First, he was promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief by the imperial court, and then the prince announced that he would be canonized as "Zhenhaibo". This really made Zheng Zhilong feel that his fortune had turned, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed. Since the prince had a request, of course he had to agree to it.
There were many titles like Commander-in-Chief in the Ming Dynasty, almost everywhere, but there were only a handful of titles like Count, who would definitely be able to honor their ancestors. And from now on, everyone, whether they are colleagues back home or in the capital, will look at the Zheng family with admiration.
"One thing condenses into two words - shipping! I have heard that the Zheng family's fleet traverses the ocean, with strong ships and powerful guns, and brave soldiers. It is the maritime barrier of our Ming Dynasty. The trade contacts even reach the Japanese country in the north and the south in the south. As far as Siam, the vast waters are everywhere. Now the war in Liao is critical. I have summoned the ministers of the Japanese general Tokugawa and entrusted them to forward my personal letter. I hope to borrow 50,000 troops from the Japanese to fight in the Liaodong Peninsula. Landing in order to contain the Donglu from going south to knock the pass. In this way, the important task of transporting tens of thousands of Japanese troops will fall on Zheng Aiqing's shoulders. I wonder if Aiqing is willing to take it on?"
After defeating the Liu Xiang Group, the Zheng Group became the only maritime overlord in East Asian waters. Even the Dutch East India Company had no choice but to tolerate its passage in Nanyang waters, otherwise Dutch merchant ships would not be able to travel in East Asian waters.
Especially starting from this year, the Tokugawa shogun will implement a more stringent lockdown order. Even the Dutch will soon be unable to gain market share from Japan. From now on, the Zheng Group will be the only foreign trade cooperation allowed by the shogun. Partner.
In other words, starting from this year, the Zheng Group will enter its most glorious heyday, with thousands of warships under its control, hundreds of thousands of armors, and an annual income of millions of taels of silver. It has truly reached the point where it can rival any country in terms of wealth and military force. situation.
"...I am willing! I am deeply favored by the Holy Spirit and it is my duty to share your worries with His Highness!"
Zheng Zhilong thought for a moment and agreed. Based on his understanding of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the shogun would not easily agree to the Ming court's request to send troops.
The prince asked Japan to send 50,000 troops, which was a bit fanciful. It should be noted that mobilizing 50,000 troops from Japan to arrive at the Liaodong Peninsula for combat would cost a lot of food.
If the imperial court could not provide this support, Tokugawa Iemitsu would definitely not agree to send troops. Even if the imperial court could provide it, the shogunate was unlikely to agree to his request.
Therefore, Zheng Zhilong thought that all he had to do was agree. If Tokugawa Iemitsu refused to send troops, his fleet would not suffer any losses.
"That's good. My dear, you don't have to worry about whether General Tokugawa will agree to it, because I have made him an irresistible condition. As long as General Tokugawa agrees to send troops, I will transport a large amount of snowflakes to him! Now! The price of snowflake candy in the Japanese market is 400 copper coins per catty. The CIF price provided by this palace is 250 copper coins per catty. General Tokugawa only sells wholesale, and can earn 50 coins per catty. , and the final retail price is far lower than the market price. The departure price offered by this palace for Aiqing is 150 wen per catty. As long as Aiqing transports one catty of snowflake candy to the Japanese port, each catty will cost I can earn one hundred copper coins, I wonder if Aiqing thinks this business can be done?"
How can you catch a big fish like a Tokugawa fish without bait?
Not only does this palace have fishing bait, but the bait is also sweet!
Guaranteed to make the Tokugawa bastard think twice after eating it once!
Even if he doesn't agree, I have a backup plan.
There are so many famous names in Japan, and many of them are not directly under the command of Tokugawa, so they must have selfish motives.
In this case, just give them what they like, and as long as you give them money, it will be easy for them to work for the Ming court.
Many daimyo are just glamorous on the surface, but in fact the samurai under their command live worse lives than some lowly minions.
Except for a samurai sword, even the armor he wore was made of bamboo or wood, which was extremely poor.
If there was an opportunity to earn a hundred taels or even a thousand taels of silver, those warriors would be excited.
For example, the Yonezawa clan, which is known as "the most poor feudal clan in Japan", the Uesugi family that controls the clan has been suppressed by the Tokugawa bastards. In order to support the thousands of samurai under their command, they now have to sell iron.
If someone lends a helping hand at this time, the Uesugi family will definitely be grateful. The Yonezawa clan alone can muster at least 5,000 fighting soldiers. As long as there is a reward for silver, the samurai will sharpen their swords and prepare to land on the Liaodong Peninsula. .
"Well done! Well done! Your Highness is truly a god! I am so impressed that I am so impressed! I am willing to transport sugar to Japan for your Highness to sell!"
Zheng Zhilong is an industry insider and knows the market conditions in Japan very well. Snowflake candy is indeed very expensive, much higher than the market price in Daming.
If you can sell it to Japan on a large scale, you will definitely earn as much as one million taels. It seems that this is indeed a good business worth trying.
How the prince learned about it, Zheng Zhilong still didn't know, but looking at the whole process, General Tokugawa and himself had a lot of income, so they would no longer refuse the request to send troops and transport troops.
Moreover, the only supplier that could provide snowflake candies to the Japanese country on a large scale and guarantee such low prices was the Ming Dynasty. Neither the Dutch nor the Spanish could do it.
Using snowflake candy to urge the Japanese to send troops to Liaodong, I have to say, this is really an ingenious move, and Zheng Zhilong quite approves of it.
For the Zheng family, one pound of snowflake candy can earn one hundred copper coins. It can be said to be a huge profit project, and it is impossible not to intervene in this business.
"I am very pleased that Aiqing is doing such good things. From now on, the business of transporting snowflake candy from the mainland of Ming Dynasty to Japan will be left to Aiqing. Of course, transporting tens of thousands of Japanese troops from Japan to Liaodong Peninsula also requires Aiqing has taken care of everything, and the court will not provide additional transportation expenses to Aiqing. It has been agreed in advance that if Aiqing's fleet is sunk in a storm, Aiqing may bear all the losses. As for the expenses of the Japanese army themselves, Aiqing does not need to worry , it will naturally be borne by the imperial court.”
Whether it is currently or in the long term, there is no second suitable candidate for transporting sugar to Japan. The Zheng family fleet is the most powerful guarantee.
In addition, even if the ships of southern Fujian maritime merchants are able to reach the Japanese country, they may encounter threats from Dutch warships along the way and lose all their money.
It was perfect to use sugar to pay for the freight. After making such a large sum of money out of thin air, Zheng Laofi was too embarrassed to say any excuses.
"I obey your order. As long as the snow candy can be loaded onto the ship, all maritime risks will be borne by me alone. Your Highness and the court do not need to pay a tael of silver for this!"
How big the profit is, how big the risk is. The Zheng family's success today was achieved through many bloody battles, so Zheng Zhilong naturally understands the truth.
Zheng Zhilong would definitely not agree to letting others get a share of the pie. Such a large-scale takeover would mean that the snowflake candy business from the Ming Dynasty to the Japanese Kingdom would be completely monopolized by the Zheng family.
"There are two other things, which are also related to shipping. I hope Aiqing can take over. One is that the imperial court has implemented the vassal transfer order, which will move the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty from the mainland to overseas. The modern king and the Jin king The vassal king has agreed to move the family members and princes of Dai and Jin to Kuwu Island to settle. However, Kuwu Island is still far away from the mainland of the Ming Dynasty, and the traffic remains unchanged. Therefore, I hope Aiqing can allocate some merchant ships to use it. In order to transport the family members, soldiers and Zimin of the vassal. Another thing is that there has been a severe drought in the northern part of the Ming Dynasty for many years. I hope that Aiqing will purchase rice from various places in Nanyang. There is no upper limit on the total amount. As long as Aiqing's fleet arrives in heaven. Golden geometry, I will purchase it at the market price."
Currently, only the Zheng Group has such a powerful shipping capability that can transport tens of thousands of people to places thousands of miles away. Without Zheng Zhilong, the plan to move the feudal vassal would be nothing more than looking at the moon in the water.
The specific steps are to let the feudal king's younger brothers gather and board the ship in Dagu, and then transfer them to Jeju Island. This is the first stage. Then it was transferred from Jeju Island to Sado Island, a Japanese country. This is the second stage. Finally, it was transported from Sado Island to the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the landing was completed.
"I will try my best to mobilize ships to ensure the smooth progress of the transfer. I will also purchase rice from Nanyang and transport it to Tianjin. Please rest assured, Your Highness."
When it comes to rice worth millions of stones, Zheng Zhilong did not dare to provide it to the court at a low price or even for free. Moreover, the prince did not mention paying the freight for the transfer of the feudal vassal, which meant that it would be deducted from the price of rice purchase.
After the preliminary discussions between the monarch and his ministers, Zheng Zhilong got to know the prince. Before, he thought that his eldest son Zheng Sen was extremely smart because he passed the scholar examination at the age of fourteen.
Compared with the prince who had just entered the prime of life, Quanzi was no longer in a dignified state. What the prince said was all about national policies and great undertakings. They were closely linked and planned step by step. His thoughts were rigorous and shrewd, and even an adult would be amazed.
However, Zheng Zhilong focused more on the huge nautical chart placed on the table. This was something he had never seen before. The painting technique and level of detail were very different from the nautical charts he had referenced for many years.
Yao Ji also saw some clues and introduced: "I saw this picture from Grandpa Taizu in the immortal world. When I returned to the mortal world, I drew it based on my memory. If Aiqing likes it, I will give it to you." Yes."
This map is about two meters square. The distance between the islands and the land is more accurate than similar maps of this era. The proportions have returned to normal, making it much easier to identify than those twisted sketches.
"I would like to thank Your Highness for the map!"
Zheng Zhilong was an expert. He could see the importance and precious value of this picture at a glance. As long as the prince opened the door, he would not have any polite words to refuse it. He must put it into his pocket as soon as possible to avoid being betrayed by others. Sweep away.
"With this map, Aiqing can get twice the result with half the effort. According to Aiqing, how many days will it take to set sail from Tianjin and arrive at Kuwu? How many people can Aiqing's fleet transport at one time?"
I have given you all the benefits that should be given to you, and now it depends on what benefits you, the sea dragon, can bring to me.
"...Your Highness, in my opinion, the one-way trip will take twenty to thirty days, and the round trip will take two months. My fleet can transport five thousand people ashore at a time."
Zheng Zhilong has not personally traveled the route from Tianjin to Kuwu, so he can only make an estimate based on years of accumulated experience, but the error is only five days at most.
Although the fleet under his command is large in number, it still has to take care of many matters such as transporting troops from Japan, purchasing rice from Nanyang, and transporting snow candy from the mainland, so transporting five thousand people at one time is already a lot.
“Five thousand???”
After hearing this, Yao Ji muttered and fell silent.
According to this transportation capacity, the 50,000 people from the Transport Dai and Jin countries would have to be transported in ten batches, which would take twenty months to complete, which would take more than a year and a half.
Furthermore, what should the princes and Zimin of other vassal states at the back of the queue do? Just sit on the shore and stare, waiting for the fleet to return?
Zheng Zhilong immediately noticed that the prince was not satisfied with this amount, and hurriedly added: "If the fleet is more compact, the fleet can be increased to 10,000!"
Of course, at this level, a large number of horses cannot be transported, otherwise there will not be so much space to wear it.
Yaoji still felt that there was room for improvement, so he asked: "How many people can Aiqing carry per ship?"
As long as the transport capacity of the unit can be determined, the transport capacity of the entire fleet can be deduced.
Zheng Zhilong knew that the prince wanted to figure out the Zheng family's fleet, so he could only answer cautiously: "Your Highness, each ship can carry no less than a hundred people!"
Since the transport capacity of Zheng Laofi's ship is indeed not low, Yaoji took advantage of the situation and said, "Based on this, wouldn't it be possible to dispatch 500 sea-going ships to transport 50,000 people?"
Zheng Zhilong immediately held up his hands and prevaricated: "Your Highness, ships vary in size, and I cannot generalize. The number of people per ship is only an optimistic estimate, and the actual number may be reduced by about 30%."
If we don't consider the survival rate of the people, we can just force it in. One boat can accommodate two to three hundred people, but in that case, there won't be much breathing room when we arrive at Kuwu.
Not to mention that the vassal king wanted to vent his anger on him, and the court would not agree to transport Daming Zimin like this. Zheng Zhilong still had to first ensure that the "goods" he transported could survive.
Yaoji did not argue with his reasoning, but changed a new approach: "What if Aiqing's fleet is only responsible for the route from Jeju Island to Kuwu Island?"
Zheng Zhilong knew that if he kept talking less, the prince would not be so kind, and the snowflake candy business he had just obtained might not be guaranteed, so he gritted his teeth and reported a reasonable amount: "Your Highness, I thought I could transport 20,000 people per month. !”
Yaoji was finally satisfied with this luck and had basically achieved his original intention: "Well, that's good! Then it's settled that Aiqing will be responsible for the route from Jeju Island to Kuwu Island, and I will let Tianjinshui The division and the Dengrae Navy are responsible for the route transportation from Cheongeum to Jeju Island.”
It seems that the previous plan also needs to be fine-tuned. The first large section is cut into three smaller sections, and then subcontracted to the navy and small maritime merchants under his command.
The journey from Cheonjin to Jeju Island is divided into three stages. Cheonjin to Dengju is the first stage, and the Cheonjin Navy is responsible for it. From Dengzhou to Chengshanwei next to Rongcheng Bay is the second stage, which is under the charge of Denglai Navy. From Seongsanwei to Jeju Island is the third stage, which is the responsibility of maritime merchants.
If split in this way, the seemingly heavy transportation pressure can be shared among all links, allowing the Zheng family fleet to concentrate on ocean transportation and achieve the goal of rapidly increasing transportation capacity.
After three months of removing the ice from the Bohai Sea, we can transport 180,000 people in at least a year. Whether it is going to Sakhalin, Magadan, Kamchatka, or even North America, it should be almost enough in the initial stage.
A certain prince has ordered the construction of large merchant ships that can withstand sea waves and can be used to transport people and supplies. They will be put into service in large numbers next year.
In order to achieve the goal of transporting 300,000 people overseas every year, and reaching the scale of 500,000 people in the long term, if implemented in the long term, it can greatly alleviate the population pressure in the Ming Dynasty.
