"It is the British East India Company's Lord Gran Green in Macao who has sent a stern circular to us in the Thirteen Lines, demanding that we restore the share of the British trade in the Thirteen Lines and reduce the share of trade with other Western countries. It was also warned that if within two months the British East India Company's share of trade would not return to the amount it had held a year earlier, they would not hesitate to use all means, even war, to get what they deserved. Sitting indoors, with a solemn face, the new chief merchant of the Thirteen Banks, Liang Pengfei's father-in-law, Pan Youdu, said with a serious face.

Liang Pengfei sat up straight and listened quietly to Pan Youdu's account of the conflict between the Thirteen Lines of Guangzhou and the British East India Company Taipan during this period of time, which was actually not a conflict, but could only be said to be the East India Company's Taipan continuously exerting his skills.

"Just a month and a half before your return, the British East India Company had already announced the blockade of the Strait of Malacca in the name of anti-theft, and all merchant ships of Western countries other than Britain were not allowed to enter or leave, and almost all the fleets of the East India Company were dispatched to completely block the Strait of Malacca." Pan Youdu sighed and took a sip of tea, these words, as the general businessman of the thirteen banks in Guangdong, Pan Youdu's pressure is not small.

Liang Pengfei just frowned slightly, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that they had already started doing this." ”

"I said virtuous son-in-law, they are doing this, it is equivalent to choking the neck of our thirteen lines, and now it is better, the sale of tea and silk is almost over, and the porcelain can still be put on hold for a while, but in the long run, the British have been blockading the Strait of Malacca, and those Western merchants cannot advance or retreat, and they will definitely not be able to buy any goods from us." Seeing Liang Pengfei's tired look, Pan Youdu couldn't help but look slightly gloomy. "At that time, no matter how good the old man and your uncle are, there will be no way to suppress those merchants. You know, you asked us to reduce the share of the British's goods. ”

"Hehe, father-in-law, don't be annoyed, in fact, before the son-in-law made this suggestion to you, I was mentally prepared, but I didn't expect that the British couldn't wait so much, which can only show that Lord Dundas, the chairman of the East India Company's supervisory committee, is just an unreachable fool." Liang Pengfei smiled and handed Pan Youdu a cigarette. flatteringly lit a fire to his father-in-law.

After taking a puff and puffing out a smoke ring, Pan Youdu's face gradually became gentle. "Fools are not stupid, that's the East India Company's business, but the current situation really worries the old man."

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"Didn't the businessmen from other Western countries react at all?" Liang Pengfei sat back in his place and looked at Pan Youdu's expression with a smile.

Pan Youdu glared at Liang Pengfei, he naturally knew what kind of character this beloved son-in-law was, and said hatefully: "Those people have almost turned Macau upside down now, hmph, if it weren't for the protection of Lord Daban Green in Macau, who was surrounded by a full hundred British troops, the British power in the East was too strong, and those businessmen from other countries might be happy to tear that guy to pieces." ”

"Those fellows are not a good bird, and as soon as Lord Green ordered the whole dish to your father-in-law and me, they all came to the old man, saying that if he hoped that the old man would not break his promise, the contract with them was in black and white, and if we dared to increase the share of the British without permission, then they would claim compensation, and even they would unite to defend their rights by non-peaceful means." Pan Youdu rubbed his forehead with a wry smile on his face. "The old man and the others have let those Yi people be caught in the middle, and they are in a dilemma, and besides, those merchants behind us, although no one dares to say anything now, who can guarantee that they will not jump out when the time comes?"

"This matter has now been suppressed by the old man, anyway, my thirteen general merchants are responsible for negotiating with foreign businessmen, and any of their requests need to be intermediated by the old man. But virtuous son-in-law, this matter has already reached this point, and if you don't deal with it, the future will be a big deal. Alas, the old man is so worried that he is losing his hair one by one...... "Pan Youdu's exaggerated expression and rhetoric made Liang Pengfei almost choke on his trachea with a sip of tea.

Except for Pan Youdu's braid, which is only a strand of hair about five square centimeters in size on the back of his head, the rest is extremely shiny, how can there be hair to fall out, the old guy is obviously deliberate.

Liang Pengfei rolled his eyes and finally came back to his senses: "Don't worry, father-in-law, don't worry too much about this matter, the son-in-law has long expected that there will be today." ”

"Oh, so you mean you've already figured out a countermeasure?" Pan Youdu slanted the corners of his eyes and looked at this beloved son-in-law with an unkind expression.

"Ah...... Hahaha, the father-in-law laughed, if the son-in-law had already thought of countermeasures, how could he not know that he would be with his father-in-law and uncle. Liang Pengfei hurriedly snorted, this father-in-law is not a fuel-efficient lamp, he should pay attention to his words, and he will not be able to suffer a loss.

"Hehe, I said virtuous son-in-law, do you think that my father-in-law and my son-in-law are too comfortable to let go of their feet on the ground, and they want to loosen their muscles and bones for the old man." Pan Youdu straightened his face and put on the posture of his father-in-law, next to him, Ni Ming and the others looked at each other and smiled, all of them turned a deaf ear and were busy with their own things.

"There is no such thing, there is no such thing, father-in-law, you just don't treat your son-in-law as a family member, in fact, although the son-in-law has been thinking hard, he can't help it, and in the end, this trip to Nanyang came down, and he felt that the matter wanted to be solved, but it was actually so simple." Liang Pengfei hurriedly pointed to the sky and said with a smile.

"Then let's talk quickly, I don't know if I came back to Guangzhou from Annan, and I heard that you were back, and I rushed over before I even had time to serve the bowl."

Liang Pengfei smiled: "Since my father-in-law has returned to Guangzhou, I should have met my daughter-in-law and heard her talk about her experience in Nanyang." ”

"That's nature." Pan Youdu looked at this cunning son-in-law, the more he looked at it, the more satisfied he became, when he first heard the news that Liang Pengfei led his subordinates to Nanyang to conquer the Dutch, he was really scared into a cold sweat, he was the chief merchant of the Thirteen Lines, and the time to deal with foreigners was not thirty years but also twenty-seven or eight years, where would he not know the power of those Western colonists.

However, Liang Pengfei once again proved that he was simply an undefeated myth. Pan Youdu felt that he was a little numb, yes, if he was surprised at first, he might have dislocated his jaw, but under Liang Pengfei's incredible victories, Pan Youdu felt that his nerves were thick enough to allow the four-wheeled carriage to pass on it.

But when he listened to his daughter's eyebrows, Liang Pengfei actually led tens of thousands of army and almost the same number of sailors to Nanyang, and the army either annihilated or captured the Dutch army and the fortress of the Dutch, and in the end, forced the Dutch to bow their knees, disarm and surrender, and gave most of their Nanyang colonies in the east, in addition, nearly 10 million taels of silver.

After hearing the news, he was stunned for nearly half a cup of tea, and his brain seemed to be rejuvenated, and then, without even eating lunch, he jumped into the carriage in the voice of his daughter's anger and went straight to this Humen town.

"Father-in-law, in fact, there are some things, not to mention the son-in-law, you also know, now Britain is powerful, so he wants to monopolize the right to do business and trade with my thirteen lines in Guangdong, for this reason, he does not hesitate to raise the price to receive the goods, and uses all kinds of methods to suppress the opponent. Because they know that when they are the only ones left to buy our goods, at that time, it will not be how much we want to sell, but how much they want to buy. ”

This is a very simple truth, if there is only one buyer, his money in his pocket for ten or twenty years will not rot insects, but tea is different, every year the tea can not let him put on the tree not to pick it, if there is only one buyer at that time, he is only willing to buy at a low price, then what should you do? If you don't sell it, okay, he won't buy it, he will wait first, and when the time comes, it will be the seller who suffers.

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Listening to Liang Pengfei's analysis, Pan Youdu stroked his long beard and bowed slightly. "That's right, it is precisely because of this reason that the old man felt that what you said was reasonable, and increased the share of those Western countries, and even if they were willing to pay a high price, the old man and your uncle also suppressed those merchants in the thirteen lines who wanted to go against our practices."

"Now that the British are blocking the Strait of Malacca, those Western merchants are afraid to buy in a big way. My father-in-law must be worried about this, right? In fact, it is very simple, you can sell the goods directly to Nanyang. Liang Pengfei lit a cigar by himself, and the cannon-like cigar made Pan Youdu, an old smoker, throw away the cigarette in his hand, snatch it, and glared at Liang Pengfei, meaning that this beloved son-in-law is not authentic. Liang Pengfei had to re-order one stupidly.

I took a sip beautifully, and Pan Youdu, who felt that he was still addicted to this thing, smiled: "It's not that I haven't considered what you said, tea, silk, porcelain, these things are far away from Nanyang, and there must be a lot of money here, and besides, the spices and wood of Nanyang are in short supply in our Qing Dynasty, so this time and again, you will definitely be able to make money, but it can't compare with the profits obtained from trading with Westerners." Another point is that if those Western countries see that the threat is ineffective and use military force, then the court will blame it, and it will be ......"

"It's okay, we don't need to be afraid of them, father-in-law, remember, everything, there is a son-in-law behind the head, Lao Tzu see who of them dares to do it first?!" Liang Pengfei was snorting a cigar, and the thick smoke could not hide the tyranny and ferocity of his face.

"The court is to blame? I have done so much in Annam, does the court know? If the South Seas are turned upside down today, the islands are almost in my hands, does the court know? This court, except for the fact that he is a king behind closed doors, is not a fart. ”

(To be continued)