When the news returned to Great Ming, Zhu Jinsong was dumbfounded.
To prevent conflicts with Great Ming, the Dutch East India Company first brutally suppressed the Indian monkeys, who, unwilling to be suppressed, directly fought back against the Dutch East India Company.
Then, Shi Chengzu, in his capacity as the Grand Protector of Old Port of Great Ming, raised an army, intending to fight both the Indian monkeys and the Dutch East India Company. He declared his intention to rebuild the Grand Protectorate of Old Port of Great Ming and would request to be incorporated into Great Ming once the Dutch barbarians were driven out and the Indian monkeys suppressed.
Following this, the Dutch East India Company sent representatives to the Honglu Temple (Court of Diplomatic Relations) in the capital of Great Ming, claiming that Great Ming subjects were smuggling certain commodities into Dutch East India Company colonies and instigating war, demanding that Great Ming discipline its own people.
In short, a place as insignificant as this managed to stir up a commotion of immense proportions, with the three parties locked in a struggle more dramatic than the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The key was that the actions of those few Great Ming merchants and Shi Chengzu were too outrageous. Shi Chengzu, in particular, had directly raised the banner of the Grand Protectorate of Old Port of Great Ming, even donning the official attire bestowed upon his family during the Yongle era and using the official seal of the Grand Protector of Old Port.
This effectively cornered the Great Ming court – would they acknowledge the Grand Protectorate of Old Port or not?
Acknowledging it would mean telling the Dutch East India Company to get lost.
Not acknowledging it would mean Great Ming actively renouncing its claim to the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, thereby acknowledging the Dutch East India Company's sovereignty over it.
To put it more bluntly, the bewildering actions of these merchants and Shi Chengzu had completely disrupted Zhu Jinsong's original plan.
Zhu Jinsong had initially intended to let the Indian monkeys and the Dutch East India Company escalate their conflict further, ideally even drawing the Indian monkeys into the Lanfang Administrative Commission to cause trouble. This would have provided Great Ming with sufficient justification to engage in hostilities with the East India Company.
However, with Shi Chengzu and the others acting as they did, the situation became awkward and unresolved, much like the frustration of having to wait for months only to find the club closed for renovations.
What was even more galling was that despite their displeasure, they still had to deal with the situation.
Zhu Jinsong absolutely would not abandon the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, just as Europe could not lose Jerusalem.
Although the Grand Protectorate of Old Port did not hold any special significance like Jerusalem, its geographical location was absolutely critical.
With the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, coupled with the Lanfang Administrative Commission, Great Ming could confidently establish a true First Island Chain by linking the Grand Protectorate of Old Port with Qiongzhou, the Lesser Ryukyu, and the Greater Ryukyu, thereby ensuring that the Great Ming homeland would not face threats from the sea.
Therefore, Zhu Jinsong directly transferred Zhu Erdan to Guangzhou Prefecture, entrusting the Front Army Command to resolve the issues with the Grand Protectorate of Old Port. Zhu Jinsong himself leisurely traveled from Jinling to Sichuan, intending to spend some time enjoying the cuisine there.
Mapo Tofu, Husband and Wife Lung Slices, Spicy Beef Tendon Noodles, Boiled Cabbage in Hot Soup, Fried Fish Fillets, Shadowed Beef...
Tsk tsk.
As for the Dutch East India Company in the Grand Protectorate of Old Port... they were merely Dutch barbarians, already on the decline after being battered by England. Having Zhu Erdan handle them was already a great show of respect.
Of course, the proper procedures still needed to be followed.
First, the Honglu Temple issued an official document to the "Little Kettle" (a derogatory term for the Netherlands, implying their small size and insignificance), stating that the Grand Protectorate of Old Port was historically Great Ming territory. Although it had been occupied and ruled by the Dutch for a short period, Great Ming would not relinquish its ownership.
Next, the Board of Rites (Li Fan Yuan) also sent a note to the Dutch embassy in Great Ming, demanding that the Dutch royal family exercise strict control over the Dutch East India Company and ordering the company to withdraw from the Grand Protectorate of Old Port.
Herman Willem Daendels, the Dutch ambassador to Great Ming, was bewildered and immediately intended to appeal to the headquarters of the "Little Kettle" in Shuntian Prefecture.
However, upon reaching the headquarters, the "Little Kettle" informed Daendels that the Netherlands had not yet joined the "Little Kettle," and therefore, the Netherlands' affairs would not be handled. They advised him to consult with Great Ming's Honglu Temple to discuss how the matter should be resolved.
The French ambassador to the "Little Kettle," who was on friendly terms with Daendels, directly stated that this matter was beyond the "Little Kettle's" capabilities.
If the Netherlands had disputes with other smaller countries, the "Little Kettle" would certainly mediate, perhaps even causing an unruly small nation to disappear.
If the Netherlands had disputes with England, the "Little Kettle" would also appear to mediate, perhaps letting the Netherlands suffer some losses, but the matter could be resolved, at least ensuring that the Netherlands would not disappear.
However, if the Netherlands had a conflict with Great Ming, the "Little Kettle" would absolutely not intervene, to avoid the "Little Kettle" itself disappearing.
After advising Daendels, the French ambassador to the "Little Kettle" regretfully added, "Russia has voluntarily given up Eastern Siberia and Alaska, and England has also voluntarily given up more than half of its interests in the East Indies. Therefore, voluntarily abandon the Grand Protectorate of Old Port and retain your other colonies to preserve a gentlemanly demeanor."
"For the sake of our friendship, I will advise you again: if the Netherlands is willing to voluntarily abandon the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, then you will definitely succeed in joining the 'Little Kettle' at this year's 'Little Kettle' conference, and your security will be guaranteed. If..."
The French ambassador to the "Little Kettle" did not finish the rest, but Daendels could guess – if the Netherlands was unwilling to voluntarily abandon the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, perhaps a country called the Netherlands would cease to exist in the world.
The Habsburg family, which had existed for centuries, was a prime example.
However, Daendels was unwilling to concede, and his tone was filled with anger: "You know, the East India Company has occupied Batavia for nearly two hundred years! And the so-called Grand Protectorate of Old Port of Great Ming has been gone for over three hundred years! According to international practice, Batavia should belong to the Netherlands!"
The French ambassador to the "Little Kettle" sighed and shook his head, saying, "You just mentioned 'according to international practice' – but you must understand that Great Ming does not recognize such 'international practice.' Moreover, France and Great Ming are the most steadfast allies. Therefore..."
Daendels became even angrier, and he said in a low voice, "But this is clearly aggression!"
The French ambassador to the "Little Kettle" shook his head again: "This is Great Ming reclaiming its ancestral territory, not aggression. If you don't believe me, you can go to this 'Little Kettle' building and ask. You can ask any country's representative if this is aggression."
Hearing such shameless rhetoric, Daendels could not help but sneer contemptuously, "As far as I know, England, France, and the Silly Eagle are all frantically smuggling Kunlun slaves to Great Ming, and you don't care about the lives of the Kunlun slaves."
"And last month, when an earthquake occurred in a remote area of Great Ming, you went to great lengths to raise a large amount of supplies for disaster relief, even though the poorest residents there were wealthier than European knights."
"This is truly a 'Little Kettle' filled with love, fairness, and justice."
The French ambassador to the "Little Kettle's" expression finally changed slightly, and his tone became less friendly: "Daendels, you know what you are saying – if you wish for the East India Company to be dissolved, you may continue speaking."
Daendels ignored the French ambassador to the "Little Kettle's" threat, instead shaking his head slightly, performing a gentlemanly bow to the French ambassador to the "Little Kettle," and then turned to leave the "Little Kettle."
Having been in Great Ming for such a long time, Daendels knew that the French ambassador to the "Little Kettle" was speaking the truth, and he also knew that Great Ming was an entity that absolutely could not be provoked.
However, Daendels was ultimately just an ambassador and could not influence the decisions of the Dutch royal family, let alone the decisions of the Bourbon family, the de facto supreme rulers of the Dutch royal family.
Yes, the Netherlands had been conquered by France. The last hereditary Stadtholder of the Netherlands, William V, and his son, William I, the eldest son of Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, were currently in exile in England. The real power in the Netherlands was actually held by the Bourbon family of the French royal house.
And the attitude of the French representative to the "Little Kettle" essentially represented the attitude of the Bourbon family.
This meant that even if the Seventeen Gentlemen's Conference was unwilling to withdraw from Batavia, and even if William I strongly opposed it, it would likely be difficult to change the predetermined outcome.
After sitting on a chair outside the "Little Kettle" for a long time, Daendels could only let out a helpless sigh and leave.
Daendels still had to visit the Honglu Temple of Great Ming to retain a semblance of dignity for the Dutch withdrawal from Batavia, and also to try and secure the preservation of other Dutch colonies.
However, to Daendels' surprise, when he arrived at the Honglu Temple of Great Ming, the officials there did not treat him arrogantly. Instead, they invited him into a room and received him by an official of the Honglu Temple.
After Daendels stated his purpose, the official named Liang from the Honglu Temple became even more enthusiastic: "I was actually planning to find you myself – although Great Ming and the Netherlands have some disagreements regarding the Grand Protectorate of Old Port, past events are in the past, and both Great Ming and the Netherlands share the same goal: to maintain world peace and stability."
"I believe that the current urgent task is to quickly resolve our misunderstandings and stabilize the situation in Old Port. What do you think?"
Daendels, suppressing his anger, said with a smile while internally cursing profusely, "Yes, I think so too. I believe that William I, the hereditary Stadtholder of the Netherlands, would certainly think so as well."
Liang Chen asked with feigned surprise, "Hereditary Stadtholder? Not His Majesty the King?"
Daendels sighed slightly and said, "The Netherlands does not have a King, only a hereditary Stadtholder – furthermore, the Netherlands has been conquered, and Stadtholder William I is currently in exile in England."
Liang Chen said "Oh" with a look of sorrow on his face: "I apologize, I was not aware of these matters. On behalf of myself and His Majesty the Emperor of Great Ming, I offer my condolences for your country's misfortune and hope that you can re-establish the Netherlands soon."
Daendels nodded, thanked Liang Chen, and then continued, "From your perspective, when would be a good time to rebuild the Netherlands? As you know, the Netherlands has been applying to join the 'Little Kettle' and hopes to receive guidance from Great Ming in order to contribute to world peace."
Liang Chen nodded and said, "I think perhaps after the Habsburg family issue is resolved, or during the next 'Little Kettle' conference? You know, the world is vast, and all sorts of things happen every day. Who can predict the future?"
Daendels' mood finally eased a bit, and he continued, "If possible, I hope that the Dutch East India Company can conduct trade with the Grand Protectorate of Old Port and the Lanfang Administrative Commission?"
Liang Chen nodded again and agreed: "Of course, Great Ming has never refused friends. From my personal perspective, I also hope that the interests of the Netherlands can be guaranteed."