Beiyang Dream

Chapter 67 Zhang, the richest man, I'm now conveying the opinions of Germany and the Beiyang go

Chapter 67 Zhang, the Richest Man, I'm now conveying the opinions of Germany and the Beiyang Army! (XV)

February 21, 1891, night. Penang, Cheong Fatt Tze Residence, Flower Hall.

The nights in Penang were sweltering and sticky, but the large ice tanks in the four corners of the flower hall provided some relief from the heat, their coolness mingling with the rich aroma of Hakka cuisine. The table was piled high with dishes: stuffed tofu, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, salt-baked chicken, and Hakka stuffed delicacies, but a bottle of French Bordeaux red wine sat in the middle, looking rather incongruous.

Chang Desheng picked up a piece of stuffed tofu and thought to himself: "There's not enough meat filling, but the cooking is alright." He looked up at Zhang Bishi across from him—this "Wine King" and fourth-rank consul, who had already changed out of his official robes into a silk shirt and was squinting as he swirled a glass of red wine, looking completely satisfied.

"Hey, this guy really loves this stuff. But with the country in crisis, spending millions of taels to set up a distillery—it's not my money anyway," Chang Desheng thought to himself, but a smile remained on his face.

Luo Jingrou sat next to him, sipping her wine, her face slightly flushed, and began to speak in Hakka.

"Third Uncle, Brother Zhenbang—they're family."

Zhang Bishi put down his wine cup, his round face beaming with an even wider smile. He raised his cup to Chang Desheng and said, "Nephew Zhenbang, since we're all family, let's not stand on ceremony."

"Third Uncle, you flatter me." Chang Desheng quickly raised his glass, his mental ledger flipping open: Now that the big spender with tens of millions in assets has become "family," wouldn't his access to loans and favors be much wider in the future?

The three clinked glasses and drank red wine. Zhang Bishi waved his hand, and the maids and servants quietly withdrew, leaving only Zhang Bishi, Chang Desheng, and Luo Jingrou inside the flower hall.

"Zhenbang," Zhang Bishi leaned forward, lowering his voice, "Since you asked about Pontianak, I'll be frank with you—right now, the Dutch are at their weakest, but it's also the most dangerous time for us Chinese in Pontianak."

"Oh?" Chang Desheng put down his chopsticks and pretended to listen.

"The Aceh War," Zhang Bishi uttered, his face grave, "lasted for nearly twenty years, and the Dutch treasury and military strength were almost exhausted. Their rule in Southeast Asia was like a rope being pulled at both ends, one end being Aceh, and the other end—"

He dipped his finger in tea and drew a circle on the gleaming mahogany table: "That's Borneo, that's Pontianak. The Dutch garrison in Borneo numbered less than five hundred at most, and they were scattered across various trading posts. How did they manage it? By supporting obedient indigenous sultans as their watchdogs!"

Luo Jingrou's eyes were already red as she continued, her voice filled with hatred: "The current Sultan of Pontianak is named Abdul Rahman, whom the Dutch installed a few years ago. To prove his loyalty, he levied heavy taxes on the Chinese and allowed his men to plunder Chinese merchants' plantations. Last year—he even perpetrated the Sungai Linya massacre," where more than a dozen Chinese villages were wiped out in blood!

Zhang Bishi sighed heavily: "Now, the Chinese in Pontianak are all living in fear. As the Kapitan, Brother Luo is a thorn in the Sultan's side. I'm afraid the next battle will fall on the Luo family!"

Luo Jingrou suddenly looked at Chang Desheng, her eyes filled with desperate hope: "Brother Zhenbang, if—if Lanfang's banner can be raised again, and if it can lead us—"

"Arou..." Chang Desheng gently interrupted her, but his heart tightened. Grandma, your expectations are too high. Restoring the kingdom? I'm just a lone committee member and a draftsman right now; this project is as difficult as building a palace by hand.

But his face remained impassive, his mind racing. The Lanfang Republic, established in West Borneo (around Pontianak) in 1777, was only destroyed by the Dutch and the local Sultan in 1884—just seven years ago! Fragments of memory flashed through his mind: In the later period of Lanfang, internal strife, outdated weaponry, and most importantly, the inability to rely on the Qing Dynasty—their strategy was wrong.

Which route is correct?

He recalled the hazy history of Asia, Africa, and Latin America from his previous life. In the colonial era, those who could truly hold their ground at the end of the game were often not the "heroes" who fought head-on from the start, but rather the "smart people" who first acted as "collaborators," holding onto the guns and the purse strings, and then rose to power when their masters weakened.

Yes, it's the "traitor" route. It has a terrible reputation, but a high survival rate, and the potential for advancement is not necessarily low. Especially for the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, who are "rich and have people, but no country to rely on," becoming "official collaborators with guns" may be the only way to advance.

His thoughts instantly became clear. He put down his wine glass, looked up, his gaze sweeping over Luo Jingrou and Zhang Bishi, and asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Lord Zhang, Arou, have you ever heard of—murdering and arson and then being granted amnesty?"

Both of them were taken aback.

Chang Desheng, unhurried, continued, "How many combat-ready soldiers does the Sultan of Pontianak have? What is their equipment like?"

Although Zhang Bishi was puzzled, he still replied, "The Sultan's guard has about eight hundred men, equipped with muzzle-loading rifles that have been phased out by the Dutch. In an emergency, they can mobilize more than a dozen tribes along the coast, gathering three to five thousand men, mostly armed with swords, spears, and bows and arrows."

"Where are Uncle Luo's men?"

Luo Jingrou looked up, with a hint of pride as a descendant of the Luo family of Lanfang: "My father secretly gathered a lot of Lanfang's old troops, about four hundred reliable veterans! They are fully equipped with knives and guns, and also have dozens of quick-draw guns. In addition, it is not difficult to gather a thousand or so strong men from the Chinese companies, mines and plantations in Pontianak, but they lack training and good guns."

Chang Desheng's mind raced with calculations: four hundred core troops, a thousand rabble. The enemy had eight hundred regular troops and several thousand tribal soldiers. On paper, they were at a disadvantage, but—

"Four hundred against several thousand, the advantage is in my hands!" he suddenly said, full of confidence.

The flower hall fell silent instantly. Zhang Bishi was taken aback, while Luo Jingrou nodded emphatically.

Chang Desheng is not bragging, four hundred... plus five Beiyang elites and twenty-three German soldiers!

It would be wrong if they couldn't defeat a few thousand indigenous soldiers!

He pressed his advantage, leaning forward and lowering his voice, enunciating each word clearly: "I can help Uncle Luo deal with that Sultan. But I have one condition—"

Luo Jingrou blushed slightly and looked away. Zhang Bishi also seemed to be deep in thought.

Chang Desheng's next words, however, left them slightly disappointed.

"After it's done," he said, his gaze fixed intently on the two men, "what Uncle Luo needs to do is not to raise the banner of the Lanfang Republic, but to immediately and proactively pledge allegiance to the Dutch governor of Batavia and to Emperor Wilhelm of Germany."

Lanfang Company wanted to clarify its intentions: this action was to eliminate the tyrannical Sultan who was unruly, harmed merchants, and affected tax revenue and rubber and mineral exports for the Netherlands and Germany. The Luo family was willing to take on his role, pacifying the local population, ensuring tax revenue, and maintaining order for the Dutch authorities. They were also willing to lend the port of Pontianak to Germany for the construction of a naval base!

"You..." Luo Jingrou suddenly stood up, glaring angrily at Chang Desheng—of course, this was an act, meant for Zhang Bishi's benefit. "Chang Zhenbang! You want my father—to become a dog for the Dutch?! A traitor?! My father is a descendant of General Lanfang! My Luo family has fought the Dutch for over a hundred years!! You are disgracing my Luo family ancestors!!"

Zhang Bishi also frowned deeply... He knew that Chang Desheng had latched onto the German Emperor's golden thigh and had planned to betray the Netherlands and side with Germany after Lanfang became independent... But from Chang Desheng's words, Lanfang not only could not become independent, but also had to serve both the Netherlands and Germany, two "big daddies" at the same time!

Chang Desheng remained seated, and under Zhang Bishi's suspicious gaze, he said to Luo Jingrou, "Arou, your Luo family has produced heroes for generations."

Why did Ke Lanfang die? Because your Luo family ancestors only wanted to be upright heroes, waiting for their titles and honors from the north, but they never learned to be—winners!

"Now tell me, do you want your father to be a hero who 'doesn't act as a lackey,' only to be wiped out by the Dutch and Sultanate forces, resulting in a complete bloodbath for the Chinese in Pontianak? Or do you want him to first seize power, kill the Sultan and his lackeys, become the sole ruler of Pontianak, then cling to Wilhelm II's coattails, use the Beiyang Army's influence to bow to the Dutch, gain a legitimate status in the eyes of the foreigners, and truly grasp the territory of Pontianak in his own hands?"

He paused: "When the Dutch are worn down by Aceh, or when the political landscape of Europe changes and they are too busy to attend to everything—your father, or you, will stand up straight and say to Batavia..."

'

"This Pontianak is now entirely under the Luo family's control. The rules here are set by the Chinese."

The flower hall was deathly silent, save for the dripping sound of melting ice.

Luo Jingrou turned her gaze to her third uncle. Zhang Bishi squinted, seemingly calculating whether Chang Desheng's approach would work... As the leader of the Hakka merchant group and the richest man in Southeast Asia, he naturally wanted to seek political power.

Money without power, just a piece of fat meat!

Only when they have both money and power can the Zhang family of Penang last!

"Zhenbang—" Zhang Bishi slowly began, "You're—going down the same path as Zheng Zhilong? Murdering and arson, then accepting amnesty, and after that—"

"Accepting amnesty is not the end, it's the beginning," Chang Desheng continued. "Once they're accepted, they become government troops. Government troops can collect taxes, train soldiers, legitimately expand their territory, buy arms from the Germans, and use the Dutch name to suppress other indigenous forces! They can also support the Chinese people! Moreover, this is also the intention of the Beiyang government and Germany!"

Zhang Bishi let out a long sigh of relief, clearly convinced by Chang Desheng. He had no choice but to accept it! This was the will of both the Beiyang Army and Germany! Although when he went north to meet Li Hongzhang last year, the old man was a complete enigma, spouting a bunch of cryptic nonsense that Zhang couldn't understand at all. But now, with three hundred tons of German munitions, twenty-three German soldiers, and five Beiyang students all present, what was there to doubt?

The German tycoons and the Beiyang warlords have joined forces to support the Zhang and Luo families!

"Nephew Zhenbang—since this strategy is the intention of the Beiyang and German officials, then I, Zhang, can go and explain the advantages and disadvantages to Brother Luo. However—" He looked troubled, "as for the Dutch, the avenue for 'amnesty'—"

"The connections will be made by the Beiyang government and the Germans, but the money needs to be prepared," Chang Desheng interjected. "After it's done, at least 50,000 taels of silver will be needed to handle all the arrangements..."

'

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the flower hall, and a maid announced, "Master, Lord Duan and Lord Shang, brought by Commissioner Chang, are waiting in the front hall, asking about tomorrow's itinerary."

Zhang Bishi looked at Chang Desheng. Chang Desheng nodded and said in a low voice, "Third Uncle, what I just said is meant for you. Our mission here is 'to solicit donations and raise funds in Southeast Asia on the orders of Li Hongzhang, the Beiyang Minister.' Understand?"

"Understood!" Zhang Bishi nodded emphatically.

Chang Desheng stood up and straightened his clothes. He mentally noted: the initial persuasion was successful, but the most difficult hurdle (Luo's father) was still ahead.

In this game of Pontianak, the first move was to "persuade the Luo family to become traitors with guns," which can be considered as making a move.

Once this path is successfully established, and other Chinese groups see that they can have guns, money, and territory just like the Luo family, and even receive "official recognition" from the Dutch, then the way of life for Chinese in the Dutch East Indies will be completely transformed.

He stepped out of the hall, his mind already racing: How to use those twenty-three German veterans? How to secretly smuggle Maxim in? The terrain of Pontianak—how to attack the Sultan's palace? How to use Duan Qirui and his associates? He had to drag them into this mess!

And then there's Haruko. This female spy, we must take her to Pontianak as well... Once we get to Pontianak, we might be able to use her to lure out all the Japanese spies they've planted there. The game in Southeast Asia has only just begun.

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