Chapter 220 It’s Zheng Zhilong’s turn to have a headache

Author: tx Cheng Zhi

Chapter 220 It’s Zheng Zhilong’s turn to have a headache

Chapter 219

Magellan led a Spanish expedition to the Philippine Islands in 1521. After that, Spain gradually invaded and occupied the Philippines and ruled for more than 300 years.

To be precise, during the 333-year-long colonial rule, the Spaniards left only some buildings to the Philippines, but not culture.

This shows that Spanish rule is actually very rough. Of course, this is also directly related to the weakening of the Spanish Empire. The main colony of the Spanish Empire in the Far East is the Philippine Islands.

The agreement signed between Cheng Shijie and the Spanish Governor-General Colaqui stipulated that Cheng Shijie should pay him three million bags of cement and 150,000 kilograms of steel on behalf of the Governor-General of Liaodong.

Governance and management, and ownership.

But for Manila, it is on the north bank of the Pasig River, north of what was later known as Escoda Avenue, and eastward along the Old Street (now Chinatown), with a total of 3,800 meters from east to west and 800 meters from north to south, totaling 3 million square meters.

area, approximately 4,600 acres of land.

This agreement is different from that of Tamsui City. The Governor-General of Liaodong has ownership of Tamsui City, including Tamsui Port, docks, and all the land, resources, and minerals within its jurisdiction, including more than 600 slaves brought over from Spain.

However, the Governor-General's Palace in Manila and Liaodong only has the right to use and manage the old streets, and does not have the power to garrison troops. However, it can garrison armed security personnel, but the number must not exceed 800, and heavy weapons such as large-caliber artillery are not allowed to be deployed.

After the agreement was signed, Cheng Shijie asked his adopted son Cheng Shi to lead a bureau of Guards Division and more than 1,600 temporarily recruited craftsmen in Wusongkou to Manila.

The reason why Colaqui agreed to the Cheng Shijie cooperation agreement was also because of Zheng Zhilong. Zheng Zhilong monopolized all trade rights in the Nanyang region. All Spanish trade in Luzon would be peeled off by Zheng Zhilong. Since the Spanish occupied the northern part of Dazhan,

Unable to make enough profits to develop Taipei, and unable to expel the Dutch.

When some of the Dutch had money, they instigated the natives in the capital to go against the Spaniards. In this way, the Spaniards had to increase investment in order to maintain the garrison in Taipei. The officials were never able to support themselves, and instead had to rely on Manila to subsidize the operations of the officials in Beijing.

Therefore, after Manila's economy declined, the Spanish reduced their garrison, giving the Dutch an opportunity to take advantage.

Now it is simply killing two birds with one stone. Youning Navy serves as a buffer area between the Spaniards and Zheng Zhilong, and at the same time, it brings considerable benefits to the Luzon Governor's Palace. In fact, Colaqui does not want Cheng Shijie to occupy the area on the north bank of the Maranipa Shi River.

However, Cheng Shijie used the excuse that Ning Haijun's navy needed a basic supply. If he did not agree, the cooperation agreement would be void.

Faced with a huge income of more than three million taels of silver, Colaqui reluctantly agreed.

However, after Colacqui agreed, he regretted it. Because Cheng Shijie moved too fast, Cheng Shijie and Zheng Zhilong did not achieve a decisive victory. However, the fleet bound for Manila had arrived, and the craftsmen who arrived at the same time immediately built the building with reinforced concrete.

The strong pier and plank road were built, which made Kolacui have to suspect that Cheng Shijie had a plan in advance.

It is said that Cheng Shijie had a plan in advance, which is really an injustice to him. His plan was to seize the senior officials, and these materials were originally prepared to expand the senior officials' foothold.

After learning about Cheng Shijie's plan, Xie Jinglin thought that he did not need to give the Spanish money and directly mobilized troops to rob them.

In fact, Cheng Shijie had his own considerations. The Thirty Years War in Europe ended with the defeat of the Spanish Empire. However, Cheng Shijie did not want the Spanish Empire to be defeated so quickly. If Spain could last longer, more people would die in this war.

, Europa's overall strength will also decline. By then, Ning Haijun's expansion to the world will also reduce huge resistance.

After obtaining the right to use the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila, Cheng Shijie gave the port a name: "Zhenghe Port". Zhenghe Port is a natural port and could have docked giant ships of more than 3,000 tons.

As the first batch of personnel from the Ning Navy arrived at Zhenghe Port on eleven large sand ships, the first to land were 800 soldiers from the Guards Division of the Ning Navy. This was a light infantry force. Although in the agreement, the Ning Navy was not allowed to deploy

Large-caliber artillery, but thirty-six Thunderbolt guns were deployed.

Ning Haijun, wearing a black military uniform, black armor and black cape, caused a sensation in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Luzon when he was in Laogu Street.

A total of 264 Chinese businessmen, large and small, sent representatives to the scene to greet them.

It can be said that almost 90% of the Chinese and Chinese businessmen in the entire Laogu Street, that is, Chinatown, were out, but the door of the most luxurious house on Laogu Street was closed.

This house is a house covering an area of ​​at least fifty acres. It has more than twenty rooms and covers half a street. The steps in front of the door are made of smooth polished stones. It is completely different from the mud houses in the old street.

Two kinds of weather.

Xie Jinglin observed more carefully. He pointed at the house and said: "The corners of the eaves are quite damaged, and there are signs of new additions in some places. It seems that this mansion was beautiful when the foundation was first laid, but it is no longer in its heyday.

Look at the color of these stones. These corners have been damaged for some years, but the additions were made recently. It seems that the Azim family has been in decline. Now it may be slightly revived, but it has not reached the glory of its heyday."

"The gate of this house is very strong!"

Cheng Shi smiled and said, "Whose mansion is this?"

Cheng Shi saw a plaque hanging on it, but it had crooked characters that he didn't recognize.

Lin Ashui, a Chinese businessman, said: "This is the richest man in Manila, the chairman of the Wu family Chinese businessmen!"

Cheng Shi smiled faintly: "President Wu doesn't welcome us!"

Cheng Shi knew Cheng Shijie's true purpose of letting him come over. Since he adopted Cheng Shi in the fourth year of Chongzhen, it is now February of the seventh year of Chongzhen. The originally young boy has grown into a real man.

In the Ming Dynasty, seventeen-year-old Cheng Shi was already ready to get married. Although Cheng Shi was only Cheng Shijie's adopted son, there were many people in Liaodong who wanted to marry Cheng Shi.

However, Cheng Shijie, the adoptive father, let Cheng Shi, Cheng Hu, Cheng Anjing, and Cheng Anning decide on their own marriage. However, in their view, Cheng Shijie was not satisfied with these marriage seekers and kicked the ball to them. Naturally, they would not easily

Decide on your own marriage.

After Cheng Shi arrived at Zhenghe Port, he didn't even have time to rest before he began to inspect the planned area. The person in charge of contact was Spanish Commercial Commissioner Luis.

Luis is a middle-aged man, a bit slovenly, and of course Spanish people are very slovenly.

"Cheng, from here to here, this is your territory!"

At this moment, Xie Jinglin smiled and said: "Louis, did you drop something?"

Xie Jinglin casually threw a bag of gold coins on the ground. These were Dutch Ducat gold coins, each weighing 3.9 grams and made of gold with a purity of 92.5%.

Louis looked at the money bag made of silk on the ground, reached out to pick it up, and weighed it in his hands. It looked like there were at least two to three hundred coins.

This is actually three hundred gold ducats, which is enough for him to buy a small castle in Spain. This money is like a North drifter who suddenly has the strength to buy a courtyard house in Beijing worth tens of millions.

"Thank you, thank you..."

Louis also understood that Xie Jinglin gave him the gold because he must have wanted him to do something wrong during the surveying and mapping.

Kiyi changed the location on the contract to the area of ​​Zhenghe Port from 3,800 meters to 4,600 meters, and the north-south dividing line was changed from the original 800-meter dividing line to the small stone bridge.

One thousand six hundred and forty-two meters. Three hundred gold coins expanded the original area to more than ten thousand one hundred and eighty-nine acres.

Xie Jinglin got a larger port area, and Louis got 300 gold coins. Everyone was happy.

Cheng Shi is still facing a problem, that is, the original architecture of the old ancient street does not conform to the habits of Liaodong. Cheng Shi decided to rebuild the old ancient street and rename it Zhenghe Port District.

According to the custom in Liaodong, Zhenghe Port Area only has more than 4,600 acres of land, and it is divided into four areas: port area, commercial area, residential area, and storage area.

Cheng Shi learned a lot from Cheng Shijie, and he immediately started formulating plans for Zhenghe Port and Zhenghe Port Area.

At this time, many guests came to Wu Shangzhi's house in the Wu family. They were all Chinese businessmen from Luzon. Most Chinese businessmen from Luzon lived in Manila. There was a lot of news about Ning Haijun's arrival. I knew everything I needed to know and what I didn't know.

Yeah, I'm afraid I'm just pretending not to know.

The first thing the Chinese businessmen did when they arrived was to ask Wu Shangzhi what they should do.

As one of the top Chinese businessmen in Manila, Li Guoqun is sitting in the upper position. There is no way. Mr. Li is too old, and his seven sons contributed a lot when Spain massacred the Chinese last time. Three and a half of the seven sons died, but they survived

He also has a grandson, otherwise the Li family would be extinct.

Li Guoqun looked at Wu Shangzhi and said, "Who are this Ning Haijun group?"

Wu Shangzhi looked at Lin Ashui who was lowering his head and said, "How is your inquiry going?"

Lin Ashui said: "They are the army from the Ming Dynasty!"

"The Ming Dynasty's army?"

Everyone present was extremely surprised.

"Isn't it Zheng Zhilong who has the final say on the sea? Are they Zheng Zhilong's people?"

"Actually, they are not Zheng Zhilong's people, they are Marshal Cheng's people!"

"Who is Marshal Cheng?"

In the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, there are definitely not many people who don't know who Cheng Shijie is, but there are really not many people in Luzon who know him.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in the crowd said: "I know Marshal Cheng!"

"Who is he?"

"He is the Ming Dynasty's Crown Prince Shaobao and the Governor of Liaodong. He has hundreds of thousands of elite troops under his command. The year before last, he beat the Jiannu slaves to a bloody pulp!"

Wu Shangzhi raised his hand and shouted: "Everyone, everyone, please be quiet. Where and how this Ming army came from, to be honest, I am very confused, but... let's go together tonight

feast."

After Wu Shangzhi said these words, hundreds of Chinese businessmen started talking again. They were unwilling to go, but they didn't dare not to go. Then someone said: "President Wu, in your opinion, this group..."

Several people booed at the same time, and the man quickly covered his mouth and continued: "Why do these Ming soldiers invite us to the banquet?"

Wu Shangzhi said: "According to my judgment, since they have occupied this place, they will probably have to establish good relations with the locals to maintain their rule. Haven't they already sent people to invite us to a banquet?"

Li Guoqun smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid it's the Hongmen Banquet!"

Wu Shangzhi shook his head and said, "It should be a good intention."

"kindness?"

"If they really want to take action, they can do it directly. This time they came with two to three thousand people, and they also brought muskets and swords. We are unarmed and can't fight them. They don't want to fight with swords, they just want to have a good fight.

Talk! Their army has done no harm to our Qiu. This is the goodwill they have released. It depends on whether we sincerely support them, as long as we show that we sincerely support the Ming army."
To be continued...