The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 231 The "bad government" of the people of Qi

A column of heavily armed Irish troops entered Royal City. Under the gaze of many citizens, they walked along the long stone street and headed straight towards the Chen Palace (formerly the Governor's Palace of Nova Scotia).

Wearing a blue military uniform, a black armed belt on his waist, a large imitation Qi-style cap, and crocodile leather short boots, he carried a Qi-style 15 flintlock gun on his shoulder, with a long bayonet on the gun head. Under the sunshine in the afternoon Below, a dazzling light is reflected.

At the rear of the team, several temporarily recruited packhorses dragged three majestic artillery pieces across the unpaved rammed earth road, leaving two deep tracks.

In Royal City, we have not seen a regular army for almost twenty years, and from the looks of it, it seems to be a well-trained elite army.

However, what is surprising is that the flag flown by this Irish force turned out to be the iconic red and yellow dragon flag of Qi State. The five-clawed golden dragon looked particularly ferocious and fierce in the hunting wind.

"This is the army sent to me by your military?" King Chen Qi Weijun stood on the second floor terrace, watching the Irish army slowly enter a warehouse area near the palace under the leadership of officials from the Military Affairs Department of the Royal Palace. He couldn't help but sigh softly, and turned to look at an Army Xuanjie Colonel (Major) officer.

"Return to His Highness King Chen." Zhang Xiaoju, an instructor of the Qi Army Staff Corps in Ireland, paid a military salute to King Chen and said solemnly: "Under the orders of the Army Headquarters in Ireland, I have specially selected 265 elite soldiers to arrive. Chenzhou will be stationed for two years to perform necessary defense duties."

"Although Chenzhou is a pro-vassal state, it is also one of the overseas territories of Daqi, but I never thought that a group of Irish soldiers would be needed to guard and protect it. Could it be that our Prince Chen's Mansion can't even recruit your army?" King Chen's face was very ugly, and there was a hint of complaint in his words.

Co-author, I have requested the military many times over the past year to deploy an elite army from the Tuoshan Islands or the Mediterranean region to station in Chenzhou in order to frighten the local gangsters. You just got me such a bunch of stuff to kill me? !

"I'm afraid you haven't heard such a word describing the rich fishery resources around Changxing Island, right?" King Chen said quietly: "The cod there are as dense as ant colonies, and you can easily catch them by stepping on the backs of the cod schools. Come ashore. England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and even Denmark, Sweden and other countries consume tens of thousands of tons of cod. This is a huge amount of wealth, but it has been earned in vain by a group of Europeans. ”

Perhaps, perhaps, the superiors felt that whether it was the Mediterranean region or several maritime strongholds in the North Atlantic, their importance was greater than that of Chenzhou. Therefore, such an army was randomly drawn from Ireland.

"His Royal Highness King Chen, although these Irish soldiers are not as powerful as our Qi Army, they should be able to defeat some local indigenous people or local militia." Zhang Xiaoju couldn't help but smile bitterly when he saw the dissatisfaction on King Chen's face.

"Yes." King Chen smiled bitterly, "Chenzhou is remote and surrounded by barbarians. Only by recruiting enough Han immigrants can we gain a firm foothold. However, whether it is from Hanzhou itself or from the traditional Chinese mainland, , it is quite difficult to immigrate across tens of thousands of miles of sea route... Therefore, we, Chenzhou, can only continue to carry out immigration activities by trying our best to increase financial resources and lay a solid foundation, so as to keep this overseas territory as a unified land forever. "
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In 1497, King Henry VII of England funded John Capote to go to North America to explore a sea route to the East. John Capote probably arrived at what is now the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Canada, and immediately claimed these lands for Henry VII.

But the problem is, how can I, a low-ranking officer, decide what troops to send to your Chenzhou garrison to support you?

"Your Highness wants to control the fishery resources of Changxing Island?" Zhang Xiaoju scratched his head.

What do you mean, you guys, Chenzhou, aren't already in danger, right?
"..." King Chen stared at Zhang Xiaoju.

"Your Highness, France's navy is weaker than England's navy..."

See, the situation in Chenzhou is really dangerous. Can't your military send some decent troops to defend this overseas territory that is the farthest away from Qi State?
"His Royal Highness King Chen..." Zhang Xiaoju hesitated for a moment and said with difficulty: "Whether it is England or France, they should not dare to attack our overseas territories of Qi without authorization. Because they cannot afford... the consequences of a war."

"Your Highness, with all due respect." Zhang Xiaoju said softly: "Whether you want to suppress the local Acadians in Qingchuan or control the fishery resources in the waters around Changxing Island, in addition to relying on the support of our military, Chenzhou also There needs to be a sufficient number of immigrants. Without a sufficient population, everything will be vain and others will eventually take advantage of it.”

"...What if?" King Chen was a little angry when he heard this, "The French have great objections to our Qi State occupying Chenzhou. They believe that our Qi State controls their access to the sea of ​​the St. Lawrence River. They can threaten and blockade their New France territory at any time."

Although he did not discover the Eastern Route, he accidentally discovered the gold and silver wealth, that is, cod, which was worth no less than the gold and silver plundered by Spain and Portugal in South America. However, Henry VII may have wanted gold and silver rather than cod, and Capote has since disappeared into obscurity.

His Highness, Prince Chen, is really capable of going through a lot of troubles, just for a little catch, right?

Therefore, until around 1670, whether it was the early cod trade or the attempt to establish a colony by the English in Newfoundland, it was basically the behavior of individual immigrants without any official endorsement.

"..." Zhang Xiaoju glanced at the map on the wall, and then at the excited His Highness Prince Chen. His mouth opened slightly, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

Even if France has ambitions and reoccupies Chenzhou, with the strength of our Qi navy, can't they block their access to the sea from the St. Lawrence River? Can't New France be blocked anymore?
"However, the number of troops sent by your military is still too small to intimidate the place." King Chen sighed, shook his head and said, "Moreover, the navy did not send even one of the battleships I wanted. . You know, the fishing news in the waters of Changxing Island (that is, the Newfoundland fishery) has arrived, and there will be hundreds or thousands of European fishing boats swarming in to fish for the fishery resources that should belong to us in Chenzhou. "

Your Chenzhou is not in danger of being invaded by foreign enemies, so why did you send our Qi State's economic army over?
"Hasn't your military studied the distribution of the situation around Chenzhou?" King Chen turned back to the house, walked to a wall with the latest power distribution map in Northeastern North America, and reached out to point to the location of Chenzhou, " To the southwest of our Qingchuan (i.e. Nova Scotia) is the British New England region, with a population of hundreds of thousands, and the militia that can be mobilized reaches tens of thousands; and to the north and east of Qingchuan is the territory of the French. Royal Island (i.e. Cape Breton Island) is only separated from Qingchuan by a narrow strait, which is like a wedge that separates Changxing Island (i.e. Newfoundland Island), which Chenzhou belongs to, and cannot support each other from a distance. Under this situation, we in Chenzhou can be said to be surrounded by enemies on all sides. If anything happens, the British and French will take advantage of it."

You even need the navy to send warships to look after you!

Are you going to use them to support me?

I worked so hard to bring people here, but they still looked down upon me!

Ireland is a small country that has just become an independent country. Its army has also been trained and trained by our country's military. Its combat effectiveness is really questionable.

The so-called British Newfoundland actually refers to the area on the east coast of Newfoundland from Trinity Bay and Concepcion Bay to Fryland and Linus south of St. John's. There are only a few hundred men and a few women and children. There are permanent residents and more than a thousand sailors who spend the winter here briefly. In the summer, thousands of European fishermen come to catch cod.

St. John's slowly grew from a fishermen's colony to the largest settlement, then to a prosperous trading post and then home to English merchants. In addition, there are small settlements formed around fishing ports and outposts.

Originally, as early as 1610, John Gale from Bristol led a group of immigrants to establish the Newfoundland colony for the Kingdom of England. However, they encountered strong opposition from the fishermen on the west coast of England who had been fishing in Newfoundland before. Because the fishermen were afraid that the English government would interfere with Newfoundland's fishing industry and harm their interests.

It was common practice among fishermen during this period that the captain of the first fishing boat that arrived on the island each spring was responsible for managing local affairs. Later, the English government recognized this practice and granted the captain the authority to govern Newfoundland. Therefore, for a long time, Newfoundland was still a seasonal temporary settlement for English fishermen, and it was not yet a settlement place for immigrants. The English government has always used it as its own fishing ground and a cradle for training sailors, without implementing direct colonial rule.

To put it bluntly, the Royal Government of England does not get a dime of profit from this territory that nominally belongs to it. Not only does England’s own fishermen not pay any taxes to the government, but also the French, Dutch, and Danish who come to take advantage. The people, the Swedes, the Portuguese, would not contribute a single penny to the English treasury.

Therefore, during the peace talks between Qi and England, the English government searched among many overseas territories and finally decided to cede this large island with rich cod resources to Qi.

Anyway, there is no profit, so it doesn't matter if it is thrown to Qi State. Maybe this island can be used to cause conflicts and disputes between the people of Qi State and other European countries.

You know, before the War of Spanish Succession, the French occupied the western half of Newfoundland, and they had been fighting openly and secretly with the Kingdom of England, trying their best to gain control of the island.

Regarding the ownership of this island, whether it is the fishermen who come here seasonally to catch cod or the English immigrants who settled on the island, everyone is undoubtedly hesitant and anxious.

No one knows whether the new ruler will change the established traditions or whether it will harm the interests of each of them.

Two years ago, a Qi naval warship came to the island of Newfoundland and briefly handed over the provisional administration of St. John's. It raised a red and yellow dragon flag of Qi and left several officers behind to declare a new situation. After gaining sovereignty, they no longer paid any more attention to the island.

Everything seems to be the same as before, nothing has changed.

Subsequently, the Qi people appointed a prince to take charge of the affairs of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Not long after, he sent more than a dozen officials and scribes to replace the navy officers and soldiers who had long been tired of waiting there, and announced that all residents of the island would become his territorial citizens from now on.

Next, nothing seems to happen. The fishermen go fishing when they need to, the fish processing plants on the shore pickle cod when they need to, and the farmers continue to cultivate the land and harvest vegetables and fruits in small quantities. of food.

On the Avalon Peninsula in the southeast of the island, along the zigzag coast, there are densely packed cabins, sheds, high platforms (or piers) and balconies (or fish drying racks). During the fishing season from May to September, small fishing boats unloaded from large ships from Europe anchor on the coast, take off their rigging and work with the resident fishermen.

The caught cod is cut into pieces, pickled with salt, and spread out on fish drying racks to dry. In late summer and early autumn, it will be shipped to the continental European market. Everything looks so busy and harmonious.

However, yesterday morning, news came from the Governor's Mansion in St. John's City that shocked everyone.

The people of Qi are required to levy a fishery tax on all fishing boats that come to the waters of Newfoundland to fish for cod. Depending on the tonnage of the boat, a tax equivalent to five pounds to ten pounds must be paid during the fishing season that year.

Any fishing boat that fails to pay taxes and obtain a fishing license issued by the Qi people may be expelled or impounded by the authorities.

This news immediately aroused the anger of all fishermen, and they expressed strong opposition.

Is that wrong? When the Royal Government of England controlled this island, it not only allowed its own fishermen to fish for cod in nearby waters, but also never restricted fishermen from other countries from fishing, nor did it impose any additional fees such as fishing taxes.

Why, as soon as you, the people of the country, took over the island of Newfoundland, you so shamelessly declared this fishing ground as a forbidden land, and were ruthlessly expelled and detained without paying taxes and fees?

Thinking about money is crazy!

"Anyway, I will not give a penny to the people of Qi!" Thomas Lamberton, the captain of the Jolly, said angrily: "Why should we pay an extra tax for this gift of nature? Fee? This is extremely unreasonable, a tyranny, and a bad government! All of us should firmly resist this and let the people of Qi finally give up this shameful decision."

"Yes, this fishing ground has existed for hundreds of thousands of years since ancient times. It is a wealth given to us by God. Why do we need the permission of the people of Qi to catch cod?" Patrick Cohen, the captain of the Bath, put it in his mouth He took a deep sip of spicy whiskey and said loudly: "All our fishing boats are united to resist the Qi people's tax collection. Humph, I don't believe that the Qi people can still come to the sea to inspect and inspect each ship one by one. Confirmed? As far as I know, the Qi people do not have large armed ships on Newfoundland, let alone a professional naval warship."

"What if the Qi people mobilized naval warships to come, do we really have to have a direct confrontation with them?" Paulette Thomson, the captain of the Troon, said worriedly: "I heard that the Qi people are in the Mediterranean area A fleet of more than ten ships has been deployed. How will we respond if they send two or three ships over?

"The fishing boats fishing in Newfoundland are not only from our Kingdom of England, but also from the French, Dutch, Danes, and Swedes. I don't believe that the people of Qi dare to take the crazy step of expelling or attacking all fishing boats."

"The problem is, we don't know whether all fishing boats will resist the Qi people's decision." Polite Thomson shook his head and said: "We all know how profitable cod fishing is. If some fishing boats want to get better The location of the fishing ground, thus obeying the regulations of the Qi people and paying the corresponding taxes and fees, won't it isolate us? Gentlemen, while deciding to confront the Qi people, let us not forget that Newfoundland is already a Qi people. territory. If we don’t pay the fishing tax according to their rules, we will probably be banned from the island and will not be able to obtain the necessary water supplies. What’s more terrible is that we caught a boat full of cod. After that, salting and processing will not be possible on the island. Yes, the Qi people will strictly inspect every cod processing plant on the island.”

"..."

After everyone heard this, they immediately calmed down.

Yes, the people of Qi may not be able to search their fishing boats at sea, but they can stay on the shore and wait for our fishing boats to dock.

Unless, after catching a boatload of cod, you immediately return to mainland Europe.

Oh, God, not to mention that the fresh cod will turn into dead fish on the way. Even if they can safely transport the cod back, they can't waste any time in this short five-month fishing season. to and from the Atlantic Ocean.

If that's the case, don't come to Newfoundland to fish. Just stay in the North Sea waters at your doorstep and continue to compete with the Dutch for the already scarce fishery resources.

Oh, why are the people of Qi so hateful and annoying!

(End of this chapter)