Chapter 52: Double Chopsticks
Portuguese have sturdy ships and superior cannons; ordinary sea bandits are no threat to them at all.
But the Santa Ana, that is a Manila Galleon, the pearl of the Spanish Navy.
In naval combat, it is a contest of hard strength, with few chances to win by stratagem.
Precisely because of dreading the Santa Ana’s strength, the councillor deliberately tricked Lin Qian to Guangzhou and sent five warships to surround and annihilate it at its anchorage, vowing to capture the galleon in one stroke.
But man’s calculations are no match for heaven’s will.
This hellbound Great Ming sea bandit, rolling in the sulfur fire lake, surprisingly ordered the galleon to sail to Japan on the very day he received the letter.
Is this a judgment a normal person would make?
Clearly just received a commercial negotiation invitation, then immediately bolts, stabbing you in the back on the way out.
Is this something a human would do?
Meeting place chosen in Guangzhou under Great Ming jurisdiction, even sending the envoy to you as a hostage.
Isn’t this sincere enough?
What more is needed to believe?
The councillor was furious inside, even aggrieved for himself, thinking: “I did trick you, it’s true, but I clearly showed no flaws, at least no malice. Is it necessary to guard against me like this? No, this isn’t guarding me anymore; it’s harming me! Pure and simple framing!”
The Santa Ana trading with Japan harms the interests of all Portuguese in Macau.
When the governor and council investigate later, he, Councillor Andre, would be the greatest sinner, the first unable to escape.
Not to mention the subsequent plundering threats; transportation costs from Portugal to Japan will skyrocket.
Shipping routes will never know peace.
Direct and indirect losses will be inestimably high.
The more the councillor thought, the more despondent he felt; he gaped, face flushed red, unable to utter a word for half a day.
He is a merchant, not a soldier, lacking the courage to burn one’s boats.
He wanted to get ruthless and kill Lin Qian, but that solves no problems and only brings new troubles.
Fortunately, merchants submit quickly for profit.
The councillor was stunned for a moment, then his fat face smiled again: “Hahaha… Someone, bring Mr. Captain a pair of chopsticks!”
Lin Qian said: “I’ve heard Guangzhou camel hoof soup is good.”
The councillor scolded the attendant: “Didn’t you hear what Mr. Captain said? Go handle it!”
The councillor thought and then said: “Remove the roast beef and ham, bring up all Great Ming’s signature dishes. Great Ming cuisine is rich and diverse, especially Cantonese cuisine the best; must try more!”
A little less than an hour later, the long table was filled with various dishes, and in the center was really a small jar of camel hoof soup.
This dish can’t be made in moments; one jar of camel hoof soup, excluding preparation, requires at least four or five hours of stewing.
This small jar was probably bought ready-made from elsewhere; it must have cost quite a bit of silver.
Seeing the dishes complete, the councillor called the attendant to pour wine.
Lin Qian reached out and covered the cup.
The attendant looked awkwardly at the councillor.
The councillor was first stunned, then stood with a smiling face, dragged his fat body to Lin Qian’s side, took the wine pot, and personally poured the wine.
Zheng Zhilong in the back was already stunned; in his eyes, the normally lofty councillor had never been so obsequious.
Look at the councillor’s eager wine-pouring, exactly like Great Ming people; turns out the councillor knows Great Ming’s social graces.
Lin Qian sneered inwardly.
Presumably, the councillor has plenty of experience with such banquet scenes.
After all, a minor Macau councillor, facing viceroys, provincial administrations, Maritime Trade Office, and other leading officials, can only pour wine.
After finishing one cup, the councillor first raised his cup in toast, said some bland pleasantries, then downed it in one gulp.
That bold, one-gulp chivalrous flair contrasted sharply with the European noble demeanor of just eating roast beef and ham.
Lin Qian did not drink, only raising his cup in gesture.
He really worried the councillor would poison the wine and dishes; no acute poison, but chronic poison possible.
Seeing this, the councillor was not annoyed, chatted idly a few more times, then subtly returned to the topic of the Santa Ana.
“Captain Your Excellency, by the Celestial Dynasty’s reckoning, Shimazu clan members are a band of Japanese pirates; Li Dan is merely a sea bandit. Trading with them is very risky; better entrust it to the Portuguese—we are the Celestial Dynasty’s good friends.”
The councillor said with a fawning face.
Lin Qian held up five fingers: “Five hundred thousand taels; one tael of silver less, no deal.”
The asking price was ten wan higher than initially, twenty wan higher than the friendship price to Zheng Zhilong.
Not to mention on Guangdong seas, even delivered to Japan, this batch of goods is worth only five hundred thousand.
Lin Qian’s price effectively squeezed all profit margins, forcing the councillor to take a loss for name’s sake.
But refusal means the Portuguese gain no name and suffer huge losses.
The councillor felt a stab of pain, braced himself: “This price is really too high; didn’t we agree on three hundred thousand before?”
Truth be told, three hundred thousand is already high.
“My ship has been out five days; how to calculate the ship fees?”
“Then add twenty thousand more!”
“By the days, the ship is nearly to South Zhili; Japan is closer than back to Guangdong.”
“Add another fifty thousand!”
The fat on the councillor’s face trembled.
At this juncture, the councillor guessed the Santa Ana could not be en route to Japan, but hiding in some remote sea surface awaiting orders.
Otherwise, even releasing Lin Qian, he has no power to telepathically turn back the Santa Ana already halfway.
Thinking thus, the councillor’s fist clenched, gaze increasingly baleful.
Perhaps torture him to extract the Santa Ana’s location!
The councillor’s expression changes were all noted by Lin Qian, who calmly said: “I guess you’re wondering if you can torture me?”
The councillor’s eyes cleared instantly: “Hahaha… Captain Your Excellency is truly humorous.”
Lin Qian yields, he profits big; Lin Qian holds out, he loses everything—he dares not bet.
“Great Ming people like round numbers: four hundred thousand, how about it?”
The councillor’s teeth ground repeatedly; “deal” stuck in his throat.
Lin Qian added: “Ten wan of it can be offset with firearms.”
The councillor’s heart raced; arms dealing always the most lucrative, but Great Ming scorns these Western barbarians’ clever contraptions.
Clearly Portuguese cannons superior, yet after several talks with Great Ming officials, no orders.
Pouring and toasting skills learned to perfection.
Portuguese naturally ignorant of the conservative philosophy of “barbarian-Chinese distinction” and “ancestral laws unchanging.”
Forced to curse Ming officials privately as decadent, ignorant, greedy, arrogant, clueless.
Historically, Great Ming’s first major Portuguese cannon purchase was Tianqi year three, small quantity, land transport fraught with obstacles.
By hard arrival in Liaodong, nearly Tianqi year six; luckily caught Nurhaci’s incursion at Ningyuan.
Thus in Ningyuan Battle, Yuan Chonghuan had only a dozen-plus red barbarian cannons.
No helping it; Great Ming’s first buy truly that little, left some in capital city for copying, rest all shipped.
So Councillor Andre was so agitated.
Though selling firearms to sea bandits might draw Great Ming government’s censure.
But he could not care anymore.
A whopping one hundred thousand taels silver order!
Forget firearms—even selling his own mother!
“Deal!” the councillor shouted.
Then the councillor settled transaction details with Lin Qian.
Finalized: fifteenth of eighth month, Macau harbor handover first batch goods, four wan taels silver price, one wan directly for firearms purchase.
Second batch handover ninth month fifteenth, four wan taels also.
Thus, goods handed over total ten times.
For councillor, each time three wan taels silver cash, one wan firearms no trifle—needs time to raise.
For Lin Qian, small multiple handovers reduces risk, avoiding total loss in one sea disaster.
Mr. Councillor amateur at intrigue, but professional at business.
One hour later, all terms settled.
Councillor immediately had contract written in Chinese-Portuguese bilingual, two copies, both signed.
Chinese business relies on personal trust, not paper.
Besides, even breaching now, no one pursues.
So for Lin Qian, contract basically waste paper.
Seeing fat councillor’s cherishing of it, hope he has that contract spirit.
Lin Qian pocketed contract, prepared to depart.
Fat councillor personally escorted Lin Qian to stairs; at parting, suddenly: “For our partnership friendship, I’ll reveal free intelligence—Spaniards arrived Guangzhou five days ago.”
