On the western coast of central Taiwan Island, near the area that in later generations would be called Taichung.
Yao Xingjuan was currently gesturing wildly while speaking with the indigenous people of the Kingdom of Dadu.
He waved his hands, drew shapes in the air, and even squatted down to draw pictures in the sand.
Everything was done to negotiate future cooperation.
However, it did not take long for him to discover something extremely frustrating.
The natives were grateful for the help he had provided. They were also willing to trade goods.
But that was where their goodwill ended.
They refused to allow Yao Xingjuan to establish a supply port on Taiwan.
They refused to allow Han settlers to farm on the island.
They even refused to learn the Chinese language or writing system.
The king of the Kingdom of Dadu, Ganza Xia Alami, had learned exactly one sentence.
"Fruit candy. Strawberry flavor."
After that, he refused to learn anything else.
The situation was awkward.
The mission given to Yao Xingjuan by Dao Xuan Tianzun was clear.
He was supposed to culturally integrate the natives so that both sides could eventually become one family.
But the other side clearly had no intention of cooperating.
They would not learn the language.
They would not learn the writing.
They did not want deeper contact.
How could two sides become one family like this?
Seeing Ganza Xia Alami sitting there with a smug expression that practically said I do not want to communicate with you, Yao Xingjuan felt his hand drifting toward the short pistol at his waist.
He really wanted to fire one shot directly into that smug face.
Just one shot.
Suddenly the embroidered figure of Dao Xuan Tianzun on his chest spoke.
"Do not resort to violence."
Yao Xingjuan jumped in shock.
Then his face lit up with joy.
"Tianzun! You are here! That is wonderful."
"You told me to approach the natives with the greatest goodwill. But this king refuses to cooperate with anything."
"He does not allow his people to believe in the Dao Xuan Tianzun faith."
"He refuses comic books."
"He refuses to learn our language."
"He even refuses to allow us to build a supply port here."
"It is infuriating."
"He only wants to trade goods."
A voice came calmly from the embroidery.
"So you want to kill him and install a more cooperative king?"
Yao Xingjuan scratched his head.
"Yes. I have been thinking about something like that."
The voice sighed softly.
"That idea will not work."
Yao Xingjuan blinked.
"Why not?"
"Throughout history every country has used this method. It works quite well."
"Yes," the voice replied.
"In history that trick has succeeded many times."
"But it will not work on the Kingdom of Dadu."
"They will fight to the death."
"They would rather face extermination than submit."
Yao Xingjuan froze.
Then realization dawned on him.
Dao Xuan Tianzun was revealing heavenly secrets again.
After all, Tianzun could see five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future.
Naturally he could foresee how the Kingdom of Dadu would react.
And in fact, Tianzun was not exaggerating.
In real history the Kingdom of Dadu refused to cooperate with the Dutch invaders.
They rejected Christianity.
They rejected Dutch language and writing.
They rejected translators.
They rejected everything.
Later when Zheng Chenggong arrived and drove away the Dutch, the Kingdom of Dadu still did not cooperate with the Zheng regime.
The Zheng forces seized land on the island for farming.
This angered the natives.
Eventually some indigenous groups attacked Zheng settlers and killed many of them.
The event became known as the Indigenous Uprising.
At that time the Zheng regime used exactly the same idea that Yao Xingjuan had just considered.
If they refuse to submit, then beat them until they do.
But the Kingdom of Dadu could not be beaten into submission.
Battle after battle followed.
In the end, only six survivors remained.
The kingdom was almost completely exterminated.
Was that submission?
Perhaps.
But even in modern times the anger had not disappeared.
Just a few years ago, indigenous activists threw red paint onto statues of Zheng Chenggong.
Clearly they had never truly accepted what had happened.
Li Dao Xuan did not come to save his compatriots by slaughtering them and stealing their land.
He certainly did not want people hundreds of years later throwing paint on his own statue.
He could not repeat the same mistakes.
"Yao Xingjuan," Li Dao Xuan said calmly.
"There is no need to rush."
"There are still many places on the mainland that we have not developed yet."
"Why hurry over a single island like Taiwan?"
"Take your time."
"Build friendships slowly."
"The human heart is made of flesh."
"As long as we do not arrive as invaders, one day they will understand our goodwill."
Yao Xingjuan immediately straightened.
"Understood!"
Just as they finished speaking, an alarm suddenly rang out from the ship anchored near the shore.
It was the Little Black No.1.
A sailor shouted toward the beach.
"Captain! The Dutch are coming!"
"What?"
Yao Xingjuan jumped to his feet.
"Everyone aboard!"
"All personnel return to the ship immediately!"
The people from Gao Family Village rushed toward the vessel.
Meanwhile Ganza Xia Alami and the natives fled toward the mountains and forests.
A naval battle was about to begin.
Five Dutch warships charged in from the sea and immediately opened fire on Little Black No.1.
Five ships against one.
In terms of artillery exchange, Little Black No.1 did not fall behind.
But Yao Xingjuan had no desire to engage in boarding combat.
So he fought while increasing the distance.
The Dutch had become furious.
Recently Yao Xingjuan had been extremely active along the central western coast of Taiwan.
The reason was simple.
Across the strait, a supply port had been completed in Jinjiang.
Jinjiang
Jinjiang produced coal locally.
Gao Family Village transported large amounts of gunpowder and artillery shells.
Local merchants supplied food and fresh water.
Yao Xingjuan's logistics had become incredibly convenient.
Every time he refueled and resupplied, he crossed the strait and appeared again along the central western coast of Taiwan.
Then he caused chaos for the Dutch.
Sometimes he attacked Dutch merchant ships.
Sometimes he attacked Dutch warships.
Sometimes he landed on shore and helped the natives of the Kingdom of Dadu fight the Dutch.
In short, whenever he saw the Dutch, he bit them.
After suffering this harassment for a long time, the Dutch finally lost their patience.
They temporarily stopped attacking the Kingdom of Dadu.
Instead they assembled fleets of five to seven warships and began patrolling constantly in this region.
Their goal was simple.
Kill Yao Xingjuan.
And right now their patrol fleet had found him.
The Dutch warships rushed forward aggressively.
"Fire!"
Artillery roared from both sides.
Cannonballs crossed between the fleets.
When a Dutch warship was hit, a massive hole would tear open in its wooden hull.
But when Little Black No.1 was struck, the result was only a loud metallic clang.
The aluminum alloy armor simply dented slightly.