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 board was shiny. The spars and canvas of the upper sail are also intact, giving off a clean and neat look.
The sailors on the ship are wearing uniforms of indigo cloth, which is the sailor uniform of Dabo Shipping. On the stern of the ship is flying a company flag of Dabo Shipping: three wavy water patterns, embellished with a morning star.
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 all covered with gun jackets - indicating that its purpose was peaceful. After the ship entered the harbor and anchored in the depths of the bay, several Zheng family boats quickly approached a small leader. 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 away to 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 had already served tea. Lin Baiguang didn't need to drink it. Just by smelling the aroma, he knew that this was the best Dahongpao (the fastest in the bookstore). When he was in the county office, there was a leader who was very fond of tea. He once went to Wuyi Mountain to buy
Of course, there are certain risks in going to see Zheng Zhilong, but 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 weigh the possibility of launching hostilities. as a result of
Zheng Zhilong, who is confronting Liu Xiang, will never do anything stupid.
Zheng Zhilong is willing to take out his Dahongpao to entertain guests, which makes him more confident about his trip.
It was not Zheng Zhilong who came out to meet the guests, but his brother Zheng Hongkui.
Representatives of the two maritime powers in the South China Sea, or the entire East Asian sea, met in this way. It is unknown whether the wheel of history has rolled forward again, but both of them hold a strong feeling for each other. curiosity
Lin Baiguang realized 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. However, in the Ming Dynasty, almost all people with some status were middle-aged or above.
Zheng Hongkui paid a lot of attention to 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, they almost didn't care about him, but they were famous for their ingenious and obscene skills. Various 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 had considerations of competing for trade with Japan and was wary of the Australians. The growing strength is obviously also a reason
The man in front of me wears a square turban on his head, a straight turban, and mille-feather sole 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" Zheng family, he should be treated politely. This is the tone set by the eldest brother - Zheng Zhilong does not want to provoke a rival 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?"
There is no need for politeness in the conversation between strong men, and there is no need for repeated tests and insinuations. Lin Baiguang smiled slightly: "There is a big business, I wonder if General Zheng is interested?"
Zheng Hongkui immediately became interested and the other party wanted to do business with him. The Zheng family was a large sea merchant, and they were somewhat involved in sea 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 things that use various overtures to paralyze the opponent, and then kill the opponent with a surprise attack. 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, with a slightly sweet aftertaste and no bitter taste at all. It is indeed a good salt and is comparable to the expensive Sichuan well salt used in the mansion now.
"Yes, it's salt." Lin Baiguang nodded.
Zheng Hongkui opened all the small bags one by one. There was salt inside, but the thickness and color were different. They were probably of different grades.
The Australians turned out to be selling private salt
Zheng Hongkui felt normal when he thought about it - there are many salt farms in Hainan and Haibei where they now have influence. Getting some salt is not a problem. Guangdong is not a salt-deficient province, and the sales of private salt must not be good either.
Fujian is a place lacking in salt. The entire province's salt supply relies 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. Province, private salt trading is very rampant
So far, the Zheng family has not put selling salt on their agenda. The Australians actually came directly to them and proposed the sale of private salt. The huge profits involved, Zheng Hongkui could not refuse.
The Executive Committee decided to sell the salt to Zheng Zhilong for a variety of considerations: first, to relax the other party's guard and avoid a misfire due to a tense situation; second, to use the empty tonnage of the northbound ships to obtain profits. The salt is now the Senate. The richest material under our control, due to mass production, the cost is extremely low. As long as it can be sold, it is cost-effective even if one piece of rock salt is sold for one tael of silver - those cabins are originally empty.
"Offer a price he can't refuse," Si Kaide said when communicating the matter with Lin Baiguang. The profit from salt in this time and space can make people break the law and even risk beheading. As the Zheng family is the dominant hegemon in the coastal area, 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 when 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 be 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 made it 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'll 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, entertain them well and send them to the post office. People sent 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 by the Australians puzzled him. If it was just for selling illegal salt, why did they suddenly land in Taiwan? It would be too exaggerated to say that it is used as a transfer station for selling private salt - the salt consumption in Fujian has not yet reached the point where a transfer station is needed to collect salt. To say the least, even if there is a transfer station, Taiwan is not one. suitable location
What the Australians did 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. a sum
If he chooses one and three, then 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.
Choosing to use force, the Zheng family was not sure of victory. Needless to say, Liu Xiang was 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 say the least, Taiwan is not Zheng Zhilong's territory at the moment. The Dutch are more worried about the existence of the Australians than he is. Even if they want to take action, it is better to let the Dutch take action. If the Australians really have plans for Taiwan, , then 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 said with final word.
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