Episode 32
Scene 1: Qing navy base on an island in the department Gulei/Tongshan
The officers and soldiers of the Qing navy gather at the shore. The sea is full of ships. Shi Lang holds a speech to his marine corps in order to motivate the men for the battle. In front of him he presents a pile of 1,000 taels of silver to the soldiers. He tells them that this silver will be given to the soldiers who volunteer for the vanguard. Shi Lang shouts at the assembled men because he has the impression that they are not willing to fight as courageously as he expects them. Thinking that they are afraid of Liu Guoxuan, he admits that Liu Guoxuan is a good general but nevertheless he too can be defeated. To prove this he shows the coral helmet of Liu Guoxuan and tells the story how he came in his possession. When the female corps encountered Liu Guoxuan during a supply transport and fought against him, Aman shot his helmet down. Shi Lang suggests that the female soldiers are braver then the men. Commander Zhu Tiangui feels insulted and wants to join the vanguard but Shi Lang rejects him because he belongs to Yao Qisheng's troops. Zhu Tiangui becomes angry but Yao Qisheng underlines that Shi Lang is now the highest Commander and everybody has to obey him. At this point, Lan Li volunteers and receives the seal of the vanguard. He is willing to sacrifice his life in the battle. Shi Lang proceeds with his speech and tells that Yao Qisheng has come with 20,000 taels of silver to be used as reward for brave fighting. He asks the soldiers if it is possible that they will not earn this reward. All men shout that this is impossible. Yao Qisheng addresses the soldiers too and tells them that he expects a great victory. After these speeches Shi Lang and Yao Qisheng are very content with the effect of their strategies to motivate the soldiers.
Scene 2: Taiwan, Luermen harbour
The Dutch captain Cook leaves his ship and is received by Feng Xifan and Hong Xu. Haikui comes by and talks with Cook who recognizes her because they have met before. Cook invites her to visit his ship and she is very eager to do so even though Feng Xifan opposes this idea. Haikui insists on visiting Captain Cook. She argues that she owes him a favor because he last time they met he gave her a compass as present and it would be impolite to refuse his invitation. It seems that she has a special interest in meeting Captain Cook but can’t tell it in presence of other people. He proposes to send somebody to her when she wants to visit him. She tells him that she lives in the so called “White House”. Captain Cook remembers the “White House” because it once belonged to the Dutch and he used to live there. His wants to know what happened to the organ that was in the “White House” and is very delighted when Haikui tells him that the organ is still there and is even played by someone.
The preparations for the battle go on. Shi Lang has given order to write his name in large characters on the sail of his ship. The sail is set and everybody can see that his name can be read from a far distance. Shi Lang, Wu Qijue and the commanders walk towards the sea. Some commanders – among them Zhu Tiangui – oppose this measure because they think that this is too dangerous. Now the enemy will concentrate all forces on attacking Shi Lang’s ship and if Shi Lang fell the whole mission would be endangered. They approach Wu Qijue and ask him to convince Shi Lang to change his mind but Wu Qijue refuses to do so. Shi Lang holds a speech. He says that now the moment has come for which he has been waiting all his life. His task is to pacify and conquer Taiwan. He doesn’t fear death because the mission is more important than his life. He has promised the emperor to accomplish this mission and is going to fulfill his promises now.
Liu Guoxuan has received the message that Shi Lang is about to attack the Penghu Islands. It is also reported that Kangxi has already given the order to invade. It’s hard for Liu Guoxuan to believe this because it is the 6th month of the Chinese calendar which is feared for its heavy typhoons. He believes in the old fishermen saying that in the 6th month there are not more than 4 or 5 days with good whether. Such a short time would not enough to conquer so many islands. Therefore, it is very dangerous to attack now with ships. Liu Guoxuan discusses with his men whether Shi Lang might be bluffing with his preparations for invasion in order to force them to make a deal. But nevertheless he gives the order to prepare for battle. A messenger comes in and reports that Shi Lang has written his name with large characters on his ship’s sail. The men are surprised by this behavior but Liu Guoxuan knows Shi Lang and respects this eccentric way to lead his troops.
Shi Lang personally sails on a ship to Penghu in order to investigate the defense system of the Penghu Islands. When it becomes dark, he orders Wu Ying to continue the survey with him on a small boat because he wants investigate himself how the enemy is organized. Wu Ying expresses that it is very unusual that a commander-in-chief himself does this investigation. But Shi Lang is convinced that he himself must investigate the situation because this is the only way to get a sound foundation for his decisions. This behavior once more underlines his extraordinary character.
Scene 6: Taiwan, on board of Captain Cook’s ship
Captain Cook shows cannons to Feng Xifan and Hong Xu that are stored on his ship. Feng Xifan is eager to get them. He wants to use half of them for the defense of the Taiwan coastline at Luermen (the harbor of Dongningfu) and the other half for the Penghu Islands. Captain Cook requests him to come into his cabin. Feng Xifan talks with Cook’s translator. They look at the picture of the Dutch queen [sic!]. Feng Xifan is very amused to hear that in Western countries women can rule a country and men serve as their ministers. Cook shows them the treaty he has prepared: As soon as Shi Lang attacks the Penghu Islands the Dutch agree to come from Batavia with ships and support the Taiwanese side. After the victory, the Taiwanese will open their ports in Penghu and Taiwan for the Dutch for free trade. The Dutch also get the opportunity to establish military garrisons and to open consulates. Feng Xifan agrees with these conditions as long as the Dutch don’t claim territory. They agree on these paragraphs.
Scene 7: Taiwan, “White House”
Captain Cook approaches the “White House” with his translator. They hear Western organ music. Cook is very delighted. Haikui welcomes him and gives him a piece of jade as present. They enter the house and meet Yao Yun who has been playing the organ. Cook is deeply impressed by her and gives her a telescope as present. Haikui and Cook talk in another room while Cook’s translator is also present. Haikui has heard that Cook is going to sail to Penghu and to Quanzhou in Fujian, too. She asks him to take her and some friends of her along. Cook is suspicious why she as a princess needs a foreigner’s ship for traveling and is reluctant to do her this favor. Haikui explains him that she and her friends are not free to move around as they wish. She appeals to his Western support for freedom and when she tells him that one of her friends is Yao Yun he finally agrees to do her this favor. They make plans to meet later to give Yao Yun and Shi Shizong the opportunity to enter the ship unseen.
Scene 8: Taiwan, Feng Xifan’s residence
Hong Xu tells Feng Xifan that Cook has met with Haikui and Yao Yun in the “White House”. At first, Feng Xifan assumes that Captain Cook was only interested in small talk with beautiful women, but Hong Xu convinces him that they probably made plans to help Yao Yun to leave the country. Once she is on a foreign ship, they would have no means to hold her back. Thus the defense map could be brought out of the country. Feng Xifan doesn’t want this news reach Tang Taifei, because she is not trustworthy in matters were women are involved. Hong Xu advocates to arrest Haikui and Yao Yun immediately, but Feng Xifan is not willing to do so without proof. He says that they should try to get the truth from Captain Cook, but finally they agree to bribe the interpreter and collect the necessary information from him because they think it is easier to communicate with him.
Scene 9: Taiwan, Feng Xifan’s residence
Feng Xifan and Hong Xu have invited Cook’s interpreter and talk with him very friendly. They ask him for his personal background and his career and salary as interpreter. They offer him a lot of money if he reveals the contents of Captain Cook’s talk with Haikui. The interpreter tells them only unimportant things. Only when he is threatened with death, he finally reveals Haikui's plans to help her friends Yao Yun and Shi Shizong to flee with Cook’s ship the next morning. Feng Xifan orders Hong Xu to catch Yao Yun and Shi Shizong.
Shi Lang’s wife and Aman return home when they hear the noises of children. Shi Lang’s wife realizes that these are her sons who used to stay in the capital. She wonders why Shi Lang let them come to Fujian without telling her and is afraid because the battle is about to commence. Aman assumes that Shi Lang missed his children and wants to reunite with them once more. When they come to the children and talk to them the boys say that they came because they want to conquer Taiwan and help their older brother. But this statement is not taken serious by Shi Lang’s wife and Aman.
Haikui runs into Shi Shizong’s room in the “White House”. She tells him that Feng Xifan knows about her plan to help Shi Shizong and Yao Yun to flee and plans to catch them. While Haikui walks out to inform Yao Yun, Shi Shizong takes the defense map from a drawer in the desk. They leave the house and run to the shore. Hong Xu and a group of men run after them trying to catch them. When they realize at the shore that they cannot escape, Shi Shizong gives the defense map to Haikui and asks her to give it to his father. He assumes that Haikui will not be arrested. He and Yao Yun run in the one direction followed by the soldiers while Haikui goes in another direction. It is not shown whether they are caught. At the same time, Captain Cook walks along the beach with his men.
Cook and Haikui enter the interpreter’s cabin. They find him with a box full of silver. Though he pretends that he has won it with gambling nobody believes him. Haikui shows the characters on the silver that prove it is from the Taiwan authorities. The interpreter says that he was forced by Feng Xifan and threatened to be thrown in the sea. Haikui shouts that this is a good idea to throw him in the sea as punishment because it is his guilt that her friends were persecuted to death. The interpreter is arrested and taken away.
Scene 13: Fujian, navy base
Shi Lang’s wife walks through the camp and helps women to prepare food for the soldiers. Aman approaches and tells her that she just saw a man who delivered a pile of clothes to their house. She took a secret look at them and realized that these are uniforms for children. Shi Lang’s wife is startled.
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