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Chapter 1481 Differential Treatment
"Sigh... yet another Japan!"

But no one in the room, including Wang Chengen, who had no interest in politics, believed that Emperor Jingyang had the slightest goodwill toward the Russian Tsarist state.

At the same time, an image would surface in my mind: a country across the East China Sea was being tormented by similar methods. Although the Tokugawa Shogunate fought desperately, it couldn't withstand the all-encompassing infiltration and crushing pressure, and its control weakened year by year. The Russian Tsarist Empire and Japan differed greatly in land area, yet their situations were remarkably similar.

“Your Majesty, a few days ago, Enbird Port reported that merchant ships carrying the French and Dutch negotiating delegations stopped to resupply every other day and will arrive in two months at the latest. Should we treat them differently?”

Everyone else could remain indifferent, but Yang Sichang was different. Foreign negotiations were nominally the Ministry of Rites' responsibility; doing it well was expected, but failing meant taking responsibility. Therefore, simply figuring out how to treat the Russian Tsarist Empire wasn't enough; ideally, the Emperor should have a clear understanding of how to treat all countries.

"The differences are not only there, but they are also significant. I am quite familiar with the situation in the Netherlands, so let me start with that. In two words, shrewd merchants—that's my complete description of the Netherlands. If I had to add a further explanation, I could add two more words: audacious."

The Dutch are basically the epitome of money over life; if the profits are big enough, they'd even be willing to kill the Pope. Dealing with these people by the Ministry of Rites alone would be too much of a strain. I recommend a powerful ally to you; he'll surely make things much easier.

"Grand Secretary Xi, good steel should be used where it's needed most, and you are my good steel. It's just a pity that Aurelia fell too soon, otherwise she would have been more than happy to personally torment those fellow Europeans."

Although this isn't today's topic, since the question has been raised, Hong Tao is happy to give a brief overview. To be honest, officials in the Ministry of Rites have indeed made significant progress in their foreign negotiation skills over the years. However, that's compared to the past; compared to European politicians, they still lack experience.

The main problem is a lack of experience. There are simply no opportunities to negotiate domestically, unlike in European countries, where several countries can get together and engage in verbal battles whenever they have a chance, honing their skills in using words to deceive others to a high degree.

But they weren't untouchable. Silva and Ojani were the bane of Europeans. Originally nobles, they were well-versed in the ways of European high society. Having served as high-ranking officials in the empire for many years, they understood the needs of the court and the emperor, ensuring they wouldn't be at a disadvantage in negotiations.

In reality, Oya's eloquence and quick thinking were far superior to Silva's, but unfortunately, her body couldn't keep up. However, the fat man also had his advantages; his seemingly foolish appearance was quite deceptive, but in reality, he was no less cunning and even more patient.

"Your subject obeys the decree... I will return today and tell Aoyani about this matter; she will surely be grateful for your grace!"

Silva himself was happy to do this kind of work, but opportunities were few and far between. At the same time, he also highly regarded the emperor's judgment; if his wife could join him, they would surely rip off the guests who had come from afar so badly that they wouldn't even be able to put their pants back on.

"The advisory office has collected some information about the situation in France, but I haven't had time to look at it in detail yet. Why don't you tell me about it? I'm sure the gentlemen here aren't very familiar with it either, so hearing the general outline will help us to be more targeted."

Compared to his familiarity with the Dutch, Hong Tao was far less inclined to boast about the French. While a major power in Europe, it's virtually unknown in Asia. Most people with even a basic understanding of Europe are familiar with the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal, and know about England, Denmark, and even Sweden, but are completely ignorant of France.

It wasn't that the French were low-key or adept at concealing their activities; rather, their maritime industry was underdeveloped, and almost no large-scale merchant ships could sail to the heart of Asia. The most common method was for some French adventurers to travel with other countries' merchant ships—mostly small merchants or adventurers with little financial strength. "The Kingdom of France was far wealthier than the Russian Tsarist Empire. In terms of population density alone, it was the largest country in Europe, with around 2000 million people, primarily engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, with relatively little handicrafts."

Because it adopted the feudal system and tax farming system, the national GDP is difficult to calculate. Based on previous years' data, the annual revenue should be between 8000 million and 10000 million lifu, which is roughly equivalent to more than 3300 million taels of silver, or half of the Ming Dynasty's full tael silver coins.

However, the actual income was certainly smaller than this figure, with significant losses occurring along the way, making it impossible to determine the exact amount. Furthermore, tax standards varied among nobles in different regions, and many areas practiced tax farming, resulting in a lack of unified data.

Yang Sichang had clearly come prepared; after a quick glance through the folder, he provided a general description of France's economic situation. Although the data was somewhat inaccurate and lacked key points, it was still usable for calculating the scale of war reparations.

"With an annual income of over 16 million silver coins... it shouldn't be unreasonable to use three years' worth of income as compensation, to be paid off over nine years, right?"

With this data, Liu Lishun, the Minister of Taxation, immediately started working on a calculation in his mind and quickly came up with the approximate scale and timeframe for war reparations.

"Too little! The French were one of the instigators this time, and they must be severely punished! Five years... no, round it up, we want 5 million Imperial Silver Coins, to be repaid over ten years. Let's quote 1 million first, leaving them room to negotiate. As for the interest... well, that'll have to be asked of the Sun and Moon Bank."

Li Tianjing, the customs chief who is equally sensitive to numbers, is even more ruthless, intending to knock France unconscious with one blow, preventing it from recovering for at least ten years. Fortunately, he didn't resort to exorbitant interest rates, knowing that banks excel at this kind of business.

"That's not how you calculate it! Many European kings rely on loans to balance their income and expenditure, especially during wartime. Europe has been embroiled in war for years, and the wealth of ordinary people has shrunk significantly. Even if the king agrees to this indemnity, he can't borrow that much gold and silver."

If taxes are raised too high, nobles and common people will rebel, and the new king may not continue to honor the treaty. At this point, the empire will face a dilemma: sending troops on a distant expedition to collect the reparations may be counterproductive, while not sending troops will result in nothing being gained.

The Sun Moon Bank suggests lowering expectations by half again, as ensuring actual compensation is far more tangible than inflating the figures. It's also worth noting that France and the Netherlands have among the best financial situations in Europe; other countries like Spain, England, and Austria-Hungary are already heavily indebted and living beyond their means.

Even if we forced them to melt down their crowns to pay off their debts, they probably wouldn't have much cash to spare. If His Majesty allows, we should try to change the payment method to give them actual financial means.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Sun Moon Bank, who replaced Ouyani at the meeting, was not very familiar with the atmosphere of the court, but she had the boldness of a newborn calf, speaking without hesitation and not paying much attention to her wording, and her words were rather impulsive.

(End of this chapter)