1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 377
Liu Xinneng was appointed by Liu Xiang as an envoy, and he came to Guangzhou to hold negotiations alone, which shows that he is not a mediocre person, and he still has a bit of brains.However, the Haihan people used one set of tricks after another, and various methods emerged one after another. After so many days, even normal people have been tossed into a daze.After Liu Xin quarreled with Maliko for two days in the Guangzhou Office over the scope of the arms sales embargo, he realized that he was inexplicably wasted two days of precious time by the other party.

Seeing that it was the last day of the negotiation time limit, and he had to rush back to Chaozhou to return to his command, Liu Xin didn't have the heart to fight with Maliko again, so he gritted his teeth and decided to showdown—if it is discovered that there are still Haihan weapons flowing into Fujian, then " "Eighteen Zhi" will probably have to take some tough measures against Hai Han.

"Tough measures? Are you going to start a war with us?" Maiko's expression on his face was a kind of exaggerated surprise. He turned his head and exchanged glances with He Xi who was sitting next to him, and then continued: " It is not easy to stop once you start using force, Mr. Liu has really thought about it? Can Mr. Liu bear the consequences caused by this?"

Liu Xin said with a stern face: "Whatever the consequences are, you will have to blame yourself, you can't blame others!"

Maiko pretended to be panic-stricken and said, "Then how can we make you change this decision?"

Liu Xin shook his head and said, "There is no room for discussion on this matter. But if you are willing to sell weapons to us, it would be a good idea to say a few good words for you when you go back next time."

Regarding the matter of arms sales, the two sides have been arguing for more than ten days, and all kinds of exchange conditions have basically been discussed. Liu Xin also asked Haihan to sell weapons to himself. It was put forward as a condition.However, the Executive Committee has strictly controlled weapons from the very beginning. They just don't want their own weapons to flow into the hands of "Eighteen Zhi", and it would be impossible to sell them directly. Therefore, Liu Xin proposed this Immediately after the condition came to a head, Maliko turned him down without even being interested in discussing it.

At this time, Liu Xin brought up this matter again, but also with the idea of ​​treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor. The Haihan people had previously talked about it and refused to agree. Maybe they changed their minds now under the pressure of war?
Maliko smiled and said: "The sale of weapons is not impossible to negotiate, but the price may not be acceptable to you."

"Oh?" Liu Xin cheered up and asked as soon as he heard Maliko's tone loosen, "Boss Ma, why don't you listen to me first? Although my master doesn't dare to say that he is rich as an enemy, he still has some money. of."

"A rifle costs 100 taels of silver, and a cannon costs 500 taels of silver. Ammunition, accessories, and operation training are not included." Maliko showed his knife calmly at this time. If Liu Xin dared to If he wanted, he would take this opportunity to stab "Eighteen Zhi" severely.

Liu Xin jumped up from the chair immediately: "What? Boss Ma, don't talk nonsense! Haven't I inquired about the price of your Haihan's weapons? Why don't you just grab it directly!"

Haihan has sold more than a thousand matchlock guns, and the price is naturally no secret.Matchlock guns cost 20 taels each, and cannons cost 800 taels each. Previously, Liu Xianghua bought dozens of matchlock guns from the black market at a high price, but they were only 40 taels apiece, which is quite generous compared to the sky-high price quoted by Maliko.Liu Xin originally thought that if Maliko's quotation was reasonable, then it would be okay to discuss this matter again, but after hearing this terrible price, he naturally understood how sincere Maliko was.

"How can this be called robbery?" Maliko replied with a sneer: "We open the door and sit in the store, and we pay attention to the fairness of buying and selling. There is no forced buying and selling. If you dislike the price of our things, then you don't buy them."

"Boss Ma is teasing me like this, it seems that I don't intend to continue the discussion." Liu Xin clasped his fists angrily and said, "Since that's the case, I don't need to waste my saliva anymore! Today's matter, you and I will discuss it another day !"

"Forgive me!" Now that he had turned his back on him openly, Maliko had no intention of continuing to make jokes, and sent Liu Xin away.

"You bastard... just turn your back on it, and step on someone before you leave!" After Liu Xin left, He Xi said with a smile: "If you come here, I'm afraid he will add fuel and jealousy after he goes back, so that Liu Xiang can treat him with a slap in the face!" Our hostility is even greater!"

"It's a matter of time before we fight, and it's useless to create goodwill now." Maiko put away his previous laughing expression at this time, and said seriously: "Although we are not afraid of the 'Eighteen Zhi' going ashore, we must also prevent Let them carry out a surprise attack, you have to watch the defense matters closely."

He Xi nodded and replied, "Of course, Xiao Liang and Yu Yao and I have re-arranged the security duty rounds of the Guangzhou Office last night, and it will be implemented from now on."

It wasn't just the Guangzhou Office that started to get busy. At this time, Wanshan Port was also full of noise.The first batch of ships stationed here from Shengli Port has arrived today. In addition to bringing in coastal defense artillery to enrich the combat effectiveness of the port's coastal defense facilities, there are also [-] marines and three companies of the army stationed here. , together with the original garrison on the island to defend the waters of the Pearl River Estuary.

"Starting tomorrow, two ships will be patrolling out of the port every day, and the troops stationed on the island will also enter the third-level combat readiness. In addition, all merchant ships entering Wanshan Port must also step up inspections to prevent pirates and spies from coming to the island." Just now Not long after arriving in Wanshan Port, Wang Tom immediately called a meeting of local military officers to arrange combat preparation tasks.

Although the opponent is the "Eighteen Zhi" that has been feared by the Executive Committee for a long time, Tom Wang has strong confidence in the war that may break out in the future.From his professional point of view, it is not easy for an opponent with backward military technology and tactics and lack of sufficient intelligence to attack Wanshan Port by sea. Without a hundred or ten ships, he may not even have the chance to rush ashore.

Even if it is going to be a battle at sea, Wang Tom's judgment on the trend of the battle is far more optimistic than other executive committee members.If the advantage of the "Eighteen Zhi" lies in the fact that the sailors have rich experience in sailing and combat at sea, then the advantage of the Haihan Militia lies in its advanced equipment. Being able to rely on the good maneuverability of his own warship to deal with opponents, even if Zheng Zhilong can borrow the armed Galen ship from the Dutch, it will be difficult to compete with Haihan, a super-era warship built with advanced technology.If Haihan wants to slip away, the speed of the boat alone can make the opponent fly a kite on the sea.

Of course, Wang Tom didn't forget what Tao Donglai and Yan Chujie specially told him before departure—to despise the enemy strategically, but to pay attention to the enemy tactically.Although he has full confidence in the troops under his command, Wang Tom has carefully participated in the formulation of the defense and alert plan, and will sit in Wanshan Port for a period of time to serve as the highest local military commander.As for when this temporary position can be achieved, it depends on the next changes in the situation.

When Liu Xin left Guangzhou, he was full of resentment, and this resentment also turned into action. Half a month later, a customer in Chaozhou sent news that Liu Xiang had blocked the road from Chaozhou, Guangdong to Zhangzhou, Fujian. All merchant ships heading for Fujian are prohibited from entering the offshore waterway, and all merchant ships under "Qiong Lianfa" are directly robbed.When Haihan received the news, three merchant ships owned by shareholders of "Qiong Lianfa" had been robbed by Liu Xiang's men at sea.

"Liu Xiang probably knew that our bones were too hard to bite, so he picked soft persimmons." Chen Yixin said at the intelligence analysis meeting: "However, their way of doing things can play a little role. Now The several shareholders who lost the ship have sued the Guangzhou Office, and it seems that we don’t care about this matter.”

"It is impossible for us to send troops to Zhangzhou. They are unwilling to take the initiative to attack us, so this situation can only continue as it is now. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. These businessmen who were robbed by Liu Xiang came to sue He never forgot to order a batch of arms from us, which can be regarded as a disguised promotion of our arms sales." Wang Tom is not as impulsive as Chen Yixin, and merchant ships going to Fujian will be harassed by "Eighteen Zhi". It was originally expected to happen, but if Liu Xiang thinks that Hai Han can be subdued by this trick, then it is too simple to think about the matter.

"If we don't send troops to stop them, how will we fight this battle?" Li Dou, who was attending the meeting as the Chief Civil Affairs Officer of Wanshan Port, asked curiously.

"It's very simple, he hits his, and I hit mine. We don't need to go as far away as Chaozhou, and we don't need to take risks to attack Liu Xiang's old nest directly. We will base ourselves on the local area and slowly arrange him on the shore. All kinds of hidden piles and businessmen will be cleaned up." Tom Wang explained with a smile: "Regarding this matter, Director He Xihe of the Guangxi Office is already working on it, and we only need to cooperate with it."

"Spy war?" Li Dou immediately cheered up when he heard this: "I heard that Director He is very skilled in Guangzhou, I really want to see it."

"You should do your civil work well. In this era, it is not so easy to be 007 in the movies." Tom Wang got up and put on his military cap: "I will take the boat out of the port now and come back before dark. Please leave it to you."

November 1628, 11, October 13, the first year of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, Guangzhou City.

The heavy rain a few days ago caused many waterloggings in the city of Guangzhou. Although the water has receded, there are still stinky mud pits everywhere in the city. Fortunately, the weather has gradually cooled down, and it is not because of this sudden Natural disasters caused epidemics.

"Guangsheng" was also one of the victims in this natural disaster. Because of the low-lying terrain, this small shop specializing in Zhangzhou specialties was completely flooded in the heavy rain. It has not been cleaned up for several days. The store was cleaned up thoroughly. Although the door has been opened for the past few days, because the smell of mud in the room has not yet dissipated, no customers have come to the door.

Seeing that the sky was getting dark, the guy who sat at the door and dozed off all afternoon stood up, ready to move the door panel and close the door.Suddenly, two men came to the door in a hurry, and one of them raised his hand and said, "Don't close the door!"

"The two of you want to buy something? Please come inside!" The clerk didn't suspect him, so he led the way and led the two into the store. But as soon as they entered the store, the two stepped forward together and grabbed the clerk from behind. arms, one knee, and bring it down to the ground.The guy was about to yell loudly, when a ball of sackcloth was stuffed into his mouth, and he couldn't make a sound for a while.

"If you don't want to die, don't move!" One of them said in a low voice.

The guy felt something cold and sharp against his neck, and immediately stopped struggling, lest he accidentally ruined himself.He only felt that his arm was twisted behind him and quickly tied a few turns of rope, and then he heard the sound of chaotic footsteps entering the store, but no one spoke again, and when he was about to look up and peek, he With a black cloth bag covering his head, his eyes were suddenly pitch black.

There were more than a dozen people rushing into the store, all of them were young and strong men dressed in black, all carrying two-foot-long waist knives in their hands, the last two people who entered the room immediately turned around and began to install the door panels, the rest The other person walked through the store without making a sound, and touched the courtyard behind the storefront.

As soon as he entered the yard, a black dog suddenly jumped out from the shadow of the corridor, but just as it barked halfway, its neck was chopped off by the head man, and it fell dead on the ground before it could even whine.But this still alarmed the people in the room, and someone from the side rooms immediately opened the door to check the situation.

"Do it!" Seeing that the situation was going to be out of control, the leader of the team immediately issued an order, and stabbed the stomach of the unlucky ghost who had just walked out of the door next to him.

The fight didn't last long. A few moments later, several guards were knocked to the ground by this group of unknown swordsmen.The leader kicked open the door of the main room, and dragged out the boss who was shivering on the bed.

"Hero, please spare me..." This heart said that he had met a strong man who robbed his house, and he didn't dare to look up at their faces at the moment, but hurriedly begged for mercy: "There is 700 taels of silver in the red wooden cabinet in the west wing. The only little property you have, you guys can take it for your own use, please spare the life of the villain!"

"We don't want your life, but the roster in your hand." The leader put the knife edge on the boss's throat, and said in a deep voice: "Hand over the roster in your hand, and your life will be saved."

"The villain doesn't know what the roster is that the hero is talking about..." The boss trembled, and hurriedly said that he didn't know.

The leader sneered and said: "There is no need to perform any more dramas. Since we came to you, of course we already know your details. What we want is the roster. If you refuse to confess, then your life is of no value to us." .”

"You... who are you!" The boss knew that his identity had been exposed, and his face became even more panicked.

"You don't need to know about this. Hurry up and recruit, so that you still have a chance to leave this yard alive!"

Half an hour later, the team carried a few boxes and quietly left the yard from the back, and then got into several carriages separately.These carriages went straight to the east gate, and the soldiers guarding the city gate were about to board the carriages for inspection, but the man escorting the carriages had already stuffed a silver coin into his palm: "It's just an empty carriage, don't trouble the military master to check it."

The soldier quietly weighed the amount of silver in his hand, waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"

After a few carriages left the city, they came straight to the Guangzhou Office, got off from the back door and entered the courtyard.It was already dark at this time, and the people who usually came to Guangzhou to do business had already returned to the city at this time, so basically no one around noticed the existence of these carriages.

"I thought you guys couldn't leave the city before closing the city gate...how is things going?" He Xi was notified, and immediately went to the courtyard of the back room to meet these people.

"Your subordinates are lucky!" The boss stepped forward and bowed his hands and said, "Guangsheng is indeed Liu Xiang's merchant, and the subordinates led a team to steal 300 taels of silver and 150 taels of gold in the store. There is what the grown-ups call the roster."

The two people next to him immediately carried up the seized items. He Xi did not open the box to count the silver, but first took the thin book that was three inches wide by five inches long and looked through it.

A big pirate leader like Liu Xiang must have a lot of eyeliners in the towns on land, as well as merchants who buy supplies and sell stolen goods for him.Although Guangzhou is not Liu Xiang's territory, as the largest and most prosperous city in Guangdong, Liu Xiang has of course deployed his own manpower here.And the den that He Xi ordered people to take away was Liu Xiang's business den in Guangzhou.

He Xi didn't discover this place just recently, but it was revealed by the pirates who were captured in the Battle of Dangan Island a few months ago.But before that, there was no conflict between Hai Han and Liu Xiang, and He Xi didn't have to deal with them.But this time Liu Xiang took the initiative to step on the door to express his attitude. There was no room for buffer between the two sides, so He Xi naturally wanted to act first and pull out Liu Xiang's hidden eyes and ears that had been buried inside and outside Guangzhou.The first to bear the brunt is the "Guangsheng" command organization.

Before He Xi started, he bought a clerk in the store by beating around the bush. He knew that the store owner had a secret book in his hand, which was specially used to contact other merchants and informants in nearby states and counties, so he did not hesitate to send someone to impersonate him. Taking risks into the city, grab this roster.With this gadget, He Xi can take advantage of the momentum to play a roll call game near Guangzhou, and clear Liu Xiang's hands one by one according to the names and addresses clearly listed on the roster.

"You've done a good job. I'll give you credit for this matter." He Xi glanced at the roster and was basically sure of the result of this battle.He returned the roster to the leader and said, "Take this to the confidential room and ask them to make a copy as a backup."

(End of this chapter)