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Chapter 1297 Undercurrent
"As you wish, I will try my best to avoid losses for the company. One last question, how long will it take for the squadron to set sail?" Andris and the council members certainly meant well, but Cohen felt even more disappointed when he heard it.

As a fighting unit, if the combined fleet can unite as one, and with a bit of luck, it might even be able to compete with the Ming Navy. But before the expedition, they have already started to plot their own little tricks in secret, and the future is predictable.

If the East India Company is like this, will the Republic Navy, the Spanish Navy and the British Navy also be like this? Logically speaking, the probability is the same. These companies were originally competitors and mortal enemies. Suddenly they were forced together. How could they fully trust each other?

When sailing and fighting on the sea, the two most important words are trust. The sailors must trust the boatswain, the boatswain must trust the captain, and the captain must trust the fleet commander. Without trust, there is nothing, and it would be strange if you can win!
"No more than one month at the longest... Please keep it strictly confidential and do not come into contact with Asians during this period. The parliament will soon pass a resolution to expel all Ming personnel from the Republic, just like they expelled us from the Spice Islands.

In order to protect you and your family, the Council will send ten company employees to accompany you as bodyguards. Please don't get me wrong, we also need to send some additional personnel around us during this special period."

Seeing that Cohen did not refuse the appointment, Andris, the chairman of the council, changed his serious expression and smiled. However, there is one thing that needs to be explained in advance. From this moment on, Cohen's every move will be monitored by the company. As for whether it is for safety or because he is afraid that the commander of the squadron will disappear when he wakes up the next day, who knows.

It is said that it is darker before dawn and calmer before a war. Since the spring of 1639, Europe and Asia have been busy deploying troops. On the surface, it seems very calm. Only the senior officials of various countries involved know how urgent and delicate the situation is.

Many marginalized regions and countries have felt the influence of both warring parties, and internal divisions have arisen, mainly around the difficulty of choosing which side to stand on.

Taking advantage of the Ottoman Empire's advantageous position, European envoys continuously sent envoys to infiltrate these regions, trying every possible means and using every possible means to win over more Asian countries or ethnic groups to pave the way for the upcoming military operations.

The Ming envoys were also not idle, but their identities were more public and they frequently visited various countries. On the one hand, they explained the importance of this confrontation with reason, and on the other hand, they used existing means to force and intimidate local governments to make clear statements.

In comparison, the Ming envoys had the advantage of being at home in this diplomatic game, and they were often accompanied by naval warships or army troops. If there were any difficulties, they could directly raise them, and if anyone did not support them, they could also point out, and a permanent solution could be given on the spot.

Facts have proved that simple and rough methods are often the fastest way to solve problems. From Japan, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Bukhara, to Myanmar, Brunei, Johor, Mataram, and the Spice Islands, all countries and regions have experienced more or less political changes during the first half of the year.

All ministers and ethnic leaders who were opposed to being involved in the war and resolutely stood on the sidelines to watch the fun were basically all arrested and assassinated. Countries and regions not only had to express their stance, but also had to take actual action to join the war.

The Ming emperor was very benevolent and righteous. He didn't need to spend all his wealth to help. He would give whatever he had at home. One ship was not too few, and one mine was not too many. Even if he had nothing, he could provide labor. Labor was needed everywhere, and he could still support them with a million or so.

And it was not in vain. The Ming emperor recorded in a small book how much support each person provided to the Ming Empire at critical moments, and the benefits would be distributed accordingly after the war. Those who contributed more and were more positive would get more, while those who contributed less would get less or nothing. These countries and ethnic groups shrouded in the shadow of the Ming Empire have been infiltrated into sieves through economic means in the past twenty years. They have also followed the Ming Empire in terms of policies. They have been both exploited and protected, and have long lost the ability to be independent.

Even if they wanted to resist now, they were powerless. Take the Japanese shogunate as an example. If Tokugawa Iemitsu showed any sign of disobedience, more than half of the feudal lords in the Kansai region would strongly oppose it.

If he dared to secretly contact the daimyo he supported to plot something, within three days the Ming envoy stationed in Edo Castle would visit him and ask the shogun to punish several of the main participants.

There is only one crime: he has evil intentions towards the Ming Empire and has seriously damaged the friendship between neighbors. Allowing such a person to serve as a daimyo again is a naked provocation to the Ming Empire. My uncle can tolerate it, but my aunt cannot!
Then these ministers had to be stripped of their titles by the shogunate. It was not that Tokugawa Iemitsu wanted to sell out his country, but his strength really did not allow him to resist. The Ming Empire Navy warships were anchored in Ise Bay and would enter Edo Bay within two days. After seeing the power of the naval guns, Tokugawa Iemitsu really did not have the determination to fight to the death.

In fact, even if Tokugawa Iemitsu was willing to risk his life, the local lords and daimyo would not necessarily be willing to follow him. Not to mention the distant past, his uncle, Owari lord Tokugawa Yoshinao, would be the first to stand up and oppose, and he might even raise his arms to replace him.

This is not a blind guess, but a cruel reality. Tokugawa Yoshinao changed his attitude after seeing the power of the Ming Navy's warships, and always advocated that only by enduring humiliation and studying hard can Japan become strong.

It was also under his strong advocacy that Japan spent a lot of financial resources to establish a new navy in Nagoya and hired a professor of the Ming Empire Navy to lead it.

I had hoped that they would become the foundation of the Japanese navy in the future, but now it seems that I have been fooled again. The two warships donated for free were baits. Not only did they not serve the shogunate, but they also became a noose around the shogunate's neck, which could be tightened at any time.

What was even more troublesome was that around Tokugawa Yoshinao gathered a group of feudal lords and daimyo who also hoped to make Japan stronger by learning from the Ming Empire. They imitated the Ming court in everything from food and clothing to governing philosophy, and in a subtle way became a second shogunate.

When the Ming Empire proposed that Japan provide 200 large and small ships to help transport supplies, my uncle agreed before I even nodded, and took the lead in contributing 30 sailboats from Owari Domain along with their sailors.

On the issue of maintaining ruling power and keeping Japan from foreign coercion, Tokugawa Iemitsu could only choose the former, and he had to take the initiative to propose it, otherwise it would be hard to say whether he would still be the shogun next year.

However, not all countries and regions could respond to the call. In the Indian Peninsula and Persia, where the Ming Empire had relatively weak influence, the effectiveness of diplomatic means and military deterrence was significantly weakened.

(End of this chapter)