In the British area, all the foreign merchants sat around the room, talking quietly and cautiously, with a look of vigilance on their faces, and a strong sense of resentment mixed in. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Smith, as the representative of the East India Company, you are responsible for our contacts with the Chinese merchants, should you be responsible for this situation? What to do? ”

After a foreign merchant finished speaking, everyone else looked at a person, with a hooked nose and a gloomy gaze, and responded in a low voice: "What responsibility do you want me to bear?" Don't forget, although I am the general agent of the East India Company in China, I am stuck here like you, what can I do? ”

It was still the foreign businessman, hearing such an answer, his brows furrowed slightly, and he was very dissatisfied, but he still suppressed the anger in his heart and said softly: "Smith, you should know that although we merchants were the main moneylenders in the Qianlong period, we merchants earned a lot of silver. However, you, the East India Company, have also taken forty percent of the benefits of this as a protection fee for the protection of our merchants. Now that China's newly established Great Canton Dynasty demands that the surplus silver must be returned, shouldn't your East India Company make a statement and pay some for us? ”

"Yes, Hudson said yes, since the Chinese court demanded that the silver be taken out before it could leave Canton, your East India Company must spit out forty percent of the silver. Otherwise, don't go back to China, don't have a good time! Others chimed in.

However, Smith propped his arms on the table, showed a disapproving look, and said lightly: "Gentlemen, let's not say that I didn't handle that matter, that money has been going on for so many years, and it has long been used as the company's profit to pay dividends." Do you think it's possible to let those capital bigwigs spit out a lot of money? ”

"What's more, you also know that although I am the representative of the company, I may have more power here, but in the company, I am just a small clerk, and I can only respond to problems upward, do you think those bigwigs of the East India Company will hand over a guarantee for my small life and my life and death, so that the new court of China will let me go back? Or spit out the money? ”

"To tell you the truth, gentlemen, I never had the idea of expecting the top brass of the East India Company to help me back. To tell you the truth, I have never been short of work in those factories all along, and if those Chinese did not deceive people, and cut off the cost of living and eating, my salary should still be left, enough for me to return to China, and take the merchant ships of French merchants. ”

For a while, everyone was so angry that Smith couldn't refute it, no matter how difficult Smith was, as he said, the East India Company wouldn't care about it at all, they only cared about making money and earning money for nothing.

However, the people did not want to give up, and if they handed over the money, they would be left with nothing, and they would not even be able to pay for the employment of the crew and sailors, so how could they return home?

All of a sudden, these businessmen suddenly became a little envious of those sailors and crews, because, according to the regulations of the Great Guang Dynasty, those sailors and sailors only need to report and fill in some information, and they can leave China at any time without paying any fees.

However, unlike these merchants, they had to pay not only trade taxes. Those who have lent money will have to return the excess. Otherwise, ships will be detained, people will be detained, property will be confiscated, and they will be used as part of those trade taxes and money lending.

At this moment, a hint of evil flashed in Smith's gloomy eyes, and he said in a sinister manner: "Gentlemen, if you really don't want to pay that money, isn't it impossible? It's not impossible, it depends on your determination and choice. ”

As soon as these words came out, they immediately attracted everyone's attention, and their eyes lit up, revealing a look of hope, as if they could save a sum of silver, and hurriedly asked: "Tell me quickly, Smith, what is the way to avoid paying this silver?" ”

Smith did not answer immediately, but looked around cautiously and nervously, especially the direction of the doors and windows, and after confirming that no one was eavesdropping, everything was safe, and then he said in a low voice: "This is not simple, China is a chicken that can lay golden eggs, once this big Guangzhou Dynasty collects tariffs and extracts our profits, the East India Company and the British Empire behind him will not let it go." Moreover, at the peak of imperial colonization, China had just experienced a great war and chaos, and the Great Guangzhou Dynasty was newly established, do you think that the British Empire, as the sun never sets, and other countries will let go of such a great opportunity? What not to do in this place of abundance? ”

Everyone is a veteran who has traveled around the world for many years, what kind of things have not been seen? Smith was only a little bit before they understood, and with a look of surprise, they nodded again and again, thinking to themselves that this was indeed the case.

In all land plates, especially those bordering the sea, Western countries are seizing their own interests, colonizing and expanding their spheres of influence. When he and others came to China to trade, wasn't the East India Company fighting with France for a sphere of influence in India?

Some people were moved, some hesitated, and some were determined to leave China. In either case, once a country attacks Guangzhou, it is these businessmen who are the first to be unlucky.

Not everyone understands this truth, and what they understand is not broken. Because, those who understand want to be opportunistic, want to borrow money from those who don't understand, even if the interest rate is higher, they are willing.

Because, these people also have shrewd plans, once a country really attacks Guangzhou, those who remain will definitely die. In that case, they won't have to pay it back. If there had not been a war, they would have been able to buy more Chinese silk tea and other goods, and when they returned to China, they would have made a lot of money to pay off the debt, which was more than enough. After all, Western countries have not entered the market for a year without tea, silk, porcelain and other items, and the market is in short supply.

In the Spanish quarter, in the house, it is similar to that in England, and those foreign merchants who lend money gather here, and talk in whispers, but the content is different. The representative of the Spanish East India Company was comforting, reassuring, and confident.

"Ladies and gentlemen, rest assured, our country's naval combined fleet is stationed in the Strait of Malacca, less than five days away. As soon as I leave Canton Mansion, I will immediately go to the garrison of the naval fleet and let them save you!" ”

Seeing everyone's skeptical attitude, the representative said: "Everyone, don't forget, if you think that in the Americas at the beginning, those original weapons were simple, and after the country understood it, wouldn't it start colonizing immediately?!" ”

"Although China is much stronger than those natives now, the weapons they use are still mostly broadswords and spears, and the craftsmanship of guns and cannons is also very rude, far inferior to our West. As long as the powerful combined fleet sails into Zhuhai, you can take Guangzhou in an instant and rescue everyone! ”

Originally, some businessmen who were not strong-willed, as soon as they heard these words, they immediately nodded again and again, thinking deeply, their eyes were full of greed, every time the empire colonized, they were definitely the vanguard, going deep behind enemy lines, collecting intelligence, once the colonization was successful, they were the merchants of the empire, and the benefits they obtained were absolutely rich and mouth-watering, and their eyes were very red.

Of course, of course, they know how dangerous it is, and they are simply pinning their heads to the waistband of their trousers, fighting for their lives, and they may lose their lives at any time!

However, they believe more in their country's naval combined fleet, which has the glory of being known as the Invincible Armada!

In Portugal, the atmosphere in the room was much more oppressive than the whispered discussions of businessmen from other countries, and no matter how much the Spanish ambassador persuaded them, the businessmen were unmoved and insisted on leaving.

"Ambassador, don't forget, are there still fewer of our people slaughtered? The Great Canton Dynasty had made it clear that from now on, although they could continue to live in Macau, they were not allowed to possess any firearms, and if they were discovered, their soldiers would shoot them immediately! ”

"Without the protection of guns, in a foreign land, we merchants are lambs waiting to be slaughtered, without the slightest power to resist. Anyway, no matter what other people choose or think, I must leave. If the silver left is not enough to return, I will sell the ship and leave on the ships of other merchants! ”

Seeing a businessman say excitedly, his eyes were full of fear, and the others also nodded one after another, but the ambassador still did not give up, and continued to persuade: "Don't worry, this time is different from the past, the result of the Great Guangzhou Dynasty is not only to damage the interests of our Portugal, but also the interests of Spain, France, Britain and other countries." ”

"As long as the news spreads and we know that China is changing dynasties, all countries will definitely form a joint fleet to attack this ancient country and colonize it! Believe me, that day will not be too far away, at most a month, the combined fleets of the countries will arrive and pack up this big dynasty! ”

No one spoke anymore, and every merchant had secretly decided that they must leave this place of right and wrong, and the massacre of foreigners in Macau had made too deep an impression on them. Especially when a corpse is presented in front of them, every time they think about it, they will have nightmares, this is the fear of the soul, they don't want to die.

At the same time, foreign businessmen from other countries also gathered together and discussed secretly, but the general trend was to leave Guangzhou as soon as possible, away from this place of right and wrong.

Compared with the complicated emotions, restlessness, and hesitation of the merchants, the sailors and sailors who came with them were much calmer, and the laws and regulations of the Great Guang Dynasty did not restrict and require them much, they only needed to make a record, fill in their personal files, explain some things, and leave at any time if there was a ship.

However, some sailors and crew members did not want to leave, because they earned more money in the factory than they did as sailors on ships, which made them see the opportunity to make a fortune and were reluctant to leave.

Even if they leave, it is because they are homesick, go home and see, and if possible, they will come back next year, live down, and work in some factories in Guangzhou.

In this way, in such an atmosphere, the policies formulated by Yang Lin circulated among foreigners, and the effects caused were brewing, affecting every foreigner in various countries.