"Sir Lu Fen, the one on the top of the mountain is the Mazu Temple built by the Chinese. It is said to protect them from safety when they go to sea."
"Yes Gullit, I saw that, that funny smoking room, like our bakery in Batavia. We should really tear it down and build our own church in Formosa .”
In the warm and pleasant port of Bengang on Taiwan Island, Dutch businessman Gullit, who had dealt with Zheng Haizhu more than once, was introducing the terrain near the port to Ruffin, a fleet officer of the East India Company.
Not far away from them, sailors from various countries were pushing carts with barrels to the river to fetch water.
This natural harbor in the north of Taiwan Island is home to villages formed by the Pingpu aboriginal people who have cultivated it for generations. Datun Mountain serves as an eye-catching navigation pointer. After the world entered the Age of Discovery, it soon became the European fleet that came to China's waters. "transit station".
The first to arrive here were the Portuguese. After experiencing the storm, the sea explorers suddenly saw this lush land in front of them and named it after the Latin "Formosa", which means "beautiful island".
Therefore, the Spanish, Dutch, and British later called Taiwan "Formosa".
Gurlitt had transactions with the envoys of the Emperor of Heaven in Yuegang, and was the first to report to the East India Company that Yan Siqi, the military attaché of the Ming Dynasty, was stationed in southern Taiwan. Governor Cohen regarded him as a "China expert" and promoted him to the company's special The advisor instructed him to take advantage of the opportunity of visiting Chinese coastal traders in the spring of the new year to accompany Ruffin, the right-hand man of Reyoz, commander of the East India Company fleet, to plan how to establish a Far Eastern stronghold.
"Sir Lu Fen, that Mazu Temple was built by the Ming Dynasty General who already ruled the South Island," Gulit explained in a cautious tone, "that General Yan, the ships in the South Island are getting more and more... Many. Although he has not yet interfered with our free trade, he often raises his "Yan" flag and sails his Junk ship outside the harbor. I asked a Japanese captain who knows our Hirado Kaikan , he said that General Yan refused the gold sent by the captains of various countries, and only warned them not to harass the Pingpu natives here. And if he found them robbing Chinese merchant ships nearby, he would definitely retaliate in kind."
"Heh..." Ruffin laughed, "This Chinese general, maybe the Japanese and Portuguese will be afraid of him, well, plus the Spanish. But our East India Company doesn't have to be afraid of him. We just occupied Batavia. , is this General Yan more powerful than the prince there?"
Batavia would later become Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1619 AD, the Dutch did replace the Portuguese and became the new masters of the trade center from the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.
Gullit was certainly proud of this, but he also wanted to earn a few years of re-export trade money before the Chinese people could react. Therefore, he was a little worried that Lu Fen's arrogance would offend the Ming Empire too soon.
Sure enough, next, Ruffin patted him on the shoulder and said: "Gulit, when our fleet builds a fortress on Penghu Island and mounts cannons, you go and talk to the Fujian officials. We want to be like the Portuguese." Just like we get Macau, we get the privileges of northern Formosa and Penghu Island. If they don't agree, we will go to war directly."
After the proud officer finished speaking confidently, he saw a Dutch sailor running hurriedly from the port.
"Sir Ruffin, Mr. Gullit, the Japanese, the Japanese want to duel us!"
…
In front of a red seal ship on the seawall, Japanese and Dutch sailors, holding Japanese swords and swords respectively, faced each other.
"These Japanese were also fetching water from the river just now. We did not provoke them. The strongest one among them suddenly picked up a bucket and poured it on our companions."
The Dutch sailor ran and crackled his report to Ruffin.
Ruffin asked Gullit: "Have you ever robbed this ship's cargo before?"
Gullit looked up at the Japanese ship that had just docked in the harbor and said to Ruffin: "I have definitely never encountered it at sea. The key point is, Chief Ruffin, we have gone through a lot of hard work to get to Hirado." The Dutch Guild Hall was established in Hong Kong and we had the opportunity to sell goods to the Japanese. How could we seize Japanese ships?"
As soon as Gulit finished speaking, he heard the woman's Chinese words coming from behind him: "I guess it's because of your hard work that the Japanese are looking for bad luck with you."
He quickly turned around and saw Zheng Haizhu and a young woman with a high nose, deep eyes, and fair complexion standing side by side.
"Ah, Mrs. Zheng, my old friend, you are here too!"
Zheng Haizhu only nodded to Gulit and glanced at Lu Fen with a sword hanging on his waist.
Zheng Haizhu was so far away just now that he couldn't see the details of the people traveling with Gulit.
At this moment, when her eyes moved upward, she caught the "voc" embroidered logo on the collar of Ruffin's uniform, which was more like a military uniform. When she met the sharp and cold eyes of Ruffin and Gullit, which were completely different, she felt a shiver in her heart.
VOC is the embroidered logo of the Dutch East India Company.
Although Zheng Haizhu was waiting for Gullit to jump in today's game, she really didn't expect that she seemed to encounter soldiers from the East India Company at the same time.
Zheng Haizhu quickly looked away indifferently, said briefly to the woman next to her, and pulled her to the Japanese sailor who was about to lead the fight with the Dutch.
The woman who looked very European, when she spoke, it turned out to be Portuguese. And the Japanese sailor could actually speak a few words of Portuguese.
Gullit, whose mind was spinning rapidly, suddenly understood something.
On the Zhuyin ship, a Japanese who looked like the captain also stepped off the ship. After seeing Zheng Haizhu, he seemed to be quite polite. He chatted with the mixed-race woman for a few more words, then immediately turned around and scolded the sailors on his side, and then came to Gulit In front of Ruffin, he spoke apologetically in Portuguese.
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The mixed-race woman translated in accented Chinese to Zheng Haizhu. Zheng Haizhu looked worried about how to make gestures, but Gullit showed his signature wink.
"Mrs. Zheng, I can understand what Ming Guo said now. You see, it's quite good."
Zheng Haizhu smiled: "As long as you understand, as I just said, these Japanese are Portuguese Catholics. After you Dutch came to Japan and spoke ill of the Portuguese church, of course they hated you."
Gullit had a stern look on his face, and then translated in Dutch for Ruffin.
Although Ruffin was a murderous and aggressive officer, he still kept in mind the company's current order not to conflict with the Japanese, so he suppressed his anger and showed a forced smile to the Japanese captain.
The sailors on both sides finished their work and returned to the ship pushing the buckets.
The Japanese captain spoke a few more words to Zheng Haizhu, pointed in the direction of the Zhuyin Ship's cabin, then bowed deeply and said goodbye to her.
Zheng Haizhu heard Gurlit talking quietly to Lu Fen behind him, apparently introducing the origin of this Chinese woman.
She turned around and faced the two Dutchmen again. The cold arrogance in Ruffin's eyes had faded a bit.
Gullit said with great interest: "Mrs. Zheng, that Japanese captain respects you very much."
Zheng Haizhu pouted: "It's just because I help him make money."
"Oh? Those incredibly beautiful silks and delightful black tea you sold to me, do you also sell them to them?"
"No, they don't drink black tea, and they are not interested in silk. They asked me to buy it because they were human beings."
"people?"
Gulit looked at the Zhuyin Ship again, with complicated colors in his eyes.
"Mrs. Zheng, are you..."
Zheng Haizhu followed Gullit's habit of shrugging and said disapprovingly: "You Dutch can do slave trading, but I can't? Mr. Gullit, I heard that you occupied Batavia this year. Sugar cane is grown there. It’s a great place, do you want to buy some Fujian people?”
Gullit opened his mouth in surprise.
How could a woman speak of her fellow man with such indifference.
You know, at the banquet in Batavia, when the governor's wife heard that 10% of the black slaves sold by the Netherlands to the Americas would die at sea, she was very sad. She pulled the governor and made the sign of the cross on her chest several times.
