“…… In Beishengzhou (in the northern part of Yunnan and Tibet border) mutual market tea, horses, that is, Yunnan to tea horses, Tibet to horses tea. For the specific mutual market measures, the household department proposed that the tea required for the opening of the market should be purchased by Yunnan Province or purchased from other provinces, and whether it can be compared with the Xining mutual market, please consider whether it can be compared with the Xining regulations. ”

"Although there has never been a case of a horse market opening in Beishengzhou, Beishengzhou is located on the northern edge of Yunnan, bordering Tibet and Mongolia, and the horses produced are equal to those outside Xining. His Royal Highness's prestige was proclaimed both inside and outside, and Mongolia and Tibet felt the kindness of sincerity, and they made a special plea to each other, which was a manifestation of the naturalization of barbarians and should be commended. ”

"Beishengzhou is not connected to the river road, the transportation is inconvenient, and there is not much tea in this province; Buying in other provinces, shouldering and trekking, the number is very limited, and it is difficult to compare the Xining example......"

"Tibet ###喇嘛与蒙古干都台吉秘派使者, called to congratulate His Royal Highness on the recovery of Yunnan, asked for tea and horses in Beishengzhou, but did not want to publicize, obviously between the emperor and the Qing court, the first rat at both ends, not credible! In addition, the Tibetans demanded that the Jindian and Zhongdian areas outside the Jinsha River be temporarily ceded so that the Tibetans and Mongols could live in the herdsmen, and that trade and mutual markets should be carried out in order to make good friends, and this should be prudent......

“…… Our army needs horses, but we can't send people to Gansu and Xining to buy them. Nowadays, Tibet is willing to open the market for trade, and it is necessary to ask the opinions of the ministers and allow the market to be opened for convenience. ”

From the political, economic, and military considerations, Zhu Yongxing certainly agrees with the tea horses in the mutual market. However, how to operate it should be seriously discussed and studied with subordinates.

As His Majesty said, when the war between the Ming and Qing dynasties became delicate again, Tibet###喇嘛与蒙古干都台吉既不堪忍受清廷袭自明朝的 the unequal exchange of "tea slaves", and wanted to use private transactions to cover up official intentions, so as not to offend the Qing court.

But Zhu Yongxing didn't care about this, and now in this situation, he wants others to stand in line and take a stand. Not only is it difficult to be strong, but it will also lose a lot of help to resist the Qing Dynasty. From a purely military point of view, the short legs of the cavalry troops will also have to be solved sooner or later, and the key to competing with the Manchurian Eight Banners on the battlefield in the future is the source of war horses.

The Yunnan horse is native to the Wumeng Mountains of western and eastern Yunnan Province, and is distributed in Dali, Heqing, Eryuan, Jianchuan, Binchuan and other places, and is a bantam horse breed. Its most significant characteristics are that it is short and healthy, hard-working, and good at bearing weights. It can travel long distances, and it is very suitable for long-distance transportation on rugged mountain roads. But to gallop on the battlefield, it is obviously not his forte. Therefore, with the source of obtaining war horses, Zhu Yongxing and the military are eager to promote the success of the "tea and horse market".

However, many civil officials still inherited the Ming Dynasty's ideas and ideas of "the fake market is easy to control with restraints, and it is the best policy to control the market", and they have many requirements for the conditions of "tea and horse market".

Of course, tea is a crop unique to the Central Plains civilization. The northern minority areas are completely unsuitable for the growth of tea. Due to the problem of dietary structure, the dependence of ethnic minorities in the north on tea is much higher than that of the Central Plains. Therefore, it is understandable to have complete pricing power over tea, regard tea as a political commodity and strategic material, and use tea as a weapon to dissolve or control the northern nomads.

But Zhu Yongxing does not fully agree with this, he believes that one-sided control of the supply of tea can control the nomads. Obviously too idealistic. A strong national strength is the royal way to maintain prosperity and security. Too much belief in their monopoly on resources. In fact, it is easy to adopt a rash policy, so that the border tribes are tired and resentful of using tea as a means of blackmail, and are no longer willing to exchange the cattle and horses that they have worked hard to raise and regard as their lives for a pitiful number of tea leaves.

"Lone feels that the 'tea and horse market' is a bit narrow." Although Zhu Yongxing did not have a specific method, he felt that the scope of the transaction could be expanded and the circulation of commodities could be accelerated. To promote cultural and commercial exchanges with Tibet, "Tibet and Mongolia not only have horses, but also leather, wool, deer antler, musk and sand gold, and we do not only have tea as a commodity, porcelain, silk, cotton, ironware, etc. It will also be loved by Tibetans. Of course, tea can be exchanged for horses only, and the price can be slightly discounted compared to Xining. As for other goods, they can be bargained, bartered, or converted into gold and silver before buying. ”

attacked the lord and became the king, Zhu Yongxing also followed the customs of the villagers, saying that he was lonely. Some traditions can be changed, while others do not have to be discarded now. The concept of superiority and inferiority has been deeply rooted, and Zhu Yongxing can only change it slowly, instead of making drastic changes and making things discussed.

The meeting did not negotiate the final outcome, the location of the city, the specific rules, the establishment of the governing body, the exchange rate of the currencies of the two sides, the settlement of the dispute, and the establishment of the governing body...... The mutual market must be carried out, but so many unsolved problems cannot be sorted out in a short period of time.

"It is not advisable to run all official offices, except for tea and horses, and there should be some loose space for the operation of other commodities; Don't take it for granted that you can talk to some businessmen together. Zhu Yongxing did not want to create a completely monopolistic bureaucracy, and the fewer areas involved until a perfect supervisory body and measures were established, the fewer opportunities for officials to be corrupt.

Once the major policy is decided, the city will definitely be opened, and not only the mutual market of tea and horses will be beneficial to the military. In addition, by taking advantage of the circulation of goods in the city, it can also deepen exchanges with Tibet, attract a wide range of merchants, engage in various trades, and invigorate the local economy, which is also beneficial to the common people.

The first Kaiyu City in Yunnan Province was also an attempt and experiment, taking the opportunity to improve the various rules involved. In the future, in order to invigorate Sichuan's economy and speed up the construction of Sichuan, and then open up the city in Yazhou, it will be a familiar road with little trouble.

The war was far from over, but Zhu Yongxing had already seen hope for victory. This is because the war is shifting in the direction of competing for comprehensive strength, and the economic acumen, diplomatic continuity, and historical trend are ...... I'm afraid no one is more powerful than Zhu Yongxing.

The exchange of tea and horses with Tibet and Mongolia is just one of the things, and the British came to meet him, which was another opportunity for Zhu Yongxing to use his means to strengthen himself.

Although James had done a lot of homework before, he was still amazed by the vast area occupied by the Ming Empire from Saigon to Haiphong, and then through the Ming region of Annam and the southern part of Yunnan Province to Kunming. This is already the size of several Great Britain, and does it not prove that the outcome of the war between this empire and the barbarian Tatars is difficult to speculate?

Is the relocation of the coast, what a stupid and short-sighted policy, the vast coastal defense abandoned by the Tatars, proof that the empire is gradually gaining the upper hand? After all, the main ethnic group on this vast and boundless continent is the Han people. If evoked, it seems obvious which way the scales of war are tilting.

It must be said that the conclusions James reached, or rather the judgments he came up with, were not accurate. On the whole, the war is still a strong enemy and a weak one. It was only in the southwestern battlefield that the Ming army grasped the strategic initiative.

During this time, some foreign businessmen came to Kunming, but not all of them were given the opportunity to be summoned by Zhu Yongxing. After the Manchu Qing Dynasty began to ban the sea, Macao, the largest port of foreign trade, was able to obtain a sharp decline in goods, and although the Portuguese authorities in Macau still expressed their support for the Qing court, they were not taken care of by the Manchus. The profit-seeking nature of the merchants made the merchants of Macao from all over the world begin to look for other trade routes.

If it weren't for the Manchu ban on the sea, the British might not have been able to make such a determination. But the goods obtained by Macao could not be satisfied even by Portuguese merchants. The English, then, did not see any benefit in currying favor with the Qing court. Regardless of the outcome of the Ming and Qing wars in the future, the Ming army is still the dominant side in the Indochina region (Indochina) at present, and it still has the goods they need. Seeing this, the British decided to seize the opportunity to do business with the Ming army.

Just as James's judgment of the Ming and Qing wars was careless and inaccurate, his understanding of Zhu Yongxing was also too little. It is impossible for him to know the true meaning of staying in the imperial court, according to the understanding of the British, Zhu Yongxing is the Prince Regent, young and vigorous. Until the time of the audience. James was amazed at how shrewd and knowledgeable the young Prince Regent was.

"Your Excellency the Prince can have as many as you want!" James' eyes lit up after seeing that Zhu Yongxing seemed to be starting to consider his proposal. The Englishman's cheeks were red with excitement: "As long as Your Excellency wants it, it doesn't matter how many ships and cannons you have." ”

Zhu Yongxing smiled faintly, before summoning this British, he had also done his homework, coupled with the memory in his head, he thought that this was an opportunity for the navy to grow.

Netherlands. This small country, which covers an area of just over 40,000 square kilometers and is poor in natural resources, has had a period of dazzling glory in history. From the 17th century onwards, the Netherlands, which had been freed from Spanish rule through the bourgeois revolution, had outgrown many European countries in just a few decades, with a Dutch merchant fleet of more than 16,000 ships. Accounting for three-quarters of the total tonnage of European merchant ships and one-third of the world's transport vessels, they are known as "coachmen of the sea".

In the late 16th century, Britain thwarted Spain's maritime hegemony and broke the colonial monopoly of Spain and Portugal. Britain came to the fore and gradually developed into a latecomer but also a powerful colonial power. However, the Dutch crowded out British merchants everywhere, and relied on the abundant capital to monopolize the trade of various countries, which made the struggle between Britain and the Dutch colonial power inevitable.

In 1651, the British Parliament passed a new "Navigation Ordinance", which stipulated that all goods imported into England must be carried by English ships or brought to England by ships of actual origin, which means that no other countries with shipping capabilities are allowed to interfere.

The Netherlands has always been a trade intermediary country and the center of commodity distribution in the whole world with a large number of merchant ships, large size, high efficiency and perfect organization. Britain's new navigation regulations were clearly aimed at dealing with the Netherlands, striking a blow at its intermediary role in Britain's trade with other countries. The struggle between the Netherlands and England intensified as never before, with the Dutch opposing the English navigation regulations and the English refusing to abolish the navigation regulations, which led to the First Anglo-Dutch War of 1652-1654.

Zhu Yongxing knew that Britain won the first Anglo-Dutch war, but the Netherlands was not willing to lose, and the time, although not very exact, was not a few years away from the time of the second Anglo-Dutch war.

In the war, both sides used blockade warfare and raiding warfare, especially the British, who used privateer warrants to loot Dutch merchant ships they encountered like pirates. Therefore, the British were able to sell and loot goods, ships, and artillery on ships to Zhu Yongxing very cheaply. Similarly, the Dutch could provide Zhu Yongxing with similar things, but when Zheng Chenggong was about to recover Taiwan, Zhu Yongxing did not want to have too much to do with the Dutch.

"As long as Your Excellency the Prince allows us to anchor in the port of Daming, repair ships, replenish fresh water and food. We pledge not to disturb the ships of the Ming Dynasty, and if anyone violates this sacred promise, our law-abiding merchants will be happy to watch the Prince's Excellency hang the criminals. If you are worried that this will upset the Spaniards and Dutch, then we can also accept a secret supply port, such as Saigon, or other ports that will soon be opened in Ha Tien. ”

"The Lone King is not worried about the Dutch and the Spaniards. It's just that the tremendous help provided to France, and the closeness between the two countries, makes it difficult for me to give your country too much favor. Zhu Yongxing's proposal to James was ambiguous, although it seemed very difficult, but he did not say it to death.

"Guns, artillery, all the French can sell to the Prince. We have it all in the UK, and it's cheap. James was jealous and hated that the French could take the lead and establish good relations with the Ming Empire, but for his own benefit, he could only make a big deal, "There is no problem with craftsmen and skills, better than the French." ”

"We were able to buy goods from the French on credit, and the French also offered us interest-free loans. And to assist our army in the war. Zhu Yongxing shook his head lightly with emotion, "Although our two countries have not signed an alliance agreement, in fact, it is about the same. ”

James knew that Zhu Yongxing was not exaggerating, but the French also got a lot for such a sacrifice, the secret of making mirrors, the manufacture of large mirrors, and the preferential policies of Saigon and Haiphong. There is also one in the Borneo archipelago, the right of berthing in Da Nang...... With the maritime power of the United Kingdom. Totally capable of doing better than the French.

After the defeat of the Netherlands in the First Anglo-Dutch War, they were always looking for an opportunity to regain control of the sea. In January of this year, the Netherlands formed an anti-British alliance with France and Denmark, and France and Denmark began to provide all kinds of assistance to the Netherlands. That is, France has turned into an enemy of Britain. It must be suppressed.

"What the French can do, we will do better, in order to show His Excellency the Prince more sincere intentions than the French. But we will not be as greedy as the French, and we will be grateful for the slightest favor from His Excellency. James admired Zhu Yongxing's negotiation skills. Or rather, not skill, but borrowing.

Although the French were very helpful, their maritime strength was far inferior to that of the British, and Zhu Yongxing urgently needed to take advantage of the Manchu coastal relocation to launch an amphibious operation. It is not only to contain the land forces of the Qing army, but also to capture the population needed to fill Sichuan and expand Hexian.

The Zheng family couldn't count on it, so Zhu Yongxing turned his attention to France and England. But borrowing troops from Xiyi, Zhu Yongxing still has some concerns. In the face of James's step-by-step increase, he fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.

James was very nervous and did not take his eyes off Zhu Yongxing, which was rude according to Chinese etiquette, but Zhu Yongxing was thinking about it, and Yang Guoxiang opened his mouth and did not interrupt in the end.

"Ships and artillery should be purchased on credit, without interest, and settled within two years-" Zhu Yongxing raised his head, slowly said his conditions, saw James nodded, and continued: "In Hexian to cooperate in the establishment of a shipyard and a gun factory, you are responsible for providing relevant technical personnel." And ......"

"Your Excellency, do you need a strong black slave?" James took advantage of Zhu Yongxing's speech to promote it again, "It is better to use it for farming than cattle and horses, a kind of orangutan animal, and it can also learn human language." ”

Although James offered to send samples from the East India Company for free, Zhu Yongxing politely declined, and tried not to show disgust.

"No problem, Your Excellency the Prince can rest assured that he will leave it to us, do you need a translator?" Although he was surprised and strange that Zhu Yongxing proposed that he needed some mathematics, chemistry, and physics teachers, James still agreed, and said that he would help Zhu Yongxing tie up the talents he needed, and the price would be negotiable at that time.

Naked robbers, ×! Zhu Yongxing felt that he had fallen, and he even bargained with the robbers and talked and laughed freely. Or, if you want to build a colonialist country yourself, you will also become a naked bandit ×.

It should have become. Zhu Yongxing secretly smiled bitterly, crusading against Annan, attacking Nanruan, and invading Zhenla, he had done so much, and he didn't seem to have any guilt in his heart, but felt as if he deserved it.

"A quarter of the goods exported, that's the limit, it can't be more." Zhu Yongxing put away his thoughts and began to sweeten James, "Enjoy the same preferential treatment as the French in Haiphong and Saigon, cooperate in the construction of the port of Ha Than, and enjoy the right to berth......"

Although there are several colonial countries in Asia, Zhu Yongxing feels that only Britain and France can become temporary allies, that is, they can use each other and benefit each other.

Spain, day by day, and the anti-Chinese behavior in the Philippines also made Zhu Yongxing very angry, if it were not for the current strength of the navy, he would even have the urge to go out to seize the Philippines. Of course, this is already a plan for the future, and it needs to be implemented after the country is pacified.

The Netherlands, Zheng Chenggong is about to recover Taiwan, Batavia is still plotting to recapture it, the Ming army and the Netherlands are unlikely to have a war, but the hostility of the Dutch must be guarded against. What's more, they also helped the Manchus attack Jinxia in history. (To be continued......)