West Borneo, Grand Harbour. In the lobby of the main hall of Heshun Company, at this time, there is a high fever of red candles, and a banquet is the time for the guests and hosts to enjoy themselves.

The guests at the banquet were Han Si and Ren Yijiang, the envoys sent by Zhu Jishi to Dagang. And the two of them were invited to the banquet by the three masters of Heshun Company.

Sitting opposite Han Si was a middle-aged man in a straight suit, with a big bun and no braids, although he was dressed as a comprador of a foreign company, but his face was full of pitted wounds, and he was blind in one eye, so he looked a little hideous. He is the boss of Heshun Company, Zheng Hong, the owner of the Hongmen Knife Club and Shuntang, who claims to be Zheng Chenggong, who is determined to oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty, and has some old friendship with Han Si.

Sitting on the right side of Zheng Hong is a big bald head, his skin is black like carbon, his facial features are complete, his square nose and wide mouth are not ugly, he only wears a short coat on his body, and the two arms exposed are tendon flesh, and he looks like a hero. This person's name is Wang Dehu, the second leader of Heshun Company, and the number one thug under Zheng Hong!

Sitting on Zheng Hong's left is a white-faced scholar shaking a paper fan, although he wears a silk gown, but there is no braid on the back of his head. His name is Zhao Daheng - you can know the origin by listening to the name, and his father didn't expect him to study for the imperial examination, but wanted him to become a ** tycoon. He is the No. 3 person in Heshun Company, Zheng Hong's military advisor, and the people in the rivers and lakes call him "Little Fan Tycoon".

And in this big hall, there is no one waiting for it now, it turns out that when the three rounds of wine just now, Han Si proposed to "retreat left and right, there is something important to tell you".

"Brother Han, if you have anything to say, it's okay to say it!" Seeing that the people serving in the room had already withdrawn, Zheng Hong put down the drinking bowl and said with a bold face.

Han Si also put down the sea bowl, looked at Zheng Hong, and said solemnly: "Brother Zheng, my brother's master, Lord Zhu, is the queen of the former Ming Yongli Emperor!" ”

"After Zhu Ming?"

Zheng Hong, Wang Dehu, and Zhao Daheng looked at each other, and the three of them did not show much surprise on their faces. After the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs, although the vassal kings of the Zhu Ming clan were killed in various places, there were too many descendants of Zhu Yuanzhang, and after the Ming King was scattered in the rivers and lakes, he could not be killed at all. In the Yongzheng period, in order to express the meaning of "rising and destroying and following extinction", Zhu Zhilian was also given a first-class Yan Enhou after Zhu Ming, who was incorporated into the Han army banner, and then did not kill Zhu Ming's descendants in an organized manner, so in the current Daoguang period, the genuine Zhu Ming's descendants are not rare. In the Hongmen Tiandihui system, there are even more self-proclaimed descendants of Zhu Ming, but all Hongmen disciples surnamed Zhu always like to be related to Zhu Yuanzhang. Of course, the Hongmen disciples surnamed Zheng also like to get involved with the national surname Zheng Chenggong.

Han Si saw that the three of them were not very interested, and sneered in his heart: "Do you think that the lord is the same as those Zhu Ming's descendants who are confused? ”

He smiled at Zheng Hong and said: "Emperor Hongwu's descendants have been passed down to this day, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they are all over the world, but my lord is different, because he has the support of the British Empire behind him!" ”

"The British Empire wants to support Lord Zhu's restoration?" The small fan tycoon Zhao Daheng will be suspicious.

"That's right!" Han Si said with a smile, "Brother Zhao should know that my lord is the viscount of England, England and France, and the big boss of the wealthy Jishi Foreign Bank, but it can be regarded as having a backstage, learning and learning, and a pound sterling, and the territory and army will soon be there!" ”

"What?" Zheng Hong raised his eyebrows and looked at Han Si with burning eyes, "Ying Ji wants to lend troops to Lord Zhu to help him seize the land?" ”

"Unlikely, right?" Zhao Daheng shook his head, "Ying Li really wants to help, didn't Weishenme take the opportunity to let Lord Zhu raise the flag during the last Sino-British War?" ”

"That's our lord's refusal!" Han Si said, "It's easy to please God, it's hard to send God, here the emperor, my lord is unwilling to be it." ”

"I'm afraid it's not right, right?" Zhao Daheng sneered.

Han Si haha smiled, "If there is something or not, we will see soon." He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, "The first piece of land of the lord is West Borneo, and within half a year, the ground we are stepping on now will be decided by the lord!" ”

He looked at the three brothers Zheng Hong with blazing eyes, and arched his hand in the air, "The lord has asked for a holy decree from the Empress Victoria of England, and is ready to establish a Grand Duchy of Lanfang in West Borneo under the protection of England!" The brother came to Dagang this time to invite Brother Zheng to Singapore to discuss the establishment of Lanfang. ”

"Brother Han, what do you mean by that!" Wang Dehu slapped the table, "When will it be the turn of the surnamed Zhu in this West Borneo Continent?" ”

Han Si looked at Wang Dehu, who seemed to be angry, and suddenly smiled, and said, "Brother Wang, this West Borneo Continent will not continue to be chaotic like this forever, someone will always be in charge!" And the one who can be the master is not you, Brother Wang, nor Brother Zheng, but the English, Dutch, and my lord! Brother Wang, let you choose, who do you choose to be the master? ”

Wang Dehu was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look at the big brother Zheng Hong, although the thugs of their Heshun Company are more fierce than Lanfang Company, but after all, they are underworld thugs, and it is okay to bully the princely sultan of Borneo, and it is no fun to fight against Britain and the Netherlands.

Zheng Hong smiled and picked up his wine glass, "Brother Han, my second brother has always been open-mouthed, please forgive me for any offense." ”

Han Si smiled, "It's easy to say." ”

Zheng Hong said again: "I don't know when Lord Zhu is going to invite me to Singapore for a while?" What is the saying about the establishment of the country in Lanfang? If we join Heshun company, what kind of status can we get? ”

……

On September 10, 1845, the Qing Dynasty in the north was already in the cool season of early autumn, and West Borneo was still in the middle of summer. Taking advantage of the heat in the evening, two four-wheeled Western carriages slowly drove out of the west gate of the Oriental Law and headed straight for Pontianak Port. In the carriage in front of him, there were two men in Chinese robes sitting opposite each other, one of whom was Liu Peng, and the opposite sat an old man, and the two were talking.

"Mu Wen, after this trip to Singapore, I should go back to Guangzhou to retire, do you have any message for me to bring to Wu Shaorong (Jardine Matheson Owner)?"

The old man who spoke was named Ye Tenghui, the 9th general manager of Lanfang Company, who had just stepped down not long ago and was about to return to China for retirement. In the name, he asked Zhu Jishi for help on behalf of Lanfang Company, asking him to rescue Xindang, who was about to be attacked.

"Then there will be Lao Teng." Liu Peng arched his hand and said, "Please tell Mr. Wu that Liu Peng is now serving Sir Zhu of England, but the errand of Jardine has not yet resigned, and when Mr. Wu can use Liu Peng in the future, he can open his mouth." ”

"Oh, your Jardine errand is still there? Isn't that two boats on one foot? Does Sir Chu know? ”

"The lord knows, this is also what he meant, the lord still wants to trade with Jardine through his younger brother." Liu Peng said with a smile.

Ye Tenghui shook his head, "Mu Wen, aren't you harming the Wu family?" This Sir Zhu is after Zhu Ming, and there is such a strong reinforcement as Yingli, if he can get Lan Fang again, can he still do not want to oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty? At that time, the Wu family's belongings have not been copied by the imperial court? ”

"Delanfang? Where is it so easy? Liu Peng smiled and diverted the topic, "The four major families of Lanfang, now it is Aunt Mei of the Luo family who has agreed to go to Singapore, the Chen family and the Jiang family have only sent a son, and the Liu family is even more cold." ”

Ye Tenghui waved his hand disapplausively, "It's not enough to have an Aunt Mei?" After Aunt Mei was Uncle Fang, the eldest son of the Chen and Jiang families married Xianglan and Xiangzhu, and Aunt Mei was in-law, and Sixiutang had thousands of brothers, and the strength was not under the Liu family's Fuqingtang. ”

Liu Peng smiled and nodded, but frowned slightly in his heart, Luo Xiangmei and Luo Xiangju sisters are quite friendly to Zhu Jishi, but their friendliness is not unconditional! Now the Luo family's territory Xindang is being threatened by the native soldiers of the Sultan of Wanna, Zhu Jishi has to relieve the siege of Wanna in order to really get the help of the Luo family, if it can't be done, not only will the Luo family no longer pay attention to Zhu Jishi, but even the Chinese in the entire West Borneo will no longer take Zhu Jishi, the English viscount, seriously.