With the thought in mind, Zhao Xin returned to the house after a hasty dinner and flipped through the information, trying to find an opportunity to intervene in West Kalimantan.
In his view, it is not a big problem to incorporate Chinese mining companies, large and small. Under the iron fist of the Beihai Navy, no matter whether it is a society or a secret sect, all are screwed!
Regardless of the fact that the three major Chinese companies in Borneo (Heshun Alliance, Lanfang, and Santiaogou) occupy large areas of land and gold mines, and have hundreds of thousands of people under their control. They can currently compete with the surrounding Sultanate and the Dutch, but at most they can They are just a group of "community bosses" divided by clan and region.
In fact, this is why Zhao Xin has always looked down upon Chinese companies in West Borneo. I went to Annan and came to Batavia, but I just didn’t want to deal with those Chinese companies.
Obviously they are all foreigners from Fujian and Guangdong. Not only do they hug together to keep warm, but because they belong to different dialect groups, different clans, and different regions, there are constant disputes. Strengthen the provisions of three ties (blood, geography, and language), allowing each company to become an expanded alliance of traditional families. They killed each other for the gold mines, leaving corpses everywhere and blood flowing in the fields. Jiaying's people attacked Chaoshan, Chaoshan's people attacked Zhangquan, and Zhangquan's people not only attacked the Cantonese, but also the internal forces themselves. It turned into a mess and made the Dutch and natives laugh.
Internally, they issued tin coins and exploited Chinese workers by raising the prices of consumer goods, food and supplies in disguise. It is said that Heaven and Earth will monopolize the price of agricultural products, but it is still a virtue for them to kill others and come to power themselves. In addition, gambling dens were opened to provide opium to further exploit the miners. You must know that the gold that the Chinese workers take out is the best, and it will always belong to the company. Who dares not to hand it over and give it a try? !
Externally, they look down upon the strength of other companies. As long as there is one that stands out, they will cause rebellion within the other party and find ways to weaken it. Bullshit republic! Blessed are all the nonsense!
By the middle of the 19th century, the Dagang Company stubbornly resisted the Dutch even though it did not have a superior force, and fought in the Monterradu mining area for a full month. What was the Lanfang Company doing? They helped the Dutch attack the Dagang Company's troops and even set up an ambush to block their retreat. What a bunch of scum!
This is why it is always said that Chinese people in a farming society are like dragons when they go to a foreign land, but they become worms when they get together.
It can also be seen from this that the common people in ancient China only had a sense of blood and clan. Anyone who was not from the same hometown could be regarded as an enemy. If Beihai Town wanted to industrialize and liberate productive forces in the 18th century, it would inevitably have to engage in a long-term struggle against the shackles of clan power, theocracy, and patriarchy that bound the countryside.
Zhao Xin flipped through the information for half a night and finally understood that the key to solving the Kalimantan problem was to focus on the various sultanate regimes and the Dutch.
It's useless to just fight off the Dutch. The British, Spanish and even the French will still take advantage of the loopholes. Only by getting rid of the sultanates, large and small, can this island with an area of 740,000 square kilometers hope to be incorporated into the Chinese territory. Since Beihai Town wanted to get rid of the vassal tribute system of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and clarify China's future maritime boundaries and national borders, it had to completely solve the problem before the Manchu and Qing dynasties were destroyed.
It is said that the island countries, Annan and Ryukyu have all been dealt with, and now it is not a big deal to deal with a group of indigenous Sudanese.
After thinking hard all night, after breakfast the next day, Zhao Xin first sent a telegram to Cao Peng, and then asked his men to find He Xiwen. This man has been a pirate in South China for many years, robbing families and homes, and is ruthless. He is the perfect candidate to solve the problem in Kalimantan. However, Zhao Xinyi did not say it directly when he came up, but talked about another matter.
"You said in the telegram before that Muhammad Saiyah wanted us to send troops to help him put down the rebellion?"
"Your Majesty, since the British occupied Penang Island, they have been secretly providing weapons to the rebels, which has caused a great headache to the Sultan. He hopes that we can send troops to help him repel the rebels on the Pidiya coast and restore the situation there."
Since the Thor arrived in Bacheng, He Xiwen has been waiting for Zhao Xin's call. He believed that he would be rewarded for doing the land purchase cleanly and efficiently. Now that Zhao Xin asked about it, he carefully told the grudges between the Aceh Sultanate and the British.
All because of pepper. It is often difficult for people of later generations to understand the Europeans' obsession and pursuit of pepper, and they even resorted to force to control its production areas for it. Historically, in 1824, Britain and the Netherlands even reached an agreement
An agreement was made to divide the sphere of influence for pepper cultivation, but throughout the entire process of the agreement, the Aceh Sultanate, which was originally the owner of this land, had no right to participate.
It is said that since the Dutch controlled Ceylon and the pepper producing areas east of the Strait of Malacca, the British could only trade pepper in Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. In the terms of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain and France clarified the colonial sphere of influence in Southeast Asia. The two ports of Natal and Tapanuri, belonging to the Aceh Sultanate, were assigned to the British East India Company.
The pepper-producing region on the west coast of Sumatra is made up of dozens of ports, whose chiefs also control nearby lands. Some of these ports were controlled by the Malays, while others were controlled by a mixed population. In order to control the pepper-producing areas, the British's instinct to stir up trouble began to show up; they declared that the southernmost tip of the Aceh Sultanate ended at Tapps, and further south, Tapanuri, which was controlled by the British, was a independent regions.
A large piece of the good land has been divided, and no one can stand it!
Six years ago - that is, in early 1786, the Aceh Sultanate could not bear it any longer. They dispatched a force of two hundred warriors to raid Tapanuri, burned down the British factory, and robbed some Indians. Soldiers and East India Company cargo.
In June of that year, the British retaliated. They sent four frigates to bombard the territory of the Aceh Sultanate and forced the signing of an agreement, which intensified the split in the southern part of the Aceh Sultanate.
Zhao Xin did not express his opinion after hearing this, and asked again: "What do you think of Gu Lihuan? I heard that you two are sworn friends?"
He Xiwen hurriedly said: "Back to my lord, this man is very sophisticated and knows how to manage relationships. He has good relations with the British, Aceh and Johor, and he is also very prestigious in the Chinese circle in Penang. I see that he is a talent in his humble position. I am determined to win over Beihai Town, so..."
Zhao Xin waved his hand and said, "As long as you know what's going on. What conditions did he set for helping us this time?"
"After the matter was completed, he mentioned the cooling oil and Fengyoujing. I guess he wanted to get an agent."
Zhao Xin nodded and said: "I agree to this. You send someone to tell him that it can only be sold in Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, and is not allowed to be touched in other places. Let him come to Bacheng and talk to someone from the Ministry of Trade about the specific details."
"I would like to express my gratitude to the prince for my humble duty!"
Zhao Xin took a sip of tea and looked He Xiwen up and down. He looked a little uncomfortable and then said, "Are you in your thirties this year?"
"Prince Lao, I am thinking about you. I am a humble dog and a horse with a tooth of thirty-five."
"I have been thinking about something for a long time, and I think only you can handle it. If this matter is accomplished, a governor will not be able to escape."
Zhao Xin's tone was light, but in He Xiwen's heart it was like a bell ringing like a bell. Why did he betray Ruan Fuying and join Beihai Town in the first place? Wasn't it that Beihai Town had more prospects than Guangnan? Governor! That's a high-ranking official in the border area. He's in charge of the army, and he's in charge of the people!
But if Prince Zhao can say such things, things will definitely not be easy to handle. Sure enough, before He Xiwen could guess what the mission was, Zhao Xin said: "How many people and ships do you think it will take to defeat the Sultanate of Brunei?"
The Sultanate of Brunei in the 18th century was not just a little bit more than 2,000 square kilometers in another time and space. Basically the entire northern part of Kalimantan was under its rule. It was bordered to the west by the Pontianak Sultanate and the Samfa Sultanate. and the Banja Sultanate in the south all followed its lead.
The reason why Zhao Xin chose Brunei for surgery was to teach those Chinese companies who only focused on their own one-third of an acre of land a lesson and gain some knowledge. Once the largest sultanate is dealt with, the small countries of Pontianak and Sanfa will naturally be able to be conquered by others.
As for oil, gold, diamonds and the like...it's too vulgar to mention this!
He Xiwen was stunned when he heard it, Sultanate of Brunei? Where did this come from? I seem to have heard of it...
Zhao Xin smiled slightly when he saw this, took out a roll of map, spread it out on his desk, motioned for He Xiwen to come over, and then pointed out the location to him.
"Borneo?"
"Yes! Once you capture this place and take care of Pontianak and Sanfa, you will be the governor of the Borneo Administrative Region of Beihai Town!"
No matter how confused He Xiwen was, he probably understood what Zhao Xin was going to do now. So he tentatively asked Zhao Xin:
"My lord, are you planning to expand your territory?"
"The Manchus don't want this island, we can't! I'll give you five thousand soldiers and two regiments first, and then I'll send you the fleet at Cam Ranh Bay." Zhao Xin finished speaking firmly, looked up at He Xiwen and said: " How is it? Do you have confidence?"
"Five, five thousand? I, I..." He Xiwen's heart thumped wildly and his ears rang. He has never led so many troops in his life.
"Don't be afraid, the Northern Navy Staff will send people to assist you, and Bacheng will provide full assistance. You will report directly to me when the time comes."
He Xiwen swallowed and stammered: "I, if I use troops here, will it affect our operations in the pass?"
Zhao Xin smiled and patted the other party's shoulder and said: "Don't worry! Fight as hard as you want in the north. The Qing Dynasty won't last long. I'll give you a few months to spread all your men to Borneo. Go check out the enemy’s situation, and the soldiers will arrive by May next year at the latest.”
The reason why he sent a telegram to Cao Peng early in the morning was to ask him to immediately negotiate with the Sendai Domain and the shogunate. The five thousand soldiers going to Nanyang would be sent from the island country, and the five thousand soldiers were only the first batch, and there would be second and second batches later. The third batch. In addition to Java and Kalimantan, India also has to send.
This time, both the shogunate and the Mutsu Deha Alliance sent troops, and Hokkai Town sent out equipment and supplies. Next year, we will send people to the Cam Ranh Bay base and Bacheng for intensive training for half a year to adapt to the climate. By then, in Southeast Asia, who will not be afraid? !
After sending away He Xiwen, who was surprised and happy, and still very anxious, Zhao Xin asked the officer on duty to invite Wang Yuanfang over. Wang Yuanfang had been listening to the interrogation of relevant personnel who participated in the armed fighting in the morning. As for Deng Fei, he had either visited Louis Charles and Madam Elizabeth these days, or accompanied the French people to visit various places in the city.
20 minutes later, Wang Yuanfang arrived first. As soon as he entered the door, he cheerfully said to Zhao Xin: "What do you think Lanfang and his gang are doing here?"
Zhao Xin said strangely: "Isn't it a medical appointment? I saw them the day before yesterday."
Wang Yuanfang shook his head and said: "There is something wrong with my expression. Who do you think the child who got acute malaria in the hospital is? And the identity of the little girl who was molested?"
Zhao Xin smiled and said: "How the hell do I know? He can't be Luo Fangbai's son."
Wang Yuanfang slapped his thigh: "Hi! He is Luo Fangbai's son! That little girl from the Kaya tribe is his sister-in-law!"
At this time, for Zhao Xin, who wanted to understand everything, the "Pontianak King" who was like the boss of the society was no longer his opponent on this platform. Therefore, the news about Wang Yuanfang seemed to be indifferent.
Zhao Xin shook his head and said to Wang Yuanfang: "I have something to discuss with you."
"explain."
"You prepare a company of men in the next two days, with good marksmanship. Then go to Deng Fei and ask for two engineers on the Thor."
"Ah?" Wang Yuanfang didn't know what medicine Zhao Xin was selling in his gourd, and he said to himself that boss Zhao could just ask his subordinates to handle this trivial matter, why bother talking to him specifically.
Zhao Xindao: "I plan to organize a hunting team to go to Pontianak to hunt crocodiles. So it's up to you to sell those people in Lanfang Company a favor and let them go."
"What?" Wang Yuanfang was a little confused, and Monk Zhang Er was confused, thinking that this was all such a mess, why did he pull out the crocodile?
It is said that when Zhao Xin was checking information last night, he found a story about Luo Fangbai. In the autumn of this year, three people were dragged into the water and swallowed by crocodiles in the Pontianak area, causing locals to talk about crocodiles. In order to win people's hearts, Luo Fangbai will do a trick of "opening an altar to worship the gods" next spring. First, he secretly ordered his men to poison and kill people everywhere. Overtly, he imitated Han Yu's approach and wrote a notice to the gods of the mountains and rivers, asking them to help drive away the crocodiles.
The tropical rainforest climate and dense water network of Kalimantan Island have made it a paradise for crocodiles to inhabit. The Pontianak area, which is crisscrossed by rivers, is densely populated and a large amount of domestic garbage and human and animal feces are dumped into the river, which can easily attract crocodiles to gather. You must know that even in the modern era of another time and space, there are still more than a dozen crocodile attacks on people every year on the island of Kalimantan.
Regardless of whether they were local natives or Chinese, they definitely didn’t know the tricks Lan Fanghui and his gang played at night. When they discovered that there were fewer crocodiles, they really thought that Luo Fangbai could really communicate with the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth. From then on, he even
No one was dissatisfied.
Zhao Xin felt that instead of letting Luo Fangbai pretend to be a ghost, it would be better to organize a crocodile hunting team to go to Pontianak. The benefits of doing this are many. The first is to show the strength of Beihai Town to the Chinese and indigenous people on Kalimantan, and to lay the groundwork for future involvement in the battles between Chinese companies; secondly, to take the opportunity to understand the waterway conditions in the Pontianak area, so as to be prepared; and finally, there is Crocodile. Gadgets can also bring an emerging industry to Bacheng and increase employment.
You must know that crocodiles in these days are difficult to catch because of their fierce temperament, so they are generally used as medicinal materials. For example, the "Yilin Zuan Yao" compiled during the Qianlong period said that boiling crocodile meat into a paste can be used to remove the toxins and remove blood stasis and promote muscle growth. Furthermore, making soup with crocodile meat can cure asthma. For example, the famous Master Huo from another time and space had this problem.
Don't get me wrong, Zhao Xin doesn't want to make pharmaceuticals, he wants to make leather. In addition to setting up a leather workshop, you can also set up a luggage factory and make a bunch of leather bags according to the styles of those big brands in later generations. Women will definitely be dazzled and unable to walk after seeing it, just like a dragon greedy for treasure.
In addition, it is not easy for ordinary people to eat some red meat these days. The food of the garrison in Bacheng is fish, shrimp and vegetables. Apart from canned food, fresh meat is rarely available. Get some low-fat and high-protein crocodile meat. Having a tooth ceremony is better than nothing.
Zhao Xin told Wang Yuanfang his idea, and the other party agreed very much and booked two tickets in advance for his wife and father-in-law.
"I have to leave for a few days to buy a boat. Please tell me about Deng Fei. There are many shipyards in our area from Jakarta to Cirebon, and there must be a lot of second-hand boats. Anyway, I will try to come back within a week. .”
"Why buy a boat? There are plenty of fishing boats in Bacheng!"
Zhao Xin shook his head helplessly and said: "Brother, we have to get a big fishing boat with a cold storage? How about transporting it back and it won't stink? In addition, we have to equip the crocodile hunting team with a few small fishing boats to facilitate access to the river and hunt. The crocodiles can also be delivered to the fishing boat as soon as possible.”
Chapter 619 The Future Governor of Borneo
