Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

Since the Lady Rose belonged to the captain himself, it was two and a half months before the Macao council found out that this merchant ship, which was mainly engaged in coastal trade in East Asia, had mysteriously disappeared. After making judgments on various possibilities, the Macau council decided The ship fell into the hands of the Ming Zheng regime after failing to break through the customs. This confirmation immediately shocked the Portuguese businessmen in Macau. They couldn't believe that Ming Zheng really did it.

However, believe it or not, the ship was confirmed to be missing. In order to confirm the truth of the matter, shortly after the Lunar New Year, the Macau side made a tentative request to the Ming Zheng side to redeem the manned ship through the British Penghu Business Office.

Regarding the Portuguese's request of making insinuations, the Department of Commerce and Industry, which obeyed Zheng Kezang's order, made it clear to the public that it had never encountered any Lady Rose. In desperation, he was forced to believe that maybe it was just a shipwreck.

However, without knowing the reality of Mingzheng, the Portuguese in Macau dared not try to cross the waters of Taiwan again without the permission of the Mingzheng regime, nor did they dare to reject Mingzheng’s proposal to enter that area again through the British. Pa sea area must pay the sea tax requirement, just because of concerns about the trade with Guangzhou, so the Portuguese ship owners would rather choose to pay the sea tax than give up Naha and use Penghu as a transit port.

Of course, the Portuguese were not reconciled to their own losses. At this time, Zhao Shilin, who was promoted from the governor of Zhejiang to the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was ordered to reorganize the Guangdong navy. On the one hand, he set up a navy barracks in Jieshi Town, On the other hand, they approached the Portuguese in Macau.

"Master Wen, Zhao Zhijun is deeply sorry to know that your merchant ships were damaged by the sea adverse." Since Kangxi was unwilling to openly invite the barbarians to participate in the military operation to destroy Ming and Zheng, Zhao Shilin could only send his own staff to come forward. However, a certain Juren, a seventh-rank official in front of the Prime Minister's door, who felt that his status was much higher than that of the barbarians, seemed to be unable to even say polite words. "Now the imperial court is going to conquer Haini again, just to avenge your country. If the imperial court is so kind, do you want to repay it?"

"What does Governor Zhao mean?" Wen Lishi asked straightforwardly. "Do you want us to pay?" Wen Lishi didn't wait for the aide to answer, his head was already shaking like a rattle. "According to our agreement with the Ming Dynasty, we don't need to pay any fees other than the land premium silver, so unfortunately, I can't collect this money from the merchants."

"That's an agreement between your country and the former Ming Dynasty. Don't forget that it is now the Qing Dynasty." A certain person curled his lips contemptuously. He wanted to take the opportunity to ask for a sum of money, but he was blocked by the other party before he could open his mouth. When he came back, he naturally felt uncomfortable, but Zhao Shilin's request was the main purpose of this trip, so he couldn't put the cart before the horse. "Of course, the imperial court will not ask you to wait for the money from the small state, but the army lord hopes that you can provide a few gunboats."

"Boat?" Wenlishi seemed to be taken aback, and then hurriedly refused. "No, no, the Portuguese in Macau are businessmen, missionaries, not soldiers, so please be sure to convey this to His Excellency Governor Zhao that we will not participate in any war, especially the civil war in your country."

This is just a rhetoric made by Wen Lishi. If the Guangdong side is willing to let go of some aspects, he will agree, but the governor's staff can't understand the meaning, and his face darkens immediately: "You can Think about it, if you don’t follow the court’s conscripts, you won’t even want a tael of raw silk or a catty of tea leaves.”

The Macau commentators on the side were all panic-stricken, and only Wen Lishi remained determined: "My lord, your country has announced that Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang have banned the sea. The above-mentioned three provinces are not allowed to enter the sea. So if so much raw silk, silk, and tea produced in your country are not sold through us, are they going to rot in the country?"

The staff's face was like a pig's liver, and Wenli continued: "Your country needs a lot of financial resources to conquer the officials, mobilize the army, and prepare to build the navy. Even if you want to come to Governor Zhao, you will have a headache. I can't imagine this. At this time, your country will close the last door of foreign trade again."

"Barbarians! How dare you make assumptions about the government's governance!" A certain person roared, and then walked away. The magistrate of Xiangshan County was so frightened that he followed up, leaving only the Portuguese looking at each other.

"Your Excellency, Governor, I protest against your arbitrarily decided to refuse to cooperate with the Qing people without going through the council." Only one of us was left, so someone jumped out to criticize Wen Lishi for his actions. "Although what you said is very reasonable, if the Tatar rulers of the Qing Dynasty really closed the trade channel desperately, who should bear the losses caused?"

"Gentlemen, please don't get excited." Looking at the agitated reviewers, Wen Lishi explained. "I didn't completely reject the Qing Dynasty's request? Didn't I? The stupid Qing Dynasty envoy didn't hear it. There is a saying in China, which is to ask for a price and pay back the money on the spot. They want us to send troops, so naturally they have to meet our requirements. Yes, the kingdom’s navy and armed merchant ships under your name must not be used for free.”

"Your Excellency Governor's words are justified." There was a split in the team of judges, and some people supported it. "If the Tatars want us to provide warships, they must guarantee to provide us with enough raw silk, silk and tea every year, and the price must be reduced by [-]%, no, [-]%. Otherwise, I refuse to provide my ship."

"That is, a sailing trip, not to mention the shells and gunpowder that will be used, even the salary of the sailors is not a small amount." Having said this, the preoccupied businessmen began to calculate their possible losses. "Besides, we can quietly destroy the Rose Lady. Obviously, the Navy is not a weak enemy. In case of casualties and hull losses, no, the Qing Dynasty must agree to compensate us for the loss, and we must give a reasonable reward regardless of whether we win or lose. .”

"No, you guys are short-sighted," someone else expressed his opinion. "The Tatars will definitely win the final victory. If you don't make an early bet at this time, what will the Qing people do when they take back Macau in the future? How about giving the British, French, and Spaniards trade privileges? Oh my lord, I I can already imagine the future scene, this is the end, the end of Macau!"

"You are too alarmist. This is just a private temptation by the local officials of the Qing Dynasty. He does not represent the meaning of the Tatar emperor. If you agree easily, what will happen if the Tatars frequently ask us to provide ships in the future? I came to the East to make money not to serve the emperor of the Tartars"

The Portuguese in Macau were arguing endlessly over the issue of whether to assist the Qing army in attacking Ming and Zheng, and the sea trade merchants in Zhejiang were also anxious to hang themselves at the moment.So before the official implementation of the border closure order in Zhejiang Province, dozens of merchant ships loaded with goods rushed to Naha, and several maritime merchants even sailed straight to Nagasaki in a team, hoping to get the last vote before closing.

Not to mention how many lucky merchant ships sailing to Naha were not intercepted by the Tamsui team during the round-trip journey, let alone the merchant ships sailing into Nagasaki, when they first entered the port, they were naturally warmly welcomed by the Tang officials. .

Just when these Tang officials who had forgotten their national identities thought that the opportunity to break the commercial monopoly of Ming and Zheng had come, they were disappointed to find that this was just a flashback.

Not reconciled, the Tang officials made suggestions: "It doesn't matter what the three provinces banned the sea, I can give you an idea."

The officials of Tang, who were in the midst of drinking and drinking, suggested this way: "Isn't there no forbidden sea in Jiangsu? In the future, your ship can leave the port from Taicang. That's all. Don't worry, as long as your ship can reach Japan, I guarantee you The boat can earn the money of three boats to go back”

The businessmen from Zhejiang went to work on the territory of Jiangsu. This is what the general officials of Tang said. Most of the businessmen who heard it were speechless. Only a few government businessmen and big businessmen who crossed provinces and cities showed some understanding on their faces. .

However, just after Tang Tongshi left, Tagawa Jiro Zaemon’s post was also sent to various Chinese businessmen: "The Zheng family in Taiwan invited us to a banquet. Should we go or not?"

"The Zheng family? That's rebellion! We have a small capital, and we never thought that we could go to sea again. Forget it, let's not add trouble."

Those who are timid and weak naturally dare not accept this post, and of course there are also bold or truly confident ones who still accept the post and go to the banquet.But the so-called feast is not good, and the meeting is not good. Ming Zheng said that he either sold all the raw silk that arrived in Nagasaki to Dongning's trading house in advance, or paid the customs tax, otherwise he would have to sink one.

"I don't believe it, the sea is so big, you can block it." Although some people think it is safer to sell to Dongning Shangguan, most of the people who can go to sea against the Qing court's ban are people with heels. Naturally, he would not be frightened by Tian Chuan's few threats, not to mention, the power of the Zheng family has shrunk over the years, and the sea may not be able to cover the sky with one hand. "Tax to the sea? This is not the time for the Dragon King of the East China Sea."

Speaking of which, this family naturally saw the Fuchuan with the Dongning flag in the port when they entered the port, but he still believed that Mingzheng was only verbally intimidating. Although he expressed the feelings of most businessmen, the result The team encountered interception half a day after driving out of Nagasaki, and told him what the consequences of speaking out were.

When the merchant ships who dared not join the battle scattered and fled, they saw that the ship the man was on was besieged by the Mingzheng whaling fleet operating off the coast of Japan and it sank in a fire, so he refused to pay the customs tax. It has disappeared, of course, this is only for those businessmen who have the strength to go to sea