Cologne forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and carefully read the manuscript three times. The content was very simple. This newspaper regarded the entire Taiwan as the territory of the Chinese, believing that violent means should be used to force the Dutch East India Company to completely return the land. The text was full of violent tendencies and arrogant people.

"Be prepared, I'm going to Budai Port!" Cologne said with a cold face.

The assistant reminded carefully: "Your Excellency, as far as I know, Your Excellency Li Mingxun is in Taipei at this time..."

Cologne breathed a sigh of relief, called the servant to change into appropriate clothes, and went to the Taipei Administration Building. As the plenipotent representative of Van Dimen, the governor of the Dutch East India Company, Cologne is qualified to directly ask for Li Mingxun or the senator in the Senate without making an appointment.

When he walked into Li Mingxun's office, Cologne found that he was sitting behind his desk, writing something with a quill pen. He seemed not satisfied with the manuscript he wrote. After writing for a while, he made a ball and threw it into the trash can. Cologne held the newspaper in his hand, his eyes were red, and he slapped the newspaper in front of Li Mingxun, and said in a rage: "My Excellency Mingxun, what does this mean!"

Lee Mingxun glanced at the newspaper and replied casually: "A very ordinary report, what can make Your Excellency Cologne angry? Relax it, getting angry is not good for your health."

He was still writing in his hand, his whole body was very relaxed. Seeing his attitude, Cologne slapped the table and shouted: "Your Excellency, is this encouraging the relationship between the United States and the company, a naked provocation?"

"Provocation?" Li Mingxun inserted the quill into the ink bottle, looked up at Cologne with interest, and asked with a smile: "What provocation? Is it just a few unresponsive words in the newspaper? What does this count? Have we provided weapons to the Sultanate of the Horse and Blue? No! Have we provided shipbuilders to the Sultanate of the Blue? No! Have we deliberately improved the maritime power of the Sultanate of the Blue? Still no! Providing technical and weapon support to the enemy countries of the partners is considered a provocation, right?"

Cologne's face changed slightly. At this moment, he finally figured out why the United States' attitude towards the company suddenly became tough. It must be that the company's secret cooperation with the Tatar regime was exposed. Cologne paused there. After a moment, countless thoughts changed in his mind. He didn't know where it was exposed, nor did he know what evidence Li Mingxun caught. He could only make the worst plan.

The worst outcome will not break up. Last year, the Tatars contacted the East India Company in Hong Kong. At first, it was just a greedy local officials and companies. Until November last year, the Tatars were defeated by the United States Navy in Jiangnan. They learned that most of the warships used by the United States were from Nanyang and Taisie, so they hoped to establish a navy with similar combat power. An East India Company, which regarded the United States as a potential opponent, immediately realized that this was a good opportunity, after all, the enemy's enemy was friends.

Cologne had made this happen. He had expected that the cooperation between the power of Asia's first continent and the first maritime power would dominate the order in the East. Before Fitzheimer, Cologne had secretly transported two groups of people and goods to the Tatar side.

But Cologne and Vandimen made the worst plans from the beginning. Vandimen’s request was simple. When the United States discovered this, the company must be able to shift the blame cleanly, so as not to offend Asia’s number one competitor before reaching an alliance with the Tatars and pull the East India Company into the quagmire of war.

It is true that Fitzheimer is a Dutch, but he is a "no-staff". He retired from the East India Company for many years and has been engaged in smuggling trade. He occasionally does some private work for the company. Such temporary workers can be abandoned when necessary. The person responsible for recruiting craftsmen and purchasing weapons is the nobles of Peking University. The free port of Peking University, which will not attract the attention of others. The queen of Peking University is a close relative of the Johor Sultan, an ally of the East India Company. At the same time, Peking University is also a vassal state of Siam, a powerful country in the Indochina Peninsula. The complex political status can make people feel tricky. Fitzheimer is responsible for providing liaison and transportation services. The Tatars disguised as Han people and traded directly in Peking University.

Once something happens, Fitzheimer can be a scapegoat, and the same is true for Peking University's nobles, but Cologne did not expect that it would be exposed so soon.

"What do you mean?" Cologne asked, trying hard to calm himself down.

Li Mingxun said: "Half a month ago, we and our allies caught a smuggled schooner, White Bird, in Zhejiang. The 'cargo' was more than fifty craftsmen from the Peking University Nian or the Tianfang Cult regime, and some Thais who made a living in the South China Sea. Captain Fitzheimer was a Dutch. The ship was headed to Hangzhou with the purpose of sending craftsmen to build chariots to the Tatars to enhance their naval combat power and fight against the United States' navy."

"Your Excellency, this has nothing to do with us. There is a treaty between the United States and the company and will never support the enemy of the other party." Cologne explained seriously.

Lee Mingxun nodded and said, "Yes, according to the treaty between us, so even if the Madara Blue Sultanate sets the price of a match gun at ten taels of silver, we don't sell it because we are trustworthy, but you Dutch people don't seem to be like this. 'Take good care of your business', this is the business principle of your Dutch people, isn't it?"

"No, you must have misunderstood, it has nothing to do with us!" Cologne defended.

Lee Mingxun shook his head: "This is your opinion, but Captain Fitzheimer doesn't think so!"

As he said that, Li Mingxun snapped his fingers, and two guards walked in with a man in hand. It was Fitzheimer, the captain of the White Bird. Li Mingxun said: "Mr. Fitzheimer, please say what you know again."

Fitzheimer was wearing a white shirt at this time, but his face was covered with bruises. He did not dare to look directly into Cologne's eyes and said, "I am a Dutch merchant Fitzheimer. He was sent by the Governor of Batavia to provide services for the trade between the Tatars and Peking University. For this reason, the company provided me with a commission of about one thousand taels and a transportation fee of six hundred taels per trip. The Governor told me that only by allowing the Tatars to have strong naval power can we better fight with your country, so as to limit your country's expansion and avoid affecting the interests of the merchants in the Netherlands.

The Governor also asked me to establish good relations with Tatar officials, hoping that the time will be ripe in the future, and to form an alliance with the Tatars, advance along the sea and land, destroy your country, and divide your territory and assets...."

"You lie! You lie!" Cologne suddenly became furious and was about to pounce on Fitzheimer, but was stopped by the guards.

Cologne knew very well that what Fitzheimer said was half true and half false. The first half was true, but the second half was completely fabricated. Fitzheimer was just a smuggling captain, and he was not qualified to know those important things at all.

"What I said is true. For God's sake, please let me go..." Fitzheimer begged for mercy.

Li Mingxun said: "I cannot confirm what Captain Fitzheimer said, but we also captured two Tatar officials. The confessions of both sides were almost the same. We have reason to believe that the United East India Company conspired to subvert our country and had committed acts that threaten our country's national security. Both the Senate and I have accepted this. Even if you don't come here today, I will have someone deliver this letter to your desk..."

Li Mingxun pushed the manuscript that had written the words and sentences more than ten times before Cologne. After reading them, Cologne was completely shocked because it was a letter of declaration of war against the United East India Company by the United States of China. All the words were written by Li Mingxun himself and signed. As long as the seal of the Senate was stamped, it would take effect. The seal that symbolized supreme power was placed on Li Mingxun's desk at this time.

"This is a misunderstanding. You are absolutely not like this!" Cologne insisted on defending.

Before the secret cooperation with the Tatars, neither Cologne nor the governor from far away in Batavia had expected such an ending. Who would have thought that after Li Mingxun learned the half-true news, he immediately made a decision to declare war, and the United East India Company was not prepared at all.

Cologne knew very well that his opponent had been in a state of war since its establishment, and the navy and army had a high level of combat readiness. As for the United East India Company, most of the fleet was still in the Indian Ocean, and the number of strongholds on the East Indies was pitifully small. Once the war started, the United States Navy could completely blockade Malacca and then sweep across all strongholds on the East Indies, and gain an absolute advantage before the fleet returned.

Li Mingxun shook his head slightly and looked at Cologne with a normal expression. Cologne read the declaration of war again. Seeing that the seal had not been stamped, he knew that there was still a chance of ease. Cologne gritted his teeth, calmed down, and thought about everything carefully. In the process, Fitzheimer, covered in wounds, was taken down.

Cologne gradually understood that Fitzheimer was forcing confession, so the evidence was forged, and this unsealed declaration of war was...bluffing!

"Your Excellency, I don't think this is a funny joke. You've done it too much..." Cologne coughed lightly and said, "First of all, your allegations against United Bank are completely unfounded. Fitzheimer's testimony is fictional. There will be no principle in the face of torture. Secondly, don't you think that such a rash declaration of war is not done by the wise? This is not in line with the spirit of the contract and is of no benefit to both parties."

"I don't know whether the testimony is fictional, but the respectable merchants in the Senate and the United Zhong recognized the testimony and hoped it was true." Li Mingxun knocked on the newspaper and said with a smile.

Cologne was awakened in an instant. He originally thought that Li Mingxun bluffed and threatened himself in the hope of forcing the East India Company to stop interacting with the Tatars, but he did not expect that he completely used this matter as an excuse, and the purpose was to the company's colony in Taiwan.

This kind of method is everywhere in overseas colonial expansion. The Netherlands merchants, both East India and West India, are playing with it. They first find a reasonable reason to declare war and seize the benefits they want. When the opponent fights back, the gentleman asks for negotiation, and then throws out part of the benefits they get, and then reach an understanding to avoid war.

Strength and conspiracy cooperate, and a big effort will be achieved.

If the United States followed this approach, when Governor Vandimen's negotiating envoy arrived, perhaps the company had only one city in Gelancha in Taiwan, and it was more likely that nothing was left.

Cologne could not accept this situation, and the East India Council of Batavia and the seventeen gentlemen of the Netherlands could not accept it. Although the company has maintained a peaceful relationship with the United States and trade flourished over the years, both sides have a common idea, that is, to curb each other's expansion. If it were other places, the company could still accept it, such as Luzon, which has occupied this colony for two years, but still has not reached a balance of income and expenditure. The large-scale war has ended, but the security war is still continuing.

But Taiwan is different. It is the core area of ​​the United States and its base camp. Tainan has more fertile land than Taipei. In the United States, which is not short of capital and manpower, it is a piece of fat that has been cooked. It can immediately strengthen the body and increase its strength after eating it. Therefore, the company would rather not make money than hold this land in its hands.

"No, Your Excellency Mingxun, this makes no sense. The company will not sit idly by and watch the loss of Taiwan's territory. You should know our Governor Vandimen. The United States occupied Taiwan is more deadly than occupying Java. You, I remind you that the Governor never shows weakness and has the courage to launch a full-scale war!" Cologne said.

Lee Myung-hoon smiled: "But I need to convince the veterans and the members of the parliament."

Cologne said: "I can make a guarantee on behalf of the company that the transactions between the Tatars and Peking University have nothing to do with the company, and we have neither participated nor intention to participate. In addition, I can work with the Governor of Taiwan to reach a development agreement in southern Taiwan with the United States within a month, allowing merchants from your country to rent land in Tainan and formulate a reasonable tax standard, how about it!"

Li Mingxun hesitated for a while and said, "I have to say that starting a war with your company is the most difficult decision I have made so far. Since you are so sincere, please present a written document to prove that your company has not cooperated secretly with Peking University. My return is that within three months, I will get an investigation report and solution to this matter by the East India Commission to resolve the misunderstanding. How about it?"

"Yes!" Cologne was already very grateful to be able to avoid a war, so he issued the document immediately, and then returned to Relanzhe.
Chapter completed!