The clear light in the East China Sea is reflected in floating gold and shining shadows; the spring dawn in the West is filled with painted screens and barriers.
It’s time to smell the spring breeze in the north, and the ground in Fujian is already covered with flowers.
At the mouth of the Shijing River, countless ships come and go. What they bring is wealth, and what they transport away is even more wealth.
The person who controls all this is sitting on the dock, admiring his masterpiece with great satisfaction.
In the distance, several centipede boats led a lucky boat into the harbor, which attracted Zheng Zhilong's attention.
After a while, the boat stopped and a young man ran over quickly. Before he could speak, Zheng Zhilong questioned him first.
"Hong Xu, I asked you to guard Zhoushan, why did you come back without permission?"
It was the tough young man Liao Zhongjian met on Zhoushan Island, Hong Xu, one of the future generals under Zheng Chenggong.
However, Hong Xu is still very young today, and within the Zheng Zhilong Group, he can only be regarded as a underachiever.
Therefore, he was sent to Zhoushan in the north to be in charge of trade along the coast of Zhejiang.
Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but feel a little angry when he came back without being summoned this time.
Hong Xu couldn't care about this.
"General Rong, Zuo Mengeng from Shandong sent people here and also sent them excellent things."
"oh……"
Hearing that Zuo Menggeng had sent someone, Zheng Zhilong was very puzzled.
After meeting Zuo Mengeng last time in Nanjing, the two established business contacts. However, it was only limited to business and had no further involvement.
Why did Zuo Mengeng suddenly send someone here?
"I have met an official, Liao Zhongjian."
The title of Liao Zhongjian made Zheng Zhilong happy.
Although he is now a pirate leader and the chief soldier of the imperial court, he prefers to be called Yiguan, which is so cordial.
"Brother Zuo is busy with work. I heard that he did a lot of big things in the north. Why did you think of Zheng?"
Before coming to Fujian, Liao Zhongjian did very detailed homework.
He was familiar with Zheng Zhilong's temperament, hobbies, and the vital interests of the Zheng Group, and knew how to deal with these pirates.
"To be honest, my general is really looking for an official."
Zheng Zhilong speaks impeccably.
"Brother Zuo promised me the glass trade at the beginning. He was so affectionate that Zheng did not dare or forget it. If he is ordered to do so, he will do his best despite his orders."
Whether it can be done is another matter...
Liao Zhongjian doesn't care about this.
"As a Shandong general, my general has always worked hard to quell the White Lotus Sect and the Dongjiang rebellion, and his loyalty is a lesson. However, traitors and traitors are rampant in the court, and they actually accuse my general of having second thoughts. A terrible disaster is not far away. My general is naturally bright.
The wind is strong and the moon is strong, and there is nothing to be afraid of. However, my wife’s house is in Songjiang, and there may be changes overnight. Therefore, my general plans to send a troop of troops to Songjiang by sea to cope with the unbearable changes. The sea is naturally owned by an official.
In the world, there may be a misunderstanding among the officials. I have specially ordered you to come here. Please give me your permission."
Zheng Zhilong was stunned, he didn't expect Zuo Mengeng to play so big.
What changes should not be tolerated...
How did he, Zheng Zhilong, get started? He is very knowledgeable about this kind of thing.
Obviously, Zuo Mengeng had a bad relationship with the imperial court and had evil intentions.
However, for such a big matter, Zuo Mengeng sent someone to inform him in advance, which still made Zheng Zhilong very satisfied.
This shows that Zuo Menggen respects his status as the maritime overlord and does not want to challenge his authority.
But Zheng Zhilong was still quite hesitant about Zuo Mengeng's actions.
"Songjiang Mansion is the best place in the world. If there is a sudden change, I'm afraid the court will not let it go."
Liao Zhongjian suddenly understood his thoughts.
"My general said that he met an official in Nanjing that day, and he felt like old friends at first sight. He heard that the Dutch are aggressive today, plundering maritime merchants, killing our Han people, and committing barbaric acts that make people and gods angry. My general knows that an official will not tolerate the arrogance of the Dutch.
, How can I, a dignified Han, be reduced to a lamb of a foreign race? However, I have no skills and am helpless. I can only express my feelings in the hope that I can help an official."
Things were carried up.
Remove the oilcloth and let it shine in the sunshine.
Grain plan
An artillery piece.
Although it is not big, it looks like a very sophisticated artillery piece.
It's unlike any artillery gun today.
First of all, this gun doesn't look very big, the barrel is very tight, and the whole body is glowing with a blue-black light.
The most important thing is that the gun body is smooth, like glazed porcelain.
It is completely different from the crude artillery that can be seen everywhere today.
Secondly, the gun mount under the artillery is very simple. It is mostly made of a combination of solid wood and iron, which makes it very light at first glance.
Thirdly, this cannon has two very huge wheels. The wheels are also covered with iron, so they must be very wear-resistant.
There is a curved bracket on the back of the cannon.
When the artillery is placed, the bracket just rests on the ground, which plays a balancing role.
"This is……"
Zheng Zhilong was shocked.
After hearing the news, Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Zhihu, Shi Daxuan and others had already pounced on it, carefully stroking every part of the cannon as if they were seeing their beloved woman.
They are all experts in fighting, and they can tell at a glance whether a cannon is good or not.
Compared with the artillery currently used by the Zheng Group, this cannon is far superior in terms of material and forging technology.
And this gun is lighter.
Zheng Zhihu and Shi Daxuan worked together to lift the gun mount and dragged it for a few steps, then they had an idea in their minds.
"I'm afraid this cannon weighs less than a thousand pounds. I don't know why?"
Liao Zhongjian is full of confidence.
"I'll demonstrate it for you guys."
He brought people over and immediately started operations on the spot.
The fixed gunpowder contained in the paper case was stuffed into the muzzle of the gun, and then an iron ball as big as a palm was put in, and it was pushed into the innermost part with just a push of a wooden pole.
Another gunner stabbed the hole in the tail with an iron drill, and then inserted the fuse.
"boom……"
In the diffuse white smoke, a stone wall 300 meters away immediately collapsed and no longer looked like it was before.
It was a target made of two layers of blue bricks, but it was completely destroyed so easily.
Zheng Zhilong and others could not sit still.
Of course they know what this means.
The two-layer blue brick wall cannot block this cannon, which means that ships on the sea can also be penetrated.
This cannon doesn't look big, but it's so powerful.
Liao Zhongjian took in everyone's expressions and made some gestures, and the gunners began their second demonstration.
This time the target was a target five hundred meters away, and it was still hit accurately.
With just these two shots, Zheng Zhilong was conquered in no time.
"Mr. Liao, this gun..."
Liao Zhongjian showed a confident smile.
"This cannon was made by me in Shandong. If an official needs it, I will give you a discount based on the friendship between our two families."
But he was very puzzled in his heart.
Zuo Mengeng sold such a poor thing to Zheng Zhilong, but Zheng Zhilong still felt like he had found a treasure.
What's wrong?
How did he know that he was used to seeing rifled steel cannons using guncotton explosives in Shandong, so when he looked at this old-fashioned front-loaded smoothbore cannon, he naturally found it unsightly.
But in the eyes of Zheng Zhilong and others, this artillery piece that was abandoned by the New Army was definitely the top weapon in the world.