Chapter 269: Cousins

The ancestors of the old Qin Dynasty once said: Befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones.

In fact, the Transmigrators had long wanted to take a shot at the Portuguese.

Geopolitically speaking, the power that now occupies Xiamen and Dayuan has completely gained the capability to blockade the strait.

For any European ship wanting to reach Japan, whether sailing north along the mainland coast or along Taiwan's inner and outer coastlines, it has now become impossible: all routes must pass right under the Great King's nose.

For the colonizers, from this moment on, the region north of the line connecting Tainan and Xiamen has once again been shrouded in the fog of war, and the situation has reverted to what it was before the Portuguese discovered Japan in 1534.

The ancestors of the Han Dynasty also said: Having gained Long, one covets Shu.

The Crossing Faction, which was vigorously consolidating its existing territory, relocating populations, and investing everywhere to develop basic industries, naturally turned its gaze toward Macau — the nearest "unsubdued" territory to its own borders.

Perhaps the sovereign and ministers of the Great Ming could turn a deaf ear to Macau, but in the eyes of the Transmigration Nation's rulers, the Portuguese and the Macau they occupied... a place called "Haojing'ao" in this era... had gradually become a thorn in certain people's sides.

First, unlike the Red Hair Dutch, in their trade activities involving Japan, the Portuguese not only competed with the Transmigrator Group for gold, silver, and copper, but also for another extremely precious resource: maidservants.

When it comes to slave trading, the Portuguese in this era were the undisputed global standard-bearers. Setting aside the booming black slave trade in South America, even in East Asia, wherever the Portuguese went, they always prioritized the slave trade above all else.

In 1543, after Portuguese merchants and members of the Society of Jesus entered Japan, they began purchasing Japanese as slaves and selling them all over the world, including to Portugal. They also sold Japanese women to Portuguese brothels.

Meanwhile, because Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a favorable impression of the Portuguese Society of Jesus, and as part of his plan to invade China, he hoped the Portuguese Society of Jesus would provide military and armed support.

However, the increasing number of Japanese female slaves being sold by the Portuguese provoked Toyotomi Hideyoshi's displeasure.

On July 24, 1587, he sent a letter to Coelho, the Deputy District Chief of the Society of Jesus' Japan district, condemning the Portuguese merchants and the Society of Jesus for their slave trading and forbidding them from proselytizing.

The Society of Jesus' Japan district, fearing the Roman Church would accuse them of trading in female slaves, sent false reports to the Society of Jesus headquarters... using Toyotomi Hideyoshi's translator to distort the truth... such was the Society of Jesus.

As for China, the first historically recorded Chinese slave in Lisbon, Portugal, appeared in 1540.

Chinese slaves were expensive in Portugal, purchased mainly by Portuguese nobility and royalty. They were tasked with performing complex intellectual labor, such as translating documents. It was not until 1595 that the Portuguese Government legislated to ban the trade of Chinese and Japanese slaves.

By the mid-17th century, the Portuguese Society of Jesus in Macau owned roughly five thousand slaves of all kinds, the majority being African slaves. Right up until the late Qing Dynasty, Portuguese believers in Macau were still intermittently trafficking child slaves.

Therefore, the Crossing Faction and the Society of Jesus, this global slave-trading syndicate, were in natural conflict: both were interested in people, especially women and children.

Under these competitive circumstances, coupled with the fact that the Portuguese in Macau also controlled a significant portion of the import and export trade around Guangdong — this, in the eyes of certain people, was an unforgivable crime of the highest order. Why were World War I and World War II fought?

In short, none of the Transmigration Nation's elite currently looked upon the Portuguese favorably. The only reason they had so far only used methods like closing the Japanese Trading Post to strike from a distance, without taking further action, was simply that they were currently consolidating internally and had no hands to spare.

Thus, the low-level reception specification Alonso received today in Dayuan was not without cause.

Special Envoy Alonso, utterly oblivious to how perilous the strategic environment had become, was at this moment excitedly touring the tiled bathroom and toilet in the villa.

Since it was impossible to import a tile production line, the existing tiles were all handcrafted products, kiln-fired and then manually cut and polished. The kind of massive, complex automated production lines of later generations could neither be imported nor produced here in Dayuan.

The pristine white tiled bathroom and toilet drew exclamations of admiration from the guest. Thanks to the blessing of being near the Imperial City, the villas on Riverside Road all had 24-hour hot water supply. After his attendant learned how to operate the faucet, Alonso eagerly took a hot bath for the first time.

And after finishing the lunch delivered from the nearby special restaurant, Alonso had already decided to purchase this house; the trading company would foot the bill anyway.

Just then, an unexpected visitor arrived at the door.

A black-haired European dressed as a servant, wearing a black buttoned doublet, stockings, and wooden clogs, stood at the doorway. On the copper tray in his hands lay an ornate invitation. The content of this invitation was simple: Baron Juan de Belver Vargas invited Councilor Alonso to an afternoon banquet at the Spanish Trading Post.

"Oh... this is good news." Upon seeing the invitation, Alonso hastily ordered his attendant to open the trunk and take out an exquisite black velvet coat.

At three o'clock sharp in the afternoon, Alonso arrived punctually with his servant at another trading post not far from the villa: this was Spanish territory. Baron Juan, with his head of black hair, was already lined up at the door with his servants and several merchants residing at the post, waiting to welcome the guest.

Although in another twelve years Portugal would gain independence from Spain and establish the Braganza Dynasty, these cousins were bound by ties closer than broken bones — whether in faith or in lifestyle, they remained inseparable.

This was evident from their attire: both envoys wore short coats in the September heat. Apart from the difference in material — one silk, one velvet — the style of the coats was the same Pourpoint jacket.

The round Ruff collars made of white crepe, already obsolete in emerging nations like the Dutch, were still wrapped around their necks.

Furthermore, the classic look of chests padded with fine linen and what appeared to be tight breeches but were actually stockings had also appeared here on Dayuan Island, now occupied by the Short-Haired Bandits...

Somewhat similar to Alonso's name, the ancestral name Vargas in Baron Juan's surname was likewise passed down from a brave knight — the Knight Juan de Vargas, who rose to prominence when King Alfonso retook Madrid in 1085 and later relocated to Zaragoza.

In fact, the Vargas Family entrenched in Zaragoza was a clan of considerable power and Commandery Prestige in the region. For centuries, this family had been a loyal vassal to the Duke of Zaragoza. The fact that the thirty-year-old Baron Belver, as the third son, had managed to "maneuver" his way into this non-hereditary baronial title also reflected, from another angle, the strength of the Vargas Family.

The two nobles, finding themselves in similar circumstances — both having come to East Asia to seek their fortune because they were overlooked by their families — quickly warmed up to each other.