Take the arsenal to Da Ming

Chapter 109 The Governor's Daughter Claudia

"Friendship?" Tangning savored the two words carefully before asking, "How should I understand these two words?"

Claudia explained: "Friendship is trying your best to help your friends solve the biggest troubles."

Tangning smiled, "What is your biggest trouble? What is our biggest trouble?"

"The development of the new army was short, but rapid. Your enemies are strong, from the north, and now you have the Dutch in the south."

"From a strategic point of view, the new army's situation doesn't seem to be very good. If you want to protect yourself, you must speed up your development. I see that Mr. Tang, you are already doing your best."

"If we provide assistance in trade, shipping, and weapons, I believe the development of the new army will be faster."

Having said this, Claudia paused deliberately, but Tangning didn't answer.

Claudia then continued: "Our troubles come from our common enemy, the Dutch."

"The Dutch have developed rapidly in the past few decades, and they have encroached on a lot of our interests."

After all, Claudia took out a map and marked the various strongholds between Malaga, Ceylon and Goa.

"We hope that the Forces Nouvelles will assist us in taking these places back."

Tangning raised her brows and said, "The last time Mr. Bogarao talked with me, I can only regretfully tell Miss Claudia that we may not be able to reach such a cooperation."

Wannu Bugarao calmly translated Tangning's words to Claudia.

Claudia quickly said: "Oh, Mr. Tang, this time is different. We don't need the new army to send infantry, as long as your navy can provide help."

Tangning shook her head and said, "Dear Miss Claudia, I'm afraid I can't agree to such a condition. Chaozhou is close to the coast, and the navy is the biggest barrier in our southern waters."

"Places like Manlaka and Ceylon are too far away from us. It will take at least a few months to go back and forth and add the combat process."

"It is impossible for me to transfer my navy away for a few months. If the Dutch attack from Daxuan or Batavia again, Chaozhou will be very dangerous."

Claudia remained silent. She did not expect Tangning to be so determined on this issue.

She thought that the new army needed the full help of the Portuguese, and this exchange of interests was worthwhile, and everyone took what they needed.

But Claudia is obviously unwilling to give up just like this, because she knows the important role of the new army in some aspects, so she lowered her requirements and said: "Mr. Tang, you can leave one-third of your strength in South Australia. "

Tangning still waved her hands and said, "No, no, leaving one-third of the strength is too little, we can only protect ourselves."

"Our Chaozhou Chamber of Commerce still has a large number of merchant ships that need to be escorted. I can't let them go to ocean trade without any protection. This is an agreement between me and them."

From Tangning's words, the smart Claudia knew that Tangning still wanted to cooperate with them, but the conditions had not met Tangning's expectations.

So, Claudia tossed the ball to Tangning and said, "Then Mr. Tang thinks, when we are willing to help the new army as much as possible, how much power is the new army willing to use to assist us?"

Tangning looked at Claudia for a while, the woman looked very calm.

Tangning didn't reply immediately, but rubbed her chin and began to ponder. Claudia was not in a hurry either.

After a long time, Tangning said, "The main problem right now is that the navy of the new army is too weak. If you can help us double the size of the navy, or even more, then we will be able to send a force to assist you. There will be more."

This time it was Claudia's turn to be silent. She naturally knew what Tangning meant, and what she said made sense.

But there is a problem here. To meet such conditions, the premise is that Portugal must first help the new army expand the size of the navy. This will take a lot of time, manpower and resources.

It's fine if the effort is rewarded, but what if the new army doesn't keep its promise?
At that time, the Portuguese may have nothing to do with the stronger new army, and they will also worry about the new army attacking Magang.

Tangning drank tea on her own. He didn't believe that the Portuguese just sent Claudia over and let this girl in her twenties be in charge of everything.

The Portuguese must have carefully analyzed what the new army wanted most when they were in Haojing, and also analyzed what conditions Tangning would propose, and what the maximum price the Portuguese could pay.

Maybe Claudia is weighing the gains and losses at this time, or she is acting at all.

But no matter what the Portuguese were thinking, as long as they were allowed to pay first, Tangning felt that she would not lose money.

"Mr. Tang, how about we each make some concessions?"

Tangning raised her hand to signal to Claudia to talk about it, and Claudia said directly, "The new army dispatched half of its naval forces to help us take down Managa, and all merchant ships related to the new army can freely pass through the Managa Strait. .”

"Within three years, as long as the new army allows Ming people, they can enter the Kingdom of Johor and Siam from Manlaka, where there is a lot of wood that can be provided to the new army to build warships."

"Mr. Tang doesn't have to worry that we will break our promise. If we break our promise, with the strength of the new army, we can attack Magang to retaliate at any time. This is not what we want to see."

"And we also need to worry about the possibility that the new army and the Dutch will unravel their grievances and then join forces to deal with our Kingdom of Portugal, so we will not do such stupid things as breach of contract."

"Please believe us, the biggest enemy of our Portuguese is the Dutch. Even if we can't take back the places like Manlaga and Ceylon, we will not become enemies with the new army."

"For us, only by maintaining friendship with the new army can we gain the greatest benefits in the Far East. Otherwise, we may face the danger of being kicked out of the Far East."

"As long as the new army sends troops, we will do our best to help the new army expand its navy at any time, and we will also fully support firearms and trade."

Claudia's meaning and intention are obvious, that is, to take advantage of the gap between the new army and the Netherlands, to try their best to build a good relationship with the new army, and it is best to tie the two sides into one chariot.

As long as they become allies with the new army, then in the Far East, the weak Portuguese can get a powerful helper, thus regaining their disadvantage with the Dutch.

However, although Tangning knew that what Claudia said just now was true and credible.

However, Tang Ning set a premise early on, that is, the Portuguese should help the new army first, and he urgently needs to grow stronger.

If he had enough time, Tangning might not be so persistent, but for him now, time is money.

Therefore, Tangning still did not agree to Claudia's conditions, and made a clear request:

"As long as you help the new army build twenty warships with a displacement of more than [-] tons, as well as corresponding artillery and muskets, then our navy can send half of its strength to help you take down Manlaga at any time."

(End of this chapter)