Although Li Mingrui has been recalled to Beijing, the recruitment of Zheng Zhilong is still ongoing, and Xiong Wencan is still keen on it. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

However, except for Xiong Wencan, everyone can see that both Zhu Youxiao and Zheng Zhilong have run out of patience to solve the issue of maritime trade rights and interests at this negotiation table.

Perhaps, as soon as the negotiations are terminated, it will be the beginning of the war.

And this Zheng Zhilong has not completely torn his face with the imperial court yet, so he is still in Quanzhou Mansion with Xiong Wencan, but the preparations for war behind his back are also in full swing.

"Tell Bourro of Franc that the three hundred guns we have purchased must be delivered by the nineteenth, otherwise we will buy the guns of the Red Devils, and they will not regret it then!"

Zheng Zhilong is now in order to compete with the imperial court one day, and he has almost taken out all his family funds to buy a batch of more advanced artillery in the hands of the Franco.

After all, Zheng Zhilong and other Zheng pirates knew that a big reason for the last failure near the Ryukyu Sea was that the artillery was inferior to the artillery of the imperial court.

In addition, Zheng Zhilong is also preparing to purchase a batch of soft sailing ships with better performance from the Franc Robot, in his opinion, the Franc Robot and the Red Ghost can sail here from Europa, which is not unrelated to the excellence of its sailboats.

However, these Westerners were also afraid of the power of the Zheng pirates in the South Seas, and were unwilling to let the Zheng pirates become too powerful to get involved in the South Seas and the Indian Ocean under their control.

Therefore, now both the Franco-Robot and the Red Ghost are implementing a technical blockade on the Zheng pirates.

But now, as the Ming court began to intervene in the struggle for maritime discourse, and after the Battle of the Ryukyus, these Westerners also began to realize the threat of this ancient empire, and their relationship with the Zheng pirates began to change from cold to warm.

In terms of whether or not they mind the Ming court's intervention in this maritime space and break the existing balance and re-break the maritime order, these Western fans are consistent with the position of the Zheng pirates.

It is to resolutely prevent the Ming Empire, which was once famous throughout the Western Pacific, from re-entering the sea world!

"Big brother, recently the Governor of Liangguang and Guangzhou, Shang Zhou Zuo, issued instructions to the Xiangshan County Order, and ordered Xiangshan County Commander Xiao and Gui to send a note to the Western countries in Macao, asking them to leave Macao within a time limit, or go to the Yamen of the Liangguang Governor's Mansion to register, and re-apply for legal residency, but the price of this legal residence is that Western countries need to report to the Yamen of the Governor of Liangguang the type and scale of the goods they operate, and the imperial court will tax them according to their scale and category, otherwise it will be regarded as an illegal business, and in serious cases, it will be dealt with as a crime of infringing on the rights and interests of the Ming Dynasty!"

And these Westerners are unwilling to pay this expensive money after all, and they have to pay it for a long time, which makes them very reluctant! In addition, once they go to the Liangguang Governor's Mansion to report, they will not be able to continue to sell many things in Daming, such as opium, but the merchants of Western countries want to continue to stay in Macao, and they also want to continue to make money in Daming, so they implore us to help, and it seems that they have united to put pressure on the Ming Dynasty, especially on the Liangguang Governor's Palace! ”

"In addition, when they learned that you were negotiating with the imperial court, they suggested that we could suggest to the imperial court that Macau be given to them directly!"

Zheng Hongkui is one of the most powerful people under Zheng Zhilong, who understands various Chinese languages, and is regarded as a master among the Zheng pirates, and became Zheng Chenggong's later right-hand man in the original historical trajectory.

At this time, he was also responsible for liaising with Western countries, Zheng Zhilong did not immediately express his position after hearing this, but asked his third brother Zheng Zhibao: "Where has the newly built South China Sea Fleet of the imperial court traveled now?" ”

"We have already marched to the Zhoushan area, big brother, should we intercept it and prevent it from going to the South Seas?" asked Zheng Zhibao.

Zheng Zhilong shook his head and said: "There is no need to be like this, last time we underestimated the strength of the imperial court, thinking that a lesson would make the imperial court obediently obey our mercy, but we didn't expect that this imperial court was also prepared, so that we were still passive, and now if we do this again, it is very likely that we will directly provoke a war, so it is difficult to guarantee the final outcome; I have always been reluctant to fight uncertain battles, and this time is the same, not to mention that this court still occupies the name of righteousness, and we can't take the initiative to provoke a war, so now we can't tear our faces with the imperial court, let them go first, anyway, the area around Qiongzhou is not our territory, so that Li Kuiqi and Macau are so worried! ”

As he spoke, Zheng Zhilong asked again: "Who is the chief officer of the South China Sea Fleet?" ”

"It's Gu San Mazi, it's he who captured the second brother!" Zheng Zhibao couldn't help gritting his teeth.

Zheng Hongkui couldn't help laughing: "Shibei should be impressed for three days, this guy who used to be just begging for food behind our butts is now a good guy, and he accidentally became the chief military officer, but the court's current meaning is to only let the eldest brother you be a real guerrilla, so it seems that this guy's official position is much smaller." ”

Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but smile when he heard this: "I can't say that, Zhu Youxiao is explaining, if I want to serve the imperial court, I can only be a guerrilla, if I want to tell the old man to return to his hometown, he can be directly awarded the marquis, and Sen'er can also directly enter the Royal Military Academy, saying that it is certain that he will be the chief military officer in the future, you see how good the calculation is, if you want to be a high-ranking official, you have to hand over the military power!" ”

Zheng Zhilong said and said: "You can't let this Gu San Mazi be too proud, Zheng Zhibao, you take your people to pick up this Gu San Mazi, escort him for a while, so that Gu San Mazi can't go too easy this way, and at the same time let the court also see, my Zheng family has not fallen yet, don't think that if you destroy our dozens of boats, our Zheng family can let him bully." ”

As he spoke, Zheng Zhilong instructed Zheng Hongkui again: "Tell those Westerners that I can help them fight for the management of Macao, and even help them conquer Macao, but they must provide us with fifty soft-sailed ships and two hundred Franc machine guns." ”

Zheng Zhilong didn't think about any national interests and national interests, although he was just a pirate leader, he sold Macao very lightly, just in exchange for dozens of ships and artillery.

For Zheng Zhilong, Macau may not be anything, but for Xiyangfan, it is an important strategic hub connecting the South Seas and the Indian Ocean.

……

However, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but be furious when he learned through Jinyiwei that Zheng Zhilong had sold his Macao to the West: "Good Zheng Zhilong, when will it be his turn to point fingers, Macau is the territory of my Ming Dynasty, when he says that he will give the West to the West, it's really shameless!" The decree was made public, Zheng Zhilong's traitorous behavior was made public, and a document was sent to Zhou Zuo, the governor of Liangguang, and the Liangguang Governor's Office personally sent a note to the merchants of Western countries that Macao was the inherent territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty had no intention of cutting off the land, and refused to recognize any individual or collective traitorous acts! ”

Zhu Youxiao again explicitly instructed Shang Zhouzuo, the governor of Guangzhou, to also send a decree to Gu Sanmazi, the commander-in-chief of the South China Sea Fleet, to closely cooperate with Shang Zhouzuo's actions and ensure the defense security of the area around Guangzhou and the sovereignty of Macao.

At the same time, Zhu Youxiao also gave these two people a secret decree, if Macao fails, it will be the shame of the two people's heads and blood.

Shang Zhouzuo naturally did not dare to slack off after hearing this, so he personally took the pacesetter of his governor's yamen to Xiangshan County.

But Shang Zhouzuo didn't give him a good face when he saw him, but directly asked: "Xiao Zhixian, this official has repeatedly ordered you to send a note to all Western ministers in Macao to come to this governor's yamen to re-apply for residency, otherwise they will be directly expelled from the country, but now none of them have come to Zhaoqing to register, why is this?" ”

"I don't dare to hide it from the people of Taiwan, these Westerners have all left the country, so they didn't come to Zhaoqing", Xiao Hegui, the magistrate of Xiangshan, replied cautiously.

And Shang Zhouzuo was greatly shocked by this, although Macau is small, but its importance to the West, he still knows, he really doesn't believe that these Westers are really so obedient to leave Macau, and he also knows that the meaning of today's saints is not really to get rid of all these West, but to reaffirm the sovereignty of the Ming Dynasty over Macau, and to make money and collect taxes from these Westsides, so he doesn't believe what Xiao Hegui said.

"Xiao Hegui, Xiao Hegui, I don't know how much money you guys have collected from those Westerners, and you dare to treat this official as a three-year-old child", Shang Zhouzuo sneered a few words, and did not debunk this Xiao Zhixian, but shouted directly behind him: "Vice General Liu!" ”

"The last general!" A rather strong military general walked over.

"Since Xiao Zhixian said that Macao's Western Fan has left the country, this official will order you to quickly bring 3,000 soldiers to defend Macao!" As soon as Shang Zhou Zuo said this, Xiao Hegui, the magistrate of Xiangshan, immediately replied without thinking about it: "No, Lord Taiwan!" ”

"Why not", Shang Zhouzuo asked lightly.

"The system of Taiwan, what Xia Guan just said must have been misunderstood, most of the Western fans have left the country, but some of the Western fans who have returned to my Ming Dynasty and become my Ming people have not left the country, in addition, several of them are the Lizheng of Macau Town, and they also pay money and grain taxes, so", Xiao Hegui didn't finish speaking, Shang Zhouzuo replied first: "So this official can't get rid of them, right, okay you Xiao Hegui, how did these Western fans become my Ming people, how do I not know!" ”

"This ...... The Yellow Book registration book is the duty of the lower officials, why do you need to come in person", Xiao Hegui replied tremblingly, but Shang Zhouzuo was speechless for a long time.

Shang Zhouzuo naturally could see that this Xiao Hegui must be helping these Westerners, but Shang Zhouzuo didn't know how much benefit these Westerners had given to this Xiao Hegui, and even let him dare to go against himself and the court even if he was a little magistrate.

However, Shang Zhouzuo did not give up because of this, so he said: "No matter which country these Westerners are from, as the governor of Liangguang, this official has the right to dispatch the military affairs of Liangguang, and Macao is the territory of my Ming Dynasty, which belongs to Liangguang and is under the jurisdiction of this official!" This officer has the right to strengthen his local defense, Vice Admiral Liu! With the order of this official, immediately rush to Macao, piracy activities have been rampant recently, and Macao must be strictly controlled, and all foreign idlers and miscellaneous people will be expelled from the country, and those who refuse to leave the country will be directly arrested and brought back to the Yamen of the Governor of Guangzhou! ”

Xiao Hegui, the magistrate of Xiangshan, was slightly stunned, and he didn't know how to stop Shang Zhouzuo's behavior, so he had to send someone to take a shortcut to inform the Western fans in Macau first, and suggested that these Western fans evacuate first.

……

What Xiao Hegui doesn't know is that Macau's Western fan has also made a countermeasure.

Because these Westerners had already agreed to Zheng Zhilong's conditions, and at the cost of 30 soft-sailed ships and 200 cannons, they successfully obtained Zheng Zhilong's support for their occupation of Macao.

And Zheng Zhilong also promised them to use half of the strength of Zheng's pirates to enter the Pearl River Delta with them, and directly invaded Guangzhou Mansion to blackmail Shang Zhouzuo, the governor of Liangguang, to make concessions.

Therefore, when Shang Zhouzuo received Zhu Youxiao's order and directly crossed Xiangshan County, and asked his subordinate Vice General Liu to directly enter Macao, he saw the people of the prefect of Guangzhou Prefecture Shi Dakai running in a hurry: "Lord Taiwan, the big thing is not good, hundreds of pirates and Western warships suddenly appeared outside the city of Guangzhou, and hundreds of huge cannons were aimed at the city of Guangzhou. ”

Shang Zhouzuo pondered for a moment, and did not show a panicked look because of this, but asked Laidao: "Do you know the details, has the enemy attacked the city?" ”

The man shook his head and said, "No." ”

"What's the panic! Those who violate our door can be expelled, why be afraid of their jackals! Shang Zhouzuo scolded, and couldn't help dragging a sentence, and then ordered: "Pass the order to your master, let him strengthen the city defense, if the enemy really attacks, be sure to defend it, this official will immediately transfer troops to come to the rescue, and let him not panic, the South China Sea fleet of the imperial court is going to come to Liangguang, when the time comes, why not be afraid of these small people, in the eyes of this official, most of them are just bluffing and intimidating." ”

Shang Zhouzuo said this, but he didn't dare to take it lightly, and had to ask people to recover Vice General Liu and let him go to support the Guangzhou Mansion, and he also rode to the Guangzhou Mansion after writing the urgent note submitted to the cabinet.

As Shang Zhouzuo expected, Zheng Zhilong and these Western soldiers came to Guangzhou Mansion only to intimidate the Ming court, according to their expectations, they wanted to scare the courage of Shang Zhouzuo, the governor of Liangguang, and then frightened Zhu Youxiao through Shang Zhouzuo's words.

"This Shang Zhouzuo is just a scholar who can't lift a three-foot sword, I don't believe that he is really not afraid when he sees this formation, even if he is cold, I don't believe that the officials of the entire Liangguang will not be afraid, at least let them and Zhu Youxiao in the capital know that we are not easy to bully! If you want to set up a yamen in Macao to collect taxes, you have to ask us if we agree or not! ”

After Zheng Zhilong said with a smile, Turia, the Francophone on the side, couldn't help laughing, and said in a broken Hokkien dialect: "Mr. Zheng, why don't I try it in Guangzhou Mansion, I heard that your wealth is everywhere, or we go in and loot a point, and then you and I will each share half, how about it?" ”

"Come on, Turia, Guangzhou City is easy to fight, but the tiger's ass is not easy to touch, it is enough to scare, so that each other has a way back!"

Zheng Zhilong said with a smile.