1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 191 The Dominance of the Dutch
"The Dutch have been here?" Cao Xiong couldn't help being surprised when Hu Pingjiang mentioned that a Dutch armed merchant ship came to Xinsheng Island in mid-April.

Cao Xiong arrived in Batavia in mid-August, and finally confirmed with the Dutch. In mid-October, they jointly attacked the Spaniards in Luzon.Then arrived at Xinsheng Island at the end of August.

More than [-] hungry people gathered on Xinsheng Island. They were all refugees collected by Zheng Zhilong's fleet from Shandong and Huaibei in the past month.With the growth of several refugees in the north, the north of the Ming Dynasty became more and more corrupt, and even gradually spread to the southwest and south.

In March, Zhang Xianzhong led his army out from the buried mountain, and even broke through Taihu Lake, Qizhou (now south of Qichun), Huangzhou (now Huanggang) and other places. On the 3th, the refugee army and the Ming army fought at Huojiadian in Taihu Lake.

The refugee army surrounded the Ming army with tens of thousands of soldiers.He also sent generals to stop Shi Kefa and other reinforcements.When it was raining, the peasant army attacked from all sides, fighting hand to hand, beheading Ming general Pan Keda and more than forty people.The Ming army was defeated and lost more than [-] troops.The refugee army took advantage of the victory and took Hezhou, Hanshan, Liuhe and other places in the east.

In the tenth year of Chongzhen (1637), Shi Sichang was in charge of military affairs, and Xiong Wencan was the prime minister of the military affairs of the five provinces.Li Zicheng was trapped near Sichuan and Shaanxi.But in September, Li Zicheng entered Sichuan.At the beginning, Sichang and Wencan were worried that the peasant army in Shaanxi would go out of customs and disturb the overall situation of suppression and suppression, but they were not worried about the Shu affairs.After Li Zicheng's troops besieged Chengdu and conquered dozens of cities, Emperor Chongzhen was terrified and urgently ordered Governor Hong Chengchou to lead his army to aid Sichuan.

In the territory of Ming Dynasty, there were more than one million displaced and hungry people. They either died in the wild, or became refugees from thieves.The entire northern order is on the verge of collapse.

"What do the Dutch do in Xinsheng Island?" Cao Xiong asked Hu Pingjiang as he walked.The Dutch in the dog days won't take a fancy to our Newborn Island, right?

"The Dutch want to go to Cambodia on the opposite side to do business!" Hu Pingjiang said: "Seeing that there are boats and people on our island, they came to have a look.... They replenished some water and went south. I heard they said they would Go along a big river (Mekong River) to the king's city."

"and then?"

"Then?" Hu Pingjiang was stunned, "I don't know what happened to them in the end. They didn't come to Xinsheng Island again."

"The Dutch's hands are really long!" Cao Xiong said: "Nanyang occupies so many islands, and they even come here to get a foothold! Damn, I'm not afraid to support them to death!"

In 1432, the Siamese captured Angkor, and the capital of Chenla moved to the south. Two years later, the capital of Bainangben (Phnom Penh) was established.

The repeated invasions of the Siamese met fierce resistance from the Cambodian people, and Baron Raja I (reigned from 1566 to 1576) even moved the capital back to Angkor for a time.

The Siamese captured Lowe, the capital of Cambodia (a little north of Phnom Penh) in 1594. In order to deal with the Siamese invasion, King Sata tried to seek assistance from the Spaniards who invaded Southeast Asia. In 1596, Spain sent an expeditionary force into Cambodia. The following year, the youngest son of King Sata was pushed to the throne and became Baron Raja II (reigned from 1597 to 1599).

However, with the help of the Siamese army, King Sata's younger brother Soriyopo returned to Cambodia and seized the throne, known as Balon Raja IV (reigned 1603-1618).

In the middle of the 17th century, Cambodia was still a weak buffer force sandwiched between Vietnam and Thailand, but it gradually developed due to the development of international trade.They are happy to accommodate a large number of Malay, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese business groups.The current reigning King of Cambodia is Annon I.

Mr. Senard Kalamet, the new senior commercial counselor of the Dutch East India Company, refused to live in the shadow of Ludwig's outstanding performance, so he advocated the development of business in the Mekong River Basin.

In April 1637, the vigorous Dutch East India Company began to publicize the Cambodian market, and asked King Anton Rachel I to allow them to establish their own exclusive trading station.

Since Annan had not fully controlled the lower reaches of the Mekong at that time, the goal of the Dutch was very clear, which was to control the prosperous trade along the river.For this reason, the location of the stronghold was deliberately placed near Phnom Penh, which was only 20 kilometers away from the Udon King City at that time.Any light sailing ship of limited size can arrive here downstream to load goods, and then sell them to Edo Japan, which has opened the lock-up order.Wood, ivory, and leather from across the Mekong valley were all readily available to the Edo shogunate authorities.

However, the ambitions of the Dutch are not limited to engaging in logistics transshipment, but hope to use their own economic and military advantages to obtain a monopoly.

So the neighboring Portuguese community is at odds with it, fighting almost as much as it does elsewhere.As for the most powerful Malay business group and the seemingly weak Chinese immigrants, they are also victims of the Dutch trade expansion policy.

In the original time and space history, because of the domineering expansion of the trade policy of the Dutch East India Company, it finally aroused public outrage.A few years later, a war broke out between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Dutch East India Company.Surprisingly, the Dutch were defeated and thus withdrew from the Mekong.

Although it has decades of experience in global colonial expansion, the Netherlands, which came one step later, is different from its opponents such as Spain and Portugal, which arrived earlier.

In the eyes of the monarchs of the Eastern world, the Portuguese of mixed races are very down-to-earth, while the Dutch have their incomprehensible arrogance.Conversely, as the originator of global capitalist culture, Dutch diplomats are often unhappy with the arbitrariness of many monarchs.The unprecedented sense of superiority made them more stubborn than their predecessors.

For example, bossing around Hanzhou officials on Xinsheng Island.

"I need you to provide me with two hundred armed soldiers and corresponding logistics support personnel. Moreover, you'd better send two armed merchant ships to pass with us!"

Christopher Mandane, a senior commercial representative of the Dutch East India Company, came to Xinsheng Island on September [-] and found Hu Pingjiang.Since the Kingdom of Cambodia sternly refused the request of the Dutch to establish a new trading station.

The reason for the refusal was not that the Kingdom of Cambodia did not welcome the Dutch.It's that their demands are very excessive, and the location of the new business station is actually in Wudong Wangcheng.It is only a few hundred meters away from the royal palace of King Antonleche I of Cambodia, how can this be easily allowed.

The Dutch only need to go out and walk a few steps, and they can stroll to the king's bedroom to drink tea and watch a play!

Christopher Mandane originally wanted to return to Batavia and asked the company to send a small fleet to bring in some mercenaries to intimidate the Kingdom of Cambodia and force it to obey.

Leaving the coast of the Kingdom of Cambodia, an attendant on the boat reminded that the Hanzhou people had occupied a small island nearby, and they seemed to have some armed forces, so it is better to borrow some soldiers from them.

Christopher Mandane thought that after all, this Hanzhou has a cooperative relationship with the Dutch East India Company, and many things need to rely on the Dutch.Borrow a few soldiers, forgive them and dare not refuse.

After hearing what the interpreter said, Hu Pingjiang looked strangely at the proud Dutchman opposite.

This can't be a fool!You are from the Netherlands, and I am from Hanzhou.The one who can order me to send troops can only be the commander of our Hanzhou, or the military government.What the hell are you!
"Tell him that we have no objections if we want supplies and repairs here. But don't even think about sending troops! Tell them to leave immediately!" Hu Pingjiang said impatiently.

After listening to the translation, Christopher Mandane looked at Hu Pingjiang in surprise. You Hanzhou should be regarded as a vassal of our Dutch East India Company. How dare you reject me so rudely!

"I need to see your superior official." Christopher Mandane said with a gloomy face: "Find an official who can respond correctly to meet me!"

Hu Pingjiang is overjoyed, don't say that the commander of my family has gone to Daming and is not in Xinshengbao, even if he is here, he will be thrown into the sea with such an arrogant attitude towards you!
Christopher Mandane angrily led the people away from Xinsheng Island. He swore that the Hanzhou people with bad attitude just now would pay the price, Hanzhou would pay the price.

If we Dutch hadn't defeated and destroyed the Spanish expedition fleet, maybe the Spaniards would bring people to attack your Hanzhou at this moment.Without us Dutch, you Hanzhou will get nothing.

In the past, you Hanzhou could rely on Mr. Ludwig's protection and live happily.Hmph, now, who else can you rely on?Have you all forgotten who is the master of the Far East?
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"Congratulations to the Commander! Congratulations to the Commander! You defeated Xiyi in the first battle, and you are powerful in Nanyang!" Zhou Guigang from the Guangzhou Warehouse greeted Cao Xiong with a smile when he saw him.

"Just annihilated more than a thousand western barbarians, how can it be so powerful in Nanyang?" Cao Xiong said, but he felt a little complacent in his heart.

"The commander-in-chief doesn't know something." Tuesday Gui said with a smile: "A few months ago, there was news from Nanyang that the Xiyi was going to attack my Hanzhou. Zheng Zhilong and the others stopped the immigration transportation directly, and came to me to talk to the freshmen. The island asks for payment for goods and immigration fees. It seems like we are going to be wiped out by Xiyi!"

"Right now, all the Ming people in Nanyang and the coastal areas of Guangdong and Fujian are all excited when Hanzhou defeated Xiyi. This battle has greatly boosted our Ming people's ambition!"

"Really?" Cao Xiong's heart skipped a beat, "Did those forces at sea know about our Hanzhou's strength?"

"I must have heard it a lot."

"Treasurer Zhou, if there is a chance, send some people to contact those people in the sea. Ask them if they are willing to work for Hanzhou."

"Commander, is there still a shortage of sailors in Hanzhou?"

"The shortage is tight!" Cao Xiong sighed.Hanzhou currently has eight large and small armed merchant ships, nine transport ships, and more than a dozen offshore fishing boats. More than 2000 sailors are needed.

This does not include the capture of two wounded Spanish warships.At present, many new sailors with no experience in sailing are deployed on many ships. They are learning sailing skills while adapting to life at sea.But in the end, how many people can fully adapt to the environment on board can only be tested by the cruel elimination rate of survival.

"Are all the collected books ready?" Cao Xiong asked.Since Qi Tian saw a lot of useful professional knowledge in the large number of books that Cao Xiong brought back last time.It is also required to collect population, ships and personnel from the Ming Dynasty, and more books must be collected and sorted out in the mainland, whether it is a subset of classics and history, or agricultural, industrial and commercial machinery, all of which must be transported back.

"About 2 volumes of various books have been collected, which may require a lot of space." Gui replied on Tuesday.All the books are transported separately in the best cabin on the ship, and all kinds of waterproof and moisture-proof treatments are done.

"Very good!" Cao Xiong nodded in satisfaction, "Where's that person?"

"There are more than 200 craftsmen of all kinds, more than [-] down-and-out scholars, and more than [-] women." Zhou Zhougui said: "I will hand over those officials and scholars to Zheng Zhilong. I promise to use artillery to replace them." .” As he spoke, he looked at Cao Xiong with some apprehension.

"Change!" Cao Xiong said, "Just get me the people on the list, and I'll give them artillery."

Thinking of Qi Tian sometimes whining about Hanzhou's lack of great talents, experts, and industry leaders, Cao Xiong decided that no matter what means he used, he must get some important people back to Hanzhou.

　Correction: Cambodia in the 17th century was changed from Chenla to the Kingdom of Cambodia during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.There is a fallacy in the foregoing description.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)