Chapter 505

He truly did not expect Zhu Youjian to suddenly harbor the idea of sweeping away Japan.

Japan and Gao Li were both vassal states of the Great Ming, yet neither of these two countries was well-behaved.

The Ming Taizu, that is, Zhu Yuanzhang, gave Goryeo a severe Henhende Sect lesson, directly crushing Goryeo into Gao Li, after which they obediently submitted and paid tribute.

Japanese pirates in Japan caused trouble again during the Jiajing era.

They struck both Gao Li and the Great Ming's coastal regions.

Gao Li's capital was nearly wiped out; only after the Great Ming sent troops to help were the Japanese pirates driven back.

However, the Great Ming faced internal troubles and external threats; do not be fooled by the low posture Japan currently adopts.

Yet the Japanese pirates' border incursions caused the Great Ming great losses.

Zhu Youjian had long been holding back his anger deep within his heart.

In the past, the Great Ming was internally constrained and externally besieged, with Tatars, domestic rebels, and so on, leaving no time to deal with the Japanese pirates.

They could only temporarily let them be, or send people to clean them up when incidents occurred.

Now the Manchu Tatars are gone, and the domestic rebels have been resolved.

With potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn—high-yield crops—the situation where Great Ming people starved during natural disasters has been solved.

Now the Great Ming has money, having confiscated the assets of corrupt officials, and has enough grain to fill people's bellies.

It has been pulled back from the edge of the cliff, and national strength has risen.

One cannot say the nation is immediately wealthy and the people strong, but there is indeed a sudden, fresh spirit and vitality.

At this moment, the Great Ming's overwhelming strength is visible to the naked eye.

Yet Zhu Youjian having such an abrupt idea made Su Qiao quite strange.

Thus, he asked Zhu Youjian about the situation again in greater detail.

Afterwards, he vaguely began to form some guesses.

It must be related to the thoughts of past emperors communicated to Zhu Youjian, and very possibly those of Zhu Di or Zhu Yuanzhang.

After leaving Eunuch Wu, Su Qiao returned and considered how long it would take for the Great Ming to resolve Japan.

First, relying on the Great Ming's advanced warships and cannons, it could absolutely sweep away Japan's naval vessels.

If the Japanese pirates are weak at sea, then once the Great Ming army transfers from ships to land, their combat power will likewise increase.

Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangsheng have not been eating white rice for so long.

At the very least, the guard posts in Jiang-Zhe and the southeastern region have been completely renewed.

Corrupt officials are fewer, the common people can eat their fill, the national treasury is full, there are no more ghost soldiers drawing pay, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled have all been fully replaced by able-bodied young men.

As long as rations and pay keep up, the soldiers of every guard post will quickly form combat capability!

Under such circumstances, Su Qiao the Lion could not imagine how the Great Ming could possibly lose to the Japanese people.

Moreover, Su Qiao himself felt extreme disgust toward the Japanese people of Japan.

Fighting them is the right thing to do!

The officials in the court who currently oppose taking action against Japan probably have no ill intentions.

Instead, what they consider more is the relationship between the Celestial Empire and its vassal states.

Considerations such as "non-expeditionary nations" and ancestral precepts are far too conservative.

From this, it is evident that Zhu Youjian sent Wu Xiuyue to deliver the message precisely because he wanted to obtain support from Su Qiao.

Of course, Su Qiao supports it!

First, he wrote a secret memorial and had someone send it back to the capital.

After that, he must resolve the Quanzhou situation as soon as possible and then return.

The first issue to resolve is the matter of the Dutch prisoners.

This time, at least nearly twenty thousand Dutch people were captured.

Casualties numbered around eight thousand.

Many warships were damaged or destroyed, leaving only a dozen large vessels and nearly a hundred small warships.

All of these were brought back as spoils of war by the Great Ming navy led by Zheng Zhilong.

The Dutch's swift defeat, or rather their crushing defeat, made many nearby powers extremely wary.

After the shock, they quickly adapted.

Because the Great Ming has always been a powerful nation in the East, an existence others look up to, victory was only to be expected.

It was just unexpected that, after such a long maritime ban, it could suddenly unleash such formidable combat power.

It gave people the impression that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

Only those who truly enter the Great Ming and understand the Great Ming can know the recent changes inside and outside the nation.

The Dutch were the first to receive news of the battle situation.

Especially the Dutch East India Company, which had always paid close attention to the naval battle results, was staring fixedly at the battle situation.

The moment Putmans failed, the news was relayed back several times.

Subsequently, news that over twenty thousand Dutch people were captured on Taiwan Island could not be concealed.

The high-ranking officials of the Dutch East India Company were naturally extremely furious.

In the meeting room, they directly cursed Putmans as an idiot.

More than anger, there was deep disappointment and fear.

The battle reports they received were quite detailed, allowing them to understand the specific situation.

Their main warships were completely inferior to the Chinese: their speed was not as fast as the Great Ming warships, their cannon range was not as far as the Great Ming's, and their accuracy was insufficient.

Calculated this way, they could be said to have absolutely no power to fight back before the Great Ming navy!

What frightened them most was that the war was started by them.

The most critical issue is how to extinguish Great Ming's wrath.

Otherwise, if Great Ming retaliates in turn, having just tasted the sweetness of plunder from the East India Company, that is, the Far East, they will not be willing to give it up.

Hmm, the first matter to handle must be the more than twenty thousand Dutch captives held by Great Ming.

They must be ransomed back; these people are the foundation upon which they can roam and dominate the seas.

If they are not rescued, will they be able to continue managing such a vast operation in the future?

If the other sailors find out, a riot will easily break out, making management inconvenient!

Do not forget, European sailors are not well-behaved children.

After holding an emergency meeting and considering the matter repeatedly, the Dutch sent a messenger to communicate with Great Ming.

The negotiators were naturally Su Qiao, along with several high-ranking officials of Quanzhou Prefecture.

Of course, this must include the newly admitted member Zheng Zhilong.

After all, he was the one who captured the prisoners and defeated the Dutch.

Once the affairs in Quanzhou are settled, he will enter the capital with Su Qiao.

The situation will be different then!

He will no longer be merely a Fifth Rank, Junior Grade General with a nominal title; instead, he should ascend in one leap.

The specific Official rank he will be promoted to depends on the circumstances after entering the capital.

After all, Zheng Zhilong commands a considerable number of warships and naval forces.

If he is to be used, one must still guard against him!

The entire family going to the capital is also to facilitate settling down there, thereby calming their minds.

Of course, these are matters for later; the most important thing now is the Dutch letter.

359, Zheng Sen's question!

The Dutch demand is simple: they want to negotiate.

Su Qiao and Zhou Xun discussed it, and none refused or opposed.

The Dutch captives are just sitting here eating and drinking for free; why should they be supported at no cost?

Furthermore, when they surrendered to Zheng Zhilong, they said they would use ransom to buy themselves back~.

Although Great Ming won this naval battle, it still incurred heavy expenses, all of which must be paid by the defeated party.

Naturally, negotiation is indispensable.

"Since you demand negotiation in exchange for the captives, we agree. Additionally, we must discuss war reparations. Furthermore, with over twenty thousand of you, you cannot eat and drink for free; the cost of provisions must be included. You should notify your superiors to come as soon as possible."

Su Qiao, seated on the high platform, spoke to the Dutch messenger.

The messenger did not object; he was merely delivering a message, or perhaps came to test the waters.