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Chapter 1066 Each other
"You just said that the Duchess is the key. Did she reach some agreement with the Emperor in private? I'm afraid that's unlikely. Although the Duchess is the Queen's chamberlain and has a high status in the Paris court, she is just an escort after all.

The protagonists are the Earl of Strafford and the Duke of Sidonia. The French court has no power to reach a separate agreement with the Ming Empire without the knowledge of England and Spain, and even if it does, it will not take effect. "

Cohen was not distracted by the couple's quarrel. He was still thinking about the emperor's abnormal behavior and denied the key person proposed by Oyani.

"Cohen, you are very wise most of the time, but you become dull every time you see the emperor. Think about it carefully, why did Sun Moon Bank suddenly want to open a branch in Europe?
I wrote relevant proposals seven or eight years ago and submitted them almost every year, but they were never approved. The emperor always replied that the time was not yet ripe.

However, the day after the European delegation arrived and the Duchess entered the palace, the Emperor suddenly took the initiative to ask the Sun Moon Bank to submit its plan to open a branch in Europe to the palace. It was submitted in the morning and approved in the afternoon, and two locations were designated: London and Paris.

You know, it's okay to open a branch in Paris, but London has no advantages over Venice, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Madrid. Dear Governor Cohen, do you believe it now? "

But Oyani was not just making random guesses. Since she had pointed out the key figures, it must be based on facts. As for why the Duchess of the French court could secretly reach an agreement with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, that was not something she could guess. Even if she guessed it, she would not speak it out casually unless the Emperor agreed.

"If I'm not mistaken, Sun Moon Bank already has suitable office addresses in Paris and London. It's very likely that they are privately owned, right?"

Looking at the smug Oyani, Cohen suddenly felt a sense of crisis. In order to confirm whether this feeling was correct, he deliberately asked a question that was not particularly confidential.

"Of course, but these properties were purchased a few years ago. If I were to buy them now, I'm afraid the price would be much higher. I have already made an appointment with Mr. Galileo of the Royal Academy to help me find a suitable architect in Europe.

It's a pity that His Majesty was so anxious to open the branch that he had no time to build a new building. I hope the old building won't be too shabby, after all, it is the headquarters of the Sun Moon Bank in Europe."

Speaking of this, Oyani's excitement finally cooled down. As the saying goes, good things take time. Returning to Europe to set up a branch is a good thing, but not being able to build a satisfactory building according to her intention is indeed a big flaw.

You have to know that European nobles and the upper class are very snobbish. If the office location is not luxurious enough, it is difficult to satisfy them with excellent business. Fortunately, His Majesty the Emperor also understood this truth and did not completely deny the plan of building a new branch, but carried it out simultaneously.

Prepare two addresses in London and Paris, one for the quick opening of a branch, and the other for a more outstanding architect to design a distinctive new building. Once the new building is completed, the branch will be moved in, and the original address will not be wasted and can be used as a business point.

Oyani didn't know the exact reason why the emperor was in such a hurry to open the business, but she could roughly guess that it was probably related to this negotiation. However, these things could not be disclosed to Cohen. Public was public and private was private. Only by distinguishing the boundaries could one survive in the officialdom without causing major problems. "That's right. Your emperor started to make plans in European countries a long time ago, but I don't know why he did so. I have a feeling, a very bad feeling, I don't know if it's too sensitive. He is likely to take action against Europe, but not by using the army, but other means."

With Oyani's explanation of the bank's location, Cohen suddenly had a flash of light in his mind. Analyzing the different attitudes and measures taken by Emperor Jingyang towards European countries in recent years, and the establishment of branches of Sun Moon Bank in Europe, he inevitably came to a not-so-good conclusion.

"You guessed correctly. His Majesty did set up targeted plans for European countries a long time ago, but only a very few people knew the specific content, not including me and Oyani.

But it's not you or the East India Company that should be worried. The United Provinces Republic and the East India Company are the most suitable business partners for the Ming Empire at present. Oyani and I have heard His Majesty say this more than once."

Silva's worry about his daughter only lasted for a few seconds, and then he picked up the blue and white bowl and started to attack the seafood noodles. Until he heard his wife and Cohen talking more and more deeply, he was afraid of accidentally leaking secrets, so he quickly put down the bowl and interrupted.

"Europe, fighting on its own, cannot compete with an empire that controls most of Asia's resources. Once Spain, France, and the Holy Roman Empire are weakened one by one, the United Provinces will go from being a commercial ally to a vassal. On a national level, your emperor is a cold-blooded bastard with no mercy or sympathy!"

No matter how sincere Silva's words were, Cohen would not believe them. As the saying goes, everyone serves their own master, and in this position, he had to consider the future of the Federal Republic. But the more he thought about it, the more helpless he became, until a nameless anger surged up, and he even cursed.

"My old friend, you are going too far. He is the emperor of our family and is deeply loved. Moreover, your inference has no basis and lacks factual proof.

As for what the empire did in Asia, I think it was very reasonable. Is it reasonable to allow European ships to shuttle freely, occupy local villages at will, force them to believe in Catholicism, and then exploit them in the name of Catholicism?
Don't forget old friends, after all, this is the sphere of influence of the empire, and Europeans are just guests. If the guests are polite, the host will warmly entertain them. If the guests have bad intentions, how can they be full of goodwill?

If they encounter a tougher master, they will not only beat him up and drive him away, but will also follow him to his address and give him a taste of his own medicine. It cannot be said to be cold, but it is rude not to reciprocate. It is mutual. "

Oyani just frowned and didn't say anything to stop him. But Silva couldn't stand it anymore and immediately expressed his limited dissatisfaction and explained that except for their appearance, they had basically changed everything that could be changed, including their accent and vocabulary.

If you close your eyes and listen, no one would think they are two Westerners. Their Chinese proficiency is even higher than that of the Han people in many special administrative regions and border provinces. And the next generation, that is, the daughter Jasmine, is completely Han Chinese, and even their appearance is similar. It really fits the saying that the local environment shapes the local people.

(End of this chapter)