Hello, Mr. van der Berg, I am Zheng Yiguan. I have been canonized as Earl of Zhenhai by the Ming Empire. I command an army of 200,000 people and 2,000 warships. I am responsible for protecting the security of the southeastern coast of the empire. c八c八cRead c book,...oI am now ordered by the Ming Empire to take back the Dayuan area that you borrowed. As long as you agree, I can completely ensure the safety of all your personnel and property, and can leave the country with all weapons. We will continue to maintain a good cooperative relationship between the two parties in the future. The Ming Empire will increase its export trade to you, so that the annual trade volume between Ming and the Netherlands will reach more than 20 million taels of silver. This is your original intention of coming all the way, and it will be realized next year. Your merchant ships can call at many ports on the southeast coast of the Ming Empire at any time. If you refuse to accept this request, our army will be forced to take coercive measures, including the use of force to take back the Danyuan area, and you will be responsible for all the consequences. I hope that Mr. Bolger will consider the overall situation, assess the safety of the military and civilians in the Dayuan area, carefully consider it, and make a decision that is beneficial to both parties. If I do not receive your reply within three days, I will assume that you have rejected our request and our army will be forced to take decisive action...
This was a very polite ultimatum. Through the handwriting, Bolger could confirm that the letter was indeed written by Zheng Zhilong and would not be a forgery. It was also guaranteed by Keku in person, making it highly credible.
Just the things mentioned made Bolger extremely angry. The Ming Empire not only believed that it was living in their territory, but also wanted to directly take back the entire Danyuan area. This was simply something that the East India Company could not accept.
The tone was not a request, but more like a notice. Regardless of whether it agreed or not, the Ming Empire would turn this written plan into actual actions, and the result would definitely be a war.
However, the detailed content can be described as a combination of soft and hard tactics, which not only illustrates the powerful force Zheng Yiguan now possesses, but also uses the huge trade volume as bait to induce his own side to make substantial compromises and concessions.
Comparing the strength of the two sides with the warships, Zheng Yiguan had almost a two hundred-fold advantage. Even if it was exaggerated, Bolger admitted that his side was at an absolute disadvantage.
Even if Zheng Yiguan deployed 50,000 soldiers and 500 warships, the majority of the defenders would be helpless. Without the help of reinforcements sent by Batavia, they would have no hope of victory.
This is not the mainland, there are no dotted bastions, and there will be no support from the local indigenous people. The large garrison can be said to be a temporarily isolated and helpless force. It will take at least three months for reinforcements to arrive here.
If they do not agree to Zheng Yiguan's request, facing his powerful military superiority, the defenders will have no other choice but to stick to the fortress. Even if they have the idea, they will not be able to do it.
Bolger was not new here, and he was very aware of the military strength possessed by Zheng Yiguan. If he really planned to use force against the officials, the picturesque place in front of him would soon turn into a battlefield filled with artillery fire.
The Netherlands has the most powerful fleet and the most advanced weapons, but in the far east, the warships and troops it can reach are almost negligible.
In Jansen's words, if the quality advantage cannot be based on a certain quantity, then there is no way to exert it. The large garrison and fleet are only maintained at the minimum all year round.
At most, this force can fight the natives on land and clean up pirates on the sea. If it is used to compete with Zheng Yiguan's fleet, it will be self-defeating. c eight c eight c read c book,..o
One thousand Dutch soldiers resisted 50,000 Zheng army soldiers!
Ten Dutch warships fought against 500 Zheng army warships!
Even though Bolger believed that his side was powerful, he did not dare to have any extravagant hopes for the outcome.
The letter stated that Zheng Yiguan had been made an earl by the Ming Empire, but Berger was sure that no matter what positions and titles he wore, he was still a profit-seeking pirate at his core.
Perhaps they can be bribed with money to force them to change their minds, so that the aggressive Zheng fleet can retreat without a fight, and the powerful Dutch army can avoid an unprecedented catastrophe.
"You two, take a rest here now. I will immediately summon the senior officials to discuss a way to properly resolve this matter as soon as possible!"
Bolger did not intend to let these two businessmen leave this place. Since this matter was of great importance, he had to send information first and let them serve as messengers to deliver messages to him.
The dinner party has entered the second half. Due to the previous feast, everyone had eaten so much that they no longer had much appetite, so the rhythm became more relaxed and everyone was talking about anecdotes.
"Ladies, please allow me to borrow your husband for a moment. After all, official business needs to be handled as soon as possible!"
Bolger elegantly made an excuse, calmed down the women who were still chatting happily, summoned all the men at the table to the conference hall, and told everyone the news he had just received.
"I think we must immediately shrink our troops and bring back all the troops on the shore. All castles and towns must be put on alert to guard against possible raids by the Zheng army around the clock. If necessary, send women and children into the castle and arm them All the men of the town, let them defend the town, must prepare for the worst.”
Colonel Vincent Jansen's main task was to have his troops guard the Daguang area, but it was obvious that it was unrealistic to use a thousand troops to garrison a vast defense zone.
At present, we can only ensure the safety of the three castles and Damuan Town. If Rewufei Luzhai and Damuan Town are missed one after another, there will be nothing we can do.
If there is no time to recruit local soldiers, then all the Dutch men in Dajuan territory will be armed and turned into temporary soldiers to resist the Zheng army's attack.
Jansen believed that Daguang Island could only be defended when the garrison strength reached 3,000. Below this scale, not to mention the entire island, even the Castle of Relanja might be lost.
He has realized that he does not have time to recruit local soldiers, so arming the merchants, sailors, and poor people in the town has become the most direct and feasible way. At this time, as long as anyone is breathing, he is considered a soldier.
"Food, including grain, meat, vegetables, and fruits, must be moved to the castle as soon as possible, and drinking water must be stored on a large scale, and preparations must be made for long-term defense. If possible, it is best to delay for a while to facilitate our harvest. Rice, strong walls and clear fields cannot be left to the enemy. On the shore, the wealthy gentry of the Ming Dynasty were escorted to the town to settle down, and they could also be used as hostages in times of emergency."
The deputy commander of the regiment, Major Brian Barber, made a simple supplement. First, send all the food to the castle. With enough food and water, you will be much more confident about holding on to the Castle of Geranze. If it doesn't work, you can still get those. The gentry serves as a human shield.
The East India Company has been operating here for fifteen years and cannot be lost in their hands. Otherwise, even if they can return to Batavia alive, what awaits them may be long-term imprisonment or even the horrific hanging...
"My fleet must leave the port as soon as possible to prevent Zheng Yiguan's fleet from entering Taiyuan Bay during high tide. In that case, the entire fleet may be annihilated. Our warships are faster than the enemy. They can’t catch up with us at sea!”
Captain Schulsbeck, commander of the fleet, seemed to say this for the sake of the fleet, but in fact he was afraid of being surrounded and annihilated by Zheng Yiguan's fleet, so if there was a chance, he must run away first.
"The task of the fleet is to cooperate with the army to defend the Castle of Geranze! If the fleet leaves first, doesn't it mean that the town and castle will be exposed to enemy artillery fire?"
In Yang Sen's view, this is an act of cowardice in the face of battle, which is tantamount to abandoning Jun Min here, a complete coward, and this guy can actually say it, he is really thick-skinned.
"It's easy to say, you have a castle to hold on to, and it won't be a big deal if you are bombarded. My warship will sink to the bottom of the sea if it is bombarded! That guy Zheng Yiguan has hundreds of warships, but I only have ten! No matter what No matter what, I will not let my sailors die in vain!"
Colonel Baker felt that Jansen was really crazy. If the fleet stayed in Taiyuan Bay, it would be eaten by Zheng Yiguan. The only way was to leave the port quickly and use the speed advantage of our own warships to deal with the enemy's huge fleet in the open sea. is the correct strategy.
"Okay, the war is imminent, there is no need to argue, it is a waste of time. Shuers, you immediately send the fastest warship, immediately take my personal letter, attach your joint signatures, and set sail for Batavia, Ask the headquarters for help. I approve your fleet to leave the port, but it cannot go south. The Zheng fleet must be contained in the outer sea. It is also possible to attack the enemy's supply fleet. In short, Zheng Yiguan's rear cannot be attacked. !”
Bolger also believed that Baker was right. It would be too ridiculous to use ten warships to resist Zheng Yiguan's huge fleet. The fate of staying in the harbor was indeed as tragic as he said.
Since they can't match the enemy's main fleet, maybe it's good to let them attack Zheng Yiguan's supply fleet. At least this fleet can deal with merchant ships very easily. If it can sink dozens of ships, it will definitely make Zheng Yiguan jealous. Incessantly.
"Okay, I will immediately order the fleet to complete supplies as soon as possible and then leave the port quickly. As long as Zheng Yiguan dares to attack the senior officials, then I will lead the fleet to attack their merchant ships and rear bases."
How much can ten battleships accomplish?
But it’s better than doing nothing.
Baker's words were eloquent, at least in terms of momentum, which made people feel that the fleet could achieve quite good results.
"Vincent, Brian, I agree with your previous suggestions. Reduce the troops, strengthen the walls and clear the country, arm the men, and send women and children to the castle. As long as we can hold on for three months, reinforcements will arrive and we will achieve the final victory. Before our victory, we must negotiate with Zheng Yiguan for a period of time. In this way, when reinforcements arrive, we no longer need to fear Zheng Yiguan's threat."
Internally, Bolger recognized the suggestions of the two senior officers and planned to implement them immediately. This would at least significantly reduce the scope of defense and use limited forces to defend important military facilities.
Externally, it is necessary to paralyze Zheng Yiguan and make him think that his threat has succeeded. The officials are indeed afraid of the Zheng army's upcoming military attack, but they must obtain the consent of the Batavia headquarters before they can withdraw from here.
This will take a certain amount of time. During this period, Zheng Jun cannot attack the generals, otherwise the defenders will fight to the death, and Zheng Jun will also suffer heavy losses. This is detrimental to both parties. I believe Zheng Yiguan also understands this. .
Berg estimated that the headquarters could send at least two thousand soldiers and nearly a hundred ships. By then, the balance of strength between the two sides would change, and the situation would develop in a direction that is beneficial to one's own side.
After everyone at the meeting had no objections, Bolger immediately revised a letter, stamped it with the official seal after everyone signed it, put the letter into a cowhide bag and handed it to the fleet commander, Colonel Schulsbeck.
This bag is where the great officer Junmin's hope lies. As long as the headquarters sees it, reinforcements will be sent, but that will be three months later.
"Gentlemen, for Zheng Yiguan, I plan to give him one hundred thousand taels of silver as a benefit. If that doesn't work, I will continue to add more. The upper limit is five hundred thousand taels of silver!"
Bolger originally only planned to spend one hundred thousand taels of silver, but he felt that just as Keku said, if Zheng Yiguan had already brought hundreds of warships to invade, this little silver could not be spent at all.
Then the upper limit was raised to a whopping five hundred thousand taels. This was only a temporary measure. At this moment of life and death, even if it was to give Zheng Yiguan one million taels of silver, the safety of the senior officials must be kept.
As long as this disaster can be overcome, the Batavia headquarters will definitely pay attention to the defense of the Dajuan area. They can at least increase the size of the garrison to 3,000 people and send 50 warships to permanently station here.
I will then expand the Utrecht Castle on the top of the mountain on a large scale so that it can withstand the enemy's onslaught. The Geranze Castle can also provide fire cover for it, so that I can sit back and relax.
Since the leader was discovered, it has now become a Dutch territory. It is impossible for our side to abandon this place because of Zheng Yiguan's verbal threats or military attacks. Instead, we must lay a solid foundation and finally achieve permanent rule over the entire Formosa Island. .
This is Dutch Formosa, not what Zheng Yiguan said, nor the territory that the Ming Empire considered. The Ming Empire has completely abandoned this place and given it to itself, so from now on, don’t think about it again. Taken back.
"If Zheng Yiguan can accept this condition, that's really a good thing!"
Colonel Vincent Janssen did not want to fight against the powerful Zheng army when his troops were insufficient. He was very sure of the defense of Geranze Castle, but he did not have much confidence in the Utrecht Fort on the top of the mountain.
As long as Utrecht Castle is lost, the defenders of Geranze Castle will definitely not be able to hold on for a month.
If Zheng Yiguan discovers this weakness, he will attack Utrecht Fort at all costs.
Whether we can hold on for three months depends on the fate of Utrecht Castle...
Jansen could send about six companies and about 300 officers and soldiers to defend the fortress, which seemed to be a lot, accounting for almost 30% of the total strength of the defenders.
But the enemy troops they face may be three thousand, six thousand, or even ten thousand!
If I had known this, instead of building a fortress on the sand dune that could not defend itself at all, it would be better to flatten the sand dune directly.
It's too late to say anything now. Jansen has no choice but to make the worst plan while doing his best, hoping that the war will not develop in that direction... 11... Friends who are reading, you can search for "Blue" Chinese website", you can find this site as soon as possible.
