New Shun 1730

There was a trace of such worry in his heart, and it was also because he saw with his own eyes the strong soldiers carefully selected by the court, which brought him great pressure.

However, this worry seemed to be meaningless.

He only knew that Dashun had the ability to threaten Southeast Asia and threaten the company's rule, but whether it would do it specifically was not something he could know.

And with his understanding of the company's system, the company would not send more soldiers here.

On the one hand, this is a game between the local and central governments.

The Seventeen-member Committee was already quite dissatisfied with Batavia, where smuggling, carrying private goods, and bribery were rampant. At this time, if they asked for more troops and increased expenses, the Seventeen-member Committee would think that he, the governor, wanted to take this opportunity to expand Batavia's power.

Besides, the entire Southeast Asia was seriously short of troops, which might induce Dashun to attack southward.

However, what if the increase in troops caused Dashun to see the increase in troops and think that it was too difficult to attack?

It's like a doctor who sees that a person will get sick because of eating fish. As long as he doesn't eat fish, he won't get sick. This person is obedient and doesn't eat fish, so he is healthy.

So, is it because he doesn't eat fish that he is not sick?

Or is it because he is not sick and the doctor is talking nonsense?

It costs money to increase troops. The system of joint-stock companies determines that this idea of ​​increasing troops is impossible to be passed by the board of directors, especially when Dashun did not show the idea of ​​going south, it would be considered an unnecessary expenditure.

Valknier knew this point very well.

There is a short joke in Europe: the humility of the French, the flexibility of the Germans, the alliance of the British, the generosity of the Dutch...

Regardless of the rest, the "generosity" alone is a point of insight.

Originally in history, when the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War broke out, the Netherlands knew that the British would hijack the ship. In order to save money and prevent the ship from being hijacked, it only flew the Prussian flag, but refused to spend money to hire several Prussian captains, because the Prussian captains "raised the price" and demanded dividends instead of just salaries.

As a result, three Dutch ships flying the Prussian flag, loaded with tea and porcelain, were captured by the British. The cargo on the ship was enough to hire 180 Prussian captains.

The same is true for many things that Valkner knew had already happened.

One hundred and twenty years ago, the Hirayama Tsunesaki incident, the merger of Spain and Portugal, and the capture of missionaries by the Dutch on their way to Japan via Manila and Macau. Such a good opportunity to kill Portugal's trade with Japan in one fell swoop, Matsuura Takanobu almost made it clear to the Dutch Nagasaki Magistrate Hasegawa Fujimasa that he had accepted Spanish money.

But the Dutch were still reluctant to give Hasegawa Fujimasa a little bribe, because their trading point at the time was in Hirado, not in Nagasaki, and they felt that giving bribes was not cost-effective and had no long-term returns. In the end, Hasegawa Fujimasa accepted money from Spain and Portugal, and came forward with a little trick to prepare to move the trial from Hirado to Edo to isolate the influence of Britain and the Netherlands. If it weren't for someone turning against him and reporting and testifying at a critical moment, it would have almost failed.

Another example is that during the Tianqi period, bribery in Fujian forced the officials who accepted the bribe to write IOUs. This is understandable, and it is convenient to report, after all, it is public money, but the problem is that when asking officials to do things, the things are not done, and they actually take the IOUs to collect debts and ask for money! Since then, the unspoken rule of officials on the coast of Fujian and Guangdong is that if you don't accept money from the Dutch, don't even think about getting things done. I've been an official for so many years, and I've never heard of anyone asking for money back after failing to get things done. This unspoken rule continued until Dashun allowed the Dutch to go ashore for trade.

Merchants always have a short vision, or this is also the disadvantage of joint-stock companies. They must make profits, and their efforts must be rewarded. If they can save money, they must save money, otherwise they can't explain to shareholders.

The Netherlands, which took the lead in trade, had a golden century as the coachman of the sea, but that was all. After all, it lacked a great strategic vision. People who are stingy when giving bribes have no future - either be an upright person and don't bribe, or when giving bribes, don't always think about getting the money back if you can't get things done.

Now it's not a question of bribery, but whether the Seventeen-member Committee will send more troops and warships to Batavia in order to "cure an incurable disease" just because Dashun may attack Southeast Asia, but it's just a possibility?

Different, but the essence is to spend money and do things. The problem is that if you bribe someone to get things done, you can still ask for the debt if you can't get it done; but after the increase in troops, nothing happened, where can you get the money back? Should you ask Valknier who gave you the advice?

And this suggestion itself is a thankless task.

If the increase in troops leads to Dashun not sending troops, then his term as governor will be over. The shareholders will rebuke him for "spending the shareholders' money to strengthen the local power of Batavia, which is of no value to the entire company's profits."

This is no longer the East India Company that was aggressive and a little stingy more than a hundred years ago, but was fearless in overcoming difficulties. It is a corrupt East India Company with countless shareholders staring at dividends and any policy that may affect the dissatisfaction of shareholders.

Moreover, this danger is only a possibility, and the possibility seems small now.

But he still expressed his concerns to the envoy and asked if there were any possible movements on the Dashun side.

The man who came back all the way from the capital told the governor that there was no need to worry about this.

"Governor, in fact, most officials in the Chinese court have no desire for expansion. As a leader who supports expansion, China's former Navy Minister Liu Yu has fallen out of favor."

"Falled out of favor? Didn't you say that he was made a Marquis?" Valkenir didn't believe it. In the previous exchanges, he was very concerned about the fanatical "patriot" and always felt uneasy.

Especially after hearing that he was promoted from earl to marquis, this feeling of uneasiness became even worse.

However, the envoy smiled and said: "You must have heard the story of the French Man in the Iron Mask who rose up and down secretly before he was captured."

There are many legends about the Man in the Iron Mask in France, and there are different opinions on who he is. But the version the Dutch believed was that of Nicolas Fouquet, France’s then finance minister.

Because Fouquet was replaced by Colbert, whose extreme mercantilist and naval policies, oppression of the Netherlands, high tariffs on the Netherlands, standardized handicraft ideas, and a series of genius naval system construction led to the Dutch It was only by digging a dyke on the battlefield that Amsterdam was saved, and it completely withdrew from the French market in trade. This was a well-known landmark event that marked the end of the Dutch Golden Age.

So in the version that the Dutch believe, the poor man in the iron mask is Fouquet who was killed by the hateful Colbert.

Speaking of this story, the messenger laughed and said: "The first thing the Sun King did when he took office was to transfer Nicolas Fouquet from the position of finance minister to the prosecutor general of the French High Court. In name, the status of the prosecutor general It is higher than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and only honorable nobles can serve.”

"Promoting him from chancellor to attorney general is the first step in clearing him up and ultimately turning him into a man in the iron mask."

"It's the same in China. Although Liu Yu was made a marquis, he was transferred to the Privy Council as deputy marshal of the Privy Council and completely lost his military power. Many people know that this is a sign of falling out of favor. You should be able to Imagine that this Privy Council, which is similar to a logistics department, is more like a nursing home.”

Of course Valknir understands the principle of rise and fall.

Just like the current governor of Batavia, if he is promoted to the general coordinator of the Asian Trade Council, his status will theoretically be higher.

But in fact, the position of Governor of Batavia is much stronger than that of the general coordinator.

The struggle within the company is not much easier than the struggle in the court. After so many years to become the governor, if he only knew a little bit about this kind of intrigue, he might still be squatting in Ceylon building a fortress now.

"Mr. Governor, I think your worries are unnecessary. In fact, as far as I know, many people in China's court are firmly opposed to foreign expansion. Because China has just implemented a new tax policy and abolished the head tax. Most taxes are tied to land."

"And you also know that Chinese businessmen have no status, and those who become officials are all landowners, and external expansion is of no benefit to them. On the contrary, the poll tax has been abolished, and most taxes are linked to land. External expansion requires Spending the landlord’s money, but the benefits obtained have nothing to do with the landlord.”

"The merchants in their courts are like the Jews in Europe hundreds of years ago: if the court is short of money, it takes it from the merchants. If it cannot pay back, it expels them."

"Besides, the really big businessmen are all sitting at the customs waiting for us to send money. China is so rich that their businessmen don't need to brave the waves on the sea, lack of water, or eat bread full of weevils. Energy sources continue to obtain silver and gold - can any East India Company, including us in the Netherlands, enjoy a trade surplus with China? "

Valknir nodded, thinking that was true. He can easily understand the entanglements of interests within Dashun.

Now the seven provinces are operating independently, and the big businessmen are all striving for one thing: passing a highly progressive tax refund policy. Another example is that Batavia refused to allow Dutch people who were not employees of the company to settle and trade. These were all entanglements of interests, and they could be stated openly in parliament.

After considering his experience in trade with China in the past few years, Valkenir was finally completely relieved.

So, from this point of view, in order to save their "brethren", the emperor of the Chinese Dynasty took the initiative to pay the poll tax for them. This should be a show of goodwill.

"What does the Emperor of Dashun think of our trade with Japan?"

"My Lord Governor, I have to say that I don't have any optimism about this matter. They not only ban Catholicism, but they are almost certainly anti-Christ. Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism are not allowed to spread, and anything with a cross is not allowed to spread. Any behavior will be arrested by the government. They believe that crosses are not allowed in the Confucian cultural circle, so trade with Japan is absolutely impossible. Moreover, they are worried that Japan will get too close to us and take revenge. Therefore, this time their emperor's envoy should also talk about banning exchanges with Japan. As compensation for the severance of trade with Japan, their emperor is willing to take out money from internal funds. In fact, he hopes that we will make concessions... They are worried about smuggling to Japan."

In this way, the logic is completely consistent, and Valkenir agrees very much.

"Well, you are right, it should be like this. For this huge Eastern Empire, they care more about things within their Confucian circle and are not very interested in things outside."

"Yes, Lord Governor. Moreover, China is preparing an attack on Russia. It is almost certain that the Swedes will declare war on Russia. China will concentrate on taking over the land in Central Asia. Their emperor hopes to restore the Tang Dynasty. 'The old glory of the empire, Russia's credentials have always claimed that it inherited the title of King of Kings of the Persian Empire. And judging from their historical experience, every destruction of the empire was due to the invasion of northern barbarians. . Today's Russia has taken the place of those northern barbarians, but is also stronger and more aggressive."

After saying this, the envoy thought of another interesting thing and said: "In their capital, I saw the will of Peter I. Although it is obvious that it was made up by the French or Poles, in There are widespread rumors in their capital that Russia is too ambitious and is an enemy no less than the Tatars. I think they hope to maintain stability in the south and go all out to fight Russia in the north and compete for Central Asia. "

"Actually, as far as I know, they are not enthusiastic about the navy. Because according to the precise information obtained, the Chinese sold one of their only two battleships to Japan, and the emperor hoped to get the money , used to immigrate to the north, thereby preventing the Tatars from going south at the end of the Ming Empire."

"Moreover, there is news that they are reorganizing their cabinet and will put civilians in charge of the Admiralty, because the emperor is always worried about the rebellion of the military attachés... You know, this is a pathetic nation with no respect for aristocratic blood. Their most popular There is a saying in the story - The emperor takes turns, come to my house next year - the former Lord of the Admiralty is already under suspicion because he is not only invincible, but also has many opinions that are contrary to the emperor and important cabinet ministers."

"You can imagine that this is a Chinese Wallenstein. He has huge differences with the emperor and his cabinet colleagues. Although the current emperor is a young monarch with enough prestige to suppress his ministers, the lion No matter how powerful he is, he will still be old. He must consider his son: Can his young son suppress such a marquis who is capable of fighting and has great authority, but has huge differences with the emperor? This is questionable. "

"Besides... if we increase our troops in Batavia, we may actually support the Marquis and China's expansionists in disguise."