1629 Spring(March-May)

Suez Canal, which was the restoration of the ancient Canal of the Pharaohs – the ancient Suez Canal, which follows Wadi Tumilat and is connected to the Gulf of Suez – was completed after 4 years of construction.

And I’ve established a Department for Transport and had them supervise the roads, canals – which includes the Suez Canal – and the shipping of the entire New East Roman Empire.

At that moment

“Basileus, please allow us to use the Suez Canal. We’ll pay all the necessary costs. Taxes, tariffs, you name it!”

Yes, the East India Company lobbied me to allow it to use the Suez Canal.

However

“No. I can’t allow it.”

If I were the Imperator of the New West Roman Empire, I would have allowed it. But, since I’m the Basileus of the New East Roman Empire, with the Mediterranean Company in my hands, hell would freeze over if I let the East India Company grow too strong.

“B, but that means we have to go around the entire Africa Continent, passing the Cape of Good Hope to return to Europe from the Far East colonies.”

“P, please have mercy!“

“Instead, I’ll let you East India Company to have the priority in unloading cargo in the Suez Canal.”

“T, thank you for your benevolence, Basileus.”

Although representatives from the East India Company looked disappointed, they had to be satisfied with a small gain and had to leave Constantinople, since they couldn’t bite the hand that fed them from the start.

1629 Fall(March-May)

“U, urgent news, B, basileus!”

“What is it?”

“The Ming’s capital, Bejing has fallen to the peasant rebels!”

“Oh...so the Ming is gone now, with the new dynasty established?”

“N, no. Not yet, Basileus!”

“Huh?”

“The Chinese nobles in the Yangtze River, who’ve gained power and wealth from trading with us – East India Company – set up a one Ming royal male of the Zhu family as a figurehead, declaring themselves as the legitimate Ming Dynasty, with its’ capital as Nanjing!”

“So, that makes another Northern and Southern Dynasties, roughly divided by Yangtze River, huh? With North Shun Dynasty established by Li Zicheng, capital as Bejing vs South Ming Dynasty, capital as Nanjing?”

“H, how did you know the name of the new North Dynasty of China, set up by Li Zicheng when I didn’t report yet, Basileus?”

“That’s not important. The main point is that I love China so dearly that I always hope there will always be two of them!”

“T, that means?”

“Support the South Ming fully! If Shun Dynasty of the North wins, it will try to cut trades with us, trying to avoid another rebellion from the Yangtze River area’s nobles!”

“Yes, Basileus.”

With another divide of China, the East India Company asked for and decided to follow my advice.

“What about Japan? How’s it going there?”

“Currently, Shimadzu Bakuhu (*The local word for samurai clan HQ - which became the ruling clan of Japan, instead of Tokugawa Clan, thanks to MC’s intervention. See from Edward VII and Far East 1 to Morocco and Assassination Attempts) is monopolizing all trades with us and Joseon, and crushing every other Daimyo (Japanese magnates) with that wealth!”

“Oh?”

It is said that the current Bakuhu’s direct jurisdiction boasts 3.2 million kokus (石, 16 million in bushels) of rice production annually, but it earns almost 13 times – 40 million koku of rice - with trades of the West – The East India Company, to be exact.

So, the current Shogun of the Shimadzu Clan is both trying to reducing the military power of Daimyos, concentrating it on the Bakuhu and receiving immigrants, especially Confucianism scholars, from chaotic China to spread Confucianism across entire Japan to someday kick out the current Tenno(*Emperor of Japan) and to become the Emperor himself.

“Last but not least. How is Joseon – the Korean Dynasty at that time – doing?”

“After the fall of the Later Jin Dynasty(*See Pigs and Parrots – The New West Roman Empire 4), seizing the chance of another Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, it’s trying to annex Manchuria, consolidating several Jurchen/Manchu tribes into their people!”

To be exact, to suppress the Jurchen/Manch tribe’s discontent, Joseon is exploiting every gold and silver mine in the Korean peninsula to acquire money to buy and provide luxurious goods to the prominent chieftains of those tribes.

“And we, the East India Company are also investing in the exploit of those gold and silver mines, which is at least a 30 years worth project, Basileus!”

“Good, very good.”

Recently, it’s said that the Joseon royal and the noble are divided into two. The former, mostly nobles, claims that it should keep its’ loyalty to the Ming, reminding that Ming helped a lot during the Japanese invasion, insisting that they should raise an army and march into the Liaodong peninsula, helping Ming to reclaim Bejing.

The latter, the current king of Joseon and the other royals, few nobles, are putting up excuses not to stabilize the Manchuria area, etc.

“Hmm, interesting. So, how’re the rebels who have occupied Bejing, the ones who call themselves the Shun Dynasty, reacting to Joseon?”

“They too are afraid of South Ming and Joseon’s simultaneous attack from the south and the east. So it’s playing stick-and-carrot strategy towards Joseon!”

“Explain”

“It provides lucrative goods to Joseon during the official trade, even at the cost of the trade deficit on one hand and stationing several troops in Liaodong peninsula, posing threat to Joseon on the other hand, Basileus.”

“Then help Joseon occupy Liaodong peninsula, or at least prevent it from losing Manchuria to the North Shun.”

If North Shun were to win, it will also force Joseon to block its’ trade with the West – the East India Company, to be exact – leaving Japan as the only trading partner in the Far East, which is a situation that must be avoided if the East India Company wishes not to be kicked out of Taiwan and Tsushima Island.

“Your wisdom has always guided us, Basileus. We’ll do as you say.”

And the envoy from the East India company left, after bowing his head.