Chapter 221: Hostages

Riding the first southwest monsoon of May, the Dutch fleet setting out from Batavia had come fully prepared this time.

The flagship Middelburg displaced 550 tons and mounted four 24-pound long-barreled naval guns alone; in addition, the fleet included four more galleons of around 400 tons displacement. The remaining speedboats, though all vessels of 100–200 tons displacement, still amounted to a considerable force with their combined number of ten.

The enormous temptation dangled earlier by the Crossing Faction was something the Dutch of history had never encountered. In this timeline, the combined effect of the two crown trades — slaves and raw silk — had prompted the Dutch to dispatch a fleet to Dayuan Island on a scale far exceeding historical precedent.

In keeping with the common practice of the Age of Discovery, Commander Putemansi, upon reaching the open sea off Dayuan, quite naturally divided the fleet's intended objectives into three tiers: normal trade, trade under the muzzles of cannon, and trade under occupation.

A lion only divides territory with another lion of equal strength — the weak have no right to attend the banquet. Therefore Putemansi's most pressing task at the moment was not trade, but testing the opponent's power.

Seeing the boat carrying Commercial Agent Mao Zhe'er return to the mouth of the Dayuan Channel, Putemansi, standing on the flagship's sterncastle, now gave the order: the fleet was to shift outward to one league. The next moment, as the signal flags were relayed, the ships of the Dutch fleet began hoisting a portion of their sails and started moving the vessels, which had not dropped anchor in the first place, toward the outer perimeter.

One league at sea is generally taken as three nautical miles, equivalent to 5.556 kilometers.

The Dutch fleet had originally come from the south and was anchored a little over two kilometers south of the channel mouth. Now, with a single order from Putemansi, the fifteen Dutch ships moved another three kilometers out to sea, drawing level with the mouth of the Dayuan Channel and faintly carrying the implication of a blockade.

The two destroyers that had been patrolling north of the channel mouth all along made no violent reaction: they continued slowly circling there, monitoring the Dutch fleet.

Very soon, not long after Mao Zhe'er entered the channel mouth, a speedboat with a triangular sail shot out of the channel like a sharp arrow. The Middelburg had just finished adjusting its position when the speedboat came to a stop alongside.

The person who climbed up the rope ladder was, besides Mao Zhe'er, without a doubt someone the Dutch recognized as a "Dayuan noble."

These ancient nobles, said to hail from the interior of the Ming Dynasty, were usually tall of stature, and their distinctive bearing allowed others to tell them apart from everyone else at a single glance.

Putemansi was no exception. Although he knew only a few of the transmigrators' unique traits beforehand from reports and some narratives, the moment this man boarded today, he immediately distinguished the visitor from the two short, dark, thin native attendants behind him.

The man walking toward him with a smile was tall and had a unique manner. He wore his hair short, was dressed in a strange short jacket, long trousers, and black leather shoes, with a strip of colored cloth hanging around his neck and black-and-white ornaments on his collar and one ear... All in all, compared to the nobles and native kings Putemansi had seen before, the adornments of these Ming Dynasty nobles did not strike one as elaborate.

The two sides quickly performed a simple handshake greeting, and then the guest was invited into the cabin.

Once seated in the cabin, the visitor promptly announced his identity: Dayuan negotiator Tang Qiao. It was worth noting that this negotiator, who looked rather handsome and had a somewhat naturally familiar style, was now speaking fluent Dutch.

Although there were some differences in grammar from the Red Hairs, it was more than sufficient for the two sides to communicate, so the atmosphere in the cabin became somewhat livelier after that.

"My apologies — although it was a short voyage, after more than a month adrift, as you know, only rum remains on board." Commander Putemansi, after he and Tang Qiao had finished introducing their attendants, pushed a wooden cup before the guest.

"Oh, forgive me, that is the worst rum I have ever tasted." After politely taking a sip of the sour so-called rum in the cup, Tang Qiao could not resist a word of criticism.

"There's no helping it — this is life at sea."

"I believe you gentlemen will very soon be able to drink high-quality rum."

Tang Qiao, all smiles, pointed in the direction of Dayuan: "To welcome the trade season, we have not only imported sugarcane from Fujian, but also raised the land on Beixianwei Island and built fine hotels and bars upon it. Trust me, you will all be able to drink the most authentic rum there."

Without waiting for the Dutchmen before him to react, Tang Qiao, who had a somewhat chatterbox nature, quickly continued: "Also, the bar is called 'Pirate Bar.' How about that — has a real feel to it, doesn't it? All it's missing now is a few pretty Dutch barmaids and a dwarf who can dance on the tables... Spanish girls would do too, of course."

"Before we get to bars and girls, don't you think there are some more important topics on which we ought to exchange views, my dear Tang?"

Looking at this yellow-skinned negotiator who was talking big and seemed not to notice at all that the atmosphere in the cabin was turning cold, Putemansi had no choice but to open his mouth and cut the other man off.

"All right, what do you want to discuss?" Tang Qiao, having put away his joking manner, now leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and revealed a smile that said, "I knew you'd say that."

Putemansi's face was icy as he said slowly: "Negotiations concerning the trade agreement and the sovereignty of Dayuan Island."

Hearing this, Tang Qiao asked with some puzzlement: "Trade agreement? Could it be that the agreement which Commercial Agent Nuytz brought to Batavia several months ago was ultimately not signed by Governor-General Coen?"

Putemansi faltered for a moment, but his tone quickly hardened again: "That agreement has already been signed by Governor-General Coen, but a new agreement also needs to be discussed."

"A new agreement representing your personal will?"

"Yes. Unreasonable agreements ought to be torn up, and we shall sign a new one."

Hearing this, Tang Qiao once again revealed that mischievous smile he wore when spouting idle chatter: "Hans — may I call you Hans?"

"By all means, my dear Tang."

"Very well, then let me guess: my dear Hans, you surely have the authority to command every soldier in this fleet?"

"Tang, I admire your noble-like perceptiveness. Yes, you have grasped the crux of the matter — I can, at any moment now, order this mighty fleet to launch an offensive against Dayuan Island and turn your new bar back into an open plaza."

"Understood." Tang Qiao raised a hand at this point, cutting off Comrade Hans's subsequent words: "Trust me, no one here knows better than I do the sort of programs that follow when naval guns are aimed at a nation's gates."

At this, Tang Qiao uncrossed his legs, and as he stood up he fastened the buttons of his Western suit: "It's too stuffy in the cabin — shall we go outside and talk?"

"Of course." The group promptly rose and followed Tang Qiao out of the cabin.

"If I may be so bold, why is it not Cai who has come to negotiate today?" During this process, the old friend of the Dayuan people, Mr. Johannes van der Hagen, felt somewhat perplexed by the question of why today's negotiator was not the Cai Feiming he was familiar with.

"Need you even ask? The newcomer lacks seniority, so of course he has to take on the more dangerous work!" At this, a sorrowful expression appeared on Tang Qiao's face.

"The most dangerous work includes negotiation — those who take part must all be prepared to serve as hostages." Putemansi coldly interjected from the side.

Tang Qiao did not respond to Comrade Hans's aggressive remark. By now he had reached the stern of the Middelburg and was enjoying the cool sea breeze while observing the Dutch fleet.

"A very powerful fleet." After observing for a few moments, Tang Qiao turned around and leaned back against the gunwale, then said to Putemansi with a smile: "The source of your confidence."

"Yes — the fleet is power." Comrade Hans shot back without the slightest hesitation.

Tang Qiao nodded indifferently, then stretched out a hand and pointed beyond the gunwale: "Before we discuss the matter of hostages, my dear Hans, could you tell me — is there any valuable cargo on that ship?"

The ship Tang Qiao was pointing at was the speedboat Kuken, positioned to the starboard rear of the flagship.

The Kuken displaced only 120 tons, making it the smallest vessel in the Dutch fleet by tonnage.

"That ship carries only soldiers and cannons, no cargo." Putemansi, an old hand who had served as a court judge in Batavia and had overseen local Chinese affairs, saw through the other's ruse at the first moment, so he told Tang Qiao plainly: there was no cargo on the ship, only brave warriors... although the Kuken did in fact have some spices and hides loaded aboard.

"Excellent — then that one will do."

"Hm?"

"My dear Hans, have you heard of the Italian Cannon? Oh, right — in this era, it should be called the Roman Cannon?"

Just as Tang Qiao's words fell, from Dayuan Island 5.5 kilometers away, a red dot suddenly came "drifting" over.

At a speed no one could clearly see, the red dot plunged headlong into the water five meters ahead and to port of the Kuken, and then a violent explosion erupted in the water — a column of water as high as the ship's bow shot up from the ocean surface... At the same time, a string of booming rumbles belatedly arrived through the air.

"What is that?" Before the Dutchmen could react, a second red dot arrived right on cue. This time the shell struck the Kuken's side accurately. In that instant, the 40mm high-explosive shell detonated, and the high-pressure gas converted from the explosive tore the ship's side apart, forming an ever-expanding sphere. The Dutch soldiers within the sphere's range were blasted flying in an instant, their bodies riddled with shrapnel and splinters of the deck.

Following the hit by the second red dot, in the next few seconds, six more shells came hurtling through the air, each vying to be first. The Kuken was instantly blasted to pieces and burst into raging flames.

Yet this was not the end. After a five-second interval to change the magazine, another string of seven red dots flew over — this time the Kuken was utterly finished. Torn apart, it began slowly sinking to the seafloor. Counting from the first shell, the entire process took less than a minute in total...

Comrade Putemansi, stunned into a stupor by the enormous roar, the explosions, and the flames two hundred meters away, finally came to his senses at that moment. Then, the panic-stricken Dutchman drew his sword: "God — it's a bombardment! Look what you've done!"

Tang Qiao, still smiling, remained leaning against the gunwale. After giving Comrade Hans two minutes to grasp the situation, Tang Qiao smiled, reached out, and slowly pushed aside the blade before him: "My dear Hans, right now, you and your fleet are all my hostages. So, gentlemen — how about we go to the Pirate Bar for a glass of rum?"