The situation of the Dutch was soon learned by the Spaniards on Luzon Island. Because the two sides have a hostile relationship, they have always paid close attention to each other.
Not to mention in Western Europe, in the Far East alone, just two years ago, the Dutch attacked the Spanish stronghold in Dajuan twice and finally drove the Spanish away.
Diego Fajardo Chaquin, the Spanish governor of Luzon who took office in the 17th year of Chongzhen's reign, was a military governor who always wanted to regain his position.
According to the Spaniards' own records, this man was indeed good at fighting. He was not sociable and was very harsh and cruel to others. He had a typical military style.
In the eighteenth year of Chongzhen, he had been commanding the Spanish fleet to fight the Dutch warships near Luzon, and he won more than he lost.
However, on the evening of November 30th, a major earthquake occurred in Manila, causing serious damage. Five days later, on December 5th, the same major earthquake occurred again, which forced Chakun to temporarily suspend military operations.
If the original historical development is followed, after Batavia learned about the situation in Manila, in the next year, that is, in February of the 19th year of Chongzhen, he organized a fleet of eighteen sailing warships and launched an initiative to Manila in three batches. attack.
However, in this dimension, because the Dutch Governor-General Carlon suddenly attacked the Ming Dynasty Navy at the end of the 18th year of Chongzhen, he temporarily gained control of the southeastern coast and made a large amount of protection money, which made Batavia He immediately changed his mind and sent five sail warships to support the officers.
Regarding the battle with the Spaniards, Batavia believed that the benefits obtained were far less than those of the big officials, so they gave up the initiative to attack and began to coordinate more warships to ensure the interests of the big officials.
It can be said that the Dutch are actually very arrogant here in Nanyang.
Not only did they go to war with the Spanish, but they also took the initiative to attack the Portuguese in the Strait of Malacca and occupied it.
In addition, they intervened in the war in Annan, creating a situation in which the Portuguese supported northern Annan and the Dutch supported southern Annan.
Now, Batavia has discovered the greater interests. It is like a cat smelling fish, so it starts to coordinate the warships from these places, and wants to join more senior officials to ensure the interests there.
After the Spaniards learned of this situation, of course they were jealous. They come all this way just for money.
In fact, the Spanish Governor in Manila, Chaquin, was also an arrogant person. In the original history, when he learned about the demise of the Ming Dynasty, he reported to the Spanish King that he would be given 12 warships and 10,000 men. , he would be able to dedicate the Ming Kingdom to the King of Spain.
However, as far as the Far East is concerned, the strongest ones are the Dutch.
The Spanish can fight the Dutch near Luzon, but if they leave the vicinity of Luzon, they are no match for the Dutch. For this reason, they were anxious when they saw that the Dutch enjoyed spicy food there!
Unable to compete, Chakun sought urgent help from Mexico and once again began to collect high ID taxes and rents within Luzon.
In the twelfth year of Chongzhen's reign, the Spaniards had already done this once, and after encountering resistance from the Chinese, they carried out a massacre. Now, six years later, they are starting again.
In terms of implementation, the massacre of Chinese people in the twelfth year of Chongzhen was not the first time. It had happened twice before. They were once in the 30th year of Wanli and again six years later. This is the third time in the twelfth year of Chongzhen.
If the original historical development is followed, when the Spaniards heard that Zheng Chenggong was going to conquer Luzon south, they would have carried out another massacre.
The reason why they massacred the Chinese so unscrupulously is because every time they massacred, they received no retribution or punishment.
Therefore, these Spaniards believed that it would always be like this.
This time, again, a high tax will be levied first, and either money or life will be given.
And the Dutch certainly don't really follow the rules and constantly increase protection fees to obtain greater benefits.
For a time, Ming people were regarded as fat sheep along the southeastern coast of Ming Dynasty and even in Nanyang.
Against this background, Ming merchants who went to Nanyang for sea trade finally suffered. They either turned to other places for sea trade, such as Ryukyu, Japan, etc.; or they began to seek help from people in the court and called on the court to send troops.
In this regard, Zhang Mingwei certainly would not miss the opportunity. While preparing for military war, Ming Pao started public opinion propaganda.
He personally wrote the book and, in the name of Wubai of the Central Plains, began to expose the true face of the Western colonists and expose their numerous crimes of oppressing the locals wherever they went. In particular, they focus on describing the oppression of overseas Ming people.
In the articles he wrote, he would end up emphasizing that without a strong motherland, those Ming people who went to sea would not be protected, and instilled in them that only the motherland is their strong backing. Instead of giving money to others and thinking it will be fine.
At the same time, Emperor Chongzhen also issued a clear edict, contrary to previous arguments, emphasizing that overseas Chinese were also citizens of the Ming Dynasty. Anyone who dares to bully the people of Ming Dynasty will not be spared lightly.
Under such an offensive of public opinion, people's hatred towards Xiyi was aroused. Those maritime merchants also recognized the facts and began to actively pay taxes and even funds to the court, hoping that the court could rebuild the navy as soon as possible, escort them, and even seek revenge.
On the Haojingao side, after the Portuguese received the notice from the local government, they kept delaying the reply.
For them, of course, they hope that the Ming Dynasty and the Netherlands will go to war. However, it would be undesirable for them to serve as vanguards.
The Strait of Malacca was originally their sphere of influence, but it was taken away by the Dutch and they had no choice. The Dutch even threatened the Ming Dynasty not to trade with the Portuguese. In all these cases, both sides have grudges.
But they had no choice but to defeat the Dutch and could only guard Hao Jing'ao. They really don't want to go out of Hao Jing'ao to fight the Dutch.
However, as the situation developed, the Portuguese clearly felt the atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty.
If we say, who among the Western Yi has the best understanding of the Ming Dynasty? There is no doubt that they must be the Portuguese from Hao Keng O.
After their discussion, they felt that with the Ming Dynasty's domestic stability, the emperor had issued a clear decree. Ming Dynasty would definitely win at the door of Ming Dynasty. At the moment, it's just that the navy has suffered heavy losses, which makes the Dutch arrogant in the short term.
Therefore, Hao Jing'ao's council and the military leader, Governor Du Chen, decided to officially declare war, but they also made it clear that their power was no match for the Dutch. In response, the imperial court ordered their fleet to return Entering the Fujian Navy, they will be under the unified command of the Ming Army.
After the Dutch heard about it, they sent ten more sailing warships from Batavia to rush to the chief officer. As a result, the Dutch governor-general Caron already had twenty-five sailing warships, reaching the peak of his military strength.
At this time, it was already June of the 19th year of Chongzhen.
Caron held a military meeting and expressed his ambition to his men: to defeat the remaining naval forces along the coast of the Ming Army, including of course the Portuguese warships, before the typhoon season in July and August, and to achieve a real victory in this area. overlord.
Because in the past, Caron had too few warships, and the ocean was so big, it was enough to intercept the ships, let alone attack the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty.
Although the previous sneak attacks had caused heavy losses to the Ming Dynasty navy, the Ming Dynasty was on alert and it was still a little powerless to attack the Ming Kingdom's coastline.
However, many sea ships sail along the coastline, and there are quite a few of them. The Dutch were very unwilling to receive the protection fees for these ships.
Now Caron has twenty-five main battleships. According to their belief, the combat power of the Ming Navy is one to five, or even one to ten. It can at least be worth two of the Ming Navy. Three hundred warships. Even if you fight on the boundless sea, you can directly defeat the warships of the Ming Dynasty.
Just like that, after Caron gave an order, twenty-five sail warships set off from Dayuan in a mighty manner. After first arriving at the Penghu Islands to rest and recuperate, they set out for Xiamen, intending to attack the Ming Dynasty and Portugal there. Combined Fleet.
On this day, the wind was nice and the waves were not big. Caron was on the deck of the flagship, looking high-spirited.
He was very proud. The decision to attack the Ming Navy at the end of last year was really wise. With the amount of profits he had turned over in the past six months, there were already rumors that he would be promoted to governor of Batavia, and he would be in charge of the Dutch East India Company.
If the remnants of the Ming Navy were annihilated again this time and the Netherlands could truly control the entire sea area, including this coastline, then the protection fee he collected could be doubled again. Perhaps, it would be better to force the Ming Kingdom to agree to the Dutch supremacy and set up a trading point on the shore.
It has to be said that the goods of the Ming Dynasty are really synonymous with gold when shipped to Europe, and the profits of several times are really enviable.
Whoever controls this Far Eastern Empire will control the key to wealth!
While he was thinking this, he saw the faint horizon in the distance.
About to arrive!
Caron suddenly became excited. While making preparations for the battle, he took out his monocular and took a look.
But who knows, it would be better not to look at it. When he looked at it, he was immediately dumbfounded.
what's the situation?
Cuaron thought he was dazzled, so he quickly put down the telescope and blinked hard, even rubbing it, and then picked up the telescope and started looking again.
But the result remains the same!
At the same time, the lookout on the mast also exclaimed, proving that Caron was not blind!
