Chapter 1541: Escape from Goa

October 15, 1674, in the Western calendar. The Goa colony of the Portuguese Viceroyalty of India.

Several armed merchantmen flying the British Union Jack churned up snow-white spray as they slowly entered Goa's New Goa harbor. This harbor, situated at the mouth of an inland river, was trumpet-shaped — the entrance was fairly wide, but it narrowed steadily further in, making it easy to blockade. The Portuguese had built multiple batteries on both banks of the estuary, keeping the harbor firmly under their control. No foreign vessel was permitted to enter without permission.

The harbor batteries were now controlled by Goa's mercenary troops loyal to King Afonso. Ships of France, Holland, Spain, and Portugal loyal to the Regent Pedro were all denied entry.

Of course, the Goan ships loyal to King Afonso could not get out either, because several Dutch armed merchantmen were always prowling the waters off Goa — they had been sent by the Dutch India Fleet to watch and blockade Goa harbor!

These ships, however, did not dare attack the armed merchant fleet of the English East India Company. The neutral Republic of England now possessed the most powerful navy in Europe, and was a power that neither France nor Holland wished to provoke.

Moreover, England's neutrality was in fact exactly what Louis XIV hoped for. Louis XIV also did not wish for trade with China to be completely cut off; his kingdom derived enormous profits from the Central Europe trade. He therefore needed a neutral England to maintain this trade, which benefited both sides.

In addition, he also needed England to play the role of peace envoy when necessary.

England's neutrality was therefore now recognized by France, Holland, Spain (which had also declared war after the Battle of Kinmen Bay), Portugal (the Regent), the Shun, and other states. And the Great Ming Empire likewise issued a formal diplomatic statement recognizing England's neutral status — although Zhu Cilang greatly dreaded the "British Empire," he still needed England as a trade bridge to maintain the export of silk, tea, porcelain, and lacquerware (from Japan).

The Timurid Empire of India, however, paid no heed to England's neutrality, and issued orders to the English East India Company just the same, directing the Company's ships to transport troops and munitions for it.

If the English East India Company did not carry out Aurangzeb's will, then it could wait to be expelled from the Indian market!

The English of the present naturally dared not play tough with Aurangzeb, and were even less willing to lose India, that "money-printing machine," so they had no choice but to offend France, Holland, Spain, Portugal, and the Shun, and continue serving the Timurid Empire under the banner of "neutrality."

And the French and Dutch turned a blind eye to this — what else could they do? The great fleets they had sent to the Americas had been utterly annihilated in Kinmen Bay. Could they now afford to fall out with England?

And so, on the stern deck of one of the English armed merchantmen entering the harbor today — a great ship of over five hundred tons burden — stood King Afonso, Zhu Hengli, Zhu Cixuan, and others. Each of them, heavy with cares, was surveying the scene before them.

New Goa harbor lay spread out before their eyes.

The water was blue, the sand white; white European-style buildings stood everywhere, tall, severe, and orderly, full of the flavor of a European colony, reflecting the near-equatorial sunlight and looking exceptionally clean. They formed a sharp contrast with the local Indian buildings, which always looked somewhat grimy!

Around New Goa harbor were plantations, chiefly growing rice, betel palm, cashews, and coconuts, and also producing some spices. The owners of these plantations were mostly native-born Portuguese, a considerable portion of whom belonged to Goa's Albuquerque family. And those who labored on them were all local Goan peasants who had converted to Catholicism.

For over a hundred years, the Kingdom of Portugal had been trying to make Goa a region no different from the home country. That was why it spared no effort in promoting intermarriage between Portuguese and natives, and also worked hard to spread Catholicism, forcing the local natives to convert. After more than a hundred years of effort, it had at last turned Goa into a Catholic land of churches everywhere and believers (Catholics) all over.

This land of God, however, had not turned out as fine as the former Duke of Goa had envisioned — a "Portugal overseas." In reality, Goa's golden age had long since passed, never to return, along with the decline of the Portuguese world empire.

And the mark of the Goa colony's decline was the steady fall in the population of relatively pure-blooded whites! In Goa's golden age, the Kingdom of Portugal had vigorously encouraged emigration to Goa, and at the same time encouraged Portuguese men who settled in Goa to marry Persian women settled there (Goa had originally been a commercial center with large numbers of Persian merchants), in order to enlarge the white population.

But with the decline of the Portuguese maritime empire and the development of the Brazil colony, the whites who had settled in Goa left one after another in search of a better future. By the time King Afonso arrived, the number of native-born Portuguese who still looked fairly white was no longer large. The darker-skinned "native-white mixed-bloods" (mostly illegitimate children) had become the majority, and their numbers too were falling.

And the main cause of the decline of the "native-white mixed-bloods" was plague, which was hard to eradicate!

In Goa City, the capital of Portuguese India, plague broke out every few years, killing off the inhabitants group after group. Those who survived either resigned themselves to fate and sought spiritual comfort in Catholicism, or moved to New Goa, which was closer to the sea and comparatively clean.

Although the capital of Goa and the capital of Portuguese India remained Goa City, Goa's true center had already shifted to New Goa.

The native-born Portuguese nobles gathered in New Goa likewise longed to flee this increasingly desolate "Portugal overseas." It was only because their skin was not white enough, or because they owned too much property in Goa, that they had not left.

And the arrival of King Afonso unquestionably let these people see hope of leaving Goa with dignity!

The head of Goa's Albuquerque family, the knight Maria, was one of them. She was now standing on the New Goa wharf, together with Chief Minister Shi Baoluo, whom King Afonso had appointed, waiting for King Afonso to come down from the English armed merchantman.

She had just given birth — to a plump baby boy, born a little early, with very fair skin, as fair as King Afonso from Portugal. Maria herself had some Indian (Indo-Aryan) blood, and her complexion was rather dark. Still, she was a beauty who could be called peerless, far prettier than King Afonso's former wife. Having just given birth, she looked even fuller, and carried a few more traces of charm.

The newborn prince was now being held by a native maidservant, also waiting on the wharf for his father, King Afonso.

At that moment, horns and drums suddenly sounded, and then King Afonso was seen coming down first from the English armed merchantman that had just docked, stepping lightly and smiling.

Maria too revealed a charming smile as she looked toward the king descending the ship — and then she caught sight of Zhu Hengli, in full Ming military dress, walking behind King Afonso. At that, the smile on her face grew even more radiant.

Zhu Hengli had also spotted Maria, and nodded to her from afar. Their eyes met for a moment, very nearly striking sparks, and then both gently looked away at the same time.

King Afonso flew to his wife's side, and without waiting for her to curtsy, stepped forward and kissed her, then said to her with a smile: "My dear, Aurangzeb is willing to support my return to Portugal. He is also willing to intercede for me with the Ottoman Empire, so that we may pass through North Africa to Lisbon!"

Maria revealed a look of delighted surprise, and said to her husband: "Your Majesty, I also have good news. Our son is born! Now the whole world knows that you are a true king, and that Pedro and Maria Francisca are the usurpers of the throne!"

King Afonso was overjoyed. "That is excellent! Now, as long as I return to Lisbon, I will surely recover power! After all, I am the lawful King of Portugal! I am still king even now!"

(End of Chapter)