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   Chapter 663 660 [Dutch reinforcements]

   It takes about 30-45 days to sail from Tainan to Batavia one way, depending on luck.

  Good luck, smooth sailing, it will arrive in a month.

   Bad luck, you may never get there in your life.

  The Taiwanese rescue ship in the Netherlands was lucky and arrived in Batavia in less than 40 days.

   "Thousands of people attacked Zeelandia?" Fan der Lin was so startled that he almost jumped up.

  The messenger said: "Your Excellency, there are really thousands of people."

  Taiwan is the trade transshipment center of the Netherlands in the Far East, especially after the abolition of the Vietnam trade station, it has become the only transfer point for Japan-Dutch trade.

  If Taiwan is lost, the governor of Van der Lin will be 100% dismissed.

  Van der Lin quickly asked: "Why did the Chinese emperor suddenly send troops?"

The messenger said: "The Tang people there refused to obey the management and had always been prone to riots. They have rioted sporadically several times in recent years. Maybe the Chinese emperor had long intended to attack Zeelandia, so he sent troops to station in the north of Zeelandia. More than a month ago, more than 10,000 Chinese rioted and were defeated by our heroic Dutch army. But on the third day of the riot, the Chinese army appeared."

  Fan der Lin asked some more details, then dismissed the messenger and ordered a company meeting.

  There is nothing to discuss, you have to fight if you don’t fight.

   Otherwise, not only the governor, Van der Lin, will get out, but most of the congressmen will also be held accountable.

  The focus of their discussion was how many reinforcements to send over.

  It is impossible to dispatch all of Batavia's Dutch fleet, and the army has to leave some defenders. Because the Netherlands had enemies in Java, the British and the Bantenes were eyeing them. Once Batavia is empty, maybe they will jointly declare war on the Netherlands, and Batavia may be lost on the spot.

  After repeated quarrels, the size of the Dutch reinforcements was as follows: 18 warships, 1,600 army soldiers.

  This is already the limit of what the Netherlands can dispatch. If they want to dispatch more, Batavia can declare that they don’t want it.

  Dutch reinforcements—

  The Admiral of the Navy is Van der Laan, who can be known as an aristocrat by the name, and they all belong to the old Fan family of Zhenghuangqi in the Netherlands.

  The capital ship is called "Stubborn John". Like the "Hector", it is an armed merchant ship with a displacement of 650 tons. These two battleships were built in recent years, and there wasn’t even one over 500 tons before. , the crew even killed each other to grab food after landing).

  The army is obviously not popular. The commander of the army is named Adorp. The veteran of the bottom of the colony is promoted. He has nothing to do with the nobles. He was just a bankrupt blacksmith in the Netherlands.

  Peter, the former commander of the Dutch Army, once joined forces with the Datong Army to attack Manila. This person has already been transferred to India. If he is still in Batavia, he must firmly oppose sending reinforcements. He knew the terror of the Datong Army, which actually captured the city in a typhoon, and its fighting power crushed the Dutch Army.

  Before Batavia Governor Van der Lin dispatched troops, Zhao Han in Nanjing had already received the news.

   Calling the naval captain, Gu Jianshan, Zhao Han asked, "When will the battleship made of hundred-year-old oak wood be launched at the earliest?"

  Gu Jianshan replied: "Next summer at the earliest, winter next year at the latest."

"I can't wait," Zhao Han said, "Guangzhou and Fuzhou fleets will immediately reinforce Taiwan. I think the Dutch will send reinforcements. Taiwan is extremely important, and the Dutch are reluctant to lose it. They will fight a war even if they don't care about the consequences. Also, let us Merchants from Fujian and Guangdong sent news to Britain, Spain, and Southeast Asian countries. It said that China and the Netherlands were fighting, and Batavia was empty of troops.

   "I obey the order!" Gu Jianshan clasped his hands.

   Just this year, the King of England was executed and Lord Protector Cromwell assumed power.

  Cromwell has already set his sights on the Netherlands. Although he controls the country, there are a large number of opposition parties in the country, and he must rely on war to transfer internal conflicts.

  The Netherlands is the primary enemy of Britain.

  The Netherlands first controlled trade in the North Sea (northeast Atlantic Ocean), which led to a sharp drop in the profits of British maritime merchants. A few years ago, they took advantage of the British Civil War to borrow money to make money, and forced the British aristocrats who could not repay their debts to hand over all kinds of business privileges in their hands. Even when the Netherlands expanded in the Americas, it went to Britain's North American colonies to make trouble.

   Not long ago, they even bullied the British at their doorstep.

  Dutch merchants fished in British offshore fishing grounds, expelled British fishermen by force, and monopolized fishing rights in several fishing grounds. As a result, the British fishing price rose, and the Dutch merchants took the opportunity to sell the fish caught in the British fishing grounds to the British at a high price.

   You know, just ten years ago, the United Kingdom paid money and people to help the Netherlands become independent.

   If you don’t say how to repay your kindness, at least you don’t make trouble.

  The whole of Britain, from nobles to commoners, hated the Dutch very much at this time. As long as Cromwell defeats the Netherlands and recaptures the interests of the United Kingdom, his prestige will surely reach the sky and his rule will be completely consolidated.

   Therefore, Cromwell started spending money frantically to expand the British fleet this year.

   Coincidentally, the Netherlands had just ceased war with Spain. In order to make up for the huge war expenses, it decided to sell large warships to recover financially.

  Historically, in just three years, the number of British naval warships soared from 39 to 80. The Netherlands is crazy about selling ships, and its European fleet has only 55 warships left, and all of them are not so powerful.

  So, the British used the warships sold by the Netherlands to defeat the Dutch navy in turn. This was the first Anglo-Dutch war.

   This is not the first time the Dutch have done something like this.

  A few years ago, the Netherlands fought for independence and wanted to break free from Spanish rule.

  The Spanish royal family's finances collapsed, so they could only organize an army to suppress it with loans. And those loans were mostly paid by Dutch businessmen—the Dutch lent money to Spain to suppress the Dutch War of Independence, and the eight emperors felt ashamed when they saw it.

   Really echoed what Marx said, if there is a 300% profit, capitalists will sell the rope to hang themselves.

  …

  The Dutch reinforcements were afraid of being attacked midway, so they dared not go to the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula. Instead, follow Kalimantan Island, pass through Luzon Island and go straight to Tainan.

  The Sultan of Brunei is Zhao Han's cheap father-in-law, and has received news of the war between China and the Netherlands.

  Although he was trembling with fright, he still had some backbone and dared not agree to the Dutch fleet docking for supplies. Even more than 20 offshore rowing boats gathered, posing as if they were about to fight the Netherlands.

  The Dutch fleet fired a few shots, and the Brunei fleet hid in the port in fright.

   Then, all the crew members abandoned the ship and fled, as did the Arab merchants on the shore, for fear that the Dutch would take the opportunity to land and plunder.

  Old Sultan Abba is terminally ill and may die at any time. As a man matures, he has to think about his children and grandchildren, and he cannot easily offend China, but the Netherlands can be offended.

  I can’t beat you at sea, I just stick to my royal city, you are so awesome, come and besiege the city slowly.

   Even, in the name of the Sudan, Abba ordered anyone not to sell supplies to the Netherlands, otherwise he would be charged a high entry tax in the future.

  The Dutch reinforcements have no temper for this. They are in a hurry to go to Taiwan for rescue. How could they stop halfway and besiege the city.

   After landing with armed forces, I found a few wells and loaded fresh water on board by myself. As for food, there are no vegetables and fruits to bear, and the food they brought is more than enough.

   Immediately, the Dutch fleet went to Sulu.

  I was too lazy to dock this time, and I didn’t dare to waste any more time, and went straight to the Netherlands’ own Busuanga Island.

  This island was assigned to the Netherlands through a post-war treaty when China and the Netherlands joined forces to fight against Spain a few years ago. Over the past few years, only more than 80 people have immigrated to the Netherlands, half of whom belong to the army soldiers.

  Adorp, the commander of the Dutch army, said to the commander of the navy: "Your Excellency, I feel something is wrong. Both Brunei and Sudan seem to be on guard against us. They may have received orders from China in advance."

  Vander Laan said: "These two countries are both vassal states of China. We have sent reinforcements, and of course they know the news, so they must help China."

   "Has Your Excellency ever been to this island?" asked Adope.

  Vander Laan shook his head and said, "Not really."

Adopu said: "I used to pass by here by boat. The terrain of the sea area of ​​Busuanga Island is very complicated. There are some reef islands around it, and there are big bays on all sides, which can hide several fleets. The Chinese navy, Will you hide there and wait for us to go there?"

"Even if the Chinese navy ambushed, they would stay near Luzon Island instead of coming here," Van der Laan said with a smile, "If we don't come and their fleet keeps ambush, how much military expenditure will be wasted? You know, this There aren't many natives on the island, and they can't grow much food, so all supplies have to be brought in from outside."

  Adopu hesitated to speak. He was promoted from a low-level soldier all the way. In front of a nobleman like Van der Laan, he really didn't have much qualifications to speak.

  Vander Laan, who had been in Ceylon before, was used to bullying Sri Lankan and Indian natives. He admitted that the army of a big country like China must not be provoked, but he did not take the Chinese navy seriously.

  Vander Laan said: "Advance at full speed, go to Busuanga Island to rest. Then use Busuanga Island as a base, first go to explore the situation on Luzon Island, and be ready to fight the Chinese in Luzon at any time!"

  The Sino-Dutch war this time is different from Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan in history.

   Zheng Chenggong moved to Taiwan with his troops because he had no foothold on the mainland. As for Zhao Han, he not only captured Vietnam, but also had troops stationed in Luzon, and there were two vassal states of Brunei and Sulu in between.

   Therefore, the reinforcements sent by the Netherlands did not dare to go directly to Taiwan. Their default battlefield was the waters of Luzon Island.

  The Dutch fleet speeded up and sailed into the northeast bay of Busuanga Island, with the earth castle of the Dutch colonists on the shore.

  Adorp himself climbed up to the watchtower and observed carefully with a telescope. Suddenly he shouted in horror: "Quickly withdraw from the bay, our castle has been bombarded, the Chinese must have occupied this place!"

  (end of this chapter)