Xinshun 1730

Chapter 644

Thinking about it!
Earl Bentinck didn't dare to think any further.

He knew that the happy and flushed Marquis in front of him was definitely not an idiot.On the contrary, it is a rather difficult and fearsome opponent.

It is precisely because he is not an idiot that he makes people suspicious when he makes some idiot-like remarks at this time.

Only a fool would believe in free trade with Dashun.

At the beginning, the Netherlands was chanting slogans such as free trade and freedom of the high seas all day long, but at that time it was facing the monopoly of Spain and Portugal.

Although I still shout all day long, it is because of the British "Navigation Regulations".

Talk to people, but talk to ghosts.The slogan of free trade can be spoken with Spain, Britain, and France, but it cannot be spoken with Dashun.

Seeing that Liu Yu has promoted free trade, anti-mercantilism, and anti-tariff protection to the point where it is universal and anyone who opposes it is anti-human, Earl Bentinck finally couldn't bear it.

"Master Marquis, if you insist on free trade so much, why don't you let Britain give up the "Navigation Regulations" first?"

"If England renounces the Navigation Acts and Spain renounces the Colonial Trade Review Act, the Netherlands will immediately and unwaveringly support free trade."

Liu Yu was stunned for a moment, then said helplessly, "The British side will not agree."

"Then why does Lord Marquis think that we can agree?"

"Because what I'm saying is the universally true truth, which is absolutely logical. Can you logically refute the benefits of free trade?"

Count Bentinck twitched his cheeks, thinking that it is indeed impossible to refute logically, but if it is impossible to refute logically, must it be correct?

"Master Marquis, the right thing does not necessarily have to be done. If everyone rationally believes that the right thing must be done, then the world will be much better. The reality is cruel, not an ideal country. We must Consider Dutch craftsmen."

"And, legally speaking, the East India Company's monopoly is granted by the government. Before the East India Company's monopoly expires, we Dutch respect the law and will not cancel the East India Company's monopoly without reason."

Liu Yu came here today with a "reasonable" mentality. He rarely said so much "absolutely correct nonsense" on weekdays, and even sneered at some absolutely correct nonsense.

But today, he came here purely to make his face ashamed, and what he said became more and more correct.

The more correct, the more nonsense.

"His Royal Highness, Your Excellency Bentinck, there is a sentence that I think I need to make clear. From a logical point of view, or from a rational and axiomatic point of view, the VOC company is harmful to the overall interests of the Dutch people. "

"Because of VOC's monopoly power, the Dutch people cannot enjoy cheap tea, cheap spices, or cheap porcelain. In order to obtain excess profits, VOC cut down and burned clove trees and slaughtered the Spice Islands to reduce output, isn't that harmful to the Dutch people as a whole?"

"The Dutch people can obviously drink dozens of coppers a catty of tea, but they have to spend several times or even dozens of times the price."

"The Dutch people can obviously use Southeast Asian spices in every meal, but they have to reduce their usage due to the price."

"Obviously the Dutch people can produce out-of-the-way pottery and use porcelain from Jingdezhen. As long as VOC releases its monopoly power, merchants will compete with each other and prices will drop."

"Because of VOC's monopoly power and the fact that Dutch people outside the company are not welcome to settle in Southeast Asia, the number of Dutch people in Southeast Asia is seriously insufficient. The fertile land can obviously become an important market in the Netherlands and become the backbone of the Dutch local industry. But because of the monopoly, it became a wasteland for the Dutch."

"Because of VOC's monopoly power, there are many corruptions within VOC, and each carries private goods. If VOC's monopoly power is abolished, the Dutch can freely go to the east of the Cape of Good Hope for trade. Will those things that carry private goods affect efficiency still happen? ?”

"If real free trade is realized, the Dutch don't even need to grow food. As long as they can develop their superior shipbuilding, transportation, and financial industries with peace of mind, more people can be used in industries such as textiles. As long as you spend money, you can enough food can be bought.”

"Isn't what I said the truth? Don't you know anything about it?"

Earl Bentinck thought, nonsense, we are not stupid, of course we know.

But the problem is that we ourselves are shareholders of VOC.

Besides, Dutch people?none of my business?We and those troublemakers are not a species at all.What does it matter to us whether they can drink cheap tea and use cheap porcelain?

But these words can only be held in the heart, because there are some things, what you think in your heart is one thing, and it's another thing to say it out.

What Liu Yu said was absolutely correct.

None of the people present could say that what Liu Yu said was logically flawed.

However, these absolutely correct words, which have no logical problems at all, are nonsense in reality.

"Master Marquis, besides being right, there is also justice."

"More than 100 years ago, if the company did not form a joint-stock company and grant monopoly power, how could the company compete with those competitors?"

"Others have set up joint-stock trading companies with hundreds of large ships and monopoly power of administrative protection. But we trade freely, operate one by one, and are caught by our opponents like eagles catching chicks?"

"The people of the East India Company have shed blood and made great efforts to achieve what they are now. The Dutch people you mentioned have done nothing, so why should they enjoy all this?"

"With all due respect, you are also from aristocratic background. According to my superficial understanding of Chinese culture, everything should be based on talent. Your ancestors fought on the battlefield and won the title of nobility. Normally, you should not be hereditary, but It is correct to give up the title to those who are capable, isn't it?"

"According to your correct reasoning, you should not inherit your land, manor, wealth, and title. If you inherited the title, wouldn't it also damage the promotion channels for some talented people?"

"You will not give up the title of your ancestors. What is the difference between this and the East India Company not giving up what they have achieved through more than a hundred years of hard work?"

"Correct is not necessarily just. Between being right and being just, I choose justice. My ancestors have shed blood, so I am rightfully a nobleman. It is also fair."

"Perhaps free trade is absolutely right. However, the textile industry in the Netherlands competes fairly with your country's textile industry, which is not fair."

"There's no way we're going to accept what you're saying about the terms of the free trade and tariff agreement."

"Impossible anyway."

Earl Bentinck uttered a bunch of fallacies and heresies to Liu Yu, and he became more and more wary of Liu Yu in his heart.

This kind of performance shows that Russia has obtained many favorable conditions, which gave Liu Yu the illusion that "as long as he supports the coup, he can get some unexpected benefits".

Earl Bentinck objected to Liu Yu, while thinking quickly in his heart, what kind of conditions did Russia achieve?
Moreover, the coup in Russia also involved the participation of the French ambassador.Since Russia can give Dashun such favorable terms, wouldn't it be worse for France?

If Russia stabs Austria again, I am afraid that the whole of Austria will fall apart.Originally France requested Austria to keep only Lower Austria and Hungary.And things like the Austrian Netherlands, Silesia, the Principality of Milan, Tyrol, and Bohemia will all be dismantled and Austria will be completely dismembered.

If this is the case, it will be quite detrimental to the Netherlands.At that time, I would rather break my original promise than support Austria, otherwise France will definitely retaliate.

However, the UK has been putting tremendous pressure on the Netherlands.

From another perspective, if Austria is really dismembered like this, the Netherlands itself will be extremely dangerous.

The current position of consul is a big hole, even if it is given away for nothing, the Orange family should not jump into it.

But if for the sake of the future security of the Netherlands, if he does not hesitate to fight against France, William is likely to be appointed as the military chief by the federal provincial parliament.

From the earliest days, the Orange family has been the backbone of the Dutch army.

Of course, the Federal Provincial Council knew that William was not suitable as a general, and he was fighting at an absolute disadvantage.However, internal power struggles and intrigues will not stop because of external tensions.

It is likely that the Confederation of Provinces made William the Consul on purpose.

If William refused, the Inter-Provincial Assembly could slander the prestige of the House of Orange.Because the Orange family is the symbol of the army, and now future generations dare not even be military consuls, the Dutch people may be completely disappointed with the Orange family, so that no one will be able to challenge the status of the regent oligarchs.

If William agreed, it would be very difficult to defeat the enemy in such a dangerous situation.At that time, the prestige of the Orange family will be extremely low. How can a "man of hope" who can't even win a military victory convince the Dutch that he can lead the Netherlands back to the golden age?
What needs to be considered now is not Liu Yu's bewitchment and temptation. As long as any bewitchment and temptation is firmly resisted, the other party will have nothing to do.

What needs to be considered now is whether the faction of the Inter-Provincial Assembly will take advantage of the national crisis to stumbling and trick the Orange family to completely lose their prestige?
It is impossible for France to occupy the entire Netherlands, and the regent oligarchs are still regent oligarchs, but the Orange family is finished, and the Netherlands is also finished.

Once France is strong, the Netherlands will become a vassal state of France.

The cultural shock will cause the Netherlands to lose its identity and become fully French.

And if the huge army occupies the Austrian Netherlands, what else can the Netherlands do besides listening to France?

However, what effect does this have on the Regency oligarchs?Lending and lending, borrowing and borrowing...

Count Bentinck kept looking at Liu Yu, hoping to judge from Liu Yu's words what kind of secret treaty Russia had reached with China and France.

Now is not thinking about being in power, but thinking about the situation taking a turn for the worse, and the oligarch regents are using conspiracy to destroy the prestige of the Orange faction.External threats are small, while internal threats are large.

(End of this chapter)