Chapter 604
Seeking peace!
The small boat, flying a white flag, cautiously passed through the gaps between the giant ships that formed a sea wall at the forefront of the Zheng family fleet. Under the gaze of countless cold, curious, and disdainful eyes, it finally tremblingly approached the rope ladder temporarily lowered to the side of the "Zhenhai".
Several sailors secured the small boat with grappling hooks and lowered the footboard.
Before long, two figures climbed up the towering deck of the "Zhenhai" using both hands and feet, following the steps.
The newcomer was indeed a "red-haired devil".
One had curly hair, a ruddy complexion, and a thick, reddish-brown beard, and wore a slightly dirty Dutch East India Company officer's uniform; the other had a darker complexion, black, curly hair, and wore a Portuguese-style tight-fitting blouse and harem trousers, with a worn leather vest over it.
Both men looked rather disheveled. After boarding the deck, they felt even more uneasy facing the Ming soldiers surrounding them, their armor gleaming, their weapons gleaming, and their eyes filled with hostility. They instinctively shrank back.
Surrounded by his personal guards and generals, Zheng Zhilong sat leisurely on the tiger-skin chair that had been prepared beforehand, coldly looking down at the two uninvited guests.
The two Western envoys composed themselves, straightened their backs, and bowed in the direction of Zheng Zhilong according to their understanding of Eastern etiquette. They spoke in heavily accented but barely understandable Mandarin:
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
"grown ups?"
Upon hearing this, a captain of the personal guards standing beside Zheng Zhilong sneered, stepped forward, and rebuked him sternly:
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly! Standing before you is the Duke of Jing, personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty! The father-in-law of His Highness the Crown Prince! The Duke of Zheng, who is in charge of the navy of the southeastern provinces and the maritime trade office! What 'sir'? You should call him Duke! Understand?!"
The two envoys were clearly not expected to have this new and shocking identity. Upon hearing this, they were stunned, their faces showing surprise and uncertainty, and they exchanged a glance.
Duke of the Ming Dynasty? Or the Crown Prince's father-in-law? This status... is many levels higher than the "pirate king" or "local naval commander" they had imagined!
This means that this action was indeed the will of the Ming Dynasty!
The quicker-witted Dutch envoy immediately bowed deeply again, his tone even more respectful, even tinged with fear:
"Yes, yes, yes! I was unaware and offended Your Highness. Please forgive me! I pay my respects to Your Highness!"
Zheng Zhilong then gave a soft "hmm" through his nose as a response.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the two of them, and asked in a casual yet subtly authoritative tone:
"Speak. What brings you here with white flags? Do you know you are no match for us and have come to surrender?"
Upon hearing this, the two envoys' faces flashed with embarrassment and humiliation.
The Dutch envoy braced himself and tried his best to make his voice sound steady:
"In reply to Your Excellency, we have come on behalf of the Dutch East India Company and all personnel of the Kingdom of Portugal in Dongfan, and wish to discuss with Your Excellency... the issue of Dongfan's ownership."
He paused, observing Zheng Zhilong's expression, and said cautiously:
"Lord Duke, for a long time, we have maintained peaceful relations with your country's merchants and even your subordinates in this sea area, each doing our own business. Why...why are you suddenly making such a fuss today, mobilizing so many ships and troops to attack Dongfan? Is there...some misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstand?"
Zheng Zhilong seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He sneered, his voice suddenly turning sharp, like ice shards striking each other:
"What a fine 'peaceful coexistence'! What a fine 'misunderstanding'! You shameless barbarians have been occupying the eastern territory of my Great Ming for twenty or thirty years! Previously, the court was busy with internal and external troubles and had no time to look south, so you took advantage of the situation!"
Now they've gone even further, bringing more warships and soldiers from your barbaric lands in an attempt to occupy it permanently. Isn't this a blatant provocation against our Celestial Empire and an act of malice?
"Your Highness, by the Emperor's decree, is appointed Governor-General of the coastal regions, responsible for protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people. Seeing this situation, if you do not send troops to subdue them and pacify the world, would you not be derelict in your duty? Would you not allow the world to laugh at our Great Ming for having no one to govern us, allowing you clowns to run rampant on our doorstep?"
These words were righteous and forceful, directly characterizing the other side's actions as "encroaching on territory" and "provoking the Celestial Empire," while elevating their own actions to the righteous level of "being ordered to suppress the rebellion" and "defending sovereignty."
The two messengers turned pale from the barrage of rebukes.
The Portuguese envoy hurriedly explained:
"Lord Duke, please calm down! Please hear our explanation! As far as we know, this Dongfan... this Dongfan island, since ancient times, seems... seems not to have been formally incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, nor has it sent officials or troops to manage it."
It...it has always been considered unclaimed land! We Dutch and Portuguese were the first to discover and settle here, so how can it be called 'occupation'?
Moreover, we have lived and operated here for two or three decades, and no Ming Dynasty official has ever come to claim sovereignty!
"Unclaimed land? First come, first served?"
The chill in Zheng Zhilong's eyes intensified. He slowly stood up, looking down at the two of them with disdain, his voice seeming to emanate from an ice cellar:
"This is utterly ridiculous! You barbarians are ignorant and ill-informed. How could you know the long history and vast territory of China? As early as the Three Kingdoms period a thousand years ago, Sun Quan of Eastern Wu sent Generals Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi with 10,000 armored soldiers to 'seek Yizhou by sea'! This 'Yizhou' is Dongfan!"
During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, he dispatched large armies and envoys to Liuqiu three times! During the Song Dynasty, a patrol office was established in Penghu to govern the islands of Taiwan and Penghu! What you call "unclaimed" is merely a policy of appeasement and pacification adopted by the successive emperors of our Celestial Dynasty, who, considering the remoteness and undeveloped nature of the area, did not establish strict officials to govern it. How dare you misinterpret this as "unclaimed"?
As for the lack of anyone advocating for something… Hmph, isn't it me, the Duke, standing right here, advocating for you all?!
While Zheng Zhilong's remarks contained elements of using the past to illustrate the present and to reinforce legal principles, they were not entirely fabricated and did indeed point out the early connections between the Central Plains dynasties and Taiwan in history.
This sharp historical tracing and assertion of sovereignty left the two Western envoys, who had only a superficial understanding of Eastern history, speechless, their faces flushing red and then turning pale.
Seeing that the other party was speechless, Zheng Zhilong gave them no chance to argue and issued an ultimatum directly, his tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation:
"Enough with the nonsense! You now have only one path before you—lay down your weapons immediately and evacuate Dongfan! Leave behind all ships, weapons, and supplies. You may return to your homeland on the ships I designate. There is no other way! If you dare utter even a single 'no,' this Dongfan Strait will be your burial ground today!"
"This... Your Excellency!"
Upon hearing this, the two envoys' faces immediately revealed a complex expression of despair and resentment. They finally understood that Zheng Zhilong had no intention of negotiating at all; he had come to issue an ultimatum, or even to start a war! Otherwise, he wouldn't have deployed such a monstrous display of force capable of destroying a nation.
One of them made a final attempt to resist, her voice filled with pleading and temptation:
"My Lord! Please reconsider! Even if... even if this Dongfan region has historical ties with your country, it has been abandoned for many years. We... we are willing to pay! We can lease this island for a hefty sum, or... or we can buy it directly from the Ming Dynasty! The price is negotiable!"
We, the Dutch East India Company and the Kingdom of Portugal, are willing to pay a huge sum of money that will satisfy your Emperor!
In this way, your country benefits, and we can continue to trade and reside here—isn't that a win-win situation?
"Buying and selling land?!"
Zheng Zhilong seemed to have heard the most absurd and shameless words in the world. He laughed in anger, his laughter filled with extreme contempt and chilling malice.
“You barbarians are indeed from a land beyond civilization, ignorant of the king’s ways and lacking in manners! My Great Ming Dynasty is a sacred land, and not an inch of it will be yielded! Our land is the legacy of our ancestors and the foundation of our state. How can it be a commodity that can be bargained over and bought and sold at will like a merchant?”
Where did you learn such beastly thoughts?! Our Great Ming Dynasty would never commit such an act that disgraces our ancestors and leaves us with eternal infamy!
He paused, watching the two men opposite him turn deathly pale, then continued to apply pressure, his tone carrying a blatant display of power and threat:
"You think I wouldn't dare touch you just because you have the backing of a nation? Fine! Today I'll show you what it means to be unpredictable by the wrath of Heaven and to be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
He took a sudden step forward, his voice booming like a bell, each word striking the hearts of the two envoys:
"Do you know that not long ago, in the Battle of Liaodong, our Great Ming army killed and captured more than 200,000 elite Jurchen troops! We crushed their so-called 'Eight Banners' into dust, beheaded their false emperor, and overthrew their ancestral temples! The century-old vassal state of Korea was restored to our territory! How can the might of our Great Ming army, the superiority of our firearms, and the bravery of our soldiers compare to your small country, a few broken ships, and a few thousand rabble?!"
His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over the two of them:
"I, Your Highness, will give you one last chance. I will give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider. If, after that time, your combined fleet raises a white flag, surrenders en masse, lays down your weapons, and files out in single file, I, Your Highness, will guarantee your lives and escort you out of the country with courtesy. If you dare to resist..."
Zheng Zhilong's voice suddenly turned icy cold as he pointed to the distant, faintly visible Western fleet and coastal fortress:
"Then, from this day forward, your strongholds, which you have cultivated for decades on this island of Dongfan, will be reduced to ashes! You who have crossed the ocean to come here will be buried here forever, your bodies and souls unable to return home!"
"see a visitor out!"
Zheng Zhilong spoke the last two words with absolute certainty, leaving no room for doubt.
Having said that, he didn't look at the two ashen-faced, trembling messengers again, and abruptly turned his back to them with a flick of his sleeve.
"Please come in, gentlemen!"
Two burly, expressionless Zheng Jun guards immediately stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, and made an irresistible "please" gesture, pointing to the rope ladder on the side of the ship.
Now that things had come to this, the two Western envoys knew that any words would be futile.
They glanced at each other and saw deep fear, resentment, and a hint of desperate madness in each other's eyes.
Escorted by Zheng Jun's personal guards, they staggered and dejectedly climbed down the rope ladder and returned to the small boat that flew the shameful white flag.
The small boat turned around and slowly sailed towards the Western barbarian fleet, leaving a crooked wake on the sea, as if foreshadowing a precarious fate, about to be swallowed by the raging waves.
The two envoys, in a small boat flying a white flag, returned dejectedly to the Western Allied Fleet and relayed Zheng Zhilong's unquestionable ultimatum, blatant display of military might, and the "one incense stick's time" deadline for surrender to Governor-General Coyett and Commander Fernando, who were anxiously awaiting news in Fort Zeelandia.
The air inside the council chamber instantly became like a powder keg that had been ignited, erupting into fierce arguments, roars, and incredulous shouts.
"What?! Lay down your weapons, evacuate everyone, and leave all ships and supplies behind? This is robbery! This is humiliation!"
"We've been operating here for decades! We've invested countless amounts of money, blood, and lives! Why should he tell us to get out with just a few words?!"
"This is outrageous! These Ming people are even more barbaric than pirates! They're completely unreasonable!"
"Duke? Father-in-law of the Emperor? Father-in-law of the Crown Prince? Does he think we'll be afraid just because he brings up these intimidating titles? We have the powerful United Netherlands behind us! And the Kingdom of Portugal!"
Governor Coyett's face was ashen. He slammed his fist on the heavy oak conference table, causing the silver candlesticks and maps on it to tremble violently.
"Enough! Quiet down!"
The hall quieted down a bit, but the anger, humiliation, resentment, and deep-seated fear on everyone's faces were still clearly visible.
"Zheng Zhilong's meaning is already very clear."
Kui Yi's voice was a little hoarse as he looked around at everyone.
"He's not here to negotiate, he's here to give orders. Either surrender and get out, or... fight to the death."
"We cannot surrender!"
Fernando's eyes were red, and he was breathing heavily.
"Decades of hard work, countless trades in deerskin, sugar, and sulfur, and the fortresses, churches, and plantations we painstakingly built... If we give them up, we'll have nothing left! The company and His Majesty the King will never forgive us! We must fight!"
"But...their forces outnumber ours tenfold! And their warships are even more numerous...Good heavens!"
A young Dutch officer's voice trembled.
"so what?"
Another veteran Portuguese captain, his face covered in scars, stood up and said menacingly.
"We have the advantage of terrain! We stand on solid fortifications! Our artillery has a longer range! Our musketeers are well-trained! Although Zheng Zhilong has many ships, most of them are cumbersome merchant ships and sand barges converted from their original vessels, and their cannons are outdated! As long as we rely on our fortifications and naval guns to wear them down at sea and prevent them from landing smoothly, they will be helpless against us!"
Once their morale is low and supplies become scarce, they might just retreat! Don't forget, this is our territory!
These words, tinged with a self-deceiving "the advantage is in my hands" rhetoric, unexpectedly garnered some support. (End of Chapter)