Chapter 1380: Franchises Now Open!

"Madam Mancini, is His Majesty the Emperor saying that no matter who it is, as long as they can produce four ocean-going sailing ships, they can form a team to explore the Southern Continent, and as long as they can find a piece of land on the Southern Continent to establish a colony, they can all become a colonial Governor-General?"

The questioner was Luo Dongni, Count of Macao. This Portuguese man in his sixties wore the python robe of a Ming count, his black gauze cap removed and set aside, revealing the hair bun on his head.

His appearance was now completely sinicized, and he spoke fluent Nanjing Mandarin. Were it not for his Western face, judging only by his dress and accent, no one would ever guess he was Portuguese.

"Madam Mancini, hasn't this become a fire sale of colonial Governor-Generalships? Weren't noble titles of vassal states sold before? At first it worked, but later they couldn't even be sold off. How is this Governor-General any different from those earlier titles?"

The one raising doubts was Luo Afang. He was dressed like a Ming country gentleman, had likewise put his hair up in a bun, and spoke Mandarin with a Wu accent.

This great arms merchant from Shanghai, Luo Afang, was also only faintly interested in the colonial Governor-Generalships of the Southern Continent. He had previously spent a great deal of money buying noble titles from the United States and the Kingdom of Jiaqing, and now they were all stuck!

Although he had a fortune of several million taels of silver, and those losses were but a drizzle to him, the feeling of losing money was always unpleasant.

Mary Mancini was still dressed as a Western noble lady, wearing a corseted long gown that exposed a small half of her full bosom and her rounded, fragrant shoulders, seated gracefully on a sofa. Listening to her two partners' questions and complaints, she merely smiled faintly: "Anthony, Alfonso, what is the matter with you two? Getting old? Has your spirit of adventure vanished? This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity! His Majesty the Emperor has offered the best terms in history, almost comparable to what Christopher Columbus obtained from Queen Isabella of Spain. The difference is that Columbus and Isabella did not know the New World existed at the time. But we can now be certain that this Southern Continent exists!

The only question now is whether we can find a piece of land rich in profit on the Southern Continent to establish a colony!"

"Madam, you have overlooked the enormous investment required to develop a colony!" said Luo Afang. "Unless gold mines can be found there, the investment needed to open up a colony on the unknown Southern Continent will be truly terrifying!"

Luo Dongni frowned and added: "Perhaps it would cost over a million taels of silver!"

Mary Mancini laughed: "It is precisely because of the uncertainty and the enormous investment that this opportunity belongs to merchants like us. But even if the project fails, the losses will not reach a million taels. Because once the decision to invest is made, one can basically be certain that an ideal colony site exists. And with development and management carried out by a chartered trading company, final profits should be guaranteed. Therefore, I believe the Australia-New Zealand Company should invest in this project, sending an expedition from Timor Island to search eastward along the northern coast of the Southern Continent."

Mary Mancini naturally wanted to invest, because her son Zhu Hengli would benefit from it! Zhu Cilang had already promised that he would establish a kingdom for Zhu Hengli on the future Southern Continent or on a nearby rich island.

Luo Dongni and Luo Afang exchanged glances.

They had no way to oppose what Mary Mancini had decided!

Luo Dongni asked: "And what sort of relationship will these merchant-established colonies have with the Great Ming?"

Luo Afang also said: "Madam, I imagine these colonies cannot possibly become direct external vassals of the Great Ming, can they?"

The Southern Continent was so far from the Great Ming's home territory that it was impossible for the colonies to become "internal dependencies." And the Great Ming's external vassals possessed "sovereign rights" — they were practically independent states!

"Of course they cannot become external vassals," said Mary Mancini. "His Majesty's meaning is that the chartered colonies on the Southern Continent may become free cities with a high degree of autonomy. And the lords of these free cities will be rulers of vassal states enfeoffed by the Great Ming.

In other words, we can establish a city of our own on the Southern Continent, and moreover we can leave it to our descendants."

"A kingdom composed of free cities?" Luo Afang frowned. "Why does that sound so much like Europe!"

Luo Dongni was also somewhat incredulous: "Indeed, and anyone can go — even the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company have received invitations!"

Mary Mancini smiled: "The French East India Company has also been invited. The Great Ming's tributary states that possess a certain population and seafaring capability — including Japan, Joseon, Annam, Siam, and Jeju — will also receive imperial edicts permitting them to send or recruit fleets to join the exploration and development of the Southern Continent!

His Majesty the Emperor is extremely determined this time, so the Southern Continent will certainly be developed quickly. We cannot miss this opportunity!"

"Your Majesty, this concubine feels that the Southern Continent is surely a bottomless pit! So this concubine will not invest a single copper. And if this concubine can still bear another son, she will not let him go to the Southern Continent to fill that pit either."

The one currently exposing a certain swindle was Imperial Noble Consort Zheng, who had recently and suddenly gained favor. Now she was the only one who dared speak to Emperor Zhu this way.

During this period, Emperor Zhu had been favoring only her and Mary Mancini. Under the diligent cultivation of the great Emperor Zhu, Imperial Noble Consort Zheng, at the "advanced age" of thirty-eight, had truly been diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse.

Already a grandmother, yet still bearing children — this Imperial Noble Consort Zheng could be said to be giving her all for the population growth of the old Zhu family.

With a crisp "smack," this somewhat loose-tongued Imperial Noble Consort received a slap from Emperor Zhu — not on the face, of course, but on a certain place where the flesh was quite thick.

"Hmph, so I hit the mark, didn't I?" Imperial Noble Consort Zheng, lying on the bed, flipped over and looked at Emperor Zhu with a grin. "That little scheme of yours — this concubine has seen through it completely. The places with real profit are all held tightly, given only to your own people. What you offer for everyone to invest in is bound to be high-risk and low-return! Of those who follow along and invest, seven out of ten will lose money! You, this emperor, are more of a profiteer than any profiteer!"

"You're the clever one!" Zhu Cilang pretended to put on a stern face and glared at Zheng Chagu. "You — that mouth of yours is getting harder and harder to control. The day you truly anger Us, We will surely demote you to a slave!"

Zheng Chagu was not the least bit afraid, and asked with a grin: "If this concubine becomes a slave, will she still have to attend Your Majesty in bed?"

"Of course you must attend Us in bed! Among Our women, you are the most fertile!" Zhu Cilang said with a straight face. "So you must continue bearing sons for Us. South New Continent is so vast that many vassal states can be enfeoffed there. You must work much harder!"

"This slave obeys the imperial decree!" Zheng Chagu laughed, then asked: "Your Majesty, who will fill the pit of the Southern Continent? Surely not Henry?"

Zhu Cilang laughed: "Count Henry in. But he will not go to the Southern Continent — instead We will find a large island nearby for him."

Zhu Hengli was Mancini's son, so of course he was favored. In the future he would be the "King of Zealand"!

"Find a large island nearby?" Imperial Noble Consort Zheng looked at Emperor Zhu with some puzzlement. "Your Majesty, how do you know there is a large island near the Southern Continent?"

Indeed, how did Emperor Zhu know? The Ming navy's exploration capability was limited. In recent years it had mainly been cruising along the coasts of North New Continent and South New Continent. Compared with the Southern Continent, understanding the Pacific coastal regions of the North and South New Continents was more important.

Zhu Cilang stroked his beard and smiled smugly: "We simply know! Just wait — little Henry will sooner or later become an island lord so rich he drips with oil. As for the Southern Continent, heh heh, the King of Australia will certainly have a share — a large share!"

One only had to look at Zhu He'ao's name and title to know he was the king of the Southern Continent! Moreover, Emperor Zhu had also given him a nickname that made people laugh their heads off — Big Rat!

Zheng Chagu snorted: "A legitimate son is a legitimate son after all — it really is different. With so many people being dragged into the pit, will there be trouble in the future? Will those free cities rebel? In Europe, free cities seem to cause trouble all the time! If they really do rise up, will the King of Australia be able to put it down?"