The Portuguese employees of China United Company immediately stopped talking and looked at Yin Feng together.
Yin Feng looked very unhappy. He had not slept all night.
From the ruins of the fire at the Research Department, someone found a burnt and deformed iron jug with Andorra's name engraved on it. Andorra had been hiding in the fire. Except for a few pieces of charred bones, almost no bones were left. live.
In time, they discovered that Andorra was thrown into the warehouse and took the initiative to catch up with the escort soldier named Lin Yue. He was Lin Xiao's brother. He only came to Lin Xiao from Yazhou, Hainan Island half a year ago. Lin Yue was a good person to Lin Xiao. He is a farmer... He is also a child of a military family. However, he has not participated in any military training since his ancestors. Most of the time he works on the farm in his affiliated family. If it were not for the hurricane that hit his home last year, he would not be able to live a good life. Lin Yue would never leave his hometown thousands of miles to join Lin Xiao.
After all, Lin Yue is a descendant of generations of military families. After being sent to the escort team by Lin Xiao, he trained hard and worked seriously. Because of his relationship with Lin Xiao, he was considered a relatively reliable person, so he was assigned to guard the weapons research department. .
Lin Yue was able to escape with a small life tonight. He only suffered a concussion and flesh injuries. Thanks to the iron-clad door of the warehouse that blocked the shock wave of the explosion. After he woke up, Yin Feng asked him about it. Lin Yue was very sure. He said: It was indeed Andor, a Frenchman from Macau, who sneaked into the warehouse and caused the explosion and fire. Yin Feng praised him for his conscientiousness, initiative and bravery. Then he ordered Lin Yue to be transferred to the warehouse after he recovered from his injuries. Go with your own bodyguard.
In the morning, Yin Feng gathered all the Portuguese people into the auditorium. He entered the auditorium and glanced around. When he saw these people, they were either frightened or restless, or angry. Some were anxious, and some were irritable. Yin Feng did not speak and sat in the auditorium. On a chair on one side, he looked at this group of Portuguese people with a sneer.
A young guard ran into the lobby. He stood at attention in front of Yin Feng and reported: "Mr. Baradas has arrived."
"Okay. Please invite him in."
Missionary Baradas wore a Chinese-style Confucian robe and walked slowly into the lobby. Many Portuguese people present were regular visitors to his church. He was still a very authoritative figure among the foreign employees of China United Company. Of course, the Dutch Except when they live a religious life, they have their own Protestant pastor. There is a small prayer room in the Dutch commercial building in Taiwan Port.
"Father Baradas, you already know the whole story. Have you looked at the evidence?"
Baradas nodded respectfully to Yin Feng, crossed himself on his chest and said, "Shipmaster, I think there must be a misunderstanding??"
"We will discuss this issue later." Yin Feng interrupted him rudely. He turned to the Portuguese employees in the lobby and said: "Now, it can be confirmed that Andorra, the Portuguese gunpowder craftsman, is a spy and works for the Spanish. Spy. He tried to steal the firearms we made. The result was an explosion and a fire."
Saying that Andorra works for the Spanish is actually a step up for Portuguese employees. It is also a helpless move by Yin Feng who does not want to break up with the Portuguese authorities in Macau.
"Father Barradas has gone to look at all the relevant evidence. We have found letters written by him from his residence in Andorra. We have completely found out the truth. Gentlemen, if you have any questions, you can ask the priest. I am here. What I want to say is: gentlemen here, who participated in the operation in Andorra. If you can take the initiative to come forward and confess, I promise not to retaliate against him. I will politely send him on the ship to leave Taiwan and go wherever he wants to go. place."
Yin Feng smiled coldly. A look of chilling suddenly appeared on his face: "If you don't admit it now, then after you leave the door of this lobby, once we find anyone who has engaged in behavior that harms the interests of the company, he will be exiled to I work as a coolie in the most remote farm in Dawu Mountain."
The faces of all the Portuguese turned pale: On the other side of Dawu Mountain, headhunting natives from the mountains just attacked the farm and cut off the heads of more than ten Han people.
As the influence of the Chinese Company gradually increased in the Pingtung Plain and Hengchun Peninsula, a large number of licensed Han hunters and fur traders also began to come into contact with the aboriginal people in the Dawu Mountains. Especially in the eastern mountainous areas, it is said that there is gold. Later, the Chinese Company's farmland also appeared at the foot of Dawu Mountain. Land transportation to the eastern coast of Taiwan through Dawu Mountain was soon opened up by fur traders and hunters supported by the Chinese Company's force, and became increasingly important. Since the beginning of this year, the villagers and escorts of the Chinese Company have gone to Dawu Mountain many times to raise troops to attack the indigenous people in an attempt to control this area, but with little success. The steep terrain of the mountains has become a natural barrier hindering the progress of the Han fur traders and the Chinese Company. The untamable nature of the mountainous natives makes this area a dangerous area that is a headache for Chinese companies.
Yin Feng did not want to start a purge among Portuguese employees; after all, most of the Portuguese employees had been working in Taiwan for more than a year and were basically trustworthy. The main problem was that he did not know that there were other spies. Evidence: Andor's death has destroyed the most important clue.
This explosion did not cause anyone to die. It was a blessing among misfortunes. However, the explosion still caused the destruction of a large amount of saltpeter and sulfur. Some samples of hand-thrown explosive bombs that were in the research stage were also completely destroyed. These hand-thrown explosive bombs were the earliest examples of China's early An upgraded version of the hand grenade. It is filled with black powder in a clay pot and mixed with iron pieces. Yin Feng copied the hand-thrown bombs that appeared in ancient history in his manuscript. Whether it was the "Shaking Thunder" of the Jin Dynasty or the Italian one in the fourteenth century. Hand-thrown ammunition was taught as a teaching material to students in the weapons department of technical schools. The four-person research team that invented the Chinese-style "organ gun": the rainstorm gun: Lin Qing, Zhang Xiaohai, Wang Gong, and Li Hetian Young senior craftsmen took the initiative to participate in the hand-thrown bomb research project. This big explosion almost destroyed all their trial samples.
Yin Feng said very seriously to the old mercenary Andre Ricardo: "You are a person I trust. I hope you can stand up at this time to assist Father Baradas and maintain the situation in the Portuguese residential area. Stablize."
Andre nodded: "Don't worry. I know what to do."
…
Within a few days, news from all sides made Yin Feng feel very bad.
Negotiations with the Fujian government have been going on secretly; Zeng Qi took the stand on Yin Feng's side. He had already talked many times with Xu Houcai, the personal representative of Fujian Governor Xu Xueju and the governor's steward. Xu Xueju was very willing to recruit Yin Feng. Because his term as governor is about to expire. Friends at the center of the court have hinted to him: If he wants to get a better evaluation in the court evaluation, he has to work hard. Otherwise, there is no hope of promotion. Therefore, if he can successfully conquer the powerful people who suddenly emerged on the southeast coast The power is recruiting. This achievement will definitely open up the road to promotion for him.
But the conditions he proposed were too unattractive for Zeng Qi: Taiwan should be established as a county, with Yin Feng as the official history; the Chinese company's army should be disbanded; all ships were not allowed to dock in Taiwan ports; and the Chinese company's headquarters must be in Quanzhou or Fuzhou.
After all, Zeng Qi was a scholar who served as an official. He still had the traditional idea of loyalty to the emperor. He really wanted his son-in-law Yin Feng to obtain a legal status. However, his many years of experience in the officialdom and the influence of his ancestors as businessmen for generations He is not a pedantic eight-part scribe. He sees that the current world is getting worse and worse, and the signs of troubled times have already appeared. So Zeng Qi wants to find a reliable force for his family: he hopes that even if Yin Feng joins the imperial court, he can still maintain the current economic and social status. Military strength. Because of this, recruitment and security negotiations have been ineffective.
Yin Feng was not too worried about the imperial court's recruitment; from the day he was assassinated, the China United Company had been able to show off its power along the coast of Fujian. A large number of warships were equipped with cannons, well-equipped, and with strict military discipline. This had shocked the officers and soldiers along the coast of Fujian. Especially after Yin Feng was assassinated, the company sent a second fleet to take him back to Taiwan. Hundreds of ships broke into Quanzhou Bay. The officers and soldiers along the coast immediately shook their heads when they mentioned the warships of the Zhonghua Company.
Another thing he is worried about is that the number of Portuguese merchant ships coming to Taiwan Port has dropped significantly this year. According to insider reports from Macau and Guangzhou, Macau's Sino-Japanese trade fleet has opened a route off the eastern seaboard of Taiwan Island this year. Sailing from Macau directly to Ryukyu .Then go to Japan, bypassing Taiwan Island. They no longer need Taiwan Port to transfer goods. They go directly to Japan. Not only are they competing for business with Chinese companies in Japan, but it also means that the Portuguese will compete with Chinese companies for Chinese goods. all overseas markets.
The existence of Macau has now become a commercial competitor of the Chinese Company. Yin Feng began to worry about Li Lihua, who went to Macau to negotiate. The counterattack on Luzon will begin next year. However, the political status of Taiwan, the base of the Chinese Company, is still unstable. As the company's base, it faces too many unknown threats.
It was a day when the wind from the southeast was blowing fiercely. The dark clouds in the sky were rolling towards the mainland to the west. Under the cover of a coconut tree, hundreds of fishing boats and merchant ships were moored in the Taiwan Port to take shelter from the wind. This is a common windstorm in Taiwan in summer. On the day of the typhoon, a merchant ship flying the Chinese flag on a blue background returned to the port with full cargo. It was a company merchant ship returning from Pattani. But there was a military intelligence officer from Macau on board. He rolled and crawled on the ground. After getting off the ship, we went directly to the company headquarters and found Yin Feng's office.
A personal guard of Yin Feng stood guard at the door. After checking the ID of the military intelligence officer, he said to him: "The ship owner is not here. He went to inspect the fort construction site in Dagou Port."
Dagou Port is where Kaohsiung City later became. It is south of the current "Taiwan Port" named by Yin Feng.
The Military Intelligence personnel suddenly stamped their feet and sighed: "Oh my God, this is a big deal for me. A fatal matter needs to be reported to the ship owner. Brother, how can we find the ship owner as soon as possible?"
"You return to the port and take a boat to the south. The South Fort is being built on the seaside there. Captain Yin is there."
In the afternoon, Yin Feng was preparing to board the ship and return to Taiwan Port. He met this military intelligence officer near the temporary dock. This man Yin Feng also knew. He was a down-and-out scholar from Zhangzhou City. He failed in the imperial examination and lived in Manila to work for a wealthy Anhai businessman. The accountant and translator's name was Yu Anfu. It turned out that Yu Anfu was a clerk in the company's security department. Later, he somehow got to know Lin Xiao. Because the company lacked talents who could speak foreign languages, he was stationed in Macau and became a hidden stake.
At Yu Anfu's suggestion, Yin Feng pulled him away from the crowd to a secluded place. "Long time no see. Anfu. What's going on? Aren't you lurking in Macau? Have Chen Zhongji and Kutre contacted you?"
Yu Anfu shook his head: "I arrived in Macau last year. I have been working as a Chinese translator for a Franci merchant. Ji Zai and the others are still in Macau, looking for opportunities to rescue Mr. Bei. This time, according to the company's arrangement, I am responsible for secret protection. Miss Li is safe."
Yin Feng was shocked: "What? Did something happen to Miss Li?"
"Yes. She was detained by the Macau municipal authorities. It is said that a group of monks captured her. By the way, it was a government office called Inquisicao in Portuguese."
"The Inquisition."
Yin Feng's heart skipped a beat. It felt like something soft had been punctured. A feeling of heartache spread throughout his body.
…
In previous years, according to the rules, crew members of foreign ships were not allowed to enter Guangzhou City. Therefore, the annual Ming Dynasty version of the "Canton Fair" was traded on the riverside outside the city. This year, the Guangzhou Shipping Department specially allowed crew members of foreign merchant ships to go ashore during the day. But you are not allowed to enter Guangzhou City.
The Pearl River pier area, which used to be bustling with activity in the past, seems slightly deserted this year. Low and simple thatched shacks are scattered all over the river, mixed with patches of trees, making it look very chaotic.
Many of the temporary shacks along the river are hotels and restaurants. However, just like the people coming and going, the number of diners in the stores is also sparse. Large wooden or bamboo temporary warehouses are distributed throughout the pier. Half of them are not filled with goods. The crew of foreign ships are not allowed to spend the night on the shore. Therefore, they have to hire Chinese to guard their temporary warehouses on the shore. In the past few days, because there have been few foreign cargo ships, many idle men with nothing to do have gathered on the riverside. Squatting by the river, lazing around in the sun, drinking and chatting.
According to the rules of the rivers and lakes, there are guilds of stevedores and coolies in docks and inns. There are also gangsters involved in maintaining order. Anyone who loads or unloads goods locally must find them to work. Otherwise, not even a pound of goods can be landed. In previous years, it was a good time for these poor brothers to make money. But this year, they are almost crazy with idleness. They have no money in their hands. They can't even go to the pub to drink or gamble. How can they survive these days?
"Damn it. Why are there less and less of these ghost boats coming year after year?" someone was complaining.
"It's all because of that eggless Crazy Li who raised the tax on each ship so high. Who will come?" a man next to him said angrily. Crazy Li is the Guangdong tax eunuch Li Feng. Because of the homophonic pronunciation .Everyone calls him "Crazy Li".
"It's hard to live these days. People are taxed when buying and selling needles, threads and brains in the city. There are fewer and fewer merchants traveling between the north and the south. Our brothers who eat at the dock are almost starving to death."
"It's impossible to live in this world." Everyone sighed together.
A young coolie suddenly asked a question: "Brothers, if this ghost's boat doesn't come to our place, then where did it go to the dock?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Someone said cautiously: "I guess I went to Fo Lang Jiyi's place in Hoi Keng Ou. It seems that they have ghosts everywhere."
Everyone started talking, "Why don't we go there to make a living? It's better than waiting here for a drink of cold water."
The man who had previously scolded Crazy Li sneered. He stood up and pointed at the sea and said, "What do you know? I have a brother who works in the Xiangshan County Yamen. He came to Guangzhou on business a few days ago. He told me: The Buddha in Oyster Mirror Ao The Langji people are preparing for war. The Han people over there are running out."
A group of coolies were so shocked that they became speechless.