Southern Ming, my destiny is too abstract

Chapter 120: The prince who left the emperor fought back?

Zhu Cixuan stood at the bow of the ship, watching the last lost land on Yizhou Island.

Zhu Cixuan, who had fought for almost a year, had also seen many strong cities and passes.

Ava City, Madu Eight Cities, Miaowu City, Kunming City, and other dangerous passes standing on the mountain walls in eastern Yunnan.

But no city is as daunting as Zeelandia.

Of course, they are not as exaggerated as those giant cities in Middle-earth with walls several feet thick.

But this Dutch colony, the largest in Asia, was basically impossible to capture without paying a cost ten times that of the defenders.

There is a square castle in the middle, with four bastions protruding from the corners to guard the east, south, west and north.

A wall extends from the bastion in the northeast corner to the coastline, surrounding Zeelandia.

The northern city wall was only a few meters away from the sea, and there was a wide and unobstructed plain from the town of Zeelandia to Fort Zeelandia in the east, where Zheng Yanping's army was stationed.

There are many sand dunes on both sides of the southwest, and a Dutch fort stands on the highest point to deter the enemy.

Zheng Yanping fought for several months at Fort Zeelandia, which had a total of seven bastions.

Zhu Cixuan turned his head and looked through the telescope at Fort Provintia on the other side of the coast.

The flag of the Ming Dynasty's general is fluttering in the wind.

The Ming army on the city wall also discovered the Dutch fleet on the sea, and they pointed at Zhu Cixuan and others in panic. Many Chinese sailboats began to gather and plan to drive away and deal with them.

After meeting with the envoys and loading and unloading ships sent by Fort Zeelandia, Vanderlan returned to the flagship warship on a small boat.

"Your Highness, I have gained Kiichi's trust."

"More than fifty Japanese, disguised as Nanyang native slaves, have entered Fort Zeelandia with supplies."

"Your Highness, there has been a massive outbreak of fever and beriberi in the city. Half of the Dutch population has fallen ill, and five hundred patients are in the hospital."

"Except for the outer bastions, there are only about 300 soldiers in the city now."

Seeing the Chinese sailboats starting to leave the harbor and approach them, Zhu Cixuan gave the order:

"Except for the flagship warship, all other ships must leave the coast. Wait three hours until I recapture Zeelandia and return."

Zhu Cixuan clasped his fingers together at Fort Zeelandia and said, "I will personally recapture the most beautiful pearl on Yizhou Island."

"After thirty-seven years, Yizhou will once again return to the embrace of the Ming Dynasty."

VanderLaan did not hesitate.

He personally witnessed the Crown Prince of Ming conquering the city of Mrauk-U, which was several times more powerful than the Jelanje.

Use the trick to enter the castle again.

The one hundred Ming soldiers on the flagship warship were able to quell the chaos in Fort Zeelandia in an instant.

Raise the flag towards Fort Zeelandia.

Zhu Cixuan sailed straight towards Fort Zeelandia.

Seeing this, several Chinese sailing ships immediately came forward to meet them.

The ship was covered with bamboo and hay, obviously intended to be a fire ship attacking the enemy flagship.

The Ming army artillery on the coast also began to roar towards Zhu Cixuan.

……

When Kiichi and the councilors on the city wall saw a large warship coming alone, they all started cursing.

"Foolish! With only three or four warships, we can defeat Koxinga's fleet with artillery."

Kiichi also pursed his lips.

The joy of the arrival of supplies such as wine, pork and gunpowder was instantly gone.

Even if the weather is fine today and suitable for anchoring in the harbor, there are more than 20 warships, and there is no need to let the enemy defeat a large warship in vain.

If it were like the unfortunate Hector, its powder chamber would explode.

Morale will plummet.

Before they could wave the flag to let them leave, Kiichi and the parliamentarians and officers opened their eyes wide at the same time.

Many people rubbed their eyes, suspecting that they had seen it wrong.

"God Almighty, how did that ship get through the enemy's guns and fire?"

"God has sent us angels, and we can defeat those cruel pagans."

"The true coachman of the sea, the Flying Dutchman!"

Watching Zhu Cixuan twisting and turning, avoiding the enemy's artillery shells one by one, and passing through the gaps in the enemy's fireships.

All the Dutch cheered again.

Wait until the ship approaches the sand dunes and drop the anchor.

Kiichi hurriedly sent out loading and unloading ships and receiving officers.

After the reinforcements disembarked, some supplies were sent to the fortress on the sand dunes.

Kiichi led the members of the Formosa Island Parliament and officers to the gate of the bastion in the lower city to welcome the reinforcements.

Seeing Vanderlan, Kiichi frowned slightly: "Vanderlan, Batavia sent you back to Formosa again?"

At the beginning of the year, Vanderlan wanted to plunder the Portuguese in Macau to pay for his military expenses.

He disagreed, and the two had a conflict.

Vanderlan also returned to Batavia to report and slander him, and joined forces with the former Formosa Governor Felberg to remove him from his post.

Kiichi could never have imagined that the East India Company's Council would allow his political enemies to support him.

Are they going to take away his governorship?
Vanderlan looked closely at Kiichi, who was unhappy with his arrival.

After four months of hard work, he no longer has the same high spirits as at the beginning of the year.

His whole body exuded a disgusting sour smell, his eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted.

Seeing that the Han and Japanese had already entered the castle, Vanderlan smiled slightly:
"It wasn't the Governor-General of Batavia who asked me to come and support you. It was the Crown Prince of Ming who asked me to support the King."

Kiichi was stunned: "What?"

Zhu Cixuan threw out his jade scepter: "Do it!"

Yamada Nagamasa led the Japanese to fire three shots in a row to send a signal.

"kill!"

The Ming troops, pretending to carry supplies, drew weapons from wine barrels and gunpowder barrels and attacked the unarmed Dutch who were welcoming them.

The expected reinforcements suddenly turned into enemies, and the Dutch were caught off guard and the city gate was captured in an instant.

Hu Yiqing lifted the unloaded food cart and smashed it at the Dutch soldiers who were about to raise their guns, breaking up the only Dutch squad that fought back at the call of their officers.

Bai Wenxuan led dozens of Ming soldiers and rushed straight to the top of the city wall to seize the stationed artillery.

The Japanese who had been lying in ambush near the official residence in the upper city suddenly jumped up and slashed at the Dutch officers with their samurai swords.

Due to the sudden change, the women, children, civilians and slaves in the city screamed in fear and hid in the church.

Unexpectedly, the reinforcements suddenly turned into enemies, and the Dutch defenders were confused as they were taken away from the passes one by one.

Just as Zhu Cixuan and Fan der Lan expected.

The Dutch soldiers defending the upper and lower cities were caught off guard, and within a cup of tea, Fort Zeelandia had fallen to the Dutch.

The five bastions outside the city also noticed the chaos in the city.

Soldiers were sent to rescue the governor and parliamentarians.

Gunshots were also heard from the Dutch fort on the sand dunes. After a while, the small fort hung a triangular flag with red characters on a blue background.

Zhu Cixuan ordered the city gates to be closed. Fort Zeelandia was not large, only about 200 meters wide from north to south.

Bai Wenxuan took several Dutch officers with him and issued a final warning to the church that was the last to resist.

The prisoner, Kiichi, raised his head and roared angrily, "Vanderlan, you traitor."

"Batavia won't let you go."

"God won't forgive you either."

Vanderlan, who had been unhappy with him for a long time, punched Kiichi hard in the stomach.

Looking around at the Dutch who were glaring at him, Vanderlan said coldly:

"You are on Formosa Island, and you don't know that the Ming Dynasty has conquered all the countries in the Windward Land, right?"

"You didn't know Sumatra had become Ming territory, right?"

"The reinforcements sent by Batavia were also destroyed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"The Ming and the British will soon attack Java. Batavia, forget about punishing me, the East India Company's members are now in trouble."

The Dutch parliamentarians, officers and soldiers were shocked when they heard this.

The light in his eyes completely disappeared.

Kiichi continued to scold angrily.

Vanderlan punched him again: "You imprisoned and abused Han Chinese and declared war on Koxinga."

"You are the ones who have been abandoned and condemned by God."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, Constantine Zhu, is God's messenger in the East."

"God has bestowed all of His blessings upon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty will become the Constantine I of the Ming Dynasty, and will once again allow God's light to shine upon the world."

The panicked Dutch were all stunned when they heard this.

I suspect they heard it wrongly.

VanderLaan is also crazy.

Did the crown prince of the Eastern pagans receive God's blessing?

Then, Nan Huairen and Hua Erkang took over the topic, acknowledged that what Van der Lan said was true, and briefly talked about how the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty went from being a prisoner to restoring the country and conquering Southeast Asia.

The Dutch all began to collapse.

If this is the same as what the missionary said, Vanderlan is not exaggerating.

God really gave up on them in the East and chose the crown prince of the Far Eastern Empire.

These Protestants all have their own interpretations of the Gospel, so it is not surprising that Vanderlan interpreted it as an Eastern saint.

Even the Calvinist Kiichi began to doubt his life.

In the name of God, against the pagans.

Suddenly becoming a heresy like the Papal States?
It was a heresy recognized by Nan Huairen, a missionary of the Roman Catholic Church.

These anti-Roman believers continued to resist and eventually reached the Eastern Rome.

The Dutch who were resisting stubbornly in the church also made a commotion, then opened the door and surrendered.

The most beautiful pearl in the crown of the King of the Netherlands - Fort Zeelandia - was completely handed over to the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Ma Xin looked at the sea nervously.

Except for that ship, the other Dutch reinforcement ships did not go far away and remained on the horizon.

But he knew that the Dutch warships were in deep water and no one in the East China Sea could defeat them. There was nothing he could do except prevent the Dutch reinforcements from reaching the shore.

Ma Xin's scalp felt numb.

Fort Zeelandia was difficult to attack.

The Dutch received assistance, and now with less food, it was even more difficult for them to capture the last enemy city.

Just that fleet alone could very likely cut off transportation between Yizhou and Penghu.

Now they are out of supplies.

Ma Xin was in a state of panic, considering whether to attack the city immediately at all costs.

Suddenly, his lieutenant rushed in and gasped, "General, the Dutch surrender."

"what?"

Ma Xin was dumbfounded and felt a little dizzy.

No.

Kiichi, who had refused to surrender for four months, surrendered as soon as the reinforcements arrived?

The deputy general did not let Ma Xin continue to be confused.

"The reinforcements on the sea were not from the Dutch, but from the Ming army pretending to be Dutch. Kiyomi personally gave the castle to the Ming army."

Completely confused, Ma Xin strode out of the tent, came to the open space, and looked at the isolated city of the Dutch in Yizhou.

It was just as the deputy general said.

The strong fortresses have already raised the white flag.

The largest square fortress was raising the sun, moon and dragon flag that symbolized the Ming Dynasty.

"Which army is this?"

Ma Xin had never seen a flag of this style before. When he was in Jiangnan, he had only seen Emperor Hongguang dare to raise the dragon flag.

Where is the royal dragon flag in the East China Sea now?

Ma Xin didn't wonder for long before he saw the messenger coming out of the city.

"The Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty?"

Ma Xin was stunned for a moment, and then he felt uneasy.

Did Zheng Taizhen of Jinxia rebel and support Prince Lu?

He also found a son for the King of Lu, who had no heir.

However, upon inquiry, one learned the origins of this suddenly appearing Ming army.

Ma Xin felt that he was as crazy as Koxinga.

"Are you referring to the Crown Prince in the city, the third son of Emperor Yongli and the legitimate Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Are you from Siam?"

Suspecting that he had heard wrong, Ma Xin asked three more times until the messenger impatiently invited him to meet the emperor in Zelangche.

Ma Xin was still dizzy when he stepped into the castle that had resisted him for three months.

If Emperor Yongli led his troops and was defeated in Yunnan and Yunnan, he could borrow a ship from Siam and sail to Fujian to seek refuge with Koxinga.

Ma Xin still has some faith.

Given Emperor Yongli's ability to escape, no one doubted that he could make a circle and run back to Fujian and Guangdong.

As a result, the prince fought back to Yunnan and Yunnan, broke through Southeast Asia, and fought back to Fujian (Kinmen, Xiamen and Penghu belonged to Zhangzhou, and Yizhou belonged to Fujian).

Is this the prince who has escaped dozens of times and traveled all over the southern provinces of Middle-earth to seek the emperor's favor?

He fought back more fiercely and faster than his father ran away.

(End of this chapter)