Chapter 90 Prayer

"Gunship diplomacy", this diplomatic method may be from the 19th century. The preferred form of diplomacy by the great powers is to send naval ships to the ports of weak countries or even inland rivers, which is enough to make the country succumb to achieve its own purpose. However, gunboat diplomacy is not limited to weak countries, sometimes strong and strong countries. There is also gunboat diplomacy between countries.

For China, the first gunboat diplomacy always carries some helplessness. It is not active, but passive, driven by blood.

Two battleships, four cruisers, three training ships and three coal-moving ships coming back and forth have made this fleet moored off the coast of Surya and the whole Dutch East India the largest fleet sent overseas in Chinese history. The reason why this fleet came to the Dutch East India is to achieve The purpose of the diplomatic negotiating table.

On the one hand, it is to "ensure the rights and interests of overseas Chinese", and on the other hand, it is for "the first expansion to the outside world". Although the Netherlands is not a powerful country in Europe, when China expects to maximize its interests due to the "Sui Overseas Chinese Case", it faces it with the support of the United States, Britain, France and other countries. The Netherlands is in incompromising on substantive issues.

Although the Russian Second Pacific Fleet and the Japanese Combined Fleet took the limelight of this "Chinese Imperial Task Force Fleet", in the Dutch East Indies, no one can ignore this "large" fleet. Although the Dutch Navy urgently dispatched a fleet to join the East India Fleet, three coastal defenses The strength of the ship and the four cruisers is still not high in front of the Imperial Task Force, but it is already the main force of the Dutch navy.

Although with the support of the United Kingdom, the United States and France, at the negotiating table in Batavia, the Dutch insisted that they would never make concessions on the ownership of the "Lanfang unified country", but in the face of such a huge task force fleet in Surabaya today, tomorrow to Batavia, and then to Borneo to swim and demonstrate on the high seas. Always worried about it.

Adhere to the "principle issue" to the issue of principle. As for other reasonable requirements, such as punishing the murderers of overseas Chinese, three Dutch military police and as many as 200 indigenous military police, have long been handed over to the court for trial, and even three Dutch military policemen have been sentenced to one death and two life sentences. As for Youli's burial of the murdered overseas Chinese, the pension for the family members, the injured overseas Chinese are not only responsible for medical treatment by the Dutch political axe, but also for the maintenance fee; in addition, the amount of compensation for the property loss of overseas Chinese, of course, this is no problem. For the businessmen in the bones of the Dutch, the problem that can be solved with money is by no means a problem.

In addition, the overseas Chinese living in the Netherlands are treated equally with the Dutch. Although they are a little reluctant, they are weaker than people after all. The tonnage of China's two battleships is almost equivalent to the entire Dutch navy, and they also have an army with a larger population than the Netherlands. Naturally, after a bargain, the Dutch chose to take over. Accepted.

But what should be insisted should always be insisted on. For example, it took the Netherlands ten years to conquer the "Lanfang Great Unification State", and now it still maintains a puppet regime. That is, Britain, the United States and France have expressed their support for the continued rule of the Netherlands there. Of course, they can't give in.

"If you don't admit it for a day, don't withdraw for a day!"

The negotiations have been deadlocked because of the differences between the two sides. As a result, the task force continues to threaten the political axe of the Dutch East India in the Dutch East India. For the Dutch, the guns of the task force fleet are a threat, but for the nearly 7 million overseas Chinese in the Dutch East India, this gun means dignity.

As in the past, every time the fleet enters Suras, the overseas Chinese in Surabhai will immediately hold a grand welcome banquet in the Chinese Guild Hall. Although the same banquet has been held six times, each time, after the fleet "returns", it will still make the overseas Chinese in Surap be excited.

Who doesn't hope for the strength of the motherland in their hearts?

In the past few months, the obedience and concessions of the Dutch, the current obedience and concessions of the Dutch, are the manifestation of the strength of the motherland. This is the pursuit of their generations. No one can better understand the hardships brought by the country's weakness to individuals than overseas Chinese.

In the past, they didn't have the right to go out at night. They needed to pay a poll tax. Their status was even worse than that of the indigenous people, but now? They have the same rights as white Dutch people. They don't need to pay poll taxes, and even have another police station in China. The police chief must be Chinese and must be recognized by the Overseas Chinese Association.

Even if the trial requires the intervention of consular personnel, otherwise they can not admit any trial of overseas Chinese. In the past three months, they have gained power that they have never imagined for hundreds of years, all of which is like a dream. Every time they see the warship and the navy, they believe that this is not a dream.

In the sound of Western music, the courtyard of the Chinese Guild Hall is full of laughter. Even those conservative and introverted old people are always laughing when they look at the heroic naval officers in the Guild Hall and the graceful skills of those young officers and girls dancing there. After the fleet entered the Dutch East India, there was a "marriage fever". The fleet is full of a large number of young trainee officers. For overseas Chinese, they "think the fleet, look forward to the fleet" for hundreds of years. After their arrival, all the overseas Chinese regard the fleet as a saviary, dressed in white navy dress, handsome and young. Navy officers are especially favored by girls.

Naturally, they have become the pursuit of girls. Compared with domestic girls, these girls who grew up in Nanyang are more or less influenced by Western culture, and they are well educated. Many of them have even received college education. Under the bold pursuit of such talented and beautiful girls, they yearn for free love one by one. Young officers have been "fallen".

The overseas Chinese community hopes to take advantage of this strengthened in-law relationship between the overseas Chinese community and the navy. No one can understand the significance of a strong navy better than these overseas Chinese living in Nanyang. The in-law relationship can at least make the navy never stand by its relatives if something changes in the Southern Ocean in the future. To a certain extent, this Military and civilian in-laws actually need to buy insurance.

For the navy, they also inadvertently interfere in the private life of officers, not to mention that most of the girls married by unmarried officers come from wealthy families in overseas Chinese. Their expensive dowry and well-educated education are undoubtedly very beneficial to them.

For a while, almost every time the fleet entered the port, the sound of firecrackers was endless. The restaurants and restaurants in Hua District held wedding banquets, while the well-bodied women prepared a new house for them, and the new house was pasted with the word "happy". In just three months, hundreds of East Indian overseas Chinese girls have become navy brides.

Every time the fleet entered the port, the brides and their sisters in modern Confucian skirts went in pairs with those officers with straight military uniforms and bright leather shoes, and danced at the banquet of the hall. After a dance, I don't know how many girls who were honored in marrying officers, and how many navy or He is an officer of the Marine Corps.

In another wedding dance, the atmosphere was strong. While the bride in a red wedding dress and the sergeant in the marine dress danced around their comrades and sisters, a messenger sent by the fleet handed a fleet official letter to Pan Renjie, who presided over the wedding.

After taking the official letter, Pan Renjie was stunned. He looked up at the wedding scene, frowned slightly and sighed in his heart. Then he walked to the band and waved to the band. The music stopped. The officers released their wives or girls in their arms and walked towards the band.

"Guys!"

Together with his voice, these marine officers tapped the leather boots and boots at the same time, and the comfortable and comfortable time did not wear away the temperament of the soldiers on them.

"The fleet command orders our regiment to return to the base with the fleet. Please return to your respective troops immediately!"

As soon as his voice fell, the original jubilant atmosphere in the hall was shocked. This... What's going on? Wasn't the previous order for the fleet to return to repair? Why the Marines... Especially the newlyweds who were originally immersed in happiness, the bride tightly grasped the groom's hand, and tears even gushed out of her affectionate eyes. Everyone knows that the country is now in wartime. Can it be said... "Snow Bell, I..."

Sun Ze, who had just got married, looked at his wife and his eyes were full of apologies. If he had known... Li Quan, who was originally receiving his friend He Xi by the hall, hurried over when he saw the embarrassment on his son-in-law's face and the reluctance on his daughter's face.

"Xue Ling, the military life is difficult to violate. If you marry a soldier, you must have the feeling of being a family member!"

When the officers said goodbye to their wives and girlfriends, they left the hall one after another and rushed to the port. There was also a group of young people who said goodbye to their families. These more than 100 young people either passed the examination to enter the military academy, or passed the temporary recruitment site to review of the overseas Chinese who were about to join the Marine Corps or the Navy. After receiving the notice, they immediately went to the port to gather and return home. At the port, these overseas Chinese youths in Nanyang Overseas Chinese School uniforms lined up.

"The Chinese people have gradually woken up and opened their eyes. Be careful to see which minister is willing to admit himself. Because of shrinking and forbearance, they are proud! Shout, shout loudly! This is the whole country's soldiers! Historically, if robbers want to invade, they will eventually die, and the Great Wall will never fall! Thousands of miles of the Yellow River is beautiful..."

When these young people who carried the expectations of overseas Chinese in Surakia sang this song in official language, accompanied by the exciting melody and exhilarating lyrics, when everyone who came to see them off heard this song, they only felt that the body and blood were boiling, and a string in their hearts was provoked. Get up.

Slowly, people began to drink and sing, "...shouting loudly! There are soldiers all over the country here. Bandits have always been killed if they want to invade..."

With the exciting singing in the voices of the young people, the people in the port sang loudly with Guangdong accents and Fujian accents. At this time, everyone was completely immersed in an inexplicable excitement. With their singing, the whole port of Suragisa was full of people's heartfelt songs. .

Although they don't speak Mandarin fluently, although even many of them don't speak Mandarin, they still don't prevent them from singing these patriotic songs brought by sailors loudly in Cantonese and Fujian dialect to vent their patriotism in their hearts.

"In three months, 36 million yuan exceeds 400,000 yuan a day on average!"

Listening to the mixed voice of dialects on the port, Cheng Biguang said such a number in his mouth. This is the Nanyang overseas Chinese community raised money for the navy's purchase of ships since the fleet arrived in Surya, which is enough to buy three first-class battleships, and the donations of the Nanyang overseas Chinese community of the coastal defense foundation are still increasing.

The Haipong Foundation is a fund organization founded by His Majesty. Its original purpose is to appease the navy and make the navy understand with huge allocations that the political axe does not support the purchase of ships, but temporarily gives up the purchase of capital ships for other reasons, but the money is in place. When the time is ripe, such as when there are enough naval personnel, buy it. Buy or build a capital ship.

In addition to the normal allocation of political axes in the coastal defense foundation, there are also donations from all walks of life, the largest of which is from Your Majesty's personal donation of up to 10 million yuan. Now the donation of 36 million yuan from the Nanyang overseas Chinese community makes the whole navy excited, and even this amazing donation makes The navy doesn't mind that its young officer marries an overseas Chinese girl from the Netherlands. Who would refuse a rich relative?

Even some people in the Admiralty have figured that if another similar thing happens, the navy's coastal defense fund can be increased by tens of millions. Of course, this is just thinking about it. No one wants the Surang incident to happen again.

"Where are we going when we go back to China this time? Is it really going back to the base for repair? If I remember correctly, our docks seem to have been occupied by the Russian fleet, and we will go back to the base to repair..."

A little smile appeared on the corners of his lips, and Cheng Biguang continued to say.

"If it's not bad, maybe we have reached an agreement with Japan, and we need to mobilize the navy back to escort the army!"

"Sonor, do you mean Taiwan?"

Wei Lingkai, who has been standing next to Cheng Biguang, asked, although he is only the deputy captain of Zhenhai, to some extent, he is not the direct line of the navy, but his majesty's direct line. At least before a large number of officers from the Book Island Military Academy entered the navy, an officer like him who is not from Fujian is your Majesty. The direct line in the navy.

While maintaining the position of the Fujian system in the navy, the heavy use of non-Min officers is the biggest change after the uprising of the navy. Although some Fujian naval officers have complained about this, everyone understands that no one can change all your majesty's decisions, and Cheng Biguang also understands this.

The navy is the navy of the empire, not the navy of Fujian. For generals from Fujian who have always dreamed of building a large fleet, if they want to realize this dream, they must make some kind of compromise. Whether a large number of army soldiers are added to the navy or the heavy use of non-Fujian officers, it is a compromise.

"There is only Taiwan..."

Cheng Biguang, who participated in the Battle of the Yellow Sea with the management of Guangbing ship 11 years ago, like all the old people who participated in the naval battle, always had a special feeling for Taiwan, just like the feelings for Japan. Unlike those army officers who studied abroad, all of them were dissatisfied and recognized that I still owe an account to the Chinese navy.

"S sir, could it be... we want to be with the Russian fleet?"

Although Wei Lingkai is not from the old navy, any naval soldier understands that he owes the Chinese navy an account that must be recovered. In fact, there has always been a statement within the navy, hoping to join hands with the Russian fleet to fight with the Japanese navy.

"It's impossible. When we were practicing in the South China Sea, you didn't see the appearance of the Second Pacific Fleet. Not to mention the Japanese fleet, we can also hit them hard, not to mention the Japanese navy. If the Russian fleet goes against the horse, it may be different for the whole army to be destroyed! To form an alliance in a war, we should form an alliance with the winning side, not the losing side, unless we have enough strength to reverse the power of the universe"

Cheng Biguang shook his head and sighed.

"But we didn't, did we? At least not now... In the future, one day, I will settle the old account with myself, maybe... Now I also think that I want to settle accounts with us and spit out the meat in my mouth, which is more powerful than cutting his meat. Look at the Dutch and you will understand!"

He raised his chin to the front left and pointed to the Dutch onlookers over there.

"The reason why the Dutch can hold on is the support of the United Kingdom, France and the United States. The reason why the three countries support the Netherlands is that we are worried that our intervention will affect the situation in the Southern Ocean. Whether it is for feelings or interests, they must support the Dutch. I dare to say that now our Governor-General may be kneeling. Praying for us in front of the cross..."

"Lord, have mercy on your servant!"

Sitting in the luxuriously decorated hall of Batavia Cathedral, he held his fists and prayed. As the governor of East India, he had never treated the Chinese people as carefully as he was walking on thin ice. Now that their fleet has finally left, which makes him more or less relieved.

"Lord, let those infidels kill each other!"

At this time, Krober has put all the hope of the Netherlands to save the "Lanfang unification" on the Japanese after the Russians and the armistice. Perhaps this is the only way. Britain, the United States and France will support the Netherlands, but they will never declare war on China for the Netherlands, and the Chinese are so rogue. Staying in East India, the pressure on him or the navy is by no means expected by the outside world. Even the mainland can feel this pressure. Some local newspapers even began to discuss whether it was legal for the governor's office to invade "Lanfang" 21 years ago, which was not authorized by the mainland, and even legally, East The Governor-General of India does not have the right to rule Lan Fang. After all, it has not been directly annexed until now.

"There is a gold mine there!"

Thinking of Lanfang's gold mine, Krober still prayed in his heart that when the best Chinese fleet returned, he encountered some storm or was ambushed by the Japanese army, or even mistakenly attacked by the Russian army.

"May God bless your people and punish those infidels..."

In Klober's prayer, the fleet led by Zhenhai in Suras was heading for the country in batches.

(to be continued)