Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1284 A Shame on Civilization

"This is indeed no small matter. If rampant piracy in the South China Sea affects maritime trade among nations, it will have repercussions for all countries." Sir Wilson frowned and asked Zhang Xijun, "Your Excellency invited us to the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry). Does he perhaps hope that our nations will join forces with the Ming military to crack down on pirates in the South China Sea? If so, as the British Minister, I agree. The safety of the South China Sea shipping routes is crucial to the trade of all nations; this is a matter of great importance!"

“Your Excellency is right, and I agree on behalf of the Kingdom of Portugal,” echoed Baron Pedro, the Portuguese minister. With Charles II’s ascension to the throne, Britain and Portugal had effectively become allies, and this matter did indeed pose a threat to Portugal’s Far East trade. Solving this pirate group would naturally be a good thing.

Following their statements, the other ministers also expressed their own views, agreeing with this perspective.

Seeing everyone's response, Zhang Xijun revealed a meaningful smile. He nodded slightly to Wang Fuzhi, who then addressed the group, saying, "Gentlemen, not long ago, our Ming Dynasty's South Sea Navy encountered this group of pirates at sea and captured one of their warships..."

Before he could finish speaking, everyone looked surprised, their gazes towards Wang Fuzhi filled with doubt. Since the Ming navy had already captured the pirates, why invite them to the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry)? Wouldn't it be simpler to just hang these damned pirates according to maritime custom? Why go to such lengths to summon the foreign envoys?

Sir Wilson, however, seemed to think more deeply. His eyes flickered, as if he had guessed something, and he appeared thoughtful.

As expected, Wang Fuzhi's next words revealed the final answer, as he told everyone in public that these so-called pirates were not native countries of some Southeast Asian nation, nor were they a pirate group entrenched in some place, but rather warships of the Dutch East India Company in disguise. These Dutchmen were audacious and reckless, actually taking advantage of their control over Batavia and Malacca to impersonate pirates and repeatedly attack Ming Dynasty merchant ships, plundering and killing Ming Dynasty merchants. Such behavior was truly appalling.

In the past two years, these Dutchmen have been very successful. They have identified as many as 28 Ming Dynasty merchant ships as victims. This time, the Dutchmen almost succeeded again. If it weren't for the timely discovery and quick escape of the Ming Dynasty merchant ships they were ambushing, and the fact that a fleet of the South Seas Navy was escorting them south, this secret might still remain unknown.

"My God!" Upon hearing this news, the ministers were shocked. They never expected that the so-called pirates were actually Dutch.

However, upon closer examination, this is not surprising. Everyone knows about the two wars that broke out between the Netherlands and the Ming Dynasty, especially the recently concluded war to reclaim Xiaoliuqiu, which completely shattered the Dutch plan to move north. The city that the Dutch had painstakingly built up over many years in Xiaoliuqiu fell into the hands of the Ming Dynasty. After suffering heavy losses, the Dutch had no choice but to sign an agreement with the Ming Dynasty, be forced to recognize the Ming Dynasty's rule over Xiaoliuqiu, and thus retreat to Batavia.

Based on everyone's understanding of the Dutch, as beneficiaries of the Age of Exploration in Europe, they were known as the "carriers of the sea" and their national strength was very strong. Even though the Dutch were not as powerful as the Spanish, their actual naval power was second only to Spain.

Of all the countries present, only Spain could hold a clear advantage over the Netherlands; the other nations were no match for the Dutch at sea. Moreover, the Netherlands' victory over Portugal in the Far East and its capture of Malacca greatly enhanced their strength in the South China Sea, giving them the courage to venture north and challenge the Ming Dynasty.

Given the Dutch's arrogant and overconfident nature, and the fact that they suffered such heavy losses in Fujian and Xiaoliuqiu, it's highly probable that they would resort to underhanded tactics, posing as pirates to secretly attack Ming Dynasty merchant ships. Moreover, since the Ming Dynasty has stated this so definitively, they must possess absolute evidence; otherwise, they wouldn't have made such a claim.

As expected, Wang Fuzhi told everyone that the Ming Dynasty's Nanyang Navy had not only repelled the Dutch pirates, but also captured one of their warships. The warship and the Dutch prisoners were now being escorted north to the capital by the Nanyang Navy. They would arrive in Leiden in no time and the prisoners would be sent to the capital.

Furthermore, through post-war interrogations, the commanders and sailors of the Dutch warships admitted that they were acting on orders from the Dutch East India Company to rob Ming Dynasty merchant ships in the South China Sea. Moreover, this was not the first time they had done this. Ever since the Dutch retreated from Xiaoliuqiu to Batavia, the officials in Batavia had decided to retaliate against the Ming Dynasty in this way. In the past two years, they had been successful in many ways, not only intercepting goods but also killing people and sinking ships. Such behavior was simply outrageous.

Listening to Wang Fuzhi's account and seeing the signed confessions of Dutch prisoners that he showed them, the ministers' faces turned extremely grim. Some even cursed the Dutch in their hearts, wondering what they were thinking. Had they been wearing wooden shoes too much and had poor blood circulation? Or had their heads been spinning in a windmill? How could they do such a thing?
Everyone present felt a sense of envy and covetousness towards the Ming Dynasty. After all, it was such a vast and wealthy empire, possessing not only a captivating culture but also vast riches coveted by many in Europe. Conquering the Ming and making it a colony would instantly elevate any nation to the status of the most powerful in the world. This was undeniable, and the Kingdom of Spain had indeed considered this, even devising a military expedition to conquer the Ming with only 20,000 men.

However, it was merely the impulsive act of five fools. Their recklessness even led Spain to experience the power of the Ming Dynasty firsthand in the Far East, nearly driving them out of Luzon. Furthermore, when the plan was submitted to the King, he was both amused and exasperated. The clear-headed King completely disapproved of the plan, severely reprimanding those who submitted it, ultimately preventing its implementation.

Later, the Spanish had a stroke of luck, because the more they learned about the Ming Dynasty, the clearer it became that this behemoth was not like the Native American empires of the New World. They, the Spanish, could conquer a Native American empire of millions with a few hundred or a thousand men, but they absolutely could not conquer the Ming Dynasty with even a few hundred thousand.

China's historical foundation is too profound. Since the beginning of recorded history, China has been in a period of war for most of its existence. Even during peacetime, wars with northern barbarian tribes never ceased. How could such a powerful nation, with its long history spanning millennia and a territory and population equivalent to the entirety of Europe, be so easily conquered? If Spain had truly listened to these fools and gone to war with the Ming Dynasty, it might not only have suffered a crushing defeat, but the war could have also caused Spain to fall from its position as the hegemon of Europe, thus shaking its rule.

Especially in recent years, due to the change of the Ming Dynasty throne, the current Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is a rare and wise ruler. Under his leadership, the Ming Dynasty is thriving and its national strength is becoming stronger. It has not only restored the prosperity of the Yongle era, but also built three powerful fleets, just like Zheng He's fleet, and started to expand overseas.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty possessed an army of over a million, not only formidable in combat but also equipped with sophisticated firearms. These firearms were in no way inferior to those of Europe, and in fact, superior in individual weaponry. Over the years, European nations, including their envoys, had repeatedly requested to purchase or acquire the technology of Ming firearms, but to no avail. Anyone who had witnessed the power of Ming firearms was convinced of one thing: the Ming Dynasty was the most powerful nation in the world, without exception.

Such a powerful country is not to be trifled with, especially since the Ming Dynasty has now opened up to the outside world and established trading ports in five locations. With the establishment of these trading ports, trade cooperation between European countries and the Ming Dynasty has increased dramatically, which is very beneficial to both sides.

The purpose of colonial plunder is to acquire wealth, and the open attitude of the Ming Dynasty has already brought enormous benefits to European countries. In addition, after the establishment of normal diplomatic relations between various countries and the Ming Dynasty, cooperation in various aspects has continued to deepen. If this is the case, then why is it necessary to resort to force? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to do business happily? This way, money is made quickly and without risk, so why resort to swords and guns?

Even the Kingdom of Spain has greatly changed its attitude towards the Ming Dynasty in recent years. Originally, the Kingdom of Spain and the Dutch shared the same ambition: to conquer the Ming Dynasty and suppress it by force. However, the Dutch suffered two setbacks in succession, and the Spanish had also suffered losses at the hands of the Ming Dynasty before. Now that the Ming Dynasty is becoming increasingly powerful and influential, the fact that Spain has formally established diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty shows that the Kingdom of Spain has changed its foreign policy. Even after establishing diplomatic relations, its attitude towards the Chinese in the Luzon colony has softened considerably.

"These Dutchmen are simply not God's people! Any civilized person would not do such a despicable and shameless thing!" Just as everyone was shocked by the news, Sir Wilson was the first to express his opinion.

He believed that the Dutch people's despicable behavior was against God's will and could not be tolerated by civilized society.

How could a civilized nation, a powerful country in Europe and even the world, do such a thing? When they made this decision, it meant that the minds of the Dutch had been blinded by the devil. This not only violated the will of God, but also contradicted the traditional aristocratic and chivalrous spirit, and was simply unacceptable.

For the sake of world order, for the sake of justice for the Ming Dynasty as the victim, and even more so for the honor of the royal families and nobles of European countries, the behavior of the Dutch is utterly intolerable. These Dutchmen must be severely punished. Sir Wilson stated that the Dutch actions have proven their shamelessness and they have lost their right to continue existing in the Far East. On behalf of Britain, he believes the Dutch should be taught a harsh lesson and expelled from the Far East to give all nations an explanation.

Upon hearing Sir Wilson's words, the expressions of the crowd instantly became subtle. In particular, the Portuguese minister, Baron Pedro, immediately understood and expressed his agreement, even more vehemently than Sir Wilson. He believed that not only should the Dutch be expelled, but the culprits who had committed such an act should also be tried and these shameless fellows should be hanged alive.

(End of this chapter)