September 28, 1642, Ming Dynasty, Quanzhou, Fujian.

Four Qi armed merchant ships from Hanxing Island (today's Miyako Island) slowly sailed into the Quanzhou Pier berth. On several Haicang ships docked nearby, a dozen officers and soldiers of the Zheng Navy stood on the deck.

Looking at those giant ships with envy

A large warship. This Hanzhou people's gunboat has an obvious advantage over the many small boats of its own. Not only does it have many cannons, but on the sea, with several large sails and a little bit of wind, its speed is also faster than our own.

The boat will leave a lot faster.

If there was a conflict with their Hanzhou ship at sea, it would probably take more than ten of my own small boats to surround it. However, the relationship between Hanzhou and my Zheng family is still very close, and many of the firearms in the army are also thanks to the

They provide it. Thinking about it, the chance of conflict should not be very high.

"Excuse me, among the generals from Hanzhou who came to Quanzhou this time, who is in charge?" After the ship stopped, the officers and soldiers of the Qi Navy were getting off the ship in an orderly manner, preparing to enter the city to buy some supplies. At this time, several

The officers and soldiers of the Zheng Navy came to the dock and asked loudly.

"I am the commander of this fleet." Upon seeing this, Luo Rucheng took two steps forward and walked up to the leader, an officer from Qianhu of the Zheng Army.

"My governor wants to see you." Shi Lang said with a smile, "Please follow me into the city."

Luo Rucheng was startled. In the past, when they immigrated to the Ming Dynasty, they would often replenish supplies and do ship maintenance in Quanzhou. Zheng Zhilong had never met them. This time, he suddenly wanted to meet with the commander of the Qi fleet. It was probably because of something important.

Things, and it is also related to their Qi country.

"Is your Hanzhou related to those Ming people who revolted in Luzon?" After meeting Luo Rucheng, Zheng Zhilong asked straight to the point, with a hint of gloom on his face.

"We have nothing to do with them," Luo Rucheng denied.

"It doesn't matter?" Zheng Zhilong looked at Luo Rucheng, "Why do they have so many firearms in their hands? Apart from what you Hanzhou provides, where else will they come from?"

"Luzon is surrounded by seas on all sides, and we are not the only ones who have firearms in Nanyang. The Dutch, Portuguese, and even the natives of Nanyang may sell them firearms." Luo Rucheng said without changing his expression.

"Do you think I will believe it?" Zheng Zhilong said coldly: "At the beginning, you Hanzhou had a word with me that if I, the Zheng family, captured Luzon, we would occupy the entire island. But now, you support those Ming people who started the uprising.

Growing weapons and food? Huh..., are you, Hanzhou, prepared to compete with me for Luzon?"

"Governor Zheng, our Qi State did not support those Ming people who resisted Spanish oppression, and we currently have no intention of competing with you for Luzon." Luo Rucheng said seriously: "I don't know the basis for these accusations of yours.

So much so that we are so convinced that we are supporting those Ming people to oppose you. You must know that my family, the King of Qi, attaches great importance to cooperation with your Zheng family, and we work together to establish our Han power in Nanyang."

After hearing this, Zheng Zhilong showed a sarcastic look on his face and said word by word: "You Hanzhou think that by establishing rules and regulations and claiming to be king, you can do whatever you want on the sea, trying to gain territory and power that does not match your strength.

Scope? Just because the Dutch can't do anything to you doesn't mean that we, the Zheng family, can't do anything to you either. You have to remember that on the entire coast of the Ming Dynasty, without the permission of my Zheng family, not a single sampan can go into the sea, let alone rely on

Can’t reach the shore!”

After Luo Rucheng heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little angry in his heart. Why, are you a verbal threat to our Daqi?

"What do you mean by Governor Zheng's words?" Luo Rucheng asked in a deep voice.

"If you want to cooperate, you must behave yourself and don't make small moves." Zheng Zhilong said: "Luzon was captured by my Zheng family. Naturally, it belongs to my Zheng family alone and cannot be interfered with by others. You Hanzhou must keep this in mind. Attack We, the Zheng family, can do our best to destroy or subdue those Ming people who are revolting. But I think they are all of the same lineage as the Han people, so why should we blame the swordsmen? I hope those Ming people can take care of themselves!"

Luo Rucheng looked at Zheng Zhilong with a serious expression, knowing in his heart that the other party was warning them not to continue to support the Luzon Ming people who were revolting, and even asked them to tell them on their behalf, asking the 20,000 Ming people to surrender to the Zheng army as soon as possible. Otherwise, they would We will take drastic measures to kill them and destroy them.

On the other hand, they are also reminding the Hanzhou side that Zheng Jun's navy has an absolute advantage along the coast of the Ming Dynasty. Don't challenge their limits. Otherwise, their immigration route will be cut off and Hanzhou ships will no longer be able to approach the Ming Dynasty. Immigration matters are carried out along the coast.

Zheng Zhilong watched Luo Rucheng leave the hall under the guidance of a butler, passed through the ear door, and headed towards the outer courtyard without saying a word for a long time.

"Brother, are we going to fall out with Hanzhou?" Zheng Zhibao asked softly.

Zheng Zhilong was awakened by his third brother's words. He turned around and looked at Zheng Zhibao sitting on the right side of the hall and a young man beside him.

"The Dutch fought with them for three years. It is said that they did not gain any advantage, but suffered heavy losses." Zheng Zhilong counted numbly: "And various messages from Batavia indicate that the Hanzhou army is good at fighting and has sharp firearms. .Although the number of its naval warships is not large, its ability to wander around and attack is hard to guard against. If our Zheng family cannot defeat Hanzhou with one blow, we will definitely be invaded by Hanzhou ships on the sea route. Haha , can our business still be done?"

"We can send a large army to plunder their Xinsheng Island near Cambodia and Hanxing Island (today's Miyako Island in Japan) and Xinghe Island (today's Ishigaki Island in Japan) near Taiwan." Zheng Zhibao said fiercely: "If so, they How can we fight with our Zheng family navy when there are no supply points near the coast of Ming Dynasty?"

"Do you think our Army Division is confident in taking out those strongholds on Hanzhou?" Zheng Zhilong asked.

"The Westerners' Manila is so strong, but it was defeated by us." Zheng Zhibao said: "Can the stronghold built by the Hanzhou people be stronger and more tightly defended than Manila?"

"Yuewen (Zheng Zhibao's calligraphy), who provided the firearms of our Zheng family in recent years?"

"...Hanzhou." Zheng Zhibao hesitated for a moment and said, "So what? We have the mainland at our back and there are many people. We can trap them with our numerical advantage. I don't believe we can't conquer them."

"If we really want to attack several strongholds in Hanzhou, how much do you think it will cost our Zheng family?" Zheng Zhilong shook his head and said: "If the Hanzhou people are forced to panic, and they collude with the Dutch to deal with us together, then How should we respond?”

"..." Zheng Zhibao was suddenly speechless. The Zheng family has been an ally with Hanzhou in recent years. They jointly suppressed the Dutch in Batavia, making the Zheng family almost monopolize most of the maritime trade of Japan and North Korea, and even He also controlled the Dutch demand and supply for Ming Dynasty goods and made a lot of money.

If they fall out with Hanzhou, force them to side with the Dutch, and unite to deal with the Zheng family, although they are backed by the mainland, they will not be defeated by the two families, but if the other party frequently attacks trading ships at sea, the business will not be able to survive

Did it. You know,

The ships that the Zheng family trades with Japan and North Korea are all small and medium-sized Haicang ships, bird ships, and numerous lucky ships with small tonnage and weak firepower. The three or five ships put together are not even one of the other party's ships.

An opponent of an armed merchant ship of about 600 tons.

If you think about it carefully, the Zheng family's best opportunity to deal with Hanzhou was actually during the three years when Hanzhou was at war with the Dutch East India Company. At that time, if the Zheng family had blockaded and intercepted Hanzhou immigrant ships along the coast of the Ming Dynasty, then

Coupled with the Dutch's blockade of Hanzhou's mainland, this will inevitably put Hanzhou into a very difficult situation. Not to say that it will completely defeat the opponent, but at least it will delay or retard the further growth of Hanzhou's strength.

"Father, Third Uncle." The young man sitting next to Zheng Zhibao said softly: "I have observed Hanzhou's behavior in the Ming Dynasty and Nanyang in recent years. It seems that it only cares about transshipping immigrants to and from the mainland, and does not deal with the Ming Dynasty, Japan, Korea and other places at sea.

We have never shown any intention to get involved in trade. This move is a mixed blessing for our Zheng family."

"Fusong, Hanzhou specializes in immigration. For my Zheng family, what is joy and what is sorrow?" Zheng Zhilong looked at the young man with a smile.

The young man called "Fusong" by Zheng Zhilong is his eldest son, named Fusong (Zheng Sen, also known as Zheng Chenggong in later generations), who is eighteen years old this year. He was born in Hizen Kunhei, Japan, in the fourth year of Tianqi (1624)

Senrihama Kawauchiura on Tojima. When he was six years old, Zheng Zhilong was recruited by the Ming Dynasty to serve as an official.

, was taken back to Anping, Quanzhou Prefecture (formerly Anping Town, Jinjiang County, Fujian Province, now Anhai Town) to live and study. In the eleventh year of Chongzhen (1638), he passed the examination as a scholar, and passed the examination to become one of the twenty "Lin Shan students" in Nan'an County.

"One. Last year, I married Dong Yougu, the niece of Dong Yangxian, the minister of rites of Jinshi in Hui'an, Quanzhou, Fujian.

Zheng Fusong bowed his hands to his father and said respectfully: "Hanzhou travels to the Ming Dynasty, not for economic reasons, but for immigration. For our Zheng family, this move avoids competition and shares the benefits of our maritime trade. It is a great joy."

; But since Hanzhou is not for the economy but only for immigrants, we

If the Zheng family wants to fight against them, the profits and losses will be most important to our Zheng family. However, our navy and land divisions have tens of thousands of troops, many handyman boatmen, and immigrants from Taiwan and Lu. They spend huge amounts of money every day and are missing a few dollars.

Dividing the benefits of maritime trade may make many affairs unsustainable."

"Is there any way to deal with it?" Zheng Zhilong nodded and continued to ask.

"My Zheng family occupies Taiwan and Lu, and has occupied the key points of Hanzhou's immigration route. In addition, we have absolute control over the coast of the Ming Dynasty. If Hanzhou wants to immigrate, they will naturally look up to me." Zheng Fusong said: "But if

If we, the Zheng family, use this to threaten Hanzhou, we will inevitably anger the other people, or they may quarrel with our Zheng family. Or even, as my father said, we may collude with the Dutch people to attack our Zheng family and cut off our maritime interests."

"In the past, my father was called to guard Fujian, help the imperial court to bring peace to the world, and gained this prestigious position. However, Hanzhou was located in the southern continent, with few products and a poor population, but he secretly established laws and regulations and claimed to be king. But

, in the whole world, is it the land of the king? On the shore of the land, is it the minister of the king? Xiao

People who steal high positions must be frightened. If my father reported to the imperial court to recruit people and ennoble them, and thought that the Ming Dynasty was a vassal, Hanzhou would definitely be grateful. Since we will all be under the rule of the Ming Dynasty in the future, Hanzhou will also respect the orders of the Ming Dynasty. I, the Zheng family, can act on behalf of the Ming Dynasty.

Restrict Hanzhou at sea."
Chapter completed!