New Shun 1730

"Sir, forgive me for being blunt, but in my opinion, your sincerity is meaningless."

"The size of the earth has been determined, and the sea charts will be updated in real time, and many of them are public information. Your country will continue our route without sacrificing the lives of thousands of seafarers, and you will have a stable route."

"In Southeast Asia, your country has inherited the Dutch's marine cartography accumulation here for more than a hundred years. I don't know why you are so eager for this thing?"

Liu Yu thought to himself that I didn't really want it. After Euler and a group of people joined, the production of Dashun's moon phase chart and star chart was almost completed in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences in France and Russia.

But if you want what you want, you must show that you don't want it.

Liu Yu was still a little afraid of the British East India Company. He said that he didn't have the qualifications to "throw the rat and be afraid of the weapon", which was actually nonsense.

In fact, he knew very well that he was very afraid of the weapon.

Because of the information gap, there were some things that Fazakley didn't know, but Liu Yu knew; and what Fazakley knew, Liu Yu basically knew.

There were actually quite a lot of "weapons" that Liu Yu was afraid of.

For example, the Duke of Qi, who was still in Europe, wanted to participate in the peace conference to end the War of the Austrian Succession and put forward the idea of ​​an armed neutral alliance, which required the recognition of Britain.

For example, if the British East India Company was completely cut off, the Netherlands itself had withdrawn from the Anglo-Dutch Mutual Defense Treaty, and Dashun's cargo ships might be hijacked by Britain.

Liu Yu could even say with certainty that the French must be extremely happy about the fact that Dashun had found opium in Macau, and they hoped that Dashun and Britain would completely fall out, so that France could have a very firm and real wartime ally.

For the governments of Dashun and Britain, the British East India Company and the Dashun Western Trade Company were both bargaining chips for both sides.

The Indian issue was the East India Company's business, and although it had some relationship with the British government, it was not very big.

These were two different things and should be discussed separately.

Liu Yu's bottom line in his heart and the bottom line he set for the British East India Company was: whether to cut off trade with the British East India Company in this matter was up to the emperor. The matter was reported, but the emperor would say that he would continue to investigate to determine how much responsibility the British East India Company had in this matter.

In fact, it was to hold the East India Company hostage.

How big the responsibility was and whether to cut off trade as a punishment did not depend on how big a mistake the East India Company made.

It depended on the attitude of the British government, which could also hold the Sino-Dutch Trade Company hostage and use whether to recognize the armed neutrality alliance as a bargaining chip.

If the British government recognized the armed neutrality alliance and did not rob the cargo ships of the Sino-Dutch Trade Company or the Western Trade Company.

Then, the responsibility of the British East India Company in the opium trade would not be very large, at least no serious responsibility would be found.

If the British government did not recognize the armed neutrality alliance and even robbed the cargo ships of the Sino-Dutch Trade Company or the Western Trade Company.

Then, the responsibility of the British East India Company in the opium trade would be very large, and very serious joint and several liability would definitely be found.

The emperor did not come to a conclusion and define the matter with his golden words.

The problem of the East India Company can only be that no evidence has been found for the time being, not that it has been acquitted.

Suspect, no evidence has been found for the time being; and all evidence proves innocence.

These are two different things.

This game is about initiative and passivity.

Dashun first seized the goods of the British East India Company, and then took the initiative to pass it to the British government, asking them to make concessions on the armed neutral alliance.

The initiative lies with Britain. Because Dashun was the first to show its true colors.

Dashun first seized the goods of the British East India Company, and then the British government took the initiative to negotiate, using the armed neutral alliance as a bargaining chip.

The initiative lies with Dashun. Because Britain was the first to show its true colors.

When doing things, it is the first to strike first, and the last to strike.

In negotiations, whoever can't sit still first will fall into a passive position.

As for the issue of the navigation clock, it was just that Liu Yu needed a reason to deal leniently with the East India Company, at least a reason that the East India Company felt credible.

At the same time, it was also a signal to the British government through the East India Company.

As the transmitter of strategic intelligence connecting Dashun and Britain, and as the collector of British strategic intelligence on Dashun, the East India Company had to show some things to the East India Company.

Otherwise, it would be like flirting with a blind man, and people would not see it at all.

Strictly speaking, this is not a strategic deception like the one against the Netherlands or Russia before, but just to send a signal so that the British government will not make trouble on the armed neutral alliance and trade issues.

Liu Yu certainly knew that the East India Company could not get a marine clock. There was only one spot now, installed on the battleship Centurion, and it has not returned to Britain yet. Even if it went back, even if the carpenter made an evolved version of H3, this limited edition product, where can the East India Company get it?

Besides, Britain has very strict technical control. The steam engine was developed in 1976 and has been strictly blocked from the outside world. All countries racked their brains to get it. Britain’s administrative ability at this time was very strong, and its control was far from comparable to that of Dashun.

He just wanted to use this matter to convey something. Those who can understand in Britain will naturally understand; those who can’t understand don’t need to listen.

After Fazakley explained the difficulty of the marine clock problem, Liu Yu’s face was slightly relieved, so he asked Fazakley to get up first and asked someone to serve tea.

Fazakley sat on the chair with his butt tilted, thinking that it seems that you really want this thing. But even if I can get it, I will never give it to you. Once Dashun's imitation ability is obtained, what value will the company have?

Since you really want this thing, you can pretend to be nice. Just say that this thing is difficult to get, but don't say that it is definitely impossible to get it. Only if you don't get it, the company will have value. If you get it, the company will have no value.

At that time, whether you can trade or not, it will be up to you to say it?

It just so happens that the company has no means to contain you or threaten you now.

The key is, what do you want this thing for? If you are just in Asia, walking along the coast, or island hopping, you don't need this thing at all.

After symbolically taking a few sips of tea, Fazaklai said, "Sir, although the navigation clock is a good thing, it is not of much practical use to the Celestial Empire. If you are in urgent need of sea charts of some places, the company can also use these sea charts as a token of sincerity."

Liu Yu thought to himself that you are good at doing business. The people from the West Indies gave me sea charts, which is considered to be sincere. What use do I have to your East India Company's sea charts? The Dutch accumulated intelligence data and hydrographic surveys for more than a hundred years when they went to Nanyang. The sea charts of the Indian region in Nanyang are more complete than those of your East India Company.

He snorted, expressing his disdain, and then told a made-up story.

"When I sent people to the southern hemisphere to look for an island for observing the transit of Venus in the future, our expedition team found a small island. We asked some questions that could be easily understood by hand gestures. When they answered, they also nodded or shook their heads."

"But afterwards, our expedition team found that it was completely wrong. Later, we learned that on this island, nodding means negation, while shaking your head means affirmation."

"The first question I want to resolve when I talk to you now is a question like this. There are some things that our cognition is completely inconsistent. So there are often many misunderstandings. This is a difference determined by culture and way of thinking, and I think you should be able to feel it."

Although Fazaklai didn't understand what Liu Yu meant by this, he still nodded with empathy.

"Your Excellency is right. Indeed, sometimes when I deal with people from your country, many misunderstandings are caused by cultural differences and completely different understandings of the same thing."

"But your Excellency should understand us."

Liu Yu smiled and said, "I understand you, but you don't understand me. Before we really talk about the future fate of BEIC, I have to make it clear to you first."

"I am not a businessman."

"I am the Duke of Xingguo of Dashun, a senior official of the court, and I am an official."

"Dashun is not Britain either. Trade determines the rise and fall of Britain, but it cannot determine the rise and fall of the Celestial Empire."

"But you are British and a businessman. For many things, your thinking is not enough to talk to me. The level, angle, and direction of thinking about problems are all different."

Fazaklai hurriedly said, "Your Excellency is right. I am the fluorescent light of rotten grass, how can I illuminate the bright moon in the sky? The ancients said that summer insects cannot talk about ice, and well frogs cannot talk about the sea. This is what I mean. "

Liu Yu laughed and shook his head, saying, "That's not what I meant. Confucius said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.' Even a saint dare not compare himself to the bright moon and the scorching sun, let alone me? I can only say that, for example, a wall, some people think it is white, some people think it is three feet square, and some people think it is mud. Does it mean that those who think that this wall is mud can think that this wall is white are wrong?"

"Before I make it clear that I am an official and you are a businessman, let me ask you a question. I will ask you a question that you must understand."

"You are a senior executive of the East India Company and you know a lot about business."

"Then let me ask you, what is national wealth? What is silver? If you answer this question, you will know where the difference in thinking between you and me is when I say I am an official and you are a businessman."

Liu Yu's question was not directed at Fazaklay, but he hoped to pass it on to the British government through Fazaklay's mouth.

The question he asked was actually very simple. It's just that Fazaklay, a businessman, must have a problem with his interpretation.

Fazaklai thought about it and gave an answer that Liu Yu expected, but Liu Yu just smiled and shook his head.

"This is the completely different understanding of the same thing caused by the difference in identity between you and me."

"The Celestial Empire is different from you. In fact, the Celestial Empire had already tried to issue paper money during the Song Dynasty. Even in the early years of the previous dynasty, paper money was the real legal tender."

"Silver was just a commodity at that time. It was no different from urinals, porcelain, plates, flour, and silk."

"To some extent, it was because you transported a large amount of silver to the Celestial Empire that the Celestial Empire monetized silver."

"And in turn, the monetization of silver in the Celestial Empire promoted the rapid development of trade between the East and the West."

"For the court, silver is a symbol of wealth, but not wealth. The army, government, officials, and people who are given relief eat rice and wheat and wear cloth. Silver is just an equivalent, an equivalent that everyone recognizes, and can be exchanged for rice, flour, cloth, and herbs."

"If the court no longer uses silver and switches to paper money, it will actually be the same."

"Then the problem arises. The Celestial Empire trades with you, and in return we get a pile of silver. This silver can neither be eaten nor worn. Even if we adopt paper money one day, what use will we have for so much silver?"

"There is no problem with the internal circulation of paper money."

"External... We can use silver externally, but the question is what can we buy? If we can't buy anything from you, and the country doesn't need silver as currency, then what use will we have for this silver?"

"Think about this scenario. The Celestial Empire has completed the paper money reform, and silver is no longer used as currency. Apart from being a decorative metal, the remaining function is foreign trade. Because you certainly don't recognize the paper money of the Celestial Empire, you only recognize silver. "

"But what can we buy from you? It seems that we can't buy anything, right? The Celestial Empire is vast and rich in resources, and we have everything we need. Cotton cloth is better than your woolen cloth, glass is not worse than your flat plate, and porcelain is much better than those soft Delft pottery. We have our own wood and we grow our own food..."

"What should we do if we can't spend our silver, which is an excessive surplus every year? There is nothing worth buying, or What should I do if I want to buy something but can't buy it? "

"In your opinion, wealth is silver and gold."

"But in my opinion, or from the perspective of the emperor, the court, and officials of the Celestial Empire, the so-called national wealth is all the necessities and conveniences of life that the people use every year."

"When the court collects taxes, it can collect silver, or it can collect grain, cloth, salt, and ironware, but silver is more convenient to exchange. But isn't it the same if it is exchanged for paper money or Jiaozi?"

"If wealth is understood in this way, can I think that by trading with you, you get silk, porcelain, cotton, tea, etc. The leaves have improved people's living standards. We got a lot of silver, but the Celestial Empire can't spend it. So is this a process of national wealth loss in the Celestial Empire? "

"Those dressed in silk and satin are not silkworm breeders, but a group of stock speculators in Amsterdam and London. Isn't this a bit wrong?"

"The Spanish don't know how to do anything. Just because they found a silver mine, they wear the most gorgeous Chinese silk and use the most high-end porcelain. This makes me feel that there is something wrong. Of course, the court also has this attitude, so some things may have to change. "