Chapter 415: The Dutch
At the Chu King’s mansion.
A figure covered in a black robe was escorted by guards to the Phoenix Pavilion in front of the mansion.
A tall, stern-faced middle-aged man sat under the pavilion waiting. He had a black mole between his eyebrows that stood out sharply. His eagle-like eyes flashed coldly from time to time.
“Respectful Chu King, why have you summoned me?”
The black-robed man stepped forward and opened his robe, revealing a tall young man with red hair. His clothing was very different from the Great Yu style — he wore a black tailcoat. His broken Great Yu language sounded awkward.
Seeing the youth, the Chu King’s expression darkened but still showed displeasure. He said, “Rhode envoy, I want you to explain why your fleet attacked my merchant ships.”
The youth called Rhode sneered, “Respectful Chu King, we Dutch have only one reason to attack your merchant ships: your ships trade privately at sea. I think the newly appointed Earl Blake made it clear — from now on, only Dutch merchant ships can transport goods in these waters. You need spices? We sell them from the South Seas. You need sulfur? We sell it from Japan. You want to sell porcelain to Europe? It must be transported by Dutch ships. Isn’t that clear enough?”
The Chu King’s face turned as dark as ink. “I don’t care about your new damned Earl. Our original agreement did not have such terms.”
“Now it does, Chu King. And if Earl Claire hears you insulting him, he won’t be happy. Your supply of matchlock guns might be cut off,” Rhode mocked.
He didn’t care about the Chu King’s feelings. The Dutch now controlled these waters.
The Chu King’s eyes burned with anger. Since the new earl took over Ryukyu three months ago, the Dutch tore up the old trade agreement. They no longer granted Chu State most-favored-nation status. Instead, they demanded the whole Great Yu open its markets and forbade any private merchant trade in these seas.
“Do you think I still care about your matchlock guns? We Great Yu now have matchlocks too. Tell your earl this: if he tears up the agreement, he must face the consequences. I won’t be bullied,” the Chu King said fiercely.
Rhode narrowed his eyes, catching this information. “You have matchlocks now?”
“Of course. On the very day your earl took office, the Qi King fought barbarians in the north, using matchlocks to defeat them. So don’t threaten me with matchlocks. We can also buy matchlocks from Qi King. And remember, this is Great Yu’s land. We decide here,” the Chu King threatened.
Over the years, trading with the Dutch had made him rich. Maritime trade gave him abundant capital. Now the Dutch cutting off his trade routes was like cutting off his financial lifeline.
That was why he was so furious.
He now had 15,000 musketeers. More importantly, by imitating craftsmen from Lin’an, he could produce matchlocks almost as good as theirs. Last year he also bought hundreds of cannons from Qingzhou.
These cannons were mounted on his warships. He believed he could stand up to the Dutch.
According to his intelligence, the Dutch army stationed on Ryukyu numbered only 10,000. His fleet was smaller but he had 3,000 large merchant ships.
Using these, he could transport troops to Ryukyu and fight the Dutch.
He had always gotten along well with the Dutch and never planned war. But now the Dutch had gone too far, so war was one option.
“How is that possible? With your ability, Chu King, you can only copy matchlocks. How could the Qi King manufacture matchlocks?” Rhode looked unconvinced.
The Chu King snorted coldly. “They say a missionary taught him. Matchlocks are no longer a secret. Rhode envoy, please tell Earl Claire my message. If the agreement holds, we can still coexist peacefully. But if you continue to monopolize maritime trade, I won’t be polite.”
“Very well, Chu King. I will deliver your message to Earl Claire.”
Rhode put on his black robe and, led by guards, headed to a merchant ship outside Lin’an city. The ship sailed eastward toward the Dutch fleet.
After Rhode left, a young man in a purple round-collared robe appeared at the Phoenix Pavilion. He had a long, thin face and eagle eyes like the Chu King.
“Father, why talk so much with the Dutch? Just drive them out. The sea routes should be ours,” said the young man — the Chu King’s heir, Li Chuyuan.
The Chu King’s gaze deepened as he said slowly, “The Dutch fleet is not easy to deal with. If we can negotiate, we should. Recklessly going to war will only cost us troops. We can’t afford to lose soldiers. The Qi King is powerful. The Second Prince was exiled to Bazhou for an assassination attempt, showing Qi King’s influence. It’s a pity. Our plans were ruined by Qi King.”
Li Chuyuan angrily said, “That damned Qi King is tough. We missed two chances to kill him. Now he grows stronger.”
After a pause, Li Chuyuan suddenly asked, “Father, when you told the Dutch about matchlocks just now, was that to stir trouble between them and Qi King?”
“Heh heh, my son is smart. The Dutch sold us matchlocks for 500 taels each, but Xiao Ming sold them to the court for only 100 taels. Because of this sweet profit, the Dutch want Great Yu to open trade fully. Now that the Dutch know Qi King can produce matchlocks, they will be furious. This ruins their business,” the Chu King said proudly.
Li Chuyuan said, “Father is wise. If Qi King falls, we can no longer wait. We must immediately send troops to seize the lands south of the Yangtze River. Our Li family has waited too long. It’s time for us to sit on the throne.”
The Chu King nodded slightly. Generations of accumulation had made Chu very wealthy. The copper coins piled in provincial treasuries were so many that the ropes binding them rotted away.
With such capital, why listen to the court’s orders? He just waited for chaos in the north, but two plots had been ruined by Qi King.
While father and son spoke, suddenly a guard hurried in, shouting, “Chu King, bad news! After the Dutch envoy boarded the ship, the Dutch fleet started bombarding the docks. Several merchant ships have sunk!”