From Chief to Ball

Morris is clear-headed about the ten-year truce agreement and knows that it will definitely be fought in the future, so he urgently needs an ally.

If there is no Chinese Republic, the Dutch Indian Company will have to sell a lot of benefits to the UK for political purposes, especially on the issue of spices, just to monopolize the UK against Spain.

But now there is a new choice for Morris. If a formal commitment or a formal covenant can be reached, Morris can make more flexible decisions.

Morris was deeply impressed by Chen Jian's circumnavigation of the world in order to show off his muscles. Afterwards, a lot of news spread to The Hague convinced Morris that this was an ally that could fight against Spain, but whether he would set foot in the quagmire of Europe or not. Morris There is no bottom in my heart.

In addition to the overall interests of the Netherlands, Morris also hopes that Chen Jian will not get involved in the power struggle and religious civil strife in the Netherlands, at least to be able to control it a little.

It doesn't matter whether he has theological differences between the Arminians or the Comalesians. He also knows that he is not a theologian who studies theology. Not sure.

However, he understands that the Great Speaker is on the side of the Arminians, and he is somewhat dissatisfied with some of his "dictatorship" methods, and Grotius, the Attorney General of the Dutch Province, is also on the side of the Arminians Yes, this made Morris very dissatisfied.

When the Spanish army is pressing down on the border, facing the huge pressure from Spain, the internal factional disputes can still be temporarily united, all for victory.

However, when the armistice agreement was signed, these contradictions began to become public.

The Interprovincialists at the top were fighting with the Dutch Nationalists; the Arminians were fighting with the Comalesians; the Presbyterian Churches were fighting with the parishes at the bottom...  

And the heretical battles between religions have always been known for their cruelty.The Protestants killed many people in Geneva, and the French Catholics closed the gates of the city for seven days; tried witches here, and served them on the stake; assassinated the king here, and explosives would blow up the parliament together...

Dutch businessmen are representatives of profit-seeking commercial capitalists. They can deliver food and gunpowder to ports besieged by the Netherlands during the war with the Netherlands because of high profits, and they can also continue to lend to Spain during the Spanish-Dutch war.

So when the Arminian parish began an armed uprising, the Dutch merchants immediately sold profitable flintlocks from the port of Amsterdam to the Arminian parish, and some people in the federal parliament It also called for the Arminians to set up their own militias to protect themselves.

The batch of guns from the Mincheng Uprising was originally intended to be shipped to Amsterdam, but they were used in Mincheng ahead of time.

Morris is already quite dissatisfied with the situation. He has military power in his hands, so he wants to resolve it by force.But Grotius also involved the life-saving and wounded association established by Chen Jian in the Netherlands. Even if Morris wanted to do something, even if there were many people in China who supported him, he still had to at least notify Chen Jian.

Because this involves the issue of potential allies against Spain in the future, it is not an easy choice: Chen Jian has publicly expressed his sympathy for the independence of the Netherlands before, on the grounds that the freedom of religion in the Republic of the Netherlands does not persecute heresy, at least for the time being.

There are also some high-priced Republican mercenaries in Morris’s army. These people are also the force of artillery and reform instructors in the army, and these people have a very close relationship with the Salvation and Wound Association. Morris defaults to these people according to the Dutch model. The "sellable transferable" mercenary organized by Chen Jian was a very popular model in Europe at this time. If the buyer couldn't afford the price, he would sell it to the enemy with a high price.

Those people who were sent by the Republic to Europe before, talked about seemingly meaningless "international law" all day long. In Morris's view, it was an anti-Haab that the Chinese Republic would not arouse strong opposition from the Habsburg family. The embryonic form of the Fort Alliance.

But the rudiment is just the rudiment. How to go in the future, even if the Huaxia Republic does not go into battle shirtless, it will inevitably become a behind-the-scenes figure in this alliance-loans, guns, instructors, supplies, blockades, etc. These are all things that can affect the outcome .

Morris had long hoped for an affirmative answer to these matters, but the official excuse given by the Republic for the delay was that the final decision could not be made until the fleet sailing around the world returned.

From Morris' point of view, Chen Jian is a key person, and at the same time he hopes that Chen Jian is a key person.

Because of Chen Jian's inclinations before, he hoped that Chen Jian could make the impact he wanted and exert enough influence.

The letters sent to Chen Jian by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Prosecutor, who both belonged to the faction of political struggle, were purely intended to gain moral support, trying to reason with Chen Jian and gain Chen Jian's sympathy.

The military power is in the hands of Morris, the religious power is in the hands of the Presbyterian Church, and the parliamentary power is in the hands of the real power factions and big businessmen in the provinces. The sad speaker and chief prosecutor can only get moral support.

Moreover, if you think about it, you can only get moral support. If it is revealed in the letter that Chen Jian is expected to provide some non-moral but material support, then this is "treason" to some people, which is very serious. excuse.

This is a political struggle and factional struggle in the Netherlands, they are only part of the ruling class.

And another part of the ruling class also needs to reach a series of agreements with Chen Jian, such as the board of directors of the Dutch India Company.

Chen Jian killed the first batch of people in Taiwan who were formally invited by Tokugawa Ieyasu and officially sent by the Dutch Indian Company to open a business office in Japan at the official level, and won a year for the trading companies of Wangbei City and the Ming Empire.

One year, one year later.

The Dutch Indian Company originally took advantage of the opportunity of copper coin minting in Spain to increase the price of copper. After a long time, it was a long time late to get a batch of poor copper in Japan, and shipped it back to Amsterdam to make a fortune.

The Nanyang Company of the Republic seized the opportunity of rising copper prices earlier than the Dutch Indian Company, and shipped a batch of copper to Amsterdam for sale. When the ship of the Dutch Indian Company returned from transporting Japanese copper, it was almost unprofitable.

The Dutch Indian Company is in urgent need of a large number of handicraft products, and they can be sold or exchanged for spices in the Spice Islands. Originally, they reached an agreement with Chen Jian to trade directly across the Pacific Ocean from the Republic, but after Chen Jian returned home This matter has never been done.

The Dutch Indian Company wanted to obtain handicrafts from the Ming Empire and sell them in the Spice Islands, saving precious metals from the country by means of barter, but the interest group companies formed by the Mexican party forces in Wangbei City and the maritime merchants of the Ming Empire hindered it. , made it clear that they would not hesitate to turn their backs, because a large number of grassroots members of the Mexican Party hardened their backs immediately after they arrived in Wangbei City.

The Dutch Indian Company wanted to control rice and smuggling and forced those people in the Spice Islands to exchange spices for the rice they needed for life. The local prince rebelled.The directors of the Dutch India Company urgently need an accurate answer from another rising power in the South China Sea to decide what attitude it will take towards the British India Company.

Chapter 55 Imperialism ([-])

The Netherlands India Company is a purely profit-oriented joint-stock company. All activities of the company revolve around profits, including massacres, island population extinction, planned destruction of local production capacity and other evil deeds. amount of profit.

The board of directors of the company was in Amsterdam, so in the end all the aim was to be able to exchange various goods in the European market for silver coins.

Because of the emergence of the Republic and the start of trade with Europe by the Nanyang Company led by Chen Jian, the interests of the Dutch Indian Company were greatly threatened.

What they monopolize is the exclusive right to operate from the ends of the earth to the Pacific Ocean, porcelain, tea, and raw silk from the Ming Empire; copper from Japan; spices from the Spice Islands, all of which are the direction of the company's profits.

However, as Chen Jian stepped in Taiwan, cutting off the possibility of the Dutch Indian Company reaching out to the Ming Empire for trade, and cheating the Dutch again in Japan, the board of directors of the Dutch Indian Company had to make corresponding changes.

The Nanyang Company was operating raw silk, copper, tea, cotton and other goods. The distance was closer and the freight was cheaper. The profit of transshipping these goods from the Ming Empire and India was not high.

As a result, the Dutch Indian Company wanted to obtain higher profits, and only had to monopolize the spice trade. This was a verbal promise Chen Jian made with them—not to get involved in the spice trade with Europe.

But if you want to get cheaper spices, you can only exchange spices in the Spice Islands with handcrafted products. If you buy them with precious metals, silver and gold, the low profit margin will drive the board of directors crazy, unless you monopolize by force.

Under this change, the competition with the British Indian Company became more important.

Without Chen Jian's voyage around the world, in order to jointly deal with Spain, the Dutch Indian Company would have to compromise and cooperate with the British.

Without Chen Jian’s global voyage, he would have been able to expel Chinese businessmen in Thailand and Pattani, establish a business house in Japan to fight against Catholics as a profit to obtain Japan’s exclusive European trading rights, and smuggle raw silk porcelain through intermediaries along the coast of Fujian... In the form of small triangle trade, there is no need to transport a large amount of silver from the mainland every year. This may also be able to compromise with the British for a short time, because it can still make profits, so it is not so urgent.

But now, the history of this if has changed.

Compared with silver, the Dutch are no better than the rich and powerful Spanish Luzon. It is impossible for Chinese businessmen to risk 50.00% of the profits and not earn [-]% of the profits from the Dutch.

Contesting force, relying on supporting pirates, using force to cut off the trade line between Chinese merchants and Spaniards, increasing risk costs so that some merchants choose safer but less profitable trade with the Dutch, and the Dutch then trade with Japan in exchange for silver... ...But the Dutch Indian company can't provoke the armed groups in Wangbei City, especially the armed groups in Wangbei City are not pure "Yi Di", and a large number of Fujian maritime merchants have been included in the company. Even if the remaining businessmen want to be armed There is no strength in confrontation.

Coupled with Morris' consideration for political purposes, he hoped that the board of directors of Holland India would not try to have friction with Chen Jian. There was only one way for the board of directors to take.

It can only break face with the British, monopolize the right to monopolize the spice trade, establish a trade of spices in exchange for handicrafts with Wangbei City, and get Chen Jianying's guarantee that he will not extend his hand when the Dutch Indian company starts a war, and put all the focus of the company on Spice Islands, no longer trying to open trade rights to the Ming Empire.

It is too difficult to obtain the trading rights of the Ming Empire, and the Portuguese are not to mention it. On the premise that Chen Jian has already obtained the legal trading rights, if he wants to get involved in the affairs of the Ming Empire at this time, he will anger the Fujian merchant group and the Ming Empire. Look at the forces in Beicheng.

The Dutch Indian Company's desire for the spice trade is far greater than before. As long as a monopoly can be achieved, the shareholders' annual dividends are still considerable.But if the British are allowed to take a share, then this profit will be ridiculous.

The directors of the Indian company also knew that some goods from the Nanyang Company had driven their profits except for spices to a negative return, and they also understood that it was absolutely impossible for the Nanyang Company to give up trade at this time. The Indian company is dissatisfied with the monopoly power. At this time, there is another entrepot trade line. Even domestically, it is impossible to allow the trade with the Republic of China to be cut off.

For this reason, it is obvious what this part of the ruling class in the Netherlands wants Chen Jian to promise.

The first is to recognize the unequal treaty that has been criticized and attacked as the equal treaty of the new world system, that is, the legitimacy of the treaty is only on paper, regardless of whether there is conspiracy or threat of force during the signing process.And the party that signed the treaty is the sovereignty of the country, not the private rights of the monarch and prince. Any individual or group that inherits the sovereignty must abide by the previous treaty, otherwise the "civilized countries" will not recognize the legitimacy of the continuation of this regime.

The concept of the second territorial sea is extended to colonies and treaty-signed areas. It does not recognize the concept of high seas proposed by British philosophers and jurists. It is hoped that Chen Jian will exert influence in the Republic of China and let the Republic recognize that the Netherlands is against the meridian European Pope's world system. contribution, thus obtaining the rationality of the Spice Islands colony monopolizing trade.We, the Netherlands, have contributed, so we hope to gain a place in the New World Order, and we hope you will recognize our contribution.After all, no contribution, no privilege.

Thirdly, in the Spice Islands area, I hope that Chen Jian will not intervene in the conflict between the Anglo-Dutch Indian Company.The Dutch Indian Company will give up the trade rights of Japan and the Ming Empire in return, but also ask Chen Jian not to get involved in the spice trade.The Dutch Indian Company hopes to use Chen Jian to take the lead to carry out the trade of handicraft products in exchange for spices in the Dutch-controlled areas of the Spice Islands.

The fourth is the most critical point. I hope that Chen Jian will come forward to help the Dutch Indian company organize a group of Chinese to immigrate to the colonies controlled by the Netherlands.In order to allow the Dutch to achieve a check and balance between the Chinese and the local aborigines, divert the contradictions and struggles of the local aboriginals, so as to control the Spice Islands and create conflicts and catharsis.The control of a single ethnic group is somewhat difficult. It can only support the privileged class to rule by class, and it is difficult to transfer conflicts. However, if a third-party ethnic group participates, it is easy to transfer class conflicts to ethnic conflicts, and it is easy to control by using means—the most important reason is that The local princes of the Spice Islands have too little connotation and cultural depth to support a group of second-class citizens divided into classes.

These four points are the interests of the board of directors of Holland India Corporation, the first two are nominal, and the latter two are actual interests.