There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 389 The Portuguese and English Warhorses
Two days later.

Jastroham, accompanied by his advisor and three representatives nominated by the Macau Council, set off for Guangzhou for negotiations.

The Administrative Secretary temporarily assumed the role of Protector-General, while the Commander of the Security Forces remained in place to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

The delegation, personally led by the Governor of Macau, was quickly taken to Guangzhou by official ships after explaining their purpose. They were then temporarily lodged in a temporary residence for foreign dignitaries in Guangzhou by the officials who were guiding them.

Justus Ferrira wanted to start negotiations immediately, but was told that the Han officials in Guangzhou were all busy and did not have time to negotiate with the Portuguese.

There was nothing he could do; circumstances forced him to settle for second best and request to tour and sightsee around Guangzhou.

However, this was also rejected, and they were ordered not to enter or leave at will, but to await notification from the Han government.

Jastus Ferrira's advisor was no fool; he quickly realized what was happening and reminded him, "Your Excellency, this Great Han Kingdom is deliberately humiliating and placing us under house arrest. This is a form of pressure before negotiations, and we should prepare accordingly."

Jastus Felira shook his head and sighed: "I know, but we have no choice. The Great Han Kingdom has already surrounded Macang. Unless we are willing to go to war with the Great Han Kingdom, Macang will run out of food soon..."

The rest of the conversation was not continued because the delegation included three council representatives who were fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin.

They were not only representatives but also interpreters for the trip. More importantly, they were all Macanese, having lived in Porto Amaral since their grandfathers' generation.

The three council representatives remained silent, paying no heed to the governor, and returned to their rooms.

Justus Ferrira also ignored the council members; he didn't want to concern himself with anyone right now. He just wanted to end the negotiations as soon as possible and then resign and return home immediately.

A while later, in the room of the Macau Council representative.

“We’ve arrived in Guangzhou now, so what should we do next?” Fernando asked first.

He is now speaking neither Portuguese, nor Cantonese, nor Mandarin, but "Patva".

This is a Creole language unique to the Macau Peninsula that can only be learned and mastered by native Portuguese speakers. It is a fusion language that incorporates elements of Portuguese, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

In any case, the Governor of Macau, Justin Ferreira, and his advisor certainly wouldn't understand.

Another council representative, Gabriel, said, “Let’s wait! We instigated the people to make the governor go to war with the Great Han Kingdom, and now the governor is finally going to negotiate with the Great Han Kingdom. We must use the power of the Great Han Kingdom to drive the governor out of Ma Port, or at the very least make the governor relinquish his power and let the power return to the council.”

“Miguel, what do you think?” Fernando asked the last person.

Miguel nodded: "I agree with Gabriel's proposal. Since Goa sent security forces and disbanded the parliamentary guards sixteen years ago, we have had little power to resist the governor. This opportunity has come at the perfect time. Our governor is about to step down and will not care about what happens to Port Ma in the future, as long as it is justifiable and he is not held responsible. I believe the chances of success are very high. The key is the attitude of the Great Han Kingdom."

Gabriel added, "Judging from the fact that the Great Han Kingdom wanted to take back Ma Port by force, the chances are still very high. We just need to mediate, or even concede some benefits, such as increasing bribes to their officials, raising the annual rent, and dismantling the forts and towers built by the governor, etc..."

These Macanese of Portuguese descent were going all out. Sixteen years ago, Portugal intervened militarily in Macau, stripping the council of most of its power and disbanding the Macanese guard, replacing it with Goa troops stationed in Macau.

The main role of these troops was not to fight against the Chinese government, but to suppress the Macanese Portuguese and strengthen the power and rule of the governor.

The Macanese of Portuguese descent in Macau do not consider Portugal their homeland, and Portugal similarly does not consider these Macanese of Portuguese descent as their compatriots.

Their relationship is very similar to that of the United States and the United Kingdom; both are British. But the British in the thirteen North American colonies were second-class citizens, the kind who would sit at the same table as Indians.

When they're short of money, they increase taxes on the thirteen North American states; if they resist, they send in the army to suppress them.

The only difference between the two is that the thirteen colonies in North America were large enough, and with the full support and assistance of the French, they could resist the British mainland.

Macau is too small, and there are too few Macanese Portuguese. Let alone Portugal, they might not even be able to defeat the Goa colony. Moreover, Macau is a Portuguese leased territory, not a colony, so it is impossible to allow them to establish an independent country.

Now that the Han Dynasty has captured Guangzhou and is about to retake Macau, they see an opportunity.

Rather than becoming slaves to their distant homeland, it would be better to use the power of the Han Dynasty to help them expel the governor, or at the very least, make the governor relinquish his rule over Macau and withdraw the troops stationed there.

Is this reasonable?

Of course it's reasonable. Historically, there have been many conflicts between the Governor of Macau and the Macau Council.

Given a chance, the council could lead the Macanese to overthrow the governor and drive him out of Macau.

……

While the Macao delegation was being placed under house arrest and pressured, the Guangzhou government offices were also under pressure.

The newly appointed Director of the Maritime Trade Office of Guangzhou, Cheng Siju, is receiving the British delegation here.

This guy had previously passed the imperial examination and become a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations). He then spent half a year observing government affairs in a local county government, and then took charge of government for nearly a year.

It wasn't that I did a perfect job, but I didn't make any major mistakes either.

In a year, you really can't accomplish much; it would be a miracle if he had outstanding political achievements. At the beginning of this year, after following the frontline army to recapture Guangzhou, this guy was appointed to come south to Guangzhou and first served as the assistant magistrate of Nanhai County for a few months, after which he officially began to establish the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office.

Nie Yu had many officials under his command, but few of them knew anything about overseas affairs, and even fewer recognized the British.

This guy knew, and even had his own unique insights, so we might as well let him take charge of the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office first.

Anyway, everything is new, so it's okay if you have no experience; you can take it slow.

The Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office was established, and its offices were located on the former site of the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou.

The original Thirteen Factories no longer exist!

Some families were ruined by extortion and blackmail by the puppet Qing government during the defense of Guangzhou, while many others were wiped out by Guangzhou merchants taking advantage of the chaos.

Nonsense! Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents.

How did the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou become wealthy?

They learned from the Yangzhou salt merchants, who monopolized salt, while the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou monopolized China's maritime trade.

Smuggling is indeed possible, but the money spent on smuggling can be many times higher than the taxes collected by customs.

Many Guangzhou merchants, unable to withstand the pressure, either became appendages of the Thirteen Factories or had to change careers. Many others, unable to manage their finances, went bankrupt.

Now that we've got the chance, we have no choice but to retaliate fiercely.

Anyway, in these chaotic times, it's common for rioters to loot the mansions of wealthy families!
"So you are Henry, the English merchant who came to my Great Han last year?" Cheng Siju asked, looking at Henry in the British delegation opposite him.

Henry bowed slightly and said in broken Mandarin, "Yes, behind me is an envoy from the United Kingdom's East India Company. They request an audience with the King of the Great Han Kingdom."

Cheng Siju shook his head: "Your information is a bit outdated. Our King recently ascended the throne and became Emperor. You should now address him as His Majesty the Emperor."

Henry was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression instantly becoming respectful and serious. He then translated into English for the delegation behind him.

After a moment, the delegation realized what was happening, and they all bowed deeply to Cheng Si, with the leader even removing his hat.

Cheng Siju looked at Henry with some doubt.

Henry explained, “Don’t misunderstand, this is a delegation from the company, along with His Excellency the Lord, paying their highest respects to His Majesty the Emperor of your country.”

(Note: Hat culture was very popular in Britain in the 18th century. Only nobles were entitled to wear hats, and they would remove their hats to show respect to members of the royal family.)
Cheng Siju was utterly bewildered. Taking off one's hat was considered a sign of respect? These English customs were truly baffling.

Cheng Siju ignored these trivial matters and asked directly, "You have come to Guangzhou this time to request an audience with His Majesty, and I can help you report and request instructions. But are you representing your King or the East India Company?"

Cheng Siju's ability to write articles about the British impressed Nie Yu, suggesting he possessed some insight and skill. He knew that Britain was primarily under the control of the East India Company in the Far East.

This guy doesn't know that the East India Company is not what it used to be.

This delegation was sent behind the backs of local officials, hoping to gain some credit in China beforehand, make money, demonstrate value, and restore the company's standing in the home country.

Henry answered honestly, "We represent the company, but the United Kingdom is too far from the Great Han. If we were to send a letter to the Kingdom, the Kingdom would need to send an envoy, which would take at least two years. Therefore, the company's senior shareholders unanimously passed a resolution to first send an envoy to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han!"

After saying that, he added, "But don't worry, the company has been authorized by the kingdom to take over all affairs in the Far East, including alliances, wars, trade, and so on. The company can make decisions on behalf of the kingdom."

Cheng Siju wasn't surprised to hear this, but instead asked about another matter that Nie Yu had instructed him to handle: "What about the horses that His Majesty requested?"

Henry said, "The horses have been purchased. In the first batch, we purchased a total of one hundred Marvar horses in India. Fifteen died of illness, and the remaining eighty-five need to be brought ashore for rest and observation. Once it is confirmed that there are no problems, they will be delivered."

Of the 100 warhorses, 15 died; this mortality rate is still within an acceptable range.

There was no other way. Transporting them from India to China involved a roundabout sea route, which would be unbearable even for humans, let alone the more delicate warhorses.

A mortality rate of 15% is still within an acceptable range, and if too many people die, the Han Chinese can simply deny responsibility or make the British bear the burden themselves.

Cheng Siju's main task in receiving the British delegation was to take possession of these warhorses.

The Han dynasty's warhorses were too short. They were only good for bullying the southern cavalry. For the future northern expedition, they would definitely need tall horses, otherwise their stamina would not be able to keep up with the Qing army's northern cavalry.

As for the tall, large horse, they could only get the British to help them buy it.

Buying from the mall is useless, because wild warhorses have become extinct in later generations. The remaining warhorses are either too short, not sold at all, or castrated, and they are extremely expensive.

(End of this chapter)