Chapter 38: The Dutchman's Congratulations

After completing the occupation of Xiamen and Gulangyu, Ming Qiu ordered the forward command post to be moved to Xiamen Island. Although the pacification campaign was not yet completely over, there were no longer any Zheng family forts or organized forces on the island, only scattered soldiers hiding in the mountains and forests. Shi Zhiqi mobilized the Peacekeeping Army to conduct search missions. Each team of the Peacekeeping Army was assigned a few prisoners, with the promise of one silver dollar for every former comrade they captured. As a result, the prisoners, full of enthusiasm, led the Peacekeeping Army over the mountains and through the valleys to hunt down their former comrades. In this way, the pacification operations on Xiamen Island, Gulangyu, and Kinmen Island quickly made great progress.

His mission was now two-thirds complete. The remaining tasks were mainly to prevent enemy counterattacks and to cover the civil clearance work in Anping, Xiamen, and Kinmen—the official euphemism for large-scale looting and arrests.

The entire civil clearance plan would take one to two weeks to complete. Before then, he had to ensure that these occupied areas remained in the hands of the Senate, so that the Planning Commission and the Intelligence Bureau could carry out their tasks at their leisure.

Anping was the most likely place for a counterattack. The Zheng family had large tracts of land and manors in Nan’an and Jinjiang, with numerous private soldiers and local militia. Unlike the Ming government army, which remained motionless when their allies were in trouble, these forces, if properly commanded and well-paid, could still muster considerable fighting strength. For this reason, Ming Qiu focused his defenses on the Anping direction. The main force of the follow-up army units was deployed near Anping, constantly monitoring the movements in the two counties.

The surprise attacks on Anping and other locations had killed and captured a large number of the Zheng clan’s upper echelons and key members. However, there were always some who slipped through the net, especially in Kinmen and Xiamen. Some who were quick-witted had escaped across the strait to the mainland before the navy could establish a blockade.

It was not yet certain how many members of the “Eighteen Shiba” had escaped. According to preliminary interrogations of prisoners, several key figures of the “Eighteen Shiba,” including Zheng Zhifeng, Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Lian, and Zheng Cai, had managed to escape. These men held considerable prestige and power within the Zheng clan and were fully capable of organizing a large-scale counterattack.

As for the leader of the Zheng clan, Zheng Zhilong, the Hornet team had reported him as “likely” killed. Although there was no conclusive evidence, the Intelligence Bureau, after analyzing the photos taken by Qian Shuixie and the evidence collected, concluded that the headless body was very likely Zheng Zhilong himself. The testimonies of the many Japanese and black guards captured on Xiamen Island also confirmed Zheng Zhilong’s escape route, but since the two groups that had attempted to break through the blockade had been wiped out, there was no one to provide a solid testimony. For this reason, Ming Qiu had already sent men to exhume the body and had cabled Kaohsiung to request that relevant experts come to perform an autopsy.

In the forward command post of Operation Overlord, set up in the Zhongzuosuo yamen, Ming Qiu, who had not rested for days, was receiving a special guest.

The guest was tall, with blue eyes and blond hair. He was Trodenius, the senior trade commissioner of the Dutch East India Company stationed in Zhangzhou Bay—that is, with the Zheng clan. He had been appointed by Hans Putmans, the Governor-General of the Dutch East India Company in Tayouan (Taiwan), to be specifically responsible for trade with the Zheng clan.

On D-Day of Operation Overlord, Trodenius’s ship was anchored at Gulangyu, and he himself was resting on board. When he heard that someone was attacking Zhangzhou Bay, Trodenius was greatly alarmed. He ordered his men to immediately weigh anchor and prepare to flee to the open sea. But since it was not yet dawn, he dared not act rashly. Moreover, the Zheng clan’s power in Zhangzhou Bay was very strong, and it was unlikely that an external enemy could break through to the Xiamen Island area.

It was only after daybreak that Trodenius realized the situation was much more serious. The bay was already filled with black smoke, and the Zheng family’s fleet seemed to be in a bad state. But by then, he had received definite news that the fleet attacking Zhangzhou Bay was Australian.

After receiving this news, Trodenius decided not to risk an escape. Fleeing while the two sides were engaged in combat could easily lead to the Australians mistaking him for an enemy and attacking him. He had been to Kaohsiung, had seen the Australian ships, and was aware of their naval superiority. If the Australians attacked his fast boat, both the ship and its crew would surely be lost.

The Australians had a reputation for honoring their word and keeping their promises, and they never killed indiscriminately. The Company had a trade agreement with them, and so far, there had been no hostile actions between the two sides. The Australian fleet should not attack his ship. He immediately ordered his sailors to seal the touch-holes of all the cannons and to hoist the flags of the East India Company and the House of Orange. These two flags were also hung on both sides of the hull to clearly identify themselves.

His measures worked. The Australian fleet coming from Kinmen did not fire a single shot at his ship. Trodenius stood on the sterncastle and witnessed a spectacular naval battle performance, the likes of which he had never seen before.

Yes, a naval battle performance. Trodenius could only use this term to describe it. The Zheng clan’s fleet was less of an opponent and more of a supporting actor, dancing to the protagonist’s tune on the stage. The Australian fleet, with its perfect formation and firepower, had indelibly burned a mark of terror into the heart of this Dutch trade commissioner.

“Zheng Zhilong is finished, and so is Liu Laoxiang,” he thought to himself. “God bless the East India Company!”

Trodenius took off his feathered hat and bowed. “My respects to you, Your Excellency, Admiral of the Navy.”

Ming Qiu nodded in acknowledgment. Trodenius then added, “My masters and I offer our most sincere congratulations on your glorious victory.” He then took off his hat and bowed again.

“Thank you for your congratulations,” Ming Qiu said, feeling a little tired. He was, after all, a man over sixty, and the work of the past few days and nights had taken a toll on his energy and strength. Now, a Dutchman had appeared. Couldn’t he just stay quietly on his ship? Why did he have to come and see him? But as the supreme commander of the formation, he also had a duty to handle diplomatic matters.

“I trust that your victory in Zhangzhou Bay will not affect our cooperation…”

“Alright, what is it you want to say?” Ming Qiu said, a little impatiently.

“It’s like this…” Trodenius began to state his request. It turned out that he had just concluded a trade agreement with Zheng Zhilong to purchase a large quantity of sugar and silk from the Zheng clan. His ship had come to Xiamen to load this cargo.

Part of the cargo had already been loaded onto his ship, and the rest was still in the Dutch warehouse in Xiamen—which had fortunately not been burned down. Now, Trodenius was requesting Ming Qiu’s permission to continue loading and to transport the goods stored in the warehouse. He had the warehouse receipts to prove that the goods had already been paid for and delivered.

Ming Qiu pondered for a moment. This was a sudden and somewhat tricky problem. He was not a lawyer by training and couldn’t think of any precedents for how to handle such a situation. Logically, the ownership of the goods belonged to the Dutch, and the Dutchman had sufficient evidence. His request to transport them seemed reasonable. But the issue was a bit sensitive, and he didn’t know what the relevant laws established by the Arbitration Tribunal stipulated. It would be inappropriate for him to make a decision on his own.

“I cannot promise you anything right now,” Ming Qiu said after a moment’s consideration. “However, since you can provide evidence, I can order my subordinates to temporarily seal these goods and not register them as spoils of war for the time being. You may send someone to the Maritime Court in Lingao to file a relevant lawsuit.”

Although Trodenius expressed his disappointment, this solution offered some room for maneuver, and he immediately accepted. He then tentatively asked about the Senate’s next steps in Zhangzhou Bay, whether they intended to replace Zheng Zhilong and monopolize Fujian’s foreign trade—and especially, whether the Australians intended to occupy Anping and Xiamen.

Ming Qiu could only reply with “no comment.” After getting rid of Trodenius with some small talk, Ming Qiu thought to himself: the Dutch were truly the first-rate merchants of their time. No wonder their small country, with a population of only a few million, could become the “sea coachmen” of the world.

The morning sun rose as usual. The large island of Kinmen, which had previously only had the Zheng clan’s camps, docks, and a few fishing villages, was now a bustling hub. This was the main supply transfer station for Operation Overlord. Supplies transported from Taiwan were unloaded and transferred here. The spoils of war and prisoners gathered from Xiamen, Anping, and other places were concentrated on the island for registration and inventory before being shipped back.

Goods, gold, silver, and weapons were piled up like mountains. The staff of the Planning Commission counted them, calling out the numbers, which were then recorded by a dedicated person before being sorted and packed. These staff members worked in three-hour shifts with a one-hour break to prevent errors due to fatigue from working too long. Everyone knew that the Senate had “struck it rich” again.

Ning Liujin, wearing a “new life uniform” with a small wooden tag around his neck, pushed a wheelbarrow back and forth, transporting the “spoils of war.” He had been captured on Kinmen Island. After running ashore, he had hidden in the mountains, thirsty and hungry. He soon had to surrender voluntarily to the Peacekeeping Army, who were searching with large dogs. Everyone said that although the Kunzei killed like flies, they never killed indiscriminately and were kind to their prisoners. For Ning Liujin, at least he wouldn’t be beheaded.

Sure enough, after surrendering, he was quickly assigned to a labor team. The Kunzei captain in charge, seeing that his clothes were in tatters, even found him a new set to wear—though the clothes were indeed strange.

That evening, he ate a full meal: a thick porridge cooked in a large pot, a bit salty and with a taste of meat! There seemed to be dried vegetable leaves in it too. He didn’t know what it was made of, but it was definitely grain, and you could eat as much as you wanted. For Ning Liujin, who was used to filling his stomach with sweet potatoes year-round, this was nothing short of a feast. Sweet potatoes didn’t keep you full for long.

Working for the Kunzei seemed pretty good. At least it was better than working for that so-called “distant relative” of his. The food was filling, and no one was interested in his backside. He thought this as he drank his sixth bowl of hot porridge.