Xiang Xiaoqiang pointed upwards and gave a thumbs up.
Qiu Qiu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately turned around and ran in to send a telegram.
After a while, she ran out again and gave Xiang Xiaoqiang an affirmative look. The brief message had been sent.
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at his pocket watch. It was four minutes before nine o'clock. Now, there will be no declaration of war for the time being. There is peace.
However, not fighting does not mean that there is no price. Next, it is time to put the knife on Holland's neck and start blackmailing him. This time he must make Holland bleed profusely, let him know the pain, and make him pay a high price. Don't be unconvinced yet
, hit him if he is not convinced.
The governor didn't know what his thumbs up meant, and was still looking at him anxiously, wiping the sweat on his face with a handkerchief. The governor couldn't have known the famous gesture in the ancient Roman arena. If he gave the little powerful thumbs down,
, he probably guessed it. But thumbs up, there are too many possible meanings.
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled slightly, patted the governor's arm, and said with a smile:
"It's okay. I sent a telegram to China. You have quelled the riot. So, haha, it's peaceful."
The governor's face suddenly turned red. He and his attendants looked at each other, let out a sigh of relief, clapped each other's arms, and grinned. The governor turned around, held Xiang Xiaoqiang's hand, and shook it vigorously.
While bowing gently, he said gratefully:
"Your Majesty, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen's government, I would like to thank you for your fairness and understanding... Haha, now, all the unpleasant things have finally passed... History will remember our efforts at this moment..."
After listening to the translation, Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"You are only partly right. It can be said that only 10% of this matter has passed, and 90% has not yet passed."
After hearing the translation, the governor was startled and looked at him doubtfully. He smiled at Xiaoqiang and said:
"Next, I will be appointed by the Chinese government to set up an investigation committee to investigate as quickly as possible the overall losses suffered by Chinese expatriates in this unfortunate incident, so as to formulate a solution. So, what next?
, it also depends on the efforts and sincerity of our two countries, hahaha..."
The governor breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Of course, that's for sure. What the imperial envoy said makes sense..."
…
After nine o'clock, Shen Rongxuan and senior Ming officials held a press conference, officially admitting that the Batavia riots had been quelled by the authorities and that war would not be declared for the time being. However, whether the peace can continue depends on whether the two sides can reach an agreement in the aftermath negotiations.
Consistent.
The whole world breathed a sigh of relief. Oil and rubber futures, which had skyrocketed in the second half of the night, began to fall in the morning.
Originally, many reporters had prepared questions to ask Shen Rongxuan whether the Ming Dynasty was prepared to capture the East Indies, but now that it was suddenly announced that the Batavia riots had subsided and the countdown to war automatically stopped, these questions were no longer needed. They began to ask Shen Rongxuan instead.
, what conditions will be proposed to the Netherlands, when will diplomatic relations be restored, whether war is still possible, whether the two squadrons that have gone to sea will return, etc.
Shen Rongxuan answered one by one. Diplomatic relations will not be restored immediately. They will have to wait until the two countries reach a consensus and sign a treaty. As for what conditions Ming will put forward, Shen Rongxuan emphasized that it is not Ming Dynasty that puts forward conditions, but that Ming Dynasty died tragically under the rule of the Netherlands.
The expatriates and their families have put forward conditions. Discussions have not started yet, but punishing the murderers and compensating for losses will be the main content, and there will also be some "necessary provisions to ensure the friendly coexistence between the two countries in the future."
As for whether the war will still happen, there is no need to deny that it is definitely possible. But how likely it is depends on the sincerity of the Netherlands and the courage to correct its mistakes.
As for the two squadrons, they will not return at present. Before the situation becomes clear, they will still sail to their respective mission areas, namely: the North Indian Ocean Squadron composed of the battleship Yongle, the heavy cruiser Sun Wu, and the Lu Bu will still sail to the sea. It will sail to the waters off the Gulf of Aden for patrolling. The South Indian Ocean Squadron, composed of the heavy cruisers Li Guang, Han Xiang, and Xiang Yu, will also sail to the southern tip of the African continent and cruise in the waters of the Cape of Good Hope.
Shen Rongxuan announced with a serious look: Although there was no declaration of war, during the negotiation period, any Dutch warship or troop transport trying to pass from west to east through the above two sea areas will be regarded as a war action and will be resolutely met by the Ming Dynasty Squadron. The ground sank.
The Chief of Naval Staff also solemnly assured that either of the above two squadrons is enough to stop the entire Royal Netherlands Navy.
After this press conference, many countries with interests in Southeast Asia took reassurance. Especially the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. It was late at night in Europe, and the media basically had no reaction, but it was late at night on the East Coast of the United States** At o'clock, when nightlife is in full swing, many newspapers immediately ran out of numbers, and broadcasters had already paid close attention to the reports and commented on them.
Many newspapers in their country wrote articles saying: The Ming Dynasty's purpose this time should not be to annex the Dutch East Indies, but to protect the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. Otherwise, they would just not admit that the riots have subsided and directly declare war. As for the squadron, they will continue to go. Target area, most commentators believe this is just to increase negotiating leverage.
Obviously, the Ming Empire had no intention of annexing the Dutch East Indies, but it was obvious that it planned to hit the Netherlands hard.
…
At ten o'clock in the morning, the Wing On Princess, fully loaded with expatriates, left Batavia and headed for Siam.
The Xiang Xiaoqiang delegation temporarily stayed in Batavia, and was ordered by the emperor to form a 2-23 Anti-Chinese Riot Investigation Committee to investigate the bloody anti-Chinese incidents that began in Batavia on February 23, mainly to investigate the losses of the Chinese. , providing a basis for the subsequent negotiations between the two countries.
The delegation is composed of Xiang Xiaoqiang, three old consultants, Qiu Qiu and others, as well as officials from the International Red Cross, journalists from various countries in Batavia, and of course officials from the Dutch colonial authorities. Xiang Xiaoqiang will investigate the murderers of the riots. The power was completely ceded to the colonial authorities, and it only kept a close eye on the investigation of the loss of Chinese lives and property.
Qiu Qiu was a little worried and asked: "Xiaoqiang, they are all the same in the first place. This time we suppressed them only because we were forced to do so. Let them investigate the murderer? Can they deal with it fairly?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"I'm not worried about that. Mr. Shen Ge has shown his hawkish nature this time. He is so handsome. I found that although he and I are usually separated, we can always see each other when there are major problems. Without him, It can’t be so happy this time.”
"Ah? Ah...what do you mean by 'hawkish' and 'extremely handsome'?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang: "Well, he is very tough."
Qiu Qiu: "?!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang chuckled: "Anyway, my opinion with him this time is that one life should be worth one life. If a thousand Chinese die, a thousand local people should pay for it. If five thousand Chinese die, then five thousand local people should pay for it. People deserve their lives, including the raped Chinese women. In this case, it is fair. Otherwise, all the investigation methods are in the hands of the colonial authorities, and we have to listen to whatever they say. Even if they say this time There were only ten people who committed the crime, and we can't provide any evidence to the contrary. We are just a small committee."
Qiu Qiu had been following the telegrams and knew about this decision. This was an irrational decision, destined to threaten the Netherlands with huge ships and cannons. This was not in line with the law, but it was in line with the axioms.
She said with a sad look:
"Oh, I know that too...but it will definitely be opposed by international public opinion."
Xiang Xiaoqiang snorted and said coldly:
"There will definitely be many 'civilized countries' who will jump out to condemn it. I can imagine what they are saying. They must say that this is a barbaric request that no civilized country would make. Hum, that's not enough.
Their country’s people were killed. Besides, the number of locals who participated in the violence must be several times that of the Chinese who were killed. Now we only ask for one to one, which is cheap enough. Moreover, after all, we are not using this to extend our hands to Southeast Asia and occupy the Netherlands.
In East India, if only a few people are to be killed, the British, American and French governments should be secretly happy. Moreover, we have lovely reporters who can make people all over the world share our anger and let those kind-hearted people stand on our side...
Who is the cutest person at this time? Answer: Reporter."
…
The investigation committee was divided into five groups. Xiang Xiaoqiang, Qiu Qiu, and three consultants each led a group and personally led people on Batavia Street to count and collect the corpses. Each group was assigned a Chinese staff member of the consulate, except
When counting the corpses, they also had to search for the consul's family. They counted both Chinese corpses and local corpses. When the Dutch authorities saw that the Chinese Committee also collected the corpses of local people, they were very moved and praised them for their broad-mindedness and humanity without borders...
But the Chinese leaders of several groups all understood that the Chinese corpses minus the local corpses were the amount of blood debt owed.
The three old men were all very old, and each of them had vomited two or three times, but they still took heart medicine and antihypertensive medicine, gritted their teeth and led the team to clean up. Qiu Qiu also vomited into a mess, but she cried and vomited at the same time,
They all know that they are the backbone of the investigation team. Once they retreat, the only ones left besides reporters are government officials and local military police. Then the true situation and number of Chinese deaths will be
Will definitely be heavily covered.
This was an eye-opener for reporters from various countries in Batavia, as well as reporters who heard the news from nearby. They came out of hiding places after the riots subsided in the morning. These "cutest people" ignored the martial law.
Ling, carrying a camera and taking photos.
After all, the Dutch authorities still found this embarrassing and ordered the military and police to use martial law as an excuse to prohibit reporters from taking photos and confiscate cameras. However, some smart reporters quickly found Xiang Xiaoqiang's investigation team and complained to him. As a result, the Imperial Envoy of the Ming Empire immediately decided
, announced that all journalists in Batavia are members of the investigative committee and can carry cameras to participate in investigations. If the authorities' military police obstruct it, it will be regarded as a hostile act and you will be responsible for the consequences.
Thus, since the 1914-1918 world war, the largest "black lens" feast began. Thousands and tens of thousands of horrific photos were captured by reporters from various countries and sent to all parts of the world.
Within a few days the colonial authority of the Dutch East Indies would be discredited throughout the world.
…
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Ming Dynasty cruiser squadron, which set off from the Siam Naval Base, lined up through the Strait of Malacca. When three 10,000-ton cruisers cut through the waves and sailed through the Singapore Strait in formation, hundreds of thousands of Singaporean Chinese, as well as those from Badawi
The Chinese who arrived here spontaneously gathered on the south coast of Singapore Island and excitedly witnessed the heroic appearance of the Ming Dynasty cruiser.
In order to see it as close as possible, many Chinese even rented boats to go to some small islands in the Singapore Strait, which are only one or two kilometers away from the main channel, and even only a few hundred meters away from the main channel.
When the three cruisers appeared in the southeastern sight, people at the easternmost point began to cheer. When they approached and entered the Singapore Strait waterway, the cheers gradually rolled westward from the eastern end of Singapore's south coast. Soon, the entire
The South Coast of Singapore is boiling.
In addition to the Ming Dynasty flag, the heavy cruisers Li Guang, Han Xianghao, and Xiang Yu also showed the compatriots on the north shore the highest navy etiquette - hanging all the flags. That is to say, all the signal flags were hung out. And they kept blowing their whistles in greeting.
.All officers and soldiers who are not involved in driving, all wearing snow-white uniforms, line up neatly on the right side of the ship and pay attention to the compatriots in Singapore on the north shore. Contrary to traditional etiquette, there is no formation on the left side of the ship because the south shore is Pazia Island.
(meaning "Rubber Island" in Malay, that is, the independent Sumatra Island), belongs to the Dutch East Indies. This move was made voluntarily by the three captains and the entire fleet.
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese on the south coast of Singapore burst into tears and almost shouted out their throats. Countless people waved the small national flag of the Ming Dynasty and sang the national anthem of the Ming Dynasty, with tears streaming down their faces. How many years and generations of suffering and humiliation in Nanyang, and this
The feeling of being proud and proud was all released at this moment.
Dozens of lion dance troupes and more than a dozen dragon dance troupes on the south bank vent their pride as a Chinese amidst firecrackers and gongs and drums.
Many private boats followed the three 10,000-ton cruisers. On both sides, when viewed from a close distance, they seemed to be escorting them spontaneously. Most of the boats were wealthy Chinese, with their wives and children standing on the boats.
Cheers loudly to the officers and men of the cruiser.
…
At around nine o'clock in the evening on February 25, the count of corpses on the streets of Batavia was basically completed. Simply counting is faster, and most of the Chinese corpses are concentrated in a few areas. However, the subsequent collection work will take a little longer.
The result of the inventory was: 2,319 Chinese corpses and 185 local corpses. The difference between the two was: 2,134. In other words, the locals owed the Chinese a blood debt of at least 2,134 lives.
Of course, this is just a rough count, and there must be some scattered ones that have not been discovered. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that the authorities hid and secretly disposed of some Chinese corpses. But the number will not be too much. Basically, the number can be determined to be more than 2,000.
During the inventory, the consul and his family were discovered separately.
The consul only found his head, but his body was nowhere to be found. His head was propped up on a bamboo pole and stuck on a lawn. His face was pale, his eyes were half-closed, and his mouth, nose, and eye sockets were bleeding.
The consul's wife died the most miserably. She was completely naked, with a broom inserted into her lower body. The handle of the broom was deeply embedded in her body, leaving only the part used for cleaning exposed. Her posture and expression were extremely extreme.
Painful, it seems that this is how he died.
The consul's daughter, a teenage girl, was also naked and covered in stab wounds. She seemed to have been hacked to death. But compared to her mother, the little girl was very lucky.
Xiang Xiaoqiang went to these three places respectively and saw this family of three with his own eyes.
Although he had only seen the photo once, he knew that it was this one.
Xiang Xiaoqiang is someone who has been on the battlefield. He has seen scenes of being blown open, with brains smeared on the ground, and limbs flying everywhere. He has also seen people burned into cokes by flamethrowers. In terms of the degree of bloodshed, there is nothing
No less than here.
But that was a battlefield, and the dead on both sides were combatants, people who were trying to kill each other. And this was a city, a home, a slaughterhouse. The dead were innocent civilians, women and children. What were they?
They didn't do anything or participate in the battle. The only reason why they were killed was because of their race. Because you are Chinese, you deserve to be killed. This is no different from the Nazi massacre of Jews a few years later.
Xiang Xiaoqiang felt out of breath and had already vomited all his lunch, but he couldn't help but vomit a little more yellow water. After vomiting, he turned around and looked at the Dutch government officials accompanying the group.
The Dutch officials were also as white as paper and speechless.
Xiang Xiaoqiang wiped his mouth and said in a hoarse voice:
"Our consul and his family have been found. OK, you're done."
Several Dutch officials could hardly stand, as if they felt that they had stood with their governor at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
It was already evening, and the technology at this time was not yet able to take pictures at night. But a large group of reporters who followed them asked to take pictures. Because a diplomat of a country was brutally murdered in the country where he was stationed, and his whole family was killed. This was unprecedented in the history of world diplomacy.
It's extremely rare. They know it's very newsy.
Xiang Xiaoqiang turned away and asked the Dutch official to arrange mercury lamp lighting. The Dutch official's face was already vomiting and was sweating, and he was about to crawl into the ground in shame. He quietly asked the translator to discuss with Xiang Xiaoqiang: Your country's consul has been
Kill us and admit it, but don’t take pictures and leave some dignity to both parties...
Xiang Xiaoqiang immediately got angry, pointed at his nose, and shouted:
"Fuck! Listen up, this is none of your business! We won't hit you for the time being, this is the only thing you can count on! Nothing else!...I didn't let you declare war this morning, and now I'm still very fucking upset.
! Let me tell you, don’t fucking think that everything will be fine after nine o’clock in the morning. Now it’s up to me to fight or make peace with you!... Go get the mercury lamp when I tell you to get it, don’t be so fucking shameless!…
…Hold!"
The Dutch official swayed on his feet and staggered to make arrangements. After a while, the tall mercury lamp was erected.
The mercury lamp turned on with a bang, and a large area was as bright as day. A large group of reporters were so excited that they raised their cameras to take pictures, and clouds of white smoke rose. The mercury lamp and the spotlight made the photos look as good as daytime.
The authorities personnel had no temper at all. They obediently carried the mercury lamps and followed the reporters to two other places to take pictures of the miserable conditions of the consul's wife and the consul's daughter.
…
Due to the Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands and the Netherlands no longer had diplomatic relations. Xiang Xiaoqiang, as the Imperial Envoy, was appointed by the Queen as the plenipotentiary representative of the Ming Empire to preside over negotiations with the Netherlands in Batavia.
The next day, February 26, formal negotiations began. Xiang Xiaoqiang had already received the government's instructions and was the first to speak loudly at the negotiation table.
The first thing raised is the issue of compensation:
1. The Dutch authorities must find, arrest, and execute 2,314 murderers. No one should be left behind.
2. For each Chinese casualty, the Dutch authorities will compensate his relatives in gold standard currency equivalent to 10,000 Mingyang as a pension.
3. For each Chinese woman who was raped, the Dutch authorities will compensate the gold standard currency equivalent to 6,000 mingyang as a spiritual comfort payment. If the woman is under 15 years old, the amount of mental comfort payment will be increased to 10,000 mingyang.
4. For each injured Chinese, in addition to medical treatment, rehabilitation, and lost work expenses, the Dutch authorities will compensate a consolation payment ranging from 500 to 6,000 Mingyang depending on the severity of the injury.
5. In addition to medical treatment, rehabilitation, and lost work expenses, each disabled Chinese will be compensated by the Dutch authorities with a solatium ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 Mingyang, depending on the severity of the disability. In addition, an annual allowance that is sufficient to ensure the previous life must be paid.
level of living expenses.
6. All property losses suffered by the Chinese in this riot will be fully compensated by the Dutch authorities.
To be honest, this is no longer compensation, this is a kind of punitive beating. Xiang Xiaoqiang converted these Mingyang figures into RMB, which is multiplied by 124, and he was shocked. To be honest, it is necessary to
Unless you have seen the tragic situation of the victims with your own eyes, you will feel a little embarrassed when you tell these numbers with your own eyes.
It would be an exaggeration to say that the Netherlands is almost going bankrupt this time.