Xinshun 1730

Chapter 300 Another Victim of Strategic Deception

History is funny.

Historically, these radicals eventually became royalists.

They were beaten violently because they fought against Russia, and then fought alone against Frederick's Prussia at its peak...Of course, they all lost.

Worried that the conservatives would sue them and hold them accountable, the radicals immediately turned around and supported the king to abolish the parliament, lest they themselves be tried and liquidated by the conservatives.

At this time, this kind of antics has not yet been staged, and the radicals are still in a different kind of excitement.

Closed to the outside world and subject to literary censorship and letter inspection, the Swedes do not know how the outside world has changed, let alone that Russia and Prussia are no longer weak chickens that could be beaten violently.

Karl Gillentberg was confident in going to war with Russia.

Now, there is no money.

Cambier has money, Girondberg lacks money, and the atmosphere of the meeting between the two is so harmonious and pleasant.In addition to these two, there is also Mantou, the captain of the Free Trade.

It was easy for Mantou to figure out the situation of the Swedish Parliament. He had read many books with Liu Yu and knew the history of the previous dynasty. He thought that this is the Eunuch Party and the Donglin Party?Whoever comes to power, the policy will change. This person is the leader of the party, and he is likely to become Sweden's new cabinet scholar, Zuo Pingzhangjun state affairs?
"Two, let me declare first. I am only the captain this time, not the plenipotentiary ambassador of China to Sweden. I am not qualified to decide the negotiation. I can only answer certain questions you have."

Before coming, Liu Yu told him a lot of things.But considering that this kind of thing is not something he, the Eagle Sabo, can decide, he didn't talk too much, but just gave some possible bottom lines.

What Liu Yu said was possible, Mantou felt that it was almost settled, and he also knew what he could agree to and what he could deny.

In any case, he agreed with Liu Yu's idea and believed that Sweden was an opportunity to open the window to Europe, especially after seeing those smugglers with his own eyes, he strengthened his idea.

In Fujian, Wuyi tea is sold on a dan basis.Adding miscellaneous taxes and bribes to the customs, it only cost 15 taels of silver a load, 120 catties, on board.

Coming here, the tea is also sold by the catty.A catty of Wuyi tea in the UK costs 3 sen for tax alone, not including the price; while in Gothenburg, the full price is only 4 sen for a smuggler, or 48 liang for a load, which is a huge profit.

Even if there is a lot of luck in the future, small profits but quick turnover, and you can get 3 renminbi or even 2 renminbi a catty, it will be profitable.

Moreover, Wuyi tea is still a relatively low-end tea, and it is more profitable to replace it with long-cooked green tea.

Besides, these Westerners know how to make tea with a hammer?They can only choose what the East India companies of various countries buy and what customers drink. Of course, the East India companies of various countries only choose cheap ones, not good ones.

But sitting at the door of the house, those who transport tea to the port of Fujian can't earn so much.A ship can still be sold for a million Spanish silver dollars.

When he came here, Liu Yu had told him to establish a good relationship with the local snakes.

The bribes, bribes, and gifts should be sold within 5 taels.

I am not afraid that the other party will ask for money, but I am afraid that the other party will not ask for money.

Karl Girondberg knew that Cambier was the plenipotentiary ambassador to China this time, and he also knew that the officer in front of him was very young, and it was said that he was not from aristocratic background, so he should not be able to master negotiations.

Hearing what Mantou said, he thought to himself that it is necessary to determine what kind of conditions China can provide.

"Mr. Captain, what kind of agreement did the French envoys reach when they went to China this time?" He tentatively asked about the results of the Sino-French alliance. He knew that France and Dashun had some treaties similar to international law, such as shipwrecks. Rescue, but the real core secret agreement, I don't know.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a captain, and I'm far from a third-rank official who can discuss state affairs. The treaty has not been made public, and it may be made public now? But before the French left, I escorted the prisoners of your country to Gothenburg .”

Mantou played a trick.He escorted the Swedish captives back, and had nothing to do with France, but by saying this, he stunned to connect the two unrelated things together.

Karl Girondberg was really caught by this rhetoric, or people always like to believe what they want to believe. His own judgment is that this exchange between China and France is to deal with the Russians.

This small diplomatic trick is a small theater prepared by Liu Yu for the Swedes, the British, and the Dutch. It is a complete strategic deception.

Apparently, the Swedes were fooled.

"Mr. Captain, I heard that you participated in the war against Russia and were commended by the Emperor of China on the front line?"

"Yes. I was rewarded for meritorious service in the attack on the bastion on the front line of the Erguna River. My teacher was the deputy envoy for the negotiations with Russia, and he was also the general who fought against the Dzungar Mongols this time. Gui I was a prisoner from China, who was rescued by my teacher in the Altai Mountains. After I came back from the Ergun River, I have been serving in the Northern Fleet, and I have drawn nautical charts in the North Pacific. There is also a Swede in our fleet. Sven, who is not surnamed Sven, was the vice-captain of the Russian expedition back then."

He was thinking about what Liu Yu had told him, and when talking to the Swedes, he kept talking about Russia, making it seem like a diplomatic hint.

"During the negotiations with Russia, my teacher has always condemned the Russian aggression against Crimea and the illegal occupation of Karelia. The artillery attacked, and the ministers also suspected that your country supported the Junggar Ministry. Later, my teacher clarified the situation and told about the confrontation between Rui and Russia."

Every sentence is not far from Russia, and he talks with eloquence.

But I thought in my heart, I don’t know what other people think. Anyway, I know that the naval officers in Weihai are all sent south, but they don’t think about going to war with Russia. If there is a war with Russia, the navy can only sleep in Weihai. Anyway, you can't sail the boat to the Western Regions by land, and you don't even have a chance to make military exploits. You can't go to Kamchatka to rob the Russian fishing boat that skinned walruses.

The imperial court will not go to war with Russia, and will not send the elite army reformed to Siberia to eat snow.Fighting Junggar, the logistics loss of nearly ten million taels of silver, 1000 million taels, is enough to explode the fleet into the strongest east of the Cape of Good Hope.

Listening to Mantou talking about Russia all the time, Carl thought to himself, this time he will have a great advantage in going to war with Russia.

With the support of France and the support of China, does this not beat Russia violently?As long as there is a war, the Chinese will send troops from the east, which will definitely have a chain reaction-if the Turks know that China is sending troops and Sweden is sending troops, they will definitely not be idle.

However, why did the Shun Empire want to oppress Sweden on the issue of trade at this juncture?What does it mean?Is it as trade compensation for going to war with Russia?

He is not a businessman, all he thinks about is the interests between countries.From the perspective of a former minister of state, it seems to make sense.

Sending troops along the empire seems more like helping Sweden, and thus wanting to obtain Sweden's trade share.

Moreover, it is clear that this group of Chinese has a thorough study of Europe, and it seems that they did not discuss trade issues with France when they had the opportunity to visit the country. They were obviously targeting the smugglers in Gothenburg.

Cambier took the opportunity to say: "Sir Girondberg, Chinese businessmen want to take a stake in the East India Company. In theory, this does not violate the authorization of the Congress to monopolize the East India. The company's share capital is not only raised from Sweden. However, one of the conditions of Shun Empire is against the monopoly authorization."

"For example, this free trade ship. They hope to use their own ships to revitalize their own shipbuilding industry and increase enough sailors and seamen. However, the monopoly authorization stipulates that the ships of the East India Company can only be built in Sweden."

"Perhaps Congress could revise this authorization?"

For the shareholders of the East India Company, it doesn't matter whose ship they use.Dashun's boats are cheap and made of good materials - there are no teak and cypress in Sweden, and there are not many oaks in Sweden, they are all pine and fir trees, which are not good shipbuilding materials.

However, for Swedish shipbuilders, especially those with seats in Parliament, the only reason they supported the East India Company was that the East India Company wanted to build ships in Sweden.

The shipbuilders were radicals, not because they loved their country, but because war with Russia meant ordering warships.

However, if the East India Company can only build ships in Sweden, it is obviously unlikely that they will support the East India Company.

Although Karl "extremely overestimated Sweden's national strength and didn't know what to do with it", he still had a brain in some matters.

Directors of the East India Company like Cambier have made it very clear that if Sweden refuses, not only may they not get Dashun’s support on the issue of war with Russia, but even the trade with China may be completely terminated.

The reality is very cruel.

It is called the East India Company, rather than the China Trade and Africa Trade Company.

Sweden also wanted to establish a colony in Southeast Asia, but the Netherlands immediately warned that if Sweden reached out in Southeast Asia, the Netherlands would go to war.

Sweden also wanted to establish a small territory in India, but this time not only Britain opposed it, but even France, a quasi-ally, immediately warned that if Sweden stretched out its hand in India, it would be beaten.

No spices, no India, the monopoly east of the Cape of Good Hope, there is also a Dashun with free trade and open customs.

He himself also has shares in the East India Company, and the East India Company also pays a lot of taxes and monopoly fees every year. For the small country of Sweden, this may be the third income besides copper and iron mines.

The company's profits are of course high, but the company's profits belong to the shareholders, not to the Swedish treasury.If the East India Company goes bankrupt, the treasury will lose a lot of revenue every year.

No money, what war to fight?How to punch Russia and kick Prussia?

Moreover, the leader of the radical party, himself, is about to come to power, and he will face the "major political achievements" of the bankruptcy and dissolution of the East India Company?
"Uh...Mr. Captain, a merchant ship is a tool. Can't merchants in your country be allowed to build ships in Sweden?"

Mantou didn't say too much nonsense, but gave a weird answer.

"Businessmen engaged in overseas trade in China all have shares in Weihai Shipyard."

One sentence blocked Carl, this answer was concise and powerful, which was equivalent to rejection.

Since you have a stake in the shipyard, what's the point?
"I'm not a special envoy with full powers, but I personally think that maybe...in wartime, Chinese merchant ships can be recruited to serve as the Swedish navy? But maybe, it's limited to war against Russia."

He is not qualified to agree to this condition, but anyway, it is necessary to talk about it after returning to China, so he might as well say it first to cheat.As for the conditions, the price is set at the ground, and the money is paid back on the spot. If the negotiation fails, who can say for sure?

This condition is quite powerful.

After thinking about it for a while, Karl also made some judgments in his mind. He should urge Congress to pass the amendment to the East India Company Monopoly Act.

This time, the fact that the Chinese ship sent back the Swedish captives should be publicized, and Russia must first be informed.No matter what Dashun means, it is enough to make Russia believe that Dashun is building an alliance among Sweden, France and China.

Coupled with the embarrassment that if Dashun raises tariffs, the East India Company will inevitably go bankrupt, it should be supported anyway.

Since the reason why I might come to power is to incite revanchism and start a war against Russia.Then, perhaps, in Congress, this matter can be tied to the patriotism of reconquering lost ground.

As long as Dashun agrees, merchant ships can be recruited by the Swedish navy to deal with Russia when necessary.Or, Dashun can confirm the Sino-Swiss anti-Russian alliance, which can be regarded as his diplomatic success, which can easily lead to the passage of the law on amending the monopoly power in Congress under the sentiment of patriotic revenge.

Then, Russia was flattened for five years.

(End of this chapter)