"Without these Chinese, Batavia would not have been able to develop to the point it is now. But now, these Chinese are the negative equity of the whole of Java. ”

"They were too industrious, resulting in an oversupply of local sugar, which seriously affected the company's interests. These are all their sins. ”

"Perhaps, it's time to get them out of here."

Through the glass window, Valknier looked out at the Chinese Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan who were waiting to welcome the new governor, and spoke his thoughts to the sugar owner, Pipe Glass.

The current East India Company in Batavia is like the last years of the empire, full of corruption and leaks.

Smuggling is rampant, employees carry smuggled goods, and they can only control the fortresses of Batavia and Java, and completely lose control outside the city.

The Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan people in the city have no control over the sugar cane plantations and Chinese villages outside the city. Moreover, the poll tax is levied under the tax package, and the tax collector will also make false accounts, pay the poll tax of 10 people, and accept bribes from 15 people, but in fact there are 30 people.

The exact number of Chinese in the vicinity of Batavia is not clear to the Governor's Office and the Council of Batavia.

Internal corruption, the opening of the Great Shun, and the collapse of spice prices have all made Batavia a "chicken rib" existence.

Money solves a lot of problems, but ...... No money.

In particular, Amsterdam and Zeeland will set up special committees on trade with China, and Batavia will be unable to make ends meet without transiting through Batavia.

The Netherlands had a bloody rule in Southeast Asia, and in order to ensure the monopoly of spices, they engaged in massacres; In order to ensure the scarcity of spices, large-scale cutting of spice trees and burning spice forests in Southeast Asia.

This way of ruling is destined to rebel one after another. In order to be able to rule, you can only build fortresses and garrison troops, which requires money.

The previous governor, who had just been investigated, continued to be bloodily oppressed and expanded the tax-collecting population, which led to resentment and a crisis in his rule. This, coupled with the confrontational policy following the conflict of interest between the China Trade Commission and Batavia, led to a major purge of the upper echelons of Batavia by the Committee of Seventeen.

As for the reselling of residence permits without permission, it is just for outsiders, and it is not a big crime: Governor Governor, power does not have to expire and be invalid, who is the governor does not use his power for personal gain and more money? What a big deal, how could it really be investigated because of this.

It's just that the blood of the previous one was a little too much, and many sugar factories in Batavia are no longer able to support it.

And the sugar owner Pipe Grass, who was standing next to Valknier at this time, gave this explanation when questioned by the committee:

This is a very confusing answer...... Why do Chinese sugar factories have to borrow money to survive?

But, miraculously, this nonsense answer was just rounded, and the committee turned a blind eye and left it at that.

In recent years, there has been no room to make a profit by lowering the price of sugar, and after the Persian market was closed, the sugar industry has become a dangerous existence that could detonate Batavia: the more money the plantation owners owed, the more they have to squeeze the business in order to catch up with the rise in sugar prices and pay off their previous arrears in one go. In order to squeeze the business, it is necessary to increase the number of people, and the migration through normal channels is forbidden and has to pay a poll tax, so a large number of Fujian people are smuggled to do slave labor.

Douglas agreed with the trusting Governor that it would be beneficial to purge the Chinese of Batavia.

However, there is still a very serious problem: what about trade with China?

The company's headquarters set up a special committee for trade with China, and the merchant hall in Guangdong directly traded with Dashun.

If Batavia expels the Chinese, Batavia will benefit, but it will inevitably affect the company's headquarters' trade with China, and I am afraid that the headquarters will not agree.

"Your Excellency the Governor, how do you get rid of these useless Chinese? If they are all asked to pay the poll tax and take stock of the population, this will also increase their income, and they will be considered useful. But if the population is counted and the poll tax is paid, the sugar cane plantations and sugar mills will surely close down en masse, and they will not be able to make a living, which may lead to chaos. ”

Douglas is still very aware of the current situation of the sugar industry in Batavia, which has been squeezed too hard in recent years, strictly prevented smuggling and forced purchases, and the price of sugar is too low, not only the living conditions of slave laborers are getting worse and worse, but many sugar planters are about to be unable to survive.

Valknier was a newcomer and could only formulate policy through these statistical statements.

In the past few years, the company's life has not been very good, there have been some problems with the outflow of funds, and Batavia has become a big pit that cannot be thrown away but does not make money, and must be invested in it every year.

The Committee of Seventeen did not let Valknier take the blame, but hoped that he could rely on radical means, rely on a breakthrough, and quickly cut through the chaos to turn Batavia into a profit.

However, this is as ridiculous as the situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty, where there were hundreds of years of accumulation of shortcomings, and it was ridiculous to expect one cabinet chief assistant to solve all the problems.

But Valknier was ambitious, believing that his own means would be enough to solve Batavia's entire problems.

At least, that's what he thinks, and he has his own set of plans.

His plan was radical, but he only told Douglas that he wanted to purge it, but did not say the details, but avoided the topic and said, "Let those Chinese Kapitan, Lei Zhenlan and tax collectors come in." It's time for them to pay their respects to the new governor. ”

Soon, the Chinese leaders of Batavia rushed in, and it was the Chinese Kapitan Lian Fuguang from Batavia who walked in the forefront.

Lian Fuguang is not yet 30 years old this year, his father is one of the six Lei Zhenlan in Batavia, he is married to the daughter of six Lei Zhenlan, and his sister is married to Kapitan in Semarang.

Now he has become the Kapitan of Batavia, and the rich are relatives who have broken bones and tendons.

When the Red Creek Massacre occurred in history, three of the six Chinese in Batavia, Lei Zhenlan, chose to tell the Dutch in Batavia that the Chinese slave laborers were going to rebel; A year before the tragedy, Lian Fuguang reported the leader of the uprising, Lian Huaiguan, for "misconduct and hope that the authorities will pay attention to this person."

After the Hongxi tragedy, the Chinese merchants in the city collectively went on strike, and it was he and Lei Zhenlan who came forward to ask the merchants to reopen.

The result of such kneeling and licking did not bring him a very good end.

Because "a year ago, he did report the misconduct of the leader of the uprising, Lian Huaiguan", he was supposed to be sentenced to the crime of hanging the head of the five horses on the city wall, but the sentence was finally changed to exile on Ambon Island and all his property was confiscated.

At this time, Lian Fuguang had just become a Chinese in Batavia, and with a "sense of mission" to make the family prosperous, he knew that he must marry the new governor.

According to the rules, after giving the expensive gifts, Valknir motioned for these Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan to sit down.

"Gentlemen, I think you know that the previous governor issued residence permits indiscriminately for personal gain."

"And I've heard that many of the Chinese who work in sugar cane plantations don't have residence permits and don't pay poll taxes. This would seriously harm Batavia's interests and would be contrary to the law. ”

"Mr. Lian Fuguang, as a Chinese in Batavia, I heard that you have nearly thirty sugar factories and sugar cane plantations? I would like you to give me an accurate answer, how many slave laborers are in your sugar cane plantations without a residence permit and without paying the poll tax? ”

Anyone who can pay a visit to the governor will be fluent in Dutch.

Lian Fuguang said: "Your Excellency, all my sugar factories and sugar cane plantations have been subleased. In fact, I'm only responsible for collecting rent. The operation of the sugar factory has nothing to do with me. It's a business issue, and I don't think I'm going to be able to point fingers at the sugar mill operators. At the very least, I can assure that I did not take in anyone who did not have a residence permit and did not pay a single person less poll tax while the sugar mill and sugar cane plantation were run by me. ”

He hurriedly assured the Governor that he could return to his home at any time to retrieve his lease if he needed it, and prove that his sugar mill had all been rented out.

Lian Fuguang did not tell a lie, as a person in the upper Chinese circle in Batavia, he was still very well-informed, and he had a good relationship with the local Dutch officials.

Knowing early on that the company's sugar sales were going wrong, he rented out all the sugar cane plantations early on and only sat at home to collect the funds.

"Your Excellency the Governor, my current business is selling goods and opening casinos. And I pay the casino taxes on time. ”

"The servants in my family have also obtained residence permits, and they also pay a monthly poll tax. I can also guarantee this. ”

Valknier asked the rest of the Lei Zhenlan, and all six Lei Zhenlan all agreed that their sugar cane plantations and sugar factories were rented to others.

The industries I am engaged in are either lending money or doing business, and I do not run these physical industries. Although many sugar cane plantations and sugar mills are recorded in their names, they do not run them themselves, and they do not ask much about the sugar mills and sugar cane plantations.

Valknier was a newcomer and didn't have any points in mind. Douglas on the side hurriedly reminded: "Your Excellency the Governor, I want to remind you. We can only govern a few cities such as Batavia and Ambon. We have no control over what happens outside the city. can only rely on these Kapitan and Lei Zhenlan for indirect management. ”

Douglas may not have had any affection for these wealthy Chinese businessmen, but he was worried that Valknier would not be able to figure out the situation and give some strange orders.

He also wanted to remind the new Governor that the Chinese who lived in the city were useful people. They were loyal to Batavia, and were mostly tax collectors and merchants, paying the poll tax on time and providing some information about the Chinese.

The real people who need to be cleared of garbage are the poor who work as hired laborers, who do not pay taxes and who are now unprofitable from sugar, and who have a fighting spirit.

He hoped that the newcomer, Master Du, would be sober up and know that using China to contain China was Batavia's long-standing policy. If these "loyal" Chinese are squeezed too harshly, it may lead to the Chinese being one-minded. These people have money and connections, and if they are forced to stand with the Chinese who are hired hands, something big will happen.

Valknier was a little unhappy with Douglas's interruption, and was about to say something when suddenly there were several cannons outside.

The glass window shook slightly, and the people in the room suddenly became confused, thinking that something had happened.

A Dutchman hurried in.

"Don't worry, Lord Governor. It was just a routine seizure inspection of the ships of the Swedish East India Company. And the cannon was fired by an armed merchant ship of Dashun, but its captain was an officer, and he just fired a salute according to the rules! ”