Zhu Youjian and Hans Putsmann were talking in Latin. Among the officials inside and outside the Ming Dynasty present, only Xu Guangqi, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, knew Latin. There was also Han Buan, a disciple of Zheng Zhilong, who also knew a little bit. Latin.
So now I see Hans Putsmann suddenly kneeling to Zhu Youjian, and a group of civil servants are all looking at Xu Guangqi - what is going on? As for the negotiation, why did he kneel down in the middle of the negotiation? Could it be that the long-lived master broke down with someone and threatened to kill someone? But there is no such thing... The Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette, and the envoys are not allowed to kill! We all need to advise together.
Xu Guangqi noticed the inquiring gaze of the big guys, stroking his white beard and smiled: "Long Live Lord just bribed this Admiral Hans, gave him an admiral of the Royal Navy and an earl, and promised to give him a title after regaining Nanyang." country...so Admiral Hans is now a noble of our Ming Dynasty!"
What? Can you still buy it like this?
Diplomacy between the two countries, how come you, the emperor, directly bribed foreign envoys? Are there still negotiations?
Of course the negotiations must continue, otherwise why would Zhu Youjian pay such a huge price to bribe Hans Putsmann?
Of course, Hans Putsmann is not worthless. He is worth wooing, but he is not that expensive.
In fact, east of Malacca, when it comes to the level of naval commanders, the number one ranking is of course Anthony Van Diemen, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the United East India Company, and the number two ranking is undoubtedly Hans Puters. Man.
There is no way to bribe Anthony Van Diemen, because his next position has already been decided, which is the Governor of Batavia of the United East India Company - this position is equivalent to a prince! All operations of the United East India Company in Asia were placed under the leadership of Governor Batavia!
Moreover, the Governor of Batavia also controlled Batavia Castle and a large area of land around it, and was a real prince.
When there is no way to win over Anthony Van Diemen, Hans Putsmann is the strongest naval admiral that Zhu Youjian can win over... Although in his previous life, he was in the dark. He lost to Zheng Zhilong in the Battle of Luowan, but in the Battle of Xiamen Bay before the Battle of Liaoluowan, the fleet commanded by Hans Putsmann succeeded in a sneak attack and burned 10 half-ships owned by Zheng Zhilong moored in the harbor. The new Western-style warships are the 10 ships that Zheng Zhilong brought to Dagukou.
The impact of the Xiamen Bay naval battle on the Zheng Zhilong Group cannot be overstated - this naval battle, coupled with the subsequent Liaoluo Bay naval battle, interrupted Zheng Zhilong's pursuit of strong ships and powerful guns!
Since the warships built with huge sums of money are so ineffective and not as effective as fire ship tactics, Zheng Zhilong will certainly not spend huge sums of money to build new Chinese and Western warships...
Therefore, the competition between Hans Putsmann and Zheng Zhilong is actually not a clear winner. Although Zheng Zhilong was a very outstanding naval commander, he gave up the correct line of strong ships and powerful guns after the battles in Xiamen Bay and Liaoluo Bay, which shows that he was not a particularly outstanding commander.
In addition, Zheng Zhilong was not particularly familiar with Western naval warfare tactics and shipbuilding technology, and Zhu Youjian had no way to rely on him to build a truly powerful navy.
Therefore, hiring Hans Putsmann is the best plan...but Zhu Youjian's bid clearly far exceeds Hans Putsmann's value!
The excess is blatant bribery... Bribery in front of the censors, without fear of impeachment at all, is really arrogant to the extreme!
...
"Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty and the Federal Republic of the Netherlands actually have a common enemy. This enemy is the powerful Spanish World Empire! The so-called world empire refers to a superpower with a vast territory and territories all over the world! And the Spanish World Empire It is such an extremely powerful and vast super empire. In the history of mankind, there is no other country bigger and more powerful than it..."
Hans Putsmann, who has already put on the python robe of the Count of the Ming Dynasty, and is holding the iron scroll of the Alchemy Book that symbolizes hereditary inheritance, oh, should be the Admiral of the Imperial Navy of the Ming Dynasty, the Commander-in-Chief of the Left, Pinghai Bophans Lord Pu. At this moment, he was sitting on an embroidered pier, explaining the situation in the world to Zhu Youjian.
In fact, Zhu Youjian knew everything he said!
The current situation in the world is actually very favorable for the Ming Dynasty and the Netherlands to form an alliance.
Because the situation of the United Provinces of the Netherlands was far less favorable than when the rebellious son Zhu Cihong first took charge of the Ming Dynasty more than ten years later, and the situation of the United East India Company was also not stable.
Now in Europe, the Thirty Years War has not yet decided the winner, and the powerful Spanish Army of Flanders has not been defeated by Prince Condé. People in the Netherlands are always under pressure from the Army of Flanders. Moreover, as early as 1580, Spain forcibly merged with neighboring Portugal, thus combining the two world empires into one and pushing the Spanish world empire to its highest peak.
In addition, at this time, the Kingdom of Spain was still driven by the brain-dead King Philip IV and the prime minister, the Count and Duke of Olivares. Regardless of its financial collapse and high debts, it had been forcibly promoting the national policy of "God Favors Spain" since 1627, everywhere. He launched a war and attempted to destroy the United Provinces of the Netherlands.
Although the Spanish policy of God's Favor was seen by later generations as a crazy Spanish policy, it brought down a powerful and powerful empire. But in 1633, except Zhu Youjian, who could know that God had never favored Spain?
And the Netherlands, which was beaten every day by a crazy Spanish world empire, would certainly not reject such a huge ally as the Ming Empire. Let alone think about containing the Ming Dynasty... If you have some free time, you should think about how to hold back the crazy Spain!
If they really can't hold it anymore, the nobles and wealthy people in the Federal Republic of the Netherlands will have to be captured by the Spaniards and burned at the stake...
"So as long as His Majesty the Emperor asks for an alliance in the name of jointly fighting the Spanish world empire, the United East India Company will not refuse it under any circumstances." Puhans is already a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and is now racking his brains to make plans for Zhu Youjian. . He thought for a while and then said: "If His Majesty can propose a plan to jointly blockade the Philippine colonies of New Spain, the Batavia Governor's Palace will definitely agree to the alliance immediately... and will also give certain measures in terms of trade agreements. concession."
The Philippine colony to which New Spain belongs is now not just a competitor of Batavia, but the most important core stronghold of the Spanish Empire in the Western Pacific!
As long as this stronghold existed, the United East India Company's strongholds in the Western Pacific would always face the threat of Spanish forces.
The United East India Company's land force in the east was too weak and it was unable to send a large army to capture Fort Santiago (Spain's core stronghold in the Philippines). It is a very strong bastion. Construction started decades ago and has not been completed yet, but its defensive capabilities cannot be underestimated.
"Are you going to attack the Santiago Fortress?" Zhu Youjian said thoughtfully, "I know that this fortress... it will take at least 5,000 expeditionary troops and half a month to capture it. "
Two of his sons died on Luzon Island in his previous life! How could he not know about Fort Santiago?
"Half a month?" Hans Putsmann shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible, this is impossible... Without 12 months, it is impossible to break through the Santiago Fortress."
Zhu Youjian shook his head and said: "How can it be 12 months? The rainy season on Luzon Island is long, and it is easy for the army to get sick if it is stationed under the city. Once a plague breaks out, the army will collapse without a fight! So we must attack Luzon Island. For the Santiago Fortress, the war must start in winter and end within a month... so the time to attack the fortress is half a month at most!
Admiral Pu, I can tell you everything. My army can capture this fortress within half a month! "
