After preliminary communication, Yan Yingyuan naturally would no longer treat these natives as prisoners, and some necessary improvements in conditions would still have to be provided. For example, food, clothing and other necessary things.
While giving them these things, Yan Yingyuan also asked his soldiers to begin to understand the situation in Ceylon that these indigenous people knew, including the topography of Ceylon and the surrounding areas, as well as the distribution of various forces, including the Dutch, and The various tribes in the Kingdom of Kandy and their strength, etc.
Although these natives do not actually understand the true internal power structure, military deployment, etc. of the Kingdom of Kandy. I don't know how strong the Dutch are, how many troops they have, etc., but at least it can give the Ming army a clearer understanding of the surrounding situation.
Subsequently, Yan Yingyuan made arrangements for this situation. As for the indigenous people, most of them were returned to their tribes, while some of them, including Labraca, boarded the Ming army's warship and sailed away. .
………………
The Kingdom of Kandy was independent from the Kingdom of Koti and became increasingly powerful. After the Kingdom of Koti was finally defeated by the Portuguese, it became the largest indigenous kingdom in Ceylon.
The contemporary king Rajsinghe II, when he was still a prince, annihilated an army of 508 Portuguese soldiers and 5,000 Sinhala soldiers led by Gustadino Dessa in one fell swoop, thus making him Become famous.
However, in the coastal areas, because Portugal's firearms and artillery were too powerful, and with the cooperation of warships, Rajsinhe II had no choice but to retreat inland.
But he was unwilling to do so, so he found foreign aid and signed a treaty to cooperate in expelling the Portuguese. You know, this was done on the basis of the peace treaty he signed with the Portuguese, which shows his ambition.
However, what he didn't expect was that the Dutch were also feeding unfamiliar wolves. For this reason, he came up with ways to deal with the Dutch. One of the methods was after the Portuguese knew that the Dutch were going to attack. Wherever he evacuated, he would be the first to send people to occupy it. To do this, he would have to send enough scouts along the coast.
On this day, he was dealing with government affairs, and his brows never relaxed as he listened to the news reported by his subordinates.
"...Your Highness, this year's taxes are only so much." The subordinate reported with a grimace.
After hearing this, Rajsinghe II couldn't help but slam the table and shouted: "Didn't we increase taxes? Why are they still less and less every time? What do you do for food? How can you fight with this little food?"
"Your Highness, it's not that the humble ministers are not trying their best, it's that they really have no food!" After hearing this, the subordinate quickly said.
"Hmph!" Rajsingh II heard a heavy snort and said with a ferocious expression, "They are all a bunch of unscrupulous people. They must have hidden the food. Bring more people and kill a few. If you pay, we will capture all their women and children, and if you want people, give them food in exchange!"
Ceylon is roughly pear-shaped, with plateaus in the south and plains in the north and coastal areas. The coastal plains in the north are wide and the coastal plains in the south and west are relatively narrow. But no matter what, the plains are close to the sea. There are frequent wars in this plain area, and the economy of the Kingdom of Kandy will naturally not be good.
Since Rajeshinh II came to power, he was not willing to sign the peace agreement and has been fighting. As a result, food is naturally in short supply every year. This was not the only time he lost his temper over food.
His men also understood this, and after receiving his new will, they had no choice but to retreat and follow it.
The subordinate just retreated. As soon as Rajsinghe II rubbed his aching head a few times, he heard hurried footsteps again outside the palace. A chamberlain reported: "Your Highness, there is an emergency in Lakava." Military situation, please see me!”
When Rajsinghe II heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned. This LaCava was the leader of the scouts he sent out, responsible for monitoring the movements of the Dutch and Portuguese so that he could get news in time and get chestnuts from the fire.
When he comes, it must be about the Netherlands and the Portuguese. Maybe the Dutch are going to attack the Portuguese again!
Thinking of this, Rajsinghe II couldn't help but feel a little excited. As long as he sends troops there, finds the right opportunity, and takes the first step to occupy the place abandoned by Portugal, and then threatens the Dutch with food supply, then he can occupy another territory. .
With this thought in mind, he put down his hands, maintained the demeanor of a king, nodded and ordered his scout leader to enter the palace.
However, what he never expected was that Lakava appeared in a hurry. As soon as he entered the palace gate, he hurriedly knelt down and reported in a panic: "Your Highness is not well, the Portuguese have all left..."
"..." The Portuguese are all gone, why can't they still talk to themselves? Rajsinghe II was a little speechless, so he interrupted and shouted, "Isn't it a good thing to leave? Just follow the usual rules!"
When he was talking about this, he heard LaCava's last words before being interrupted: "...I don't even want Colombo..."
"What?" Rajsinghe II was very shocked when he heard this. He stood up with a "swish" and shouted, "Colombo is about to be captured by the Dutch? Hurry, assemble the army immediately and be sure to enter Colombo before the Dutch." I took it before!"
Colombo was so strong that he was helpless. He never thought that one day he would have the opportunity to enter Colombo. Of course he was extremely excited.
"No... no!" Lakava said hurriedly when he heard this, "There are already people in Colombo. It seems that the Portuguese themselves handed over Colombo to those people, not those troops!"
"Army? What army?" When Rajsinhe II heard this, he frowned and stared at him and asked.
"They are wearing red clothes. There are many, many, more than two hundred warships." Lakava immediately replied, "But one thing is strange. These new people don't have red hair or white skin. They don't seem to be Westerners." Yi!"
This scout leader has never left Ceylon in his life. Apart from the natives of Ceylon, the only people he had ever seen were the Dutch and the Portuguese, as well as the servants that Portugal hired from the Indian peninsula. Therefore, when he looked around, he couldn't tell what was coming. But one thing is for sure, with such uniform clothing and neat weapons, they are definitely from the army.
Rajsinghe II was shocked when he heard this, and immediately asked about the specific situation. Compared with his scout leader, he had more knowledge, so in the end he came to the conclusion in surprise: "Could it be the Ming army?"
No one could answer him, but he quickly made a judgment, it must be the Ming army!
Previously, Rajsinghe II already knew that the Ming Dynasty and Portugal were allies. Now the Portuguese actually gave Colombo to the Ming Dynasty. He did not believe that the Ming army would return the place to him. This can be confirmed by the Ming army's deployment in Colombo described by Lakava.
After understanding this, the worry on his face was obvious. There were so many Ming troops coming at once. It can be said that those who came were not kind and those who were kind would not come!
What should we do?
After thinking for a moment, he suddenly recalled that he had read in that book that the Ming army had also come to Ceylon more than two hundred years ago. However, as long as you express your surrender to the Ming Emperor and send something as a tribute, everything seems to be fine, and you can even get more gifts in return. It is a very profitable business.
Thinking of this matter, Rajsinghe II couldn't help but turn from worry to joy. But after all these years, he didn't know whether the rumors were true or not.
So, he ordered Lavaca: "You immediately send someone to contact us, and say that I admire the power of the Ming Dynasty, and that I am willing to make the Ming Dynasty the king of heaven. I will pay tribute every year. I hope the Ming army can return Colombo to us!"
Lakava's eyes widened when he heard this. How could there be such a good thing in the world? To be honest, he didn't believe it at all! However, since Rajsinghe II had already given the explanation, he quickly took the order and went to try it.
As for Rajsinghe II, he quickly got into his collection and wanted to find records about the Ming army based on his impressions. But it was too long ago, and it was not found in the end.
So, he prayed to the gods: "I hope the rumors are true!"
If Ming Guo still liked that kind of imaginary things as before, he wouldn't mind saying more flattering words to make the Ming Guo Emperor happy.
In a hurry, Rajsinghe II even began to think about how to flatter and how to make Emperor Long Yan of the Ming Dynasty happy.
But before he could relax for a few days, LaCava came back in a panic. This time, he was even more frightened than the last time, and Rajsinhe II immediately felt something bad when he saw it.
Then I heard Lakawa report: "Your Highness, it's bad, those Ming troops want to occupy the entire Ceylon, and they have also said that they will give those lowly slaves a good life, and will take the fields from our hands and give them to them. …”
He didn't even see the Ming army. Instead, he captured the natives who were put back by the Ming army. After inquiring about some of the situation, he came back so scared that he pissed himself.
After hearing his report, Rajsinghe II suddenly turned pale. He really didn't expect that the Ming army's approach was so different. They wanted to kill them and give the land to the untouchables. This was completely No more negotiation!
"Since I can defeat the Portuguese, I can also defeat outsiders like you!" Rajsinghe II made a vicious oath, but he did not forget that the Ming army had a lot of people coming this time.
Therefore, he immediately told Lakava: "You immediately take a batch of food and rush to the Dutch first, reaffirm the friendship between the two countries, and deal with the Ming army together. Reorganize the army alone, and we will arrive soon!"
Rajsinghe II was still capable. He immediately decided that while the Ming army had just arrived and was not familiar with the situation, he would unite with the Dutch and use the strongest strength to defeat the Ming army immediately or drive it away. OK!
Miaoshuwu
