"Tatars...... Didn't they defeat? "Fan. Dimon asked.

"It's just a minor setback," Bruce pondered, "and in the last few months there have been two battles of the tens of thousands between the Ming and the Tatars. One took place in Shandong Province and ended in a victory for the Tatars, after which the Ming lost several wealthy cities and switched to a full-fledged defensive position on the battlefield of Shandong.

Another battle was personally commanded by the crown prince of the Ming kingdom and took place in Fengyang Province, northwest of Nanjing, which was also the second capital of the Ming state. In this battle, the Ming army won a decisive victory, killing one of the Tatar princes and perhaps several thousand...... Considering the number of Tatars, this was a major victory.

However, after the victory, the crown prince did not take advantage of the victory to march, but stopped in the territory of Fengyang Mansion. ”

"Why is that?" Fan. Dimon asked.

"Because the regent of the Tatars led a large army south, to Henan Province north of Fengyang Province." "And north of the Huai River is a large plain, where strong cavalry is needed to fight, and the Ming army is at a distinct disadvantage in this regard." ”

"Where are their advantages?" Fan. Dimon asked again.

"Infantry and artillery," Bruce said, "took Western tactics and equipment for infantry artillery!" ”

"Oh." Fan. Dimen nodded, "Bruce, how many years do you think it will take for the Ming Kingdom to drive the Tatars out of their land?" ”

Bruce. Fan. "If we are willing to provide the Ming with enough muskets, artillery, and mercenaries, we should be able to start the Northern Expedition with the goal of recovering Beijing in three years, and we will be able to win it in two more years," replied. ”

"Are you sure?" Fan. Di asked his brother, "You still didn't have a horse just now." ”

Bruce laughed, "But it doesn't take many horses to attack Beijing...... Beijing is not very far from Haikou, and there are navigable rivers that run from the port of Tianjin to the vicinity of Beijing. The Ming army could land in Tianjin and build a fortress along the river. It will take two years, and the front will definitely be pushed near Beijing.

Of course, the premise is that they can defeat the Tatars in field encounters, and they also need to have powerful artillery to capture Tatar-controlled castles.

In addition, they needed to build enough forts along the Huai River and Shandong, and deploy enough European-style troops. to ensure that during the Northern Expedition, their own lair would not be breached by the Tatars. ”

This Bruce's military level is still there! It didn't take long to arrive in China, and the only route of the Northern Expedition was discovered that would ensure victory.

It is only 300 miles from the mouth of Dagu in Tianjin to Beijing, and there are still Weihe River and canals to transport troops and grain, and there are only 30 fortresses built every ten miles...... As long as these 30 fortresses guard the Weihe River and the canal, no matter how fierce the cavalry of the Qing soldiers is, there is nothing they can do. To stop the advance of the Ming army, there was only fortress to fortress.

This is the spelling of cannons, sappers, and mathematics - the angle of fire of the fortress and the angle of fire of the curved artillery are all mathematical problems. There is no need for military advisers for this matter, Zhu Cihong can figure it out by himself!

Therefore, taking the sea route north to Jinmen, and then advancing at the fortress and slowly forcing into Beijing is undoubtedly the best way to win the Northern Expedition.

"What if we are not willing to help Mingguo?" Fan. Dimon asked.

"I don't want to ......," Bruce was stunned, "Anthony, you don't want to make money for the shareholders of Amsterdam anymore?" ”

"Of course money is to be earned!" Fan. "But I'm more interested in long-term interests...... If the Ming defeated the Tatars and became the ruler of the East Asian continent, then the main energy turned to the sea. Can we Dutch continue to dominate the seas of the East?

Moreover, once the Ming defeated the Tatars, will we be able to continue to get arms orders? ”

"We're going to refuse to supply arms to Ming?" Bruce asked.

"How is that possible?" Fan. Dimon laughed, "Am I the kind of sinner who is so depraved that I can refuse money?" ”

"Of course not," said Bruce, "all of Amsterdam knows that you are a noble businessman who loves money more than life." ”

Fan. Dimen nodded: "That's right, of course I won't refuse the crown prince's money." He paused, "But while doing business with the Ming Kingdom, I am also willing to make friends with the Tatars!" ”

"Make friends with the Tatars?" Bruce was a little puzzled, "While we sell weapons that can kill the Tatars to the crown prince of the Ming Kingdom, we still have to make friends with the Tatars?" ”

"Yes!" Fan. Dimen said, "The Tatars will like us!" Because we can also provide them with weapons and military advisers...... And we only charge preferential ones that they can afford. ”

He looked at Bruce, "When our mission in Nanjing is over, you're going to North Korea once...... As an envoy of the East India Company to pay tribute to the Tatars. ”

"Tribute to what?" Bruce asked.

Fan. Dimen smiled: "Tribute can be used by cavalry light artillery!" I think this is what the Tatars need most! ”

Bruce thought for a moment and asked, "What about ...... On the Crown Prince's side, what do we say? ”

Fan. Dimen shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly, "What else can I say? Of course, he agreed in principle to the crown prince's request for Formosa...... As you can see, Shanghai has a very good port, the climate is relatively comfortable, there are no nasty poisonous insects and tropical diseases, and the products are also very abundant. Europeans will live and operate happily in this city, just like their homeland in Europe, without fear of being tormented by the harsh climate and losing their lives to the dreaded tropical diseases.

I can guarantee that within five years it will be the most prosperous trading port east of Malacca, not even Batavia, let alone Formosa. We, the East India Company, will make very good profits in Shanghai, and Formosa will become a bottomless pit of losing money because of the development of Shanghai.

Even if I was willing to continue to hold out there, the directors in Amsterdam would have made the decision to give up! ”

Bruce frowned, "But will our relationship with the Tatars affect the East India Company's operations in the Ming Kingdom?" ”

"Maybe......" Fan. Dimon smiled, "Then don't say you're Dutch!" ”

"Then I'm ......"

"Be an Englishman! We Dutch are for the Ming Dynasty, and only the despicable English will support the Tatars! "Fan. "You will go to Korea in the name of the envoy of the East India Company of the Republic of England, and bring with you twelve three-pounder guns and twenty military advisers...... I'll tune you in from Formosa! ”

......

"Governor Dimen, this palace is also very willing to make friends with the Republic of the United Province of the Netherlands! Since you are willing to transfer the four strongholds on the island of Taiwan to Zheng Zongbing, the palace is willing to rent a street located in the Shanghai commercial port to the East India Company at a low price...... The lease term is fifty years, and the rent is only 1,000 taels of silver per year. In the future, your income on this street will definitely be tenfold and hundredfold compared to the income on the island of Taiwan! ”

In the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, I saw Fan again. Zhu Cihong of Dimen didn't expect that the insidious Dutch colonists had laid a big trap on him. So after he learned that the Dutch were willing to transfer the four strongholds on the island of Taiwan and completely retreat from Taiwan, he began to attract investment - the land of one street (not the existing Eighth Street, but another street) was only exchanged for an annual rent of 1,000 taels of silver, which was indeed the price of a cabbage.

However, to attract such a big merchant as the Dutch East India Company, this concession is still necessary!

In addition to the Dutch East India Company and Portuguese merchants in Haoao, Zhu also planned to attract merchants from Spain, England, France, Sweden and other countries to operate in Shanghai. If possible, he would also like to invite the embassies of these countries to Shanghai as well - of course, the Ming Empire will also open embassies in Western countries.

And the arrival of the Richmond, the coachman of the sea, will be the beginning of it all!