Valladolid, February 2, 1648.

The emaciated second formal secret negotiation had been going on for more than two hours, and Mo San sat expressionlessly in his chair, looking at the equally expressionless Secretary Balboa across from him, thinking about how he should speak.

"Time is our government's best ally." Mo San cleared his throat and said, "Every year or even every month, our strength is growing. Since 1633 we have increased fivefold in number of land forces and almost tenfold in number of navy, we now have tens of thousands of trained warriors to mobilize, and we have more artillery in our army than even in all of your countries combined. Every year we launch a brand new capital warship, and I think your navy should have heard of it. ”

Balboa was somewhat silent. In fact, he didn't know what to say, he knew that the other party was talking nonsense but he couldn't refute it, because it was embarrassing that the Kingdom of Spain had never had an assessment of the war potential of the army and navy of the Eastern Coast Republic. Nothing is known about how many warships, how many ports, how many shipyards, how many repair shops, what the level of training they have in peacetime, etc., Balboa's pride led him to think that the navy of the Kingdom of Spain was stronger than that of the people on the eastern coast, but perhaps our superiority was not so obvious?

"The kingdom of Spain is more powerful than you can imagine, people from the East Coast." Clerk Balboa interrupted Mo San's meaningless ostentatious words, and then said, "The compensation is four million pesos, which is already the minimum. If you wish, you can also receive an additional demand draft worth 100,000 pesos from the Amsterdam Exchange Bank (the largest bank in the Netherlands) as a token of our appreciation. ”

It is no longer known how many times the two sides have discussed the issue of war reparations. Speaking of now, Mo San is also very clear. The Spaniards are now asking for money rather than land. If the domestic side still clings to the purpose of not paying compensation. This war may continue for many more years. Although the people of the East Coast are not afraid of war, it is still good to have an early peace if the price is right, and at least the Ministry of Finance will no longer need to print a lot of paper money in the country to pay for the war.

Now Mo San has also heard the news of soaring domestic prices. All of a sudden, there was a large amount of currency on the market -- paper money for the purchase of materials and payment of military salaries, looted cash, pensions for the war dead and wounded, and pensions for military veterans, and so on.

Although the government has also taken many measures to stabilize prices. For example, the public auction of a large amount of war booty -- mainly works of art, jewelry, high-grade furs, etc., the sale of a large number of war dividend cattle to ordinary peasant households, and the intensification of blood sucking from the colonies -- the main measures were to increase the amount of materials sent to the colonies to the mainland, to guide domestic capital to invest in industries -- such as agricultural machinery leasing companies, agricultural machinery repair companies, non-governmental fishing, and so on, and to organize a large amount of capital (mainly veterans and merchants) to go to Xinhuaxia Island to develop plantations, and so on.

These measures effectively diverted the funds so that the water in this small pond on the east bank did not drown, and also contributed to the prosperity of the domestic market in a certain way. However, emergency measures are emergency measures after all, and some commodities closely related to people's lives have risen irrepressibly after all, and some of them have risen relatively large. Although the minimum wage for workers has also been raised in China, this is only to quench the thirst. The measure to cure both the symptoms and the root causes is to end the war quickly and then develop production. enriching commodity markets; Moreover, the end of the war would also reduce the cost of most East Coast imports, which would help to reduce inflationary pressures at home.

"There is no way to pay reparations." Mo San said, but then changed his tone and said: "But if your country proposes to sell the area east of the Uruguay River and the area around Puerto Blanca to our country in a package, I think my government should consider it carefully." However, this price is very inappropriate, and I think the land purchase fee of 500,000 pesos is reasonable. Because La Plata is a desolate place, it is not worth so much money, and if you want to, then this one can be agreed on now. ”

It is not that China has not given Mo San the authorization to pay compensation. The civilian officials really wanted to end the war as much as possible, and they even planned to allow Mo San to pay 2 million to 2.5 million yuan in indemnities - that is, the country's fiscal revenue for a year. However, the military forces quickly intervened to stir up the matter, and finally the upper limit of the compensation was set at 500,000 yuan, and the name became the land purchase fee.

Four million pesos is equivalent to more than 3.33 million yuan, but Mo San's authorization is only 500,000 yuan, and this price cannot be repaid at all.

"I don't care what you call you, but we need to receive four million pesos. As for what you say about half a million pesos, can I think you're joking? Balboa stood up from his chair and raised his voice. There were just the two of them in the empty room, so their voices could reverberate in it for a long time.

"Do you know what four million pesos mean?" Mo San lit a pipe for himself, then chuckled, and said, "We can use this money to arm more soldiers, build more warships, and then hit Potosi, Lima, and Panama in one go, do we still need to negotiate with you when we have this money?" ”

Balboa was a little irritated: "Well, the East Coasters, as you say, but half a million pesos is too little. Your Majesty will not change your decision lightly for the sake of a few hundred thousand pesos, and besides, your previous claims did not mention the ownership of Puerto Blanca. As far as I know, there is a good fishing ground near this port, and the annual income from fishing is extremely amazing, in other words, the value of this port is very high. Is it reasonable that you want to take this port with you, and you are only willing to pay a few hundred thousand pesos? Three million seven thousand, it really can't be less. ”

Mo San hesitated. It can be seen that the Spaniards did show a certain sincerity to negotiate this time, otherwise they would not have involved such a core issue as war reparations. But the upper limit of 500,000 yuan is indeed the only one who can call the shots, and on this, there is really little room for negotiation between the two sides.

However, perhaps he could include the interests of some other parties in this negotiation, and then appropriately relax the upper limit of reparations, so that the interests of other parties would be offset, and perhaps the mainland would be able to agree to the concessions it had made on war reparations.

"Mr. Balboa, I fully understand your feelings, but I also ask you to correctly understand the situation on the battlefield today. Three million is unlikely to be accepted, and I don't want to explain that much. Of course, if your country agrees to some of the additional conditions that we have proposed, I have a way of convincing my Government to raise some of the costs of land purchases. If you wish, I'll put forward these additional conditions now, and then we'll work them out one by one; If not, then this negotiation will end here, the differences between our two sides are too great to be bridged in the short term. Mo San looked into Balboa's eyes and said calmly.

"I'd like to hear your opinion, please speak."

"That's good." Mo San spat out a smoke ring, and then said: "First, your country should allow China to adopt a flexible payment method, that is, part of the land purchase cost can be paid by commodities such as cotton cloth, steel bars, grain, etc., and at the same time, it should also accept installment payment; Second, the area east of the Paraná River and west of the Uruguay River shall be established as a buffer zone between the two sides, and your country shall not garrison troops or build fortresses, and at the same time demilitarize Buenos Aires; Thirdly, your country shall not sell its territory adjacent to it to a third country and, without the consent of your Government, grant to any third country or its citizens the concessions for the construction of roads, the excavation of canals, the exploitation of mineral deposits or the establishment of industrial enterprises in such areas, and shall not give such land to the citizens of third countries; Fourth, open the ports along the Pacific coast for Chinese civilian vessels to dock and replenish, and at the same time allow Chinese fishing boats to fish along the coasts of Peru and Chile; Fifthly, to cease the oppression of the Araucans and to recognize the independence of the Kingdom of Araucania, whose territory includes ......"

"Enough, Mr. Mo, no one dares to agree to your requests." Balboa rudely interrupted Mo San's words, only to hear him say with a pale face: "The first one is okay, if the ratio of cash and goods is determined, then it is not impossible to negotiate; The second is a bit too much, no one will allow a city like Buenos Aires to go undefended; The third and fourth are just nonsense, especially the fourth, open the ports of Peru and Chile, oh my God, this is the back garden of the Spaniards, and outsiders will never be allowed to enter; Article 5 on the Araucans is even more fantastical, it is the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Spain, and no outsiders will be allowed to interfere in it. ”

"I'm just mentioning it." Mo San finished his last puff of cigarette, stood up, took his coat and put it on, and then said, "You can relay my Jianyi to the respected king of your country, His Majesty, and then see what His Majesty himself says." Anyway, what I mean is that if your country does not agree, then the cost of 500,000 pesos for the purchase of land is the upper limit, and there is no room for negotiation. Perhaps your country thinks that most of last year's gold and silver in the Americas were successfully shipped back home, and that the most difficult days are behind us, but I think that may not be true. Now that the French continue to build up their troops in the South Netherlands, and at the same time accumulate large quantities of war materials in the northeastern provinces of the Guò coastal route, it seems that a major war is coming. To tell you the truth, I am not optimistic about the prospects of war in your country, and I cannot imagine the bleak situation facing the Kingdom of Spain if the rich South Netherlands were conquered by the French. Well, I think I'll have to go back, and of course if you guys have new ideas that you can come to me at any time, I'm living in Valladolid. Goodbye, wise Mr. Balboa. (To be continued......)