Chapter 323: Honorary Title of Friends of the Ming Dynasty
After Governor Luo Bei heard the news of the fleet's defeat, his whole body seemed to have had his bones ripped out, and he slumped in a chair.
He stared blankly at the ceiling above his head.
He seemed to see himself being hanged on the gallows by the directors of the seventeen-member board of directors!
The Dutch East India Company was a true behemoth!
Counting since Cohen came to Batavia in 1619 and established the company's new headquarters.
The Dutch East India Company monopolized the spice trade by massacring and expelling the indigenous people on the Banda Islands.
Then it successfully established a trading system with Asian countries, extending its trade footprint to China, North Korea, Japan, Annan, Siam and other countries.
In 1640, the Dutch East India Company acquired Galle in Sri Lanka and drove away the Portuguese, thus breaking the Portuguese cinnamon trade monopoly.
In 1652, the company established a stronghold at the Cape of Good Hope to provide supplies for the company's crews traveling to East Asia. This stronghold later became the Dutch Cape Colony.
In 1658, the company besieged Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and by 1659, all the Portuguese coastal strongholds in India were captured by the Dutch.
At its peak, the Dutch East India Company had 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, 50,000 employees and 10,000 private armed forces.
This is just the power of their Asia Batavia headquarters!
It can be said that it is not powerful!
But when Lobe took over the position of governor, the Dutch East India Company began to decline.
First, Taiyuan Island was recovered by Zheng Chenggong, and they lost an important node for trade in East Asia.
Then it was dragged into the war between the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which resulted in the defeat of the Batavia fleet, which the Dutch East India Company was proud of.
With a fleet of hundreds of armed merchant ships and dozens of sailing battleships, ships large and small were sunk and surrendered.
The colonial system of the Dutch East India Company in Asia is almost about to collapse!
No! Not almost!
It was the Dutch East India Company, and the collapse of the colonial system was a foregone conclusion!
The total destruction of the Batavia fleet caused the Dutch East India Company to completely lose the honor guard to maintain its colonial system.
By the time the news spread, the collapse was just a blink of an eye.
When the news reaches the mainland of the United Provinces, Luo Bei can guarantee that the noble gentlemen on the seventeen-member board of directors will never spare him.
Luo Bei sat slumped in a chair, looking at the ceiling above his head, closing his eyes and thinking deeply.
At this moment, Silla came and knocked on his door.
Luo Bei said feebly.
"Come in!"
Silla opened the door and said while sweating profusely.
"Mr. Governor, something serious has happened!"
Luo Bei couldn't help frowning and asked.
"What happened? Don't panic!"
Silla took a few deep breaths and then spoke.
"Reporting to the Governor, it is the Chinese who have rebelled!"
"Those Chinese businessmen and manor owners used their influence among the Chinese community to mobilize a large number of Chinese civilians and use crude weapons to attack our local garrison."
Luo Bei nodded slightly, but there was no panic on his face.
He had already guessed that the Chinese would revolt, so he did not appear panicked, but gave orders in an orderly manner.
"Send an order to the garrisons everywhere, asking them to ignore the Chinese rebels and withdraw them all back to Batavia City now, immediately, immediately!"
"And immediately began to prepare the defense of Batavia City, preparing to block the Ming army landing at Batavia Port."
The Dutch were defeated in the naval battle, so the next move of the Ming army must be to land and find a way to capture the city of Batavia.
If Luo Bei now disperses Batavia's relatively weak troops to wipe out the local Chinese rebels, then he will receive the honorary title of Friend of the Ming Dynasty.
It can be said that it played into the Ming army’s ambitions!
Why did the Ming Dynasty instigate the Chinese uprising in Batavia?
Does Zhu Hongyu really expect a group of poorly armed, poorly trained rebels who have just switched careers from farmers, merchants, and handicraftsmen to attack the Batavia fortress?
Zhu Hongyu said that he is not so naive!
I won’t expect such an impossible thing!
To put it bluntly, Zhu Hongyu's plan was actually to let the Chinese rebels launch an uprising around the city of Batavia.
Attracting the Dutch army to leave Batavia to encircle and suppress the Chinese rebels, thereby dispersing the Dutch forces.
Create opportunities for the Ming Dynasty to conquer Batavia!
That's all!
But now it is obvious that Luo Bei saw Zhu Hongyu's plan.
Faced with the swarming local Chinese rebels, his choice was to ignore them.
Gather all the Dutch forces in Batavia to defend the city of Batavia.
As for other places outside the city, just lose them!
Anyway, after the Ming army lands in large numbers, it will be impossible to defend those places!
Silolai asked with a surprised look on his face.
"Sir Governor, what should we do with the manors, shops, plantations, etc. in that place?"
"Those are the properties of the gentlemen on the board of directors!"
Luo Bei shook his head and said.
"that's not important!"
"Securing the city of Batavia is the most important thing!"
Silla looked like he was hesitant to speak, but he still went to deliver the order obediently.
Luo Bei stayed in his office, staring blankly at the ceiling above his head.
Before I knew it, the sky was getting brighter.
Luo Bei, who had not slept all night, felt that his eyes were extremely dry, but he did not feel sleepy at all.
At this moment, his door was knocked again.
Silolai said loudly outside.
"Lord Governor, Commander Raymond and Lord Laines want to see you!"
Luo Bei's spirit perked up instantly, and he suspected that he had heard wrongly.
Shouldn't Raymond be captured?
But when the door was pushed open and Raymond and Reins strode in and appeared in front of him, the facts proved to Luo Bei that he had heard correctly.
Luo Bei said.
"Raymond, you... why are you back?"
…
The Chinese rebel army in Batavia was huge. Under the command of several leaders, they successively captured many Dutch manors and plantations in Batavia.
After killing the colonists who had exploited them in the past and giving everyone a lot of spoils, the rebel army's morale increased.
The various ministries began to join forces and prepare to advance towards Batavia!
Liu Chuan looked at the mighty rebel army, his mind was agitated for a moment, and he asked Li Weida beside him.
"Brother Li, is the news about our victory in the Ming Dynasty naval battle and the complete annihilation of the Dutch Batavia fleet true?"
Li Weida nodded and said.
"Of course it's true!"
"Otherwise, why did the Dutch retreat their troops to Batavia just as soon as something happened here?"
Liu Chuan asked again.
"I wonder when my Ming Dynasty King will be able to land and completely regain Batavia!"
"We, the remnants of Nanyang, have been looking north to the King's army year after year. Now, we finally have hope!"
Li Weiya shook his head and said.
"I don't know either, but it's probably going to be soon!"
"The main battlefield of the naval battle is not far from Batavia!"
"I'll gather the troops here, and one of them will be able to catch the King's division and help him complete the siege of Batavia!"
While the two were talking, a young man in brocade clothes rode up from afar.
The young man was dressed in brocade clothes, and the horse on his crotch was a rather majestic Indian horse. He had a beautifully decorated sword and a gun on his waist.