"Xiamen and Danyuan have maintained friendship for many years. Although we face each other across the sea, we respect each other and keep in close contact, just like relatives. In the future, I am willing to maintain our friendship for a long time and never forget our past relationship.

Because I maintain a large number of troops and raise food and wages, I often send sailing ships to trade overseas. Wherever my merchant ships go, they are treated with sincerity by the local subjects, just as our country treats merchants who come to China to trade. Local officials often entrust them with their guidance.

You send letters and gifts, and I respond with replies and gifts. You understand this very well.

It is said that the people of the small country of Manila want to trade with dishonest means and swallow up all the goods in an instant instead of establishing long-lasting and stable trade relations... They do not treat the merchants politely, but they die by mistreating and robbing them.

property.

A few years ago, the people of Manila killed my subjects and took away my cargo. Now when my merchant ships arrive there, they still treat me in the same way. They do whatever they want during trade, or snatch the goods without paying, or pay without paying according to the price... Regarding all this in the past, I

They did not miss their old evils, hoping that they would change their ways, stop being tyrannical, and restore fair trade for a long time. However, this failed to work, and they continued to do evil... Their intentions were as ugly as a dog looking for food.

If I continue to send sailing ships to trade now, my heart will definitely become..., to be on the safe side, I decided not to have any contact with them. So far, I still maintain friendly relations with other places. I only issued an order to Manila prohibiting it from now on.

Trade with Manila and end its business etiquette. This order must be strictly enforced. All merchants are not allowed to transport any goods, not even small boats or planks are allowed to sail to Manila.

However, I am afraid that there are still some people who are in the country or who have stepped out of the country and are asking your permission to go to Manila or to places near Manila, namely, Teconfu, Cokebo, Pengji, Sealand, Begun, etc.

Land. For this reason, we hereby sincerely request you not to allow its application, confiscate its sailboat and cargo, and please consider imposing appropriate penalties to prevent it from violating the prohibition.

Because I am very angry with the people of Manila, and I am convinced that you feel the same way... People who are friendly to me can still get along well with each other. You and I are of the same mind, help each other, and are brothers. If you allow merchants to trade with the place where I have written,

I take this to mean that you are not listening to your advice, that is, you are not willing to maintain our close friendship with each other as always. However, due to the close friendship we have established for many years, I do not believe that you will allow merchants to trade.

I sincerely and frankly tell you my opinion in writing, and I look forward to your reply."

The wording of the letter seemed very intimate, but in fact it was full of diplomatic rhetoric. Zheng Chenggong just explained one point to the Dutch authorities in Taiwan, that is, the Spanish in Manila were bullying people too much, so he wanted to give them a long memory.

The Dutch just hope that the Dutch can reach an agreement with them and jointly launch a no-navigation operation against the Spanish.

This letter is one of the letters exchanged between Zheng Chenggong and the Dutch United East India Company. The original history was that it was sent to the then Dutch Governor of Taiwan Casa on August 17, 1655. However,

Due to the big moves made by the Zheng Group in Yongli 7 and 8 years, as well as the huge burden on the back of regaining Fujian Province in the second half of Yongli 8 years, Zheng Chenggong did not make up his mind and take action as he did in history.

.

Time dragged on to the eleventh year of Yongli. As Fujian recovered, Zheng Chenggong immediately attacked the Spaniards. However, at this time, the Dutch governor of Taiwan was no longer Casa, but a man named Frederick*

The cool Swede.

He was born into a noble family in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. He later joined the Dutch United East India Company and went through various ranks. By 1645 AD, which was the first year of Hongguang in the second year of Jiashen, he had been promoted to Batavia.

as a senior businessman, and two years later he was appointed director of Japan's Dejima Commercial Post, responsible for Japan's trade affairs for the Dutch United East India Company. By this year, at just thirty-seven years old, he was already the Dutch Governor of Taiwan.

Compared with Zheng Chenggong who sent this letter, he is only four years older.

"I heard that the man with the surname Guo has been canonized as the King of Fujian by the Ming Empire, which is the title of a prince."

"The Ming Empire only has a few provinces left. When it falls, unlike our continent, where nobles have genealogical inheritance, his princely title will be worthless."

"You can't say that. The Ming Empire is actually more powerful than that Tatar country. What's more, there is a man under the command of the country's surnamed master who is said to be comparable to Count Uxenshenna. Who knows?

What will happen in the end?"

After receiving the letter, since the Zheng Group has always been a behemoth that cannot be ignored in the China Sea, such a letter must be notified to the headquarters in Batavia, so Kui Yi immediately notified the person in charge after reading the letter.

Taiwan's executive council held discussions. This also had a lot to do with the fact that he had just taken over as the governor of Taiwan, and he did not know much about Taiwan and its surroundings as he did in Japan, which he had stayed for ten years.

The Dutch regarded themselves as sea coachmen and did not think highly of the maritime power of the Ming Dynasty. Even though they had been expelled from Penghu by the Ming army several times before and were defeated at Liaoluowan, this remained unchanged.

Here, the Council circulated letters, and Zheng Chenggong's requests were all clear. Among them, the so-called long-term friendship was just diplomatic rhetoric for Zheng Chenggong, and to them it was nothing more than the alliance between the Zheng Group and the Netherlands during the Zheng Zhilong era.

Contracts and trade exchanges between the East India Company - Since Zheng Zhilong did not intend to be controlled by the Dutch, relying on the Ming Empire, but on the contrary curbed the colonial ambitions of the Dutch, which was really not a happy thing for them.

Speaking of which, Zheng Zhilong was able to successfully become the leader of the Yan Siqi Group, and many of them had connections with the Dutch. Later, the Dutch used Zheng Zhilong to attack the Ming court, and used the name of pirates to attack the coastal areas of Fujian, in order to force the Ming court to cooperate with them.

conduct trade.

Such a method was a helpless move after they had failed to gain any benefit after being personally killed several times. Originally, Zheng Zhilong had already done an excellent job and sent Zhu Yifeng, the governor who was leading the battle, and Yu Zigao, the chief military officer who served as the barrier to the Fujian Sea, to

They were all driven out of office. Following this trend, the next officials should start to consider trade matters. However, Zheng Zhilong was a big player, and he directly affiliated himself to the Ming court after being favored.

In the days that followed, the Dutch clashed with Zheng Zhilong several times, either personally or by supporting other pirates. They even detained Zheng Zhilong at one point and forced him to sign a trade treaty that was unilaterally beneficial to the Dutch. However, over the past few years, Zheng Zhilong not only

It was with the help of the Dutch that they eradicated competitors like Xu Xinsu, and with the help of the Ming Dynasty, they also used the power of the Ming Dynasty to kill the big pirates along the Fujian and Guangdong coasts such as Li Kuiqi, Zhong Bin, and Liu Xiang. Finally, they defeated the Dutch at Liaoluo Bay.

According to the evaluation of the Dutch United East India Company, in 1640 AD alone, due to the monopoly trade of the Zheng Group, their losses were as high as 300,000 guilders. Three years later, in 1643 AD, their interests were damaged.

The Dutch United East India Company protested to Zheng Zhilong. As a result, Zheng Zhilong not only failed to re-sign a trade agreement with Zheng Zhilong, but also threatened to use ships to load stones and scuttle them at Taiwan's ports, blocking Taiwan's trade, and even sent troops to attack Taiwan. And this

During this period, Zheng Zhilong told his men that if they were threatened by the Dutch at sea, they could surrender directly. He had a way to get all the people and ships back from the Dutch!

With such self-confidence, the Dutch were still helpless. However, the strength of the Zheng Group during the Zheng Zhilong period came to an end quickly with the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. Zheng Zhilong was captured in the capital, and the Zheng Group fell apart. The Dutch could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

However, with the reunification of the Zheng Group and its growing strength, the sword has always been hanging over their heads.

"According to our intelligence, the Spaniards did not give face to Mr. Guo Xing. In Manila and other areas under their control, they were extremely harsh on Mr. Guo Xing's subordinates and Chinese businessmen. This is no longer a matter of a year or two.

, It seems to have been like this ever since Nikolai was captured by the Tatars."

"Every time I think of those barbaric Tatars who captured the nasty official Nikolay, I can't help but praise God. It would be better to lock him up for the rest of his life and never come back. However, his son's temper seems to be even tougher than him.

Hard, this is not a good thing."

"Now we are the Spaniards, and we may be next. The East India Company is not his subordinate, and we cannot let that countryman do whatever he wants. We must let him know that the sea is different from the land. He has expanded from an island to the current territory.

Two or three provinces, but when it comes to the sea, he can’t help but have the final say.”

The Dutch want free trade, while the Zheng Group is engaged in monopoly trade. The two sides have always been on the same page. But the trade exchanges over the years have always existed. Today, when China is declining in the war, the Zheng Group provides annual

The raw silk, silk, porcelain and other commodities given to the Dutch United East India Company were difficult for them to obtain from other places, or even nowhere to be found.

The power of the Council is very powerful, especially for a new governor like him who has just taken over. Here, the Council's suggestions are in place, and Kuiyi knows what he should do. However, he

He did not want to be as frustrated by Zheng Zhilong during his tenure as his predecessors - Natz and Putmans.

"When I was in Japan, I heard that Mr. Guo Xingye had a staff named Chen Kai who was very capable. He was behind many of Guo Xingye's victories. This man seems to be a member of the Ming Empire in Guangdong now.

Chief Executive."

………………

He sneezed inexplicably, and the two options "Someone missed me" and "Am I suffering from a heat cold" suddenly appeared in Chen Kai's mind, and he immediately threw them all aside.

There are still a lot of official duties on hand. Fortunately, those complicated tasks are left to Wang Jiang in the civil affairs department and to Cao Conglong in the judicial department. It is enough for him to do a good job of overall management. He reviews and reviews documents every day.

, share some new ideas at every turn, and try not to get involved in specific work, because if not, plus the affairs of the Military Affairs, the Council and the Guangdong Business Alliance, it may not be enough for him to stay awake all day.

of.

By the eleventh year of Yongli, after rest and mobilization, the Ming army's defense lines in western Guangdong and southern Jiangxi were already solid. Chen Kai communicated with Zheng Chenggong, and it was clear that Zheng Chenggong was currently preparing to take advantage of the navy to mobilize the land division.

Blooming everywhere along the coast of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Ming army in Fujian has regained its mobility, which is really a huge threat to the Qing army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. On the Guangdong side, Chen Kai still focuses on maintaining the front line while accumulating military reserves.

Wait for the opportunity.

There is Huangshan in southern Jiangxi and Ke Chenshu in western Guangdong. During this period, Chen Kai also completed the reorganization and training of Ma Bao, Wang Han, Li Guangen and other troops. Of these three troops, Ma Bao's troops are independently organized, and Chen Kai's troops are organized independently.

Kai obtained the military bugle of Xuanyi Zuozhen from Zheng Chenggong. As for the other two units, both of which had expanded to a thousand men, he planned to set them up as independent associations and put them directly under their control, just like the one in Fubiao, Guangdong.

This is a new combat unit that, in conjunction with the garrison teams in the northern counties of Zhaoqing, can better ensure the security of the Guangzhou area, which is the connection center between western Guangdong and southern Jiangxi.

For the time being, Chen Kai has no desire to continue attacking. This is related to his embarrassing position in the Zheng Group, and also because Guangdong is undergoing drastic changes. This process is the most taboo for turmoil, and Chen Kai must pay attention to the whole process. Whether it is the Consultative Bureau or Guangdong

This is true for the Maritime Commercial Alliance.

After a few months of harmony in the Advisory Council, the number of quarrels has increased recently. Almost every time Chen Kai went over, he could hear the members yelling. In this regard, he only explained

He just said "vote to resolve" and said nothing. They were allowed to continue arguing. As long as they didn't get over the line, there was nothing they could say.

It's a mess over there, but work is on track. Councilors in Guangzhou and alternate councilors in various prefectures and counties have taken action to build momentum for the council, and at the same time, they are also feeding local situations back to the council.

Proposals are constantly being made by the bureau, but most of them are trivial, involving neither administration nor litigation, let alone military affairs. On the contrary, there are proposals for setting up book schools, building bridges and paving roads, and

There has never been a shortage of proposals to establish monuments and biographies, which seems very pleasing.

"They are still testing."

Those who can enter the Council are all talented people. Chen Kai thinks he knows how to recognize people. In the same way, none of the guys in the Guangdong Business Alliance are freeloaders. Now Guangzhou, Chaozhou and Qiongzhou are three prefectures.

They have become the three good horses for Guangdong's economic rejuvenation, pulling the carriage forward with great strides.

However, Zheng Chenggong had already issued a trade embargo policy against the Spanish. When the order arrived in Guangzhou, Chen Kai also immediately issued it to all prefectures and counties. Now, except for the areas controlled by the generals in western Guangdong, Guangdong Province has banned all trade embargoes to Manila and its

Trade was carried out in the surrounding areas. For the Spaniards there, winter came early.

This is the first time for the Guangdong authorities to issue a government order. Many things have to be re-adjusted while the ban is being implemented. Chen Kai's busiest thing recently is related to the ban, which is also a brand new experience for him.

In the afternoon, the official business was not completed, but a letter of greeting was sent in. Chen Kai made an appointment with the other party to meet the next day. On the second day, those people wearing tuxedos, tight pants, high noses and deep eyes, three-dimensional facial features, and

The Dutchman, who has flaxen hair but is called red hair by the Chinese and Japanese, stepped into the second hall of the Guangdong Governor's Yamen.

"On behalf of the Governor of the Dutch United East India Company in Taiwan, Frederick Kuei, the Chief Executive, and the Council of Senior Members, we would like to extend our most sincere greetings to Governor Chen."

Kueyi, this name is somewhat familiar, but I didn’t remember the origin for a while. However, this did not hinder Chen Kai at all: "Sir Kuoyi and all the gentlemen are interested. It's just that you have come all the way from the senior officials.

, it won’t be as simple as just saying hello, right?”

"Yes, on behalf of the Governor of the Dutch United East India Company, Frederick Kuei, and the council of senior officials, we hope that we can reach a trade agreement with Governor Chen that is more beneficial to both of us in order to deal with the situation between Guo Xingye and Spain.

The turmoil caused by trade disputes between people."
Chapter completed!