Nanjing Forbidden City, Wenhua Hall.

The talks between Zhu Cixiang, Prince of Fujun of the Ming Dynasty, and Anthony van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, are still continuing.

At this time, the talks have produced the first result, which is that the Ming Dynasty will open trade to the Dutch East India Company. The first step is to allow the East India Company's merchant ships to freely enter and exit the Shanghai commercial port, and to allow citizens of the United Provinces of the Netherlands to live in the Shanghai commercial port.

And run industry and commerce!

However, the commercial contract reached between the Dutch East India Company and Zheng Zhilong must be revised under the general principle of voluntary negotiation. Zheng Zhilong's losses must be compensated. Zhu Cixiang's insistence is certainly not for Zheng Zhilong, but for other purposes!

He had two purposes. One was to exchange the free navigation rights of the East India Company's merchant ships along the coast of China in exchange for the free navigation rights of the Zheng's merchant ships in the South China Sea.

If you want to colonize Southeast Asia, you must first go there. Although the armed merchant ships of the East India Company cannot defeat the Zheng family's navy along the coast of China, if the battlefield is moved to the Strait of Malacca, around Java Island or the Spice Islands, the Zheng family's navy will not be able to defeat them.

What are the odds?

Moreover, the Dutch East India Company was not the main opponent of the Ming Dynasty in its expansion in Southeast Asia. The Netherlands was nothing more than a "sea coachman". How much territory could a "carriage driver" swallow up? After all, the Netherlands is a small country, and its own country is still small.

On the European continent where there are many great powers, it is impossible to fully expand overseas.

Therefore, compared to the empire on which the sun never sets in later generations, the current power of the Netherlands is simply insignificant.

The Dutch's sphere of influence in Southeast Asia was only the East Indies and Spice Islands. It did not control all of them. It only established some stronghold-style colonies. Only Java Island occupied a relatively large area and established the city of Batavia.

.

According to the history that Zhu Cixiang knew, when the Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia reached their peak, they only managed to capture the entire Dutch East Indies. However, the East Indies were not Prince Zhu's goal now.

Zhu Cixiang's second goal is, of course, to peacefully take back the island of Taiwan, which has been a sacred and inalienable part of China since ancient times!

"Governor Dimen," Zhu Cixiang's tone was a little serious, "recently, I received a report from the Taiwanese uncle's office, saying that your East India Company sent soldiers to the cities of Relanjia and Chikan in Taiwan to illegally attack the Taiwanese uncle.

Is this a problem if the villages under the government collect tax packages?"

"Count of Taiwan? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Relandia City and Chikan City, are you talking about Formosa Island?" Van Diemen said in surprise, "This island is the property of the East India Company and does not belong to any Count of Taiwan.

ah!"

Zhu Cixiang said every word: "The Taiwanese uncle is Zheng Sen, the son of Zheng Zhilong!

In the past ten or twenty years, Zheng Zhilong has organized Fujian immigrants to go to Taiwan every year for reclamation. Now there are tens of thousands of Han households on the island of Taiwan, and they are all subjects of the Zheng family. Therefore, this palace officially canonized Zheng Sen as the Ming Dynasty last year.

It’s hard for Taiwanese uncle!”

Zheng Sen's original title was Da Yuan Bo. Later, Zhu Cixiang felt that the name "Da Yuan" was unpleasant and was a homophone of "Dayuan", so he changed it to Taiwan Bo.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Van Diemen has realized the seriousness of the problem, "I think you have been deceived by General Zheng Zhilong. Formosa belongs to the East India Company and is a dependent territory of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, not Zheng Zhilong.

territory.”

Zhu Cixiang looked at Fan Diemen, "Since Taiwan Island is not Zheng Zhilong's territory, then why can he send tens of thousands of people to Taiwan Island?"

"Those are not the subjects of General Zheng Zhilong," Van Diemen argued. "The Han people on Formosa are all subjects of the East India Company."

There was a "pop" sound!

Zhu Cixiang had already slammed the table. Fan Diemen spoke in French, which Zhu Cixiang could understand, so without waiting for Tang Ruowang to translate, he said sternly: "How dare you rob tens of thousands of Ming Dynasty subjects for yourself? Do you want to?"

Will we start a war with the Great Tomorrow?"

Tang Ruowang quickly translated Zhu Cixiang's words into French, and then added his own words: "Mr. Governor, what basis do you have for treating the Han people on Formosa Island as subjects of the United Provinces of the Netherlands? Even if Formosa

Mosa Island belongs to the East India Company, and those Han Chinese are also expatriates of the Ming Empire!"

"This" Van Diemen was speechless for a moment.

Zhu Cihong could also understand Tang Ruowang's words. He did not wait for Fan Diemen's answer and continued to ask: "If Taiwan Island belongs to the East India Company, then when Zheng Zhilong transported his subjects to the island for reclamation, could the East India Company exercise jurisdiction?

right?"

Of course, how can we manage it if we don’t have it?

The Dutch East India Company has never effectively controlled the entire island of Taiwan. Their territory is the southern part of Taiwan centered on the cities of Relanja and Chikan.

In addition, in 1642, they also occupied the two Spanish strongholds in northern Taiwan, San Saldoba City and Santo Domingo City. However, they only occupied two strongholds and were unable to manage the surrounding territories.

In other words, most of the land on the island of Taiwan is "unowned". The East India Company's claim to own Formosa is groundless. However, they do occupy a small piece of land in southern Taiwan and Taiwan.

Whether the two strongholds in the north have sovereignty is another question, but this is the reality.

"Governor Diemen," Zhu Cixiang became even more confident when he saw that Fan Diemen had nothing to say, "Now the island of Taiwan is actually under the joint jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty's Taiwanese Prefecture and the East India Company, so there have been many conflicts, and you two

The jurisdiction of the family is so unfavorable that many parts of the island have turned into pirate dens, invading the coast of the Ming Dynasty and causing great harm to many people! What I mean is that your East India Company can negotiate with the Zheng family on the Taiwan issue and transfer Taiwan to

It is under the control of one family and has full responsibility.

If the Zheng family is willing to withdraw, then they will move all the Han people on the island and will not be allowed to accept Han people in the future. Merchant ships will not be allowed to sail from the Ming Dynasty coast to Taiwan Island, and they will guarantee to this palace that the island will not be used by pirates. If there is any violation

, you must pay a fine and compensate for the losses caused by pirates attacking the coast of Ming Dynasty.

If you are willing to withdraw, I can persuade the Zheng family to invest in the purchase of the cities of Jelancia, Chikan, San Salvador and Santo Domingo."

In fact, Zhu Cihong only gave Van Diemen one choice, which was to sell the cities of Relancia, Chikan, San Salvador and Santo Domingo to Zheng Zhilong.

Asking the Zheng family to relocate the Han people, sealing off the island, and taking on the responsibility of exterminating pirates would be completely unprofitable for the East India Company. It would only cost a large amount of expenditure but not much income. Moreover, with an army of more than 1,000 people, it would not be profitable at all.

It is impossible to ensure that the island of Taiwan is not used by pirates.

This deal had to be approved by the shareholders of the East India Company in the Netherlands. The land in "New York" is still "New Netherland". Where can the Dutch not get more than 20,000 square meters?

Kilometers? Need to get the idea of ​​​​Taiwan Island?

"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Van Diemen frowned deeply, "Formosa Island is a stronghold for trade with Japan and China for the East India Company. In fact, this island is not an ideal stronghold. If

If you can provide a better place, such as a coastal port like Hao'ao, we can certainly give up Formosa."

Zhu Cixiang said: "Shanghai Commercial Port will be a city open to merchants from all over the world! Its geographical location is far superior to Taiwan. If your East India Company came to China to trade and all you wanted was money, Shanghai would be the most suitable place to establish a commercial center.

and commercial docks.

And I will also allow the East India Company to set up an embassy in Shanghai that can represent the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Of course, the Ming Empire should also set up an embassy in Batavia."

The establishment of the embassy in Batavia was of course to facilitate the collection of intelligence in the Nanyang region and to provide political and diplomatic support for the Zheng family's Nanyang expansion.

Tang Ruowang translated Zhu Cihong's words into French, and Fan Diemen was thinking about it in his mind while listening.

Even a fool can understand the benefits of establishing a commercial embassy and commercial dock in Shanghai. And the benefits of establishing an embassy in Shanghai are not just a matter of money!

The United Provinces of the Netherlands will become the first country to have an embassy in the Celestial Kingdom in the East!

At this moment, Zhu Cixiang suddenly emphasized his tone: "If the East India Company wants to establish a stronghold in Taiwan that can peek into our southeastern coast, then I will order a ban on all ships of the East India Company and the United Provinces of the Netherlands.
Chapter completed!