Outside the city gate of Ayutthaya, the capital of the King of Siam, tables and chairs were arranged neatly. The tables were covered with red cloth and arranged in the north-south direction.
British Duke Zhang Mao, Liaodong Marquis Liu Jin, Polu Marquis Yang Yun and Wang Shouren were sitting on the chairs in the north, smiling at the Siamese King Ramatipti II who was sitting in the south and the ministers he led.
.
Surrounded by groups of Ming troops standing upright, there were also many Siamese princes and nobles standing to witness this moment.
"King of Siam, do you know your sin?"
Zhang Mao looked at the time, stood up slowly, and shouted sternly.
"Little Wang knows his crime, Xiao Wang knows his crime~"
When Ramatipti II heard this, he immediately knelt down and knelt down. As soon as he knelt down, the princes and nobles of Siam also knelt down one after another, with their heads lowered one by one, in sincerity and fear.
However, everyone felt happy in their hearts. At least the Ming army did not attack into the big city. If they did, most of them would definitely not be able to escape death.
As long as the Ming Dynasty is willing to spare their lives, everything else is easy to say. They will still be the princes and nobles of Siam and can still live a luxurious life.
"Then where did you go wrong?"
Zhang Mao looked at these Siamese people. They were all soft-headed. If he didn't beat them hard, they wouldn't know how to be afraid.
"Little Wang is wrong. Xiao Wang is wrong because he should not have listened to the slander and deliberately imposed heavy taxes on the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty. He should not have trusted the treacherous ministers so that they looted the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty and killed the people of the Ming Dynasty."
"The mistake is that I don't know how to appreciate it. It is a great honor for us in Siam to be able to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Xiao Wang knows that he is wrong. Xiao Wang knows that he is wrong~"
Ramatipti II almost burst into tears, but he had already thought of an excuse and found a scapegoat.
"Okay, then tell me, point out those traitors to me, and who was the mastermind behind the robbery of my Ming Dynasty merchant ships and the murder of my Ming Dynasty people?"
Zhang Mao nodded slightly, if you weren't still useful, I would have killed you today.
"It's the Right Chancellor and the Minister of Taxation~"
Ramatipti looked back at the ministers behind him and said helplessly: "They are all his closest ministers," but he had to push them out as scapegoats.
As for wanting to deceive people from the Ming Dynasty, is that just a dream? In the past two years, the exchanges have been very close, and there are many merchant ships from the Ming Dynasty. There are also many people from the Ming Dynasty here in Siam, and they are very aware of these situations.
"Drag them all down? Kill them!"
Zhang Mao looked at those people and ordered without hesitation.
Immediately, groups of Ming soldiers came over like wolves and tigers, and carried them to the river next to them.
"Your Majesty~ Your Majesty~"
Several people kept struggling and shouting, they are all the humerus ministers of the King of Siam? At this moment, they are very unwilling? But what can they do if they are unwilling? With the flash of the sword, several heads flew away, and then
Throw it directly into the river.
He was a noble man during his lifetime, but ended up like this in his death? The Siamese people present could not help but change their expressions.
The people of Ming Dynasty are really cruel!
He just cut him off without even bothering to ask.
King Ramatipti II of Siam could not help but twitch slightly, with cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"King of Siam, this matter? How do you think it should be resolved?"
After killing several ministers who had been advocating heavy taxes on Ming merchant ships, Zhang Mao looked at the King of Siam again.
"Will Xiao Wang send people to the Ming Dynasty to ask for atonement from the emperor of the Ming Dynasty? I, Siam, are willing to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty? Sign the vassal state agreement."
King Ramatipti II of Siam thought for a while and said.
In his opinion, the Ming Dynasty probably did not want to occupy its own land in Siam. In fact, the main reason for this attack was to teach himself a lesson so that he would never dare to offend the Ming Dynasty again in the future.
So he felt that if the scapegoat was killed, he would prepare another tribute and send it to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In the future, he would no longer levy heavy taxes on the Ming Dynasty merchant ships, and this matter should be almost over.
"You think this will be enough?"
After Zhang Mao heard this, he couldn't help but laugh. Then he winked at the person next to him, who immediately took out an agreement.
"Let's take a look. If you think there's no problem, then sign it."
"this……"
King Ramatipti II of Siam was slightly startled, then he picked up the agreement and read it with trepidation.
Article 1: Siam should be punished for arbitrarily imposing heavy taxes on Ming Dynasty merchant ships, looting Ming Dynasty merchant ships, and disrespecting Ming Dynasty.
This first rule is still the old rule. First of all, Ming Dynasty must stand on the moral high ground. If I hit you, it is because you are seeking death and deliberately provoking our Ming Dynasty. So all the punishments that follow will be yours, Siam.
National crimes deserve what they deserve.
The King of Siam has no objection to this. In this matter, it is indeed Siam’s fault. The merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty came to the Nanyang region to do business and made a lot of money. They were jealous, imposed heavy taxes, and robbed the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty. This
It's their fault in itself, so there's nothing to say.
The Ming Dynasty has always been very kind to them. There were conflicts between Siam and Burma in the past. The Ming Dynasty also acted as a peacemaker and was extremely benevolent and righteous to them.
Article 2: The Kingdom of Siam must compensate Ming merchants for their losses totaling 15 million taels of silver, and compensate the Ming Dynasty for their military losses of 35 million taels of silver, totaling 50 million taels of silver.
"Fifty million taels?"
Seeing this number, King Ramatipti II of Siam couldn't help but scream.
"It's impossible. Even if we in Siam dig up three feet of the ground, we probably won't be able to dig out 50 million taels of silver. This amount of compensation is too large, and we in Siam will never accept it."
Ramatipti II said very decisively.
Although Siam is the leader in the southeastern peninsula and its national power is at its peak now, the huge war compensation of 50 million taels of silver is really too big and is simply an astronomical figure.
"Whether you accept it or not is your business. You are free to choose. We will not force you."
Zhang Mao smiled and said.
In fact, he also felt that this number was too big, and Liu Jin's appetite was too big. Malacca, a small country, actually demanded compensation of 15 million taels of silver, and Siam demanded compensation of 50 million taels of silver.
It's like a lion opening its mouth wide and wanting to eat the whole Siam in one bite.
However, in Liu Jin's words, if the amount is too small, they will not know the pain. The purpose is to let them know the consequences of offending our Ming Dynasty, kill the chicken to show the monkeys, punish one hundred, and see who will do it again in the future.
Dare to target our Ming Dynasty.
What's more, if you don't kill them severely now that you have the opportunity, wouldn't it be a waste of tens of thousands of troops marching thousands of miles?
Emperor Hongzhi was worried about the military expenditure of the navy. How could he not get it back from these countries?
What's more, only by obtaining generous returns will Emperor Hongzhi and the entire Ming Dynasty taste the benefits of external expansion, and more people will support continued external expansion, and there will be stronger motivation for external expansion.
"Sir, this amount is really too big. Even with all our efforts, Siam cannot afford such a huge amount."
King Ramatipti II of Siam is about to cry. Does he dare to say no?
Obviously he didn't dare, so he could only say helplessly.
"It doesn't matter if you can't take it out at once. You can pay it in installments. For example, if you pay it back over thirty years, we will give you the lowest interest. After all, over the past thirty years, including the principal and interest, you will give a total of ten million taels of silver.
That’s okay, it’s less than four million silver every year.”
"Of course, according to the rules of installment payment, you must pay at least 30% first this year, which means you will give 15 million taels of silver first, and the rest can be paid in installments slowly."
After hearing what the King of Siam said, Liu Jin immediately smiled and gave them a somewhat conscientious suggestion. It didn't matter if they didn't have money. They could pay in installments.
"Of course, it doesn't have to be silver. It can also be paid with various goods, such as rice, wood, pearls, jade, jade, etc. It can even be paid with labor. You can send
People come to our Ming Dynasty plantations to work, get wages, and then pay their debts."
Liu Jin thought for a while and then continued to add, silver is not very useful, it is better to get something more practical. The rice in Siam is top-notch rice, which is a good thing.
"Ah~"
After hearing Liu Jin's words, King Ramatipti II of Siam and all the princes and ministers of Siam were dumbfounded. Is there such a saucy operation?
Then officials who had been to the capital and Tianjin of the Ming Dynasty also hurriedly came out to explain to the King of Siam that this installment payment method was becoming more and more popular in the Ming Dynasty.
You can pay in installments to buy a house, you can pay in installments to buy a boat, you can pay in installments to buy a carriage, you can even pay in installments to get a wife...
"If that's the case, it's not unacceptable."
After listening, the King of Siam thought for a while and said, it seems that it is impossible not to pay the money. When the Ming army enters the city, they will all die, and the whole of Siam may be miserable.
The surrounding Burma, Cambodia, Chenla, Ailao, etc. are probably waiting to be divided into Siam's territory.
"Hmm~"
Zhang Mao nodded with satisfaction.
The King of Siam continued to read.
Article 3: Siam ceded the area connecting the Malay Peninsula and Malacca to the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, in order to urge Siam to conscientiously implement the contents of the treaty, Siam must also lease the Bangkok area (which was still just a fishing village at this time) to the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty used it to garrison troops.
Article 4: Ming merchants are allowed to do business freely in the Kingdom of Siam and no taxes are levied. The safety of Ming merchants must be ensured. Ming merchants do not need to obey the legal jurisdiction of Siam in Siam.
The last two made the King of Siam couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They were not very serious requirements. They were just ceding some land and leasing a place. As for free business, it was nothing, as long as it was not a waste.
If you want to kill yourself and establish a new King of Siam, you can say anything.