"Forget it." Putmans knew that his arm couldn't twist his thigh, so he had to reluctantly agree. Anyway, he lost Taiwan. Batavia's punishment will never be lighter. It doesn't matter if he is punished a little more for the sake of the child.
"I know your sir is a person who loves and cherishes jade." Zheng Zhilong stretched out his thumb to Putmans.
When Putmans heard that he had to compensate the Daming Navy for the loss of 1.5 million taels, his face changed color, "No, this is absolutely not possible. I have no right to sign this agreement. If you want to kill, kill it!" He slowed down. Slowly closing his eyes, no one could see any expression on his pale face.
"Well, I will directly ask you the governor of the East India Company." Zheng Zhilong knew Putmans was telling the truth. He was only the chief of Taiwan. Now the assets of the East India Company in Taiwan have been all confiscated. He There is no more property that can be enforced. Once you return to Batavia, you don’t know what punishment you will receive!
In fact, Zheng Zhilong did not intend to ask for any compensation. His purpose is the East India Company’s assets in Taiwan. This is the most realistic property. As for compensation, he was originally prepared to let Putmans bargain. Termans has given up all the assets of the East India Company in Taiwan, and all his goals have been achieved.
Having gained Long, look to Shu again.
Putmans agreed to confiscate all the assets of the East India Company in Taiwan. Zheng Zhilong began to really consider the issue of compensation. At least he must be prepared for this.
Putmans is also powerless on the issue of hostages and ransom. He only promises Zheng Zhilong that he will convey to the Governor if given the opportunity. As for whether the East India Company agrees to ransom, Putmans has nothing to do. .
The official "Ming-Holland Taiwan Agreement" has only the first two, and the agreement is in duplicate. Each agreement is copied in Chinese and Dutch, and signed by Zheng Zhilong and Putmans on behalf of Daming and the Netherlands. On the date of signature, The agreement is effective immediately.
Starting from the second day of the "Minghe Taiwan Agreement", Putmans, accompanied by soldiers from the Marine Corps, went to Chihkan City in Shanwei and the villages of Xingangshe, Mukaliwanshe, Madoushe and other villages to persuade the locals. The Dutch soldiers put down their weapons and surrendered to the Ming army unconditionally.
In order to thank Putmans for the cooperation with the Daming Navy, Zheng Zhilong will allow him to leave Taiwan on a Dutch medium-sized ship and allocate it to 20 sailors and 15 soldiers. These Dutch people who leave first will not have to pay. ransom.
Of course, Putmans cannot be released yet, and the Ming army has not fully recovered Taiwan. The news of the South China Sea Fleet's entry into Taiwan cannot be made public for the time being.
Zheng Zhilong made the tenth land brigade, which had already experienced battles, guard the Tainan area. He changed the city of Relanzhe to Shanwei and Chihkan city as Shanwei. The tenth land brigade was temporarily stationed as an officer, and the entire Tainan area was divided into troops.
In order to ensure the safety of the officers at sea, Zheng Zhilong left five blessed ships stationed at the port of the officers. The damaged ships of the South China Sea Fleet will be temporarily repaired here, and the captured Dutch ships will also be docked here.
In the eyes of the Dutch, the indigenous peoples of southern Taiwan are not yet civilized, but Zheng Zhilong directly regards them as Han people. Because of the changes in various dynasties, they came to Taiwan across the sea to escape the war. These Han people were originally I am illiterate, so after I came to Taiwan, I gradually forgot their past history.
The descendants of these Han people have been bullied by Xiyi. Now that Daming's fleet is here, Zheng Zhilong wants to awaken their sleeping memory and let them return to the Han people and the embrace of Daming.
In the war between the indigenous people and the Dutch, because of their weapons and backwardness, they won less and lost more, and the casualties were relatively high.
Now Daming’s navy comes to Dayuan, Shanwei and other places, not to mention drinking the water of the strait. Compared with the Dutch with blue eyes, red hair, and white skin, the Hans with black hair, dark eyes and yellow skin are more eye-catching. Let them have a kind of intimacy.
Under Zheng Zhilong's repeated greetings, the Ming army adopted a gentle policy towards the local indigenous people.
There were originally many Han people in the local area. They were enslaved by the Dutch just like the natives. Because of their similar social status, intermarriage between Han and natives abounded. With the help of local Hans, natives gradually accepted the Ming army.
As for the captured Dutch, the Ming army would not let them idle, no pies would fall from the sky, and nothing to eat and not work. That was the treatment only for officials. They are now prisoners.
Dutch captives are now the best labor force. Under the supervision of the Ming army, they participate in repairing city walls, expanding docks, and repairing ships.
Among the captured Dutch businessmen, there were also some Han Chinese and local indigenous women. They were married to Dutch, and some gave birth to children in the Netherlands.
The Ming army broke up these couples forcibly. The Dutch will go back sooner or later. Their relationship will not last long. The pain is not as long as the early pain. As for the children born, if they look like Dutch, let the Dutch take them away. , If you look like a Han, you stay as a Han.
Among these transnational marriages between China and the West, there is a special Dutchman who has attracted Zheng Zhilong's attention.
The Dutchman was named David x{2022} Stern. He was not an ordinary trader, but a ship repair expert. He married a Han Chinese woman named Liu Ling and gave birth to a pair of children.
Zheng Zhilong remembered that Zhu Youjian had said that he was designing a special battleship, and he summoned Stern alone.
"You are an expert in ship repair, should you understand the structure of ships?"
"Of course, if you don’t understand the structure of the ship, how can you repair the damaged ship?" Stern didn’t know why the Daming Fleet Commander summoned him alone. Seeing Zheng Zhilong and Yan Yuesei, there should be nothing bad. He repairs Daming's damaged ship.
"Then do you know how the Dutch ships are different from Daming's ships?"
"I have been in Nanyang and Formosa for many years. I have only seen Daming's merchant ships, and I have never seen Daming's ships. So, I'm sorry, I don't understand the difference between the two."
"Oh," Zheng Zhilong nodded casually, and said to his heart, Daming basically has no special warships, of course you have never seen it, "If you convert Daming's merchant ships into warships, would you?"
"This is impossible," Stern shook his head. "Da Ming's merchant ships often designed a lot of cabins in order to load more cargo, so they couldn't install more artillery unless the cabins were demolished. In that case, the changes would be very significant. It’s big, and based on the cost, it’s better to rebuild a ship."
"Then you can build ships?" Zheng Zhilong asked casually.
"Of course I can build ships. If I don't know how to build ships, how can I repair ships?" Stern thought for a while. "However, I study battleships. As for merchant ships, I really don't."
Zheng Zhilong is secretly happy, who wants you to build a merchant ship, what we lack is the latest battleship, "But the Dutch battleship is too bad, the naval battle that took place a few days ago, before half a day, the Dutch battleship sunk, wounded. , And then the entire fleet surrendered."
"Who said our ships are too bad?" Stern seemed to be irritated by Zheng Zhilong's contemptuous attitude. He couldn't care about his status as a prisoner of war. "The East India Company's ships in the Netherlands were all eliminated in China. The ships, the real Dutch ships, are in the Strait of Dover and the North Sea. You have never seen them before. The British ships are not as good as our ships."
"The Dutch ships are really so powerful?" Zheng Zhilong looked arrogant. In fact, he had seen Dutch warships in Nanyang and had suffered a lot.
"Of course it's amazing," Stern's eyes dimmed instantly. "It's a pity that Dover and Beihai are too far away from here. You might not have the chance to see them."
"Do you look forward to being able to catch up with domestic shipbuilding experts in Nanyang and Taiwan?" Zheng Zhilong was still a little worried.
"Although I am looking forward to staying in the East for a long time, sometimes I will return to China to study the improvement of ships. Domestic experts will come to the East from time to time. We will discuss the technology of shipbuilding together." Stern felt that Zheng Zhilong looked down upon him. There was a faint anger in his eyes.
Well, with personality, Zheng Zhilong decided to use the method of admiration, "So you really know how to build an advanced ship? Then can you build one for me to see?"
"However, building a ship requires a complete shipyard. How can anyone build a ship?" The anger in Stern's eyes gradually disappeared, and an undisguised regret appeared instead.
"Since you can repair the ship, isn't there a group of people under you?"
"They are only repairmen. When they really want to build ships, they need a lot of skilled shipbuilders. There are some in the Netherlands, but unfortunately, they are too far away." Stern glanced at Zheng Zhilong and felt that the commander of the Daming fleet had a problem with shipbuilding. You are too idiot, "Just like Daming's ships, is it a man made?"
"If you really know how to build ships, I can give you a shipyard. I don't know if you can really build the most advanced ships in the world."
"As long as there is a shipyard, I can build a warship like the Netherlands."
Maybe this Dutchman can really design an advanced battleship, Zheng Zhilong decided to showdown, "You work in Taiwan, how much silver salary do you have every month?"
"My salary is paid in Dutch Guilder, replaced by silver, every month... probably four taels."
"Well, I will give you ten taels of silver every month, as long as you can design the most advanced battleship," Zheng Zhilong feared that Stern would not be able to design a battleship for Daming at ease. "Your wife and children can also be taken away together. If you want, you can join Daming in the future. It is a country much larger than the Netherlands, with beautiful scenery and a long culture..."
"Really?" Stern was like a dream. He is now a prisoner of the Ming army. He has to do heavy manual labor that he is not comfortable with. Zheng Zhilong gave him a chance. He will continue to do what he loves most. Shipbuilding work, and his wife and children do not need to be separated like others.
"Of course it is true, but the premise is that you can design the most advanced warship. If Daming's craftsman proves that you are a straw bag, then all your wishes will not be realized. You are still a prisoner of war of the Ming army."
"I understand that I will be able to design the most advanced warship in the world, even the British warship can't match."
Zheng Zhilong sent a ship to send Stern, his wife Liu Ling, and two children to Xiamen Port, and then to Fuzhou Shipyard by land.
At the same time, Zheng Zhilong sent a secret letter to Zhu Youjian of the capital, explaining Stern's various circumstances. Zhu Youjian once asked Zheng Zhilong to recommend talents to him. If he is a shipbuilding expert, Stern would be an unexpected gain. , But I don’t know if he is considered to be the talent in Zhu Youzhen's mind, after all, he is Dutch.
Zheng Zhilong waited for Tainan to stabilize, and then rested for two days. The entire fleet began to move north along the coastline of western Taiwan.