Chapter 1256 Forced into helplessness

The two envoys felt that Tan Juren's explanation was reasonable. Officers captured during the war should have better treatment, so that they could exchange ransoms from the enemy after the war was over, or exchange people for their own. Captured personnel. It was not easy to capture a group of British guys. If they were the ones in charge, they would definitely keep these people so that the British East India Company could bleed.

However, when they saw this group of British people with their own eyes, they couldn't help but laugh. These guys were sitting on the ground in a small farmyard. There was a pile of rocks like a hill next to each of them, and the British people used the hammers in their hands to hit the ground. Knock these stones into small stones bit by bit. The sound of knocking stones can be heard in the yard. These people are so absorbed in their work that no one raises their head to look at the new visitors.

If it weren't for their distinctive appearance, the two envoys probably wouldn't have noticed that these disgraced migrant workers were British prisoners of war. Looking at their appearance, it seemed that they didn't get the special treatment they imagined, but the labor intensity was higher than that of ordinary prisoners of war. Just a little smaller. Maybe they were all famous military officers before, but now they are just a group of lonely masons.

The two envoys secretly said something miserable in their hearts, but from their standpoint, they didn't have much sympathy for the British. They just felt a little bit sad about the death of the rabbit and the fox. It is said that the Haihan people are good at calculating. From their point of view, Judging from the arrangements for the prisoners of war, the reputation is indeed well-deserved. The prisoners of war had to do heavy manual labor during their detention, and they had no chance of having anything to eat.

Tan Juren asked his men to bring out Hogg, the leader of the British prisoners, and let him meet with the envoys from the two countries. Hogg had been staying in the Far East for a long time. When he met these two people, he learned from their His identity could be judged from his appearance and clothing. Hogg did not feel that the meeting under such circumstances was the Haihan people's intention to humiliate him, but he was secretly worried that the appearance of the envoys of these two families here was not a coincidence. , if Portugal and the Netherlands are involved in the subsequent chaos, it will inevitably complicate the already unfavorable situation. By then, the East India Company will have to deal with more than just opponents.

Ricardo and Philip each reported their names and identities, and Hogg also reported his identity in accordance with diplomatic rules. Although he is now a prisoner, on this occasion, he represents Britain and the East India Company. Naturally, we cannot be at a disadvantage in terms of interests and momentum.

After a few brief conversations between the three, the two envoys were basically certain that the man in front of them was really a senior military adviser working for the East India Company, and Haihan's complete victory in this battle was also confirmed from his mouth .Confirmed one by one by the many evidences they had seen before, they could finally confirm how powerful Haihan's performance was this time.

The coalition forces formed by the British East India Company and the State of Johor originally wanted to attack Sing Island with doubled troops, but unexpectedly, Haihan set up an ambush and retained all the enemy troops who set foot on Sing Island. And during the period In two days of fighting, they quickly defeated their opponents. From the beginning to the end, the coalition forces of the two countries had no hope of victory. Instead, most of them became prisoners of war, and would later be asked for ransom and compensation by Haihan. This action was really serious. It means losing all your money.

Philip was quite proud of himself. Haihan's performance in the battle was partly due to the key intelligence provided by the Netherlands. Without this, even if Haihan could defeat the coalition, he would not have been able to achieve such a complete victory.

As a result of the battle, maybe the coalition forces succeeded in one attack and really caused heavy damage to Haihan.

Of course, the intervention of the Netherlands originally had a strong political meaning. The purpose was not to save the Haihan people on Star Island, but to use the hands of the Haihan people to attack their rival British. After all, the conflict of interest between the Netherlands and the Haihan only existed in

The South China Sea is a place, but the competition with the United Kingdom is on a global scale. The importance of the two is not at the same level. From the height of national interests, at this time, we must try to attack the United Kingdom first.

And if this operation against Haihan was only planned and initiated unilaterally by Johor, then even if the Netherlands knew the news, they would never notify Haihan. The same would be true for Portugal. If Johor can create something for Haihan.

If there is some trouble, then they will be very happy to stand by and watch Haihan suffer misfortune.

"General Roger, can I have a few words with you alone?" Hogg took the initiative to ask at this time. But this did not seem to surprise Roger. He nodded with a smile and asked Tan Juren to greet the two first.

The messenger took Hogg aside.

"As for the suggestions you made before, I think there is room for further discussion between the two of us." Hogg took the initiative to express his purpose.

However, Roger was not someone who was easily tricked. He smiled slightly and said, "What are you talking about?"

Hogg coughed dryly and said, "That's it...accepting the conditions proposed by you and the truce and peace!"

Hogg had already guessed why the Haihan people brought the Portuguese and Dutch to the prisoner of war camp to see the scenery. These two families had always been in fierce competition with the British. When they found out that Britain was defeated by Haihan, what would they do?

How to react?

Standing by and watching? No, they will not be so kind. Hogg only needs to put himself in their shoes to estimate their reaction. If Portugal or the Netherlands were hit hard, of course he would be in trouble after discovering this situation.

Plan immediately how to deal a heavier blow to it, and never give your opponent a chance to stand up.

Hogg knew that Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with both families. Even if they did not know the status of the fighting between Haihan and the coalition forces in advance, after coming here to see the prisoners of war, they would definitely try their best to persuade Haihan not to cease the war.

, continue to raise troops to attack Britain and Johor. And if Haihan is persuaded by him, the chance of Hogg and these prisoners of war being released will be very slim, and the company's situation in the South China Sea will become more difficult, regardless of whether it is

Regardless of selfishness or considering his responsibilities, Hogg will try his best to prevent the situation from getting worse.

But now that he is a prisoner, he does not have much capital for bargaining, and the Haihan people may not have the patience to continue slowly. If he does not persuade the other party quickly, he may be overtaken by his European colleagues who are worried about the world's chaos.

It's ahead.

Roger smiled and said: "So you are talking about this... I have no objections to the armistice, but your East India Company's response is too slow. You also know that if many things are delayed for a long time, the situation will become easier.

Become out of control. As the victors, what we are pursuing must be to maximize profits. If there are other plans to obtain greater benefits than the armistice, then of course I will consider new plans instead of waiting for the East India Company.

I don’t know when the answer will be given.”

Hogg really couldn't refute Roger. After he was captured as the commander of this operation, the East India Company no longer had a person who could make the final decision in the Johor area. All it could do was to compare the war situation here with Hogg's.

After being captured, the handwritten letter was sent to the stronghold in the Indian peninsula. However, the distance between the two places was long. By the time the reply from the other side was sent, the day lily would probably be cold.

Hogg originally thought that it didn't matter if he waited for a month or two. During this period, he would just suffer a little and be tired. The company might feel that it would be painful to pay for it, but if it was to enter the South China Sea, it would open up

In terms of the prospect of the Far East trade route, after gritting the teeth and giving this money, it can actually be earned back through maritime trade. Although it suffers a short-term loss, it is a very cost-effective business in the long run. Hogg also realized this.

After a while, he clarified the pros and cons in the letter and suggested that the company conduct in-depth negotiations with Haihan to obtain the coveted regional trade status.

Of course, this is definitely not good news for the competitors of the British East India Company. Portugal and the Netherlands each guard a strait channel in and out of the South China Sea, but if Haihan insists on opening a hole to let the British in,

, then it would be difficult for them to change this situation with just verbal opposition. Therefore, Hogg must rush to reach an agreement with Haihan before those two companies persuade Haihan. But the problem is that Hogg is short of hands.

There is weight in the matter, and the time issue alone is enough to make the Haihan people change their minds.

For the current plan, Hogg can only ignore the situation and increase the stakes first. As long as enough sweeteners and sufficient reasons are given, he believes that the Haihan people will still consider negotiating with the company to resolve the current situation.

, instead of using force to keep British merchant ships out of the South China Sea.

"We can consider paying a certain fee to your country every year to obtain trade rights in the South China Sea." Hogg was in a hurry and couldn't think of any good way.

If you can't get the approval of the company's management, you can only wait until then.

"Is there any more?" The expression on Roger's face has not changed much, and there is still a faint smile on the corner of his mouth. This is the expression that only people who have taken the initiative in negotiations will have, confident and calm, waiting for their opponents.

Show your cards one by one.

Seeing that Roger was noncommittal, Hogg couldn't guess whether he was interested in his offer, so he could only continue: "The fee is negotiable..."

"It's not a question of more money and less money." Roger waved his hand and interrupted him: "You may have misunderstood our country, but we Haihan are not short of this little money!"

Hoge thought to himself, you have the nerve to say this. The compensation and ransom were all the conditions you set a few days ago. Now you are actually saying this to me. It seems that you have misunderstood the thickness of your Haihan people's skin.

However, he did not dare to show his unhappiness on his face at all, and asked cautiously: "What do you mean?"

"Order! Obey!" Roger threw out two key words, and then explained to Hogg: "As we all know, the current international trade order in the South China Sea is established and led by our country. If countries outside the region want to enter this area to carry out trade, then

They must abide by the rules of the game led by Haihan. For example, British ships that want to enter the South China Sea must actively register relevant information with our country and accept corresponding supervision. For example, British merchant ships entering

In the South China Sea, you must first register at Xingdao, indicating the status of the vessel and crew, cargo content, destination, voyage arrangements and other information, and then you must also cooperate with inspections during the docking at Haihan Port."

Although Hogg is from the Army, he can also understand the impact that Haihan's regulatory measures will have on the East India Company's future maritime trade activities in the South China Sea. If this is implemented, then the trading activities of British merchant ships in the South China Sea will be

There are almost no secrets for Haihan. If you want to open up colonies or new routes in the future, you will definitely not escape Haihan's attention. This is not a situation that the East India Company is happy to accept.

Hogg coughed dryly and said: "I understand that your country attaches great importance to security issues, but this seems a bit too strict? If you operate like this, wouldn't you lose even a little freedom of navigation and trade?"

Roger responded calmly: "It depends on how you weigh it. Freedom and security cannot have both. If you want freedom, then we will not guarantee the safety of British ships in the South China Sea!"

Although Roger had no tone or expression, Hogg felt that these words actually contained a strong threat. Failure to cooperate would not ensure the safety of British ships, which is actually the same as not obtaining access to the South China Sea.

.

Hogg looked sideways at the Portuguese and Dutch envoys not far away, and then turned back to Roger: "But they probably won't tolerate British ships appearing in the South China Sea. Is there any way to prevent them from interfering with British ships?"

Is it safe?”

Before Hogg came here, he regarded Portugal and the Netherlands as the biggest obstacles to entering the South China Sea, but now the number one position has been replaced by Haihan, and the other two countries are only second-tier threats. But since Roger keeps saying what

Safety guarantee, then Hogg would also like to hear what special insights he has.

"Portugal and the Netherlands only have ordinary diplomatic relations with our country, and there is no status subordination. As long as they do not hinder Haihan's interests, we have no right to interfere too much with what they want to do at sea. The competition and conflicts between you,

Our country has always been unwilling to intervene and has no ability to limit what they can and cannot do."

Roger paused and then changed the subject: "But of course there are ways to ensure the safety of British merchant ships. There are some that are troublesome but safe, and some that are simple but risky. Which one do you want to hear?"

Hogg asked: "Of course we should give priority to the safe method."

Roger nodded and said: "No matter whether British merchant ships enter or exit the South China Sea, they will first assemble at Haihan Port, and we will dispatch armed ships to escort them. This can basically guarantee that they will not be attacked by the other two countries at sea. The disadvantages are

It’s just that the cost is high, and we have to wait until our warships are available before the trip can take place.”
Chapter completed!