Chapter 367 Stake

Join forces to deal with the Dutch? This is undoubtedly the most heartwarming sentence Enrique has heard since he started contacting the Haihan people.

As a powerful empire that once divided the earth with Spain, Portugal has a deep fear of the rising star Netherlands. Although the Dutch entered Asia nearly a hundred years later than the Portuguese, their actions are not slow at all. So far,

The Dutch already owned a large number of colonies in the Far East such as the East Indies, Taiwan, Coromandel in the Bay of Bengal, and Malabar in India. Their achievements were no less than those of Portugal, and had even surpassed another old empire, Spain.

What made the Portuguese most uneasy was the two colonies of Batavia and Taiwan under the control of the Dutch. Batavia cut off other Western countries' main shipping routes to the sea east of Java, while the location of Taiwan cut off the

Controlling the waterways leading to the most prosperous Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions in the Ming Dynasty, as well as the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands, was enough to make other competitors jealous.

If possible, Portugal would have already started to expel the Netherlands from the Far East, but the Netherlands has a powerful East India Company that cannot be easily offended.

The Dutch East India Company was a joint trading company established by the merger of fourteen maritime trading companies, and was authorized by the Dutch National Parliament to enjoy a trade monopoly in the vast area between the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and the Strait of Magellan in South America. Of course, this company

But it is not just a shipping business, it has great authority. Not only can it organize mercenaries and issue currency on its own, it can also sign formal treaties with other countries, and it has the power to implement colonial rule overseas.

The development of the East India Company is a history of forceful expansion of borders. Starting from the establishment of the company's new headquarters in Batavia by Governor Cohen in 1619, the East India Company continued to use force to occupy and rob colonies. In the original history

In the past, the biggest victim of the Netherlands' entry into the Far East was Portugal. In the past half century, Portugal had been robbed by the Netherlands of colonies such as Galle, Manchuria, Colombo and other colonies in Sri Lanka. By 1659, Portugal

The Portuguese strongholds along the coast of India were almost robbed by the Dutch. In fact, it did not take a few decades for the Portuguese to fully feel the pressure brought by the Dutch.

However, it is not easy to expel the Dutch by force. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company had 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, more than 50,000 employees and more than 10,000 private armed forces. Not to mention Portugal, even

Spain, a traditional maritime power, was very afraid of it. In fact, after the Dutch established a stronghold in Taiwan, they tried every means to block the exchanges between the Ming Dynasty and Manila, and monopolized the foreign trade of Japan, North Korea and northern China. This made Spain

People were very dissatisfied, but the two sides fought many times, but the East India Company was not driven out of the Far East, but instead became stronger and stronger.

If you want to expel the East India Company, relying on the strength of the Portuguese alone is far from enough. Not to mention that Portugal lacks unified deployment and command in various colonies in the Far East. Even if it can integrate resources, it will be difficult to withstand the Dutch.

Maritime armed forces. If Spain, a force that is both a friend and an enemy, can have a better chance of winning, but the Portuguese are not willing to humble themselves and go to Manila to plead with those arrogant Spanish nobles-except for rolling eyes and ridiculing,

It is very likely that they will also need to bear the military expenses for Spain to send troops to fight.

In comparison, the Haihan people seem to be much easier to deal with. Although Enrique can always feel a condescending sense of superiority from the other party's speech and behavior, at least this is a group of gentlemen who can sit down and exchange opinions on an equal footing, rather than like Spain.

Shameless people like nobles who only make all kinds of harsh demands. Of course, the most important point is that the Haihan people have fully proved their strength in the military field through their performance on the battlefield. If we were originally skeptical about the combat effectiveness of the Haihan militia,

If you have any doubts, after watching the live fire demonstration just now, Enrique can already conclude without hesitation that if the armed forces of the East India Company encounter the Haihan militia on land, the result that awaits them may be

No better than the peasant army in South Vietnam.

Enrique calmly limited the scope of the battlefield to land for the time being, because he had also noticed that Haihan's warships were not many during his stay in Victory Port. There were only about ten ships in total, which was far less than that of the Netherlands.

People. So far, Haihan's navy seems to have not encountered a real opponent in actual combat - the South Vietnamese navy that has been wiped out is definitely not qualified. Even in the eyes of a layman like Enrique,

The South Vietnamese navy also appeared to be too amateurish, with not even a few decent warships.

The Haihan people wanted to compete with the Dutch at sea. Enrique thought that now was not the best time. He pondered for a while before answering: "Mr. Yan, please forgive me, the Dutch are not Annan people. They

The ability to fight at sea is not much worse than the ability to do business. If you have heard of the Dutch East India Company, you will know what I mean."

Yan Chujie nodded and said: "We know very well about the situation of the East India Company, maybe we know more than you. Please rest assured that we do not intend to face off against the Dutch on a frontal battlefield now."

Enrique was slightly surprised by Yan Chujie's answer. The Dutch East India Company has officially entered the Far East for less than ten years, and the Haihan people have only settled in Qiongzhou Island for more than a year. How did they learn about the East India Company's information?

Could it be that they have dealt with the Dutch before?

Just when Enrique was in doubt, Yan Chujie added another note: "Not only is the Dutch East India Company, but we also know the situation of the English East India Company very well! If the information we have is correct, in recent years

The British have stolen a lot of your limelight in India, haven't they?"

Enrique was shocked when he heard this. Portugal was suppressed by the British East India Company in India. This information was not something ordinary people could know. Even in Macau, only the upper class knew the inside story.

The British East India Company was established at the end of 1600, two years earlier than the Dutch East India Company. However, due to various reasons, this company, which was personally granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I, had little success in Asia.

The development process is not very ideal, especially when compared with the Dutch who entered this area at the same time, it can simply be described as unprogressive.

However, in terms of fighting the Portuguese, the British East India Company was not far behind. As early as 1612, the East India Company defeated the Portuguese in an armed conflict and won the support of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir——

This man was the ruler of 70% of the Indian subcontinent at that time and was a real local snake. Jahangir gave the British very generous treatment. In addition to the power to settle and establish factories, he also got the free trade that businessmen dreamed of.

The most important thing is that the Turkish emperor treated the British and the Portuguese differently. One was regarded as a close friend of the royal family, while the other was regarded as a shameless plunderer and parasite.

This difference in attitude soon allowed the British to develop in India more than the Portuguese who had established strongholds in Goa and Bombay. In the original history, by the mid-17th century, the British East India Company's influence on the Indian peninsula

Their power has completely surpassed the Portuguese. The only good thing is that the British do not use armed struggle as the main method of foreign competition like the Dutch. Most of the time, they still pay more attention to actual commercial interests. In recent years,

They were only exerting pressure on the Portuguese through trade means, rather than rudely using force to resolve disputes between the merchants of the two countries.

However, the British's main area of ​​activity is still on the coast of India. They have not extended their tentacles too much around the Ming Dynasty, and they are unlikely to have too many direct contacts with the merchants of the Ming Dynasty. Enrique really can't figure it out.

How did the Haihan people living on Qiongzhou Island learn about the situation of the British East India Company thousands of miles away? The only thought that Enrique could think of at the moment was that since the Haihan people could grasp the movements of the Dutch and English, what about their own

It may be difficult to hide the situation from them.

Looking at Enrique's slightly panicked eyes, Yan Chujie smiled and said: "You don't have to be so nervous. We are not in a hostile relationship now. The reason why I tell you this information is because I hope you will realize that we are seeking cooperation."

Sincerity.”

Enrique took out his handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and responded repeatedly: "Of course, of course, I have fully felt your sincerity."

When Yan Chujie said this, Enrique naturally thought that if the Haihan people had any ill intentions towards themselves, they would definitely not expose these trump cards for him to see. At this time, Enrique no longer planned to question Yan Chujie further.

The source of the intelligence, because he knew that asking was in vain, and Yan Chujie would definitely use the previous excuses to excuse himself. But no matter what, Enrique had to admit that the intelligence work of the Haihan people seemed to be very good.

It greatly exceeded his previous knowledge.

"A smart partner is at least better than a stupid partner." Enrique could only comfort himself silently in his heart.

"Why us?" Enrique suddenly asked a confused question.

However, Yan Chujie understood what he meant and immediately responded: "Of course this is not a decision made casually. In fact, we have also gone through a long period of consideration and deliberation. Please forgive me for not being able to tell you the specific reasons now.

Explain clearly, because this involves the interests of all aspects, and maybe you will gradually feel it after we reach a cooperative relationship in the future."

What he said is the same as what he didn't say! Enrique was speechless at Yan Chujie's roundabout way of responding. He really wanted to understand why the Haihan people chose Portugal as a cooperation partner among many Western countries, and this cooperation

The target was an opponent who had a direct conflict on the battlefield not long ago.

The reason why the Executive Committee made such a decision was indeed a comprehensive consideration as Yan Chujie said. The Executive Committee wanted to sell the industrial products produced to the West, and even gradually control the import and export of the Ming Dynasty region in the future.

To trade, you must have a trading partner from the Western world. And the selection of this partner can definitely only be limited to a few limited targets that currently have colonies in the Far East. As for the selection criteria, it is mainly based on

For future development planning, we will predict and eliminate objects that may have conflicts of interest in the future, and use the elimination method to select a partner that is most suitable for Haihan.

Based on this rule, the first person to be eliminated is the Dutch. The method of military expansion they adopted has already foreshadowed that there will be a war with Haihan in the future, and the Executive Committee has already transferred Taiwan Island from before the crossing.

Treating it as its own, the military aid to Fujian is also to pave the way for future entry into the Taiwan Strait. To do this, in addition to destroying the existing "Eighteen Zhi", the Dutch entrenched on the island of Taiwan also need to

Those who must be expelled. Of course, the Dutch, who have spent a lot of effort to establish a stronghold on Taiwan Island, will not just surrender. It will definitely be expected that the two sides will turn against each other and fight. Therefore, it is impossible for the Executive Committee to choose one.

Sooner or later, he will fall out with his main trading partner.

The second person to be excluded is the British. The reason is very simple. Their colony is too far away from Hainan Island and it is difficult to contact them. It is useless to say anything. Even if trade relations can be established in the future, it is unlikely to have a big impact.

The scale of trade. Moreover, Britain was one of the main participants in the Thirty Years War in Europe. The Executive Committee believed that it would be difficult for it to stay out of future arms sales and play a dual role.

The next choices are Spain and Portugal. Spain, like Britain, was an active player in the Thirty Years' War, which affected the final decision-making result to a certain extent. As a slave country, Portugal

Their investment in the European battlefield is relatively limited, and they are bent on breaking away from Spanish control. Letting Spain continue to consume strength in the quagmire of war will undoubtedly be a result that the Portuguese are very happy to see. However, due to conflicts of interest, the Portuguese

It is incompatible with the other three parties, which also greatly reduces the possibility of several European countries joining forces to deceive Haihan.

In addition, the location of the Portuguese colonial stronghold in the Far East is also a condition that the Executive Committee attaches great importance to. In addition to Macau, a stronghold with very convenient communication, the Portuguese also occupied Malacca, which later became Malacca, a gateway to and from the Far East.

Throat position. If there is no external intervention, then this place will change hands in a few years and be taken away by the vicious Dutch East India Company. This situation is certainly something the Executive Committee does not want to see. Instead of letting this key location pass from Portugal

If you throw it away from others, it is better to find a way to take it from them and run it yourself.

After fully considering all factors, the Executive Committee finally selected Portugal as its future Western trading partner. Of course, this does not mean that everything will be fine after the selection. After all, the two sides had a conflict not long ago and wanted to establish

It still takes some time to establish a mechanism of mutual trust and mutual benefit. After repeated weighings, the Executive Committee decided to use the arms trade as the entry point to pull the Portuguese on board their own ship.

The arms trade is a very sensitive business, and you cannot just sell it. If your attitude is too proactive, it will be difficult to explain if it causes unnecessary misunderstandings. After discussing with several senior officials, they decided to arrange a trick to lure the Portuguese envoy to take the initiative.

Arms trade. Through the display of weapons, let the other party understand Haihan's real advantages in weapons manufacturing, thereby dispelling the other party's idea of ​​using the purchased weapons to fight against Haihan. In addition, through repeated explicit hints, let Enri

Ke realized the commonalities between the two parties in terms of interest demands, as well as Haihan's exclusive advantages in intelligence and situation judgment, and tried his best to turn his fear of Haihan into awe and dependence in the future.

These things are not complicated to say, but in practice you have to be careful at all times. Once you make a wrong step, the Portuguese people's understanding of Haihan may be biased to the other extreme. After losing trust, it will be difficult to restore the image. Okay.

So far, everything has gone very smoothly, just as planned by the executive committee. Enrique has stepped into this pit step by step and has begun to move forward involuntarily according to the ideas arranged for him.

"As for the status of weapons, let's stop here today. As for the specific procurement plan, we can discuss it tomorrow." Yan Chujie also knew that the amount of information given to Enrique today was too large, and he probably wouldn't be able to digest it in a while.

He took the initiative to propose to postpone the arms trade negotiations for one day.

Enrique did not object to this. It is indeed difficult for him to concentrate on what kind of weapons to buy. Now this is not just an arms trade. According to the Haihan people, cooperation between the two parties is very likely.

It will involve the future development prospects of the Portuguese in the Far East. To put it more seriously, it will even affect the future national destiny of Portugal! He must digest it carefully before deciding how to bargain with the Haihan people.

When the executive committee members saw Enrique the next day, his eyes were full of bloodshot eyes. Enrique did not suffer from insomnia, but spent a whole night drafting a letter to the Macau Council.

In addition to mentioning many of his experiences in Port Victory, the letter mainly reported to the Council the latest progress in the negotiations between the two parties, as well as the cooperation concept proposed by Haihan starting from the arms trade. Although Enrique

He has the status of a special envoy, but after all, there are some things that he does not have the authority to make decisions directly, and must still be reported to the Macau Council for decision-making. If everything goes well, then Joao Enrique Badac Thomas will be very successful in the future.

Could become a heroic figure in Portuguese history for what he is doing now.
Chapter completed!