nanming man

Chapter 1020 Crossing the Strait
Since the decline of Spain and Portugal, the Netherlands has replaced them and become the maritime hegemony. Its voyages have spread all over the oceans, controlling the main waterways and important nodes on the routes.

Since the 30th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, the Dutch have appeared in Southeast Asia to trade spices.

Trade is a process in which all parties involved trade with each other. At this time, the West actually has no products that can be exchanged, especially in the Netherlands.

In order to obtain spices, they had to exchange other things with the natives, and the Dutch and even the Westerners did not have the products that the world needed.

To obtain spices, the Dutch have only two ways, one is to rob directly, and the other is to expand trade with China and obtain silk and porcelain that are needed all over the world for exchange.

In order to trade with China, the Dutch tried to obtain a channel for trade with China. They successively provoked wars in Penghu and Liuluowan, intending to use force to coerce China to open the market, but they were all defeated by the Ming army.

After the First World War in Luowan, the Netherlands became more honest, but took advantage of the internal and external troubles of the Ming Dynasty to steal Taiwan, and built two fortresses with stones in the dangerous place of Dayuan Bay. The one on land is called Chikan Fort, and the one on Yikun is called Zeelandia Fort.

In recent years, Nanming's open maritime trade policy has made Dayuan's status rise rapidly within the East India Company, and hundreds of seagoing ships have gathered in Dayuan Bay.

At this time, in the meeting hall in the fort, members of the East India Company were discussing around a round table.

The parliamentarians sitting around showed two different emotions. The Dutch from Batavia showed excitement on their faces, while the Taiwan councilors still remembered the naval battle in Liaowan more than ten years ago. Afraid of the strength of the Zheng family, a look of worry appeared on his face.

At this time, the governor of Taiwan, Felberg, looked at the crowd and stood up, "I think the company is too impulsive in dealing with China's issues. The Zheng family is powerful in the sea, and we should not provoke them."

Fleet Commander Kau Wu from Batavia also stood up in the face of accusations, "Your Excellency, you must know that His Majesty the Emperor of Wei not only received representatives of the company, but also received envoys from Spain and Portugal. Whoever can help the country of Wei can get the priority trading rights in the country of Wei. Do you know how much benefit this will bring to the company? If your Taiwan council is unwilling to do this, we in Batavia If the branch company is willing to do it, then the benefits the company will get from Wei Guo will have nothing to do with the Taiwan Council."

"Oh, no, no, no, this is impossible!" Ferberg said with an exaggerated expression, "Trade with China is the responsibility of the Taiwan Council, and the benefits obtained from China naturally belong to the Taiwan Council."

As he spoke, he spread his hands, "Okay, I take back what I just said!"

The trade priority given by Gao Yihuan is really tempting. Of course, Gao Yihuan didn't just give Xu Luo to the Dutch, he also said the same to the Spaniards.

Seeing this, Kau Wu sat back and said, "Your Excellency, the governor, finally made a wise decision. In fact, everyone can see now that the internal struggle of the Chinese people must be won by the Wei State, and the Ming State will become a thing of the past."

Councilor Kui Yi on the side supported Kaowu and said: "The family of Zheng Yiguan has been split, and now is the time when the Zheng family is weak. By helping Wei Guo, the company can sign an agreement with Wei Guo and use Wei Guo to eliminate Zheng. The Chinese people’s infighting is tantamount to cutting off their own arms. Without the Zheng family at sea, our company will rule the world. At that time, we may be able to coerce the Wei State, obtain exclusive trade rights, and monopolize China’s maritime trade.”

The Netherlands is known as the coachman of the sea, and what they do is to resell goods and monopolize China's trade, which is what the Dutch dream of.

Kuiyi's words made everyone look greedy, Felberg sat down again, and calmed down: "Well, since most of the members agree, I have no objection. But I have received news that Zheng Sen's ship The team is assembled in Xiamen, we must beware of the revenge of the Ming Kingdom."

Kau Wu laughed and said, "Apart from the fact that the Zheng family has a large number of people and a large number of ships, there is actually nothing special about them. Their ships are not comparable to the company's gunboats. When we go ashore, they will have nothing to do with us. When the Wei army wipes out the Ming army on land, the Zheng family will naturally be finished. At that time, the company will replace the Zheng family and become the overlord of the South China Sea and the East China Sea."

Kui Yi also said: "The terrain of Dayuan Bay is complicated. There are only two entrances into the harbor, which are divided into two waterways, north and south. The south channel is only accessible between Yikunshen and the northern line of Weidao, and our Yikun body The Zeelandia Fort was built, and as long as the ships blocked the channel and the heavy artillery on the Zeelandia Fort cooperated, the navy of the Zheng family would not be able to enter. The northern channel is between the end of the northern line and Luermen Island. Compared with the wide mouth of the South Channel, which is wide and deep and easy for ships to sail in, the North Channel is shallow and narrow, and can only be passed by small boats. There are too many hidden reefs and the route is complicated. We can stop Zheng Zheng by placing [-] Dutch soldiers on Wei Island on the northern line. Our ships enter from there."

Kui said with a smile: "As long as the Zheng family's boat is not allowed to enter the bay, the Zheng family's boat has nowhere to hide from the wind and waves. When a storm comes, they can be wiped out!"

The Dutch people around the round table were relieved after hearing what Kui Yi said.

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Taiwan, formerly known as the Great Liuqiu, started from the Eastern Wu period, and the Central Plains Dynasty began to rule over Taiwan in name, but it was the last years of the Ming Dynasty that actually developed Taiwan.

This development was not led by the government, but Zheng Zhilong, who was a pirate at the time, set up a flag in Taiwan, erected a flag, recruited 50 people to develop Taiwan, and turned Taiwan into a base for his plunder and smuggling.

Later, Zheng Zhilong was appeased by the Ming Dynasty, and Zheng Zhilong went to Fujian, but most of these people stayed on Taiwan Island and established villages.

After the arrival of the Dutch, these villages were ruled by the Dutch, and the villagers revolted repeatedly, but were brutally suppressed by the Dutch.

Chen Zilong led the army and came to Xiamen to join Zheng Chenggong. Zheng Chenggong did not cross the sea to attack immediately, but kept waiting. When Chen Zilong was getting impatient, Zheng Chenggong suddenly found him and told him that he could cross the sea.

To attack Taiwan, in addition to relying on manpower, it also depends on intelligence, depending on the weather. These days, Zheng Chenggong is not doing nothing, but waiting for the information from the island to come back, waiting for the time to come.

On July 2, Zheng Chenggong worshiped the sky and the sea on Gulangyu Island, and then led three gunboats, a thousand large and small sea-going ships, and [-] soldiers. They set off from Xiamen, replenished some fresh water in Penghu, and then went straight to Dayuanwan .

At night, the moon was sparse, and the sea was sparkling. A huge fleet appeared outside Dayuan Bay. The ships were layered on top of each other, like a moving black mountain.

On Zheng Chenggong's boat, Zheng Chenggong stood at the bow and ordered in a deep voice, "Gan Hui blocks the southern channel to prevent the Hong Maoyi from escaping, and the rest of the warships go directly from Luermen to Dayuan Bay!"

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(End of this chapter)