Chapter 6: Your people are watching
"Akito?"
Sultanate of Johor, Batam Island.
The Dutch officer, wearing a blue Dutch army uniform, frowned at the letter in his hand.
"Are they crazy? Let us give up Batam and recognize the Ming Dynasty's rule over the Strait of Malacca?"
"Who is Akito?"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Grandpa Malman of the Johor Sultanate on the other side.
When the Sultanate of Johor was powerful, it was the ruler of the entire Malay Peninsula.
But with the decline of Johor.
The overlord of the entire Malay Peninsula became Siam.
Most of the Muslim countries in the southern part of the peninsula were partially surrendered to the Dutch East India Company and paid tribute to the Dutch.
The other part became a vassal state of the Chakri Dynasty of Siam.
There are also many who serve as ministers to both families at the same time.
With the deepening of East-West trade.
The strategic location of the Strait of Malacca is becoming increasingly important.
The Portuguese and Dutch fought a war over control of the Strait of Malacca more than a hundred years ago.
The Sultanate of Johor sided with the Dutch in this war and was able to retain its status to this day.
Today, the Dutch East India Company is undoubtedly the actual controller of the Strait of Malacca.
They controlled most of the islands between the north and south sides of the strait.
Among them, of course, is Batam, the largest island in the Strait of Malacca.
Batam was later part of the Indonesian province of Rene.
Now it is the territory belonging to the Sultanate of Johor.
The territory of the Johor Sultanate basically included the later Li Nei Islands, Singapore Island, and part of the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.
"That's Chinese."
Malman said with a frown.
"Chinese?"
"Yes, a group of Chinese people who are unwilling to submit to the Qing Empire often call themselves Ming people or Tang people. If they are flying the sun and moon flag... they may be the remnants of the Ming Dynasty."
Marman frowned and said as he looked at the huge fleet that was getting closer and closer.
No reason.
A sense of fear emerged from my heart - the Ming Dynasty was the overlord of this area!
Colonel Van Bronckhorst, the Dutch Governor of the Malacca Strait, opened his monocular and looked at the huge fleet ahead.
The white sails are painted with a very clear logo of the sun and moon flag on a blue background.
"What a huge caravan!"
Compared with the main fleet of the Dutch East India Company.
This fleet is certainly nothing.
Just dozens of armed merchant ships.
However, in Nanyang, there is basically no fleet with such strength under the Dutch East India Company.
At least the several brig cruisers under the Malacca Strait Governor's Office cannot deal with a fleet of this size.
Bronckhorst made a decision after thinking for a while.
"Let the fleet of the Straits Governor's Palace retreat to Batavia for help... We will hold on to Batam."
Bronkhorst said.
"Sailors can also go ashore to fight. In this case... we have nearly 2,000 white soldiers alone, plus more than 6,000 soldiers from the Johor Sultanate, enough to fight them on land."
Bronkhorst said.
“I don’t know where these Chinese people got the courage to come and ask for Batam Island?”
Malman also forced a smile on his face.
“How could an Oriental fight against a white man?”
Bronckhorst smiled slightly, enjoying the compliments of these Eastern barbarians.
"We just need to hold on until the fleet arrives...three days at most!"
Bronkhorst said.
"Furthermore, I don't think these Chinese have the guts to land on Batam, which is guarded by eight thousand troops!"
...........
"What are they doing?"
Zhu Daohua held up his telescope and looked at the island that was getting closer and closer.
Batam is the largest island in the Strait of Malacca.
Follow Lupine's three-step plan.
Show strength to the enemy.
Then we can defeat the Dutch Channel Governor's Palace on Batam Island and the troops of the Johor Sultanate with an absolute advantage.
Originally, Zhu Daohua thought there would be a naval battle first.
did not expect.
The opponent's dozens of small boats left directly, and then relied on the Strait Governor's Castle on Batam Island to assume a posture of fighting against the city.
"They judged that their fleet was at a disadvantage on the sea, so they planned to use their superior forces on land to defend the island."
Napoleon also held up a telescope and observed the situation on the island.
The major who graduated from the artillery department was very excited at this time.
He has never had any actual combat experience, but he does not feel nervous as a rookie.
On the contrary, he became calmer in this situation.
When he made an estimate of the opponent's military strength.
Zhu Daohua's voice sounded a little panicked.
"Can you beat them? They look like there are a lot of them!"
Zhu Daohua was indeed a little nervous.
Also a rookie.
Napoleon was Napoleon, and he was a military strategist who glorified an era.
And he, Zhu Daohua, is a sailor and a doctor...
"Your Highness, how could you have the idea that you can't defeat me?"
Napoleon couldn't laugh or cry.
"Isn't it just over a thousand Dutch and six to seven thousand natives?"
"Even if you don't use our secret weapons, there is absolutely no need to be afraid. You have three hundred elite soldiers who have been rigorously trained, and there are three thousand Swiss mercenaries. This army is not as elite as the adventurers and adventurers of the Dutch East India Company." The natives of Nanyang can compete!"
"I need as few casualties as possible."
Zhu Daohua emphasized.
When Swiss mercenaries die, they die.
He had three hundred Chinese officers under his command, and he would feel bad if any one of them died.
They all studied in orthodox military academies in Europe for five years.
In the East of this era, these three hundred officers were absolutely unique.
"Don't worry, Your Highness."
"We might not even have many casualties!!"
Napoleon said.
"The other side is very trustworthy. They didn't even set up defenses at the port...Maybe they are worried about our naval gun bombardment!"
"So, we can land safely now!"
Napoleon put away his telescope.
"Your Highness, I suggest that mortars be used in this battle... to announce your return!"
Napoleon looked at the group of people craning their necks around the harbor to look toward the sea.
They are Chinese laborers at the port of Batam.
Because of China's population explosion.
In just one hundred years.
China's total population has expanded from about 100 million to the current 300 million.
Especially in mountainous provinces like Guangdong and Fujian.
Mountainous areas already lack arable land.
The population expansion forced the people of Fujian and Guangdong provinces into extreme involution.
Low-intensity wars fought by clans over water sources spread in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and other provinces.
There are also some people who choose to break through the restrictions on the sea and go to sea by boat to make a living in Southeast Asia.
Chinese laborers in Batam.
Most of them are Chaoshan people from Chaoshan area.
They were all staring blankly at the sun and moon flags on the huge fleet that was slowly approaching.
Pad your feet and stretch your neck.
I want to see who this fleet under the banner of the Ming Dynasty is.
"Look...your people are watching!"
Napoleon pointed at them and said.
Zhu Daohua took a deep breath.
people!
Talent is the most important thing.
This battle must be won!
And to win beautifully!
"Yeah, my people are watching!"
Zhu Daohua took a deep breath.
"Monsieur Bonaparte, then... I now grant you full command of the army, and you may use all weapons you deem at your disposal!"
"Including...wooden-handled explosives, mercury fulminate explosives, wooden-handled grenades, and...mortars!"
