In the view of those who supported this idea, the East India Company had very close trade and good relations with the Han Dynasty, while the Spaniards did not have such convenient conditions, so China should have sent troops if they were promised enough temptingly. With the current strength of the Han navy, as long as they choose to send troops, the situation will definitely change completely, and the Spaniards will not be able to resist the combined forces of the two countries under any circumstances.

Yet, unlike these optimistic corporate executives, Governor Cohen has a different view.

He was the Governor of the Eastern Colonies appointed by the East India Company at the Dutch headquarters, and he was a man of great foresight and ability, and it was thanks to his painstaking work that the Dutch had made such a great career in Asia over the years, and it was this Governor Cohen who had led the company's fleet to Batavia more than ten years earlier and established the company's new headquarters, and then quickly killed or drove away the indigenous inhabitants of the Ban Islands, or used his efforts to establish a monopoly on the clove trade.

The Viceroy was instrumental in the East India Company's ability to establish a vast trade system in Asia in just a few decades, extending its trade footprint to China, Korea, Japan, and more, and squeezing out the influence of the Spaniards and Portuguese.

It was such a governor of great prestige who objected to the opinion of the company's top management.

He believed that the war with the Spaniards was a European affair and that the Chinese should not be involved. If they were involved, they would be bound to seek something in return, and the Chinese court was obviously very greedy, and their ambitions were probably not something that the East India Company could satisfy with a few petty profits, and if they were involved, it was probably the Spaniards who were unlucky first, and then it would be the turn of the Dutch, and in the end, all of Asia would probably be shrouded in the shadow of His Majesty the Emperor.

At the Governor's insistence, many of those who had supported the call for help chose to change their minds or wait and see, and several high-level meetings of the East India Company were inconclusive.

But the helpers were still outnumbered, believing that the situation was tense, that the war between the Dutch and the Spaniards had been protracted, and that if it continued, the company would be unsustainable and less profitable. The most important thing to do now is not to think about the long term, but to end the war with the Spaniards as soon as possible.

If the Spaniards can be defeated with the help of the Chinese, then not only can the previous huge investment become worth it, but also the company can make a windfall by dividing up the wealth of the Spaniards.

As for the governor's concerns, this group felt that the Chinese court attached great importance to trade, and that after excluding the Spaniards, they needed the Dutch to maintain communication and trade between East and West for them, so that they would not immediately act against the Dutch after the war, and as for the long time to come, they did not think that there was any need to worry too much about it now.

After all, it is not in the nature of this group of merchants that the East India Company was a business, and their only goal was to make a profit, that is, to make a lot of money, and to lose the profits of the present for the sake of the distant future.

Time was precious, and given the ongoing internal strife within the company, they decided to continue their lobbying efforts in Batavia to get the governor and the opposition to change their minds as soon as possible, while at the same time intending to take the lead and seize the time to communicate with the Chinese court.

Originally, the most convenient way to communicate was through the Dutch trade representative in Tianjin (they were also used to communicate and negotiate the previous cannon deal), but because the trade representative in Tianjin was a close confidant of the governor, they could not bypass the governor to command the people there, so after thinking about it, they chose Nagasaki as the channel of communication, and negotiated with the Han court in a rather roundabout way.

They wanted to save time by getting things done before the governor nodded their heads, and they felt that even if the governor didn't agree to it in the end, as long as they could negotiate a deal with the Han court, it would be a fait accompli, and the neutral wait-and-see faction would turn to them, while the opposing faction would lose their footing, and even the governor would have to acquiesce to their opinion.

After they agreed, it was decided to select the negotiator as William Gozett, a company clerk based in Nagasaki, because Gozette was a high-ranking confidant of the helpers, and he was able to handle things with viability, vigilance, loyalty, and reliability. And after receiving the secret orders from these people, Gozette did not dare to slack off, and ran to Liu Jing under the pretext of the pirate problem, and then asked for his help.

After his narration, Liu Jing probably understood the twists and turns of these Dutchmen.

It turns out that it is not only the people on the Han side who are fighting among themselves, but also these Westerners...... He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"Since there is no agreement within your country, what ...... So why bother to seek the support of our country in the first place? If your country changes its mind halfway, won't it make our country a laughing stock? In line with the psychology that more things are better than less, Liu Jing immediately chose to refuse, "Besides, your country and my country have always had negotiation channels, and there is no need to negotiate through me, which is un......reasonable."

"Mr. Liu, please don't refuse us!" Seeing that Liu Jing actually resigned immediately, Gozette was also a little anxious, "We have always had dealings, you should know that I am a conscientious person, please believe in our sincerity." We have now convinced most of them, and it is only a matter of time before His Excellency the Governor nods and believes, and now we are only doing some necessary preliminary work. In addition, you are an official of the Han Dynasty in Japan, and you are not an outsider, but on the contrary, it is very relevant to you - the Spaniards are a group of villains, lawless and evil, who have done all kinds of evil at sea, causing us endless troubles and affecting closer commercial relations between our country and your country. If the two of us can work together to eradicate this evil force, then I am confident that the trade between the two countries will have a more brilliant future, and you will be rewarded by your court for your great deeds, and ...... Our thanks. ”

When the word "thanks" was spoken, he suddenly approached Liu Jing's side, and then reached over and held Liu Jing's hand, Liu Jing felt something wrong for a moment, because his hand seemed to be knocked by some hard object, he subconsciously shook it and copied those things.

Then, the other party's hand let go, and Liu Jing spread his hand again.

It turned out to be a few pearls.

These pearls are not small in diameter, but they are very rounded and have a very beautiful color, they radiate a moist light in the sun, and they slide slightly on his hand, giving him an unusual touch.

"Mr. Gozette...... You guys! Liu Jing understood everything, he looked at Gozette with wide eyes, and his voice became a little hoarse. What do you guys do here? ”

"We're business ethical, sir. You do us a favor, and we rightfully give us an adequate return. Gozette smiled again, but his eyes flickered, "You just need to help us make a case with the country, these are yours, and this is just a deposit, if it gets done, then you can get more in return." ”

Liu Jing stiffened slightly.

He sits in this position, it can be said that Jinshan Yinhai is by his side, although he is a conscientious court official, but he is not a completely lonely and honest person, so he has also received some benefits. However, he has set a rule for himself for many years, only accepting the following common practice of filial piety, never taking too much, and never destroying the country's income, so as not to affect his future.

Forming an alliance with the Netherlands to send troops to attack the Spaniards was a real national matter, how could he be so easily involved because of some wealth? Besides, now that the senior officials sent from China are staying in the merchant hall, what will he think if a little wind leaks out and let him know?

As soon as he thought of this, he felt a lot of bad feelings for this Dutchman who didn't know what to do.

"Don't do that!" His face was full of anger, and then he shook his hand heavily, and put the pearl in his hand in front of Mr. Gozette again, "Mr. Gozette, we were all sent here by the state, how can you use this method to ask me for help?" If I accept a bribe from you, then I will become a foreign country? Don't hurt me, sir! Don't hurt me! ”

"Don't worry, Mr. Liu, we just want you to help, and we don't mean to embarrass you!" Seeing that he reacted so violently, Gozette was also a little flustered, and shook his head again and again, "These things are just the reward you deserve, and besides, this is the place under your jurisdiction, and there are only the two of us in this room, as long as we don't say it, who will know?" ”

"No, no!" Liu Jing didn't take the other party's persuasion seriously at all, and still sent the pearl to the other party.

"Alright, well, sir...... You have the right to refuse our good faith. Under his constant urging, Gozette could only reluctantly take back the pearl he gave, "I really regret, very regret, we really have only kindness to you." ”

Liu Jing's face was cold, obviously not taking the other party's words to heart.

"Alright, Mr. Gozette, you can ......" Just as he was about to say something to drive the other party away, a flash of inspiration suddenly flashed in his mind, and the words quickly changed in his mouth, "You can wait for news from my side, I can report what you have asked to convey to the country, and ask them to decide." ”

"Mr. Liu, what did you say?" He abruptly changed his words, leaving Gozette overjoyed, "You...... Have you decided to relay it to us? ”