Chapter 23, Twenty-seven moments in the fourth year of Chongzhen (Twenty-three)
The twenty-third moment: Batavia’s appearance
October 1631 AD, West Java, Batavia (Jakarta), headquarters of the Dutch East India Company
In the office that was illuminated exceptionally brightly by the tropical sun, the supreme ruler of the Batavia colony, De, whose state of mind has been on the verge of collapse recently. Mr. Carpentier, in a trance, opened a letter soaked in seawater, and then yawned and read.
——This is the latest routine report sent back to the Batavia headquarters by a businessman sent by the company to the "Australian" home base in Lingao County, Hainan Island.
Dear Governor:
I have spent some time in Lingao Port, which is occupied by the Australians, and have learned a lot about the Australian government system, culture, daily life customs, etc. But it is a pity that it is difficult for me to obtain the technology of Australians. They are too strict about it. Everyone working in the state-owned factory in Lingao will be searched when entering and exiting the factory, and those who are the most important The factory is even managed in a closed manner.
The Australians' huge iron ships, steel vehicles powered by witchcraft, and giant fortress guns with astonishing range have all been described in previous reports and will not be repeated here. Now I want to focus on introducing to you what I know about the Australian political system.
The Australians have a political system similar to ours in the United Provincial Republic, but the words these pagans use confuse the Dutch Province with the United Provincial Republic of the Netherlands, which really annoys me. They also have a parliament, which they call the "Senate". The number of members is about 500, but their members are not elected through elections. They are a bit like the board of directors of the East India Company.
Although their parliament is said to be very efficient on major matters, as far as I know, Australian MPs are very ungentlemanly in the meeting hall. They are often filled with all kinds of vile slander and even fight. In a tavern in Lingao, I once had the honor to hear a soldier on duty in Parliament describe a scene of a group fight at a certain meeting: Over the distribution of military funds, representatives of the Australian Navy and Army had a fierce argument. quarrel. When their speaker tried to comfort him, he was simply knocked over by a flying shoe. Then, supporters of the navy and army immediately started fighting. Most of the navy and army officers were trained in artillery fire. Everything that could be thrown at the scene was used as artillery shells. In the end, they even entered into hand-to-hand combat, and the army group even discharged A small square formation was formed, and the people on the navy side used tables to build fortifications to block it... There was no way, even though they looked more like gentlemen than many Christians, after all, they were still a group of pagan barbarians. people.
Back to the topic, the top circle of this regime is composed of nine members of the Executive Committee. They are in charge of various departments of the government and are coordinated by the Chairman of the Executive Committee. Their newspapers boast that this is a great system, but Ever since I heard about the parliamentary fight, I have become very doubtful about the superiority of this system. According to the Australians, their ancestors fled China after losing the battle with the Mongols. Now for some reason, they returned to their homeland from Australia and came to Qiongzhou Prefecture in the Ming Dynasty. The characters they use are indeed very similar to those used by the Chinese. I heard a scholar who immigrated from the Ming Dynasty say that the characters used by the Australians are indeed the ones they use, but those characters have many fewer strokes. Their pronunciation is the accent of the Liaodong region of the Ming Dynasty (in China you can almost tell their hometown by listening to their pronunciation).
In fact, from the name of this regime, we can see the relationship between Australians and China: "Australia in the Song Dynasty" - "Song" is the name of the family dynasty that once ruled China four hundred years ago, just like the English The Yorkist dynasty was the same as the Lancastrian dynasty.
There seem to be so-called "nobles" among Australians, but their usual clothing is also very simple. You will definitely not be able to recognize them in the crowd. However, as long as you get closer and observe them patiently, you will find out from them. Some qualities that are different from others - especially the almost absolute self-confidence and the air of having everything under control. Their knowledge is so vast that even the most erudite scholars in the Old World cannot match it. I had the pleasure of talking to a "noble" who talked about the latest war in Europe to the fall of Constantinople, from the ocean currents and monsoons to the position of the stars, from the forging of swords to the civil wars of England, There are many things that even a European like me has never heard of.
Recently, a book called "Robinson Crusoe" has been popular here in Lingao. The book tells the story of a sailor named Robinson who fell into a storm while sailing to the West with Zheng He, the eunuch of the Three Treasures, and was blown to a desert island to survive alone. A story of twenty-seven years. It mentioned the use of tobacco to treat malaria. Maybe you can give it a try. Remember, people died of malaria every day in Batavia. The special medicines sold by Australians are too expensive and often out of stock.
For the time being, I have collected all the information about this mysterious regime. I hope it will be of some help to you!
Loyal servants of our master
Your most obedient servant
Junior businessman style. Delantron
Written on August 18, 1631 in the company’s Lingao Merchant Hall
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If it were a month ago, His Excellency Governor Carpentier, who has always been very interested in the sudden and mysterious new force of "Australians" and the company's largest customer in East Asia, would have read this report repeatedly. , consider carefully.
But at this moment, the expression on his face was so careless, or in other words, his interest was waning.
Because those "Australians" have led a huge fleet and knocked on the company's door, now anchored outside the city of Batavia.
What's even more terrible is that the "Australians" are not the only ones who came to Batavia this time - the other two groups of uninvited guests are more powerful and have more ulterior motives, and they have also crossed the vast ocean halfway around the world. Came here from distant America.
And the most terrible thing is that with the armed force of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, it is absolutely impossible to defeat any of them - this is really a Governor-General Carpentier It is a sad fact that you cannot help but want to cry.
Before this month, Governor Carpentier was quite proud of his armed forces - since its formal establishment in 1602, the Dutch East India Company had been born for nearly thirty years. During this period of epic adventure, the company has grown from a pitiful situation of only six ships in the beginning to now almost monopolizing the spice business in East Asia, with twenty ships traveling between the Netherlands and the Netherlands every year. Batavia between the sheer size. At its headquarters in Batavia alone, the Dutch East India Company has more than 20 European-style ships stationed all year round, as well as an even larger number of Chinese junk ships. Compared with the difficulties and hardships in the early days of its establishment, it is simply The same cannot be said. On the seas of East Asia, no matter the Portuguese and Spanish who arrived first, or the French, British and Danes who arrived at the same time, they were no match for the Dutch.
Through a series of conquests and diplomatic mediation, the territory under the name of the Dutch East India Company also expanded many times in these forty years, from Batavia to Nagasaki, Japan, from Ceylon to the Malabar Coast, from Bo From solid to Formosa (Taiwan), from Bandar Abbas to Mucha, from Tulare to Cape Town, the company has established dozens of business stations across three continents, and has established relationships with many countries. Deep personal relationships.
After decades of development, the Dutch East India Company has gradually got on the right track and got rid of the lingering financial nightmare in the first two decades of its establishment. In that pioneering era, the newly arrived Dutch had to do business while attacking the Portuguese strongholds and ships in the Far East. In addition, they had to build trading stations and station soldiers on various spice-producing islands, and frequently communicated with local indigenous people. Start a fight. To this end, the amount of money spent every year is an astronomical amount, so that the dividends promised to shareholders have not yet been realized.
For this reason, those investors in the Netherlands who invested huge sums of money in the East India Company were quite dissatisfied, especially those shareholders in Zeeland, Delft, and Rotterdam. They generally believed that the reason why the East India Company had not Dividends must be attributed to the Amsterdam businessmen who control the actual management of the company. They have privately embezzled and misappropriated the huge profits that should have been cashed out to everyone, and wantonly violated the interests of small shareholders. However, those energetic Amsterdam businessmen finally suppressed this wave of aggressive doubts, and also obtained official financial assistance from the Netherlands, and then issued huge corporate bonds for many years in a row, doing their best to support East Asia. Indian companies’ strategic presence in the Far East.
Next, the company defeated the Javanese natives in 1619 and occupied the important port of Batavia, which served as the core of the company's rule in the east. Then in 1623, he defeated the British East India Company and dominated most of the spice trade in East Asia. From then on, the hard sacrifices and huge efforts of the Dutch East India Company finally received rich rewards - the company's total profits continued to rise, and it began to generously distribute large amounts of dividends to shareholders every year, and the Dutch domestic support for various aspects of the East India Company Such overwhelming accusations disappeared without a trace overnight.
When Carpentier took over the power of this organization from the legendary founder of the Dutch East India Company, Lord Jane Pieterszoon Kuhn (the historical prototype of the Kuhn Chamber of Commerce in "The Age of Discovery"), At that time, everything was on the right track of vigorous development.
In the past few years when Carpentier was in charge of the company, especially after acquiring a large number of Chinese specialty products through the "Australian" relationship, the company's trading profits have further increased. As the headquarters of Badawi Asia Harbor has also been built and developed to become more prosperous, with resident Europeans and The number of their family members exceeds 5,000. If you include the European-Indian mixed-bloods and their descendants, the number may be 10,000 or 20,000. The nearby island of Entras also has the largest shipyard of Western colonists in Asia - so prosperous and A strong colony has always been an achievement that Governor Carpentier was quite proud of.
Then, a series of uninvited guests came one after another this month, but they shattered Governor Carpentier's pride...
Thinking of this, His Excellency the Governor couldn't help but smile wryly and looked up out of the window. The lush coconut groves on Java Island were gently swaying in the breeze, and the weather was as humid and hot as usual. Even the tropical sunshine could not beat the rainy season. Moisture in the air. But the Batavia Bay, which is always wide and empty, is now filled with densely packed masts standing like a forest--hanging the blue and white cross morning star flag, the blue and white five-star flag, and the red double-sword goshawk flag. a huge fleet, and following them Merchant ships from various countries gathered in Batavia from all over the world, forming a giant group of more than 300 ships, buying up almost all the supplies that could be collected in this port city:
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With such a large group of consumers, which exceeds the total population of the city, pouring into Batavia, the market in Batavia has become unprecedentedly prosperous in recent days, and the prices of fruits, vegetables and rice have skyrocketed. Three times, the value of prostitutes has increased to five times, and demand still exceeds supply. The entire city's livestock, chickens and ducks have been sold out, and only coconut water is left for sale in the taverns - even the poorest local wine has been sold out.
At the same time, these fleets from all corners of the world also transported countless novel goods from Europe, Africa, America and China to Batavia, not only attracting groups of indigenous Southeast Asian traders, Different fleets are also frequently trading with each other, forming an unprecedentedly large temporary market. Although it is not as good as the thousands of sailboats gathered at the Amsterdam port in the Netherlands and the crowded stock exchange, for the citizens of Batavia who are on the edge of the civilized world, this is an unprecedented spectacle.
But this prosperous scene and the rolling wealth that came with it did not make Governor Carpentier feel the slightest joy, because these distant visitors who brought massive wealth to Batavia could also easily transfer them to Batavia. His port of Batavia was taken away or destroyed in an instant!
For a powerful person with a strong desire for power, this feeling of completely losing control of the situation and having to resign himself to fate is really terrible!
Of course, before entering Batavia Port, whether it is a fleet flying a blue-and-white cross morning star flag, a blue-and-white five-star flag, a red double-sword goshawk flag, or any other flag, it all bows to the current owner of this place— —The Dutch East India Company courteously expressed goodwill and even gave gifts. But the experienced Governor Carpentier was not very reassured about this: in the Age of Discovery, only cannonballs were the real axiom.
In the past colonial years, the Dutch expressed goodwill to the indigenous chiefs countless times and gave them gifts. Then, after finding out the details of the other party, they suddenly turned against them and warmly entertained their "good friends" with lead bullets and sabers. ...Even among the "civilized" colonists from various European countries, this kind of falling out has never happened rarely. If anyone suffers a loss, most of them can only admit that they are unlucky.
However, in the face of the absolute superiority of force, all doubts and vigilance are meaningless - since Batavia simply cannot withstand the wrath of more than 300 armed ships and tens of thousands of artillery, so regardless of Carpentier No matter how anxious the governor was, he could only pray to God that the other party had no ill intentions, and at the same time prepare a banquet with a smiling face, welcoming all the guests from afar in the most attentive way...
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——If you dare to shut out the other party when the comparison of strength is so disparate, then it is really a suicide attempt.
"...The East Coast Republic, the Chinese American Republic, and the Australians...how did these guys from different corners of the world suddenly get together? And they chose Batavia as their gathering place!" Capone Governor Teal muttered in confusion.
Although he is located in Southeast Asia on the other side of the world, Governor Carpentier is not ignorant and knows nothing about the New World. In fact, he has always paid attention to collecting countries or forces that may threaten the Dutch East India Company. information. As for the East Coast Republic and the Chinese American Republic in the New World, two countries that had dealt with and competed with the Dutch many times, he naturally spent a lot of time collecting relevant intelligence.
It's a pity that America is too far away from Batavia after all, and all the rumors about these two pagan countries that are shining like comets are too mysterious. There are only some fragments of information circulating in the outside world that cannot withstand careful scrutiny. A lot of news It is even self-contradictory, leaving the always rigorous Governor Carpentier at a loss. He only vaguely knew that these two emerging countries that suddenly appeared in the Americas claimed to be descendants of the Eastern Chinese, and both possessed many wonderful technologies that were coveted by Europeans... Just like the two emerging countries that suddenly appeared in Hainan Island more than three years ago. "Australian".
In fact, when the "Chinese", "East Coasters" and "Australians" appeared in Batavia at the same time and stood in front of the Dutch colonists, it was not just the experienced Governor Carpentier, but Employees of the East India Company with a little ability to think and associate noticed the very subtle similarities between these three groups of people: they all dressed in Ming Dynasty style. Simple clothing that is different and very different from the current European style; they all have short hair that is very different from the Ming Dynasty people, Japanese and Southeast Asian indigenous people; they all speak Chinese (Mandarin) with almost the same accent; they all have a black smoke , windless and automatic mysterious ships... It can be seen that they are likely to come from the same place, or once belonged to the same country!
This discovery immediately made Governor Carpentier even more worried - with the armed forces and fortifications currently deployed by the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, it would be impossible to resist any attack from any of the three fleets. It's very difficult to go up. If they join forces to plot this port, it seems that Governor Carpentier should start drafting his speech at the surrender ceremony now... What a pity! ! !
While Governor Carpentier was looking at the foreign fleet in the harbor with a melancholy look, Admiral Anthony Van Diemen in a formal dress walked into his office - this man who once had a miserable life in Europe A Dutch businessman, he has become a very important figure in the city of Batavia since the 1920s. He is currently the supreme commander of all the Dutch armies in Batavia, a complete hardliner and expansionist. In the original history, he would succeed Governor Carpentier five years later and become the next Dutch governor of the Batavia colony.
"...Oh, look what time it is now! Remember when the sun just rose this morning, I had already sent someone to ask you to come over as soon as possible to discuss something, but now it is already afternoon! My dear Mr. Admiral!”
Looking at the belated arrival of the admiral, Governor Carpentier said with some displeasure, "...Has my previous order asking all the garrison to strengthen their alert been implemented? Also, where did you go this morning? Are you there? The two footmen I sent can’t find you anywhere!”
"...The order to increase alert has certainly been received, but I don't think it means anything. Your Excellency."
Admiral Anthony Van Diemen said disapprovingly, "...Your Majesty the Governor, you should know better than me. Facing three hundred armed ships, including at least fifty professional warships, Batavia's This little guard strength can't last long. Instead of cowering in the vulnerable fortress and shivering, it's better to take the initiative to find out their intentions and make corresponding countermeasures - this is what I am busy doing! ”
"...Okay, I admit that armed confrontation is indeed not a wise move. Have you found out any information?" the governor asked, rubbing his forehead.
"...We have only collected some sporadic information for the time being. I don't know if it is useful. However, there is one piece of news that seems to be worthy of attention - the largest ship among them is the giant ship that arrived with the Republic fleet on the east coast. The ship is said to come from the homeland of the 'Australians'."
Admiral Anthony Van Diemen stretched out his hand to open the window, pointed at the 10,000-ton all-metal modern sailing ship "Cosco Star" that stood out like a flock of chickens in the harbor, and continued to Governor Carpentier, "...look at this ship Boat, you will know why Australians can achieve such success in China.”
"...Yes. It's as big as a mountain. Even if all the company's warships in Batavia are added together, I'm afraid they can't compare with it." His Excellency Governor Carpentier sighed, with a very complicated expression. Said - In this era when a thousand-ton sailing ship can be called a "battleship", the huge shock brought to the Western colonists by an unprecedented 10,000-ton ship is really indescribable.
"...Then, according to the inquiries of several Chinese servants I sent, there is indeed a very close connection in language, culture, belief, etc. between the Chinese and Americans, the East Coasters and the Australians entrenched in Lingao. According to them The description and my personal understanding seem to be similar to the various states under the Holy Roman Empire, or the various city-states in Northern Italy. Apart from political independence, other aspects are very similar..."
The admiral continued, "...As for the owner of this huge ship, he is equivalent to the direct vassal of the emperor or the church..."
"...I generally understand, it's pretty much what I expected." Governor Carpentier nodded and said, "...What else?"
"...According to the information obtained from a German immigration officer from the American fleet in China, they were actually surprised by this multi-party gathering in Batavia and had no preparation at all. So in the past few days Here, the top leaders of these expedition fleets have been holding secret meetings in the residences of local Chinese businessmen, and they have no intention of breaking up until today.”
The admiral replied, "...As for the more detailed content of the meeting...Unfortunately, I did successfully bribe a few servants in that mansion. However, these Chinese immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong, although They also speak the same Chinese, but the accents are so different that it is difficult to understand their conversation. I can only see that their conference table is full of documents and maps, and there are people writing and drawing on the map... …”
"...Oh, this is really shocking news." Governor Carpentier sighed and made the sign of the cross on his chest, "...I hope these infidels are not discussing how to divide the Spice Islands and the South China Sea. territory - if their fleets can unite, then no country or force from Malacca to Japan can stop them from dominating the eastern seas! ”
"...If they really have an intention to attack the company's Spice Islands, what should we do? Lord Governor?" the admiral asked tentatively.
"...Then all we can do is pray!" Governor Carpentier replied after a long silence.
"...Pray?" Admiral Anthony Van Diemen blinked in surprise.
"...Yes, pray to God devoutly, and ask Almighty God to protect us, so that these pagans who come to Batavia will not have evil intentions and pour artillery fire on our heads...otherwise, what else can we do? So?" Governor Carpentier waved his hand dejectedly, then raised the cross on the table and closed his eyes tiredly, "...Now, we can only leave everything to God..."
——In fact, if the Chinese spies sent by the Dutch could be more diligent, they might not have to scare themselves to the point of almost having a nervous breakdown. ——The various Chinese travelers who happened to gather in Batavia now , for the time being, they have not gathered together to divide the world according to longitude and latitude with a globe, as Governor Carpentier feared, but are debating some more embarrassing topics...
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South of Batavia City, Qiongzhou Lingao "Australian" Resident Store
It has been several months since he left Lingao and came to Batavia to serve as a trade representative, but "Elder" Xue Ruowang has never found any opportunity to make a difference - he caught up with him as soon as he got off the ship in Batavia The arrival of the rainy season has come, and the rainy season climate on tropical islands is really not suitable for people. During the long, moldy rainy season, transportation was almost interrupted, and all kinds of trade and inspections could not be carried out.
The city of Batavia itself is also a boring little place. The location of the fortress and defenses that need to be explored can be found out in just a few days. The urban area is still in its infancy stage, and there is no entertainment at all. Although local residents, whether they are Chinese or Europeans, can get a good level of remuneration, it is difficult to find places to consume these precious metal currencies locally, and even the supply of alcoholic beverages It is very difficult and needs to be imported from other places or even Europe. Often, you cannot buy anything with gold coins. In the surrounding countryside of Batavia, in addition to dense rainforests and swamps, there are also countless strange beasts and poisonous insects, and there is no safe place. Leaving the city casually to visit tropical scenery in this day and age is simply risking your life.
So, apart from eating, sleeping and having sex with his maid, Xue Ruowang spent almost the whole day thinking about whether it was worth coming to Batavia alone. Then, under the unbearably hot and humid rainy weather, he soon lost the energy to even roll on the bed.
After finally waiting for the end of the rainy season, Xue Ruowang found that his workload suddenly increased and he suddenly had no time to have sex with the maid - because of a group of "real" Australians and two groups of "Americans" from across the ocean. "People" suddenly arrived in Batavia in a swarm, and the high-ranking Senate also sent a fleet south. For a time, a large number of sails gathered, crowding the newly established Batavia.
In order to coordinate the relationship between all parties, collect fresh water and fresh fruits and vegetables for the fleet, set aside land to set up temporary trading markets, and arrange for sick sailors to go ashore for recuperation, etc., Xue Ruowang was suddenly too busy to touch the ground, not to mention that he had to I have to fight with a bunch of old foxes, big foxes and little foxes in the Dutch Governor's Palace. Feng guessed the riddle, neither could he show weakness for no reason and damage the "national character", nor could he let the other party misunderstand, which would lead to armed conflict and cause unnecessary losses. The deterrent power of 300 armed ships and tens of thousands of artillery was very important to Badawi. For a small city like Asia, it is enough to scare people crazy.
Fortunately, these days of torment and worry are coming to an end soon... Looking at the urgent secret letter he just received, Xue Ruowang sighed and took off his loose and breathable linen robe, put on a heavy and stuffy dress, and put it on again. A local paper pulp slipper - this shoe Made of layers of paper pulp, they are breathable and comfortable in the hot and humid climate of Nanyang. However, they are easily damaged if they are muddy on rainy days or walk to swamps and lakes. Therefore, only when the weather is sunny, will anyone dare to wear such shoes to walk around—— Then everything was ready and the servants were told to get ready to go out.
It was getting late at this time, the high temperature in the afternoon gradually dissipated, and the temperature had become not too outrageous, at least within the tolerable range of normal activities. Two Chinese servants carried Mr. Xue Ruowang through the market carrying a bamboo sliding pole. On both sides of the sliding pole, there are traditional Chinese-style architectural streetscapes - in this era, Chinese immigrants were the largest local construction contractors in Batavia, and even the Dutch fortress and other military facilities in Batavia were all built. It was built by the Chinese. Until the first Dutch-style building was completed in Batavia in 1636, the buildings and houses in the entire city of Batavia were still in the southern Chinese style, even the Dutch business houses and The mansions are also all Chinese-style houses.
In short, except for the bastion guarding the port, the entire city of Batavia, at a glance, is almost the same as a small county town in the south of the Ming Dynasty - at least in Xue Ruowang's eyes, the city does look very similar. It is an old city in Lingao County, and most of its citizens are overseas Chinese.
It can also be seen from this that the relationship between the Dutch colonists and the Chinese is relatively harmonious for the time being. At least the current Batavia colonial authorities rely heavily on the Chinese - compared to the local Javanese and other natives, the Chinese are both skilled craftsmen and Not offensive, he is the most suitable person to build Batavia. For this reason, before leaving office, the former Governor of Batavia specifically told his successor to find more Chinese from the coast of China to come to Batavia for construction, no matter what method. Regardless of whether they recruited or plundered the Chinese workers who came to Batavia, the treatment given by the Dutch was quite good. In addition, the Dutch also selected many docile women among the captured indigenous slaves and betrothed them to singles. Chinese men, as a kind of welfare to win over people... In a sense, Batavia locals At least for now, the Chinese and the Dutch still have a loose political alliance: if Batavia at this time is compared to the South in the colonial era, the Dutch East India Company is compared to the British colonists, and the Chinese are compared to South Africa. White people and Javanese natives are compared to South African black people, so everyone can understand the mystery.
The place where Xue Ruowang was riding the slide was the residence of Mr. Su Minggang, the leader of the local overseas Chinese. Mr. Su Minggang was from Fujian. His hometown was in Tong'an, not far from Xiamen Island. When he was in his twenties, he went to Nanyang with his family to seek life. More than ten years ago, he was recruited by the Dutch and led his fellow villagers to move to Batavia City. Because of his high moral standing among the local Chinese, he seemed to be He was the spokesman for the interests of overseas Chinese in Batavia. He was also fluent in Malay and Portuguese and could communicate with the colonists. Therefore, he was highly regarded by the Dutch rulers of Batavia and was named Kapitan (transliteration of captain). He is currently the executive officer of the Chinese in Batavia City officially appointed by the East India Company. He is fully responsible for the arrangements for various affairs of the Chinese in Batavia City.
When Xue Ruowang first arrived in Batavia City, he visited and got acquainted with the prestigious Mr. Su. And Su Minggang also attaches great importance to friendship with Australians - although the Chinese are peace-loving in the traditional sense and do not fight with outsiders, they still have a strong tradition of forming gangs. For overseas Chinese in Nanyang, compared with Europeans, Colonists and "Australians" with the same faces obviously have a natural affinity with each other. In addition, I heard that this Australian was a descendant of the Song Dynasty who lived overseas. The local Chinese, who were also descendants of Chinese people living overseas, naturally felt that they were in the same boat.
Over the past year, as the mystery of the "Australians" has been slowly revealed, the two sides have also become more trusting of each other due to some incidents. Especially after the spring of this year, one of Su Minggang's sons was accused of helping the Dutch go logging in the mountains. Teak accidentally contracted malaria and almost died. It was Xue Ruowang who took out the quinine he brought, and he was able to regain his youth. For this, Su Minggang was very grateful to Lao Xue and treated him like a guest.
This time, the Chinese, American, East Coast, and Australian fleets came together to visit. Looking at the shadows of sails covering the sky and thousands of elite soldiers, the Chinese in Batavia City were deeply shocked, and they couldn't help but feel quite proud. What an honor - everyone will be happy to see that their compatriots have such tyrannical force. Therefore, the local overseas Chinese were eating pots of wine and welcoming the king. Not only that, as the leader of the overseas Chinese, Su Minggang gave up his mansion in Batavia City for the guests from far away to stay and gather. Then he moved to a village in the suburbs.
Then, the Su family mansion in Batavia City was decorated with a blue and white cross morning star flag, a blue and white five-star flag, a red two-sword goshawk flag, and a five-star red flag that no one knew what it represented. Civil and military officials from the visiting fleet held meetings and debates here all day long and stayed up all night. At the same time, the mansion itself became heavily guarded. There were almost one post every three steps and one sentry every five steps, and there were soldiers with loaded guns and ammunition standing everywhere. Even the old owner, the Su family, were not allowed to come and go at will, but Su Minggang thought this was normal: since they were discussing military and national affairs, they must be kept strictly confidential.
But if Su Minggang really knew what these foreign compatriots were talking about, he would probably roll his eyes and collapse on the spot...
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In the spacious lobby with its carved beams and painted beams, white walls and blue tiles, the smells of various cigarettes, pipes, strong tea, black coffee and food mix together to form a strange smell that can often be smelled in later Internet cafes. All kinds of manuscripts, maps, books and hand-made graffiti were scattered everywhere. Some of the unkempt travelers were curled up in the corner and dozing off, some were arguing with each other with bloodshot eyes, and some were looking through them. Books, or scribbling and drawing on maps... At first glance, it looks like a creative studio for fantasy novels or games.
In fact, these time-travelers, who generally hold high positions in their respective countries, are indeed doing a job similar to writing novels - all parties work together and coordinate to compile a virtual history about the identity and origins of time-travelers from various places. : This itself is not too difficult. The difficulty lies in how to make all parties satisfied, or at least acquiesce and accept it...
Since no one wanted to bear the stigma in virtual history, representatives from all parties argued fiercely on the "common history shaping project", but in the end a compromise was gradually reached - as soon as Xue Ruowang walked into the room, Elder Ping Qiusheng, who had stayed up late these days until his eyes were red, proudly took out the results of their recent work, a "Test of the Origin of Kun People in Australia and Song Dynasty" that had just been written:
"... My husband, Australia, has no history and no history. It may be said that it is located in the southwest sea, 20,000 miles away from China. The land is vast and the mountains and rivers are beautiful. It is condensed by the essence of the south, and the water and soil are unique. People who are descendants of the Song Dynasty are just like those in the sea, who are native to the Miao people and are the survivors of the Song Dynasty's Yashan.
It is said that Zhang Shijie and Lu Xiufu died in Yashan in the service of Sheji, but this is not entirely true. Chen Yizhong respected the two emperors in the southern wilderness, and there were fifty thousand righteous followers from Fujian and Guangdong. First he went to Java, where he settled and settled. When the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty heard about it, he sent his troops south to capture the escaped people. Although he was not caught, he still had some power. The people of Song Dynasty were frightened and had no choice but to cross south again. Then we went 15,000 miles to the southwest and reached the big island of Australia. He moved south and fled far away, and the news could not reach China. As time went by, the people's hearts and minds lost their knowledge of the king's ways. The Mongolian Yuan Dynasty was violent, and the country of my parents did not survive; the hair was cut off as a record, and it was followed from generation to generation to serve as a warning. Therefore, the Cantonese people in Panyu call it "Kun".
Chen Yizhong moved south in the service of the second emperor, pioneered the wilderness, and served as the right prime minister for generations. Emperor Song and Chen Yili swore that government affairs should be left to the Chen family and sacrifices to the Zhao family. The motherland is gone, and the Zhao family is no longer pro-government. Prime Minister Wen died in Yanjing, and the people of Song Dynasty mourned him. The Emperor of the Song Dynasty changed his surname to Wen after one of his sons, and succeeded Wen as Prime Minister Miao Yi.
Australia is located in a wilderness, with neither fertile soil nor abundant water. The wilderness is vast and barren, and the lush forests are teeming with strange beasts. The people of the Song Dynasty in Australia had a difficult life, so they cultivated intensively in agriculture, studied theory and observation in work, and were honest and observant in business. Over the years, it seems that we have gained a glimpse of the mysteries of the world, and agriculture, industry, and commerce have all come to understand. As time goes by, the country's strength has gradually grown.
Three hundred years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, to this day, the Chen family is still the leader of the Song Dynasty in Australia, with the appearance of a king and a horse sharing the world. Chen Jinnan, the ninth generation grandson of Chen Yizhong, was the right prime minister of the dynasty. He was arbitrary and authoritative. He could handle documents that were higher than eight feet in one day. He was known as the Prime Minister of Eight Feet, or simply Eight Feet.
The Emperor of the Song Dynasty was afraid that the country would change its owner, so he secretly supported the Wen family to decentralize power, and gradually seized the positions of Banzhi, Navy, Ministry of Industry, and Duzhi in front of the palace.
Unexpectedly, Chen Bachi launched an attack, using the force of a tiger to pounce on a rabbit, he brought his troops into the palace, regained the palace confinement, and gained the upper hand. Although he did not kill the ministers, he issued corrective edicts and killed more than 5,000 officials and white bodies in one night, which is known as the "Night of the Long Sword" in history.
Wen Desi, a descendant of the Wen family, was the pacifier of Haibei Road at that time. He made a prompt decision and ordered Ma Qianzhu and Xiao Zishan to lead the general manager, deputy general manager, Du Qianjia, deputy Qianjia, Dujian, deputy Dujian, and patrol inspection. ,control Five hundred people, including commanders, deputy commanders, commanders, co-commanders, deputy commanders, generals, deputy generals, and reserve generals, took the navy's stern iron ship to go north to the Nanyang Islands to explore news about the motherland and recruit loyal and brave talents. Later, I obtained the sea map from an overseas Chinese and found out that Ming Dynasty was in the Yuan Dynasty, so I made an oath to drive away Bachi and establish the Song Dynasty. Then he returned to Qiongzhou, anchored his ships at high altitudes, and built villages and towns to wait for the weather..."
Xue Ruowang frowned and turned over the manuscript again, and found that the completed text ended here. There were only a rough outline and some fragments left behind, which mainly described the cruel domestic harsh government before and after Chen Balchi launched an attack and killed Zhongliang. , the people were in dire straits, so there were quite a lot of literary works in Australia and Song Dynasty. The generals and servants of their clansmen were not afraid of the dangers of rough waves, and went into exile one after another to rebuild their homes in foreign lands, including the "China America" established in New York and the "East Coast Country" in Uruguay... and the famous Huangshi in Liaodong Marshal Huang was also one of the first to leave.
Then, the mainland of Australia and Song Dynasty suddenly encountered a huge earthquake and tsunami not long ago. The entire country sank to the bottom of the sea in a short period of time. Only a handful of people escaped on a large ship - the "Cosco Star". And on the border desert of the motherland, a settlement and refuge were re-established - Zhongnan City established in northwest Australia... Well, when seeing this paragraph, Xue Ruowang no longer knew what to say.
"...This...hey, how should I put it? It looks like a mixture of the ancient Greeks' maritime colonization and the legend of the sinking of the Kingdom of Atlantis. After you have been arguing for so many days, you have come up with something like this. A strange thing? ”
After hastily flipping through the unfinished "alternative history", Xue Ruowang shook his head with a look of embarrassment and put the manuscript back on the table.
"...But this is the only historical line acceptable to all parties - in order to explain our similarities, a common mother country must be fabricated. And this mother country must no longer exist, otherwise in the European navigator It will definitely be exposed under the reconnaissance..."
Ping Qiusheng shrugged helplessly, "...then, even though it is a fictional history, everyone still wants to save face. No matter who they are, they just want to put gold on their own faces and refuse to smear themselves. In the end, they have to make up stories. A dead man comes out to take the blame..."
"... Regarding the topic of jointly creating fictional alternate histories, let's stop here!" Xue Ruowang quickly gestured to stop, "... I came here this time in the hope that you can pay attention to the three gangs who came over from North and South America and Australia. people, conveying some messages from Lingao headquarters: First of all, they asked us to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, such as giraffes and alpacas. The credentials of the Chinese American Republic and the East Coast Republic have been transferred to the hands of the Guangdong government by our Senate. It is expected that the relevant reports will arrive at the court in Beijing before the end of the year; secondly, regarding helping them recruit refugees There are also issues of open markets and military cooperation. The Senate hopes to conduct the next step of interviews in Lingao..."
"...In other words, the Senate wants to bring more than two hundred ships to Lingao?" Ping Qiusheng was surprised, "...Why?"
"...Because the situation in Batavia really can't continue like this! Seeing so many armed ships and thousands of troops pouring in at once, the Dutch in Batavia have already The nerves are stretched to the limit. If the gun accidentally goes off, we will be in big trouble - we are still inseparable from the global trade network of the Dutch East India Company! ”
Xue Ruowang sighed helplessly and explained to Ping Qiusheng, the supreme leader of the Lingao "Australian" fleet, "...and, without any preparation, so many mouths were added at once. It has clearly exceeded the city's supply capacity. Looking at the prices in the market in Batavia today, you know that the city's accumulated supplies are about to be exhausted - the logistics of this era is not as good as that of later generations. Developed!
What's even more terrible is that this explosive news that more than 300 large ships gathered in Batavia has caused a sensation throughout Southeast Asia. Currently, spies from various countries and forces are haunting Batavia. If they were just collecting intelligence, it would be fine, but I'm afraid they would also have the task of fanning the flames - on the seas of East Asia, I don't know how many people are eager for us to fight with the Dutch here, causing both sides to lose! Therefore, according to the opinion of the Executive Committee of the Lingao Senate, it is better to move the venue of the Global Traveler Summit to Lingao before causing any serious trouble! At least that’s our home field, which not only provides better security and logistics, but also helps keep the meeting content confidential..."
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In fact, as Xue Ruowang said, there are already undercurrents surging in Batavia at this moment, and people from all walks of life are active.
For example, the heroic "Captain Li Huamei" was standing on the deck of the "Cosco Star" at this time, surrounded by a group of otaku admirers with bright eyes, enjoying the view of this 10,000-ton giant ship. At every corner, if she encounters something she doesn’t understand, a time traveler will take the initiative to explain it to her—— Because they have been staying in the isolated desert of northwest Australia, spending all day with kangaroos and koalas, and lack the understanding of the dangers of human nature, these "real Australians" are obviously more vigilant than those "real Australians" in Qiongzhou Lingao. The "pseudo-Australians" who have endless fun fighting with others are much worse...
At the same time, the Portuguese from Malacca, British adventurers from Banten, and the Mataram Sultanate that ruled the eastern half of Java (at this time, the Netherlands only ruled Batavia on Java, and the island Other parts of Java are still occupied by various indigenous nations, of which the Mataram Sultanate is the most powerful. Of course, the entire area of Java Island, Just like Anhui Province, one can naturally imagine the strength of the so-called "powerful countries" on the island, which can basically be compared to several famous princes in Japan during the Warring States Period). They also sent overt or covert intelligence personnel, and through various They sneaked into Batavia, spied on the huge fleet that appeared here, and then recorded what they saw and heard and sent it to their respective masters. Among them, there was a piece of information that was passed through the hands of the Spaniards and Filipino natives, and finally sent to the city of Manila on Luzon Island...