Kangxi, your Qing Dynasty is dead

Chapter 370 Thanks to Heavenly Father, Ming Dynasty has started war against Japan! (ask for subscription, ask for monthly pass)
"This is a good idea! I don't know who came up with it?"

Hearing Feng Xifan's offer, even a villain like Geng Jingzhong couldn't help admiring it.

This method of concentrating most of the rations on the flagship and another warship controlled by the fleet commander's cronies, so as to control the entire fleet, was actually learned by Zheng Zhilong from the Western colonists.

There are few law-abiding and good people who go to sea these days, especially in the West, where there are few good people, so the crews of the Western colonial fleets often mutinied, and from time to time, the crews seized the ships to serve as Pirate's.

And the commander of the Western Fleet does not have enough resources to buy enough confidantes to control the entire fleet, so he can only concentrate on controlling two ships, sometimes even one ship, and then use this ship to control the rations of the entire fleet. To coerce other ships to obey the command.

However, this approach often causes unnecessary losses. For example, after the fleet is blown away by a sea storm, the single ship often starves to death because it only carries a few days or more than ten days of rations. Tragedy, of course, this loss is not worth mentioning compared to the huge profits of overseas trade and overseas zero-yuan purchases.So those feudal lords and capitalists who don't have to go to sea in person don't care, isn't it just human life!
According to the statistics of the early Dutch marine insurance giant Van Oss, the failure rate of ocean-going trade voyages in the sixteenth century was 20.00% (he charged 20.00% of the premium). !

Although in the seventeenth century, with the improvement of navigation technology, the failure rate of ocean-going trade voyages has been reduced, but the risk of never returning is still very high.

In addition, the success of the voyage does not mean that the crew will not die from various reasons (scurvy is the biggest cause of death if the ship does not sink).In short, running ocean these days is basically tantamount to risking your life!
Of course, the Zheng family's merchant ships sailed in the coastal waters of East Asia and Southeast Asia. Except for Japan, Luzon, and the Dayuan Strait, they basically sailed along the coast, and the risk was not that great.

But Geng Jingzhong is going to the vast Pacific Ocean this time, and there is no place to go to the shore to replenish fresh water.Moreover, there is wind and no wind in the Pacific Ocean, and the waves are big and the waves are small. Where is the wind blowing?This is not very clear. So Geng Jingzhong doesn't understand anything, only knows that there is no place for him in Huaxia, so he dares to dream of going to the New World to avoid the limelight.

The group of people under him probably don't understand anything!Otherwise, it is time to tie Geng Jingzhong and send him to Li Datou. Why is it better than following him to the Pacific Ocean to die?

But this Geng Jingzhong was lucky enough to meet a noble person like Zheng Jing!

According to Zheng Jing's "actuarial calculations", without his help, Geng Jingzhong's death rate on this voyage to America should have been 90.00%, a real narrow escape!
And with his help, Geng Jingzhong's survival rate will skyrocket by [-]%, reaching five deaths and five lives!

So this favor, the kind-hearted Zheng Jing must help.

"Such a good idea, of course, was thought up by His Royal Highness Yi Wang's grandfather, an official!" Feng Xifan said with a smile, "Your Majesty, our Royal Highness Yi Wang has traveled the sea for three generations and knows how to sail!"

Geng Jing said faithfully: Zheng Zhilong really invented this wicked trick with smoke. No wonder he didn't get it right!

Thinking this way in my heart, of course I can't say it out of my mouth. Who made Geng Jingzhong ask Zheng Jing now?
"Feng Sima, don't call me the emperor anymore. I won't be the emperor for some time. You can call me the general." Geng Jingzhong smiled all over his face, and then followed Feng Xifan's mind and asked, "Since His Royal Highness Yi Wang knows best Sailing, then he must know where I should go to find Han Chinese sailors who can really go to the ocean and the two ocean-going ships they can skillfully control?"

"Coincidentally!" Feng Xifan said with a smile, "Wing King happens to have a group of Han sailors who can go to the ocean and two large Galenic ships that imitate England that they can operate. The instructor taught them by hand, and the two boats were also built by English craftsmen with the help of His Royal Highness King Yi's shipyard. They are big and strong, and the firepower is particularly fierce."

Zheng Ming, Spain and the Netherlands have always been enemies, but they also have foreign friends. The British East India Company has always been Zheng Ming's partner.Nowadays, the tea, sugar, silk and porcelain used by British gentlemen are all supplied by the Zheng family.

Earlier, the British East India Company had a business office on Dayuan Island, and now the business office has moved to Zhangzhou.

And Zheng Jing is such a monkey spirit, of course he knows that he has to continuously improve the core technology of zero-yuan purchases in the sea!Therefore, after the situation of anti-Qing and Ming Dynasty improved, he turned his business focus overseas, and spent a lot of effort to recruit the crew and craftsmen of the British East India Company.

This Zheng Jing is not only extremely rich, but he is also the King of Daming Yi, so he can recommend others to be nobles!Which of those English adventurers who wandered to the East would not want to be a "noble of Sires"?
In the eyes of Europeans in the [-]th century, Chinese aristocrats were comparable to the nobles of the English islanders in high-end, grand, and high-end.

In addition, in recent years, "Tian Xia Da Gong Lun", "Ming Yi Waiting for Interviews", and "Celestial Land Acquisition System", and the original monarch, original ministers, countrymen, countrymen discussing government, and countrymen's republic sounds very progressive. All the theories were spread to the West. In the eyes of a group of European intellectuals, this was simply the Roman Lighthouse Republic in the East!

Therefore, attracted by the high salary offered by Zheng Jing and the favorable conditions of the Ming nobles, the job-hopping rate of the British East India Company has remained high.With the help of these blond and blue-eyed Ming nobles, the Yiguan School opened by the Zheng family in Zhangzhou has trained many professionals in navigation. The shipyards of the Zheng family in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou have also built a fully loaded Five-hundred-ton English galleon.

Now these students from Zhangzhou Yiguantang have boarded the British Galen ship, accompanied by the old sailors of the Zheng family and the blond Ming nobles, and now they can go to sea to do business.

And such a good ship and crew, it is best to get off to a good start and get a real big deal, such as finding a route to the other side of the ocean!
"Then I wonder if Zheng Jing can lend me these two boats and the sailors on board?" Geng Jingzhong immediately followed Feng Xifan's request.

"Of course you can borrow it. However, General, how do you plan to take down the Spanish galleon team?" Feng Xifan asked another very professional question.

"That's not easy?" Geng Jingzhong smiled, "I have 800 brothers on Ryukyu Island, and the Spaniards have seven or eight sailboats, and there are only 7000 people in the sky. I am afraid that I will not be able to take 800 of my [-] people. ?”

Feng Xifan waved his hand, "I can't take it! 800 people won't go ashore together, even if it's just to ship goods, they will be heavily guarded. The Spaniards have been fighting and killing on the ocean for almost 200 years. It's not that easy to handle!"

Geng Jingzhong frowned: "Then what should we do? Feng Sima. As far as I know, several generations of Yiwang's family have made their fortunes at sea, so they must be very good at doing this, right?"

Feng Xifan nodded and said with a smile: "General, you are right! The Yiwang family is very good at this business. To tell you the truth, I was ordered by Yiwang to help you. As long as you are willing to listen to my arrangement, Take care of the galleons that can take these Spanish sailors, and our King Yi has the Englishmen who know how to snatch Spanish galleons best!"

"Oh?" Geng Jingzhong had already guessed Feng Xifan's intentions, and immediately smiled, "Yi Wang is really a good friend! But I can't ask Yi Wang Bai to help, right? Feng Sima, if you have any requests, you can go straight to him." Say it?"

Feng Xifan laughed and said: "As long as you can bring thousands of elite soldiers across the sea to New Spain, you have already done King Yi a great favor. Others, after arriving in the place, there are some things to talk about. Hehe, this New Spain can be everywhere. It’s a mine of gold and silver! That’s why the Spaniards watched closely and wouldn’t let us in!”

"Really?" Geng Jingzhong sneered, "I'm going to break into this dragon's lake and tiger's lair!"

"it is good!"

On the third day of March in the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty, the west of Shuri Castle in the Ryukyu Kingdom, Naha Port.

The five-hundred-ton Spanish galleon San Juan led the other seven smaller Spanish sailing ships, and then a gust of westerly wind blowing from the vast continent in the west rolled up snow-white waves and slowly sailed into the In port.The port of Naha is not built in the bay, but faces the vast East China Sea. The waterway is wide and it is very convenient to enter and exit.

All eight ships were full of sailors, poor adventurers from New Spain or that old Spain of Europe, all on deck.When they arrived in Manila this time, they heard that the Ryukyu Kingdom on the route of the galleon had gotten rid of the rule of the Anti-Christ Japanese Tokugawa Shogunate, and had returned to the jurisdiction of the Ming Empire, which was in constant war on the Asian continent. Down.And the person sent by Ming Dynasty to recover the vassal state of Ryukyu was a very enlightened general who was very friendly to Catholicism.

It is said that the general also intends to transform the Ryukyu Kingdom into a trading hub on the East Asian Sea open to Catholicism, and also as a stronghold for his conquest of Japan!
A Chinese general who is quite friendly to Catholicism, an open maritime trading city, and a war to conquer Japan, the golden country of anti-Christ, sound very pleasant!

The commander of this Spanish sailing fleet, Juan Lopez, and the former New Spanish consul in Guangzhou are now returning to Gonzales, New Spain by boat. At this moment, they are standing tall on the San Juan. On the stern of the ship, they held up binoculars and looked at the port in front of them that was both familiar and unfamiliar to them.

Naha Port unfolded in front of them.

Surrounded by tall black-gray stone walls, Shuriwang Castle stands on the east side of the port and commercial city with blue water and white sand, looking majestic and magnificent.Most of the buildings in the port and commercial market are Chinese-style, and a small part is Japanese-style.

However, what attracted the attention of Juan Lopez and Gonzalez the most were the two fortresses that stood on both sides of the Naha port at some point. I know when the new Chinese-style commercial street was built, and there is also a Chinese-style temple-style building with a huge cross on the roof!
"Father, is that a cross?"

Juan Lopez was a very devout Catholic. When he saw the temple with the cross erected, he was very excited and quickly crossed himself on his chest.

"That's right, it's a cross. When I came to Naha Port last time, the temple still enshrined Buddha statues. I didn't expect it to be a church now!" Gonzalez also seemed very excited.

As a diplomat sent by the New Spain authorities to East Asia, he successfully promoted the spread of Catholicism is a very impressive achievement!
"It doesn't seem right!" Juan Lopez raised his binoculars at this time and looked around.

Gonzalez also raised his binoculars, looked again and again at the temple with the cross, "Yes, it's a cross!" He then turned the binoculars to Shuriwangcheng, took a closer look, and was excited again, " It seems that there is also a cross on the side of the Shuri King City, that is the King City!"

There is a cross on the royal city, does it mean that the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom has become the child of the heavenly father?This credit should be credited to Gonzalez, a capable and devout diplomat sent to East Asia by New Spain, right?

Juan Lopez put down his binoculars and said to Gonzales beside him, "Mr. Consul, don't you realize that the Naha Port is very deserted and there are no people on the streets!"

"There's no one there?" Gonzalez raised his binoculars and took a closer look. "It seems to be a little deserted. Could it be that today is Sunday?"

"No, today is Wednesday." Juan Lopez.

"Where did that person go? It's such a big and bustling commercial port. No, why isn't there even a merchant ship in the port?"

When Juan Lopez and Gonzalez, two Spaniards, were troubled by the question of "where have all the people gone", people came!But not many came, only a few civil servants in red and green robes and black gauze caps, a few soldiers with flintlock guns on their backs, and a few dock workers in short jackets striding forward from the two sandbags. Walk out of the fortress and a yamen, and walk towards the direction where the San Juan is docked.

Finally, when people came, Juan Lopez quickly ordered the San Juan to dock and anchor, and then lowered the gangplank. He, Gonzalez, and several others were wearing plate armor, carrying swords, and carrying flintlocks. The soldiers who fired the guns disembarked together.

Gonzalez can speak some Chinese, and he can communicate with officials from China and the Ryukyu Kingdom without any knowledge.He first bowed politely to a well-mannered middle-aged civil servant who was walking towards him, and then introduced himself in Chinese: "I am the envoy of New Spain, a friend of General Geng Zhengdong Gonzalez, and I and the Spanish galleon team At the same time, I was invited by the general to come to Ryukyu."

The official cupped his hands and replied in Chinese: "The next official is Feng Xifan, the head of General Zhengdong's Mansion. He was ordered by the general to stay in the Ryukyu Kingdom to assist the monarch and preside over the government affairs. When the general left, he said that you would come to Ryukyu in the spring." Trade, let the lower officials take care of your interests."

At this time, Gonzalez suddenly noticed that this official named Feng Xifan and several other officials had a cross hanging on their chests!Immediately became excited, made a sign of the cross on his chest, and asked, "Excuse me. Are you a believer of Heavenly Father?"

Feng Xifan immediately crossed himself, his movements were very skillful, "Yes, it was Father Hong who led General Geng and all of us into the arms of the Heavenly Father."

"Father Hong? His Christian name is"

"Ruowang, Hong Ruowang."

Gonzalez remembered that this Hong Ruowang was sent to China by King Louis XIV of France to preach to Wu Sangui.It is estimated that this Wu Sangui is not religious, otherwise he would not have been blessed by the heavenly father and had been defeated all the time.

Thinking of this, he asked again: "Where is Father Hong Ruowang? Is he in Ryukyu?"

"No," Feng Xifan shook his head, "He followed General Geng to conquer Japan!"

"What?" Gonzales was taken aback, "General Geng has already gone to attack Japan?"

"Yes," Feng Xifan said, "Most of the soldiers and the strong men of the Ryukyu Kingdom have gone to the battle. I think you have seen it. There are not many people in Naha."

"Yes, but the second batch of munitions I promised to provide him has just arrived!" Gonzalez said, "This batch of munitions includes ten siege cannons. Fortress?"

"The general got the artillery he wanted, and the officers who were good at attacking the city and using the artillery were brought by Father Hong." Feng Xifan said, "Those people were going to help Wu Sangui, but they were blocked in Guangdong. They had no choice but to return to their warship anchored on Xiangshan Island. Then they heard that the general was ordered to attack Japan, so they came to Ryukyu. Because of the help provided by Father Hong, the general led us all to believe in Catholicism. Now the general is in Heavenly Father has fought!"

All match up!
What Feng Xifan said and what Gonzalez knew can all be matched!
Gonzalez was very excited now. Although General Geng converted to the Father of France, the Father of France and the Father of Spain are the same Father. This is undoubtedly the first time Catholicism in East Asia. A major breakthrough!
Just when he was extremely excited, Feng Xifan spoke again: "Mr. Gonzalez, before leaving Ryukyu, the general has already purchased the silk you need. They are all the finest Lake silk, as well as some porcelain. Of course. , as well as the rations, fresh water and rice wine prepared by the Ryukyu Kingdom for you, are all stored in the warehouse on New Street. You only need to hand over the silver to the merchants coming from Ningbo, and then you can transport the silk on the ship. But we There are really not many coolies available now, so all the strong men have gone out with the general to serve as oarsmen."

"Oh, wait a minute" Gonzalez turned back and spoke in Spanish, telling Hu, the commander of the sailing fleet, the good news and the lack of labor force in Naha Port, the inability to move goods and rations, and the fresh water to board the ship. Ann Lopez, and he said to Lopez, "Commander, let our sailors disembark and help carry the cargo. There are a lot of things to carry this time!

(End of this chapter)