At nightfall, the Chinatown in the northwest of Malacca City was lit with torches. Groups of Javanese and Württemberg soldiers drove the Chinese out of their homes and ordered them to go to the castle. The Chinese families did not understand what was going on, and they were all afraid.
To die.
The crimes committed by the Dutch in Batavia fifty years ago had a great impact on the entire Chinese population in Southeast Asia. Many people here in Malacca had fled back then. However, faced with the black muzzles and sharp swords in the hands of the soldiers,
, most people dare not resist.
Because Zeng Youliang's family was a big businessman and his father made kapitan, the Dutch were much more polite and even asked Cai Shizhang, who was accompanying him, to go in and explain. Unexpectedly, after Cai Shizhang finished explaining the cause and effect, young Zeng Youliang cursed angrily.
"You treacherous mother! The Dutch are trying to use us as a shield! The gunboats of the Northern Navy have hit their heads, but they still dare to bully us Chinese!"
Scolding comes with scolding, people always have to bow their heads under the eaves. No one would think of giving it a try unless it was absolutely necessary. However, Zeng Youliang was still more cautious. When he went out with his family, the clothes on his shoulders were
There is already a flintlock musket hidden in the baggage...
Late at night, near Pulau Udan Island, 18.4 kilometers southeast of Malacca City, three warships of the Northern Navy's Nanyang Second Squadron were anchored here.
The moonlight shines on the dark sea, reflecting the sparkling waves. On the decks of each ship, the night sailors use the small searchlights on the side of the ship to keep an eye on the surrounding ocean. Otherwise, this place is too close to the city of Malacca. Who can
I don't know if the Dutch will jump over the wall in a hurry and launch a sneak attack at night.
In the captain's room of Beihai 2, Guo Xuexian was having a meeting with several people to discuss tomorrow's battle plan. Because Zhao Xin suddenly changed the plan, the second squadron led by Guo Xuexian only stayed in Temasek for three days, and had not had time to talk to Ma
Prince Temenggong of Poe discussed the leasing of Temasek and left in a hurry.
"Is the time of high tide okay?"
"It's the moment of the hour. Don't worry, my lord, I have to make seven or eight trips to this sea route every year, so the sea conditions are very familiar to me."
The person who replied was a shopkeeper assigned by Gu Lihuan to Temasek who was in charge of the cooling oil business. His surname was Chen and he was also from Zhangzhou.
"Okay, then it's settled. The fleet will weigh anchor at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning. If the Dutch don't surrender by that time, we will blow up the three drawbridges connecting the castle, the city and the suburbs, and then bombard the turrets on the castle and kill them.
His teeth were knocked out.”
"What if the Dutch hold on and don't surrender?"
"We don't have time to argue with them, so King Zhao gave us one day. Before sunset, the flag of the Northern Navy must be planted on the Malacca Castle!"
"Will they threaten the Chinese in the city?"
Guo Xuexian showed a trace of disdain on his lips and said contemptuously: "If they dare to use Chinese as hostages, I will massacre all the Dutch in the city!"
The murderous words were spoken by Guo Xuexian without hesitation, which immediately frightened shopkeeper Chen who was standing aside and shuddered.
In the history of another time and space, the Dutch surrendered to France, which led the British to send troops to surround the city of Malacca in 1795. At that time, Abraham Kuperus was also hesitant and delayed from August to December before dedicating the city.
Surrender. In view of this, Zhao Xin told Guo Xuexian in the previous telegram that the Dutch must not be allowed to delay and the battle would be decided quickly.
The reason why he was so anxious to capture the city of Malacca was because the British had already launched an offensive against local governance.
It is said that when Zhao Xin and others left Paris at the end of November last year, the French National Convention had already declared war on Britain and the Netherlands. However, due to the speed of communication in these years, the news of Britain's declaration of war had to be delivered through the consulate in Alexandria, Egypt.
After six long months, the official notification finally arrived in Madras on June 11, 1793; nine days later, the Governor's Palace in Calcutta also received the news.
Cornwallis, the Governor of the British East India Company and Admiral of the Indian Navy, had been prepared for a long time. He immediately issued operational instructions against the French Indian colonies. He then took the frigate "Minerva" to Trinco, Dutch Ceylon.
Mali, hoping to learn about the progress of the Java War. There are also three "East India-class" fourth-class frigates accompanying them, namely the Triton, the Wally and the Royal Charlotte.
Cornwallis waited for two days in Trincomalee. At that time, the Northern Navy's ground counterattack had not yet launched, and Zheng Wenxian's fleet had just moved south. After learning that the huge iron ship of the Northern Navy was forced to park in Bacheng Port, he had no idea.
There was no movement, and Cornwallis, who felt a little at ease, then ordered the fleet to go to the local area to deal with it and put it under a naval blockade.
At the same time, the troops led by Colonel John Braithwaite, acting commander of Madras, also set off. This time the British used the Royal Artillery, the 19th Regiment Dragoons, the 36th, 52nd, 71st, 72nd, and 73rd Regiment
, 74th Infantry Regiment, with a total strength of more than 10,000 people.
Cornwallis's plan was for the ground forces to first seize Valenno to the southwest of the local government and Ariancuban to the south, cutting off the support of the garrison and the hinterland of the city, and then through ground encirclement and sea blockade, finally forcing the defenseless troops inside and outside.
The French surrendered.
If the British want to do this, Beihai Town, which locally governs Pazayarai in the south, will definitely be involved in the war and will not be able to escape.
On the other side, the French are not fools. After learning that the British in Madras were dispatched, they immediately mobilized the entire city. However, the number of troops was really insufficient. There were only 650 French soldiers, and the local soldiers together were only over a thousand. The new appointment
Governor Clermont sent people to ask for help from the Northern Navy in Pazayaray in the south.
The problem is that Pazayarai's Northern Navy only has a total of 200 people, and the Mysore soldiers trained by them have just begun to get on track after passing the early language exchange barrier. Let these guys support local governance.
In addition to riding horses and wielding swords, the most you can do is shoot a few big rockets.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After receiving the telegram from Pazayaray, Zhao Xin sent a company to support local governance in order to abide by the agreement between the two parties. In order to control the servant army in Bacheng
Quickly transported to India to fight against the British, he then sent a report to Guo Xuexian, asking him to capture the city of Malacca as soon as possible and keep an eye on the British in Penang. As for the shortage of troops in Java, he had to recruit troops among the local Chinese first, and in addition
He also sent a report to Wang Yuanfang, and quickly mobilized another five thousand servants to go south, and asked Ding Guofeng to come and help.
As soon as the telegram from "Prince Zhao" arrived, the Northern Navy Staff and Logistics Department were immediately busy. Thanks to Wang Yuanfang who looked after the house and was very strict about training, the second batch consisted of 5,000 Sendai road construction workers.
The servant army formed has completed the recruit training. Now it is like there is no need to go to the Citrus Ao base for tropical adaptation training, and they can go directly to Bacheng to adapt!
Zhao Xin was busy deploying troops and generals, and the British were not idle either. For Cornwallis, there are currently too many people at the table in the South Asian subcontinent who want a share of the pie. If EIC has no choice but to face Beihai Town, then
The Qing Empire, which occupied Gorkha in the north, must be stabilized. He did not want to be attacked from both sides.
So when he returned to Madras with a captured French merchant ship for supplies, he asked Major William Kirk Patrick, who was negotiating with the Qing Dynasty in Yangbu, to sign an agreement with the Qing Empire as soon as possible to stabilize the situation.
The situation in northern West Bengal.
However, to his surprise, the messenger carrying the order had just set out for a day when he met Major Kirkpatrick who was eager to show his merits and signed an agreement with the Qing court!
Damn it! Cornwallis was very surprised when he learned about it. When he saw the dusty Major Patrick on the ship, he said eagerly: "William, in the report I received a month ago, you also mentioned that the Qing Empire
The attitude was tough and I was afraid that I had to make appropriate concessions. But in the blink of an eye, the agreement was signed. What happened?"
"Your Excellency, I am about to report the whole process to you in detail. This incident is really dramatic. I am convinced that God is blessing our British Empire."
"Of course God will bless us. Well, don't be pretentious, I don't have much time."
"That's what happened......"
It is said that from the end of August last year, Major Patrick was first ordered to go to Patna, north of Calcutta, to try to mediate the war between the Qing Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. However, by the end of September, as the Qing army won a decisive victory in the "Battle of Palangu", then
The city of Yangpu was destroyed, the Gorkhas were destroyed, and the so-called "mediation" of the East India Company was completely redundant.
However, Patrick's trip also had the mission of determining the border and trade between Gorkha and West Bengal. Although the owner had changed, this issue had to continue to be discussed. So he went to Yangbu with gifts and met with the Manchu Fuyuan Emperor.
General Fukang'an also negotiated with He Lin, the Minister of Affairs in Tibet, and Chengde, the Admiral of Sichuan. Fukang'an only met with the British delegation once, and then returned to Tibet to preside over the "Regulations on the Cleanup in Tibet".
Helin only talked to Patrick twice, and then she brought the captured Gurkha King Bahadur Shah back to the capital to present as a prisoner. His attitude was extremely tough, demanding that the EIC must hand over the Shah's kingdom.
His successor, the fifteen-year-old prince Rana Bahadur Shah, wanted to see people alive and dead. He even told Kirkpatrick that if the EIC was not given, the Qing army would send troops to West Bengal.
Go to Patna to arrest people directly. For the Manchus, this was just like how they dealt with Amursana and Khodzhan. It would never leave the Gorkhas with any hope of restoring their country.
Well, if Bahadur is handed over to the Qing Dynasty, there is a high probability that it will be made into a kabala bowl by Qianlong. Of course, Major Patrick will definitely not understand this; he only knows one thing, if the majestic British Empire does not even have a Gor
If you can't even save the prince of Kakar, it will really become a joke. Don't hang out in India in the future.
In addition, Helin also sternly warned Patrick, ordering Britain not to interfere in the affairs of Tibet and Bulukba (Bhutan). From now on, all matters related to Tibet and the surrounding vassal countries must be handled through the Qing court's mission to Kuo.
The Minister of Affairs of Erkha. You must know that in the past, the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were far away and beyond reach. Now the center of gravity has shifted westward, so naturally they attach great importance to the two vassal states of Lukba and Zhemengxiong.
It is said that since the beginning of the 18th century, Brukba has been at war with the southern state of Koch Bihar. In 1772, the Maharaja of Koch Bihar, who was protected by the British, asked the EIC for help, and the British immediately sent troops to invade.
Brookba.
The problem is that Bulukba is a vassal of Tibet. On major issues, he will directly consult the Qing minister in Tibet and the Dalai Lama. From this time on, the EIC wanted to extend its hands into Tibet. When the British army launched an attack, Bulukba
King Debu immediately asked the Sixth Panchen Lama for help. In 1774, the Panchen Lama sent an envoy carrying gifts to Hastings, the first EIC governor, to negotiate peace.
After receiving this letter, Hastings thought it was a good opportunity to enter Tibet. On the one hand, he signed a "peace treaty" with Brokba, took the initiative to make a truce, and returned the occupied land. On the other hand, he rewarded
In the name of the Panchen Lama, he sent his close associate George Bogle to enter Tibet under the guise of "trade" and meet the Panchen Lama privately.
In his conversation with the Panchen Lama, Bogle used the same method he had used to deal with the princes of Indian states to induce the Panchen Lama to have a direct relationship with the East India Company. However, the Sixth Panchen Lama saw through the other party's intention at a glance, and he
It was clearly stated that Tibet was a place under the rule of the Qing Emperor, and that he himself was just a lama who regarded the cause of peace as his duty, and thereafter banned Bogel from entering Lhasa.
When Patrick heard the other party mentioning this matter, he secretly thought something was wrong. He quickly explained that this was all done by the former Governor Hastings. Now he has been impeached for corruption and was removed from the post of Governor and returned to China. The current Governor Kang
Wallis had no intention of meddling in Tibet.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After encountering a disastrous encounter with Helin, Patrick was disheartened. Unexpectedly, only a month later, the negotiating partner changed again, and the new station in Gurkha
Minister He Ning arrived.
This person has nothing to do with the Heshen brothers. He is an Eldet clan, a native of Mongolia's Xianghuang Banner, and a Jinshi in the 36th year of Qianlong's reign. He Ning is good at writing and calligraphy, and has written many poems since entering Tibet. However, this guy is in government affairs
But he was a mediocre person. To put it bluntly, he was careless in employing people. Because of this problem, he had many ups and downs in the officialdom, and was demoted every time because of his negligence.
Just like his predecessor's attitude, He Ning came up with an attitude of being indifferent. Patrick thought to himself that this time he was in trouble! The fierceness of the Qing army's destruction of Gurkhas shocked him. You know, in
Twenty-five years ago, the British also sent an expeditionary force to attack Gorkha, but they returned with a huge defeat.
In addition, what the British are most afraid of is that if the two sides are at loggerheads, the Qing Empire will allow the Hindus under its rule to go to the Hindu areas of West Bengal to cause trouble. The people of Gorkha today believe in Hinduism.
Later, due to the Christmas of the Westerners, the Spring Festival of the Chinese, and the fact that the members of the mission were not acclimatized to the climate and fell ill and returned to Bangladesh, the two sides went back and forth for half a year. In April 1793, Chengde, the admiral of Sichuan, received a letter from Fukang
An ordered the three thousand Qing troops in Yangbu and Chen Bing to move southward at the border. The situation on both sides became increasingly tense.
Just when Major Patrick could not withstand the Manchu aggression and wrote to Cornwallis intending to compromise, an accident occurred.
A Gurkha businessman traveling between Yangbu and Patna found him and confessed that he knew a personal attendant of He Ning. The businessman expressed his willingness to mediate and provide help in order to protect Prince Bahadur.
Patrick was not sure, so he gave the businessman 600 Spanish silver coins based on the idea of hitting the fish first or not. Unexpectedly, after more than ten days, the businessman actually completed the matter and brought it back.
Without important information, Patrick realized that the Qing Empire was bluffing.
It turned out that the Sauron soldiers brought by Fukang'an had suffered heavy casualties in previous battles across the Himalayas. After the Yangbu was laid down, they were even more exhausted. There were only more than 300 people left out of 2,000. As for those with ferocious faces,
Because the Jinchuan Tibetan soldiers have been fighting abroad for a long time, they are all looking forward to returning home and have no intention of fighting anymore. The only ones left are the Sichuan soldiers. However, these people are not accustomed to the acclimatization, and some people fall ill every day. Before Chengde, thousands of troops were deployed on the border.
It's just a pretense to scare people.
For such important information, Patrick certainly wanted to try it. If the information was true, it would be tantamount to winning. So when he met with He Ning later, he said that if the Qing army wanted to send troops to Patna and invade the territory of West Bengal, then as a
The suzerain's EIC will also send heavy troops north to declare war on the Qing Empire and help Bahadur reset.
As soon as these words came out, He Ning and Cheng De's expressions changed instantly, and then returned to normal, but Patrick knew that he had made the right bet!
He Ning was greatly surprised by the sudden change in the attitude of the British. He believed that Chengde's Sichuan army had revealed a flaw, which the British could see. Chengde was already angry because his subordinates fell ill one after another, so he didn't
He would take the blame, so the two closed the door and had a big fight.
In order to destroy the Gurkhas this time, despite the "friendly support" of Zhao Xin, the Manchu Qing Dynasty still invested four million taels of silver; except for the purchase of huge amounts of military supplies in the snowy area, most of the other money was invested
In terms of logistics and transportation, in order to open up the three main post roads into Tibet, namely Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet, the Qing government built additional military stations, set up grain stations, and sent troops to guard the roads along the way. It cost a huge amount of money. It really wanted to go to war with the British.
, let alone military expenses, just dispatching troops and transporting food is enough to drink a pot.
The trump card was discovered by the British, but for these officials of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, they could not lose the battle, and face was more important than anything else. He Ning and Cheng De quarreled, but no one dared to apologize. In the end, the two
They sat together and discussed, and decided to send someone back to Beijing to deal with Heshen first, to help fool him in front of Qianlong, and then signed an agreement with Patrick and stamped it with a big seal.
On the surface, the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty will continue to demand Bahadur, but the British side can refuse to hand over, but this matter cannot be publicized. In addition, He Ning promised on behalf of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties that he would not encourage the Hindus in Gorkha to go to the south to cause trouble.
If the British side catches him, he will be killed or cut into pieces at will.
After listening to Major Patrick's story, Cornwallis laughed with satisfaction. He did not expect that the matter would be resolved in this way. After laughing for a while, he said to Patrick seriously: "Very good! Major Patrick,
As a reward for successfully completing the mission, I have decided to promote you to lieutenant colonel!"