Chapter 429: History

Rhodes picked up a handful of white sand from the beach, letting it slip slowly through his fingers.

Watching the sand scatter in the wind, he muttered softly, “North wind.”

Behind him, small boats ferrying soldiers shuttled back and forth between the ships and the shore. In the distance, ten warships formed a straight line, and he could see Claire sitting on a deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

Since the Battle of Qiantang, Claire had been troubled by the news the Chu King had shared. After resupplying and replenishing ammunition, they set off for Dengzhou, intending to investigate this vassal king of the Great Yu Empire.

It wasn’t sensitivity on Claire’s part; they simply needed to understand the real situation of the surrounding countries in this sea region.

In fact, their warships had arrived here eighty years ago and once established a colony on what is now Ryukyu Island. But back then, the Dutch were vying for naval supremacy with the British. After six major battles over thirty years, the Dutch were ultimately defeated.

At that time, the Dutch were at their weakest, not yet firmly established and defeated by local pirates. But they never forgot this prosperous land. After more than ten years of recovery, they returned, reclaiming Ryukyu Island and ruling it for forty years.

However, just as the records said, this largest East Asian country was still insignificant. He recalled the first diplomatic mission attempting to establish relations with the Great Yu Empire described it this way:

“Our governor’s gifts became tributes in the Great Yu Empire but were blatantly embezzled by local officials in Guangzhou. Their officials lied about our arrival and tore up our letters to the Great Yu Emperor. To cover up the theft, they expelled us from the country.”

The Great Yu Empire was a mysterious country to them, but behind the veil was a weak and decadent nation.

Officials were corrupt and greedy. A class similar to European nobility ruled here, but unlike European nobles, this so-called “scholar-gentry” class cared only for their own interests, ignoring the huge harm and hidden dangers their behavior caused to the country.

Officials were ignorant, arrogant, and corrupt. The common people lived dissatisfied with the officials. They were as timid and incompetent as the natives we conquered. The Wokou and Filipinos were braver. Facing the northern barbarian tribes, this country merely trembled without the noble spirit we Europeans showed in battle. This alone proved my point.

Also, the emperor and officials were not nationalists. They were unbelievably generous to foreigners but cruel and ruthless to their own people.

Great King, if you wish to send troops, like we conquered the natives of the Americas, we would surely defeat this country and make it our colony.

Recalling this record, Rhodes raised his brows. At least in the south, he found no exaggeration in the mission’s description—if anything, they had beautified the country.

The Chu King they contacted was exactly such a ruler. Although Chu was wealthy, its riches were controlled by the scholar-gentry, while the common people remained poor.

But just as they thought the entire Great Yu Empire was like this, the Chu King’s words made them doubt.

Because in this backward and ignorant land, matchlock muskets appeared. After defeat, the Chu King even said that the Qi King had built a hot air balloon.

This shocked and terrified them. Although hot air balloons had been replaced by hydrogen balloons in Europe, their presence here was astonishing.

It meant a civilization different from the rest of the Great Yu Empire was rising here.

And this was the source of their fear. A country able to produce matchlock muskets, given its population, could easily defeat them.

After all, their military presence in East Asia was already tenuous and could not support a large-scale war.

For this reason, they planned to go to Dengzhou, even Qingzhou. Once they understood the Qi King’s real situation, they would decide whether to establish trade relations or eliminate this threat at its root.

The Dutch had already lost too many colonies; they did not want to lose this sea region again.

“Dengzhou city is about twenty li ahead.”

While Rhodes was distracted, a Wokou man named Sakai came up to him and pointed ahead.

Rhodes looked at the man. Sakai was a Wokou from this sea area. Since they established a trading post in Nagasaki on Kyushu Island in Wokou territory, they had traded with Wokou for over thirty years and maintained stable relations.

These Wokou appeared as pirates to outsiders, but they knew well they were soldiers sent by Wokou daimyos to plunder wealth.

Under their influence, the Wokou mastered matchlock production before the Great Yu Empire. Over the years, as the Wokou armed themselves with matchlocks, their ambitions grew.

But the Wokou remained respectful to the Dutch, reducing Dutch worries about Wokou strength.

Wokou expansion overseas also benefited the Dutch—they could sell more goods to Wokou.

“Mr. Sakai, please lead the way ahead. We lack knowledge of this area,” Rhodes said.

Sakai nodded, eyes scanning the Dutch soldiers’ muskets with fixed bayonets and the six-pound field cannons being unloaded. These cannons were mounted between two wheels for easy transport.

Turning his head, the dangerous-looking weapons revealed a trace of greed in his eyes. He said, “Very well, Mr. Rhodes , as you wish. Our army will go ahead.”

Sakai then gathered three thousand soldiers into neat columns and marched toward Dengzhou city.

Each Wokou soldier carried a matchlock musket and ammo pouch, all part of the Dutch combat style.

Behind the Wokou troops, Rhodes commanded Dutch soldiers ashore. A thousand infantry marched with muskets behind the Wokou. The artillery troops trailed, attaching six field cannons to horses.

Infantry and artillery advanced toward Dengzhou city.

The twenty-li distance was not far. Two hours later, they saw the Great Yu city enclosed by walls.

Rhodes raised his telescope to observe the soldiers guarding the city walls, then laughed aloud, “Is that plate armor? Interesting.”