"Admiral of the East India Company of the Republic of the United Province of the Republic of Tsunedland, Admiral. Fan. Dimon ......"

Outside the Wenhua Hall in the Forbidden City of Nanjing, the voice of the roll call sounded, speaking in Chinese. Dimon could faintly hear a few words. For example, "Dutch", such as "Anthony. Fan. Dimon", so he knew it was inviting himself in.

"Anthony," John Tong accompanied Fan. Dimon, he was the interpreter for today's meeting, so he spoke to Fan in French. "Please come in with me," said Dimon...... I think you'll get some terms from the crown prince that will satisfy the board. ”

Anthony. Fan. Dimen smiled and nodded in thanks, and then followed a chamberlain and strode into the Wenhua Hall.

The light in the Wenhua Hall was a little dim, but Fan. Dimon could still see the smiling Chinese crown prince sitting behind a desk. He was very young, energetic, but still calm.

And even more so Fan. Dimon was surprised that there was not the slightest expression of curiosity on the face of the young ruler of the Central Dynasty.

Could it be that there were often Westerners in his court? So much so that it got to the point where it was no longer weird?

Even if he has seen a lot of Westerners, he should always be curious about the affairs of the Dutch Red Country, right?

No, the eunuch just now seems to have mentioned "the Netherlands...... Didn't the Chinese always call the Netherlands the "Red Country"?

Zhu Cihong was also looking at Fan. Dimen, a European who had been turned red by the scorching sun of the sea, was tall, with a slender face and piercing eyes, which seemed determined.

"Kneel!" John Tang's voice suddenly appeared in Fan. Dimen's ears rang.

Fan. Dimen hurriedly knelt down on one knee - Zhu Cihong did not let people and Fan. The Dimen mission discussed the etiquette of the audience, whether he knelt or tumbled, whether he kowtowed or bowed, he didn't care.

Moreover, he did not regard the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands as a vassal state, and the two countries should have equal exchanges between them.

"Sit down." Zhu Cihong raised his hand and signaled that Fan. Dimon sat down on a chair, and then said to John Tang, "Mr. Tang, you can sit down too." ”

Fan. Although Dimen didn't understand what Zhu Cihong said, he understood what it meant by looking at the gestures, so he sat down generously.

On the other side, John Tang also sat down on a chair.

There was also a small table next to Zhu Cihong's throne, which was used by the officials who recorded and drafted the edicts. Xu Guangqi's grandson, Xu Ermo, who has now graduated from the Nanjing Military Academy and joined the army as a military order guard, has now been summoned to the Cultural Palace, and also sat down behind a small table, and then lifted a brush to prepare for the record.

"Governor Dimen," Zhu Cihong said, "today's meeting will be in Chinese and French, no problem, right?" ”

He spoke very slowly, and when he said one sentence, John Tong translated one sentence, translating his words into French.

"No problem." Fan. Dimon nodded.

Zhu Cihong pointed to Xu Ermo, who was recording next to him, and said: "The main content of the talks will be recorded in Chinese and French as a memorandum. If a treaty can be reached, the text of the treaty will also be written separately in Chinese and French. ”

"Yes." Fan. Dimon nodded again.

Zhu Cihong looked at Fan. "Governor Dimon, before the formal talks begin, I would like to know the nature of the East India Company...... Are you an independent country? Or is it a commercial firm? Or is it a firm authorized by the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands to carry out military and diplomatic activities in the East on behalf of the State? ”

This is a big problem. Dimon's prediction - His Royal Highness the Prince of the Ming Dynasty knew more about the East India Company and the Dutch Republic than he had originally imagined!

Fan. Dimon frowned, and was thinking about how to fool the other party, when Zhu Cihong spoke again: "Governor Dimon, in the near future, our country will send a diplomatic mission to the Europa continent, and the mission will visit Amsterdam to meet with the Republic Assembly of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and then the mission will ask the Dutch Parliament about the nature of the East India Company in person, and will also hand over a copy of the memorandum of today's meeting to the Dutch Parliament and the seventeen-member board of directors of the East India Company...... I suppose Governor Dimon is an honest and trustworthy businessman, not a swindler who swindles in the name of the state, right? ”

It's not easy to deceive...... Fan. Di Menxin said: If you can't beat it, it's not easy to cheat, what should you do with this business?

Fan. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the East India Company is authorized by the Assembly of the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands to perform the functions of the State, and may carry out military and diplomatic activities on behalf of the Republic of the United States of the Netherlands, and have a monopoly on trade, from the Cape of Good Hope in the east to the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America in the west......"

"I would like a written explanation and the articles of association of the East India Company. ”

"No problem," said Fan. "We can provide that." ”

"Then," said Zhu Cihong, "I will first assume that the East India Company can represent the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. ”

Fan. Diemen replied with certainty: "Of course we can represent!" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded: "Okay...... In other words, in 1640 Western Calendar, on behalf of the Republic of the Netherlands, you signed a trade treaty with Zheng Zhilong, the general soldier of Fujian in the Ming Dynasty? ”

"No, no, no......" Fan. Dimen hurriedly shook his head, "The treaty of 1640 is only a commercial contract between the East India Company and General Zheng Zhilong. ”

Zhu Cihong nodded, and pondered: "According to this contract, the merchant ships of the East India Company are not allowed to directly enter any port owned by the Ming Dynasty for trade, and the goods of the Ming Dynasty required by the East India Company will be purchased by Zheng Zhilong. In addition, all East India Company merchant ships passing through the waters near Fujian had to pay a ship tax of 3,000 taels of silver to Zheng Zhilong every year...... Are these payments still being fulfilled? ”

"Still fulfilling ......" Fan. Di Men stood up, bowed to Zhu Cihong, and then said, "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, this is an unjust clause, which is not only not conducive to the free trade of the East India Company, but also to the overseas trade of the Ming Empire!" On behalf of the East India Company, I beseech Your Highness to repeal these unjust and unjust provisions that hinder free trade. ”

Zhu Cihong looked at Fan. Dimen, frowning slightly: "Governor, since your East India Company is a commercial company, then it should have the spirit of a merchant's contract!" Since the contract has been signed, it should be strictly performed. Even if you want to change it, you should do so through negotiation rather than asking for a decree from the main house. ”

What the...... The spirit of the contract? Fan. Dimen is really a little foggy, what does this Ming crown prince mean?

Zhu Cihong smiled: "In the past, the Ming Dynasty closed the country and did not allow Xiyi merchants to enter the Yangtze River estuary to trade, and you have been trying to break through our restrictions, which has posed a threat to the stability of our coastal areas. Therefore, the treaty signed by Zheng Zhilong and you is very appropriate.

But now, the palace has decided to open the country for trade, and to open the Shanghai trading port at the confluence of the North and South Oceans and the Yangtze River, which will allow all foreign merchants to enter and trade freely and settle down for a long time. The merchants of the United Republic of the Netherlands, of course, are among all foreign merchants, so the commercial contract you signed with Zheng Zhilong must be amended. Zheng Zhilong's losses should be compensated accordingly. ”

"Then how should we compensate Zheng Zhilong?" Fan. Dimen hurriedly asked.

Zhu Cihong smiled, "This issue should be discussed between you and Zheng Zhilong...... After all, you're making a commercial agreement, not an agreement between two countries. The palace can only make a deal out of it, and cannot force Zheng Zhilong to agree to the modification conditions that are unfavorable to him. ”

How do you go around it so much? Fan. Di Men is about to faint Zhu Cihong! Is this really the crown prince of the Central Dynasty? How can there be a cunning Amsterdam banker's temperament?