Chapter 261 The Master of Anping
Fujian, Quanzhou Prefecture
Quanzhou is the capital. [No pop-up novel website] Quanzhou Prefecture governs seven counties: Jinjiang, Nan'an, Tong'an, Hui'an, Anxi, Yongchun, and Dehua. The government is located in Jinjiang County. Nan'an, the hometown of Zheng Zhilong, the biggest potential enemy of the Senate, which is a thorn in their throats, is in the northwest of Jinjiang County.
Since Zheng Zhilong was recruited and became a guerrilla general, and returned in grand glory, the Zheng family has become the richest man in Quanzhou.
The Zheng family purchased a large amount of land in Nan'an and planted various export cash crops. In addition to being maritime merchants, they were also large landowners. The Zheng family in Nan'an also naturally became prosperous and built magnificent mansions.
However, Zheng Zhilong was not satisfied with Nan'an's geographical location - as a maritime lord, he valued a good port more. Therefore, he chose to build a walled city in Anping Town, Jinjiang, as his main stronghold.
Anping Town belongs to Quanzhou Prefecture. Its location is not in Quanzhou Bay where Jinjiang River flows into, but faces Weitou Bay where Kinmen Island is exposed. It was called Wanhai in ancient times. It was renamed "Anhai" in the Song Dynasty and "Anping" in the Ming Dynasty. The word "安" alone was not enough, so another word "平" was added, probably because this place was often harassed by pirates.
In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing's reign, this place was attacked by Japanese pirates, which caused serious damage, and the city wall was built from then on. The looting by Japanese pirates had such a long-lasting impact that it was already 80 years ago, but the place is still in disgrace.
When Zheng Zhilong was not being recruited, he continuously attacked Yuegang, a traditional foreign trade port in Fujian, completely destroying Yuegang's foreign trade, thus realizing his attempt to transfer the foreign trade port to Anping and the Central Left Institute under his control.
He chose Anping as his base after careful consideration. Anping Town and Xiamen Island (Zhongzuo Suo, Big and Small Kinmen Island) under his control formed a tightly controlled Weitou Bay. The enemy would have to take great risks if he wanted to attack here.
Zheng Zhilong overhauled the city walls of Anping and almost rebuilt a new city. Anping became Zheng Zhilong's military stronghold and maritime trade base. Ships trading with Japan and Taiwan all enter and leave here. The Dutch called these merchant ships "Anhai ships".
In addition to building city walls and dredging docks, my own enjoyment has not been left behind. Starting from the spring of the third year of Chongzhen, Zheng Zhilong built his own mansion on a large scale in Anping. This luxurious mansion took 3 years and 2 months to complete.
According to "Jiaqing Chidian Local Records": Zheng Mansion is located to the north of Anping Bridge, from Xidai to Xigang in the west, to Xitou in the north, to Anping Qiaotou in the south, and directly connected to the Wugang Port, covering an area of 138 acres. The main structure is a Xieshan style with five bays and thirteen frames, with three-way gates, two fire lanes and five entrances to the courtyard. Wings, pavilions, and pavilions on both sides face each other and form a barrier around it. There is "Dunren Pavilion" in the east, "Taiyun Tower" in the west, the "Catholic Hall" in the front hall, and the "Xiaosi Hall" in the middle hall, which are grand in scale. There is a "Zhiyuan Garden" behind the big house, which is protected by a wall and surrounded by hills, pavilions, monasteries, ponds, small bridges, winding paths, beautiful trees, and exotic flowers and plants.
At this moment, this luxurious mansion is still under intensive construction. Zheng Zhilong and his family are temporarily living in a smaller mansion in Anping Town.
Zheng Zhilong is currently in his private room. Although the Senate never forgets this person, few people notice that Zheng Zhilong is not very old: he was born in 1604, and he was only twenty-eight years old in 1631. After Yan Siqi's death, he took over Yan's old subordinates. He was only twenty-one years old at the time. If placed in the old time and space, they would be out-and-out "Young Talents", "Top Ten Outstanding Young People" and the like.
In 1631, Zheng Zhilong had eliminated most of his maritime opponents: including Li Kuiqi, who had almost cornered him for a time, and completely controlled trade with Japan, forcing his former employer, the Dutch, a sea coachman, to trade on his terms. At this time, he was sitting on a huge fleet that dominated the China Sea and monopolized trade with Japan and Taiwan: "Every day makes money," and "As rich as the enemy," it is no exaggeration to describe him. A true Ming Dynasty "tall, rich and handsome". ——Zheng Zhilong is still a handsome man with delicate features.
He held a document in his hand.
The documents were brought by a Zheng family merchant ship that returned from Taiwan a few days ago. The person who wrote the letter is Zheng Zhilong’s agent in Taiwan: Guo Huaiyi.
Guo Huaiyi is the leader of the Han immigrants in Tainan. On the surface, he is just the village chief of Youchehang Village, a local immigrant village. In fact, Guo Huaiyi was once a subordinate of Zheng Zhilong, and he was a casual chess player left in Tainan.
Zheng Zhilong's fortune has a lot to do with inheriting Yan Siqi's legacy. Taiwan's power is also one of the legacies left by Yan Siqi.
Yan Siqi was a sea master who traveled across the Sino-Japanese seas at that time, engaged in trade and maritime plunder. At that time, there were ten main leaders under him, including Yang Tiansheng, Zhang Hong, Lin Fu, Lin Yi, Li Junchen, Chen Zhongji and Zheng Zhilong.
Yan Siqi, like many famous sea masters at that time, used Japan as his main base. As the authority of the shogunate continued to increase, leader Yan Siqi took precautions and considered establishing his own base outside Japan.
There are many options for establishing base areas on the islands along the coast of China. However, the Ming Dynasty still has its remaining power, and its military power has not declined to the point of being vulnerable as it was later. The islands along the coasts of Fujian and Zhejiang cannot be touched - Shuangyu is Lessons from the past. Even in Penghu, the Dutch built forts several times and were expelled by the Ming army several times, so they could only choose an isolated overseas island - the "land of alienation" Taiwan thus entered their sight.
In 1624, Yan Siqi led his men and immigrants to Beigang, established a camp there, and recruited Zhangquan immigrants from the mainland to colonize the area. In September of the next year, Yan Siqi was said to have died of a cold while hunting in Zhuluo Mountain.
Yan Siqi's sudden death was quite suspicious, but no matter what, Zheng Zhilong, who was only 21 years old, inherited Yan Siqi's position as leader and received most of Yan Siqi's inheritance.
After Zheng Zhilong inherited Yan Siqi's leadership position, he did not put much effort into expanding and colonizing Taiwan. The Dutch expanded their influence in Taiwan rapidly, and the Spanish also stepped in: In 1626, the Spanish built a holy city near Keelung? City of El Salvador. Two years later, Spain built another holy building in Tamsui. Domingo City. At that time, Zheng Zhilong was in constant battle with various maritime powers for maritime hegemony. He was unwilling to travel through troubled waters and once decided to abandon his immigration stronghold in Taiwan and withdraw to Fujian. Later, he gave up this idea and continued to manage Taiwan. In 1628, southern Fujian suffered a severe drought and many people were hungry. With the support of Xiong Wencan, Zheng Zhilong recruited tens of thousands of victims from Zhang, Quan and other places. "Everyone was given three taels of silver, and three people were given an ox." They were transported by sea ship to Beigang to reclaim wasteland and settle down. Greatly expanded the number and power of Fujian immigrants in Taiwan,
However, from beginning to end, Zheng Zhilong never sent armed forces to Taiwan, nor did he clearly declare his ownership of Taiwan. He only supports the leaders of the Fujian immigrants in Taiwan, and uses them to control the local immigrant villages - but he has not interfered much in local affairs over the years. The Dutch imposed a poll tax on the Chinese, but he did not interfere.
Through local settlers, Zheng Zhilong continued to control Beigang, the earliest development area where mainland immigrants landed. Guo Huaiyi, who was in the area controlled by the Dutch, wrote to him almost every month to report on the local situation. As the local Chinese leader, Guo Huaiyi, the Dutch must rely on him for many local administrative affairs. Therefore, Zheng Zhilong knows almost every move and trade status of the Dutch in the area.
He had already mastered the information that the Dutch had secretly colluded with Liu Xiang and provided support, but now, he could not make up his mind to fall out with the Dutch.
The Dutch are at both ends of the spectrum, and they are also half-hearted towards Liu Xiang, and will never really do anything - their only goal is to play both sides and maintain checks and balances on the sea. If they fall out immediately, it will only force the Dutch to publicly stand against them.
Although Zheng Zhilong is not afraid of the strength of the Dutch - he taught the Dutch a lesson a few years ago - but after all, he is not a person who enjoys war: he is first and foremost a businessman. If the Dutch really stand on his opposite side and try their best to support Liu Xiang with ships and guns, it will cause him a lot of trouble.
What Guo Huaiyi's letter mentioned was not about the Dutch: his report was about the Australians.
The letter mentioned that he learned from the Dutch and local natives that last month, on the third day of September, the Australian fleet suddenly arrived at Dagou Port and then landed at Dagou Port. A large number of people and materials were transported ashore, and fortresses and walled cities were built locally. There seems to be an attempt to colonize the area.
Zheng Zhilong is no stranger to Australians or Kun thieves. A few years ago, he knew about Australian goods and Australians - Li Siya once reported their affairs to him and presented several rare "Australian goods". Although the origin is quite mysterious, there are still many strange things - such as the huge iron ship.
But it was the opposite of the Senate: the Senate regarded him as a serious concern, but Zheng Zhilong did not take them to heart: the Australians were entrenched in Lingao-Guangdong was not his sphere of influence, and he had no intention of extending his hands there. . In the past few years, he has been busy dealing with all kinds of opponents competing with him on the sea. The Australians in the corner of the west of Guangdong are not a threat to him, and they are a thorn in Zhu Cai's back.
It was only last year that the Australians defeated the entire army in Guangdong Province and then entered the Pearl River Estuary to defeat the official army. They advanced to the gates of Guangzhou before retreating. This was the first time that Zheng Zhilong really paid attention to them. At least, the opponent is a team that is not inferior to him in strength and will. He began to focus part of his attention on this group of overseas visitors who claimed to be descendants of the Song Dynasty.
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