Start North America 1400: nation building

Chapter 316 [315] Outside Palembang City

Zhou Li'an's words fell.

Only Ku Kemo was ignorant, because he couldn't understand the language of Balance God.

But Xuenv and the Great Elder were either shocked or thoughtful.

"Da Ming already has such strength, to colonize overseas?"

The term "colonization" was taught to Xuenu by Zhou Li'an, but the Great Elder still doesn't know what it means.

Zhou Li'an said, "Yes and no."

"Da Ming set up the Propaganda and Consolation Department more because it wanted to provide support for the voyages to the West and set up a transit supply base. It did not overly plunder the interests of local resources to fill itself."

"Even the Ming Dynasty will reward the local area. The deterrent force of the Ming Fleet in Southeast Asia has promoted the stable development of maritime trade."

"Of course Daming has the strength to colonize, but they didn't do so."

"Why?" Snow Maiden asked.

"Why?!" Zhou Li'an looked at her with interest, and said with a smile, "Si Nuo, do you also want to colonize overseas?"

Xue Nu said righteously: "My...young master, why would I want to colonize? I just want to let the glory of balance spread all over the land, so that we can see joy in the poor cities and villages we see along the way."

"Balance of faith is not colonization, it is blessing and grace, it is... the blessing that the true God bestows on mortals."

As soon as the words came out.

Reward? !
Zhou Li'an applauded and laughed: "Hahahahaha."

It was this smile that made Xue Nu and the Great Elder even more confused.

Is not it?
Of course Zhou Li'an would not reveal his feelings, and what Xuenv said was correct.

The expansion of the balanced kingdom of God is not colonization in itself.

The secrets of the law improve the quality of life, powerful force eliminates wars, and everyone is happy and peaceful. How can it be called colonization?

He changed the subject and said, "Da Ming didn't do it because they didn't think much of this piece of land, and they didn't see the value of getting this piece of land."

Xue Nu said: "The more land there is, the more resources there will be. Mineral resources, forests, and water systems are all an indispensable part of industrial development."

"Then you also said that this is the foundation of industrial development. If the world doesn't know the truth, how can it know what industry is?"

"For them, the more land, the more trouble."

"The Ming Dynasty is prosperous and powerful, so why bother with the overseas barbarians?"

"More importantly, Daming has no shortage of land!"

It is because of the lack of land resources in Europe that there is a demand for it, so they will find ways to resolve the demand.

So far, the Great Elder has also understood the conversation between our Lord and the witch, and he can only sigh with emotion: "The world is ignorant, and there is no balance in a blink of an eye!"

"Young master, hurry up and let the glory of balance spread all over the world."

After a while of talking.

The few people also took advantage of the situation to ignore the eyes of passers-by, showing their calmness.

It is getting closer and closer to Palembang, and the passers-by may have unruly and greedy hearts, but they can only cringe under the "rules".

into the dusk.

A prosperous town appeared in front of us, which was the only way to go to Palembang.

The archway built outside the town is full of "hualihuaqi";
Looking at the shops in the streets and alleys, there are also signboards in Chinese characters.

If it weren't for the fact that the streets and alleys are mostly aboriginals with dark yellow skin, I really thought I had come to Daming.

This feeling is subtle.

It's not like seeing Chinatown abroad in later generations;
It's more like seeing the concession of the magic capital in modern times.

There is a sentry post at the entrance of the archway, and the guards on duty are also dressed up by the Ming army. They are all uniforms, wearing hats, and the order brought about by the neat dress is inexplicably majestic.

On the other hand, the aboriginal people are mostly bare-chested and barefoot, with disheveled clothes.

It is a strong contrast between "modern" and "primitive" in the current time and space.

When the four-person carriage came.

The gate post was alarmed, first gathered whispers, and then a leader and general led a team, speaking Chinese——

"May I ask where the distinguished guest is going?"

Xuenv has been ordered to put on a veil earlier;
How can you show off so easily, son and maid?

Zhou Li'an did not respond directly, but said in a roundabout way: "I heard that His Majesty Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty has sent an imperial envoy back from the West?"

"Is there such a thing?"

When everyone heard it, their expressions became wonderful, as if admiring the Ming Fleet, and there was a kind of subtlety and pride——

"That honored guest came late, half a month ago, the Imperial Envoy had already left east."

Zhou Li'an was dumbfounded when he heard this: "To the east? You shouldn't go north when you return to Daming. How can you walk sideways?"

The man said: "I don't know the details, but I heard that it was a novelty to bring noble envoys from Western countries to find black mud that can make 'fire oil tanks'."

Zhou Li'an remained calm on the surface, but his heart was running fast.

He doesn't know what the fierce fire oil tank is, but it involves the word kerosene, and then the word "black mud", which is probably linked to oil.

East-south from Palembang is where Indonesia and Timor-Leste are located. Indonesian oil and natural gas storage will be able to supply Australia in future generations.

Thinking of this, he asked, "Will the imperial envoy return?"

"I don't even know about this. If you inquire about the news, you will get Palembang City."

Seeing his question, Zhou Li'an took advantage of the situation and said, "It's going to be night, do you have a place to live in the town?"

The person in the lead laughed and stopped talking.

Zhou Li pretended to wipe his chest, and took out six or seven silver coins: "If you invite a few soldiers to drink and beat your teeth, if you can find a room, you will be rewarded."

Only the words fell for a moment.

All the people smiled, and the leader took it, and while lowering his head and pulling the silver coins with his fingers, he shouted: "Quickly, ask Ruan Lao Wu to tidy up the guest room courtyard, clean the stables, and don't neglect the distinguished guests and their carriages and horses!"

Some people turned around and ran wildly, while others stepped forward to pull the carriage.

While stepping into the gate, the man said again: "I don't know the name of the young master? I have never seen your silver coin before..."

"Hey, by the way, I'm 'Ahui', the commander of the Palembang 'Town Navy Master Liang', and I'm in charge of defending the "Outer Garrison Town"."

"Hey, don't blame me, my lord. I'm a rough guy. It's the first time I see such a distinguished guest like you. I can't help feeling overwhelmed."

He seemed enthusiastic, but he was actually curious about Zhou Li'an.

At first glance, the silver coin is not from Nanyang, it is pure in texture, and it may come from overseas.

Nanyang uses gold and silver as hard currency, followed by Daming Tongbao;

As for the Daming banknotes that followed Zhu Yuanzhang, they are useless.

Wouldn't those who walk on the sea be destroyed if they saw water?What's more, Baochao has been notorious since the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

Nanyang merchants still don't know what is the composition of the treasure banknotes?
Therefore, even foreign silver coins attracted Ah Hui's attention.

More importantly...

Foreign silver coins represent trade routes.

As soon as this noble son came, he opened his mouth to ask about the Ming Fleet's trip to the West. Although everyone around Sumatra knew about it at this time, they could accurately tell the approximate return date...

The background must not be simple.

Falling to the ground means that these Nanyang Chinese are quick-witted, and now they have the concept of information channels.

Of course, Bingtou Ah Hui probably didn't think that much, but hearing a few more anecdotes can also make the adults happy at the wine table.

Zhou Li'an said: "My surname is Zhou;"

"As for the origin of this silver coin, I don't know; it was given to me by those big cannibals who trade overseas!"

"Yo, Dashi, Mr. Zhou has been to Dashi?"

"Hehe." Zhou Li'an smiled without saying a word.

Then I saw Bingtou twitching his mouth violently, "Hey, look at my glib mouth, I can't come out, I'm a rough man, how can I inquire about the young master's affairs?"

This scene made Xuenv laugh for a while.

Both she and the Great Elder saw this kind of customs for the first time, and found it very interesting.

Zhou Li'an asked again: "When I first arrived here, I only knew in advance that the Ming Fleet was passing by, and I didn't know anything about the rest. Could you introduce me to the situation of the Jugang?"

"Then you are asking the right person."

Along the way, the soldiers kept talking.

Let’s start with Lord Zhenhai Liang, who was originally a distant relative and nephew of the former Chinese leader Liang Daoming.

After Liang Daoming was recruited to return to Daming, he naturally joined the "Shi family".

A few years ago, he also assisted the Daming Fleet in killing the pirate Chen Zuyi and made great contributions.

Now he is a celebrity of the Shi family, and is highly valued by Mrs. Shi.

Then I talked about the Palembang Proclamation Division.

The Xuanwei Division has more than 5000 permanent troops, all of whom are elite soldiers and strong generals. First, the outer city fence was built, and then a heavy city was built inside, with magic arrows and artillery towers attached to deter all directions.

Among them, there are countless weapons stored, most of which were seized from Chen Zuyi several years ago.

It is also a treasury of savings earned by Western merchants every time they go to the West, and no one dares to invade it.

Seeing a few soldiers waving in front of an inn, Zhou Li'an got straight to the point: "If I want to meet Shi's family, is there a way?"

Bingtou laughed again, but this time he was straightforward: "Young Master Zhou, when you go up to Malacca (Malacca) and go down to the Kingdom of Java, who wouldn't want to see the Consolation Envoy?"

"But if you want to find the right way, not everyone can."

"And even if you find the right door, whether you see it or not is up to the boss."

As soon as he cupped his hands from afar, his strength rose up proudly.

But in the next second, he returned to his normal state: "To tell you the truth, Mr. Zhou, I can still get some good points in front of Mr. Liang, but I am afraid that Mr. Zhou's sincerity will not impress him."

"And this sincerity is not just a matter of money."

Zhou Li'an smiled and nodded slightly: "Okay, I understand, let me rest for a night, if I can see 'Guan Ye' tomorrow, we can talk again."

"Ouch, you don't dare to call me an official. If you respect me, you can call me Ah Hui."

"Okay, that's it."

Zhou Li'an took out another handful of silver coins of various colors and stuffed them into his hand.

The soldier leader didn't bother anymore, he hurriedly led the carriage into the door, found another little old man, and settled down: "Ruan Lao Wu, I have to entertain Mr. Zhou well, if there is anything wrong, don't blame me for asking you to settle the score."

"How can it be, master Hui don't leave, it's just for dinner, why not have a few glasses of wine in my inn."

Zhou Li'an thought he would agree, but he waved his hand and left: "I haven't had a drink?"

"Don't embarrass me in front of Mr. Zhou, let's go! Mr. Zhou can rest too."

A group of people hurried away.

Zhou Li'an looked at the back and found it interesting.

After Ruan Lao Wu led them into the backyard, came to the upper room, and introduced the facilities, they went to prepare dinner.

When the gate of the courtyard was closed, Xue Nu, who had held back for a long time, couldn't bear it any longer: "My lord, what kind of consolation envoy is so hard to see?"

"What did that Bingtou mean just now? Sometimes he said there was a connection, then he said he wanted money, and finally he said it wasn't about money."

Zhou Li'an didn't answer, but instead said: "The three of you can sort out and analyze..."

"When the balance enters the WTO, I will deal with the people of the balance."

"This soldier is just a low-level little guy, and the real big guy is more complicated than him."

"The same is true for the Ming Dynasty, and the same is true for the European countries in the old land."

Hearing that my lord had given the exam questions, Xuenv calmed down a little, and first sorted out the conversation with the elder, and the two of them translated it for Ku Kemo...

Soon after, the food was delivered and they discussed while eating.

Zhou Li'an Cheng didn't speak, but let them use their brains.

Balanced social attributes are too simple, even the city-state alliance is far from knowing what is the real evil in the world.

This trip is to open your horizons, and when you return to the Kingdom of God, come up with a few case studies.

After dinner, the three still had no answer.

Although Kukmo is smart, he has not been able to receive first-hand information, and it is difficult to judge.

In the end, Zhou Li'an revealed the answer: "Of course it takes money to clear the way, but this is only the first hurdle."

"See if the words can reach Mr. Liang's ears."

"Master Liang will ask for a price after hearing this. This is the second hurdle."

"As for the third pass, it is the almsgiver's family."

"The Shi family is not short of money. To be precise, it is not short of small money. Only if I can come up with some way of making money and bring them gold and silver can I get the chance to meet."

Three people, one product, roughly understood.

The Great Elder said: "This is false."

Xue Nu sneered: "My lord wants to see him, it is his honor!"

"Huh?" Zhou Li'an glanced over.

Xue Nu quickly changed into an aggrieved and flattering look: "I mean, young master..."

"Ah."

……

at the same time.

Outer Garrison Town Barracks.

In the bungalows in the row, there were mostly laughter and shouting, and there were shouts of gambling cards, which was extremely noisy.

In only one room, a few soldiers were eating wine and meat, relatively calm.

The leader is Ah Hui.

He didn't have a big name, and he came from wandering with his grandfather in his early years. After his grandfather died, he hung out on the street. It was only after the Shi family recruited soldiers that he got an iron rice bowl.

And because of his hustle and bustle experience and sharpened wit, he climbed up to the position of soldier leader step by step.

"Go, close the door."

When the subordinate soldiers heard this, they looked at each other and knew that the boss was going to talk about business.

As soon as the door is closed, someone will say——

"Master Hui, those four are big fat sheep. I have seen both of them. They are definitely top-quality horses, but they are stronger than Xuan Weisi's army horses, and their eyes are piercing..."

This word has not yet fallen.

Master Hui slapped the back of his head with his backhand: "Fat your aunt!"

"How many good people are there who can drive a carriage from the north to Palembang swaggeringly?"

"The chaos in the north has calmed down, but those savages drink blood one by one, without any moral rules."

"On the surface, he is four people, and there are old and young maidservants."

"You can use your pig's brain to think, how many miles can you go out of town with such a match?"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this: "Is there someone stranded outside the town?"

Master Hui nodded and shook his head again: "There must be, but maybe they've been mixed into the city long ago."

"But in this world, who dares to mess with us Xuanweisi?"

"It is impossible for him to come from a bad person and seek his own death. He should worship the pier or ask for a way to make money."

Everyone was stunned: "He wants to see the Shi family?"

"nonsense!"

"Master Hui, then you can make a fortune from it. You are Mr. Liang's adopted son. If you find Mr. Liang to match up, you will surely succeed."

Master Hui didn't even bother to open his mouth to talk to them.

They thought godfather was so easy to get along with?
Why rotate every month?Just to make money.

The number of tributes is not enough, don't even think about bringing a team over next time!
Not to mention finding Mr. Liang to meet the Xuanwei envoy.

He found it difficult to do so.

But Yi Mo took out more than a dozen silver coins from his arms, and frowned deeply: "Look, who has seen this silver coin?"

Everyone rushed forward, holding silver coins and exclaiming.

"This is a precious coin, the texture is bright, and it is extraordinary at first glance."

"Never seen before, never seen before!"

"Probably from overseas!"

Zhou Li'an's silver coins were all collected by Malindi at the sacrificial ceremony.

Rich merchants from all walks of life offer the best gold and silver, so how dare they take any defective products?

This is a tribute from the gods.

Ah Hui pondered for a long time, and finally slapped the table: "Mother, wealth and wealth are in danger!"

"Tomorrow, you and I will accompany Mr. Zhou to Palembang!"

"If we can really get on the line with the nobleman, or satisfy Mr. Liang, all of us brothers can be promoted and make a fortune!!"

(End of this chapter)