Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 384 The People's Heart

Samarinda
This largest city in the Dutch colony of Kalimantan has a population of about 94000 and has many unique Dutch buildings, churches and schools. The entire city is clearly divided into white areas, Chinese neighborhoods and indigenous areas.

If you ignore the large number of thatched houses in the latter two blocks, the overall look is like a small town in Northern Europe, but it appears in a tropical region thousands of miles away.

Small urban populations are a common phenomenon in today's agricultural society. Because there are not so many factories and businesses, the basic conditions for urban population gathering are lacking.

Banjarmasin has a population of only 5.5, Balikpapan has a population of more than 2.7, and other small and medium-sized coastal towns have a population of no more than or , making them typical agricultural cities.

Samarinda is the capital of Dutch East Borneo (East Kalimantan Province), located in the eastern part of Kalimantan Island, on the west coast of the Makassar Strait.

There is a broad and abundant Mahakam River running through the city and merging into the sea. Inland wooden boats can carry rice, rubber, coconut, timber, coal and other inland products to the Samarinda wharf.

It is precisely because of this superior geographical location and excellent inland river and seaport conditions that the city of Samarinda has prospered. It is also the administrative and military center of the Dutch white colonial rulers on the island of Kalimantan.

Because of its importance, during the two or three hundred years of colonization, Samarinda was a key city run by the Dutch and home to a large number of white colonists, and it also had many sturdy buildings.

Major General Zheng Guoguang, dressed in casual clothes, was surrounded by a crowd of people. He raised the telescope in his hand and looked forward.

In the front view

It is a fortified area formed by St. John's Church, the Municipal Council, the Dock Works Bureau and part of the white residential area. It faces the river on one side and is adjacent to the Chinese neighborhood on the other side. There is a small square several hundred meters wide in front.

Most of the houses in the adjacent Chinese neighborhood had been destroyed or burned, leaving only large areas of broken walls and charred wood stumps pointing lonely towards the sky.

Most of these Dutch-style buildings are made of thick stones, somewhat similar to the British Norman architectural style. They are heavy and solid, and the tropical sun can hardly penetrate them. In addition, the tall Nordic-style spires are breathable and ventilated, making them cool and pleasant to live in.

According to Major General Zheng Guoguang's observation, even those one- or two-story European-style buildings and courtyard walls were made of stones, and the passages between the buildings were also blocked by stones, forming a larger and solid fortress.

The Dutch hiding inside, taking advantage of the terrain, used muskets to attack the attacking Chinese armed forces. They held out for more than a month, killing or wounding 1,300 to 1,400 people, but still could not attack.

The main reason is that these Chinese armed forces do not have artillery capable of breaking through.

Today
Since Zheng Guoguang had come here, he naturally brought artillery for the attack. He didn't want to wait any longer.

The royal family and the government were under tremendous pressure, but His Majesty never expressed it. Without any clear will or request, he took on all the pressure from the major powers.

In addition, the Dutch made a small move on April 4th, adding more than a thousand troops, which greatly angered Major General Zheng Guoguang, and he was no longer prepared to hide anything.

Mobilize a group of artillery and bomb him!

Major General Zheng Guoguang put down the copper monocular with a cold expression, turned to look at Colonel Hu Jinqi who was observing carefully, and asked:

"This is a tough nut to crack. Ordinary methods might not work. If that doesn't work..."

"Sir, I think it's better not to use it for the time being. The noise would be too loud. Almost the whole city would know about it, and it would be impossible to keep it secret at all." Colonel Hu Jinqi put down the telescope in his hand with a serious expression and responded.

He knew that the governor wanted to use artillery. It would be fun to fight, but the signs of Chu's military intervention were too obvious and would easily be criticized.

Although all the major powers knew what was going on, they still had to keep a fig leaf and not make it too blatant, otherwise they would not be able to justify themselves in the end.

Domestic public opinion is easy to handle, but foreign public opinion is difficult to control.

That's why they came in a more concealed manner, all the officers and soldiers changed into civilian clothes, and the cannons were not unloaded from the ship.

It should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

If they really wanted to do it openly, then they could just send in the Royal Navy's ironclad gunboats and bombard these Dutch buildings, destroying them all. Wouldn't that be the simplest thing?
Major General Zheng Guoguang frowned and asked, "We can't delay any longer. This Governor needs to smash this roadblock within three days. Do you have any feasible plans?"

Colonel Hu Jinqi is a battle-hardened officer who rose from the bottom. He received professional military training in his later years and has a lot of combat experience.

He did not rush to answer, but picked up the telescope again and observed carefully for a while.

Then he put down the telescope and said:
"Sir, I believe we can use explosives to open a passage, charge in and fight the enemy house by house. We can accomplish our goal within three days."

"Oh, what are your thoughts? Tell me in detail."

"This is what I planned..."

Colonel Hu Jinqi pointed to the broad Mahakam River ahead and said in a steady and unhurried tone:

"Immediately requisition three or four fireboats, fill them with damp firewood, cover them with flammable materials, lower them from upstream, and set them ablaze along the riverbank.

After the arson, a large amount of choking smoke was inevitably produced. The observation posts set up by the Red Indians along the river were all affected, making it difficult to see.

The billowing smoke provided cover for our commandos as they approached with explosives, blasting at least 2 to 3 large gaps in the school's long wall.

This is only the first approach. In my humble opinion, we also need to blast open the stone wall on one side of the church to open up a direct attack route to the interior.

In this way

At least two directions of attack can be launched, with each direction sending out a force of more than 200 musketeers, and each equipped with 200 sword and shield soldiers and 200 spearmen to charge forward.

It is now 4: p.m., and I suggest we prepare for the assault in one hour, so that we can launch the assault promptly at : p.m.

Major General Zheng Guoliang raised his eyebrows and looked back at the large fortified area. A fierce look flashed in his eyes and he nodded decisively.
"This plan is feasible. You must immediately separate and prepare, select commandos and be ready to attack. Commander Hu will be in charge of the battle. Follow your orders."

"As you command, sir."

Several officers saluted in unison, quickly turned around and left to carry out the order.

There were many small wooden boats along the Mahakam River, so four fire boats were immediately requisitioned. Small trees and shrubs were temporarily cut down along the shore, and the boats were soon filled high.

Some soldiers also found iron hooks and tied them to the boats. These iron hooks, which were about the size of a plate, were the anchors of the small wooden boats. They would tie a stone to them and throw them into the river, so that the burning boats would not drift downstream into the sea.

Things like black powder were readily available, and the soldiers preparing for the assault were quickly in place.

In just over half an hour, all preparations for the attack were completed.

Colonel Hu Jinqi didn't hesitate and didn't bother with the auspicious time. Since they were ready, they would start fighting early.

"Release the fireboats, order the demolition crews to prepare, and begin the operation."

"As you command, sir."

Give an order

Four fire boats were lowered from upstream one after another. Each fire boat was loaded with a high pile of firewood. A sailor was at the back of the boat steering the boat, which slowly floated down with the current.

It was a little after three in the afternoon, the sun was scorching, and the lighting was fantastic.

So as soon as these four fire ships appeared, they were discovered by the Dutch lookout high up in the church bell tower, who quickly rang the bronze bell to issue a warning.

From a distance, you can see several white soldiers sticking their heads out of the tall church bell tower and shouting from the windows downstairs, meaning that there was an unexpected situation on the water.

More than a dozen Dutch white people appeared on the roof of the two-story city hall. Three of them were wearing military uniforms, and there were seven or eight white people in casual clothes surrounding them. They should all be plantation owners of Dutch white descent.

Many people here have lived on Kalimantan for more than ten generations, for as long as two or three hundred years.

In the distant European homeland
There is no trace of the existence of these white descendants anymore. No one remembers them, and they have very few relatives or old friends. They are just authentic Kalimantan people.

Fortunately, the population of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom's colonial policy are relatively enlightened and humane.

These descendants of white people were able to thrive in the colonies with the help of this face. Not only could they become officials and hold jobs, but they could also obtain a plantation almost for free and enslave the indigenous people, leading a leisurely life.

At the very least, you can be a steward at the dock, or a foreman at the police station, and earn a good salary with a maid to serve you at home.
The Spanish were much more brutal and cruel. The Spanish royal family never recognized the white descendants of the vast American colonies as Spaniards. They regarded them as colonial natives and subjected them to the same cruel exploitation and oppression.

Only colonial officials who came from mainland Spain could be considered true Spaniards.

This is also the fundamental reason why former Spanish colonies such as Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, and Cuba rebelled and fought for independence.

I saw a dozen people pointing and talking, and saw the fireboat going down the river. This kind of fireboat was also often seen in Europe. It was obvious that it was not a good thing, so they immediately shouted and conveyed orders.

Soon, dozens of white soldiers and armed civilians with their upper bodies exposed appeared on the school wall near the river, pointing their guns at the arson boat.

Then the crisp sound of gunshots was heard, echoing on the river surface in the bright afternoon sun.

The volley bullets hit the high-raised incendiary ship, but apart from causing branches and leaves to fly and making a little noise, they had almost no effect.

The sailors sitting at the stern of the burning ship lay down one after another when they heard the gunshots.

There was a piece of firewood more than a person's height blocking the way in front, making it almost impossible to hit the sailor at the stern.

Round after round, even four or five volleys of gunfire, had no effect at all. Seeing the fire ship swaying towards them, these white soldiers couldn't help but shout.

There were even a few soldiers who jumped over the wall with their guns in hand and rushed forward.

How could this possibly allow them to do what they want?
The Chinese musketeers hiding in the rear stood up one after another. There were about dozens of them. They raised their spears and fired dense volleys of shots towards the front.

Although it was more than a hundred meters away, the key to a volley of gunfire was not accuracy but the density of firepower; it was enough to cover the general direction.

With just one volley of gunfire, two or three white men were knocked down. Blood spurted out of their bodies and they fell to the ground screaming.

In the time it took to delay, the four fireboats had already been ignited one after another. Driven by the accelerant, the flames began to burn fiercely with a whoosh.

The sailors on the burning ship immediately threw the iron claw anchor tied with stones into the water, then turned over and jumped into the water, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Four fireboats were parked in a row on the river bank, with intense flames crackling and soon a large cloud of thick smoke emerged, rolling towards the school.

Colonel Hu Jinqi's calculation was very accurate. According to the current wind direction, if he set fire on the river, the thick smoke would be blown towards the fortified area where the Dutch were resisting stubbornly.

Otherwise, he could have set fire to other parts of the city.

As a qualified senior commander, you must be good at taking advantage of the favorable terrain of mountains, rivers and mountains to protect yourself while attacking the enemy.

Thick smoke billowed in from all directions, and soon it transformed from four concentrated streams of smoke into a drifting fog, accumulating above the Dutch fortification area and becoming thicker and thicker.

Even from a distance, one could hear the shouts and coughs of the white people, which clearly showed a miraculous effect.

at this time

The danger is greatly reduced if the soldiers responsible for the blasting are close to the enemy-controlled area.

But don’t be in a hurry, just smoke it slowly for a while first.

When Major General Zheng Guoguang saw that his plan had worked wonders, he felt relieved and his expression became much more relaxed. He was in the mood to chat with the officers around him.

He said, "Old Hu's plan is quite good. If we smoke them for half an hour, I think those Red Indians will be turned into smoked meat, and their resistance will be greatly reduced."

"Thank you for the compliment, sir. I think it would be better to smoke them for a while longer. After all, there are at least 1,500 to 1,600 people here, and most of them are strong white men. They only have muskets, knives and sticks as weapons, which makes them quite dangerous."

"Then send them a few more ships. The more the better."

"Sir, what you said is absolutely right. I will do it immediately."

"Captain Hu, there's no need to do it yourself. Just leave it to Captain Zhou. Go quickly and be back soon."

"As you command, sir."

It's just after three in the afternoon now, and it normally doesn't get dark until half past seven. It would be best if we smoke for two or three hours so that these Dutch white people can't lift the knife.

Since the area where the white people built fortifications was vast and had many wells and ponds, it was impossible to suffocate all the white people to death, but at least they were forced to leave the front-line positions.

Breaking through the hard outer shell and rushing in for close combat would mean the end of these white people.

There are 20,000 to 30,000 Chinese immigrants in Samarinda, and there are at least several thousand strong men, so it is no problem for them to assist the 2,000 elite soldiers brought from Bandar Seri Begawan.

In this kind of close combat in urban street fighting, muskets are sometimes not as convenient as swords and play a greater role.

The combined use of cold and hot weapons in combat will be more effective.

Seeing that there was hope of getting rid of this confidant and major threat, Major General Zheng Guoguang began to consider how to fully integrate the Chinese forces in the Dutch-occupied area of ​​South Kalimantan.

It would take at least three or four times of requesting allegiance to the Great Chu Kingdom with the most sincere wishes, the most excited words, trembling hands, and an extremely eager mood.

Anyway, now that we have occupied this territory, the next step is to carry out large-scale immigration.

As for whether the Dutch agree or not?
Do you admit it?

That is the Royal Government's quibble. Governor Zheng Guoguang has completed his historical mission and will keep his achievements hidden with great glory, which should not be shown to the public.

This matter must be turned into a strong call from the vast majority of people in the Dutch-occupied areas, who hope to break away from the dark rule of the Dutch white colonists, welcome the benevolent light of the Chu royal court originating from the Celestial Empire, and bathe in the ideal of Chinese unity.

After being promoted to Governor-General of Malaya, Major General Zheng Guoguang gained a lot of experience and became much more mature than before.

The scenery you see depends on the height you stand at.

When meeting His Majesty
I was always told to develop a broad strategic vision and look at issues from the perspective of the kingdom's interests and regional situation, rather than just being limited to the small details in front of me.

After this, things were really different.

As he thought about it, Governor Zheng Guoguang couldn't help but smile. He was so damn happy.

Being able to expand the kingdom's territory and help His Majesty made the Glorious Governor of Zheng feel extremely accomplished, as if he was slightly tipsy from intoxicating wine.

Under the personal example of King Zheng Guohui of Chu, all the ministers of Chu State showed their ambition for external expansion without exception.

Many people who were unaware of the situation were dissatisfied with the fact that the Sixth Expeditionary Division stationed in Tanjung Kap area of ​​Sumatra Island had expanded its territory by only three to four thousand square kilometers in just a few years.

Some radical social figures even published articles in Manila's World Journal, accusing Major General Zheng Jiahui of "sitting in office and doing nothing, without any ambition to make progress" and "being a mediocre official who should be replaced as soon as possible."

Major General Zheng Jiahui, commander of the Sixth Division, was also feeling miserable. Although his surname was Zheng, he had no connection with the Zheng family in Tongzhou. Where did he get the confidence to resort to force?
Major General Zheng Jiahui was a native of Chuzhou, Huai'an Prefecture. He was a poor scholar from northern Jiangsu Province and a member of the early Tongzhou militia. He was always known for his calmness and competence.

Stationed in the Tanjung Kap area, Major General Zheng Jiahui was drooling at the sight of the vast land of the weak Aceh Kingdom on his left, but he didn't dare to move.

Without a clear order from the General Staff Headquarters, even if he had two heads, he would not dare to act on his own, as that would be a way to his own destruction.

The army of Chu was the royal family's private army, and the officers of Chu were the royal family's servants. At best, he was just a leader of thugs.

In the Chu army

Senior military officers are all appointed on a rotation basis, from generals commanding troops to the General Staff Headquarters, and from the General Staff Headquarters to senior military academies. It is difficult for them to form their own small faction, and this is eliminated institutionally.

Lieutenant General He Ruolin, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff with outstanding achievements, is now serving as the first vice president of the Manila Army Advanced Military Academy. This is a cooling-off period, and his work focus is on the military academy.

The post of president is held by His Majesty the King himself, and the same applies to the Naval Academy.

(End of this chapter)