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Chapter 1425 Fate Brings Us Together from a Thousand Miles Away

"Don't worry, the old man is still very healthy. He even led a counterattack a couple of nights ago and almost fought his way to the riverbank. He really wanted to die in battle, but unfortunately, God didn't give him the chance, not even a scratch."

However, this victory somewhat makes up for the mistake. Once the Yan Commandery returns, we'll discuss how to write his report. It shouldn't be too blatant; we need to highlight his achievements, ideally getting the General Staff to submit it!

Compared to Zhu Neng, Xiao Si's defense zone was adjacent to Zhang Yongling's, and he would go over to check on things almost every other day, giving him a better understanding of the battle situation at the front and his own condition. Now, he was no longer worried about the European coalition breaking through; instead, he was more concerned about how to report his achievements after the battle.

In a moment of desperation, the old governor led several thousand Xhosa people and managed to hold off the European coalition forces east of the civilian port. Although they suffered heavy casualties and inflicted even more casualties on the enemy, most importantly, they held their ground, which was quite remarkable for a local official.

"Don't come to me with this. Let the Yandu Division come up with the excuse... Come in, what's wrong with you in such a panic?"

Zhu Neng's head started spinning when he heard that writing battle reports meant subtly reporting the achievements to non-military personnel. Just then, a communications soldier rushed up, his neck dripping with sweat.

"Reporting to the commander, a small boat flying a white flag entered the port area and was intercepted by the patrol boat. There are three Europeans on board, one of whom speaks Chinese and claims to be there to negotiate." The communications soldier said as he handed over a briefing for his superior to sign.

"If you're going to negotiate, then negotiate. Who are you trying to impress with this attitude?" Xiao Si took the briefing and glanced at it. He didn't find anything unusual, but he had his opinion on the communications soldier's expression.

"The guy who speaks Chinese looks familiar. He looks a lot like the Dutch governor of Batavia, also named Cohen!" The communications soldier finally dropped his pretense, grinned foolishly, and pointed to the names on the briefing.

“Governor Cohen… did you see clearly?” Not only did Xiao Si’s expression change, but Zhu Neng also stopped eating and blinked as if he was trying hard to think of something.

"It shouldn't be wrong, the hair and beard are the same color. I saw him last year when he passed through here on his way back to Europe, unless they are twins!" The communications soldier wasn't 100% sure, but he was 99% certain.

"Go, go, go, bring them up... oh no, I mean please bring them up, be polite!" Zhu Neng didn't want to guess anymore. Whether they were easy to tell or not, he could just see for himself.

"He joined the European coalition forces too?" The communications soldier ran off in a flash, and Xiao Si immediately had a question.

"It's hard to say. If I were the Dutch emperor, I would also think of him. After all, I've spent so many years in Batavia and am familiar with most of the ports. What do you think he came for? To surrender or to persuade them to surrender?"

Zhu could understand Cohen's reasons for joining the coalition, and he didn't care whether it was voluntary or involuntary; he was only concerned about how to deal with the situation.

This Dutch governor was a witness to the growth and expansion of the Ming Dynasty's navy from scratch. He not only had a good relationship with the navy, but the two sides also had frequent exchanges.

Some naval officers, even during their initial training after graduation, would travel from Batavia to various ports on East India Company ocean-going vessels. Now, suddenly turned from friends to enemies, a consensus must be reached on how to respond.

"Hmm...anything is possible! Here's the thing, the Yandu Division isn't here, so you should be in charge, but this matter might cause trouble, so let me handle it. You should try to speak and express your opinions as little as possible." Xiao Si couldn't answer this question, but he knew that Zhu Neng wasn't very good at socializing, and the highest-ranking officer was at sea and couldn't come back, so he decided to take over himself.

"Report!" The communications soldier's voice rang out from outside the door again.

"...Come in!" Upon hearing the call, Xiao Si and Zhu Neng realized they were still shirtless, so they hurriedly put on their clothes. After checking that everything was alright, they stood up and stood at the door.

“…Governor Cohen?” The door opened, and without even looking at his appearance, Xiao Si was convinced that this person was almost certainly real, based solely on his slender build and blond hair and beard.

“Captain Xiao, Captain Zhu, it’s quite awkward to meet under these circumstances.” Cohen extended his hand and casually called out the two officers’ surnames.

"Oh, it really is you! Come, come, please sit down. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. As our ancestors said, 'Even a wicked dog barks at Yao, each serving its own master.' There's no hot water to make cocoa tea here, so how about some wine? Don't worry, this is made with milk by the locals; it's called wine, and it won't make you drunk!"

The moment he opened his mouth, Xiao Si was 100% certain it was Cohen. There are Europeans who can speak Chinese without any strange accent, but they are rare. And someone who looks like him is probably one of a kind.

“It would be impolite to refuse… I love chicken the most!” Seeing that the two officers had no intention of being official or turning their backs on him, Cohen simply abandoned his status as an envoy, sat down abruptly, and reached out to grab the chicken.

Having lived in Asia for twenty years, I not only learned to speak Mandarin but also developed a love for Chinese food. It's been over a year since I last ate Chinese food after leaving Enpo Port. For the past few months, I've been surviving on peas, cured pork, and biscuits. My stomach starts rumbling before I even get a bite to eat, and I can't hide it from you even if I say I just ate something.

"It's not chicken, it's seabird. We can have chicken if you want, but it's too late now. Wait until tonight. I'll have someone stew a few for you, pack them in a lunchbox, and you can take them with you after you finish eating."

Seeing the once-powerful governor reduced to such a state, Zhu felt a pang of sadness. He recalled how, back when he had just been promoted to second mate, he had even eaten at the Batavia governor's residence with his sister, Jieji. The food wasn't great, but the Dutch girls serving the food were quite attractive, with their large, swaying breasts that always made one want to look at them a few more times.

"I am here on orders from General Bernhard, the Commander-in-Chief of the European Allied Forces, to negotiate a ceasefire with the Ming Navy. If possible, please allow us to collect the remains of our fallen soldiers so that their souls may rest in peace after the priest's prayers."

But the more polite and familiar the other party was, the more uncomfortable Cohen felt. He swallowed a bite of meat, wiped his beard, straightened his clothes, sat up straight, and stated the purpose of his visit.

"Well... collecting the soldiers' remains is possible, but the two sides are currently at war, and how and for how long a ceasefire will be reached needs to be discussed before a decision can be made. I'm afraid I can't give a promise right now. Come on, let's put aside official business for now. It's fate that we've met here again, let's have a drink!"

Xiao Si first affirmed in principle that the conditions were negotiable, then placed a large piece of bird meat on Cohen's plate and repeatedly urged him to stop by raising his milk wine glass. In reality, it was all nonsense; whether or not a ceasefire could be reached was not up to them, but had to be reported to Yan Busi.

“You don’t seem to be worried about the war…” Looking at the dishes on the table and the milk wine in the glass, Cohen felt as if he were in another world.

(End of this chapter)