"Minister Nidom, Mr. Rebecc." Fu Hengrong, the right-hand man who presided over the foreign affairs of Nanyang and Central South China, said with a smile after a brief exchange of greetings with the visiting Dutch: "After many discussions and studies, our cabinet government has decided to grant special status to several cities such as Batavia, Cirebon, Ambon, Palembang (Palembang), and Malacca. Your East India Company may send officials from our Ministry of State to form a joint local government, and these cities will not make major changes in the existing modes of administration, civil affairs, commerce and trade, and residents' lives in these cities, except for military defense, foreign affairs, customs and taxation, and judicial final adjudication, and enjoy a high degree of autonomy, and the central government will not interfere too much. ”

When Jan van Rebeek, director and senior representative of the East India Company, heard this, he turned his head to look at Minister Maurice Nidom who was holding a teaglass, but saw that he did not raise his head, as if he was intoxicated by the refreshing aroma of tea, and pecked lightly on his own.

"Does your government have a clear reply to the East India Company's previous proposal to continue to retain the monopoly on the spice trade?" Jan van Rebeek, knowing that the Qi government's decision to "take back" the colonial strongholds of the East Indies such as Batavia was irretrievable, tentatively inquired about the monopoly of the spice trade.

Although spices already accounted for less than 10 percent of the East India Company's trade share, it was still a business of 20 million guilders, so it was not enough to say that they would take it if they were taken away, right?

From more than fifty years ago, the Dutch East India trade landscape had changed dramatically. Over time, the share of pepper and spices in the East India Company's imports continued to decline. For example, pepper's share of sales in 1715 and 1720 plummeted to 3 percent, and together with 8 percent of fine spices, spice sales accounted for only one-tenth of total sales. Recall that two hundred years ago, one of the biggest reasons why the Portuguese came to the Asian Sea was to get pepper, some of the finest spices equivalent to gold, as if they were in a lifetime.

So why did the value of pepper and spices become so low? Is it because Europeans don't use pepper and spices?

This is not the case. Even in the twenties of the 18th century, the Dutch East India Company continued to steadily import a certain amount of pepper and spices to Europe. From 1710 to 1715, pepper imports amounted to about 5 million to 5.5 million guilders per year, and from 1715 to 1720 they increased to about 5.8 million guilders. Depending on the year, there are some variations, and the import of pepper and other spices is basically slowly increasing.

Nonetheless, pepper imports have become less remarkable because the Dutch East India Company's total imports have increased more than pepper. Compared to the total imports of more than 90 million guilders in the 60s of the 17th century, the total imports in 1720 amounted to 210 million guilders. During this period, the unit price of pepper imports remained virtually unchanged. In other words, higher-priced goods other than spices, specifically Qi imports of manufactured goods, steel, furs, precision instruments, cane sugar, textiles, tea, porcelain, and new goods such as coffee, palm oil, and cocoa have increased significantly, which has led to an increase in total imports. In this respect, the importance of pepper and spices, which are stable, has decreased considerably.

However, it is also true that with the steady growth of the population in Europe, the demand for pepper and spices has not increased significantly.

What is the reason?

One of the exact reasons for this is that the use of spices has decreased in European countries. Since the seventies and eighties of the 17th century, perhaps Europeans felt that spices were no longer valuable, and that restaurants that used spices everywhere could no longer boast of their social status. From this period onwards, the European aristocracy and high society began to use dishes made from high-priced and scarce ingredients native to the New World or difficult to obtain as a way to express their status.

In Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, the general decline in meat consumption was also one of the reasons for the sluggish growth in demand for spices. The reason for this is not fully understood, but it is certain that in most parts of Europe, people ate more meat and were taller in the 15th century.

In addition, there is another reason, after entering the 18th century, with the spread of Qi medical knowledge and spread to Europe, the body balance theory composed of the four major elements that has been popular since ancient times has come to an end, which may also affect the growth of spice imports. In short, in the past 20 years, spices have gradually lost their value as medicines and have become "spices" that are only used to make food condiments.

However, the best news for the Dutch was that spices could not be cultivated and harvested in the cold climate of northwestern Europe, and the high commodity value remained during this period, allowing the Dutch to make a lot of money by virtue of their monopoly on the spice trade.

Now, the Qi people, who regard the entire East Indies as their core sphere of interest, want to "take back" the various colonies occupied by the Dutch East India Company, so as to achieve their absolute control over the region.

In the face of the extremely powerful Qi State, the Dutch East India Company did not dare to have any intention of resistance or resistance, but they still hoped to maintain a monopoly on the spice trade and enhance their voice in European trade affairs.

Your Qi country can earn tens of millions of dong in trade profits every year just by relying on the tea re-exported from the mainland, so you don't care about the income of the three melons and two dates of spices, right?

Fu Hengrong couldn't help but smile meaningfully when he heard Jan van Rebeek mention the issue of exclusive (monopoly) rights in the spice trade.

"Regarding the granting of exclusive rights to trade spices in the Nanyang region, our cabinet government still prefers to keep it as it is. After all, your East India Company has maintained a traditional friendship with our Qi country for decades, and our Emperor and the Cabinet Government also greatly value the continued friendly and close economic and trade relations between the two sides. ”

"Thank you very much for this decision made by your government." When Jan van Rebeke heard this, he was immediately overjoyed, if it weren't for his identity and status, he couldn't wait to step forward and hug the second-in-command of the foreign affairs department of Qi State tightly, "Our East India Company will always be the closest partner of your Qi country, it was, is, and will be!" ”

"However, the government of our country has always advocated trade freedom and expressed deep concern about certain restrictive and exclusive trade practices."

"Huh?" Jan van Rebeck was stunned when he heard this.

What does this mean?

"Advocating for free trade"?

"Deeply concerned about certain restrictive and exclusive trade practices"?

These words, however they sounded, seemed to have a negative attitude towards our East India Company's monopoly on the spice trade.

What about traditional friendships?

Where is the treasure of your Emperor and the cabinet government of our East India Company?

Minister Maurice Nidom's hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air, half sounded, and gently placed the teacup on the small table next to him, and his deep eyes showed a little solemnity.

"Hehe......" Fu Hengrong smiled and said softly: "Of course, some trade behaviors are traditions and practices that have lasted for decades, and if they change suddenly, they may cause drastic changes in the entire trade market. Therefore, the government of Qi will also give a certain period of time to slowly change some untimely trade behaviors. ”

"That'...... How long will this shift be? Jan van Rebeek's face was a little ugly.

Mosquitoes are small and meaty, and ants have legs no matter how thin they are. How could the merchants of Qi watch the spice business on their doorstep continue to be monopolized by the Dutch?

Perhaps, they really took a fancy to the Dutch monopoly of the spice business for nearly a hundred years!

"It could be three years, five years, it could be eight years, it could be ten years." Fu Hengrong said: "If there are difficulties in implementing certain changes in trade behavior, you might as well give more time to adapt slowly. Of course, this issue falls within the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Trade, and it is inconvenient for me as a diplomat to give a peck at it. ”

"If the East India Company had exchanged some rights and interests, would it have been possible to exchange it for a longer exclusive right to trade in spices?" Minister Maurice Nidom asked.

"Of course." Fu Hengrong nodded and said, "If the rights and interests of the exchange are attractive enough, our Qi Kingdom is not a stingy person. ”

Minister Maurice Nidome nodded knowingly, said no more, reached out to pick up the teacup, and continued to peck slowly.

Jan van Rebeek was puzzled at first when he heard the two men's cryptic diplomatic words, but after a moment of thought, his face immediately became even more ugly.

Cape Town!

"The people of Qi still want Cape Town of our East India Company!"

Leaving the Qi Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, on the way back, Jan van Rebeek sat on the wall of the carriage, looking helpless and bitter.

"Do you have any other options for the East India Company?" Minister Maurice Nidom asked softly, "In the whole of Europe, there are countless countries and adventure companies that covet the East India Company's Oriental trade. In the eyes of the people of Qi, your status and role are not irreplaceable. The Portuguese, the French, the Venetians, the Genoese, and the English all delight the East India Company of its great profits in the trade of the East. Once they see that your East India Company has been abandoned by the Qi State, they will inevitably rush to woo the Qi State and compete to curry favor with the Qi State. Mr. Rebecc, there is a very philosophical saying in Eastern civilization that if you want to get it, you must first give it. …… What do you think? ”