Peter and his party stayed in Hoi An for five days. After the first meeting, Zheng Huaide went to Hoi An City the next day, while Peter and Le Van Yuet continued to negotiate in depth on specific military issues.
In addition to hoping to receive support in military operations, Guangnan also made a request to purchase weapons.
In recent years, Guangnan has been purchasing arms and supplies from Siam or the French Indian colonies. Nguyen Phuc Anh's army is currently trained in Western-style drills by the French, so there is a huge demand for steel, weapons and ammunition.
Of course Deng Fei would not agree to sell weapons. He could give Ruan Fuying an "84 revolver" as a personal gift. Don't even think about the rifle. Let's continue to use French flintlock guns!
Nowadays, various forces in Southeast Asia are intertwined and intertwined, just like a big colander. The "1790 rifled gun" that used flash caps and Mini bullets was definitely a weapon that was two eras ahead of its time. If you really want the French to climb out the technology tree in advance, it will simply cause trouble for Beihai Town itself.
When the purchase of weapons failed, Peter resorted to the next best thing and proposed to borrow a sum of money to stabilize the economy of the Jiaqing area.
"So how much do you want to borrow?" Zhao Xin had specially brought 300,000 taels of silver ingots here just to prepare for this day.
Li Wenyue said: "What do you think, Mr. Deng, of two hundred thousand taels? If possible, I hope one-third of it will be paid with coin."
"Make money?" Deng Feixin asked, maybe he wanted to use it to melt it down and make cannons? It would be better to give copper ingots directly! Unexpectedly, when he mentioned his idea, Li Wenyue quickly explained that that was not what he meant. They really needed copper coins urgently in order to stabilize prices.
Li Wenyue sighed and said: "Master Deng is unaware of something. Jiading has always been a land of fish and rice, but now the price of rice on the market has soared. People have to use silver to buy rice. The root cause is still the lack of money production."
It is said that although there are copper mines in Annan, due to limited mining and smelting technology, the amount of coins minted has always been very low. To put it bluntly, the cost of minting coins is higher than the currency value. The more coins are minted, the greater the loss. Therefore, starting from the 17th century, the copper coin trade between island countries and the Qing Dynasty has long occupied the majority of Annan sea trade.
After the Xishan Uprising, successive wars led to a surge in demand for copper materials and currency. The governments of all parties melted copper coins to make cannons, and at the same time needed a large amount of copper coins to pay the military and levy civil servants, causing the price of mints to skyrocket. Today, the price ratio of silver and copper in the south of the Qing Dynasty is 1:57, while in Annan it is 1:35.
Because of the serious shortage of copper coins, the Xishan court minted a large number of zinc coins. Compared with copper coins, zinc coins are much cheaper to mint, and the face value of zinc coins is more than twice the cost of minting. However, high profits will inevitably lead to a large amount of private money flooding the market, bad money will drive out good money, and inflation will be inevitable. Once prices rise, maritime trade will be the hardest hit.
Deng Fei is not Zhao Xin. His understanding of monetary economics is very superficial, and he still only needs money. However, he knew that with the industrial level of Beihai Town, it would be no problem to open a mold to make copper coins.
Since borrowing money is not a problem, the next step is to talk about what to use as collateral and how to repay the principal and interest.
Li Wenyue proposed to use Guangnan's specialty rice to repay, but Deng Fei thought he was kidding! He immediately put forward a very tempting condition. The total amount of the loan was increased to 500,000 taels, interest-free, and repaid in fifteen years. The condition was that the border between the two parties in Yunnan was restored to the traditional customary line of the Zhaijiang River. .
Peter and Li Wenyue didn't care at all. Right now, Guangnan's top priority was to have strong soldiers and horses, money and food. Although the territory forty miles north of the Daju River was "rewarded" by Yongzheng to the Later Li Dynasty, Zaimai Tian was not sad, not to mention that the northern territory was not yet under the control of the Guangnan regime. When would it be taken? It’s hard to say when I’ll come back!
When the two sides were almost done talking, Peter invited Deng Fei to Jiading to meet with Nguyen Phuc Anh, so that the contents of the negotiations between the two parties could be put on paper as soon as possible and the military operation against Quy Nhon Prefecture could be launched as soon as possible.
This matter can only be done by Deng Fei. Everyone else is currently busy with other things and has no time to do anything else.
Wang Yuanfang only showed up when he was greeted on the first day, and then took the special operations battalion to Dazhan Island for tropical jungle adaptation training. Hong Tao is currently leading a medical team to treat the Chinese in Datang Street in order to stabilize them. people's support and expand influence.
Since the Northern Navy occupied Hoi An, all officials of the Tay Son Dynasty who had no time to escape were imprisoned. Considering the communication barriers with the ancients, Jiang Fan and Zhong Huai took charge of all affairs in the city, allowing the two to enjoy the county magistrate's addiction. Thanks to the assistance of Ye Zhanrong and his son, the street order in Hoi An City is assisted by the Chinese community of Ming Huong Society, and there has been no trouble so far.
In fact, since the Beihai Navy canceled the head tax, fishing tax, and rice milling tax collected by the Xishan government, and only retained the land tax and customs duties, both Chinese and locals expressed great support for this "benevolent government" welcome. Compared with the Tay Son court which imposed excessive levies and levies, the people of Hoi An hoped that the Northern Navy could stay and continue to rule.
After some consideration, Deng Fei still roped in Jiang Fan and asked Zhong Huai to stay and manage Hoi'an.
On the way south, Peter, Li Wenyue and Zheng Huaide were shocked by the speed and smoothness of the Thor ship. During this period, Deng Fei also took them to visit the engine room. Although they could only stand at the door and could not go inside to take a closer look, the four people, including He Xiwen, were shocked by the dense pipelines and huge steam turbines inside. Continuously, he called it "an inhuman thing".
On January 10, 1791, the Thor carrying Peter and his party towed He Xiwen's fleet to Qinchu Port at the southeastern mouth of Jiading, which was still more than a hundred miles away from Jiading City by water. Although flags were displayed on He Xiwen's two ships, the appearance of the Thor still caused great panic inside and outside the port. He Xiwen first sent people to contact the Guangnan navy stationed in the port, and then sent a speedboat to send Peter and Le Van Yue to Bagua City to report to Nguyen Phuc Ying.
Deng Fei commanded the ship to stop in the cockpit. Jiang Fan had nothing to do, so he and Zheng Huaide, who stayed with him, went to the deck to watch the scenery. At this time, the weather was clear, the wind was gentle, and the inside and outside of the port were unobstructed. I saw that the interior of Qinchu Port is extremely wide and the water flow is stable. There is a mountain in the southeast as a barrier, which completely isolates the wind and waves on the sea. However, in such a good harbor, there are only seven or eight small boats and dozens of small fishing boats, which looks very deserted.
Zheng Huaide pointed to the surroundings of Qinchu Port and introduced to Jiang Fan: "Mr. Ziping, our Jiading has 17 seaports, including Qinchu, Bote, Meiqing, Tongzheng, and Xiaohaimen. However, Qinchuan Port has a deep and wide heart. At that time, the eight winds ensured stability, and there were no dangers of dark sand, reefs, raging waves, and fierce winds. It was the first good port in Annan."
Jiang Fan picked up his beard and said: "The mountains here are undulating, and the rivers run through them. The two rivers are natural chasms, blocking ships at the mouth of the sea. The Fan believes that in military affairs, the dangerous mountains and rivers must be the first priority. However, the soldiers are well-supplied and obey the control. Only by imposing servitude and punishment and being a manager can you be in an invincible position."
"Best regards, sir."
As a famous local Chinese family in Jiading, Zheng Huaide's ancestors were officials in the Ming Dynasty. He studied poetry and books since he was a child, and his knowledge is considered top-notch among the Annan Chinese. However, when he and Jiang Fan met for the first time, he was immediately impressed by the other person's knowledge. Later, he asked for advice from time to time along the way and served him as a teacher.
Just kidding, Jiang Fan was born in a literary place in the south of the Yangtze River. He studied under Hui Dong, a master of Confucian classics. He is well-read and knowledgeable. Historically, he was the dean of Luoyang Lizheng Academy. He can give great significance to the inheritance and characters of the entire Confucian classics. Micro words, criticism and comments. And scholars like Zheng Huaide, who was already a top-notch scholar in Annan, could not even be ranked in Jiangnan.
Jiang Fan asked again: "How many Tang ships came from here?"
"The ships from Tang Dynasty come by the northeast wind in the spring and return by the south wind in the summer. If we wait until the autumn wind comes, we will have to spend the winter locally. As you can see, those ships are all from Siam."
Zheng Huaide sighed softly after explaining: "Since the Xishan Incident, the government troops and the Xishan bandits have fought several battles in Fan'an Town, and the arrivals of Tang ships have become increasingly rare. Only one came last year, and less than ten came this year. "
Although the terrain around Jiading City is dangerous, with mountains in the east as a barrier and a dense network of rivers and lakes in the south, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. In fact, during the 11 years from 1777 to 1788, the Jiading area was defeated by the Xishan Army and Ruan Phuc Anh. It changed hands several times, leaving a good sea trade town and a land of plenty and dilapidated.
"Master Ruan is young and promising. Although he has encountered ups and downs, he is determined and unswerving. With the help of talented people like Zhishan Xiandi, prosperity can be expected."
After learning about the arrival of the Thor, King Nguyen Phuc Anh of Guangnan was overjoyed at first, but then he was poured cold water on Peter's report.
"What?! They want me to push back the northern border of Dai Viet to the Da Chu River?! And they want to cede Dong Dang and Lang Son?!"
Even though Nguyen Phuc Anh is still in a corner, in his mind, once Annan is unified, it will be a regime that can compete with northern China.
As a vassal state of the Central Plains Dynasty, Annan has had a completely different mentality from other countries since the Northern Song Dynasty, which is specifically reflected in the "Huayi View".
Whether it is the Li Dynasty or the island country, their "Huayi view" began to consider themselves Little China after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the evil island country called itself "Shenzhou" and regarded itself as the spokesperson of East Asia, that was only after the "Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894".
The "Xining War" that took place in the second half of the eleventh century was a very important turning point. Under the unequal national power, the Northern Song Dynasty army suffered heavy casualties, and the war progressed anxiously, making Annan more arrogant and the consciousness of the north and the south rising.
South and north are corresponding words and are equivalent in level. Because Annan completely copied Chinese culture and laws and regulations, and basically tied with the Northern Song Dynasty, he achieved his own strategic goals and invisibly defined himself as an equal country to China.
In their view, Chinese civilization is two independent entities, one is the China of the North, and the other is the China of the South. The so-called "the mountains and rivers of the South, where the emperor lives, are clearly determined in the Book of Heaven."
This approach of viewing the relationship between the two sides based on the Northern and Southern Dynasties in ancient China can not only satisfy the rising national self-esteem, but also implies that Vietnam and China not only coexist but also belong to the same Chinese civilization.
I would like to ask which small vassal country around ancient China dared to interfere in the internal affairs of the sovereign by saying such words as "crueling the Chinese people, raising troops to ask them, and trying to save them"? Except for the "Heroes of the Eighteen Provinces with Honest Advice" produced by the later island nation during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894.
After the demise of the orthodox Han Dynasty, the Southern Song Dynasty, and even the failure of Kublai Khan's crusade against the Chen Dynasty, Annan regarded himself as "China" and placed himself on an equal footing with the Central Plains dynasty.
This is why after Ming Dynasty Chengzu conquered Annan and destroyed the Chen Dynasty, even though he organized households and set up guard posts, the powerful local scholars refused to assimilate and incited the people to rebel.
It is precisely because this concept is deeply rooted in the hearts of Annan that in another time and space in history, Nguyen Phuc Anh tried to change the name of the country to "South Vietnam" after the restoration of the country. In his view, the Manchu Qing Dynasty could no longer be called "China". You are "China".
Although Jiaqing dismissed his little point and gave him the title "Vietnam" instead, the Ruan Dynasty did not use "Vietnam" domestically, but called itself "Greater Vietnam", and later changed its name to "Greater South". The desire to be on an equal footing with the northern suzerain country was vividly expressed on the page.
After the unification, Nguyen Phuc Anh chose Hue instead of Thang Long as his capital. In essence, he wanted to distance himself from the Qing Dynasty and use "the emperor divided the north and the south" to show the surrounding countries. This mentality will naturally cause the relationship between the two countries to drift apart, and eventually lead to the Nguyen Dynasty monarchs and ministers secretly helping France during the "Sino-French War" and expressing their neutrality in a weird way!
Zuo Zongtang dragged the 73-year-old sick inspector Ponytail, while 67-year-old Feng Zicai led his troops to resist tenaciously at Zhennanguan, beating the French to the point where they abandoned their armor. Needless to say, the cowardice of the Manchus was also an important reason for the opening of the door to southwest China!
It is precisely because of this that Zhao Xin, who has long understood this clearly, will not give in on territorial issues. He just wanted to take back Dong Dang and Lang Son, so that the Red River Plain would be safe, and a sharp sword would be hanging over Annan's head.
The problem is that Nguyen Phuc Anh is not stupid either. He just wants to return the territory of 40 miles from Dajuhe River on the border with Yunnan, but he is very clear about the importance of Dong Dang and Lang Son. However, after repeated consideration and weighing, Ruan Fuying finally gritted his teeth and agreed.
At the moment, the northern territory is not in his hands yet, and he doesn't know how long it will take to take it back. Even if he agrees now, he will still be able to find excuses and find ways to withhold it in the future.
In fact, if Nguyen Quang Binh's early death led to internal strife in the Tay Son Dynasty, Nguyen Phuc Anh would never have had the chance to unify. Historically, he promised to cede Con Dao Island and Hoi An to the French, but in the end he refused because France did not actually send troops.
Moreover, the conditions offered by the North Navy are too tempting. The five hundred thousand taels of silver and copper coins that Deng Fei agreed to borrow could greatly solve his current difficult financial situation; not to mention that the Northern Navy would also help him regain Binh Thuan and even Qui Nhon City.
"Did they say when they would send out troops?"
Li Wenyue reported back: "Your Majesty, that Admiral Deng said that they have to wait until their supplies are delivered to Hoi An, which will take another month at most."
Ruan Fuying nodded and said, "One month? That's enough time."
Peter said: "Master Ruan. In addition to what was mentioned just now, the general named Deng Fei also wants to rent Gancheng'ao as a supply point for future transit south."
Ruan Fuying was stunned for a moment and said: "Guereng'ao? Where in Yongchang County?"
Li Wenyue on the side replied: "It's the bay eighty-eight miles east of Yongchang."
Ruan Fu An, who was suspicious, asked someone to take a map and look at it. He was surprised and said: "This place is covered with dense reefs and can only be accessed by small boats. What do they want here?"
In fact, Deng Fei wanted to borrow Conlun Island at first, but on the way south, when the fleet passed Nha Phu O - also known as "Nha Trang" in later generations, Deng Fei, who had traveled here before, suddenly thought of something Better place.
In another time and space, the famous Cam Ranh Bay was called Gan Ling Ao in ancient times. Now it is just an inconspicuous coastal defense stronghold under the rule of Nguyen Van Ngoc of the Tay Son Dynasty, with a small village nearby.
What? You said there are many rocks? Haha, that’s nothing to us!
So when he proposed to Peter to abandon Conlun Island and replace it with Citrus Island, Peter, who had already regarded Conlun Island as a French possession, was naturally very happy. As for Li Wenyue, he has no objection. This place is more than 500 miles away from the Jiading Waterway, and it is still under the rule of Ruan Wenyue of the Xishan Dynasty. From his point of view, he is naturally happy to go to Beihai Town to fight with the opponent.
Li Wenyue said: "In my humble opinion, the Beihai people are very good at strange and cunning skills. Maybe they have secret skills to develop that place into a good harbor. Moreover, Admiral Deng is willing to pay the king a rent of five thousand taels of silver every year for this place." The fee, the lease term is fifty years, can be paid in advance. I think that at present, Guangnan still needs to recuperate, train troops and build ships, so this money is really important."
Good guy! Another two hundred and fifty thousand taels, and it is still the territory of the Xishan Dynasty. This Beihai Town has a big plot against Annan!
Ruan Fuying said solemnly: "Did Admiral Deng say what he wants to use the citrus fruit for?"
Peter said: "Oh, he explained this to me. They want to use it as a transit point for north-south transportation in Beihai Town, and station a fleet at the same time. In addition to helping us, the main purpose is to deal with the Dutch and British in Java. people."
Ruan Fuying thought for a while and nodded in agreement. Dealing with the Western barbarians has nothing to do with him, but if Beihai Town can build it well and the lease expires in the future, he will have another good port under his rule.
Two days later, in order to show his sincerity, Nguyen Phuc Anh took a boat and led his civil and military officials to personally greet him at Can Tho Port. In order to show that his Guangnan navy was not bad, he also used the two Western-style warships and used one of them as his own boat.
But when he arrived at Qinchu Port happily, he was immediately frightened by the huge body of the Thor. Even the French officers and sailors on the ship were stunned. Although they had heard He Xiwen and Peter's description before, the shock brought by seeing it with their own eyes refreshed their understanding of Beihai Town's strength.
Nguyen Phuc Anh immediately ordered his painters to paint on the spot and even composed a poem.
"The thunder god of the North Sea kills whales, and Yan'an still worries about the soldiers. The flags are beautiful and the clouds are shadowed, and the drums and drums are noisy. The tigers roar, and the boats are arrayed. I want to rest with the people and fight. Never look forward to peace."
