Dominate the Country

“…………

The despicable Dutch escaped, and they deliberately led us into a dead end. The front and back were blocked by the rapidly rushing natives, the crowd was surging, and the heads of the waves were dark and shiny. They waved knives in their hands, emitting flashes in the sun. An indigenous person in front of me looked at me with bloodthirsty eyes, and a terrifying roar came out of his throat. The undisguised murderous intention made me tremble all over...

Countless weapons were as dense as trees in the forest, and countless arms were moving in the air, just like branches swaying in the violent winter wind;

The spirits and hearts of our group were in high tension. I felt the heat radiating from the soldiers around me. They were all the best soldiers in the world, and they all smelled the smell of blood.

Those indigenous people can no longer be counted as people. They have become a group of vicious hounds, trampling on the justice of the world under the instructions of their masters..."

-Selected from "Huang Dingyou's Travels in Nanyang·Sishui Chapter"

………

At the residence of Tanuma Otsugu in Edo, Japan.

After a day of work, Tanuma Okitsugu was very tired, but Japan's decision to establish a new army had reached a critical point, and the game between the shogunate and the local daimyo had reached a critical moment. Tanuma Okitsugu had to cheer up and look at the thick pile of information on the desk no matter how tired he was.

What kind of structure would the new Japanese army have? Would it still be the traditional Japanese shogunate weapons, or a unified national reorganization?

Because of the different current situation in Japan, the whole country of Japan, which had suffered a heavy blow, demanded the immediate establishment of a new navy and army. The voices of samurai and civilians were rising. They saw the fragility of Japan and the huge disadvantages of defeat for Japan. However, it was not only the shogunate that had to contribute money and effort in this matter. The daimyo from all over the country also raised funds for the new army. One by one, wealthy businessmen threw out their money to support the construction of the new army. Even the public officials who were hiding in Kyoto donated 300,000 yen to show their presence.

With the successful enrollment of the first batch of Chinese students sent by Japan, a new chapter in the history of Japan was opened.

Japan began to pay more attention to Dutch studies. At the same time, several foreign daimyo such as Choshu and Sendai announced the establishment of their own military schools, hiring retired or serving Dutch officers as marine and land instructors.

Schools and academies in various places also blossomed everywhere. Although most of them were empty shells.

Tanuma Okitsugu felt dizzy in front of his eyes. With several layers of cotton pads pressed under his body, he still felt pain in his waist. It's hard to help when you get old!

However, he went from an ordinary lower-level samurai in Kishu Domain to the position of elder, relying on the spirit of never stopping to climb up. Tanuma Okitsugu is still ambitious now! He also hopes that one day he can make the emperor lose the hearts of the people, and then help Tokugawa Ieharu ascend the throne of Japan, so that the wealth of the Tanuma family will be truly worry-free.

When he was distracted by his presbyopic eyes, he heard a hurried sound of footsteps outside the room. Before Tanuma Okitsugu had time to ask who it was, he saw the young man at the door lift the curtain, and his younger brother Tanuma Omitsu and his eldest son Tanuma Omitsu were walking in with big strides. Both of them walked in a hurry, especially Tanuma Omitsu, who had lost his samurai manners.

The Tanuma family came from a lower-level samurai family. Tanuma Omitsu was able to be promoted again and again, first becoming a daimyo with 10,000 koku, then becoming the lord of Sagara in Totomi Province with 20,000 koku, and now becoming an old middle-ranking official with 37,000 koku. The people of the Tanuma family began to pay special attention to their food, clothing, housing, transportation, words and deeds. Just like a nouveau riche who suddenly became rich, after satisfying their desire for wealth, they began to pursue the need for personal dignity.

The respectful eyes cast by others can make them feel more satisfied than wealth and power.

Tanuma Omitsu used to pay more attention to his appearance and manners than Tanuma Okitsugu himself.

But now he completely ignores this.

"Brother, brother, look, the special issue of the Zhongyuan Daily!"

Tanuma Iman held a piece of thin paper in his hand. On the front, there were four big characters of Zhongyuan Daily, which were strong and dignified.

"Special issue?" Hearing Tanuma Iman's voice, Tanuma Ichi raised his eyebrows. The current Zhongyuan Daily is not the Zhongyuan Daily in the past. There are very few things that make them take the initiative to issue special issues.

"What is it?" Tanuma Ichi couldn't remember what happened in China recently that was worthy of Zhongyuan Daily.

The Zhongyuan Daily represents the face of the Chen Han court.

Even if the Sino-British and Sino-Russian negotiations were over, they would not use this to issue special issues. "Could it be..., is North Korea really going to annex China?"

"Is it about North Korea?" Tanuma Ichi suddenly felt something.

The mere negotiation between China, Britain and Russia is not qualified. If North Korea really annexed China, it would be worth publishing a special issue. Can you systematically introduce the historical origins of North Korea and China? Apart from this, nothing big has happened these days.

Tanuma Otsugu took over the newspaper very skillfully. Now newspapers are also becoming popular in Japan. Because China's newspaper industry has developed rapidly, the Chinese government has introduced a set of legal systems to constrain and regulate public opinion and newspapers, which have been completely transplanted to the Japanese. Tanuma Otsugu and other knowledgeable people have fully realized the importance of newspapers. This is a powerful weapon that can influence social speech to a certain extent. Holding a newspaper with great influence is like...

Moreover, looking at the world, publishing some strange stories from foreign countries or China in newspapers, and then opening sections to introduce the history and geography of various countries in the world, can broaden the horizons of the Japanese. Even many low-status Japanese civilians are very interested in the content of the newspaper. Just like reading newspapers in Chinese teahouses, some Japanese pubs now have dedicated newspaper readers.

Tanuma Iman sighed and said: "A squadron of the Chinese Nanyang Navy went directly to Surabaya. Because a Chinese businessman in Surabaya was arrested by the Sultan of Yogyakarta in Java, the people sent by the Sultan of Yogyakarta also killed several of the Chinese businessman's followers and bodyguards in the process.

The Chinese drove the warship directly to the Dutch territory.

And the liaison officer of the Chinese fleet drew his gun and shot the natives on the way to the city hall. At the same time, the Chinese in Surabaya also launched a large-scale counterattack against the natives, cooperating with the navy marines on the fleet, slaughtered two or three thousand natives in one fell swoop, and controlled the entire Surabaya."

Tanuma Iman's narration was of course not all based on what was said in the newspaper. The newspaper also said that the Dutch colluded with the natives of Surabaya, led Zhao Yan and his party into the encirclement of the natives, and fled first. The Dutch had ulterior motives!

They wanted to provoke conflicts between China and the natives, and let the two sides form an irreconcilable blood feud.

Will Tanuma Iman believe all of them?

The natives who were killed by the Chinese like chickens for two or three thousand people may be really barbaric and ignorant, and may have really surrounded Zhao Yan and his party first, but looking at the number of casualties among the natives, and the actions taken by the Surabaya Chinese neighborhood as soon as the gunshots and explosions sounded, how could they react so quickly if they had not already gathered several armed forces? The natives were driven together like ducks, and then they were collectively shot and killed by the Chinese Navy Marines like shooting. It is impossible to say that there is no deeper planning and no shady dealings here.

But no matter what, this proves that the Dutch are in trouble.

"Brother, do you think China is going to open its mouth to Southeast Asia?" This question has been discussed among the senior officials of the shogunate for a long time.

The giant China has started to move, and Southeast Asia is like fat meat on their lips. Looking at the actions of the Chinese in the past few years, no Japanese believes that China is not interested in the fertile land of Southeast Asia.

Tanuma Okiji was very excited when he read it once, and then turned around and read it again with relish.

Finally, he put down the newspaper and laughed to Tanuma Okiman: "Japan can't control China. But China occupied the Dutch Surabaya under the pretext of negotiating with the Sultan of Yogyakarta, which will definitely bring their relationship with the Netherlands to the brink of war. It is very beneficial to us, Japan."

This may be the first reaction of all Japanese to the Sino-Dutch conflict-the greater the conflict of interests between the Dutch and the Chinese, the greater the importance of Japan to the Netherlands. This is more conducive to the "communication" between the shogunate and the Dutch government.

"Yi Zheng."

"Hi."

"Send someone to Nanyang immediately. I want to know the most accurate news there in the shortest possible time."

"Don't worry, father."

Tanuma Yi Zheng had actually given such instructions to his subordinates after seeing this edition of the "Central Plains Daily". This matter is not only useful for his father's work, but also has a very important significance for the "Edo News" that Tanuma Yi Zheng is in charge of.

This special issue of the "Central Plains Daily" branch stationed in Edo quickly published made Tanuma Yi Zheng see the influence of a real newspaper giant.

If "Edo News" wants to become a truly influential newspaper, it must not only send more reporters in Japan, but also send foreign reporters in China, Korea, and Nanyang, and establish the fastest news transmission channel.

A piece of news can really generate huge energy when necessary.

For example, if the "Edo News" reported the news of the Sino-Dutch Nanyang conflict a few days earlier, the impact of this special issue today would be much smaller. The powerful shock generated by this news report is the confidence of a newspaper, just like the fame of those celebrities.

"Yes. Not bad. Since you have seen the gap, let go and catch up." To support the development of a newspaper, Tanuma Okiji does not need to use the power of the government, but the financial resources of the Tanuma family are enough to support it.

Of course, Tanuma Okimasa is more of a politician now. He is the heir of the Tanuma family and will become the daimyo of Totomi Province in the future. But the Tanuma family has enemies everywhere in the entire Japanese political arena. His father went from a lower-level samurai to the chief elder of the shogunate, in charge of the shogunate's major policies, touching the interests of too many deep-rooted old families.

While Tanuma Okiji can withstand the pressure, Tanuma Okimasa does not have such great confidence. This "Edo News" may become a heavyweight trump card of the Tanuma family at that time, protecting the interests of the Tanuma family in the future.

These things cannot be considered purely from an economic perspective. When Tanuma Okitsugu asked his eldest son to publish Edo News, he was not thinking about running a newspaper to make money, but to make the newspaper his own weapon, so that even if he could not kill the enemy, he could resist the enemy's attack. He was thinking more about politics. The Tanuma family published a newspaper for influence, and this influence could help Tanuma Okitsugu a lot in many cases.

Tanuma Osamu, who values ​​the newspaper more than his father, has already formed a concept. To have influence, you must catch big news; and to catch big news, you must have a big investment.

Perhaps no one would have thought that the development of Japan's top newspaper "Edo News" would have a huge influence from China. But things are so wonderful.

Chen Ming hit the Dutch in Nanyang, and it was not only the British who were alarmed, but also the Japanese.

…

At the same time, in the Nanjing Palace. Chen Ming looked at the same special issue of "Zhongyuan Daily", smiled slightly, and a calculating light flashed in his eyes.

This special issue of "Zhongyuan Daily" not only simply introduced the conflict between China and the Netherlands, but also had a large text telling the long historical origins of China and Nanyang. Then there were several blood debts between China and the Netherlands and Spain.

In this way, it is easy to mobilize the "common hatred against the enemy" in the hearts of the people at home.

The Spanish and Dutch massacres of the Chinese several times can instantly turn the favorability of these two countries into negative numbers in the eyes of countless Chinese.

Chen Ming felt that his calculations were more slippery.

He was now building momentum!

…

At this time, in the Dutch Governor's Palace in Batavia.

Governor Jacob von Luylen leaned on the high-backed chair behind his desk, looking at the letter from Surabaya Supervisor Rokusen in his hand with a gloomy face. "This stupid bastard, he messed up everything." He actually left a handle for the Chinese, and it was a big handle.

"Rokusen, this idiot!"

"He shouldn't have come forward. Teach Sukarno and others to do everything, and then kill Sukarno and Akbar. Let the Chinese fight Hamenggu Buwono II [Sultan of Yogyakarta] instead of making the company so embarrassed."

In the battle of Surabaya that day, such an important figure as Sukarno was captured alive by the Chinese. This was really the biggest mistake. Fortunately, Akbar died, otherwise the Dutch colonial government would be in a more embarrassing situation now. The Chinese not only occupied Surabaya now, but also went directly to Batavia to seek justice from him. Thinking of Zhao Yan who settled in the city, Jacob's head was big.

The Batavia fleet wandering in the Sunda Strait had already raised the sails and was going to Surabaya as quickly as possible. But now they continue to stay in the Sunda Strait.

However, Jacob has not yet made a definite conclusion about the matter in Surabaya, but Rokusen must be punished.

"Governor, the company's losses are very large. Although the Sultan of Yogyakarta has a grudge against the Chinese because of this incident, Hamenggu Buwono II will definitely hate us a hundred times." The two or three thousand natives strangled by the Chinese in Surabaya are nothing to the Sultan of Yogyakarta, but now the Chinese are quickly gathering troops in Surabaya. They demand that the Sultan of Yogyakarta immediately release the captured Chinese businessman, hand over all the murderers, and the Sultan of Yogyakarta himself apologize in person.

This caused a great shock to the entire Yogyakarta Sultanate. Hamengku Buwono II was very angry. China's actions directly insulted his dignity and trampled on his authority. If he still wanted to be the sultan, a war was necessary.

The Dutch completed their plan to a certain extent. It was just that Sukarno's survival made the Dutch too embarrassed.

Of course, the Dutch absolutely could not expect that when Jacob was having a headache, the old man Li in Qiongzhou was twitching all over like he had Parkinson's disease. He was so excited that he couldn't breathe and fell on the bed and couldn't get up.

Chen Ming's mother-in-law also fainted.

Only Li Kun's wife, Li Xiaomei's sister-in-law, could still hold on, even though her face was pale.

"You go to the prefectural government office and ask the prefect to come to your door."

A special issue of "Zhongyuan Daily" fell on the blue brick floor. Li Kun's name and address were clearly written, so there would be no mistake.

There are many Li Kuns in the world, but only her man lives here.

The Li family's sky is about to collapse.

The old couple can't stand such a big shock and can't get up anymore. If something goes wrong, if Li Kun makes another mistake...

Thinking of the worst consequence, Xiao Li's forehead is about to explode.