The salty sea breeze blew over from the ocean.
Ye Qingyun’s words left Rhodes silent.
Whether to wait six days was a difficult question. He knew all too well that six days would be enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
Once reinforcements came, the land’s ruler might choose to negotiate or fight—it was unpredictable.
But options were limited now. The cannons on the city walls proved this place was special. He needed to understand it quickly to plan his next move.
So he said, “Very well, we will wait six days. I hope to meet the Qi King after that.”
With that, Rhodes waved his hand, ordering the Dutch troops to retreat.
“Ambassador, shall we withdraw to the sea?” Sakai asked, watching the Dutch soldiers pull back toward the beach.
“Yes. We’re not here to fight but to clarify the matchlock musket issue. The cannons on the city walls prove this place is dangerous. We can’t risk provoking an unknown enemy,” Rhodes said.
Sakai shrugged but muttered silently, “Cowards.”
Though displeased, Sakai followed the Dutch troops’ retreat to the beach. As they left, he glanced unwillingly at Dengzhou city. If they could seize this city and establish a foothold, Lord Yamada’s plan would be easier to carry out.
The troops under the city withdrew to the sea, and Ye Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately sent word to the bay to notify the Qi King and report the situation.
“The Dutch want to see me?”
Yang Chengye arrived at the bay with scouts.
“Yes, Your Highness. We said you’d arrive in four days, and the Dutch really retreated. In my opinion, the Dutch’s goal is not to fight us,” Yang Chengye said.
Xiao Ming nodded. “That’s a wise choice. Looks like these Dutch just want to probe my strength.”
To Xiao Ming, the Dutch were weak, which was why they rashly attacked the Chu King—to stop his military adventurism. The Chu King didn’t see through this, but he did.
Even in the age of sail warships, deploying troops halfway across the globe was extremely difficult.
So the Dutch knew well they had no reinforcements. Failure in East Asia would mean total withdrawal.
Yang Chengye had little concept of the Dutch. He asked, “Your Highness, no matter what plans the Dutch have, as long as Qingzhou troops arrive, we needn’t fear them.”
“Right. Once Qingzhou troops arrive, I’ll meet the Dutch ambassador and see what they want,” Xiao Ming said. The Dutch arrival was the first collision between his people and a foreign civilization.
Deciding to meet the Dutch ambassador, Xiao Ming stayed in the bay awaiting reinforcements. The next day, twenty merchant ships loaded with cannons entered the naval port—the first batch of cannons from the military workshop.
Seeing the cannons arrive, Yue Yun was thrilled. He immediately helped the soldiers load the cannons and ammunition onto the warships. Without cannons, the galleons were toothless tigers; with them, they truly became ferocious beasts.
This first batch included over three hundred cannons. Two more batches were to arrive later.
Yet even these three hundred cannons could arm five or six small galleons, which was enough.
Over the following days, batches of cannons arrived, and twelve galleons were progressively armed.
Niu Ben led the Qingzhou troops arriving with the merchant ships into the bay.
“Your Highness, we are ready for war at any time,” Yue Yun said excitedly after the cannon loading finished.
Niu Ben had basically figured out the crisis’s root. “Your Highness, supplies are crucial in war. The Dutch are overextended; they can’t match us. If we capture Ryukyu, the Dutch supply line is cut, and failure won’t be far off.”
With muskets and live ammo, Qingzhou troops’ arrival eased Xiao Ming’s worries about Dengzhou’s safety. He said, “It’s not time to fight yet. The Dutch came this far for money. They won’t rashly wage war. Their ambassador’s proposal is to negotiate. We only need to show our strength so they understand what to do.”
“Your Highness aims to win without fighting,” Niu Ben said cheerfully. “Wise thinking. If we can negotiate, why start a war?”
Xiao Ming smiled and nodded. “Let’s go. Today is the day we meet the Dutch ambassador.”
Leaving the temporary quarters at the naval port, Xiao Ming and Niu Ben headed toward Dengzhou city.
At the port, ten thousand Qingzhou soldiers formed lines, their gleaming matchlocks poised. At Niu Ben’s command, the troops marched toward Dengzhou city with Xiao Ming.
Meanwhile, Yue Yun and the naval soldiers boarded the warships, ready to attack.
As agreed, Rhodes arrived at Dengzhou city’s outskirts on time. Unlike last time, he was now allowed into the city.
Entering Dengzhou, Rhodes eyes soon revealed contempt. In his view, this city was far poorer than any Dutch city.
However, his contempt quickly turned to fear. Upon reaching the city center, a large number of soldiers bearing flintlock muskets poured out of the west gate, rushing toward the east gate wall.
“God, these are flintlocks? How is this possible?”
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Rubbing them, he looked again. No mistake—all those soldiers carried flintlocks.
At that moment, his heart sank. Though flintlocks were common in Europe, seeing them appear in such a backward region shocked him.
As he marveled, sudden hoofbeats approached. A group of horsemen appeared before him.
“Ambassador Rhodes , this is our Qi King,” Ye Qingyun announced loudly.
Rhodes looked at the young man leading the group, incredulous that someone so young ruled a territory.
He removed his hat and performed a noble’s salute to Xiao Ming. “Respectful greetings, Your Highness Qi King, on behalf of Count Claire.”
Xiao Ming’s eyes scanned Rhodes, a typical European dressed finely. He dismounted and said, “Ambassador Rhodes, I hear you wish to meet me. What business do the Dutch have with me? Do you plan, like with the Chu King, to force an unequal treaty?”