Chaoyang County, located north of Dahao Commercial Port and stuck between Lianjiang and Rongjiang Rivers, is now the residence of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi in the Ming Dynasty!
The topography of this county is similar to that of Jieyang in the north. There is also a canal connecting the two rivers flowing through the west of the county, forming a natural moat. However, Jieyang County is surrounded by plains, while Chaoyang County is surrounded by hills, and the terrain is more dangerous.
Chaoyang County was originally an important forward stronghold for the Qing troops in the coastal area of Chaozhou, which was equivalent to a sharp knife hanging over the head of Dahao Island. Qiu Hui had long wanted to capture Chaoyang, so he pulled out this knife. However, because the combat power of the land division in his hand was exhausted, he tried several times but failed to succeed.
However, after the Battle of Jieyang in October last year, the Qing army that defended Chaoyang County could no longer hold back. They kidnapped the county magistrate sent by the Qing court and surrendered to Qiu's army in Kaicheng.
Now the boss Hui was so proud that he immediately moved his governor's office into the original Chaoyang County government office, and began to live like a feudal official.
On the first day of March in the twenty-sixth year of the Ming Dynasty, the governor's office in Chaoyang County was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the main door was opened wide. The gongs and drums were beating to welcome the Ming Dynasty's Zhongshu Ling, the Jinyi personal army commander, and the king of heaven. Dr. Xuegong, a former Confucian scholar, supervised the crown prince Zhu Heji and his entourage.
This time, in the name of accompanying his wife Qiu Shuzhen back to her parents' home, Zhu Heji took a grand bird boat from Jieyang County to Chaoyang. Also following him were military advisor Zhuge Sanhe, factory official Pang Eunuch, Household Secretary Li Laocai and others, as well as Su Zhanshan, Zhao Hongkui, Mr. Yu's newly adopted son Yu Xiaoqian, and Lin Ahu's son Lin. Two hundred and forty young Jin Yiwei led by Tianbo and four others.
A large group of people disembarked at the Rongjiang Pier in the north of Chaoyang County. They were then greeted by Qiu Hui and Qiu Rong at the pier, and were invited into the third hall of the Governor's Yamen.
The weather in Guangdong at the end of February was already very hot. Wearing newly made python robes and black gauze hats, Da Lao Hui and Dao Scarong returned to the Governor's Office. It was already too hot and they quickly changed into loose clothes. wearing a cool "Confucius suit", shaking a big cattail leaf fan, and sitting leisurely on the Taishi chair.
Dao Scarong accompanied Zhu Heji, Zhuge Sanhe, Eunuch Pang, Master Guo and Li Laocai to chat and chat.
Hui, the boss, took his daughter Qiu Shuzhen back to her parents' home to ask questions...and asked in a roundabout way whether her daughter had been wronged or bullied by Zhu Heji, and also asked whether Zhu Heji had ever been drunk?
When he heard that it was Da Bo Ling who was bullied in the Zhu family, and that Zhu Heji drank very restrainedly and never got drunk, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. But I still have some doubts in my heart: "How did Da Bo Ling get bullied? Is it that kind of bullying? And Cannon Zhu is famous for being a drunkard. Why is he not drunk now? Could it be that changing his name can help him drink less? Already?"
While the boss Hui Xin was thinking about it, Zhu Heji and Qiu Rong had finished their pleasantries and finally started talking about business. He saw Zhu Heji with a smile on his face, and raised his hand to his father-in-law Qiu Hui: "father-in-law, this time my son-in-law takes advantage of the opportunity to accompany Shuzhen back to her parents' home, and wants to negotiate a good deal with you. This deal requires Once it’s done, we’re about to distribute it!”
Buy or sell?
Qiu Hui was stunned and said to himself: "You have already opened a court, what better way to buy a **?"
Dao Scarong on the side smiled and asked: "Brother-in-law, are you talking about the fragrant wine? The kind that smells fragrant, tastes spicy, and has a lot of stamina? This is a good wine!"
Fragrant wine?
Zhu Heji was stunned when he heard this, thinking: "That Chaozhou rum is not high in alcohol content, at least it is not spicy for a drunkard like Dao Scarong... Wait, he can't be Did you drink the bottle of Dongchang incense I gave to Shuzhen? This perfume is made from the raw wine of Chaozhou rum, it’s quite strong!”
"It's just too fragrant!" Qiu Hui also said, "Uncle, what did you add to it? Why does it smell like that? It covers the aroma of wine!"
Well, let’s drink perfume together with Da Lao Hui and Scar Rong! Fortunately, there are no toxic and harmful artificial flavors these days. They are all pure natural plant essential oils, so there is no problem if you eat them...but eating too much is not bad either!
Thinking of this, Zhu Heji smiled and said: "My father-in-law is right, my son-in-law did add more spices... This time the Daming Imperial Wine that my son-in-law brought to you and Brother Qiu did not add many spices, and the taste was very good." That’s right.”
"That's good, that's good!" Qiu Hui laughed, "Uncle, what business are you going to discuss with me? Come on, let's have a drink after that."
Zhu Heji said: "My father-in-law, this deal is huge! My son-in-law plans to take advantage of the great army gathered in Jieyang to march westward by sea and go to Guangzhou to do something big!"
"Guangzhou?" Qiu Hui was shocked by Zhu Heji's words, "Is it okay to attack Guangzhou now?"
Qiu Rong also felt that it was not reliable, "Brother-in-law, how about we change the place to fight... let's fight in Dongguan, Dongguan is also a good place!"
Zhu Heji waved his hands and said with a smile: "I won't fight Guangzhou, nor Dongguan... This time I want to fight Macau!"
"What? Attack Macau?" Qiu Hui was stunned when he heard this.
Qiu Rong, on the other hand, looked like he was gritting his teeth, "Brother-in-law, it turns out that you also dislike those people in Macau?"
Zhu Heji looked at his uncle and thought to himself: "How much did you lose in Macau? Why do you hate it so much? No, Macau is not a gambling city now!"
Qiu Hui snorted, "I don't know what I know. Ever since the Qing Dynasty moved the border along the coast, only Dahao and Macao are the only ones left on the coast of Guangdong... But the Portuguese in Macao colluded with Shang Lao and brought the Most of the business was taken away, leaving Da Hao with nothing but soup, which is really annoying!"
Oh, it turns out to be the hatred between peers! Zhu Heji understood, and smiled and said to Qiu Hui: "My father-in-law, why don't you lend me some troops, and I will take over the city of Macau. From now on, we will have the final say in Haikou, Guangdong... From now on, Macau How about we add two to one to make five taxes?"
What Zhu Heji said was "borrowing troops", not "joining troops". The meaning was very clear, that is, the territory they conquered belonged to the Zhu family and his son, and neither Qiu Hui nor Zheng Jing scored any points.
Of course, what Zhu Heji really values is not the territory of Macau, but the territory and population of Xiangshan County where Macau is located, especially the population!
Macau is now an international port! Not to mention number one in the world, it is also number one in East Asia. Such a large port will naturally gather a large number of workers... These are the young and middle-aged people at the bottom, and they are the favorites of rebels at home and abroad in ancient and modern times!
Zhu Heji's biggest difficulty now is actually not the lack of money or arms... but the lack of people!
The small population on Jieyang Island can no longer support an army of 2,500. It is difficult to grow big with this small number of people.
That is to say, the terrain of Jieyang Island is very good. It is surrounded by water. The island has a city and a plain. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It can also be self-sufficient to a certain extent and is not afraid of siege and blockade by Shang Kexi.
But it’s not easy outside Jieyang Island. How many strongholds can 2,500 people occupy?
Therefore, the laborers gathered in Xiangshan are what Zhu Heji needs most at the moment. With them...Zhu Heji is not "the Ming army is invincible if it is full of ten thousand", but goes straight to "full of thirty thousand" and "full of thirty thousand". Over fifty thousand" and left.
If Zhu Heji could "reach 50,000", then the court he founded could turn from an empty frame into a real center of power in the Ming Dynasty. Qiu Hui and Zheng Jing, who only had 10,000 or more people, and the supporting troops were just Three thousand Chen Shangchuan will become a force that truly depends on the imperial court.
So he decided to eat something alone!
As for the lack of troops, it's easy to deal with... borrow it! At worst, nine out and thirteen in! For Chaozhou people, borrowing some usury to do business is nothing!
Qiu Hui and Qiu Rong looked at each other and seemed to have reached some consensus. Qiu Rong frowned and said, "Brother-in-law, how many soldiers do you want to borrow? How many can you pay back?"
Well, I know your family is a loan sharking warlord! Zhu Heji glanced at Qiu Hui again. Qiu Hui stroked his big beard and looked like a loan shark. "Uncle...I can lend you some soldiers, but I have to go out nine times and return thirteen times! I'll give you a small change." If you wipe it out, is it okay to lend you three thousand and give me back four thousand three hundred?"
"Okay!" Zhu Heji nodded, "But you still have to lend me a few big boats!"
Qiu Hui said: "That's no problem... From now on, Macau's tax revenue will be divided into 50% and 50%!"
"Okay!" Zhu Heji still didn't say anything.
Qiu Hui raised another question: "Uncle, tell me the truth, do you really know how strict the defense in Macau is? Our ships must first accept the strictness of the Portuguese if they want to enter the Haojiang Inner Harbor of Macau." Inspection...Only the Portuguese’s own ships and the British East India Company’s ships are exempt from inspection.”
Zhu Heji thought for a while and said with a smile: "Then I will discuss it with Charlie Gough of the British East India Company... He has moved to Dahao now, right?"
Qiu Hui frowned, nodded and said: "He has moved his business office from Taiwan to Dahao, but can he agree to help us fight in Macau?"
"Probably not," Zhu Heji said with a smile, "So I plan to... lie!"
