Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

"Your Excellency Metz's letter must have been read by all of you." In February of the fourth year of Wucheng, in March 1703 in the Western calendar, an important hearing was held in Batavia, the home of the United East India Company. held. "What I want to explain next is that the company has a treaty with China, the Eastern Empire, but the Chinese are tearing up this treaty slowly and firmly." Governor Pieter-van-Couckezoon, who was delivering a speech, held a stack of peace treaties in his hand. The attendees showed. "In this peace treaty, the Chinese people were clearly restricted from expanding their colonies in Borneo and Sumatra, but just last month, the Chinese people conquered two new local sultanates in the colony of West Borneo, and in three A month ago, the Sultan of Johor also signed a peace treaty with him, and officially sold Temasek Island, which is also called Lingyamen Island by the Chinese people, to them at the price of 3 pieces of porcelain and [-] bolts of silk, thereby ending the relationship with the Chinese people. military conflict."

A senior company employee at the level of a businessman immediately shouted: "The Chinese people's foothold in Temasek will inevitably seriously threaten the company's rule in Malacca. The company can no longer turn a blind eye to this."

"I object." One of the seventy-odd directors of the United East India Company, a representative in Asia, stood up. "I have read this peace treaty carefully, and there is no mention of issues related to Malaya. Therefore, what the Chinese have done in Temasek does not violate the agreement with us. As for its expansion in West Borneo, sir Please read the content of the treaty carefully, it says that the Chinese are prohibited from establishing new colonies in Borneo, not from expanding their colonies."

"I agree with Mr. Rosenhill." The United East India Company is a joint-stock company. Although the power is in the hands of sixteen major shareholders, there are also owners of small shops and boats in the core of the company's board of directors, known as the Seventeen Gentlemen. Representatives, so it is normal to have differences of interests within the company. "Even if the Chinese intend to crowd out the company's business in Japan, even if the Chinese violate the treaty and expand in Borneo, they have fulfilled their promise not to expand to Sumatra, Java, and the Spice Islands. In this case, we should not Be the first to tear up the agreement."

"Obviously Mr. Rosenhill and Diemen didn't notice what happened to [Sikkim]." A senior businessman immediately jumped up. "Just like the [Great Eastern] back then, the Huaxia people used extremely despicable methods to quietly sink it. I don't know why the two of you ignored it. Are the two gentlemen just defending the interests of the company like this?"

"Mr. Putheim, you are too excited. Even Mr. Bertz is not sure that it must be the Chinese who sank the [Sikkim]. What about the empire’s decision to cut off trade? No, even if the [Sikkim] was really sunk by the Chinese, the company must not give up its trade relationship with the Chinese Empire, otherwise in the trade competition of porcelain, silk, sugar, and tea, The company would be defeated by the English, French, Danes, Spaniards, and even the Portuguese, who had already been out of the eastern trade."

Rosenhill's words caused a new commotion, but soon someone came out to refute: "We are not Spaniards who can transport large quantities of gold and silver from America. If Japan's trade is forced to be suspended or because of the impact of Chinese merchants And reduce profits, then the company will not have enough financial resources to compete with countries in the East."

"After Huaxia opened the door to Japan, the company's profits in Japan have been unavoidably lost. This will inevitably require us to obtain sufficient compensation from other places. I believe this is also Mr. Metz's view, but this by no means means that the company Conflict with the Chinese. To be honest, I don’t understand what Mr. Metz is thinking at all, how can he ask the company to conflict with such a huge eastern empire? This will completely shake the company’s rule in East India.”

Governor Couckezoon took the opportunity to retort: ​​"Mr. Diemen, in fact, due to the expansion of the Chinese people in the East Indies, sooner or later the company will have a conflict of interest with the Chinese Empire, just as Temasek's status is bound to threaten Malacca."

"Then use the treaty to prevent possible conflicts." Diemen looked around at the people in front of him. "In my opinion, Chinese people can use money to buy Puerto Princesa from the Spaniards, and can use money to buy Temasek from the Sultan of Johor. Introverted, in line with the consistent tradition of the Eastern Empire, so I suggest that Batavia should immediately send a mission to sit down with the Chinese people to discuss the issue of the East Indies seriously, and even use the entire Borneo in exchange for the Chinese people's support for the company. Confirmation of monopoly on Sumatra, Java, Spice Islands."

"What, what we have already obtained requires the recognition of the Chinese people. This is an offense to the company." A group of businessmen with a strong political stance began to clamor. "Mr. Diemen, is this your betrayal of the company? We demand immediate trial of Diemen to protect the interests of the company"

Seeing that the businessmen were unwilling to give up, the smiling Governor of Couckezoon asked Diemen coldly: "Mr. Diemen, what excuse do you have for this?"

"Because the Spaniards have a large amount of American gold and silver, they lack the desire to expand in Asia. They only need the Philippines as a transshipment point for trade with China, but the French, English, Danes, and Portuguese are different. , They want to replace the company's position in the East Indies anytime and anywhere." Diemen looked at the clamoring businessmen in front of him with idiot eyes. "As a country that cannot be ignored in this region and has the longest historical connection, the Chinese Empire has countless means of intervention in the ownership of the East Indies. Now they are temporarily unable to determine the ownership of the East Indies because of the relationship with the Tatars in the north. Destiny, once they completely defeat the Tatars, then the Chinese Empire will definitely dominate this area again. This is why I advocate reaching a territorial division with the Chinese Empire now, we must consider the future of the company."

Putheim was determined to help Diemen, so he added: "To a certain extent, the Chinese Empire can actually support the English and French to compete with us in the East Indies."

News of the War of the Spanish Succession broke out in Europe last year has reached Batavia, in which the Dutch Republic is on the same side as the Kingdom of England, but this does not mean that the United East India Company and the British East India Company are hand in hand In fact, the conflict between Britain and the Netherlands in Eastern trade was more intense than that between France and the Netherlands. Therefore, the United East India Company was actually in a state of enemies on all sides.

Hearing the judgment that China may unite with Britain and France, some of the businessmen present began to divide. They whispered among themselves: "I am afraid that abandoning Borneo may not satisfy the appetite of the Chinese Empire."

Someone directly questioned Diemen: "According to what you said, even if the company signs a new treaty with the Chinese Empire, it can only maintain peace for about ten years. When China wipes out the Tatars in the north, they are bound to return to the East Indies come, and then we will still face the fate of being driven out."

"We have to wait for the war in Europe to end so that we can dispatch enough battleships from Europe." Diemen replied. "If the company has a sufficient number of battleships in Batavia, the Chinese Empire may not necessarily tear up the treaty."

"By the end of the European war, maybe the Chinese Empire has already equipped a sufficient number of battleships." The retort does not approve of Diemen's delaying tactics. "Since the East Indies will be lost sooner or later, why not teach the Huaxia Empire a profound lesson now? Maybe this will curb the ambition of His Majesty Dongning Emperor."

"For the Tatar war, the Chinese Empire does not necessarily have the hope of a complete victory. According to some Chinese people who are close to us, there was a similar situation in the history of the East. At that time, the two sides confronted each other for nearly 200 years." Diemen is prepared, so what is said is well-founded. "I think it's probably going to be the same as it has been in history."

"Do you mean to resume the trade relationship with the Qing Empire while negotiating with the Huaxia Empire?" Listening to the sound of the gongs and drums, someone asked in disbelief. "Is this too risky? It seems to be in obvious conflict with what you said before to maintain a good trade relationship with China."

"The company must be prepared to give up part of its interests." Diemen made an amazing suggestion. "Send two to three Galen ships at a time to carry some mercenaries and shipwrights into the Tatar-controlled area, and assist the Tatars in building warships and organizing fleets for free, so as to contain the Chinese Empire."

This is the effect of the so-called stone-breaking sky-shocking. Immediately, someone shouted insanely: "Two to three Galen ships, my God, this is at least 10,000+ Gold Folin's expenditure, and let mercenaries and shipwrights go to Tatar Human-controlled areas help create a navy, which is, this is crazy."

"No, this is only a very small part of the company's huge profits." A terrifying light suddenly appeared in Governor Pieter-van-Couckezoon's blue eyes. "The company can afford to lose this expense. As long as the Huaxia people can be held back, as long as the company's interests in the East Indies can be guaranteed, the wise seventeen gentlemen will agree."

"Yes, maybe the company will agree, but on the issue, such a large expenditure, we have to get the approval of the board of directors."

"No, no, no," couckezoon shook his head. "I'm afraid that the company's board of directors will not be able to deal with this issue for the time being. Let the Batavia headquarters decide. I believe this is why the company puts its headquarters in Batavia, isn't it?"

"But how to explain this expense to the shareholders?"

"We can regard the loss of manned boats as being affected by wind and waves, isn't it? Every year the company loses at least a dozen boats in this regard, and two or three more boats are not a problem." Couckezoon slammed his hand hard when he said this bell. "Gentlemen, time is money, stop talking, come, let's vote on Diemen's proposal"