Nan Ming Sun Never Sets

Chapter 31 The Britons of Thanlian
Bai Mingxiu also disembarked in the future Yangon. Wu Min was a talented political officer who had brought hundreds of Bamar laborers to carry out construction work here.According to Wu Min's idea, Yangon will become an important commercial port for Myanmar's Xuanwei Division. He will build a dock here to accommodate Bai Mingxiu's large ships to berth here.Since a ship of the size of a 74-gun battleship has a deep draft, not any channel of the Irrawaddy River can allow it to sail, so large ships can berth at Yangon Port.

In addition to the wharf, Wu Min will build a fort in Yangon.In fact, according to the traditional Chinese practice, building a city may be the first choice, but first, Wu Min does not have so much financial and manpower to do this, and second, a city is actually unnecessary.

What Wu Min wanted to build was a rather European bastion.Bai Mingxiu also specially exchanged a blueprint of the bastion and handed it over to Wu Min for him to build.Bai Mingxiu also believed that if enough cannons were set up and one or two thousand soldiers were stationed here, it would not be easy for any army in this era to conquer it.

What Bai Mingxiu is doing now is a very colonial thing, but after all, he is a Chinese from the Confucian cultural circle, not a Westerner who is influenced by Christian culture and takes killing and "spreading the gospel" as his mission.So what he's doing in Burma is still very modest.

The colonists of the Ming Dynasty stabilized the situation in Myanmar, implemented land reforms to a certain extent, and began to encourage commercial development and agricultural production.Most Burmese people approve of U Min's governance and think it is better than any Burmese monarch.At the same time, Daming is still absorbing Myanmar's manpower and resources, especially the decision to build the Yangon Port, which is the best way to export Myanmar's resources and earn money for Bai Mingxiu.

The colonists of the Ming Dynasty used not only bayonets and whips, but more profits for their colonial activities.It’s like the laborers who came to Yangon to build the city are basically former serfs recruited by Wu Min around Awa.They are obliged to pay labor to the Burmese Propaganda Department, but this kind of corvee is also paid by the Burmese Propaganda Department, although it is not high.

When Bai Mingxiu captured the Burmese royal palace, he got a lot of money from the Burmese king Mangbai.Now that he has a lot of gold again, he is really not particularly stingy with spending a little money.

The Ming people began to build large-scale construction projects in the Ayeyarwady River Delta, which soon attracted the attention of the Shalian Western Colonial Company on the opposite bank.

Than Lien was occupied by the Portuguese in the early seventeenth century, and was later recaptured by the Burmese.The British and the Dutch have now set up trading posts in Thanlian, and some people are permanently stationed here.After Mangbai was defeated by Nanming, cities such as Shalian and Bagu, which are relatively far away from Ava, are basically considered autonomous, but some places have also accepted the seal of the Burmese Propaganda Department in name, and they can be regarded as belonging to the Ming Dynasty. .

The people who crossed the river and came to Yangon were the English. The Englishman who was stationed in Salian was named Davidston. It was very miserable for employees who were left at the trading stronghold in this era, because the conditions in many quasi-colonies were not good.Davidston had heard a few months ago that the Taungoo dynasty in Myanmar was destroyed by the Ming army who fled from China, and that the Chinese are now ruling Myanmar.

For this news, Davidston has no special feelings.After all, Britain at this time was not the Britain two centuries later. It was full of greed for all lands, and Davidston never considered the plan to colonize Burma.For Britain now, it is most necessary to maintain trade with the East.The primary goal of the United Kingdom is to open up the situation in India, not Myanmar.

When Davidston saw the Chinese running to the Irrawaddy Delta, he immediately realized that this was a good opportunity to make friends.Don't talk about Chinese politics, Davidston doesn't know anything about British politics.He didn't even have much opinion on the overthrow of the son of Lord Protector Cromwell and the restoration of the British monarchy.All he has is a businessman's instinctive concept of dealing with local political forces and making profits.

In Davidston's view, the Chinese are more civilized than the Burmese.

Westerners in this era will still look up to the ancient, powerful and fertile empire in the East. That painting has not yet been torn off, and Western countries are not as powerful as they will be one or two hundred years later.

But what makes Davidston feel a little uneasy is that he does not speak Chinese and only knows some broken Burmese.

Davidston became even more nervous when he was told by a soldier in dignified uniform that he would be received by the crown prince of China.

He didn't realize that most of China is now being ruled by foreign aliens. Although the Chinese royal family fled to Burma, it is still very powerful and seems to continue to rule Burma.

Bai Mingxiu came out and saw this scruffy-looking Englishman with shabby clothes.Davidston still decided to kneel on one knee to show respect to the Chinese crown prince, but then he became very surprised because the other party spoke English with a strange accent.

"Explain your purpose, sir."

Davidston stuttered. He looked at Bai Mingxiu rudely and said, "You...you can speak English?"

Bai Mingxiu shrugged his shoulders in a very Western way, and said, "This is not something you should care about, sir. I'm asking you why you're here. If you don't tell me, please leave."

Davidston said quickly: "Your Highness, it is a great honor to meet you here. I am Michael Davidston, an employee of the British East India Company. I learned that China has ruled Burma and that Chinese officials have come here. I came here specifically to visit and hope to establish friendly relations.”

Bai Mingxiu said in his heart: "As expected, it really belongs to the East India Company."

Bai Mingxiu nodded and said in fluent English: "First of all, China has ruled Burma and established the Consolation Department here. You can understand this word as a colony. Now here, including Shalian on the other side, all belong to China The Xuanwei Department of Myanmar, as a foreign company to set up a trade base here, you must obtain a business license issued by the Xuanwei Department and a foreign trading company resident permit. At the same time, if your merchant ships come to Myanmar, they must accept the inspection of our customs. Transactions must be subject to tariffs. If not, you will be deemed illegal and our military will take enforcement measures against you."

Davidston became very surprised when he heard Bai Mingxiu's words.The words Bai Mingxiu mentioned are extremely European.From licenses to tariffs, it means that Myanmar, a semi-wild place, will have professional management.This is a mixed blessing for the British East India Company.

But what made Davidston a little excited was that apparently the Chinese crown prince didn't say anything to death. He meant that foreign trading companies could come to Myanmar to do business, which made him heave a sigh of relief.

"His Royal Highness, the British East India Company will definitely go through the relevant procedures in accordance with Chinese laws."

Bai Mingxiu nodded, and said calmly: "In addition, I can tell you that no foreign merchant ships are allowed to enter the Ayeyarwady River without permission, and all foreign trade must be carried out in ports designated by our country. By the way, you don't need to make a special trip Come to Burma to buy spices, gemstones and teak. Why don't you, Mr. Davidston, go on board my merchant ship and go to Madras as an intermediary, and sell Burmese goods for a good price. Well, I I can pay you an intermediary fee, and you have to help me facilitate this matter."

Davidston's breathing immediately became heavy. If an orderly route with a huge cargo volume can be established, then he will become a new star in the company, not to mention the Chinese crown prince promised him benefit.

(End of this chapter)