The emperor had already decided to choose the Dutch as the first enemy of the Ming navy, and naturally he had weighed the pros and cons repeatedly.

Currently, the Ming's main rivals in Southeast Asia were the Spanish in Luzon and the Dutch in Batavia. As for the British, they had only just arrived in Asia and were not very powerful, so they were unlikely to easily provoke the Ming.

If we were to go by the degree of hatred, the emperor would have chosen the Spanish first. After all, he still harbored a deep grudge for the blood debt incurred by the massacre of overseas Chinese.

But from a grand strategic perspective, there were very good reasons for striking the Dutch first.

Even if the battle was fought only near the coast of the Ming Dynasty and almost all of the Ming Dynasty's naval forces were mobilized, it would be a deterrent to the Western barbarians who came to the Ming Dynasty at will on gunboats.

They come as they please, leave as they please, and even if they take over, they won't leave. How can it be so easy? If we don't give these bullies the weak and afraid of the strong a hard blow, they won't know how to follow the rules of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing Wang Tigan picking up the secret box and about to send someone to deliver it urgently according to the rules, the emperor suddenly remembered something and said, "Wang Ban, don't send it out yet. I have a secret letter."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Tigan put down the secret box, bowed and stepped back.

The emperor picked up the paper and pen again and wrote another letter to Shen Yourong.

At the time, the concepts of territory and territorial waters were not particularly valued. Many uninhabited islands and unowned areas existed, and no one could claim them as theirs. Only the powerful and able to secure a secure possession could truly claim them.

But the emperor was well aware of the importance of declaring sovereignty.

Even if a nation's power declines for a period of time and its islands or places are seized by others, as long as historical evidence is preserved, there is still a possibility of regaining them. At the very least, it should be more confident in arguing with other countries.

There is definitely no need for boundary markers on land for the time being. The Ming Dynasty still needs to expand, so how can it stand still?

But on the sea, every island is valuable. Therefore, the emperor sent an imperial decree to Shen Yourong and the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.

They patrolled and surveyed the South China Sea, erecting flags and stones on uninhabited or unowned islands, naming them one by one and marking them on maps. At the same time, they recruited coastal fishermen to develop the islands, offering them preferential policies, and erected lighthouses on islands along major shipping routes.

As for those uninhabited or ownerless islands, with the strength of the navy, they can land on small islands that are not too far from the Ming Dynasty, and they can all be engraved on stones and flags raised.

Although it is time-consuming and laborious, it is also a valuable legacy left to future generations. If there is strength and evidence, territorial and maritime disputes can be better resolved.

After writing the secret decree, the emperor sealed it personally and gave it to Wang Tigan to send quickly.

The emperor was the only one left in the hall, and silence fell once again. Although the emperor had finished making arrangements, he still frowned slightly, stroking his chin in thought.

It seems that support for the Maritime Merchants Association needs to be strengthened. Allowing them to recruit retired officers and soldiers seems to be insufficient.

The emperor knew that cultivating the spirit of adventure and exploration would not be a matter of a day or two, so he instructed the General Chamber of Maritime Commerce to expand overseas in the style of the East India Company. However, this was still in the exploratory stage, and the support provided was limited.

Even with limited support, Li Dan, Yan Siqi and others were extremely surprised and quickly took action.

It is somewhat coincidental with history that after repeated discussions, Li Dan, Yan Siqi and others chose the Pontianak area on the island of Kalimantan.

There were many indigenous chiefs there, but their power was not great, nor were they very shrewd in business. Once they had tasted a little success, they welcomed the "China Four Seas" company established there by the General Chamber of Maritime Commerce.

The land of Kalimantan is fertile and suitable for farming and grazing. It also has mountains, forests, gold mines, rich resources, and a harbor for developing transportation. The emperor also highly appreciated the choice of Li Dan and others.

Although the Western Barbarians were not very powerful in Asia and posed no threat to the "Four Seas of China" Company, he was unsure whether the emperor would retaliate against the Dutch since he had already targeted them.

Even though the Dutch did not yet have the strength to occupy more territory, they still occupied Batavia on the island of Java.

However, the importance of the location of Kalimantan Island is highlighted. If managed properly, it will become a relay base for the Ming Navy to attack Batavia.

The emperor knew the reasons for the failure of the Lan Fang Republic in history. One was the massive attack by the Dutch, and the other was the poor weapons and equipment.

The more important reason was that the strategy of seeking self-preservation by becoming a vassal of the Qing Dynasty had failed. The Dutch, no longer holding back, naturally launched a massive military campaign and destroyed the Lan Fang Republic.

"I will never regard overseas Chinese as pirates, nor will I turn a blind eye to them. The Ming Dynasty will be their strong support."

The emperor had made up his mind and wrote another secret decree. The content of the decree was simple: to send low-ranking officers from the army to provide military training to the personnel recruited by the Maritime Merchants Association and to provide a batch of weapons and equipment.

According to the nature of the "Four Seas of China" company, the duty of recruiting these strong men is to be bodyguards. Under the emperor's latest arrangement, these bodyguards will become quasi-troops, using matchlock guns and some light artillery.

After the emperor finished writing the secret decree, he ordered the palace servants to find the memorial sent by Li Dan and read it again.

According to Li Dan's description, there were two to three thousand well-equipped and well-trained soldiers on the island of Kalimantan, and the local Sultan could not resist them.

Moreover, the local area was rich in gold, and Li Dan guaranteed that he could provide food and wages for the troops sent by the court, and their salaries could even be doubled.

The emperor believed this, but the timing and conditions were not right to send regular troops to Kalimantan.

The emperor put down the document, stroked his forehead and thought for a while, and thought it would be more appropriate to let the Maritime Merchants Association organize its own armed forces first.

The Dutch will definitely be expelled from Asia, but before the war actually breaks out, it is better not to let the Dutch become too alert.

In fact, the emperor wanted to go to war with the Dutch and had his eyes on a place of great strategic value, which was Malacca, which was first occupied by the Portuguese and then snatched away by the Dutch.

You should know that the Strait of Malacca is the throat connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and it is also an important sea route for exchanges between Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. It is known as the "crossroads of the sea".

Although the current Ming Dynasty navy has made great progress in the number of ships and artillery, it is sufficient to defend the Ming Dynasty in the near sea.

But the emperor was unsure whether he could launch an expedition and defeat the Western Barbarians in a naval battle. He was the only one who knew that the Ming Dynasty was already lagging behind the Western Barbarians in terms of naval size and naval warfare tactics.

Let this naval battle with the Dutch on our doorstep become a touchstone to test what results have been achieved in the expansion and training over the years!

The emperor let out a long breath, leaned back, and gently closed his eyes.