Chapter 155: The Maritime Businessman who repairs the fort

Another month later, the fleet led by Li Nai set out from Guangzhou Port. During this period, "Furifeng" purchased two sea ships and some other supplies for the Hai Han people, and recruited a group of craftsmen and crew members whom the other party pointed out. Li Jifeng hoped to use the means of sending Li Nai to visit and providing these personnel and materials to express their supplies, and lay a good foundation for the long-term cooperation between the two parties in the future.

This was not the first time that Li Nai went to sea on a boat. When he went to Beijing to take the exam, he took a boat north from Guangzhou. After landing in Hangzhou Bay, he visited some local teachers and friends, and then went to Beijing by land. However, this time he was able to travel as a leader of a caravan, which was indeed a fresh experience for him. He was thinking about how to socialize with the Hai Han people after he got to the place.

According to the statement of the shopkeeper Li in Yazhou, although these overseas visitors were dressed strangely, they could feel that they had received excellent education, and their words and deeds were not as vulgar as those Western barbarians. However, the shopkeeper Li also mentioned that these people did not agree with many of the rules of the Ming Dynasty. In the short term, it could be considered as not to be trivial, but in the big term, their words and deeds were somewhat inconsistent.

Li Nai was not particularly concerned about these details. If a law-abiding maritime businessman could have the courage to make and sell private salt? "Furifeng" can grow to its current scale step by step in Guangzhou, but it is not entirely legal transactions. In fact, who dares to say that his butt is clean if he is a master of maritime trade?

For maritime merchants, the definition of whether they violate the law does not lie in how they are written in the Ming Dynasty, but in whether they are caught or not. As long as they are not caught by the government, whether they are smuggling or tax evasion, they are all "legal". If you want to make a lot of money from maritime trade, this risk must be taken.

Perhaps because of the important figure of Li Nai in the fleet, the relevant personnel did not want to venture into the far sea, so the fleet's route became more conservative. After the fleet left the Pearl River Estuary, it went west, passed Yangjiang, Maoming, Zhanjiang, and then headed south along the Leizhou Peninsula. After crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, it stopped in Qiongzhou Prefecture City for a day for supply rest, and then continued to detour along the east coast of Hainan Island to near Sanya.

After walking on this route, it was one-third longer than going straight from the Pearl River Estuary to Hainan. The fleet stopped and stopped all the way, and it took more than ten days to get to the place.

When the fleet was passing by Xizhou Island in Yalong Bay, it encountered the "Haishou 01" ship that was digging bird droppings here and preparing to return to the port. After a simple communication between the two sides, "Haishou 01" led the way in front and led the fleet to Shengli Port.

"The third young master, the cape in front is Jinmu Point. Bypassing this place, it is the port of the Haihan people." The person who spoke was the person sent by Li Jifeng to assist Li Nai this time, He Qiang, the deputy manager of the "Furuifeng" cabinet. He has worked in "Furuifeng" for many years and has been promoted step by step from the errand running guy. He is also one of the few foreign-schooled people among the senior management of "Furuifeng". Li Jifeng was worried that the fledgling Li Nai suffered a loss when trading with the Haihan people, so he sent He Qiang to follow him, and at the critical moment he could help Li Nai take his pulse and provide some reference opinions.

He Qiang had been to Yazhou several times before, so he was familiar with this route. He continued to introduce: "The harbor that the Haihan people stayed in was called Yulin in ancient times. Shengli Port was the name they changed after they came here. Look at the strait in front, and the cape on the left is called Yulin Corner... However, this place is too far from Yazhou, with sparse population and being attacked by pirates every year, which is not a good place. It is said that because there are not many people settled here, the Yazhou government had already withdrawn its capital a few years ago. Only when they go inland are more than ten miles away, there are some Li Miaoshan people living there. I really don't know why the Haihan people chose such a desolate place."

"According to what Manager Li said, these Hai Han people are extremely smart people, and they act in a plan before acting. There must be a reason for them to do this." Li Nai did not think about things very simply. His views were the same as Li Jifeng. These Hai Han people were bold and cautious in their work, but they were definitely not aimlessly messing around. They had to be more careful when dealing with them.

While the two were talking, a white sloop suddenly emerged from the bay on the right. The hull of the ship was flat and flat, but the speed of sailing on the sea was amazingly fast. They made an arc in front of their fleet and headed towards the west.

"This is the fast sailing ship of the Hai Han people that Shopkeeper Li mentioned!" When Li Nai saw the legendary ship appearing in front of him, he immediately went to the side of the ship to look at him: "It is said that there are only two such sailing ships, one is called 'Lightning' and the other is called 'Flying Speed', but he doesn't know which one we see."

He Qiang, who claimed to be knowledgeable, also grew up in surprise at this time. Seeing the fast ship passing through the sea at an astonishing speed, he could only murmur: "So fast... so fast ship..."

"Uncle He, in your opinion, how long will it take if this boat is going to run to Guangzhou?" Li Nai asked with interest.

He Qiang calculated it a little in his mind before saying, "The route we came was suspected of detours. If we went straight to Qiongzhou Island after going out from the Pearl River Estuary, we could arrive here in six to seven days. But with the speed of this ship, we might arrive in at most two days! I have seen the Clippers of the Flang Jiman and the Red Haired Man, which are absolutely nothing like this ship, and the speed is far less than that of this ship."

"Since the Hai Han people have such a kind of clutch, why do they ask us to buy second-hand sea boats from Guangzhou?" Li Nai frowned.

"There may be several reasons. For example, the Hai Han people's sea freight volume is extremely large. This ship will be fast, but the hull is flat and the load capacity is definitely limited, which probably cannot meet their requirements. The construction of such a ship may be very difficult. It can be seen that the Hai Han people have only two ships on hand." He Qiangdan guessed. His guess was basically the key. The Hai Han people bought the ship because of insufficient transportation capacity, and the materials and technology needed to build catamarans fast sailboats were not what they can achieve now.

The fleet slowly sailed into the strait next to Yulin Corner, and after passing here, it officially entered the Victory Port. He Qiang, who looked around, suddenly turned pale and said in shock: "San Young Master, look at the coast on the right...what is that?"

Li Nai turned around and saw a row of low-rise buildings made of stones on the slopes along the coast. Many migrant workers were carrying stones and shouting horns to build there. It seemed to be an unfinished project. The already built part of the squat with a very obvious squat was a little like a city wall.

Li Nai shook his head and said, "Why do these Hai Han people build city walls by the sea?"

As soon as he said that, he had already noticed something was wrong. Sure enough, He Qiang responded tremblingly: "Third Master, that's not a city wall, that's a fort!"

"Fort?" Li Nai was also shocked: "Uncle He, do you really see clearly that it is a Fort?"

"Two years ago, when Humen was renovating the fort, the shopkeeper pledged a cannon. At that time, the prefect met with the pledged Guangzhou gentry on the fort. I had seen the fort at Humen, which was basically in this shape. Look at the place surrounded by a turret, which is where the cannons are placed in the future!" He Qiang was also a little knowledgeable and lowered his voice and explained to Li Nai.

At this time, the place where the boat was traveling was less than a hundred meters away from the coast, and the situation on the shore slope could be clearly seen. After He Qiang said this, Li Nai also understood that the places surrounded by arc-shaped turrets looked like turrets?

Li Nai's face changed now. Building a fort is not a joke. If the Hai Han people really built a fort here, it would mean at least three things: First, it is no longer within the jurisdiction of the Ming army, otherwise the Ming army would never be able to watch outsiders build such military facilities here. Second, the Hai Han people have cannons in their hands, and it is very likely that they are not the kind of short-barrel, thick-body used by maritime merchants on board, and they can only use some stone and iron nails, but the real red artillery cannons! Third, even if the Maritime Chamber of Commerce equips some weapons to defend against pirates on board, there will never be any Maritime Chamber of Commerce to build a fort at the port. The Hai Han people would do this, and their purpose and motivation are questionable.

Li Nai thought for a while, then forced a smile and said, "Uncle He, maybe we are thinking too much. Since even we who are far away in Guangzhou know the existence of the Hai Han people, the Yazhou government certainly knew it a long time ago. Maybe the government has already restored the capital here, and this fort is also under the construction of the Yazhou garrison."

He Qiang sighed with regret: "Third Master, if it were such a simple thing, how could I have thought of it? I have been to Yazhou several times, and there has never been a fort built in that place. When I went there last year, there was no artillery on the city wall, only a few Flang machine cannons that were not far away! If the fort was really built to protect the coastal port, it should have been built in Yazhou, not this place!"

Li Nai couldn't think of any reason to explain the situation in front of him, but when he entered the harbor, he saw two naval ships with the "Ming" hanging on the masts on the sea, heading towards the outer sea. The soldiers' clothing, weapons and military flags on the deck were clearly visible, and it was indeed the Ming navy of Yazhou Water Village.

The two of them looked at each other and felt that the situation here was extremely strange. He Qiang said with a confused look on his face: "Is it really... I was wrong?"

(End of this chapter)
Chapter completed!