Total War: Restoration of the Ming Dynasty in Luzon

Chapter 57 The Dutch Plan

Just as Zhu Jiheng had predicted, the Batavia company's top management was shocked when they learned that the Ming army had swept away the remnants of Cebu with lightning speed.

The atmosphere was somber in the council chamber of the Batavia Governor's Palace. A nautical chart of the South Seas was laid out on a long table, and several councilors and senior military officers looked serious.

Governor Cornelius Spearman sat back in the main seat, his brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on the locations of Cebu and the Philippine Islands on the nautical chart.

"Gentlemen, the situation is now very clear," Speerman said in a low voice. "The so-called Ming regime established by the Chinese in Manila is far more dangerous than we initially anticipated."

They not only had the ability to defend themselves, but also a strong desire for expansion and efficient military means. Manila could perhaps be blamed on the corruption and negligence of the Spanish, but Cebu… they took less than half a month.

"Your Excellency," said Fleet Commander Van der Capelen, "we must face reality. This Chinese army, especially their navy, possesses European warships of the same type as ours, or even more advanced, and they are well-trained and fierce in battle. Their army is equally disciplined and skilled in the use of firearms. To continue to underestimate them would be a disaster."

As more intelligence reached Batavia, the Dutch had already figured out the type of Ming navy, and they were equally surprised that the Ming army possessed European-style warships.

In Southeast Asia, the only company capable of providing warships to the indigenous people was the Dutch East Indies Company. The Spanish were ruled out first, the Portuguese were also struggling to survive, and the British couldn't even get through the Strait of Malacca.

Even the Dutch couldn't possibly provide such good warships to the indigenous people—they didn't even have such good warships in the Far East!

Therefore, where the Ming army obtained these warships remains a mystery to this day.

However, there is also intelligence claiming that after the Chinese occupied Manila, they had the ability to build these warships, and that they could reportedly produce two warships per month and put them into service. But this is obviously impossible, and no rational person would believe such an outrageous and foolish rumor.

It's important to understand that even Batavia, touted as Asia's largest shipbuilding center, only produces five ships a year. Manila couldn't compete with them when it was under Spanish control; how could it possibly make rapid progress now that it's in the hands of the even less developed Chinese?

As soon as Cappellen finished speaking, a radical senator immediately retorted: "But their size is limited! How many Chinese are there on the islands of the Philippines? How large an army can they support? Their number of ships is far less than ours!"

We should take advantage of their unstable foothold, unite with the Spanish who are still struggling to survive in Mindanao, and even persuade the Sultan of Sulu to form a coalition army to nip this threat in the bud. Otherwise, once they have digested Cebu, their next target might be our Spice Islands, or even Batavia!

"Unite with the Spanish? What use are those losers?" another member of parliament scoffed. "As for the Sultan of Sulu, they are more concerned with the land and spoils on Mindanao. They may not be willing to provoke a neighbor who has just demonstrated its formidable military power for our sake."

After saying that, he changed the subject and added, "Moreover, if we rashly start a war, who will bear the costs of fleet mobilization, supply replenishment, and casualties? The company's profits are already declining due to competition from the East Indies and Europe!"

As Spilman listened to the debate among the councilors, he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. As governor, he had to consider both the company's commercial interests and the maintenance of the company's hegemony and security in the Far East.

The rise of the Philippine Ming regime is indeed a huge threat, but direct war is extremely risky and may not be in line with the company's current principle of maximizing its interests.

He was considering his words, just about to speak, when suddenly a member of parliament sitting in the corner spoke up: "Your Excellency, gentlemen, I have an idea."

"What?"

The senator's words drew everyone's attention, including Spilman's. The governor had some recollection of the senator's background; his family had served as the last governor of Formosa, and if he remembered correctly, the governor who signed the surrender agreement with the government was his uncle.

The governor cleared his throat, showing no disrespect for the man due to his family background, and asked, "Mr. Valentine, what are your thoughts?"

Antonie Valentin stood up and said confidently, “Gentlemen, the Chinese leader in the Philippines claims to be a member of the former Ming Dynasty royal family. They declare that they want to ‘overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming,’ so their enemy is the Tatars in the north. Why don’t we join forces with the Tatars to send troops together? The Tatars also cooperated with the company when they attacked Formosa.”

After he finished speaking, everyone looked thoughtful. The governor's eyes lit up; he had forgotten about this.

"Mr. Valentine, you've reminded me!" The governor leaned forward slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "The Tatars... yes, they are the most direct enemy that the Chinese have openly declared. And as far as I know, the Tatars conquered Formosa just a few months ago. If they knew that the Chinese royal family had fled to the Philippines, I think they would be very happy to form an alliance with us again."

Having said that, the governor's expression became very confident. He pointed to the map, drawing a line from Taiwan to the Philippines, and said, "If the Tatars are willing to send troops to form a pincer movement with the company's fleet, then the Chinese forces entrenched in the Philippines will be trapped in a desperate situation, attacked from both sides. This is far more effective than us joining forces with those unreliable Spaniards and Sulu people!"

A murmur of discussion immediately arose in the council chamber. Many councilors and officers showed expressions of interest. Uniting with the Tatars was indeed a previously overlooked but potentially promising option.

"But Your Excellency," Cappellen cautiously inquired, "the Tatars have just completed the conquest of Formosa. Do they still have the will and ability to launch a cross-sea expedition to the Philippines? If I remember correctly, the Tatars have never been interested in overseas territories."

“If it were just an ordinary Chinese regime, the Tatars might not have been willing to send troops,” Congressman Valentine continued. “But this time it’s different. The forces entrenched in the Philippines are not ordinary Chinese pirates or separatist forces, but openly waving the banner of the Ming Empire. This is a direct challenge to the legitimacy of Tatar rule and must be eliminated.”

He walked to the map and pointed sharply at the locations of the Philippines and Taiwan: "The Tatar Khan surely understands this. Allowing such a force to grow in Southeast Asia will not only attract more discontented Chinese to join them, but may also become the center of resistance against the Tatars in the future. As long as we clearly inform the Tatars of this, they will not stand idly by."