Chapter 1256
Chapter 1256
Chapter 1256
The two envoys felt that Tan Juren's explanation was reasonable. Officers who were captured during the war should be treated better, so that they could exchange ransom from the enemy after the war ended, or exchange them for their own soldiers. captured persons.It took a lot of effort to catch a group of British guys. If they were the masters, they would definitely have to keep these people so that the British East India Company would bleed.
But when they saw this group of British with their own eyes, they couldn't help but laugh. These guys were sitting on the ground in a small farmyard, and there were a lot of hill-like stones next to each of them, and the British used the hammer in their hands. Knock these stones into small stones bit by bit.The sound of clanging stones in the yard kept coming and going, and these people were so engrossed in their work that no one looked up at the new visitors.
If it weren't for their distinctive appearance, the two envoys probably wouldn't have noticed that this group of disgraced migrant workers turned out to be British prisoners of war.Looking at this shape, it seems that there is no special treatment as they imagined, but the labor intensity is slightly lower than that of ordinary prisoners of war.Maybe they were military officers who were once glorious before, but now they are just a group of down-and-out masons.
The two envoys felt miserable in their hearts, but from their standpoint, they didn't have much sympathy for the British, they just felt a little sad for the death of a rabbit.It is said that the Haihan people are good at calculating, and judging from their arrangements for the prisoners of war, their reputation is indeed well-deserved. The prisoners of war have to do heavy physical labor during their detention, and they don't even want to eat idle food.
Tan Juren asked his subordinates to bring out Hogg, the leader of the British captives, and let him meet with the envoys of the two countries.Hogg had been in the Far East for a long time. Once he met these two people, he could tell their identities from their appearance and clothing.Hogg didn't think that the meeting on this occasion was the intention of the Haihan people to humiliate him, but secretly worried that the appearance of the envoys of these two families should not be a coincidence. If both Portugal and the Netherlands were involved in the follow-up chaos Among them, that will inevitably complicate the already unfavorable situation. By then, the East India Company will not only have to deal with the Haihan family.
Ricardo and Philip each reported their names and identities, and Hogg also reported his own identities in accordance with diplomatic rules.Although he is now a prisoner, on this occasion, he is representing the interests of the British and the East India Company, so naturally he cannot lose his momentum.
After the three of them chatted briefly, the two envoys were basically sure that the person in front of them was indeed a senior military advisor working for the East India Company, and Haihan's complete victory in this battle was also confirmed from his mouth .After corroborating the many evidences seen before, they can finally confirm how powerful Haihan's performance is this time.
The coalition forces formed by the British East India Company and the Johor State originally planned to attack Sing Tao with doubled forces, but instead, Haihan set up an ambush and kept all the enemy troops who set foot on Sing Island.And quickly defeated the opponent in the two-day battle.The coalition forces of the two countries have no hope of victory from the beginning to the end. On the contrary, most of them have become prisoners of war, and they will be demanded by Haihan for ransom and compensation. This action really lost everything.
Philip was rather proud of himself. Haihan's performance in the battle was due to the key information provided by the Netherlands to a certain extent.If it weren't for this, even if Haihan could win the coalition forces, it would be impossible to achieve such a complete victory. Maybe the coalition forces could really inflict heavy damage on Haihan with one strike.
Of course, the intervention of the Netherlands had a strong political meaning. The purpose was not to save the Haihan people on Xingdao, but to use the hands of the Haihan people to attack the rival British.After all, the conflict of interests between the Netherlands and Haihan only exists in the South China Sea, while the competition with the United Kingdom is carried out on a global scale. The importance of the two is not at the same level.Standing at the height of national interests, at this time, we must try to attack the United Kingdom first.
And if this action against Haihan was only planned and initiated by Johor unilaterally, then even if the Netherlands knew the news, they would definitely not inform Haihan. The same is true for Portugal.If Johor can create some troubles for Hai Han, then they will be more than happy to sit on the sidelines and watch Hai Han suffer from misfortune.
"General Roger, can I have a few words with you alone?" Hogg asked at this time.But this didn't seem to be beyond Roger's expectation. He nodded with a smile, and asked Tan Juren to greet the two envoys first, and then led Hogg to the side.
"As for your previous suggestion, I think there is room for further discussion between the two of us." Hogg took the initiative to express his purpose.
However, Roger is not someone who is easy to be tricked. He smiled slightly and said, "What is your Excellency talking about?"
Hogg coughed dryly and said, "That's...accepting the conditions proposed by you, the truce and peace talks!"
Why did the Haihan people bring the Portuguese and the Dutch to the prisoner-of-war camp to see the scenery? Hogg has already guessed a bit. These two countries have always been in fierce competition with the UK. When they found out that the British were defeated by Haihan, they would How do you react?
Stand by?No, they will not be so kind.Hogg only needs to put himself in the situation and think about it to estimate their due reaction.If it was Portugal or the Netherlands who were hit hard, of course, after discovering this situation, I would plan how to deal a heavier blow to them at the first time, and never leave the opponent a chance to stand up.
Hogg knew that Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with these two companies. Even if they didn't know the fighting situation between Haihan and the coalition forces beforehand, after they came here to see the prisoners of war, they would definitely try their best to persuade Haihan not to stop the war. , Continue to attack Britain and Johor.And if Haihan is persuaded by him, the chances of Hogg and these prisoners of war being released will be very slim, and the company's situation in the South China Sea will become more difficult, whether it is out of selfishness or considering its own responsibilities, Hogg had to try his best to avoid the situation from getting worse.
But now that he is a prisoner, he does not have much capital for bargaining, and the Haihan people may not have the patience to grind it down slowly. If he does not persuade the other party quickly, he may be robbed by his European counterparts who are afraid of chaos. ahead.
Roger smiled and said: "So you said this...the Armistice Conference and I have no objection, but your East India Company's reaction speed is too slow. You also know that many things are delayed for a long time, and the situation will be easier. become uncontrollable. As the victors, what we pursue is definitely to maximize the benefits. If there is another plan to obtain greater benefits than the armistice peace, then of course I will consider a new plan instead of waiting for the East India Company I don’t know when the answer will be given.”
Hogg really couldn't refute Roger. After he was captured as the commander of this operation, the East India Company had no one in the Johor area who could make decisions. All they could do was compare the battle here with Hogg. A handwritten letter after being captured was sent to a base in the Indian peninsula.But the distance between the two places is long, and when the reply from there arrives, the day lily is probably cold.
Hogg originally thought that it would be okay to wait for a month or two. During this period, it would be nothing more than a little bit of suffering and fatigue. The company might feel that it would be very painful to pay to settle the matter, but if it is looking at activities in the South China Sea, it will open up In the long-term perspective of the Far East trade route, after the money has been gritted to the teeth, it can actually be earned back through maritime trade.Although it suffers in the short term, it is a very cost-effective deal in the long run. Hogg is also aware of this, so he clarified the pros and cons in the letter and suggested that the company conduct in-depth negotiations with Haihan in order to win the coveted regional trade status.
Of course, this is definitely not good news for the competitors of the British East India Company.Portugal and the Netherlands each guarded a strait channel entering and exiting the South China Sea, but if Haihan insisted on opening an opening to let the British enter, it would be difficult for them to change this situation only by verbal opposition.Therefore, Hogg had to come to an agreement with Haihan before those two companies persuaded Haihan.But the problem was that Hogg didn't have any weight in his hands. The time issue alone was enough to make the Haihan people change their minds.
For the current plan, Hogg can only ignore 21 and increase the price first.As long as there is enough sweetness and sufficient reasons, he believes that the Haihan people will still consider negotiating with the company to resolve the current situation instead of using force to keep British merchant ships out of the South China Sea.
"We can consider paying a certain fee to your country every year to obtain the trade rights in the South China Sea." Hoge couldn't think of any good way in a hurry. If you can't get the approval of the company's management, you can only wait until the time to talk.
"Is there any more?" The expression on Roger's face did not change, and there was still a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.This is the expression that only those who have mastered the initiative in the negotiation will have, confident and calm, waiting for their opponents to show their cards one by one.
Hogg saw that Roger was noncommittal, and couldn't figure out whether he was interested in this condition, so he could only continue to say: "The fee is negotiable..."
"It's not a matter of more money or less money." Roger waved his hand and interrupted him: "You may have misunderstood our country, we Haihan are not short of this little money!"
Hoge thought to himself that you have the face to say that, the compensation and ransom were all conditions you set out a few days ago, and now you are saying such things to me, it seems that you have misunderstood the thickness of your Haihan people.However, he didn't dare to express the displeasure in his heart on his face, and asked cautiously: "What do you mean?"
"Order! Obey!" Roger threw out two key words, and then explained to Hogg: "As we all know, the current international trade order in the South China Sea is established and dominated by our country. If countries outside the region want to enter this region to conduct trade, then It is necessary to abide by the rules of the game dominated by Haihan. For example, British ships that want to enter the South China Sea must actively register and file relevant information with our country and accept corresponding supervision. For example, British merchant ships entering the In the South China Sea, you must first register at Xingdao, explain the status of the ship and its passengers, the contents of the cargo, destination, voyage arrangement, etc., and then you must also cooperate with the inspection during the call at Haihan Port."
Although Hogg was from the army, he could also understand how much Haihan's regulatory measures would have an impact on the East India Company's future maritime trade activities in the South China Sea.If it is carried out in this way, the trading activities of British merchant ships in the South China Sea will be almost no secret to Haihan. If he wants to open up colonies or new routes in the future, he will definitely not be able to escape Haihan's attention. A state of affairs that Indian companies are happy to accept.
Hogg coughed dryly and said, "I understand that your country attaches great importance to security issues, but this seems a little too strict, right? If you operate like this, won't you lose even a little freedom of navigation and trade?"
Roger responded indifferently: "That depends on how you weigh it. Freedom and security cannot have both. If you want freedom, then we will not guarantee the safety of British ships in the South China Sea!"
Although Roger didn't have any expression, Hogg felt that these words were actually very threatening.If you don't cooperate, you won't guarantee the safety of British ships, which is actually the same as not getting access to the South China Sea.
Hogg looked sideways at the Portuguese and Dutch envoys not far away, and then turned back to Roger: "But I'm afraid they won't tolerate the appearance of British ships in the South China Sea. May I ask your Excellency to prevent them from hindering the British ships?" is it safe?"
Before Hogg came here, he regarded Portugal and the Netherlands as the biggest obstacles to entering the South China Sea, but now the number one position has been replaced by Haihan, and the other two countries are only second-class threats.But since Roger kept talking about safety and security, Hogg would also like to hear his special insights.
"Portugal and the Netherlands have only ordinary diplomatic relations with our country, and there is no subordination of status. As long as they do not hinder Haihan's interests, we have no right to ask too much about what they want to do at sea. The competition and conflict between you, Our country has always been unwilling to intervene and has no ability to limit what they can and cannot do."
Roger paused, and then changed the subject: "However, to ensure the safety of British merchant ships, of course there are ways. There are troublesome but safe ways, and there are simple but risky ways. Which one do you want to hear?"
Hogg asked: "That is of course the preferred and safe way."
Roger nodded and said: "British merchant ships will first gather at Haihan Port no matter they enter or leave the South China Sea, and we will dispatch armed ships to escort them. This can basically guarantee 100% that they will not be attacked by other countries at sea. The disadvantage is that The cost is high, and the trip can only be made when our warships are available."
(End of this chapter)
The two envoys felt that Tan Juren's explanation was reasonable. Officers who were captured during the war should be treated better, so that they could exchange ransom from the enemy after the war ended, or exchange them for their own soldiers. captured persons.It took a lot of effort to catch a group of British guys. If they were the masters, they would definitely have to keep these people so that the British East India Company would bleed.
But when they saw this group of British with their own eyes, they couldn't help but laugh. These guys were sitting on the ground in a small farmyard, and there were a lot of hill-like stones next to each of them, and the British used the hammer in their hands. Knock these stones into small stones bit by bit.The sound of clanging stones in the yard kept coming and going, and these people were so engrossed in their work that no one looked up at the new visitors.
If it weren't for their distinctive appearance, the two envoys probably wouldn't have noticed that this group of disgraced migrant workers turned out to be British prisoners of war.Looking at this shape, it seems that there is no special treatment as they imagined, but the labor intensity is slightly lower than that of ordinary prisoners of war.Maybe they were military officers who were once glorious before, but now they are just a group of down-and-out masons.
The two envoys felt miserable in their hearts, but from their standpoint, they didn't have much sympathy for the British, they just felt a little sad for the death of a rabbit.It is said that the Haihan people are good at calculating, and judging from their arrangements for the prisoners of war, their reputation is indeed well-deserved. The prisoners of war have to do heavy physical labor during their detention, and they don't even want to eat idle food.
Tan Juren asked his subordinates to bring out Hogg, the leader of the British captives, and let him meet with the envoys of the two countries.Hogg had been in the Far East for a long time. Once he met these two people, he could tell their identities from their appearance and clothing.Hogg didn't think that the meeting on this occasion was the intention of the Haihan people to humiliate him, but secretly worried that the appearance of the envoys of these two families should not be a coincidence. If both Portugal and the Netherlands were involved in the follow-up chaos Among them, that will inevitably complicate the already unfavorable situation. By then, the East India Company will not only have to deal with the Haihan family.
Ricardo and Philip each reported their names and identities, and Hogg also reported his own identities in accordance with diplomatic rules.Although he is now a prisoner, on this occasion, he is representing the interests of the British and the East India Company, so naturally he cannot lose his momentum.
After the three of them chatted briefly, the two envoys were basically sure that the person in front of them was indeed a senior military advisor working for the East India Company, and Haihan's complete victory in this battle was also confirmed from his mouth .After corroborating the many evidences seen before, they can finally confirm how powerful Haihan's performance is this time.
The coalition forces formed by the British East India Company and the Johor State originally planned to attack Sing Tao with doubled forces, but instead, Haihan set up an ambush and kept all the enemy troops who set foot on Sing Island.And quickly defeated the opponent in the two-day battle.The coalition forces of the two countries have no hope of victory from the beginning to the end. On the contrary, most of them have become prisoners of war, and they will be demanded by Haihan for ransom and compensation. This action really lost everything.
Philip was rather proud of himself. Haihan's performance in the battle was due to the key information provided by the Netherlands to a certain extent.If it weren't for this, even if Haihan could win the coalition forces, it would be impossible to achieve such a complete victory. Maybe the coalition forces could really inflict heavy damage on Haihan with one strike.
Of course, the intervention of the Netherlands had a strong political meaning. The purpose was not to save the Haihan people on Xingdao, but to use the hands of the Haihan people to attack the rival British.After all, the conflict of interests between the Netherlands and Haihan only exists in the South China Sea, while the competition with the United Kingdom is carried out on a global scale. The importance of the two is not at the same level.Standing at the height of national interests, at this time, we must try to attack the United Kingdom first.
And if this action against Haihan was only planned and initiated by Johor unilaterally, then even if the Netherlands knew the news, they would definitely not inform Haihan. The same is true for Portugal.If Johor can create some troubles for Hai Han, then they will be more than happy to sit on the sidelines and watch Hai Han suffer from misfortune.
"General Roger, can I have a few words with you alone?" Hogg asked at this time.But this didn't seem to be beyond Roger's expectation. He nodded with a smile, and asked Tan Juren to greet the two envoys first, and then led Hogg to the side.
"As for your previous suggestion, I think there is room for further discussion between the two of us." Hogg took the initiative to express his purpose.
However, Roger is not someone who is easy to be tricked. He smiled slightly and said, "What is your Excellency talking about?"
Hogg coughed dryly and said, "That's...accepting the conditions proposed by you, the truce and peace talks!"
Why did the Haihan people bring the Portuguese and the Dutch to the prisoner-of-war camp to see the scenery? Hogg has already guessed a bit. These two countries have always been in fierce competition with the UK. When they found out that the British were defeated by Haihan, they would How do you react?
Stand by?No, they will not be so kind.Hogg only needs to put himself in the situation and think about it to estimate their due reaction.If it was Portugal or the Netherlands who were hit hard, of course, after discovering this situation, I would plan how to deal a heavier blow to them at the first time, and never leave the opponent a chance to stand up.
Hogg knew that Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with these two companies. Even if they didn't know the fighting situation between Haihan and the coalition forces beforehand, after they came here to see the prisoners of war, they would definitely try their best to persuade Haihan not to stop the war. , Continue to attack Britain and Johor.And if Haihan is persuaded by him, the chances of Hogg and these prisoners of war being released will be very slim, and the company's situation in the South China Sea will become more difficult, whether it is out of selfishness or considering its own responsibilities, Hogg had to try his best to avoid the situation from getting worse.
But now that he is a prisoner, he does not have much capital for bargaining, and the Haihan people may not have the patience to grind it down slowly. If he does not persuade the other party quickly, he may be robbed by his European counterparts who are afraid of chaos. ahead.
Roger smiled and said: "So you said this...the Armistice Conference and I have no objection, but your East India Company's reaction speed is too slow. You also know that many things are delayed for a long time, and the situation will be easier. become uncontrollable. As the victors, what we pursue is definitely to maximize the benefits. If there is another plan to obtain greater benefits than the armistice peace, then of course I will consider a new plan instead of waiting for the East India Company I don’t know when the answer will be given.”
Hogg really couldn't refute Roger. After he was captured as the commander of this operation, the East India Company had no one in the Johor area who could make decisions. All they could do was compare the battle here with Hogg. A handwritten letter after being captured was sent to a base in the Indian peninsula.But the distance between the two places is long, and when the reply from there arrives, the day lily is probably cold.
Hogg originally thought that it would be okay to wait for a month or two. During this period, it would be nothing more than a little bit of suffering and fatigue. The company might feel that it would be very painful to pay to settle the matter, but if it is looking at activities in the South China Sea, it will open up In the long-term perspective of the Far East trade route, after the money has been gritted to the teeth, it can actually be earned back through maritime trade.Although it suffers in the short term, it is a very cost-effective deal in the long run. Hogg is also aware of this, so he clarified the pros and cons in the letter and suggested that the company conduct in-depth negotiations with Haihan in order to win the coveted regional trade status.
Of course, this is definitely not good news for the competitors of the British East India Company.Portugal and the Netherlands each guarded a strait channel entering and exiting the South China Sea, but if Haihan insisted on opening an opening to let the British enter, it would be difficult for them to change this situation only by verbal opposition.Therefore, Hogg had to come to an agreement with Haihan before those two companies persuaded Haihan.But the problem was that Hogg didn't have any weight in his hands. The time issue alone was enough to make the Haihan people change their minds.
For the current plan, Hogg can only ignore 21 and increase the price first.As long as there is enough sweetness and sufficient reasons, he believes that the Haihan people will still consider negotiating with the company to resolve the current situation instead of using force to keep British merchant ships out of the South China Sea.
"We can consider paying a certain fee to your country every year to obtain the trade rights in the South China Sea." Hoge couldn't think of any good way in a hurry. If you can't get the approval of the company's management, you can only wait until the time to talk.
"Is there any more?" The expression on Roger's face did not change, and there was still a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.This is the expression that only those who have mastered the initiative in the negotiation will have, confident and calm, waiting for their opponents to show their cards one by one.
Hogg saw that Roger was noncommittal, and couldn't figure out whether he was interested in this condition, so he could only continue to say: "The fee is negotiable..."
"It's not a matter of more money or less money." Roger waved his hand and interrupted him: "You may have misunderstood our country, we Haihan are not short of this little money!"
Hoge thought to himself that you have the face to say that, the compensation and ransom were all conditions you set out a few days ago, and now you are saying such things to me, it seems that you have misunderstood the thickness of your Haihan people.However, he didn't dare to express the displeasure in his heart on his face, and asked cautiously: "What do you mean?"
"Order! Obey!" Roger threw out two key words, and then explained to Hogg: "As we all know, the current international trade order in the South China Sea is established and dominated by our country. If countries outside the region want to enter this region to conduct trade, then It is necessary to abide by the rules of the game dominated by Haihan. For example, British ships that want to enter the South China Sea must actively register and file relevant information with our country and accept corresponding supervision. For example, British merchant ships entering the In the South China Sea, you must first register at Xingdao, explain the status of the ship and its passengers, the contents of the cargo, destination, voyage arrangement, etc., and then you must also cooperate with the inspection during the call at Haihan Port."
Although Hogg was from the army, he could also understand how much Haihan's regulatory measures would have an impact on the East India Company's future maritime trade activities in the South China Sea.If it is carried out in this way, the trading activities of British merchant ships in the South China Sea will be almost no secret to Haihan. If he wants to open up colonies or new routes in the future, he will definitely not be able to escape Haihan's attention. A state of affairs that Indian companies are happy to accept.
Hogg coughed dryly and said, "I understand that your country attaches great importance to security issues, but this seems a little too strict, right? If you operate like this, won't you lose even a little freedom of navigation and trade?"
Roger responded indifferently: "That depends on how you weigh it. Freedom and security cannot have both. If you want freedom, then we will not guarantee the safety of British ships in the South China Sea!"
Although Roger didn't have any expression, Hogg felt that these words were actually very threatening.If you don't cooperate, you won't guarantee the safety of British ships, which is actually the same as not getting access to the South China Sea.
Hogg looked sideways at the Portuguese and Dutch envoys not far away, and then turned back to Roger: "But I'm afraid they won't tolerate the appearance of British ships in the South China Sea. May I ask your Excellency to prevent them from hindering the British ships?" is it safe?"
Before Hogg came here, he regarded Portugal and the Netherlands as the biggest obstacles to entering the South China Sea, but now the number one position has been replaced by Haihan, and the other two countries are only second-class threats.But since Roger kept talking about safety and security, Hogg would also like to hear his special insights.
"Portugal and the Netherlands have only ordinary diplomatic relations with our country, and there is no subordination of status. As long as they do not hinder Haihan's interests, we have no right to ask too much about what they want to do at sea. The competition and conflict between you, Our country has always been unwilling to intervene and has no ability to limit what they can and cannot do."
Roger paused, and then changed the subject: "However, to ensure the safety of British merchant ships, of course there are ways. There are troublesome but safe ways, and there are simple but risky ways. Which one do you want to hear?"
Hogg asked: "That is of course the preferred and safe way."
Roger nodded and said: "British merchant ships will first gather at Haihan Port no matter they enter or leave the South China Sea, and we will dispatch armed ships to escort them. This can basically guarantee 100% that they will not be attacked by other countries at sea. The disadvantage is that The cost is high, and the trip can only be made when our warships are available."
(End of this chapter)