Chapter 549: The Price of Freedom

Approaching the gate of the Governor's Palace again, John found that it was like a construction site, with workers everywhere. Barbed wire and glass ballast have been installed on the fence, and some living facilities are being repaired in the yard. At the very back of the wall, a tall water tower is being built. John asked the guards who led the way, and they told him that he was a water tower, and that water could flow down through a guò pipe from above, which could solve the problem of domestic water. But another question, John couldn't find the answer, how did the water get up?

Approaching the living room, the Yiqiē here has changed a lot, adding many elements of the Ming Dynasty. Screens, chairs, vases, etc., these things are gifts from the three families. There are also furniture created according to Chen Xie's intentions, such as mahogany sofas and coffee tables.

When he came in, John sat on a mahogany couch with cushions underneath him, which wouldn't be so hard. The backrest is comfortable and looks tasteful. The tea and snacks sent by the maid are very delicious, and they are more than enjoyable to enjoy life, and the Ming people will definitely throw off the Dutch for more than a dozen streets.

After waiting for ten minutes, Chen Xie hurriedly came in, and John immediately stood up and said with a humble face: "Your Excellency, I am here to know how to arrange where you will go in the future." "This has to be heard like this, can it be resumed to negotiate?

"There are things that I don't think you can decide. So do it, you and your people, voluntarily leave and go to the settlements of the Kaliman Islands. Those places can be left to you for future development. Those who voluntarily stay, we also welcome. By the way, send someone back to the Netherlands, when will the negotiations resume, I think you are also in a hurry. Chen Xie gave a very simple answer, and John was relieved. But what followed was not so pleasant.

If you want to move, you have to have a boat, John cautiously proposed, "Your Excellency." Can you return some of the boats for our relocation? When this topic was mentioned, Chen Xie immediately became speechless, his tone was arrogant, and he replied lightly: "It's okay to ask for a boat, but you have to pay." You can buy it or rent it. Look at which boat. I went to the port and chose it myself. ”

I can't have a pleasant chat with this, and I'm talking nonsense if I ask for money. John knew that this guy was not easy to take advantage of, even if he knelt on the ground and licked his shoes, he would not give up the slightest benefit. At this time, looking at the fact that he agreed to take away half of his private property, it seems that he is not so generous. Sure enough, I took a group of Dutchmen who were going to relocate to Borneo and asked at the docks. The answer is almost the result of making people vomit blood, rent a ship (a captured Dutch merchant ship), and the cheapest five thousand gold coins. Selling ships is more expensive, and the cheapest ones cost 50,000 gold coins. Isn't this Nima just openly robbing? I'm going to send someone to contact the Borneo side and let them send a boat over, one is that they can't go here, and the other is that they don't dare to come. Three or two small fish, where dare to touch the fleet.

In the end, I had to pay for it, first rent a boat to send the woman and property away, and then I had to do ideological mobilization with the people below. Encourage everyone to continue their colonial careers in the Kaliman Islands. But this thing, the response is not so strong. Why? Why would ordinary Dutchmen not want to leave? Supposedly, this is someone else's territory now. I can't continue to treat other races with high ground. Now the one who walks on the street with his chin lifted is Chinese.

It was not difficult to inquire about this matter, and the results came out quickly. The Military Control Council issued a decree that Dutch men who are willing to stay, who are in good health, have their own strengths and pass the guò examination. can get a job with a monthly salary of not less than 20 silver yuan. After working for one year and having no bad record, you can obtain a green card from Daming and enjoy national treatment, with no bad record for three years. You can join the Ming nationality. No one knows what this national treatment is. But one thing is for sure, once hired, the individual's property is completely preserved. Otherwise, if you leave, the property here will definitely not be saved. There is also the problem of those soldiers who surrendered, who themselves were prisoners of war. If you get a job, you can immediately have your own and earn a good income. If you want to leave, you have to pay a ransom of a hundred gold coins. Who will pay for this? Who wants to come out? Nadim, the banker, is willing to take out a loan, but the problem is that the product is a nadim, and the interest rate is frighteningly high.

In this way, things are very simple. Why should I go for the average person? The sea coachman who used to be bullish and coaxing, but now the mother who was beaten up doesn't know anymore, what else do I have to make a fuss about? After three years, become a Ming person, and continue to be a member of the higher nation. Why bother to follow to the Kaliman Islands, it is miserable enough from the beginning, and in the future, you will not be bullied by the people of the Ming Dynasty when you run this route.

The idea of ordinary people is simple, have a good income to support their family, and try not to take risks. Even if most of the people who come here are adventurous people, isn't it normal to bow their heads in the face of reality? The prisoners of war, in particular, were eager to get a job. Some people who have families in the city can return home as soon as they get a job.

As for the recruiting units, there are a lot of them. The police station and urban management bureau under the Military Management Commission need a group of strong thugs, and this job is more popular for those Dutch people with families. After all, after getting this job, the family can also get a job doing odd jobs in the government department. The disadvantage of this job is that the minimum salary, twenty silver coins, is definitely enough to support the family. If you like a high salary, you can go to the fleet to find a job, and there are now many private fleets on the dock to recruit sailors and provide guarantees. The worst salary of this job can get 30 silver yuan per month, and those who are familiar with various sailing skills can get a monthly salary of up to 100 silver coins according to different positions. If you can get a job as a captain, then congratulations, the annual salary is definitely not less than two thousand silver coins.

Why is it such a high salary, just look at the income of the Daming royal fleet. The cost of a trip to Batavia is 20,000 silver yuan, which is still a friendly price. Otherwise, they would have earned less than 50,000 silver dollars per trip to Manila. If you are ambitious enough, you can drive the ship directly to Europe, and it will be a huge profit.

After Batavia changed hands, this trend has come out, and Zhang Xun, the leader of the royal fleet, is discussing with the Zheng family fleet whether to build a huge fleet and kill directly in Europe. No matter how bad it is, in the future, I will run the route of Batavia, and take a trip of seventy or eighty thousand silver yuan, and there are a large number of European merchant ships waiting on the dock to receive the goods.

There is a problem that must be solved by taking the European route, that is, the need for fleet escort, otherwise the Ming fleet will pass, who knows which navy will make a cameo appearance as a pirate? It's very popular in Europe. Whether it's Zhang Xun or Zheng Cai, they have done a lot of homework on these things. In fact, the most lucrative business is to ship arms to Europe. The flintlock pistols produced by Daming are now selling crazy in India. The flintlock pistol that has just appeared in Europe, how to compare it with the products of Daming's mature technology, let alone steel, is directly crushed.

However, the arms deal is not something that can be done by the private sector. And at present, Chen Xie has no intention of expanding, it is nothing more than an attempt. After going back this time, I plan to clear all the smoothbore guns in stock and make a profit.

When there was a cheer from the pier, the people in the city were alarmed, and the people in the city flocked to the pier to see the excitement, only to find that a fleet of ships had arrived. When they saw this fleet, the Chinese were naturally overjoyed, and the Dutch were naturally saddened. Knight's fleet was escorted here, and the fleet was eventually annihilated. Chen Xie was also very excited when he knew the news, it was very troublesome to know the storage of such a fleet. What if this place is hiding and that place is fighting guerrilla warfare with you? Doing some robbery at sea, selling wonton noodles or something, this is a group of skilled workers.

After the destruction of this fleet, the entire route can be considered completely peaceful. The fleets of other countries do not exist on such a large scale, and according to the habit of the Ming fleet, the ordinary pirates come to find trouble, which is no different from sending them to death.

Chen Xie personally went to the dock to welcome the return of the detachment, and naturally saw the appearance of Shi Lisheng leading the two defeated generals, and when he saw Chen Xie, Shi Lisheng stepped forward to salute, and presented the two swords with both hands and said: "Report to the cabinet lord, I was ordered to escort and block the strait, the task is completed, and I am here to return to my life." ”

When Knight stood in front of Chen Xie, he couldn't help but be surprised by Chen Xie's height, which is not common in Daming. It is also the southern coastal zone, and tall people are even rarer. As a defeated general, Knight could only bow his head and say, "Your Excellency, Knight salutes you!" And hope to get normal treatment. ”

Chen Xie replied to him in the arrogant tone characteristic of a victor: "You can choose to work in a prisoner of war camp for five years, or you can choose to pay a ransom of 10,000 gold coins. Whatever choice you make, you'll have to do some work in exchange for the food you need every day for some time to come. ”

Knight shook his shoulder, he already knew about this treatment. There are still more than 500 soldiers working in Temasek, and they are in charge of three full meals a day, and they eat well, but they are not free. Freedom is such a thing, you only know how valuable you are when you lose it.

At this time, someone stood up and spoke, bowed to Chen Xie, and said in a humble whisper: "Master, I can guarantee General Nat's ransom." In this way, he can return to the Netherlands and explain the situation to the Dutch government and avoid further deterioration of relations between the two countries. Chen Xie looked at Nadim quietly, this thing lowered his head, but he was secretly smiling proudly. This trick must have been in the middle of it, and the owner had always wanted to get in touch with Europe, and even decided to let him go back next year. (To be continued......)