In fact, the mood of the Dutch governor in Batavia, Afelai, was also quite bad. 【】What Alihan can think of, as a governor, how could he not have thought of it? He had nothing but to think more. But, depressedly, the more he thought about it, the worse his mood became. Not only was Afelai in a bad mood, but also the people around him.

With such a large fleet of the White Army and Navy going south, it was impossible to hide it from the eyes of the Dutch. The movements of the white-clothed navy in the sea near the border of Balin, the senior management of the Dutch East India Company also saw it early in the morning. The Dutch naval warships have been patrolling the waters near Jakarta all the time. From their point of view, Alihan's merchant fleet was just a coincidence, and there was nothing to make a fuss about.

The so-called artillery drills, which require the blockade of a certain area at sea, are actually a rotten trick in the eyes of the Dutch. Such three indiscriminate tactics can only be used against the navies of some weak countries. For the powerful Dutch Navy, it is actually insignificant. In the face of absolute strength, all the little tricks are insignificant.

Just like the English pirates, despite the heavy losses inflicted on the Dutch, there were often looting Dutch merchant ships. However, it was impossible for the British pirates to make the British navy more powerful than the Dutch navy. For the British Navy to become stronger, it still needs to fight with dignity. Therefore, what Afelai is worried about is not actually the problem of war.

If this had happened ten days earlier, in the sea near Jakarta, Afelai would have ordered the fleet to attack without hesitation. Even without his orders, his naval fleet would have taken the initiative to attack. Because, they are very confident, very confident in the power of the Dutch Navy. They all felt that if the Dutch fleet attacked decisively, it would be easy to defeat the navy fleet of the White Coats.

Ten days ago, eight days to be exact, however, Afelai and his fleet commander had received a terrible report. This report is from a pirate fleet. This pirate fleet was actually secretly raised by the Dutch. Their main task was to attack and loot the Spanish merchant ships under the banner of pirates.

It seems that such a pirate fleet, in the South Seas, is actually quite numerous. The forces of all countries are well aware. After the losses suffered by their respective merchant ships, they did not count the losses on the pirates, but on the enemy's navy. Therefore, these pirate fleets are actually quite nourishing. As long as you don't encounter the navy of a powerful country, you will be fine.

But, unfortunately, something happened to the pirate fleet raised by the Dutch. Unfortunately, they encountered the white-coated naval fleet heading south. As a result, the Dutch pirate fleet was almost wiped out by a distant bombardment of the White Coats naval fleet, and even Solum, the most outstanding genius of the Dutch Navy, who pretended to be the leader of the pirates, was unfortunately killed.

Well, none of that is the point. Whether Sorum is a genius or not is not the point. The strength of the Dutch pirate fleet was very strong, and this is not the point. The focus was on the course of the battle, which lasted less than three minutes. In other words, in three minutes, the Dutch pirate fleet was completely wiped out. At that time, there were already accurate clocks and timekeeping, and senior officers of the Dutch Navy had pocket watches. Therefore, this time is certainly not wrong.

In three minutes, the entire Dutch pirate fleet was wiped out. Such a result is simply staggering. Others may not know it, but the Dutch top brass absolutely knows. This Dutch fleet was equipped with a full ten large warships, all with a displacement of more than 600 tons. The number of guns on each battleship was more than forty. These warships, even if placed in the main fleet of the Navy, are the existence of the attack surname.

The entire pirate fleet has more than 400 guns! The largest caliber of artillery even exceeded two hundred millimeters. Such a number of artillery pieces, even in the face of a large naval fleet of Spain, could hold up for a while. It is absolutely impossible to be completely annihilated in just three minutes, and even the genius commander is dead.

"Their cannons are so powerful, really too powerful......"

Most of the sailors of this pirate fleet were sent by the Dutch navy to fake them. After the battle, the remaining sailors, fortunately rescued by the passing merchant ships, were sent to the arms of the Dutch navy. When they saw their bosses, they repeated this sentence vigorously, and at the same time, their faces were full of horror, as if they were completely frightened stupid.

Where is the artillery fire of the white-clothed army and navy? It is very powerful at a particularly long range and very powerful. The navy of the whitecoats opened fire almost a nautical mile away. Such a firing distance far exceeds the firing distance of the ordinary navy. In general, the navy usually fires within 300 meters. If you are accidentally hit, it is the end of no return.

According to the description of the remaining pirates, the pirate's warship only needs to be hit by one shell, and it will end up in pieces. I don't know what the shells of the white-clothed navy are made of, and when the cannon comes down, there is a loud sound of the sky and the earth cracking, and everything is shattered. A large battleship with a displacement of 600 tons only needs one shell and is completely destroyed. Even if it doesn't sink on the spot, it won't last long.

"Could it be that they used blasting shells? Modified? ”

There was an experienced commander of the Dutch naval fleet, who immediately thought of the key.

When the cannonball falls, it emits a loud noise and fire, and then shatters everything, which are the main characteristics of the blasting projectile. Based on this, it can be inferred that the white-coat navy used explosive shells, which is completely defensible in theory. However, in their impression, the power of the blasting bomb does not seem to be so powerful! It must be known that at that time, the power of gunpowder was quite insufficient. How easy is it to completely, completely smash a large warship?

In fact, the Dutch Navy was also armed with blasting shells, the main ingredient of which was black powder. However, with the power of such a blasting projectile, it was simply impossible to destroy a battleship with a displacement of six hundred tons. Therefore, the Dutch Navy preferred to use solid or shotgun. This is true not only of the Dutch Navy, but also of the navies of other countries. Explosive shells have never been the main type of ammunition in naval warfare. Even, on land, it is also not the main artillery shell.

It can be inferred from this that the power of the blasting bombs of the white-clothed navy is so huge, there must be some key breakthrough in technology. Moreover, it should be an epoch-making technology. Therefore, before figuring out what advanced technology has been adopted for the shells used by the White Navy, the Dutch Navy will be very passive if it rashly starts a war with the White Navy. If you don't get it right, you'll end up like your own pirate fleet.

The pirate march was wiped out, but it didn't matter much. In the eyes of the navies of major countries, pirates are simply petty and cannot be put on the table. If the main fleet of the Navy suffers losses, the problem is big. In the vast sea, warships are the authoritative existence of various countries. Without warships, nothing you say will work, and nothing will go well. All the Dutch executives are well aware of this.

As one of the main Dutch governors in the East, Afelai knew much more than the average high-ranking official. He even knew that the white-clothed army had already achieved complete victory within the Ming Empire. They can unify the whole country at any time. Therefore, in essence, it was not the White Army Navy that was subordinate to the Ming Empire, but the Ming Empire which was subordinate to the White Army. The white-clothed navy is under the banner of the Ming Empire, but it is just because someone has not yet claimed the title of emperor.

In fact, that person named Xu Xingxia was the real master of the Ming Empire. The emperor of the Ming Empire in Nanjing completely depended on his face. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that if Xu Xingxia wants to be the emperor, the emperor in Nanjing can only obediently give up the emperor's throne. According to the intelligence, this guy named Xu Xingxia is indeed a freak. And he himself personally served as the commander-in-chief of the White Clothes Army and Navy.

It is precisely because he knows too much that Afelai is a little undecided. There is no doubt that since the white-coated navy appeared in the South Seas, it was for the interests of the South Seas. No matter what small moves the white-clothed army and navy make, his ultimate goal is to show his existence to the major forces in the South Seas. However, Afeilai doesn't know how far Xu Xingxia will be satisfied when he intervenes in Nanyang. Is it to drive all the Western powers out of the South Seas and dominate the South Seas? Or just want a piece of the pie?

If it was the former, Afelai would certainly not hesitate to engage the White Navy with it. Taking advantage of the fact that the white-clothed navy was not firmly established in the South Seas, it was the simplest and most practical way to immediately concentrate the main forces of all the fleets of the Dutch navy and encircle and annihilate the white-clothed navy. As long as all the opponents are annihilated, the next thing will be relatively simple. Even if there was a naval fleet of the White Army going south in the future, there was no need for the Dutch navy to be afraid of each other.

In fact, since the Dutch had gained a foothold in the South Seas, they would not have retreated easily. No matter what kind of enemy they encountered, the Dutch would not easily give up the benefits they had in hand. Every year, the Dutch East India Company had to hand over a large amount of profits to the parliamentary treasury. These profits are very important to the Netherlands. Therefore, the whole of the Netherlands will not give up this huge profit easily. Even if you need to take some risks, you don't hesitate to do it.

However, if Xu Xingxia's goal is only the latter, and he is satisfied just trying to get a piece of the pie in the South Seas, it is obviously not a good thing for the Dutch Navy to rashly act as a bird and take the lead in attacking the white-clothed navy. Judging by the destruction of the Dutch pirate fleet by the White Coats Navy, their combat effectiveness should be quite strong. Even if the Dutch navy can wipe them out, I am afraid that it will have to pay a considerable price.

The Spaniards, who love face the most, did not make a move against the White Navy in the port of Manila, just taking into account this practical problem. Could it be that the Spaniards have suddenly become merciful? Of course not. They were jealous of the white-coat navy. The navy of the white-clothed army is like a hedgehog, and whoever squeezes it hard will definitely be stabbed.

In fact, for the white-clothed army and navy, a strong outsider, it is clear that whoever makes the first move will definitely suffer. Since the white-clothed army and navy dare to go south, it shows that they also have a certain degree of confidence. They are not idiots, they will definitely not do anything to send them to death. Therefore, it is impossible for the major forces in Nanyang to easily eat each other. The biggest result is that both sides lose, or even die together.

And once both sides lose, other rivals will come one after another, taking advantage of the weakness and squeezing your interests and territory. If it is the same fate, then let alone say. Your interests in Nanyang will definitely be divided by other forces in the first place. Therefore, no matter which force it is, it needs to be carefully weighed before making a decision.

At the same time, there are also the commanders of the fleet under the command of Afelai.

As fleet commanders, the issues they consider are relatively simple. They think about the problem, and they only need to look at it from a military point of view. Everything else can be given up temporarily. Therefore, what they think about the most is how to defeat the white-coated navy. It would be better if after the victory in the battle could obtain the advanced artillery technology of the White Coats Army and Navy. In this way, the Dutch Navy will undoubtedly be the most powerful maritime presence.

The huge fleet of the white-clothed navy suddenly went south and quietly occupied the border of Pakistan, and regarded this place as the future home port of the fleet, all of which was indeed very depressing for the Dutch. In the midst of the depression, there is also a little bit of anger, and it feels like the dignity of the Dutch people has been seriously challenged. After all, in terms of sphere of influence, Pakistan should be subordinate to Jakarta. In a country's sphere of influence, a sideways intervention is tantamount to a signal to war. This is the unwritten rule of the South Seas. It's a pity that the white-coated navy does not abide by this rule.

However, in the face of the strong behavior of the white army, the Dutch really have nothing to do for the time being. For the sake of safety, they will not do it lightly until they thoroughly understand the details of the white-clothed army and navy. However, if we do not use force directly, it will certainly not be effective, but simply a diplomatic note or a verbal warning and warning. If you can take away the other party with your mouth, what else do you need a battleship for?

What's even more depressing is that on the eastern sea, it seems that the Ming Empire is the landlord.

Whether it is the Dutch or the Spaniards, it takes at least half a year to travel from the far Atlantic to the East. Along the way, there may be all sorts of surprises. After all, the sea route is simply too long. However, the naval fleet of the Ming Empire went south from the north, and it only took half a month at most. This meant that in the same amount of time, the White Navy would receive much more reinforcements than the Dutch.

It can be said that the Ming Empire was the host, and they were all guests from afar.

The host fights with the guests, and the host undoubtedly has the upper hand. The so-called strong dragon does not suppress the head snake. The owner has the advantage of time and place. Unless the strength of the guest, much more than the host, has an absolute advantage. Otherwise, it is really a bit difficult to contain this master. If you can't get one right, you'll be all in it.

What's worse is that among these guests who came from afar, there is still a deep grudge, and there is basically no possibility of cooperation between them. A group of guests with evil intentions, in the face of a powerful host, the chance of being able to achieve victory is simply negligible. It's like they, the Dutch, don't want to cooperate with other people.

The grievances and grievances between the three maritime hegemons, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, could not be written even with a piece of cloth. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and this sentence is absolutely not applicable in the middle of these three countries. These three countries, between any two of them, are mortal enemies. There is no possibility of cooperation between either two.

The paradox of Afelai is the serious consequences if the Dutch and the white-coat navy were to take the lead in the war. The most important thing about dominoes is to fall the first one. As long as the first chapter falls smoothly, the rest will not be forgotten. In case the navy of the white-coated army is the domino of the Dutch, the Dutch will be miserable. This point, as a Dutch high-level Afelé, had to think about it repeatedly.

To be honest, the Portuguese know the most about the huge empire in the north. They were the first to come to the East. Before the Dutch arrived in the East, the Portuguese had been in this sea for at least fifty years. It can be said that the Portuguese were familiar with everything about the Ming Empire. However, the Portuguese were cunning, and there was always a price to pay for them to reveal core confidential information.

Moreover, as an emerging maritime hegemon, the Dutch were also reluctant to turn to the Portuguese for help. In the eyes of the Dutch, the Portuguese are outdated and not worth cherishing. Asking for help from such an outdated country is a shame on the Dutch.

However, the Dutch fleet's blind retreat was not an option. The forces of the entire Nanyang region are staring at you. Judging by the performance of the Spaniards in Manila, it is clear that they are not prepared to go to war with the White Navy first. They would prefer the Dutch to be the first bird. After all, the naval fleet of the Dutch in the South Seas was the most powerful.

However, once the Dutch suffered heavy losses in the battle with the White Coats Navy, Afelai was sure that it was the Spaniards who were the first to attack the Dutch. In other words, the grievances and grievances between the Spanish and Dutch seem to be inexhaustible with a piece of cloth. Stimulated by heavy entanglements of interests and historical grievances, the Spanish fleet could set off on the other side after learning that the Dutch had been defeated.

What should I do?

The Dutch were in a state of confusion.

…… Compared with the confused Dutch, the Portuguese reacted much more easily.

The news of the appearance of the white-coat navy in the South Seas was actually known to the Portuguese before the Dutch. After all, the Portuguese were the first to come to the South Seas, and before other countries arrived, they had already come into contact with all the local tribal powers, and the two sides established close ties. This influence has not been eliminated until now.

Although the Portuguese were not very strong at sea due to the small size of the country, the combat effectiveness of the main naval fleet was always inferior to that of the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. However, the Portuguese have the most extensive travels. Almost all of the East, there were Portuguese informants. Something unusual was going on, and the Portuguese knew it right away.

However, the Portuguese governor in Malacca, Alonsoden, remained silent about the appearance of the white navy. To be precise, to pretend that you don't see anything, you don't hear anything. All the information about the White Army and Navy was pressed under his desk. Everything seemed to have been annihilated in Malacca.

Alonsoden's reaction is easy for ordinary people to understand. The Portuguese were clearly not prepared to fight the white-coat navy. In fact, seriously speaking, these warships of the White Army Navy are still a full set of technology provided by the Portuguese. At the Dengzhou shipyard, there were a large number of Portuguese technicians, who brought all kinds of Western battleship drawings to the White Army. Only in terms of ship-borne artillery, the white-clothed army started from scratch.

Therefore, the Portuguese felt that their relationship with the white coat navy was very close. The two sides are definitely not enemies, if not friends. And Xu Xingxia also made it clear in private that there is not too much conflict of interest between the White Navy and the Portuguese Navy, and there are common interests, so the two should be able to coexist peacefully.

What does this private statement mean? It means that the main spearhead of the white navy is other countries, especially the Dutch. Since these words came out of Xu Xingxia's mouth, I believe that the white-clothed army and navy have already received relevant instructions. Since Xu Xingxia deliberately released the rumor, of course the Portuguese can't help but be interested.

It would be a fool if the Portuguese clearly felt the differential treatment of the White Navy and followed behind the Dutch, waving their flags and shouting that they would fight to the end with the White Navy and Navy. How could Alonsoden be a fool if he could do the position of governor-general? Therefore, he was completely happy to be idle, ready to watch the excitement on the sidelines.

The only thing that Alonsoden was curious about was that he didn't know what kind of grudge Xu Xingxia had with the Dutch, and the white-clothed navy seemed to point the preferred target at the Dutch without thinking. Seriously, there doesn't seem to be any intersection between the Dutch and the Navy. Why is Xu Xingxia so angry with the Dutch?

"Forget it, I don't want to!" Alonsoden thought about it for a long time, but he still couldn't get the point, so he had to give up helplessly. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a direct danger to the Portuguese. The Portuguese are used to soy sauce, so let's continue to make soy sauce this time.

(To be continued)