Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 1133 Important News

Li Siya made up to be a local Hokkien girl, her face was painted black, and she wore a deep bamboo hat. She followed Guo Huaiyi's subordinates and went to the Daguan disguised as hunters selling buckskins. .

Her identity is the "daughter" of one of the hunters.These people are all Guo Huaiyi's confidantes, and they often travel between the senior officials and Ben Gang, spying on the Dutch's movements in the name of doing business.

The road from Bengang to Dayuan is basically safe-at least during the day, Han immigrants and East India Company employees can walk in groups without worrying about being attacked by natives.

Most of the aborigines on Taiwan Island are Malays who drifted from Southeast Asia. Some of them landed in Taiwan only during the Tang and Song dynasties. Many so-called aborigines brought a custom of headhunting from their distant homeland.

Headhunting is not necessarily for hatred or profit—of course it is better to have hatred and profit. In many cases, headhunting is more for headhunting. The rows of human heads on wooden posts in the village are like modern people's collections. A collectible to show off.The dried heads are used to prove the courage and strength of the owner.

The shipwrecked crew members, sailors fetching water, and immigrants from southern Hokkien who landed on the island all became the targets of headhunters at the beginning of landing.Malaria and the headhunting of indigenous tribes have made the island of Taiwan an understatement for quite a long time.

With the increase of immigrants, the establishment of self-defense armed forces and the operation of the Dutch in Taiwan, the natives in Xingang and other places began to join, and such things as headhunting and killing have decreased a lot.But traveling alone is still not safe.Although a lot of farmland has been developed on both sides of the road from Bengang to Dayuan, a large area is still wilderness and inaccessible.Whether it is the Dutch or the immigrants, it is difficult to guarantee the law and order in this area.

The Dutch business house was originally located on the Wei Island of the North Line, taking into account both defense and defense of the Taijiang Inland Sea.However, in order to facilitate transactions with the locals, several additional houses were built on the side of the Luermen Waterway as trading posts.Purchase deerskin and sugar, and sell some daily groceries, ironware and salt.

The trading post itself is also a masonry building. The second and third floors are warehouses, which are used to store purchased goods.At the entrance of the commercial station, the Han people selling buckskin native products and the aborigines from Xingang and other places are waiting in line at the bottom of the steps.There is a big table on the steps, and the deerskins are placed on the table, and a low-level Dutch businessman is in charge of checking and giving the price. Deerskins are Taiwan's most valuable local export product besides sugar, and the Dutch attach great importance to it.

The sun in Taiwan in May is already very hot. Except for the aborigines who are bald as usual, almost all the Han people wear bamboo hats that are common in southern Fujian.Faces are barely visible.Li Siya knew that as long as her face was not seen, there would be no problem.She carefully observed the situation of the senior under the bamboo hat.

Although it is difficult to observe the progress of the Zeelandia Castle carefully in this place, even if you can vaguely see that the construction volume has exceeded half, Li Siya estimates that it will be completed in less than half a year.

Nowhere more than Zeelandia shows the vigilance of the Dutch are their batteries on the Isle of End of the Northern Line.The fort has obviously been reinforced, and the bamboo pole walls erected on the ramparts show that the Dutch have recently strengthened their defenses.She found that the number of artillery on the battery on the end of the northern line had also increased.Sentinels patrolling the island have also increased.

Reminiscent of what Guo Huaiyi said, the Dutch are recruiting a large number of peasants to work on the construction site recently. Obviously, they are eager to complete the city of Zeelandia as a strong point to defend against the Australian attack.

It was very close to the Japanese village, and Li Siya soon noticed that there was a notice in Japanese posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the shop.She walked over to take a look for an excuse, and found that it was a recruitment order from the Dutch.

The Dutch were recruiting Japanese into the army—a new discovery that confirmed her suspicions.She is well aware of the stinginess of the East India Company, and she will never recruit mercenaries for no reason.

Chief Putmans is either extremely wary of Australians, or intends to be unruly to Australians.

However, as far as Taiwan is concerned, the Dutch are far from being the opponents of the Australians in terms of Taiwan's strength. It is impossible for Hans Putmans to be crazy enough to actively take hostile actions against the Australians.And he doesn't have that power.

After selling the buckskins, Li Siya came to Dayuan Street—there was a simple market outside the Dutch buying station because of trade.At this time, there are only a few shops and some small stalls.It is a business for local aborigines and Han people who come to trade.On the street and in the shops, many of the people coming in and out are the natives of the local Xiaolong Club, Madou Club and Xingang Club. Because they have been "edified" by Dutch missionaries, they already have simple clothes.It's just that many natives are drunk and staggering on the street.

The Dutch transported a large amount of arrack from Batavia and rum from Lingao, which were specially used to exchange fur goods with the natives.

Getting the natives addicted to alcohol is a common practice of many trading companies in the Age of Discovery.Aborigines with a low level of civilization generally don't need too many daily necessities. To force the aborigines to do business frequently, they can only use more brains on dependent hobbies.Once the aborigines become addicted to alcohol, they become poor creatures that the company can exploit.This scene is being played out everywhere from North and South America to the Bering Strait and Siberia.

Li Siya has also done this kind of business herself, so she doesn't care about it at all.She asked Guo Huaiyi's men to take her into a decent wine shop.People who come in and out of the gate can see that the natives are not entertained here, and all the people who come in and out are Han Chinese, and occasionally Japanese, blacks and East Indians come in and out.

The tavern was full of people, and all the windows in the room were open for ventilation.Seventy to eighty percent of the seats are filled inside.The tavern always has a lot of news.Especially a bistro like this.Judging from the people who came and went, there were not only Han Chinese who came to trade, but also various people who served under the Dutch.You should be able to know a lot of news from their mouths.

Li Siya can speak many languages ​​that are common in East Asia—even some local dialects.Under her signal, the group found a table near the table where several Japanese people were drinking, ordered some wine and rice, and began to eat and drink quietly.

The Japanese speak Japanese—I think that everyone here is Chinese, and no one can understand Japanese, so the content of the speech is not shy.Li Siya soon got a lot of news: including the recent strengthening of security; an order to increase the rice and gunpowder reserves in the city and various fortresses; new artillery and arquebus will be shipped from Batavia.

Then Li Siya heard an important news: a trade ship from Batavia taking advantage of the south trade wind will carry a big man to the city of Zeelandia,

Although the status of the Japanese is relatively low, it is not known who the person who came here is, but judging from the various preparations they have made to welcome the big man mentioned in their conversation, the person who came is at least a Batavian councilor. A senior member of the East India Company at guild level, or possibly someone from within Holland.

This news immediately aroused Li Siya's great interest.The sudden arrival of this big man obviously had an important purpose.If you can know who is coming and what is the purpose, maybe you can use it.

After leaving the tavern, Li Siya immediately decided to stay overnight in the local area in order to investigate and investigate the matter.

There is a simple inn in the market, of course it is inconvenient for Li Siya to stay.Fortunately, Guo Huaiyi had someone in the local area who was responsible for inquiring about news and responding personnel, so he stayed at his home.

"Are there prostitutes near Dayuan Street?" She immediately asked her followers after she settled down.

"Yes, there are a lot of prostitutes on the street. There are Han people and native people..."

"Who do you do business with?"

"Anyone can do it."

"Does anyone do business with red-haired people?"

"No on the street. But there is a tavern on the side of the Weidao pier on the northern line. They are all saltwater girls, there are Han people and black people. Occasionally there will be ghost girls. They specialize in the business of sailors on board. Mao people often go there too."

Li Siya knew that the blacks in the Han population included black slaves from Africa, as well as natives from the East Indies.Blacks are relatively rare in East Asia, let alone black women; it is more likely that the Dutch brought native female slaves from East Asia from Batavia.

"As soon as it gets dark, you will try to send me to Weidao on the Northern Line."

"Little one understands!" The entourage had been instructed to follow this woman's arrangements.

"When I want to return, I will raise a light on the shore as a sign, and you will send a boat to pick me up."

"It's easy," said the entourage, "the boat doesn't need to go back. There are many rocks on the side of Luermen, and the water is shallow. Red-haired ghosts never go to patrol. I hide the boat among the rocks. You whistle on the shore and I'll let you go." Come out and answer."

After it was completely dark, Li Siya and two followers quietly came to the shore, where a small boat had been prepared.Wrapped in a black hooded cloak, Li Siya jumped lightly and landed on the boat.

"Let's go."

Small boats paddled quietly across the water—this is the Luermen Waterway, where big ships can't pass through, so there are few people.The boat quickly crossed the channel safely and rested among the cluttered reefs on the shore.

"Wait here for me. If I don't come back before dawn, you should go back and report to Mr. Guo." Li Siya observed the situation on the shore and warned.

"Little understands."

Li Siya quietly boarded the coast, not far from the pier, the pier was dark, only a few lights were still on.She had already asked where the tavern was, so she went there.

She carefully avoided the sentries near the pier, and took off her cloak next to a pile of goods.She was wearing a European-style cotton dress, which was torn on purpose, and her hair was loose and loose.She tore off a skirt, exposing part of her calf.He quickly took out rouge from his pocket, quickly applied it on his face and lips, and then used a charcoal pencil to outline his eyebrows and eye circles.

(End of this chapter)