Quanzhou Prefecture, Anping City, Zhengfu, Fujian.
Through wireless telegraphy, the Zheng family, headed by Zheng Zhilong, received an invitation to cooperate from Xujiazhuang.
The senior officials of the Zheng family immediately paid great attention to it and held a discussion meeting. After learning the complete plan of Xujiazhuang, everyone opened their eyes and exclaimed in amazement.
Zheng Zhibao said: "Xujiazhuang's ambitions are too big. It wants to build one or two hundred overseas manors at once, it wants to wipe out all the colonial forces in Spain and the Netherlands, and it wants to swallow up the entire Southeast Asia. This appetite is simply terrifying.
.”
Zheng Hongkui also said: "Why do we have to build fifty sugar cane estates in Xujiazhuang, Dajuan Island, which belongs to our Zheng family? We have been operating Dajuan Island for more than ten years. Even if we still have extra land, how can Xujiazhuang come here whenever we want?"
?”
"Yes, the officials are very big. Xujiazhuang can build dozens of manors if it wants to. We are not that stingy, but it is too close to our Fujian, almost as close as a foot. If one day the relationship between the two parties is not so good, wouldn't we
Can’t you even sleep peacefully?”
"That's right, we can join Xujiazhuang's colonization plan, but they can't get involved in Damuan Island. At worst, we can let people grow more sugar cane and supply Xujiazhuang with a lot of white sugar. They don't have to send people to plant it themselves." This Zheng
Home high-rise road.
"Is the goal that Xujiazhuang wants to achieve, something that our Zheng family can stop? Xujiazhuang is not afraid of the Xiyi from Nanyang. We want to wipe them all out. Our current strength is not even comparable to that of Xiyi, Xujiazhuang will care about us.
Any opinions?"
At this time, Zheng Zhilong, who was sitting at the top, spoke.
At this moment, Zheng Zhilong is wearing a gorgeous brocade dress with countless gold threads and inlaid with various gemstones. His whole body is covered with jewels. His figure has also gained a lot of weight. He may weigh close to two hundred kilograms. He can only hear his voice.
It's still loud and clear, and my head is pretty clear-headed.
He ordered: "Xu Jiazhuang's plan is good. The Zheng family will cooperate and join unconditionally. They will immediately enter a state of preparation, invest all resources, and cooperate with Xu Jiazhuang's actions. No objections may be raised to cause Xu Jiazhuang's dissatisfaction. Even if
They want to take away the entire Taiyuan Island, and we just need to cooperate."
Zheng Zhilong's words made many senior members of the Zheng family feel aggrieved and dissatisfied. They felt that they were too weak and might be taken advantage of.
but……
They could only nod in agreement and swallow their dissatisfaction.
Although in the past year or so.
Especially since the end of the Quanzhou Bay-Liaoluo Bay naval battle last year.
The Zheng family lived an extremely happy life and ushered in unprecedented rapid development.
In terms of foreign trade, the net profit was more than 22 million silver dollars, reaching a record high.
The number of sailors it has increased from more than 50,000 to nearly 100,000.
The number of large ships with more than 1,000 materials (five materials ≈ one ton) has doubled from more than 200 ships to more than 500 ships.
In addition, the shipbuilding craftsmen of the shipyard broke through the manufacturing process of plywood boats (Gallen boats) and realized the batch manufacturing of plywood boats. In just over a year, they manufactured a total of thirty plywood boats.
The displacement is no less than two thousand materials, and many improvements have been made. They are named "Fulong Ship" (meaning good fortune and prosperity), which increases the total number of plywood ships owned by the Zheng Group to 38 (another eight
The ship was captured or purchased).
Expansion.
Over the past year or so, the development of Zheng Group in all aspects can only be described as rapid expansion.
Just like Zheng Zhilong's rapid weight gain, the changes are exciting and surprising.
It even caused some senior members of the Zheng family to feel so inflated that they forgot how much they weighed.
Only Zheng Zhilong has the clearest mind. The most fundamental reason why the Zheng family has achieved such great development lies in the help and cooperation of Xujiazhuang.
Because without the active assistance of the Xu family navy fleet, it is unlikely that the Zheng family navy would have won the Quanzhou Bay-Liaoluo Bay naval battle, and might have perished long ago.
Later, the close cooperation with Xujiazhuang brought huge benefits to the Zheng family.
For example, Xujiazhuang's various products and goods are extremely popular whether in Japan, Southeast Asian countries, Mumbai, or Western countries, bringing in at least a net profit of 10 million silver dollars.
There is also the shipbuilding industry of the Zheng family. After acquiring some relatively simple and low-end processing machine tools sold by Xujiazhuang, not only the efficiency was greatly improved, but it also played an indispensable role in overcoming the manufacturing process of plywood boats.
Among them, a water-driven sawing machine alone has increased the efficiency of Zheng family shipbuilding craftsmen in cutting wood boards by more than ten times, and the quality has also been greatly improved.
Coupled with the introduction of advanced assembly line production methods, this is the reason why the Zheng family's shipyard can build so many large ships in batches.
This is why, after Zheng Zhilong said some weak words, no one dared to raise objections or dissatisfaction. No matter how inflated the hearts of these senior Zheng family members were, in terms of cooperation with Xujiazhuang, they could only do what Zheng Zhilong said.
, cooperate actively and unconditionally, and cannot bear the consequences of offending Xu Jiazhuang.
As a result, the entire Zheng Group also entered a state of full mobilization.
A large number of sailors were recruited.
Countless resources have also been invested.
And they recruited a large number of local poor people in Fujian, planning to recruit 500,000 to 600,000 people, and also built a 100-seat Zheng family manor in Dayuan, Hainan Island, and other places in Southeast Asia. They could not fall behind Xujiazhuang - Fujian people
There is so much land but so little, and a severe drought occurred this year, resulting in nearly one million hungry refugees. Some of the young and middle-aged people have joined the Zheng Group and become sailors. Unexpectedly, the remaining refugees can also be used.
All in all, the Zheng family's response was very positive and rapid. It will take about a month to complete all preparations and officially set off.
…
the other side.
For the middle and lower-level generals and sailors of the Zheng Group, the news that the Zheng family was about to cooperate with Xu Jiazhuang to colonize the southeast and sweep across Southeast Asia reached their ears.
cheer.
In Xiamen, Quanzhou and other ports, there were cheers everywhere.
The morale of the Zheng family sailors has not only increased tenfold, but also at least two or three times. There are even heated discussions in private:
"I wonder how many large steam ships Xujiazhuang will send this time? Fifty ships, or a hundred ships?"
"You don't need so many. As long as there are a dozen or so steam warships, it will be enough to sweep across the South China Sea. The territory in the south will soon belong to us."
"Although we also have a lot of plywood ships and have imitated more powerful Hongyi cannons, the steam warships are still much more powerful. This time we just follow the Xu family fleet to take advantage of it, and we can take care of the situation.
Endgame.”
"Hey, how can we honestly follow others and take advantage? Although it is very safe, we also want to perform well and make some achievements."
"The speed of a steamship is three times that of our sailing ship. The range of the ship's artillery is twice that of ours, and the rate of fire is ten times more terrifying. If you want to show off, will the steamship give you or me a chance to show off? Follow me honestly.
Let’s capture the prisoners later, we don’t even need to show up, the battle is over, we just went to Nanyang for a stroll.”
"Hey, I wonder when one or two more steam ships from Xujiazhuang will be sold to us? This kind of ship is the future, and sailing ships will decline and become obsolete sooner or later."
"I don't know. Maybe in three years, maybe in five years. I just hope that within ten years, we can have a big steam ship."
"Why can't our craftsmen find a way to build a steamship? Since Xujiazhuang can build it, we should think of a way and we should be able to build it," said a new sailor.
These words immediately attracted a lot of idiotic looks and ridicules.
"If you have the ability, go ahead and create it."
"It's so easy to talk big. Why wouldn't you invest hundreds of thousands of silver dollars to let craftsmen research steam engines? However, the research team was disbanded within three months. All the money was wasted and there were no results. This
It would cost millions or tens of millions to research and create something, and it would take at least twenty or thirty years."
"So difficult?" The sailor was stunned.
"Yes, it's that difficult."
…
At this moment, the Fulong ship "Cailong" is on board.
Around the captain Zheng Cai, hundreds of sailors were gathered, all pricking up their ears to listen to their captain Zheng Cai's bragging.
"Believe it or not, the first steam ship owned by the Zheng family fleet in the future will definitely be my car, Zheng Cai. In five years at most, no, three years, I will take you aboard the steam ship and let you become a member of the Zheng family.
The first crew member on a steam ship, and then followed me to great success!" Zheng Cai said confidently, beating her chest.
"Master Cai, in the Zheng family, there are people with much higher status than you, such as Master Kui and Master Bao. They can't drive a steamship, so why should they choose you to be the captain?" A sailor asked.
"Yeah, no matter what, it's hard for us Caiye to take his turn, right?"
"Brother, since you are so confident, you must have some hidden cards behind you. The ship 'Cailong', for example, was originally owned by General Chen Peng, a close confidant of the Lord. Unexpectedly, you were intercepted by me. Brother, how did you do it?"
Did you do it?" His younger brother Zheng Lian asked with admiration.
"Hmph! Who is Chen Peng, who is worthy of fighting with me? My qualifications and merits are not ranked in front of Chen Peng? Your Excellency is jealous of me, so you deliberately put me behind. But considering the relationship between me and Xujiazhuang
As long as you say hello, the Cailong number will be mine."
Zheng Cai looked unhappy, then waved to everyone, and said in an extremely mysterious manner: "Come here, come here, come together. I can't say this kind of thing loudly, and you can't spread it everywhere. If anyone dares to spread it,
Nothing will happen to me, Zheng Cai, but I will definitely kill those who spread rumors and feed them to fish!"
The crew members quickly came over and listened with curiosity, while the sailors behind them pricked up their ears and did not dare to make any sound.
As Zheng Cai narrated, exclamations continued to be heard.
"So Master Cai has such a good relationship with Xujiazhuang?"
"Since the person Xujiazhuang trusts the most among the Zheng family is Mr. Cai, then it is really possible that the first steamship Xujiazhuang sells to us will be given to Mr. Cai."
"Brother, we are all members of the Zheng family, but we follow Xu Jiazhuang like this. Isn't it inappropriate?" Zheng Lian, the younger brother, asked many questions that his subordinates did not dare to ask.
"Huh, good birds choose trees to roost in, and wise ministers choose their masters to work. Master Xu is a man who can do great things and achieve great things. But our master, the head of the family, has been busy building a big house and taking concubines in recent years. Since this year,
I haven’t even gone out to sea a few times, and I only care about having fun every day, with no pursuit or fighting spirit. Do you think it is more promising to develop with Xujiazhuang, or with the Zheng family?” Zheng Cai said with great disdain, not even afraid of such treasonous words.
Being overheard snitching.
"Master Cai is right, the head of the family is indeed becoming more and more addicted to pleasure."
"Although the Zheng family treats us well, Xujiazhuang has more prospects."
"Brother, we all listen to you anyway. How you tell us to develop will be how we develop in the future."
"Yes, Master Cai and I will be in the same boat from now on. No matter where Master Cai says we go, we will never leave."
"I think so too. There is a future with Master Cai."
"Okay, brothers, as long as you don't betray me, Zheng Cai, we will be rich and powerful together in the future!"
Zheng Cai laughed loudly. Although his methods of winning over were extremely crude and his confidentiality measures were even more ridiculous, no different from conspiring in public, but even so, he still managed to win over a large number of loyal subordinates and formed a closer personal attachment.
Relationship, the reason is not because Zheng Cai is so capable and charming, but just because there is Xu Jiazhuang standing behind him.