Xinshun 1730

Chapter 895 Britain Falls into the Trap ([-])
"My lord, with all due respect, the sincerity you want doesn't mean much to me."

"The size of the earth has been determined, and the nautical charts will be updated in real time, and many of them are public information. If your country continues our route, you will no longer need to pay the lives of thousands of seamen, and you will have a stable route."

"In Southeast Asia, your country has inherited more than 100 years of marine cartography accumulated by the Dutch here. I don't know why you are so eager for this thing?"

Liu Yu said in his heart that I don't really want it very much. The production of Dashun's moon phase map and star chart, after Ola and a group of people joined in, and in cooperation with the French and Russian Academy of Sciences, is almost completed.

But those who want what they want must show that they don't want it.

Liu Yu was still a little apprehensive about the British East India Company. He said that he was not qualified to be a "rat-tossing weapon", but he was talking nonsense.

In fact, he knew very well in his heart that he was very cautious.

Because of the poor information, there are some things that Fazakley doesn't know, but Liu Yu knows; and what Fazakley knows, Liu Yu basically knows.

There are actually quite a lot of "tools" that Liu Yu is afraid of.

For example, the Duke of Qi, who is still in Europe, wants to participate in the peace conference at the end of the War of Austrian Succession, and proposes the idea of ​​an armed neutral alliance, which needs to be recognized by the United Kingdom.

For example, it completely cut off from the British East India Company, the Netherlands itself has withdrawn from the Anglo-Dutch Mutual Defense Treaty, and Dashun's cargo ships may be hijacked by the British.

Liu Yu can even say with certainty that the French must be very happy about the fact that Dashun found opium in Macau. They hope that Dashun and Britain will completely fall out, and France will be able to win a very firm and true wartime ally.

For the governments of Dashun and Britain, the British East India Company and the Dashun Western Trading Company were bargaining chips in the negotiations.

The Indian issue is a matter of the East India Company. Although it has some relationship with the British government, it is not very great.

These are two different things and should be discussed separately.

The bottom line in Liu Yu's heart, the bottom line for the British East India Company is: In this matter, whether to cut off trade with the British East India Company is up to the emperor.However, the emperor will continue to investigate to determine the extent of the responsibility of the British East India Company in this matter.

In fact, it is holding the East India Company as a hostage.

How much responsibility is there, whether to cut off trade as a punishment, does not depend on how big a mistake the East India Company made.

It lies in the attitude of the British government, which can also hold the Sino-Dutch trading company as a hostage and whether to recognize the armed neutral alliance as a bargaining chip.

If the British government recognizes the armed neutral alliance, it will not rob the cargo ships of the Sino-Dutch Trading Company or the Western Trading Company.

Then, the responsibility of the British East India Company in the opium trade is not very great, at least no serious responsibility has been found out.

If the British government does not recognize the armed neutral alliance, it may even rob the cargo ship of the Sino-Dutch Trading Company or the Western Trading Company.

Then, the responsibility of the British East India Company in the opium trade is very large, and very serious joint and several liabilities can definitely be found out.

The emperor did not come to a conclusion for a day, and Jinkou Yuyan made this matter qualitative.

The East India Company's problem can only be that no evidence has been found for the time being, not the closed case that has been acquitted.

The suspect, no evidence was found for the time being; and all evidence proved innocent.

It's two different things.

This kind of game lies in an active and passive.

Dashun first seized the goods from the British East India Company, and then took the initiative to pass them on to the British government, asking them to make concessions on the issue of the Armed Neutral Alliance.

The initiative is in the UK.Because Dashun showed his bottom first.

Dashun first withheld the goods from the British East India Company, and then the British government took the initiative to negotiate, using the issue of the Armed Neutral Alliance as a bargaining chip.

The initiative is in Dashun.Because Britain showed its bottom first.

To do things is to strike first, and then to others.

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

As for the nautical clock issue, it was just that Liu Yu needed a reason to deal with the East India Company leniently, at least a reason that would make the East India Company feel credible.

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

The East India Company, as the transmitter of strategic information connecting Dashun and the United Kingdom, and as the collector of British strategic information on Dashun, has some things that need to be shown to the East India Company.

Otherwise, it's just winking at the blind, who can't see it at all.

Strictly speaking, this is not a strategic deception similar to the previous ones against the Netherlands or Russia, but just to send some kind of signal so that the British government will not make trouble with the armed neutral alliance and trade issues.

Of course Liu Yu knew that it was impossible for the East India Company to get the nautical clock. It was in stock now, and it was installed on the battleship Centurion, and it had not returned to the UK yet.Even if we go back, even if the carpenter makes an evolved version of H3, where can the East India Company get this kind of limited product?
In addition, the UK has very strict technical control. The steam engine was developed in 76, and it has been strictly blocked from the outside world. All countries have racked their brains to get it. At this time, the UK has very strong administrative capabilities, and its control is far from comparable to that of Dashun.

He just wanted to use this thing to pass something on.In the UK, those who can understand will naturally understand; those who don't understand, there is no need to listen.

After Fazakley clarified the difficulty of the nautical clock problem, Liu Yu's complexion eased a little, and he asked Fazakley to get up first, and ordered tea to be served.

Fazaklei sat on the chair with his buttocks tilted, thinking that it seems that you really want this thing.But even if I can get it, I will definitely not give it to you.Dashun's imitation ability, once obtained, what is the value of the company left?

Since you really want this thing, you can make a fool of yourself.Just saying that this thing is difficult to do, but not saying that it must be impossible.The company is valuable only if it is not obtained, and the company is worthless if it is obtained.

At that time, whether you can trade or not is not a matter of your words?

It just so happens that the company has nothing to restrain or threaten you now.

The point is, what do you want this thing for?If you are only in Asia, walking close to the coast, or jumping islands, you don't need this thing at all.

After symbolically drinking a few sips of tea, Fazaklei said again: "Sir, although the nautical clock is a good thing, it is of little practical use in the Celestial Dynasty. If your lord urgently needs some nautical charts, the company will also These charts can be used as sincerity."

Liu Yu thought in his heart that you know how to do business. The people from the West Indies can give me the charts, it is considered sincere.I need an egg for your East India Company's charts?Going to Nanyang, I took the intelligence data, hydrographic surveying and mapping accumulated by the Netherlands for more than [-] years, and the nautical charts of the Indian region of Nanyang, which are more complete than your East India Company.

He snorted in disdain, and then told a freshly made-up story.

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

"However, our expedition team discovered afterwards that it was completely wrong. It turned out that on this island, nodding is negative, while shaking the head is positive."

"When I'm talking to you now, the first question I want to solve is something like this. Our cognitions are completely inconsistent about some things. So many misunderstandings often arise. This is the difference determined by culture and way of thinking. I think you should feel it too."

Although Fazaklei didn't understand what Liu Yu meant by this, he still nodded empathetically.

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

"But adults should understand us."

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

"I'm not a businessman."

"I am Xing Guogong of Dashun, a member of the imperial court, and I am an official."

"Dashun is not Britain. Trade determines the rise and fall of Britain, but not the rise and fall of China."

"However, you are British and a businessman. In many things, your thinking is not enough to share with me. The level, angle, and direction of thinking are different."

Fazaklei hurriedly said: "My lord's words are very true. The villain is the fluorescence of rotten grass, how can it illuminate the bright moon in the sky? The ancients said that summer insects can't talk about ice, and well frogs can't talk about sea. This is what it means."

Liu Yu chuckled, shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant. The Master said, three people must have my teacher. A saint dare not compare himself to the bright moon and the sun, let alone me? I can only say that it is like a wall. It is white, but it is three feet square in some people's eyes, and it is mud in the eyes of others. Could it be said that the person who thinks the wall is made of mud can also think that the wall is white is 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."

"Since you are an executive of the East India Company, you know a lot about business."

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

Liu Yu's question was not aimed at Fazaklei, but hoped that it would be passed on to the British government through Fazaklei's mouth.

The question he asked was actually very simple.It's just that the interpretation of the businessman Fazaklei must be problematic.

Fazaklei thought for a while, and after giving Liu Yu an expected answer, what he got was Liu Yu shaking his head with a smile.

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

"The Celestial Dynasty is different from you. In fact, the Celestial Dynasty tried to issue banknotes during the Song Dynasty. Even in the early years of the previous dynasty, banknotes were 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 is because you transported a large amount of silver to the Celestial Dynasty, which promoted the monetization of silver in the Celestial Dynasty."

"In turn, because of the silver monetization of the Celestial Dynasty, it also promoted the rapid development of trade between the East and the West."

"For the imperial court, silver is a symbol of wealth, but it is not wealth. The army, the government, officials, and the relief of the people eat rice and wheat and wear cloth. Silver is just an equivalent, and an equivalent that everyone recognizes can be In exchange for rice and white flour, you can exchange the equivalent of cloth and herbs.”

"One day the imperial court no longer uses silver and replaces it with banknotes, which is actually the same."

"That's where the problem comes in. The Celestial Dynasty trades with you, and what they get back is a pile of silver. The silver can neither be eaten nor worn. Even if we use paper money one day, what use is it for us to have so much silver?"

"There is no problem with the circulation of internal banknotes."

"External... The external can use silver, 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 do we need the silver for?"

"Think about this scenario. China has completed the reform of banknotes in the country. Apart from being used as an ornamental metal, the remaining role of silver is foreign trade. Because you definitely don't recognize the banknotes of China, but only silver."

"But what can we buy from you? It seems that we can't buy anything, right? Everything that can be bought is vast and abundant, and everything we need is available. Cotton is better than your woolen cloth, and glass is better than your flat boards. It’s not bad either, the porcelain is much better than those soft porcelain Delft pottery, we own the wood, we grow our own food…”

"Our silver has an excessive surplus every year, what should we do if we can't spend it abroad? There is nothing worth buying, or what we want to buy but can't buy, what should we do?"

"For you, wealth is silver and gold."

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

"When the imperial court collects taxes, it can collect silver, grain, cloth, salt, and ironware. It's just that silver is easy to exchange. But isn't it the same when it is exchanged for banknotes and Jiaozi?"

"If we understand wealth in this way, can I think that by trading with you, you get silk, porcelain, cotton cloth and tea, which improves the people's living standards. And we get a lot of silver, but the silver flowers of the Celestial Dynasty can't go out, so this in itself Is it a process of losing the wealth of the Chinese people?"

"The people all over the place are not silkworm farmers, but a bunch of stock speculators in Amsterdam and London. Isn't that right?"

"The Spaniards don't know how to do things at all. Just because they dug up silver mines, they wear the most gorgeous Chinese silk and use the most high-end porcelain. This makes me feel a little problematic. Of course, the court also has this attitude, so, Some things may have to change."

(End of this chapter)