My British Empire

  Chapter 482 Privateering License

  Since the determination of the Pope’s meridian, Portugal has focused on the spice trade in the East. Especially in recent years, it has defeated the Arabs and the Ottoman Empire, established the hegemony of the Red Sea, and monopolized the spice trade in the East.

  The spice business in Portugal is booming.

Every year, Portugal exports more than 20,000 cwt (50.8 kg) of spices to Europe, and the price per cwt ranges from 50 to 100 duerts. That is to say, the annual trade volume of Portugal reaches Millions of Duert.

  The specific income cannot be tested, but the Portuguese royal family has an annual net profit of 500,000 Duert.

  If taxes are added, the income of the Portuguese government will reach an exaggerated amount.

  For example, pepper From the perspective of smell, the smell of pepper can promote appetite; in terms of taste, pepper is used in food, which can remove the smell of fishy smell and make strong meat soup.

Spices can not only be used as condiments for food, but also to satisfy the appetite. More importantly, in addition to seasoning, Europeans believed that they generally have a role for a long time in history; stimulating (xing) desire, or Remind (cui) love.

  How can such a business with such a wide audience and great influence be monopolized by the Portuguese?

   "Manla, do the Portuguese have a lot of power in your place?" His Majesty the King looked at the dangling giant in front of him, and suddenly felt the displeasure of the black girl in front of him, and was a little embarrassed.

  After that, he looked at the girl's black and white pupils, recalled his previous life, yellow skin, black eyes, and after a moment of trance, he hurriedly asked.

   "My lord, there are only a few hundred people in Portugal, but they have weapons that can shoot thunder and fire, and they are surrounded by many nobles who believe in Catholicism. Their empire is very powerful!"

  The girl glared at the unidentified noble youth in front of her. If anyone in the empire would dare to look at her like that, he would have swung his whip long ago.

  Unfortunately, this place is very far away from her home, very far, far away!

  Seeing the girl gnashing her teeth, Edward thought she hated the Portuguese for abducting her! There is a little sympathy in my heart.

  From a nobleman to a slave, the gap is indeed huge, and it is difficult for ordinary people to accept.

   "Miss Manla, I'm sorry for what happened to you, so I have a proposal to let you get free early!"

  The young king looked at her plump body, delicate face, and those slender and plump thighs, which made Edward's heart flutter.

   Quickly sorted out his mood, Edward asked seriously.

   "Of course, my lord, do I have other choices?" Manla bit her lip, staring at her black and white eyes, and said pitifully.

   "I just need you to write a letter and introduce my people to your Emperor, then I will give you back my freedom!"

   "What about the others? I demand that the others with me must also be free!" Thinking of freedom, and thinking that her sister is still in the hands of the nobles in front of her, Manla bit her lip and said.

   "Yes, they will also be free, but they need the equivalent of gold as a ransom!" Edward said with a bit of heartache.

   "Okay, I agree to your request, I just hope you don't break your promise!" Manla said solemnly, looking at the lustful and lazy noble youth in front of her.

   "Very good, miss, this is the most correct choice for you!"

  His Majesty the King looked at the stubborn and clever black woman in front of him, and said with a smile.

   As soon as he turned his head, he understood that the other black women were all noble ladies. If they were brought back, they could bring great benefits to her and her father, and it was worth the risk.

   "Wait a minute! These benefits will come after we go back. Freedom is not worth the risk right now. Among the remaining people, there must be people with important identities!"

  Noticing a lucky smile on Manla's face, it made Edward's head come to a screeching halt.

  Thinking of this, the young king immediately showed a mysterious smile, which made the black beauty next to him panic.

   "Boom—" At this moment, the carriage suddenly shook, and His Majesty the King's head slipped off the maid's lubricated thigh.

   "What's going on?" His Majesty the King asked angrily.

   "Your Majesty, the road is uneven and there will be bumps, please pay attention!" The guard on the side immediately replied loudly, his tone trembling, obviously also annoyed by this road.

  Seeing this, Edward immediately got up from the maid's lap, walked out of the carriage angrily, and looked up at the national road in front of the carriage.

   I saw that the national road, which was wide enough for eight horses to go straight, was full of potholes at this time, some of which exposed stones, and some of them were full of stagnant water, like pockmarks on people's faces, which made people feel disgusted.

   "Are you still in Hampshire now?" Edward asked with anger rising in his heart.

   "Yes, Your Majesty, we are still in Hampshire!" Guy Ham replied hastily.

   "Okay! The central and local finances have invested so much money just to build national roads across the country. It's really an eye-opener for me to see what happened in Hampshire!"

   His Majesty the King looked at the endless straight and wide national road in front of him, which has always been one of his proud achievements.

  But now, the pockmarked potholes on it were slapping his face hard, hard and hard.

   "Don't they think this is the old England? Today I will let you see what is real centralization and what is absolute monarchy!"

  Edward gritted his teeth, as if a pot of hot soup was cooking in his heart, which was about to boil.

   "Guy Ham!" He snapped.

   "Yes, Your Majesty!" Guy Ham looked at His Majesty's furious appearance, and had a bad premonition in his heart, so he immediately agreed.

   "You immediately send a letter to the Palace Intelligence Office, asking Jack to come to Hampshire immediately, and you cooperate with him to investigate this incident on the National Highway, and investigate it hard for me!"

   "Yes, Your Majesty!" Guy Ham showed a wry smile, and he knew that something big was going to happen.

   In the past, such cases were investigated by the Palace Intelligence Department, but this time blood blades were added. It seems that His Majesty the King is quite angry!

   Just like that, His Majesty the King returned to the carriage after giving an annoyed order, and began to enjoy a bumpy journey, which finally calmed down in Surrey.

  As soon as he returned to London, His Majesty the King seemed to have forgotten about this matter, and began to hold an imperial meeting to discuss the colonial strategy of the United Kingdom.

   Regarding this, the courtiers discussed it in full swing, saying that it is very feasible to attack the Eastern trade with the current naval strength of the United Kingdom.

  Portugal's monopoly on Eastern trade, not only England is dissatisfied, but even Spain and France are salivating.

  In this way, the cabinet of the United Kingdom reached a consensus that it is imperative to break through Portugal's Eastern monopoly.

  The existence of the "Treaty of Zaragoza" and Portugal's powerful navy make it difficult for the United Kingdom to shake.

  In this way, joining Spain to force Portugal to make concessions has become the most feasible strategy at present.

  But the treaty signed between Spain and Portugal is the basis of the current colonization of the two countries, and it cannot be easily broken.

  So, His Majesty the King remembered the famous British pirate policy, and said loudly:

   "If the Portuguese don't agree with us going to the East, then I will let them lose everything!"

  So, on this day, the "private license" was born in the cabinet, and the royal pirates also appeared on the stage of history.

  (end of this chapter)