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

Seeing everyone looking at him, this East India Company shareholder immediately revealed a wicked smile.

"In my opinion, it would be better to leak the news about Malacca. Those extremely greedy British people can't help but be tempted, and they might send troops immediately."

"We can observe from the shadows. If the British can't break through, then we can prepare our gifts and go to that Great Han Kingdom!"

"Conversely, if the British win, it would be best if both sides were severely weakened, then we could clean up the mess!"

"In the language of the Eastern countries, this is called shifting the blame eastward, or the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!"

The shareholder spoke in broken Chinese, which the others couldn't understand, but they all applauded enthusiastically because it was the only option left.

After all, they didn't know what level this newly emerged giant was at, since all they knew so far was that the army they had sent to the Qing Dynasty had been defeated.

But ultimately, they were defeated by sheer numbers.

They don't know whether they were simply outmatched or completely overwhelmed.

So the shareholders began to vote, and soon the plan to shift the blame eastward was passed. The next day, shocking news spread within the Dutch East India Company.

It is said that their colony in Southeast Asia was attacked by the Great Han Kingdom in the East. Now they have lost Batavia and control of the Strait of Malacca, and are preparing to gather strength to fight back.

At the same time, it was said in a seemingly legitimate manner that the Great Han Kingdom was a newly established country with only tens of thousands of army soldiers and a navy of only two or three thousand people, and a hundred or so small and medium-sized Fujian ships.

With the war between Britain and the Netherlands over, the two sides had enjoyed a honeymoon period of up to six months. The news quickly reached Britain, specifically Charles II.

This king, who had an extreme pursuit of power and money, immediately summoned the shareholders of the British East India Company to discuss whether or not to send troops to Malacca.

Seeing that all ten senior shareholders had arrived, the handsome Charles II, who was 1.8 meters tall, took a large pipe and took a couple of puffs.

"Gentlemen, you must have received the news that the barbaric and ignorant Qing Dynasty has been defeated by a country called Da Han, and has even sent its navy to occupy Malacca."

"They probably haven't fully taken over the territory yet, so perhaps we should go and test them out?"

"Once we control the Strait of Malacca, countless riches will flow in, and we'll also gain a spice monopoly, just like the Dutch did before us!"

Charles II had barely finished speaking when most of the shareholders became excited. Their British East India Company had started late and still didn't have any good colonies.

For the same reason, if investors don't see big profits, fewer people will invest, and the country will be unable to generate wealth and unite its people; the military will also be unable to develop.

If we could take over Malacca, or even the entire Batavia region, then we could truly become the boss, and all problems would be solved.

Just as everyone was preparing to vote, Josiah, the company's largest shareholder, stood up with a frown.

"Your Majesty, it is true that the Netherlands lost Batavia and dozens of warships, but this news was definitely released on purpose, specifically for us to hear."

Although Charles II enjoyed indulging in pleasures, he was not a fool, and with this prompting, he quickly came to his senses.

"You mean, the Dutch weren't sure about the strength of the Great Han Kingdom, so they leaked the information to try and get us to attack Malacca, with them playing the role of the puppets behind the scenes?"

boom.

Fan of historical novels? Come discover more exciting content!

The shareholders, suddenly realizing what had happened, all slammed their fists on the table.

England never suffers a loss and always strives to win. To be outmaneuvered by the Dutch is absolutely intolerable. One of the older shareholders was particularly emboldened.

"Your Majesty, if they themselves are unsure, then we will not try. When I was young, I went to the East, which was then called the Great Ming. The people there were very wealthy and taller than us Englishmen."

"The key is population; it's comparable to the Mughals. They might have already deployed hundreds of thousands of troops to guard the Strait of Malacca."

"Why don't we take advantage of the Dutch's intentions and send envoys to communicate with this newly formed empire? If we can achieve free trade, it would be much more worthwhile than incurring the cost of war."

Upon hearing this, Charles II stroked his mustache, revealing a shrewd expression. Such a powerful country, far from its homeland, was the best partner, since it would never be confined to its homeland.

Thinking of this, Charles II tapped his pipe.

"Then so be it. Immediately prepare the finest gifts and my personal letter, and let our most gentlemanly Josiah go to establish an alliance with the Emperor of the Great Han!"

Josiah, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, nodded upon hearing this. He really liked this kind of thing, after all, as his family grew, he wanted to meet even bigger figures.

And among the emperors of the East, perhaps only the emperors of the Ottoman and Mughal empires could be considered comparable, making them the best choice.

"Your Majesty, the emperor of the Eastern Kingdom is said to have three thousand beauties in his harem, which shows that their emperor has a particular fondness for beautiful women. Why not send another princess over? As the Easterners say, this would strengthen ties between nations!"

The old man regretted his words as soon as he finished speaking, because Queen Charles II could not bear children. Although she had many children, according to European law, none of them could be considered princes or princesses.

Charles II was not angry. He still had his brother James. As long as the throne was in their family, that was all that mattered. He had been used to a carefree life all his life.

"It's okay, try not to worry!"

Just then, Josiah stood up and looked at Charles II with a meaningful expression.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that Miss Gwen, the most popular actress at the theater, is extremely beautiful. I believe even the Emperor of the East would find it hard to resist her allure!"

As soon as Josiah finished speaking, Charles II's face turned red. Among the English nobles, who didn't know that Gwen had just been taken away by him and was about to be sent away before he had even touched her?

Seeing that Charles II was about to lose his temper, Josiah remained unperturbed and said calmly:

"Your Majesty, if you send your favorite lover over, will the emperor of the Han Dynasty still dare to question your resolve and sincerity? Will he still refuse to trade with us?"

Charles II was speechless. In their region, giving one's lover away was indeed a fine tradition, so he gritted his teeth.

"Wenger is at his estate outside the city!"

"Send someone to meet you before you depart!"

After saying this, Charles II stormed off, as if a child had lost his favorite toy.

……

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the situation, Yin Huasheng was already preparing for a decisive battle with the Sultanate of Johor and the other three major powers on the northern island of Malacca.

The combined forces in the battle were 6,000 against 18,000!

However, Yin Huasheng was not flustered despite having few soldiers!