The Rise of the European Emperor

Marin's mint is not small now, using hundreds of spiral coinage machines, each of which can press at least 1,200 silver coins per day. The 100 Tai coin press machine is activated together, and it can press more than 12,000 silver coins every day.

Originally, Marin made a plan to suppress the counterfeit 2 million Danish silver coins, but he felt that it was a lot. However, 2 million pfennig is worth 33,300 gold coins. Although it is a lot, it is not too much, and it will not cause a huge blow to the Danish economy.

Coincidentally, Marin also imported dozens of tons of lead and tin, including a lot of copper. And the casting of 2 million Danish Finneys weighing less than 1.5 grams, the total weight is only 3 tons, and only a small amount of raw materials are spent. Therefore, Marin simply increased the number of counterfeit coins to 10 million.

This amount is already quite a lot. After all, the influx of 10 million silver coins into the Danish mainland and the Schleswig-Holstein region also takes a lot of effort.

To this end, Marin once again used the group of Jews who had previously disguised themselves as businessmen to buy supplies in the Principality of Saxony, and asked them to do business in Denmark and the Schleswig-Holstein region to buy a large amount of supplies, so that the 10 million The counterfeit silver coins were spent locally.

At the same time, many of the people selected by Marin are people living in the Frisian region, and their Frisian language is very similar to English. Marin can completely make these people who spend fake silver coins pretend to be British businessmen, so that even if one day the dew falls, Denmark will only look for the bad luck of the British... Just as Marin wants to weaken and attack Britain, use Powerful Vikings come to do this, and they can also take advantage of the fisherman... As it happens, the Danish navy is too powerful, with dozens of warships. Take this opportunity to let the UK help consume some...

In order to make sure that the British were engaged in Denmark, Malin specially arranged for his subordinates to register a chamber of commerce in the United Kingdom, the John Bull Chamber of Commerce. At that time, all the merchants who use these 10 million fake silver coins will use the identity of the John Bull Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom and use the real British passport... Oh no, it is a document, and there is no passport these days...

Once the fake silver coin incident broke out, these people will naturally "evaporate" and hide, but the Danes will find out when they investigate - these people are all from the John Bull Chamber of Commerce in the UK...

In this era, the Danish navy is unparalleled in the world. Even Portugal, which has been sailing for decades, is slightly inferior. Because Portugal's sea power is more caravan and exploration power. Denmark, on the other hand, has built the most powerful fleet in Europe, 50 warships, for the purpose of controlling the strait leading to the Baltic Sea...

However, in this era, the Danish battleship is still the Kirk sailboat. Moreover, the density of its rib is still similar to that of an armed merchant ship. It does not reach the level of the "Hoffman-class" battleship built by Marin, and the broadside is not thick enough.

This is mainly because naval warfare has not yet entered the age of artillery warfare. Therefore, the Danes have not paid attention to the reinforcement of the hull structure at present. It was not until the "Battle of Diu" (1509) that Portugal broke out in the combined Indian and Indo-Egyptian fleets that the great role of artillery in naval warfare would receive European attention. At that time, the shipbuilders will pay attention to the density of the warship's ribs and the reinforcement of the broadside to prevent the hull from being easily penetrated by artillery...

For now, most of the thinking of naval warfare in Europe is still in the stage of "jumping boats and helping people cut people". Only the Portuguese started the research on the tactic of warship artillery, but it was also in its infancy, and only a few people such as Da Gama supported this new tactic. Only Marin, a traverser, started to develop ship-borne naval guns with great determination and began to strengthen the hull. It's just that Marin now only has one professional warship and 10 armed merchant ships (250 class). Although he has already formed the prototype of a maritime power, he cannot challenge Denmark and Portugal. the nation of the multitude". Unless, Marin has ten professional "Hoffman-class" warships,

Only have the capital to challenge traditional maritime powers...

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After counting the time, Marin felt that the Spanish spice trade fleet of Columbus, as the "leading party", was almost back. Columbus set off at the beginning of last year, and it has been with him for a year and a half, and it is not far from the time to return. In this trade, Marin only has a trade quota of tens of thousands of pounds of spices, which is completely incomparable to the amount of the Spaniards.

However, Marin didn't value that either. Because, he had already instructed Columbus, and Draka, who also went to India to preside over the trade, to pay attention to the purchase and collection of spice seeds for future planting in Grenada...

You know, in later generations, Grenada is the production base of the famous nutmeg, and the output is the second in the world (the first is Indonesia). If Marin can grow spices directly in Grenada, why send ships to India to buy them? Moreover, it is also possible to avoid the trade restriction agreement reached with the Spanish royal family.

Of these, pepper and nutmeg seeds are the best obtained. Because pepper and nutmeg, when shipped to Europe, are in the shape of beans, they can be used as seeds, and they are not easy to spoil. The same is true of cloves, the female cloves (the seeds of cloves and the buds of male cloves) can also be used as clove seeds.

But cinnamon is different. Cinnamon uses its sun-dried skin, also called cinnamon. You take the cinnamon and you can't grow it at all. Therefore, if you want the seeds of cinnamon, you must go to Sri Lanka, the place of origin, to buy them. Fortunately, Sri Lanka is not far from Calicut, the trading point of Columbus et al. Anyway, if you go to India to buy spices, you will have to stay in Calicut for a long time. After all, the acquisition of too large a volume of spices needs to be transferred from all over India. Taking advantage of this time, Columbus and Draka could take the opportunity to send someone to Sri Lanka to buy some cinnamon seeds.

However, even if you get cinnamon seeds, you have to plant them a few years later and grow into a big tree before you can peel them and make cinnamon. It is difficult to wait. It is better to go directly to India to buy them.

However, Marin considers long-term interests rather than current interests. So, this doesn't matter. In addition, the most important thing for Marin is actually the seeds of ginger.

Ginger and brown sugar boiled in water can cure colds. Moreover, ginger is also very flavorful in cooking. Marin doesn't like pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc., but loves the generous use of ginger.

Therefore, Columbus and Draka this time, need to pay attention to the acquisition of ginger seeds. Ginger has no seeds, only roots. Similar to potatoes, they are propagated by cutting the rhizomes into small pieces. Therefore, ginger itself is the seed.

However, ginger is not easy to preserve. It's fine in temperate regions, but in hot and humid places like India, fresh ginger can easily sprout and spoil. Therefore, in tropical regions, ginger is often dried or baked to facilitate long-term preservation.

However, roasted ginger often loses its life and no longer has the ability to reproduce. Therefore, if you want to reproduce, you can only use dried ginger. Of course, it is better to use fresh ginger.

However, even dried ginger cannot be stored for a long time. If you leave it for a long time, it will lose its vitality and no longer have the function of being a seed.

Therefore, Marin asked Draka to specially purchase a batch of freshly dried ginger to use as seeds for planting on the island of Grenada. If the drying time is not long, you can still germinate by soaking in warm water. After germination, you can cut and plant...

In fact, when it comes to pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, Marin doesn't care much. Let Columbus and Draka get the seeds this time, just by the way. What Marin really values ​​is the ginger seeds.

Ginger is not suitable for growing in northwestern Europe where the summer temperatures are not high, but it can be grown in Grenada, and even the North American Twin Islands. (Note: Ginger is suitable for growing in subtropical regions. But in our country, because the summer temperature in most areas is too hot, it can also be planted in the north, but it can only be planted in the season that avoids winter, grows in the frost-free period, and puts it in the field in winter. Must freeze to death.)

Marin loves ginger, and ginger is healthy too. When cooking, add some minced ginger, which can be seasoned and healthy. Therefore, Marin needs a ginger production base, in Grenada or the North American Twin Islands. At that time, a large supply of European...

Even, Marin intends to build a glass greenhouse, dedicated to growing ginger. Because, there is a great demand for ginger in cooking. Although the cost of glass greenhouses is high, compared with the expensive price, the seeds of own glass greenhouses are still very cost-effective. Moreover, ginger has a short growth cycle and is also suitable for cultivation in greenhouses. Unlike cinnamon, which takes years to grow, greenhouse growing can be bloody.

However, it is really unnecessary to bring the seeds of Columbus and Draka back to East Friesland. It is better to send them directly to Grenada for planting. Of course, some of the ginger seeds can be kept and brought back to East Friesland for greenhouse cultivation.

Therefore, Malin specially sent a ship to the port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, waiting for Columbus and others to return. Just wait until Columbus and the others, get the spice seeds and go straight to Grenada. After all, the Canary Islands are much closer to Grenada. As long as you cross the Atlantic, you will arrive.

...

In addition, Marin has another task, which is to send someone to ask the Governor of the Canary Islands, Baron Sandro, who has friendship with Marin, if he can bribe the Moroccan royal family to buy Laayoune in Western Sahara through him. This land...

Spain and Morocco are bitter rivals, but sometimes they cooperate. Because, not only Spain but also Portugal invaded Morocco. The two teeth are deadly enemies in Morocco's expansion, and they don't want the other side to sit big. Therefore, whether it is Spain or Portugal, they both attack and win over Morocco, and they also have trade in private. After all, they gained a coastal foothold in Morocco, not for that land, but to trade with the locals.

Now, Morocco is ruled by the Wattas dynasty, a branch of the Moroccan Marin dynasty, which is in a period of weakness. Marin knew that around 1510, the Arabs of the Saad tribe of Taroudant, on the Sousse-sur-Sousse, at the southern foot of the famous Atlas Mountains, would revolt, and it took decades , completely overthrew the Marin Dynasty established by the Berbers and established the Saad Dynasty (also known as the Saadi Dynasty).

For the Moroccan Marin Dynasty, Marin in the previous life was a little interested. Because the name of this dynasty is the same as his own, so Marin also checked some information in his previous life and knew something about it. However, by 1501, the Vatas dynasty, a branch of this dynasty, was almost out of business, and there were Spanish and Portuguese colonies in many parts of the coast. If Spain and Portugal were not on guard against each other and demolished each other, maybe they would have directly hit Fes, the capital of the Wattas dynasty.

In fact, the Wattas dynasty's current control over Morocco is already very weak. At present, the control of southern Morocco (mainly the area south of the Atlas Mountains) is actually the powerful Saad tribe.

Water resources are scarce resources whether in West Asia or North Africa. It is by the Sousse River that the Saad tribe developed into the most powerful tribal force in southern Morocco.

Laayoune is the southernmost point controlled by the Saad tribe. In fact, the Laayoune region is already part of the Sahara Desert, the southernmost inhabited area in Morocco.

If it weren't for the long oasis lake overflowing with underground fresh water here in Laayoune, it would not be suitable for human habitation at all. Currently, it is controlled by a small clan subordinate to the Saad clan. Locals live off the fresh water of this oasis lake, where sheep, sheep and camels are herded.

Marin is not interested in these sheep and camels, but because there is a large phosphate rock with 800 million tons of apatite reserves in the south of Laayoune, and Bukra, 100 kilometers south, has a reserve of 2 billion tons of larger phosphate rock...

The first large-scale phosphate mine in China, the Jinping Phosphate Mine in Jiangsu Province, has a total reserve of only tens of millions of tons...

The importance of phosphate rock is self-evident, and phosphate fertilizer is one of the three major chemical fertilizers. Before, Marin had no choice, so he made fish bones and fish meal instead of phosphate fertilizer. However, fish bones and fishmeal are troublesome to catch, difficult to process, have high overall costs, and are labor-intensive.

Not only that, the phosphorus content of fish bones and fish meal is not high, only a single-digit percentage of phosphorus content (like one or two percent). The phosphorus content of apatite can reach 10-digit percentages, which is several times that of fish bones and fish meal.

The most important thing is that those apatites can be used as phosphate fertilizers when dug up and spread into the fields as phosphate fertilizers...

Although it is said that apatite is not processed, it is not absorbed quickly as a fertilizer. However, using it as a base fertilizer and absorbing it slowly is not much different from the fast-absorbing phosphate fertilizer. Slow absorption, as long as it is effective.

Marin had little interest in those deep inland apatite mines. Because it is too difficult in this era to get ships to the seaside, and the cost of land transportation is too high.

But the phosphate mine in Layoune is different. It is just south of the city, close to the sea, and it is an open-pit mine. Dig it up and load it on the truck, “walk two steps” to the beach, and load it directly. Moreover, it is on the edge of the Canary Islands and very close to Europe.

Therefore, it is simply unreasonable to not control this seaside phosphate mine...

It just so happens that now Morocco's internal chaos, Marin intends to take the opportunity to buy the small oasis of Laayoune. As an excuse to the outside world, it is said that it is used to raise Arabian horses...

Arabian horses do enjoy the dry desert climate and the freshwater oasis lake. There is no flaw in using this excuse to fool people. Because, people of this era would never have thought that Marin was actually interested in the blue-gray stones (apatite) that are everywhere on the barren hills in the south of the Laayoune oasis...