Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 422: The Dutch Fleet Takes Advantage of the Fire
Shangdong Village is 50 miles northwest of Chaozhou Prefecture.

7% of the people in the village have the surname Lin.

Most of the young and strong responded to the call of the clan elders and participated in the uprising. At this moment, they were trapped in Chaozhou City by the Qing army, leaving only the old, weak, women and children behind.
……

"Third Grandpa, come home for dinner. It's New Year's Day~"

"Eat it."

"Third Grandpa~"

The old man waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to say more.

He and a few old friends sat on a high place at the entrance of the village, looking into the distance, with a gong placed beside them.

suddenly,

An old man stood up and pointed to the east.

"Look, there are soldiers passing by!"

Everyone's blood instantly turned cold and they grabbed the gong and started beating it hard.

"The Qing troops are coming! The Qing troops are coming."

The entire Upper East Village was in an uproar.

Instead of running away, the villagers grabbed their harpoons and swords and gathered at the entrance of the village to defend it.

……

"Lin clan members, don't panic or get confused."

"Listen to my command. Every household should push out their carts to block the entrance of the village. Every household should bring out their kerosene and vegetable oil to prepare to fight off the enemy with fire. All the men should gather around me. The women and children should follow behind, waving flags and shouting, and carrying things."

The old man is majestic and majestic.

Obviously, I was not a pushover when I was young.

Only a few of his peers who are still alive in the village know that the old man earned several thousand taels of wealth in Southeast Asia and was a very extravagant person.

1 quarters of an hour later,
The Danzi Camp is here~
He was as ferocious as a demon from hell, his uniform was stained with blood, and it was obvious that he had begun a killing spree.

The leading naval guerrilla was too lazy to talk nonsense and waved his sword:
"Brothers, shovel the village!"

A large group of people rushed up with spears and swords.

……

The village road was blocked.
Some Qing soldiers climbed up from the side, while others were busy clearing obstacles.

Sporadic gunfire sounds were heard.

Two soldiers were hit by iron sand and fell to the ground screaming and struggling.

"Oh, we encountered a real bandit village."

The guerrilla shouted excitedly and ordered a team of personal soldiers he brought with him to let the bandit village see the officers' and soldiers' muskets.

After a few rounds of shooting,
Resistance in the Upper East Village collapsed.

The villagers lit a big fire, trying to use a wall of fire to prevent the Qing troops from approaching.

When choosing a location, villages in Guangdong always take defensiveness into consideration, trying to avoid a situation where all roads lead to Rome, with only one or two roads in and out of the village.

……

Resisting the enemy with fire is merely a way of buying time.

2 quarters of an hour later,
The Danzi Camp returned, using spears to push away the ashes and rushing into the village shouting.

In front of the ancestral hall,
They encountered villagers with desperate faces, and the few young and strong men in the village stood in front of them with harpoons and swords in hand.

One side wants to plunder gold and silver, while the other side wants to defend their ancestors.

"Kill the Tartars."

"Kill the Guangdong bandits."

Running in both directions, the battle was one-sided.

The Danzi Camp became more and more crazy and bloodthirsty, which completely met the expectations of the Navy Commander Guan Daguan - to create a group of fierce and wolfish soldiers through rewards and slaughter in a short period of time.

We may not have a chance of winning against Wu’s army, but we are more than capable of dealing with the Guangdong bandits.

Tian Ji Horse Racing
……

The Chaoshan people attach great importance to ancestral halls, so they become the first target for plunder!
The soldiers broke into the ancestral hall to collect gold and silver items, registered them, and then concentrated them for transportation.

"Brothers from the Tanka Camp, the old rules still apply."

"Whoo."

According to the prior agreement,

One third of the gold and silver obtained.

The Tanka people were no longer as timid as before; their eyes turned bloodshot from the stimulation of blood and gold and silver.

……

Han Jiang,

Inside the flagship cabin of the Guangdong Navy,

Guan Daguan finished reading the battle record of the Danzi Camp and sighed.
He was able to rise to the rank of admiral, and despite his rough appearance he had a sharp and keen insight. All of this was within his expectations.

As long as people are human, they have many human weaknesses.

But when you turn into a beast, these weaknesses disappear.

In the old days,

Li Chengdong, a former Ming rebel general, had only a few thousand old soldiers under his command, but he seemed to be unstoppable in Jiangnan, breaking through cities one after another, slaughtering people in Jiading and Kunshan. This is a good example.

If the situation had not been critical, he would never have relied on the boat people, let alone given these guys the opportunity to experience killing and power.

Because once a person becomes courageous, it is impossible to compress him.

Guan Daguan had even thought about it long ago. When the Wu bandits were completely pacified in the future, the first thing he would do was to gather the boat people under his command and kill them.

Otherwise, there will be war along the coast.

"General, the Chaoshan bandits have abandoned the city."

Guan Daguan rushed out of the cabin, took off his warm hat and threw it to the sailor, then climbed to the top of the mast, opened the telescope and looked out from above.

……

A small pier outside Foshan Town, west of Guangzhou.

Dozens of big men bowed in unison:
"Welcome, Chief Commander."

On the sedan chair carried by four people, a middle-aged man nodded frequently, appearing to be very well-educated.

His surname is Chen, and he is the chief leader of the Tiandihui.

It is said that he is very skilled in martial arts and is also very handsome.

rumors,

Many wealthy widows in Guangzhou admired his heroic spirit and donated money to the association on a voluntary basis.

……

"Brothers, don't panic. That stinky cousin Xuelihong doesn't follow the code of conduct in the underworld. She caused the government to raid our three gambling houses, two brothels, and one restaurant in Guangzhou. I have already sent out assassins, and she can't get out of jail."

"But don't worry, everyone." Chen Zongduo smiled and said, "After the anti-Qing campaign is successful, we can openly open a hall, absorb land, and teach martial arts. By then, everyone can live in a two-story house and marry two wives."

The men cheered,
They expressed their determination to firmly support the leader.

suddenly,

A sentinel shouted:
"A ship is coming!"

When everyone saw this, they were instantly shocked.

Everyone was looking for a weapon that suits them, and the scene was in chaos.

……

on the river,
Three fast crab boats are coming against the wind and waves.

This classic Cantonese coastal boat has a long narrow hull and a pointed bow for breaking the waves. It has 15 long oars on each side and a two-masted sail.

This may not make sense.

The characteristics of the fast crab boat are:
Super fast! Can be used as an infantry!
You can understand it as a fast troop transport ship in Guangdong and Guangxi regions in the 18th century.

If you see this kind of troop transport ship at the seaside or riverside, don't hesitate, run quickly, run inland~
Don't think that someone can't hit you with a knife just because they are more than ten feet away.

This ship has cannons!

……

however,
The heroes of Tiandihui will not be timid~
Hundreds of people were holding weapons, their hair standing on end with anger.

Watching the fast crab boats approaching rapidly, one of them actually went directly ashore.

As expected,
Before the boat could stabilize, a group of soldiers jumped off.

When enemies meet, they fight fiercely.

Chief Commander Chen drew out his sword and with a beautiful somersault left the sedan chair.

A moon-colored robe and a nimble flower sword.

It soon became the focus of the battlefield.

……

The officers and soldiers were quickly intimidated by Chief Leader Chen's superb martial arts and did not dare to get close to him.

suddenly,

A cannon shot,
Chief Leader Chen, who was strolling among the crowd and fencing swiftly, was beaten into two.

The upper half disappeared, but the lower half still stood firmly on the beach.
Fast crab bow,

A 1-jin mountain-splitting cannon was emitting wisps of white smoke.

The gunner smiled:

"I killed the chief of the Tiandihui."

In this chaos, the gangs were the least threatening existence. The Nan'ao Town Flag launched a mobile attack with fast crab boats and quickly destroyed the strongholds of these gang members one by one.

……

Lai Er, the Deputy Minister of Commerce of Wu, was fleeing on horseback at this time.

He gritted his teeth and said:
"Guangdong's promising situation has been ruined by you guys."

"Aren't you just trying to seize territory so that you can bargain with His Majesty in the future? If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. I understand that. But now you are going out of the city to fight in the wild. Isn't this falling into the trap of the Qing army?"

Chen Taigong beside him said awkwardly:
"Stop swearing, stop swearing."

Lai Er cursed even louder:

"I have been made miserable by you. You were too greedy when you shouldn't be, and you weren't cruel enough when you should be. Let's all die together!"

Everyone was silent.

The bloodline of the clan is more important than anything else. Even if there is only a 1% chance, we must try.
Huang Taigong suddenly said:
"We were probably sold out by the Cantonese gang."

Everyone was silent. It was too late now.

……

The next day,

More than 4000 clan coalition forces were surrounded by Qing troops in the north of Jieyang County.

The Guangdong Navy transported troops using sampans and fast crab boats and went straight ahead of them.

The two sides fought fiercely, and the Qing army refused to let go.

The next day, two more Qing troops arrived in pursuit, surrounded the clan coalition forces, and gradually compressed their space.

They unloaded cannons from the warships and fired in turns before launching a charge.

The clan coalition forces were in low morale and after a bloody battle for most of the day, they were ultimately wiped out.

Lai Er committed suicide on the spot to preserve his integrity.

The Qing army chopped off the heads of the clan coalition forces and stuck them on wooden sticks and erected them along the beach.

Afterwards, they continued to destroy 116 villages. Wherever they went, they slaughtered people and animals, burned villages, and polluted wells. Their methods were cruel and bloody.

For a time,

Everyone in eastern Guangdong is in danger, as if the memory of the Ming and Qing dynasties has returned.

……

The navy set out to return, and the Danzi Camp left a part of its forces in Chaozhou Prefecture to continue to eradicate the remaining poison.

The victory news first reached Guangzhou.
Governor-General Yi Erhang and Provincial Governor Zhao Shisheng were overjoyed and jointly submitted a memorial to commend Guan Daguan for his achievements. They also requested the court to send Manchu and Mongolian cavalry from Hunan to Guangxi to reinforce Guangzhou.

The families stationed on Dahushan Island had a long-awaited prosperous New Year. They went ashore with silver to buy pork, rice, cattle, sheep, sugar, snacks, firecrackers, cloth, and new boats.

The role model is so dazzling,
For a time,

Poor boat people roaming the Pearl River basin and the outer sea basin flocked to Humenzhai by boat and asked to be accepted.

18st century,

Fishing is a high-risk job and does not make money.

In the past, it was unthinkable for the lowly Tanka people to join the navy as soldiers, but now the government actually favors the Tanka people.

Even if I can't go ashore in the future, I can earn money to buy a newer and bigger fishing boat.

……

The mouth of the Pearl River, dozens of nautical miles to the south.

Wanshan Sea Area.

A fleet consisting of two level 4 sailing cruisers and two level 6 fast ships cut through the waves and headed northward, with red, white and blue flags hanging at the stern.

The Dutch fleet set out from Java.
Target – Guangdong coast.

Squadron Commander, Rand, writing in his log:
"On February 1778, 2, the East India Company's 14nd Squadron in Java sank two Siamese rice ships and captured one in the waters 2 miles south of Guangdong. Their destination was Dagukou. The Tatars suddenly turned hostile, breaking the traditional friendship between the two countries that had lasted for a hundred years. The company lost 150 employees and sailors in Guangzhou, 2 merchant ships, and the total loss was as high as 1 million guilders (equivalent to 2000 million taels of silver)."

"This is barbarism trampling on civilization. The 2nd Squadron has decided to take back the gold coins that belong to the people of the seven provinces of the Netherlands."

After writing the last word, Rand put the quill pen into the ink bottle with satisfaction.
He picked up the wine on the table and took a sip.

"Thank God."

……

Although the Qing Empire's maritime ban briefly affected the company's performance.

The South China Sea shipping routes are so deserted that even pirate ships don’t come here anymore.

but,

This also provides a good opportunity for the company's top management to balance accounts.

The glory days of the Dutch East India Company have long passed, and now the company is like a rotten ship that has sailed for 30 years.

Countless people involved were clinging to the bottom of the ship like barnacles.

Even if the route is smooth, the broken ship can't reach a speed of more than 3 knots.

The company has submitted loss reports for two consecutive years.
Amsterdam stockbrokers and thousands of ordinary investors, who suffered heavy losses, organized massive street protests demanding that the kingdom send economists to investigate the company.

……

The Governor had a headache.

This year is a good opportunity, so we might as well fight poison with poison and submit an even more shocking loss report.

Educate these ignorant investors.

after all,

Who could have predicted the black swan event in the Qing Empire? No! ...

Even if God comes, there is nothing he can do.

next year,

The company will go into battle with light equipment and ensure positive performance growth, which will definitely satisfy all investors.

……

The trainee officer's words interrupted my thoughts.

"General, Lantau Island is ahead."

Rand hastily put on his beloved tricorn hat and hurried out of the cabin.

The sea conditions in Lingdingyang are bad.

however,
The Dutch, who were proficient in navigation, were well aware of the hydrology of this area. As early as the end of the Ming Dynasty, they conducted detailed surveys and mapping of the ocean currents and depths in this area.

Flames spewed out of the Qing army's artillery positions on Lantau Island, and shells fell into the sea, stirring up columns of water.

There are 1000 Green Camp soldiers stationed on this island.

The fleet withdrew slightly.

Rand looked at the battery through the telescope.

For a long time,

He gave a cruel smile.

"Approach from the blind spot and destroy their fixed turrets."

The artillery battle lasted for half an hour.
Black smoke billowed from the Lantau Island fort, with over a hundred gunners killed or wounded. The rest fled into the mountains or ran to the beach to surrender.

……

Guangdong and Guangxi Governor's Office,
The Guangzhou Prefecture Coastal Defense Military and Civilian Co-Governor, also known as the Macau Co-Governor, sent someone to urgently ask for help from the Governor-General's Office:
"Report~Netherlands warships invaded the Pearl River Estuary and bombarded Lantau Island. They also sent people ashore to deliver a message demanding compensation of 100 million taels for the loss of the merchant ship."

"What? How did the French in Macau react?"

"The French are quite submissive. They have only stepped up their guard but have not taken any action to send troops. The magistrate has asked me to come and ask for instructions. What should we do with them?"

Governor Yilhang was silent for a long time and sighed:
"This is really a case of adding insult to injury. Do you think the Dutch are colluding with Wu Zetian?"

"Most likely."

……

After the sea ban,

During their many provocative actions, the Southeast Asian colonists gradually discovered an unbelievable fact - the Qing Dynasty's navy was extremely weak and did not live up to its reputation.

The reason why the Netherlands' 2nd Squadron in Java dared to start a war was based on the above judgment.

The ship's accountant wiped his glasses and said:
"The Governor-General hopes that the fleet can plunder any of the counties among Xiangshan, Xinning, and Yangjiang to make up for the cost of this special military campaign."

Rand smiled and pointed to the north:
"Why not Guangzhou Prefecture?"

"Oh my God, General, you actually want to launch a military operation against Guangzhou? That is the largest city of the Tatars in South China. It takes half a day to walk around the city wall."

Rand's eyes flashed with the light of a gambler. Bang, he slapped the map:
“Perhaps the whole of Europe has overestimated the military strength of the Tatars.”

The ship's accountant made a sensible suggestion:

"Can we contact the nearby Franks to provide us with some supplies and more marines?"

……

The Dutch decided not to leave.

The fleet is anchored at the southwest pier of Lantau Island.
Everything is readily available. There is even fresh water on the island, which is crucial.

There are also some vegetable fields and livestock~
The Dutch soldiers took the trouble to plant the tricolor flag on the top of the mountain to declare their existence.

A fast crab boat from Nan'ao Town watched from a distance for a long time, and then disappeared without a trace.

All the people in Guangdong were praying sweetly, and these barbarians who had no respect for the Celestial Empire quickly sailed away.

The province’s top priority now is to deal with the Wu bandits who are about to head south.

We can only give up on the sea. As long as the foreign soldiers don't land at the mouth of the Pearl River and the foreign gunboats don't bombard Guangzhou, everything else can be tolerated.
however,
Everyone overlooked one thing.

The main force of the Guangdong Navy fighting in eastern Guangdong is about to arrive at the mouth of the Pearl River. The fleet is even larger than when it set out, and it is loaded with all kinds of spoils...

(End of this chapter)