Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1983 Advancing into the Land Below the Wind

"...just imagine that there are coconuts, bamboos, pineapples, bananas, longans growing everywhere, and among these plants, a beautiful stream flows, with wild flowers and grass on the banks, and boats floating on the water In the middle of this forest, many houses were built with rattan, reed and bark, and then they were planned, leaving streets on one side, and different communities on the other: between the communities Plant green grass and green trees, and when the population increases, you can disperse the population of the entire city among the forests. Thinking about it this way, you will have a precise understanding of Boni, and you will also agree with this unique Cities add infinite pleasure to strangers passing by."

In the port of Brunei at the end of April, the young Lieutenant Ding Wei was opening a report written by a Portuguese businessman.The report was written in Portuguese, which was not difficult for Lieutenant Ding Wei to understand because of years of study.This businessman is currently living in the port of Brunei, and he has bought a lot of camphor, khalil fruit, wax, pepper, tobacco and sago. He is waiting for the arrival of the southwest monsoon, so that he can go all the way north to China and sell the goods a good price.As a businessman who has been doing business in China for many years, he was naturally targeted by the officials of the East Coast State Intelligence Bureau, and then developed into an informant who specialized in helping the East Coast people collect various overseas intelligence. Now Lieutenant Ding Wei reads What arrived was the report forwarded to him by the intelligence officers.

The Portuguese businessman is still used to calling Brunei Boni, which seems to be because when their people first arrived here, the country was called the Boni Kingdom, and its king had just converted to the Green Cult.But to be honest, even though the Portuguese have arrived in the East for 200 years, there are actually not too many followers of the Green Cult in the land below the wind and even in the whole of Southeast Asia. Not too many, people in the vast inland area actually believe in the primitive religion of animism, and generally speaking, this place is actually a wild area of ​​religion.

Taking Brunei Port as an example, less than half of the population in the city believes in the Green religion, and this is the result of the fact that the monarch first converted to the Green religion, or it would be even less.Now in the city, the priests of Green Religion are busy preaching and persuading people to convert to Allah, but because Brunei Port is located in the trade center of the land below the wind, it is an important commercial city, and there are not many people doing business and sailing. They are well-informed and it is more difficult for them to preach than ordinary farmers. For this reason, these priests even painstakingly compiled a song to preach. ; Running around like a deer, the loving Allah is dazzled; abandoning the secular world, the true self is the most important."

It can be seen from this that the priests have really tried their best to persuade the citizens of this commercial country to believe in religion.Historically, it took them many more years to allow the vast majority of people in Brunei to accept the unique status of the Green Church. Even after being colonized by a Christian country, this did not change this point.However, in this time and space in the 17th century, a brand-new colonial power broke into the famous commercial port of Brunei with many masts and sculls on the east coast. What kind of changes they will bring to this country and even the entire Kalimantan Island, I am afraid that only Allah , Jesus, Buddha or Heavenly Venerable.

Ding Wei is a reserve lieutenant of the East Coast Army. He looks about thirty and is very young.His father was Ding Daxing, the commander of the seventh division of the famous new army in Denglai. The defense area was Ye County, the capital of Laizhou, and he had 3000 soldiers.In recent years, with the deepening of Denglai's economic development, Ye County, a city with a good location, has also been favored by Yantai and wants to take back its own business.For this reason, they have made several rumors through non-public channels, saying that they are studying a compensation plan, that is, canceling the military status of Ye County, and giving the Seventh Division a certain amount of monetary or in-kind compensation.

It is worth mentioning that this time Marshal Liao of Yantai did not mention moving the Seventh Division to another county, but directly proposed to take back Ye County by means of economic compensation to solve this historical problem.In fact, with the gradual improvement of the new army system directly formed and trained by the East Bank government itself, the status of small warlords and small feudal towns such as Dong Dalang, Niu Gui, Ding Daxing, and Sun Shouzheng has become more and more embarrassing. The system in Denglai and Ningbo is also becoming more and more glaring.

Therefore, in recent years, the governments of the two places have launched a movement to reduce the vassal and reclaim the land, and have achieved some results.Not to mention Qin Shangxing, Wang Jiazhong, Zhai Cong'e and other departments that were cut off in the early days. In recent years, the overall abolition of the 11th Division and No.[-] Division has been a major achievement. The number of other servant divisions that have not been abolished has also been reduced. Many have been lost (such as Chen Quanzhong's Department of the Fourth Division stationed in Jimo County).All in all, land requisition and vassal reduction is a major trend. The Denglai and Ningbo governments, whose rule is becoming more and more stable, cannot tolerate the existence of individual hilltops in their jurisdictions. Even if they are already obedient, they will not hesitate. .

Ding Daxing inherited his father's business, and the family has run the business in Ye County for two full generations, with intertwined relationships and interests spread everywhere.If this is placed in the Qing Dynasty or the Shun Kingdom, it is a proper local tyrant, or the kind with a name, soldiers and horses, and money and food. The court must be careful and careful in handling it, lest a bad family rebel Come, rot everywhere.However, under the rule of the people from the east bank, elite soldiers and strong generals are stationed everywhere. There are sufficient guns, cannons, money, food and supplies, as well as ships and railways to dispatch troops.I'm afraid it won't be wiped out in one day!

Therefore, the Ding family is now beginning to learn from the Dong family in Penglai County and send their children out to be officials. In this way, even if the fiefdom is taken away in the future, they can continue to maintain the family's wealth and glory by relying on their official connections.In fact, this is a very good idea, because the people on the east bank are starting to cut down the feudal clan, so even for the needs of the united front, they will absorb some of the more obedient children of the feudal town into the system, and will also give some preferential policies for business, which can be regarded as a an equivalent exchange.

Ding Wei is the youngest son of Ding Daxing. He studied in Yantai College when he was young, and entered the army after graduation. He first served in the First Division of the Liaodong New Army and fought face-to-face with the Qing Dynasty Tartars.Later, he was elected to the officer advisory group and went to Chaozhou Prefecture to help Li Yuanyin reorganize the army. His resume is quite rich.

Later, Ding was seconded to the Taiwan Marine Battalion as a consultant, serving as the trainer's deputy, and worked in Xiangshan County for two years.This time the Dutch East India Company was fighting against the people on the east coast. Marshal Liao of Yantai immediately negotiated urgently with Yin County, and then adopted a series of measures. Fearing that it would be unsafe, they sent the light cruisers "Arcturus" and "Canopus" to escort the two transport ships, and went directly south to Brunei Port in the name of trade.

The Sultan of Brunei didn't pay much attention to it at first, because there were too many merchants who came to trade with them in this era, including Arab, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British, French, Denmark, etc., almost all countries interested in Southeast Asia trade will get involved here. Dozens of merchant ships from foreign countries are moored in the port all year round, many of which are even armed merchant ships.Therefore, when the five ships from the East Coast just arrived, Brunei Port paid too much attention, and even sent people to handle the port entry procedures a day later.

However, when the people from the east bank got off the boat with more than 100 armed soldiers, the Brunei people were shocked again.Almost immediately they mobilized hundreds of soldiers from the city, more than half of them armed with muskets and four army artillery.They have been trading with Western businessmen for more than a century, and they are not uninformed bumpkins. In fact, Western muskets and cannons have been popular throughout Southeast Asia since the end of Ming Dynasty. The armies of various countries began to use thermal weapons to fight, and thermal weapons were installed in the army. The proportion is getting higher and higher, far exceeding that of mainland China at that time.

Brunei, as an important trade center in the land below the wind, naturally has a troop equipped with muskets and cannons. Therefore, after seeing the people from the east bank coming unkindly, they immediately gathered together, intending to take advantage of the people from the east bank not to gain a firm foothold. want to drive them out.The result is that they kicked the iron plate. This is an infantry company from the Taiwan Marine Battalion. Equipped with rifled guns, they only shot from a distance for a while, and they shocked the Malays, and then had to send envoys to negotiate. .

As a result of the negotiations, the Brunei side accepted the request of the East Coast people to set up a commercial station here and send a "small number" of personnel to station it.According to the agreement between the two parties, the people on the east bank will respect the power of the Sultan of Brunei to rule the country, and at the same time have the right to set up a permanent commercial station in the port. "No more than one hundred soldiers" can be stationed in the commercial station. Pay taxes, pay land rent, and refrain from engaging in any illegal activities.

It can be said that the Sultan of Brunei was extremely unwilling to sign this agreement, but they were deeply impressed by the powerful firepower of more than a hundred soldiers from the Taiwan Marine Battalion.The soldiers under him are enough to bully the mountain tribes in the inland, and they can deal with a small number of sailors from the west. The Lai people are also very submissive—but when faced with highly organized and well-equipped foreign professional soldiers, they are still a little unsightly, so they were easily intimidated by the people on the east coast, and then signed an alliance under the city, allowing them to fight in Wenzhou Establish a commercial station in Lai Hong Kong.

A permanent and strong commercial station is often the first step in colonization. When Western colonists are temporarily unable to colonize the entire region, they often choose to start with a fortress-style commercial station, and then slowly accumulate strength and divide and disintegrate the native forces. , and finally achieved the goal of swallowing the entire colony at a very low cost (this is very important), and the people on the east coast are actually no exception.

Considering that Brunei Port is probably the richest of the lands below the wind—nonsense, of course it must be rich, or you can survive if you are full—and it is also relatively the weakest country, so as long as the people on the east coast continue to accumulate, If you continue to invest, then it probably won't take too long to settle down this small city-state.

In fact, the people on the east coast had plans for this.For example, before Ding Wei came, Shangguan asked him cryptically, whether he planned to gradually reduce the personnel of the [-]th Division of the Servant Army, and then emigrate overseas and settle in Brunei?If possible, the East Coast people would not hesitate to support their family to become a toubob in Brunei. This is much better than staying in a small place like Ye County, and the economy is not at the same level at all.

Ding Wei conveyed this meaning to his father, who expressed "shock" and "suspiciousness" at the same time.The shock was of course because it seemed that the people from the east bank would not delay the demolition of the vassal for too long, maybe it was right in front of them, and Ye County, which had been run by their family for two generations, could not be passed on to the third generation, so they were a little surprised and sad.Doubt and fear are easier to understand. Although Ding Daxing's education level is not high, he also knows that Brunei is located in Southeast Asia, where the humidity and heat are unbearable and the environment is harsh, which does not seem to be a good place.The only advantage is that it is located in an important place, the business is relatively developed, and it is very profitable.But their Ding family is not a miserable person who is so poor. Is it necessary to go to the plagued place in Nanyang to desperately seek money?It seems that there is no need for that!

Therefore, Ding Daxing hesitated a little. He still had to worry about discussing with his old brothers and see everyone's opinions.After all, the matter of moving the town is not a matter of his family, but a major matter related to the 1 officers and soldiers of the [-]th Division and more than [-] family members. It really cannot be done without discussion.And Ding Wei couldn't wait for them to discuss a result, so he took an infantry company from the right wing of the Taiwan Marine Battalion and sailed south to Brunei Port to establish a stronghold, laying a solid foundation for the East Coast Republic to advance to the land below the wind.

Their trip also received strong support from the Bank of Taiwan, which has a strong government background.This large colonial trading company sponsored a batch of medicines and 10 yuan in cash, and planned to follow in their footsteps southward to Brunei, establish a local business station, and slowly erode the trade in the land where a lot of money and goods flow.Making more money and controlling more trade routes are what companies like them have been pursuing for a long time.

Of course, the navy is also very happy.Because this means that they have another foothold in Nanyang, and the cruise route of the United Fleet is more complete, which is very important for them to expand their influence.Especially the location here is not far from the crucial Strait of Malacca. If you sail westward, it will take less than ten days, and you may be able to reach the port of Malacca in a week. This is very important for ensuring the safety of immigration transportation and expanding business routes. Undoubtedly it is very important.

So, as you can see, Lieutenant Ding Wei took people into Brunei, an important city-state port in the land under the wind, and the naval ships escorted them all the way. A group of people carried them and stood firm here.

Ding knew what to do next.The infantry company of the Taiwan Marine Battalion will stay here for a period of time until the commercial station is completely completed. Compared with the local Malay bamboo and wooden houses, the commercial station of the people on the east bank is built of stones, just like this era. The business stations of most Western colonists are the same—then, there will probably be new measures in the mainland, and his father in Ye County will probably come up with a charter. Well, they are about to come one after another, so that they will have a foundation here in Brunei.

All in all, Ding understands that he is relying on the navy and the Bank of Taiwan, and all his actions hereafter will serve for the Bank of Taiwan to participate in the Nanyang trade.There is no reason to leave this big piece of fat to Western merchants or Moorish merchants. People from the East Coast have worked hard in the Far East for decades, and now they have gained a huge advantage in the coastal areas of China. It is almost time to enter Nanyang and participate in the Trade in the land below the wind.

The hostile relationship with the Dutch East India Company this time was also a key factor that prompted the upper echelons of Denglai and Ningbo to make up their minds.And once they made up their minds to join the Nanyang game, they would strictly follow the plan and implement it step by step.The Port of Brunei must be occupied. The Moorish Sultan, who is a bird, will let him continue to have fun for the time being, and there is a high probability that he will be replaced in the future.And after Brunei swallowed it, it is very clear where the next step will be directed!

The Dutch East India Company probably feels the tremendous pressure now, right?

(End of this chapter)