1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 857
Ma Ling was still having lunch when he heard the news, but he was not as surprised as the Haihan people.There are many waterways in Shipu Port, and the blockade by manpower can only be blocked for a while. What's more, the manpower of the Haihan Fleet in the blockade operation is still very limited. They can only guard a few main waterways entering and leaving the port during the day. Good idea.As long as the spies arranged by the East China Sea pirates in the port find the opportunity, they will definitely sneak out from the sea to report.

Ma Ling had had contact with Lin Xing before, and knew that the head of the Sanlin Gang had also been to the Haihan people's land in his early years, and he was a rare and well-informed person among the pirates in the East China Sea.Lin Xing came to Shipu Port to seek an interview so soon after receiving the news, presumably because he judged from the news that the situation was not good for him, and planned to give in to the Haihan people.

When Ma Ling rushed to the headquarters, Lin Xing's boat hadn't landed yet, so he quickly told several commanders what he thought.Ma Ling was not worried that Lin Xing would offend the Haihan people, but because he was afraid that the Haihan people would not look down on the pirate chiefs of Liuheng Island, so they immediately threw Lin Xing out.

How the Haihan people treat Lin Xing is a trivial matter, but Ma Ling believes that if he can avoid offending the big shots behind the Sanlin Gang, it is better to resolve the dispute peacefully.If the Haihan people do not go well, they will return to the south after patting their buttocks. Ma Ling himself still has family property and contacts in Zhejiang. Willing to leave your hometown and start over in a completely unfamiliar environment?
Under the "escort" of the Haihan warship, Lin Xing's boat sailed slowly into Shipu Port from the Tongwamen waterway between Dongmen Island and the mainland.When he saw the coalition fleet lined up densely on the north shore of the harbor, his mouth never closed.Before coming here, Lin Xing was more or less lucky, thinking that the Haihan people might just send a small number of armed warships to Zhejiang to perform some special missions, such as escorting important people or a large amount of money, but when he saw this After hiding the size of the fleet in Shipu Port, I knew that my previous idea was too simple.The Haihan people sent such a large fleet so far away, I'm afraid it's not just showing off, but they really want to find a place to set up a foothold in Zhejiang.

Lin Xing's boat docked at the military pier outside Shipusuo City. Although the flag of Ming Dynasty was still erected on the top of the city, he also noticed that all the armed personnel on the shore had changed into seamen in gray short shirts and military uniforms. The Han militia soldiers, it is obvious that the control here has changed hands, and it is no longer in the hands of the Shipu Guard.

After someone on the pier asked Lin Xing's identity, he took him to Shipusuo City.When he arrived at the gate of the city, someone stopped him, and only Lin Xing was allowed to enter the city alone, and his entourage had to wait outside the city.

Lin Xing was not angry because of this, but just argued: "I have brought some gifts for the chiefs. If you can't bring people in, then I will pass them on for you."

Since Lin Xing came under the banner of a visit, he could not come empty-handed out of etiquette, so he prepared some local specialties as gifts, such as a paperweight inlaid with bone and wood, a small screen on the table carved with gold and gold, and a small altar The 20-year daughter Hong and so on.Since I don't know how many Haihan people came, I prepared five copies of everything, each gift was packed in a lacquered box, and the two carried a box to the shore with Lin Xing.

Lin Xing has been to Sanya in his early years, and he has heard about the many interests of Haihan people. He knows that they have an unusual love for all kinds of cultural handicrafts produced in Ming Dynasty, so he still spent some thought on buying this gift. .For other objects, Lin Xing might just give gold and silver directly. After all, money touches people's hearts, and nothing is as simple and effective as gold and silver treasures.However, the gift-giving was actually stopped, which also made Lin Xing feel that the Haihan people attached great importance to defense.He also knew that there was no essential difference between going in alone and going in with his subordinates, so he simply acted as a bachelor.To show that I have no bad intentions in this trip.

Immediately, a military officer came to receive the gift list and gifts, and then led Lin Xing into the city.Sure enough, the city was completely controlled by Haihan, and all Lin Xingju saw were Haihan soldiers. He didn't see Qianhu Maling stationed there until he was outside the Jietang of the guard in the city.

Lin Xing came to see Ma Ling in Shipu Suo City in the past, but he never came out to greet him, and there can only be one explanation for this situation: now the owner of Shipu Suo City has changed, and Ma Ling has also changed. In the role of running errands, you can only do this kind of welcoming and sending things outside.

"Lin has met Master Ma!" Lin Xing pondered in his heart, his face remained calm, and he stepped forward to greet Ma Ling.

"Master Lin!" Ma Ling also cupped his hands, and replied with a wry smile: "Don't call me your lord, now that the master is inside, Master Lin will follow me!"

Lin Xing followed him inside, and saw a young Haihan officer sitting in the hall, with several guards standing on the left and right.Ma Ling introduced: "General Qian, Boss Lin from Liuheng Island has arrived. Boss Lin, this is General Qian from the Haihan Militia. Get close."

Although Lin Xing has been to Sanya, he is not very familiar with the internal personnel situation of Haihan, and he does not know the background of this general surnamed Qian, but he can confirm from the superior temperament exuded by the other party that this is indeed an authentic Haihan people, not Ming or dependents from other countries.Although he had seen the real bodies of the Haihan people when he went to Sanya, most of the people he could come into contact with were all kinds of naturalized people who were subordinate to Haihan, and he didn't have the opportunity to talk face to face like he is now.Although he had already thought of various coping methods before coming here, Lin Xing still inevitably became nervous when things came to an end.

After the ceremony between the two parties, Qian Tiandun did not intentionally embarrass Lin Xing, and invited him to sit down for a chat, and then ordered someone to bring tea.This attitude relieved Lin Xing's nervousness a little bit. What he worried most was that the Haihan people had no interest in communicating at all, so even if Sanlin helped make more expressions, it would be useless.

"I was lucky enough to go to Sanya two years ago, and I admired the actions of Haihan's masters in Qiongzhou Island. It's just that my status is humble, and I didn't have the opportunity to meet with you at that time. I heard about the Haihan fleet yesterday. I have already gone north to Shipu Port, and I want to come over to pay a visit, firstly, to see if I can meet an old friend, and secondly, if you need anything, I can also do my little bit."

This Lin Xing was also very skillful in his speech. He didn't mention the conflict between Haihan's fleet and Shipu Guard, nor did he ask Haihan's purpose for coming here. He only said that he had a relationship with Haihan. The purpose is just to say hello and see if there is anything that needs help.Show your goodwill first, so that even if Hai Han has other plans, it may not be easy to turn his face right away.

Qian Tiandun smiled and said: "Boss Lin has a heart. Before we came here, we heard that Boss Lin's business on Liuheng Island is doing very well. We planned to find another time to visit him, but unexpectedly, Boss Lin took the initiative to come here. gone."

Lin Xing couldn't figure out whether Qian Tiandun's words meant good intentions or something else, so he glanced at Ma Ling, only to see that he was already watching his mind, his eyes were drooping like an old monk in meditation, and there was no expression on his face , let Lin Xing, who was counting on him to give some hints, very disappointed.

Out of caution, Lin Xing still responded very cautiously: "The little business that I'm going to do can't get into the eyes of the masters of Haihan. It's just a living. General Qian is too polite."

Qian Tiandun said: "If the business of the Sanlin Gang is only at the subsistence level, then ninety-nine percent of the people in Daming would have starved to death, right?"

Lin Xing's heart skipped a beat. Qian Tiandun took the initiative to mention the identity of the "Sanlin Gang", which was not a good omen, and immediately responded: "Although I have a little extra money, there are places where there are bridges, roads, and disaster relief. This kind of affairs, will also help with money, and there is no harm to the neighbors."

Qian Tiandun shook his head and said: "Actually, whether you have harmed your neighbors or not has nothing to do with us Haihan. But now we are planning to find an island off the coast of Ningbo Prefecture, and the range of choices we can choose is really limited. Maybe there will be a conflict with Boss Lin's territory."

Lin Xingxin said that there are thousands of islands to choose from in the Zhoushan Archipelago, and you are also forcing "limitation" to show that you want to take the territory here by force.However, since the Haihan people took the initiative to point out this potential conflict of interest, Lin Xing could also see that the other party was confident. If he said no at the moment, he might be invited out immediately.

Lin Xing thought for a while before answering: "If you are looking for a good natural harbor, the south coast of Zhoushan Island is naturally the best, surrounded by many small islands, the water is deep and the waves are gentle, and the conditions are comparable to Sanya Port. If you want a safe and stable , not under the jurisdiction of the Ming government, Daishan Island and Qushan Island, which are a little farther away, are also good choices."

Lin Xing went on and on, but if he didn't mention Liuheng Island where the Sanlin Gang was located, how could Qian Tiandun not hear the little thoughts hidden in him?Immediately, he took the initiative to ask: "As far as I know, Liuheng Island was already a famous free trade port in the East China Sea a hundred years ago, but Boss Lin forgot about his land."

Lin Xingqian said with a dry smile: "I just occupy a corner of Liuheng Island, how can it be compared with the grand occasion of Shuangyu Port a hundred years ago, General Qian is joking."

Qian Tiandun said: "The Sanlin Gang and the Haisha Gang on Liuheng Island are the most famous villages in the East China Sea. Boss Lin is so modest, which doesn't match the reputation of the Sanlin Gang!"

Lin Xing was terrified when he heard this, and hurriedly continued to argue: "The business I do is all legitimate business, and I am not a fellow traveler with the Haisha Gang. I would like to ask General Qian to learn from him."

Qian Tiandun said: "We heard that the Sanlin Gang is also collecting protection fees from fishermen and merchant ships!"

Lin Xing raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead gently with his sleeve, and explained to Qian Tiandun: "This fee was not paid by the Sanlin Gang family, in fact, most of it was handed over to Ningbo Mansion..."

"Then you're going to throw this blame on the government?" Qian Tiandun was also amused to see Lin Xing anxious.

"I don't dare, I just hope that you can understand my difficulties... If there is something that requires the help of the Sanlin Gang, please ask General Qian to express it!" Lin Xing also felt that Qian Tiandun seemed to be just teasing himself. , immediately emphasized his own attitude again.

Qian Tiandun said: "We don't understand the difficulties of your Sanlin Gang, and we don't plan to understand them, but I'm very interested in knowing one thing. What do you think you can do to help us?"

Qian Tiandun's tone can be said to be very arrogant, but Lin Xing heard a glimmer of hope from it.He knew that the Haihan people were very practical in their work, and if they couldn't bring them real benefits, even talking about it would be useless.But if Haihan people think it's worth it, they will often make some decisions that go against common sense—such as forming some impossible cooperation relationships.

Lin Xingying said: "I have already said before that if you want to settle here, I can provide some useful information to help you. If the leaders of Haihan want to get on line with the officials of Ningbo Prefecture, I can also help you. Arrange it in the middle, and open up the joints on your behalf.”

Qian Tiandun was silent for a while before he opened his mouth and said, "What do you use to prove your sincerity?"

Lin Xing answered very resolutely this time: "My servant is here, that is the greatest sincerity!"

"Yes, very courageous!" Qian Tiandun nodded approvingly, then changed the topic, but asked an irrelevant question: "I heard that many of the management measures in the Sanlin Gang's territory were imitated from us, right? Is there such a thing?"

Lin Xing couldn't tell from Qian Tiandun's face whether he was happy or angry, so he could only grit his teeth and try his luck: "Yes, there is indeed such a thing. After going to Sanya, I thought about bringing some of your business strategy Back to Zhejiang. It’s just that financial resources, manpower and material resources are limited, so it’s impossible to copy it as it is, and it’s an act of painting a tiger instead of a dog, which made General Qian laugh!”

"I heard that there is also a special maritime exchange on the territory of the Sanlin Gang. I can see that you are also an ambitious person. However, according to the scale and development speed of your Sanlin Gang, if you want to integrate the maritime smuggling of the Zhoushan Islands There will still be many difficulties in trade." Qian Tiandun slowly got to the point: "But if you are willing to assist us in doing this, we may be able to complete it many years in advance. Of course, the leader of this matter It will not be your Sanlin Gang, but our Haihan. What do you think?"

Lin Xingxin said, isn't this a good thing that the pie in the sky is falling?How many businessmen in Fuguang wanted a chance to directly cooperate with Haihan, but they couldn't think that such a good thing would be in front of them.However, despite being excited, he also knew that this was not the final conclusion, it was just that the other party was testing his attitude, but this rare opportunity had to be grasped.

"If the leaders of Haihan think highly of you, you will definitely try your best to help!" Lin Xing quickly stood up and expressed his opinion to Qian Tiandun.

(End of this chapter)