"Leiden," Speks drank Leiden, whose face was half white and half red, and then turned to Zheng Zhilong. "Although Leiden arbitrarily contradicted Commander Zheng, he said it well. We can't accept Borneo. It belongs to Daming completely."
"Your Excellency, I have compromised once, and I will never compromise again this time," Zheng Zhilong looked away from the water glass he was playing with, "You can't come up with any results that satisfy me. Now the agreement is close to being reached, isn't it? Your Excellency, for this Borneo, has to force the South China Sea Fleet to fight with the East India Company?"
"Commander Zheng, you are persecuting us." Spex can't give up Borneo. Not only for the reasons Leiden said, Borneo is also a transit point for the East India Company's trade with Japan and North Korea. Once he tastes the sweetness of his profits, how can he give up this piece of fat he has obtained
But Spex is even more reluctant to give up the previous agreement with Zheng Zhilong. This is the best outcome that the East India Company can get, at least much better than that of the Portuguese and Spaniards. "Commander Zheng, negotiation is a two-party negotiation. A process of constant compromise."
Zheng Zhilong shook his head, "Your Excellency, I am not a civilian negotiator. I am just a soldier. If the negotiation is for constant compromise, then I would never agree that Java belongs to the Netherlands at the beginning. On the contrary, I will let the Dutch East India Company completely Withdrawing from Nanyang, even requesting that the Netherlands be vested in Daming, as the starting point for the peace talks between the two parties, and then continue to compromise with your Excellency the Governor."
"Commander Zheng, you are too much. I have never asked for Beijing to be transferred to the East India Company." Spex was furious, and he no longer cared about the harm to Zheng Zhilong in language.
Zheng Zhilong was not harmed at all. "Your Excellency the Governor can also make such a request, as long as you have the strength or you think we have the possibility of accepting it."
"..." Strength? The East India Company does not have such strength, otherwise Spex would not sit here and chat with Zheng Zhilong, "Commander Zheng, let's deal with Borneo in another way."
"How to change the law? I'll listen carefully." Zheng Zhilong made up his mind. No matter what the suggestion was, he rejected it all. If an agreement could not be reached, then it would be good on the battlefield.
"We recognize Ming's Han Chinese interests in Borneo. Borneo is jointly managed by both parties and the land is distributed equally." Speks hopes to adopt the model of Sulawesi or the Southeast Islands. If it is not possible, then adopt the model of Spice Islands. Also good.
"Co-management? Borneo belongs to Da Ming. This is a manifestation of Da Ming's strength. If the Governor wishes to achieve condominium, then the Southeast Islands will be given to us. I will set aside an equivalent piece of land in southern Borneo and be managed by the East India Company. "
Zheng Zhilong already knows that the central part of Borneo is mountainous, with higher terrain and covered by virgin forests. It is one of the largest tropical rain forests in the world. The island is surrounded by plains, while the southern part is very low. It is now a large wetland, only living in The natives in the jungle occasionally go out to fish and hunt, and in the foreseeable future, there is no commercial development value at all.
Thinking of this, he smiled like a fox catching a chicken. He unscrupulously threw a hook without any bait and waited for Spex to bite. Anyway, I have shown enough sincerity, if not Hope for war, you have to show sincerity, either swallow this barb without bait, or walk away quietly, hide aside and wipe your tears by yourself.
In the face of absolute strength, Spex had to give in one more step: "Let Borneo be independent, Daming and the East India Company can both trade here."
"Independence?" Just kidding, Zheng Zhilong smiled more happily. Spex is obviously messed up. "Your Excellency, do you think these indigenous people with only language but no written words can guarantee our commercial interests? Really want to be so, Na Dong Why do Indian companies spend a huge price to wipe out the small countries on the island one by one?"
"We can garrison troops on the island." Speks struck his neck, but refused to let it go.
"It seems that your Excellency the Governor is forgetful again," Zheng Zhilong looked sarcastically, "I have already said that Borneo belongs to Daming, do the soldiers of the East India Company want to be stationed on the land of Daming? Some of Daming is outstanding? Soldiers, do not need the protection of the East India Company."
"Your Excellency Commander thinks, how can we protect the interests of the East India Company? Since it is a peace talks, we can't just consider the interests of Daming?" Spex is ready to accept the Spice Islands model, but he hopes that Zheng Zhilong will propose it. He is good. Bargain for more shares.
"Borneo will become a province of Daming. In order to protect the interests of the East India Company, we can open a trade port to the East India Company to allow you to conduct legal trade." Zheng Zhilong remembered the Luzon model, "but you must abide by it. Daming’s law, pay taxes to Daming in accordance with the law-Daming’s tax rate is very light.”
Spikes thought for a while, since he could not get the land in Borneo, he had to go slant, so as to maximize the interests of the East India Company and be acceptable to Zheng Zhilong.
Autonomy, Spex suddenly flashed his inspiration. He was proud of his intelligence. He was repeatedly played in the palm of his hand by Zheng Zhilong. Now Zheng Zhilong is finally overshadowed. Moreover, this effect will take decades, even countless. It will only be manifested after a hundred years. Zheng Zhilong never thought that the Netherlands was independent in this way, first becoming an autonomous province, and then becoming an independent country from Spain.
"Your Excellency, for our friendship and common interests, as well as possible future cooperative relations, I suggest that Borneo be an autonomous province of Daming."
"Autonomous province? How to autonomy?" Zheng Zhilong was confused by Spex. For the first time, he felt that Spex was unpredictable.
"Borneo can become a province of Daming, but it must enjoy a high degree of autonomy. The Daming government cannot interfere with their daily activities. All affairs must be decided by themselves." Speks quickly clarified his thoughts. As long as Daming does not participate in the daily management of Borneo, it will inevitably move towards independence. Once Daming declines, under the coercion and temptation of the East India Company, it is likely to return to the embrace of the Netherlands. This is how he can fight for the East India Company. The biggest and longest long-term benefit.
"If I don’t participate in daily management, is it still my province? Unless... Unless the officials on the island are all dispatched by my Da Ming." Zheng Zhilong thinks about it. Daming’s newly regained land is basically like this, and it’s also for Da Ming. There was no loss, but Spex forced Daming to do this, which made him feel a little unhappy.
"Officials cannot be dispatched by Daming, otherwise it is different from other provinces of Daming?" Spex denied Zheng Zhilong's wishful thinking.
"Who will appoint the officials?" Zheng Zhilong was going to deny it directly, but Spex's words aroused his curiosity. Could there be such provinces in the world? Ao, come to think of it, it seems that the Liaodong Dusi and Nuergandusi before the Ming Dynasty, as well as the Uszangdusi and Dorgandusi, all did this. They belonged to the Ming Dynasty in name, but were managed by the local chief.
However, these two capitals later rebelled, especially the Liaodong capital. After Zhu Youjian became the throne, Daming used force to establish provinces in these places and reappointed officials by the imperial court.
Does Spex want to turn Borneo into such a capital? Zheng Zhilong was immediately full of vigilance.
"Officials are elected by residents living in Borneo, and they exercise administrative power on behalf of the people." Speks brought the management model of the East India Company to Borneo.
"Elected? What kind of management method is this?" Zheng Zhilong had never heard of it. He suspected that Spex was deliberately tricking him. Since the East India Company could not get Borneo, he would not let Daming get Borneo comfortably.
Spex told Zheng Zhilong that the East India Company adopts this management model. All shareholders elect managers. No matter how big the company is, there will be no management problems. Of course, the governor is appointed by the king. Speks did not tell Zheng Zhilong.
It's Zheng Zhilong's turn to have stormy waves in his heart, so there is such a management method? No wonder the East India Company, although only a trading company, is powerful enough to fight against the entire country.
"But, in this way, does Borneo still belong to Daming?"
"Of course it belongs to Daming. They are like the East India Company. They need to pay taxes to their own government. Taxes can determine the affiliation between the two parties." Spex finally found a fulcrum for Zheng Zhilong to accept, "In order to protect the East India Company. In the interests of Borneo, if Commander Zheng can agree with my opinion, I also agree that Borneo will belong to Daming from now on."
Zheng Zhilong has been chewing on Spex’s words. Zhu Youjian asked him to look for talents in Nanyang. If Spex is not Dutch, he would definitely recommend him to Zhu Youjian, although he still doesn’t quite understand what Spex said. The management model of the East India Company.
The differences between the two sides are getting smaller and smaller. As long as Zheng Zhilong agrees to Spex's request, the agreement between the South China Sea Fleet and the East India Company will basically be reached.
But Zheng Zhilong still needs to digest this management model that has never been seen before in Daming, and he does not know whether Zhu Youjian will agree to this model.
Can this new model protect Ming's interests in Borneo? Can the interests of the Han people in Borneo be protected
He thought about meeting Chen Da, the proprietor of the seafood restaurant in Pontianak. He suddenly had an idea, but he believed that it was Daming’s own business and had nothing to do with the Dutch, and he didn’t need to ask for Spex’s advice. .
Zheng Zhilong agreed with Speks in principle, but he still needs to consider the specific details.
The two sides concluded the second peace talks in a frank and friendly atmosphere. After leaving Bangka Island, Zheng Zhilong immediately sent a pigeon to the capital to seek the next peace talks plan, especially the management issue in Borneo. Zheng Zhilong himself did not I understood too much, so I had to ask Ji Zhu Youjian.