When Zhang Beichen's boat approached the shore, Jiang Chan and Jiang Shan immediately went to meet it.
"Zhang Beichen, you are finally back!" Jiang Chan said with joy on her face.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Zhang Beichen smiled.
Jiang Chan realized something was wrong, but did not refute.
"Mr. Zhang, is this going smoothly?" Jiang Shan asked.
"It went very well. I have opened a sea route to the Kingdom of Yan during this trip, and the King of Yan has agreed to trade with us!" Zhang Beichen said.
"Seriously?" Jiang Shan was very surprised. It was already rare for Zhang Beichen to come back smoothly. How could he get the attention of King Yan by selling his personal fortune?
"Please, Your Majesty and Grand Duke, come aboard and take a look!" Zhang Beichen said mysteriously.
The two boarded the ship, and the sailors opened the cabin, which was full of food and porcelain.
Jiang Shan stared at the boss and exclaimed: "Your income from this trip is equivalent to the income of my entire fiefdom in three years!"
Zhang Beichen said: "Our ships are still too small and too few now. If there are enough ships, the revenue will increase dozens of times!"
"That's amazing!" Jiang Chan said, "In this way, maybe we can really save enough capital to restore the country!"
…
[After the first trade, you will use all the proceeds to build ships and recruit sailors. Your fleet doubles in size and you begin sea trade again. 】
[A year later, your fleet already has dozens of ships and thousands of people. You not only sell sea salt, but also transport grain and porcelain from Yan State to sell. Bilateral trade has allowed you to earn a lot of money. 】
At this time, in Jimo City, the county governor Tian Zhe had noticed the smuggling fleet active on the Jimo coast.
"What's going on? There is such a huge smuggling fleet in Jimo City? Where are these thieves?" Tian Zhe asked his subordinates.
The subordinate replied: "They are hiding on the island. They come and go quickly and are really difficult to track."
"We must catch them. Starting today, all official ships in Jimo City will be dispatched to check all ships coming to the port. Once the thieves are found, they will be arrested immediately!" Tian Zhe ordered.
These smuggling ships earn all his and Qi’s tax money!
"yes!"
[Jimo City began to strictly investigate smuggling and dispatched official ships to patrol. 】
[You bribed many officials with the money and grain you earned from trade, so that official ships could not catch you at all. Not only did the smuggling activities not decrease, but it intensified. Many officials and nobles in Jimo City were involved, even Tian Zhe's Family members are also secretly participating. 】
The profits from maritime trade are so huge. As long as the sea salt here is shipped to Yan State, you can earn dozens of times the price difference!
And when the porcelain from Yan State is shipped back, it can also earn dozens of times or even a hundred times the profit!
In addition, Zhang Beichen also ordered people to open up routes to Yue and inland routes from the Yangtze River and Yellow River.
The scale of maritime commerce is growing. The small island now has tens of thousands of people living there, all of whom are sailors and their families. There is even a bustling market here!
…
"Trash, a bunch of trash!" Tian Zhe was furious. He asked the accountant to settle the accounts today and found that Jimo City's tax revenue was reduced by a full 50%!
What is this concept? You know, Jimo City is the second largest city in Qi State, second only to the capital!
50% of the tax revenue is enough to feed an army!
"I want to personally go out and capture the pirates!" Tian Zhe has already defined this group of people as pirates. Although they do not rob homes, but the money they smuggle and steal, in his opinion, all belongs to the Tian family!
[Jimo City Governor Tian Sheng began to personally supervise the commercial shipping. He ordered all official ships to be mobilized to patrol the sea day and night to guard against pirates. 】
…
On the island, the recent trade has been affected due to Tian Zhe's actions.
You know, because of its small area, this island is not suitable for food cultivation. There are only salt fields on the island, and it must rely on trade to survive.
Therefore, once trade stops, it will be extremely dangerous for everyone.
"Zhang Beichen, we have to take the initiative!" Jiang Chan at this time was completely different from a few years ago.
Jiang Chan looked soft and frail a few years ago. But after living at sea for several years, her skin has turned into a wheat color, and she looks very capable.
Jiang Chan started sailing on ships in her first year, and the scenery along the way made her fall in love with sailing on ships. Now Jiang Chan is also a qualified "pirate captain", with a bit of cheerfulness no matter what he says or does.
"What does the king want?" Zhang Beichen asked.
Jiang Chan hummed: "Don't Tian Zhe think he can block the sea area? Then bomb him and sink all his ships. From now on, in Jimo City, only our ships can go to sea!"
This is not Jiang Chan's expansion, but that she really has this strength now.
After the fleet developed, Zhang Beichen immediately selected a site in a secluded place, built a shipbuilding workshop, and began building large ships. At the same time, an artillery workshop was built to provide ammunition.
In water battles at this time, you can basically only shoot arrows at each other across the boat, or get close and get on the boat to fight. The role of artillery is greater than on the shore!
"Okay! The minister immediately mobilized the ships and prepared for battle!" Zhang Beichen also felt that he could try it.
…
[You mobilized more than a thousand ships, large and small, and approached the port of Jimo City. 】
Among them, there are a hundred ships capable of combat, and the rest are fishing boats. However, in comparison, the official ships in Jimo City were even worse. Their largest large-winged ship was nothing more than an underage child in front of the "Qi Wang" that Jiang Chan was riding.
Tian Zhe soon received an alarm from his subordinates: "Sir, pirates are attacking!"
"What? They still dare to come? I am worried that I can't find them! Send the order and attack immediately to annihilate this group of pirates!" Tian Zhe couldn't wait any longer and immediately led his soldiers to fight.
When he boarded the "Big Wing" ship and saw the pirate fleet, he was shocked!
On the sea, more than a thousand ships were heading towards the port together!
Although there are many fishing boats, they do not pose any threat!
The key is the big ships in the lead!
It was the first time in Tian Zhe's life that he had seen such a big costume, with the body length reaching one to two hundred feet! More than twice the size of a large wing ship!
And there is actually a wooden building on this ship!
Can pavilions be built on a ship? This subverted Tian Zhe's understanding! As the governor of Jimo City, he also knows a lot about ships.
Such a big ship can easily be destroyed by wind and waves, and how can it be driven?
Tian Zhe couldn't understand, but at this time, the pirates were approaching the port.
"Sir, what should we do now?" The subordinates were already panicking. Judging from the ship, they seemed to be no match for each other.
"Why are you panicking?" Tian Zhe calmed down and said, "There are tens of thousands of soldiers behind us! Rely on the port and repel them!"
"Yes!" Tian Zhe thought, as long as he is close to the port and has sergeants on the shore shooting arrows to assist the attack, it shouldn't be a problem.
However, when they actually started fighting the pirates, Tian Zhe discovered that his knowledge had completely lagged behind.
The enemy doesn't attack with arrows or crossbows at all, but with artillery!
Their ship couldn't reach the other side at all, and the opponent's artillery could easily destroy their wooden ship!
Their ships have no keels and are far less sturdy than the pirates' ships. They will sink with just one shot!
"Your Majesty, that's Tian Cai's ship!" Zhang Beichen discovered the command ship among the official ships.
Jiang Chan was overjoyed and shouted excitedly: "Soldiers, fire on me and kill this rebellious minister and traitor!"
She also personally came to the gun cabin to load ammunition.
"Boom!" A cannon shot rang out next to Tian Zui's "Big Wing" ship. The shells did not hit the ship, but the splashing wind and waves made the ship sway unsteadily. Tian Zhe was almost shaken to the point of vomiting!
"Retreat, retreat!" Tian Zhe was already panicking and ordered the ship to return.
"Speed up the king! Crash, go up and sink him, catch Tian Zhe alive!" Jiang Chan stood on the bow of the ship, one foot on the side of the ship, one hand holding a sword high, wearing a king's robe, beautiful hair and a king's robe Dancing in the wind, looking like a pirate captain!
Zhang Beichen was dumbfounded. He never expected that the weak and weak King Jiang Chan of Qi would now become such a rebellious person!
But having said that, Jiang Chan still has a different style at this time!
The King of Qi's ship was larger and faster than the large-winged ship. After a while, the King of Qi crashed directly into the large-winged ship.
"Crazy, they are crazy!" Tian Zhe felt dizzy, and then the ship began to roll over.
"Sir, the ship is sinking!" The subordinate hurriedly jumped into the sea.
Tian Zhe didn't care about anything else and quickly jumped into the sea.
Jiang Chan was so proud that she ordered: "Children, catch them all! Capture Tian Zhe alive and get a reward of a hundred taels!"
Tian Zhe himself was a monk in the eighth realm. His strength was pretty good and he was not drowned.
In the process of capturing him, he also used magic to kill several sailors, but he was no match for his four fists. After Zhang Beichen took action, he quickly captured him and tied him to the ship.
"Tian Zhe, do you still recognize this king?" Jiang Chan pointed her sword at him.
Tian Zhe carefully identified the woman in front of him. After a moment, he said in horror: "Are you the King of Qi?"
Tian Zhe had lived in the capital since he was a child. As Tian Heng's best child, he naturally met King Qi many times.
"It's me!" Jiang Chan said.
"You, you are no longer the King of Qi!" Tian Zhe said harshly, "The Qi State today is the Qi State of my Tian family. You are just a pirate. Once the king finds out, he will soon send troops to wipe you out!"
"Joke!" Jiang Chan sneered, "Is it just your big-winged ship?"
"Oh, by the way, almost all of Qi's big-winged ships are in Jimo City. Now they have been destroyed. What can Tian Heng use to fight this king?"
Tian Zhe was dissatisfied and said, "Then you will stay at sea for the rest of your life and be a coward!"
"Really? I will capture Jimo City today and let you see who is the real king of Qi!" Jiang Chan is now more domineering than before. This is all in his "pirate career" Raised in China.
"Continue the attack, go ashore, and attack Jimo City!" Jiang Chan ordered.
In the battle at sea, Jiang Chan and Zhang Beichen were almost perfect.
On the shore, there are tens of thousands of Jimo City defenders, and their strength cannot be underestimated. And on the shore, the ships can't play much role, and their troops are less than half as strong as the other side!
Jiang Chan did not act on a whim. Before the attack, she had already arranged for Jiang Shan to start an incident.
After getting the money, Jiang Shan has been recruiting soldiers secretly, and now he has a private army in his fief.
At this time, private soldiers were marching towards Jimo City and attacking Jimo City.
Within Jimo City, the officials and nobles involved in smuggling also secretly helped because Zhang Beichen had obtained the evidence and did not want to lose the huge profits.
[The battle to attack Jimo City began. The landing battle was extremely difficult. The defenders of Jimo City were strong. 】
[At this time, the nobles in Jimo City sent people to open the city gate and create chaos. Jiang Shan's private soldiers broke into the city, and the defenders lost their rear. They were unable to take care of the front and rear, and began to fall into a disadvantage. 】
At this time, Jiang Chan stood on the top of the city and shouted: "Soldiers, this king is Jiang Chan, the king of Qi! Tian Heng's rebellious ministers and traitors have usurped the throne. You are not guilty if you don't know. As long as you surrender immediately and be loyal to my king, I will The king will treat you as his subjects, all innocent!"
The sailors were also shouting long live King Qi.
Those defenders saw that they were outmatched, and the opponent seemed not to be pirates, but the real King of Qi. In this case, there was no psychological pressure to surrender.
As a result, the garrison general surrendered directly to Jiang Chan with the remaining more than 20,000 garrison troops.
At this point, Jiang Chan and Zhang Beichen captured Jimo City, the second largest city in Qi and the largest port in the world!
[After capturing Jimo City, you immediately began to block the land transportation routes between Jimo City and the outside world and resume maritime trade. 】
Jiang Chan transformed the Jimo County Sheriff's residence into her temporary palace, but she was still used to living on a boat, as it felt more secure that way.
…
News of the fall of Jimo City soon spread to the capital of Qi.
When Tian Heng learned the news, he was furious: "Jimo City, with one hundred thousand elite soldiers and generals, could be taken away by a group of pirates!"
"Your Majesty, it's Jiang Chan. She is indeed alive!" Tian E reminded.
"She must be eliminated. As long as she is alive, this king will have no peace!" Tian Heng said, "Tian E, you lead troops to Jimo immediately, and you must bring back Jiang Chan's head!"
"yes!"
[Tian E mobilized more than 100,000 troops and headed for Jimo City. 】
In Jimo City, Zhang Beichen had already begun to make preparations.
The strongest point about Jimo City compared to other cities is that if the enemy does not have water power, it will be difficult to block Jimo City!
Because Jimo City is backed by the sea, as long as it relies on the continuous supply of supplies by sea, even if the enemy sieges the city, it will not work.
[You start to consolidate the city defense, especially the port area. 】
When Tian E led his army to attack, Jimo City had closed its gates and tens of thousands of soldiers were guarding the city, leaving only the sewers as passageways.
[Tian E began to attack the city. Jimo City's defenses were strong, but Tian E could not attack it for a long time. 】
Tian E is also a famous general in the world, but now he is in trouble when facing Jimo City.
In the military tent, he was discussing with a group of generals.
"Now that Jimo City cannot be captured by force, the siege is ineffective." Tian E said, "How can I go back and explain to the king?"
The general said: "General, the Jimo bandit soldiers have been relying on the port to transport supplies. If we can raid from the port, we can capture this city!"
