Nan Ming Sun Never Sets

Chapter 418 Da Ming's Father Is Finally Going to Negotiate
The Dutch diplomatic representative Hasholt was about to cry, because he had stayed in Suncheon for nearly a year, but Da Ming had never had a direct diplomatic meeting with him, and this time the Ministry of Rites finally sent a note , Said that Daming was going to negotiate with him.

Just the night before the negotiation, Hasholt received a thunderbolt-like news—Dutch Ceylon was captured by the Ming Navy, and Ming sent a wax-sealed letter from the Dutch East India Company, and The person who sent this letter was actually Lusas, the governor of Dutch Ceylon himself.

"Mr. Governor, thank you for your hard work. The Federal Republic thanks you for your contribution to her. Now I want to know, how long have our defenders lasted?"

Rusas looked decent enough, clean-shaven and in clean clothes, but in poor spirits.

"How long has it lasted? Are you kidding, Mr. Representative, what we are fighting with is not a European army, but a group of devils! Their guns can directly blow down our castle, and one of their guns can beat a hundred of our guns, After more than three hours in Colombo, we had to surrender. The situation in Galle was even worse. After contact, a small number of defenders there surrendered. The Ming army had planned for a long time, and they sent 1000 people The strength of the army, 1000 people!"

For any European country, launching a war with 1000 troops in Asia is considered a major war, and the military expenditure and supplies it consumes are huge. Almost no European country has the courage to fight a large-scale battle in Asia Of course, because Asian countries are also generally weak, and they also mainly promote trade, it is unlikely that there will be a war of this scale.

However, there is one exception, and that is the Ming Empire.

Hasholt touched his forehead helplessly, and said: "1000 people are nothing to this country. China's army has 60 standing regular troops, and there are various other troops. The population of the country is too large, more than that of all the countries of Europe put together."

Lusas complained: "Why did God create such a country with a large population, rich products, and such terrible guns? It's not fair at all."

Hasholt said: "The Chinese don't believe in God..."

After he finished this sentence, he felt very inappropriate. Those who believe in God are weak chickens, while the Chinese who do not believe in God are as strong as dragons and tigers. Then why is God so kind to people who are not His own?

Hasholt quickly said: "Now the bad news is that we have lost Ceylon, and there is no way we can get it back from a thousand strong Ming soldiers, but the good news is that it seems that Ming wants to follow us. The war is over."

Lusas said angrily: "We have almost lost all the main strongholds in Asia. Where can the Ming people fight again, Amsterdam?"

Hasholt is a professional diplomat, and he knows what he should do: "The Netherlands needs to stop this senseless war. We can choose opponents, but we also have to choose opponents with similar physiques. We are not qualified to fight against enemies like Ming. Fighting, it's no good for us. Since we can't trade with Ming, now the English are rapidly establishing themselves in maritime trade, and those annoying Portuguese, choose to be Ming's side in Asia Dog, it's really shameful."

He continued: "At least, we still have a few important trade points in India, and Ming is a country of free trade, and now it opens its doors to allow merchant ships from various countries to trade. I will meet with the Emperor of Ming tomorrow, and I hope that from here From a young sovereign, get his true attitude about Holland."

Lusas glanced at Hasholt, and said: "Mr. Hasholt, I hope your negotiation goes well, because I really want to go to Europe, and I don't want to come to Asia again. What kind of money does the Netherlands have to pay?" The price is beyond our control.”

Finally, after being anxious for several hours and not sleeping well, he came to the Taiping Palace under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites.This was the first time Hasholt came to the Ming Emperor's palace, but it was not as magnificent as imagined.However, he knew that the original imperial palace of Ming Dynasty had been put under seal because the emperor disliked it too much, and it would become a place of interest in the future.

On the way here, Hasholt saw the bustling Suncheon street from the window of the carriage, full of pedestrians, various shops beside the street, and trams passing by with jingling sounds. He lives here After a long time, I have deeply realized that any country in Europe is just a role like a clown in front of this huge and powerful empire.So he wrote back to the Netherlands many times, and provided his knowledge as an important reference to those in power in the Netherlands.

So before meeting Bai Mingxiu, Hasholt had made up his mind that he must do his best to end this war, restore peace between the two countries, enable the Netherlands to communicate with this country normally, and work hard to absorb all Things that can be absorbed - culture, knowledge, commodities, military.

However, the important meeting he imagined did not go as he imagined. Before he met the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, a servant of the Ministry of Rites had provided him with a document. It was not so much a document as a termination Conditions of war.

There are only three strips on it, and Hasholt's bean-sized beads of sweat are dripping down.Hasholt wanted to subconsciously reject any of the above, but he couldn't make a decision.

"First, recognize the traditional Ming territory Taiwan invaded by the Netherlands as Ming territory, recognize Java and other Sunda Islands territories, and Dutch Ceylon as Ming's possession; second, pay 200 million in compensation to Ming; third, cede New Amsterdam to Ming. "

But in fact, if you think about it, if you can end the war and resume normal trade between the two countries, these are not unacceptable conditions.Because Ming's military strength is too strong, Taiwan, Java, and Ceylon have already been occupied by Ming, and the Netherlands does not have the strength to retake it. It is natural to admit that it belongs to Ming.The amount of indemnity is huge, but if it can trade normally, it will be able to earn back sooner or later; the most exaggerated thing is that Hassholt doesn't understand why Daming has taken a fancy to New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam was bought by Dutch businessmen in North America decades ago with a few glass beads from the Indians, and it has never been of much use.But in another plane, hundreds of years later, this place is called Manhattan, known as the center of the universe.

(End of this chapter)