Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 237 Collaborative Development Fails, So We Fight (Part 2)
Valdes really didn't understand what collaborative development meant.

This is because they lack experience in this area.

After they discovered the indigenous countries, they basically had two approaches: if they could defeat them, they would fight and establish colonies; if they couldn't, they would trade with them first and then fight them when they could defeat them.

During the Age of Exploration, the European powers still had this mindset. They never thought about cooperation or development. They only had one idea: if they could seize it, they would seize it; if they couldn't, they would wait until they could seize it before seizing it!

Valdes paused for a moment, then simply asked, "Your Majesty, what does this cooperative development mean?"

You're probably not faking it.

You bunch of colonial robbers probably really don't know what cooperative development is.

Zhu Jue explained helplessly, "The so-called cooperative development means that we sign a cooperation treaty to develop the Americas together."

treaty?

This is definitely not a good thing for us.

The problem is, if I don't sign the agreement, this business deal might fall through.

Upon hearing this, Valdes had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, "Your Majesty, what are the specific contents of the cooperation treaty?"

It seems there's no need to waste any more words.

This guy must already know the current strength of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, Spain absolutely cannot afford to lose this business with the Ming Dynasty. If they lose it, not only will they lose the money, but they will also lose the steel needed to manufacture weapons and equipment.

This was a devastating blow to Spain, which was besieged by the European powers.

It can be said that without the Ming Dynasty's business, Spain would soon be defeated by the European coalition forces, just as it has in history.

Zhu Jue said quite simply, "This cooperation treaty is actually very simple. Our Great Ming will provide manpower, ships, and equipment. You don't need to provide anything. Just let our people take the equipment to the Americas to mine and smelt minerals."

We won't touch your gold and silver mines; we'll just develop the copper, rubber, and nitrate mines we need.

Ah!
Your people go to our colonies to mine and smelt minerals.

Does that mean we're just giving you this mineral resource for free?

Can I agree to that?

The problem is, I can't bear the consequences if I don't agree.

Would our King agree to such a thing?

That's highly unlikely.

How to do?
Valdes thought for a moment, then braced himself and said the truth: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, but our King will probably not agree to this."

Your king is unaware of the strength of our Great Ming Dynasty.

However, you already know that.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue coldly replied, "Do you think our Great Ming Dynasty needs your King's permission to do anything?"

I simply feel that we have been doing business for so long, and we are at least business friends, not adversaries. Therefore, I am giving you an opportunity to cooperate with you in developing the Americas.

Otherwise, I will send troops directly to the Americas. Do you think your small force can stop me?

"Valdes, you're a smart man. You should know that in the face of self-interest, there are no friends. If you can help me gain enough benefits, I might cooperate with you. But if you can't, I'll have no choice but to send troops to take it myself."

Ah!
Does this mean that if we don't cooperate, we'll start a fight?
If I were to reach such a conclusion, His Majesty the King would probably have my entire family executed!

Is war the outcome our King desires if this cooperation fails?

Our King certainly doesn't want this outcome either.

Then cooperation is the only option.

I can't disagree.

As for His Majesty the King, would he dare to disagree?
Right now, European countries are besieging us, and we're only surviving because of the business with the Ming Empire.

If the Ming Empire were to turn against us and wage war, we would surely be defeated, and the defeat would be devastating!
Then we have to give in; we can't refuse.

Valdes exclaimed in surprise and thought for a long time before cautiously asking, "Your Majesty, how are the prices of copper, rubber, and saltpeter calculated?"

They've started discussing the price, which means they've agreed.

Indeed, might makes right. As long as your fist is big enough, you can justify even blatant robbery.

I won't let you give it away for nothing. Since it's a cooperative development, I have to give you something in return. Otherwise, even if you sign, your king might be unwilling to accept it.

If your king is unwilling, then this cooperation will definitely not go smoothly, and development will not be easy.

If you continue to drag things out with your shockingly low efficiency, then the Great Ming Dynasty will truly be held back and struggle to move forward. Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then decisively said: "The prices of copper ore, rubber and saltpeter will be halved from the current prices. This is equivalent to us splitting the profits from the cooperative development in half."

It's gone down by half in one go?
Would His Majesty the King agree?

Valdes thought for a moment, then tried his best to persuade the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, reducing it by half is too much. Could you reduce it a little less?"

Are you kidding? Lower the price a little. Do you even know how much a little bit costs?

I want to give you a little something, not to let you make a fortune.

Zhu Jue shook his head slightly and said, "We've already suffered a huge loss by reducing it by half, you know that?"

Our Ming Dynasty's mining and smelting efficiency is far superior to yours. If you cooperate with us in development, the output of copper, rubber, and nitrate ore can increase by at least ten times.

Have you calculated how much that costs?

For example, with copper mines, at your current efficiency, we only need to spend one million taels a year to buy them. If we increase production by more than ten times, that would be more than ten million taels.

If you add rubber and nitrate ore, that would amount to thirty to forty million taels a year.

We're offering you half the price, which is over ten million taels, almost twenty million taels. That's nearly ten times the profit for you. Don't you think that's enough?
Do you think we don't need to invest in development? Do you expect us to contribute manpower, resources, ships, and equipment, only to fail to recoup our costs?

Would you do something like this?

Oh, this half is over ten million taels, nearly twenty million taels.

If His Majesty the King knew that he could hand over the mines to the Ming Empire for mining without lifting a finger and receive so much money every year, would he have gritted his teeth and accepted it?

Valdes thought for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, the Americas aren't full of mines. You wouldn't send people running around everywhere, would you?"

Are you saying you're afraid I'll get jealous of your huge colonies in the Americas and actually send troops to seize them all?
I don't have enough troops to seize colonies right now, and what I need now is not colonies. What I urgently need now are resources, copper, rubber, and saltpeter.

These all happen to be concentrated in one of your governor's jurisdictions.

I will develop a governor-general's jurisdiction for you, so you can have something to report back to when you return.

Zhu Jue slowly shook his head and said, "I don't have the time to send people running around everywhere. Aren't your copper, rubber, and saltpeter all concentrated in the Viceroyalty of Peru? I'll cooperate with you to develop the Viceroyalty of Peru. What do you think?"

I don't think it's anything special, so what?

Okay, developing just one governor's territory is easier to handle.

The Viceroyalty of Peru is not very large, and I believe His Majesty the King will grit his teeth and accept it.

Valdes thought for a moment with a serious expression, then gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Okay, I agree."

This means that even if I agree, His Majesty the King may not.

But it doesn't matter, you all just rely on your fists. When your fists get big enough, you won't dare to utter a single word.

The Ming Dynasty is powerful enough now; even if Your Majesty disagrees, you have to accept it.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue replied without hesitation, "Ruoyu, Zhilong, draft a cooperation agreement."

They had actually discussed and agreed on this cooperation agreement long ago, and even the writing materials for drafting the agreement had been prepared in advance.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu sat down without hesitation and began writing rapidly.

When Zheng Zhilong saw that he had finished writing and stood up, he sat down without hesitation, picked up his pen and wrote it again in Spanish below the original text.

Seeing that they had all finished writing, Zhu Jue immediately picked it up, blew on it, and then personally handed it to Valdes.

Valdes took a look and found that the treaty was written in a very euphemistic way. It was roughly about the Ming Empire and Spain cooperating to develop copper, rubber and nitrate mines in the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The Ming Empire would provide manpower, ships, and equipment. Spain would simply hand over all the copper mines, rubber plantations, and nitrate mines in the Viceroyalty of Peru to the Ming Empire for development. The profits from the development would then be split 50/50 according to the agreed-upon price.

There seems to be nothing unreasonable about this cooperation agreement.

From the perspective of later generations, this cooperation treaty was not unreasonable.

However, from the perspective of modern colonial powers, this seems very unreasonable.

Why should we let you develop the mineral resources we seized?
The problem is, we can't refuse to sign this treaty.

If he doesn't sign, His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty will simply send troops to seize it.

They would not only fail to gain a single pound of gold and silver, but they might also lose the entire American colony.

The Ming Empire was incredibly powerful; they couldn't even defeat them in a one-on-one fight, let alone the fact that they were currently being ganged up on by various European countries.

Valdes examined it carefully for a while, hesitated for a while, and finally had no choice but to grit his teeth and sign the cooperation agreement.

(End of this chapter)