Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 508 Spanish-Dutch Treaty of Limited Mutual Assistance
The Dutch delegation was still in no hurry to meet Jia Lian. Instead, after resting in Macau for three days, they did not take the land route, but took the trouble to leave the port by boat and headed for Guangzhou Port.

Standing at the bow, Oden looked at the bustling waterway as the boat under his feet followed the pilot boat carefully into the water.

How long has it been since the Eastern Empire set foot in Southeast Asia? About three hundred years?

Having gained the advantage, Leo still gave some valuable information. For example, from the official reports of the Zhou Empire, perhaps in the past ten years, they have defeated the Tatars on the grasslands and driven those who refused to submit to the north. A Western King of the Empire crossed the Pamir Mountains and restored the sphere of influence of the prosperous Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago. The Eastern Empire also has a saying that has been passed down for thousands of years, "All under heaven is the king's land, and all the people are the king's subjects." And it is said that since ancient times, Southeast Asia has been the sphere of influence of the Eastern Empire, but the West and the Netherlands took advantage of the empire's nap to occupy the sphere of influence.

Now the beast of the empire has awakened, opened its eyes and looked around the world, and the first thing it looked at was Southeast Asia. Britain and France, two European powers, took the lead in signing a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Zhou Empire, dividing their spheres of influence and sending envoys to each other. The fact that the Zhou Empire sent envoys to Europe as permanent residents caused a great shock to European countries.

How should I put it? Deep down, European countries were full of fear of the mysterious East. On the one hand, so-called celebrities spared no effort to brag about the East in society. It was a paradise on earth and an ideal country. On the other hand, Europeans remembered the terrifying Scourge of God and Genghis Khan. Therefore, William II's shouting of "Yellow Peril" was popular.

What really made Europeans always fear the great Eastern country was that they opened the door of the Qing Dynasty and saw this country. The Taiping Rebellion killed 7000 million people. Well, I don't know where this number came from, and it's hard to say whether it is accurate. But what is certain is that in Europe, a revolution led by the lower class of society would never be on such a scale. Another example is the Boxer Rebellion, which was obviously at the bottom of society, but bravely attacked foreign enemies with simple equipment. Looking down at the population of this country and the history of this country, which has long been divided and finally united, the Europeans are really afraid.

There are too many things in this country that they cannot understand. Later, the West changed the model and engaged in internal differentiation of the aquaculture industry.

Unfortunately, no matter what means they take, they cannot stop the greatest civilization in human society from moving step by step and unswervingly towards national rejuvenation.

Oden's mission is to conclude a friendly treaty with the Zhou Empire and at the same time make the Zhou Empire give up its ambitions in Southeast Asia.

But the reality has cruelly told Oden that this mission may not be completed.

The original text of the contract between the Zhou Empire and Britain and France spread throughout Europe. There was a sentence in it: Since ancient times, Anxi, Nanyang and other places have been vassal states of the empire.

Westerners have two views on this sentence. One is that the Eastern Empire has no borders, and where the so-called borders are depends on their interests. The other is that East Asia and its surrounding areas are the traditional sphere of influence of the Eastern Empire, which the Western powers must respect.

Spain and the Netherlands both had evil ideas about the Eastern Empire. The most ridiculous thing was that Spain even wanted to organize an expeditionary force. The Dutch gave up the idea after they were driven away after occupying the island of Tainan. Again, you can't believe in social Darwinism when you are strong.

At this stage, the Eastern Empire is a desperate opponent for both Spain and the Netherlands.

A fort appeared in the telescope, blocking the waterway. This place was called Humen, which was like a tiger's open mouth. The fort was its sharp teeth, ready to tear apart the invading enemy at any time.

The ship docked at the pier and the wooden gangway was pushed over, showing all the proper respects for the diplomatic envoys.

After meeting the welcoming official, Oden heard the translator say that it was the governor Peng Shi, and couldn't help asking, "Isn't the governor here?"

Peng Lin said nothing, but he felt very uncomfortable. Does this foreigner know any etiquette? You are a small envoy of the country, who can't even get a rank in Europe, and you actually despise the provincial governor to come and greet you?
"When the peace talks are over and the contract is signed, the Governor will naturally attend the signing ceremony." Peng Lin suppressed his dissatisfaction and remained polite and considerate, but his expression did not look very good.

There was no ceremony such as music this time. There were only soldiers lined up on both sides of the road. The gleaming bayonets were intimidating. After walking a hundred meters, they got on the waiting carriage.

"Why was the welcoming ceremony different from the state ceremony we heard in Europe for receiving envoys from Britain and France?" Auden asked again.

Peng Lin was quite polite and said calmly, "England and France are friendly countries, so they are naturally different."

What this means is that not only does the Zhou Empire have no conflict of interest with Britain and France, but they still took the initiative to visit you, so naturally they have to be more polite. Are you worthy of it?

According to the records in the diplomatic manual compiled by Jia Lian, among European countries, Britain and France come first, followed by the Holy Roman Empire, and the rest are insignificant.

It’s almost as if they’ve said it openly. You’ve been living in Southeast Asia for three hundred years but have never come to pay tribute to the empire. Now that you’re about to be beaten, are you afraid?

Well, in general, these ideas were instilled by Jia Lian, who looked down on European barbarians in various ways. Giving face to Britain and France, one is that they are really strong, and the other is that horse bones are worth thousands of gold.

There is no need to treat the losers of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Spain, with a good face. Since ancient times, when the empire is strong, the surrounding small countries will naturally kneel down and accept education. When the empire is weak, the barbarians will rebel.

The core idea is that a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement, and so should a country.

Jia Lian's ideas were quite influential among the young officials, and gradually gained popularity along with Chenghui's reforms.

In recent years, many people in the private media have clamored to restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Oden had no choice but to endure it. Discrimination was everywhere in this world, and it was obvious that in the eyes of the Eastern Empire, the Netherlands was far inferior to Britain and France.

The carriage ran very smoothly on the cement road, with almost no bumps, which made Oden feel even worse. Looking out through the glass window, the city was bustling with people, but the ground was unusually clean and tidy. The peculiar fishy smell of the dock in the air was not as strong as that in European docks.

So far, wherever I look, I can see a message of despair. The power and wealth of this country far exceeds previous expectations. No wonder Britain and France are competing to sign a friendly agreement and are proud of it. After the loudspeaker propaganda of the British and French media, the royal families of Europe are now in the front, and the rest are behind. The Holy Roman Empire has to be in the back because the Holy Roman Empire cannot produce the state gift given by His Majesty the Eastern Empire.

Without the certification of His Majesty the Great, it seems that the royal status has depreciated. This is why the embassy in Paris is always so busy, with endless guests to receive.

Before Oden set out, it was said that Shinra had invited a group of countries, such as Prussia and the Russian Empire, to form a joint delegation. Things did not go smoothly because the Russian Empire did not cooperate.

There is also a claim that Shinra looks down on the Russian royal family. There are many different opinions and the truth is unknown.

In contrast, an Ottoman embassy was said to have arrived in Paris, inviting the ambassador to France to come to Constantinople (Istanbul).

It is obvious that the declining Ottoman Empire is in urgent need of external assistance, and the Eastern Empire is undoubtedly a very good choice.

Peng Lin was undoubtedly a competent bureaucrat. After completing the reception task, he immediately went to the governor's office to report on the reception work.

"That envoy is so ignorant. A small country wants to be treated the same as Britain and France." Peng Lin came up to complain, and Jia Lian just smiled faintly. For Peng Lin, there is no good or bad talk, he is just a subordinate. If he cooperates with the work, he will get along well with him. If he doesn't cooperate, he will find a way to drive him away. Jia Lian doesn't have too much energy to do these things. How to say it, Jia Lian is more polite to the young and vigorous faction, that's because they are the young and vigorous faction. When Jia Lian enters the cabinet, the older officials are probably old guys and will not work for a few years.

It is now rumored that Jia Lian is the leader of the young faction. Jia Lian basically acquiesced to this title and allowed the rumors to ferment.

In fact, this title is contrary to Jia Lian's character as a lone minister in the past. Times have changed and one cannot stick to the old ways. One needs to make subtle changes in his image as his identity and status change.

Of course, Jia Lian would not actively publicize it, but he did not deny it either. "England and France are not that big, but they have large overseas colonies. As for the Netherlands, it is already a third-rate country in Europe, so there is no need to worry too much. Besides, the Dutch have been entrenched in Southeast Asia for 200 years, and it is time to settle accounts. The negotiations will be handled by Lord Peng, and if there are any difficulties, just let me know. His Majesty has handed this matter over to me instead of letting them go directly to the capital, which has already made his attitude clear." Jia Lian reassured Peng Lincha while setting the tone for the negotiations.

Under the current court structure and under the firm will of Your Majesty, we cannot say that everyone is united, but at least there are not many fearless people who would jump out and sing a different tune.

Since ancient times, the Central Plains Empire has not welcomed the so-called homage from the surrounding areas in most cases. The reason is very simple, they are afraid that if they are not handled properly, it will cause border troubles. In addition, these foreign vassals do not follow the rules and always cause some trouble. Tribute missions must be rewarded, which was more serious in the Ming Dynasty. The cause of the Tumubao Incident was that the Wala envoys falsely reported the number of people.

There are many messy interpretations of the Battle of Tumu on the Internet, including all kinds of nonsense such as persecution by the civil service group.

The Zhou Empire's attitude toward foreign vassals basically continued the Ming Dynasty's practices, but with some slight changes, and rewards were more moderate.

When the British and French came to visit, Jia Lian came up with another set of diplomatic strategies. The vassal system was still retained, but it was no longer expanded. In the future, all visitors will follow Jia Lian's system. On the surface, they will definitely be equal. Rewards will not exist. The situation requires giving appropriate state gifts, which is a must.

Britain and France are valued because they are two powerful countries in Europe and among the top three powerful countries in the world. Of course they should be respected.

In Jia Lian's words, this set of things was designed for the uncivilized barbarians in the West, and they are also very receptive to it.

Even if we want to educate people in the future, it will not be a matter of overnight, and we should do it step by step.

This is the benefit of opening your eyes to the world. At this stage, there are still strong restrictions on the visits of Western merchants. Let's do it little by little. At least their ministers can be stationed in Beijing.

Peng Lin quickly understood Jia Lian's intention. The next day's negotiations began in the guild hall, and both sides expressed their respective attitudes at the beginning.

Oden was the first to express his purpose: "my country's colonization of Indonesia lasted for 200 years, and it began during the Ming Dynasty, the predecessor of the Eastern Empire. The Xuanweisi that your country mentioned was established during the Ming Dynasty. When the Ming Dynasty was still in existence, there was no dissatisfaction with Indonesia's colonization. Now your country is making claims since ancient times, which is not in line with international practice. Based on the principle of friendship, my country still hopes to reach a friendly agreement with your country and strengthen exchanges in the future for mutual benefit."

Peng Lin had a stern face and said nothing, but he was complaining wildly in his heart, "I don't even know anything about the Ming Dynasty. Do I need you to remind me?"
"The so-called international practice that I understand seems to have been started by Western countries. In your Age of Exploration, you relied on your powerful ships and cannons to establish colonies all over the world. At that time, you didn't say that as you do now. The tragedy of Sishui Port in the past was recorded by our dynasty. The Great Zhou is not the Ming Dynasty, and it is not the kind of dynasty that would watch its people being bullied without saying a word. When you were involved in the Sishui tragedy, you didn't mention any friendship between the two countries. Now that you are weak, you are talking about friendship. Sorry, I don't understand the international practice you are talking about. Do you want me to find some history books to show you how the Central Plains dynasties recorded the affairs of the Nanyang countries? Our country says that since ancient times, we can find evidence in history books, but which step of the colonies of Western countries was not built with rivers of blood? Come here to talk about international practice, can it be said that it must be beneficial to you to be a practice?"

Peng Lin was really not polite at all, and he kept talking about it since ancient times. Of course, this was considered polite, and he was kind enough not to bring out a copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Well, it is not as rampant as a certain country that later used the Bible as a basis!

Oden was blocked so hard that he almost couldn't breathe. It was obvious that they were not going to let the situation go peacefully.

He knew it would be difficult, but he didn't expect it to be a dead end from the start.

"I hope you will respect our country's interests and cherish our friendship." Oden had to be tough. He couldn't afford to be accused of treason. Anyway, even if there was a war in the future, it wouldn't be his turn to fight.

"Your country's friendship? Is it the friendship of your country seizing Tainan Island, or the friendship of your country massacring our overseas Chinese? The accounts are all recorded in our history books, but the time for reckoning has not come yet."

Peng Lin's tone also became less peaceful. He only started to make up for his lessons after being ordered to represent the negotiations. However, after reading the relevant historical records, he was so angry that he couldn't eat properly for several days.

Now I can resist giving the opponent a big fight, which means I have recovered well.

"Then, can you explain your country's conditions clearly?" Oden should first find out the requirements of the Zhou Empire. Although he was desperate, he still had to make the greatest effort. In fact, he knew very well that there was no so-called diplomacy for a weak country. As long as it was a weak country, it would be forced to sign unequal treaties during negotiations. European countries had always played this way, and they knew it well.

"Our request is very simple. Southeast Asian countries are our traditional sphere of influence. Western countries please respect this. Your country and Spain must withdraw from this area as soon as possible. Of course, you can also refuse to leave, but when our fleet arrives, you will not be able to leave in a dignified manner. I want to emphasize here that you should put away your little thoughts. From now on, as long as we hear that our overseas Chinese are being persecuted by your colonial government, our fleet will not only go to the South Seas, but directly to your country's waters."

The negotiation guidelines were all set by Jia Lian, and Peng Lin only had to convey them as required, which made his work much easier.

"Impossible. Our country will never evacuate, but we can treat your expatriates kindly as appropriate..."

Negotiations are like this, everyone sticks to their own opinions and neither side gives in. If there is something to talk about, then they compromise; if there is nothing to talk about, then they prepare for war.

After the negotiations ended every day, Peng Lin would go to Jia Lian to report. As the negotiations progressed, neither side was able to reach a conclusion.

The reason is simple. Everyone has different bottom lines. How can they reach an agreement?

On the third day of the negotiations, after Oden sat down, Peng Lin spoke directly: "I declare that the negotiations between the two countries are terminated. Your Excellency, please go back! Out of diplomatic etiquette, we will not embarrass you."

Oden's mood hit rock bottom. Is this the end? He was very unwilling, but there was nothing he could do.

The colonies in Southeast Asia were like blood bags for the Dutch government. How could they give them up? With these blood bags, the Netherlands was still a third-rate power approaching second-rate. Without these blood bags, it would have completely fallen.

Oden stood up and left the table angrily. The next day, the Dutch delegation left and returned to the colonies. When the news reached Europe, the Dutch government took urgent action, strengthening the defense of the colonies on the one hand, and sending people to Britain on the other hand, hoping to sign an alliance with Britain. This method of dragging Britain into the water was naturally met with failure. How could a troublemaker be fooled?
The Dutch government representatives went to France again, hoping to form an alliance. But of course, nothing came of it, as the representatives did not even meet Louis XVI.

Jia Lian didn't know what happened next, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. This was an era when the West was advocating social Darwinism.

Since you all said so, don't blame us for saying it has been like this since ancient times.

Less than ten days after the Dutch delegation left, the Spanish delegation arrived. This time was no different from the last time, with similar treatment, similar negotiation process, and similar unpleasant ending.

In terms of colonies, Spain also has colonies in South America, but its national strength is still not enough when facing the Zhou Empire.

How could Jia Lian, who was determined to bring the whole of Southeast Asia into his sphere of influence, have a good talk with them?
After the breakdown of the negotiations, the two countries finally came together and agreed to the so-called Spanish-Dutch Friendship Treaty, which was a very special treaty that was only effective in Southeast Asia.

The core idea of ​​the treaty is that the two countries have the obligation to send troops to assist each other when their colonies in Southeast Asia are attacked.

When the treaty was signed, it was already September, the third year since Jia Lian had lived in Guangdong. Just one year had passed.

(End of this chapter)