Bolger knew that the battle report data contained some water, and the "moisture content" was not low, but so what? It was impossible for him to fall out with Colonel Jansen's men at this time.
The people who defended the castle of Geranje were all mercenaries, employed by the East India Company. Their loyalty was far less than that of the local regular army, not to mention that some of the people in this army were not Dutch.
The reason why they are loyal to the East India Company is that they can get money. If even this premise does not exist, there will be no need to guard the Dutch Mainland area, because even the most basic combat troops cannot be gathered.
Even if he is being blackmailed, he has to agree first and pay out the bounty in full. It will take nearly three months to report the situation to the reinforcements sent by Batavia. He must first use money to cope with this difficult period. Say it again.
Fortunately, as long as the mercenaries give you enough money, everything is easy to deal with. If they don't even recognize the money and just want to destroy you, then it will be really difficult.
Bolger understood that not only did he have to abide by his agreement with the mercenaries now, he would also do so in the future, because the reinforcements sent by Batavia were all mercenaries!
The entire East India Company's rule in the East Indies and the Dajuan area was based on the military power of mercenaries.
Without the help of nearly ten thousand mercenaries, the Dutch East India Company was just a large shipping company, nothing more, and not much better than its counterparts in other countries.
Bolger dared to violate the previous agreement with the mercenary officer. Even if it was just a verbal promise, he could not break the contract afterwards. Once the trust of the mercenaries is lost, don't expect the mercenaries to be able to hold on to the Castle of Geranze when the enemy troops approach the city.
Mercenaries are the core of the entire East India Company's military strength, and mercenary officers are the backbone of the army. Even Colonel Janssen does not dare to easily have serious conflicts with the captain and company commander below who actually holds military power.
Colonel Jansen did not even have the power to relieve many company commanders of their military power, and the orders he issued could only be implemented with disguised reminders and large bounties.
The employment relationship is so simple and clear. If you don't want to adopt it, you should make the mercenaries your direct subordinates. You feel it is easier to command this way and make your subordinates obey your orders.
In fact, it is easy, very simple. You only need to solve one problem, that is, do you have enough money?
If not, please shut up, otherwise you are wasting everyone's precious time!
There is enough money in the treasury in the Castle of Geranze, but it belongs to the East India Company. Bolger has the right to use it but not to embezzle it. Perhaps it is okay to occupy a small part.
But he didn't dare to think or do it, blatantly taking a large sum of money for himself. When he returned to Batavia to report on his duties, his personal property would be unloaded from the ship. Once he did this, his flaws would be exposed. .
Either you stay in Dagang for the rest of your life and never go back, or you have to transport all your personal property directly to your hometown. These are the only two possible ways.
But this is not a question that should be considered at the moment. As long as the mercenaries below are appeased, the Relanja Castle can continue to hold on. If Zheng Yiguan's pirate army is really hit hard, it will be the best...
"What are you doing? How do you fight?"
After dawn, Zheng Zhi'ao, as the commander of the Zheng Army's Army Division, also obtained a summary of the battle situation. On the top of the mountain and in the surrounding areas, the general found 1,125 bodies of Zheng Army soldiers and 746 additional people. seriously injured.
However, there were only 159 corpses of the Red Yi soldiers and 46 prisoners. The most important thing is that Zheng Zhi'ao learned from the prisoners that only 500 people were dispatched this time, and he was so angry that he almost fainted.
Zheng Jun participated in the war with various ministries. Zheng Ju had 2,000 men, Zheng Shao had 1,000 men, and Zheng Jiaqi and Zheng Baxuan who later supported each sent 1,000 men, for a total of 5,000 men. The number of troops engaged in the battle was ten times that of Hongyi. .
However, the opponent's battle damage ratio was seven times that of his own, and almost all four troops were disabled by the five hundred red barbarians. In addition, Zheng Ju was seriously injured and unconscious. Zheng Shao was slightly injured but was in a low mood.
It can be said that Zheng Jun used 5,000 men to besiege 500 Hongyi, but suffered an unprecedented defeat, which made Zheng Zhi'ao feel more depressed and angry.
The Red Yi soldiers were all huddled in the castle before, and there was nothing we could do against them.
Later, they knew that Hongyi might launch a night attack, but they were unable to prevent it.
If it weren't for the strong strength of Zheng's army, Hongyi would have almost penetrated the defense line and charged directly into the artillery position.
Hu Dawei from the capital didn't laugh at the joke, but Zheng Zhi'ao still had to report the battle situation to Zhenhaibo Zheng Zhilong. How could he express the results of this battle?
The weather was so hot that serious injuries were equivalent to death in battle. Adding in the minor injuries that required recuperation, the 10,000-strong army was directly reduced by 30%. The remaining troops also became in awe of the fierce fighting power of the Red Yi soldiers.
If the other side launches another night attack, I am afraid that half of these 7,000 people will be maimed, and they will have to move troops from the mainland, otherwise they will not be able to defend the ridge at all.
But there is also good news, that is, we learned from the prisoners that there were only 700 defenders in the castle, and another 300 on the east bank. Burg organized another 1,000 minions to guard the castle of Geranze.
Zheng Zhi'ao didn't think that those armed farmers were of much help to the Hongyi. At most, they were equivalent to the rogue bandits in the northern part of the Ming Empire.
As long as the siege and bombardment of the Castle of Geranze continued, the incompetent Burg would have no other options, and his reinforcements were still seven thousand miles away.
Moreover, Zheng Zhi'ao also learned that a ship sailed from Dayuan to Batavia to report the news. It would take about three months to go back and forth, which meant that his side's attack time was only three months at most.
It seems that there is plenty of time, but excluding the time for the storm to come, it is only more than seventy days at most, and several days have been spent. At present, the full calculation is only sixty days, which is two months.
With Hu Dawei's artillery regiment coming to help, Zheng Zhi'ao was confident that he could capture the Castle of Relanja within two months, but the casualties among the soldiers below still gave him a headache.
Not to mention that her brother Zheng Ju had been injured by a bullet and was still rescuing him in the camp in the southern part of Dajuan Island. If he could not save his life, then the Zheng family would have lost another man.
"From now on, we are only allowed to advance, not to retreat! If the troops retreat, they will be beheaded, and if they are about to retreat, they will be beheaded! If anyone feels that the general's words are harsh, you can ask, and the general will immediately transfer him to Kinmen to garrison."
Zheng Zhi'ao regarded the Hongyi attack on the camp on the top of the mountain as a great shame and humiliation. He would have accepted it if the strength of the two armies was equal, or almost the same.
Five thousand soldiers were severely wounded by five hundred red barbarians. Even if the combat power of the soldiers and the red barbarian soldiers was very different, it could be made up by their numbers. Therefore, this can only be explained by the incompetence of the generals.
Zheng Shao, Zheng Jiaqi, Zheng Baxuan and many other generals who were scolded by Zheng Zhi'ao did not dare to be dissatisfied at all. None of them proposed to go to Kinmen, otherwise their future would be in jeopardy.
It's no wonder that Zheng Zhi'ao was so angry. In this night battle, Zheng's army was really unfavorable. Not only did he underestimate the enemy, but his soldiers showed signs of slacking off. As a result, they were killed by the red barbarian soldiers and lost their armor. The whole line almost collapsed.
There are only a thousand Red Yi soldiers in the castle at the foot of the mountain, but the battle between the two armies has ended like this. I really can't explain it to Zhen Haibo. How can I talk about it in person? It is wishful thinking to be promoted to the rank of chief military officer by the imperial court.
"Brother! How is the situation?"
After Zheng Zhi'ao arranged all the frontline units, he rode his horse to the rear camp located in the south of Dayu Island, visited Zheng Ju who was being treated, and asked Zheng Zhilong about the results of the treatment.
"I have already used anesthetics and the elixir given by the Crown Prince, but it will take some time to observe before I can draw a conclusion!"
In order to save his brother, Zheng Zhilong could only take out the only elixir, which was the sulfonamide given to him by the prince. After all, he could not just keep the elixir and watch Zheng Ju pass away.
"...Is this elixir effective?"
Zheng Zhi'ao had never seen the fairy medicine save people, so he asked about it. Maybe it could treat the injured on a large scale.
"I have seen doctors in hospitals in the capital use this medicine to treat seriously injured people. It should have extraordinary effects!"
Zheng Zhilong had seen the efficacy of the elixir with his own eyes. At least it took a much shorter time to take effect than ordinary herbal medicine. This was particularly important when treating seriously injured people.
"Brother, what is the quantity of this elixir? How many people can it be treated?"
If it can work wonders on Zheng Ju, then Zheng Zhi'ao thinks it can work on others, and then this elixir can be used to save lives and heal the wounded.
"There is only this package, which is enough for two or three people. This medicine has a price but no market. One tael of elixir cannot be bought with ten taels of gold. The prince said that the manufacturing process of elixir is complicated and cumbersome, and it must be in It’s done at low temperatures, it’s midsummer now, I’m afraid the elixir has already been discontinued!”
Speaking of the elixir, Zheng Zhilong was very happy, but the dose he got was too small, and he had to weigh it carefully to save his brothers.
"...What should I do?"
Hearing that his brother only had such a small packet in his hand, Zheng Zhi'ao suddenly became worried. When the elixir was used up, if his brother was injured again, wouldn't he be seriously injured and die?
During the attack on Liu Xiang, if this elixir had treated him, so many men of the Zheng family would not have died in the battle. It was a pity. However, the amount of the elixir was too small, and half of it was used by Zheng Ju, so others would not be able to enjoy it.
"If there are any more wounded, we will have to send them to the capital by boat and beg the Crown Prince to come and treat them. There is nothing I can do for you."
Zheng Zhilong is not an expert in this field, but he has a group of doctors under his command. However, they have no good way to deal with serious injuries caused by arrows and bullets. The use of herbal medicine to save lives depends on the injured part and the physical condition of the injured person. .
Sulfa is a poison, but if used in small amounts, it can also have an antibacterial effect. At least when it comes to treating seriously injured people, it is much better than many herbal medicines with the same effect.
For an injury like Zheng Ju's, as long as he doesn't bleed too much, he can stabilize his condition so that it doesn't get worse, and then slowly nurse him back to health. It will probably take a year and a half for him to recover.
The scar will definitely remain, and after it heals, the arm will not be as flexible as before, but as long as you save your life, it will be a great joy.
These days, people who are injured by bullets and still recover are those who have great fortune, great destiny, and great fortune. If Zheng Ju can survive, he will definitely have a feast for three days after he recovers.
As for Zheng Shao, the injury can only be treated with pity. It is just a cut and no bones were damaged. After cleaning the wound, wrap some herbs and pay attention to rest. After some time, the wound will heal.
Zheng Zhi'ao asked Zheng Liangyan to take over Zheng Shao's errand, and adjusted the deployment of troops, allowing Zheng Jiaqi, Zheng Baxuan and Zheng Liangyan to each lead a thousand soldiers to continue to occupy the top of the mountain.
Zheng Liangyan acted as the forward to resist Hongyi's possible sneak attacks, while the other two led his troops to continue to protect Hu Dawei's troops. After gaining experience in the battle, I believe they will not suffer such a big loss again.
"Brother, Yudi can still fight!"
Zheng Zhilong agreed to Zheng Zhi'ao's arrangement, but Zheng Shao was still thinking about revenge. Firstly, he wanted to avenge Zheng Sheng, and secondly, he wanted to kill the Red Yi soldiers who had embarrassed him.
After the war, an inventory showed that as many as 12 of Zheng Shao's soldiers were killed in the battle, and 15 others were seriously injured. This made him heartbroken, and he must take revenge as long as he had the chance.
"...Have a good rest and don't bring up the issue of war again! You also know that the Red Yi has already sent a ship to Batavia to ask for help. The Red Yi reinforcements will arrive within three months, and there will be a war to fight by then!"
Zheng Zhilong sternly rejected his clan brother's request. There were many men in the Zheng clan, and they had occupied the top of the mountain this time. They already had an absolute advantage, and it was not yet to the point where Zheng Shao was injured and went into battle.
The senior officials of the Zheng family, including Zheng Zhilong, were surprised by Hongyi's ability to sail against the wind. They originally did not believe what the prince said, but now they had to believe it with the prisoners' confessions.
It is said that it is three months, but I am afraid that in less than three months, the red barbarian soldiers will come by boat to kill them. Therefore, we must seize the time to attack the Castle of Relanjia and strive to capture this strategic location as soon as possible.
This has to be done by staggering the monthly storms. The Zheng army's camp is located along the ridge, and it is impossible to withstand the invasion of the storm. Before the next storm comes, it must be evacuated to Penghu in advance.
Zheng Zhilong also planned to capture the Relanze Castle within twenty days, but judging from the sneak attack launched by Hongyi at midnight, it appeared that the strength of Hongyi in the castle should not be underestimated, and a long-term plan was necessary.
Fortunately, Zheng Jiaqi and Zheng Baxuan led their troops to block the Hongyi sneak attack on Hu Dawei's headquarters. Otherwise, under heavy protection, the artillery regiment would have been injured by the Hongyi, and Zheng Zhilong would not even have known about the report to the court and the Crown Prince. How to write.
The battle situation reported by Zheng Mingying, who was leading his troops on the east coast, was not very optimistic. After landing, he fought with Hongyi twice and lost twice, so he had to ask for an additional thousand cavalry.
In order to annihilate the red barbarians on the east coast as soon as possible so that they can concentrate their forces to besiege the Relanja Castle, Zheng Zhilong naturally agreed. It was in line with his expectations to annihilate part of the red barbarians on the east coast so that they could not return to Dajuan Island.
Just three to four thousand soldiers were lost overnight, which made Zheng Zhilong quite unhappy.
If they encounter three to four thousand Hongyi reinforcements, even if they lead 50,000 troops, they may not be able to defeat them.
Therefore, it is necessary to block the enemy at sea. Once the Hongyi reinforcements are allowed to land in Dajin, I am afraid that the good situation will be ruined.
After the battle, Zheng Zhilong, who realized that there was a big gap in the combat power of the soldiers on both sides, was also prepared to suffer 10,000 casualties.
It's nothing more than preparing some more pension money. This amount of money is not a worry for him, and it is completely within the range of affordability.
What he cared about most was time. The next storm would arrive before the Hongyi reinforcements, probably around the 20th.
If you can't work it out in one go and take advantage of the situation to conquer the Castle of Geranze, you'll have to start all over again after the storm passes...
