Win the Ding 1617

Yes, although the fleets of both sides have at least hundreds of artillery of various types, the real loss is not great.

On Zheng Zhilong's side, three ships were hit by the intensive artillery shells of Li Huamei's fleet. The sails on the ships were shot down and lost their ability to move.

And when the first round of Zheng's fleet's artillery was ignited and fired by the sailors' instinctive reaction, Li Huamei's fleet also suffered losses. Seven or eight shells flew onto the ship, smashing four or five sailors to pieces.

"Second Uncle, send a signal! Let our fleet rush up wave after wave!" Zheng Sen saw the weakness of Li Huamei's fleet blocking the Baisha waterway, the captain!Although the gunfire was sharp and the shooting technique was superb, the smoke formed after the artillery was fired filled the sea, making it difficult to see clearly and seriously affecting the shooting effect.

Faced with the frenzied surge of blessing boats one after another, Li Huamei was also a little helpless.

"Miss! Look!"

Aggie pointed to the left flank of the fleet.

Facing the noon sun, under the glare of the sun, several sand boats kept throwing down the heavy grain and rice bags in the cabin, increasing their speed to reduce the burden, and rushed straight to Li Huamei's flank from the Putuoyang sea.

The leader is the sand boat of Shi Lang's family.

From the moment the shabby sailor on Daqing's head lit the cannon, he knew that this battle must be fought.However, judging the transport fleet in front of him based on what he learned at the Naval Academy of the Nanyue Army, compared with the fleet on the opposite side, it is clearly a fat piece of fat in front of a child who has been hungry for a few days .

Li Huamei has the ability to eat up this fleet.But the appetite is not enough, if there are a few more ships, or large ships like Li Shouhan's ship, the Zheng family's fleet will be doomed.

However, in this situation, the Zheng family still has to fight!

So, Shi Lang, who had already quietly retreated to the entrance of the waterway, contacted several sand boats nearby, quietly went around Baisha Island, and made a big circle.Straight to Li Huamei's left wing rushed over!

Seeing that Shi Lang commanded several sand boats to charge towards the sun viciously from the left wing with their backs on their backs.The two ships at the end of the queue were getting closer and closer. On the bow, several sailors were nervously busy on the cannon positions made of grain and rice, presumably loading the cannons.

"Aji! Signal the ships. Let's retreat first. Give them the way!"

"This? Let them go like this?!"

Aji couldn't understand Li Huamei's thoughts.

"Want to leave? Pass in front of my eyes. They fired a cannon and hurt people. Can they walk away without leaving some road money?!"

The semaphore soldiers on the top of the mast waved the signal flags in their hands, and the sailors of the Nanyue Army who blocked the exit of the Baisha Waterway quickly left the battle.Watching from a distance outside the range of Zheng Jiajun's artillery.

"The Shi family boy is really good! Quick! Send a signal to all the ships!"

Seeing that Shi Lang's move made Li Huamei quickly get out of the way, Zheng Zhihu couldn't help being extremely excited.

Zheng's fleet swarmed past, broke through the Baisha waterway and went straight to Putuo Island.

After simply replenishing some meat and vegetables with fresh water, Zheng Zhihu ordered that all sail and anchor be lifted, and set off north overnight.

This time, it was the Zheng family's turn to have another nightmare.

Taking advantage of speed and artillery fire, Li Huamei's fleet no longer intercepted them, but rushed out of unexpected places one after another, rushed into Zheng Zhihu's marching queue, or sank several ships with artillery salvos. The ship sped away and disappeared without a trace under the cover of night.Or take advantage of the speed, rush into an unobtrusive corner of the fleet, surround several lucky boats, and take them away.

After this battle at sea, Li Huamei had a nickname among Zheng Zhilong's sea gang.

"Scarlet Winged Tiger!"

"Second Uncle, you lead our red-haired boats to deal with the harassment of Li Huamei! Brother Shi, you lead six sand boats to support the fleet, and help Second Uncle deal with these bastards from the Southern Guangdong Army!"

Facing Li Huamei's pirate style of play, Zheng Sen didn't jump and curse like his uncle Zheng Zhihu, but made such an arrangement after calmly analyzing the pros and cons.

"Alright! These wicked tricks must have been taught to Li Huamei by Zhang Xiaohu, that shameless old thief! This is clearly the practice of sharks in the sea! How does she, a yellow-haired girl, know these things?"

Faced with Li Huamei's attacks on the fleet by making full use of the firepower and speed advantages of her own ships, Zheng Zhihu couldn't think of any better way for a while, and could only use the soft sailing boats in his fleet to deal with Li Huamei's clippers , using Shi Lang's few sand boats that had lost almost all the grain and rice as auxiliary forces.

"The whole team should not be obsessed, and quickly rush across the mouth of the Yangtze River. After crossing the Yangtze River, the Li family's boat will not dare to make mistakes."

Looking at Li Huamei who was galloping back and forth on the sea in the distance, Zheng Sen gritted his teeth, "After I go back, I must ask my father to build more Western galleons! At that time, let's compete again!"

After paying the price of more than a dozen lucky boats being sunk and captured, the fleet led by Zheng Zhihu finally crossed Wusongkou and entered the Jiangbei waters.

Looking at Li Huamei who was dying on the south bank of the Yangtze River, the Zheng family's fleet couldn't help bursting into cheers of ecstasy, whistling and scolding, all kinds of obscenities interspersed.

"Snapped!"

Shi Lang slapped a small boat owner with a round slap. The boat owner's words just now were not clean to Li Huamei, a tigress, which annoyed Shi Lang.

"At this time, are you capable? Last night and this morning, when she chased you until you cried and couldn't find the tune, where did your ability to swear? You didn't grow anything!"

The captain held his cheeks that were swollen rapidly from Shi Lang's slap, but dared not speak out.

In the Baisha Waterway, if it wasn't for Shi Lang's decisive attack on Li Huamei's fleet from the flank, at least half of the nearly [-] ships would have been sunk or captured by Li Huamei.

This is the evaluation given to Shi Lang by Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Sen's uncle and nephew.Such a hot figure, but also standing on the truth. "If you have the ability, you can rely on boats and cannons at sea, or board a boat to help you fight hand-to-hand to defeat Li Huamei. What kind of a hero is playing with your mouth in this safe place?"

This group of men who live at sea value strength and backbone.

At that moment, more than a dozen large and small ship owners and officers all applauded Shi Lang's behavior, and the ship owner had no choice but to knock out his teeth and swallow in his stomach.

Fortunately, the losses were not particularly large. To check, there were more than a hundred ships, except for the dozen or so ships that were sunk and captured by Li Huamei.Shi Lang's six or seven sand boats threw away all the food they carried in pursuit of speed.The remainder of the vessel's cargo is largely intact.

"Brother Shi, don't worry, the loss on your ship is the public's! In addition, I will go back and tell my father that you will get an extra share of the dividend! Without you, our ships are afraid that the loss will be even greater!" Zheng Sen was very magnanimous. Comfort Shi Lang.

"Young Marshal. It's a trivial matter if the money is not worth it. But we in Fujian should build more fast boats like others and install more artillery, otherwise it will be too bad for us to fight!" Shi Lang smiled wryly.

Nothing on the road.Facing the north wind, everyone transported the ship to Ningyuan Sea.

At this time, the battle outside Ningyuan City was over.

In the winter and October of the 12th year of Chongzhen, the Qing army attacked Ningyuan again.At that time, Ningyuan's garrison general was Jin Guofeng, the commander-in-chief, and he commanded nearly [-] troops.When the Qing army attacked Ningyuan, the Ming soldiers were timid.Guofeng was furious, and led dozens of relatives out to occupy Beishangang to fight fiercely with the Qing soldiers. He exhausted all his efforts, and died in battle with his second son and all relatives.

Tongzhi, the governor of the department, Jin Guofeng, the commander-in-chief of the Ningyuan regiment, is a native of Xuanfu.He was originally the deputy general of Jinzhou.Guard Songshan as the deputy commander. In February 12, in order to cover the looting of Dorgon and others in the pass and contain the Guanning army, the Qing soldiers under the personal command of Huang Taiji began to attack Songshan.He was repulsed by Jin Guofeng many times.Unwilling to fail, Huang Taiji sent people back to Shengjing to bring in [-] cannons, [-] shells, and [-] hu of gunpowder to fire around the city.

In the face of fierce artillery fire, the battlements of the city were destroyed, and the people in the city could only walk with the door panels behind them.Jin Guofeng commanded no more than [-] troops. He went out of the city and was defeated and returned.The siege lasted forty days, and it would not stop.In the end, Huang Taiji had no choice but to retreat, keeping Songshan alive.Also because of this meritorious service, Guofeng was promoted to be the deputy governor of the department, and the commander-in-chief of the Ningyuan regiment.In terms of merit, the governor of the department is the same as Zhi, and there are thousands of households guarding Yin Jinyi.

Unexpectedly, he wanted to be able to make meritorious deeds in Songshan, Jinzhou, but he and his two sons died in the city of Ningyuan.

It is not clear whether it is because the battalion is too large and the command is not effective, or because of other reasons.In short, after he died in battle outside the city of Ningyuan, the defenders of Ningyuan stayed behind closed doors, and I don't care if your Qing army is singing a big show outside the city.

With such a cooperative friendly army, the Qing army is naturally not afraid.

At that moment Zheng Zhihu sent people ashore to contact Shanxi merchants and ordered them to tell the buyers that they could come to carry grain and rice and deliver the money.

The shopkeeper of the Fan Ji Company introduced by the intermediary struggled to communicate with Zheng Zhihu in Mandarin with a strong Jiexiu accent. Knowing how much grain and rice you brought this time, how should the grain price be calculated?"

"This?" Zheng Zhihu scratched his head a little.After careful checking and calculation, the japonica rice that the entire fleet can sell today is about 15 shi.But how to quote, this is a problem.

According to Nanzhong's grain export standards, the export price of this kind of high-quality japonica rice at the port, including tariffs, is three renminbi per stone, but it is the spot and carry price.This is a good deal for Zheng Zhilong's group, which has a large number of ships.Even if the ship is moored at the port wharf, the boatmen and sailors have to pay for food and wages.

However, Zhihu was at a loss as to how to calculate the price of grain here in Liaodong.

The price of grain in the interior is high, to the point where a bucket of rice counts for money. I heard that the price of grain in Liaodong is even higher, but I don't know how high it is.

"When the price of grain in Liaodong was the most expensive, it was eight taels of silver for a bucket of rice, and one stone was ten buckets. Second Master, those are still brown rice, and yours are all high-quality round-grained rice!"

"Although they just came back from a big ticket grab in the customs not long ago, the food is not too expensive for the time being, but selling it to them now, at least four or fifty taels is no problem!"

"That's good! 40 taels for one stone! It's 35 taels, but you get [-] taels. The [-] taels is your kickback and the guys' errand money!"

Zheng Zhihu, who is also a businessman, knows the mysteries of the business field, if there is no such thing.I'm afraid that countless waves will be born from it.

"This kind of rice is 40 taels for one stone?"

Outside Ningyuan City, Huang Taiji was rubbing the full and crystal-clear rice grains in his hands, feeling a little puzzled.These Shanxi businessmen have never been so kind before. They dared to charge 50 taels of silver for brown rice mixed with [-]% sand and full of mouse feces.

"This is not our rice, but it was trafficked by the Zheng family in Fujian. However, our colleagues have discussed that if the sea road is smooth in the future, our rice will also be handled at this price."

The people trained by Fan Yongdou's family are really extraordinary.Huang Taiji, who spoke in a few words, turned his anger into joy.

Since Dorgon led his army back from the pass.The Liaodong rebels began to smelt iron and cast guns wantonly, but in this way, Dorgon's power and prestige began to quietly expand.This is what Huang Taiji does not want to see.

That's why he had to come in person to fight a small Ningyuan.In the slave army.Take military merit first.Respect strength.This is the unchanging truth of the northern nomadic fishing and hunting peoples for thousands of years.

In addition to winning some military merits for the two yellow flags, the more important thing is to establish a new material supply route.Since Li Peiting appeared in Liaodong, a large amount of supplies have flowed in and out of Liaodong through his hands.In a disguised form, they provided Olympic aid to the two white flags.In order to offset this effect, Huang Taiji urgently needs to establish a new material supply system.

The Zheng family is his favorite.

As the representative of Huang Taiji, Tong Liushi, the son of Tong Yangxing, the second-class Angbang Zhangjing of the Han Army Zhenglan Banner, brought 20 silver and [-] cars of fur and ginseng to Zheng Zhihu's fleet moored in Lianshan Bay to discuss the handover. thing.

"The 15 stones are good japonica rice, and the emperor said that he wants them all." As a member of the Manchurian noble group, Tong Liushi has a domineering vigor. His nature is immovable.

"However, the emperor said, 40 taels a stone. Although your price is reasonable, it is too much. The treasury will not be able to provide 600 million taels of silver for a while. I will ask you about the emperor's will. Are you willing to accept it? Fur, raw gold, pearls, ginseng and other things produced in Liaodong to trade?"

If it wasn't for the head shopkeeper of Fan's family who kept gently pinching Zheng Zhihu's sleeve, Zhihu would have beaten this arrogant guy out with a stick.

"You take one emperor at a time, that's your emperor, not mine. My rice is here, I love to buy it, if I don't buy it, go away! Stop bluffing me with your bullshit emperor! Use silver, use Fur, horses, raw gold, as long as the price is right, I can accept it!"

After being robbed by Zheng Zhihu, Tong Liushi was so angry that his chest heaved, but in order to make the grain and rice on this group of Nanman ships into the best products that the emperor bestowed on the slaves, he could only swallow this bad breath .Otherwise, this group of guys set sail to the north, not far away would be Jinzhou City, and Zu Dashou, the head of the ancestral family, had suffered from food shortages, and would eat this batch of food at all costs.

Forget it, I can bear it for a while.I will see you in the future!

15 shi was good japonica rice, and the Liaodong rebels used 20 taels of silver and [-] carts of fur as a deposit.The rest will be paid within three days.

"Fan Yuanfa, you and I will go back to see the emperor, and report back to the emperor."

Tong Liushi was not polite to Zheng Zhihu, and he was even more rude to the shopkeeper of the Fan family.

They went to Huang Taiji on business, leaving Zheng Zhihu excitedly pacing back and forth in the cabin, gearing up.

The amount of a transaction is 600 million taels of silver. Although most of them have to use commercial goods, cattle and horse fur to make up for it, such transactions are also huge profits!

"It only cost 15 taels of silver to ship these grains and rice from Nanzhong. Including the board wages of the sailors and boatmen of the fleet, the cost is at most [-] taels of silver. The rest is a profit!"

Zheng Zhihu and his nephew Zheng Sen quickly calculated the harvest of this trip to the north.

"Then, did Second Uncle count the ships and grain we lost?"

After all, Zheng Sen is a scholar, and he knows that he should not only calculate the surplus, but also calculate the cost. Naturally, the dozens of boats and the grain and rice on board should be included in the cost as loss.

"Of course I counted! Sen'er, uncle has been at sea for so long, and it's the first time he's made so much money in business! After this trip, I'm afraid the Ming court won't have as much money as us! No wonder, the Li family has to go north every time. Qin Wang! It turns out that going north has so many benefits!"

It’s pitiful to say the least. On paper, Daming’s finances amount to tens of millions of taels a year. However, this is composed of many real and folded colors. Many real objects are not escorted to the court, and Daming’s tax system Financial system, accounting is very confusing.

The place needs to be preserved, which is a muddled account, and the food and salaries of many guards and border towns are directly supplied by the local area, which is even more muddled.

The summer tax and autumn grain are directly shipped from a certain place to a certain place, a certain government to a certain guard, and even more detailed, a certain household to a certain household, without going through the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of War, oh, there will be account books reported.The empty seal case, one of the three major cases in the early Ming Dynasty, occurred because of this system.

Therefore, although the Ming Dynasty had a lot of money, there were few direct revenues to the national treasury, often some trough grain and discounted silver. Later generations talked about the several million taels of Ming's annual income, mostly referring to the direct revenue from the national treasury.

Counting places and various objects, there will be millions of taels, but they have no meaning except that they look good on paper.Even if it is the extra three salaries, it is only more than 1000 million silver. How can Zheng Zhihu collect real money or valuables?But these three rates have already forced wars between Jianghuai and Hehan.

Countless grains of rice and a large amount of salt, tea, candy, silk, cloth, tobacco and many other commercial goods brought by the ship owners were carried ashore by the endless stream of small boats, and traded with the swarming slaves.

Similarly, a large amount of goods such as ginseng, fur, oriental beads, raw gold, and medicinal materials were transported to the Zheng family's boat together with various gold and silver jewelry in large and small cages.

"We can earn at least 800 million taels if we transport these things to the capital and south of the Yangtze River!" Fan Yuanfa's eyes were full of longing for silver dollars.

"Second Master, let's talk about it, go back and stay in Nigu, how about giving the other half of these products produced in Liaodong? I will pay you in cash. I don't want the rebates you promised before."

Fan Yuanfa looked at Zheng Zhihu with a grin, expecting to get a satisfactory answer from him. (To be continued..)

ps: To clarify, this matter is not intended to discredit, but exists objectively.And more serious.After the Qing army invaded Beijing, the Marquis of Tong'an also used sea ships to transport grain northward for profit.