Late Ming sea owl

Chapter 146 Fourth Master Wen’s dirty trick
In early April of the sixth year of the Apocalypse, the monsoon transition period quietly arrived. The Fenyang sailed from Xiamen to Tamsui in cross winds, accompanied by a bird boat.

After Lin Hai learned that Zheng Zhilong had withdrawn his troops, he immediately returned with the Zhoushan Battalion and sailors who had gone south to assist in the war. However, when they arrived in Tamsui, they were told that Keelung Port had been occupied by a group of ghosts.

At first, Lin Hai thought that his memory was wrong, or that the butterfly effect of the time traveler had affected the Spaniards.

Only later did he realize that it was someone Lin who had made a very stupid mistake:

The calendar he is using now is the T&T calendar of the Ming Dynasty, but the May he remembers when the Spanish landed in Keelung is based on the Gregorian calendar.

After realizing this, Lin Hai immediately calmed down. It seemed that everything was still under control, it was just a small mistake on his part.

He summoned Zheng Tingqiu, Lun Yi and others and asked: "What is the situation in Keelung now? How many people are there in this group of ghosts?"

"According to your previous instructions, we have not had any contact with this group of ghosts. The information we have learned so far comes from Jinbaoli Society and Dajilong Society." Zheng Tingqiu said to Lun First, "Brother Lun , why don’t you tell me.”

"Okay." Lun Diyi took over the conversation and said, "According to people from these two villages, this group of ghosts came in three boats, with a total number of about 300 people. Some of them on board could speak Hokkien. The Tang people, after arriving at the Jilongshe, asked the Jinbaoli Society and the Dajilong Society to give them housing and food, and if they didn’t give them, they would be killed.”

"This group of ghosts has a lot of muskets. They killed more than a dozen people in the Jinbaoli Society and a few people in the Dajilong Society. Now both societies have escaped from the Jilong River, and Wulang is in the Jilong River. The upper reaches re-divided their territory..."

Lun Diyi said in more detail. After listening, Lin Hai asked: "How big are those three ships? Is the total number of people in this group of ghosts accurate?"

"Three of them are galleys, and there are some sampans on board. The total number of people does not exceed 200 at most, and [-]% of them should be more than [-]." After Lun Yi finished speaking, he added, "I personally asked more than a dozen people about the situation. They are almost the same, so there should be nothing wrong with them.”

Lin Hai nodded when he heard this. The number of people was similar to the number in his mind. However, he did not expect that the Spaniards were so stingy. They were not willing to send out even a galen, so they came with a three-gallon galley. It can be imagined that this group of people People are just here to fight.

In fact, Spain came with three infantry companies, a total of 240 soldiers.Except for their leader Antonio de Valdez, these soldiers had no idea where their destination was before they came. They had just put down a local rebellion in the Philippine Islands and were then dragged directly to Keelung.

Among these 240 soldiers, only 40 were Spanish, and the remaining 200 were indigenous Pampanga people on Luzon Island.In fact, most of the forty so-called Spaniards are of mixed American or Asian descent, and there are very few pure-blooded Spaniards.

"Sir, it seems that you already knew that these ghosts would come to the chicken coop?" Zheng Tingqiu asked from the side.

"Yes, the people here are from Luzon." Lin Hai did not say how he knew. He estimated that Zheng Tingqiu and others would definitely think of Mazu.

Sure enough, Zheng Tingqiu felt a lot more at ease when he saw that he was confident, and then asked: "Then how should we deal with it next?"

"It's still the same, unless these Qianlu people come to fetch fresh water, we don't have to do anything." Lin Hai then said to Lun Yiyi, "The same is true for Wulang, don't provoke this group of Qianlu people for the time being. If they If you find a village community near Jilong Port that you want to buy grain from, then sell it to them and try to maintain a good relationship with them, and it is best to gain their trust."

Although Lin Hai's current strength is limited, with the Zhoushan Camp here, he is still capable of killing more than 200 Spanish colonists, but he does not want to do so, because currently he cannot promote peace through war. This would only invite retaliation from Manila.

In addition, the Spaniards did not even come with a galen, so there was really no profit to be made. It would be good to let them build a fortress in Keelung for the time being.Anyway, there are only about [-] people, and it will take a year and a half to repair it. By then, the half-finished product will be repaired by someone like him, Lin.

Historically, the first batch of Spaniards lived a miserable life in Keelung. They often had to dig grass roots and catch rats to satisfy their hunger. Next year, Manila will send a large fleet of 700 people over. Lin Hai remembers that there will be at least three large ships among them. Galen, he thought it would not be too late to take action then.

However, just in case, Lin Hai left the first game of the Zhoushan Battalion in Tamsui to strengthen Tamsui's defensive strength. He himself returned to Zhoushan with Wu Guoyi and Feng Yidao.

The Zhoushan Battalion and the Garrison Division have both experienced the first battle, and more than half of the equipment customized by the Fujian Workshop has been delivered. These two units are ready to expand their establishment.

After returning to Zhoushan, Lin Hai visited the barracks of Zhoushan camp as usual, and then reunited with his wife and children at home. As a result, he received an invitation from He Rubin that night, asking him to come over tomorrow.

Lin Hai then came to the General's Mansion early the next morning, and He Rubin met him in the study in a Taoist robe.

"Nephew Deng Wanxian, I have nothing else to do with you. The main reason is that I will be leaving office soon, and I want to say something to you before leaving." He Rubin didn't have any polite words, and he got straight to the point.

"I wonder where Mr. Zhong Sheng will go?" Lin Hai was a little surprised when he heard this. He saw He Ying in the barracks yesterday. The boy didn't mention anything about it. He just asked about the situation of the first game in Fujian. .

"General Soldier of Guangdong, the appointment of the imperial court will be decided at the end of February, and I have just received the imperial edict not long ago."

"This junior is scared. I only found out about this today. I can only congratulate Duke Zhong Sheng on his promotion first, and then send you a congratulatory gift tomorrow..." Lin Hai quickly replied.

At this time, he was extremely lucky to beg Qian Qianyi's calligraphy for He Rubin. Unexpectedly, he unexpectedly made acquaintance with the future General Soldier of Guangdong.

Lin Hai felt that it was necessary to re-evaluate He Rubin's value to him. After all, Guangdong also had many key resources. Not to mention the iron mines in Hainan, the blacksmiths in Foshan, and the cane sugar in Leizhou, Hao Jing alone was under the rule of Guangdong. , this significance is of no small importance.

"It's okay, it's okay. I and my nephew are gentlemen's friends, and it's not about this." He Rubin waved his hands and said with a smile, "This is not why I came here to find you, but there is something I want to tell you."

"Mr. Zhong Sheng, please speak. I am all ears." Lin Hai's attitude was more respectful than before.

"At the end of last year, people from the Wu family in Shanyin Prefecture came to Zhoushan to look for me. My dear nephew, can you guess why?"

Lin Hai was stunned when he heard this. He really didn't expect that what He Rubin was going to say was related to the Wu family in Shanyin.He Rubin continued: "The Wu family asked me to seize your 20 taels of silk goods in Cengang in the name of maritime ban, and then asked you to redeem them with 5 taels of silver. When the time comes, the Wu family and I will A fifty-fifty split..."

In the study of Fourth Master Wen in the Wu Mansion in Shanyin, brothers Wu Mengwen and Wu Mengren were also talking about this matter.

"I have nothing else to do with calling you here. I just want to tell you that the batch of silk goods for Lin Hai will be pledged for the time being. Don't rush to sell it to him." Wu Mengwen held a bowl of Lanxue tea brewed by himself. He handed it to his fifth brother.

"I can't get used to drinking this tea." Wu Mengren waved his hand and said, "Fourth brother, didn't you say that since He Rubin's connection is blocked, you should put this matter aside for the time being and sell it to him at the price agreed with Lin? ?Why are you regretting it now?"

Wu Mengwen retracted his hand and said with a smile: "Then He Rubin is going to Guangdong to serve as the commander-in-chief. You don't know yet?"

"Seriously?" Wu Mengren was overjoyed when he heard this.

"Of course it's true, it's more than that." Wu Mengwen picked up the cup of Qing Fei and took a slow sip. "Haifang Hong Hengjiu is also going to Jiangxi to take up a post. That Lin Hai has now become a paper thousand households. We think It doesn’t matter how you handle it.”

"Great!" Wu Mengren clapped his thighs excitedly and stood up, "Who will take over as the commander-in-chief of Haiphong Road and Zhoushan?"

"The former Zhejiang chief envoy, Si You, political counselor Dong Chengzhao, and the former Huguang town general Shao Jikang..."

"Does Fourth Brother know these two people?" Seeing Wu Mengwen shaking his head, Wu Mengren asked again, "Then does anyone in our Wu family have dealt with these two people."

"Dong Chengzhao is an old and poor man from a poor family. As far as I know, our family has never had any contact with him. He has been an official in Zhejiang for many years. I have heard that he is not easy to deal with, so this end of Haiphong Road I won’t care about it for now…”

Wu Mengwen continued: "As for Shao Jikang, he belongs to a wealthy family in Jixi County, Huizhou Prefecture. The old man had some dealings with his family when he was still alive. You might as well start from this end and follow the tactics I taught you... "

In the Zhoushan Councilor's Mansion, He Rubin continued to say to Lin Hai: "The Wu family is a big tree with deep roots in Shilin, Zhejiang. If I hadn't left office soon, I wouldn't have mentioned this matter to my nephew. But now that I have to go We are in Guangdong, so there is no harm in talking to my nephew."

"This junior has been supported and helped by Lord Zhong Sheng many times. I am really grateful to him. I don't know how to repay him!" Lin Hai said this sincerely. At this moment, he was really grateful to He Rubin.

"As long as nephew Wan Xian remembers what he said today, I will not be blind." He Rubin said, "Do you know why I want Ying'er to join the Zhoushan camp?"

Seeing that He Rubin spoke very frankly, Lin Hai stopped being polite and said, "I don't know, I ask Zhong Sheng to make it public."

"To be fair to my nephew, I was born into a family of military generals. The person I admired most since childhood was Qi Shaobao. When I was young, my ambition was just to become Qi Shaobao's second best. It's a pity that I was born at the wrong time. There is no one in the Ming Dynasty. A person like Jiangling Xianggong..."

He Rubin said and sighed leisurely: "I have wasted half my life in the officialdom, and all I have seen is that flies and dogs are in the same camp. Being in the game, I have to live with the light, or to put it more bluntly, I am complicit..."

"I have done all these things in order to climb up, eating empty wages, drinking soldiers' blood, and invading military camps. But after I climbed up, I suddenly realized that I had gone too far on this road and wanted to turn back. It is far from being as easy as I thought at first. After all, our He family is the hereditary commander of the Suzhou Guard for 200 years. We have too many people to support in our family..."

"When I was in my 30s, I no longer had the intention to make any achievements. Apart from finding a future for my children, I only wanted to compile a military book..."

"I never expected that I would meet Ying'er later, and I would see the shadow of my own boyhood. He is the second roommate of my He family, and he and I have actually been together for five times. Because his parents are both dead, he was taken over by me. Adopted under my knees, unlike my several useless sons, this son is quite similar to me when I was a boy. The reason why I want him to follow me as my nephew is because I am afraid that he will follow my old path again..."

He Rubin didn't look like he was faking it, so Lin Hai simply asked: "This junior is just a palm print for thousands of households. I don't know why he fell into the eyes of Duke Zhong Sheng."

He Rubin said with a smile: "I am already at an age where I know my destiny. I have seen many people in my life, but I have never seen many people like Deng Wanxian Nephew. Before you came to Zhoushan to take up the post, it was said that you were a maritime merchant. There are many rumors. Ever since you reprimanded the military officials in Cengang Division, I knew that you were not comparable to ordinary maritime merchants, and later I heard that you were recruiting troops."

"On that day when the Wu family sent people to Zhoushan, I realized that my nephew had such strong financial resources. At that time, I wanted Ying'er to see if you had a plan for your military training. After a few months, I was convinced that you would definitely make Ying'er better. Let me show my ambition in life..."

He Rubin's words indeed came from the bottom of his heart, but at the same time, he also had some words that he did not say, that is, since the first year of Tianqi, he no longer has so much confidence in the Ming Dynasty, which has been inherited for more than 200 years.

As a senior general with few ambitions, who knew both military affairs and human relations, He Rubin had a clearer understanding of many issues than most officials. He already had a vague feeling that the Zhu family's world seemed less stable.

Several of his sons all work in the guard office, and they are quite fatherly in their dealings with others, so they will definitely have no problem getting along within the system.But if this system is gone, where will the future of the He family go?
At this time, Lin Hai happened to come into He Rubin's field of vision.In his opinion, this thousands of merchants who raised their own soldiers were on the fringes of the system. Once the world changes, such people will undoubtedly have more chances to survive and even stand out than the average person.

This was the main reason why he gave He Ying to Lin Hai. To some extent, it also gave the He family another way out, not just to find a suitable platform for He Ying.

Eggs cannot be put in one basket. This is the inheritance of many aristocratic families in ancient times. He Rubin, who values ​​his family more than anything else, also knows this well.

Of course, Lin Hai also knew that He Rubin did not say everything in his heart, but he felt that at least the part he said should be sincere.

No matter what, He Rubin helped him a lot, and it would be of great use to him in the future.If that's the case, then you might as well do what he wants.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhong Sheng, this junior will definitely let your nephew show off his ambitions in life." Lin Hai replied following He Rubin's words.

"That being the case, I can feel free to go to Guangdong and take up my post." He Rubin said and added, "Ying'er will be entrusted to Wanxian Nephew from now on."

　Thanks to Jiang Yu Jiang Yu for the reward of 3000 taels!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)