"What does His Majesty the Great Emperor mean exactly?" Matt Solko asked the visiting Consul Wei Aoki with a frown.

Wei Qingmu smiled: "Your Majesty's meaning, I told you before the war broke out...... His Majesty did not intend to drive the East India Company out of Batavia and the Spice Islands. Moreover, His Majesty is also willing to share the golden waterway of the Strait of Malacca with the Netherlands, Britain, France, Portugal and other Western maritime trade powers.

I have always advocated freedom of navigation and freedom of trade! ”

What the? You have always advocated free trade? Matt Solko is really a little crying and laughing, you haven't closed the country together!

Matt Solko was silent for a while, and then asked, "Under the current situation, will His Majesty the Great Emperor still keep his previous promise?" He wasn't going to get anything from us? ”

For example, land compensation or something......

Wei Qingmu smiled and said, "The battle has been fought, so naturally there must be an explanation...... However, my Great Tomorrow Dynasty can't look down on your palm-sized territory in Nanyang, so I won't let you cut the land. ”

Matt Solko said: That's the reparation! I don't know how much to lose?

"As for the compensation," Wei Qingmu smiled, "Your Majesty knows that you can't kill chickens and take eggs, and your East India Company is now a hen that can lay golden eggs only if it is injured!" It would be a pity if the eggs were killed...... Therefore, His Majesty doesn't want to pay more, pay less, just take 10 million taels of silver. ”

"One...... Ten million taels? Matt Solko yelled, "This is blackmail!" The East India Company would not have paid so much reparations, and not so much money......"

The Dutch East India Company, of course, was able to get 10 million taels, and when it was founded in 1602, it raised 6,500,000 guilders, which was equivalent to almost 1,800,000 taels of silver. Now it's 1664, 62 years of accumulation, and the net value of the Dutch East India Company should be tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of guilders.

However, if the Dutch East India Company were to take out 10 million taels at once, it would still hurt the muscles and bones.

"There's no money, huh? Your Majesty knows that you may not have any money, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter......" Wei Qingmu smiled, "But isn't your East India Company a joint-stock company?" ”

"yes?" Matt Solko asked, "What does this have to do with reparations?" ”

Wei Qingmu said: "The joint-stock company can find shares to raise funds!" ”

What the?

Issuing new shares to make money compensation? Matt Solko said: Who came up with such a genius idea?

Wei Qingmu said again: "Perhaps...... You can also directly use the shares to offset the compensation! The Emperor would like to join the Indian Company and become one of its many shareholders! ”

"Shareholder in an Indian company?" Matsolko couldn't believe his ears, it turned out that what this Ming Emperor wanted was not the territory of the East India Company, but the East India Company itself!

This is outrageous! The East India Company is much more valuable than Batavia and the spice islands!

Wei Qingmu looked at Matsolko and said with a smile: "And the Ming Emperor values His Excellency's management ability very much, and hopes that you can continue to serve as the governor of the company after he becomes a shareholder...... Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor thinks that the salary you are receiving now is too low to reflect your contribution to the company, and you need a raise! Big plus! ”

Matt Solko nodded slightly, he and the Emperor of the Celestial Empire had finally found a common language.

Matt Solko pondered: "But the board of directors in Amsterdam is on the highest alert for any possibility of losing control of the company. ”

Wei Qingmu said with a smile: "The Great Tomorrow only wants to obtain a maximum of 20% of the shares of the East India Company, and will only send one director to Amsterdam, and will not participate in the day-to-day operation of the company." ”

Matt Solko frowned, "Isn't 20% a little more?" ”

Although the 20% stake of the East India Company is not worth 10 million taels, it can make Zhu Cihong sit on the throne of the largest shareholder of the East India Company. Although only one director is appointed now, who knows in the future?

"Not much, not much......," Wei Aoki shook his head and said, "Mr. Governor, you should tell the shareholders of Amsterdam how great the benefits to the East India Company will be if His Majesty the Emperor Ming becomes a shareholder!" ”

Matt Solko pondered and asked, "Interests?" Can you be specific? ”

Wei Qingmu said: "For example, there will be a real central city in the Nanyang Islands region, which will be the world's shipping center and the financial and economic center of the Nanyang region...... The East India Company will be able to become the founder of the city together with the Ming Royal Chamber of Commerce, the Yiguan Party Trading Company, and the Sand Boat Gang Trading Company! ”

Matt Solko asked: "Where will this city be?" ”

Wei Aoki said: "It will be on Temasek Island! ”

Singapore, of course!

If you take a look at the map, you will know that the center of the South Seas cannot be Jakarta, but only Singapore. God appreciates the meal, and people occupy this position! In Zhu Cihong's Nanyang layout, of course, there is also a Singapore.

Moreover, if you want to develop this Singapore rapidly, it is best to pull in the Dutch East India Company to do it. This is because Temasek is not positioned as a shipping hub in the South Seas, but as a global shipping hub...... That is, the center of international trade! With this foundation, Temasek will be able to further develop into the financial and economic hub of the South Seas region.

And to make Temasek the world's centre of trade and shipping, how can it be without the Netherlands, a coachman at sea?

In addition, since the Strait of Malacca is located at the intersection of the four civilization circles of the Celestial Empire, Celestial Religion, Christianity, and Hinduism, the collision of the four civilization circles is inevitable. So for Temasek to quickly become a hub, it must be free and neutral.

Only in this way can we attract businessmen and capital belonging to various circles of civilization to Temasek in the shortest possible time.

And the one who can give Temasek freedom and neutrality cannot be the duke or king of the Celestial Empire - in Zhu Cihong's vision, the twelve principalities have no freedom to speak of, let alone neutrality! They are the walls and moats that protect the civilization of the Celestial Empire, how can they be free and neutral?

However, the Twelve Duchyes also need to have reliable financial support, and it is not enough to rely on the limited agriculture, mining, and fishing of the Malacca Peninsula and Sumatra, so they also have to make money from maritime trade.

In Emperor Chu's vision, Temasek Free City was to make money for these twelve principalities...... The twelve principalities can hide behind the scenes and collect money, but on the table, it is not the twelve principalities of benevolence that are responsible for the management and construction of the city, but Western profiteers such as the Dutch East India Company.

"The Emperor wants to build a neutral and free city on Temasek Island, and the city will be chartered from the Son of Heaven, and the city will be built and managed by the Chamber of Commerce rather than the government, and the Son of Heaven will only collect the rent for the land after the construction of the city, and the rest should be left alone, so the Chamber of Commerce that manages the city can make any rules and laws that they think will promote the prosperity of the city," Wei said. His Majesty the Emperor hopes that the East India Company will become the largest shareholder of the Temasek Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce!

Your Excellency the Governor, you should know the development of Shanghai in the past ten years, right? From scratch, a large commercial port has emerged out of thin air...... Where is already the most expensive city in Daming! If the East India Company had invested heavily in Shanghai in the past, it would have made huge profits by now.

Temasek, on the other hand, is better positioned than Shanghai and enjoys the greatest freedom and privileges...... Don't miss this opportunity! ”

Matsolko finally got his heart moved, "Mr. Consul, the conditions you put forward are indeed attractive, but I am only the governor of the East India Company, and I do not have the authority to decide such big things...... I would like to meet with the commander of the retreating East India Fleet, and then entrust him and the company's representatives in the East India Fleet to return to Holland and persuade the Board of Directors and His Excellency the Speaker of the Council in Amsterdam. ”