Compared with the hard-sailed warships of the Ming Dynasty, the Dutch Hongyi's soft-sailed warships had sharp firepower, extremely fast speed, huge tonnage, and excellent sinking resistance. Apart from the high cost, they had almost no shortcomings that could be exploited, which left a deep impression on Zheng Zhifeng. impression.
There are no fewer than ten such large ships in the Zheng fleet, all of which are imitations of Dutch warships. They are used by Zheng Zhilong as elites and will not be put into combat easily. The reason is that the cost is high, and even the wealthy Zheng Zhilong is not willing to build them in large quantities.
For the Zheng Group, which combines ocean trade with near-shore defense, it is the most economical strategy to build a small number of large warships, supplemented by a large number of cheap Ming-style warships, to form a high-low combat combination.
As a potential competitor of the Zheng family, the Dutch East India Company's fleet is all large warships. The lowest tonnage starts at more than 100 tons, and the general displacement is more than 300 tons.
This kind of warship has excellent sailing capabilities both downwind and against the wind. In particular, its sailing capability against the wind is far superior to that of the Ming-style ships. In the case of headwind, even if the Zheng fleet has an absolute advantage, it cannot catch up with any Dutch warship.
The speedboat regarded as the main force of the East India Company is not as small and chic as the name suggests. To the Zheng family, it is a warship with excellent offensive and defensive capabilities.
Most speedboats are equipped with seven or eight 18-pound main guns and more than ten 9-pound secondary guns. They usually also carry more than ten light artillery to replace large-caliber artillery that is too hot to fire continuously during rapid fire.
The speedboats in the hands of the Dutch are the elites that the Zheng family relies on, and the large warships built by the Dutch are equipped with 24-30 pound heavy guns. Ten large warships can roam the sea and ignore the Zheng family ships that are ten times their own size.
Each mountain is higher than the other. The Spanish warships in Luzon usually start at 500 tons, and the displacement is usually maintained at around 1,000 tons. Warships of 2,000 tons are also common.
The route from Luzon to America is a line of latitude, while the route from Taiyuan to Batavia is a line of longitude, and the two will intersect in a large body of water.
Although the Netherlands and Spain belong to two major camps in Europe and are fighting fiercely, the Netherlands was previously a Spanish territory and they wanted to kill each other directly.
However, in the waters of Southeast Asia, the two sides have maintained a fairly high level of tacit understanding and will not attack the other side's warships or merchant ships without authorization unless absolutely necessary.
The Spanish warships were large in tonnage and powerful, while the Dutch East India Company had many ships. Each side had its own advantages and disadvantages, and both understood the characteristics of the other, so they both chose the strategy of calming people down and making money.
Zheng Zhifeng showed that he was very afraid of the Dutch warships, but in his heart he was not afraid of the Dutch in Dongfan. What worried him was the Batavia reinforcements.
Once the majority of the defenders send warships south to deliver messages, the East India Company headquarters in Batavia will inevitably send reinforcements to relieve the siege. By then, we will not be able to capture the city of Relandja, and we will be attacked from both sides.
It doesn't need to be too much. The reinforcement fleet sent by Hongyi only has twenty warships and eighty armed merchant ships, which is enough to make the Zheng family drink. At best, it is just a tragic victory, but in fact, both sides suffer losses.
Asking Zheng Zhipeng to go to Nanyang to purchase grain and rubber at the beginning of the war will inevitably put him in danger. Nearly half of the waters in Nanyang belong to the red barbarians. If the Zheng army besieges the senior officials, then the red barbarians in Batavia will attack the Zheng family. merchant ships as a means of retaliation.
If this situation occurs, not only will the products from Nanyang not be transported back, but Zheng Zhipeng's fleet will also be besieged by Hongyi, and it is very likely that heavy casualties will be suffered. It is best not to take this kind of foreseeable loss of troops and generals lightly. try.
"Yes, brother, once a war breaks out with Hongyi, the business that our family has worked hard for many years will be in vain. Without income, how will the more than 100,000 soldiers and hundreds of thousands of their families survive?"
Zheng Zhibao also strongly agreed with the fourth brother's words. Let alone attacking Hongyi, even if the business with Hongyi was interrupted, his family would suffer a loss of millions of taels, or even as much as four to five million taels.
The family is able to raise more than 100,000 troops, all thanks to the dividends earned from maritime trade. Without the business, even if there is still some wealth, it is equivalent to sitting on nothing. If it cannot be maintained for a long time, the support will be stretched.
In Zheng Zhibao's eyes, the Dutch are not only business partners, but also the gods of wealth who send money to his family. He cannot be offended easily. If this financial path is cut off, he really doesn't know what to do to make up for it.
"Brother, wouldn't going to Nanyang to buy grain be in conflict with the Hongyi's plan to deal with the high officials?"
Being hit by Zheng Zhilong's shocking decision, Zheng Zhipeng was suddenly a little confused. He didn't know whether he was just talking about it casually or whether he was serious about it.
The waters from the Japanese Kingdom to Kuangdong are all the territory of the Zheng family, and going south will enter the territory of the Xiyi. The southernmost waters are the jurisdiction of the Dutch Red Yi.
At present, the two sides are still cooperating, so merchant ships have no problem buying grain and rubber in the past. But after a big fight, can they still buy grain and rubber?
Due to Hongyi's military strength and their own economic interests, the attitudes and opinions of all the brothers who spoke were extremely consistent, that is, Hongyi could not fight, and this war could not start.
"Brother, the prince just gave you the false title of Zhen Haibo. Those benefits are all empty talk and can't be counted. Our business with Hongyi is real money. We make huge amounts of money every year. Our family must not do anything with it. The Hongyi are turning against each other and starting a war!"
Zheng Zhifeng was still trying to persuade her eldest brother. The prince asked Zheng to fight against Hongyi, which was tantamount to killing someone with a borrowed knife. He was obviously intending to make a profit, which was too much.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zheng Zhilong asked his servants to take down the banquet, replace it with tea, and let everyone sober up. After the objections gradually disappeared, he said calmly: "My brother's feelings are clear to me. . To the current imperial court, we are the officials of the imperial court, guarding the land of Fujian and intimidating the islands of Dongfan. It is our duty to defend the land and resist the enemy. This is the official saying. To His Highness the Crown Prince, my title of Zhenhai Bo and Chief Soldier are It was the prince's appointment that Sen'er also wanted to go to Beijing to study. It was a reality. Regarding the enemies of the Hongyi, he broke the contract without permission before, which led to the Battle of Liaoluowan. Now he is frequently tormenting the Bamin and Yimin in the east. It is true that Damn it. To my brothers and relatives, the Japanese sugar business is worth a million taels of silver, and the export of local specialties is worth no less than this amount. It is not a problem to double it in the future. The prince has said it first. If the Zheng family can capture Dongfan for the imperial court, You can get a gold mine and mine it yourself without paying taxes. The gold is discounted to 30 million taels of silver. It is located in Qiongzhou and is easy to transport by sea. In this way, the military expenses for sending troops to the east have been secured. Do you have any objections? "
Since Zhenhaibo still had some concerns about the crusade against the Hongyi on Treasure Island, and the court would not be able to reimburse him for military expenses for a while, a certain prince took advantage of "an elephant" at the last moment.
It is a gold mine located in the west of Hainan. The gold reserves are no less than a hundred tons. How much Zheng Zhilong can finally dig out depends on his ability and luck.
"Brother, does he know the location of the gold mine? We can send troops as soon as we dig it out!"
Zheng Zhibao is the master who refuses to let go of the eagle when he sees the rabbit, and he plans to put the gold in his pocket first before mentioning the war with Hongyi.
"Did you know that after the dinner that day, the prince asked my brother three questions, and said that the first two brothers dared not answer, but the latter one could answer easily!"
Zheng Zhilong did not answer directly, but mentioned an incident that happened in the capital.
"Big brother, it's okay to speak out. Foolish brother, I'm all ears!"
Zheng Zhilong didn't understand what his elder brother meant, so he could only listen patiently and see what flowers the little prince could tell.
"The prince first asked if our family has money? Brother, I really didn't dare to answer easily, for fear that if I said I had money, the prince would borrow it. The prince then asked if our family had money? Brother, I still didn't dare to answer. Our family is in charge of the southeast We have been trading along the coast for many years, and our family is extremely rich and valuable. Finally, the prince asked if our family would like to make a lot of money. Of course, I nodded in agreement. "
Zheng Zhilong had been living overseas for many years, but he didn't expect that when he saw the prince in the East Palace, he would be asked questions like walking on thin ice, which really made him frightened for a while.
“…What does this have to do with gold mining?”
Zheng Zhilong was confused when he heard it, and he could only pick it out and ask about the relationship between the two.
"If our family doesn't conquer the East for the imperial court, how can we earn gold mines? How can we make a lot of money with the Crown Prince?"
This brother's mind was a little slow. He was probably attracted by the thirty million taels of silver. Zheng Zhilong could only explain the reason directly.
"Brother, our family has done so many errands, transporting people to Kuwu for the vassal state, transporting troops from Japan for the imperial court, and buying grain and rubber from Nanyang. How can we not expect anything in return?"
Zheng Zhibao felt that his family had done enough, and the court seemed to have nothing to offer, so it was reasonable to exchange it for a gold mine. It was doubtful whether there were thirty million taels of silver in it.
"Whether transporting people or troops, they are all exchanged for the sugar business. As for the purchase of grain and rubber, the court will also pay cash. And for that gold mine, if we don't send troops to the east, not to mention thirty million taels of silver , even if there are sixty million taels of silver, or ninety million taels of silver, what does it have to do with us?"
The prince gave himself a reward, accepted his eldest son as his disciple, and gave him a name. This was regarded as a reward in terms of fame.
The second is business care. If Zheng gets the sugar business, the court will increase the export quota of goods.
Finally, there is military help. With the magical weapons of naval and land warfare, Zheng Zhilong will no longer be afraid of Hongyi.
As for this gold mine, Zheng Zhilong can only believe it with suspicion, but it is true that the prince is opening a mine in Shandong, and he has begun to recruit workers on a large scale. The news has been published in newspapers and cannot be faked.
If we follow this analogy, it would be logical for the prince to know that there is a gold mine somewhere in Qiongzhou. Maybe there is more than one gold mine on the island.
All in all, I got a lot of benefits without doing anything. It would be a bit unkind to reach out and ask for money from the prince at this time. Even Zheng Zhilong was embarrassed to speak.
"Brother, if the gold mine incident is true, I think we can do it!"
In Zheng Zhi'ao's eyes, fighting the Red Barbarians is no different from fighting other pirates. It's just that the opponent's combat power is higher, but his own ships and soldiers can kill the 1,800 Red Barbarians on the island.
We have no other advantage, except that there are more people and more boats!
So what if Hongyi has strong ships and powerful guns?
Aren't you afraid of being besieged by the Zheng family's fleet?
Even if ten ships are exchanged for one Red Yi warship, and ten soldiers are exchanged for one Red Yi, we are still sure of victory.
Zheng Zhilong's gold mine and Zheng Zhi'ao's words also made the other brothers loosen their attitude towards dealing with Hongyi. After all, there is a gold mine worth 30 million taels of silver floating in their minds all the time...
"Brother, if our family conquers Dongfan, what good will it do to the Crown Prince and the court?"
Zheng Zhifeng no longer insisted on resisting the war, but she still had to ask clearly to avoid being used by the court without realizing it.
"We all know that Dongpan is a vast fertile land with no droughts and is fertile farmland. After it is conquered, the imperial court will ask our family to send ships to transport a large number of migratory grains to be cultivated here. We will harvest twice a year, plus the grain transported from Nanyang. This can alleviate the famine in the north. At the beginning of the prince's supervision of the country, he also needed to establish his prestige, so he launched an expedition to the north to recover Kuwu. To the south, he had to repel the red barbarians and occupy Dongfan. In this way, the prince would be able to win more Min was relieved and used all his strength to resist the Donglu invasion."
A certain prince asked Zheng Zhilong to attack the east in order to obtain a large amount of arable land. With hundreds of thousands of dan of surplus grain, combined with large-scale fishing of seafood, he could feed millions of people. At least the disaster of moving to the coast of Shandong was absolutely Won't starve to death.
If Dongfan is conquered, both the imperial court and the Zheng family will gain a lot of benefits. After the Zheng family captured the city of Relanja, the Hongyi people lost their only stronghold in this area, and the trade routes came to an abrupt end.
From now on, everything north of Dongfan will be controlled by the Zheng Group. If you manage trade with Japan alone, you can still make a lot of profits. As long as you manage it properly, especially if you sell many of the prince's inventions, it will not be a big deal. There will be traumatic losses.
Zheng Zhilong also had selfish motives for taking this opportunity to deal with the Red Barbarians. He had already reached an agreement with the Red Barbarian chief Natz and the two parties signed an agreement. However, his successor Putmans did not recognize it. Instead, he believed that the agreement was detrimental to the interests of the Netherlands and was unilateral. declared invalid.
Zheng Zhilong had to sign a new agreement with Putmans. What made Zheng Zhilong even more annoyed was that when he eliminated Zhong Bin and Li Kuiqi, Putmans believed that Zheng Zhilong deliberately refused to fulfill the trade agreement and united with the pirate Liu Xiang to attack him.
This incident still makes Zheng Zhilong unable to let it go. This time, whether it is to avenge a private vendetta or to take the initiative to find trouble, in short, he will not make things easier for the Hongyi of Dongfan, and he must get back his capital and profits!
"Brother, what you say makes sense. We also want to contribute to the court and give gifts to the prince, but Hongyi is really difficult to fight!"
Zheng Zhibao found a place for himself, and the difficulty was placed in front of everyone. The Hongyi were really easy to fight, and they would not be allowed to build a castle in Dongfan and occupy a fertile land.
Back then in Liaoluo Bay, Zheng had already learned the inside information and was well prepared. He also deployed a large number of arson ships. Facing the few Hongyi warships, he still fought extremely hard, leaving Zheng Zhibao still frightened.
"It doesn't matter, the prince has given me two powerful weapons. After commissioning, our warships will not be afraid of the red barbarian warships. In land battles, we can even kill the red barbarians until they lose their armor and pee!"
Zheng Zhilong was determined not to take any action despite the mere verbal support from a certain prince. With anti-ship missiles and mortars as his trump cards, Zheng Zhilong really decided to go to war with Hongyi.
Zheng Zhilong also planned to see with his own eyes how much damage the so-called "anti-ship missiles" the prince called "anti-ship missiles" could cause to Hongyi's large warships...
