What Wei Qingmu said, Governor Matt Solko was skeptical.

The reason for the half-belief is that the Dutch East India Company played a great role in the foreign trade and colonial development activities of the Ming Dynasty!

At present, the Dutch East India Company has more than 200 merchant ships with a deadweight of more than 300 tons running the Sino-European route, not to mention the value of the goods exported through them every year, but through them as many as 50,000 tons of rice exported to Daming Java.

Merchant ships from many other countries would dock at the port of Batavia on their way from Europe to China, and then load one or two hundred tons of rice to cover the Ming tariffs.

Therefore, the annual rice export from Batavia to Daming should be more than 100,000 tons, and most of this rice is produced on Chinese farms around Batavia.

If Batavia was destroyed, the East India Company's merchant ships withdrew from East Asia. Then the amount of rice imported by the Ming Dynasty every year will be reduced by 100,000 tons...... This amount accounts for about 10% of the annual grain input of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, 100,000 tons of rice is difficult to defeat the current Celestial Empire. Although the population of Daming has not grown slowly in recent years, it is likely that it has approached 180 million. However, with the gradual recovery of grain production in the Central Plains and Northeast China, the supply is still relatively loose.

But the Dutch East India Company now also uses about 100 merchant ships on the transpacific route!

This share is very high, not 10 percent, but nearly one-third!

Without them, the Ming Dynasty's migration and goods to the Americas would have been reduced by at least one-third, and the impact would have been a bit bigger......

In addition, if these armed merchant ships and the rest of the warships of the Dutch East India Company did not obediently get out, but turned to piracy and attacked the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty everywhere in the Pacific Ocean, then the import of Ming grain and the number of immigrants to the Americas would have to face a significant decline.

But the Dutch East India Company is not a country after all! It is unlikely that it will be able to sustain a war for a long time, which is impossible to generate and at the same time costly.

The Dutch East India Company was a money-making company for its shareholders, and it did not exist to rule Batavia and the Strait of Malacca for the Dutch Republic, but to make money for the shareholders of Amsterdam.

The two main sources of profit for the Dutch East India Company were the Sino-European trade and the spice trade.

Without these two major sources of profit, the survival of the Dutch East India Company would be in question, let alone a long-term privateer operation at sea.

Moreover, the loss of Batavia and the Spice Islands did not mean that the Dutch East India Company could no longer make profits for its shareholders...... And this depends on the will of the great tomorrow!

So Amsterdam's shareholders are likely to choose to compromise after the company's defeat......

And this is the reason why Matt Solko is "suspicious" of Wei Aoki's words.

But no matter how suspicious he is, Matsolko can't resolutely close the door to compromise with the Celestial Empire, but he can't kneel for the Celestial Empire right away...... If he doesn't work hard, the shareholders of Amsterdam won't be reconciled, and he, the governor of Batavia, will be just as unwilling!

"Mr. Consul," Matt Solko pondered, "our East India Company's dominance in the Strait of Malacca has been the result of decades of hard work...... For the sake of this status, I don't know how many of the company's predecessors died in a foreign country. As the current Governor of Batavia, it is my duty to defend the company's position in Malacca and do my best! ”

Wei Qingmu smiled and nodded: "Haven't you been working hard?" For your perseverance for the benefit of the company, the emperors of our dynasty are very appreciative. So he looks forward to working with you in the future as the Straits of Malacca becomes a golden waterway that is free for everyone to navigate.

If the shareholders of Amsterdam misunderstand your achievements in Batavia, His Majesty the Emperor would like to hire you as his advisor...... How much salary does the East India Company give you, and the big tomorrow is willing to pay double! ”

This is quite interesting, before the battle was fought, they began to poach at a high price, and directly poached the opponent's coach......

"Mr. Consul," Matt Solko's face sank, "what are you talking about?" Are you persuading a gentleman who believes in God to betray the company he serves? ”

"Of course not!" Wei Qingmu also had a straight face, "I am a country of dignified gentlemen, reading the books of sages and sages, and keeping the way of heavenly principles, how can I do such unsightly things?" Besides, with your status and ability as a governor, if Your Majesty really wants to win you over, why should you give a marquis an extra million taels of silver? ”

Not really! Matt Solko nodded in agreement: How could I defect without so many benefits...... No, I can't rebel, I'm a respectable Dutch gentleman!

Wei Qingmu said again: "Since you are a gentleman, my Emperor Ming is a gentleman." Then this time it will be a battle between a gentleman and a gentleman...... Do you agree? ”

Matsolko agreed, of course, and he nodded: "Yes, this is the struggle between a gentleman and a gentleman!" ”

"So shouldn't the struggle between a gentleman and a gentleman be about some rules?" Wei Qingmu asked again.

"What rules?"

"For example, freedom of trade, for example, to protect the security of expatriates on both sides, for example...... Let's find a way to keep the intercontinental exchange system up and running! "Another example is to maintain peace and tranquility in Batavia...... The Ming Emperor said: The Ming Dynasty had no ambitions for Batavia, and even if it won a victory at sea and land, it would not occupy Batavia.

The city of Batavia will always belong to the Dutch East India Company! ”

Zhu Cihong really didn't think about snatching Batavia from the Dutch East India Company...... Gentleman, don't take the favor of others!

In fact, Emperor Zhu wanted the Dutch East India Company itself - if Louis XIV did indeed quickly seize the Spanish Netherlands after the death of Philip IV and threaten the Dutch Republic. Then it was necessary to secretly control the Dutch East India Company and provide some support to the Dutch Republic through the Dutch East India Company.

The Netherlands and the Spanish Netherlands are both fertile territories! If France is united, how will the next War of the Spanish Succession be fought?

If Spain lets France swallow it...... Then the United States of New World is in real trouble!

"That's all?" Matt Solko's eyes rolled, and his mind was pondering.

This Wei Qingmu should not be able to falsely pass on the holy decree.

And it is also possible that the Ming Dynasty did not intend to attack the island of Java for the time being...... The situation in the Strait of Malacca is very complicated!

Even if the Ming Dynasty could quickly conquer it by force, it would take a lot of time to completely consume it.

And before digesting the Strait of Malacca, the Ming Empire should be suspended for a while...... Keeping Batavia and the Spice Islands would force the Dutch East India Company to give in to compromise.

Wei Qingmu looked at Matsolko and fell into deep thought, and chased after him, "What other conditions do you have, just put it forward!" ”

At this time, Matt Solko suddenly showed a particularly gentlemanly smile, "Mr. Consul, I really have one in mind...... Since we Dutch are gentlemen, you Chinese are gentlemen. Then we might as well have a battle between a gentleman and a gentleman, and decide the belonging of the Strait of Malacca through a battle between a gentleman and a gentleman! ”

"A battle between a gentleman and a gentleman?" Wei Qingmu asked, "How do you fight?" ”

Matt Solko smiled: "Of course, the time and place will be agreed, and then both sides will come up with the strongest lineup and fighting spirit to have a decisive battle!" ”

How does it sound like a group fight in Batavia!

Wei Qingmu thought for a moment and asked, "Where does the governor want to start a war?" Is it on the Malacca Peninsula? ”

"No, no," said Matt Solko, "let's not disturb the peace-loving Celestials...... Let's go to war at sea! The time is set for the autumn of 1664, and the location is up to you! ”