
There will be more. If you feel you cannot accept this tax rate, you can choose not to do business with us."
Pang Gang blocked Putmans' thoughts with just one sentence. After thinking about it, he had no choice but to agree. After all, it was not easy to find a place that was willing to do business with them. This was already an unexpected surprise. If he was still entangled in
On the issue of tax rates, if the other party closes the door again in a fit of anger, he will have no place to cry.
Now that the top leaders of both sides have agreed to the intention of doing business, the rest of the matter will be much easier to handle. After finalizing a few details, Pang Gang proposed to Putmans a proposal for exchanges between scholars from both sides. Putmans
Putmans agreed without hesitation. In his opinion, this was just a disappearance, not a big deal at all. The two parties finally agreed that Putmans would send a merchant ship to Qingzhou for the first trade in one month.
After sending Putmans and others away, Pang Gang and others returned to the hall. The impatient Li Yuan asked before Pang Gang could sit down: "My lord, I see that those barbarians have no good intentions at all. They miss me."
If Ming Dynasty doesn't have anything, why should it make deals with people like them?"
"Nonsense!" Pang Gang glared at Li Yuanxun and said, "What do you know? Do you really think that our Ming Dynasty is so rich in resources that we can be self-sufficient in everything, so we don't need to contact the barbarians?"
After being scolded by Pang Gang, Li Yuan lowered his head and said in a low voice: "That's it, we have nothing in Ming Dynasty, so why let those barbarians come in? Are we going to give back the money?"
"You...stupid!" Pang Gang was so angry that he slapped the table and cursed: "You idiot who can't even read a few words knows nothing. Is that a matter of a few coins? I
When the officials let the Yi people come to Qingzhou to do business, can the changes caused to Qingzhou be measured in money?"
I can't blame Pang Gang for not being angry. He was really surprised by the insular mentality of the Chinese people at this time. Under the influence of the long-term ban on seas, the Ming Dynasty was obviously still somewhat conservative in its contacts and attitudes with the outside world, although it was not like the Qing Dynasty in the future.
Such fear is so serious, but it has reached the point where Pang Gang cannot accept it. Pang Gang has always believed that it would be very sad for a nation to always shrink its head and be unwilling to understand the outside world, so he wanted to communicate with the Dutch
The opportunity for people to trade allows all classes in Qingzhou to learn more about the outside world, put down the airs of a heavenly kingdom, communicate with the outside world on an equal footing, and strive to absorb some of the essence of the West. Stop immersing yourself in the glory of the past, which will only make yourself abandoned by the world.
further and further........
At this time, Putmans and his party came to the street after leaving the General's Mansion. Although the weather was still cold, there were still a lot of people on the street. Looking at the bustling flow of people on the street, Putmans turned his head and stared at
Nairn said with a stern look: "Captain Nairn, do you know how dangerous what you just did is? Because of your stupid move, we almost lost the opportunity to trade with this rich city, and we will also have peace with you because of this.
That general is on bad terms, and if that is the case, I think I will send you on the fastest ship back to China."
"But didn't Zheng Zhilong promise that as soon as we attack Qingzhou, he will work hard to promote the Fujian government to trade with us? After all, Fujian is much closer to Taiwan?" Nai En was still confused and couldn't figure it out yet.
"Captain Nairn, I finally understand why most of your classmates who graduated from the Royal Naval Academy became school-level officers, but you are still a captain, because your mind is too rigid." Putman
Si could only comment on his subordinate helplessly, and then explained: "As a soldier, it is not wrong for you to think so, but from my standpoint, I still have to consider the interests of our country more.
,Can you understand?"
"Well, everything is for the sake of our great King." His superiors said so, and Captain Nairn could only smile bitterly and nodded to express his understanding.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Now let's take a good tour of this eastern city." After Putmans finished speaking, he took the lead in leading everyone towards the street...
In early February of the 10th year of Chongzhen, in a small port along the coast of Dandong Town, more than a dozen big-bellied boats were set on fire. Hundreds of corpses were densely packed in the port. Everything showed that a massacre had just taken place here.
It was a fierce battle, and although there were still more than a dozen blazing fires burning in the port on the ground, everything seemed so dead.
After a long time, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance, and it was like roaring thunder sweeping across the entire small port. After a while, the entire small port was crowded with thousands of people wearing red and white armor.
The thick willow nails on the armor of the cavalry made the cavalry even more powerful. Judging from the costumes of these cavalry, they should be the elite of the Manchu Qing Dynasty with white flags.
In the center of these cavalry, a Qing army general with a particularly tough figure and a ferocious face was riding a tall black horse and looking at the corpses scattered around, with all their armor stripped off and their heads cut off.
, a pair of big eyes that seemed to be spitting out fire.
I saw him clenching his steel teeth in his mouth, as if the sound squeezed out from the gaps between his teeth could freeze people to death, "It's those Han dogs in Pidao who did it again. These Han dogs not only destroyed me,
Ships, kill my soldiers, and trample the remains of my Qing warriors like this, it is really too much!"
Seeing the general's anger, the followers nearby were as silent as a cicada and dared not say a word. They could only wait quietly for the general's orders.
It took a long time for the general to sternly say: "Come here, send a letter to Shengjing, just write this: My slave Ao Bai respectfully invites the Holy Ann. Since I was transferred to Dandong by order, the Pidao Ming Army sent a large fleet of ships to patrol our coast.
They went out everywhere to destroy my ships, kill my soldiers, and burn my supplies, which made our army exhausted. In view of this, I begged the emperor to send heavy troops along the coast to prevent the Ming army from harassing me again, and sent more ships. I am willing to lead a large army to attack Shangpi Island again.
, and annihilated the Ming army on Pi Island in one fell swoop.”
After finishing speaking, Obai specially added this sentence: "If we cannot get this island, we will not come to see the king, and we will conquer the island and return."
"This..." The scribe who was busy writing could not help but hesitate after hearing this and asked: "Sir, if you add this sentence, you will have no way out."
Oboi gritted his teeth and said: "Do you think we have a way out now? The emperor gave us one month to recover Phi Island, but now half a month has passed, but not only have we not recovered Phi Island, but we have been
Those Chinese dogs are harassing us everywhere, if we don't take revenge, do you think the emperor will spare us?"
"Scum... I will obey my orders."
Soon after, a homing pigeon took off into the sky and flew quickly towards the north.
Shengjing Late Night Chongzhengdian Study Room
At this time, the study room was crowded with important civil and military ministers of the Qing Dynasty. Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo, Daishan, Dorgon, Yue Tuo, Azige and others were all sitting there with dignity. More than ten people crowded the originally small study room.
Got to be full.
Huang Taiji, who was sitting in the middle, struggled to move his fat body and said to everyone: "My dear friends, are the weapons, armor, food and supplies for each flag ready?"
Dai Shan stood up and said: "We are preparing to report to the Emperor, but it is really difficult to prepare in the current ice and snow."