PFC Chapter 75 The Two-Party Plan
Chapter 75 The Two-Party Plan
In the Dutch fleet, Capelen quickly noticed that the Ming army behind him was slowing down and no longer harassing him, but following at a distance. This made him breathe a slight sigh of relief, but his anxiety did not diminish at all.
He kept urging the fleet to speed up, while also worrying about the situation in Semarang. He was concerned that Semarang might also be attacked by the Ming army, and at the same time, he was worried that Semarang's reserves were insufficient to support the fleet's long-term stay.
Fortunately, God seemed to be on their side. The two-masted fast ship sent out to scout ahead soon brought back good news—Semarang had not been attacked and everything was fine.
This eased Capelen's anxiety somewhat, but not entirely. After leading his fleet into Semarang, he immediately summoned the local officials and inquired about the situation in Batavia.
Semarang and Batavia are on the same island, so what happened to the west could not be kept from the Dutch in Semarang. When the local officials met with Capelen, they were as if they had lost their parents and lamented:
"Commander, you're too late! Batavia has already fallen to the Chinese, and the Governor has committed suicide in service to his country!"
"What?!"
Kapelen felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision and his ears ring. He grabbed the back of his chair to keep from falling. Although he had a bad feeling, the shock of the news hitting him in such a cruel way was still unbearable.
The governor committed suicide... Batavia fell...
Has the company's heart in the Far East completely stopped beating?
"How long...how long ago?" His voice was hoarse, almost squeezing out each word from his throat.
"About... half a month ago." The official's face was ashen. "The news came from Europeans and merchants who had fled Batavia, and it's confirmed. The Chinese acted too quickly. Their army is well-equipped; it's said that everyone is armed with flintlock muskets. The governor's mansion was breached that very day, and the castle didn't surrender until the next day."
The room fell into a deathly silence; even breathing could be heard clearly.
All the officers lowered their heads, some clenched their fists, some closed their eyes, the shadow of defeat pressing down on everyone's hearts as if it were a tangible weight.
Capelen forced himself to calm down; now was not the time for mourning. He took a deep breath and inquired about the defenses and supplies at Semarang.
The official dared not delay and quickly told everything he knew—the situation in Semarang was not good.
This outpost was not a major Dutch colonial outpost. Although there were a small number of troops stationed there, they were mainly composed of indigenous soldiers, with only a small number of European soldiers.
In terms of supplies, food could be obtained through trade with nearby friendly indigenous tribes, but gunpowder and weapons were in severe shortage, far from meeting the needs of the fleet's resupply.
The situation in Semarang is not good. It is like a fragile temporary shelter with weak defenses, limited supplies, and the constant threat from Batavia.
Capelen could only order the city's defenses to be taken over, security strengthened, all warehouses inventoried, supplies collected from surrounding areas, and preparations made in advance.
He knew in his heart that Semarang was not a place to stay for long. It was close to Batavia, and once the Ming army consolidated its rule over Batavia, the next step would most likely be to sweep away the surrounding strongholds.
Given the defenses and reserves of Semarang, it would be difficult to withstand the combined land and sea attack of the Ming army. Moreover, his fleet, anchored there, was a huge target and difficult to resupply, making it an easy target.
They had to decide their next move before the Ming army launched its attack on Semarang.
After clearing out the food and ammunition here, they risked crossing the sea off Batavia to Malacca and even further to Ceylon, waiting for reinforcements from the mainland to take revenge on the Chinese.
Or should we continue to use Semarang as a base, try to gather the military forces of the companies scattered across the islands of Southeast Asia, and look for an opportunity to counterattack?
Both options were fraught with risk. Long voyages lacked reliable supply points along the way, and the route could be blocked or harassed by the Ming army. Gathering forces meant time was needed, but would the Ming army give them that time?
Capelen had absolutely no confidence.
……
Meanwhile, the level 6 ship dispatched by Qin Yunwu arrived off the coast of Batavia a day later. After identifying itself to the patrol boat, it was quickly led into the port, and the captain was led to the governor's mansion to meet Chen Ang and Lü Qianfan.
After nearly half a month of governance, Batavia had returned to order, and the Chinese who had been forbidden from settling in the city in large numbers were allowed to enter and become a new group of residents.
Meanwhile, the Europeans and mixed-race people who had previously bullied and oppressed the Chinese were either arrested, had their property confiscated, or were directly sentenced to hard labor, and the vacant houses were naturally left to the Chinese who migrated in.
For the Chinese community in Batavia, the arrival of the Ming army meant they had a just and upright government, and they could stand tall again.
In the market, Chinese shops were the first to resume business and were thriving; at the port and docks, the proportion of Chinese laborers and sailors increased significantly; even the patrol teams that helped maintain order saw many more young and strong Chinese men.
An atmosphere of pride and self-reliance permeated the Chinese community.
Getting back to the main point, inside the Governor's Mansion, after listening to the report relayed by the captain of the sixth-level ship, Chen Ang and Lü Qianfan exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of fighting spirit in each other's eyes.
"The remnants of the Dutch are holed up in Semarang, like turtles in a jar. We must not let them return to the mountains and bring future disaster," Chen Ang spoke first, then asked Lü Qianfan, "Is the navy ready to set out again?"
Lu Qianfan cupped his hands and said, "All ships are ready and have sufficient ammunition. Most of the captured Dutch warships have also been repaired and are usable. With the addition of the five ships led by General Qin, our naval strength has greatly increased. Even if the main Dutch force is still intact, we have the power to fight them."
Chen Ang nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with Lü Qianfan's answer. He said, "In that case, order the preparation of military supplies, and we can set sail for battle immediately. As for the land forces, I intend to send a thousand line infantrymen and twenty or thirty artillery pieces. Semarang is merely a remote outpost; how can it withstand our combined land and sea attack?"
"At that time, our army will advance by land and sea, achieving a swift and decisive victory, and will surely annihilate the main force of the Dutch at Semarang, preventing them from ever invading again, and bringing all of Southeast Asia under the control of our nation!"
As Chen Ang finished speaking, everyone present was filled with fighting spirit and shouted in unison, "Victory for the Ming army! Victory for the Ming army!!"
Once the assignments were made, everyone accepted their orders and went about their business. The atmosphere in the city became tense. The Ming soldiers who had been patrolling and maintaining order throughout the city gathered together, and large quantities of food and supplies were moved out of the warehouses and loaded onto warships or wagons.
Chen Ang knew that such a large-scale military operation could not be concealed, so he simply did not hide it and made preparations for the expedition in a high-profile manner. This, on the contrary, inspired the people of the city to respond enthusiastically, and they all wanted to sign up as laborers to go on the expedition with the army.
After all, the Chinese have long suffered from the humiliation and oppression of the Dutch. Now that the royal army is about to set out again to wipe out the last of the Dutch forces in one fell swoop, who wouldn't be excited? Who wouldn't want to witness the destruction of the Dutch with their own eyes?