Early one morning, Wang Qinian was woken up from his slumber by Liang Dong: "Mr. Wang, we have arrived." Pen Fun Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Wang Qinian opened his eyes, tried to get rid of the unresponsiveness caused by days of seasickness, and observed his surroundings.

Under the winter sunset, there are endless ships in front of you, with masts like forests and sails like clouds. Countless boats, large and small, line up from the shore all the way to the end of the bay. Wang Qinian was almost dumbfounded, although he was born and raised in Guangzhou, but how could the Pearl River be compared to the vast sea, he had never seen so many ships at once, and now how could he not be surprised by the scene in front of him.

Most of the boats are small coastal fishing boats or cargo ships of more than forty or fifty tons, with a simple structure, and they look no different from the boats of ordinary fishermen in the Pearl River. Occasionally, there are hundreds of tons of large ships mixed in, and there are even Western-style sailing ships. Wang Qinian noticed that almost every ship had guns of different sizes and styles, which were erected and tied to the deck in various ways, and the pirates sat by the guns very casually to eat and drink, and there were even women and children on board. This kind of large tribal group of pirates seems to be a rarity.

Suddenly, a woman's screams were heard from a ship, and I couldn't help but be taken aback: a woman was tied naked to the ship's gang, and a lean pirate was whipping her naked back, buttocks, and thighs with a whip soaked in seawater. With each pump, the woman let out a scream that was enough to tear her eardrums, and writhed desperately on the wood.

Men and women, young and old, blind to the boat, working and smoking on their own.

Because of the distance, Wang Qinian only vaguely heard the man's reprimand: "...... What do you think you are? Pretend to be serious and don't look at the place! See if I don't beat you stinker, and give it back to the master to take Qiao......"

This very interesting scene made Wang Qinian shudder, and he reminded himself that he was facing such a group of people, who were completely unconstrained by the laws of the Ming Dynasty and ethics, and there was no mercy in his heart.

Liang Dong was connecting with the pirates on the periphery, and unlike Wang Qinian, he was not worried at all. In addition to strength, it also depends on luck, and it is common for pirate groups to go to sea to do business and then think of escaping back, and some even go directly to other gangs.

A pirate smiled and asked, "Liang Dong, how did you kid escape and bring back such an old guy?" ”

Wang Qinian's back was cold when he heard this, but Liang Dong replied casually: "This is my distant relative, I can make a calculation, I can't get along in my hometown, I thought maybe it could come in handy, so I brought it back." ”

After a few words, he sent it away, and no one continued to ask. Wang Qinian lowered his head and followed Liang Dong ashore.

Contrary to what he had imagined, the pirates had not built any stockades, forts, or anything like that, and there were some ships on the shore that were being repaired on the beach, and the pirates had built some straw huts that were considered temporary shelters. Obviously, the pirates did not think that anyone could rush ashore to threaten them directly - the fleet was their fortress. What's more, behind them is the castle of the Dutch, and with the current relationship between the two families, no one dares to break ground on Tai Sui's head.

Walking through the dense grass hut, Liang Dong pointed to the distance: "That's the castle of the red-haired people, and the red-haired people themselves call it the city of Relansha, and they are very awkward." ”

Wang Qinian nodded, he didn't rush to inquire about the strength of the Dutch and the number of Liu Xiang's men and ships, these things are too sensitive, even if there are beams to cover up, you have to beware of the wall having ears. As long as he lurks and grasps the movements of Liu Xiang's large-scale operation, even if he succeeds for most of the time, these details can be explored slowly.

Liang Dong took Wang Qinian to find a grass hut to live in, for safety reasons, he chose a remote corner, and the pirates living around were also very sparse. Originally, he escaped death, and according to the pirate's custom, he wanted to find a woman to sleep with for a few nights, but Liang Dong rarely restrained his desire and did not go to find a woman, although it was not difficult to do this kind of thing with his qualifications.

"I sometimes like to talk in my sleep when I sleep, and if I say it, it's a matter of losing my head." Liang Dong said to Wang Qinian a little embarrassed, "I wanted to find a woman for Mr. Wang to relieve his fatigue, but I don't dare to do it now, Mr. will be patient for a while." ”

"It's okay, it's important to get down to business." Wang Qinian has been a bachelor for decades, and he doesn't care about these days.

Hans Putmans, the new chief executive of the United Dutch East India Company, looked out the window of the merchant house at the ships anchored in the harbor. In addition to Liu Xiang's fleet, several junk ships had just returned from Zhangzhou Bay, and in addition to carrying various trade goods, they also brought tens of thousands of red bricks, many stones and timber.

So much building material was brought in order to expand the castle of Geranza and a series of fortifications around the Lord. Although the Putmans was in serious losses in trade when he took office, he set about spending money on fortifications, and not for nothing.

When Hans Putmans took office in 1629, the entire government was in an unprecedented crisis: on the one hand, the trade with Japan was not profitable, trade with Japan was interrupted by the Hamada Yabei Incident (Note 1) caused by the mishandling of his predecessor Natz, and trade with China was not well developed.

On the other hand, the Spaniards were ready to move, not only built castles in chicken coops and fresh water, but also sent a fleet from the Philippines in an attempt to expel the Dutch in one fell swoop, and if it had not been for a storm that dispersed the fleet, the fall of the defenseless men was inevitable.

Finally, there are the attacks of the local natives. Several aboriginal communities around the Takan had strained relations with the Dutch. The Dutch and the Chinese who served them were constantly attacked by the Madou Society and the Mukayu Society, including senseless headhunting and conflicting interests. His predecessor, Nats, made a great "contribution" in intensifying relations with the local natives. The safety of the Dutch was confined to a few miles around the Occidental Force. Just eight days before Putmans took office, more than 50 Dutch soldiers were on their way out to fight the Chinese pirates when they were raided by the local Madou Society, and all of them were wiped out.

Similar things happen locally. In particular, the indigenous people are equally hostile to the Dutch and Chinese immigrants, and the Chinese are often attacked by the local natives when hunting and cultivating in the area.

Fighting piracy, suppressing the natives, and finding ways to expand trade were the three major problems facing the fifth Administrator of the United Dutch East India Company.

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Note 1: In 1628 (the fifth year of Kanei Japan), there was a trade conflict between Taiwan and Japan under the rule of the Dutch East India Company. (To be continued.) )