Chapter 351 After the War
As the midpoint of the voyage between the Strait of Malacca and Macau, China, the importance of the coastal ports in Indochina to the Portuguese is self-evident. In order to establish a new colonial stronghold on the Indochina Peninsula, they have put in a lot of effort.
The Portuguese also put a lot of thought into choosing who to partner with in Indochina. The main forces on the east coast of the Indochina Peninsula are the Thang Long government controlled by the Zheng family in the north, the Hue government controlled by the Nguyen family in the central and southern parts, and the Champa Kingdom in the south. In recent decades, the Champa Kingdom has been suppressed by Annan and most of its territory has been lost. Although the Champa people are still taking the initiative to participate in the war between Siam and the Malays, their strength is too weak. , the Portuguese were not interested in spending precious resources to support such a declining dynasty.
Among the two sides of Annam, the Zheng family in the north, which occupies the Red River Delta, a treasure land for grain production, is undoubtedly stronger than the Ruan family in the south, but the only problem is that there is no suitable natural harbor in their territory, and there is no It is not on a traditional shipping route. On the contrary, there are several port cities in the area controlled by the Nguyen family in the south. There is also a traditional trading port like Hoi An, which is right at the midpoint of the shipping route. Comparing the two sides, the Portuguese naturally chose the South Vietnamese court as a partner.
If the Portuguese wanted to gain more benefits in South Vietnam, they first had to ensure that the South Vietnamese regime would not be destroyed. Therefore, they sold a large amount of arms to South Vietnam and helped train new troops using firearms - just like the Crossing Group in North Vietnam. Does exactly the same thing. The Portuguese were once very optimistic that with their military assistance, South Vietnam would be able to wipe out the Zheng family in the north in at most three to five years.
But this view turned into a joke after the appearance of the Haihan people. Half a year ago, this mysterious force appeared on the Annan battlefield like a magic weapon descending from the sky. It used fierce artillery fire to defeat the South Vietnamese troops who had already gained the victory. To fight back, in more than ten days of fighting, the South Vietnamese lost more than 20,000 people. The new-style army that South Vietnam was proud of was also beaten into a state of disarray. If it had not retreated in time under the advice of the Portuguese officers, it might have been completely defeated by the Haihan people on the battlefield on the north bank of the Yangtze River.
Although South Vietnam lost miserably in this battle, the Portuguese knew very well that North Vietnam was at the end of its strength and did not have the strength to conquer South Vietnam in one go. The key to the matter still lies in the Haihan people who suddenly jumped out to participate in the Annan Civil War. If they must stir up trouble After all, it would be difficult for South Vietnam to resist that kind of combined land and water attack. Fortunately, the Haihan people seemed to have no intention of fighting. After driving the South Vietnamese army back to the south of Zhengjiang, they did not go south to pursue it. This made the Nguyen family and the Portuguese heave a sigh of relief. Half a year has passed, and no new war has broken out between the north and the south. A large number of Haihan goods have begun to appear on the South Vietnamese market. It seems that everyone has gradually forgotten the threat of the Haihan people, and the Portuguese in South Vietnam have also slowly lost their The motivation to exact revenge on the Haihan people.
However, at this time, the Haihan people who had disappeared for half a year actually came out again, and this time they went directly to the hinterland of South Vietnam, the area where the Portuguese were most concentrated, Hoi An City. In just over half a day, the Hai Han people captured Hoi An City, whose defense was ineffective, and then spent several days evacuating the city, not forgetting to tear down the city wall when they left.
The Portuguese, led by Eduardo, can actually understand what the Haihan people mean by doing this - Hoi An is the most important commercial city in South Vietnam, and destroying it is equivalent to destroying the cornucopia of South Vietnam. It will be difficult for South Vietnam in Anseong to have enough financial resources to continue the confrontation between the North and the South.
Moreover, the purpose of the Haihan people was not limited to this. Eduardo also noticed that almost all local Annan merchants and Western businessmen were spared and suffered from the raids of their homes by the Haihan militia. However, most Chinese businessmen avoided this disaster, as long as they could prove themselves Almost all people with Ming dynasty were not harmed by this disaster. The Hai Han people seemed to be doing this to protect Ming people, but Eduardo understood that this was a cruel move - the Chinese businessmen were already the richest and most powerful force in Hoi An at this time, but how could anyone else look at it with disdain? To see them safe and sound? These Chinese businessmen have the same appearance and speak the same language as the foreign enemies who invaded the local area. After the war, it is almost certain that they will be regarded by the local people as associates of the Haihan people. If they want to live a more relaxed life in the future, I'm afraid they have to consider leaving here as soon as possible.
After the Portuguese came to Hoi An, the Chinese businessmen fought the most fiercely, both overtly and covertly. Compared with the Portuguese who traveled half the world to get here, Chinese businessmen settled in Hoi An much earlier and almost controlled more than 70% of Hoi An's foreign trade. While the Portuguese wanted to compete for a larger market share, they could not offend the Chinese businessmen who could transport rare goods from the Ming Dynasty. But even the Portuguese, who were bent on fighting for control of Hoi An, did not want to completely drive Chinese businessmen out of Hoi An, because the result of doing so would inevitably hurt the Portuguese's own interests. However, the Hai Han militia had no such scruples, and their status in Hoi An was instantly reduced by a desperate move. Although the Chinese businessmen did not lose their money, they lost the social foundation to take root here.
The chaos came faster than Eduardo expected. Less than an hour after the Haihan fleet left Hoi An Port, a commotion broke out in the ruins of Hoi An.
Some local businessmen and people who suffered losses in this looting gathered together to demand an explanation from the Chinese businessmen who were unscathed. The verbal denunciation quickly got out of control and turned into a big fight. But the Haihan people may have expected that such a situation would occur. Before leaving, they distributed many swords, guns and sticks collected in the city to local Chinese businessmen. However, the weapons in the city had long been confiscated by the Haihan militia and besieged the local area of the Chinese businessmen. The forces could not find weapons for a while, so they could only use them by pulling bricks and stones from the ruins. Both sides suffered casualties in the fight.
The battle soon expanded from one or two Chinese businessmen who were attacked to the whole city. As a result, many Chinese business halls in the city became Chinese refuges. Thousands of Chinese businessmen who settled in Hoi An had to deal with this situation. Hug together to keep warm and resist attacks from local people. By the evening of the same day, the number of people killed in fighting between different camps had risen to over a hundred. The withdrawal of the Hai Han militia, instead of bringing peace to Hoi An, triggered further serious violent conflicts.
The fighting in the city continued on the second day, with more casualties than on the first day. Many former business partners turned against each other during these two days, and there were even many cases of rifts between relatives. Businessmen from Western countries hid outside the city more sensibly. Most of them have realized that no matter who wins in the end, the Annamites and Chinese in this area have become incompetent, and there may be no way to fight again in the future. Peaceful coexistence. The prosperity of Hoi An City in the past will probably never be restored because of this new hatred.
In the early morning of the third day, several large Chinese business associations began to organize to break out of the city, braved the masonry attack and retreated to the river, and began to board boats to evacuate Hoi An City. As for where they can go now, there are probably only two ways, either to return to the Ming Dynasty, or to make a living in the territory of the Haihan people.
When the Hai Han militia occupied Hoi An, almost every Chinese businessman's home was visited by Hai Han officers. In addition to persuading the Chinese businessmen not to go against the Hai Han militia, they also left them with nautical charts so that they could use them when necessary. I left Hoi An at that time and settled in Victory Port on Qiongzhou Island. Of course, the best thing is to evacuate this place with the militia's fleet, and you can get free escort along the way.
But in the end, only a handful of discerning people realized the changes that were about to happen in Hoi An City, and chose to pack up their belongings and evacuate Hoi An together with the Hai Han militia. Those who stayed behind with illusions experienced two hellish days and two nights. Most of them lost their property and even relatives in this riot, and they could not remember this hatred in the sea. After all, it was not Haihan who had done evil in the past two days, but the red-eyed locals.
The Portuguese guild hall was not attacked by local mobs. This was certainly not because they had any superior majesty, but their property was also robbed by the Haihan people. Even the guild hall was demolished to pieces. Now There is no oil or water to speak of at all. Except for the more than two thousand kilograms of food that the Hai Han militia "mercifully" left behind when they evacuated, the Portuguese in Hoi An can be said to have nothing. Even their boats on the dock were all taken away by the Hai Han people in the name of expropriation. . According to Eduardo's estimate, the Portuguese's direct economic losses in this disaster alone exceeded at least two hundred thousand taels of silver. If the entire city of Hoi An was included, it would be difficult for Eduardo to calculate how much the Hai Han people made from this transaction. But one thing is certain - Hoi An, which has lost its huge wealth and Chinese businessmen, will soon become a dead city. Not to mention that the South Vietnamese court did not have spare money to rebuild Hoi An City. Even if it did, it would be difficult to restore Hoi An City to its former prosperity.
Eduardo also knew that the Macau Council was in contact with the Haihan people, but it was obvious that this contact did not change the Haihan people's attitude towards South Vietnam, and it might even be regarded as a sign of weakness by the Haihan people. Eduardo believed that after the sacking of Hoi An, the various measures previously taken by the Portuguese locally, including military aid to the South Vietnamese court, had become of little significance. However, he could also feel that the Haihan people did not have any malicious intention to kill them all. Except for the first few unlucky ghosts who sought death, the Haihan people did not torture or kill any Portuguese.
Of course, the most critical thing was the direct statement of Officer Haihan. Eduardo remembered that the Portuguese-speaking officer said to him before leaving that as long as the Portuguese stayed out of the matter and stopped interfering in Annan's domestic affairs, everything would be easy to discuss. But if they choose to continue to support the South Vietnamese court, Haihan cannot guarantee that they will not take certain necessary measures against the Portuguese in the future.
As for what kind of necessary means, Wang Tom did not say clearly, but Eduardo himself could guess a little bit. Since the Haihan people intend to completely cut off the financial resources of the South Vietnamese court, it is not enough to cut off the Chinese businessmen. They must find a way to make the Portuguese withdraw from this chess game. Tom Wang's words were both a warning and a reminder. Since the Haihan people have the ability to fight across the sea, the entire east coast of Annam can be regarded as their attack range. However, South Vietnam cannot provide a decent maritime defense force, unless the Portuguese send their own fleet to help them. Otherwise, South Vietnam will not be able to think of another maritime trade port city like Hoi An appearing in the future.
Would the Portuguese send their own fleet to fight against the Haihan people for the benefit of South Vietnam? The answer is of course no. Although Eduardo himself was robbed quite painfully in this disaster, he still believed that this was not enough to constitute a sufficient reason for Portugal and Haihan to enter a state of war. Although it was already known that the Haihan people had certain maritime combat capabilities, and they successfully carried out several raids deep into the upper reaches of Zhengjiang River and the coast of South Vietnam in January, when Eduardo confirmed with his own eyes that the Haihan people's warships and After the combat method, he believed that it was necessary to raise his understanding of Haihan's military strength to another level.
Although Eduardo has never seen Haihan's warship before, he is still someone who has set foot on half the world, and he can still see the combat potential of a fleet. The Haihan people's warships are not the clumsy style of the Ming Dynasty. Their appearance is simple and bright, similar to Western-style sailing gear, but there are significant differences in appearance. It is obvious at a glance that this kind of warship is not an ordinary civilian ship, or even a merchant ship. It was modified, but was actually a warship designed for maritime combat. In other words, the Haihan people are no joke. This is not a private armed force organized by a civil society at all, but a real army!
The Portuguese had only a small military advisory group in the Annam region to provide services to the South Vietnamese court. But this team is stationed in Hue Province in the north, and the distant water cannot save the nearby fire. Of course, even if they meet at the right time, Eduardo does not think they can fight against the Hai Han militia of nearly a thousand people on the frontal battlefield. As for the navy, there is no need to count on it. There is no Portuguese navy in the east of Manchuria. There are only seven or eight armed merchant ships that regularly escort cargo ships on the Far East route of Macau-Hoi An-Manchuria-Goa. , and the armed merchant ships did not seem to have any advantage against the Haihan warships.
Of course, the Portuguese who were able to colonize the world did not have warships in their hands, but they were just a little further away. Currently, the navy unit closest to Hoi An is stationed in Goa on the west coast of India. The voyage from there to Hoi An is more than 6,000 nautical miles, and it takes about two months for a warship to sail there. It is absolutely impossible for the Governor of Goa to do this. The loss of a group of merchants caused their precious battleships to travel so far to fight a naval battle with unclear objectives and no certainty.
Even if the victory or defeat does not matter for the time being, the military expenditure for sending a warship to travel such a long distance is still an extremely terrifying figure. The local Portuguese merchants in Hoi An were looted this time, and there was no way they could raise money to move reinforcements in a short time. To put it bluntly, even if we can raise the money to bribe the Governor of Goa to send troops, it will probably be half a year before the reinforcements come here, and by then the Haihan people will be delayed. No one dares to say for sure how big our navy will develop and whether our own navy can defeat them.
Eduardo was not just a freeloader, he quickly made a decision accordingly. First, an envoy was sent to Hue Prefecture to report to the Military Advisory Group and inform them of the disaster that had occurred in Hoi An City. Then Hue Prefecture sent ships to go north and south to report the news to the strongholds in Macau and Manlac. Canada sent a boat to Goa to complete the relay - all the larger boats that could go out to sea in Hoi An Port were taken away by Haihan and Chinese businessmen. Now it is not easy to find a boat to cross the Thu Bon River, and it is difficult to report the news. You can only go in a big circle.
The second step is to organize the local Portuguese to temporarily avoid the riots in Hoi An City. After most of the Chinese businessmen evacuated, the social order in Hoi An City has been completely lost. People began to kill each other for the limited food and ownerless wealth in the city. . Some stragglers who had previously escaped from Hoi An City and entered the northwest mountains returned to Hoi An City after the Hai Han People's Group left. However, these people failed to play a role in maintaining order. Instead, they quickly joined the riots and rushed to the front line.
When things have developed to this point, all discerning people know that Hoi An City is completely ruined. Even die-hards like Eduardo, who had firmly supported the South Vietnamese court and persuaded other businessmen to provide military aid to South Vietnam, now had to change their minds and consider how to find another way out. It is not just a question of whether to choose another location to build a trade port, but also to consider whether we should continue to support the South Vietnamese court and choose a path to continue to confront the Haihan people.
The Hai Han people have made their attitude very clear. The conflict of interests between South Vietnam and Hai Han is irreconcilable. If the Hai Han people destroyed the first trading port like Hoi An, the same thing will definitely happen again. Happened again. If the South Vietnamese court does not have the ability to protect itself, then the fate of building another trading port will probably be the same as this one. What's more, after the news of Hoi An spreads, there will probably be no more Chinese businessmen from the Ming Dynasty settling in South Vietnam.
It was not until five days after the Hai Han people evacuated Hoi An that reinforcements from Hue Province in the north finally appeared. It's just that they arrived too late, and the city they saw was completely in ruins. This former trading port has withstood a series of violent baptisms such as bombardment, city closure, city-wide raids, demolition of city walls, riots, arson, robbery, etc. In the past ten days, the South Vietnamese general who led the team even Couldn't believe what I was seeing.
(End of chapter)