Daming Yinghua

Chapter 24
Yan Siqi raised his eyebrows slightly, without any objection, he only said to her: "Wear a sweater."

"No, it's cumbersome."

Zheng Haizhu refused without hesitation.It's noon now, the sea water has been scorched by the sun, shark repellent is scattered everywhere, there is no danger of heat preservation and bite protection, the shark skin water depends on this primitive and clumsy diving suit, she doesn't need it.

What she is wearing at the moment is the coarse short jacket and trousers that Wen Yuelan begged for, which is the same as the dress of the salt workers at the seaside, light and easy.

She handed the chisel and wire to the strong man in the water, jumped off the fishing boat, and swam to the entrance of the cave together with him, then asked: "Brothers, may I ask, which of you has held your breath the longest in the water?"

A dark and thin man said: "I, my family used to be a pearl hunter."

"Okay, you put this semicircle upright, first stuff it in through the seam under the stone door, then use the gap between the stone strip and the stone slab, turn the chisel so that the iron wire slowly wraps around the stone strip, and then use your two Insert your fingers into the cracks of the stone slabs to clamp the iron wire, drag it out, and tighten it in the round hole of the chisel."

The thin man listened and carefully looked at the tools, and finally his eyes lit up, and he seemed to wake up and said: "Miss Zheng wants to lift the stone through the stone slab?"

Zheng Haizhu said with a smile: "Exactly, this chisel is long and thin, it can pass through the cracks in the stone, and it can also allow us to use our strength to poke the stone."

The thin man should say "understand", hold the chisel tightly, and plunge into it with one thrust.

Zheng Haizhu and the other two also buried their heads in the water from time to time to observe his underwater operations.

Due to the buoyancy of the water, after the wire was inserted, it was not easy to steer. Fortunately, this descendant of the shellfish family has very dexterous fingers. After fiddling for a while, he finally pulled out the head of the wire from the crack of the door and made it round with the chisel. The wires at the hole were twisted together.

With a "crash", he emerged from the water, and there was also the sound of iron wire rubbing behind the stone door.

"Miss Zheng, it's tight." The thin man felt it and reported it confidently.

"Okay, you two go up and pull the rope."

Zheng Haizhu pointed to a small protruding rock half a height away from everyone.

The two men jumped up, caught the hemp rope thrown up by the thin man's companion, and began to exert force.While they were pulling the rope, the thin man pushed one of the small stone gates. After seven or eight rounds, the thin man retrieved the steel chisel, and when the pulling force became a pushing force, he said happily, "It moved! The stone bar moved!" .”

Zheng Haizhu grinned: "Use a chisel to chisel it."

"Okay."

Everyone pulled, pushed and chiseled like this, and finally, when today's high tide submerged the front of the stone gate, the stone bars behind the gate loosened.

With a few muffled beeps, the stone door was pushed open by the thin man, and Zheng Haizhu sank into the water and reached out to touch it. Sure enough, there was a groove near the door.

The principle of blocking the door of this cave is the same as blocking the door of the emperor's mausoleum with the "natural stone" slot.

The skinny man who had made a great contribution couldn't help being overjoyed, he hurriedly went to the crevice of the rock to pull out the torch, and took a photo into the cave...

After a while, Yan Siqi and Mao Wenlong on the fishing boat three feet away saw several people swimming back from the entrance of the cave like cheerful ducks.

"Master Yan, box! There are several boxes!"

……

In the evening, the Mazu Temple not far from Xu Futing was filled with green smoke.

Mao Wenlong sat on the stone steps at the door with a happy face, watching the red sun gradually sinking into the sea, and opened his big mouth unconsciously several times.

A Liaodong soldier came out of the temple and asked Mao Wenlong with a smile: "Shoubei, what is the origin of this Mazu empress? Why did Diyan and that little lady give us a share of the money, and they had to go to this Bodhisattva temple to make a deed? "

Mao Wenlong said: "Mazu was originally a woman from a fishing village in Fujian. When she was young, she was taught by an expert. She is proficient in mysterious and mysterious methods. She can predict wind, rain, thunder and lightning, good and bad fortune."

The Liaodong soldiers curled their lips and said, "That's a great dancing god, just like the Jurchens' shamans."

Mao Wenlong put on a smug face, and scolded: "Bah, nonsense, how can you compare your mother with the witch who built slaves. When Mazu was still in the mortal world, she saved many folks who fell into the sea, and in the end she died to save others." Die. After accumulating great fortune, going to the Immortal Realm to be a heavenly concubine, and also protecting all the people who come and go at sea. You brat, please kowtow to Mazu Empress, please don’t mind your sloppy mouth with buck teeth.”

The Liaodong soldier stuck out his tongue quickly, knelt down and kowtowed several times to the statue on the temple.

Another soldier said flatteringly: "When the garrison said so, I understand that Yan Dangjia is from Fujian and believes in Mazu, so he took up a mountain and built a Mazu temple. Then... let's rest assured, Yan Dangjia Promises made in the Mazu Temple will not be backed down."

Mao Wenlong nodded, took out a bank note from his pocket, looked left and right, and smiled at the Liaodong soldiers surrounding him: "Damn it, I am so lucky to go south this time. In just a few days, With 500 taels of gold in hand, we can buy it, we can buy it..."

Some of the subordinates who were quick to settle accounts quickly responded, "It's more than 5000 taels of silver. In Liaodong, you can buy [-] shi of miscellaneous grains. Or let's buy [-] shi of grain, and ask the Mongols to buy [-] good horses for the rest. Fifty mules. We are getting rich in the castle! Your lord's ancestral home is Hangzhou, and this south of the Yangtze River is really a blessed place for your lord."

The Liaodong soldier who kowtowed to Mazu earlier stood up, and continued to make fun of him salivatingly: "Defense, that little girl surnamed Zheng is more powerful than Mazu, this is a big sum of money, if you give it to us, we will give it to us."

"Yeah, she doesn't hold grudges. I'm a rough man, and I didn't coax her all the way," Mao Wenlong muttered, and then slapped the Liaodong soldier on the head: "Don't be a little bitch, little bitch, she But he is a God of Wealth, so he will change his name to Miss Zheng from now on."

"Ah? Guard, shouldn't we call her Mrs. Yan?"

"I don't know what's going on, look at those two, they are clearly eyeing each other, but Yan Dangjia said that the two of you and the young lady will be like brothers and sisters from now on, and asked me to send her back to Songjiang Han's family."

……

At night, the cool breeze blows, and the autumn insects hum.

Zheng Haizhu leaned on the voucher, holding the gold coin in his hand, and played with it carefully.

On the front of the gold coin, there are four big characters "Yongle Tongbao", and on the back is a five-petal plum blossom pattern.

There are several flat wishful-shaped gold ingots on the table, and there are also five-petaled plum blossoms on the back.

From the cave opened during the day, eight iron boxes were hoisted out. Although the boxes were not big, they were full of gold coins and ingots, and they were of good quality.

Yan Siqi's subordinates counted on the spot, even based on the estimate of 3000 points of fineness, there are nearly [-] taels of gold.

In ecstasy, Zheng Haizhu saw that many of the gold coins were engraved with "Yongle Tongbao", but he was stunned, because the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty was more than 100 years earlier than the Jiajing period when Wang Zhi ran across the sea.

After she escaped from danger, she decided to fully trust Yan Siqi, so she compiled a story about discovering that her ancestors worked for Wang Zhi in the study of her hometown in Longxi and recorded the treasure.

No, the gold coins that were actually dug up seem to be of the wrong year.

On the contrary, Yan Siqi pointed to the pattern of plum blossoms and told her that it was the family crest of Oda Nobunaga, the previous overlord of Japan. On the flag.

Wang Zhi's career as a sea merchant and pirate had many contacts with Japan, so even though gold in Japan was a hundred times rarer than in Ming Dynasty, as long as Wang Zhi could afford silver, he could still exchange for gold ingots and coins.

When Zheng Haizhu was in a trance, Yan Siqi walked into the room.

Before he sat down, he asked, "How about the wound on your leg?"

"It's much better, and there is no pus. The doctor called by the eldest brother has prepared the medicine in the evening, and Yue Lan helped me apply it."

"Well, that's good. Mr. Shao's medical skills are excellent, and he has treated many Ming merchants in Hirado Port. Now that he is old and doesn't want to live in Wa, I will place him in Daishan, which is closer to Daming. "

Yan Siqi took a sip of the tea that Zheng Haizhu poured out, and said: "All the things have been loaded on the lucky boat, tomorrow I will transport it back to Hirado with Guozhu, so as not to have long nights and dreams, let the fleet on the East China Sea know, I am afraid they will come to snatch it." You and Mao Wenlong are still going back to Songjiang by bird boat."

Zheng Haizhu thought for a while, and asked bluntly: "Brother Yan, I want to give 500 taels of gold to General Mao. You won't be in trouble when you go back to Hirado, right?"

Yan Siqi understood that she was as thoughtful and intelligent as she was, and she must have noticed at noon that Li Dan's son, Li Guozhu, was quite dissatisfied with the distribution of the treasure.

Yan Siqi's eyes flashed with the arrogance of a murderer, and he said in a deep voice: "Daishan was occupied and reclaimed by Li Dadang and I. I have been in charge of all affairs on the island for several years. Today, I will explore the caves and hunt for treasures." At that time, I asked Guozhu to be present, because I thought I was upright and would not deceive his father. When I returned to Hirado, I would tell Li Dazhang that although Daishan was occupied by us, without you, we would How do you know that there is all this gold hidden on the island? If General Mao hadn’t dragged you here, this matter would not have been possible. You proposed that our Hirado fleet take 500 taels, you take 800 taels, and Mao Wenlong takes 500 taels , that's because you are a woman but you have a broad mind, so why are the men of the Li family talking too much?"

When Yan Siqi said this, he paused for a moment, and then changed a gentle tone: "However, I really didn't expect that Mao Wenlong would rob you in a reckless manner, but you offered to share so much gold with him regardless of the previous suspicions. Could it be that you just want to thank him? It was Daishan Island that made you go on the wrong side?"

Zheng Haizhu smiled: "Then let me ask my elder brother first, Mao Shoubei is a frontier warrior, and now he is not even a guerrilla, so why do you want to make friends with him?"

Yan Siqi didn't show off, and said frankly: "Although Mao Wenlong is still a low-level military officer, he was able to cross from Aiyang to Shenmi Island to sell smuggled goods for Li Rubai the year before last. Mingtou left Liaodong, so it can be seen that he not only knows how to fight, but also has a lot of contacts, and his business mind is even more active. I want to connect with him to the trade route from Wa Kingdom to North Korea and southern Liaoning."

Zhang Chengyin is the current Liaodong General Soldier.Li Rubai's background is even bigger. He is the second son of Li Chengliang, a Liaodong warlord with a thunderous name.After the death of his father and elder brother, at the end of Wanli, although Li Rubai lost his job due to the struggle of the Ming Dynasty, the foundation of the Li family in the Northeast was not comparable to that of a small-scale army leader in the pass.

Zheng Haizhu stared at Yan Siqi, put away his faint smile, and said sternly: "Brother Yan didn't steal the gold behind Li Dan and Mao Wenlong's back, it was out of morality and long-term consideration.

In fact, my thinking is the same as yours.This year, Jurchen Nurhachi established the Kingdom of Jin, reminiscent of the Jurchen leader Wanyan Aguda in the Song Dynasty.

I took my nephew away from Longxi and went north to the south of the Yangtze River. I saw all the prefectures and prefectures of Ming Dynasty along the way. It is not serious to say that the guards are empty and the government is broken.

Once the Jurchens enter the customs, in my opinion, given the current situation of Daming, they may not be able to withstand it.Alien races attacked violently, the country was overthrown and collapsed, and the misery of the grassland people can be imagined.

I hoped from the bottom of my heart that a bloody warrior like General Mao would be able to buy horses and raise troops to defend the Hunhe River. "

Yan Siqi listened and had to admit that she was also "optimistic" about Mao Wenlong, and Ms. Azhu's reasons were several layers higher than his.

The woman in front of her is no longer the childish girl she was a few years ago.

Yan Siqi felt that the past ten or so hours had been really ups and downs, and he went from feeling lost to gaining a lot.

Not only did he get the money that could only be exchanged for a long voyage in the past, but he also realized that the worlds of himself and Ms. Azhu were no longer confined to the tailor shops and boudoirs in small towns.

Yesterday, when she showed her the dresses she had made over the years, Miss Azhu was indeed moved for a moment, but after that, her words and deeds no longer showed any affection between a man and a woman, just like Hirado Maritime merchants who negotiate business with those in Southeast Asia.

Zheng Haizhu didn't talk about Mao Wenlong anymore, but got up, went to take out a few banknotes from the bag, and handed them back to Yan Siqi.

"Brother Yan, I thought about it after I came back. The 800 taels of gold can be exchanged for silver from Dengzhou Bank in Shandong. As far as I am concerned, cashing it is not easy, I still put it in your hands as the principal, and entrust you to travel by sea. You set up a small account, and we share the profit, how about it?"

Yan Siqi was stunned, thought for a while, nodded and said: "You trust me so much, so I will make a good plan. 600 taels of gold is not too big, not too small, and it is enough to match with some high-quality goods."

Zheng Haizhu immediately suggested: "There are many people in Songjiang Mansion who are officials in the imperial court and they are well-informed. Last month, I heard from the master of the Han family that the Dongyuan inner warehouse in the Forbidden City of the capital caught fire and burned badly. If the things in Dongyuan Gold, silver and jade wares are all that matters, and those incense medicines are almost useless once they are exposed to open flames. During autumn and winter, incense is most needed in every hall in the palace, and incense medicine is also needed for rewarding officials during the New Year. Brother Yan, do we want to go to Nanyang? Bring in more fragrant herbs? The dental shop in Yuegang should be willing to accept it."

The Yuegang mentioned by Zheng Haizhu is exactly a port where the two people's hometown in Zhangzhou enters the sea.

The sea was banned in Daming for many years, and it was not until the Longqing period that it was forced to switch due to the situation of all parties. By the time of Wanli, the official trade form of tribute trade was not the only one on the eastern coast. , Just need a dental dealer with an official background to change hands.

Yan Siqi pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: "Azhu, you have a good intention to do business. I was a little guilty of fleeing in the past, so I am a little afraid of Yuegang. However, now there are more and more ships in my hand, and I only go to Japan. It is indeed a pity to give up the Ming business with Nanyang. Well, this time I will try to transport the spices to Yuegang."

The two were talking about future business, one was describing the situation at sea, the other was preaching about business opportunities on the road, their eyes met for a long time, it was no longer as embarrassing as yesterday.

After talking happily for half an hour, Yan Siqi got up to leave and told Zheng Haizhu to rest earlier.

Zheng Haizhu also stood up, walked to the screen, stared at the paintings hanging on the wall, and asked, "Brother Yan, where is the scenic pavilion in this painting? It's very beautiful."

Yan Siqi didn't take it seriously and said: "It's just a small garden with small mountains and small waters painted by Japanese painters. If you like it, you can take it back to Songjiang."

"Then I'm not welcome. The pictures of ladies in the bedroom are also Japanese women, right? Can I take them away too?"

"Of course, let Yuelan wrap it up for you later."

　Today's first update, but it has 4400 words, which is the same as the second update

　　
　
(End of this chapter)