Xinshun 1730

Chapter 899 Britain Falls into the Trap ([-])
From the beginning to the end, Liu Yu didn't mention a word about "India".

The most frequently asked question about colonization concerns the huge islands of the Southern Ocean.

However, in Fazaklei's mind, words about India kept pouring out while he was thinking.When considering new growth points under the company's internal and external difficulties, India, which Liu Yu didn't mention a word, naturally came to mind.

Under the background that he subconsciously believed in Liu Yu's "official" and "business" way of thinking, he pinned the company's future on India.

The East India Company had no interest in the great islands of the Southern Ocean.

It is precisely because Liu Yu tirelessly clarified the difference between Dashun and the UK, and the difference between the government and the company, that Fazaklei could easily believe what Liu Yu hinted at, instigated, and seduced.

Indeed, the giant islands of the Southern Ocean, or the only "new continent" on Earth, had no interest in the company.

Companies are meant to be profitable.

There is no profit in that broken place, so what is the use of it?
The Virginia Company, in North America that year, almost went bankrupt and dissolved several times.

In the end, it was tobacco that saved the Virginia company.Tobacco can be sold to Europe for profit, the company is alive, and the population of the Virginia colony is increasing.

As for the new continent in the Southern Ocean, what is the use of the company?
Even if the land is fertile, but there is no wind belt on the equator, the distance is too far, and there is no tradeable civilization at all, even if tobacco can be grown, it is not profitable, not to mention that it seems that the place is suitable for growing wheat, cotton and raise sheep.

Before the ginseng trade, the whole of Canada was worth less than a piece of Haiti.

In the same way, before the tobacco trade, the most fertile land in North America was not as valuable as Macau, let alone Java, Sulawesi, Banda, and Ambon.

However, to Dashun, that happened to be a priceless treasure.

There is no large population, no native civilization, but a climate with four distinct seasons and land with fertile water and grass.

Dashun earns so much money every year, since he has no habit of collecting gold and silver, where is the best place to spend it?

Governments are not companies.

The purpose of government spending is not profit.

It is very easy to understand why Dashun took the opium issue to ask for nautical clocks, long cashmere sheep and the like.

The logic is very clear.

Very smooth.

After Liu Yu clarified the difference between the government and the company, some inferences are logical.

In addition to this being logical, Liu Yu kept talking about the land issue in Dashun, the land rent issue in the East and the West, and the different land production methods in the East and the West. Profitable.

If, consider the government as a company.

Then, the annual salt tax, land tax, poll tax, this is the gross income.

Military expenses, frontier defense, flood control, disaster relief, relief, and official salaries are expenditures.

Gross income minus expenses is profit.

However, governments are not companies, and companies are not governments.

So, corporations are more profitable than governments.

Because it can save the cost of frontier defense - in Fazaklei's view, if the British East India Company colonizes Dashun, all the border areas can be thrown away, leaving only the richest provinces.

It can save the expenses of water control and disaster relief.

Can save the cost of relief.

In this way, if Dashun is a company, its annual profit can reach tens of millions of taels of silver if the profit is maximized.

Moreover, this profit is hardly affected by the market and is not affected by prices.

If the Japanese side is taxed to four publics and six citizens, that is, a tax rate of 40%.

Then, a tax of about 4 taels of silver can be levied on [-] mu of land as profit.This is a very high profit, and only a few villages of land.

Especially after Liu Yu talked to him about the land tax policy and tax system during the Mongolian Yuan rule, this idea became clearer.

From the above, it can be inferred rationally that this profit growth point requires the following characteristics.

First of all, it cannot be a place like North America 100 years ago, with vast land and sparsely populated areas, where it was impossible to collect taxes.

Instead, have enough population, mature places where tax systems already exist.And the land is fertile and the products are abundant, so that the land tax can be collected enough.

Secondly, it cannot be a complete, powerful, centralized country like Dashun that can easily raise 3000 million taels of silver to build water conservancy projects.

On the contrary, it must be a country where the centralization of power has collapsed, the combat effectiveness is very poor, and the localities are scattered and unable to concentrate their forces.

Again, it cannot be a nation like China that revolts at every turn.For example, when the Chinese sailors rioted and killed the governor of Luzon, Spain, for example, the sugar factory uprising in Java not long ago, and for example, the road to the founding of the imperial court today is a group of rebellious people.

Instead, the group must be docile and not violently rebellious.

To use an old Chinese saying, this is called "according to the map to find out".

Under this kind of thought-out thinking, the name of a certain geographical concept seemed to beckon to Fazaklei in his head, and said, "That's right! It's right here!"

Not only is it here, but it is also a place that makes the British East India Company worthy of its name.

Otherwise, like the Swedish East India Company, how can it be considered an Indian company?It is clearly a Chinese company.

This feeling of being destined in the dark made Fazaklei believe in his own judgment even more.

Afterwards, Liu Yu's "coercion and lure" made Fazakle even more convinced that he had figured out what was going on with this "opium incident".

At least, he thought he got it.

After Liu Yu said that the excessive trade surplus between China and the UK was a problem of the UK itself, he took advantage of the situation and proposed a special trade order.

"Of course, I understand your concerns. You think that China's imitation ability is very strong, and you are worried that after a few shipments, China will copy it yourself, and you will have no profit."

"For this, the Celestial Dynasty is of course sincere."

"For example, you can spend enough money to buy patents and a few samples...you know."

Said, Liu Yu smiled slyly.

Of course Fazaklei understood, it meant kickbacks from compradors.

Liu Yu slowly stretched out three fingers and said: "Money is not a problem. I also know the situation in the UK, no matter why the law was revised, or whether it is your credit or not. In short, 30 pounds, ten pieces have been tested Qualified samples, patented technology."

"How much to spend to get it done, that's your business. If we find a private person to do it, it's an act of espionage, but it's not easy to get it."

"After all, you are a British company. How to spend the 30 pounds and how much is left is your business."

"In view of the problem of your opium trafficking, after all, it was all your fault, and the company did not handle it directly. There is still some 'reason' to say."

"Whether you should be expelled from this matter still needs to be decided by the imperial court, and the government will make a final assessment."

"This matter is quite troublesome. I guess it will take ten years?"

"I'll just report the opium matter first, and report it truthfully. I can't decide what the final result will be."

"During this period, I will pay the company £[-] a year. It will last for ten years. After the goods arrive, I will pay the remaining balance directly. You know, I am solvent."

"also……"

Liu Yu took out a booklet from the table and handed it to Fazakle, which contained some special goods that Dashun hoped to be purchased from the East India Company, smuggled, or persuaded by the British Parliament to allow export to Dashun .

The prices of all kinds of goods are very high.

These goods are all profitable, and the super-high pricing itself is precisely because of the technical protection of the British government.

If the administrative control is really loosened, how much money can a few sheep, a few horses, a few blueprints, and a few clocks, even if the pendulum is made of gold, and the clock case is also made of gold?
After Fazaklei took over the pamphlet, or the technical product control list, Liu Yu made a sign of ten with his fingers.

"Ten years. It takes ten years for a fair, just, and impartial trial to clarify the issue of opium responsibility. Of course, if the responsibility is clear, it is not impossible to say otherwise. Knowing the mistakes can correct it, and there is nothing good about it."

"If the British East India Company can conclude these transactions within ten years, I think your company's reputation in China and your image with His Majesty will be improved. At that time, as long as you don't continue to engage in the opium trade, don't engage in For some contraband, you can completely let you continue to trade."

"Besides, I am still very optimistic about the British market. Maybe one day you will lift the tariffs on tea and cotton cloth. This will also be of great benefit to the development of our handicraft industry."

"As for you, you can clearly convey my thoughts to the company's senior management. Of course, I will not lose your personal benefits... To put it bluntly, you have been busy in the company this year , Tired enough, how much money did you make? After the financial accounting is checked and audited, if you fail, you will go to the board of directors and the London court to sue you."

"If you manage these few businesses well, you just buy all the money into government bonds, relying on the interest, you can earn more in your next life than your salary in the company."

Fazaklei seems to be nodding happily, but he thinks in his heart that the time left for us by the Chinese is running out.

ten years...

Within ten years, if the company wants to continue to develop, it must understand that China trade can only be done temporarily, and it can only be guaranteed for ten years.No one can tell what will happen ten years from now.

The company must have a sense of crisis, and must convene the board of directors as soon as possible, change its thinking, and open up new profit growth points.

It must be understood that some things that have lasted for a long time are not taken for granted and eternal.

Times have changed.

If the ten-year opportunity period cannot be grasped, the company will be completely choked by the Chinese people.

Maybe the Chinese will kill the donkey ten years later, maybe not.

However, the fate of the company cannot be pinned on the "maybe" of the Chinese people. It must be in its own hands and get rid of its dependence on China's trade as soon as possible.

Only in this way can the company have the capital to bargain with Dashun.Otherwise, how can you bargain when you are choked by someone?
Of course, the tea tax issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible.Solving the problem of tea tax and increasing the amount of tea purchased can also prompt Dashun to be cautious. This is also a way to grasp fate.

But in the end, it is best for the company not to have too close a relationship with China, at least to ensure that even if China really cuts off trade, the company will not collapse instantly like VOC.

"My lord duke, I will convey your meaning to the company's board of directors as completely and clearly as possible. And I personally promise that the company will try its best to lobby on issues such as technology export control and tea tax."

"I am not qualified to meet His Majesty. I also hope that His Majesty the Duke can make it clear in front of the emperor that the company has recognized the mistake of lax supervision and promises that it will not make such mistakes again."

"I can personally guarantee that the company is absolutely not involved in issues such as human trafficking and missionary work. Your Excellency is well aware of the details, and naturally knows that our country has already separated from the Holy See, and it is definitely not as fanatical as the Catholic Church on the issue of missionary work. As for the issue of population trading , the company not only will not participate, but can also guarantee that it will not buy any Chinese population through any means, so as not to cause... misunderstanding."

He said it was a misunderstanding, but he actually meant the truth.

Fazaklei thought to himself, what happened to Ceylon is still fresh in our memory, and we will never make the same mistake twice.Not only must we not give you an excuse, but we must also be careful of any increase in your ethnic groups in our colonies.

(End of this chapter)