~.< >-~ When Zheng Zhilong and the Dutch were on alert, a two-masted ship common in the South China Sea was slowly entering Weitou Bay. The ship was in excellent condition, and the tung oil on the ship's deck was shiny.
, the sail yard and canvas of the two sails are also intact as new. They have a clean and neat appearance.
The sailors on the ship were wearing uniform indigo cloth clothing, which was the sailor uniform of Dabo Shipping. On the stern of the ship was flying the company flag of Dabo Shipping: three wavy water patterns with a morning star on it.
The ship's draft is very heavy and it is obviously loaded with cargo. In this uneasy coastal area, such a cargo ship will attract the jealousy of many people, but the dark muzzles of the several cannons on the deck are enough to dispel many people's delusions.
There are also large anti-jump fishing nets hung on both sides.
But at this time, the cannons on the ship were covered with gun jackets - indicating that its purpose was peaceful. After the ship entered the harbor, it anchored in the depths of the bay, and several Zheng family boats quickly approached. One
The little boss boarded the deck of the Dabo Shipping Wenchang.
After briefly chatting with the people on the deck, he quickly climbed down from the rope ladder on the side of the ship. The boat hurriedly turned around and rowed towards Anping City.
Half an hour later, Lin Baiguang was already sitting in the Xiaosi Hall of Zheng Zhilong's private residence.
The handsome boy servant has brought new tea. Lin Baiguang doesn't need to drink it. Just by smelling the aroma, he knows that this is the best (fastest updated) Dahongpao - when he was in the county office, there was a leader who was very fond of tea.
I once went to Wuyishan to buy some.
Of course, there are certain risks in going to see Zheng Zhilong. However, Lin Baiguang and others believe that the possibility of encountering personal danger is very small: the two sides have not entered a state of hostility. Secondly, with the current strength of the Senate, any force must be prepared to launch hostilities.
Weigh the consequences.
Zheng Zhilong, who is confronting Liu Xiang, will never do anything stupid.
Zheng Zhilong was willing to take out his Dahongpao to entertain guests, which made him more confident about his trip.
It was not Zheng Zhilong who came out to meet the guests, but his brother Zheng Hongkui.
This is how the representatives of the two maritime powers in the South China Sea, or the entire East Asian sea, met. Whether the wheel of history has rolled forward again is unknown, but both of them have a strong curiosity about each other.
Heart.
Lin Baiguang found that the other party was a young man - so young that he was almost too young. Zheng Hongkui was several years younger than Zheng Zhilong. The Senate itself was a group of young people. But in the Ming Dynasty, almost all people with some status were middle-aged or above.
Zheng Hongkui talked a lot about this Australian envoy - he had admired his name for a long time: although the Zheng brothers had been struggling to support themselves in the stormy sea almost every day since they were recruited, and they almost didn't care about him. However, they were famous for their ingenious and obscene skills.
All kinds of Australian products also flowed into their hands continuously, leaving a deep impression on them.
The opponent went from being an unknown small group occupying a corner to becoming a maritime hegemon that controls the Pearl River Estuary and occupies most of the Guangdong ocean. Our biggest opponent Liu Xiang left the Pearl River Estuary and headed north. Of course, he has the consideration of competing for trade with Japan. He is wary of this.
The growing strength of the Australians is obviously also a reason.
The man in front of me wears a square turban on his head, a straight trousers, and mille-feather shoes. At first glance, he looks like a well-to-do local businessman, but he has dark skin and a lean figure.
Since the other party now takes the initiative to visit his "landlord", the Zheng family must treat him politely. This is the tone set by the eldest brother - Zheng Zhilong does not want to provoke a new opponent for himself for no reason.
Zheng Hongkui waited for him to put down his tea bowl, and then he asked: "Sir, you are here. What do you want to teach me?"
Conversations between strong men do not require politeness, let alone repeated testing. Lin Baiguang smiled slightly: "There is a big business, I wonder if General Zheng is interested?"
Zheng Hongkui immediately became interested. The other party wanted to do business with him! As the Zheng family was a large merchant, they were somewhat involved in maritime business. The popularity of Australian goods made them quite envious.
Now the Australians are actively asking for cooperation, which is obviously a recognition of their power in Fujian.
Since there is such intention, Australians will not have any hostility at present.
Of course, Zheng Hongkui's idea is not that simple. In history and reality, there are countless cases of paralyzing the opponent with various overtures and then killing the opponent with surprise attacks. When the Australians landed in Taiwan, they were already dancing swords in Xiangzhuang. In this
Anyone who shows goodwill to oneself at this critical moment will become suspicious as long as they don't feel so good about themselves.
So he answered slowly: "I don't know what the deal is?"
Lin Baiguang waved his hand, and a servant came in from outside the door, carrying several small bags.
Zheng Hongkui opened one out of curiosity: there was snow-white powder inside, glowing slightly.
He was stunned and immediately understood: "This is salt!"
Take a little bit and taste it. It has a pure taste, a slightly sweet aftertaste, and no bitter taste at all. It is indeed the best salt! It is comparable to the expensive Sichuan well salt used in the mansion today.
"Yes, it's salt." Lin Baiguang nodded.
Zheng Hongkui opened all the small bags one by one. They were all filled with salt, but the thickness and color were different. They were probably of different grades.
The Australians turned out to be selling private salt!
Zheng Hongkui thought it was normal - there were many salt farms in Hainan and Haibei where they now had influence. Getting some salt would not be a problem. Guangdong was not a salt-deficient province, so the sales of private salt must not be good either.
Fujian is a place that is short of salt. The entire province's salt supply depends on imports from other places, especially from Guangdong and Zhejiang. Fujian does not produce salt and is a mountainous province with difficult roads. Therefore, Fujian has the highest official salt price in the country.
In the highest provinces, private salt trading is rampant.
So far, the Zheng family has not put selling salt on their agenda. The Australians actually came directly to them to propose buying and selling private salt! Zheng Hongkui could not refuse the huge profits involved.
The executive committee decided to sell Salt to Zheng Zhilong for various considerations: firstly, to relax the other party's guard and avoid a misfire due to tension, and secondly, to make profits by using the empty tonnage of the northbound ships. Yan is now a veteran
It is the richest material under the control of the hospital. Due to mass production, the cost is extremely low. As long as it can be sold, even selling one tael of rock salt for one tael of silver is cost-effective - those cabins are originally empty.
"Offer a price he can't refuse," Si Kaide said when communicating with Lin Baiguang about the matter. The profit from salt in this time and space can make people break the law and even risk beheading. As a member of the coastal area, the Zheng family
Yiba, there is no risk in engaging in this kind of trade. Skade believes that it is difficult for them to resist such temptation.
If we summarize all of Zheng Zhilong's actions from the time he started relying on Li Dan to being kidnapped by the Manchus, we can see that he is a typical businessman who always considers problems with a businessman's mind and considers everything based on interests.
As long as the Senate can give him enough benefits, it will not be a problem to win his temporary cooperation or acquiescence.
This kind of business is a "win-win" situation, which is not only beneficial to oneself, but also has the effect of reducing Zheng Zhilong's wariness - if the benefits are too great, Zheng Zhilong will inevitably become suspicious of their motives.
Zheng Hongkui was greatly hesitant. Under normal circumstances, he should keep a respectful distance from the Australians. But the conditions offered by the other party were difficult for him to refuse. For a while, he didn't know how to respond.
"The Third Master will naturally discuss this matter with General Zheng." Lin Baiguang smiled and said, "I will come to visit another day." He stood up and was about to leave.
Now that he had further grasped the initiative, Zheng Hongkui couldn't help but feel a little at a loss. His original idea of dealing with a few words and formulating some words could only be abandoned. He immediately asked someone to welcome Lin Baiguang and his entourage into the post house and entertain them well. At the same time, he also
Send people to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to the sailors on the Wenchang.
Afterwards, he immediately took the samples sent by Lin Baiguang and went to see his brother.
Zheng Zhilong folded his arms and listened to Zheng Hongkui's story. After a while, he said: "Interesting."
This move of the Australians puzzled him. If it was just for selling illicit salt, why did they suddenly land in Taiwan? If it was to sell illicit salt as a transit point, this would be an exaggeration - the consumption of salt in Fujian,
We haven’t reached the point where we need a transfer station to store salt. To say the least, even if we really need a transfer station, Taiwan is not a suitable location.
The fact that the Australians had succeeded in Taiwan made him confused and thorny at the same time. He always felt that there must be some conspiracy hidden in it.
However, no matter how suspicious he was, he was faced with a choice: either he refused to cooperate and turned a blind eye to the existence of the Australians; or he immediately took armed action to expel the Australians; finally, he chose to cooperate and make a lot of money in the private salt trade.
One stroke.
If he chooses one and three, he will have to sit back and watch the Australian presence in Taiwan. If he wants to expel the Australians, he must use force. Since the Australians have gone to great lengths to send a fleet to Taiwan and build a fortress,
They will never quit easily. They can never be driven away with just a few words of threats from their own side.
If they choose to use force, the Zheng family is not sure of victory, not to mention Liu Xiang is watching eagerly.
What kind of choice to make between one and three is not difficult for those who understand his thinking mode to guess: Since the Australians cannot be driven away, why not do business and make money?
To take a step back, Taiwan is not Zheng Zhilong's territory right now - it belongs to the Dutch. The Dutch are only more worried about the existence of the Australians than he is. Even if they have to take action, it is better to let the Dutch take action. If the Australians are really right
Taiwan has plans, so as their power in Taiwan expands, sooner or later they will have a conflict with the Dutch.
By that time, it will be much more advantageous for him to enter the battlefield as an ally of the Dutch or Australians.
"This deal can be done." Zheng Zhilong made the final decision.