nucmednet Chapter 317 Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Chapter 317 Chinese Chamber of Commerce
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Just as Salamanca was wavering, another important figure arrived.
The servant announced in a drawn-out tone, "Li Yifan, the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, requests an audience!"
Salamanca and Isabella exchanged bewildered glances. Why was he here too?
A lean, middle-aged man strode into the reception room and bowed to the two men with traditional Chinese etiquette: "Your Excellency the Governor, Your Excellency the Mayor..."
Isabella paused her conversation with the governor and stood quietly to the side. Salamanca cleared her throat and asked slowly, "What brings such a distinguished guest as Mr. Li here?"
The Chinese in the Philippines do not enjoy a high social status, barely better than the lazy, uneducated indigenous people. After the massacres that occurred over millennia, the Chinese community in Manila has become more sensitive, suspicious, and insecure, often harboring feelings of inferiority. Against this backdrop, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, a group that unites the Chinese community, has grown significantly, amassing over 70-80% of the wealth within the Chinese community and becoming a powerful force in Manila. Consequently, the Chamber's president, Li Yifan, has become a frequent guest of high-ranking officials such as the Governor-General and the Mayor.
Li Yifan got straight to the point, explaining his purpose: "I've heard that the fleet blockading the port is from the Ming Dynasty. There are no warships in the port that can stop them, and the cannons on the city walls are no match for them. Now, they've used some kind of magic to throw exploding shells into the city, causing widespread panic. I, Li, am entrusted by my fellow members of the Chamber of Commerce to share the Governor's burden. I'm offering 10,000 taels of silver to go out of the city to comfort the troops and persuade them to leave on their own."
Salamanca was surprised by Li Yifan's suggestion and began to wonder what he was up to.
Li Yifan awaited the governor's reply with neither arrogance nor servility, confident that his suggestion, which would be entirely beneficial to the governor, would most likely be adopted. He wasn't just bored and wanting to meddle; he had given it serious consideration.
This fleet, supposedly from the Ming Dynasty, had only blockaded the port for less than a full day, yet it had already prevented dozens of merchant ships from entering, forcing them to linger in the open sea. Every minute wasted meant a loss of tax revenue for the governor's office, and losses for the Chinese merchants, most of whose cargo they carried. Li Yifan had initially thought that the navy, lacking land-based support, wouldn't be able to breach the exceptionally fortified castle and would soon be forced to retreat due to lack of supplies. But he hadn't expected them to be able to fire explosive shells into the city, and even detonate them!
Li Yifan couldn't sit still any longer. Many of the Chinese merchants' warehouses were located near the docks. If the exploding shells came in, they would be the first to suffer. Every exploding shell meant that tens of thousands of taels of silver worth of goods would go down the drain. The managers of other merchants came to Li Yifan, asking him to see the governor and request that he negotiate with the other side to stop the fighting and prevent innocent bystanders from being caught in the crossfire. If their wish could be fulfilled, each manager was willing to pool together ten thousand taels of silver to appease the plague outside the city.
Li Yifan readily accepted his companion's commission and went straight to the governor. If the governor agreed to his proposal, he could leave the city and negotiate with the other party to get them to leave. This way, he would both curry favor with the governor and establish a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty fleet, pleasing both sides. Why not?
Salamanca gestured for him to wait a moment, then called the mayor of Isabella into his study.
"Mr. Mayor, what is your view on this issue?"
Isabella replied, "Leaving aside the Chinese's self-recommendation, just considering the stronghold of the high-ranking official, I believe there is absolutely no need for reservations. Rather than spending tens of thousands of pesos annually to maintain our stronghold on this desolate island, it would be better to exchange a dignified retreat for Ming Dynasty porcelain and tea. We have already lost the Japanese market and cannot obtain a stable supply of goods. Manila's fiscal revenue has been declining year after year, and everyone is struggling..."
Salamanca frowned. The mayor's words were direct and true. To prevent a precipitous drop in fiscal revenue, he had even signed an order allowing Chinese to operate cockfighting casinos, as these casinos could contribute 80,000 pesos in gambling tax annually. This drew criticism from the city's elite; local celebrities saw it as a sinful act of the Chinese using the vice of gambling to corrupt the devout indigenous population. The governor's insistence on even controlling this tax was a disgrace to the Iberians.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "You mean..."
“Agree to their conditions, but we need to sign an agreement guaranteeing them a sufficient supply of porcelain, tea, and silk each year. Once these are shipped back to Europe, Manila's fiscal revenue will immediately return to its best state. As for the ten thousand taels of silver from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce…” Isabella smiled slyly, “we can transfer it to them…”
Salamanca understood his meaning: "As long as we agree to their conditions, whether we have 10,000 taels of silver or not, they will withdraw their troops?" This meant that the silver could be put into his pocket.
The mayor smiled knowingly: "The Chinese are all very wealthy, so this is their way of showing respect to His Excellency the Governor."
Salamanca's face broke into a smile. He decided to follow the mayor's suggestion, embezzle the ten thousand taels of silver, and then give a portion to the mayor as payment for his idea.
The two returned to the reception room, where Salamanca said in an official tone, "I will consider your request, and perhaps we can sit down and negotiate. However, for your safety, your ten thousand taels of silver should be handed over by the Governor's Guard."
Li Yifan was somewhat wary. This ten thousand taels of silver was a gift he had given to establish a friendly relationship with this powerful Ming army. If he had the governor deliver it, wouldn't he be doing someone else a favor? Who would appreciate it then? He politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Governor. However, it would be better if the Chinese Merchants Association delivered the silver personally. After all, we are all citizens of Ming, connected by blood, and they would surely give our association some face. Since the Governor is willing to negotiate with them, then I thank you in advance and take my leave."
Salamanca's face immediately fell. After Li Yifan left, he spat viciously, "You ungrateful swine."
Isabella, her face grim, said, “Your Excellency, these yellow-skinned swine seem to have forgotten the turmoil of thirty years ago. His eagerness to establish contact with the fleet outside the city, and his constant talk of blood ties… could there be some kind of conspiracy?”
Salamanca's face was so dark it seemed to drip water: "If that's the case, I wouldn't mind letting what happened thirty years ago repeat itself..." Thirty years ago, in 1603, the colonial government incited the natives to join forces in massacring more than 20,000 Chinese, robbing them of their wealth and making a fortune. The Chinese did not resist afterward, but continued to do business honestly, accumulating huge wealth again, and once again becoming fat pigs in the eyes of the colonial authorities and the local natives.