In a difficult game of choice against their peers, the Dutch established their eastern commercial colonial empire on the island of Java in Southeast Asia. In 1619, Peterson, the third governor of the Dutch East India Company, led an armed fleet to defeat the Sultan of Banten and the local British, completely conquered Batavia, and used it as a base to establish the Eastern Empire of the Dutch East India Company.

In a letter to the board of directors of domestic companies, Peterson wrote: "...... In order to maintain a monopoly on the spice trade, we must have a firm grasp of all the items related to it. ”

Under this guiding ideology, which centered on supporting the monopoly of spice trade, the Dutch East India Company continued to upgrade and strengthen its maritime entrepot trade model, which was skillful in Europe, and force became the most frequently used method.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company, which had been active for many years centered in Batavia, had a merchant fleet of more than 70 ships and more than 10 large sail warships that were among the most powerful in the entire Far East. Although the number of ships is slightly inferior to that of the Portuguese in Macau, the total tonnage scale is not comparable to that of the other party. At the same time, the English East India Company, which was also committed to trade in the Far East, had a fleet of just over 40 small ships at its peak, and it had always been the focus of the Dutch East India Company.

With its abundant capital and well-established colonial base, the Dutch East India Company had an almost complete monopoly on the spice industry and other entrepot trade in Southeast Asia, with commercial routes extending as far west as Persia, India, and Sri Lanka, as far east as the Maluku Spice Islands, and as far north as China and Japan.

But in the early days of Batavia's existence, the environment was so harsh, with desolate marshlands, rainforests full of deadly elements, and lazy and savage Javanese natives who were eyeing each other. In the course of Batavia's development, a large number of ethnic Chinese became the best builders and city operators that the Dutch East India Company could find. or lure with a high salary, or deceive and abduct in private. The acquisition of Chinese labor from the Ming Dynasty became one of the main policies of the Dutch East India Company after 1619.

Industrious and intelligent Chinese people bore a great deal of hardship during the pioneering period of Batavia, not only as excellent farmers and craftsmen, but also as suppliers of Chinese goods, operators of urban functions, middlemen of retail commerce and coastal trade, and countless people died in the process, making indelible historical contributions to the development of Batavia.

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Friday, November 10, 1628, early morning.

The main force of the Chinese Expeditionary Fleet, consisting of four sail light cruisers, the Luban work ship, and the Blue Whale transport ship, appeared on the ocean at the western tip of Java Island.

After reorganizing the logistics, the Blue Whale was now carrying an infantry battalion of two Foreign Legion infantry companies and one Wehrmacht infantry company. and a large amount of logistical supplies.

In the past few days, several Dutch merchant ships flying the flag of the Dutch East India Company have staggered by one after another, and even a Chinese hard-sailed merchant ship sailing from the direction of Malacca has turned around and fled on the spot. These Dutch merchant ships, which have been active in Southeast Asia all the year round, are still only at the level of rumors about the Chinese and American navies from the Atlantic, and the overall impression is relatively shallow, and for Chinese businessmen, it means an unfamiliar danger signal.

Near noon, approaching the bay of Batavia, an armed Dutch merchant ship appeared shortly after leaving Batavia. Fleet Commander Sun Yang issued a first-class combat readiness order on the spot. At the rapid striking of the deck bells, the fleet began to pack its sails, relying on the steam crews to adjust the speed to 8 knots, and then all the ship's guns began to turn.

"Oh God. Do you want to attack Batavia?! I think a friendly negotiation is more important, Mr. Lieutenant Colonel! ”

On the flagship Republic, Dutch government investigator Anthony looked in surprise at the Dutch armed merchant ship slowly approaching in front of the side, and couldn't help but question the order of the fleet commander Sun Yang.

"I'm sorry. I'm not a diplomat, I'm just a military man, I only fight. I can accompany you to 'collect evidence'. It's the most extraordinary, I've ever done. Sun Yang put down his binoculars with a smile on his face, and gave another order to the temporary adjutant next to him, Second Lieutenant Yan Xianping, "The order is as follows: Any Dutch ship that sails out of Batavia Bay and enters the fleet's 3,000-meter range must be grounded and inspected, and those who refuse to sail or forcibly enter the 1,000-meter range to resist are allowed to use force." ”

Glancing at the Dutch representative standing in the command cabin of the bridge, the second lieutenant adjutant Yan Xianping showed a sneer, did not speak, but quietly left the command cabin after giving a military salute to Sun Yang.

The rumbling cannon sounded, and the 90-mm secondary guns of the West Point sail light cruiser opened fire, and after flying more than 2,000 meters, they landed on the ocean a hundred meters away from the dazed Dutch armed merchant ship. The Dutch armed merchant ships were very frightened by such a close drop point with a range of more than 3,000 yards, and hurriedly adjusted their direction and hung full sails to avoid trouble.

After getting the interpreter next to him to explain the order, Anthony's face twitched continuously: "I regret that Mr. Roland's confession some time ago can only prove some worthless truths, you know that in such a remote place, some things will always deviate from our original intention. As far as I know, the East India Company paid the immigrants from the East very highly. ”

"Well, I believe that there is such a chance of saving zài, but I believe more in the qiē seen on Pearl Island." Sun Yang turned around and looked at the investigator from the Netherlands, his smile slowly solidified, "The order I got is very simple, whether there is any abuse of Chinese immigrants in Batavia, whether there is piracy to loot goods shipped to the East, and if so, we need to stop it." ”

"With a cannon?" Anthony pointed to a 120mm naval gun in the distance outside the glass window, his face flushed, "I think no matter what, your country must respect the rights and interests of the Netherlands here." ”

"Respect for the rights and interests of the Netherlands and respect for the interests of China and the United States are two different things, and they can be disposed of separately, Dear Mr. Anthony."

"There may be Dutch captains who don't know your true attitude, and this will cause innocent casualties." Anthony pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "God, this is an unreasonable order. ”

"The truth is born within the range of our cannons, and they will understand next time, so you can watch more now." Sun Yang shoved the telescope in his hand into the hands of the Dutch investigator, sat back at the chart desk, and drank coffee.

……

An armed Dutch merchant ship that had just sailed from the port of Batavia. Sailing nonchalantly north, a flag embroidered with the letters "AVOC" is hung on the mast.

Larsen, a commercial officer of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, was aboard the armed merchant ship. He will represent Peterson, the governor of the Dutch East Indies, who returned to office only last year, to Natuna to negotiate with Liu Xiang, the pirate leader who is said to have "succeeded in seizing control of the island."

The merchant ship was also loaded with a batch of arms and food supplies ordered by Liu Xiang after he "transported" Chinese laborers last time, including 200 Spanish-made Type 21B flintlock rifles smuggled from unknown sources. Since three years ago, this person-specific business has allowed the merchants of the Dutch East India Company Batavia to find new business opportunities.

As the admiral of the Ming Empire on the Asian continent, Zheng Zhilong is naturally one of the largest customers of the Netherlands in the Far East, and now Zheng Zhilong has gained a greater right to speak at sea and is attacking Dayuan Island. For the Dutch, the cooperation with Zheng Zhilong is a springboard for the future "Dutch seizure of the rights and interests of Formosa".

But eggs can't always be put in one basket. Zheng Zhilong's increasingly strong performance made the Far East management of the Dutch East India Company still keep an eye on it, and they have been looking for new collaborators who can "share the risk". Now that there is infighting along the coast of the Ming Empire, the hated Yan group has been declared a rebel by the emperor, and the Ming pirate group has changed dramatically, if we seize the opportunity to continue to divide people who can serve the Dutch East India Company, then the Dutch interests in the Far East will be more and more consolidated.

I have to say that Zheng Zhilong's human trafficking business has opened the eyes of Dutch forces in Southeast Asia, including Dutch free traders. The history of the Spaniards running Manila is well documented. The Ming people from the mainland were honest, hardworking, intelligent, and docile, and they were the best source of labor to replace the lazy, stupid, and aggressive Javanese natives.

Since Zheng Zhilong's participation in the operation against the Yan family group, the passage of the Far East to Guò, Macao Portuguese and Dutch free merchants to North America to transport Ming labor was directly seized by the Dutch East India Company. On the one hand, this is a secret instruction at home, and on the other hand, it is also the demand of the Batavian side itself. It is obvious that Liu Xiang also wants to play Zheng Zhilong, so the opening of this cooperation line is only good for the Dutch East India Company.

This kind of business is very cost-effective. Each Chinese artisan laborer cost less than 15 guilders, and a few years ago, a Chinese piglet had to be obtained from the coast of the Ming Empire. The cost is basically more than double what it is now. With all sorts of smug thoughts, Larsen raised his binoculars and began to look at the end of the horizon, fantasizing about when he would be able to completely "conquer" the "Natuna Hedgehog" in the north that had made the Dutch East India Company gnash its teeth for more than a decade.

A fleet of ships painted in black and white camouflage appeared in the monoculars, and Larson couldn't help but sigh slightly. When he got close enough to see the flag hanging from the mast, Larsson's face was strange.

"Oh my God, it's the American fleet!"

Larson had seen Chinese and American warships in the Atlantic trade, and was very curious about this kind of warship that could fold its sails at any time and sail "swallowing black smoke", but now there are six of them in the telescope at once, and almost all of them are much larger than their own armed merchant ships.

A strange whistling whistle swept through the air, and then a towering column of snow-white water exploded less than a hundred yards away from him.

"Are these madmen here to be pirates?" Larson subconsciously shrank his body down, and shouted at the same time, "Quick, let Captain Philip turn quickly!" ”

The fat Dutch armed merchant ship was full of chickens and dogs, and the Dutch captain pushed the helmsman away with a pale face, and personally got on his horse and turned the helm frantically.

The Huamei fleet in the distance separated a battleship and began to spit black smoke, rapidly approaching at a speed of more than 8 knots. At the same time, a signal flag that could be read by the opponent or not was hoisted on the mast.

"Homecoming! Return now! Larsson looked back at the end of his line of sight and knew that at most 10 nautical miles away was Batavia Bay, and as long as he returned to port, he could use the bay battery to stop his opponent from approaching.

"We can't get away, Mr. Larson." The one-eyed Captain Philip, who was once a big pirate himself, saw almost instantly that the speed of his opponent was far from being comparable to his own, so he could only let go of the rudder and make a helpless wry smile, "Maybe it will only take a quarter of an hour for them to sail to our side, and if you insist, I can let the lads fight back." ”

"Lower the sails, Captain......" Larsson glanced back at Batavia Bay one last time, and grabbed his hat in frustration. (To be continued.) For mobile phone users, please go to read. )