Daming Yinghua

Chapter 167 Negotiations

When Yang Tiansheng first visited Xu's house, he briefly explained Zheng Haizhu's origin to Xu Xinsu, and also mentioned the background of Liu Shimin, the weaving eunuch. Therefore, Xu Xinsu did not express any surprise when he saw that the person representing Yan Siqi who came to pay New Year's greetings was a woman.

But the demeanor of a local snake still needs to show its feet.

Xu Xinsu gradually developed a contact style with the meaning of looking down under the light greetings of the calm sea and micro waves.

Passing through the circular drain paved with cobblestones at the bottom, Xu Xinsu said lightly: "Miss Zheng, this is a humble house, the place is small, I'm laughing at you."

Zheng Haizhu looked up at the compound in front of him. The whole block of gray-white granite was used as the steps or the base of the wall. The upper part of the wall was made of red bricks. The roof with dovetail corners was also made of red tiles. It is a typical southern Fujian mansion with exquisite wood carvings.

She pursed her lips and praised, "Your mansion is very elegant."

Thinking about it in his heart, when he was approaching the main island of Xiamen by boat, none of the government offices pointed out by Yang Tiansheng on the deck had such a magnificent appearance.

This Xu Xinsu is in Xiamen, very high-profile.

After entering the door and passing the screen wall, Xu Xinsu did not go to the main room, but led Aunt Zheng and Yang Tiansheng to the big room in the East Wing, where he first showed his collection of Wenwan calligraphy and paintings.

"I heard that Miss Zheng, like Xu, is from Fujian, but her business is mainly in Nanzhili. Xu has already collected several Chinese Huiming paintings of the Wumen School of Painting. Please appreciate the girl."

Zheng Haizhu caught a glimpse of a strange look in Zheng Shoukuan's eyes, and knew that his nephew was laughing at the arty Xu Xinsu for pronouncing "Wen Zhengming" as "Wen Huiming". A businessman, although he has a school in Songjiang, and he was lucky enough to invite Dong Xuanzai to write an inscription, but he is usually busy traveling around the docks in the north and south, so he really doesn't have time to dabble in such elegant things as calligraphy and painting. Since Mr. Xu is proficient in this way, the whole class Every baby must be a treasure."

With Xu Xinsu's level, he certainly didn't know that Dong Xuanzai was Dong Qichang, let alone Dong Qichang's status in today's painting and calligraphy appreciation circle.

But when he heard Zheng Haizhu casually mentioning "there is a school" and "running docks in the north and south", he couldn't help but continue to suppress this little woman.

Xu Xinsu stared at Zheng Haizhu's hand pointing to a Nanyang coral, and said with a smile, "The bead on Miss Zheng's finger is a bit small, not worthy of the girl's style. The girl sent this big boat full of gifts in the first month, Xu Give the girl a string of pearls in return, don't be disgusted by it. Long Zai..."

Following Xu Xinsu's greeting, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man in brocade robes stepped forward.

This young man named Xu Yilong is the eldest son of Xu Xinsu.In the center of the wooden plate he was supporting, there was a string of Hepu pearls with a considerable diameter. Not to mention the luster of each one, each one was close to a perfect circle and flawless. It's rare.

Zheng Haizhu didn't pretend to refuse, showing the amazing smile that women don't need to hide when they see beautiful jewelry, stretched out their hands to hold the Hepu bead string, and put it on their neck generously, thanked Xu Xinsu, and looked down at what he had. Wearing a pearl wrench.

After a while, she raised her head, stared at Xu Xinsu and said: "My own pearl is indeed small, but its origin is not small. This is an eastern pearl, produced in the Northeast Jurchen Ula tribe. More than a year ago, I accompanied Liaodong The female family members of the Li family went back to Hetuala to visit their relatives. King Nurhaci of Jianzhou gave me this Dongzhu to express my gratitude. There are also big Dongzhu, but according to the rules of the Ministry of Construction, only the Khan and the Baylor of the Banners can wear the big Dongzhu. Therefore, the one given to me weighs less than half a coin."

Xu Xinsu smiled when he heard the words.

He is the agent of the Japanese Chinese businessman Li Dan, and the aide of Yu Zigao, the current commander-in-chief of the Ming Dynasty. Although he is on the southeast coast, he is no stranger to the movements of the Jianzhou Jurchen, which borders both North Korea and the Ming Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, the woman in front of her had also been in the rivers and lakes in Liaodong.

Only to hear Zheng Haizhu said with a touch of contempt: "Of course, what Mr. Xu said is right. The precious things that the Tartars value, in terms of beads themselves, are indeed not worth mentioning compared with our Ming's Nanzhu. Nurhachi, the old chieftain, fought a battle with me in Fushun in Daming, and returned home in a disastrous defeat. Those northern bastards are actually the same kind as the red-haired people from the west. If Mr. Xu wants to listen, give me a cup of tea to moisturize Throat, I will tell Mr.

After Zheng Haizhu finished speaking, he thought to himself, it’s almost the same, this kind of back and forth with each other showing off their muscles and background, although it is an inevitable confrontation on the scene, it should be enough, otherwise it will be really boring.

We're not on a blind date, so stop tempting each other, and let me get to the point, isn't it good?
As for Xu Xinsu, at any rate, he is a person with a long history, not a popular man who is obsessed with superiority, he also has a clear heart, knowing that this woman who came to celebrate the New Year today must represent Yan Siqi to talk about things.

Xu Xinsu put on a sincere gesture and said heartily, "Let's go and have tea."

……

The second time Xu Zhai entered the study building in the courtyard, after the servants served tea, Xu Xinsu retreated to the left and right, leaving only his son Xu Yilong and bodyguards.

Zheng Haizhu glanced at the bodyguard wearing a black net scarf and Ming-style straight gown with a face as heavy as iron, and asked Xu Xinsu, "From Dongying?"

"Girl has good eyesight, how did you see that?"

"The one on his waist is the Muramasa sword, right?"

"Well, yes. Don't worry, girl, he can't understand Hokkien."

Zheng Haizhu smiled: "It's okay to understand, I'm not speaking ill of Dongying people today."

Xu Xinsu sipped his tea and said meaningfully: "Since the Yu family army has been in charge of Fujian, the Japanese invasion has been a thing of the past."

Zheng Haizhu said bluntly: "The Yuegang switch, the imperial court has not allowed to trade with Dongying so far. If Mr. Xu hadn't helped Leader Li and Zongbing Yu, I'm afraid there would still be Japanese pirates. However, Brother Yan has been running Taiwan for two years, and now he is starting production. For buckskin and cane sugar, there are already Japanese ships from Beigang to buy the goods.”

Xu Xinsu continued: "Well, I just saw the sucrose. The whiteness is very good. The Japanese should be able to pay a high price."

While he said echoing words, he was actually thinking quickly about the meaning of Zheng Haizhu's words.

Obviously, this little woman is indeed Yan Siqi's confidant, and she is well aware that Li Dan, a Japanese Chinese businessman, and Yu Zigao, the commander in chief of the Ming Dynasty, control the smuggling routes of the Sino-Japanese maritime trade.So she said that without Li and Yu, the Japanese maritime merchants would turn into Japanese pirates who invaded the border by force.

But at the same time, what she meant was that Yan Siqi had regrouped in Taiwan and started to resume business with the Japanese.

Since Xu Xinsu learned of Li Guozhu's actions, she actually had sympathy for Yan Siqi who hurt others, and began to plan her own future.Yan Siqi did not kill Li Guozhu because of Li Dan's affection. This ruthless and arrogant second generation ancestor of the Li family will one day take over his father's business. What will happen to Xu Xinsu?

Therefore, Xu Xinsu began to focus his efforts on Yu Zigao's side.He built such a large house in Xiamen, saved most of his belongings in Yu Zigao's bank, and brought his eldest son Xu Yilong to Xiamen, all in order to show Yu Zongbing that he had the intention of returning to southern Fujian.

It's just that Yan Siqi has been entrusted by the imperial court to be a chieftain in Taiwan, and he is also engaged in maritime trade, and he always has a slight collision with Yu Zongbing's financial resources.

When Xu Xinsu was thinking about it, Zheng Haizhu continued: "However, Mr. Xu, Brother Yan and I both feel that a businessman should be more moral. When Brother Yan was in Hirado, he mainly ran in Shuangyu, Ningbo. Hong Kong and the Nanyang Spice Islands, although he now occupies Taiwan and has a letter of commission from the imperial court, he also understands that his chopsticks must not be stretched out of the wrong bowl, and Mr. Xu must report this to Zongbing Yu."

Xu Xinsu looked at Zheng Haizhu, then at Yang Tiansheng, and said sternly: "Since you open the skylight here, Xu doesn't talk dark words. Tea, Chong'an Buge, Zhangzhou velvet, porcelain, sugar, these five things, please Yan Xuanfu walked away."

Zheng Haizhu said: "Yes. We are in Taiwan. The tea we make is called black tea. It would not be sold to Japan at all. The buyers are foreigners and people from Liaodong. As for sucrose, both Taiwan and Fujian are suitable for growing sugar cane. To Japan, Taiwan to Hongyi people and Frankies. In the future, if Japanese ships come to Taiwan to buy cane sugar, we will definitely refuse."

Xu Xinsu nodded.

Next, the two talked about the division of the quota for buying copper in Japan.At the end of the Wanli period, besides silver, there was still a larger proportion of copper coins in circulation among the people, so Yu Zigao asked the Japanese to buy copper and cast copper coins privately.Zheng Haizhu knows how to discount the efficiency and reputation of the Ming court, so he also uses Yan Siqi to store copper blocks from Japan to make firearms for backup.

After discussing each item in this way, draw up each other's sphere of influence.

Yu Zigao and Yan Siqi are both military officers of the imperial court now, so it is impossible to establish written evidence and leave evidence for the smuggling agreement, so it is all based on the oral agreement of the two agents, Xu Xinsu and Zheng Haizhu.

As Xu Xinsu talked, he felt from the bottom of his heart that when he was in Hirado, Japan, he hadn't misjudged Yan Siqi. Yan Siqi was really generous, gave up a lot of benefits, and tried his best to show respect for a general like Yu Zigao.

And the Zheng family in front of him can also be Yan Siqi's partner, not to mention straightforward, but also very careful and kind, he took the initiative to talk about his friendship with the Donglin School in Jiangnan, Mr. Xu Yilong and Mr. Xu, whether he wants to go to Jiangnan to learn as a teacher.

Xu Xinsu was born in a humble family, and has earned a lot of money over the years, but she is still a merchant after all.He knew very well how important the fame and fame obtained through the imperial examinations were in Daming, so he naturally expected his son to take this path, and the Zhezhi area has always been full of talents and scholars, if his son can really go to the south of the Yangtze River, maybe he can really make a career out of it. Shi's future is coming.

Xu Xinsu did not hide his envy for the square scarf on Zheng Shoukuan's head at the moment, and said to his son Xu Yilong: "Azi, if you go to Songjiang to study in the future, don't embarrass me, let alone trouble Yigou."

"Yigou" means "aunt" in Hokkien.

Zheng Haizhu secretly said, when it comes to taking his son to Songjiang to take the imperial examination, don't be a hostage to Yu Zigao in southern Fujian. Finally, Agent Xu really warmed up, and even his aunt recognized him for his son.

Historically, 20 years later, Zheng Zhilong's son, Zheng Chenggong, worshiped Qian Qianyi as his teacher in Nanjing.Zheng Haizhu was inspired by this, and seeing Xu Xinsu's yearning for the identity of a scholar, he mentioned this weight in the negotiation.

In the time and space she travels to, the young Zheng Zhilong has become her right-hand man in Songjiang's business. I don't know if there is still a chance to go to Japan to marry the daughter of the Tagawa family and give birth to Zheng Chenggong.And Xu Xinsu entered into a cooperative relationship with Yan Siqi very early, I don't know if he can avoid being killed by Zheng Zhilong like in the original history.

Zheng Haizhu only felt through personal experience that these big figures at sea who are cold and mercenary in history books actually have the fear of being in the turmoil of the times.Why not start from their needs and find an opportunity to co-exist with each other?
When Xu Xinsu thought that the negotiations were coming to a happy end, Zheng Haizhu brought up the most important topic of the trip.

"Mr. Xu, Xiamen and Taiwan are closely related. We make money together and defend the enemy together. Brother Yan, he wants to attack the Hongyi people with Yu Zongbing. The greed of the Hongyi people is not inferior to that of the Frankies. Let them take a look at it, my Penghu Island in Ming Dynasty, and even the North Island of Taiwan, will become the second or third Manila."

(End of this chapter)