1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 432 Time Changes (Continued Part [-])
On March 1642, 6, Hanzhou, Jianye City.

In the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Pan Qifeng nodded expressionlessly after receiving a note from Rick Wolf, the representative of the Dutch East India Company in Qi State, about the prohibition of exporting weapons to Java Island, and then said: "I represent the Qi State government. Solemnly stated that we will strictly abide by the peace agreement signed by the two sides, and will not voluntarily export weapons to Java Island and other South Sea islands.”

Rick Wolf had a satisfied smile on his face after listening to the interpreter's translation.It seems that the Hanzhou people are relatively civilized, just like our European countries, they can abide by the peace agreement signed by the two parties.

"Dear Prime Minister, our East India Company hopes to obtain a piece of land in Jianye City for the construction of a commercial representative office, and we hope to get your government's approval." Rick Wolfe said: "After all, the long-term lease of the pier outside the city The warehouse is not very convenient for our East India Company's daily affairs and life."

"Yes." Pan Qifeng nodded and said, "We are going to allocate a piece of land for your East India Company in the west of the city, and you can build a representative office there. However, you must submit the planning drawings and design instructions of the building to our Reviewed by the Planning Department of the Ministry of Industry."

Rick Wolf was stunned when he heard this.How can it be simple to build a house, but also need to make an architectural plan and design instructions in advance?Is your government going to review this?

"Okay, we will follow your government's requirements and submit the planning design and description of the building to review in advance." Although Rick Wolfe had a hint of doubt, he still agreed.For him, building a business representative office in Jianye City is not the key point. He just wants to take advantage of the opportunity to build a house to obtain the building material called cement produced by Hanzhou.Of course, if possible, it is best to obtain the production formula and process of this building material.

Rick Wolfe believes that this building material is indeed very miraculous. He once observed some on-site operations of Hanzhou people building houses in the city. After the cement is applied to the building material, it will not take long for it to solidify and harden. , like a pile of boulders.No wonder the fortresses in several overseas territories of Hanzhou were built harder than tortoise shells, so that the East India Company did not break through any of the Hanzhou strongholds during the three years of war.

"The East India Company is preparing to attack the Kingdom of Mataland on Java Island!" Qi Tian couldn't help sighing after hearing Pan Qifeng's report, "I don't know if they can withstand the attack of the Dutch."

"Before the truce with the Dutch, we provided the Kingdom of Mataland with at least 20 cannons, more than 500 muskets, and a large number of swords and spears. I think they should be able to cause certain difficulties for the Dutch." Pan Qifeng said: "Moreover, we still have several military instructors in their army. In any case, facing the Dutch, they shouldn't be as vulnerable as before."

"I heard from the Black Clothes Guard that since the disastrous defeat at the siege of Batavia two years ago, the Kingdom of Mataland has almost given up on confronting the Dutch again. And began to explore the east of Java Island, trying to consolidate and unify their own eastern region. In addition, they also had disputes with the Kingdom of Cirebon Sultan and the Kingdom of Banten Sultan, and there were constant frictions. If the East India Company has the heart, Maybe we can persuade these two families to deal with the Kingdom of Mataland together."

"Not at all. Don't those natives understand the truth of death? If the Kingdom of Mataland is defeated by the Dutch East India Company, how can these two survive alone!"

"They feel that the Dutch are from the far west after all, and they only seek wealth and interests, and they will not pose a substantial threat to their country." Qi Tian thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "But the Kingdom of Mataland has the intention of annexing neighboring countries. country, and the ambition to unify Java Island. For this reason, under the threat of annihilation, most of them will choose to adopt an attitude of forbearance and cooperation with the Dutch, and fiercely resist the annexation of the Kingdom of Mataland.”

"Then what should our country of Qi do?" Pan Qifeng asked.

"That's naturally what the Dutch want to do, and we must try our best to prevent them from doing it." Qi Tian said with a smile: "Let the Black Guards communicate with the Kingdom of Mataland and find some hidden ports and wharves. We can make our flying fish boats carry a small batch of firearms to provide necessary support and supplements to them."

"The Dutch won't find out, right?" Pan Qifeng asked worriedly: "This morning, their representative in Jianye City came to the Prime Minister's Office to reiterate to us that the peace agreement prohibits the import of weapons to Nanyang islands. Moreover, they Attacking Mataran will definitely increase the inspection and blockade of the Mataran Kingdom's waters."

"The flying fish boat is fast and the target is small. It should not be so easy to be intercepted by the Dutch. Even if it is discovered by the Dutch, the flying fish boat will just leave. Since the Dutch East India Company has opened up all the sea areas and routes of the East Indies, can't it Allow our ships from Qi to sail freely in the waters near Java Island?" Qi Tian couldn't help but think of a certain empire in later generations, who seemed to like to make so-called free navigation, so in this period, we might as well use it.

"By the way, the southeast trade wind is approaching in June, and the main ships of our country will go to Daming again to start emigrating. At that time, your civil affairs department will need to prepare a large amount of immigration materials for this purpose, as well as goods that can be used for Daming transactions. In addition to In addition to keeping the traveling ships empty and not wasting capacity, it is also necessary to avoid transportation bottlenecks caused by a large number of ships leaving the mainland.” Subsequently, Qi Tian made arrangements for this year’s immigration season.

"In addition, appropriate arrangements must be made for the assistance of the Ming people in the original Luzon uprising, so that they can gain a foothold in Luzon and develop, so as to prevent Zheng Zhilong from being the dominant family in Luzon and hindering the development of our eastern route. Safety."
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June 1642, 6, Luzon, Batangas.

Standing at the top of the city, Cheng Guangyin watched many Luzon natives, driven by soldiers, carrying heavy stones, and were constantly strengthening the city wall. Dozens of gunners also followed the instructions of the artillery instructor sent by Hanzhou. Down, constantly adjusting the elevation angle of the artillery, simulating attacking various targets outside the city.

Outside the city, a huge trench runs 50 meters in front of the city wall.The Ming people in the city also spent huge manpower and material resources to divert the nearby river water into the trench.Outside Batangas City, after more than a year of construction, two small castles with a radius of more than 100 meters have also stood up, forming an angle with Batangas City.

The reason why these fortifications had to be built at a huge cost was because this place was the only window for the insurgents to get external support, and it was necessary to ensure that this place could last longer in the face of enemy siege.

"Boss Cheng, what you do is actually not very useful." He Qing looked at Cheng Guangyin and said helplessly, "Don't talk about the big ships that the Spaniards came here to support, even if Zheng Zhilong sent some small boats here casually, it would be fine." It can block you here, so that you can no longer get any support from here."

"Isn't Han Zhou on good terms with Zheng Zhilong? They probably won't block your boat coming here." Cheng Guangyin said.

"We are currently on good terms with Zheng Zhilong, but under what circumstances do you want to divide it?" He Qing shook his head and said, "Zheng Zhilong's intention is to monopolize the entire Luzon. As for you, they must recruit or wipe out , will definitely not allow a second independent force to exist in Luzon. If they know that Hanzhou is helping you, they will definitely turn their faces."

"If Zheng Zhilong comes, we are not powerless. When the time comes, let them meet and bleed, and they will naturally know that we are not easy to mess with." Cheng Guangyin said in a deep voice: "Just like Hanzhou against the Dutch, we will use war Force and."

"We in Hanzhou can produce our own firearms and ordnance, can you?" He Qing sneered: "At that time, Zheng Zhilong doesn't need to send troops to attack you, as long as dozens of ships block your external passages, and then you don't need to attack on land. Stop spending with you. By then, your weapons and armaments will be exhausted, how can you fight against them again?"

"However, if we want to give up such places as Kalamba, Natawan, Liba, and Batangas, and then move to the southeast of Luzon, it will be easier said than done! Not to mention that the road is difficult to travel due to the obstacles of mountains, forests and swamps along the way, that is, we will pass through countless lands along the way. I am afraid that the human tribe will cause us to lose many lives!" Cheng Guangyin said: "Calaba and other places were developed by our tens of thousands of smart people, and now they have become granaries. How can they be easily discarded? If Zheng Zhilong If they really don’t give us a way to survive and intend to annex and squeeze us, then our 1 people will fight them to the death!”

He Qing sighed slightly when he heard the words, knowing that although the former subordinate of the black guard was telling the truth, he must have his own selfish motives.

During the Spanish rule in Calamba and other areas, more than 1 Ming people were expropriated and colonized here. After several years of work, they managed to reclaim tens of thousands of acres of fertile land.After the Spaniards were driven away, the Ming people here thought that they could be their own masters, cultivate their own land, and then live their lives in peace.

However, just because Zheng Zhilong's forces might come to annex them and treat them as the subordinates of the Zheng family in Luzon, they would give up the land they cultivated and build a new home, which would definitely be opposed by many Ming people.Farming, paying food and paying taxes, as ordinary people, it doesn't matter. Whether it is Zheng Zhilong or the few leaders who gradually climbed to the top during the uprising, they all need to support a government that governs them.

Therefore, the Ming people who are least willing to be recruited by Zheng Zhilong are probably the leaders of the uprising led by Cheng Guangyin, who suddenly fell from being a troublemaker to a middle and low-level officer under Zheng Zhilong's banner, and may even be killed by the Zheng family. The poisonous hand ended up in the end of life.

Therefore, when the many Lusong Ming people who followed were unwilling to migrate to the southeast to avoid the Zheng family's attack, Cheng Guangyin and other uprising leaders could only continuously strengthen the occupied cities and try to resist the Zheng family's attack by force.

"Can Hanzhou give us more cement so that the cities and fortresses we garrison can be strengthened?" Cheng Guangyin said: "In addition, it is best to provide more firearms. As long as we have a strong force, Zheng Zhilong will definitely not Dare to attack us rashly."

"As long as the Zheng family fights with you and finds that you have so many firearms, you will definitely think that we provided them to you." He Qing said: "At that time, our Hanzhou may have a bad relationship with the Zheng family. If we emigrate from Daming, it will cause certain difficulties!"

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On July 1642, 7, Daming, Quanzhou.

Zheng Zhilong stared at a piece of information that came from Guangzhou, and remained silent for a while, his face showing three points of surprise, five points of disdain, but still two points... envy.

"Brother, but what happened to my Zheng family?" Zheng Zhibao asked cautiously.

"Han Zhou made peace with the Dutch. And... that Cao Xiong's nephew has become king." Zheng Zhilong passed the information to the third brother.

"Hanzhou and the Dutch have also been fighting for more than three years. Unexpectedly, the two families even negotiated peace in December last year." Zheng Zhibao smiled after reading the information, "I don't know if the two of them will end up in the end." Who is at a disadvantage. However, this Hanzhou has persisted for so long and can force the Dutch to negotiate peace with it, so its strength should not be underestimated."

Zheng Zhilong seemed a little absent-minded about what the third brother said, and tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair with a few fingers of his right hand.

"Han Zhou Cao Xiong's nephew Qi Tian became king and established the Qi State! Haha... In my opinion, this is simply the crown of the monkey!" Zheng Zhibao said with a big laugh.

"Yes, after more than six years of development in Hanzhou, they can be called Wang Jianguo." Zheng Zhilong smiled slightly, "Tell me, how many people are there in Hanzhou now?"

"It's estimated to be tens of thousands." Zheng Zhibao thought for a while, and said with some uncertainty: "Especially in recent years, they seem to be able to immigrate 8000 to 5 people from Daming every year. After six years, there are at least [-]. population."

"How many immigrants are there in Taiwan at present?" Zheng Zhilong asked.

"As of the end of last year, there were about [-] in Taipei and Tainan."

"Taiwan is only three to five days away from the mainland. In more than two years, we have eliminated Taiwan's original population of tens of thousands, and we have only immigrated less than 2 people." Zheng Zhilong sighed: "And Hanzhou It is more than 40 days' flight from Daming, but they immigrated more than 5 people in six years."

"Brother, immigration costs a lot, takes up transport capacity, and there is no return in a short period of time. In addition, Taiwan's environment is relatively harsh, even worse than Luzon's....Only those starving people who can't survive are willing to go to Taiwan." Zheng Zhibao argued.

"In the past, I was the one who ignored it." After a moment of silence, Zheng Zhilong said in a deep voice: "Taiwan and Luzon are the future retreats of my Zheng family. We must manage well. Starting this year, Gongzhong will raise 150 million taels of silver every year. , specializing in immigration, must expand the populations of Taiwan and Luzon to more than [-] within five years."

Zheng Zhibao was stunned when he heard the words. Even though the Zheng family has a surplus of nearly ten million taels of silver a year, they still need to support more than 2 sailors and 3 land troops. All kinds of people, such as private servants and servants, need a huge amount of money to pay.In addition, the apportionment of the imperial court and official exchanges are also a considerable expense every year.Calculated in this way, the Zheng family can save only one or two million taels of silver every year.

Now more than 100 million taels of silver have to be used for immigration fees. If a certain year is not good, or if there is a war with maritime forces such as the Dutch East India Company, it may cause a deficit.

"Jianguo proclaims king, and feudalism separates regimes." Zheng Zhilong sat quietly in the official hall, muttering to himself: "Calling the lonely and widowed, this is what a man does!"

(End of this chapter)