On the sea surface of Lingding Yangtze near Haao Peninsula, three Galenic sailing ships with a deadweight of only three to five hundred tons were moored, respectively flying the tricolor VOC flag of the Dutch East India Company and the cross of the British East India Company. The horizontal bar flag, the red cross flag of Spain.
The ships of the Netherlands, Britain, and Spain come together so harmoniously. It is really a rare scene. However, this is the coast of China, and Europeans cannot yet dominate the waters in this area, so it is necessary to stay together for warmth.
Therefore, ships from the Netherlands, Britain, and Spain organized a group to go to the sea near Hao'ao to watch the jokes - mostly to watch the jokes of the Qing Dynasty. St. Paul's Castle was a bastion that the Portuguese had run for decades!
Back then, the Dutch wanted to take advantage of the fact that most of the strong Portuguese men in St. Paul's Castle were going to Guangzhou to purchase goods. However, they were defeated by a small number of Portuguese defenders and armed citizens with a strong fortress. .
And he lost twice in a row! I wanted to fight well the second time, but lost again!
The Dutch lost their confidence at St. Paul's Castle, so although they occupied all the Portuguese fortresses in Malacca, they had no idea of attacking the St. Paul's Fort in Hao'ao for decades.
And they themselves also built several strong forts in Java, Malacca, Ceylon and other places, among which the Batavia Fortress on Java Island was the number one stronghold!
However, the Batavia Fortress is still inferior to the St. Paul's Fortress. After all, the St. Paul's Fortress has to face big countries like the Ming and Qing Dynasties, while Batavia has to deal with the Javanese natives.
The Spaniards did not attack the St. Paul Fortress, but they gnawed at the Dutch lowlands in Europe for decades. The Dutch bastions bankrupted the Spanish world empire.
However, they are quite capable of building forts themselves. They built a "never-finished" Fort Santiago in Manila, Philippines. Construction began in 1571, and the first phase of the project was completed fifteen years later, and then continued to be added. Reinforcement, anyway, every time a new governor is added, several more projects will be added to the big project of Fort Santiago. So they also know that the St. Paul's Fortress is very strong. It's all prefixed with "holy", so it must not be much different.
As for the English, they are not old-fashioned imperialists yet. They are still newbies in the imperialist sequence. They have no stronghold east of the Strait of Malacca, but they have established more than 20 business houses in India and built one in Madras. Fort St George, a fort was planned to be built in newly acquired Bombay.
In short, the bastion, like strong ships and sharp guns, was one of the three magic weapons used by European colonists to conquer backward countries.
If the bastion is not "protected" and can be taken down by a backward civilized army like the Qing army, how can the European colonists colonize? You can't station an army of ten thousand or eight thousand everywhere, right? Shouldn’t this cost go to heaven?
Colonization is most afraid of losing money!
Nowadays, European fortresses are spread almost all over the world, which just shows how powerful the fortresses are!
The leaders sent to East Asia by the Dutch East India Company, the English East India Company, and the Governor-General of the Philippines in New Spain, who wanted to gain profits from the "Qing-Wu War" that was about to break out, heard that the Portuguese Governor-General of Haao Involved in the "Qing-Wu War", St. Paul's Castle might be attacked by the Qing army. He immediately became more motivated, either personally boarding an armed merchant ship, or sending representatives to sail over by ship to seek trade privileges and colonization. opportunity for profit.
When they discovered that the Qing governor of Guangdong and Guangxi led an army of tens of thousands to besiege St. Paul's Bastion, they immediately realized that their opportunity had come!
In order to seize the opportunity as soon as possible, Hermann Klink, the head of the Dutch East India Company's commercial mission in Japan, John Chappell, the commissioner of the English East India Company's affairs in Damen Island, and the Governor-General of the Philippines in New Spain Special envoy Lawrence de Vantes could not wait for a month. After waiting at sea for half a month and still not noticing the Qing army's attack on St. Paul's Castle, they agreed to board a small boat and board the Haao Peninsula together.
In their opinion, the reason why the Qing army did not launch an attack probably was that they felt that St. Paul's Fortress was too strong to attack by force, and they were planning to use a long siege instead. However, the reserves in St. Paul's Castle were extremely rich, and There is a wall very close to the sea, and it will be difficult to completely block it unless we get the help of real maritime powers like the Netherlands, England, and Spain.
In addition, there is Wu Sangui's power on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula, which are across the Lingding Ocean from the Haao Peninsula. If the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi in the Qing Dynasty refuse the help of the friendly countries of the Netherlands, England, and Spain, then the three countries may have to help. Wu Sangui is here!
If the main force of the Qing army cannot attack Hao'ao for a long time, and Wu Sanwei and Ao Bai on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula become bigger with the help of the Netherlands, England, and Spain, then the situation of the Qing army in Guangdong will be very bad. !
However, these three Western colonists, who had planned to kill the Qing Dynasty, only found out when they arrived on the Haao Peninsula that the Qing army led by the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi had as good organization and order as any European army. A battle made them The "trenching and siege warfare" that these three great colonists, who had mastered advanced Western military knowledge, could not quite understand, was in full swing.
In the past half month, thousands of Qing soldiers who were not afraid of hard work have used shovels, wooden piles and sacks to build a series of fortifications that extend from near Wangxia Mountain to near the walls of Haao'ao Fortress - these The fortifications include several winding trenches, one seemingly arc-shaped wide trench located directly north, northwest and northeast of St. Paul's Castle, and many other trenches made of sacks that should have been filled with soil. Artillery and musketry fortifications behind the trenches.
And when the three of them were led by Yao Qisheng, the master of the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and an official named Dai Zi who could speak Latin, they boarded a temporary command post made of sacks filled with soil on Wangxia Mountain. , when overlooking the battlefield, the scene they saw shocked them even more.
They discovered that there were actually twenty or thirty "cannon pits" dug inside the wide trench surrounding St. Paul's Castle to the north, northwest, and northeast, and in each "cannon pit" there were a number of weapons placed on the spot. A large-caliber mortar!
These mortars are already very close to the castle. If they fire now, they should be able to blast the explosive shells directly into the interior of the fortress, right?
The St. Paul's Fortress is not very large. It was bombarded by so many mortars at close range. No place inside the castle is safe, right?
Teams of Qing officers and soldiers were carrying baskets of ammunition to deliver to the "artillery pits". It seemed that the bombardment was about to begin!
Thinking of the Portuguese who were about to be bombarded, Hermann Klink, John Chappell and Laurence DeVantis became a little worried about the fate of those poor Portuguese. After all, those people also believe in God. White Europeans!
"Boom boom boom"
The Portuguese on the St. Paul's Fortress seemed to be a little anxious, and began to use the twelve-pound cannon mounted on the St. Paul's Fortress to blast the Qing troops below.
However, these artillery shells seemed to be "blind". They all hit high and flew over the trenches of the Qing army. None of them fell into the trenches or artillery pits. However, one or two shells hit those behind the artillery pits. , a cannon fort made of sacks filled with soil. But the shells hitting the "earth bag" seemed to have no effect! The most I can do is punch through and knock away a few bags of earth, and then there's nothing more.
It seemed that this was not the first time that the Qing army had been disturbed by such "tickling" shelling, so they did not panic at all and continued to deliver ammunition to the artillery pit ahead unhurriedly.
The Qing troops on standby in trenches, artillery pits, and behind artillery bunkers, as well as the small number of cavalry lined up on the north side of Wangxia Mountain, also behaved very calmly.
The Qing army on the entire battlefield behaved like a truly elite force!
Just when the three colonists were re-evaluating the Qing army's combat effectiveness in their hearts, the guard guarding the temporary former enemy command post suddenly opened his throat and shouted: "The principal is here!"
headmaster?
These three colonists all knew a little bit of Chinese, but they really couldn't remember what kind of official the "principal" was? So we all looked at the entrance of the command post, and saw a tall official with a blue crown on his hat and a very young official walking in surrounded by a group of soldiers.
It turns out that it’s not that big of a deal for the principal to be a fourth-grade official!
The three colonists were a little disappointed because they did not see the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, but only a "fourth grade principal". At this time, Dai Zi said to them in Latin: "Principal Wang is the son of the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. He can completely represent Governor Wang."
Oh, the governor's son. Then this "principal" is a bit big.
So Hermann Klink, John Chappell and Laurence DeVantis bowed to Wang Zhongxiao together, and then introduced themselves one by one in Latin.
Wang Zhongxiao didn't understand Latin, but fortunately Dai Zi was around to act as a translator. After Dai Zi finished translating, Wang Zhongxiao smiled and said to the three of them: "You guys are early. I haven't captured St. Paul City yet! But you can see with your own eyes how I captured this bastion!" "
Dai Zi translated this into Latin.
"Mr. Principal, I think you know what the defensive capabilities of the bastion are like, right?" Dutchman Herman Clark once participated in the Battle of Rejelan City many years ago - it was a stain on his life (he escaped from the battle ), and now I heard a Chinese boasting about taking a Western fortress in Haikou, I couldn't help but pour a small plate of cold water on it.
After listening to Dai Zi's translation, Wang Zhongxiao smiled and said: "Yes, I know what the bastion is about? And I also know how to capture it. If you want to come to persuade peace, or want to provide some help, That’s not necessary, the battle of St. Paul’s Castle will be over soon. If you are here for trade, I can talk to you, because I am currently in charge of the Qing Guangdong Customs Service.”
Now the three colonists don't know what to say?
The siege of St. Paul has not yet begun, but the Qing army attacking the city looks a bit powerful.
The three of them pondered for a while, and then John Chappell, the commissioner of the English East India Company on the island, spoke. This man did not look like a gentleman at all. He had a head of messy golden hair and shaggy hair. A bearded British guy, he said to Wang Zhongxiao in unfamiliar Latin: "I am the envoy of the British East India Company to China. I hope to obtain from you the power to conduct free trade along the coast of Guangdong! Free trade can give Prosperity for all benefits both of us.
In addition, I also hope to obtain a relatively large piece of land from you to establish the British East India Company's commercial hall. And in the commercial hall area, English laws that are different from the "Qing Law" will be implemented. It would be even more ideal if you could rent us a desert island off the coast for us to build a business building. If you can agree, our East India Company will definitely give you generous rewards! "
After hearing Chappell's straightforward demands for free trade and the establishment of concessions, Herman Clark and Laurence DeVantis were not polite, and both made similar demands.
In fact, establishing "commercial halls" similar to concessions for trade and implementing "foreign business autonomy" are not necessarily colonial practices. Many countries do this. For example, the Koreans set aside a piece of land in Busan for the Japanese to build a "Japanese Pavilion" for trade.
The Japanese artificially created a "Deshima" in Nagasaki Bay for the Dutch East India Company to build a commercial building. Of course, the Dutch East India Company also surrendered to the shogunate in order to obtain this "Deshima". But for the Dutch with a soft body, being a minister is not a problem. As long as the Qing Dynasty can rent an island to the East India Company, the company can also become a vassal.
The Spaniards have a tougher waist! Nowadays, Spain still maintains the dignity of a world empire, and its territory is larger than that of the Qing Dynasty. It is impossible for the Governor-General of the Philippines to surrender to the Qing emperor.
"You want to rent a piece of land to build a business center, right?" Wang Zhongxiao smiled and said, "It's not impossible. You want extraterritoriality, and I can agree to it! However, whether it is trade or diplomacy, we must pay attention to the right Etc. and fairness. If you want to rent land in Guangdong to build a business embassy, then I will also rent land in Amsterdam, London and Acapulco to build Chinese commerce embassy, and enjoy the same extraterritorial rights!"
After his words were translated into Latin, the three colonists were stunned.
They never expected that the Qing principal and Guangdong Customs Service actually wanted to establish "Qing concessions" in London, Amsterdam and the New World.
"But, but none of your merchants can reach London!"
"That's right, your navigation technology is too backward and you can't reach Amsterdam at all!"
"We can't even reach the New World!"
Wang Zhongxiao had long known that these three colonists would not agree to his reasonable demands, but his purpose was not really to establish concessions in Europe and America.
So after Dai Zi translated the objections of the three colonists into Chinese, he pretended to think for a while, and then said: "Well, I can make a concession. I don't ask for the establishment of commercial offices in Europe and the New World. I want to Establish commercial offices in Java, Malacca, and Luzon. Considering that the status of Java, Malacca, and Luzon cannot be compared with London, Amsterdam, and Acapulco, the land I rent in Java, Malacca, and Luzon must be larger than yours. The land rented in Guangdong is bigger!
If you rent me a piece of land, I will rent you an island. Is this fair? "
Wang Zhongxiao's request was actually made to the Dutch, because the British did not have strongholds in Malacca, Java and Luzon. The Spanish would not agree to lease a piece of land or an affiliated island on Luzon Island to the Qing Dynasty.
But the Dutch might agree!
Because once Wang Zhongxiao captured Hao'ao, the Europeans would not have any trading strongholds on the coast of China. If Wang Zhongxiao was willing to rent a piece of land to the Netherlands to establish a commercial center, the Dutch would be able to occupy a leading position in the future foreign trade between China and the West. A very advantageous position.
And for the islands that the Netherlands paid to get this concession, they can definitely snatch one from others!
Anyway, the Dutch have great influence in the Java Island and the Strait of Malacca, but the actual territory they control is very small. They don't have many people in the area, so they can't occupy much land. They set aside an island for the Qing Dynasty. It doesn't seem impossible.
For Wang Zhongxiao, the value of the island that a Dutch person recognized as China's foothold in Malacca cannot be overestimated!
With this island, the Chinese throughout Southeast Asia have a backbone! If the European colonists want to engage in anti-Chinese activities, they have to think carefully. After all, their military strength in Nanyang is only tens of thousands, and the main force is indigenous.
And the land he rented to the Dutch was actually an extraterritorial issue. Wasn't it just taken back? Even if the Dutch built a bastion above, Wang Zhongxiao would not be unable to defeat it.
Of course, the "concession in exchange for island lease" deal is huge and cannot be negotiated by a senior officer of the East India Company in Japan. This matter probably has to be decided by the governor of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia. You might as well ask the Committee of Seventeen in Amsterdam for instructions. However, considering that the Franco-Dutch War is about to begin, there is a high probability that the Dutch, who cannot secure their homeland, will approve this deal.
At this moment, Wang Zhongxiao's Jingwutang soldier Wang Leiyong walked quickly into the command post, hugged his fists, and loudly reported: "Principal, all the cannons are ready!"
"Okay!" Wang Zhongxiao nodded, "All the cannons, test fire three rounds. The target is St. Paul's Castle!"
"Yes!" Wang Leiyong replied loudly, then turned around and went out to convey the military order.
Wang Zhongxiao turned around and said to the three "international friends": "Three of you, please watch the battle with me! Maybe it won't be too long before we can enter St. Paul City!"
(End of chapter)
