Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 494 Request from a vassal state

"We are here to visit Mr. Xiong Wencan, the Civil Affairs Officer of Guangdong. Please report it." The Guangdong businessman came to the Guangzhou government office.

The current Guangdong merchants have become a relatively strong force among the many forces in the Kyushu Dynasty. The Kyushu Army, which relied on trade and merchants to make a fortune, broke the previous tradition of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. There is a big businessman who promises to visit the civil affairs official on important matters, and the local government does not dare to neglect it easily.

"Lord Xiong Wencan took the Nanyang Fleet to the north to visit the factory in southern Liaoning. Now the internal affairs conference will make major decisions at the same time." An official from the Guangzhou government said.

"Is that so? It's just our matter, and it's inconvenient for too many people to know. Is there anything else in the Guangzhou mansion that can contact the capital, that is, the officials of the military master?" The Guangdong businessman asked.

"The matter of being able to contact the military leader? You must know that military affairs are now decided by the military leader. He will take care of everything every day. If you delay the military leader for something other than something important, I am afraid that you will be held accountable." Guangzhou Mansion officials reminded.

"The little people understand this. Our matter is indeed important. If it is not something that the military leader cares about, how dare we report it to the military leader?" said the Guangdong businessman.

"How about this, although the civil affairs officer Mr. Xiong is not here, and the judicial officers and prosecutors are not yet in place, but there are indeed people in our Guangzhou government who can go directly to the military headquarters and let the military leader know." The official of the Guangzhou government reminded, "The Nanyang Fleet The commander, General Deng Qianlong, is in poor health. This time the Nanyang Fleet is patrolling Yizhou in the east. He was not able to personally lead the fleet forward. He is recuperating in Guangzhou City. I believe that if it is an urgent matter, he should be able to help."

"It turns out that the commander of the Nanyang Fleet is in the city of Guangzhou? It's really great!" An Nanguo's Ruan family said in surprise.

"Thank you, let's go to visit General Deng Qianlong." The Guangdong businessman cupped his hands.

A house in the city of Guangzhou has been bought by Deng Qianlong, and several servants have been hired to take care of the courtyard.After he heard the intentions of the Guangdong businessmen and the Ruan family from An Nanguo, he immediately received them.

"Ahem, I'm not feeling well recently, and I'm not greeting you well, please forgive me." Deng Qianlong asked his servants to serve tea to the Guangdong businessman and An Nanguo.

"Where is it, it is our honor that General Deng can meet us when he is unwell." The Guangdong businessman said hastily, "I am Pan Hu, a local businessman, and this is a counselor of the Ruan family in Annan Kingdom, serving Lord Ruan. Ruan Youyi."

"Is Ruan Youyi right? Welcome to our Guangzhou mansion, what's more important?" Deng Qianlong was a little confused, but when he talked with the people from An Nanguo, he became a little excited again.

He can already smell the opportunity, or the breath of war.

"I am here on behalf of Lord Ruan, and I am asking your army to buy a batch of firearms to defend against Lord Zheng of the Annan Kingdom. I hope that your army can sell us firearms for the sake of the friendship between our Lord Ruan and the Chinese merchants. We are willing Buy from you at a fair price." Ruan Youyi said.

Buying firearms?Deng Qianlong thought about it.Now not only non-governmental Guangdong merchants, Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants, and Fujian merchants are trading with Southeast Asian and Western countries, but officials are also trading with these places, and the annual profit alone reaches several million taels of silver. This caused silver from all over the world to flow into China continuously.And the trade with An Nanguo started as early as when Chu Yun was still in southern Liaoning.

For a period of time, a batch of goods shipped from southern Liaoning to Annan was robbed by Liu Xiang, an island in Guangdong, which indirectly caused the Kyushu Army and Navy to go south to ask Zheng Zhilong and the others for an explanation.

This kind of trade has continued for several years, especially in recent years, in order to raise military expenses for entering the customs and to escalate the war in Annan Kingdom, Chu Yun has sold a large number of outdated old-style muskets to the Zheng family in Annan Kingdom.It’s just that Chu Yun, who didn’t have a deep understanding of An Nanguo, didn’t expect that his behavior of selling artillery was nothing at first, but later it gradually broke the balance of An Nanguo, making the already powerful Zheng family become the dominant family. He broke through the last line of defense of the Ruan family, and even wiped out the Mo family in the Northern Expedition, allowing the Mo family to escape to Yunnan.The Ruan family had no choice but to come to Guangzhou Mansion on a cargo ship of Guangdong merchants to ask for help from the Kyushu Army.

"I remember that the official support of our Kyushu Army is the Zheng family, especially the firearms transaction is also done with the Zheng family. This is the attitude of the military leader." Deng Qianlong said in embarrassment.

"Please don't make such an assertion. Lord Zheng's family is dominant, and he has always been ambitious. When I left Annan Kingdom, he had led [-] troops to the north to attack Gaoping, defeated the main force of the Mo family, and the Mo family king disappeared. We In order to defend against Lord Zheng, the Ruan family also lost troops at the Great Wall in the middle of Annan Kingdom. If our Ruan family is lost in the end, the Annan Congress will all fall into the hands of the ambitious Lord Zheng. I am afraid that this will not be the wish of the Kingdom of Heaven. I saw it. With Master Zheng’s ambition, he might go to the north to encroach on the land of the Celestial Empire.” Ruan Youyi said worriedly, as if he was more concerned about Yunnan, Guangxi and other places being embezzled by Lord Zheng than the Kyushu Army.

"General Deng, I traded in the Hoi An port controlled by the Ruan family, and I have some understanding of the situation in Annan. The Ruan family valued trade and led their subjects to develop the wilderness, so that the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Lord Zheng occupied the dry northern area, relying on the large population If they complete the unification of the Annan Kingdom, they will probably covet our land in Guangdong and Guangxi." Pan Hu, a Guangdong businessman, said.

"Well... what you said is reasonable. But this matter is a dispute within the Annan Kingdom, and has nothing to do with our Kyushu Army. The reason why our Kyushu Army supports the Zheng family is only because of interests." Deng Qianlong continued to show a embarrassed expression expression.

"Annan Kingdom has been the territory of China since the Qin Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the Annan Protectorate was established here. In the Ming Dynasty, the Jiaozhi Chief Envoy was once established. Even if China is unwilling to recognize Annan Kingdom, it will not change that China is the suzerain state. The fact that the vassal state is in trouble, how can the suzerain state stand by? As for the benefits, our Lord Ruan is willing to pay [-]% more than Lord Zheng to buy firearms from your army!" Ruan Youyi gritted his teeth, "In addition, our Lord Ruan is willing to pay Huaxia is a vassal, if our Ruan family rule Annan Kingdom, Annan Kingdom will become China's loyal vassal state and will never betray."

"It doesn't matter whether you become a vassal state or not. The price of [-]% more can still be considered. I will report to the military leader to see if the military leader agrees." Deng Qianlong replied calmly to Ruan Youyi, but he was surprised in his heart.

The tribute system that gradually collapsed in the late Ming Dynasty seems to have begun to recover as China became stronger again.

(End of this chapter)