An ocean-going fleet returning from the East docked at the outer harbor of Amsterdam and was transferred by ship to the inner harbor docks.

Dutch merchants had already gathered here to sell their goods to European countries.

The Dutch East India Company, founded forty years ago, has more than 1,000 shareholders. Neither officers nor shareholders are allowed to meddle in the management of the company, and it has a 76-member board of directors, but the real decision-making body is the "Seventeen Gentlemen's Conference."

Seven provinces in the Netherlands, 8 in Amsterdam, 4 in Zeeland and 1 each from other regions. Among these seventeen people, they were all nobles, wealthy merchants, officials, and the like.

Their decisions are based on profits, because they are accountable to shareholders and take into account stock exchanges.

The form of governance is very democratic, and everyone sits down and discusses.

But at the same time, they are extremely short-sighted, everything is in line with short-term interests, and they do not need to consider long-term interests.

For example, in history, the Dutch governor of Taiwan judged very early that Zheng Chenggong was going to attack the city of Geranza. After reporting upward, the governor of Batavia sent 12 warships to protect him.

These warships were stationed for half a year, but Zheng Chenggong still did not come.

As a result, the Batavia Command Center calculated that the cost of garrisoning the fleet was too high and not in the interests of the East India Company. The governor of Batavia, despite the protests of the Taiwanese governor, ordered 10 of the warships to return to the sea, and Zheng Chenggong seized the opportunity to empty his troops.

For example, during the Kangxi period, more and more Chinese merchants shipped goods to Batavia and sold them at low prices, which was cheaper than the Dutch merchant ships to buy goods from China (including transportation and discounts). As a result, the East India Company withdrew its merchant ships and no longer carried out the Chinese Sea, but only waited for Chinese maritime merchants to come to the island of Java.

Even if the governor of Batavia is sober-minded, he is often unable to make decisions.

There is also a council behind him, and everything has to be discussed. There is also a deputy named the director-general, who is responsible for managing the company's eastern trade affairs. After everything was discussed, the major event had to be returned to the Netherlands, and the report of the "Conference of Seventeen" was approved.

With checks and balances and interests paramount, the Dutch East India Company operated in this way and often did unthinkable things.

Just like the construction of a castle in northern Taiwan last year, after Zhao Han learned the news, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

In fact, it is very simple, because the "Council of Seventeen" and the "Batavia Council" came to the conclusion after meeting and discussing that the establishment of a trade point in the northern part of the island of Taiwan can effectively increase the profits of the Japanese trade.

Amsterdam, Inner Harbour.

The auction was held in the hall near the pier, and the auctioneer held a hammer and shouted: "1,000 pounds of Chinese tea, the starting price is 30 guilders per pound!" ”

4.2 guilders, which is about equal to one tael of silver.

A pound of tea is less than a catty, and the starting price is 126 taels of silver, so you can imagine how profitable it is.

In the hands of the Dutch aristocracy, the retail price of Chinese tea can reach up to 70 guilders, that is, a pound of tea is worth 300 taels of silver!

Historically, in order to compete with the British, the Netherlands began to play dumping, and the price of tea fell to 2.5 dong per pound. Falling from 70 dong to 2.5 dong, a real jumping sale. Since then, Chinese tea has only come to the homes of European commoners, and it has always been the aristocracy that can afford to drink it.

"I'll give 31 guilders!"

"31.5 guilders!"

"31.8 guilders!"

“……”

The auctioneer waved his hammer: "56.3 dong once, 56.3 dong twice...... Deal! ”

Goods that can be transported from the East all the way are luxuries. These things have nothing to do with European civilians, the upper class can afford to consume them, and only a ship comes back once a year or two, and they must be auctioned to maximize profits.

Even, this time 3,000 pounds of tea were shipped back, and the tea was auctioned off several times.

At the last tea auction, the auctioneer shouted: "300 pounds of Chinese court tea, starting at 50 guilders per pound!" ”

The so-called Chinese court tea is a tea with better quality. In 17th-century Europe, the retail price of this thing reached as high as 100 guilders a pound.

The main profit commodities of the Dutch East India Company were spices from the South Seas. But by now, spices have become less favored. The tea market was developed by Dutch merchants, and tea drinking was also popular among Dutch aristocrats in Europe.

Due to the rarity of the supply, the 300 pounds of "Chinese court tea" were eventually sold for 80 dong per pound – not the retail price, but the wholesale price of local merchants.

Two hours after the auction began, the staff brought in the boxes, and the scene became a sensation.

Anything that needs to be displayed at the auction venue must be something that has never been seen before!

In the midst of countless expectant eyes, the wooden box was opened first, and velvet grass appeared inside. The velvet was peeled open, revealing a lacquer box. The lacquer box was opened again, and there was velvet grass inside. The fluff grass was then peeled open, and inside was an oiled paper bag. The oil-paper bag was opened, and a piece of porcelain lay down.

This packaging method was invented by Portuguese merchants.

They buy lacquer boxes from China or Japan to pack valuable goods. I also felt that the lacquer box was also precious, so I added a layer of wooden box. Under the layers of packaging, it can not only protect the goods, but also highlight the forced conditions when they are shipped to Europe.

"Chinese court porcelain!" A native Dutch businessman exclaimed.

Anyway, for high-quality goods, European merchants like to call them "Chinese courts".

"Peter Mundy's Travels in China, published last year, caused a sensation in the UK and has recently been translated to the European continent," said the auctioneer. Mr. Peter Mundy, the leader of the Chinese rebels he met in Canton, has now been crowned Emperor of China. This emperor was very enlightened, and he allowed the export of items exclusively for the royal family. Gentlemen, this multicolored porcelain plate is for the exclusive use of the Chinese royal family. A few years ago, it was only allowed to be used by royalty, but today it is available in Amsterdam. You and I have witnessed this great history together! Here, I extend my highest greetings to His Majesty, the Great and Enlightened Emperor of China. May the Lord bless His Majesty the Emperor of China! ”

"May the Lord bless His Majesty the Emperor of China!" Hundreds of local Dutch businessmen prayed for Zhao Han at the auction hall.

The more grand they are, the more colorful porcelain can be sold at a high price.

The auctioneer smiled, "Gentlemen, you can come up and have a closer look now." ”

Dutch merchants lined up to admire the porcelain, and they kept making sighs of admiration.

These multicolored porcelains belong to the top quality, and they are also sold very expensive in China, how can they not be courteous in Europe?

For hundreds of years, all the porcelain shipped to Europe was blue and white porcelain, which Europeans called "Clark porcelain". Those are completely large-scale goods, and the Chinese people can afford to use them, and the European aristocracy is not still regarded as treasures.

The colorful porcelain in front of you has a bright and vivid glaze, just like a European oil painting.

A local merchant suggested: "This porcelain plate is as beautiful as an oil painting, how about we name it 'Chinese Court Colorful Oil Painting Porcelain'?" ”

"Great idea!" Many businessmen were amazed.

After all the merchants finished appreciating it, they were invited back to their seats by the auctioneer, and changed their words on the spot: "A porcelain plate with colorful oil paintings in the Chinese court, the starting price is 500 guilders!" ”

"I'm out of 600!"

"I'm out of 700!"

This time the price increase is really ruthless, one hundred and one hundred plus. No matter how expensive it is, you won't suffer a loss, and if you take it to France, England, and Italy, those nobles will definitely go crazy.

The East India Company brought back 2,000 pieces of multicolored porcelain, but only 100 were put up for auction.

Rare things are expensive, keep them and sell them slowly, anyway, it will take a year or two (one-way) to run a boat, and there is time and opportunity to shoot.

After the auction of 200 pieces of porcelain, the staff brought the wooden boxes again.

"What better goods are there than multicolored porcelain?" The local businessmen were shocked.

This time, the packaging is more delicate and complex, and the oiled paper package is several layers.

The auctioneer introduced: "This is also the grace of His Majesty the Emperor of China, it can only be used by the imperial family, but also only by the emperor and empress, and even princes and princesses are not allowed to wear it (nonsense)." Its name is 'Cloud Silk' (Yun Brocade), and it is as beautiful as the clouds in the sky, so noble, so gorgeous, so soft, so light...... Gentlemen, I think it would be blasphemy to look at it more. Only the most honorable gentleman is qualified to touch it. And to make it into clothes and wear it, at least a member of the European royal family. Please come up and admire it, look at it quietly, don't touch it, don't cough, it's a beautiful work of art. ”

Local merchants huddled together, and those in the back row admired it on tiptoe, and some even knelt down on one knee in prayer.

"Chinese court cloud silk, starting price...... 3,000 guilders each! ”

This year's auction in Amsterdam, before the goods were sold, had already caused a sensation in the Netherlands.

The news about the colorful porcelain and the cloud brocade traveled across the European continent and spread all the way to Italy. Immediately afterwards, even Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and Russia in Northern Europe knew about it.

Of course, the top Chinese goods will not be sold in Northern Europe, and those poor royal families will ...... I can't even afford to sell my underwear.

It was still the king of France who was arrogant and spent more than 10,000 taels of silver to buy Yunjin to make two clothes. One for himself, one for the queen, usually reluctant to wear it, only on formal occasions to wear it out to meet people.

Last year and this year, King Louis XIII of France, Richelieu and Queen Mother Mary passed away.

The one who paid for the Yunjin clothes was Louis XIV, who had just been crowned, and his queen was Princess Anne from Spain.

In order to show off her cloud brocade clothes, Queen Anne held a palace ball every once in a while. She and the king appeared in gorgeous cloud brocade costumes, and no matter how many times the noble guests met, they still looked at them with envy. As a result, every time the nobles attended the ball, people asked everywhere how to buy Yunjin.

The deeds of the Chinese emperor also spread wildly in the upper class of Europe along with the cloud brocade and colorful porcelain.

Peter Mundy's travelogue in China was quickly translated into continental Europe, and not only became a bedside reading for the aristocracy, but even the King of France himself wrote a letter urging it...... Update it soon!

That China travelogue was a few years ago, when Zhao Han had just taken over Guangdong.

Among the Dutch and Portuguese populations who had recently returned to Europe, Zhao Han was described as more in line with the European aristocratic aesthetic.

First of all, there must be a noble origin, and commoners are not allowed to rebel and become emperors.

Therefore, Zhao Han is the fallen prince, a descendant of the Chinese royal family four hundred years ago. At that time, China was called the Song Kingdom, which was destroyed by the terrible Tatars, and Europe can be said to be Tatar because of the Mongol invasion that brought the Black Death.

Isn't this a sense of intimacy and substitution?

The terrible Tatars not only invaded Europe, but also destroyed the dynasty of Zhao Han's ancestors.

After the fall of the Song royal family, they served as scholars for generations, and quietly learned about warfare, and tried to restore the country for hundreds of years. The mediocrity and brutality of the Ming emperor led to another invasion by the descendants of the Tatars (Manchu).

Just when the descendants of the Tatars eliminated the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Han, as a descendant of the royal family of the previous dynasty, immediately took his servants and servants to raise troops.

Finally, Zhao Han succeeded in recovering the country and drove the Tatars out of China.

What a perfect story of the Restoration of the Prince!

Legend has it that every time King Louis XIV of France, while wearing a cloud brocade robe and eating on a multicolored porcelain plate, he would raise his glass and say: "Salute to the distant Chinese emperor, whose open-mindedness and generosity also allowed us to share the life of the Chinese court (colorful porcelain and cloud brocade)." ”

(Thanks to my wife for being the leader of Kaguya and jly69.) ）