"Master Cao, your trip to Ming Dynasty took a lot of time...more than five months!" Hu Wenjin met Cao Xiong and his party in the warehouse in Batavia and grabbed his arm excitedly.

Cao Xiong's fleet of four large ships transported more than 1,500 immigrants and arrived in Batavia in early June.

After planning to rest for a while, Cao Xiong will take the "Pioneer" and "Xinghan" to take the immigrants back to Hanzhou, and then ship and form a well-trained Marine Corps to go to Batavia to meet with the Netherlands.

The East India Company's expedition fleet gathered to attack the Kingdom of Aceh.

"What's wrong? Did something happen here or in Hanzhou?" Cao Xiong asked.

"Nothing happened, everything is fine!" Hu Wenjin shook his head and said with a smile: "Looking at Mr. Cao's complexion, did he make a lot of money in the Ming Dynasty?"

"More than five thousand people!" Cao Xiong said with a smile: "I recruited more than 800 people near Guangdong, and Luo Rucheng transported more than 4,000 people from Huaibei. In total, there are about 5,340 people!"

"Then our Hanzhou will soon have more than 7,000 people!" Hu Wenjin also beamed, "Our Hanzhou is quite large!"

"I will stay here for only two days. After visiting Mr. Ludweder, I will take the people back to Hanzhou." Cao Xiong said: "The Yi captain and our Tuochan No. 1 will continue from the vicinity of Chenla.

That island will transport the immigrants back to Batavia. Give it three months to transport everyone back!... Has there been any ship coming from Hanzhou in the near future?"

"Last week, Niu Da came over." Hu Wenjin said: "However, the materials they purchased are really hard to see through. You said Hanzhou is buying cattle, you have to choose some good ones, right? But Niu Da came and said

They all want the kind of sick cows that are developing cowpox, the more the better! I asked Niu Da, but he didn’t know what they were for, he just said that it was what Lao Yu and Xiao Tian strongly requested.”

"A sick cow with cowpox?" Cao Xiong was also extremely confused, "What are they going to do?"

"That's right!" Hu Wenjin said: "There was no one to pull the ship from Hanzhou for a while. In order not to miss it, I was asked to buy a lot of shipbuilding wood, saying that I would go back and build the ship myself... It's not like I have anything.

Opinion, given our conditions, how can we build a big ship? There are ready-made big ships available for purchase in Batavia and Guangzhou. Although they are not as powerful as Western big ships, they can always transport people and cargo.

Bar."

"I was here in Batavia and learned business from Mr. Su and several Chinese businessmen. They all said that maritime trade was extremely profitable and much better than building a workshop. Isn't that what the Dutch do?

The products of Japan and Korea are gathered in Batavia and then shipped to their country of Europe. It is said that the profits are five to eight times higher!"

"I know this!" Cao Xiong said; "Sea trade is very profitable. I brought some raw silk, porcelain, and tea back from the Ming Dynasty. In addition to paying for the immigration fees, there is still something left... But Xiaotian and the others want to,

Make everything yourself.”

"The nearest trade center in Hanzhou, Batavia, is more than ten days' voyage away. Once this thing is built and shipped here, wouldn't it have to be sold at a sky-high price to make some money? Look at it

There is nothing you can’t buy here, food, clothing, supplies, even guns and artillery, you can buy them as long as you give money.”

"However, the Xinxiang Fort we occupied is a good place. A few times ago, two ships from Hanzhou brought some nanmu. Our businessmen from the Ming Dynasty liked it very much and could sell it at a good price. Why not, let Hanzhou Mr. Zhou will get those workshop machinery and cut more nanmu. After earning money, he can go to Daming to recruit people!" Hu Wenjin was a little worried about Hanzhou being unable to leave and enter. The silver and treasures looted from Luzon and Boni were Sooner or later, Hanzhou will run out of money like this. Every time a ship comes from Hanzhou, it either requires a large amount of shipbuilding timber, or various production tools, hydraulic forging machines and other mechanical equipment.

As for the various production equipment and mechanical tools purchased back, so far, none of the goods have been produced that can be used. A few months ago, I finally got some steel knives and iron farm tools and tools. But it didn't happen. After a while, the source was cut off again, so that he once vigorously promoted these products, but because they were out of stock, he was ridiculed and questioned.

Cao Xiong vaguely felt that what Hu Wenjin said seemed to be very reasonable, but there were some problems. For a while, he couldn't figure it out. It was true as he said, almost anything that Hanzhou lacked could be bought in Batavia. In the future, as long as the people of Hanzhou can grow food well enough to fill their stomachs, the rest can be obtained through trade. They currently have three large Western ships and four Ming-style transport ships. Whether it is self-protection at sea or trading between various places, there is no risk.

When the population of Hanzhou increases, we can continue to buy ships, increase the number of trades, and earn a lot of money. Not only can we raise an armed fleet, but it seems that we can also exchange Hanzhou for a large number of production and daily necessities. What better than ourselves? We have to explore and produce, which saves a lot of trouble.

Isn't that what happened to Zheng Zhilong of Fujian? By monopolizing the trade from the Ming Dynasty to Japan and North Korea, he made tens of millions of taels of silver every year, maintained thousands of ships, and tens of thousands of soldiers. He didn't seem to have built many various workshops. , life is still enjoyable and relaxed.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, throughout the Age of Discovery, almost all countries spontaneously implemented free trade. It was only you who wanted the products around the world, not me.

When England implemented the Navigation Act, it was considered the beginning of restrictions on free trade and triggered the first Anglo-Dutch war.

The next day, Cao Xiong visited Ludwig and Captain Ajan van Dijk, commander of the Batavia Navy. After the meeting, both men repeatedly emphasized that they would attack the Kingdom of Aceh in July, and Hanzhou must make all preparations. The Governor took this battle seriously and hoped to increase the number of land attackers to 300, so as to form a land attack force of 1,000 people with the Dutch East India Company Army.

Because they have reason to believe that the Kingdom of Aceh has already learned about the East India Company's military operations. In order to ensure nothing goes wrong, it is best to increase the military offensive force.

After hearing this, Cao Xiong cursed secretly, Damn you, do you want to waste more of our sons from Hanzhou?

On the third day, Cao Xiong and Qi Dajiang stopped delaying. The two ships picked up nearly a thousand immigrants who were still in good health and set sail for Hanzhou.

Ten days later, when he stopped at Xinxiang Fort on Timor Island for repairs, Cao Xiong was surprised to find that Xinxiang Fort had really turned into a fortress, with a polygonal bastion, thick cement-smeared walls, and six or seven gates at the head of the city. Large and small artillery. Although the city wall is still under construction and the trenches outside are still being dug, the overall defense facilities are quite large.

Looking at this, once the construction is completed, even if thousands of people attack, they may not be able to break Xinxiang Fort.

"Dalang, good job!" Cao Xiong got off the boat and saw Chen Dalang, and couldn't help but praise him.

"How can I do this!" Chen Dalang ordered his guards to drive away the natives and unload some grain, salt, spices, cloth and other living supplies from the ship in canoes.

"Hanzhou sent a young man to supervise the construction of this city wall. I just asked the immigrants and natives to use their strength!... Not a while ago, our ship suddenly encountered a Portuguese ship on the nearby sea.

, worried that others would discover it. That’s why we rushed to build the city wall.”

"The Portuguese got here so quickly?" Cao Xiong also frowned. This sudden conflict with the Portuguese was really difficult for Hanzhou to deal with. Especially since he had to take two ships to participate in the Dutch military.

During the operation, several other ships were transferring people to the small island of Chenla.

"Don't worry, Mr. Cao. We have been hoarding food in Xinxiang Fort for four months now. Unless the Portuguese keep guarding and besieging us for a long time, they will not be able to do anything to us!" Chen Dalang was very concerned about guarding Xinxiang Fort.

, very confident.

"Would you like me to bring you another heavy cannon from the ship?"

"No need, the enemy's heavy artillery can't be transported to our city! Look at that river, ordinary big ships can't get in. Xiaotian has the foresight and said that for the sake of safety, the river will not be dredged for the time being, so that everyone can

No enemy ship can sail in along the river bend. If they come to attack us, you can only come in in a small boat. Or, you have to go through the dense woods!"

Cao Xiong looked back and looked at the canoes shuttled back and forth, and couldn't help but nodded. If Xinxiang Fort can hold on for three or four months, let alone Hanzhou to support it, even if it is wasted, the enemy can be exhausted.

I don’t know if we will encounter such a difficult-to-conquer castle when we attack the Kingdom of Aceh in July. Otherwise, many people will die.
Chapter completed!