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Text Chapter 633: Grand Fleet

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    The chiefs of Malacca paid tribute during the Yongle period and became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. During Zheng He's seven voyages to the West, he used Malacca as his base camp to carry out trade. He also built a city, built drum towers and turrets, and set up warehouses to store needed food supplies.  Although Zheng He's voyages to the West were over, Malacca was not deserted. As the throat of the sea and the lifeline of transportation, there were constant exchanges of merchants from the East and the West. A large number of Han people migrated to Malacca to engage in business and farming, which brought advanced civilization and also brought  Prosper and prosper.  Chen Shounian is a Fujian immigrant who came to Malacca twenty years ago. At that time, Malacca was still controlled by the Portuguese, and then the Dutch.  "But they are all foreign devils, so Chen Shounian doesn't care much. As long as he pays taxes normally and runs a normal business life, he is very satisfied.  Unfortunately, he gradually realized that the situation was different.  After the Dutch arrived, they first created a clever name and levied high taxes, and then imposed trade restrictions. The most lucrative businesses such as silk and porcelain had to be left to the Dutch.  If the Han people want to operate, they must form a partnership with the Dutch, otherwise they will face high fines, or even be imprisoned, where they will not know whether they will live or die.  Chen Shounian was very angry, but then he thought about it, the officials of the Ming Dynasty were also like this. He could only say that the world was as dark as crows. Fortunately, he married a Dutch wife. As a foreign son-in-law, his business had no impact and became more and more prosperous.  .  But this abnormal prosperity did not make him happy, but made him worried.  The news coming from the Ming Dynasty was very bad. I heard that the Ming Dynasty¡¯s navy seized Taiwan, drove away the Dutch, and then captured Batavia.  Chen Shounian still didn't know the difference between Zhang Ke and Ming Ting, but it didn't stop him from hating the Ming army.  "These places belong to the Dutch, why are they trying to rob them? Don't you know that doing so will bring disaster to them!"  Chen Shounian¡¯s prediction was correct. From then on, the Dutch became more and more distrustful of the Han people, even if he had a Dutch wife.  The Han people have to bear taxes three times heavier than the indigenous people.  Every time you go out for trafficking, you must register in detail. From time to time, people come to your home to investigate, and even encourage people around you to inform each other.  They were guarded as if they were thieves, and from time to time there was news of someone being arrested and sent to prison.  Some people also found Chen Shounian, hoping that he could come forward to help and intercede.  Whenever this time comes, Chen Shounian will try his best to help. Regardless of success or failure, he must be worthy of his conscience.  In private, he often advised Han people.  "We are all abandoned by the Chinese Empire. Everyone knows what happened to the Ming Dynasty. How can we still hope for a peaceful land in the world? As long as we can survive, it is no big deal to suffer a little. The Han people can do anything, but they will not rebel.  !" Chen Shounian may not have expected that the next situation would be unbearable for a person who would never rebel!  The Dutch mobilized troops and generals to the Far East and sent a large number of soldiers and workers. After these people came, they all needed housing.  They requisitioned it from the Han people, and the price was only 30% or even less than the market price.  People who lost their houses either lived on the streets or found shelter outside the city.  The influx of a large number of people also caused food prices to skyrocket. The best food was given priority to the Dutch, who could only eat poor food. Even due to the large-scale enclosure of land and the construction of military camps, vegetables were greatly reduced.  Malacca, which has always had no worries about food and clothing, finally experienced the soaring prices and people's livelihood.  Compared to these, there are even more unacceptable things.  That is, the Dutch established a large number of schools, stipulated that Dutch was the only official language, and Chinese was banned.  Then a large number of missionaries ran around, forcing everyone to convert to Catholicism.  They were not allowed to practice Eastern religions. They also destroyed the idols and ancestral tablets in their homes and forced them to undergo baptism.  Anyone who disagrees will be labeled as colluding with China and will be imprisoned.  Unable to work, they could only starve to death Finally, some people couldn't bear it anymore. They chose to compromise, accepted the baptism with tears, worked hard to learn strange languages, and gradually transformed themselves into another person. It was a heartbreaking feeling.  Diffuse in everyone's heart.  Some people who really couldn't bear it quietly boarded the ship, hugged the spiritual tablets of their ancestors, and left this sad place.  Most people suffer in silence until one day they can¡¯t stand it anymore.  Just in the city, there is a place where the Sanbao eunuchs were stationed. A grand Sanbao temple was built there. There is a well next to the temple. The water in the well is sweet and clear. According to legend, it was dug by Zheng He.  Over the past one or two hundred years, hundreds of people still come here to collect water every day.  But that day, when everyone arrived, they found that the mouth of the well was filled with sand and gravel, and it was no longer possible to draw water.  Some people were about to curse when they suddenly looked up, only to find that the Sanbao Temple next to them was already empty.  The statue was moved away?The incense burners and tributes were all gone, the tables, chairs and windows had been moved away and demolished, leaving only three empty rooms. Some He Lan soldiers actually brought in firewood and planned to set them on fire.  Seeing this, the patient crowd finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore!  Every New Year¡¯s Day at Sanbao Temple, everyone will gather here to burn incense and pray. For the Han people in Malacca, this is not a simple ritual, but the memory of their hometown deep in their bones!  ¡°No one would leave their hometown if they were not forced to do so. The small Sanbao Temple is like an umbilical cord, connecting one end to the distant hometown and the other to the wanderer.  As long as the umbilical cord is still there, everyone will have thoughts and beautiful expectations.  Now some people cut it off rudely, and some people suddenly seemed crazy.  They grabbed the poles in their hands, screamed strangely, and rushed forward.  A group of old people took the lead in charging in, holding a shoulder pole in front of the Dutch soldiers who were about to set fire.  Of course, the Dutch would not give up. They hurriedly raised their guns, and a cloud of smoke rose into the sky. A young man was shot through the chest and fell into a pool of blood.  The Dutch shouted triumphantly at the people: "Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of here, get out of here!" He shouted crazily, but no one took a step back.  He obviously didn't understand that the Han people, who seemed as docile as sheep, were actually the most rebellious nation in history. As long as they were forced to despair, the destructive power they would unleash would definitely be beyond their imagination.  Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with fire, and they didn¡¯t know who was taking the lead. They came up to kill them with a roar.  He threw the Dutch soldier to the ground, smashed the shoulder pole hard, and used his fists and feet together. After a while, only three dark black marks were left on the ground.  The people who took action finally woke up, and they actually killed the Dutch.  Things definitely don't end easily.  Just as they were preparing to escape, the sound of neat leather boots rang out in the street, and Dutch soldiers, loaded with guns and ammunition, rushed in from all directions.  Intense gunshots came.  A large number of people fell to the ground before they had time to resist. Blood stained the land red, and Malacca was filled with blood.  "What a sin!" Chen Shounian stood in the study, listening to the servant's report.  When he heard that the streets were stained with blood, that countless people were killed and injured, and that mountains of corpses were piled up, he trembled all over and tears welled up in his old eyes.  After enduring it for most of his life, he finally couldn't bear it anymore.  He turned around suddenly, rushed to the side room, pushed away his wife who was praying, grabbed the enshrined cross and statue, and lifted it up violently.  It smashed into pieces!  "Fuck you, I won't believe you anymore! Villains, gangsters, robbers, scoundrels, God will not let you go! Even if you worship the gods all over the sky, you can only go to hell, go to hell!" Just in Malacca  On the other side, at the negotiation venue, the Chinese representative also sternly rebuked: "Stop the killing immediately. Otherwise, the powerful Chinese Navy will send you to hell. Don't think I am joking! Don't say it was unforeseen!" The Chinese representative issued  made the strongest declaration of war, but obviously the Dutch did not understand it.  Governor Seth looked contemptuous.  He sneered: "This is the territory of the Netherlands. No matter how it is dealt with, it has nothing to do with you!" "Humph, it won't be anymore soon!" The negotiations collapsed as expected, and the Chinese delegation immediately left Malacca, accompanied by  Tang Ruowang's face was very ugly.  He kept crossing himself on his chest and praying silently for God's blessing.  The stupid Dutch have angered the behemoth that should not be angered. In the past, although the empire focused on Southeast Asia, the upper echelons of the empire were still calculating the gains and losses and would not go to war easily, otherwise they would not be sent here.  After this bloody incident, the Celestial Kingdom will never sit idly by and ignore it. Soon the overwhelming fleet and countless soldiers will flood this place.  Tang Ruowang¡¯s judgment was very accurate. When they returned to Guangzhou Port after going through all kinds of difficulties and dangers, the mission immediately passed the news to the capital. Half a month later, His Majesty the Emperor held an imperial meeting.  Zhang Ke stood among the ministers and said to everyone: "The situation is very clear. The Western colonists are cleaning up our influence in Nanyang. They suppress restrictions and even massacre the Han people in order to dominate Nanyang. Once they succeed, we will  We have lost millions of potential boosts. We are determined to win Nanyang. It is better to fight earlier than later. I will never allow the Westerners to be so rampant under my nose. The Privy Council must come up with a battle plan. Hurry, our compatriots are bleeding and dying.  The sooner you send troops, the more likely you are to win the hearts and minds of the people. Don¡¯t wait until the blood runs cold. It¡¯s too late!¡± His Majesty¡¯s speech quickly turned into an impassioned newspaper and was published to the whole country.  Just when Zhang Ke was giving the order, the shipyards in the southeast were busy working day and night.  The huge warship that symbolizes the majesty of the Eastern Sea is under construction. It has an unprecedented four decks, a displacement of 5,000 tons, plus aMore than fifty artillery pieces constitute this behemoth on the sea.  Amid the cheers of the crowd, the sailing battleship Liaodong entered the seawater and gradually floated on the sea. With the raising of the military flag, the latest flagship was finally completed.  The busy workers were dancing around the Liaodong, drinking and singing until late at night before they dispersed.  They didn't know that just as they dispersed, two other huge shadows appeared on the dark sea. Although they were much smaller than the Liaodong, what was amazing was that these two warships had no sails!  With the breakthrough of the steam engine, the development of steam engines for transportation, whether trains or ships, has been put on the agenda.  Zhang Ke was not involved in this matter, he just made his request.  After all, Zhang Ke knows very well that for the huge China, the most terrifying thing is not external enemies, but whether it can break through itself.  Let the technicians and craftsmen do the research, and I believe they will come up with the best results.  Sure enough, five years ago, the first railway was successfully built between the urban area of ??Tianjin and the port. The train that could run without the use of oxen or horses attracted the attention and wonder of countless people.  The original train could only pull five carriages, but later it gradually increased to thirty carriages. The transport capacity of one train was equivalent to that of five hundred carriages. The prosperity of Tianjin Port is completely inseparable from the contribution of trains.  The breakthrough at sea was made at the Jinzhou Shipyard. After hard work, a 100-ton ship was first built. Two huge paddle wheels were placed on both sides. The steam engine drove the paddle wheels to rotate to provide power for the ship.  .  The first trial was a success. Just as everyone was cheering, big trouble arose on the second trial. Due to the huge wind and waves, the paddle wheel above the water broke and the ship immediately lost power.  After reflection, everyone put the paddle wheel at the back again, hoping to avoid the problem of breaking. After several trials, the results were still tragic. As long as it is exposed to the sea, it will inevitably be damaged. Moreover, because the paddle wheel is huge and unreachable, it seriously slows down the speed of the ship.  .  After thinking hard, Sun Yuanhua personally summoned the best talents to tackle the problem, and finally came up with a brand-new plan, switching to propeller propulsion and completely abandoning the huge paddle wheel.  It took more than two years to develop the first propeller-driven warship, with a displacement of 500 tons.  Due to the use of steam power and no need to rely on wind direction, the battleship is more flexible and fierce, and it shines during the exercise.  With the successful experience, the next step was to increase the number of ships to one thousand tons. More importantly, they were covered with iron armor, setting a new precedent.  Many old shipwrights didn¡¯t believe that the iron armored ship could float on the water, but when the ironclad ship was actually built, they were amazed.  Of course, making ironclads is not an easy task. So far, only three warships have been built. For the war in Nanyang, Zhang Ke sent out the two largest ones.  After joining the Liaodong, more than twenty warships and hundreds of supply ships headed south to Guangzhou Port, where thousands of warships had already gathered.  The essence of the Eastern maritime power is gathered here. The white sails are connected, and from a distance, the sea is covered. Two hundred thousand naval officers and soldiers, plus temporarily requisitioned boatmen, hundreds of thousands of people are waiting.  An unprecedented fleet, unprecedented strength, everyone¡¯s bloodline is swollen.  The glory of Zheng He's fleet is back, and the heavenly kingdom shines its sword, Xiao Xiao is in awe!  Boom!  The sound of departure guns sounded, and the flagship Liaodong rode the wind and waves, carrying the commander of the fleet Ming Ruxin, towards the South China Sea.  Just before they dispatched, another fleet also sailed out from Java Island. Their mission was to attract the Dutch fleet to dispatch, and then annihilate it at sea!  "Red-haired devils, just wait, I will send you all to the bottom of the sea to feed the bastards!" (To be continued.)
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