When he thought that he was likely to be shot, Baron Zekert couldn't sit still. He quickly picked up one of the two scrolls on the table in front of him, trembling, and unfolded it to read.
Of course the treaty is unequal!
However, it does not seem to have done much harm to the interests of the Holy Roman Empire... Zhu Heji did not have many demands for the scum of Shenluo. In fact, he did not want to export sugar medicine - as long as Emperor Kangxi still kept this secret secret, he would have no reason to give up his monopoly.
Although sugar medicine is too simple, Westerners will see its secrets sooner or later. But as long as the monopoly exists, Zhu Heji will be able to gain profits through "non-proliferation"!
Since the benefits of "not selling" are greater than "selling", Zhu Heji will certainly choose "not selling".
What he asked of Shinra, or to be more precise, Leopold I, was simply to recognize each other as the sole legal government, to send each other envoys, to recognize the Ming Dynasty's suzerainty in Nanyang and East Asia, and the Chinese trading company in Leopold Within the territory under its jurisdiction, it has obtained five percent of the agreed tariff and the exclusive right to sell perfume.
In fact, these items are not very unequal...only the China Trading Company's 5-million agreement tariff rights are problematic.
However, trade between the Ming Dynasty and Europe is now controlled by the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company. There is no such thing as a Chinese trading company. Even if it could be opened in the future, it would probably just be a company selling perfume.
The main buyers of perfume are dignitaries from various European countries...this tariff will eventually be passed on to them!
So what’s wrong with adding less tax?
As long as Leopold I can agree to these requirements, Zhu Heji will strictly prohibit the export of "magic and gunpowder weapons"!
Fortunately... Baron Zekert breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Your Highness, I think His Majesty the Emperor of our country will be happy to accept your request."
The Holy Roman Empire is still the big brother of Europe in this era! It’s so disappointing that Big Brother actually surrendered to Ming Dynasty first.
Father Philip, Baron Santos, Leibniz, Father Gryffindor, Governor John Masik, Baron Warburg, De Castro Sander, Charlie Gough and others also realized at this time that The scroll on the small table in front of them is probably also an unequal treaty!
Now they couldn't sit still, and without waiting for Zhu Heji to say anything, they quickly picked up the scroll, opened it and started reading.
At first glance, the French envoy Leibniz and the Swedish envoy Baron Warburg, who did not have much interest in Southeast Asia and East Asia, both showed relaxed expressions - the terms and conditions Zhu Heji offered to France and Sweden. The conditions offered to Shinra are similar.
The main ones are mutual recognition, mutual dispatch of ambassadors, agreement on tariffs, perfume monopoly, recognition of Ming Dynasty's suzerainty in East Asia and Southeast Asia, etc.
"Your Highness," Leibniz smiled and said in Chinese, "I think King Louis will be very happy to sign this treaty of equality and mutual benefit... In fact, he is the largest buyer of Daming perfume in Europe. !”
"Oh," Zhu Heji said with a smile, "how much did he spend on a barrel of those perfumes?"
"One barrel?" Leibniz was stunned. "Is this perfume sold in one barrel?"
"Yes!" Zhu Heji said, "It is packed in oak barrels containing wine...one barrel contains about several hundred ounces of silver."
"Oh, God!" cried Leibniz, "this is so cheap!"
"Are they expensive in Europe?" Zhu Heji asked knowingly.
"Very expensive!" Leibniz replied and said to himself: "Louis XIV is simply the biggest fool in Europe! He can't do such stupid things again in the future. He must bypass middlemen and purchase goods directly... "
While Zhu Heji pretended to be surprised, he glanced at the two hateful "international middlemen", Governor John Masik and Charlie Gough - in fact, he could have sold the perfume more expensively, but he deliberately They exported goods at low prices and sold them all to the British East India Company.
Such good things are sold exclusively by the British East India Company. If they don't monopolize them and sell them at high prices, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the capitalist system?
While monopolizing and selling at high prices, the East India Company also had to work hard to open up the market.
Now Zhu Heze took advantage of the opportunity of contact with Shinra and the French envoy to directly contact the next family... This kind of business behavior is so upright and in line with the rules of the game!
Of course the two East India Company leaders looked ugly, but the ugliest one among them was not Charlie Gough, who was about to lose his market, but John Masik, the governor of the Dutch East India Company.
Because the British East India Company was about to lose only part of the perfume market - Zhu Heji proposed a plan to "jointly operate the perfume monopoly business" in the "unequal treaty" to Charlie Gough.
He did not want to immediately kick out the middleman of the British East India Company, but wanted to draw them to open a perfume store together with the French King and the Shinra Emperor.
Although one family was eating alone and four families were making money together, Zhu Heji promised to provide ten times the amount of "royal perfume" and was willing to develop more fragrance types. He was also prepared to provide more beautiful ones with the Ming Dynasty royal mark (trademark). The porcelain bottles are used to distribute perfume - Zhu Heji knows very well how to deal with this luxury product!
Therefore, the British East India Company did not lose much, and it was still acceptable.
But the Dutch East India Company is now facing a more serious crisis!
Because Zhu Heji asked the Dutch East India Company to recognize that the Ming Dynasty had extensive and undisputed suzerainty in Southeast Asia and East Asia!
In other words, Southeast Asia's "zero-yuan shopping market" belongs to the Ming Dynasty... The Dutch either do business honestly or just pack up and get out.
Their colonies in Batavia and Malacca could only exist as vassals of the Ming Dynasty with the "approval" of the Ming Emperor.
"No, this is unacceptable!"
"Absolutely unacceptable!"
It was the Spanish envoy Santos and the Portuguese envoy Sander who shouted that it was unacceptable.
Because the conditions offered by Zhu Heji to them were more harsh than the Dutch - the Dutch East India Company was a "commercial company" after all. It would not be wrong if the Batavia and Malacca colonies could continue to make dirty money after surrendering to the Ming Dynasty. impossible.
But how could Spain, favored by God, give up on the Philippines? It is impossible for the Governor-General of the Philippines to surrender to the Ming Dynasty!
To the East India Company, the cities of Batavia and Malacca were just "property", not sovereignty. The arrangement of sovereignty in the Ming Dynasty and property rights in the East India Company was barely acceptable.
But the Philippine colony is the territory of the Kingdom of New Spain!
Zhu Heji's request to Portugal was to give up the "protection rights" in the East... After losing Macau, Portugal only had two interests in the East: Timor Island and the right to protect the Church.
And the seemingly inconspicuous "protection right" is even more important to Portugal than Timor Island - with this right, the Kingdom of Portugal can not only send bishops to many places in East and Southeast Asia, but even missionaries. Go and serve as an advisor to Emperor Kangxi!
If Zhu Heji could recognize Portugal's "protection rights" in China and allow Catholicism to spread in China, the Kingdom of Portugal would even be willing to give up Macau.
Zhu Heji did not need an interpreter, he already knew their answers from the fierce reactions of the envoys from Spain and Portugal.
Now only John Masik of the Dutch East India Company remains.
This guy was frowning and seemed to be thinking hard.
Looking at his appearance, Zhu Heji already understood what he was thinking, and said with a smile: "Governor Masuik, if you are not willing to sign the contract, you can leave with the Spanish and Portuguese. I know, you Dutch East Indies The company has been sending warships to Ningbo for months... it's almost done!
Then let's fight. When I capture Jiangnan, you can sign this treaty again. I guarantee that the conditions won’t change much, the most is just a little extra money. "
