Chapter 236 The powerful 'Her Majesty the Baroness'
Alfredo had imagined many situations after his meeting with the two powerful figures in Dingnan City. It should be said that yesterday's meeting with Gao Mengnan also had some unexpected situations. For example, Gao Mengnan used "The Book of Changes" to practice Tai Chi Push Hands.
He was unwilling to express his attitude, but overall, Alfredo was not helpless.
However, today's meeting with Huang Zhiting was really beyond Alfredo's expectation. He now discovered that Huang Zhiting should be a person with extremely clear goals and a strong will. Of course, he also thought that she might not often engage in diplomacy.
Activity.
Not only did this "Her Majesty the Countess" go straight to the topic as soon as she opened her mouth, she refused to speak even a single word of diplomatic terminology, and her words were filled with murderous intent. In Alfredo's opinion, although her lark-like voice was pleasant to the ear,
But his extremely indifferent language and indifferent attitude in talking about the war gave him a more direct understanding of the rumored achievements of "Her Majesty the Baroness".
This is a person who is used to seeing bloody war scenes. Perhaps in her eyes, the mountain of corpses and the sea of blood are no different from the calm Chao Phraya River, and neither can change her will at all.
However, her demands are so unreasonable. Take a look at these demands:
"The Kingdom of Portugal handed over the city of Malacca to the Kingdom of Siam free of charge. No armed personnel belonging to or hired by the country were allowed to stay in the city of Malacca. The transfer of defense must be completed within one day. The entire army must withdraw from the city of Malacca before noon the next day, and the Portuguese
Transported away by warships or merchant ships. Anyone who fails to leave Malacca within the stipulated time will be regarded as a rioter by the army of the Kingdom of Siam and will be killed without mercy once discovered."
"All future production, trade and other economic activities in Malacca City will be entrusted by the Kingdom of Siam to Jinghua Company with full authority to manage it to ensure its characteristics as a commercial hub.
The city's defense is the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Siam, and the Kingdom of Portugal has no right to interfere. Without the consent of both the Kingdom of Siam and the Jinghua Company, the Kingdom of Portugal may not enter Malacca City with a single soldier or gun.
If commercial ships from the Kingdom of Portugal and its affiliated forces want to enter the Port of Malacca, they must apply for approval in accordance with the requirements of Jinghua Company, and Jinghua Company or its entrusting party will board the ship for inspection. Only after passing the inspection can they enter the port."
“The Kingdom of Portugal also needs to ensure that it will not interfere with any other activities involving military, government affairs, and economy in the Argentinian Peninsula (Malay Peninsula). No matter what happens in the Argentinian Peninsula in the future, it will have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Portugal.
If the Kingdom of Portugal has intervention forces locally, it must withdraw completely within one month after the signing of this treaty, otherwise the Kingdom of Siam will not guarantee the safety of life and property of such personnel in the future."
“After the above conditions are met, Jinghua Company will ensure that the Kingdom of Portugal’s normal trade activities in Malacca and Argentine Peninsula will not be affected, and will not set up any artificial barriers to trade activities.
The Kingdom of Portugal needs to ensure that its businessmen shall not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty and the relevant regulations of the Jinghua Company. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Siam and the Jinghua Company have the right to punish them in accordance with their own laws and the company's regulations. Punishment measures include but are not limited to lingchi, beheading, and tattooing.
, distribution, prison, whipping, fine of silver.
If those who have committed crimes or violated regulations and have not been caught and absconded are sentenced by the Kingdom of Siam or convicted by Jinghua Company, the Kingdom of Portugal is obliged to pursue them. If the Kingdom of Portugal does not pursue them or the pursuit is ineffective, the Kingdom of Siam does not rule out treating them as serious provocations.
possibility, and therefore reserves the right to respond at will, including bans on trade and even war."
“The Kingdom of Portugal needs to recognize the sovereignty or suzerainty of the Ming Empire over the entire Nanyang, Oriental and maritime areas, and ensure that its merchant ships will not conduct any activities in violation of this sovereignty or suzerainty in the region and maritime areas.
If this clause is violated, the Ming Empire, the Kingdom of Siam, the Kingdom of Bago, the Kingdom of Burma, the Kingdom of Nanzhang, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Kingdom of Luzon, the Annan Governor's Office, the Taiwan Reclamation Corps, etc. will reserve the right to respond in any way, including
Trade and even war are prohibited."
"The Kingdom of Portugal and its affiliated forces need to recognize that Jinghua Company has undisputed jurisdiction or custody rights over the relevant waters in the Southeast Asia and East Asia regions, and ensure compliance with all Jinghua Company's regulations in the region.
Without other special authorization from the Ming Empire or Jinghua Company, all warships and troops of the Kingdom of Portugal and its affiliated forces are not allowed to set foot in the above areas and related waters.
If the Kingdom of Portugal and its affiliated forces violate this clause, the Ming Empire, Jinghua Company, etc. will reserve the right to respond in any way, including banning trade or even war."
...There are a total of eleven paragraphs and twenty-nine articles in total.
He didn't know whether he was angry or frightened, but Alfredo's hands holding the draft contract were shaking a little. He wanted to tear it up angrily on the spot, or slap it on the table hard, and then
He yelled loudly, saying that this kind of clause was simply unreasonable and that he would never sign it.
However, when he glanced at "Her Majesty the Baroness" with a calm and even leisurely expression, especially the coldness in her eyes after seeing hundreds of thousands of troops fighting fiercely, he felt as if he had been poured over the head.
Liang Shui didn't dare to do anything, and didn't dare to say anything.
Not only that, he also found with some sadness that he now dared not offend this seemingly charming "Her Majesty" at all. Of course, this was not because of her beauty, but because of the powerful power she represented.
The Ming Empire had 1.6 million troops, and the private army owned by Mr. Gao Jingshi had at least 200,000 troops. These troops were not at all the highly weaponized ones that Portugal faced in Africa, the Arabian Sea, or India.
An army that is so low-level that they don’t even know what firearms are.
Not to mention whether there were other private armies in the Ming Empire (note: this was a misunderstanding. After listening to Pedro's introduction, he thought that the nobles also had their own private armies), these 1.8 million firearms alone
Alfredo felt like his calves were spinning under the pressure brought by the army.
1.8 million, the population of the Kingdom of Portugal is not much more than this number! [Note: At that time, Spain (Castile Aragon) only had a population of 6 million, and Portugal was weaker than both of them.
The population is also smaller.]
The big and small countries in India also have a large population, but their military technology is very poor, and their fighting will is even worse. Many times they have to go to the countryside to capture a group of people to make up for the war.
However, even this so-called army can sometimes push back the Portuguese expansion in India just by relying on numerical superiority (of course, this is because the Portuguese army is relatively weak in Europe, and its number is always very small).
So can Portugal afford to offend the Ming Empire, which defeated the Castilian Army and Navy in the Philippines?
Don't be kidding, there is no need for the "Ming Empire" to take action personally. His Excellency Gao Jingshi's private army of at least 200,000 people and hundreds of warships can probably crush Portugal's power in Asia to the ground ten times!
What is the essence of so-called diplomacy in this era?
The essence is that if the gun barrel is hard, the waist will be hard. If the gun barrel cannot be hardened, the waist will be soft and cannot be hardened at all. Let alone straighten the waist, I dare not even speak loudly for fear of being misunderstood and getting beaten.
.
Don’t you believe it? If you don’t believe it, look at Spain’s attitude towards Portugal. When Philip II was not yet the king of Portugal, what would Spain do if there was a dispute over the division of colonies between the two countries? Philip II and his father, Charles V, were still at that time.
Wrangling with Portugal in front of the Pope, by the time of Philip II, this man didn't bother to talk nonsense at all, and directly marched on the border, while Portugal could only give in immediately, knock out its teeth and swallow blood.
Why? Of course it is because the Spanish Army has absolute strength and is absolutely sure that it can defeat the Portuguese Army! Did Portugal dare to take a lick of the Spanish Grand Formation during the "God Favors Spain" period?
In the Far East, Spain was defeated by the private army of His Excellency Gao Pangshi and the "Ming Dynasty Military Nobles" and was unable to fight back. What hope does Portugal, whose strength is far inferior to Spain, have?
Join forces with the Castilians? Not to mention that there have always been conflicts between Portugal and Castile in terms of overseas expansion. They cannot be eased or even solved by sharing the same monarch. Even if they can be eased or even united,
Can two people who are being beaten together have the power to resist?
Don’t forget, the Spaniards have too much time to look after themselves. Not only are they stuck in the quagmire of the Netherlands, but there is also an Ottoman Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean that is killing all directions, and now they are at war with the English, and even the French.
The religious issues also forced Philip II to take action... Even if the Spaniards are an octopus, they can't take care of them now, okay?
To be honest, when he heard the news about Spain's failure in the Philippines, Alfredo's first reaction was not at all sad about the death of the rabbit or the death of the fox, but his first reaction was to be overjoyed - the damn Castile bastard is finally leaving.
Out of my Portuguese Far East!
[Note: According to the "Pope Meridian" and the "Treaty of Tordesillas", not only the Philippines should be its, but also China and Japan. This later became Portugal's stubborn insistence on its control of the East (including China and Japan).
Japan) holds the origin and so-called basis for the "protection power". However, this thing was later adjusted, but even after the adjustment, the Philippine Islands is still a colonial area that the Pope allowed Portugal to monopolize and expand. Of course, non-Catholic countries do not have to
Ignore this.]
But when the military exercises in Mousali began, the Portuguese finally realized: The Castilians were unlucky, and now it seems that it is our turn.
However, even so, the vast majority of the Portuguese are still unwilling to join forces with Castile, because even if they join forces to win the war, so what?
The Portuguese may be able to gain a foothold for the time being, but Castile will definitely be able to come back again. When Castile begins to expand in the Far East, will Portugal, whose strength is far inferior to them, be able to do it?
The selfishness in Western thinking played a huge role at this time: It doesn't matter if I lose Malacca, as long as the "Pope Meridian" and the "Treaty of Tordesillas" are still valid, I will still have a chance to come back in the future.
However, if the damned Castilians come in and refuse to leave, according to its current status in Europe, especially its importance to the Holy See under the wave of religious reform, the Holy See will change no matter which country the pope comes from.
, will definitely choose to support Spain rather than Portugal.
Then when the time comes... the Far East will really say goodbye to Portugal.
"Your Majesty, Baroness." Alfredo tried his best to calm his breathing, but his voice was still slightly trembling: "Any reciprocal treaty should not only impose responsibilities and obligations on one party, but the other party should also have reciprocal obligations.
Rights and responsibilities, and this is not reflected in your draft."
"Really? Isn't it said here that you are allowed to trade freely in Nanyang and the East, as long as you abide by Beijing's regulations." Huang Zhiting glanced at him lightly and said: "Or do you have other requirements?"
"Yes, on behalf of the Governor of Goa - well, according to the authorization, he has the power to decide our country's challenges and major events in the East - I must say: The Kingdom of Portugal has always attached great importance to the Catholic Patronage, and we believe that if the conditions you propose
If it cannot be changed, then our country should at least be given full guardianship rights in the entire Far East, including the Ming Empire."
"What right to protect the teachings?" Huang Zhiting frowned: "What does that mean?"
Alfredo made a sign of the cross on his chest and said with a pious expression: "Patronage is a right and obligation granted by the Holy See to the secular government to protect the spread of Catholicism in non-Catholic countries. It is an important part of Catholic missionary work.
A preferential privilege.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Said is the same as unsaid." Huang Zhiting said with an unhappy face: "I am asking what is the use of this thing, that is, what do we need to do for it?"
"Ah, as far as you are concerned, you or Beijing, or even the governments of the Ming Empire and its tributary countries, don't have to do anything, as long as we are allowed to preach freely and set up churches freely throughout the Far East."
Huang Zhiting was a little surprised and a little skeptical. She frowned and asked, "That's it?"
Of course, the patronage itself does not only have this power. For Portugal itself, the "patronage" has several key contents. For example, missionaries to East Asia should register with the Portuguese government and take Portuguese merchant ships to Asia. Bishops in East Asia should
It is recommended by the King of Portugal to the Pope that local negotiations for missionary matters should be represented by the Portuguese government. When performing local religious ceremonies, representatives of the King of Portugal should precede representatives of various countries, etc. These are typical religious privileges.
Of course, the Portuguese government also has some obligations, such as being responsible for providing missionary subsidies.
However, even after the special envoy Alfredo, who was now afraid of offending Huang Zhiting, explained it, Huang Zhiting still felt a little baffled.
What is the practical significance of this thing? Except that "Bishops in East Asia should be recommended to His Majesty the Pope by the King of Portugal" sounds somewhat useful, aren't the others just so-called privileges for the sake of appearance? This thing is worthy of being dedicated to
Mention it seriously?
Obviously, Huang Zhiting did not know how abnormal the Three Iberian Kingdoms' insistence on Catholicism was in this era. This power, which was almost worthless in Huang Zhiting's eyes, was of extremely great significance to Portugal.
In addition to the so-called honor brought to Portugal by the "protection rights" itself, once the Ming Empire and its tributary territories recognized Portugal's patronage rights, it would mean that Portugal had an overall victory in the competition with Spain in the region.
Even if neither of them got an inch of land, it still represented Portugal's huge contribution to the Catholic cause. Accordingly, the provisions in the "Pope Meridian" and the "Treaty of Tordesillas" came into effect, and the Spanish automatically
It loses the qualification to compete for the territory of this area - unless it changes its religion, but that is absolutely impossible.
Huang Zhiting recalled it and felt that Gao Pragmatic had always talked about freedom of religious belief and did not seem to reject Catholicism very much, so she was a little moved. But after thinking about it again, she felt that the Portuguese conditions were too simple.
Is there any conspiracy involved?
She really didn’t understand these missionary issues, and was afraid that Gao Pragmatic would be dissatisfied with the decision by then, so she thought for a long time before asking: "If this treaty includes the missionary rights you mentioned, you can sign it now on behalf of the Kingdom of Portugal.
Or do you need to go back and ask your governor for instructions?"
Alfredo did not expect that Huang Zhiting actually gave him some choice. He couldn't help but be overjoyed and said quickly: "Of course it is best to go back to Goa and ask the Governor for instructions."
Huang Zhiting immediately said: "Okay, I'll give you this opportunity. You can go back and ask your governor for instructions now, and wait until I return to Dingnan from the capital next year."
Alfredo breathed a sigh of relief and quickly expressed his complete agreement.
But Huang Zhiting added: "But I can't guarantee whether I will change the terms by then. Regardless of whether I change it or not, if you don't agree to sign by then... you should know what that means."
Alfredo's mouth twitched and he nodded stiffly.
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