The sun never sets in America

Chapter 273 Lan Fang: Turmoil

Pontianak City…

This is the largest city in Lanfang after Brunei City.

The population size of the entire Pontianak City, according to the latest statistics from the Lanfang Governor's Palace, is about 500,000.

You must know that according to statistics at the end of the twelfth year of Longwu, the entire population of Lanfang was only 1.23 million. In other words, a Pontianak city accounted for more than one-third of the population.

The entire city of Pontianak is mainly dominated by several industries such as rubber, spices, fruits, rice, and light industrial products.

(There are only a small number of weapons repair factories and ammunition factories. The Han cabinet stipulated that no heavy industry is allowed in overseas areas, even Penglai, in order to maintain a system of strong branches and weak branches)

Among them, rubber is the most valuable industry in Lanfang, with an annual output value of 150 million yuan. It is a veritable gold mine.

It was also because of the rubber industry that Lanfang was able to develop so rapidly in just seven or eight years that in the Han Dynasty, there were constant talks about turning Lanfang into a province.

(Overseas territories have more economic autonomy)

There are more than 200 rubber plantations in Lanfang, most of which are small and medium-sized plantations with an annual output value of less than 100,000 Chinese yuan.

The higher ones are only a few hundred thousand, and one million is the upper limit.

Among them, five are the largest, with annual output values ​​exceeding 5 million Chinese yuan.

It is run by five major families.

They are Ye, Zhou, Guo, Huang and Li.

Among them, Ye's is the largest, with an annual output value accounting for one-tenth of the entire Lanfang rubber industry, 15 million yuan.

Secondly, there are the Zhou and Guo families, who are also in the tens of millions. These two families are both considered old men of Lanfang. They are all related by marriage to the other major families of Lanfang, so they can be said to be in the same spirit.

As for the remaining Huang and Li families, they are typical dragons crossing the river.

The Huang family's ancestral home is in northern Anhui. The family first started their business by transporting goods to the Central Plains with caravans. Later, due to some changes, they ended up in Lanfang.

At that time, everything in Lanfang was about to flourish. Coupled with the rubber order issued by the imperial court, the rubber industry was booming. The Huang family entered the rubber industry, which was still a small pond at the time. Later, after the Battle of Brunei, they took over in one fell swoop. There are many large rubber forests in Brunei that have expanded over the years to what they are today.

Intermittently, it has reached the hands of Mr. Huang now.

The reputation of the Li family is not very good, because the family started out as pirates. They stole a huge sum of money from the Dutch, used the Pacific Fleet to arrive in Lanfang, and hid there.

Later, after careful management, the Dutch canceled the wanted order against the Li family. Since then, they have changed their minds and started doing good deeds.

In a local town, Sian Chay built bridges and repaired roads, and the people of Sian Chay, coupled with purposeful publicity, became known as good households.

It's just that in the eyes of Mr. Huang and others, this charitable household is nothing more than a cover-up! !

Mr. Huang, who had no dealings with the Li family, once said: "A weasel wears a white leather costume and is a great immortal!!"

This is basically the situation in Lanfang as a whole. The Governor's Office has the final say on major matters, but whenever major events occur, they still have to negotiate with these big households.

As for trivial matters, neither party cares.

Lanfang as a whole has been doing three things in recent years: immigrating, developing and getting rich.

Immigration is simple. As China becomes increasingly chaotic, the Immigration Department has dispatched a large number of sea ships. Lanfang is one of the few that can dock for repairs. Many immigrants do not want to leave, so they naturally stay there.

As time goes by, this person will eventually settle down, and once he settles down, the population of Lanfang will become more abundant.

Last year, Lanfang received 300,000 immigrants from it. Excluding the mainland, it can be said to be the first among all places. Even Beihai Province in Xinna has a total population of only 50,000 and is a small city.

If you include the tens of millions of taxes Lanfang pays every year, it can be described as a treasure! !

Lanfang, the Pearl of the Empire, lives up to its name! !

For such a pearl of the empire, protection is naturally indispensable. The entire Lanfang has the Lanfang Army and the Lanfang Militia.

The so-called army refers to the army. Army is just a name, not a real number.

The entire Lanfang Army has two brigades under its jurisdiction. Each brigade has five thousand people under its jurisdiction, which is similar to the current one in the mainland.

(In peacetime, the establishment was small)

The weapons used are all Lightning Type II rifles specially customized for Lanfang. This type of gun has first-class moisture resistance and has a special magazine to prevent moisture.

This kind of gun is also nicknamed Lanfang Special Offering.

In addition to guns, it is also artillery. Lanfang's artillery uses the third-generation Storm Artillery.

The range is longer, the rifling is more precise, and the shells are lighter and easier to load.

Taking into account the special terrain of Lanfang, the artillery provided are all 55mm light guns.

(After the third generation, the original pounds are replaced by millimeters)

The largest caliber artillery is only a 95mm field gun.

(The caliber of Han artillery is divided from bottom to top into 55 mm, 75 mm, 95 mm, 120 mm, and the largest 155 mm)

According to the current artillery doctrine of the Han Dynasty, three people control a cannon, ten cannons form a team, three teams form a battalion, and three battalions form a regiment. One brigade is subordinate to an artillery regiment, with a total of ninety artillery pieces of various types.

Of course, during wartime, a large number of baggage troops will be added to transport artillery shells, as well as additional auxiliary gunners. (Consider wartime casualties)

Among them, the 95mm and 75mm are the two most controversial guns. If nothing else, the range and power are too close. However, considering that the terrain is generally not suitable for large-caliber artillery, it is not suitable for the 75mm. After unfolding it, we finally came up with such a nondescript product as 95mm.

Although it is criticized a lot, 95mm is regarded as a treasure in Lanfang.

In the words of the commander of an artillery battalion of the Lanfang Army:

"Ninety-five millimeters, very good, better than seventy-five millimeters. In Lanfang's terrain, the best upper limit is ninety-five millimeters. In this land, it is a god, the real god of artillery. One hundred and fifty-five millimeters is great, but it won’t reach the battlefield!!”

In addition to the regular army, there are also local militia groups, mainly second- and third-line reserve troops, which will supplement and assist Lanfang's army in the event of a war.

In addition to the army, it is the navy, which is basically the Nanyang Fleet. After many years of construction and Lanfang's private investment, the entire Nanyang Fleet is not a strong force, but it is also a naval force second only to the Dutch in Nanyang. The Dutch do not dare to Lifting the tiger's beard easily.

(Insider trading between Lan Fang and the Navy was secretly approved by Liu Peng)

In such an overall peaceful environment, Lanfang spent the longest period of peace since the eighth year of Longwu.

Peace seemed to freeze everything, and Lanfang also spent the smoothest development time in this stable situation.

But from thousands of years of human history, we can see what peace is, and peace is a luxury product.

War, famine, and struggle are eternal themes, and Lanfang is no exception.

What's more, if there are still people who want to destroy peace, then peace cannot truly come.

.............................................

Lanfang Governor's Palace...

"The Governor has arrived..."

"Director Zhang is here!!"

The new Governor of Lanfang, Zhang Yusheng, looked at the group of local gentry and officials welcoming him in front of him, with an unmistakable smile on his face.

"Governor Zhang, you are here. We all have a hard time waiting for you!!"

"Governor Zhang, hello, I am the boss of Nanyang Shipping, and our company is one of the best in Nanyang. If you have any questions, please let me know..."

"Governor Zhang..."

Zhang Yusheng shook hands one after another. After shaking hands, he raised his glass and shouted:

"Everyone, congratulations to the Empire!!"

"Congratulations to my big man..."

"Long live the Empire!!"

"Long live the emperor..."

"Long live the great man..."

As Zhang Yusheng started, everyone present raised their glasses and shouted their loyalty to the new empire.

Regardless of whether they are sincere or not, in the current atmosphere, they are the biggest supporters of the Han Empire.

As the empire prospered, so did they! !

When Zhang Yusheng saw the scene in front of him, he drank all the champagne in the glass in one breath, and then continued: "Yusheng has just arrived at Lanfang Treasure Land. If there is any neglect, please don't worry..."

"Everyone, please drink this cup together and create a prosperous world of Lanfang!!"

"Director Zhang, please!!"

“Drink together!!”

As the second glass of champagne fell into his throat, the smile on Zhang Yusheng's face grew stronger, and then he said:

"Now our empire has just been established, His Majesty has ascended the throne for the first time. Lanfang is also a Han Dynasty. Tributes from all over the country are sent to the capital. Lanfang is a remote place. Although the products are abundant, there is no sincerity. If you use ordinary flattery things to offer You, I am afraid that the whole country will laugh at you..."

Listening to the words of the new governor, the people around him became increasingly confused. It was both a celebration and a tribute. What on earth is this? ?

Zhang Yusheng, who was at the top, continued to take the glass of champagne that was passed to him, his face flushed and he shouted:

"Now Lanfang occupies half of Borneo, with the power of a tiger pressing down on the mountains. The rest of the countries are all barbarians. The governor wants to conquer the country, expand the territory, educate the barbarians, and devour all of Borneo as a New Year gift. , to repay the emperor's favor..."

boom! !

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked. Looking at Governor Zhang who was raising a glass in front of them, everyone was shocked and speechless.

Good guy, this is not the new governor, he is clearly the dragon crossing the river! !

Zhang Yusheng looked at the Lanfang local wealthy families and officials in front of him, his eyes were shocked, and then he said: "The expansion of land is a national matter, and it is also a major event. Since ancient times, marching has been a financial matter. On this occasion of national affairs and natural disasters, I also ask you to You generously donate your money, use your resources to support the army, and achieve success!!"

Wow! !

The destructive power this sentence brought to everyone was even greater than just now. Just now, I thought this was a madman who wanted to gain fame and career through fighting. Now it seems that this is not just a dragon crossing the river, but also a treacherous ghost. ! !

Zhang Yusheng didn't care so much, he poured the wine in the glass down his throat again, "gulu" and swallowed it.

Then he stretched out his hand to show the empty wine glass, and shouted with the smell of alcohol all over his body:

"Gentlemen, let's go to the state affairs together!!"

The expressions of the people around were dull, and there were many unusual ones. They looked at each other several times, and then the first person took the lead and raised their glasses in response:

“Governor Zhang is wise!!”

"We should contribute to the country's wealth..."

"Governor..."

Zhang Yusheng, who was at the head, saw this scene, with a smile on his lips and an unstoppable smile in his eyes, and then he thanked:

"You are so righteous, I admire Zhang!!"

The expressions of the people around him were not quite right, and they had already called Governor Zhang a dog in their hearts. Even in the eyes of some people, this Governor Zhang could be said to be the most shameless one among the three governors of Lan Fang.

(The governor is replaced every three years to prevent it from getting bigger)

Asking them for money as soon as you arrive is not shameless or obscene? ?

...............

"Damn it, this new Governor Zhang is really a disaster. During this period, he needs money to train the army and is raising taxes!!"

"Isn't this trying to kill us?"

"Who says it's not the case? Let me see, this guy surnamed Zhang has no good intentions. He might have stolen our money to some brothel!!"

Listening to the complaints of Boss Zhao and Boss Wang, Mr. Huang sat on the wicker chair and didn't say a word. He just kept tapping the armrest with his index finger wearing an emerald ring, making a "tick" sound.

After complaining for a long time, Boss Zhao turned around and said dissatisfiedly to Mr. Huang on the wicker chair:

"Old Huang, if this thing continues like this, my family will have to be hollowed out. This is not a governor. I see, he is just a man-eating tiger!!"

Boss Wang also echoed:

"Yes, the price of rubber fell sharply last year, and it seems that it will no longer be able to hold on to the one hundred and forty mark. Now there is another gangster. Is this big guy still alive..."

Mr. Huang "chuckled" and then spoke slowly:

"This Governor Zhang is coming with great force and has great righteousness. We will have no choice but to wait until after the war to make plans."

"Besides, Governor Zhang conquered the entire Borneo, wouldn't we also benefit from it? Instead of complaining here, why not think about how to dig up the gold mountain after the war!!"

Mr. Huang sees it more clearly than these two people. In his opinion, unifying Borneo is a good thing. If Borneo is unified, people like them will be able to occupy more plantations and more mines. Now spend it. Compared with the future, it is just a drop in the bucket.

And Boss Zhao and Boss Wang were not all fools. They soon understood the meaning of the words and their faces instantly showed joy, which was completely different from the expressions of opposition just now.

After talking several times about the current preparations, Boss Wang took the initiative to ask:

"Brother Huang, is there any news about our Eastern Company?"

"How come the news was spread once at the end of last year and then disappeared? Hei Nu has seen a bunch of them, but I always feel something is wrong!!"

(Master Tang got it from the Portuguese in the early days, and the batch he sent back was broken later)

Boss Zhao also asked:

"Yes, brother Huang, this Dongfang Company belongs to everyone, you can't take it all for yourself!!"

"There is no news, so what's going on??"

Seeing the doubtful looks in their eyes between Zhao and Wang, Mr. Huang was also very surprised. Logically, there should be news every two months. How come it has been four months and there was news only at the beginning? Knowing that Jian Jian I came to a small town and didn’t know anything else.

Although Mr. Huang was extremely suspicious in his heart, in order to prevent the two of them from seeing the flaw, he could only explain:

"Africa is mostly savage and untamed, and it's thousands of miles away from us. It's only been four months, so I'm afraid something might delay it. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter..."

"Perhaps I'll be back this month. Then I can let you two take it away. I don't want any of you. How about that?"

Mr. Huang looked back at the two of them with sincere eyes, and what he said was extremely true.

When Boss Zhao and Boss Wang heard this, they could only nod their heads. After all, they were just for slaves and didn't want to interfere with Mr. Huang's bad things.

After the two people left, Mr. Huang's face instantly darkened, and the sunny sky turned to cloudy in an instant.

Mr. Huang "paced" back and forth at home for a few rounds, and then spread out a detailed map of Africa. On a large island to the east, there was an area written in Chinese characters: Wanghai City.

The more Mr. Huang looked, the more he frowned. After looking at the area where the Portuguese were on the opposite side, he already wondered if it was the Portuguese who had breached Wanghai City? ?

But when he remembered the letter Wang Haitao wrote to him, it contained matters about Portugal. How could it be said that there was no possibility of a conflict? ?

Mr. Huang stretched out his big hand and rubbed it on the map a few times, his face darkened, and he thought of the worst and most likely consequence.

That’s Master Tang! !

Mr. Huang had always been wary of this person. When he set out, the military power and the power of personnel appointment and dismissal had nothing to do with Master Tang. They were all in the hands of Wang Haitao.

Master Tang seems to be upright, but he is just a civil servant and a strategist. He has no people, no foundation, and how much ability he can have.

But now Mr. Huang has doubts about his arrangement, that is, he has ignored a fatal question. Can Wang Haitao outplay Master Tang? In other words, can the powerful Wang Haitao outplay the treacherous Master Tang? ?

Mr. Huang's heart was churning, and he finally came to the conclusion: No! !

Thinking of this, the more Mr. Huang looked at Haicheng, the more he became a thorn in his side and wanted to destroy it immediately.

At this time, a piece of news came that someone was coming from Africa, only one.

Upon hearing the news, Mr. Huang immediately shouted: "Hurry, let him come to see me!!"

When he saw the visitor, Mr. Huang didn't wait for the person to sit down and asked directly:

"How is Wanghai City doing now??"

The visitor had disheveled hair and a face full of vicissitudes of life. As soon as he heard these words, he immediately burst into tears. The crying Mr. Huang was startled, and then asked again:

"How exactly??"

The man's face was covered with tears that had just fallen, and he shouted:

"Master Huang, Master Wang, he was harmed by that man named Tang!!"

"Bang!!" Mr. Huang stood up and slapped the case, asking in a low voice with a heavy face:

"How did you die??"

"Master Wang..."

The man cried and told intermittently what happened in Wanghai City, as well as his experience of escaping from hiding in a Portuguese merchant ship. (Master Tang opened a port in Wanghai City, named Wanghai Port, and Portuguese merchant ships came to the port from time to time for trade)

Mr. Huang's face was gloomy, he held the jade pendant in his hand and made a "squeak" sound, and finally sighed:

"What a great Master Tang, what a great Tang Linwang, you are really a talent!!"

"Lend me the Huang family's hand to develop your own business. Why are you so willing to go to Africa? It turns out you want to be a local bully!!"

Master Huang became angry when he mentioned what happened between Master Tang and him. When Master Tang proposed going to Africa, he tempted him and said:

"Master Huang, Africa is wild and barbaric. The barbarians are weak and there are not many Westerners. It is a God-given opportunity. If you enter Africa at this time, you can achieve an eternal career. You can serve the Han Dynasty and become a prince. Master Huang, this is a big deal. What a good thing!!”

The more Mr. Huang thought about it, the angrier he became. Finally he stood up, looked outside the door and muttered to himself:

"Wang Haitao is incompetent, Master Tang is treacherous, it seems I must come out!!"

　Monthly passes, monthly passes are in short supply

　　

　

(End of this chapter)