One of Lu Jiude's tasks here was to observe the development of the Dutch in Taiwan and collect local human and geographical information for the Ming Dynasty's recovery of Taiwan in the future.

At this time, the Dutch were mainly focused on controlling the Spice Islands in Southeast Asia, and the third governor of the Dutch East India Company, Yan Peterlsson Kun, had not yet begun to provide substantial support to the Dutch colonists stationed in the city of Geranza, Taiwan.

Under such circumstances, the Dutch colonialists who were few people and had no strength to show their ugly colonial faces in Taiwan had not yet shown their ugly colonial faces. They sent people to nearby villages and communities to learn how the Han Chinese and the local natives dealt with each other, and engaged in friendly trade in order to obtain supplies to survive in Taiwan.

There are three indigenous villages near Anping, Xingang, Madou and Mujiaduwan, Xingang is a small village community with less than 400 people, and the latter two are large communities with nearly 3,000 strong men. The Dutch in the city of Geranza numbered between 130 and 150 people.

Peternats, the third governor of Taiwan in the Netherlands, had a conflict with the Japanese merchant Hamada Yabei over tax collection, and Hamada Yabei took away 16 new port aborigines who were dissatisfied with Dutch rule from the Daishi, hoping to provoke the shogunate to war against the Dutch and occupy the island of Taiwan.

Upon learning of this, Peter Nac personally rushed to Japan in July in the hope of making peace with the shogunate. Before he left, he appointed a provisional consul to handle the affairs of the Taiwanese merchants, a rude retired naval officer, Bill.

While Bill, who had nothing to do, was gambling with several soldiers in his room to kill time, he suddenly heard a report from the soldiers on guard at the castle that a ship carrying the Zheng flag had arrived at the Commander.

Bill drank the remnants of the wine from his glass, dropped the cards and said, "Our Chinese friend has come to see what good news he has brought us." I really hope he can bring good news about the opening of trade with China this time, otherwise I'm going to die on this goddamn savage island. ”

One officer shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't think you should get your hopes up, those Chinese have never fulfilled their promises." Unless we can muster a large fleet and go to the interior of China, the king of China will not agree to trade with us. ”

Bill stood up and straightened his clothes, then said to his subordinates, "Let's go, Pete." This time, Nicholas has won a brilliant victory over the Chinese officers and soldiers, and even if he buys the property they have stolen, at least it can reduce some losses for our merchant house. ”

When the Dutch lined up in the harbor to welcome Zheng Yiguan on the ship, they found that it was not the leader of the Chinese pirates, but the *official in a gorgeous costume.

Bill, the temporary consul of the Netherlands, who had been hiding in the shade of a tree, was suddenly excited, but also vigilant. If he hadn't seen Zheng Cai and Zheng Zhihu behind these two officials, he would have thought that this was the Fujian officials who had finally remembered to fulfill the trade agreement with the Netherlands.

"Your Excellency, where are you from. Greetings to Bill, the archon of the Dutch East India Company in the city of Geranza. Bill quickly walked past the soldier he had sent to pick him up, and walked up to Lian Shanxiang to greet him respectfully.

Zheng Cai was translating Bill's words for Lu Jiude and Lian Shanxiang, and Bill immediately realized that he seemed to have found the wrong person, and compared to Lian Shanxiang, a middle-aged official, the young Lu Jiude was the highest status among these people.

After listening to Zheng Cai's translation, Lu Jiude frowned, and he said to Zheng Cai: "Tell this Dutch fanren that this is the territory of the Ming Emperor, not the city of Geranza of the Dutch East India Company." The Ming Emperor took pity on these Westerners for crossing the ocean, so he let them rest ashore in Taiwan, but he did not allow them to build castles and set up official mansions here. ”

Although Bill could understand some Hokkien dialect, he could not understand Lu Jiude's northern official dialect at all. After Zheng Cai translated for him, Bilton retorted anxiously: "No, it's not like this, this is what the officials in Fujian signed with us in that year stated, as long as we give up the wind cabinet city in Penghu, the Dutch East India Company can develop freely in Taiwan, and they will not interfere." And they promised to trade with us, but to this day they have not fulfilled it..."

Lu Jiude raised his head and put his hands behind his back and said, "Can the words of a few local officials be regarded as a promise?" Could it be that you, the consul, signed an agreement with my Ming Dynasty and agreed to incorporate the Netherlands into the territory of my Ming Dynasty, and the Netherlands is the land of my Ming Dynasty? ”

"No, of course not. How could I sign such a ridiculous agreement, don't you Chinese have any credibility at all? Bill's face flushed, and he stepped forward with his hands dancing and said.

Bill, who was tall and tall, approached the shorter Lu Jiude, as if he wanted to kidnap Lu Jiude. Zheng Zhihu and Lian Shanxiang stepped forward to block Bill's direction. Zheng Zhihu reprimanded loudly in Dutch: "What do you want to do? This is a close attendant of the Ming Emperor, and if he is hurt here, you Dutch people should not want to stay here anymore. ”

Bill then realized that he seemed to be getting a little more emotional. He watched as the entourage brought by Zheng Zhihu put their hands on the weapons on their waists, and the soldiers behind him also raised their muskets, and suddenly calmed down.

As a pioneer with extensive colonial experience, Bill wasn't as rude and mindless as he might seem from the outside. He knew when to bow his head and when to slaughter the natives who had no ability to resist with impunity.

In this era, the Dutch were at their most glorious, and they were known to Europeans as the coachmen of the sea. The rise of the Dutch merchant ships at sea overpowered the forerunners of the Age of Discovery, and Portugal and Spain, two seafaring powers that were gradually beginning to decline.

In this era when Dutch merchant ships controlled the seas, Bill had seen indigenous civilizations in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, all bowing their heads and giving in to the absolute maritime superiority of the Dutch colonists.

But it was only in East Asia that the Dutch suffered several defeats. First it failed to the Portuguese in Macau, who had the support of the Chinese, and then when building a castle in the Penghu Islands, the Chinese mobilized countless ships and men to drive them away from the Penghu Islands. The governor of Batavia, Wei Malang, who advocated the use of force to open the gates of China, was therefore transferred from his post by the Dutch East India Company.

Since then, the Dutch have put aside the idea of opening the door to China and have turned to the Spice Islands, with Batavia as the center.

Bill knew that the current city of Geranza would not receive much support from Batavia, and that the city of Geranza was only a prototype and was far from being completed. Once the Chinese mobilize their armies across the sea, as they did three years ago, the last stronghold of the Dutch East India Company off the coast of China will disappear.

Bill didn't want to be seen by the company as a scapegoat for the loss of the city of Geranza, so he immediately adjusted his posture and said with a humble salute: "Please don't get me wrong, honorable nobleman, I am only momentarily emotional, and I am not malicious to you, my lordship. ”

After apologizing, Bill immediately turned back and ordered his men to lower their muskets. Lu Jiude, who was watching coldly, although he didn't understand what the Dutchman was saying, but he was good at observing words and feelings, and immediately understood that the Dutchman had succumbed to him.