"Guo Tongzhi, this is not the tricolor flag of the Dutch, but the blue and white flag of the Flemish people, with their royal emblem on it. This should be the Timor Island under the control of the Fleming Kingdom", He Bin
Suddenly said.
For a long time, people in the Ming Dynasty used the name "Flangji" to refer to Spain and Portugal. After Emperor Guangwu came to the throne, he ordered to abandon the name "Flangji" and call the two countries "Spain and Portugal". He Bin's temperament was developed from his long-term business experience abroad.
It is customary to still call Portugal the country of Franco.
"Oh, it's better if it's not a red-haired ghost! The relationship between Portugal and our Ming Dynasty is still good. There are many of their expatriates in Macau, and our Ming Dynasty treats them with courtesy. I believe that their governor will understand our identity.
Release us immediately." Zhang E, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Amitabha, Buddha bless you," Guo Lin muttered. The leader of Jinyiwei actually believed in Buddhism. This is a miracle in the world.
"Bah~bah~bah~"
Another group of blond-haired, blue-eyed and white-skinned Xiyi soldiers shot at them, knocking over several of the Xiyi soldiers who were escorting them.
"Get down quickly." Guo Lin was worthy of being the leader of the Jinyiwei. She reacted very quickly. She pinned Zhang E and He Bin to the ground with one hand and then asked He Bin: "What's going on?"
He Bin said with a grimace: "A few years ago, the Dutch annexed the Gubang Kingdom in the west of Timor Island and faced off with the Francois in the east of Timor Island. Could it be that the Dutch came over?"
"Bitter!" Zhang E cried bitterly.
"Buddha bless you, but don't let us fall into the hands of the red-haired ghost," Guo Lin murmured to Buddha.
Life and death are determined by destiny, wealth is in the sky. The former group of barbarian soldiers was no match for the latter group of barbarian soldiers, and they were shot and fled.
The three of them looked at each other in shock, saying that the sky has no eyes, and they and others finally fell into the hands of the red-haired ghost!
"Huh? That's not right." With sharp eyes, Guo Lin discovered that the flags carried by the barbarian soldiers behind were actually the same as those of the front group. They were blue and white flags with the emblem of the Portuguese royal family printed on them. Could it be that the people coming behind were also Portuguese? Portuguese
Why are you fighting with yourself?
"Are you Japanese?"
A strong man wearing a kazak (a wide coat used as military uniform in the West) with a feather in his hat shouted.
"We are envoys of the Ming Dynasty. On the order of His Majesty the Emperor, we are visiting the port of your country and requesting to see the governor here," Guo Lin rolled his eyes and said.
"Envoy from the Ming Dynasty?"
The strong man was stunned after hearing the translation, and then he held his head high and said: "I am Orne, the Governor of Portuguese Timor. I welcome you, guests from afar."
After listening to He Bin's translation, Guo Lin decided to deceive him and said, "But that group of soldiers just now said they were sent by your governor."
"No, no, that guy Pimentel is just a Portuguese in Macau. He cannot represent the local Portuguese public opinion. I am the Governor of Portuguese Timor," the strong man roared after hearing this, his voice like a bell.
Got it, now I understand everything!
Guo Lin sighed in her heart. It turned out that the Portuguese on Timor Island were fighting for the position of governor. I daresay that these barbarians, like us in the Ming Dynasty, also like to fight for power, just like the kings of Tang, King Lu and us.
It is the same principle for your majesty to oversee the country together and fight fiercely.
As expected of a Qian Jinyiwei, he analyzed the situation on Timor Island to a very close degree with just a few sentences.
After the Portuguese occupied Timor, they actively intermarryed with the local indigenous people, promoted the Portuguese language, and produced a large number of Eurasian mixed descendants. This is also where they were more successful than the Dutch. Many Portuguese colonies still had deep feelings for the mother country after independence.
After the independence of the Dutch colonies, they basically forgot about the existence of the mother country. This Orney is a leader of the indigenous Portuguese people on Timor Island.
From an organizational point of view, Portugal has always placed Timor Island under the management of Macau. After Emperor Guangwu took back Macau, Timor Island was placed under the management of the Portuguese Governor of Goa (located in India).
In 1653, the original Portuguese governor of Timor died of illness. Several indigenous Portuguese leaders on the island of Timor fought a fierce war for the position of governor. The Orne leader won and unified East Timor.
Unexpectedly, the Portuguese-Indian governor of Goa actually appointed Pimentel, a Portuguese gentleman living in Macau, as the new governor of Timor. How could the country Orne finally conquered be given up to this gentleman from Macau? He refused to admit it.
Both sides have some supporters who fight openly and covertly. After all, Orne is a local with a big tree and deep roots, which can stabilize Pimentel.
In another time and space, the conflict between the two sides intensified, and finally developed into a large-scale civil war between the Portuguese in Macao and the indigenous Portuguese in Timor in 1688. The fighting lasted for sixteen years, causing the Portuguese in Macao to suffer extremely heavy losses. However, in this time and space,
, Emperor Guangwu took back Macau, and the Macau Portuguese could not give Pimentel much support. Pimentel could only fight guerrilla warfare in East Timor with the help of a small group of Macau Portuguese who supported him. Olney took Guo Lin and others to Dili, the capital of East Timor. This indigenous Portuguese leader seized the governorship by force. Unlike his political opponent Pimentel, who had the support of the Portuguese and Indian governors, he desperately needed other
In his opinion, the Ming Dynasty envoy who descended from the sky was simply a gift from God. Therefore, he was warmly entertained and provided with food and clothing according to the etiquette. However, the envoy named Guo was dull.
Unfortunately, no matter what method he used to request, he refused to recognize his status as the Governor of Timor on the grounds that he did not have a document from the Portuguese and Indian Governor.
In fact, Ambassador Guo Qin was not dull, but was trying to satisfy his appetite to seek the best interests.
As a senior Imperial Guard, Guo Lin has already secretly become familiar with the situation of the Portuguese in East Timor. Although Pimentel is officially the Portuguese Governor of Timor, he has no foundation on Timor Island and only a handful of people support him.
The Macau Portuguese are doing business on the island, but Orne is a native Timorese and has the support of most of the indigenous Portuguese, so Orne has a great chance of winning; in addition, Pimentel is
Officially granted by Portugal, he is naturally loyal to Portugal, but Orne is an indigenous Portuguese and has low identification with Portugal. Therefore, supporting Orne is most beneficial to the Ming Dynasty!
However, Ambassador Guo Qin was born in Qianjinyiwei, and the city was very deep and hidden. Although he was determined to support Olney, he did not express his position and waited for him to come to ask for help.
"Dear Sir, can't you feel my sincerity? Why has Ming Dynasty been reluctant to accept the Timorese people's friendship towards Ming Dynasty?" Olney couldn't hold it in any longer and began to show off his cards.
"Your Excellency, this matter is not easy to handle. You should know that I am the most important person in the Ming Dynasty. You don't have an official Portuguese document, but Pimentel does. How can I promise you?" Guo Lin looked embarrassed.
Let He Bin translate.
"Does it have to be paperwork? Is there no other way?"
"Unless Timor breaks away from Portugal and becomes a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty."
"What!"
Olney was shocked, "Do you want me to commit treason?"
Guo Lin laughed, "Why do the local Portuguese people in Timor support you and not support Pimentel? Isn't it because the Portuguese officials have been brutally expropriating Timor in recent years. They have always regarded the Portuguese people in Timor as indigenous people.
Rather than the people of this country. In this case, why do you need to be loyal to them? How about treason?"
"But if we betray Portugal, we will be annexed by the damn Dutch."
"No, after becoming a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will protect Timor from the Dutch invasion, and you will also leave your name in history as the first king of the Kingdom of Timor."
"But~"
"The Ming Dynasty will provide your army with warships, cannons, muskets and other military supplies."
"But~"
"The Ming Dynasty will never allow the Portuguese in Macau to subvert the Ming Dynasty. If the Portuguese in Macau dare to support Pimentel and become your enemy, they will be expelled from Macau."
This article deeply touched Olney, but he knew that there is no free lunch in this world, so he slowly asked: "If I want to get this support, what price do I need to pay?"
Guo Lin secretly nodded, this person is rough but not easy to fool, no wonder he can squeeze out the Portuguese officially appointed governor to stand on his own. He laughed and said: "In addition to surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, you also need to cede Atauro Island to
"The Ming Dynasty served as a military port".
"This is absolutely impossible. If the Ming Dynasty wants Atauro Island, we would rather fight to the death!" Hearing this, Olney was excited, and the muscles on his face trembled.
Guo Lin secretly laughed in her heart, knowing that the other party would never cede Atauro Island. This island is located directly opposite Dili, the capital of Timor. Without Atauro Island, Dili would be exposed to the Ming Dynasty's military front.
The reason for asking for high prices is to pay back the money on the spot. He said with a grimace: "As you know, the Strait of Malacca is an important trade route. The Ming Dynasty needs a place near Malacca to station troops to protect its merchant ships and at the same time protect Timor."
.
Olney thought for a long time, took the map, and put a little more emphasis on it, "Yaku Island, this is my greatest sincerity."
Yaku Island is an outlying island at the eastern end of Timor Island, east of the coast of Tutuala, with an area of about 10 square kilometers and a maximum altitude of about 100 meters. It is uninhabited.
Guo Lin nodded. It seemed that this was indeed the biggest concession that Orne could make. Although the island was not big and the location was relatively remote, it was after all around Malacca. With this stronghold, the Ming Dynasty's navy would be able to better Well defend the country’s commercial interests near Malacca.
"Well, I personally agree to accept your sincerity," he said with a smile.
??
From Timor to Nanjing, it is thousands of miles away, and normal letters take several months to receive.
But Guo Lin is not an ordinary person. He is a senior member of Jinyiwei and has the ability to use special communication methods, such as: Fei Nu.
A good carrier pigeon can fly at a speed of 90 to 150 kilometers per hour, and the fastest carrier pigeon can fly at a speed of 177 kilometers per hour. Later in 1935, a group of carrier pigeons flew from Saigon, Vietnam, back to Arras in northern France, a total distance of 11,265 kilometers. Only 24 days.
Therefore, it only took Emperor Guangwu in Nanjing more than twenty days to receive the news from Guo Lin.
"Okay! Guo Lin did this beautifully! This person is no less capable than Ma Jixiang, but more loyal than Ma Jixiang. He can be left to my son!"
In an understatement, the old emperor decided on the candidate for the future commander of the Imperial Guard.
A big man has a big picture, so his eyes are naturally not like Guo Lin's, who only focus on the commercial profits in Malacca. As a traveler, he knows the strategic position of East Timor. To the south are Australia and New Zealand; to the east are Australia and New Zealand. It's New Guinea, Solomon Islands.
When he thought of Australia's resources, the emperor couldn't help but his face lit up with excitement, and he immediately issued an order to Annan Bo Yangwu and Annan Governor Zha Rulong, asking them to send the navy and army to build a port and fort on Yaku Island; In order to appease Olney, he was crowned King of Timor, gave him five old warships, thirty old cannons, five hundred matchlocks, six hundred sets of swords and shields, and six hundred spears. At the same time, he was ordered to strictly prohibit The Portuguese in Macau support Pimentel, and those who violate the rules will be expelled from Macau.