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Chapter 644 Can’t reach an agreement

"The Statistics Department is there to help your majesty relieve your worries. I am in charge of Nanyang affairs and have the power to deal with it at your convenience. Maybe I can do it!" Seeing that Zhuque refused to cooperate and even brought up the emperor to put pressure on him, Wang Datou frowned and decided to play hardball.

Although he did not have an imperial edict, he had an identity as a Statistical Officer, and everyone in the department knew what this thing was used for. Anyone who tried to block, delay, or sabotage it would be held fully responsible.

I did not have a complete plan before going to Batavia, and did not ask the emperor for permission in advance. The main reason was that I did not understand the Dutch people's behavior well and could not make targeted predictions.

Although he had brought people over, the other party had only sent a senior business representative from the Batavia Trading Company, who was obviously here to test the waters with great caution.

Through this period of contact and speculation, Wang Datou has gained a certain understanding of the Dutch. Judging by the moral laws of the Ming Dynasty, they are all veritable profiteers, with nothing in their eyes except profit and another set of business principles.

This group of unscrupulous businessmen had an even more superficial understanding of the Ming government, which was basically all heard from hearsay and pieced together from local Chinese businessmen, so it was very superficial.

If two groups of people who don't know each other very well and whose living habits, morals and etiquette have serious conflicts are suddenly asked to sit together to discuss large-scale trade cooperation, the result is predictable.

No matter how open-minded the Ming officials were, it was difficult for them to immediately accept the other party's theory. The same was true for the Dutch. They found it difficult to understand the ideas of the Ming officials and might even think that they were deliberately making things difficult for them.

The best way is to not let the government intervene first, and only contact at the grassroots level, so that there are not so many constraints. Everyone only talks about the amount of profit. In this regard, whether it is Ming merchants or Dutch merchants, they basically follow a set of theories, which makes it easier to communicate.

"Thirty-Six, we are very clear about the responsibilities of the Statistics Department, but we are not affiliated with the Statistics Department. We still need to ask for instructions on whether we can cooperate!"

The two accountants sitting in the room had changed again, but they were not unfamiliar with Wang Datou's position. When they heard the threat in his words, they immediately fought back resolutely. You have to look at the owner before you beat the dog. Zhuque is not from the Statistics Department, so why do you order him around?
"...My two eunuchs, we have to act in an emergency. Now that the Dutch have arrived at the port, it is too late to submit a petition to Your Majesty!" Looking at the two calm young faces, Wang Datou had to hold back his anger even if he wanted to.

It is true that Haihusi is the emperor's disciple, but so are these eunuchs from the palace. Moreover, they have a very powerful backer who accompanies the emperor all day long. There is no benefit in confronting them head-on.

"If you can talk, we are willing to listen..." The two eunuchs of the Cuju team began their usual operations and took out pens at the same time, ready to record the content of the conversation.

"I went to the palace to see the emperor two months ago because I heard about the Dutch in Batavia..." Wang Datou had no choice but to start from the beginning, trying to make the other party understand that this was what the emperor wanted, and not just his own nonsense.

"Since you want to make friends with the Ming Dynasty, do you have a letter from the credible state?" The two young eunuchs listened carefully and only raised questions after almost hearing everything.

"Well... the Dutch are different from the Portuguese and Spanish. They are not managed by a governor sent by the king, but by a company authorized by their court. They don't have a letter of credence at all..."

This question was difficult for Wang Datou to answer, because it was the first time he heard of this. Companies were not new in the Ming Dynasty, and they could do business together. But it was too difficult to understand that a company was half of the imperial court. The problem was that they really did it, wasn't it weird? "The Dutch Republic and the United East India Company, right? We have also heard about it from His Majesty, but we don't know the details. Can you tell me more about it!" Unexpectedly, the two young eunuchs said the full name as soon as they opened their mouths, and they were interested in learning more.

"Great! I finally met someone who understands. Your Majesty is wise! You can listen to my stories, but first, get me something to eat and drink. These days, whether I'm on the ship or in the port, I've only had beans and rusks all day. I fart after eating them. They're hard to swallow!"

This made Wang Datou overjoyed. As the saying goes, it is better to quarrel with an intelligent person than to talk to a foolish person. If the two eunuchs can understand what he is saying, then there is hope of gaining their support. However, a foul-mouthed person will never be honest. As soon as he breathes a sigh of relief, he will show off his power.

"Manager Zhu, have someone get a meal from the cafeteria... no, two meals, put it on my account!" The two eunuchs were quite generous and paid for the meal themselves, double the meal.

"It's just a canteen! When talking about Dutch companies, we have to start with their court. This country is quite interesting, there is no emperor or king..."

As soon as he heard about the canteen, Wang Datou knew that he couldn't get a great deal. Fortunately, he didn't have to spend money, so he didn't mind eating free steamed buns. He immediately opened his mouth and started to talk. He was not just perfunctory, but really talked about the root of the problem.

It was not known whether it was because of his eloquence and vivid storytelling, or because the story was more interesting and novel, but in the end the two eunuchs were kind enough to agree in principle to let Suzaku contact the Dutch representatives first. However, the secret report could not be missed and was sent to the naval base that day.

If the emperor gave a positive reply, everyone would be rewarded; if they made a mistake, they would be punished together. In fact, Wang Datou had to thank Wang Chengen, who was thousands of miles away. Before each eunuch sent out by the Cuju team left, he would call him up and give him detailed instructions, with the focus on the interpersonal relationships in the place of assignment.

He would carefully list who must be respected, who is trustworthy, and who can be given a break. Wang Datou must be someone in Jian's heart. Even if he can't be considered to be someone who must be respected, he is definitely trustworthy. If there were no such arrangements, he would not get any cooperation even if he talked a lot, and he could only follow the procedures.

"These red-haired foreigners have a much bigger appetite than the Portuguese. They are also arrogant enough to want exclusive agency rights right away. They really don't know their place!"

The negotiation was held in the cabin of the Alfonso. The only participants were Lambrecht, a senior commercial officer of the Batavia Trading Company, and his accompanying interpreter, a Chinese businessman named Zhang, Wang Datou and Zhuque.

The talks lasted for more than four hours, almost from breakfast to dusk, with no interruptions except for a simple lunch. However, the results of the talks were not very satisfactory, as the two sides had major differences in the trade model.

According to the Dutch, they wanted the agency rights for white sugar, raw silk, sugarcane wine, cocoa powder, tea and cotton cloth in all regions except Japan, Korea, Luzon, Annan and Siam, and the prices would fluctuate at any time based on the market feedback at that time.

Zhuque's intention was to only allow Dutch merchant ships to dock and trade at Manila Port, and they must abide by the principle of matching rates. There was no objection to the price, and they were willing to fight and the other willing to suffer, so they didn't care if it was given away for free.

(End of this chapter)