Chapter 1228 The mastermind behind the scenes

For Haihan, every country in the South China Sea is a trade partner that can be fought for, including Portugal and the Netherlands, which have had war experiences with Haihan. However, establishing trade relations does not mean that the relationship between countries has reached this point.

Entering peace, for example, the country of Johor had wars with Portugal, Sumatra, Aceh, Siam and other countries, and its predecessor, the country of Malacca, was destroyed by the Portuguese. This kind of deep hatred cannot be solved by just a few transactions.

resolved.

The Star Island that Haihan currently occupies was once the territory of the Malacca Kingdom. Later, after Portugal razed this place to the ground, the Johor Kingdom, which inherited the legacy of the Malacca Kingdom, used it as a territory between the Malacca Kingdom and the Portuguese territory.

The buffer zone. However, they did not expect that a Haihan suddenly came out and occupied this place. The Kingdom of Johor would naturally be deeply dissatisfied with this, but they also knew that Portugal was once defeated by Haihan. They could not even defeat Portugal.

The chance of winning the war between Haihan and Han was even slimmer, so he kept silent and strictly guarded the Strait of Johor, prohibiting people from going to the territory of Haihan.

"Johor... shouldn't be our opponent, right?" Although Tan Juren doesn't know much about the military strength of various countries in Southeast Asia, but considering that Johor was beaten to pieces by the Portuguese, its strength should not be much stronger.

"If we want to fight on a frontal battlefield, this battalion under my command is enough to carry the entire country's strength!" Roger was very confident in his own strength and said eloquently: "The Johor army still uses a relatively primitive fighting method.

, the weapons are basically cold weapons, there are no warships available, and the threats they can create for us are also very limited."

"If that's the case, then why should we be nervous? If Johor didn't know its own weight, it would probably have taken action against us long ago, right?" Tan Juren asked in confusion. Johor's military strength is far inferior to that of Haihan, so it rashly started a war.

It's just asking for trouble. The military commanders of both sides should be very aware of this, so they can maintain the current embarrassing state of peace.

"On its own, Johor will definitely not dare to provoke us. The problem now is that someone behind the scenes may be pushing Johor to be the leader." Roger gave an example: "For example, give them some benefits and some military aspects.

of assistance.”

"Who is so brave?" Tan Juren said in surprise: "Is there anyone here in the South China Sea who dares to jump like this?"

Roger asked: "Who do you think it will be?"

The first thing that came to Tan Juren's mind was naturally the rivals Portugal and the Netherlands. These two old maritime powers had great influence in the Far East. Before Haihan appeared, they had even opened up the maritime trade channels in Northeast Asia and extended their tentacles to the Ming Dynasty.

and Japan. If the sudden rise of Haihan had not interrupted the historical process, the current situation of these two countries would definitely be much better. Although they currently maintain a peaceful relationship with Haihan, this peace is more based on

Haihan's military strength is steadily stronger than theirs, and it is entirely based on the peace achieved through war. If these Westerners do not care about what happened in the past, Tan Juren will not believe it.

The two countries are watching the Haihan encroaching on their control areas in the South China Sea bit by bit. No one will be willing to be squeezed out by competitors like this. It is reasonable for them to want to do something secretly. And there is another push.

It seems to be a relatively safe approach for one country to come out as cannon fodder and cause some trouble for Haihan as the mastermind behind the scenes. The most important thing is that these two countries have the ability to produce muskets and artillery. Compared with still staying at

In the cold weapon era, local countries had obvious advantages. It was estimated that no country would be able to withstand such a temptation if they provided military assistance.

But Tan Juren then thought again. Portugal and Johor had an irresolvable feud to destroy the country. The two countries could be said to be mortal enemies. The possibility of cooperation in this matter was too slim, so there was only one suspect left.

"Are they the Dutch?" Tan Juren said angrily: "I have known for a long time that these red-haired ghost dogs cannot change their habit of eating shit. When the United Fleet went south two years ago, we should have taken advantage of the situation to destroy Batavia and completely drive the Dutch out of the South China Sea!"

To his surprise, Roger shook his head and said: "It's not the Dutch. On the contrary, the relevant information we got was proactively provided by the Dutch."

"The Dutch are providing us with intelligence?" This turn was a bit sharp, and it took Tan Juren a while to react: "That means the person who is doing evil in the dark also has a conflict of interest with the Dutch? It can't be the Portuguese, right? Johor

I have an enmity with them!"

"It's not Portugal." Roger immediately denied the guess, and then gave an unexpected answer from Tan Ju: "According to the information given by the Dutch, the British are secretly encouraging Johor to cause trouble for us.

It's British."

"Why did the British come to this muddy water?" Tan Juren was really surprised when he heard the news.

In fact, the British East India Company was established two years earlier than the Dutch East India Company. On the last day of 1600, Queen Elizabeth I of England granted the company a royal charter, giving it trading privileges in India and the Far East.

However, the British did not gain any first-mover advantage, because the Dutch already had a certain influence in the East India region before they established the company, so the British failed to establish a lasting stronghold there in the early stage.

It was not until 1608 that the British East India Company established its first trading post at Surat on the west coast of India.

However, this progress was far behind the development speed of its competitors. During this period, the British failed to pose a substantial threat to the Dutch and Portuguese spice businesses in Southeast Asia. It was not until 1612 that the British engaged in armed conflicts.

After defeating the Portuguese, they gained the favor of Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor who ruled the Indian Peninsula at that time, and thus began their period of rapid development.

By the 1720s, Britain began to import large amounts of white cotton from India to replace the British's heavy and difficult-to-clean cashmere fabrics. However, for the spice market in Southeast Asia, it was difficult for the British to bypass the Portuguese and Dutch monopolies and establish local ones.

Long-term stronghold. In 1623, the Dutch executed ten British merchants in the Spice Islands, and eventually excluded the British East India Company from the lucrative spice trade.

The British could only be regarded as a weak group in the colonial team of the Far East during this period. Portugal, the Netherlands, and Spain, which was clinging to the Philippine Islands, could not do it. In particular, Portugal and the Netherlands controlled the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Sunda respectively.

These two choke points from the Indian Ocean to and from the South China Sea made it difficult for British merchant ships to safely pass through the Far East. Sometimes they even had to change their identities and pretend to be merchant ships from other countries in order to get through.

However, this is not the worst situation. The newly emerged Haihan Kingdom in recent years is obviously also very interested in the South China Sea region. What is even worse is that they actually have strong strength commensurate with their ambitions. They are old colonial powers.

Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain all fell into its hands one after another. For the British, this is undoubtedly an old problem and a new one. With the emergence of such a powerful player, they want to obtain resources in the South China Sea.

The difficulty is even greater.

After listening to Roger's detailed explanation of the current situation, Tan Juren finally realized that the British did have the motive to do such a thing. After all, they had not encountered trouble with Haihan yet, and they were far from afraid of Haihan.

It is not as good as Portugal and the Netherlands, the forerunners who have suffered heavy losses. It is not impossible for the British to take the risk and challenge Haihan.

"But does this kind of adventure have any practical benefits for them? Even if it can create some trouble for us, it doesn't mean that they can take our place in the Far East. The British can't understand this, right?

?" Despite this, there is still something Tan Juren cannot understand. Are the British estimates of the consequences a little too optimistic?

"The reason is very simple." Roger said solemnly: "Because the British are also eyeing our place. They dream of getting a place in the Strait of Malacca, and they may even have secretly negotiated terms with the Kingdom of Johor. Replacement

We, the British, should not have such big ambitions, but if they can squeeze us out of Star Island, this goal is still very practical for them."

Hearing this reason, Tan Juren suddenly understood. Perhaps what the British wanted was not to replace Haihan's status and influence in the South China Sea, but to become a support point that would allow him to travel smoothly between the two oceans.

Most of the Strait of Malacca was divided between Siam, Johor, Portugal, Aceh, Sumatra and other countries. Only the exit of the southeastern corner of the Strait had such an open area. However, perhaps because they were worried about the reaction of the surrounding hostile forces, the British took action.

After all, he was still a step slower and let Haihan take the lead.

It has been more than a year since Haihan entered this place, but the attitude of neighboring countries towards Haihan seems to be that they have acquiesced in the ownership of this place. Of course, the British will be very unwilling to accept this situation, and will inevitably give birth to "I

Lucky thoughts like "You can have sex with me".

The British do not have enough ability to carry out a war of annihilation against the countries in this region, and they cannot defeat the Portuguese who have been here for a long time. Looking at it all the way, Haihan, who has just arrived, seems to be relatively weak. Although Haihan has been in the past few years

The mid-year performance was astonishing, but after all, it was only a rumor, and the British didn't have much real experience with it. Moreover, the population of Haihan stationed on Star Island was really small, and the total number of troops and people was not even that much.

There are less than two thousand people. This is much less than the areas controlled by other forces, and it seems possible to drive Haihan out of this area by force.

Perhaps out of careful consideration, or perhaps not intending to offend Haihan, a powerful opponent, the British chose to act as the mastermind behind the scenes, instigating other countries to step forward as cannon fodder. It would be best to drive away Haihan, even if

If it failed, the British would only lose some economic investment. Although the British East India Company was not as wealthy as the Dutch East India Company for the time being, it could still afford this investment.

Tan Juren quickly figured out the British intentions on his own. This is not difficult for a time traveler who is familiar with the general historical process and international situation. What is lacking is only evidence to prove these ideas.

"Then what information did the Dutch give us?" Tan Juren asked curiously. The statement that the British were secretly causing trouble all came from the Dutch, but if the evidence provided by the Dutch was not credible in his opinion, then Luo

Jie's worries lacked sufficient basis.

Roger responded: "They claim that the British sold at least three batches of arms to Johor from the second half of last year to the beginning of this year, including an unknown number of matchlocks and artillery, as well as armor and cold weapons. Johor purchased these arms.

The purpose is probably to use it against us."

"Claim? There should be more reliable evidence, right?" Tan Juren keenly grasped the words in Roger's words: "Even if it is difficult to collect personal and material evidence for these secret arms transactions, if the British intervene in this matter,

There are always other signs, right?”

Roger nodded and said: "Since the beginning of this year, the number of British ships docking at Star Island for replenishment has been at least three times more than before. I don't think their purpose of choosing this place for replenishment is simple."

"The British ship... just passed through the Strait of Malacca so blatantly?" Tan Juren asked in shock: "Aren't they worried about being intercepted by the Portuguese?"

Roger shook his head and said: "No, these British ships are not East India Company ships, but private merchant ships that have obtained special permission from the British royal family, that is, they are run by gangs. They often fly under the banner of other countries at night.

Entering and exiting the Strait of Malacca in order not to arouse the vigilance of the Portuguese. These galenic ships operated by Western countries on the sea all have similar appearances. If they are farther apart on the sea, it is impossible to tell which country they belong to. However, the strong accent of the British sailors,

Don't try to hide it from my ears. Moreover, some of these sailors are obviously not very interested in this place. I think they are secretly inspecting the port conditions and military deployment here."

"Since you feel something is wrong, why don't you refuse to allow British sailing ships to dock in the harbor?" Tan Juren asked curiously.

"Refuse? I don't think it's necessary!" Roger said with a smile on his lips: "If the British think that they can defeat us on the battlefield just by looking at the port here, then I will really laugh out loud.

To be honest, I hope they can despise us and jump out earlier. These foreign devils will not stop until we give them a good beating!"

Tan Juren was shocked. By saying this, Roger seemed to be waiting for work, waiting for the British to finish their tricks before starting the war.
Chapter completed!