Chapter 219: Imitation

"I don't want a cargo ship, how about selling me three warships?"

Zheng Zhibao was staring at Li Meng with a teacup, but he didn't expect the other party to make such a request, and after a little pause, his face suddenly became very ugly, thinking that you are a big man on land, what do you want to do with a warship, do you want to get some silver at sea.

The Zheng family's business is getting bigger and bigger, and there are almost no enemies in the sea east of Asia, and they already regard this sea area as their own territory, and if someone wants to meddle in their own territory, how can he be willing.

However, this Zheng Zhibao is also a quick reaction, put the tea bowl on the coffee table next to him to calm down, and replied with a smile:

"Master Li laughed, the fate of the sea is different from that on land, the bow and arrow firearms are useless, but the two ships are close to the enemy ship and jump, this warship is also a merchant ship, when the time comes, it will not be loaded, it will be loaded with people."

Li Meng laughed, if Zheng Zhibao's words were to bluff people, I was afraid that most of the soldiers and horses on the land could be bluffed by him, but his knowledge was extremely rich, and he immediately shouted:

"Go and get that booklet from Master Fei!"

Someone outside hurriedly agreed, and hurriedly went to get it, Li Meng turned sideways and said solemnly to Zheng Zhibao:

"Third Brother Zheng must think that Li is ready to stretch out his hand to the sea, this rest assured, this official still knows the measure, bought a warship, I will contribute half of the manpower, and the command and control will be carried out by you, the official will never interfere, if you are not at ease, you can let this warship operate in the South Seas, and go back to my Jiaozhou once a year."

Zheng Zhibao became more and more unpredictable about what the other party was going to do, and he didn't dare to say a word of promise, it was said that Li Meng's approach was not at all like he was going to meddle at sea, but it was like asking the Zheng family to help train sailors, but so Li Meng, a general in Shandong, inexplicably wanted to build a warship, it really didn't make sense, he just said haha:

"Five cargo ships, Lord Li doesn't load cargo, isn't it a warship when loaded with soldiers, hehe?"

The subordinate had already sent the booklet up quickly, and after Li Meng took it, he flipped through a few pages, handed it to Zheng Zhibao, and asked with a smile:

"Third Brother Zheng, don't fight haha first, you may be able to build this boat!"

Zheng Zhibao took the booklet with a smile, and when he saw the pattern on the booklet, the smile on his face immediately disappeared, and he suddenly stared at it carefully for a long time before he said astringently:

"My lord, no wonder you know so much, there are some ghosts in Jiaozhou!"

This booklet was drawn by Li Meng's special painter according to the instructions of Priest Federer and Dunglas, who taught axes and guns, with swords, spears, guns, cannons, ships and even carriages.

Seeing that Li Meng was also a doorman, Zheng Zhibao was not laughing, and after thinking about it carefully, he said solemnly:

"Since the adults know everything, I will tell the adults a few words of truth, this gunboat Zheng family only started to build in May last year, and it was launched in November, but the kind of cannon of Westerners cannot be built, the Zheng family is also a double-decker gunboat, a ship with forty or fifty guns, the meaning of the adult, I also understand it in the next, but this matter, I want my eldest brother to take an idea, I can't be anxious, it is better to use these five cargo ships to make a count first, to make money for the adult, I will go back and ask before the adult to answer how it is."

Li Meng nodded and said directly:

"The money on the sea, the official doesn't make it, but you can also see that my foundation is surrounded by the sea on several sides, if there is no gunboat to protect it, I am afraid that someone will copy the back road, and the official also said something ugly, the Zheng family makes money on the sea, and the official pays money in the salt, each has its own way, and the profits on the salt will not be eaten, and it will not be mixed with your business."

This statement is indeed more direct, but it has a good effect in the ears of a reckless man like Zheng Zhibao, so he immediately nodded with a smile and said:

"What my lord said is, let's discuss the location of this port first!"

The triangle formed by the three points of Jimo, Jiaozhou and Lingshan Guard, the location of the port is almost in the location of the Lingshan Guard Station opposite Jimo, and there is a camp in Jiaozhou camp nearby, the location is just right, for this private port, Li Meng does not have too much to worry about, with the strength of the Zheng family, he can't turn the sky at all, so they do it, as long as the port is repaired, there are still a lot of benefits to be taken on his side.

Zheng Zhibao was brought to the thirteenth day of the first month in Jiaozhou City, everything was agreed, and those craftsmen such as masters were left behind, and the Ba Min Commercial Bank also opened a shop in Jiaozhou City, and those spies were also placed here with a little embarrassment, but since it was done clearly, the Jiaozhou camp was more tolerant.

Most of the ordinary people in Laizhou Mansion, after this year, whether they are smart or confused, they have seen the misery of other state capitals, and they all know that their own family can have a smooth New Year, because of whom, if it is not for Li Meng's construction of a large number of buildings, to give everyone a job, an income to live on, what happened to those people near the state capital will definitely happen to themselves.

Qingzhou Mansion, Dengzhou Mansion, Jinan Mansion, Dongchang Mansion, Yanzhou Mansion are not as good luck as Laizhou Mansion, a large number of homeless and hungry people, it is a good thing to become these homeless and hungry people, many people are dying silently in this kind of catastrophe, strictly speaking, the benefits of this catastrophe to Li Meng and Jiaozhou Camp far outweigh the disadvantages.

For example, since August last year, Guo Dong has rarely come to Li Meng to complain about the problem of insufficient manpower, Li Meng is here to pay for the wages and food, and can ensure safety, more and more blacksmiths and other craftsmen from various prefectures and counties have come over, and there are enough people for the manufacturing, repair, and maintenance of weapons, firearms, and various items.

These blacksmiths cared very little about this royal law, and they didn't care what they were fighting, they only knew that a large number of people outside were starving to death, and they worked hard here to feed their whole family, which was enough to be happy.

The newlywed Yan'er, Yan Ruoran and Li Meng have been communicating underground for several years, and they seem to have infinite things to say together, but in fact, the two parties don't know much about their respective details, and they have become a family at this time, and they found that there are many things waiting to be discovered on each other.

Although there are endless words to say every day, Li Meng hardly goes to the inner house during the day, patrolling the barracks everywhere. Or is to receive guests in the inner house, since the wedding, the number of guests who come to visit has increased several times, communicating relationships, asking for people, doing business, many people are actually through the faint rumors of Liu Zeqing's downfall and the level of guests at the wedding, only to realize the importance of Li Meng's character.

If you want to make friends with nobles this year, you can't talk about any reserve, you have to hurry up after all, and regardless of whether Li Meng is a newlywed honeymoon or not, he will come to the door directly.

However, there are very few civil officials or related people among these guests, most of them are local powerful families, or people who have been involved in the Yanzhou Mansion generation in the past, as for the military attachés, they are all Liu Zeqing's remnants of the military horses, although Li Meng did not touch them, but they were all frightened and kept coming to show goodwill.

This day is the sixteenth day of the first month of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, but the guests received in the study this time are not from other places, but local acquaintances, local talents in Jiaozhou City-Juren Zhou Yang.

The two sides are acquaintances, there are not so many politeness, Zhou Juren said the suggestion to move to Jingxiang, but Li Meng did not react, Zhou Juren has always had some knots, but seeing that Li Meng's status is rising, although the world is chaotic, this Laizhou Mansion is like a peaceful world, which proves Li Meng's excellence more and more, Zhou Juren is to let go of the knot and do things for Li Meng wholeheartedly.

Among Li Meng's subordinates, there is no martial arts, although the power is not small, but the background and knowledge are not too high, Zhou Juren is really standing out from the crowd, the official articles, and the yamen procedures are all proficient, and they were soon valued by Li Meng. Every time Zhou Juren came to visit, it was a very high standard reception, and Zhou Juren gradually let go, talking and laughing.

"So that my lord knows that yesterday in Li Zhuang in the west of Jiaozhou City, I saw the soldiers in the battalion guarding dozens of people leveling the land there, but I had an idea."

Those dozens of people are naturally the spies who were caught, and they can't kill people, but they are just encircled there, working to make money and eat, and regularly write letters to their masters under the supervision of Huang Ping's subordinates to report the situation of the investigation, but Li Meng didn't say anything, smiled and raised his hand to pour a cup of tea for Zhou Juren, although everyone close to him knows that Li Shen will have this habit, but now there are fewer and fewer people who can enjoy this habit.

Zhou Juren stood up slightly to thank him, and said with great interest:

"Now there is a catastrophe in Shandong, and there are countless displaced people, although it is a little miserable, it is a good opportunity for adults."

When these words were heard, I was afraid that he would soon be charged with the last big rebellion, but Li Meng just motioned to the other party to continue, and Zhou Juren over there continued to say excitedly:

"There are many generals under the adult, and the territory that can be really controlled is nothing more than Jiaozhou and Jimo, for today's soldiers and horses, the pattern is inevitably cramped, and it can be developed outward, but it is not convenient, after all, the eyes everywhere are staring closely, there are only soldiers and no land, that is, there is no root and unstable, it is better to take advantage of this opportunity to make up for it."

"How."

"Establish a grange and recruit displaced people, just as the Governor Lu Jiutai did in Beizhili."

Lu Jiutai, Li Meng hesitated for a moment before pondering that the other party was saying that the prime minister's supervisor Lu Xiangsheng of the world's soldiers and horses, the ancients were not named, and the habit of calling the name always made him unaccustomed to it.

"You mean, call me Tuntian, where is this field?"