Chapter 1256 Forced to Help
The two envoys felt that Tan Juren's explanation was reasonable. Officers captured during the war should have better treatment, so that they could exchange ransoms from the enemy after the war was over, or exchange people for their own. Captured personnel. It was not easy to catch a group of British guys. If it were them who had made the decision, they would definitely have to keep these people so that the British East India Company could bleed.
However, when they saw this group of British people with their own eyes, they couldn't help but laugh. These guys were sitting on the ground in a small farmyard. There was a pile of rocks like a hill next to each of them, and the British people used the hammers in their hands. Crack these stones into small pebbles bit by bit. The sound of clanging stones could be heard in the yard. These people were so absorbed in their work that no one raised their head to look at the new visitors.
If it weren't for their distinctive appearance, the two envoys probably wouldn't have noticed that these disgraced migrant workers turned out to be British prisoners of war. Judging from this appearance, it seems that there is no special treatment as they imagined, but the labor intensity is slightly less than that of ordinary prisoners of war. Perhaps they were all glorious military officers before, but now they are just a group of lonely masons.
The two envoys secretly said something miserable in their hearts, but from their standpoint, they didn't have much sympathy for the British. They just felt a little sad that the rabbit died and the fox died. It is said that the Haihan people are good at calculating, and judging from their arrangements for prisoners of war, they are indeed well-deserved. During their imprisonment, the prisoners of war had to engage in heavy manual labor and had no chance of having free time.
Tan Juren asked his men to bring out the leader of the British prisoners, Hogg, and let him meet with the envoys of the two countries. Hogg had been in the Far East for a long time. As soon as he met these two people, he could judge their identities from their appearance and clothing. Hogg did not feel that the meeting under such an occasion was the Haihan people's intention to humiliate him, but he was secretly worried that the appearance of the envoys from these two families here was not a coincidence. If both Portugal and the Netherlands were involved in the subsequent chaos, , which will inevitably complicate the already unfavorable situation. By then, the East India Company will have to deal with more than just Haihan's opponents.
Ricardo and Philip each reported their names and identities, and Hogg also reported his identity in accordance with diplomatic rules. Although he is a prisoner now, on this occasion, he represents the interests of Britain and the East India Company, and naturally he cannot be at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.
After a few brief conversations between the three, the two envoys were basically certain that the man in front of them was really a senior military advisor working for the East India Company, and Haihan's complete victory in this battle was also confirmed from his mouth . Confirmed one by one by the many evidences they had seen before, they could finally confirm how powerful Haihan's performance was this time.
The coalition forces formed by the British East India Company and the State of Johor originally wanted to attack Sing Island with doubled troops, but unexpectedly, Haihan set up an ambush and retained all the enemy troops who set foot on Sing Island. And quickly defeated the opponent in a two-day battle. From the beginning to the end, the coalition forces of the two countries had no hope of victory. Instead, most of them became prisoners of war, and would later be asked for ransom and compensation by Haihan. This action was really a loss of money.
Philip was quite proud. Haihan's performance in the battle was partly due to the key intelligence provided by the Netherlands. Otherwise, even if Haihan can defeat the coalition forces, it is unlikely that he will achieve such a complete victory. Maybe the coalition forces can succeed and inflict heavy damage to Haihan.
Of course, the Dutch intervention originally had a strong political meaning. The purpose was not to save the Haihan people on Star Island, but to use the hands of the Haihan people to attack their rival British. After all, the conflict of interests between the Netherlands and Heihan only exists in the South China Sea, while the competition with the United Kingdom is carried out on a global scale. The importance of the two is not at the same level at all. From the perspective of national interests, at this time, we must try to attack Britain first.
And if this operation against Haihan was only planned and initiated unilaterally by Johor, then even if the Netherlands knew the news, they would never notify Haihan. The same is true for Portugal. If Johor can create some trouble for Hai Han, then they will be more than happy to sit on the sidelines and watch Hai Han suffer misfortune.
"General Roger, can I have a few words with you alone?" Hogg made the request at this time. But this didn't seem to surprise Roger. He smiled and nodded, letting Tan Juren greet the two envoys first, and he took Hogg aside.
"As for the suggestions you made before, I think there is room for further discussion between the two of us." Hogg took the initiative to express his purpose.
However, Roger was not someone who was easily tricked. He smiled slightly and said, "What are you talking about?"
Hogg coughed dryly and said: "That's it...accepting the conditions you proposed, the truce and peace!"
Hogg had already guessed why the Haihan people brought the Portuguese and Dutch to the prisoner of war camp to see the scenery. These two families had always been in fierce competition with the British. When they found out that Britain was defeated by Haihan, what would they do? How to react?
Stand idly by? No, they wouldn't be so kind. Hogg only needed to put himself in their shoes to estimate their reaction. If it were Portugal or the Netherlands that suffered a heavy blow, after discovering this situation, of course, I would immediately plan how to deal a heavier blow to them, and never leave the opponent a chance to stand up.
Hogg knew that Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with both families. Even if they did not know the status of the fighting between Haihan and the coalition forces in advance, after coming here to see the prisoners of war, they would definitely try their best to persuade Haihan not to cease the war. , continued to raise troops to attack Britain and Johor. And if Haihan is persuaded by him, the chance of Hogg and these prisoners of war being released will be very slim, and the company's situation in the South China Sea will become more difficult. Whether it is for selfish reasons or considering its own responsibilities, Hogg will try his best to prevent the situation from getting worse.
But now that he is a prisoner, he does not have much capital for bargaining, and the Haihan people may not have the patience to continue slowly. If he does not persuade the other party quickly, he may be overtaken by his European colleagues who are worried about the world's chaos. In front.
Roger smiled and said: "So you are talking about this...I have no objections to the armistice, but your East India Company's response is too slow. You also know that if many things are delayed for a long time, the situation will become easier. Become out of control. As the victors, what we are pursuing is definitely to maximize profits. If there are other plans to obtain greater benefits than the armistice, then of course I will consider new plans instead of waiting for the East India Company. I don’t know when the answer will be given.”
Hogg really couldn't refute Roger. After he was captured as the commander of this operation, the East India Company no longer had anyone who could make the final decision in the Johor area. All it could do was to compare the war situation here with Hogg's. After his capture, a personal letter was sent to his stronghold in the Indian peninsula. But the distance between these two places is long, and by the time the reply comes over, the day lilies will probably be cold.
Hogg originally thought that it wouldn't matter if he waited for a month or two. During this period, he would just suffer a little and be tired. The company might feel that it would be painful to pay for it, but if it was to enter the South China Sea activities, it would open up Regarding the prospect of the Far East trade route, after gritting the teeth and giving this money away, it can actually be earned back through maritime trade. Although it will suffer losses in the short term, it is a very cost-effective deal in the long run. It is precisely because Hogg realized this that he clarified the pros and cons in the letter and suggested that the company conduct in-depth negotiations with Haihan to win the coveted regional trade. status. Of course, this is definitely not good news for the competitors of the British East India Company. Portugal and the Netherlands each guard a strait channel in and out of the South China Sea, but if Haihan insists on opening a hole to let the British in, it will be difficult for them to change this situation with just verbal opposition. Therefore, Hogg had to reach an agreement with Haihan before those two companies persuaded him. But the problem is that Hogg lacks a meaningful weight in his hand. The time issue alone is enough to make the Haihan people change their minds.
For the current plan, Hogg can only ignore the trivial matters and increase the amount first. As long as enough sweeteners and sufficient reasons are given, he believes that the Haihan people will still consider negotiating with the company to resolve the current situation, rather than using force to keep British merchant ships out of the South China Sea.
"We can consider paying a certain fee to your country every year to obtain trade rights in the South China Sea." Hogg was in a hurry and couldn't think of any good solution. If you can't get the approval of the company's management, you can only wait until then.
"Is there more?" The expression on Roger's face did not change, and there was still a faint smile on the corner of his mouth. This is the expression of someone who has taken the initiative in a negotiation. He is confident and calm, waiting for his opponent to reveal his trump cards one by one.
Seeing that Roger was non-committal, Hogg couldn't guess whether he was interested in the terms he offered, so he could only continue: "The fee is negotiable..."
"It's not a question of more money and less money." Roger waved his hand and interrupted him: "You may have misunderstood our country. We Haihan are not short of this little money!"
Hogg thought to himself that you have the nerve to say this. The compensation and ransom were all the conditions you set out a few days ago. Now that you are actually saying this to me, it seems that you have misunderstood the thickness of your Haihan people's skin. However, he did not dare to show his unhappiness on his face at all, and asked cautiously: "What do you mean by that?"
"Order! Obey!" Roger threw out two key words, and then explained to Hogg: "As we all know, the current international trade order in the South China Sea is established and led by our country. If countries outside the region want to enter this area to carry out trade, then They must abide by the rules of the game led by Haihan. For example, British ships that want to enter the South China Sea must actively register relevant information with my country and accept corresponding supervision. For example, British merchant ships entering. In the South China Sea, you must first register at Xingdao, indicating the status of the vessel and crew, content of cargo, destination, voyage arrangements, etc., and then you must also cooperate with inspections during the docking period at Haihan Port.”
Although Hogg was born in the army, he could also understand the impact that Haihan's regulatory measures would have on the East India Company's future maritime trade activities in the South China Sea. If this is implemented, then the trading activities of British merchant ships in the South China Sea will have almost no secrets to Haihan. If they want to open up colonies or new routes in the future, they will definitely not escape Haihan’s attention. This is not something that happened in the East. A situation that Indian companies are happy to accept.
Hogg coughed dryly and said: "I understand that your country attaches great importance to security issues, but this seems a bit too strict, right? If you operate like this, wouldn't you lose even a little freedom of navigation and trade?"
Roger responded calmly: "It depends on how you weigh the balance. Freedom and security cannot have both. If you want freedom, then we will not guarantee the safety of British ships in the South China Sea!"
Although Roger had no tone or expression, Hogg felt that these words actually contained a strong threat. Failure to cooperate will not ensure the safety of British ships, which is actually the same as not having access to the South China Sea.
Hogg glanced sideways at the Portuguese and Dutch envoys not far away, and then turned back to Roger: "But I'm afraid they won't tolerate British ships appearing in the South China Sea. Is there any way to prevent them from interfering with British ships? Is it safe? ”
Before coming here, Hogg regarded Portugal and the Netherlands as the biggest obstacles to entering the South China Sea, but now the number one position has been replaced by Haihan, and the other two countries are only second-tier threats. But since Roger keeps talking about security, Hogg would also like to hear what special insights he has.
"Portugal and the Netherlands only have ordinary diplomatic relations with our country, and there is no status subordination. As long as they do not hinder Haihan's interests, we have no right to interfere too much with what they want to do at sea. The competition and conflicts between you, Our country has always been unwilling to intervene and has no ability to limit what they can and cannot do. ”
Roger paused and then changed the topic: "But of course there are ways to ensure the safety of British merchant ships. Some are troublesome but safe, and some are simple but risky. Which one do you want to hear?"
Hogg asked: "Of course we should give priority to the safe method."
Roger nodded and said: "No matter whether British merchant ships enter or exit the South China Sea, they will first gather at Haihan Port, and we will dispatch armed ships to escort them. This can basically guarantee that they will not be attacked by the other two countries at sea. The disadvantages It’s just that the cost is high, and we have to wait until our warships are available.”
(End of chapter)