Dragon Sea Empire

Yin Feng stood up and sighed: "No matter what others do, I will stick to it. The Zeng family treats me like a mountain, Zeng Yue treats me like a brother, and those souls in Manila, I can't let go of these !"

"Even if it's against the court?" Zeng Qi asked without changing his expression.

Yin Feng thought for a while, then nodded: "Yes, I will do whatever I can. I am not doing it for my own personal enmity, but for the justice of all the overseas Chinese in the world."

Zeng Qi sighed: "I expected it earlier, you would say this. Have you thought about it for the youngest of my Zeng family?"

Yin Feng was stunned, and smiled wryly: "I'm not trying to raise the flag to rebel, and the Huaxing Alliance has now opened up in several provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Jiangsu, and there are many aristocratic families involved. It's all involved..."

The new and open form of China United Company's shareholding, which can make money and receive dividends, has attracted many people who want to make money but don't want to do business themselves to invest.Especially in the aristocratic families in the Jiangnan area of ​​Zhejiang Province, there are a lot of people with some spare money, and some of them have already bought shares in the Chinese company - Huaxing Lianhao.Yin Feng expects that after the second year of dividends, more people will buy shares after the credit of dividends can be confirmed.Among the people who bought shares, of course, some officials were also included, and most of them were half-sold and half-given shares.

"It's just you who are cunning. Is there really no one in the court who can't see through your details?" Zeng Qi shook his head, stood up and said, "Okay, I was worried about your strength at first, but now I see you. The big situation is quite different from those reckless heroes, and it has a place to stand in today's world. But, everything needs to be careful!"

Yin Feng smiled: "Don't worry, I am the court's supervisor, and I will not openly oppose the court."

After Zeng Qi left, Yin Feng read these residence newspapers again, and found that there was a person mentioned in the memorial about the "Demon Book Case": Zhao Shizhen.

This is the most outstanding firearms expert produced in China in the Ming Dynasty.This guy has always been suave and outspoken, honest and upright, so he has been in a lower position for a long time and cannot be promoted.The master book of Honglu Temple with the rank of eight ranks has been in charge for 18 years, and it was not until the 24th year of Wanli (1596) that he was promoted to Zhongshu Sheren with the rank of seven ranks.He has always been a low-level civil servant, with a rough life and a life of poverty.In the end, he was unluckily dragged into the demon book case, and finally died in despair. The last hope of the development of local firearms in the Ming Dynasty was completely shattered because of this.

Yin Feng suddenly had a whim: According to historical records, Zhao Shizhen was an avid firearms enthusiast and a self-taught expert; but he lacks real firearms experts here.

……

In the evening of this day, in the depths of a dark bay along the coast of Fujian, a brig with sails and anchor was quietly moored.This ship was flying a black flag, and it was the No. [-] ship of the original war fleet that Yuan Jin and Li Zhong had defected to.

Although Yin Feng ordered them to be chased and killed, there are more than 400 harbors along the coast of Fujian, and it is impossible for the Chinese company to completely control all the coastal areas, let alone countless islands.More than 100 people including Yuan Jin have been secretly staying here for two days. In addition to fresh water and food, they are about to become problems, but the accomplices who are expected to come out of Hong Kong together have not yet arrived.

Many people are full of complaints, many people want to leave here, and more people want to fill their stomachs.Someone suggested to vote in the nearby villages and towns first, but Yuan Jin said: "Brothers, right now we must not disturb the government, nor the nearby fishermen, or the people in the company will be disturbed. Bear with me, Yao Gang The brethren have already started to make trouble, and our brigade will come to join us soon, and then, whether we vote for the government or raise the banner again, we can do it!"

Li Zhong scratched his scalp and asked anxiously: "Ba Lao, can we still find that Zhou Qi? If we find Eunuch Gao, we can relax for a while. I don't want to go to the government."

Yuan Jin was also very dissatisfied, kicked on the board and said: "How do I know where he is now? Unless I go to Fuzhou to find him! But how do we go to Fuzhou now?"

This bay is close to the sea area in the south of Zhejiang Province, so Fujian pirates come less often, and neither do the government's water villages.Yuan Jin and others hid here and did not dare to make any moves.

Two days later, Yuan Jin could hardly suppress the commotion of his subordinates.Under the setting sun of this day, a brig with exactly the same shape as Yuan Jin appeared by the sea.This was the only ship that Yin Feng escaped during the suppression of the sailors' rebellion that night.Moreover, the ship slipped away before Yin Feng's sneak attack started, so Yin Feng's men didn't notice it.Because of this, Li San's people didn't know that Yin Feng's cleansing of Yaogang happened not long after they slipped away.

The captain of this ship is Li Kuiqi’s father, Li San, but Li Kuiqi was not among them. He wholeheartedly wanted to go on board a large ship to fire guns, and went to the sailor’s school to study; Li Kuiqi did not participate in the rebellion; in fact, Li San did not participate in the rebellion voluntarily, but was kidnapped by his men.It's not that his subordinates want to return to their old business, but they want to go home to buy a house, farm and fish after a few more votes.

In Fanhan Street, Yaogang, his boat was controlled by Yuan Jin's men.In order to get rid of Yuan Jin, his men pulled out the anchor overnight and fled.However, they were cornered.The officers and soldiers along the coast of Fujian regarded them as pirates, and the Chinese company regarded them as traitors.In desperation, they wandered along the coast for a few days and met Guo Xiaoda, a former Dongfan animal skin trader who had recently escaped from Taiwan.

Guo Xiaoda originally specialized in the fur business of the natives around Yaogang and Dayuangang.After Yin Feng brought people to Taiwan, he established the Zhonghua Company. He was also invited to become a shareholder at the beginning, but he wanted to do it alone and did not join.Guo Xiaoda's business plummeted after the China United Company started to implement the leather goods licensing system.Originally, he could still take a stake in the Chinese company, but he chose to cooperate with the Japanese.Guo Xiaoda and several other Chinese fur traders were participants in the riots against Chinese companies in various places in Tainan.

After the guards swept the four major communities of the Siraya people and Huweilong within a few months, the aborigines from all over the place surrendered to the company one after another, handing over the Japanese and Han people who participated in the instigation of riots.Guo Xiao escaped quickly, found a small fishing boat belonging to a Fujian fisherman, and fled to the sea at Langqiao on the Hengchun Peninsula.

After several twists and turns, he met Li San's boat.Both are homeless and sympathetic to each other. Under Guo's instigation, the crew decided to find Yuan Jin and Li Zhong and join their team to continue working.

However, Yuan Jin now only has two boats, which is far less than half of the boats he originally expected.The strength of the two ships, no matter whether it is the government or the pirates, no one will pay attention to him.

Two days later, no other ships came to rendezvous.

Yuan Jin was a little desperate, and his subordinates also began to prepare to disperse and flee.That night, five or six people jumped into the sea and swam to land, and they never returned.

"Brother! There is a boat on the sea!" A sailor crawled into Yuan Jin and Li Zhong's cabin.The listless two rolled out of the hammock and asked quickly, "Do you see who it is?"

"The flag of that Saturday, the ship of the Fuzhou Wang family."

Yuan Jin and Li Zhong were overjoyed.They almost forgot that the sea in northern Fujian and southern Zhejiang was within the sphere of influence of the royal family in Fuzhou, and it was also the meeting point agreed upon when Zhou Qi encouraged them to make trouble.However, this week brought bad news.

After being reorganized, one of Yuan Jin's subordinates was sent to Taiwan's inland Tuntian Manor to farm. He slipped away during the escort and got on Zhou Qi's ship in Taiwan Port.When he saw Yuan Jin, he cried and knelt down: "Ba Lao! The third master was killed, and the other brothers were all finished, and none of the boats slipped away."

Yuan Jin was heartbroken: "Oh my god! I have been running overseas since I was 12 years old, and my 13 years of hard work are all over. And those brothers of Brother Li Dan, I am afraid this is also over!"

He gritted his teeth and asked, "Who killed the third master? Yin Feng?"

That hand knelt down and couldn't get up, and continued to cry, "No, it's Lu Shitou, that Yankee!"

Li Zhong punched the mast: "Damn it, this old bastard has never been of one mind with us. This revenge must be avenged!"

Zhou Qi, who had been watching from the side, was a small man, but at this moment he looked rather smug, and walked over and said, "I'm afraid you are desperate now, right?"

Li Zhong was furious: "Fart, who said that? At worst, let's go to Nanyang and Xiyang, and fly away!"

Yuan Jin made a bow and asked, "Mr. Zhou must have found a way to ask this question?"

"Yuan Balao lives up to his reputation and is smart!"

Yuan Jin felt impatient at this time, and he suppressed his anger and asked: "Does Mr. Zhou's boss have something to say? My little people are here to listen."

"This is a promissory note for 1000 taels of silver. It can be drawn at the Wang's house in Fuzhou."

"Crack!" A promissory note was slapped on Yuan Jin's chest, and Yuan Jin was so excited that he raised his hand and held the promissory note.He has never received a transaction of 1000 taels of silver.

"What conditions?"

"Raise a team within three months, the more ships the better. Then go to the coast of Fujian to snatch ships. Except for the ships I told you not to snatch, everyone's ships will be snatched. At the same time, use the banner of the Chinese company."

Yuan Jin thought for a while, then gritted his teeth and asked, "According to the rules of Paohai, there are dry hands and wet hands when working. Which one do you want?"

Zhou Qi blinked curiously: "Why dry hands and wet hands?"

"Dry hands means only grabbing boats and things, and try not to kill people, but this person is dealt with by us; wet hands means killing people in addition to grabbing things."

Zhou Qi nodded: "This is up to you to decide. In short, we must try our best to plant the blame on the Chinese company and let them suffer from being dumb."

Yuan Jin nodded: "Understood, please rest assured, your owner, within three months, I will pull up a fleet and sweep across the coasts of Fujian and Guangdong!"

Zhou Qi cupped his hands and said: "The proceeds at that time, our two families will open on June [-]th. As for the proceeds you get from kidnapping people and buying and selling people, let your brothers share it. There is no need to worry about patrolling soldiers, naval warships, patrolling Prosecutor Yamen, our boss will take care of everything in advance."

……

Yin Feng already knew about the alliance between Yuan Jin and the eunuch Gao Cai, but Yin Feng still couldn't grasp their next move.Now he is facing a joint visit from big merchants from Haicheng and other places.The purpose of the visit is to ask in person whether the "trade embargo" against Manila will continue in the new year.

Having been to Penghu, he begged Yin Feng to let Hongmaoyi stay in Penghu so that he could start trading. Among the representatives of the seven big families of Zheng, Huang, Li, Zhang, Lu, and Shi, Zhangquan sea merchants, except for Huang Cheng, the other six families also coming.

The strong influence of the China United Company has caused shock in the business circles of Fujian.It should be explained that after a century of foreign smuggling and trade, there are many merchants who are as rich as an enemy, but they are all scattered families; in terms of social resource mobilization and organizational capabilities, Chinese companies are all freaks ahead of the times, and they behave too much. Strong, the major families have become alert.