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Chapter 1269 Trump Card
"He is too impulsive to be a fifty-year-old man."

The Prince of Orange and Cornelis were both embarrassed by the Governor of Batavia's resignation. Speaker Peter did not expect this result either, but fortunately, the incident happened in the East India Company, so he could still speak without any pain.

"It's not impulsiveness, it's cowardice! The tropical life and generous salary have gradually made him lose his sharpness and courage."

Cornelis had known Cohen for a long time and had voted in favor of the appointment of the Governor of Batavia. Even though the candidate was a young senior business representative with no background, he still chose to support him. The reason was simple: this person protected the interests of the company and greatly benefited the shareholders.

However, as time went by, the young man who stepped forward and made the Dutch East India Company the only shipping company in Asian waters gradually grew old and was no longer proud of serving the company. It was time to bring in fresh blood.

"The concerns raised by Mr. Cohen are not cowardice. The Ming Navy is indeed capable of blockading the Cape of Good Hope with Enniao Port. And our nearest supply port there is more than 3000 kilometers away, right?"

The Prince of Orange was also surprised by Governor Cohen's resignation, but he was not particularly surprised. Since arriving in Batavia, the Governor has been constantly introducing all aspects of the Ming Empire. It can be seen that he knows this country very well and even admires it.

However, Republican merchants like Cornelis and Peter were visiting Asia for the first time, and their knowledge of Asia was limited to documents. It was clear at a glance whose words were more trustworthy and more valuable for reference.

But the current situation in the Dutch Republic is no longer a rational discussion of the truth or falsity of a matter, but a pure choice of sides. The expansion of the Ming Empire has infringed on the interests of republican nobles and merchants, and the attitudes of European monarchs have given them an opportunity to fight back and suppress the Orange Party. It would be strange if they didn't hold on to it.

But everything has to be done in moderation. If the Republicans cannot come up with enough reasons to start a war, I will definitely not approve the Republic to join the so-called European coalition. At that time, it will be nothing more than using the method that my elder brother Maurice once used, using the army to bloodbath the Republicans, and at most lose the support of the French.

"Well... the West India Company just bought three-quarters of the ownership of the Port of Luanda from the Portuguese last year. According to Ming standards, this port is more than 5000 kilometers away from Enniao Port."

Peter Christopher Santer was the Speaker of the Provincial Parliament of the Netherlands, and the Santer family was also a shareholder of the West India Company, so it was clear who should answer the prince's question.

Compared with the East India Company, the West India Company is not as well-known in later generations for many reasons. However, in 17th century Europe, the West India Company and the East India Company of the United Provinces were on par with each other, with the former slightly ahead.

After all, the West India Company operated in the Atlantic Ocean, right at the doorstep of Europe, and most of the industries it engaged in were related to the New World. In the minds of many Europeans, the distant East was basically a legend, and they were not particularly interested in it.

What was the biggest business of the West India Company? It sounds very low-brow, two words: slaves. When many Chinese people in later generations mentioned the slave trade, they always regarded the British as the culprit.

In fact, it is a bit unfair. Britain was neither the founder of the slave trade nor the creator of the trafficking process. It was only after the 18th century that it turned this violent industry into a hard job that no one was willing to do, and then monopolized it.

There are two real culprits, the founder Portugal and the large-scale Netherlands. The West India Company was a special agency used by the Dutch to capture and traffic African slaves.

Under the company's vigorous innovation and promotion, the number of black slaves sold to the New World each year increased by at least three times, directly squeezing out the Portuguese, who first started the slave trade, from the industry circle. Hong Tao's efforts in Asia led to Dutch merchants making a lot of profits, which indirectly injected more funds into the West India Company, making it larger and more extensive than in history.

More than half of the tobacco plantations in the New World are controlled by this company, and they also vigorously promoted cigars in Europe with remarkable results.

In addition, the West India Company was one of the main manufacturers and transporters of white sugar in the New World. The sugarcane that the Spanish spent a lot of effort to grow would eventually be sent to factories run by the Dutch to be squeezed into sugar, and then sent to Dutch merchant ships to be shipped back to Europe.

Because the Dutch had more advanced sugar-making technology, which could increase the output of white sugar and make it whiter, and the Dutch also had the largest number of merchant ships, and for cost considerations, merchants automatically ignored the hostility between the two countries.

"How far is more than 5000 kilometers?" The Prince of Orange was not used to the Ming Dynasty's measurement system and wanted to get more intuitive data.

"…If we take the East India Company's merchant ship, it will take about 25 days." It's true that Mayor Cornelis knew something about sailing. After a quick mental calculation of more than ten seconds, he gave a relatively accurate answer.

"What if it was a merchant ship from the Ming Empire?" But the prince heard another meaning and intended to find out thoroughly.

"Uh... it will be a few days faster." This made Cornelis a little embarrassed, but looking at the prince's persistent expression, he had to calculate it again.

"It seems that Mr. Cohen is not exaggerating. Then I want to know how the coalition forces can threaten the core of the Ming Empire after losing their naval superiority? Should they let the soldiers walk all the way across the entire Asian continent to fight the Ming army?
Even if the Ottoman Sultan agreed to send troops, he could only take back Damascus. He would never fight for Europe with all his strength, and this level of damage was not enough to make the huge empire make any concessions. "

Then the prince began to extrapolate, and he could calculate the approximate comparison of the army's strength without consulting anyone. The result did not seem optimistic, mainly because the logistics could not be guaranteed.

“When His Royal Highness left Amsterdam, Charles I’s envoy also sailed to Arkhangelsk, where he had a secret meeting with representatives of the Golitsyn family. If nothing unexpected happens, Mikhail I will change his neutral attitude and allow Russia to join the European coalition.

In this case, the Ming Empire would have to fight on three fronts: Enniao Port, Damascus, and the north. Oh no, the Pacific Islands must be added. Charles and Louis both agreed to send warships to bypass the Drake Passage to support the west coast of the New World. Even if it was not enough to confront the Ming Navy head-on, it would still divert a lot of attention.

There is no one in the world who can handle the siege from dozens of countries from four directions at the same time, and I don’t think there should be anyone in the future. An overly powerful empire will seriously damage the republic and commercial development. "

It was only at this time that Cornelis revealed his trump card. No wonder he had always insisted on maintaining a tough attitude in the negotiations with the Ming Empire. It turned out that he had made two preparations. If the negotiations were successful, then they would negotiate. If they were not successful, then they would fight.

The latter possibility is more likely, because the Ming Empire is obviously unlikely to make major concessions. If no agreement can be reached at the negotiation table, the only way to resolve the conflict is war.

(End of this chapter)