Yan Siqi frowned slightly.
Last night, he, Yang Tiansheng and Liu Xiang had a celebratory drink around the fire and talked about the blueprint for exploring Taiwan. Liu Xiang did say that growing sugar can make money faster than growing tobacco, and encouraged him to do what the Westerners did with the natives of Southeast Asia. The Taiwanese aboriginals and Fujian immigrants were driven to grow the opium poppy.
But Liu Xiang also said that this substance is irritating and addictive. If smoked for a long time, it will damage the liver and kidney qi. It is best for brothers and their children and nephews not to touch it.
Yan Siqi then stared at Zheng Haizhu and said, "Oh? Did Liu Shimin tell you about the emperor's bad health from taking opium?"
There are many kinds of poppies. The aphrodisiacs often offered by imperial doctors and officials of Honglu Temple in the Ming Dynasty may not be made from poppies that can be used as opium.
But Zheng Haizhu believes that drug control is not a matter of dropping a book bag. Now Yan Siqi controls Taiwan seven or eight years earlier than in history, and has the capital to build infrastructure and develop power. This is what Zheng Haizhu's butterfly wings fanned out, so she must not let opium penetrate into China early.
She then said seriously: "How could a big man like Eunuch Liu, who has the tightest tongue, mention the harem to me? It's just that the emperor has refused to go to court for many years. There is no airtight wall in the world. Many scholars in the north have heard about it. Common herbal medicines They are all poisonous, not to mention a drug as powerful as opium poppy. When boiled into a decoction, too much of it can be excreted in the feces and urine. It can already make people lose their minds after taking it for a long time. If it is inhaled directly into the chest and lungs, the consequences will be disastrous. Missionary work in Jiangnan Scholars have also said that this substance is more harmful than arsenic. The poison of arsenic is obvious, but the poison of opium takes some time to be revealed clearly. If the elder brother has any doubts, he can first observe the reaction of the Javanese recruits. Maybe Liu Xiang just doesn't know the truth. He is a general under your command. You must not let him get caught up in it. How can such a right-hand man, like your right-hand man, be allowed to slip up?"
Zheng Haizhu understood that a man like Yan Siqi, a powerful man in the world, would listen to his brothers most of the time. He could not really think of himself as a confidante, so he complained hurriedly about Liu Xiang's ignorance and stupidity, and gave this man a hard time in front of Yan Siqi. eyedrops.
Besides, how do you know whether Liu Xiang is pretending to be stupid or really stupid? According to the official history, this person is not a fuel-efficient lamp, so how can he not keep his eyes and ears on his eldest brother's side.
Zheng Haizhu then changed the subject and added with trepidation: "Brother, you can't even smoke. My sister-in-law is capable and virtuous. You will be blessed with children and grandchildren in Tai Island. You'd better drink less." , think about my sister-in-law and children, and take care of yourself."
Yan Siqi always had a pity for his son but not her husband's temperament. At this moment, when he heard Zheng Haizhu mentioning his family in his meditation, the scene of Wen Akun holding his daughter to see him off during the war appeared in front of his eyes, and his eyes could not help but reveal tenderness.
When he saw that Zheng Haizhu did not blame Liu Xiang for being confused, but was worried about the safety of his relatives, he comforted him and said, "Azhu, I know that you have been traveling in the mainland for many years, dealing with literati and priests, and you are very knowledgeable. For a rough martial artist like me, don’t worry, I will never touch this thing before I know its depth. Brother Liu also wants to make his family richer as soon as possible..."
Zheng Haizhu now had his thoughts straightened out.
"Brother, Taiwan is rich in land. Rice must be the main food, and sugar cane and sugar can only be exported to the vassal states as a supplement. Otherwise, there will be a famine in Fujian, and the court wants to buy food from you, but you can't hand it over. There is plenty. Officials representing various factions are impeaching you and accusing you of instigating the uprising. If you explain the stakes of this issue to your brothers, everyone will know. As for the imported opium, in your territory, only the doctor can control it. Follow the ancestors' prescriptions and use them as medicine, and never smoke them. But there is a place outside the Ming Dynasty that can teach you how to smoke them."
"Where?" Yan Siqi asked curiously.
"Jianzhou Jurchen," Zheng Haizhu said calmly, "Last year the old chief suffered a defeat in Fushun. Jianzhou Nuzhen was frightened by the power of artillery and did not dare to risk a comeback this year. General Mao and I both estimated that Nurhaci would go to hunt leaves. Hebu, first unify the Northeastern Jurchens, and then plan to conquer the Ming Dynasty. Opium should not be used to suck opium for your own team, let alone your own people. The trouble should be directed to the invaders."
Yan Siqi's eyes flashed, as if he suddenly became enlightened.
Su'er pondered again: "Didn't you say that although the Jurchen tribe is brave, the people below are often cold and discouraged. How can you afford opium if you are so poor?"
Zheng Haizhu twisted the opium ointment in his hand and said: "The purity of this product varies greatly, and the selling price is also very different. I look back and think about it, how could I get the high-quality ointment from the Westerners in a French way and only sell it to slaves? The chieftain and those Baelor nobles. Let’s see if it’s their bows and iron hooves that are more powerful, or the fruit of this flower of hell.”
…
A month later, the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia on the Indian Ocean sent an envoy authorized by the governor and promised to negotiate with the Fujian authorities.
On this day, Zheng Haizhu, who had returned to Xiamen, was sitting in Xu Xinsu's house. He was discussing the terms of peace talks with Yu Zigao, a non-staff staff person next to him. Xu Yilong and Zheng Zhilong, two young people who had a good relationship People hurried into the yard.
"Abba, Junmen has arrived in Xiamen ahead of schedule, and General Yu has rushed back from Kinmen to greet him. He is not Wang Junmen, but his surname is Shang." Xu Yilong reported to his father, Xu Xinsu.
Junmen is the honorific title for "governor".
Xu Xinsu was stunned.
The current governor of Fujian is not Wang Shichang, and he has not been defeated. Why is the court replacing him at this time?
But he saw Zheng Zhilong, smiling brightly and saying to Zheng Haizhu: "Sister Azhu, there is a young master next to Shang Junmen who is your old friend."
"Third Young Master!"
Outside the Xiamen Guards House, when Zheng Haizhu and Zhang Yanke met each other, when they called out this title without any formality, Xu Xinsu, who came with her, weighed the words "old friends" and they were really not what Zheng Zhilong said. from.
Instead of calling him Mr. Zhang, he addressed him as a senior in the other party's family, which already showed that the relationship between the two was unusual. The other party responded with fists in his arms with a relaxed look on his face, teasingly saying: "Master Zheng, I haven't seen you in two years. I heard that you The battle was fought from the north to the south. If I could not get out of those Xuande furnaces, I would really be ashamed of the holy precepts of those who are close to Zhu. I worked hard and recommended myself to Uncle Shang as a guest."
Zheng Haizhu introduced Xu Xinsu with a smile: "This is the famous third son of the Zhang family in Shanyin, Zhejiang. His ancestors had a number one scholar. When Fushun was fighting against the Tatars, he funded and made the Qi family's muskets, and two of them in the city This female gunner who can calculate the angle of elevation came from the Songjiang Academy founded by the Third Young Master and his brother who donated money."
Xu Xinsu was so smart. After hearing a few words from Zheng Haizhu, she immediately realized that the young man in front of her, who looked to be in his early twenties and did not have a Confucian scarf to wrap his head, was from a famous family in Zhejiang. They must be the same as the Songjiang officials. There were frequent contacts. His son Xu Yilong wanted to follow Zheng Haizhu to Zhejiang Province to go to school. He had to get close to Zhang Sangong and get into their circle.
A father's love is as strong as a mountain, and he does everything for his eldest son. Xu Xinsu immediately showed great enthusiasm, speaking mixed Minnan Mandarin, and started chatting with Zhang Yanke, who spoke Shaoxing Mandarin.
As for Zheng Haizhu, who came in a hurry, he had been wondering why the court suddenly changed the governor to negotiate.
In the original history, Shang Zhou Zuo did not become the governor of Fujian so early.
Could it be that after the Ming Dynasty knew that the Luowan naval battle had been fought in advance, some people in the court were worried that Wang Shichang, an old-fashioned man who advocated a maritime ban, would take advantage of the great victory to directly take away the sea trade gate to which the Dutch sent money. close?
Regardless of this reason or not, the arrival of Shang Zhouzuo in Fujian, who was only in his forties, was good news to Zheng Haizhu.
The merchant was also a prominent family in Shanyin and had a close relationship with the Zhang family. Zhou Zuo of the Shang Dynasty did not believe in maritime bans, but advocated strengthening naval and coastal defense. In the future, this prince would be promoted to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, commonly known as "Heavenly Official".
In addition to preaching to him the importance of artillery and heavy matchlock guns, Zheng Haizhu was also thinking about the fact that another talented man with whom he had a close friendship, Lu Xiangsheng, was about to pass the imperial examination.
(End of chapter)
