Chapter 1753 Diplomatic Means
In the face of today's Haihan, it is difficult for any country to achieve good results by fighting alone. All countries that have made such an attempt have suffered more or less, and the same is true for the Ming Dynasty and the Netherlands. The master of suffering. Of course, in terms of the degree of infringement, the biggest sufferer in this world must be the Ming Dynasty. After all, not only was the land occupied by Haihan, it also allowed it to absorb a large amount of population, wealth and resources over the years. It is no exaggeration to say that the country of Haihan is a monster that grew up by sucking blood from Ming Dynasty.
And now this suffering owner has to bow to Haihan due to the situation, rely on establishing diplomatic relations to prevent Haihan's massive invasion, and open treaty ports in exchange for military assistance provided by the other party - of course, this assistance is not free and is costly. How humiliating this is for the Ming Dynasty, which has always regarded itself as the superior court of the Kingdom of Heaven, probably only the person involved can truly understand.
Even though Su Keyi was a Han Chinese, he could not fully understand Fei Cexian's feelings, but he knew that this man was not willing to succumb to Haihan's suppression, and even tried several times to fight for Ming's due status and dignity in diplomatic situations. What Su Keyi wants to know now is whether the other party is willing to put aside his past prejudices for the benefit of Ming Dynasty and choose to cooperate with him to fight Haihan.
Of course, it is still too early to say whether country-to-country diplomatic relations can be established between the Ming Dynasty and the Netherlands in the future. After all, political decisions at this level are not something that the two diplomats can decide. . What Su Keyi can do now is to have a good relationship with Fei Cexian as much as possible. It is best to unify their attitude on the diplomatic battlefield and fight together.
Fei Cexian slowly put down the chopsticks in his hand when he heard this. Of course he could understand the probing meaning in Su Keyi's words, but this kind of thing is not like treating guests to dinner. Just agree casually and that's it. If he really wants to join forces with Su Keyi, then You must first consider the risks that may arise from this.
Haihan's strength in the diplomatic field is backed by his current international influence. This is the main reason why although everyone refuses to admit defeat, they don't dare to really fall out with Haihan. It is not a problem to confront Haihan, but not just any country can afford the consequences.
Fei Cexian decided to proceed with caution. After all, he had no friendship with Su Keyi, and he still couldn't understand this person's temper. His personal risk was small. If the Haihan people found excuses to make a big fuss, then there would be It may affect Daming's safety.
"I don't know what Mr. Su means by joining forces. Can you explain it to me?" Fei Cexian immediately kicked the ball back to Su Keyi.
Seeing that the other party was non-committal, Su Keyi asked for further explanation. He vaguely felt that there was something interesting about the matter, so he explained seriously: "Although Haihan has strong military force, not all matters in the diplomatic field can be solved by force. This point does not need to be explained. , Mr. Fei can also understand. If the Haihan people want to be the leaders of the South China Sea, in addition to having strong fists, they also have to slowly deal with many countries at the negotiating table. If everyone works on their own, it will inevitably affect the Shanghai Han people. Of course, it is difficult to compete with them if you are weak alone. But if everyone can unite and work together, it might be possible to compete with the Haihan people in the diplomatic field."
Fei Cexian thought for a moment before responding: "What Mr. Su said is not unreasonable, but Haihan rarely has any proposals that can be discussed with envoys from various countries. Even the South China Sea Alliance has been established long ago. Did the Haihan people tell the truth? Besides, when it came time to use force against a country, did they ever seek the opinions of other countries? Mr. Su’s idea of building a diplomatic alliance is a good one, but it may not be of practical value!”
Su Keyi said seriously: "Having said that, as a diplomat, you have to do something to stop Haihan's momentum. If you don't do anything, there will really be no hope in the future. I also know this fact. It’s like a mantis acting like a chariot, but doing it when you know it can’t be done is the way to do your duty and be loyal!”
Fei Cexian had no idea that this Han diplomat who worked hard for the Dutch could actually speak such a righteous and awe-inspiring truth. He was a little shocked at the moment. He raised his glass and sighed: "Master Su is much more determined than me. Fei admires me." ! ”
Su Keyi raised his glass and said in response: "We all serve the country and are in different camps, so we will inevitably have disagreements, but as long as we find common interests, there is still the possibility of cooperation."
After the two had a drink, the atmosphere finally became more relaxed. The two sides tested each other, and by this time they finally determined each other's general attitude. There are some relatively sensitive topics that can be discussed now.
"Master Su, in your opinion, if we want to curb Haihan's momentum of external expansion, where should we start?" Fei Cexian put down his glass and immediately asked Su Keyi a very explicit question.
Su Keyi knew in his heart that this was the other party's own knowledge when he was testing the school. If he couldn't tell me something, the other party probably wouldn't really relax and cooperate with him. He immediately responded seriously: "Haihan people are all about external expansion. If we want to curb their momentum by taking the sea route, we must try to attack their shipping industry.”
Fei Cexian shook his head and said: "That's easier said than done. Looking at the South China Sea, I'm afraid no country can fight head-on with the Haihan Navy at sea without falling behind, right?"
Su Keyi said: "Haihan's powerful ships and cannons are hard to match. Of course they can't defeat the Haihan people on the frontal battlefield, but I think commercial ships are the lifeblood of Haihan... Speaking of this, I miss the time when Shibazhi was still there. When operating in Fujian waters, only Zheng Zhilong and his gang of pirates were able to slightly block Haihan's momentum."
Fei Cexian said: "The Eighteen Zhi are just a group of rabble, and they will never achieve anything. Besides, when Haihan raised troops to attack the pirates, it was just to find a reason to go north to Fujian."
Fei Cexian actually didn't finish what he said. There are no large-scale piracy activities in the Ming Dynasty's waters. This is also the result of Haihan's repeated crackdowns over the years. Whether the pirates are more harmful or the Haihans are more harmful, this is really not easy to weigh for Ming Dynasty. However, Fei Cexian knew that Shibazhi had some unclear interests with the Dutch and Spanish. After Haihan wiped out Shibazhi, these two families had lost their middleman in the smuggling business with the Ming Dynasty. Shang would naturally put this loss on Haihan.
But it was precisely because of the pirates like Zheng Zhilong who acted recklessly in the Fujian Strait that Xu Xinsu, who was still serving in the Fujian Navy at the time, took refuge in Haihan for help. If not, it would not be so easy for Haihan to find an opportunity to intervene in Fujian, and the situation in Fujian may not have developed into the current uncontrollable situation.
Su Keyi knew that the topic of Shibazhi would make Fei Cexian unhappy, so he immediately changed the subject and said: "Haihan's warships and merchant ships are very expensive to build. If it can hit Haihan's shipbuilding industry, that would be a way." .”
When Fei Cexian heard him mention shipbuilding, he couldn't help but complain: "Your country just purchased a batch of warships from Haihan at a high price last year. Is this also a blow to Haihan's shipbuilding industry?" Su Keyi's face turned red. Said: "Now and then, if I don't bid to buy those warships at that time, I will have to let my enemies buy them, which will definitely threaten the safety of Batavia. Buying those warships is also a last resort. , made Mr. Fei laugh.”
Fei Cexian said: "But having said that, even if you and I don't buy warships made by Haihan in the future, the impact on its shipbuilding industry will probably be minimal. I believe Master Su also understands the reason."
The reason is worthless to put it bluntly, that is, Haihan has no intention of selling warships to these two countries. After the East India Company bought that batch last year, it doesn’t know when or what month it will have the opportunity to place an order next time. . As for the Ming Dynasty, no one except the Fujian military could buy warships made by Haihan.
The real major customers of the Haihan shipbuilding industry are the Haihan Navy and domestic large merchants, as well as a few large buyers such as Annan and Fujian who can purchase large quantities of warships from Haihan. The Haihan Navy is expanding its establishment almost at the rate of one fleet every year. During this period, it is constantly renovating and upgrading old ships. Coupled with the orders for warships supplied to foreign countries, the number is indeed very considerable.
In recent years, Haihan's domestic large-scale merchants have also begun to form private ocean-going fleets. From the beginning, a few Fuzhou and Guangzhou ships were the main force, and soon developed to a fleet of twenty or thirty ships, with an average tonnage of A large fleet of more than three hundred. Whether such a fleet is carrying bulk cargo or immigrants, its efficiency is much higher than the traditional shipping model of the past. Of course, this kind of operation is indeed not something that everyone can imitate. The huge initial investment is enough to deter most maritime merchants.
The current routes run by private ocean-going fleets such as Haihan are still mainly around the Ming Dynasty in the north. They have not yet threatened the Dutch fleet, known as sea coachmen. However, in time, when these heavy loads are larger than the Dutch sailing ships, After cargo ships enter the South China Sea, they will inevitably occupy the shipping market share that originally belonged to the Netherlands. Therefore, Su Keyi attached great importance to this, but Ming Dynasty, whose ocean shipping industry had shrunk severely, certainly did not care so much.
Seeing that the other party did not follow his own ideas, Su Keyi persuaded him from another angle: "How much wealth Haihan earns from Ming Dynasty through sea trade every year. I believe Mr. Fei knows better than me. If Haihan's navigation and shipbuilding continues to develop, Ming Dynasty will lose money." In the future, it will only continue to give up the dominance of maritime trade, allowing a large amount of taxes that should have gone into the national treasury to flow into Haihan's pocket. This move is extremely unwise."
Fei Cexian said: "The trading ports built by Haihan in the Ming Dynasty have several armies and naval forces stationed there. How dare you provoke them so easily! There was an unknown fire outside Hangzhou two years ago, and the Haihan fleet was dispatched to blockade the Qiantang River. , the entire Zhejiang officialdom was complaining to the imperial court. Later, the Zhejiang side had no choice but to compromise and try to appease Haihan and settle the matter. With all due respect, unless we can find a way to expel Haihan's navy from the Ming Dynasty offshore, we can just talk. It’s not about taking back trade dominance.”
Su Keyi shook his head and said: "The enemy is strong and we are weak, so starting a war is a bad idea. I understand that Ming endured the humiliation and bear the burden. But to curb Haihan's momentum, this is not the only way to go."
Fei Cexian said: "We must not fight a war. Is it possible to find someone to set fire to the shipyard? Once exposed, the consequences will only be more serious! If Mr. Su has such a plan, I don't think there is any need to tell it. ”
Su Keyi smiled and said: "It's good to think about this kind of thing, but it can't be taken seriously. I'm not such a reckless person. Please rest assured, Mr. Fei, the methods I'm talking about are not so crude, and there is no need to take such a big risk."
"Oh? Then I'd like to ask Mr. Su for some advice." Fei Cexian also became interested and wanted to hear what kind of powerful tricks Su Keyi had.
Su Keyi said seriously: "Haihan vigorously develops the maritime industry simply because it is profitable. Not only the people of Haihan understand this, but our country is also well versed in its secrets. To be honest, Sir Fei, the scope of our maritime trade is far greater than that of Haihan. This Little Nanhai is just one of our country's many overseas trade zones. It's just that it's tens of thousands of miles away from our country, so we can't expect much domestic support, so what Haihan did was nothing more than the upper hand. It is to try to monopolize the maritime trade channels of the Ming Dynasty to make huge profits. If this monopoly can be broken, its development momentum will naturally be slowed down. ”
Fei Cexian said: "Master Su, do you want our country to open its ports and introduce maritime merchants from your country to compete with Haihan?"
Su Keyi nodded and said: "Master Fei is really powerful, and he can tell the truth. This move will not only seize Haihan's trade share, but also our country will promise to make all transactions public, which will allow your country to increase a lot of taxes. For your country, There are definitely more benefits than doing business with the Haihan people.”
Fei Cexian thought that this sounds like a good move to drive away the tiger and devour the wolf. Let the Dutch come forward to compete with Haihan in sea trade. It seems to have some obvious benefits for the Ming Dynasty, but if he wants to implement it, he is afraid that It's not as simple as Su Keyi thought.
"Then Master Su, have you ever considered that if the Haihan people do not allow this to be carried out, or even directly use force to force them to do so, what plans will you and I have? By then, I am afraid that we will have to do it ourselves before the airs are set up. It's been demolished." Fei Cexian shook his head slightly and said, "I don't think so!"
Su Keyi said: "There is no need to rush this matter at the moment. You can plan it slowly, with the goal of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries first, and we will talk about other things later. Although Haihan is overbearing, he can't interfere in other countries' diplomacy, right?"
Fei Cexian thought that was not necessarily the case. The Korean state had paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty for generations, and now there was a tendency to turn into a white-eyed wolf. There must have been pressure from Haihan. It's just that it's too shameful to say such a thing, and he will definitely not give this example to Su Keyi to prove his point.
(End of chapter)