Bolger felt that there was nothing wrong with relying on the sky to defend. Without frequent storms, it would be extremely difficult to hold on for just one month, let alone three months.
I wonder what kind of generous conditions the Ming Empire offered to make Zheng Yiguan, the pirate leader, work so hard that he mobilized the entire fleet to attack the leader.
He believed that it was just a count title without actual benefits. The Ming Empire's court would never allow Zheng Yiguan to accept this offensive order happily.
But Bolger did not have any informants in the capital, so he had no way of knowing the inside information of the Ming Empire. The so-called news was all obtained from the "Jingshi Daily".
There are all kinds of news on this, but there are very few about military aspects. The original intention of doing this is clearly to deliberately avoid leaking any military secrets.
From the contents of the newspaper, Bolger could know that the crown prince of the Ming Empire used the method of confiscating the family property to reverse the previous financial dilemma. The empire's financial situation suddenly improved greatly and it became very rich.
But Zheng Yiguan was not short of money. The Zheng Group's financial resources even exceeded those of the Ming Empire. Only millions of taels of silver could not buy the pirate leader and let him spend all he had.
We must first figure out the mystery. At present, we can only know the truth through testing during the negotiation process, or by capturing the opponent's senior generals during battle.
There may be a strong tide tomorrow night. If Zheng Yiguan leads his fleet into Taiyuan Bay, will he really bring the fleet to an abrupt halt and then choose to negotiate with his own side?
If he were Zheng Yiguan, he would have to fight first and then go back to the negotiation table if he could not take advantage of the situation to win the Castle of Relanja.
Thinking of this, Bolger's mood became even heavier.
Assume that Zheng Yiguan leads 400 warships to attack the Castle of Relanja. Each warship is only equipped with four naval guns, and only two of them can cause damage to the walls of the castle. The total number is as many as 800.
No bastion in the mainland had ever encountered such a large-scale bombardment, but he encountered such a thing in the east. Bolger really felt an indescribable feeling of depression.
Fifty thousand Spanish troops may not necessarily be equipped with 800 artillery pieces, but Zheng Yiguan's army not only has so many artillery pieces, but also tens of thousands of soldiers, and they only want to besiege a castle.
What makes Berg even more troubled is that the Castle of Geranze is not as indestructible as it looks or says. In fact, it is just a half-finished fortress.
Due to terrain limitations, the Castle of Geranje only has six bastions and five half-moon forts to block enemy attacks, but there are no other concave-corner forts and crown forts.
The trench in front of the castle was not dug deep enough at all, and the sloping embankment that was supposed to cooperate with the city's artillery to kill enemy soldiers was not built at all.
It was supposed to build an outer ring of fortresses based on the existing fortifications to form an inner and outer two-layer defense system to ensure the absolute safety of the Castle of Geranze. However, due to limited budget, it had to be abandoned.
What's even more terrible is that the top of the mountain behind can overlook the outer city. If an artillery position is set up there, the cannonballs can be fired into the Castle of Geranze.
At the beginning of the planning, this place was not suitable for building a castle at all, because it was vulnerable to enemy bombardment from the top of the mountain. Instead, a town with only waterways was more suitable.
If the location of the Castle of Geranze was built in the town, its defensive capabilities would be fully utilized and its weaknesses would no longer exist.
If the garrison is increased to two thousand and a dike is built around the outside of the castle, then even if Zheng Yiguan dispatches 20,000 soldiers to attack and has a fleet to assist, it will not be easy to capture this place in a short time.
Before the army was about to press the border, Berg began to re-examine the Castle of Geranze and found that it was not satisfactory. On the contrary, the shortcomings and weaknesses were very obvious.
Zheng Yiguan will launch an attack on Dajuan as early as tomorrow night. If his invasion of his own waters is included, then his fleet has officially invaded the Dajuan area.
Bolger knew that he was powerless to prevent this situation from happening. At present, he could only delay the attack of the pirate group led by Zheng Yiguan as much as possible through negotiation.
The defenders who received the order were already busy and began to clean the artillery and sort out the ammunition on the bunker at the head of the city. The scattered rows of torches in the inner city and the outer city illuminated the Castle of Relanja in distinct layers.
The soldiers drove the carriages to load all the food they could collect from the town and transport it to the castle. As long as it was food, it would be piled in the open space between the buildings, waiting for shipment.
The transportation convoys kept coming and going between the castle and the town, which directly alarmed all the people. The military families who got the inside information began to pack their bags and prepare to flee the place.
However, Bolger still had a better move. An official notice was posted saying that Zheng Yiguan's pirate group was about to attack Da Yuan, especially Da Yuan Island, which would be their number one target.
Currently, the pirate fleet has blocked the waters off Taiyuan Island. Any Dutch merchant ship that goes to sea will be captured or sunk by it. All consequences of going to sea without authorization will be borne by the ship owner.
Only Blinder knows the specific location of Zheng Yiguan's fleet, so he is not afraid of this announcement. He insists on quickly replenishing his fleet, and then leaves the port immediately, taking his family and children with him, and runs to Manila first. .
He didn't intend to tell the secret to his colleagues. After all, he bought it for six thousand silver coins. The value of the money would be fully reflected when the other competitors in the town were robbed by Zheng Yiguan's fleet. .
Perhaps from now on, he will become the strongest Dutch businessman in the entire Da Yuan region, and even from Japan to the Philippines. This is what he wants.
Blinder wished that all these colleagues would die under the gunfire of Zheng Yiguan Group. Without their competition, his business would prosper.
In this fat pig's view, hateful creatures like Peer should not exist in this world. It would be great to be able to use Zheng Yiguan's naval cannon to kill them.
At the same time, the negotiation team sent by Bolger did not arrive at Penghu. Instead, they encountered the Zheng Army fleet waiting for the rising tide again in the sea off the last island of the northern line.
Now, Bolger's assistant David Cillessen and translator He Bin, who followed the messenger Cocu north, finally had the honor to see the enemy fleet mentioned by the messenger. It seemed that their trip was indeed worthwhile.
Although it was already dark, they could still clearly see that the other side's fleet covered almost the entire sea surface within sight. They were resting now, like huge sea monsters, lying silently on the sea.
This is just the forward fleet of the Zheng Group. Zheng Zhifeng asked a warship to take Keku and others to the main fleet not far from here to meet Zheng Zhilong there.
"Hello, Mr. Cocu, we met again. I wonder what good news you brought me this time. Could it be that Mr. Bolger agreed to our request?"
Zheng Zhilong was in a good mood, received the three of them with a smile, and even let them taste a kind of tea brewed with Fujian specialty tea leaves.
"Mr. Earl, this is a personal letter entrusted to you by Mr. Bolger, the chief minister. I hope you can read it!"
Since Bolger did not agree to Zheng Yiguan's request at all, Kecu was also very cautious when speaking and did not directly answer the other party's questions.
"Oh? Really? Then let me take a look! He Bin, long time no see!"
Zheng Yiguan had long expected that the other party would not easily agree to withdraw from the army. His ultimatum was based on the template given by a certain prince. The conditions were very harsh and absolutely unacceptable to the Dutch.
"Yes, congratulations to Yiguan for becoming an earl. I hope that uncle will be merciful because he remembers his past friendship!"
He Bin had been sleeping with Zheng Zhilong before, but later he turned to the Dutch, who gave him greater benefits. It was not considered a betrayal, and Zheng Zhilong didn't care about it at all.
Now that Zheng Zhilong not only became Zhenhai Bo, but also led an army to suppress the situation, He Bin felt a little scared, and his words were full of flattery.
However, there is no need to worry that the two colleagues will regard this content as collaboration with the enemy, because He Bin spoke in Fujian, and Cocu and Cilesen could not understand it at all.
He Bin and his father were working for a living in Dayuan Town, doing business where middlemen took advantage of the price difference, and had little to do with oppressing the Ming farmers on the shore.
To say that the father and son are good people is a bit reluctant. They have done no less bad things than pirates, but classifying them as bad people is a bit serious. At least they will not kill innocent people indiscriminately. What they do is the standard of civilized people, and the same is true of cheating people. Eat some benefits secretly.
"Haha, easy to say, easy to say!"
Zheng Zhilong chuckled lightly and agreed to this old friend's euphemistic request. How to do it depends on his mood. At the moment, he has absolute initiative. Let alone an old friend, even the entire senior staff can't. Be intimidated by your own power.
Xuan Ji lowered his head and read Bolger's autographed letter. The content was no surprise, that is, the other party planned to bribe him and offered one hundred thousand taels. The meaning was obvious. This price was not the final price. As long as his side could withdraw its troops, it would be fine. improve.
"Uncle Ben believes that the senior official is worth tens of millions of taels of silver. If Mr. Bolger is only willing to pay 1% of the total price, which is one hundred thousand taels, to deal with Uncle Ben, then Uncle Ben will think that he has no sincerity in negotiating. This will There is no need to continue the negotiation, it is just a waste of time! When you go back, you can tell Mr. Bolger that Ben Bo hopes that he can come up with five million taels of silver before noon tomorrow. Otherwise, at the latest Day and night, my army will arrive at the city, and your party will be in catastrophe!"
Five million taels of silver was Zheng Zhilong's psychological price. If Bolger was really willing to pay it, this battle would not have to be fought. It could at least be postponed until next year, and he would make an explanation to the prince.
However, from the current point of view, the other party is only willing to invest one hundred thousand taels, which is a bit too shabby. Zheng Zhilong wants to let the extremely stingy Bolger know that cherishing money as much as life will result in losing both human and financial resources.
He mobilized most of the Zheng family's fleet not just to negotiate the price. If the two sides really couldn't reach an agreement, they would fight, and they would definitely not show mercy.
If his own side suffers heavy casualties, Zheng Zhilong will definitely try his best to make up for it, and he is determined not to make it easy for the red barbarians in the Relanja Castle.
"...Five million taels? This...uncle, can you lower the price a little?"
He Bin felt that Bolger would never agree to the price offered by Zheng Zhilong. The first negotiation collapsed. From now on, there was really no need to talk. He could just show his arms, roll up his sleeves, and take action.
"Four million taels of the five million taels will be handed over to the court. I will keep one million taels, which is not too much. If Mr. Bolger cannot accept it, then there is no need to talk about it. The next day at the latest, Ben Bo will I will lead my fleet to take it myself!"
The astronomical tide will occur in the two nights after tomorrow. That's why Zheng Zhilong replied to He Bin in this tone. When the entire fleet rushes into Damuan Bay, Bolger will wait to be killed by a blunderbuss in the Castle of Relanja. .
Didn't he think this castle was indestructible?
Then take this opportunity to see whether it is the tip of my spear or your shield that is stronger!
"Mr. Cillessen said that this condition can be agreed to, but they don't have that much cash on hand and it must be transferred from the Batavia headquarters. They have to give it a grace period of four months. During this period, you cannot impose any sanctions on the senior officials. Any attack!"
After He Bin explained to Bolger's assistant David Cillessen, the Dutchman seemed very tactful and immediately stabilized Zheng Zhilong, intending to paralyze the opponent. It would be a day if he could delay it.
"Hahahaha... Why didn't he, Hongyi, say that he wanted four years of grace? Are you a fool? Is this an obvious delaying strategy? Do you think I can't see through it? Tell him that the time that I just set will not be changed. When the time comes, our fleet will definitely take the Castle of Relanja directly, and one hundred thousand soldiers will land on Taiyuan Island, and we will definitely annihilate all the enemies who are stubbornly resisting!"
As for Cilesen's clumsy trick, Zheng Zhilong knew the intention as soon as he heard it. Soldiers are very fast, and they must not wait until then to use troops against senior officials. What's more, the typhoon is coming soon, and they must attack first within three days. once.
This time is considered a tentative attack. We need to find out the firepower of the castle and Hongyi's troop deployment in the surrounding areas. Then, after the typhoon passes, we can mobilize the land division to besiege the Relanja Castle with all our strength and try to defeat it in one battle.
Zheng Zhilong already has the map drawn by the prince himself, and it is accompanied by a detailed attack plan. He is very capable of seizing the important officials occupied by Hongyi. He will never allow the other party to tease him and continue to occupy this place.
If you don't want to spend enough money and don't want to leave, the best way to deal with this kind of people is to use a blunderbuss to make them understand that if they don't leave, they will never leave again!
"Uncle, Mr. Cillessen said that the capital belongs to the Netherlands, and part of the island of Formosa also belongs to the Netherlands. You have no right to attack the capital! The Castle of Geranze is indestructible. If you insist on attacking here, then you must will suffer an unprecedented heavy blow. When the East India Company mobilizes thousands of warships to help in the battle, everything owned by the uncle, including the fleet, base and wealth, will be in vain, and the East India Company will be the final winner. !”
He Bin relayed Cilesen's warning. They owned the Castle of Geranje and had the strong support of the East India Company, so they were not afraid of Zheng Yiguan's threat of force.
"Okay! Let's wait and see! See off the guests!"
Zheng Zhilong already has the anti-ship missile as a secret weapon. When he uses it in the decisive battle with the support fleet sent by the East India Company, Hongyi will definitely learn an unforgettable lesson.
