The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Metsuyi immediately knew that this person must be the company's spy, and that news of his defeat in the Eastern Country might have already leaked. So he immediately hugged Olaf tightly and whispered in his ear:

"From now on, whatever I say, you must do as I say. Your father would never harm you, understand?"

Seeing Olaf nod, Metsuyi whispered:

"Now, immediately have all soldiers lay down their weapons and line up to welcome me, the governor!"

Olaf looked at Metsuiko with surprise, but quickly nodded and then looked at the thousand Dutch soldiers in front of the fort, giving the order first.

"Lay down your weapons and line up to welcome the Governor!"

The Netherlands had a small population to begin with, so the East India Company recruited mostly homeless, bankrupt, and impoverished people, or petty thieves.

For them, being a soldier was simply about getting a paycheck, so when faced with Olaf's unusual military orders, they all laid down their weapons and lined up to the side.

Upon seeing this, Yin Huasheng immediately raised his right hand, and all the Han soldiers immediately raised their muskets, aiming the muzzles at the Dutch soldiers.

Chaos erupted at the scene. Yin Huasheng fired the first shot, killing a low-ranking Dutch officer. Under the threat of death, all the Dutch soldiers surrendered.

Yin Huasheng immediately gave the order.

"Put them under guard!"

Upon seeing this, Olaf instinctively wanted to order the soldiers to stand up and resist, but he was once again pulled away by Metsuiko and brought to the dock.

Upon arriving at the destination, Olaf flung Metsuiko's hand away and roared angrily.

"Father, you personally taught me that for a soldier, surrendering without a fight is the greatest disgrace!"

"What are you doing right now?"

"This is betrayal!"

Hearing his eldest son's reprimand, Metsuyi did not get angry. Instead, he took out a gold medal from his pocket, on which the word "Holland" was written in clerical script.

It says on the back.

The tenth day of the eighth month in 1876 of the Great Han Dynasty.

Granted by Emperor Hongwu of the Great Han Dynasty.

"The East is different now. That barbaric and ignorant Qing Dynasty was defeated by a country called the Great Han, and it is now close to unifying the whole country!"

"Their cannons and muskets are in no way inferior to ours in the Netherlands; more importantly, their soldiers are braver, and their tactics are more flexible!"

"This plaque is a symbol of a marquisate. Now, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han has promised that as long as we manage the South Seas well, and the Great Han is about to defeat the Netherlands, I, Metzui, will become the Grand Duke of the Netherlands!"

"And you, my son, do you want to be king!"

"To become King of the Netherlands!"

As Metsuiko recounted his story with great enthusiasm, Olaf understood the cause and effect, and subconsciously nodded. Who could resist the temptation of becoming king!

Seeing this, Metsuyi patted Olaf on the shoulder and then strode towards Malacca, a place he knew very well.

Olaf, however, remained rooted to the spot.

……

Nighttime, a conference room in Malacca City.

Xu Chuang sat in the main seat, with Metsuiko and Yin Huasheng on either side, while Olaf sat at the very back, with a group of his subordinates behind him.

After everyone had arrived, Xu Chuang patted the table and revealed Metsuiko's guess.

"According to Metsuiko, this so-called East India Company is very likely aware of the news and could send troops to attack Malacca at any time!"

"Therefore, our army must be prepared and ensure the strait is blocked. We absolutely cannot allow the Dutch to cause trouble before we have control of all East India Company lands!"

Seeing Xu Chuang looking at him, Metsuiko knew it was time for him to make a difference, so he took out a map, unfolded it, and hung it on the wall.

"Please look, everyone!"

After speaking, Metsuiko drew his command sword and pointed it at a piece of land across the Strait of Malacca.

"On a large island opposite Malacca City lies the Sultanate of Aceh, with a population of five to six hundred thousand and an army of about ten thousand. Behind it are several smaller powers, each with a population of around one hundred thousand!"

"The island where our city of Malacca is located is currently surrounded by a sultanate called Johor, with an estimated population of 500,000 to 600,000 and an army of 10,000 to 20,000. However, it had previously been trading with the Dutch East India Company."

"Therefore, the most urgent task is to send troops to attack the Sultanate of Johor and the Sultanate of Aceh across the strait, even if it's just to drive them off the coast. In this way, our Great Han will completely control Malacca!"

"If the Dutch East India Company, or even its own territory, wanted to send troops, it would be worthwhile to detour through the open sea, where the winds are high and the waves are rough, and the fate of any ship entering would be uncertain!"

After listening to the whole story, Xu Chuang felt much clearer-headed. He thought to himself, "No wonder His Majesty offered him a dukedom and marquis title, and even bestowed several of Emperor Qianlong's women upon him as a first reward."

Metsuiko's understanding of Southeast Asia is comparable to that of Zhuge Liang's Three Kingdoms strategy; he has a clear grasp of the opportune moment, the favorable location, and the support of the people.

With that in mind, Xu Chuang didn't hesitate any longer and stood up to salute in the direction of Beijing.

"Your Majesty, we have been sent on this long journey south to control the islands of Southeast Asia. We must not be negligent!"

"Now, as commander-in-chief, I order Yin Huasheng to lead the First Guard northward and annihilate all Johorians!"

"I will lead troops across the sea to attack the Aceh Sultanate. Metsuiko, you will be in charge of managing Malacca!"

As Xu Chuang gave the order, everyone stood up straight and raised their fists in salute towards Beijing.

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

……

While Xu Chuang and his group were preparing to attack the two sultanates and actively preparing for war against the Dutch, the shareholders of the Dutch East India Company collectively arrived in The Hague.

This is the political center of the Netherlands.

Businessmen and politicians all sat together to discuss one thing: their stance on Malacca.

To fight or to make peace!

At this time, the Netherlands was still the dominant power. It had not lost a one-on-one fight with the British, and it was also fighting back and forth with Louis XVIII of France. Therefore, most people still wanted to fight.

A small number of members of parliament believed that the strength of the Great Han was too great. If they wanted to take Malacca, they would need at least a hundred large warships and twenty or thirty thousand regular troops. But could the Netherlands pull that out?

While all the members of parliament were arguing, one of them, who was nearly seventy years old, suddenly slammed his fist on the table.

"Gentlemen, to help that Qing Dynasty, which is like a pig, all the troops in Batavia have already been transferred out. Are we going to transfer troops from the mainland again?"

"Then, who will defend France?"

"Therefore, I suggest that we immediately send envoys and gifts to meet the emperor of the East, at the very least to ensure that the trade in spices, silk, and porcelain is not interrupted!"

"What use is Malacca if we lose our homeland?"

After hearing the old legislator's words, everyone showed resentment. Just then, an East India Company shareholder stepped forward.

"I think I know what to do!"