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Chapter 1437 Whoever isn't here will be the one to screw over!
"Who is Cohen?" Oquendo didn't know Cohen and was immediately confused.

"He is the Governor of Batavia of the Dutch East India Company, who has served in Asia for twenty years and has a very extensive and profound understanding of the Ming Empire." In contrast to the old general, the young French Vice Admiral Blaise knew Cohen quite well.

"Since we have such talent, why haven't they joined our operational council? Are we supposed to rely on an old man like me who has never been to Asia, or a vice admiral who is younger than my grandson, to come up with strategies?"

Oquendo's personality is indeed not very likable. Blaze had just answered his question, but instead of expressing his gratitude, he immediately retorted, treating him as a negative example of someone who was ignorant and relied on nepotism to get ahead.

"I regret that I have never been to Asia, and my knowledge is limited to hearsay. However, Mr. Tropp and His Excellency Bernhard should know best why Mr. Cohen did not join the war council, right?"

Why did the shrewd Richelieu dare to entrust the French Navy to his nephew, who was just over 20 years old? It wasn't entirely due to nepotism. The young vice admiral's shrewdness was no less than that of any of the generals present, and perhaps even surpassed it.

After being mocked by Oquendo to his face, he showed no displeasure, as if he had not understood the meaning behind the words at all. With a smile and polite manner, he casually shifted the blame to the two Dutchmen.

"...Mr. Cohen no longer works for the East India Company; he now commands a Dutch transport fleet in his private capacity, serving the Allied forces." Tropp was clearly taken aback by the Frenchman's cunning, but he had no choice but to answer, so he evaded the question and gave a vague answer, hoping to gloss over the matter.

“Mr. Tropp, I still don’t quite understand. Since Mr. Cohen is in the fleet, why can’t he provide more services? Is it because he himself is unwilling?” But Oquendo was not satisfied, his eyes fixed on the two Dutchmen’s faces.

"Mr. Cohen is not currently with the fleet. I sent him ashore to negotiate with the Ming army... on the day the new Ming fleet was discovered. Unfortunately, he has not returned yet; he must have been detained by the Ming army."

Seeing that he couldn't get away with it, Bernhard simply took all the blame. But it was too late to tell the truth now; Cohen was indeed not in the fleet, and no one dared to go looking for him.

"...Damn it! You knew he could provide the fleet with more detailed intelligence, so why did you send him to negotiate with the enemy!"

Now, not only Oquendo and Blazer were getting anxious, but even the most gentlemanly Sir Pennington couldn't help but suspect that Bernhard had ulterior motives, or even was settling a personal score.

"In fact, I have recommended Mr. Cohen to the Allied Council many times, but unfortunately, I have not been approved."

At this point, Bernhard could no longer hide. If he didn't tell the truth, these men who held military power might turn against him, at least affecting future battle plans. No one wants to work with a superior who doesn't tell the truth, especially not someone from the same system.

"Why? Do they have better options?" Despite being the oldest and most experienced person, Okun is also the most impatient and straightforward.

"...The East India Company and the Provincial Parliament had every reason to suspect that he was an anti-war element. If it weren't for General Trodeau risking his life to conscript him into the transport fleet, Mr. Cohen would probably be serving his sentence in an Amsterdam prison right now." Bernhard was also full of complaints when he talked about this topic.

He didn't know Cohen and had no personal relationship with him. But through Trodeau's introduction, he roughly understood Cohen's situation. Anti-war sentiment was likely present, but that didn't necessarily mean it would cause losses to the Allied forces. In fact, many people in various countries opposed the war, including officials and nobles, for various reasons. It would be absurd to say that anyone who opposed the war was a traitor.

Cohen became a typical example mainly because he failed to implement Prince Orlando's negotiation strategy at a crucial moment, which put the Dutch leader at a disadvantage in negotiations with the Ming emperor.

It wasn't until I arrived in Port-e-Enfield that I had a few encounters with Cohen and two in-depth conversations. This further convinced me that the former Governor-General of Batavia was not only of impeccable character but also a profound patriot.

However, his patriotism was expressed in a unique way. Instead of deliberately elevating his own country and belittling his opponents, he constantly used the Ming Empire as a mirror to find shortcomings in the Netherlands and other European countries, and then discussed how to catch up and make up for them. He showed a rational side in every aspect, but ignored his emotions.

In the political game, the truth is often the least welcome, especially in the eyes of those in power. If you shamelessly reveal something that someone is deliberately trying to conceal, not only will the Prince of Orange be unhappy, but even Richelieu, known for his unwavering trust in his people, would not fare well.

However, as a colleague or friend, Cohen is very talented and charismatic, and can be considered upright. This time, I specifically sent him to negotiate with the Ming Dynasty's garrison, mainly to probe their strengths and weaknesses, but I also had the idea of ​​creating an opportunity for Cohen to make merit.

If he had actually encountered an acquaintance in the Ming army and persuaded them to temporarily cease hostilities and exchange the bodies, that would have been a meritorious deed, and the accusation of treason would have been dismissed. But who knew that by sheer coincidence, Ming reinforcements would arrive, and now not only would he have failed to achieve any merit, but he would most likely have been detained.

“…I hate politics! I hate it even more…” After hearing Bernhard’s explanation, the generals present fell silent again.

They were indeed soldiers, but they weren't political novices either; some of them had done similar work to politicians back home. For example, Sir Pennington and Lieutenant General Blazer were very familiar with this kind of thing, and might even have done it themselves.

Only General Oquendo was truly angry, almost blurting out his dislike for the Dutch. Fortunately, he managed to hold back, but there was something more to his eyes as he looked at Tropp and Bernhard.

"Before Mr. Cohen left, I had an in-depth conversation with him about the evolution of the war. If you would like to hear it, I can quote his words as a reference, which may be helpful to our judgment."

Compared to the angry and expressionless crowd, Bernhard seemed more relaxed, taking the initiative to bring up that deep conversation and being willing to share it.

"Please, Commander, I'd love to hear Governor Cohen's opinion!" Blazer was the first to respond positively. He seemed to have figured something out as well, and his eyes showed more mockery than curiosity.

"Could we talk while we eat? I'm a little hungry." Sir Pennington shrugged indifferently, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up.

"...Please give me a glass of sugarcane wine!" The old general Oquendo neither said whether he wanted to hear it nor didn't, and gave his answer with his actions: take it or leave it!

(End of this chapter)