Yuegang is located in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and is the largest smuggling port in the southeast after the destruction of Shuangyu Island.
Yuegang is located at the mouth of the Jiulong River. It is named Yuegang because its harbor channel is "a cut in the water and surrounds it like a crescent moon."
The port conditions of Yuegang are actually not as good as those of Fuzhou Port or Quanzhou Port, but its advantage is that it is not a big city, but a place with weak government power, which is why it has become a smuggling center.
The town is prosperous, and the ancient city Yuegang is small Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Another advantage of Yuegang is that it has developed land and water transportation.
Goods can go up the Jiulong River and extend to Tingzhou Prefecture and even Yanping Prefecture. It is an important trade port connecting southern and northern Fujian, eastern Zhejiang and even Jianghuai.
Yuegang has routes to Japanese pirates, Korea, and Ryukyu, and has trade relations with Malacca and Manila.
However, before Su Ze set off for Yuegang, he waited for a ship with the flag of Yuegang outside Dong'ao Island.
"Finally here."
Su Ze was wearing a mask and a Confucian gown, standing behind Lin Mojun who was wearing a large armor.
After Su Ze's "Blacksmith" skill modification, this armor fit Lin Mojun much better.
Every time Lin Mojun wore this set of armor, Su Ze always felt weird. Thinking that under this exaggerated and terrifying Japanese armor was Lin Mojun, a heroic and beautiful woman, there was always a strange contrast in beauty.
Su Ze suppressed his thoughts and said: "These days we block the sea area, of course the people in Yuegang can't sit still."
Only then did Lin Mojun realize that the people in Yuegang came here because she had been pretending to be the Deer King these days to rob ships.
Lin Mojun naturally had no favorable impression of these maritime merchants who colluded with Japanese pirates, and there was no psychological pressure to rob them.
Originally, Lin Mojun was going to rob the Yuegang ship, but Su Ze stopped her.
Yuegang is the largest underground trade center in Fujian. If Yuegang is robbed, how will the stolen goods be sold in the future?
In addition, Yuegang is also an important part of Su Ze's plan to develop Penghu.
Because Yuegang is not only a paradise for smugglers, but also the starting point for overseas immigrants from Fujian in modern times.
In modern history, for hundreds of years, Fujianese people went to Southeast Asia and North and South America, and they basically started from Yuegang.
The land conflicts in southern Fujian are more serious than those in northern Fujian. The conflicts between natives and foreigners, and the conflicts between Fujian and Guangzhou are all caused by too little land.
This has also led many people in Fujian who can't survive to choose to go overseas to find a chance to survive.
This is how the wave of immigrants in Yuegang began.
In the future, the first person to organize immigrants from Fujian to develop Penghu was Hong Kong businessman Yan Siqi in the Apocalypse. At that time, Yan Siqi, Zheng Zhilong and others formed an alliance to recruit refugees from Fujian to develop Penghu and formed the earliest Penghu development group.
Therefore, contacting Yuegang was Su Ze's plan.
Now that the people from Yuegang have come to their door, don't blame Su Zeshishi for opening his mouth.
Lin Mojun's ghost mask faced Su Ze: "Why do I feel like you are having some bad ideas?"
Su Ze touched the mask on his face and asked, "Is it so obvious?"
Lin Mojun nodded and said: "I can feel it every time you want to trick someone. This time you want to trick people from Yuegang, right?"
Su Ze discovered that since Lin Mojun's female identity was exposed, she gradually revealed her girlish nature to Su Ze and was no longer as reserved as before.
Su Ze touched the mask and said, "They are the ones who cheated me!"
Lin Mojun naturally had no objections to this. She was a member of the army and Yue Gang was a smuggler. Of course, she had no favorable impressions of Yue Gang and these smugglers.
But the theory called "Sea Power" that Su Ze recently instilled in her has made Lin Mojun no longer reject businessmen as before.
Su Ze proposed sea power as opposed to land power, believing that power at sea is as important as power on land.
But controlling sea power and land power are completely different.
What land power requires is to control every piece of land and population.
However, sea power does not require the complete occupation of territory. What is needed is a port. Even the port does not need to be occupied, only the right to trade passage is enough.
Maintaining land power requires an army, while controlling sea power requires a fleet.
This deeply shocked Lin Mojun, who was a member of the Haiwei family. For the first time, she realized that her profession was so important.
But during the exchange with Alfonso, Lin Mojun also understood the importance of the ocean.
Portugal is a small country that has made huge profits from maritime trade.
They established a series of trade wars along the Indian Ocean coast in an attempt to monopolize the spice trade to the East.
Spain, Portugal's neighbor, obtained a huge amount of gold and silver through colonization. Ships filled with gold sailed between the New and Old Worlds, and terrifying fleets protected them.
Compared with Xiyi's naval development, the Ming Dynasty was already far behind. Lin Mojun had thought more than once, what would happen if the Xiyi fleet arrived in the Ming Dynasty?
Su Ze's theory of sea power told Lin Mojun what the Western barbarians would be fighting for in the future.
Important ports and valuable routes. In Su Ze's description, the ocean is a treasure house, the navy is the weapon to fight for this treasure house, and the caravan is the key to obtain the treasure from the treasure house.
Although the merchants in Yuegang are greedy, Changningwei also needs a place to sell stolen goods, and Changningwei needs a more powerful angel investor.
Although Second Young Master Yu is the best angel investor, he is the boss and never cares about the details of the business, but to invest in a fleet, selling off all Second Young Master Yu's property is not enough.
Mr. Yu is like the first wave of investors in the angel round. Next, the big ship Changning Wei will need larger-scale financing.
Yuegang is such a good choice.
Yan Jiali on the Yuegang merchant ship was in a heavy mood.
Who makes yourself unlucky?
The Yan family is a member of the Yuegang Chamber of Commerce and one of the top talkers in Yuegang.
As one of the people who spoke about Yuegang, I naturally have to bear the responsibility of Yuegang.
The person Yuegang Chamber of Commerce sent to Dongao Island to negotiate this time was selected by lot from Yuegang Chamber of Commerce.
The unlucky Yan family is the one who wins the lottery.
And Yan Jiali is the unlucky guy who won the lottery within the Yan family clan.
Yan Jiali felt it was unreasonable. Is it really a good idea to send a hapless guy like himself to negotiate?
Yan Jiali has prepared a coffin, but if he is buried in the belly of a fish, his family will have no choice but to build a tomb for him.
When he thought that he would not be able to be buried in the family cemetery after his death, Yan Jiali felt even more sad. Why was he so unlucky?
This was a giant Japanese pirate who roamed the southeast. Thinking of the "Deer King"'s achievements these days, Yan Jiali shivered.
Soon, Yan Jiali saw Lu Dawang's famous ship Centipede. When he saw the Lujiao family emblem, Yan Jiali's merchant ship slowly docked and was escorted by two soldiers holding blunderbuss to the Centipede.
on the deck.
At a glance, Yan Jiali walked up to Lin Mojun and bowed to Lin Mojun.
"Yan Jiali, the envoy of Yuegang, has met the Deer King."
Su Ze, who looked like a translator, nodded and bowed and translated Yan Jiali's words to Lin Mojun.
Yan Jiali then looked at Su Ze, who was dressed as a Confucian scholar. This should be the Han Chinese translator of Lu Dawang.
Lin Mojun nodded slightly, and then sat down with a majestic look.
Yan Jiali complained even more in his heart, it seemed that his errand was going to be a disaster.
Su Ze said in a relaxed tone: "Messenger from Yuegang, please tell me what the king is talking about?"
Yan Jiali looked at Su Ze. He re-evaluated Su Ze's identity. It seemed that this Han man was not only Lu Dawang's translator, but also his adviser.
Yan Jiali said directly to Su Ze: "Yan came here this time for the agreement with Captain Xu."
Captain Xu is naturally Xu Feng. Xu Feng is the leader of the Japanese pirates of the plundering faction and the nominal leader of King Lu.
Su Ze said calmly: "Captain Xu issued an order to invade the sea in May this year, and my king was ordered to attack Fujian."
Seeing Su Ze's calm attitude, Yan Jiali regained hope in his heart.
He held up his hands and said, "Captain Xu once made an agreement with Yuegang not to attack ships entering or leaving Yuegang."
Su Ze shook his head and said: "That is a daily agreement. Now my king is attacking Fujian. What if the Ming army flies the Yuegang flag and attacks our fleet?"
Yan Jiali complained in his heart, "Damn it, the Ming army is attacking you? Don't look at whether there is a Ming army warship on the southeast coast now that dares to go to sea?"
The Ming navy in Fuzhou Prefecture didn't even dare to leave the port, but they took the initiative to attack you?
Yan Jiali could only bite the bullet and said: "We Yuegang merchants are just a group of businessmen. Your Majesty has blocked the sea. We have no ships to dock in Yuegang, and our business will soon be unstoppable."
Su Ze looked at Yan Jiali and heard Yan Jiali say again: "Your Majesty, if Yuegang's business cannot continue, then everyone's business will also not be able to continue."
Yan Jiali was shaking nervously, but he still said these words in one breath.
It's a pity that Lu Dawang and Su Ze are wearing masks, so their expressions can't be seen.
Su Ze said in a cold tone: "Is Yuegang Chamber of Commerce trying to threaten my king?"
Su Ze spoke to Lin Mojun in Japanese language, and he made a gesture to Lin Mojun, who immediately took out a section of the Japanese sword he was wearing.
Yan Jiali was so frightened that he almost knelt down, but he still said bravely: "We Yue Gang are businessmen, and businessmen only want to talk business."
Su Ze made another gesture, and Lin Mojun put the Japanese sword back into its scabbard.
Su Ze then said: "My king likes people who are brave. Shopkeeper Yan, I don't know how you want to talk about this?"
Yan Jiali knew that he had made the right bet, and it seemed that King Lu had already been thinking about negotiating.
As long as we can talk, things will be easier to handle.
Yan Jiali said: "In the future, merchant ships flying Yuegang ship pilots, please ask Lu Dawang to be more open. Our Yuegang Chamber of Commerce is willing to provide military expenses of 500 taels per month to support Lu Dawang."
Su Ze sneered inwardly. Businessmen were so driven to pursue profits and even colluded with Japanese pirates to such an extent. It was no wonder that the troubles in the Southeast China Sea could not be quelled.
However, there is no reason not to kill someone from Yuegang if they come to your door.
As for immigration and colonization, buying Western weapons and books also requires Yuegang.
Now the regular soldiers are all being paid, and Su Ze is planning to continue training the new army, repairing ships and buying cannons. Although Changning Guard has made a fortune, it cannot sit back and rest in vain.
These days, Lin Mojun also robbed some merchant ships as the Deer King, but he also needed a way to cash out.
Five hundred taels of silver a month was a huge sum of money for the Changning Guard in the past, but now the Changning Guard only costs one month to train and raise troops.
Raising troops is expensive!
Su Ze finally knew why Wan Ming collapsed so quickly.
The corrupt bureaucratic machine resulted in huge taxation costs, and coupled with the even more corrupt Ming army, the money exploited by the Ming court could not be sent to the soldiers at all.
Su Ze had read a lot of novels about the late Ming Dynasty, and when he came to read them, he raided the homes of ministers and vassal kings.
Not to mention that you asked your ministers to ransack your home, and out of one million taels of silver, could you hand over 100,000 taels to the court?
Not to mention whether these vassal kings would just sit back and have their homes confiscated, and whether they would spend more money on countering the rebellion if they rebelled.
The corrupt officialdom of the Ming Dynasty determined that the military problems in the late Ming Dynasty were not only economic problems, but also administrative problems.
If officials cannot govern clearly, everything they do will be in vain.
Withdrawing his messy thoughts, since Yuegang is willing to pay to help Changning Guard raise troops, Su Ze will naturally not be polite.
Su Ze said: "In addition to these, my king also has some goods, which also need Yuegang's help to deal with them."
Hearing that Su Ze had agreed, Yan Jiali was ecstatic. He immediately said with assurance: "We at Yuegang will purchase all the king's goods directly at the market price!"
Su Ze also insisted that Yan Jiali act as the middleman in the transaction between the two parties. From now on, it was agreed that Yan Jiali would come to Dong'ao Island once every month to purchase the stolen goods at market prices.
After the deal was concluded, Su Ze sent the Yan family's gift off the ship, held it in his hands and said, "My king appreciates your arrogance, Shopkeeper Yan."
Thinking of having to come to Yuegang every month in the future to bring goods, Yan Jiali felt bitter.
Yan Jiali hurriedly went back to report his orders to Yuegang Chamber of Commerce, boarded the boat and said goodbye to Su Ze.
Su Ze suddenly asked: "Shopkeeper Yan, are your Yan family from Zhangzhou Prefecture?"
Yan Jiali said: "Our Yan family has lived in Haicheng County, Zhangzhou Prefecture for generations, and has made a living by operating maritime trade. It has been four generations so far."
Haicheng County?
The "King of Taiwan" Yan Siqi is also from Haicheng County. Is he a descendant of the Yan family?
However, Yan Siqi would not be born forty years later. If he changed history, he might not be able to see him again.
Su Ze said goodbye with his hands crossed, and after finishing handling the matters on Dong'ao Island, Su Ze finally returned to Changning Guard by boat.
But as soon as Su Ze returned to Changning Guard, he met Lin Qingcai who came from the county town.
Lin Qingcai immediately said after seeing Su Ze: "Brother Su! Xiong Yue!"