Chapter 35

In early September, the southern Atlantic Ocean was particularly cold.

A small boat was struggling to row towards the shore in the darkness, the white breath of the sailors standing out clearly in the cold moonlight. As they approached the shore, several sailors jumped into the icy sea to push the boat forward.

With the combined efforts of the sailors, the small boat finally reached the beach. A few people holding torches were waiting on the shore; they seemed to have been waiting for a long time. The leader was a middle-aged man, holding a flintlock pistol in his hand and a 32nd year model command saber hanging from his waist.

"Alvaro, you're over half an hour late tonight," the middle-aged man said. "The new 'Peninsulares' are still watching our every move in Buenos Aires, putting us all at great risk."

"Ah, is the Chief Inspector still in the city?" Alvaro jumped off the small boat and laughed exaggeratedly. "Poor municipal councilors, their moneybags will be much lighter soon. Of course, I don't mean to mock your father."

The middle-aged man's face twitched, but he ignored Alvaro's mockery and turned to his men, saying, "Miguel, Antonio, go check the cargo."

Two capable young men stepped forward and began to inspect the cargo on the small boat: metal spurs, horseshoes, skinning knives, boning knives, scissors, shovels, pickaxes, axes...

After a long while, they nodded at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man walked over, holding a torch to take a look, then asked, "Why are there no Tatan military knives? You know this item is very popular in the La Plata region; many gauchos like to buy one."

Alvaro shrugged and said, "Tatan military knives are hot commodities. The Russians are the biggest customers for Tatan military knives; they have a huge appetite and even want to monopolize all the Tatan production. Not only that, but the Poles and Swedes have also shown great interest in Tatan military knives. Three trading houses have been built outside Tatan Harbor this week. Our quota for this month is only 50, and I've already sold them all to you. Be content, my friend! Now, pay up quickly; I don't want to stay in this damned place for even a minute more. My men are freezing."

The middle-aged man paid the money very promptly, clearly not their first transaction. Alvaro looked at the oddly shaped Spanish cross silver coins from Potosi in his money bag, then took out a finely crafted "One Yuan" silver coin from Tatan and mocked the middle-aged man, "Even the silver coins look better and are purer than yours..."

Speaking of silver coins, it's worth mentioning the various versions of coins minted by the穿越众 (穿越众). Due to their purity and good appearance, they have become highly sought after among the major smugglers in La Plata. The Spanish silver coins minted in America are not only ugly and irregular in shape, but their weight is also inconsistent. For example, the 8-real cross silver coin can weigh around 24 grams at its lightest and up to 27.5 grams at its heaviest.

Moreover, their purity is questionable. A Venetian merchant once tested some Potosi cross silver coins and claimed that they contained a large amount of base metals.

Since the穿越众 (穿越众) introduced their own coins, they have been very popular in the market due to their uniformity and purity. Many merchants trading with them exchange their Spanish silver coins for the穿越众 (穿越众) silver dollars and keep them. The official exchange rate between the Tatan Harbor "Yuan" and the Spanish "Real" is 1:9.6, but in the limited private transactions among smugglers, this rate has been hyped up to 1:12 or even higher.

The financial commissioner Tangyuan was very pleased with this situation. The "One Yuan" silver coin contains 27 grams of silver and 3 grams of copper, while a 10-real coin generally weighs around 31-32 grams. Even if it contains some base metals, the remaining silver content is still quite substantial, definitely exceeding 27 grams.

"I've always said that minting coins is a very profitable business," Tangyuan thought to himself with satisfaction.

After the transaction was completed, Alvaro and his sailors drank a few sips of strong liquor, pushed the small boat back into the icy sea, and rowed towards the large ship anchored on the surface of the sea.

...

"In other words, due to the policies of the West Indies Council and the Trade Office, which prohibit Asunción and Buenos Aires from trading with any place other than Lima, local smuggling has become rampant, and the king's interests have been damaged," Alfonso Bianca de Santis Romero said, holding a glass of red wine in the guest room of the local governor's residence.

"Yes, Your Excellency, the Chief Inspector," said a young army captain, standing respectfully beside Alfonso Romero.

"Don't be nervous, Torres," Alfonso said with a smile, looking at the young man. "Your father mentioned you to me, saying you have served in La Plata for more than three years and know everything here well."

"Yes, sir," Torres calmed down a bit and said, "Because the large quantities of leather, tallow, cheese, horns, and wool produced locally are not urgently needed by the kingdom, the Trade Office is extremely indifferent to the interests of the La Plata region. Asunción and Buenos Aires, due to trade restrictions, can only buy expensive goods from Lima, and the supply is not very adequate. On the other hand, local goods are also exploited by Lima merchants, causing great dissatisfaction among local ranchers. Therefore, smuggling has flourished under these circumstances, with a large amount of cheap smuggled goods from Brazil entering the market every month. Even... many municipal councilors are involved, trading with the Portuguese at various secret ports in the La Plata estuary or on the eastern shore. The volume of goods traded is enormous, and the kingdom's interests have suffered significant losses. It is estimated that the total value of illegal smuggling is already five times that of legal trade."

Chief Inspector Alfonso listened carefully. When the young man finished speaking, he drained his glass of red wine, stood up, and began pacing. Suddenly, he looked at Torres and asked, "I see many gentlemen in Buenos Aires are fond of carrying a type of military knife said to come from Tatan. Is this also a Portuguese smuggled item? As far as I know, the kingdom does not sell such military knives to Lima."

"Yes, Your Excellency," Torres unfastened the military knife from his waist and handed it to Alfonso, saying, "This is a Tatan military knife, worth 3 pesos each."

Alfonso drew the military knife. The straight blade had a slight curve, and it was bright and shiny, reflecting a cold light in the candlelight.

"A very sharp and practical military knife, no wonder it has become popular. What does the inscription on the blade mean?" Alfonso smiled and pointed to the Chinese inscription "32nd Year Model Officer's Knife" on the blade.

"Unfortunately, no one in Buenos Aires knows what it means," Torres explained. "But some say it is the script used by the Ming people of the East."

"Oh? Do the Portuguese transport military knives from the distant East to the New World for sale?" the Chief Inspector asked in surprise. "And they only sell them for 3 pesos?"

"No, Your Excellency!" Torres answered seriously. "This is not something the Portuguese transported from the East. In fact, they buy the military knives from Tatan Harbor on the eastern shore and smuggle them into the La Plata region along with their goods. This is not a secret in Buenos Aires and Asunción."

"Tatan Harbor?" Alfonso pondered. "I think I've heard a new geographical term. The eastern shore, isn't that just inhabited by Indians and Jesuit missionaries?"

"Perhaps in the past, but not now," Torres said. "It seems that about two years ago, a group of Tatan people, or perhaps people from the East, landed on the eastern shore and established a colonial settlement called Tatan Harbor. Now their city is quite large. Sailors who have been there say that Tatan Harbor faces the sea and is surrounded by walls on three sides, with at least two thousand people living in the city."

"And they have a certain industrial base, and the handicraft market is also very prosperous," Alfonso added. "They are also ambitious; they may continue to expand inland, threatening the kingdom's sovereignty over the eastern shore."

Torres did not speak, but his tightly clenched fists revealed his inner thoughts.

"Torres, you can go back now," Alfonso suddenly waved his hand.

"Your Excellency..." Torres exclaimed, "The Portuguese and the Tatan people are not only eroding the kingdom's commercial interests but also infringing on the kingdom's sovereignty..."

"I understand all of this!" Chief Inspector Alfonso raised his voice. "However, the areas assigned to me by His Majesty for inspection are not limited to La Plata. I will also visit Santiago, Lima, Chiriquis, and Acapulco to maintain the authority of the royal family. Rest assured, I will handle this matter."

"I understand," Torres said.

"Peninsulares" and "new arrivals" are derogatory terms used by the criollos of the La Plata region for the envoys from the mother country.

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