The sun never sets in America

Chapter 202 Lanfang: Kingdom of Brunei

In mid-March, the weather in Pontianak City has gradually become hotter. Because it is located in the tropics, most local people wear short shirts.

There are Chinese-style button-down blouses and Western-style short-sleeved shirts, plus bicycles passing through the streets and alleys from time to time, giving people a feeling of the [-]s and [-]s on the southeastern coast of China.

And if you walk in Pontianak City, you will also find that people here speak Cantonese, Hokkien, Spanish, English, and Hakka, all chattering together.

I don’t know what kind of language museum I thought this was! !

On the streets of Pontianak, you can see teahouses selling Cantonese-style morning tea, stalls selling Indian curry balls, and drink the famous local Lan Fong milk tea.

This kind of milk tea was born out of India's Assam milk tea, adding coconut, sago and other natural raw materials, and the taste is considered unique in the local area. (Sago is actually meatballs made from cassava)

And if Lanfang milk tea is paired with Lanfang’s local specialty, chocolate bread, it will be Lanfang people’s favorite afternoon tea during this period...

Wearing flip-flops, large pants, and a Chinese blouse, holding a cup of Lanfang milk tea or eating Lanfang chocolate bread are the standard leisure outfits for Lanfang people in this period.

Of course, this was Lanfang a few days ago, and now Lanfang is under martial law.

According to the order issued by Zhao Xusheng, the governor of Lanfang, all young men in Lanfang who are over [-] years old, regardless of Chinese, natives, or even naturalized foreigners, need to sign and provide their home address, which is convenient when manpower is tight during the war. , send the recruitment order directly to the mailbox.

At the same time, all those who signed in must participate in a week of military training, mostly target shooting and military training.

A small number of them just did ordinary bayonet training because of the shortage of ammunition.

In addition, another law was also promulgated. This law stipulates that if a young man who is over [-] years old and under [-] years old is in good health and his family is fine, if he is not present for some reason, he may even not come at all. If you do, you will be fined, and the maximum penalty will be jail time.

With the help of these two laws, Lanfang, which had a population of only [-] and Pontianak occupied [-], gathered more than [-] young people in just two weeks.

In addition to the [-] militiamen who got up early, [-] were selected from the [-], forming a total of [-] Lanfang troops, and the rest were reserved.

It is said that an army is actually a group of militiamen, and only [-] people have full combat effectiveness. The others are still in training.

Zhao Xusheng knew this situation well, so while he stepped up his training, he continued to write letters to the Japanese embassy for help, hoping to obtain a batch of weapons and ammunition from Japan.

It was also because of Zhao Xusheng's request for help that the Japanese legation had to give Lan Fang part of a batch of weapons and ammunition that should have been given to the shogunate. In the end, they had to explain what they did to the Japanese, and the Han legation was in a state of chaos. Jump, no peace.

It was precisely because of this batch of weapons and ammunition that Lan Fang was able to quickly arm an army of 1840 men, [-]% of which were equipped with lightning rifles, and more than a hundred six-pound light artillery. (The remaining part are the [-]-style flintlock guns that were eliminated early for Lanfang. A large part of the artillery is smoothbore cannon, and there are only about thirty six-pound light rifled cannons.)

In addition, there is ammunition. According to the records of the Financial Department under the Lanfang Governor's Palace, according to the current level of weapons and equipment, if the fight is allowed, it will take up to two months. This is the level of fighting a country. If it is fought with several indigenous countries Fight together, for up to a month at most. This is the reason for fighting a defensive war. (The various departments in the colonies were modeled on the Han cabinet. They were basically a small cabinet. The governor was the small prime minister. The highest positions in each ministry were up to the director level.)

Therefore, Lan Fang's first step is to destroy a country, and this country should not be too weak. If it is too weak, it will not only fail to scare other countries, but will also unite them to deal with Lan Fang.

But at the same time, the land cannot be too large and the population cannot be too large to avoid falling into a war of attrition.

And in the entire island of Borneo, there is nothing comparable to the Kingdom of Brunei.

Compared with several other sultanates, Brunei ranks first. The land area is large enough and not as small as the two small countries around Lanfang. Moreover, the capital is on the sea, and the internal territory is mostly rainforest and sparsely populated. The place is easy to occupy.

Moreover, the population of Brunei during this period was at most a little more than that of Lanfang. After the occupation, it could be governed quickly, so that it would not be like several other sultanates, especially the largest sultanate. It is said that even if it is defeated, it will still bear a huge population burden.

I don’t know how much more difficult it is to manage.

And more importantly, the capital of Brunei is on the sea. This is a perfect match for Lanfang's not too big Nanyang fleet. There is nothing better than this.

The purpose of this war is also very simple, just like Zhao Xusheng said, to knock the mountain to shake the tiger.

Aren’t you bunch of Borneo barbarians just following the Dutch red-haired hecklers? ?

Well, there are seven countries in the entire Borneo, including Lanfang, five big countries and two small pocket countries. Brunei has the longest history and the longest royal family.

There is nothing more shocking to people than taking the country of Brunei and holding the flag of the King of Brunei.

The Kingdom of Brunei is in danger! ! !

.............................................

"In my opinion, we should focus on naval landings, supplemented by land warfare..." Colonel Qin Wensheng, commander of Lanfang Army, pointed to the jagged situation in Borneo on the map.

"Commander Qin, I have a question. If our army goes to attack Brunei, will other countries interfere?" Zhao Xusheng sat below, looking at the huge map opposite and so many countries, with a gloomy look on his face. In his opinion, with so many countries intertwined and connected together, trouble may occur no matter which country we fight.

So at first, Zhao Xusheng was a little hesitant about whether to expand now.

After all, if something goes wrong, several coalition forces may appear in Lanfang's territory. Then his position as governor will not only be unstable, but he may also lose his head.

"Governor Zhao, according to my judgment of the current surroundings, interference is very likely to happen, but it does not mean that it will definitely happen." Qin Wensheng replied looking at Zhao Xusheng who looked worried.

"Why??" Zhao Xusheng asked quickly after hearing this.

"Although these natives are divided into several countries, in fact they are not without conflicts. Governor, please take a look at this map. It is intertwined, with countries connected to each other, and the shape is strange. From a military point of view, this kind of map is a typical Yes, a map produced during the war." Qin Wensheng pointed at the map with his baton and replied to Zhao Xusheng.

"According to the benefits the Dutch have given them, it should not be time for them to work hard yet. So as long as we can quickly and cleanly kill this so-called Kingdom of Brunei, then I can guarantee that not only will nothing happen to us, but we will also Establish us throughout Borneo and establish the prestige of Han Lanfang territory..."

Qin Wensheng watched Zhao Xusheng speak with certainty.

His idea came from the Han-Mexican War. In the early stages of the Han-Mexican War, the Han Dynasty used lightning speed to defeat Mexico's northern territories and also thwarted the United States' channel to support Mexico.

If, on the other hand, the situation is reversed, and the Han Dynasty does not attack the northern territories first, but instead attacks the core territories of Mexico, if it fails, it will face a dangerous situation of being dragged into a war of attrition, and the United States sending troops to occupy the north, creating a high-pressure situation.

The current situation in Lanfang can be said to be similar to that of the Han Dynasty, and because there are more countries, they are more complicated.

Therefore, we can only fight quickly, not for a long time. Once we fight for a long time, what awaits Lanfang will be the fate of being besieged.

"Yes, but be quick..." Zhao Xusheng thought for a while, raised his head and told Qin Wensheng, after all, this battle is not only Lan Fang's battle, but also his personal battle. Once the battle is over, he will open up new territory and expand his territory. In the future, there will also be a page of its own in the Han Dynasty's Famous Officials' List. If you don't type well, everything will stop! ! (The Record of Famous Officials was created by Liu Peng as an honorary reward for ministers. It is just like the personal biographies in Sima Qian's Historical Records. Every meritorious official of the Han Dynasty has his own page. This greatly inflamed later generations, and even If there is no name in the list of famous ministers, this life will be in vain)

Of course, the opposite of the Records of Famous Officials is actually the so-called Records of Treacherous Officials, which, like the Legend of Erchen of the Qing Dynasty, is a means of attacking opponents and winning over people's hearts.

After hearing this, Qin Wensheng first nodded to Zhao Xusheng to express his understanding, and then continued: "According to the plan, the most elite Pontianak regiment of our army will cross the sea by boat and arrive at the capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, and then the rest The army besieged Brunei from the land route to form an encirclement..." Qin Wensheng introduced the battle plan he had come up with during this period.

This includes how to deploy troops, how to attack, and even post-war handling, all in an orderly manner. After listening to it, people immediately feel that he is worthy of being a top student of the Han Army Non-commissioned Officer School, one of the top three in the infantry department! !

"The naval battle will be commanded by Commander Mo..." Qin Wensheng pointed downwards at the commander of the Nanyang Fleet, Mo Longqing.

Mo Longqing foreheaded Qin Wensheng, and then said to Zhao Xusheng: "Governor Zhao, don't worry, our Nanyang Fleet will definitely fulfill its mission!!" Mo Longqing looked at Zhao Xusheng's face with a look of perseverance. color.

"Commander Raumo is so awesome!!"

Zhao Xusheng answered Mo Longqing sincerely.

"How is the situation in the city?" Zhao Xusheng suddenly turned around and asked Ye Zhenyu, who was in charge of public security in the city.

Ye Zhenyu's father is Ye Tengfei. Through this relationship, he was appointed by Zhao Xusheng as the peace officer of Pontianak City to manage the security of the city and surrounding areas.

"It's still normal at the moment..." Even Ye Zhenyu, the second generation of Lanfang, only dares to say that for the time being. After all, so many people are summoned to fight at once. It's no wonder that Lanfang's economy is not in trouble.

And economic problems can easily reflect real problems! !

This is also the main reason why Zhao Xusheng asked Ye Zhenyu.

After hearing this, Zhao Xusheng nodded in approval to Ye Zhenyu, and then said: "There is currently a shortage of people in the city. Please ask several big families to take care of you!!" The meaning of this could not be clearer. You guys are local snakes and have a lot of resources. Lanfang is currently short of manpower and all walks of life are experiencing difficulties. At this time, if you don’t help, who will? ?

Of course Ye Zhenyu understood this truth, so he replied to Zhao Xusheng:

"The people of Lanfang are also Han people. If they attack the enemy's country, even the people of Lanfang, they should serve themselves!!"

After hearing this, Zhao Xusheng nodded with satisfaction.

Afterwards, the entire Governor's Mansion spent the whole afternoon discussing how to proceed with the war and how to deal with sudden dangers.

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Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei...

This is a city by the sea. It has been the capital of the Kingdom of Brunei since the [-]th century.

The current Sultan is Umar Ali Saifuddin II, who is also the [-]rd Sultan of the Kingdom of Brunei, which shows the long history of the country.

Bandar Seri Begawan is a city built on a bay. It can be said that the history of Bandar Seri Begawan is a history. This is no exaggeration.

The entire city is a typical Nanyang-style building, and most people in the city believe in the True God Religion.

The man's figure is the same as that of the Nanyang natives of this period, short, but relatively whiter, probably because of mixed blood.

The women are wearing Nanyang-specific headscarves, which are colorful and look pretty.

In Brunei as a whole, the total population so far may not exceed [-], making it a typical small country.

But in Borneo, except for a few countries that have a larger population than Brunei, most of them have a smaller population than Brunei, and Lanfang is one of them.

Brunei's foreign policy has always been very simple. It follows the strong. When it is time to be soft, it must be soft and never resist forcefully.

This is also the fundamental reason why Brunei can survive until later generations.

Brunei has always been good at protecting itself wisely. When the Dutch instigated the Borneo natives to deal with Lan Fang, Brunei just pretended to be at the border and did not do anything drastic.

But just like a good guy will be pointed at a gun, good old Brunei will soon be regarded by Lan Fang as the chicken that can be used to scare the monkeys! !

The Bruneian people enjoying the peaceful time on the streets of Brunei do not yet know that a disaster from heaven is about to come! !

…………

Brunei Royal Palace...

A palace with the flavor of Nanyang and Indochina. The palace feels more like a temple in Nanyang than a palace of justice and majesty! !

In the palace, attendants and servants wearing Nanyang costumes passed by from time to time.

"His Majesty……"

"Here comes the people sent by the Governor-General of East India."

Just when the current Sultan Omar III of the Netherlands was praying to his true expression, the voice of an attendant came from behind.

"People from the Governor of the Netherlands..." Omar III frowned immediately after hearing this. He knew that this time he must be here because of Lan Fang's affairs.

To be honest, he is very reluctant to be an enemy of Lanfang. After all, Lanfang borders Brunei and has a navy that can threaten Brunei's capital at any time.

No matter from any aspect, he should not offend Lan Fang, especially if he offended Lan Fang to death.

After all, although Lan Fang is not big, the Han Kingdom hidden behind Lan Fang is not something to be trifled with.

Not to mention a small Brunei, even the Dutch only dare to instigate internal strife in Borneo behind their backs, but they dare not confront them head-on.

It’s not just the fear of bringing Han into trouble. This is the biggest fear of the Dutch East Indies colonies at present.

So he kept making small moves behind his back, but did not dare to confront Lan Fang in person, or even attack Lan Fang.

Because attacking Lanfang means declaring war with the Han Dynasty, no matter how stupid the Dutch are, they will not do such a thing. And what the Dutch can understand, the Bruneians can naturally understand.

This is also the main reason why Omar III is just pretending and does not really conflict with each other.

But the Dutch's blatant persecution now really made Omar III very unhappy.

So he chose not to see it! !

But not long after, the people below came back with news that the Dutch envoy had not left yet, and it seemed that he had to see him.

In the end, Omar III could only choose to meet. After all, no matter what happened to Lanfang or Han, one was thousands of miles away and the other had limited strength, but the Dutch were the real boss.

…………

"Hello, His Majesty the Sultan, I am Samar." Samar, the special envoy of the Dutch Governor, shook hands with Omar III.

"Hello, Mr. Special Envoy..." Omar III greeted Samar in fluent English.

"Your Majesty the Sultan, we in the Kingdom of the Netherlands feel very sorry that Brunei did not participate in the siege of Lanfang..." As soon as he sat down, Samar directly launched an attack and looked at Omar III and said, his tone of voice was urgent, It was as if he was not facing a sultan, but a servant who could shout at will.

This is also an old problem of the Dutch in the Nanyang region. Their long-term colonization and status as the overlord of Nanyang have made the Dutch develop the character of looking down on all countries in the region.

This character stems from problems that existed during the East India Company period and have persisted to this day.

When King Omar III saw the menacing Samar, although he felt disgusted in his heart, on the surface, he had to pretend to be educated, feeling as aggrieved as he wanted.

"Mr. Special Envoy, Brunei is a small, poor and weak country, not as good as several other countries. If we want to deal with Lanfang, we may not be able to do it..." What Omar III said is very straightforward, that is, we cannot defeat him at all. , if you beat him, you will die.

But Samar didn't care about this at all and just continued: "It doesn't matter. What matters is the determination to fight against the Lanfang people. Once the Han people gain a foothold in Lanfang, they will definitely expand outward, just like they did in America." ." Samar gave an example of what happened in America. The implication is that if we don't deal with it now, it will be over in the future, and we will be eaten by Lan Fang one by one.

This sentence is also the most effective move used by the Dutch to drive a wedge between Lanfang and the surrounding indigenous countries.

After hearing this, Omar III just shook his head and continued to stick to his own ideas.

When Samar saw this, he could only use his ultimate move: "Your Majesty the Sultan, imagine what would happen if we supported other countries' territorial claims against Brunei??"

"Your Majesty the Sultan, I remind you again that in Southeast Asia, only the Kingdom of the Netherlands has the right to make independent choices, and other countries, including Brunei, do not!!"

"I think you should understand what I mean!!" Samar said to Omar III condescendingly.

As soon as these words came out, Omar III's expression instantly changed, and he finally had to agree to the conditions for launching a provocation against Lan Fang.

But how to implement it specifically, I guess Omar III will still have to hesitate.

On the sea, a fleet of six warships was coming across the waves, flying the dragon flag, aiming directly at Brunei.

　Ask for a reward, ask for a monthly ticket

　　

　

(End of this chapter)