“In addition, we have heard a little bit of rumors recently,” Bruce Dimen blinked and said with a smile, “It’s just a little bit of rumors that after completing the marriage between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France, they will focus their main energy on the New World!

You should know that Don Juan Jose, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of New Spain today, is King Philip’s illegitimate son, and he is also King Philip’s most respected subordinate!”

Li Shaoyou narrowed his eyes and looked at the "special envoy of the profiteer country" in front of him. He felt weird! How kind are the Dutch profiteers? Revealing the Spanish confidential information to the Ming Dynasty? Who doesn't know that you and the Spaniards have turned enemies into friends?

?How could the British have lost so many ships in the war with the Spanish if you hadn't been behind it?

"Mr. Dimen," Li Shaoyou asked, "are you reminding our country that the Kingdom of New Spain will soon launch an attack on the United States of New Zealand?"

"Yes!" Bruce Dimen nodded, "Actually, King Philip has wanted to do this for a long time, but his power was restrained by France, Britain and Portugal, and he had no spare power for the New World at the moment, so he could only watch the New World.

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But now, little Cromwell just wants to consolidate his power in Britain, and his external goal is to expand his colonies on the east coast of North America, and there will be no more conflicts with Spain for the time being."

Li Shaoyou nodded slightly. He knew that Bruce was right. England is still a republic under the rule of the second generation protector Charles Cromwell, but the authority of little Cromwell still cannot be compared with that of his late father, so he can only

He will focus his main energy on domestic affairs and will not be as keen on European affairs as his father.

Bruce added, "Although Louis XIV was ambitious, his country did not have a strong navy, and at the same time it had many overseas interests, such as the colonies in New France, and the 'gift trade' with your country and the Ottoman Empire. This

This determined that Louis could no longer attack Spain without the support of Britain or our country."

No matter how sluggish the Spanish Navy is, it is still a global navy and cannot be challenged by the weak French Navy!

Therefore, without the support of Britain and the Netherlands, Louis could only be Philip's good son-in-law.

"And we in the Netherlands," Bruce said, "we do not want the Spanish Netherlands to become part of France, so we are not willing to continue to weaken Spain." He smiled bitterly, "This is that there are no eternal enemies in Europe, and there are no eternal enemies.

friends!"

"It's the same everywhere!" Li Shaoyuan said, "There are people in Nanyang who don't want to be neighbors with the Ming Dynasty!"

Bruce was expressionless and continued, "As for Portugal, it is a tragedy. Anyone can take advantage of this country, and no one is willing to really pay for Portugal, so this country cannot contain the power of Spain."

The Ming Dynasty also took advantage of the Kingdom of Portugal to a certain extent.

Because the Ming Dynasty tried its best to promote the anti-Spanish alliance between the Ming Dynasty, Britain, France, and Portugal, the Kingdom of Portugal lost all its privileges in Macau two years ago. It also opened the Timor Island Colony to the Ming Dynasty. Timor Island is very close to Australia.

, which is just over 1,000 miles away, can be used as a starting point for exploring Australia.

Of course, Zhu Cixi did not expel the Portuguese residents of Macau, nor did he even cancel Macau's autonomy, nor did he close the Catholic church there. Instead, he asked the Portuguese in Macau to choose between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Ming Dynasty.

Either be loyal to Portugal and become a Portuguese living in the Ming Dynasty. Or be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and become a subject of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty.

The difference between the Portuguese expatriates and the Portuguese subjects of the Ming Dynasty is that the former have no political rights in Macao and cannot participate in self-government (now the counties and cities in the direct province of the Ming Dynasty have certain autonomy rights and below) and cannot participate in the Macao city government.

and subordinate institutions to hold official positions (but they can serve as officials in the provincial court), nor can they take part in the imperial examinations (including official examinations and government-run university entrance examinations).

The latter are subjects of the Celestial Dynasty, and are basically equal under the Emperor!

Li Shaoyou didn't want to mention Portugal anymore, so he changed the topic to the New World War. He asked, "Mr. Diemen, I think you can reveal the position of the Dutch Republic on the upcoming New World War?"

Bruce Dimen nodded and said, "We in the Netherlands are a commercial country. We will not directly join a war unless we have to. And we have no interests on the west coast of the New World, so we just want to remain neutral. At the same time, we also want to ensure as much as possible.

Trans-Pacific trade will not be interrupted by war!"

"During the Anglo-Spanish War, your Netherlands was also neutral, right?" Li Shaoyou asked back.

"Yes!" Bruce Dimen laughed, "But the Ming Dynasty is not England. The Ming Empire is the defender of the existing order in Nanyang. As long as the status quo of the Nanyang Islands remains unchanged, the Netherlands is a reliable friend of the Ming Empire!"

The meaning of this is very clear. If the Ming Dynasty wants to continue to advance south, then the Spanish privateers in the Pacific will become very fierce!

"Nanyang" Li Shaoyou looked at Bruce Dimen, "Where does it include now?"

"Including Luzon and the south of Siam!" Bruce Dimen said.

Li Shaoyou shook his head and said, "We believe that Nanyang only includes Spice Island, Java Island and the Strait of Malacca!"

Bruce Dimen's face changed slightly, "Are you going to launch attacks in multiple directions at the same time?"

"We have such ability!" Li Shaoyao, "and we are also willing to protect the interests of our friends. The interests of the Netherlands in the Spice Island, Java Island and the Strait of Malacca will not be infringed!"

This is actually a threat!

If the Dutch armed ships fly the Spanish flag and serve as Spanish privateers, then the Spice Island will be attacked by the Ming Dynasty!

"But the Netherlands also has friends in the Strait of Malacca, the Spice Island and north of Java Island!" Bruce Dimen said in a calm tone.

"The Netherlands can help its friends," Li Shaoyou said with a smile, "but it won't directly join a costly war for its friends, right?"

"Of course, the Dutch Republic doesn't like war!" Bruce Dimen nodded slowly.

Li Shaoyou twirled his beard and said thoughtfully, "Maybe we can sign a new agreement to regulate free trade in the Pacific and determine the Netherlands' sphere of influence in the Nanyang Islands!"

Bruce Dimen frowned slightly. He was "knowing" and of course knew that Li Shaoyou would not sign a contract with a foreign country. He could talk in vain, but to propose a contract, he must have received instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

The new agreement proposed by Li Shaoyou actually requires changing the status quo and achieving the southward advance of Ming forces!

This shows that as early as a few months ago (it took several months for the order to be transmitted between the Ming and France), the Ming court had already designated the national policy of gradually advancing southward!

After seizing Luzon Island, the Ming Dynasty's goals should be Boni, Sulu, Pattani and Perak (between Pattani and Johor), because these four sultanates all use Tianfang religion as their state religion, which is actually Tianfang.

The "area of ​​contention" between the religious civilization circle and the Chinese civilization circle, and with the involvement of Western Christian forces, the situation is very complicated, and it may take many years to completely settle it.

Therefore, the Ming Empire can ensure the security of the Dutch territories before pacifying the Boni, Sulu, Pattani and Perak Kingdoms in exchange for the Dutch's "limited intervention", that is, struggle is struggle, and business is business, as long as it does not end up breaking out and starting a war.

, business must continue.

This diplomatic line is of course politically wrong, but after more than ten years as emperor, Zhu Cixi still could not change his true nature as a profiteer. He always settles economic accounts first and then political accounts in everything he does, which is quite similar to the Netherlands, so
Chapter completed!