Iron Dynasty Chapter 1044

“No wonder His Majesty cares so much about Southeast Asia. That explains it.”

Yue Yun fixed his eyes on the local Manila residents bustling to and fro, deep in contemplation.

Li Kaiyuan traced Yue Yun’s line of sight. With a grin, he commented, “Overseas colonies keep expanding, demanding ever more workforce. It’s unavoidable. Yet, His Majesty has no intention of copying the outdated Western slave trade.”

This caught Yue Yun off guard. He inquired, “Without the Western approach, how can he get these natives to willingly serve as slaves for the Empire?”

Li Kaiyuan let out two chuckles. He explained, “Not quite. His Majesty insists on rigorous screening for all slaves entering the Empire. Those who are frail, dim-witted, or psychologically unstable get barred from entry.”

Yue Yun nodded, eager for more from Li Kaiyuan.

“His Majesty plans to outlaw the black slave trade next, blocking black slaves from the Empire. Without them, Southeast Asian slaves must fill the gap.”

“Black slaves boast robust physiques and immense labor power. Why ban them?” Yue Yun wondered aloud, genuinely baffled.

Li Kaiyuan leaned in mysteriously. “It ties into the Empire’s forthcoming household registration reform. The Cabinet announces a nationwide new system soon. Henceforth, every citizen’s registry lists just one ethnicity: ‘Han.’ Moreover, His Majesty aims to eliminate scripts from the Golden Tent, Tibet, and Guandong tribes, standardizing the Empire’s writing. This effectively turns everyone into Han, minimizing strife. But black slaves and Westerners differ too starkly in looks—this won’t work on them. Southeast Asian slaves, though, will fully assimilate after generations in the Empire.”

Yue Yun’s thoughts swirled chaotically. Shaking his head, he sighed, “His Majesty’s schemes are beyond our grasp.”

He had no inkling that Xiao Ming pursued this to sidestep the pitfalls of a certain modern superpower, necessitating early measures.

After some further talk, the portly Li Kaiyuan headed into Manila City. Yue Yun directed the fleet into readiness mode.

With Li Kaiyuan present, Yue Yun no longer needed to linger in Manila. Word had reached him of the five Western nations’ alliance massing in India, hinting at an epic clash on the horizon.

Yet first, one more colony awaited: the Dutch’s final Asian foothold, Indonesia. Jakarta lay next on his itinerary.

Two days sufficed to finalize Manila’s handover. On the third morning, the fleet departed in grand array.

In the Manila clash, Eric’s merchant vessels eluded capture. Manila’s labyrinthine waterways later explained it, prompting them to abandon the hunt as futile.

Still, Yue Yun knew the Dutch had fled to Jakarta, their prime bastion. He braced for a sea battle there, convinced they’d cling fiercely to it.

Jakarta Governor’s Office.

A ferocious dispute raged unprecedentedly. Stephen, Simon, Eric, and Jakarta Governor Averall sat like furious lions around the table.

“Simon, Eric shouldn’t be here. He’s been stripped of his Zeelandia governorship and stands as a captive now.”

Simon replied, “Ease up, Stephen. Eric’s a top-notch commander at least. He’ll shine in the battle ahead. Trial him after we’re back in the Netherlands and parliament handles it. Plus, nobody knows the Chinese Empire like he does.”

“You’re the rogue deserving chains. Without your stubborn folly, we’d avoid these crushing defeats. Zeelandia’s lost, trade’s ruined, Manila’s fallen too.”

Eric snapped in fury.

“Parliament decreed it!” Stephen screeched.

Averall’s visage darkened with impatience. Slamming the table, he barked, “Enough from both of you. The Empire’s fleet might be en route to Jakarta—that’s our priority. What’s our move?”

“Fall back to India, await the battle’s verdict. Loss means retreat to Netherlands; victory reclaims all,” Eric urged. “We can’t match the Chinese Empire. Believe me, Averall.”

Simon, having tasted the imperial forces’ might firsthand, nodded agreement.

Averall felt dismayed. “Jakarta’s the Netherlands’ crown jewel, nurtured over a century. We can’t surrender it lightly to foes.”

“Exactly. Allied forces aren’t battle-ready yet. We must stall the imperial navy. That’s our directive upon arrival. Like Manila, prepare for combat,” Stephen insisted.

Despair etched Eric’s face. Simon hung his head. “You haven’t witnessed their rapid-fire weapons. Once you do, you’ll see the madness of this choice.”

“Shame on you. Though Netherlands wanes, Dutch resolve endures. Unyielding defiance defines us,” Stephen bellowed.

Eric scoffed mockingly. “Just don’t soil yourselves when it hits.”

Averall caught Eric’s drift. Gleefully, he said, “You’ll stay and fight?”

“Yes. This time, I’ll try a tactic against the imperial army.” A sinister spark lit Eric’s eyes.

All along his escape, he’d pondered assaulting the imperial troops.

Pausing, he continued, “Delaying them demands one path: excavate deep trenches, deploy fire hedgehog defenses to rack up their losses. They’ll weigh the toll, return to talks rather than brute force everything.”

“Fire hedgehog proved effective,” Simon vouched for Eric.

Averall assented. A former battlefield comrade of Eric’s, he held deep trust. “I’ll rally Jakarta’s native slaves for trench-digging at once. Eric, let’s battle together again, as in old days.”

Eric’s features eased slightly. “I pray we weather this storm, forcing the Chinese Empire back to negotiations. But odds are slim.”