Xiaoqiang threw down the phone, spit on the ground, looked around the dock fiercely, and returned to the boat with his arms swaying.
Xiang Xiaoqiang returned to the cabin, bathed in the air-conditioning and felt extremely comfortable. While waiting for the arrival of the Governor of the East Indies, he sat down with three old advisers and gave Zhu Yourong to him, and he discussed with Zhu Yourong The Ming Dynasty’s attitude that I came up with was reviewed.
Because Shen Rongxuan, the hawkish chief minister, made up his mind to "be different from the previous cabinet" and decided to take tough measures on the Nanyang issue, Xiang Xiaoqiang instigated him for more than ten hours, and Zhu Yourong had already fallen into extreme In the midst of grief and indignation, the final consensus reached was:
1: Don’t be afraid of using force.
2: Try to avoid using force.
3: Regardless of whether force is used, the conflict with the Netherlands is a foregone conclusion. Therefore, various means must be adopted to force the Netherlands to sell a sufficient amount of oil to Ming Dynasty at the previous price even when the two countries are at war with each other.
4: Forced the Dutch colonial authorities to quell the riot within hours.
5: Force the Dutch colonial authorities to establish an independent investigation organization with the participation of Ming personnel to investigate the injuries suffered by Ming expatriates and property losses during the riot.
6: Force the Dutch colonial authorities to extradite the murderers involved in the murder to the Ming Dynasty, where they will be dealt with by the Ming Dynasty government.
7: Force the Dutch colonial authorities to ensure that similar incidents will not happen again in the future and treat the Chinese under their rule well.
8: The Dutch government must be convinced that the Ming Empire has the ability, courage, and interest to use this as an excuse to annex the East Indies. From now on, whether the Netherlands' various interests in Southeast Asia can be guaranteed or not depends entirely on the Ming Dynasty. The mood of the government.
Among them, the third point is related to the fundamental interests of Ming Dynasty and must be fulfilled. Points 5 to 7 should be striven for as much as possible and can be flexibly grasped. However, as long as the eighth point is fulfilled, none of the above points will be a problem.
Therefore, Xiang Xiaoqiang fully understood that he had to play the role of an intimidator. The most important thing was to put on a posture of not being afraid of war. He wanted the Dutch government to realize that the Ming government was no longer the Ming government before.
Originally there was one emperor and one courtier, but now the emperor has changed and the ministers have also changed.
…
When the Chinese refugees in the port heard that the Ming Dynasty imperial envoy, Xiang Xiaoqiang, was the legendary general, they all crowded to get off the Yongan Princess. Countless people cried bitterly and loudly talked about the suffering they had suffered. They showed off the spots on their bodies. With blood stains on their faces, they held their dead relatives and cried their hearts out. It was as if they all knew that Xiang Xiaoqiang was the one who came, so he would definitely be able to make decisions for them.
Some foreign reporters who sneaked into the harbor for reporting purposes also immediately approached. The authorities and the police used the excuse that the space in the harbor was limited and did not allow reporters to enter. However, many reporters still helped to carry the injured and sneaked in. It was night, and even if there were cameras, they could not take pictures. , they took out their notebooks and waited, interviewing Xiang Xiaoqiang as soon as he came out.
It is already 4:30 in the morning, and it has been nearly an hour since the Yongan Princess entered the port. Xiang Xiaoqiang has asked to see the Governor of East India since about 3:30, but it has been half an hour now, and there is no movement at all. He has reported himself as an imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty It is almost impossible to say that the other party did not report his identity. The only explanation is that the Governor-General of the Netherlands East India knew that the Ming Dynasty imperial envoy was waiting for him in the port, but deliberately left the Ming Dynasty imperial envoy here.
Now both parties know that there is going to be a negotiation, but whoever takes the initiative to ask to see the other party will obviously lose momentum in the negotiation first, and will feel somewhat passive when negotiating terms with the other party.
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood in the cabin, leaning against the porthole and looking down. There were more flames in the city, and it seemed that the fire was getting bigger. Now every minute of delay, the Chinese in the city were bleeding more.
It was obvious that the governor-general was trying to control him. And most likely he had already asked for instructions from home, otherwise he would not have been so bold as a colonial governor.
After half an hour, Xiang Xiaoqiang gritted his teeth and turned pale. He knew he couldn't waste it like this anymore.
He turned around and discussed with the three old men. This time the four of them quickly reached an agreement: the most important thing now is to quell the riot as soon as possible and save the lives of the expats. They can take the initiative to see the governor.
"I took the initiative to see him this time," Xiang Xiaoqiang licked his lips and said viciously, "But it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter at all. Soon they will kneel on the ground and beg us for mercy. Now the Chinese in Batavia
Every drop of blood shed will be paid for."
"That's right, sir." Song Ruhai nodded and smiled.
The three old men have always been cautious, but now that they know the Ming government's bottom line, they appear to be a hundred times more confident.
Xiang Xiaoqiang appeared on the deck again, and the harbor was boiling. Cries and cheers spread throughout the Batavia Port. Xiang Xiaoqiang stood in front of the huge Ming Dynasty flag, holding a microphone and said briefly:
"As the Imperial Envoy of the Ming Dynasty, I represent Her Majesty the Queen and the government of the Ming Dynasty. But I just asked the Dutch Governor in East India to come and meet with me, and the Governor-General still hasn't come. It doesn't matter. If he doesn't come to see me, I can
Go see him. However, before I go to see the governor, I can assure you on his behalf that from today on, the locals will never dare to touch you again! Moreover, every drop of your blood will not be shed in vain!"
Listening to Xiang Xiaoqiang's confident words, the expats in the port were silent for a moment, and then a few young people cheered, but most people did not cheer. A "buzz" of whispers sounded in the port.
Obviously, Xiang Xiaoqiang's words were too full and sounded too irresponsible. Just now he asked the governor to come to see him, but he ignored him at all. Now he took the initiative to go see him, and he didn't even meet him, so he just slapped his chest here.
, saying that he was the governor-general’s assurance to everyone was so unreliable. Most of the expats’ hopes for Xiang Xiaoqiang quickly faded. This reckless young man would probably be removed from the country soon and recalled.
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the reactions of the expatriates off the boat without saying anything. He put down the microphone and walked down the gangway with three consultants and guards carrying the radio. He found the Dutch personnel in the port and asked to meet with the Governor immediately.
Soon, a Dutch official smiled and spoke Chinese, politely asked them to get in the car and took them to the Governor's Palace.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang sat in the car and walked through the eerie and terrifying streets of Batavia. He looked out of the car window and saw darkness outside. Occasionally he drove past a fire, and there would be a few locals surrounding him, holding hands
Carrying long knives, they patrolled the area in small groups.
By the light of the fire, I saw Chinese corpses lying on the ground from time to time. Many of them were headless, or had their heads next to their necks. There were even more corpses of Chinese women, all of them naked. But even these naked corpses were
Most of them were ravaged horribly. Their lower bodies were stuffed with bamboo sticks and sticks, their chests were carved with words or some kind of totem, and their torsos and limbs were mostly covered with stab wounds. You can imagine how much these women suffered in addition to being raped during their lifetimes.
Inhumane abuse.
A Chinese little girl, about ten years old, looking like a primary school student, was lying quietly on the roadside, wearing a white shirt, floral skirt, and carrying a schoolbag. At first glance, she seemed to be intact, and her clothes had not been taken off.
But Xiang Xiaoqiang always seemed to have something wrong with her posture. As the car drove past, Xiang Xiaoqiang still stuck his head out of the car window and looked back. Suddenly his eyes closed and he sat back in the car with a pale face.
I saw clearly that the little girl was lying on the ground, but her face was turned up... Her neck and shoulders were completely separated, but she was put into this pose with great interest.
The little girl is very beautiful, like a porcelain doll. But her eyes can never be opened.
We turned a corner and entered a "brightly lit" street. The shops on both sides of the road were burning, and locals in small groups were carrying long knives and still searching for "prey". But there seemed to be no "prey" in this neighborhood.
.
There are more corpses on both sides of the road, and one can be seen every few meters. There are several piles of dark things, similar to charcoal, but the shape of a person can barely be seen. These "things" that were once alive are still alive.
Retaining the painful posture.
Xiang Xiaoqiang stared silently at the piles of "human-shaped charcoal" through the glass, imagining that they were dragged out of their homes by locals before they were alive, doused with gasoline in horror, and then crawled on the ground in agony with their bodies on fire.
scene...
Gasoline, no doubt, is also "purchased" from Chinese shops...
The Dutch official in the front passenger seat seemed to feel very uncomfortable watching all this. He turned around and said with difficulty:
"Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy...I want to say...we are actually...all this is just...oh, how should I put it..."
He showed his kindest smile to Xiaoqiang, patted his shoulder gently, and whispered into his ear:
"It doesn't matter, you don't have to say anything. I understand everything, haha."
The Dutch official looked into his eyes in horror, shuddered, and immediately turned back, urging the driver in a low voice to drive faster. He was even afraid that if time went by, the person in the back seat would pull out a gun and kill him.
…
Several cars finally drove through the gate of the Governor's Palace. For the official, the torture was finally over.
In the splendid sitting room of the Governor's Mansion, Xiang Xiaoqiang's delegation was sitting on the sofa. The Governor's servants in gorgeous liveries served them coffee.
Xiang Xiaoqiang squinted at the servants and saw that they were all locals. They had dark skin and prominent facial bones. They looked a bit ferocious no matter how you looked at them. Typical Southeast Asian indigenous people, Malays.
A Dutchman wearing glasses and looking like a secretary came in and said to them, I'm sorry, it's just five o'clock and the Governor hasn't gotten up yet, please wait a moment.
Xiang Xiaoqiang suppressed his anger and said calmly:
"I want to see the governor immediately. The locals in the city are still massacring our Ming expatriates. We must discuss the solution immediately. We cannot wait for a minute."
The secretary could see that he was very proud, but he still looked a little embarrassed:
"This... the Governor ordered that nothing should disturb him while he is resting, so you see..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that the governor had actually gotten up early, just to show off and suppress the self-confidence of the young imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty. In the governor's view, the young official of the Ming Dynasty first aggressively asked to see him, but when he refused, he had no choice but to
He has already lost half the battle by coming to see him in despair. If he tempers his temper now, he will naturally pinch him as much as he wants when they talk later.
Xiang Xiaoqiang sneered:
"In this case, I respect Mr. Governor's living habits and let him sleep. Oh, by the way, please remind him when he gets up. He lost a precious hour because of snoozing. This hour was originally
It is an hour that the Netherlands and the Netherlands can use to work together and strive for peace."
After speaking, he picked up the coffee, blew and tasted it nonchalantly.
The secretary was a little dazed, thinking about his last words. He didn't expect to hear the word "strive for peace". He was very surprised.
He hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer and asked softly:
"Your Majesty, before I go to wake up Mr. Governor, may I venture to ask what your last sentence means..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang drank coffee and ignored him. Beside him were three old men in suits and leather shoes, sitting upright. Song Ruhai glanced at him and said coldly:
"The citizens of one country were massacred on the territory of another country. This, I think, the whole world knows what this means."
The secretary's expression changed slightly, he bowed lightly and hurried out.
After a while, he came back and made a "please" gesture:
"The Governor is waiting for you in the office."
…
In the large and gorgeous office, the Dutch Governor in East India, a potbellied old man in his fifties, with several medals hanging on his chest, was lying in a large armchair, staring at Xiang Xiaoqiang with half-squinted eyes.
Xiang Xiaoqiang sat on the oak chair opposite his desk, and three consultants sat on the sofa. Two guards stood behind Xiang Xiaoqiang, standing straight.
The governor didn't say anything, but just made a gesture, which meant: You want to see me, OK, now that you have seen me, go ahead and say it.
"Mr. Governor," Xiang Xiaoqiang slowly leaned forward, resting his elbows on the Governor's desk, and his eyes were almost on the Governor's face, "Hehehe... it's our first time to meet. I wonder if Mr. Governor can do this.
How about convenience?"
As he spoke, he reached into the cigar tube in front of the governor, slowly took out a cigar, bit it slowly in his mouth, and looked at the governor with a smile, his white teeth seemed like he wanted to eat someone.
The Governor was a gentle man and had never seen this posture before. He retreated back and unconsciously made a posture of self-protection while listening to his secretary's translation.
When he heard that it wasn't something like "kill your whole family", but just for convenience, the governor smiled:
"What type of convenience is Mr. Imperial Envoy referring to?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"I am here, on behalf of Her Majesty the Empress of Ming Dynasty and the government, to have formal talks with Mr. Governor. Can Mr. Governor allow us to provide a small room for us to contact our government at any time?... You know, our consul and his family
, has been exterminated in your territory, so if we want to contact the country, there is no need to run to the consulate, hehehehe..."
The governor listened to the translation, looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang's eerie smile, and said "the consul's family was wiped out", and felt cold sweat oozing from his back.
He chuckled: "I understand what Mr. Imperial Envoy means. I want a small room to serve as your country's temporary consulate in the Governor's Mansion. Yes, no problem... However, the consul family you mentioned... seems a bit irresponsible.
Already..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang laughed and did not answer the question. Instead, he motioned Sun Jiye and Wang Hexiang to take the radio and go with the governor's secretary to the small room next door. They set up the radio there so that they could send the negotiation status back to the country at any time, or receive instructions from the country.
Xiang Xiaoqiang bit off the end of the cigar, and then the guard behind him immediately reached out for a lighter and lit it for him. Xiang Xiaoqiang took a deep puff and was almost choked to the point of being speechless.
"Ahem, cough... damn, this piece of shit is so violent..." He cursed and coughed, "Let's... cough, let's get back to the business, cough... On behalf of the Ming government, I ask the Governor, Your Excellency, to
Bring peace and quiet to Batavia before eight o'clock in the morning. It is five o'clock and you have three hours."
The governor stared at him for a while, smiled like a friendly elder, and said:
"Dear Mr. Imperial Envoy, do you think I like this riot? Do you think I haven't tried hard to quell the riot? ... No, I have been trying, like a most devout Christian, to do my best to prevent the situation from getting worse...
…The force under my command is very limited, there are very few policemen, and our country currently does not have many troops stationed in East India..."
"There aren't many troops stationed, right?" Xiang Xiaoqiang muttered silently and nodded, "Well, okay, okay."
The governor stared at him: "What do you mean?"
"Ah? That's not interesting. Go on."
The governor looked at him for a long time and then continued:
"...I am like the most devout Christian...In order to ensure that your country's nationals can leave the dangerous area, I specially sent police forces to guard the port, so that your country's nationals can wait safely at the port for evacuation..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang stared at him and said:
"There are a few policemen at the port, but when I took the car from the port to your mansion, for such a long distance, I saw only local people burning, killing and raping our expatriates, and I didn't see a single policeman... If you
If you insist on saying that, then there is nothing to say. You said you are a devout Christian, then okay, you Christian, listen up, I will say it again: before eight o'clock in the morning, the riots must disappear in the whole city. I don't care
You can't do it, but you can't. When you can't do it, you, a devout Christian, will see what Satan is."
The Governor stared at him in surprise, as if a decent man had been insulted:
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm threatening you."
The governor raised his hand and said, "Then we don't have to talk anymore. You can go. I will continue to work hard to solve the problems in the city. But I will never accept intimidation from anyone."
Xiang Xiaoqiang stretched his upper body across the table again, eyes almost touching him and said:
"If you don't accept threats, your Majesty Queen Wilhelmina and His Excellency Prime Minister Hendrickus Clarian may accept threats."
"What's the meaning?!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang stretched out his hand behind him. At this time, a telegram from China had been sent and transcribed.
Xiaoqiang took a step back and handed the document to the governor with both hands solemnly:
"Please forward it to your government on my behalf. This is our country's final attitude."
The governor took it in surprise, read it quickly, and murmured:
"If it doesn't end at eight o'clock... all diplomatic relations will be severed... If it doesn't end at nine o'clock, the two countries will automatically be in a state of war..."