Xinshun 1730

Chapter 688 Three People, One India

The help of the two cruisers cannot be said to be small, and it even gave Duplex a kind of unexpected joy.

If Dashun's fleet is stationed in Pondicherry to deter the British fleet and prevent the British fleet from gathering, then these two cruise ships will play a vital role in capturing Madras.

Cruisers are also very suitable for chasing merchant ships, and can be used to cut off Madras' sea supplies.Even if it cannot be attacked for a while, as long as the sea supply line is cut off, Britain will have to surrender after a period of siege.The most feared thing in the siege is that the supply line cannot be cut off.

As for the various conditions put forward by Mantou, Duplex certainly agreed.

The grand and public ceremony, in Duplex's view, was to prevent Dashun from being used by France and getting involved in the war.

If the French insisted on planting the flag of Dashun on those two warships, it would be unclear.

However, Mantou knew in his heart that Liu Yu had also told him that this was not only helping France, but also winking at Britain.

Very simple.

If Dashun's fleet really chooses to participate in the war, then with such a huge advantage now, it can completely participate in the war directly and capture several cities in England in one wave.

But Dashun didn't help directly, but leased two ships to France in an open and honest manner.If the British are intelligent, they should understand that this is Dashun showing his attitude: Dashun cannot fight this battle, it is a matter between you and the French.

The communication of this diplomatic attitude should be easier for the British to understand than the French.

This was to prevent the British from worrying that Dashun would attack Luzon, which made George Anson afraid to let the fleet leave Luzon.

At the same time, in order to make Britain feel the pressure in the future, even if Dashun reiterated its neutral policy, Britain would also consider that Dashun would lease some things to France to strengthen France's power when it competed with France for India.

This will force Britain to increase its troops in India in order to maintain a balance of power under the premise of "Dashun is neutral, but will lease warships and even soldiers to France from time to time", instead of considering only the French. Advantage.

This is also a trap for the French.Originally, the Palace of Versailles was not keen on India. If Duplex asked for additional troops, the Palace of Versailles would also ask: Didn’t our allies support you?Then what more soldiers should be added?

Furthermore, it is the situation in Europe. If it wants to benefit Dashun, France can only lose, not win in North America and India; Britain can only win, not lose in North America and India.

If the United Kingdom loses in North America and India, and France pinches Hannover, the king of the United Kingdom, in continental Europe, it will really break the balance.

Conversely, if France loses in North America and India, as long as the European continent still has an advantage, it can be exchanged and the balance will be maintained for the time being.If France really loses all its colonies, why does France still maintain so many fleets? Honestly, it is a Continental army, and it will fight with European countries to form an anti-French alliance.Winning or losing is not good for Dashun, but it may support the British.

This delicate balance is exactly what Dashun's diplomacy with Europe should be accurately grasped.

Although Liu Yu hated the Anza people, he was also wary of France.In particular, the French Colbert National Industrialism has given the French a comprehensive advantage. France will definitely support its own industry. The trade volume between France and Dashun itself is like the hair of a 50-year-old man. If France achieves overall dominance, Dashun It is even more difficult for Shun to break into the European market.

Mantou is the executor of Liu Yu's strategic decision-making, and he recognizes and understands this whole set of strategies. He will try his best to achieve the delicate balance Liu Yu expects.

Duplex could also think of the underlying reason why Dashun wanted to lease two warships to France with great fanfare. After weighing it from his perspective, he still chose to accept it instead of rejecting it.Because he didn't expect Dashun to help France fight the war, the so-called friendship between the two countries was nothing but mutual use.

After the two sides reached an agreement on this issue, they didn't even sign the treaty. They verbally agreed on the amount of compensation if the warship was damaged.

After sending away the steamed buns, Duplex looked at the map of India on his desk and conceived his own strategy.

After he came to Guangzhou to preside over the restructured French East India Company's trade with China, and his father's status as a member of the board of directors, he was basically appointed as the French governor in India.

Now that I officially take over, I have to start my own grand plan.

In his view, Britain occupies Mumbai in India and has a huge influence in northern India.But the British have problems strategically.

Duplex is No.1 in training Indian soldiers. After observing these people, he believes that good military discipline and new equipment are much more important than simple numbers.The huge army of Indian princes and Jiedu envoys could no longer compete with the small and well-equipped European army.

The advantage of the European army is not race, but training, logistics and a complete set of tactical systems.If the Indians can be trained according to the French-style army, then the French East India Company will have an absolute advantage in India.

French uniforms, French officers, French armory, French drills, French passwords.Except that the soldiers are Indian, everything from logistics to passwords is French.

If you can have about [-] such soldiers, you can continue to expand the power of France.

And his opponent, the British, did not train Indian soldiers at this time.Instead, cooperate with the Indian princes, and use a small number of British troops to fight with the old army of the Indian Jiedushi.

In Duplex's view, this is clearly wrong.Moreover, Duplex believed that the British lacked sufficient strategic vision. Regarding the situation in India, they could not keenly grasp the short-sightedness and traitorous mentality of the Indian princes and nobles. fighting ideas.

Judging from the results of later generations, Duplex's strategic vision is quite good.Just like the French 74-gun battleship, which was captured by the British, it was carried forward in the United Kingdom; Duplex's strategy of "soldiers" and "supporting agents" was finally carried forward by the British in India, and the effect was remarkable.

But at this time, the British neither trained the soldiers nor got involved in the infighting of the Jiedushi. In Duplex's view, of course, he was not qualified as a governor.

He felt that he had a huge advantage.

…………

Mantou, who returned to his residence to rest, also discussed the future issues of India with Lieutenant General Du Feng.

When in Guangzhou, Liu Yu had a secret conversation with them.Judging from the attitude of the emperor, some future candidates can basically be determined.

Du Feng is likely to become the governor of Ceylon, under the command of the Nanyang Guard, under the control of the imperial court supervisor, and preside over the front-line operations against India.

The reason why Du Feng is considered a suitable candidate stems from the acquaintance of Du Feng and Liu Yu, and from an unsuccessful robbery.

In India, there is a need for this type of man with a little more guts and without enough morals.Although he has been quite well-behaved in recent years, a person who feels that "robbing" is a normal extra income since he was a child can imagine what he can do once he leaves the constraints.

The same is true of the emperor's meaning, and it is not the turn of distant India to change the land and return to the country.Even in Nanyang, the year of the monkey may be the month of the monkey. India is simply a piece of fat from other people’s homes.

Since the candidates for the governor of Ceylon and the governor of Nanyang must conform to the strategy of competing for India, there are only a few people who can be selected.

Within the scope of these few people, Du Feng has a "robbery" record, and is courageous enough. He dared to do great things with Liu Yu on the banks of the Heilongjiang River for the sake of fame and fame. This kind of person is indeed a suitable candidate .

It is used in the right place in India, and it is in line with the emperor's employing skills.

When Du Feng was arrested for robbing Liu Yu, he decisively followed Liu Yu and led the soldiers to attack Luocha Castle. After being admitted to Wude Palace, he jumped to Jinghai Palace, because of what Liu Yu said back then: It is easier to find a Marquis at sea.The battle on land is not your turn.The battles that are easy to fight, there are a bunch of honorable children in the capital waiting to be gilded; the battles that are not easy to fight... the land is basically over.

Now it seems that the goal is getting closer and closer. Although the seat of the governor of Ceylon has not been confirmed yet, and it is only a possibility, the first step has finally been taken.

Whether it was on the banks of the Heilongjiang River, or fighting Japan, or training the navy in Lingdingyang, there was someone on top of him.The only time I was in Ezo, I was thinking that the sea would be wide enough to make a leap, and I wanted to grab a wave of Sendai and make a big ticket, but in the end I still took the overall situation as the top priority and transported all the marines in my hand to Busan.

Now that he has finally waited for a chance that he might be on the front line, he can let go and do a wave, and he feels that he is one step closer to becoming a Marquis.

I often listen to Liu Yu telling the stories of those colonizers and conquerors, such as the 600 people of Pizarro who conquered the Inca, and the 800 people of Yermak who destroyed the Siberian Khanate.

He felt that he didn't give himself a chance. If he had himself, he might not be able to do it.When he was fighting Japan, if he hadn't focused on the overall situation, he felt that he could make the Date family come out.

Mantou asked him his opinion on the Indian issue, and Du Feng answered simply.

"Duplex's military means can be used by the French or the British. We don't need to use them. The Chinese in Ceylon and Southeast Asia have enough population. If there are millions of French or British in India, I don't think they will recruit soldiers either."

"As for how to fight, it's simpler. Pull one faction and fight another faction. If there is a conflict, run to find a weaker platform; if there is no conflict, create a conflict and let them fight."

"This India is now similar to the end of the Tang Dynasty. There are many envoys and feudal towns. No matter how poor the unification is, it is stronger than the best division when facing external threats at the crushing level."

"If you want to succeed, I think you have to intervene in the battle of the Indian Jiedu envoys. It's nothing more than Yelude just wanting the old affairs of Youyun Sixteen Prefectures."

"As for the rule of the people, people in a troubled world are not as good as a dog in a prosperous world. If you fight back and forth, if you can cede the land, as long as you maintain the tax revenue and ensure peace, I don't think there is any problem."

"But the key is to find a way to weaken our 'allies'. The British are in the north, and the Dutch cities we can grab are all in the south. The French are also in the south. If our 'allies' don't weaken, I'm afraid Let's start a conflict with us."

"Even if the French are stupid, they don't have so much history to learn from, and they don't know how to raise puppets and wait and ask for prices. If they see us doing this, they should learn. I don't think Duplex is stupid. .”

"Therefore, it's better to let our 'allies' feel helpless, and hold the mentality of 'Although Dashun is disgusting, but the British are even more disgusting'."

"However, this is not my business. This is the business of the Marquis, the Court, and the Son of Heaven. As for me, I just take the opportunity to fight the war."

…………

Meanwhile, Fort St. David in England.

Clive, who has just turned 20, has become a standard-bearer for the army stationed at Fort St. David.Lawrence, the garrison major, liked this young, wild, villainous young man very much.

Clive's experience, boasted by him, has become quite famous in Fort St. David.

Through his father's relationship, he was sent to the East India Company, and got a job in the Dashun Commercial House.This is within the East India Company, but a beautiful job.

The shop is in Songjiang, a bustling city with a more pleasant climate than India.India is too hot, there are too many epidemics and tropical diseases, and compared with Dashun's Jiangnan, the urban construction is really far behind.

Ever since Dashun opened up trade in Hong Kong, everyone knew that working in a shop in Dashun was a good job.

There are no wars, no tropical diseases, pleasant climate, high income, good food, and you can bring some special Chinese goods back home, and you can get a fortune when you go back.When you retire, you can receive an annuity, and you will live your life in style.

Of course, no war means no opportunity to make contributions.But such things as meritorious deeds are usually from the upper echelons of the East India Company. Where can they get a soldier?
Colonial garrisons, how can there be any good birds.As long as life is better, who will serve as a soldier?Or if the family background is strong, the British army can buy officers, why not buy a captain?
There is no way for the garrison to become a soldier, just to make a living.

For someone like Klei Wu to quit his good job as a clerk in the Dashun Commercial House and run from Songjiang to India to serve as a soldier, it is already legendary enough.

Major Stringer Lawrence of the garrison had high ambitions, and after communicating with him several times, he felt that this kid had ambition, courage, and a qualified villain, and he was simply born for the army.

Soon, he promoted this young man who had given up his good life in the Dashun Commercial Hall to be the standard bearer of the garrison and his adjutant at the same time.Major Stringer Lawrence intends to promote this young man, because most of the soldiers are scum, and they don't have any ambitions or dreams. People like Clive are rare, and it is impossible not to be impressive.

In the original history, many, many years later, when Clive recalled his success in India, it was rare for him to be humble: "My success in India should be most grateful to the inefficient and incompetent French administration that supervises the military. The navies are modernized. They barely show up in India. Duplex didn't fail, it was the French navy."

But now, he is just an up-and-coming little man, neither qualified to praise the opponent he defeated, nor have the opportunity to praise the opponent who failed.

Because the British situation in southern India was crushed by Duplex.

In the summer, the people of the company were going to strike first. Anyway, Europe has already started to do it. It is better to seize the opportunity and rob the French cargo ship selling ginseng and mink to Dashun, and then cooperate with land and water to capture the local management.

Fort St. David, where Clive is located, is not far to the south of the local government, only 40 miles away.To the north is the local administration of France, and further north is Madras in the United Kingdom.

The plan at the time was for the navy to besiege Pondicherry, Madras and Fort St. David, advance north and south, and directly destroy the French stronghold.

However, with his superb diplomatic skills, Clive made the Jiedu envoy of Carnatic Province in India say a harsh word to the British: don't make trouble.Don't fight. If you do, I will send troops to attack Madras. You are only temporarily trading under my rule. Don't start a war on my territory.

The British have not yet shown their confidence. The Carnatic Jiedushi still has tens of thousands of troops in his hands. It only depends on the number, and the British are really afraid to move.

This Fort St. David could obviously threaten the local governance of France at any time, but Duplex used political means to make it into a dead place that dare not move.

Obviously the advantage is on the British side, but it has been dragged on until now, and it has become an advantage on the French side.

Fort St. David is preparing for battle these days, because news has come from above that the French ally, Dashun's navy, is heading for Pondicherry.

The French are likely to launch an offensive with the cooperation of the Dashun Navy.

(End of this chapter)