On the south bank of the Yangtze River Estuary, on a hidden pier.
Dozens of huge merchant ships docked at the shore, all connected together by black iron chains and firmly fixed to the wooden piles on the pier.
On the river mouth on the side, more than a dozen fully armed warships guarded the periphery. On the largest warship, a short and stocky man stood on the bow of the ship with his hands behind his back, letting the river wind blow over his face.
His face was staring blankly at the undulating river water!
This person is none other than Zheng San, who went to Caishi Town to visit Liu Ruyi, that is, Zheng Zhibao, the younger brother of Zheng Yiguan, the overlord of the sea!
And these merchant ships in front of me are the first batch of merchant ships purchased by Huaxia Shenzhou Ocean Trading Company under the name of Liu Ruyi!
In fact, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the traditional shipbuilding craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty had basically been lost!
It is no longer realistic to buy a ship from a government shipyard through legitimate means!
The reason why Liu Ruyi was able to acquire these merchant ships in such a short period of time was actually due to cleverness!
Because these merchant ships were not newly built, but second-hand merchant ships that Liu Ruyi had acquired from the southern coastal area, as well as the Satsuma and Nanyang areas of Japan through the help of his boss!
This is like venture capital in later generations.
Although Liu Ruyi came from a later generation, he had no experience in running a maritime trade, so he thought of a simple and effective way!
That is to imitate the annexation model of later consortiums, to acquire their ships and sailors at high prices from small merchants, fishermen, or those maritime merchants who cannot survive, and then integrate them with their own financial resources to form a new, powerful
The prototype of an organized and disciplined large-scale fleet!
As a result, Liu Ruyi is only responsible for the capital contribution and integration, while the original owners of the merchant ships have become Liu Ruyi's wage earners, saving worry and effort!
The most important thing is that these merchant ships are cheap, affordable, sturdy and easy to use. A medium-sized merchant ship can even be captured for less than ten thousand taels. It is really a real deal!
According to Liu Ruyi’s plan, China Shenzhou Ocean Trading Company was to develop and develop based on the prototype of the Dutch ‘East India Company’ in later generations!
You must know that it is only the beginning of the seventeenth century, and the famous East India Company is still in an embryonic state. Liu Ruyi has five hundred years of experience in later generations. He is fully confident that he will strangle the so-called East India Company in the future.
In the embryo!
But what Liu Ruyi didn't expect was that his massive acquisition of second-hand merchant ships along the southeast coast would soon touch the interests of those "careful people"!
In fact, at present, it is not that the Ming Dynasty cannot build ships, nor can it build good ships. It even has considerable strength in building warships. However, all of this is not under the control of the imperial court, but on the southeast coast.
Overlord - in the hands of the Zheng family!
In Quanzhou, Fujian, the Zheng family owns several large-scale shipyards. The southeastern coast, Nanyang, Satsuma, Ryukyu, and even the Folangji people in Nanyang will come to the Zheng family to buy ships!
But now, Liu Ruyi's 'strange move' has deeply touched the interests of the Zheng family!
After all, one hundred large merchant ships is not a small number!
~~~~~~
On the bow of the ship, Zheng Zhibao had an expressionless face. He stared coldly at the dozens of merchant ships at the dock, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart!
He has already given the man named Liu a chance!
But I didn't expect that that little bastard would dare to deny him face and insist on stealing meat from the tiger's claws!
How can you bear this?
"Have you sent a message to the man named Liu? When can he come?" Zheng Zhibao turned his head and yelled at a close confidant on the side.
"Third Master, it seems that the man surnamed Liu is suppressing the rebellion in Sichuan and fighting the refugee army! However, our people have been on the road several times. I believe that by now, he should be able to receive the news, right?" The confidant hurriedly said
replied.
Zheng Zhibao frowned. He knew that Liu Ruyi was in Sichuan, but he didn't know the fighting situation there yet. He asked, "What's the situation over there? Is there any news?"
The confidant hurriedly said: "It is said that the battle has been completed and the thieves have been completely defeated! That man surnamed Liu has made great achievements. He actually captured Cao Cao and Luo Rucai alive. He even became the prime minister of Tianxing Hui and worshiped under his sect. He is probably indispensable for promotion and wealth.
!”
After the confidant finished speaking, he glanced at Zheng Zhibao worriedly, "Third Master, this, this man named Liu is in the prime of his life! Isn't it inappropriate for us to be so tough like him?"
"Hmph~~~!" Zheng Zhibao glanced at the confidant with dissatisfaction, "You know nothing~~! No matter how arrogant the man named Liu is, it's still on land! When it comes to the sea, it's a tiger, so he has to give it to me.
Lie down! I, the Zheng family, have been roaming the sea for twenty years, how can we still be afraid of a young boy like him who hasn’t even grown any hair yet?”
"Yes! Yes!" The confidant quickly lowered his head and did not dare to say anything more!
All the way down the Yangtze River, when Liu Ruyi led his army to Jiujiang Prefecture, Zhang Laocai and Xiao Mowen, who were responsible for the initial operation of China Shenzhou Ocean Trading Company, had been waiting for Liu Ruyi here for a long time!
"General, we are looking forward to the stars and the moon, but we have been waiting for you! If you don't come, then Zheng Zhibao will probably start killing people!"
As soon as he saw Liu Ruyi, Zhang Laocai was as close as a three-year-old kid meeting his mother!
He knelt on the ground, kowtowed as hard as he could, and kept spitting bitterness at Liu Ruyi!
Xiao Mowen, who was originally graceful and free-spirited, also had a long face. Since he was Liu Ruyi's father-in-law, he did not kneel down, but just stood aside, gloomy!
"What's wrong? What is this? Father-in-law, Lao Cai, you, why have you all turned into eggplants beaten by frost?" Liu Ruyi was in a good mood, smiled and helped Zhang Laocai up, and then asked Xiao Mowen to sit aside.
Then he smiled.
Xiao Mowen couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Ruyi, we didn't make this navigation signal originally, we didn't know yet! Unexpectedly, there are so many twists and turns inside, especially the Zheng family, they, they are just a little bit too bullying!"
Liu Ruyi frowned slightly, "Go on!"
Xiao Mowen really didn't know what to say, so he winked at Zhang Laocai. Zhang Laocai wanted to cut Zheng Zhibao into eight pieces, so he told Liu Ruyi what happened without reservation.
The cause of the matter is actually very simple.
Zheng Zhibao was in the Zheng family and was mainly responsible for the Jiangbei area, as well as North Korea and a few transactions with the Manchus. However, Liu Ruyi's purchase of the ship did not go through the Zheng family, but directly bypassed the Zheng family and started from the bottom of the maritime trade.
The acquisition by hand triggered Zheng Zhibao’s taboo!
Zheng Zhibao immediately acted cruelly and detained the representatives of the China Ocean Trading Company who were responsible for escorting the merchant ships, some of the children of wealthy Shandong merchants, and the merchant ships, all at the mouth of the Yangtze River, in order to blackmail Liu Ruyi into negotiating!
As a result, those Shandong wealthy businessmen exploded one after another!
After all, their nephew originally wanted to gain a reputation and a bright future with the general, but he didn't expect to be treated like this, and his life might not even be saved. How could they accept this?
However, their worries are unnecessary!
Although Zheng Zhibao was extremely daring, Liu Ruyi's reputation was by no means overshadowed. Zheng Zhibao only dared to detain these people, but he really did not dare to do anything to these people!
But even so, the huge mental pressure of being 'kidnapped' still caused the wealthy businessmen in Shandong to explode. They did not dare to harass Liu Ruyi's house, but Zhang Laocai and Xiao Mowen became
became their punching bag!
"Didn't you make this matter clear to Zheng Zhibao?" Liu Ruyi felt a little unhappy at this time. Zheng Zhibao was really brave. At such a time, he actually dared to stir up trouble on himself!
"General, I almost lost my temper with good and bad words! But, that bastard Zheng San, he just doesn't buy it! General, we currently have more than 30 merchant ships, and we are now
He had detained nearly seventy merchant ships from Nanyang at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and they were being detained by the Zheng family in Quanzhou! Zheng San said, if we are not sincere, he, he will take the ship with him and his people.
The fire is burning!" Zhang Laocai couldn't help crying.
Hearing what Zhang Laocai said, Liu Ruyi felt relieved and couldn't help but smile and said: "Since Mr. Zheng wants to see me so much, I will give him a chance! Lao Cai, you can arrange this!"
"Huh?" Zhang Laocai was stunned for a moment, but when he looked up and saw Liu Ruyi's eyes, he immediately understood what Liu Ruyi meant and hurriedly kowtowed: "General, don't worry, I, Lao Zhang, will definitely handle this matter properly.
In a brothel with elegant scenery, Liu Ruyi met Zheng Zhibao again!
"Master Zheng, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you?" Liu Ruyi smiled and extended her hand to Zheng Zhibao.
Zheng Zhibao was stunned, but saw that Liu Ruyi was alone with no entourage. He couldn't help but stretched out his hand and said with a smile: "What song did General Liu sing today? I, Zheng San, am timid, but I can't stand it."
Stop being so scared!"
"Hahaha!" Liu Ruyi couldn't help laughing loudly, "Third Master, you are really good at telling jokes! If you are timid, how could you dare to seize my ship and let me come all the way to fight with you?
You meet! Haha, the emperor is not as arrogant as you!"
Zheng Zhibao's expression changed, and he quickly let go of Liu Ruyi's hand, "General Liu, you can't eat indiscriminately, and you can't talk indiscriminately! My Zheng family is loyal to the emperor and the court, as can be seen from the sun and the moon!
"
"Hahaha! You Zheng family are loyal! How can you Zheng family not be loyal? Hahaha!"
Liu Ruyi laughed loudly, which made Zheng Zhibao feel scared in his heart!
Although the three Zheng Zhilong brothers are considered capable people, they are only able to build such a giant family business because they are lucky enough to be at the top of the times!
But the ambitions of the three brothers are absolutely incomparable with Zheng Zhilong's son who was born in Nagasaki!
Zheng Zhilong first surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and then to the Qing Dynasty, but in the end he could not escape death by a thousand cuts!
But his son is a man of great talent and strategy, and his reputation will last through the ages. He can be called a national hero of China!
"Liu, General Liu, you, why are you laughing? Don't you have something to say that you can't say properly?" In the face of Liu Ruyi's momentum, Zheng Zhibao's prepared words were stuck in his throat and he could not say them out.
In a moment, Liu Ruyi had already taken the initiative in speaking!
"Third Master, you are also a sensible person! We Ming people will not speak secretly! Let my ship go! I will not pursue this matter anymore! Otherwise, your Zheng family will be responsible for all consequences!"