Volume 3: Confrontation! The Run of Civilization Chapter 477: Changes in Europeans (I)
After a muffled "stomp~" sound, a sailing cargo ship docked steadily at the dock. A fat man in his fifties wearing a top hat and a black windbreaker jumped from the deck to the shore like flying. His agility, his fat body, and his gentlemanly attire seemed very inconsistent.
"Your Excellency, welcome back to Amsterdam."
"Verdomme, Zeg! It's a terrible crime to come back from Bilbao at high speed in this wet April weather. Where's my carriage, Wesley?"
"A horse-drawn carriage has been arranged and will be waiting for you outside the dock."
"Let's go, let's go quickly. I came back right after receiving your letter. Is that bastard at home?"
"Uh, sir, Master George should be home by now."
"Then let's go quickly. I want to get home as soon as possible."
Amsterdam, a city on a dam, is famous for its vast waters and beautiful environment in later generations. But that is a matter of later generations. At least at this moment, Amsterdam, with its crisscrossing rivers and huge port area, is full of overlapping sails and tens of millions of masts. The docks are filled with people speaking various languages, and countless cargo ships are loading and unloading. The entire port area, in the chaos of sewage, embodies a unique vitality.
Horse-drawn trams are a product of the 18th century in terms of history. However, due to the emergence of time travelers, the European economy has been rapidly improved, and the demand for various freight volumes in cities has also increased rapidly. Therefore, horse-drawn trams were born more than a hundred years earlier at the suggestion of Philip. In an era when internal combustion engines had not yet been invented and electrification had not yet been realized, horse-drawn trams effectively alleviated the demand for public transportation in cities.
As a big businessman, the fat man had his own tram, so he returned home very quickly. He jumped off the tram again swiftly, and as soon as he entered the door, before he had time to take off his hat, he started yelling: "Where's George? Tell him to come over to see me!"
The maids had already heard the noise and came around him to change his clothes, but while he was cooperating with the maids to change his clothes, he still shouted loudly: "George! Where are you? Get out here right now!"
After a while, a young man in his twenties with blue eyes, blond hair, a well-proportioned body and a handsome face appeared in the living room: "Father, you are back? What's the matter that makes me so anxious?"
When the fat man saw his son, he instinctively wanted to rush up and slap him a few times. However, after years of ups and downs in the business world, he had a good level of self-control. He just moved his body a little and immediately stopped his impulse. Then he politely thanked the maids and said to his son, "Come with me to the study."
After the father and son entered the study, the fat man's impulse to hit someone had long passed. He sat heavily on a soft chair in the study and asked his son to close the door. After his son turned around, he lowered his voice and said, "I heard from Wesley that when I was out doing business, you actually joined the Orange family's rebellion at home?"
"I knew it!" Young George said with disdain, "Our butler always likes to pry into other people's private affairs. This nigger should have been kicked out long ago."
"Asshole!" The fat man slammed the table fiercely. "Although Wesley is black, he is the most loyal to our family. After he found out about your actions, he immediately notified me. This is the greatest responsibility he has shown to our family! I will never allow you to humiliate him like this! If I have to choose between him and you to kick out of the house, I will choose you without hesitation!"
"Father, how could you do this? Although Prince Maurice has lost his territory and is being wanted, he is a hero of the Dutch! He, his father, and his brother have contributed everything for the independence of the Netherlands. At this time, as passionate Dutch people, shouldn't we continue to support them?"
"Verdomme, Zeg!" The fat man picked up a book at hand and threw it accurately at his son's face: "Why did I give birth to a stupid son like you! Well, tell me, what's good about the Netherlands' independence from Spain?"
"We Dutch people will have our own country! We will avoid the heavy taxes and exploitation of the Spanish! Moreover, we believe in Calvinism. After independence, there will be no restrictions on our faith!"
"Idiot! You are such an idiot!" The fat man stood up angrily, his face bloodshot. "What country? Isn't it good that we are under the rule of the Kingdom of Spain? Why do we need to establish an independent country? Well, tell me, what is the meaning of a country?"
“…”
"Can't you explain it? Let me tell you, the meaning of a country is to protect its people and let its people live and work in peace and contentment! Spain is now the most powerful country in Europe. After the establishment of the European Union, it has effectively ruled most of Europe. In such a country, are you still not safe? If we, the Netherlands, become independent, how can a small country with a population of only more than two million protect itself? At that time, in order to ensure independence, all citizens will be soldiers. Do you want to sign up for the army, and then be cut in half by machine gun bullets? Don't think that when the Netherlands fought for independence more than ten years ago, Britain and France supported us. But I promise that if Spain failed in the war six years ago. After we win independence, these two countries will rush over and tear us apart! Because by then, we have lost the protection of the powerful country of Spain!
Let's talk about the tax issue. Yes, we have to pay heavy taxes for doing business. The commercial taxes paid by the 17 provinces of the Netherlands are even higher than those in Spain, where the Castilians are dominant. However, we also enjoy the right to do business freely in America, Africa, and Asia. If we become independent, our Dutch goods will have to pay high tariffs to enter America, and we will not be protected by the Spanish navy on the sea. We will not be given priority in purchasing raw materials. What do you think is good after independence?
As for the issue of faith! My son, when you were born, your father, I, had already supported the family, so you are qualified to believe in God! When I was young, because your grandfather lost all the family property, I had to start working as an apprentice at the age of twelve. At that time, my daily task was to find food to survive, and I was not qualified to think about the issue of faith! As for now, I clearly tell you that my faith is the silver double pillars!
Besides, hasn't His Majesty Philip IV publicly stated that as long as people believe in one God and one Christ, no matter what their understanding of the doctrine is, they are all equal? What else do you want?"
"...Father, why didn't you tell me these things before?"
"Hey, my son, I didn't understand these principles before, because I was young before." The fat man stood up, walked to his son, stretched out his hand, and gently touched the blood swelling on his son's forehead due to the impact of the big book: "Young people have ideals and are full of blood. They are easily impulsive when others encourage them. I used to be like this too."
Retracting his hand, the fat man looked into the distance: "More than 20 years ago, before I met your mother, I also devoted myself to the cause of Dutch independence. At that time, I already had my own brewery, and I donated all the profits from the brewery... However, the longer the war lasted, the worse our beer sales became. The beer that could be sold to Spain and all over the world without any obstacles before, in the end, it couldn't even go out of the Netherlands. The barley, hops and other things we needed were not available. With the decreasing profits, the donations naturally became less and less, and it caused dissatisfaction among the independence army... From then on, I gradually understood. In fact, for a place like the Netherlands with a small land area and a sparse population, wouldn't it be better to stay under the wings of a big country honestly? Why should we be independent? To be honest, if we really become independent and lose the protection of Spain, let alone Britain and France, even Denmark next door can tear us apart if it doesn't do well! What's the point of such independence?"
Glancing at his silent son, the fat man turned his tone gentle, "George, my son, I hope you can think carefully about what I said to you today, and then make your own decision. We are the Van der Worm family, and you have two younger brothers and three younger sisters. I must be responsible for the entire family. So, if after careful consideration, you still want to follow His Highness Maurice who is still wanted, then I'm sorry, I will publish a statement in the Amsterdam newspaper to sever the father-son relationship with you, and from now on, all your words and deeds will have nothing to do with our family. If you can listen to what I said just now, then I won't ask you to sell out those guys who are still running for independence. As long as you can completely cut off ties with them, that's fine."
"...Thank you for your teaching, father. I will give you a clear answer as soon as possible."
