The Governor-General of the Netherlands, Van Diemen, fell ill during the rainy season and received the Manila Five Agreement on his bed.
Van Diemen immediately convened a meeting and called all the members of the Council. He dragged his sick body and smiled and announced: "Gentlemen, we have fully achieved our expected goals in this year's Battle of Manila. Although Busuanga Island is barren, its location is very
Importantly, it is located between China, Spain, and Sulu, and is the crossroads of local trade. Now, this island belongs to us, and we should immediately mobilize manpower and materials to build castles and ports on the island!"
Then, Van Diemen continued: "Although the southern part of Mindanao is full of barbarian indigenous people, there is a bay (Sarangani Bay) there, which is a natural haven. Ports and cities can be established within the bay (General Santos
City). As long as we gain a foothold in America, this will be the first stop from America to the Far East! This can become the second Manila!"
"Snap, snap, snap!"
Lawmakers immediately applauded, but without much excitement.
It will take at least ten years of operation in the southern region of Mindanao, and it will also have to cooperate with the Dutch power in America, before it can truly be converted into rolling silver.
Although Busuanga Island is geographically important, there are several large ports around it, which will suck away the trading ships, making it difficult to make profits in the short term.
The Netherlands' acquisition of these two places, if compared to a game of Go, means placing moves in two key parts. Long-term thinking is definitely a good move, but it does not have much effect at this stage. Parliamentarians who focus on short-term interests always feel that they are at a loss.
Fortunately, the Netherlands has obtained trading rights and can, together with China, monopolize spices and gems from Brunei and Sulu.
In Van Diemen's eyes, this trade right was incidental to the negotiations, but the congressmen regarded the trade right as a real war bonus.
Van Diemen was so excited that his condition seemed to have improved a lot. When he returned home, he asked his servants to open a bottle of wine to celebrate.
…
Wantan Port.
A senior employee at a trading post was writing to the top brass of the British East India Company:
"Gentlemen, we have just received amazing news. The Dutch East India Company and the Chinese Emperor jointly sent troops to defeat Spain on land and sea. The Chinese Emperor obtained Luzon Island, and the Dutch East India Company obtained two key territories.
The two sultanates of Brunei and Sulu have returned to the embrace of the Chinese emperor... By the way, the Dutch East India Company has also joined forces with China to monopolize the spices and gems of Brunei and Sulu."
"Gentlemen, we need a war. Britain and the Netherlands go to war directly. Only war can capture commercial interests. If this continues, it will be difficult for the British East India Company to gain a foothold in the Far East..."
Teddy Holland on the sea is making trouble all over the world, so naturally he won't have a good relationship with Britain.
Both countries have East India Company, so it is normal for them to compete for each other's business.
More than 20 years ago, the British were doing a good spice business in Java, but the Dutch fleet suddenly came to kill them. After a fierce beating, the Netherlands forced the British to sign an agreement: the Eastern spice trade was divided into three parts, and the Netherlands exclusively owned two.
The matter was not over yet. Only a few years later, the Netherlands killed all the British people in the Maguru Islands because of the spice trade, which was known in history as the "Ambuana Massacre".
In the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and West Africa, the Netherlands also competed with the British for business. They even went to the British coast to catch herring and then resold it to the British.
If the British want to be tough, they have to wait for Lord Protector Cromwell. At the moment, the British king has no intention of engaging in a trade war.
Of course, the British, who were living a hard life, are now prospering in India.
Portugal had a bad relationship with the Mughal emperor of India. The British fleet defeated the Portuguese fleet, and the Mughal emperor was very happy. The British then acted like a licking dog and knelt down to lick the Indian emperor crazily. The British king also sent an envoy to nearly
The flattering way made the Indian Emperor happy.
Therefore, the Indian emperor ordered officials across the country to protect the British.
There are no restrictions for British people to do business in India. Officials from various places are not allowed to harass British factories. In some areas, British people are even directly exempted from business taxes!
What a great Indian emperor, the British are very grateful for this, and they will do their best to repay the emperor's love.
…
Nanjing.
The people standing in front of Zhao Han were all important ministers of the Datong imperial court.
Zuo Xiaoliang said: "It is definitely impossible to establish prefectures and counties in Luzon. The Xuanfu Division can be set up to rule."
Ouyang Zheng said: "This should be the case in a foreign land. Just like the Xuanwei Division in Laos, a Luzon Xuanwei Division was set up to let the local chieftain manage the area."
Yang Zhong then asked: "Can we cultivate land in Luzon? If we can't cultivate food, we can use chieftains to manage the land."
The ministers argued for a long time and decided to appoint a chieftain.
Zhao Han didn't discuss it with them anymore, because there was really no common language, so he just issued the imperial edict directly.
First, set up a governor of Luzon, a second-grade official selected by the Zuo Shilang of each ministry. The term of office is six years and he is in charge of Luzon affairs.
Second, the Luzon Civil Affairs Envoy is established, a third-grade official of the same rank, who is selected by the director of each province. The term of office is six years and he is in charge of Luzon Civil Affairs.
Third, set up Luzon Missionary Envoys, officials of the third rank, who are selected by the provincial directors for a six-year term and are in charge of educational affairs in Luzon.
Fourth, set up the Luzon Financial Envoy...
Anyway, the governor monopolizes the power, appoints a bunch of officials in charge, and then sends a censor to inspect the area once every three years. The censor must take root in Luzon for three years and be responsible for reporting corruption and violations of the law by local officials.
There are three thousand troops stationed in Luzon, and the soldiers want to make their homes there.
Unless Luzon Island is attacked or there is a riot in Luzon Island, the governor cannot mobilize the army. If you want to use troops externally, you must report to the Ministry of War in advance, obtain permission from the Ministry of War, and then obtain the emperor's order before mobilizing troops.
In addition, 70% of Luzon's fiscal revenue goes to the royal family and 30% is turned over to the national treasury.
If cabinet officials want to collect more money, they must make the cake bigger.
It is impossible not to give money to the imperial court, otherwise decades later, like Zheng He's voyages to the West, the expansion of overseas territories will be criticized as "a waste of people and money." Zheng He's voyages to the West definitely made money, and some of it was given to the national treasury, but most of them
Part of it was still used to perform errands for the emperor.
Nowadays, the population in the north is very small, and it is unrealistic to immigrate to Luzon immediately.
Zhao Han then issued an order: If any Han people occupy unowned land in Luzon, they must report to the Luzon government. The upper limit of land owned by each person is 100 acres. They can also own more than 100 acres, but for every 10 acres more,
The tax on excess land will increase by 1%. In addition, families with more than ten people must separate households.
This encourages immigration and development, while at the same time restricting the expansion of local power.
There are certainly loopholes that can be exploited, even leading to hidden land, just as overseas territories are bound to be hotbeds of corruption.
Spain has set up institutions at all levels in the Americas, and officials check and supervise each other. Is it not that corruption and smuggling are endemic?
Li Banghua read the fresh imperial edict and carefully savored its profound meaning.
"This land in Luzon can be regarded as His Majesty's imperial palace?" Li Banghua muttered.
Tian Younian said: "The imperial estates all use eunuchs and officials, but Luzon has court officials. Your Majesty is expanding the territory."
Li Banghua asked: "How much tax revenue can Luzon get every year?"
Tian Younian shook his head: "I don't know."
…
Fuzhou.
Lin Fusheng called two concubines: "This is the imperial edict just sent to Fuzhou. Each person can occupy one hundred acres of land in Luzon. If it exceeds ten acres, the tax will only be increased by one percent. One person can occupy 500 acres of land."
, the tax increase of 40% on 400 acres of land is nothing in Luzon. Of course, it depends on how much the tax is. There are not many Han people in Luzon now. I heard that the red-haired ghosts left a lot of cultivated land. You can go back to your hometown in the countryside.
, invite fellow villagers to go to Luzon to occupy land. Tell them that the Lin family will pay for the travel expenses and provide the seeds."
Lin Yingwen asked: "Are villagers recruited as tenants nearby?"
"Confused," Lin Fusheng admonished, "there are not many Han people in Luzon. How can we treat some Han people as tenants when we finally bring them there? There are barbarians everywhere there, and we can't bother the government with everything. One more Han person will
Have more strength. When you bring the countrymen to Luzon, you must treat them well and unite to deal with those savages."
Lin Congwen asked: "Where can we find tenants? We brothers can't do the farming ourselves."
Lin Fusheng said: "The red-haired ghost left many serfs. Your Majesty did not allow slaves, so he turned these serfs into tenants. Also, do not occupy land randomly. How many people work on it will occupy as much land. Taxes are based on acres of land."
Those who come to harvest, whether they plant or not, have to pay taxes and grain. If there is not enough manpower and a large area of land is occupied randomly, it will become a loss-making business!"
"Kid, remember this!" Lin Yingwen said with a bow.
Lin Fusheng said with a smile: "Your Majesty has left a loophole for us to take advantage of. You do not need to use your household registration in Fujian, but you can still settle in Luzon, which means you can occupy land on both sides. In less than ten years, our Lin family will become
Big landowner! Remember, if you marry more indigenous women, you will have more children and grandchildren. If you have more children and grandchildren, your land will be spread thinly, and the taxes you will pay in the future will be lower."
Of course, the loopholes were left intentionally to encourage private immigrants to open up the land. Zhao Han pretended not to have seen the extra land occupied by his native place.
After all, immigrating to Luzon is risky, and you may die if you don't get used to it.
It's a pity that everyone in the countryside has land, and those without land have long immigrated to the north, so even if they are encouraged to open up, they can't be encouraged.
Brothers Lin Yingwen and Lin Congwen came to their hometown to summon fellow villagers.
They offered extremely favorable conditions, provided travel expenses, and provided seeds. Once you go to Luzon, you can divide the fields. And as long as you can grow it, you can plant as much as you want. They can also recruit indigenous people to become big landowners. However, there are only a few responders.
.
"I know Luzon, that place is very far away."
"I heard that there is a miasma in Luzon. If you enter the forest, you will die."
"My land is enough for food. If we weave cloth to earn some household income, I won't be short of money to buy oil, salt, sauce and vinegar."
"..."
After struggling for several days, the brothers only managed to recruit three villagers.
When they returned to the city, they saw a large number of citizens gathered around the imperial notice and talking about it.
Many of these citizens do not know how to farm. They work and live in the city. But now many people are tempted. Even if they do not know how to farm, they can recruit indigenous tenants and landowners!
Ninety-nine percent of the first batch of private immigrants to Luzon were city dwellers!
Especially those idlers, Zhao Han ordered the local officials to crack down hard on gangsters. They were cut off from their financial resources and refused to work honestly. Now they finally have the opportunity to go out and make a living.