The British armed merchant ships are stronger than ordinary armed merchant ships in terms of combat power, but they are still inferior to warships.
After all, it was a merchant ship carrying commercial goods. Whether in terms of the number of artillery or combat personnel, it was no match for the Ming fleet.
After much deliberation, Weddell reluctantly accepted the Ming army's order. Fighting the Ming navy before even starting trade was not what he wanted, nor was it what the many shareholders behind him hoped for.
After the inspection, the Ming army was still not confident about these armed merchant ships, so they escorted them all the way, or in Weddell's view, escorted them, until they reached the sea off Guangzhou, and ordered them to anchor off the coast of Shajiao, awaiting customs inspection.
Weddell looked up at the commanding Shajiao Fort and suddenly felt that it was very different from the description given by his own merchants.
On the ocean, he saw two giant ships and several medium-sized warships. The rows of gun hatches on the side gave him an involuntary sense of oppression.
In just a few years, the Ming Empire's navy had developed to this level? Weddell secretly felt fortunate that he had not impulsively engaged in a firefight with the Ming navy.
Weddell certainly didn't know that the Navy Commander-in-Chief Shen Yourong was in Guangzhou at the time, and the two giant ships were his flagships.
Although the conquest of Luzon had been basically confirmed, the intensive training in Dongfan had never stopped.
But Shen Yourong no longer needs to do this personally. He is in Guangzhou, replanning the cruising area of the South China Sea Fleet and quickly reporting to the court on some work related to the establishment of the Navy Department.
The current South China Sea Fleet is divided into three squadrons, one stationed in Saigon Port in Mekong Province, one stationed in Kinmen and Xiamen and Guangzhou, and the other in Dongfan, which is the main force for the expedition to Luzon.
But in the emperor's view, the coverage area of these three squadrons was still not wide enough. Even though there was a small fleet in Sanya, Hainan, it still could not satisfy the emperor.
The key point was that the emperor was worried that the coastline was too long, and if Western ships entered the South China Sea, the Ming navy would not be able to know in advance.
The interception of the Weddell fleet was purely coincidental, and such coincidences do not happen every time. Historically, the Weddell fleet did cause a lot of trouble to the coast of the Ming Dynasty.
Even with the current strength of the Ming Navy, if they heard the alarm and dispatched, they would deal a heavy blow to the enemy. However, the subsequent retaliation was still unsatisfactory.
Shen Yourong was also in a dilemma. If he couldn't block the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, it would be difficult to intercept ships entering the South China Sea. Apart from strengthening coastal patrols, there was really no better solution at the moment.
The conquest of Luzon was to retaliate against the Spaniards; the occupation of Malacca was probably a strategic action that Banzai could not wait to take.
Shen Yourong knew in his heart that it was not difficult to occupy Malacca. There were not many Portuguese there, and even fewer warships, not even one-tenth of the number of the Spanish.
But the emperor did not act immediately, apparently considering the problems that would arise after the occupation. This required the navy to come up with a feasible plan for the emperor's reference and decision.
While Shen Yourong was still thinking about how to make a secret report, officials from the Ming Dynasty customs had already arrived on Weddell's ship.
"Are you really a British businessman?" The official nodded after listening to the interpreter's retelling. Although he was young, he seemed to know something about this country.
This is the change of the Ming Dynasty, with the proportion of professional officials increasing. You should know that in history, Ming Dynasty officials also regarded Wedel and others as Spaniards, or collectively referred to them as Western Barbarians.
A missionary interpreting? Wedel was also a little surprised. He looked at this high-nosed, blond European and paid special attention to the cross he wore.
"There are no British merchants in the Guangzhou trading house yet. You are the first." The missionary translator ignored Weddell's surprised look and said to himself, "Now, let me introduce you to the rules..."
Obviously, this was not the first time for this interpreter to do this job. He had a clear understanding of the process and knew the rules by heart.
"No weapons are allowed ashore. The cannons and gunpowder on board must be sealed, and special personnel will be on board to inspect them daily..."
"Commercial houses come in all sizes, and rents vary..."
"The trading house has an exchange. The types and prices of goods brought in, as well as the goods to be purchased, can all be listed on the exchange. After the transaction is completed, you must bring documents to pay taxes..."
"If you want to trade with Japan, you need to pay a sea-keeping fee in exchange for a special flag as a mark..."
"In addition to the Guangzhou trading post, there are also two other locations in Shanghai and Saigon. The rules are the same..."
When the interpreter paused, the look on his face irritated Wedel. He looked a bit arrogant, as if he looked down on us.
"Don't cause any disturbance, and certainly don't take any hostile actions, or anything that could create such a perception," the interpreter suddenly warned in a serious tone. "That's how several Dutch ships came under heavy attack and were completely destroyed."
"And—" the interpreter pointed a finger, emphasizing, "you're not allowed to engage in pirate-like plundering at sea. Such tactics are not uncommon, are they? But not here. If we are reported, any British ship entering the South China Sea in the future will be attacked by the Ming navy, without exception."
With a look of disdain and contempt, as if looking at a bumpkin, the interpreter said, "The Ming navy has hundreds of warships. The Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese have already accepted this offer. You British don't want to be excluded from trade with the Ming, do you?"
Wedel blinked, finally gaining a clearer understanding of the Ming Empire's power and policies. It was certainly overbearing, but for true businessmen, it was also good news.
On the vast ocean, it was common for merchants to be pirates. But for the Ming Empire to dare to make such a threat, its naval strength must be far from what it once was.
"We are legitimate merchants, equipped with artillery and muskets to ensure our own safety," said John, the accompanying merchant, with a smile. "Here, of course, we must abide by the rules of the Ming Dynasty. By the way, I don't know your name."
"Noreti," the interpreter replied, his head held high. "The Portuguese. They were the first to establish trade with the Ming Empire, and they maintained a good relationship with it."
"Great." John rubbed his hands together, his face filled with joy. He said, "We came to trade with the Ming Dynasty because we wanted to go through your merchants. I didn't expect you to be the one. If there's anything I don't understand, we'll have to trouble you. You'll be rewarded handsomely later."
Noretti's expression relaxed a little. He said, "The procedures aren't simple, and the trading area is quite large. Since you're new here, you'll definitely need some guidance. Well, you can find me at the exchange, and I'll arrange for someone to help you."
It turned out that he was not a missionary, but more like a middleman. Wedel did not have a good impression of Noretti's arrogance, but he also knew that offending him would not be a good thing.
Noretti followed the Ming officials and inspected the ship. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "Your goods can't be sold. It would be better for you to come with an empty ship in the future to avoid paying customs duties in vain."
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