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. Because its harbor channel is "a cut in the water, surrounding it like a crescent moon", it is named Yuegang.
The port conditions of Yuegang are actually not as good as 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 trading 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 being modified by Su Ze's "Blacksmith" skill, 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 King Deer 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 in robbing 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 Fujian's overseas development and immigration in modern times.
For hundreds of years in modern history, people from Fujian 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 to 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 doorstep, 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 revealed, 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 objection 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 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 mastering 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. It only requires the right to trade passage.
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 escorted 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 sea power theory told Lin Mojun what the Western Yi 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 let themselves have bad luck?
The Yan family is a member of Yuegang Chamber of Commerce and one of the top talkers in Yuegang.
As one of the people who talked about Yuegang, he naturally has to bear the responsibility of Yuegang.
The person Yuegang Chamber of Commerce sent to Dong'ao 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 okay to send an unlucky 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.
Thinking 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 that roamed the southeast. Thinking of the "Deer King"'s achievements these days, Yan Jiali trembled.
Soon, Yan Jiali saw Lu Dawang's famous ship Centipede. After seeing 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 stepped forward and bowed to Lin Mojun after catching sight of King Lu's armor.
"The envoy of Yuegang, Yan Jiali, has met King Lu."
Su Ze, who looked like a translator, nodded and bowed and translated Yan Jiali's words to Lin Mojun.
Only then did Yan Jiali look at Su Ze, who was dressed as a Confucian scholar. This should be Lu Dawang's Han Chinese translator.
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 in danger.
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 a sea invasion order 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 cupped his hands and said, "Captain Xu once made an agreement with Yuegang not to attack ships entering and 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, what the fuck is the Ming army attacking you? Don't you want to see if there is a Ming army warship on the southeast coast that dares to go to sea?
The Ming navy in Fuzhou Prefecture didn't even dare to leave the port, and 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. There are no ships docking in our 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 can't go on, then everyone's business can't go on either."
Yan Jiali was shaking nervously, but he still said this sentence in one breath.
It's a pity that King Lu 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. He made a gesture to Lin Mojun, and Lin Mojun 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: "From now on, 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 that they 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.
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.
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 it only cost the Changning Guard a 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 seen many people who wore late Ming Dynasties and ransacked the homes of ministers and vassal kings.
Not to mention that you asked your ministers to ransack your home, can you hand over one hundred thousand taels of one million taels of silver 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.
Putting back his messy thoughts, since Yuegang was willing to pay to help Changning Guard raise troops, Su Ze would 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."
Yan Jiali was overjoyed when he heard that Su Ze had agreed. 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 be 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."
Yan Jiali felt bitter at the thought of coming to Yuegang every month in the future to pull goods.
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?
"King of Kaitai" 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 by hand, 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!"
"What's wrong with Xiong Yue?"
"Xiong Yue is dead!"
(End of chapter)
