New Shun 1730

Bypassing the Dutch inspection, the slave ship quietly docked at a port far away from Bavaria.

With a familiar hand, he bribed the Dutch who was in charge of the local affairs with a sum of money, and the ship entered the port easily.

The person who boarded the ship for inspection took the silver with his left hand, and his eyes were immediately blinded, and he could not see the people in the cabin at all - although the Governor of Bavaria ordered that Chinese merchant ships should not exceed 50 people, the saying that money can make the devil work is not only valid in China.

The owners of the sugarcane plantation rushed over and bought these slaves who felt they had escaped from hell just after getting off the ship, just like selecting livestock.

In theory, the slaves were not slaves, but contract workers.

The ship fare was paid by the owner, and as long as they worked hard to pay the ship fare, they would be free.

However, this was only in theory.

Dozens of slaves followed the two strong men to the sugarcane plantation. The first thing they did when they entered the plantation was to explain the rules here clearly.

"Just come and work, don't think of any crooked ways. We have all signed a contract, even if we run back to Fujian, the government will be on our side. It is only natural to pay back debts."

"If you want to run, I might as well tell you. You don't have a residence permit. If you are caught by the Westerners, you will have to build artillery and repair canals, and you will be exhausted in three to five years."

"I will say ugly words first. Whoever is a troublemaker and leads the trouble, I will throw him to the Western ghosts first!"

After the rules were explained, this group of slaves followed the foreman to the sugarcane plantation and started working.

The owner of the plantation, who could still boss around the slaves, immediately changed his face after accepting this group of slaves.

He wanted to go to Batavia with a smile.

Before going to Batavia, he had to squeeze out a smile.

Today is the day to go to the city to repay the loan. Last year's sugar price was very low. The owner who borrowed money to operate the plantation could not repay the principal and interest at all, so he could only pay this year's interest first.

Otherwise, the interest will compound, and the whole family will have to work as slaves next year.

When I arrived in Bacheng and found the fellow villager who lent money, the smile that had accumulated since the sugarcane garden had solidified at this time.

"Boss, please give me more time this year, so that I can pay the interest first. You also know that the sugar business has been difficult in recent years. There are hundreds of people in the garden waiting for me to feed them, eat, drink, defecate and urinate, and the Western ghosts have kept the price of sugar so low, it is really difficult to do business."

"The more difficult it is, the more I have to do it. If I don't do it, the head tax alone will ruin me. Those poor ghosts have no permanent property and no perseverance. If they are really pushed to the point, they really dare to make a big fuss."

" Can the interest for next year be lower? "

The moneylender collected the accounts and said, "It's not easy for anyone. You say it's not easy for you, so is it easy for us as lenders? My guys all depend on me for food. We have agreed on the interest, right? If you think the interest is too high, then don't lend. Lending is a matter of mutual consent, and no one is forcing anyone, don't you think?"

How dare the garden owner talk back? These moneylenders are all local bosses in Bacheng, and they have connections with the Dutch.

If he really dares to provoke them, let alone anything else, he will report that there are slaves in his garden who don't pay the head tax, and the head tax he has to pay will destroy his family.

He paid this year's interest with a smile, checked the accounts, and left the place where he borrowed money.

Several Dutch soldiers were patrolling in the city, and a small business vendor was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing to a tax collector, saying that these days are not easy, and he hopes that the tax can be collected less.

The tax farmer said: "Is it easy for us to be tax farmers? Tax farmers, tax farmers, we have to pay the taxes in advance. I have already paid the money, but you don't pay the taxes to me. What should I do? It's not easy for you, and it's not easy for me either. There is no point in saying these things, just give the money as soon as possible."

"If I can get gold and silver by kowtow, then what kind of business do I do? I will kowtow every day, and I can kowtow until my head is bleeding!"

The tax farmer cursed a few words, and the owner of the sugarcane plantation said helplessly: Bullshit, tax farmers still lose money? When I make money, I will buy a tax farmer.

Thinking that his business was not yet done, he didn't look at the excitement that he could see almost every day, went to the grocery store to buy some gifts, and took them to the home of the owner of his sugarcane plantation.

His sugarcane plantation was not his, but the contractor's.

The Dutch managed the Chinese very strictly, and in order to facilitate control, they only issued business licenses to a few people who knew Dutch and had connections.

The owner is the real owner of the sugarcane plantation. The owner contracts the sugarcane plantation to the plantation owner, and the plantation owner pays the contract money to the owner according to a fixed amount every year. There are several layers in between.

Carrying gifts, I came to the home of the owner who worked as a "Lei Zhenlan" in Batavia in a humble manner.

Lei Zhenlan, "Luitenant" in Dutch, means lieutenant.

Kapitein, "Kapitein" in Dutch, means captain.

Who is big and who is small, it is clear at a glance.

There is no "Ma Yao" of the Chinese in Batavia now, "majoor" in Dutch, and this Lei Zhenlan is the second only to Kapitan among the Chinese.

These Lei Zhenlans prefer local compatriots to call them Lei Zhenlan instead of their names, because Lei Zhenlan symbolizes their status in Batavia, and names cannot control people here.

The Dutch have guns.

The plantation owner presented gifts and tactfully expressed his desire to reduce the rent.

This Lei Zhenlan sighed: "Buying and selling, there are profits and losses. In the past few years, when sugar was expensive, I didn't see you coming and asking me to increase the rent, right?"

The owner of the garden was at a loss for words and could only smile and say: "Sir Lei Zhenlan, it has been really difficult to do business in the past few years. The price of sugar is really too low. If the rent is still so high, I really can't continue to do it."

This Lei Zhenlan said: "I said, don't forget, I am also taking risks! I am the owner. If there are people in the garden who do not pay the poll tax or have a residence permit, I will have to bear the responsibility if anything happens." . This money was also paid by me. Although it was written in black and white, I will be fined and you have to pay me back, but I am responsible for it. The Dutch are smart."

"Besides, you are having a hard time, and so am I. You come here to give me a gift, and I turn around and have to give gifts to others. In your eyes, I, Lei Zhenlan, am a big shot, but in the eyes of foreigners, I am Shit."

"Have you really not heard? There is a new governor-general in Bacheng today. We, Lei Zhenlan and Kapitan, all have to go and congratulate you. When a new official takes office, you can't go empty-handed, right? Isn't that right to make friends in the future? Is it all money?”

The owner of the garden really didn't know that such a big thing had happened in Bacheng, and asked curiously: "The governor has done a good job, why did he change his position?"

This Lei Zhenlan was amused, shook his head and said: "Someone reported that an official in Bacheng was selling detention permits privately, saying that he condoned the detention of Chinese people here, harming the public and enriching private interests. A lot of things were involved, whose butt can be clean? As long as Check, is there anyone else okay?"

"The company's board of directors sent a new governor over. His name is Valkenir, and he doesn't know his temperament or preferences."

"I'd like to give you a warning here. There may be a lot of buzz recently. The new governor will make three fires when he takes office. No one knows whether the new governor will light a fire and investigate the matter of not having a residence permit. . You all be careful.”

"It's impossible for me to pay the poll tax. If something happens or the policy changes, I can only break my teeth and swallow it."

The garden owner's expression changed drastically. It was obvious that Lei Zhenlan wanted to distance herself from the relationship.

He paid for the slave labor, and the head tax theoretically required the owner to pay. If the owner did not pay, he, the owner of the farm, would have to take the blame, and then the owner would say he knew nothing about it.

I wanted to take a gamble that if the sugar price is high this year, I can turn around. Who would have thought that there would be such news? If Valkenir wanted to "clear out the accumulated evils", wouldn't something big happen?

Thinking of lowering the rent seems unlikely. The landlord doesn't care whether the garden owner makes money or not, the rent will not be less than a penny.

This is something that the garden owner has known for a long time, but in the bottom of his heart he still has the expectation that he is a fellow villager and a relative. However, these fellow villagers and relatives seem worthless in front of gold and silver.

The owner of the garden left angrily. The owner, Lei Zhenlan, collected the gifts and took some gold and silver. He also put on a smile in advance and headed to the Governor's Mansion in Batavia to meet the Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan people there. Let’s welcome the new governor together.

The surname of the new governor is Valkenier, which is considered a famous family in the Netherlands. Of course, the East India Company is based on seniority, and the father is a hero and the son is a good man. The Valkenier family joined the East India Company a hundred years ago, and when the East India Company was first established, their family was from the city of Amsterdam. mayor.

Valkenir did not go to meet the Chinese Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan first, but wanted to meet with the company's organizational personnel here first.

After the Ostend Company tea incident, the company headquarters established a trade committee with China, which took away part of the power of the Governor of Batavia. These people were directly under the control of the company's board of directors. He, the Governor of Batavia, also had to negotiate with the committee. Build good relationships with members.

The previous governor was a scapegoat because the evils were so deep that they could not be reformed.

If the tax package system is chosen, the Chinese merchants and wealthy businessmen who package the tax will inevitably hide their population; if they implement a residence permit system, they will have to pay a head tax every month. As long as they have power, they will leave a window for rent-seeking... I pay a normal tax of ten silver coins, and I accept a bribe of three silver coins. Wouldn't it be nice? The money you receive belongs to the company, but the bribe you receive belongs to you.

Valkenier came this time for another very important reason: the news that Duke Qi visited Paris and France sent a mission to Dashun caused a sensation in the Netherlands.

Batavia was the most important stronghold and axis of the Dutch East India Company. And how many Chinese are there in Batavia? This is something the company itself doesn’t even know.

The number of those who normally pay the poll tax is about 8,000; and those who do not pay the poll tax may only have 20,000, 30,000 or more.

What is the reason for China and France to exchange envoys this time? The increasing number of Chinese in Batavia is already a great risk.

During the Tianqi period of the previous dynasty, the Dutch plundered the Zhoushan Islands and Penghu, and plundered a large number of Chinese to work as slave labor in Batavia.

Because Batavia at that time needed construction. The working standards of the local indigenous people are too poor, far behind those of the Chinese, and there is a severe shortage of labor in the local area.

Also because the price of sucrose was very high at that time, growing sugar in Batavia was very profitable.

However, sugar from the West Indies and the Caribbean was closer to Europe and of better quality.

A hundred years later, the Dutch wanted more Chinese to grow sugar, but now they regard these people as a crisis.

Dispose of after use.

A few years ago, Safavid Persia collapsed. The Dutch were not as good as Britain and France in India, and Safavid Persia was their biggest customer in Asia. The collapse of Safavid Persia caused the East India Company to lose its biggest customer in Asia: Japan closed its doors to the outside world, China had enough sugar, and India had Britain and France, but only Persia could bring sales to the company's sugar.

Europe had already begun to consume Caribbean sugar on a large scale, and it was not even worth it to ship sugar back from Asia as ballast.

Valkner thought: Damn Nader Shah, a slave became the emperor of Persia, which was admirable, but it also blocked the East India Company's sales in Persia, tightened trade policies, and controlled the outflow of precious metals.

However, they couldn't beat him, because he had just beaten the Ottomans and almost captured Baghdad, so the Dutch East India Company still had some points. Gunboat diplomacy and free trade were not dared to be used on him.

Now, the problem facing Valkner was very serious: the essence of the problem with the sugar trade was company secrets. But the truth cannot be hidden. The board of directors determined that the price of sugarcane would continue to fall, and they could only continue to lower the purchase price to squeeze the Chinese. 90% of the people who grow sugarcane here are Chinese.

So far, Batavia has issued a total of 260 sugarcane divisions, belonging to 84 owners. Among them, 79 are Chinese, 4 are Dutch, and one is Javanese. And it can be confirmed that 3 of the 4 Dutch and the Javanese also sublet to the Chinese for operation.

This is already a powder keg that may explode at any time!

"Fortunately, the Chinese who will not survive and will resist have no guns. And those who have money and guns will not resist."

Looking at the company's statistical report, Valknier had a radical idea.

This idea did not come out of nowhere, but was inevitable: the opening of trade by the Dashun led to the decline of Batavia's status as a transit port; Japan's isolation and the small peasant economy of the Dashun, as well as the tea hoarding incident of the Ostend Company, led to Batavia's loss of tea profits; the chaos in Safavid Persia and the strong man who rose from slave to emperor led to the decline of the company's sugar trade; the development of the Caribbean Islands and the mercantilist policies of European countries made it impossible to sell sugar to Europe...

A large number of Chinese in the sugarcane plantations had to survive.