Chapter 1203: Aren't You a Joint-Stock Company? (Please Subscribe)

"What exactly does His Majesty the Great Emperor mean?" Matsolker asked the visiting Consul Wei Qingmu with a frown.

Wei Qingmu smiled. "His Majesty's meaning is what I told you before the war broke out: His Majesty has no intention of driving the East India Company out of Batavia and the Spice Islands. Moreover, His Majesty is willing to share the golden waterway of the Strait of Malacca with Holland, England, France, Portugal, and the other great maritime trading powers of the West.

Our Great Ming has always advocated freedom of navigation and freedom of trade!"

What? Your Great Ming has always advocated freedom of trade? Matsolker truly did not know whether to laugh or cry. So you never closed your borders and locked your country, is that it?

Matsolker was silent for a while, then asked, "Under the present circumstances, will His Majesty the Great Emperor still honor his previous promises? Does he not intend to get something from us?"

Such as ceding territory and paying indemnities, or something of the sort.

Wei Qingmu smiled and said, "Since a war has been fought, naturally there must be an accounting. But our Great Ming Celestial Court does not think much of the few palm-sized patches of territory you hold in the Southern Seas, so we will not require you to cede any land."

Matsolker thought to himself: Then it is an indemnity! But how much will they demand?

"As for the indemnity," Wei Qingmu smiled, "His Majesty understands the principle that one must not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Your East India Company is now a wounded hen that lays golden eggs! To kill it for the eggs would be a great pity. Therefore His Majesty does not wish to demand much in indemnity. Pay a little less—ten million taels of silver will do."

"T-ten million taels?" Matsolker immediately burst out. "This is extortion! The East India Company will not pay so much in indemnity, and it does not have that much money."

The Dutch East India Company could of course produce ten million taels. When the company was founded in 1602, it had raised 6.5 million guilders in capital, roughly equivalent to 1.8 million taels of silver. Now it was 1664; after sixty-two years of accumulation, the net worth of the Dutch East India Company must be tens of millions or even over a hundred million guilders.

But to make the Dutch East India Company produce ten million taels all at once would still strain it to the bone.

"No money, is it? His Majesty knew you might have no money. It does not matter, it does not matter." Wei Qingmu laughed. "But is your East India Company not a joint-stock company?"

"It is," Matsolker said. "What does that have to do with the indemnity?"

Wei Qingmu said, "A joint-stock company can issue shares to raise capital!"

What?

Issue new shares to raise money for the indemnity? Matsolker thought to himself: Who came up with such a brilliant idea?

Wei Qingmu continued, "Perhaps... the indemnity could also be paid directly in shares! His Majesty the Emperor very much wishes to buy into the East India Company and become one of its many shareholders!"

"Buy into the East India Company?" Matsolker could scarcely believe his ears. So what this Ming Emperor wanted was not the East India Company's territory, but the East India Company itself!

This was truly shameless! The East India Company was far more valuable than Batavia and those few Spice Islands!

Wei Qingmu looked at Matsolker and said with a smile, "Moreover, the Ming Emperor greatly values Your Excellency the Governor-General's managerial abilities, and hopes that after he buys in, you will continue to serve as the company's Governor-General. Furthermore, His Majesty the Emperor believes that the salary you currently receive is far too low and does not reflect your contributions to the company. You deserve a raise! A big raise!"

Matsolker nodded slightly. He and the Celestial Emperor had finally found some common ground.

Matsolker said thoughtfully, "But the board of directors in Amsterdam maintains the highest vigilance against any possibility of losing control of the company."

Wei Qingmu laughed. "The Son of Heaven of Great Ming wishes only to acquire at most twenty percent of the East India Company's shares, and will send only one director to Amsterdam, and will not participate in the company's daily operations."

Matsolker frowned. "Is twenty percent of the shares not a little too much?"

Twenty percent of the East India Company's shares, though not worth ten million taels, would still be enough to seat Zhu Cilang firmly on the throne of the company's largest shareholder. Only one director would be sent now, but who knew about the future?

"Not too much, not too much," Wei Qingmu said, shaking his head. "Governor-General, you should tell the shareholders in Amsterdam how enormous the benefits to the East India Company will be if His Majesty the Ming Emperor buys in!"

Matsolker asked carefully, "Benefits? Can you be more specific?"

Wei Qingmu said, "For example, a true central city will appear in the Southern Seas archipelago. It will be the shipping center of the entire world and the financial and economic center of the Southern Seas region. The East India Company will be able to become a co-founder of this city together with the Great Ming Royal Chamber of Commerce, the Yiguandang Trading House, and the Sand Ship Guild Trading House!"

Matsolker pressed, "Where will this city appear?"

Wei Qingmu said, "It will appear on the island of Temasek!"

Singapore, of course!

A glance at any map would show that the center of the Southern Seas could not be Jakarta; it could only be Singapore. Heaven had granted this location, and it occupied it! In Zhu Cilang's Southern Seas plans, a Singapore was naturally indispensable.

And to develop this Singapore rapidly, it was best to bring in the Dutch East India Company to do it together. Because Temasek Island was positioned not as the shipping center of the Southern Seas region, but as the shipping center of the entire world—that is, the center of international trade! With that foundation, Temasek Island could further become the financial and economic center of the Southern Seas region.

And to make Temasek Island the trade and shipping center of the world, how could one do without Holland, that sea coachman?

Moreover, since the Strait of Malacca lay at the intersection of four civilizational spheres—the Celestial Court, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism—collisions among the four civilizational spheres were inevitable. Therefore, if Temasek Island was to become a center quickly, it had to possess the two great qualities of freedom and neutrality.

Only in this way could merchants and capital belonging to the various civilizational spheres be attracted to Temasek Island in the shortest possible time.

And the ones who could grant Temasek Island freedom and neutrality could not be the Celestial Court's dukes or kings—in Zhu Cilang's conception, the Twelve Duchies had no freedom to speak of, and even less could they be neutral! They were the walls and moats guarding the Celestial civilization; how could they be free or neutral?

But the Twelve Duchies also needed reliable sources of revenue. The limited agriculture, mining, and fishing of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra were not enough, so they also had to extract money from maritime trade.

In Emperor Zhu's conception, the Free City of Temasek was for these Twelve Duchies to make money. The Twelve Duchies could stay behind the scenes and collect the money, but the ones on stage, responsible for managing and building the city, could not be the Twelve Benevolent Duchies; they had to be Western profiteers like the Dutch East India Company.

Wei Qingmu said, "His Majesty the Emperor wishes to build a neutral and free city on Temasek Island. This city will receive a charter from the Son of Heaven. The city will be built and managed by a chamber of commerce, not by the government. The Son of Heaven will only collect land rent after the city is built, and will ask about nothing else. Therefore the chamber of commerce that manages the city may enact any rules and laws it believes will promote the city's prosperity and wealth. His Majesty the Emperor hopes that the East India Company can become the largest shareholder of the Temasek City Chamber of Commerce!

Your Excellency the Governor-General, you must know of the development of Shanghai over the past dozen or so years. From nothing to something, a great commercial port has risen out of thin air. It is already the city with the most expensive land in Great Ming! If the East India Company had invested heavily in Shanghai back then, it would now be reaping enormous profits.

And Temasek Island's geographical position is even more advantageous than Shanghai's, and it will enjoy the greatest freedom and special treatment. Such an opportunity must not be missed!"

Matsolker was finally moved. "Consul, the terms you propose are indeed very attractive, but I am only the Governor-General of the East India Company and do not have the authority to decide such a great matter. I hope first to meet with the commander of the retreating East India fleet, and then entrust him and the company's representatives in the East India fleet to return to Holland and persuade the board of directors in Amsterdam and His Excellency the Grand Pensionary."

(End of Chapter)