After some temptation, Zhang Bin quickly grasped the initiative in the negotiations, and Schvila sat there like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, beating a drum in his heart.

What kind of terrifying price will the Ming Empire offer?

Zhang Bin still didn't rush to make an offer, he continued to ask: "What kind of assistance does your country need now, you can talk about it, I see if we can do it." ”

Schwila did not doubt this, as long as the Ming Empire was willing to make a move, neither the Habsburg Dynasty nor the anti-Habsburg alliance would be opponents, at least if they did not go all out, they were not opponents of the Ming Empire.

He thought for a while, and then said cautiously: "The biggest threat we are facing now is Spain, the year before last, that is, in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Spain had waved its army to attack Montijo, although we held Montijo, but paid a heavy price, and Spain did not attack with all their strength, if they attacked with all their strength, we are afraid it will be difficult for us to resist." ”

Zhang Bin nodded, and then asked, "Do you know what is the overall strength of Spain's navy and army now?" ”

"We don't know this very well, and their navy should not be a cause for concern, because their Armada has failed several expeditions to the British, and each time the warships have almost been destroyed. As for their army, it is conservatively estimated that there are at least 100,000 left. ”

An army of 100,000 is already quite a terrifying strength in the European continent, because at this time, the population of the European continent is not large, and the maximum population is only a few million, and there is no country with a population of tens of millions.

However, in the eyes of Da Ming, an army of 100,000 is nothing.

Zhang Bin said without changing his face: "Oh, 100,000 troops, do you want the Ming Dynasty to send troops to help you garrison the border area with Spain?" ”

When Shi Vera heard this, he couldn't help but say excitedly: "If your country can send troops to help us garrison the border, it will naturally be the best." ”

Hehe, it's that simple.

Zhang Bin asked lightly: "What if we can't send troops to help you garrison the border?" ”

Shi Weila's expression darkened, and he said stupidly: "If it really doesn't work, your country can provide us with enough weapons, as long as there are enough guns, we shouldn't have a problem guarding the border." ”

Zhang Bin continued to ask: "Then how many troops can you organize?" ”

Schvera gritted his teeth and said: "If you recruit with all your might, it will not be a problem to organize an army of 20,000. ”

Twenty thousand?

Also called the Great Army!

Zhang Bin held back a smile and nodded solemnly: "Our Ming can send troops to help you garrison the border, and we can also provide you with weapons, but there must be enough benefits, otherwise, we don't need to risk a war with Spain or even the anti-Habsburg alliance to help you, right?" ”

Still here, although Schvila knew that people would definitely not make a move without interests, but when he thought of paying huge benefits to ask someone to help, he was still a little bitter in his heart.

He gritted his teeth and nodded: "Of course, if the Ming Empire is willing to form an alliance with us and safeguard our common interests, we will definitely not let the Ming Empire suffer, but I don't know how much military spending your country needs to send a large army, and how much this weapon will cost." ”

Now that this is clear, Zhang Bin is no longer twisted, he thought about it and asked directly: "How is the income of your country's Americas?" ”

Does this mean that the interests of the whole of the Americas are not unacceptable, and it is better than Britain wanting to take away most of the interests of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Schvera made a rough estimate and then said frankly: "Before the colonies in the Americas were robbed, we would probably be able to harvest about 100,000 taels of gold and about 3 million taels of silver from the Americas a year. ”

This figure seems a bit scary, but in fact it is not much, it is equivalent to more than four million taels of silver per year, you know, the consumption of the Fu Guangjun and the Fujian Navy Division is almost about two million taels a month, this money is really nothing.

Zhang Bin said truthfully: "If I help you, I will definitely not be hasty, or I will not make a move, but if I want to make a move, I must ensure that your country and the army we send out are not threatened by Spain or the anti-Habsburg powers, so if we want to make a move, we must send at least 50,000 navies and 50,000 armies, and our sailors and foot soldiers will consume about ten taels of silver a month including food, weapons and ammunition, and the consumption of 100,000 troops will be one million taels a month, and the consumption of a year will be 12 million taels. Four million taels is far from enough! ”

"Hiss", Schvera couldn't help but gasp when he heard this, this Daming's appetite is not smaller than that of the United Kingdom, 12 million taels, and the total amount of Portugal's overseas income in a year is so much!

He was embarrassed: "This, Your Royal Highness the Duke, I'm afraid we can't afford such a high military expenditure, even if we are in our heyday, we will only earn more than 10 million taels a year, not to mention that now, there are still many overseas territories that have been taken away by the Dutch." ”

When Zhang Bin heard this, he asked with great interest: "Oh, which of your territories have been taken away by the Dutch?" ”

Schvera couldn't help but sigh: "Many, not to mention small places, Ceylon alone has caused us huge losses. ”

Ceylon is the Sri Lanka of the later generations, so the big island was robbed by the Dutch, the loss is indeed very large, Zhang Bin thought for a while, and then said boldly: "This is a trivial matter, if our two countries form an alliance, we can send troops to help you recapture Ceylon." ”

We can't afford to spend 12 million taels of military expenses to recapture Ceylon, Shi Vera thought for a while, gritted his teeth and said: "Your Royal Highness, if you are willing to help us, after Ceylon is recaptured, we can leave all the cinnamon trade above to you, and the sales of cinnamon in Persia and continental Europe are very good, and it is not a problem to earn one million taels a year." ”

This guy wants to bribe himself to get the help of the Ming Dynasty, it seems that they really can't afford the 12 million taels of military spending, Zhang Bin also knows that Portugal should have the most benefits from the American colonies, and the income of their American colonies is only about 4 million taels, and it is not surprising that the rest of the country is less than 12 million taels.

He thought about it for a while, and then proposed: "Otherwise, our Ming Empire can send troops to help you, and we don't want your gold and silver, but you must open all the colonies to our Ming merchants, and give our Ming merchants the same treatment as you Portuguese merchants?" ”

In fact, plundering gold and silver is only the most primitive means of colonization, and it cannot last long, it will only earn less and less, economic colonization is the most profitable, and it will make more and more money, Zhang Bin knows this very well, but Schwila does not understand it very well, because they have always plundered colonization and have not yet transformed into economic colonization.

Schvera asked a little puzzled: "Your Royal Highness, do you mean that you want us to open the colony and let the merchants of the Ming Dynasty trade freely?" You don't need to divide the benefits of the colonies equally? ”

Zhang Bin nodded and said, "Yes, we don't need you to share the benefits of the colony equally, as long as we let the merchants of the Ming Dynasty trade freely." ”

When Schvera heard this, he couldn't help but be excited: "What do you mean, the gold and silver output there will be returned to us?" ”

The area of the Portuguese colony is so large, if it is managed well, the income can catch up with the entire Ming Dynasty, and you only have that bit of gold and silver in your eyes!

Zhang Bin nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, the gold and silver are all yours, and we only need the right to trade freely." ”

And this kind of good thing, in addition to gold and silver income in the Americas, there is not much other income, and they have not lost any benefits!

It is a great thing to be able to get the help of the Ming Empire without any benefits, you don't need to ask, Your Majesty the King will definitely agree, Shi Vera nodded without hesitation: "Okay, once our two countries form an alliance, all our colonies will be open to the merchants of the Ming Empire!" ”