"What does His Majesty the Great Emperor mean?" Matsolko asked the visiting Consul Wei Qingmu with a frown.
Wei Qingmu smiled: "Your Majesty means, I told you before the war broke out... Your Majesty does not intend to drive the East India Company away from Batavia and the Spice Islands. And your Majesty is also willing to cooperate with The Netherlands, Britain, France, Portugal and other Western maritime trade powers share the golden waterway of the Strait of Malacca.
We, the Ming Dynasty, have always stood for freedom of navigation and trade! "
What? Your Ming Dynasty has always advocated free trade? Matt Salko is really dumbfounded, co-author, you have never closed yourself up in the country!
Matsolko was silent for a while and then asked: "Under the current situation, will His Majesty the Great Emperor still abide by his previous commitment? Doesn't he intend to get something from us?"
Such as ceding land and paying compensation...
Wei Qingmu smiled and said: "We've already fought a war, so naturally we have to give an explanation... But tomorrow, the dynasty will not look down on your several palm-sized territories in Nanyang, so there will be no Let you cede the land."
Matt Solko said to himself: That’s reparations! I don’t know how much compensation I have to pay?
"As for compensation," Wei Qingmu smiled, "Your Majesty knows that you can't kill a chicken to get the eggs. Your East India Company is just an injured hen that can lay golden eggs! If you kill the chicken to get the eggs, what will happen? It's such a pity... So Your Majesty doesn't want to ask for more compensation, just pay less and just get 10 million taels of silver."
"Ten...ten million taels?" Matsolko shouted at that time, "This is extortion! The East India Company will not pay that much compensation, and it doesn't have that much money... ..."
Of course, the Dutch East India Company could get 10 million taels. When the company was established in 1602, it raised 6.5 million guilders, which was almost equivalent to 1.8 million taels of silver. It is now 1664. After 62 years of accumulation, the net worth of the Dutch East India Company should be tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of guilders.
However, if the Dutch East India Company were to cough up 10 million taels at once, it would still be a stretch.
"You don't have money, right? Your Majesty knows that you may have no money. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter..." Wei Qingmu smiled, "But isn't your East India Company a joint-stock company?"
"Yeah?" Matt Solko asked, "What does this have to do with reparations?"
Wei Qingmu said: "Joint-stock companies can find shares to raise funds!"
What?
Issuing new shares to earn compensation? Matt Salko thought to himself: Who came up with such a genius idea?
Wei Qingmu added: "Perhaps... we can also directly use shares to offset the compensation! Our emperor very much hopes to become a shareholder of the Indian Company and become one of its many shareholders!"
"Become a shareholder of the India Company?" Matsolko couldn't believe his ears. It turned out that what the Ming Emperor wanted was not the East India Company's territory, but the East India Company itself!
This is so shameless! The East India Company is much more valuable than Batavia and the Spice Islands!
Wei Qingmu looked at Matt Solko and said with a smile: "Furthermore, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty attaches great importance to the business ability of His Excellency the Governor, and hopes that you can continue to serve as the Governor of the company after he becomes a shareholder... Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor believes that The salary you are receiving now is really too low and cannot reflect your contribution to the company. You need a salary increase! A big increase!"
Matsolko nodded slightly. He and the Emperor of China finally found a common language.
"But the Amsterdam board of directors is extremely vigilant about any possibility of losing control of the company," Matt Solko pondered.
Wei Qingmu smiled and said: "The Great Tomorrow only wants to obtain up to 20% of the East India Company's shares, and will only send one director to Amsterdam and will not participate in the company's daily operations."
Matt Solko frowned, "Isn't 20% of the shares a bit too much?"
Although 20% of the East India Company's shares were not worth 10 million taels, it allowed Zhu Cixiang to secure his position as the East India Company's largest shareholder. Although only one director is sent out now, who knows in the future?
"Not much, not much..." Wei Qingmu shook his head and said, "Mr. Governor, you should tell the shareholders in Amsterdam how much benefit it will bring to the East India Company if His Majesty the Ming Emperor takes shares. huge!"
Matt Solko asked carefully: "Benefits? Can you be more specific?"
Wei Qingmu said: "For example, a real central city will appear in the Nanyang Islands. It will be the world's shipping center and the financial and economic center of the Nanyang region... The East India Company will be able to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty Royal Chamber of Commerce and the Ming Dynasty Royal Chamber of Commerce. Guandang Trading Company and Shachuanbang Trading Company jointly became the founders of this city!"
Matt Salko asked: “Where will this city be?”
Wei Qingmu said: "It will appear on Temasek Island!"
Of course it’s Singapore!
Just look at a map and you will know that the center of Nanyang cannot be Jakarta, it can only be Singapore. God rewards me with food, so I occupy this position! In Zhu Cixiang’s Nanyang layout, Singapore is of course indispensable.
And to develop Singapore rapidly, it would be best to enlist the Dutch East India Company to work together. Because Temasek Island is not positioned as the shipping center of the Nanyang region, but the shipping industry center of the world...that is, the center of international trade! With this foundation, Temasek Island can further become the financial and economic center of the Nanyang region.
And if Temasek Island is to become the world's trade and shipping center, how can it be without the Dutch sea coachman?
In addition, because the Strait of Malacca is at the intersection of the four civilizational circles of China, Tianfang Sect, Christianity, and Hinduism, the collision of the four civilizational circles is inevitable. Therefore, if Temasek Island wants to quickly become a center, it must have two characteristics: freedom and neutrality.
Only in this way can businessmen and capital belonging to various civilized circles be attracted to Temasek Island in the shortest possible time.
The one who can grant Temasek Island freedom and neutrality cannot be the Duke or King of the Celestial Dynasty - in Zhu Cixiang's vision, the Twelve Principalities have no freedom at all, let alone neutrality! They are the walls and moats that protect the Chinese civilization. How can they be free and neutral?
However, the Twelve Principalities also need reliable financial support. It is not enough to rely on the limited agriculture, mining, and fishery on the Malacca Peninsula and Sumatra Island, so they have to make money from maritime trade.
In Emperor Zhu’s vision, Temasek Free City is to make money for these twelve principalities... The twelve principalities can hide behind the scenes to collect money, but on the table, those responsible for managing and building the city , it cannot be the Twelve Principalities of Benevolence and Righteousness, it must be Western profiteers like the Dutch East India Company.
Wei Qingmu said: "Our emperor hopes to build a neutral and free city on Temasek Island. This city will receive a charter from the emperor. The city will be built and managed by the chamber of commerce instead of the government. The emperor will only collect money after the city is built. Land rent and the rest should be ignored, so the chamber of commerce that manages the city can formulate any rules and laws they think can promote the prosperity of the city. His Majesty the Emperor hopes that the East India Company can become the largest shareholder of the Temasek City Chamber of Commerce!
Your Excellency, Governor, you should know the development of Shanghai in the past ten years, right? From scratch, a large commercial port was created out of thin air... It was already the most expensive city in the Ming Dynasty! If the East India Company had invested heavily in Shanghai back then, it would have made huge profits now.
The geographical location of Temasek Island is more advantageous than that of Shanghai, and it also enjoys the greatest freedom and special treatment... This opportunity is not to be missed! "
Matsolko was finally moved, "Mr. Consul, the conditions you proposed are indeed very attractive, but I am only the governor of the East India Company and do not have the power to decide such a big matter... I hope we can negotiate with you first." The Commander-in-Chief of the retreating East India Fleet met, and then commissioned him and the Company’s representatives in the East India Fleet to return to Holland to persuade the Board of Directors and the Grand Chancellor at Amsterdam.”
