lcionline Chapter 189 High Official
Chapter 189 High Official
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One morning, Wang Qinian was shaken awake from his deep sleep by Liang Dong: "Mr. Wang, we've arrived."
Wang Qinian opened his eyes, trying to shake off the sluggishness caused by days of seasickness, and observed his surroundings.
Under the winter sunset, an endless line of boats stretched before him, masts like a forest, sails like clouds. Countless vessels of all sizes stretched from the shore to the far end of the bay. Wang Qinian was almost dumbfounded. Although he was a native of Guangzhou, how could the Pearl River compare to the vast ocean? He had never seen so many boats at once before, and this sight before him was truly astonishing.
Most of the vessels were small coastal fishing boats or cargo ships of about 40 or 50 tons, with simple structures, looking no different from ordinary fishermen's boats on the Pearl River. Occasionally, there were larger ships of over 100 tons mixed in, and even some Western-style sailing ships. Wang Qinian noticed that almost every ship had cannons of different sizes and styles, mounted and tied to the deck in various ways. The pirates sat casually around the cannons eating and drinking, and there were even women and children on board. This kind of large-scale tribal pirate group seemed quite rare.
Suddenly, a woman's scream came from a ship. Looking in the direction of the sound, one was shocked to see a woman naked and tied to the side of the ship. A lean pirate was brutally whipping her back, buttocks, and thighs with a seawater-soaked whip. With each whip, the woman let out a scream that could tear eardrums, and she writhed desperately on the log.
On the boat, men and women, young and old, went about their work and smoked without a care in the world.
Because of the distance, Wang Qinian could only vaguely hear the man's scolding: "...Who do you think you are? Pretending to be righteous without even knowing where you are! I'll beat you to a pulp, you stinking bastard, trying to act all high and mighty..."
This fascinating scene sent a chill down Wang Qinian's spine. He reminded himself that he was facing a group of people who were completely unrestrained by the laws and ethics of the Ming Dynasty and had no pity whatsoever.
Liang Dong was making contact with the pirates on the outskirts. Unlike Wang Qinian, he wasn't worried at all. Pirate groups risk their lives to do business at sea. Besides strength, they also rely on luck. Being defeated and scattered and then finding a way to escape back is commonplace. Some even directly join other gangs.
One of the pirates asked with a laugh, "Liang Dong, how come you escaped back with such an old fellow?"
Wang Qinian felt a chill run down his spine, but Liang Dong replied nonchalantly, "He's a distant relative of mine. He can do arithmetic. He couldn't make a living back home, so I thought he might come in handy and brought him back."
The call was made in a few words, and no one pressed for further questions. Wang Qinian lowered his head and followed Liang Dong ashore.
Contrary to his expectations, the pirates hadn't built any fortified settlements or strongholds. Some ships, towed ashore and under repair, were simply makeshift shelters for the pirates. Clearly, the pirates didn't believe anyone could directly threaten them by landing—the fleet itself was their fortress. Moreover, the Dutch castle was right behind them, and given the current relationship between the two sides, no one dared to provoke them.
Passing through the densely packed thatched huts, Liang Dong pointed into the distance: "That's the Red Haired People's castle. The Red Haired People themselves call it Fort Zeelandia, which is quite a mouthful."
Wang Qinian nodded. He wasn't in a hurry to find out about the Dutch forces and Liu Xiang's number of men and ships. These things were too sensitive. Even with Liang Dong as a cover, he still had to be wary of eavesdroppers. As long as he could remain hidden and grasp the movements of Liu Xiang's large-scale operation, he would have already succeeded more than halfway. He could gather these details slowly.
Liang Dong led Wang Qinian to a thatched hut to stay in. For safety reasons, they chose a secluded corner where the surrounding pirates were sparsely populated. Normally, after escaping death, pirates would find a woman to sleep with for a few nights to bring good luck, but Liang Dong unusually restrained his lust and did not seek out a woman, even though it wouldn't have been difficult for someone of his experience to do so.
“I sometimes talk in my sleep, and if I accidentally let something slip, it could cost me my head,” Liang Dong said somewhat awkwardly to Wang Qinian. “I was thinking of finding you a woman to help you relax, but I don’t dare to do that right now. Please bear with me for a while.”
"It's alright, business is more important." Wang Qinian has been a bachelor for decades, so he doesn't care about these few days.
Hans Putmans, the newly appointed Chief Administrator of the Dutch East India Company in Dali, gazed out of the trading post window at the ships anchored in the harbor. Besides Liu Xiang's fleet, several junks had just returned from Zhangzhou Bay, carrying not only various trade goods but also tens of thousands of red bricks, a great deal of stone, and timber.
The large quantity of building materials transported was intended for the expansion of Zeelandia Castle and a series of fortifications surrounding Dawang. Although Dawang's trade was in dire straits when Putmans took office, he still set about spending money on fortifications, and this was not without reason.
When Hans Putmans took office in 1629, the entire island of Daimyo was in an unprecedented crisis: on the one hand, trade in Daimyo was not profitable, and trade with Japan was interrupted by the Hamada Yahei incident caused by the mishandling of his predecessor Natz. Trade with China was also not developing well. The Dutch could not open the door to direct trade with China, and were also trapped by the struggles of various sea lords along the coast, which almost brought the trade to a standstill.
On the other hand, the Spanish were restless. They not only built castles in Keelung and Tamsui, but also sent a fleet from the Philippines in an attempt to drive out the Dutch in one fell swoop. If a storm had not scattered the fleet, the fall of the defenseless Daiman would have been inevitable.
Finally, there were the harassment attacks from the local indigenous people. Relations between the Dutch and several indigenous communities surrounding the island were tense. The Dutch and the Chinese serving them were constantly attacked by the Madou and Mujialu communities, some through pointless headhunting, others due to conflicts of interest. His predecessor, Natz, had made a significant "contribution" to exacerbating relations with the local indigenous people. The Dutch's safe zone was limited to a few miles around the island. Just eight days before Putmans took office, over fifty Dutch soldiers, en route to suppress Chinese pirates, were ambushed by the local Madou community and wiped out.
Similar incidents occurred frequently in the area. In particular, the natives were equally hostile towards both the Dutch and Chinese immigrants, and the Chinese often faced attacks from the local inhabitants when hunting or cultivating the land.
Combating piracy, suppressing natives, and finding ways to expand trade were the three major challenges facing the fifth Dutch East India Company Resident Administrator in Dali.