Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1378 Surrender
"Cunning Britons, they secretly collude with Chinese merchants, and now our Dutch stronghold in East India is surrounded by them, what do you think? Should we resist or surrender?"

Several Dutch businessmen looked at each other in blank dismay.Even if they surrendered, none of them dared to take the initiative to decide.

"If we surrender without resistance, sorry to our shareholders in Amsterdam, we will also lose our last few strongholds in the East. But even if we resist, it is likely to be in vain, and we will lose these strongholds as well."

"They agreed to set aside a place for us to live in Madras, as long as we pay them taxes and obey the management, and the stronghold here will be set on fire by them."

Many Dutch businessmen were even more frustrated. In front of the Nanyang Fleet, several of their strongholds seemed so vulnerable.

If it is an ordinary native, even if there are tens of thousands of people, they are not afraid, but the Nanyang Fleet has strong ships, sharp guns, and powerful explosives, and they really cannot defend it.

"Everyone, how do we resist? Even Batavia, Malacca, Manila and other places have been captured by their Chinese people. Can our military equipment here be compared with Batavia? While they are still planning peace talks, it is not as good as ours If we all move to Madras, at least we can still do business in the East India, so that we won’t have a too stiff relationship with them.” A Dutch businessman finally said timidly.

People are always afraid of death. They are not afraid of the local aborigines because they firmly believe that the castle they built can stop the aborigines from attacking, but if the end is doomed to fall, they have to consider protecting themselves wisely.

All the Dutch merchants looked at each other in blank dismay, and finally the leader said: "Let's surrender. Although we have to pay taxes to the Chinese, the profits may shrink sharply, but at least we can keep the merchant ships and some business for the East India Company."

The three sailing battleships and five frigates of the Nanyang Fleet were moored on the sea, waiting for a reply from the Dutch.

"Do you think they will surrender obediently and all move to Madras?" Deng Qianlong observed the stronghold of the Dutch with a telescope and was ready for the siege, he asked Francis Day.

"The Portuguese and the Dutch are two different styles overseas. The Dutch are more interested in profit, and their businessmen have huge influence, so they are likely to carry out trade when the harm outweighs the benefit. Compromise and negotiation. The Portuguese are more difficult to deal with, and they will not surrender easily until the end." Francis Day said.

"Why do you say that?" Deng Qianlong asked.

"More than ten years ago, our East India Company and the Netherlands joined forces and jointly picked their Hormuz Castle in the Persian Gulf during the Portuguese expedition to Persia. The Portuguese used more than half of their troops in the Indian Ocean , they assembled 3 powerful galleons, 1 large galley, 30 small galleys and 10 small troop carriers in the Strait of Hormuz. The whole army included 2000 Portuguese infantry and sailors and artillery, and 1000 Hormuz who surrendered to them. Our East India Company's 5 galleons and 4 large transport ships arrived on the battlefield. The Persians sent 200 small ships and 20000 soldiers. The great siege continued Three months later, the Portuguese surrendered with more than half of their casualties," said Francis Day.

"When our Nanyang Fleet besieged Malacca before, their will to resist was also very strong." Deng Qianlong thought of the all-out war in Nanyang, and the city of Malacca controlled by the Portuguese also blocked the Nanyang Fleet for a long time.

Portugal, as the first colonial empire, is not as good as its latecomers, but their tentacles reached Macau 100 years ago, so naturally there is something.

"They surrendered." Deng Qianlong suddenly saw a white flag raised in the stronghold of the Dutch through the binoculars.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Dutch businessman finally chose to surrender.

"It seems that the Dutch are still very aware of current affairs and have not resisted. They probably have been psychologically shadowed by you being beaten by you in the Spice Islands. They may also not want to conflict with you, otherwise they may not be able to fight in the Spice Islands." Islands for the spice trade," said Francis Day.

It is good to monopolize the spice trade. Not only can you collect a lot of spice taxes, but you can also use it to threaten any country that wants to trade spices!

"Give them three days to pack up, we will set fire to this place, and move them all to our stronghold." Deng Qianlong said.

The Dutch businessmen then negotiated in more detail with the Nanyang Fleet led by Deng Qianlong, and agreed to send their people in the Bay of Bengal to Madras and Calcutta after Deng Qianlong guaranteed their personal safety and would not tax them too harshly. migrate.

The Dutch merchants spent three days at their stronghold packing their bags and having to leave the fortress they had built with their own hands.

After the Dutch merchants boarded the ship, the Nanyang Fleet sent people to set fire to destroy these fortresses. The local aborigines saw billowing black smoke from the Dutch strongholds, and had no idea that a major reshuffle had taken place in the Bay of Bengal.

Several other small strongholds of the Netherlands knew that after the headquarters surrendered, they were also given up their resistance and moved to Madras. The new East India Company dominated by Chinese people began to monopolize all overseas trade here.All merchant ships trading in the Bay of Bengal must be managed and taxed by the East India Company!

The merchants of the Netherlands surrendered without a fight to save their own merchant ships and manpower. It is naturally the best for the Nanyang Fleet to be able to complete the tasks arranged by the military at the lowest cost.

Deng Qianlong is not violent, and he will not engage in meaningless wars.

If the Dutch defended the bastion, it would be another long siege. With the strength of the eight warships of the Nanyang Fleet, they might not be able to attack it in a short time.Maybe I have to go back to find the No.12 Corps and transport thousands of infantry to launch a strong attack from land.

"The Dutch succumbed a little quickly. The next target is the Portuguese in Goa and Mumbai. If the Portuguese are willing to submit like the Dutch, we can let them still live in these places, but we must accept If they resist, they can only be subdued by force." After Deng Qianlong dealt with the Dutch, the next step was to go to the west coast to deal with the Portuguese.

"Perhaps we can increase our strength by letting the surrendered Dutchmen bring their armed merchant ships with us. The Dutch certainly don't want to be the only ones out of luck. If they can drag the Portuguese into the water, they will be extremely happy ’.” Francis Day came up with a bad idea.

(End of this chapter)