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Chapter 412 Maritime Trade Routes (Three-in-One)

"I, the Viscount, am here to help you!"

Old Qin couldn't hold him down, and his two thick arms moved like iron chains across the river. His blood was boiling, and he wanted to give this devil another hard blow.

But Alejandro's sudden shout left Qin Ze somewhat unsure of the situation, so he held back for the time being.

Old Qin looked down on all foreigners.

This actually represents the mentality of most people in the Ming Dynasty.

For thousands of years, this ancient kingdom has been the most powerful nation.

The people of the Ming Dynasty should have this kind of pride.

People like Gao Wanli are extremely rare in the Ming Dynasty.

Even among the "new craftsmen," most of them felt that... the craftsmanship of the Western Barbarians was ingenious and would be a waste to leave it in their hands; only the craftsmen of our Ming Dynasty could carry it forward!

Seeing that Qin Ze dared not make a move, Alejandro thought he had intimidated these Ming Dynasty people and couldn't help but feel smug.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yuan scoffed: "Such shallow rhetoric, how dare you embarrass yourself in my Ming Dynasty?"

The strategists of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were very good at this.

Moreover, they start by saying things like, "Your Majesty, you are facing a crisis of national subjugation without even realizing it."

The sense of crisis is off the charts!
And look at this piece of junk you have!

Help me?
Compared to the Ming Dynasty predecessors from two thousand years ago, your skills are not up to par.

Alejandro blushed.

Fortunately, his skin was already tanned reddish-brown from the sea, so when his face turned red, it was only a slight redness, and no one could tell.

"Furthermore," Xu Yuan said, "to correct your understanding, I am from the Imperial Ming Bureau of Purification, and I am in charge of law in Champa."

It is not the city lord you mentioned.

My Ming Dynasty has no city lords. Under heaven, all land belongs to the king, and all people within the realm are his subjects!
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. You red-haired barbarians know too little about my Ming Dynasty; no wonder you have suffered repeated defeats in the Southeast Asia!"

Alejandro was so angry at that last sentence that his beard trembled.

Don't hit someone in the face, and don't expose someone's shortcomings.

They also have similar proverbs about dried silk and wax.

But thinking of the purpose of his trip, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and bowed again, saying, "It was this viscount who made a mistake."

Xu Yuan gazed at him quietly.

The ability to transform into black mist and then recombine—that was to transform oneself into a ghost.

This skill is indeed rarely seen among the Seven Great Schools of the Ming Dynasty.

But just as Xu Yuan had guessed not long ago, this ability greatly increased the infection on Alejandro's body.

Xu Yuan first used "Looking at Fate" to check and confirmed that the red-haired barbarian was indeed human.

However, his life force was blue, a thick, straight line that soared into the sky.

However, the destiny has not yet been formed.

Xu Yuan grasped the Yin-Yang Guillotine again—

In Alejandro's right eye's field of vision, dozens of yin energies swirled around him, seemingly protecting him, yet also appearing to entangle him!

Drifting endlessly, just like seaweed in the sea.

It seems to possess its own consciousness and is not merely a subordinate of Alejandro!

Alejandro's expression changed when he saw Xu Yuan suddenly grab a huge weapon.

Immediately, a dark blue glass lens clicked out of thin air and slid into view in front of him.

He examined it through the lens and sincerely praised, "Your tool is extremely powerful and enviable."

Xu Yuan put away the Yin-Yang Guillotine, and Alejandro also put away his lenses.

Xu Yuan probed, "You're looking for the so-called city lord? In my imperial court, the equivalent official rank for a city lord should be a prefect. I'll have someone take you to see him right now."

"Well... there's no need for that. Since I'm already here, it's the same to talk to you, sir."

"Oh?" Xu Yuan looked intrigued. "What do you wish to discuss with me?"

"I, the Viscount, am indeed here to help you."

Alejandro kept referring to himself as "this Viscount," but Lord Xu wouldn't take the bait, not even asking what his status as "Viscount" actually was in the Kingdom of Gansila.

"I have heard that the Anelians have occupied India and have sent an envoy, which is showing off its power and preparing to go to your capital."

Xu Yuan asked in surprise, "You came here for this?"

“Exactly.” Alejandro said indignantly, with an air of righteous indignation, “The Anelians are the locusts of this world!”

They are greedy, cunning, evil, and despicable!
They are the most despicable bandits and hypocrites!

You don't understand them, but I, the Viscount, am fully aware of all their insidious schemes. I am willing to help you thwart all their plots and schemes!

Xu Yuan raised his eyebrows.

This Alejandro is dishonest.

First, it can be determined that Lord Xu is not as ignorant of the official system of the Ming Dynasty as he appears.

He deliberately came to see me, rather than going to see the prefect.

He pretended to have made a mistake, his plan being:
They disregarded the various courtesies and etiquette of the imperial court, and even deliberately acted arrogantly.

If this is investigated, it will be because this viscount was unaware of the situation, and ignorance is no excuse.

Then Lord Xu was certain that Gansila and Anelia were two hostile nations.

The relationship between the two countries is even extremely hostile.

Otherwise, Alejandro would never have risked venturing deep into Jiaozhi to seek out the Exorcism Bureau and secretly target the Indian delegation.

The fact that Alejandro came to the Department of Purification further proves that he has a great understanding of the Ming Dynasty.

This guy is very likely a "pro-Ming dynasty expert," and he might even have participated in the battles in Southeast Asia.

“Then, Your Excellency,” Xu Yuan seemed to become serious, “can you tell me what exactly are the Anelians plotting in our Ming Dynasty this time?”

Alejandro immediately said, “They covet everything in your country! The Anelians are incredibly greedy; their professional fleet will rob any merchant ship they can see.”

Your country is very wealthy. The Anelians will first pretend to trade with you, secretly investigate and assess your strength, and slowly look for opportunities.

When they perceive you as weak, they will not hesitate to launch a war of aggression!
Believe me, the Anelians will do anything for wealth!

Xu Yuan nodded: "On this point, I agree with your judgment."

Lord Xu left out half a sentence: You dried meat and dried meat people are the same.

Old Qin listened from the side and slowly took a step back.

They will no longer attack Alejandro.

But Lao Qin had been with the adults for quite some time, and he always felt that something was not right.

The master seemed to be getting along quite well with these foreigners, but Old Qin had a feeling... the master might be up to something...

"I'm a straightforward person and not good with words. I might as well shut up and not ruin the adults' plans." Old Qin made up his mind in secret.

Xu Yuan then asked Alejandro, "But now, we urgently need to know what weaknesses the Anelian delegation has?"

Alejandro smiled slightly: "This Viscount can tell you everything you want to know. But... you must also understand that we at Gansila do not provide services free of charge."

Xu Yuan remained unperturbed: "Name your price."

"Fifty thousand silver dollars can also be exchanged for your country's gold and silver."

Xu Yuan frowned slightly: "I thought you were very sincere."

Fifty thousand silver dollars are approximately thirty-five thousand taels of silver.

Alejandro said, "The information I provided may save your country from annihilation, so this price is very reasonable."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "In that case, please return. I believe that we can find other dried silk merchants in coastal cities who are willing to help our dynasty at a lower price."

Xu Yuan got up and left.

Alejandro remained calm and composed: "That's a real shame."

Xu Yuan had already entered the back room, but he still didn't say anything to stop him.

Qin Ze stepped forward and extended his hand, saying, "Please."

Alejandro calmly turned around and, with his men, slowly walked out of the Exorcism Bureau.

As they walked out of the gate, one of his men asked in Cantonese, "Sir, the Ming people did not try to keep us, which is completely different from what you expected."

"What's the panic?" Alejandro said in a low voice. "Let's find a place to stay first. That 'law enforcement officer' of the Ming Dynasty needs us. Whoever loses their composure first will be at a disadvantage in the negotiations."

Xu Yuan returned to the back room and stroked his chin: "This red-haired barbarian is not easy to deal with..."

Xu Yuan wasn't afraid of a simple test of patience, but time wasn't on his side.

"However, this guy's sudden visit has given me an idea."

"We can send people to the coast to find the red-haired barbarians; they must know a lot about those blue-eyed barbarians."

"We cannot place all our hopes on Alejandro."

Xu Yuan then called out, "Xiao Ba, tell Di Youzhi to come see me."

"Yes!"

Before long, Di Youzhi received Lord Xu's order, rode swiftly, and headed south to the coastal area of ​​Jiaozhi.

After Di Youzhi left, Xu Yuan's eyes darted around again, and he asked, "Xiao Ba, can you imitate the red-haired barbarians?"

Lang Xiaoba nodded: "No problem, I just saw what those red-haired barbarians looked like."

"Alright, I have something for you to do."

……

Alejandro and his four companions found an inn to stay at.

This was the third inn they had inquired about.

The first two companies both treated them like easy prey.

A standard room costs two silver dollars a night!
Alejandro's men began to hurl insults.

Do you really think we don't know the situation of Huangming?

They didn't dare to curse in the Ming Dynasty language, but instead used their mother tongue.

It wasn't until the third shop that I met an honest boss.

After settling in, Alejandro was full of confidence and prepared to test his patience against the Ming Dynasty's Chief Lawyer.

The night passed quietly without incident.

That night, the five dried meat vendors stayed obediently in their room and dared not go out and wander around.

The next day, they strolled around the city and inquired about the prices of various goods.

"Sir," one of his men exclaimed excitedly, "it's at least 30% cheaper here than in Malacca!"

Alejandro's eyes flickered, and he nodded.

After wandering around for two hours, they returned to the inn.

On the street in front of the inn, one of his men suddenly saw a figure flash by at the street corner.

"Huh?" the subordinate said. "Sir, I think I've spotted one of our people."

"What do you mean, 'our people'?"

His men hurriedly chased after them, and as they turned the corner, they saw three dried-up, waxen figures walking quickly toward the Exorcism Bureau.

He shouted in the Cantonese language.

The three men turned around and saw him, but they looked nervous and didn't respond. Instead, they ran faster toward the Exorcism Division.

The subordinate's mind raced, and he cried out, "Oh no!" He hurriedly turned back to report to Alejandro, "Sir, we have a competitor!"

Upon hearing this, Alejandro immediately sped up to catch up, but the three Ghanaians ran even faster.

During the chase, Alejandro bumped into several Ming Dynasty vendors. He knocked over their goods and was caught and required to pay compensation.

Don't even think about leaving until you lose money.

Alejandro was anxious, so he dropped a few eagle dollars and hurriedly gave chase.

However, after several delays, they ultimately failed to catch up and watched helplessly as the three dried-up men entered the Exorcism Bureau from dozens of feet away.

"Damn it!" Alejandro angrily kicked over a roadside stall.

The medicinal herbs on the stall flew all over the street with a whoosh.

The stall owner, a short, plump woman in her forties, yelled and pounced on Alejandro, grabbing his clothes tightly with both hands: "Pay up! You're not allowed to leave until you pay up!"

"It's the other way around!"

"Those red-haired barbarians dare to run wild in our Ming Dynasty!"

Inside the Exorcism Bureau's office, Lang Xiaoba and Qin Ze hid in the gatehouse and secretly peered out.

The three dried meat men who just came in were, of course, Lang Xiaoba and his men in disguise.

Seeing this, Lao Qin asked in confusion, "Did you arrange for this woman to come too?"

Lang Xiaoba: "That's really not it."

……

Alejandro was ripped off badly.

They had just inquired about prices in Champa, and the medicinal herbs on that woman's stall were worth at most one tael of silver.

But the woman grabbed him and shouted, "These foreign devils are bullying us Ming people!" As a result, the surrounding passersby rose up and attacked him.

Alejandro and his men were in a sorry state, and only managed to escape after paying a full twenty taels of silver.

That's equivalent to fourteen taels of silver!
The five men, seething with anger, finally escaped the entanglement of those damned Ming commoners.

They traveled all the way to Champa, hoping to make a fortune.

As a result, they lost thirty silver dollars!

The Westerners value money far more than the Ming people.

This loss was incredibly painful for them.

They hid in a nearby alley.

One of his men said in a deep voice, "Sir, we must reach this deal with that Lord Lawyer!"

Alejandro scratched his beard in frustration.

I thought I was in control, but those three damned compatriots put me on the defensive.

"Your Excellency, you should request an audience with that official immediately! If you continue to be so stubborn, we will lose this opportunity!"

Alejandro gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, let's go see that person now."

Five people emerged from the alley and quickly arrived at the gate of the Exorcism Bureau.

"What are you doing!?"

Old Qin suddenly stepped forward to block him, his leopard-like eyes glaring with hostility.

Alejandro smiled broadly: "Don't you recognize me? We just met yesterday. I've come to request an audience with the Lord Lawyer."

Old Qin certainly remembered, but he still stared at Alejandro for a long time before finally showing a look of realization: "Oh, it's you guys."

"Yes, yes, we're here to see Lord Lawyer. May we go in?"

Alejandro tried to go inside, but Qin Ze stopped him again: "What are you doing? This is the office of the Exorcism Bureau! These foreign devils have no manners!"

Alejandro looked bewildered. What did that mean?
Qin Ze scoffed and rubbed his fingers together.

Alejandro cursed inwardly, "The corrupt Ming Dynasty is openly soliciting bribes!"

The captain next to him chimed in jokingly, "Boss Qin, these foreign devils are clueless."

"Does he think he can just see our master whenever he wants?"

Alejandro sighed and handed over a silver dollar. Qin Ze laughed angrily, "Who do you think you are?"

Alejandro gritted his teeth and took out nine more.

Qin Ze still didn't answer.

Alejandro had no choice but to raise the price further.

When he had added up to twenty coins, he had no money left.

But Qin Ze still didn't answer.

Alejandro had no choice but to give his men a look. They searched their pockets for a while and managed to gather ten more coins before Qin Ze finally accepted them.

"Wait here, I'll go and inform you."

Qin Ze turned and left, muttering under his breath, "Poor and stingy."

Alejandro pinched his nose and endured it.

If the Ming people insulted them in other ways, they might not accept it.

But if they're called "poor and stingy," they can only accept it.

Indeed, they are not as wealthy as you Ming Dynasty people.

In our Gansi La region, this is about the price you'd pay to see a high-ranking official...

Qin Ze returned shortly after going inside: "My lord is busy with official duties. Would you like to go inside and wait, or come back tomorrow?"

“We’ll wait,” Alejandro quickly said.

He's supposedly busy with official business; he's clearly meeting with those three troublemakers.

"Well..." Old Qin looked reluctant, "Come with me."

Old Qin led them inside and found a simple room: "Wait here, and don't wander off!"

The five of them went inside and waited for more than an hour.

There wasn't even any saliva.

The five people grew increasingly anxious as they waited.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside, and someone said, "Distinguished guests, please come this way."

They peered out the window and saw a captain from the Exorcism Bureau leading three dried silk men out, chatting and laughing.

The five of them rushed out immediately to confront the three men, but they hadn't gone far when they ran into Qin Ze.

"Let's go, the master wants to see you."

The five had no choice but to follow Qin Ze inside.

Alejandro felt extremely uneasy. He gave a wink to his men, who reluctantly collected ten more silver dollars, which Alejandro secretly slipped into Qin Ze's hand.

"What did those three guys talk about with the adults?"

Qin Ze weighed the stack of silver dollars in his hand, making a crisp clinking sound: "What else could it be? Just like yesterday."

Alejandro was anxious: "Did the master agree to their demands?"

Qin Ze stuffed the money into his pocket, turned around and left: "This little bit of money is only enough to buy the answer to one question."

Alejandro: "..."

……

Xu Yuan still received them in the duty room.

"You haven't left yet?"

After bowing, Alejandro said, "Your Excellency, the price can be discussed further..."

"No need," Xu Yuan said, serving tea to see the guest out. "I have already found a more suitable partner."

Yu Yunhang immediately pushed open the door and came in: "Please, everyone—"

Alejandro hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, no one is more suitable than us! I have dealt with Richard, the head of the Anelian delegation this time!"

Xu Yuan, holding his teacup, glanced at him sideways with suspicion: "You've fought before? That leader is a sixth-tier magician..."

Lord Xu has used his divination skills to determine that Alejandro's rank is equivalent to the seventh rank in the Ming Dynasty, which is equivalent to a third-tier professional.

This made Alejandro even more convinced that those three bastards had leaked some information to the Ming Dynasty.

“That’s right,” Alejandro said hastily. “I served on the Royal Castillo, while Richard was the captain of the Anglerian battleship Victory.”

We've clashed in naval battles. Regardless of what those three men just told you, please believe me, I know Richard far better than they do!

Xu Yuan slowly put down his teacup: "Oh? You're telling the truth?"

“Absolutely the truth!” Alejandro patted his chest. “This Viscount never lies to his friends!”

Xu Yuan nodded.

Suddenly, I understood: the auspicious sign from yesterday's tortoise shell divination was not the "prosperous and abundant" sign of cocoon eating—it was the manifestation of the auspicious sign from the day before yesterday.

Yesterday's prediction was made by Alejandro.

"Then let's discuss the price of the transaction again, my friend, your price is too high."

Alejandro asked, "What price would you be willing to pay, sir?"

Xu Yuan said, "I don't want to pay even a single eagle dollar..."

Alejandro became anxious: "Your Excellency is showing a complete lack of sincerity!"

Xu Yuan raised his hand: "Calm down. I won't give you money, but I can help you make even more money!"

Alejandro's heart skipped a beat: "Does Your Excellency mean..."

"I also own a business, located at the canal dock outside the city. You should understand the convenience of the canal dock."

Whatever goods you need, my business can help you acquire them.

Then my business will be responsible for transporting the goods to the seaside, and you will transport the dried silk and wax back, how about that?"

Alejandro's men behind him couldn't help but tug at his collar.

Agree immediately! This is an incredible windfall!
Foreigners are not allowed to trade in the Ming Dynasty.

The major merchants of the Ming Dynasty in Zhengzhou would load their goods onto ships and secretly transport them to Southeast Asia to sell to the Westerners, where the prices were extremely high.

Even so, these goods would generate more than three times the profit once they were shipped back to their home country.

The Huangming Trading Company, which was able to do this kind of business, secretly had shares in Huangming Hai Waterproofing Master.

Their partners were all large merchants from various Western countries.

Alejandro couldn't squeeze in at all.

Xu Yuan continued, "I just don't know if you have the capability to transport the goods from Jiaozhi back to Gansi La?"

Alejandro felt that he had been seen through by this high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty.

He needs an armed merchant ship!
Otherwise, the pirates along the way would have eaten him.

We also need to recruit a group of "sailor" professionals, with at least one at level five, to be stationed on the ship.

But now, he has nothing.

He took a huge risk to go deep into Jiaozhi to see Xu Yuan because he was just a penniless man with only the title of "Viscount" and didn't even own a ship.

Alejandro gritted his teeth, summoning the gambler's courage honed by the storms of the high seas: "Rest assured! I will return to Malacca with the promise you gave me. There is an office of our national bank of Gansela there, and your promise is enough for me to obtain a huge loan. I will soon be able to become the owner of an armed merchant ship!"

I will have the ability to protect our wealth on the vast ocean from the threat of those jackal-like pirates!

Xu Yuan nodded: "Okay, then my cooperation is settled."

"Thank you for your trust!" This time, Alejandro knelt on one knee, placed his hand on his left chest, and bowed deeply.

Then, he took out a booklet from his pocket: "To show my sincerity, this is an overview of the thirteen divine paths of the professionals, which records the weaknesses of each profession. As for Richard's question, I will explain it to you slowly."

Xu Yuan then felt that his "commercial cultivation" skills were beginning to increase significantly.

(End of this chapter)