Xinshun 1730

Chapter 261 The Heirs of the Ming Empire's Legacy

"Wonderful!"

Liu Yu, who was standing among the group of officials, breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but praise the emperor fiercely in his heart.

Li Gan knew some Latin, not only understood, but also spoke some, but in court, as the emperor, he must not speak foreign languages.

Liu Yu also stated to the emperor more than once that there is only one Dashun who engages in free trade in the whole world.Because Dashun doesn't know what free trade is, but its crushing advantages in handicraft industry and self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy are natural free trade.

As for European countries, even Austria, which does not even have a western outlet, has established an Ostend trading company, established in Belgium, and sold tea in Guangdong and Fujian.Of course, this company, as a bargaining chip in the "State Edict" to recognize the daughter's right to inherit, has just been dissolved in front of the British and Dutch.

As long as there is a trading company, it has monopoly power.As long as there is monopoly power, it has nothing to do with free trade.

Of course, the emperor knew that it was impossible for France to accept a free trade agreement that would completely crush France's fragile handicraft industry. Liu Yu had said this many times.

But he didn't want the missionaries to translate this sentence, which might cause an uproar in the court, thinking that the emperor had made a wrong decision.

So I chose this kind of polite but cunning rhetorical question, which is actually a rejection.

If you can accept my terms, I can accept yours; if you can't accept my terms, then stop talking.

After Earl Morpa was slightly surprised, his first reaction was that Duke Mann seemed to be dying; his second reaction was to understand the true meaning hidden in these words.

After he understood it, he was also eager to learn from his wits.

"His Majesty the Great Emperor of China, these specific terms need to be negotiated. In the court, I just represent the king of France to pay tribute and express friendship to you and the vast empire you rule."

This sentence can be regarded as confession, and there is no embarrassment for each other, so as not to say a condition that neither of them can agree to in the court.

Seeing that the Frenchman was so knowledgeable, the emperor also lost his formality.

The reward gift was announced in the court, and the British Duke and Liu Yu were called to receive the French mission and take charge of the negotiation with the French mission.

After coming down to court, the British Duke asked Liu Yu, "What did the Frenchman mean by that sentence? Why did Your Majesty interrupt?"

Liu Yu made a brief translation, and the Duke of England sneered, "It is because he thinks that I will deceive the superior and the inferior, and he will go straight to the heaven. If it is not for your majesty's quick wit, today's court meeting will not look good."

"That's right!" Liu Yu also scolded her a few times in her heart. This Frenchman has a pit in his head, and he always plays in the East with the same set in Europe. Isn't this nonsense?

It's not that this thing can't be sold, it's not that it can't be exchanged, the question is what can you exchange it for?

It was placed in the court just now. If you exchanged some 74-gun battleships, how many battleships among the ministers of the DPRK and China are not flintlocks? The design of battleships requires hundreds of years of technical accumulation?
Who can't build a ship?Most courtiers think it's simple, and it doesn't matter if they don't know it, there are craftsmen.

On the contrary, it is porcelain and silk. The ministers are much more sensitive to these things, and they can intuitively recognize the great value of them.

At that time, if you come up with this condition, you will definitely be regarded as a lunatic by the ministers.Diplomacy is no longer easy, and diplomacy with lunatics and those with ulterior motives is even more impossible.

The British prince was a little upset, and he directly expressed it on his face, and after cursing a few words, he said, "Why don't you let these French people hang out first?"

Liu Yu shook his head.

"There is no need to dry it. If I have been retreating all the time, I still have the capital to dry it. He asked us to switch it on. But now, since the court said that there should be loud thunder and little rain, the French may feel that they are not interested , it’s just a lot of thunder and little rain. It’s a bad thing to leave it alone like this.”

The British public smacked Liu Yu's meaning and hummed.

"Since that's the case, let's hurry up and talk. I'll just sit there and listen, I'm afraid I may not understand. What are you talking about, just tell me after the talk. There are some things in the court that can't be said in the open. .Whether it is Dongyang or Nanyang, there are only a few people who know about this matter now."

"The Netherlands is far away overseas. Although its navy is strong, its land is adjacent. If France can occupy the land of the Netherlands, its navy will only be defeated."

"Nowadays, the Dutch in Nanyang are the strongest. If their land is occupied, Bacheng will be within easy reach."

The emperor and several trusted and confidant ministers talked about the strategic plan of Dashun in the future, which is also the root cause of the British government and others' support for diplomacy with France this time.

Now that we have decided to talk quickly, the second day after the court meeting is the banquet, and the third day will officially start the talk.

Earl Morpa, who was stunned at the court meeting, also understood the current situation, and also understood that the negotiation must first discuss major issues, and only then can the details be discussed.

The possibility of obtaining porcelain and silk technology is gone, so there is no need to discuss this issue anymore. After confirming that the level of the negotiating parties is sufficient, Count Morpa directly talked about the Sino-French alliance.

"Dear Duke and Earl. If the navy is not used, it is a waste of money. France retains the existing fleet because of the surrounding diplomatic situation. The idea of ​​​​the French navy is not to compete for sea dominance, but to maintain Quite a deterrent, attacking the enemy's war potential and destroying the enemy's trade through privateers."

"But your country's trade policy is a complete open switch. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a navy that is large enough to even build battleships. Does your country have the idea of ​​​​going to war against the Netherlands?"

For such a straight-forward question, Liu Yu could only translate it into Chinese first, and after telling the British lord, he asked the British lord what he meant.

The British Duke may have never seen such a straightforward question, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "The country is so big, if you forget the battle, you will be in danger. The so-called preparedness will prevent danger, and it will be prepared before the rain."

"Whoever sends troops must be in line with the righteousness. In the early Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands joined forces with the United Kingdom to attack Macao, plunder Zhoushan, and occupy Penghu. Later, Emperor Gaozong was very tolerant and allowed him to trade, but his heart must be guarded against. If In the future, if the Dutch state offends the majesty of the Celestial Empire, it will certainly be punished."

It's not easy for Liu Yu to express his opinion on this matter. After the British official expressed his opinion, the translation made Liu Yu's mind hurt again.

After finally translating these words as literally as possible, Earl Morpa who listened was also at a loss.

What do you mean?
Is this to fight or not to fight?

It seems to mean that Dashun's national defense policy is that if others do not attack him, he will not attack others?It means that if the Netherlands did not take the initiative to declare war on Dashun, Dashun would not declare war on the Netherlands?
If this is the case, this ally seems meaningless.

He didn't quite understand this kind of implicit expression in the oriental style, but Liu Yu knew very well in his heart that there is a saying in China, which is why there is no excuse for the crime?

The meaning of the British Duke has been clearly expressed. This navy, for Westerners, was created for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Although France also engaged in colonialism, its level was a bit low, and it was not capable of harassing China's coasts in the late Ming Dynasty.

The UK is different from the Netherlands in that it has a criminal record.

Now that the British Duke has made his statement, Liu Yu can do the rest by himself. Of course, he must speak clearly so that the French can understand Dashun's real strategic intentions.

"Count Morpa, China is China, Ming Dynasty is China, and Dashun is naturally China. Just like the British royal family still has the right to claim the crown of France on top of the head of the British royal family. Everything in the Ming Empire is inherited by Dashun of. Hate and all that political legacy."

"The Dutch once plundered the people of the Celestial Dynasty in Zhoushan and other places and went to Batavia to do slave labor. Such behavior is intolerable. And this kind of crime has no prosecution period for the empire."

"Southeast Asia was its sphere of influence during the peak period of the Ming Empire, and this should be inherited by us."

Liu Yu's words were more straightforward, and Earl Morpa understood them all at once, but he was a little muttering about the implicit expression of the Eastern Empire and the strange moral standards of this ancient empire.

It seems that it is shameful to take the initiative to start a war, and you must be beaten before you can start a war, so that you can appear upright?
He didn't quite understand this point, but Liu Yu's words still revealed a lot of information.

Regardless of whether the Netherlands and the United Kingdom declared war on Dashun, Dashun had sufficient legitimate reasons to declare war on Britain and the Netherlands. This pretext for war was to extend the Ming Empire that had perished.

Liu Yu hastily added another sentence, considering France's weird sea power thinking, which is a bit like a broken pot.

"Free trade is the national policy of the Celestial Dynasty, which cannot be changed. Therefore, in the Nanyang region, the Celestial Dynasty opposes all forms of piracy and privateering activities."

"So, even if war is declared against Britain and the Netherlands, China will not choose private plundering and piracy. This is against the dignity of China, and it is also a great damage to free trade."

"For this reason, Dashun needs a fleet with battleships, not just cruisers. Cruisers are the best privateers, or trade strike fleets, but they are not very good naval decisive battleships."

"If war breaks out in the future, China may have to face all the warships of the Dutch East India Company, and these cruisers alone are not enough."

"You should know what Batavia means to the Netherlands, and what the East India Company means to the Netherlands. This is the economic lifeline of the Netherlands, so once war starts, the Dutch will do everything possible to regain Batavia. Although It is very difficult to transport troops from Amsterdam to Southeast Asia, and it may take a year for a capital ship to arrive, and the number will not be too many, but it is impossible to complete this task close to the cruise ship."

France has set up a sub-fleet, but it is actually timid in its heart. It knows that it can't really beat the British-Dutch alliance at this time at sea, and it has too many enemies on land. It must maintain a strong army.

This makes France always think, I can't control the sea, but I can disgust you, engage in private plundering, and make you pay the price.

For this reason, Liu Yu clearly expressed his attitude to the French mission: Dashun's naval policy and trade policy cannot only rely on cruise ships, but must build sufficiently powerful battleships.Dashun would not use the strategy of France.

(End of this chapter)