readx; "Although your country is small in size, it is the first colonial power in the world. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Under his leadership, your country took the lead in the great geographical discoveries. Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands... Your fleet is moving along the west coast of Africa, and world-class navigators are emerging one after another. First Dias arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, and then Da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope to India. If it weren't for the short-sightedness of the king of your country at that time, the discovery of the New World by Columbus and the glory of Magellan's voyage around the world would all belong to your country.

"Still, your country has benefited greatly from the great geographical discoveries. In terms of overseas colonies alone, there are Cape Verde, Angola, and Mozambique in Africa, Goa and Diu in India, Malacca and Timor in Southeast Asia, and Brazil in South America. If it had not been for the signing of the treaty between me and your King João, Macao would have been an important colony of your country. ”

After Zhu Youzhen said this, several people were stunned. Especially Qiulina, although she is a Westerner, she doesn't know so many geographical terms, and she simply doesn't know how to translate to Anna.

Anna was also extremely shocked, and only after a while did she stare at Zhu Youzhen and said, "Your Majesty the Emperor, I didn't expect you to know our country so deeply!" ”

"Hehe, don't forget that many sailors in our country once served in your navy, and they naturally told me about this." Zhu Youzhen said unashamedly.

Anna changed color as she listened. Although she is not the head of the Portuguese Navy, she also knows that her country has always had strict management of the navy, and although there are many mercenaries, they are strictly supervised, and they are not allowed to contact or ask questions except for fighting and working. But it is simply terrible that the Chinese can spy on so much intelligence in just a few months!

Zhu Youzhen laughed secretly in his heart, the lot he said just now was seen in the TV documentary "The Rise of a Great Power" in his previous life, and he is just using it now. Without waiting for Anna to react, he continued: "Economically, your country has long monopolized the shipping routes from Europe to India, and has made huge profits by transporting cheap spices, which are ubiquitous in the East, to Europe. You Europeans have a bad habit of naming a place after what it produces, like the Gold Coast, the Ivory Coast, and the large islands of Southeast Asia are called the Spice Islands.

"It is said that Magellan returned with a shipload of spices on his return trip around the world, and the premium in Europe was 10,000 times higher. The legend may be exaggerated, but even now, the British can load a shipload of spices from Temasek for just £3,000 and sell it for £36,000 when they return to London. And Britain has just entered this market, but your country has been engaged in this trade for more than 100 years, and your Majesty the Princess wants to say that your country has no money, don't say that I don't believe it, even you don't believe it! ”

Without waiting for Anna's interface, Zhu Youzhen said with a slight mockery: "And your country is not only engaged in the spice trade. After Columbus discovered the New World, European countries rushed to carve up territory and open up plantations, which required a large amount of labor. It was also your country that first started the slave trade, buying blacks from Africa at very low prices, or even simply catching them yourself, and then shipping them to the New World and selling them at high prices. I heard that it costs less than a pound to buy a slave on the coast of Africa, and twenty-five pounds to sell it in the New World, which is a much less laborious and lucrative business than selling spices from Asia! This is more than 100 years down

Let's talk about it

Come, I'm afraid that there are no less than millions of black slaves resold to the New World in your country, right? A pound is a tael of silver, and it's not that your country has no silver, but that the silver is bloody! ”

Anna's face had already turned pale and she explained incoherently, "I have always disapproved of the slave trade!" Today I am writing to my brother and asking him to ban this evil trade! ”

Zhu Youzhen shook his head and smiled: "Today, I am not discussing the issue of the black slave trade with Your Excellency the Princess, I just want to borrow money from your country. It is conceivable that the nobles and merchants of your country have accumulated a lot of wealth in their hands, but the money can only be moldy and rusty when it is placed at home, and only investment can make a profit. Now that your country is at war with its neighbor Spain, and the Spanish Habsburg royal family is powerful in Europe, can you rest assured that you are giving money to other countries?

"And if you lend me money, there is no such problem. China and Portugal have signed an agreement, and have carried out official trade and a number of co-operations, and we also hope to continue to import large quantities of artillery and war horses from your country. In such a situation, your country does not have to worry at all that our country will not pay its debts. ”

Among the new generation of Portuguese aristocrats, Ana is definitely one of the standouts, and her brain turns extremely fast. Hearing that Zhu Youzhen was reasonable, she quickly got rid of the shock and shame just now, and asked, "So, how much does His Majesty the Emperor plan to set the interest on the loan?" I do not have the authority to agree to you, but I may write to my brother immediately to convey your request. ”

"What is the average borrowing rate in the European market?" Zhu Youzhen asked.

Anna said slyly: "The interest rate on borrowing between private businessmen is about 6%, but the interest rate on royal loans is much higher, at least 2o%. ”

"How much? 15% is about the same, right? Although Zhu Youzhen was inquiring, Anna was taken aback, because the interest on the loans of the royal families of various countries did rarely exceed 15%, and she said that 2o% was purely bullying Zhu Youzhen for not going to Europe. But I don't know if Zhu Youzhen made a mistake, but he actually accurately said the figure of 15%, and Anna couldn't help but feel weak in her heart.

However, Zhu Youzhen did not expose her, and said with a slight smile: "Okay, 2o% is 2o%. Please write to the King as soon as possible to see how much you can lend me at this rate. ”

As soon as the words fell, Maldini immediately said excitedly: "Your Majesty the Emperor, if it is a 2o% interest rate, the church also has a lot of property that can be lent to Your Majesty, but Your Majesty must repay it with cash within a year, otherwise the interest will also be credited to the principal..."

It is no wonder that Maldini is excited, because in this era the economy is still very slow, and in the European financial market, the annual interest rate of 1o% is not low, and 2o% is the standard usury.

Zhu Youzhen also smiled secretly in his heart, thinking that it is really the nature of capital to pursue profits. If the Europeans knew how much of an impact China would have on the world they dominated after they got through it with this loan, they would definitely regret lending it to China!

However, Anna obviously did not know Zhu Youzhen's ambitions, and she could lend money at such a high interest rate, and she also felt that this kind of cooperation was greatly beneficial to Portugal, so her attitude became positive. Time passed imperceptibly in the negotiations, and suddenly a soldier of the guard regiment came to report: "Tanzhe Temple has arrived." ”

Anna and the others happily got off the horse and prepared to enter the temple, but Zhu Youzhen's heart involuntarily lifted, and he looked around before saying: "Inform the monks that I have arrived, and the uncovered meeting can begin!" ”

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