It's winter again, the wind is cold, and on the top of the sentry tower built of rough wood, Fan Yu and Deng Liang are wrapped in leather jackets and wearing fur hats, and they still feel stiff and numb.

"Farmers and even prisoners have charcoal fires, and we people protect their lives, but we are inferior......"

"The old man said, this is because I am afraid that we will not look around the charcoal fire, anyway, it will only take two hours to raise our spirits."

"The ship of the Ocean Company has already arrived in October, what other ships can be there at this time? The old man has to let us visit from time to time, and he is too careful, can he still come from the sea? ”

"I can't come to Shengfan, but I may come to the Spaniards, it's not terrible, but the terrible thing is that the old man doesn't know when he will come over."

The two chattered casually, cheered up, and raised their binoculars to look around.

To the west is the vast sea, to the east is a tranquil bay, to the north is a series of mountains, and to the south, where their watchtower stands, is a flat and vast field in the distance, and a large stockade in the distance. Surrounded by wooden fences and moats, rammed-earth huts are rudimentary but well-arranged, like barracks.

Between the bay and the sea, there is a narrow sea channel that is only more than two miles wide, thus separating the north and south, and the stockade is at the top of the southern side of the strait, like a sea gate, from which the name "Tianmen" comes from.

"The old man is so old, and he is still so enthusiastic when he lives overseas, it's really ...... Alas. ”

"This sea, this mountain, this land, this bay, this grass and this tree, I have never seen it, I want to treat this place as my hometown, I am not being exiled, I am simply deceiving myself."

"Don't learn from Mr. Jiu to speak, it's very sour, and don't complain all the time, the sixth young master has been trained many times by the old man and the king."

"I'm complaining, I'm ...... Hey? There are boats! ”

The two were still muttering, and the gray sea showed the shadow of the sail, which suddenly pulled away the minds of the two, and when they got closer, the fiery red twin dragon flag on the top of the mast came into view, and the two of them suddenly blushed.

"It's our ship! It's the Navy! ”

"Ring the bell, pay attention to your hands, don't be in a hurry to ring the alarm bell!"

The bell on the shore was faintly heard, and on the helm of the Haihe, Luo Wugui couldn't help but say excitedly: "It's here, it's finally here!" ”

Bering, who had changed into the Anglo-Chinese blue-coated navy uniform by his side, fell into the abyss with a heart, and the Tatar ...... No, the Serisians, have really gone to North America to pioneer the land? Russia's path in the East was thus blocked.

On November 22, the 15th year of the Holy Dao, the Luo Wugui Expedition Detachment of the Beiyang Fleet opened up the northern route, crossed the "Luobai Strait" to Dongzhou, and then went south to the trusteeship of the Dongzhou Company led by Dongzhou Bofan Sihai: Tianmen of Puzhou, Upper Dongzhou. In the time and space of Li Xi's previous life, there was another name: San Francisco, or "San Francisco", which is called San Francisco in Chinese.

Luo Wugui's expedition was supposed to reach Tianmen in Puzhou in October, but a series of discoveries after crossing the Luobai Strait delayed his trip. Like Lu Hanshan's trip around Nanzhou, his expedition also became the target of people from all walks of life in the country, and the fleet included many officials, scholars, and newspaper people from the Colonial Affairs Department of Zhongshu Province, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Qin Tianjian, the Tongshi Pavilion, Baicheng College, Huangpu College, and even the Huanyu Newspaper.

Luo Wugui placed a boundary monument on the land at the eastern end of the Luobai Strait, in the northwest corner of the Upper East Continent, declaring that this place was discovered, owned and governed by Yinghua, and Bering could only be a bystander, watching with tears as the glory that should have belonged to him and the interests that belonged to Russia were taken away by the Seris.

After exploring the astronomy and geography of Upper Dongzhou all the way, and the natural features, the expedition arrived at Puzhou Tianmen at the end of November at the latest, and the fleet sailed into Puzhou Bay through the narrow sea channel, looking at this bay and the Tianmen that stands by the bay, Luo Wugui nodded and said: "Good place!" Not knowing whether to mock or seek approval, he said to Bering: "It's as good as Luogu Harbor......"

The so-called "Luogu Port" is the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky built by Bering, Luo Wugui felt that the climate of that place was mild, surrounded by mountains, and excellent harbors, even if it could not recruit many people to reclaim, it was also an excellent supply point for the Beiyang Fleet to go north, so he brazenly declared that the local area was owned by Yinghua, and he also deservedly named it after his surname.

After listening to the translation of the matter, Bai Ling twisted his face, but he didn't dare to refute, he was already a prisoner, not considering that he could squeeze information about the situation in Siberia, Russia and even Northern Europe from him, maybe he had been sunk in the Luobai Strait by Luo Wugui.

Bering's pain is Luo Wugui's happiness, the battleship docked in port, a large group of people crowded to the dock to greet him, and the leader had gray sideburns, it was Fan Sihai, Luo Wugui's heart was agitated, and he didn't pay attention to Bering.

"General Luo came from afar, and the people of Puzhou are really grateful......

Fan Sihai suppressed the tears in the corners of his eyes and greeted him with courtesy.

"Where is Governor Fan, it is the emperor and the court who should be thanked, the emperor's grace is vast, and the court has not forgotten the people of Puzhou...... Ah, I really can't stand it, the dragon's head, Wugui really wants to suffer the dragon's head! ”

Luo Wugui still wanted to do things according to the rules, but after all, he couldn't resist the truth, and rushed forward and hugged Fan Sihai.

Fan Sihai froze, then laughed, and sighed: "Wugui, you are right, it is really the emperor's grace, I, Fan Sihai, and Puzhou, Your Majesty really never forgets." ”

Then he pointed to the people behind him and introduced Luo Wugui one by one: "This is the Puzhou Lord Bo Sang Jujiu, this is the Puzhou Heavenly Temple to worship Wang Lin, and this is the Puzhou Township Governor Fan Chongen'......"

Luo Wugui saw the salute one by one, and then frowned and said, "What about Xiao Liu?" ”

Fan Sihai sighed: "That kid is always awkward, let's not talk about him first." ”

Everything was complicated, and Luo Wugui had no time to ask in detail, and the situation in Puzhou Tianmen made him even more worried.

"At present, there are 330 households in Puzhou, 420 people from exile deeds, 35 permanent employees of the Dayang Company, and 40 people from the academy and navy, and a total of 1,843 men and women in Puzhou at present, of which 80% are in Tianmen and 20% are scattered in various points near the bay. ”

"At present, Tianmen has cultivated more than 200 hectares of fields, planting wheat, sweet potatoes and bud rice, as well as melons, fruits and vegetables, plus fishing, hunting, sheep and livestock, the grain is sufficient, and there is no need for the country to help. Even oil, salt, and linen can be produced in-house, and tea, tobacco, paper and pencils, silk and cotton, steel, and even carpentry and weapons still need to be supplied. ”

Sacrificial Wang Lin said: "Your Majesty through the Ocean Company, the imperial court through the Ocean Fleet are always replenished, medicines and even books and newspapers are not lacking, two months ago also brought the technology of planting cowpox to prevent smallpox, and when the conditions in Puzhou are ripe, the whole people will plant seeds." Since the reclamation of Dongzhou Company, more than 300 people have also been lost, but most of them are not adapted to the water and soil, or they have died in conflicts with Shengfan. ”

Township Lieutenant Fan Chongen said: "There is no Shengfan near this place, but Dongzhou Shengfan has a very large range of activities, and if you accidentally bump into it, you will inevitably be injured." Therefore, except for a few people, everyone is guarding the gate of heaven, and they can still be at peace. ”

To sum up, the prospect of Puzhou's reclamation is very good, and Luo Wugui sincerely admired: "Your Majesty really has to rely on the dragon head in order to gain a firm foothold in Dongzhou." ”

Fan Sihai was modest, but his face was flushed, obviously this was also an achievement that he was proud of. Dongzhou reclamation business did not start with him, before the emperor through the ocean company, has made many attempts, even Puzhou Tianmen, this place, was also discovered by Lu Hanshan that year, the ocean company also built a reclamation base here, but unfortunately several efforts, either the residents died, or unbearable suffering, retreated. ..., and only when Fan Sihai came here with a larger-scale reclamation team, he finally laid a foundation.

"Puzhou is where the old man buries his bones, and the old man has to put in twelve points of strength......"

Fan Sihai said this, this is not a lie, he is a native of Zhangpu, Fujian, named this place Puzhou, and has also expressed his will, this is his way back.

He alone can't do anything, and the emperor has always been behind his strong support. Not only did the Ocean Company engaged in the galleon trade replenish the land every year, but it also listed this place as a supply place for the Navy's Ocean Fleet. As for promoting the activities of the imperial court and the academy based in Puzhou, it would be even more difficult to persuade and spend money to support.

The listing of this place as a place of exile for criminal prisoners made the emperor spend a lot of lip service, and the court and the legal department did a lot of detailed work on national law. The addition of a sentencing bargain option, following the example of the Banner Man and the Green Battalion prisoners of war, allowing convicts to work in Puzhou for several years and then be freed and land is more than just a matter of edict. Just looking at the emperor's resolute refusal to allow murder, rape, robbery and other atrocities and criminals to enjoy this benefit, we know that the emperor has great expectations for Dongzhou.

Walking on the streets where Tianmen was still a dirt road, listening to Fan Sihai talking about the emperor's intentions, Luo Wugui said in his heart that he really misunderstood His Majesty.

"When it's colder and the people are full, the brick kiln will be able to run at full capacity. At that time, not only will everyone live in a brick house, but the road will also be paved with bricks. ”

"Dayang has received a lot of seeds from the Spaniards, we are trying to plant them, and the grapes are growing most well, and we are already planning to plant them on a large scale next year, and then sell the wines back to our home country or to the Spaniards in the south. With output, more and more people will come. ”

"I hope that in my lifetime, this place will not become Luzon, but also Funan. I, Fan Sihai, can enter the Temple of Heaven and let thousands of descendants remember me. Earlier, the emperor promised me such a future, and I thought it was an unattainable dream, but now it seems that it is not far away......"

"Unlike the feeling of catching the sea in the South Seas and doing business in Korea and Japan, the fact that every family can settle down in Puzhou is another meritorious achievement for me. Walking down the street, men, women, and children would salute me and call me Mr. Fan. This feeling is not the same as that of my parents, they respect me from the bottom of their hearts, and businessmen can't win this heart. Every time I look back on it, I feel that I am dead at this time, and this life is worth it. The only regret is that I can't devote myself to this industry as soon as possible, I am already sixty years old, and my time is running out. ”

Listening to Fan Sihai's heartfelt words, Luo Wugui's heart rippled, and he hurriedly said, "What is sixty?" For you, eighty is just the prime of life, and this Puzhou, after twenty years, will definitely be better than Funan! ”

Fan Sihai smiled: "Accept your auspicious words......"

Then his face darkened slightly: "But after all, this place is not as good as Funan, the sea route is far away, the water and soil are not adapted, there are many attacks, and the threat of the Spaniards should not be underestimated." ”

Puzhou still has internal and external troubles, and internal troubles can only be solved by Fan Sihai and others, and when it comes to external troubles, Luo Wugui came here with the intention of solving external troubles for Dongzhou, so he urged Fan Sihai to clear up the situation.

Fan Sihai focused on Spain, and the Ocean Company has been trading with the Spaniards for many years and has a deep understanding of Spain's power in the Upper and Lower Eastern Continents. And the place where Puzhou is located is not the first discovery of Yinghua. Decades ago, Spanish explorers visited the area and declared it Spanish territory. Although the Spaniards did not establish a colony base and exercise effective rule, it did not prevent the Spaniards from using it as their territory.

Therefore, when dealing with the Spaniards, the Ocean Company has been careful to conceal the fact that the Anglo-Chinese have settled here. It's not that I'm afraid of the Spaniards, but I'm afraid that the stronghold will be attacked by the Spaniards when it's fledgling, and the original reclamation efforts of the Ocean Company here have been ineffective, so they don't want to publicize it. ..., but now that Fan Sihai has arrived in Dongzhou, with a strong hand, he has made full use of the resources provided by the emperor, and has gained a foothold here, and the Dayang Company has also regarded it as an important transit base, so it is impossible to continue to cover it up. The Spaniards were more or less aware of the rumors, and Fan Sihai was not sure how the Spaniards would react.

Luo Wugui said disdainfully: "It's a big deal to fight again, if the Spaniards are not afraid to taste the taste of Yingliewan again, they will drive the big fleet over directly." ”

Luo Wugui's arrogance has its own confidence, and the Anglo-Chinese Navy is no longer the weak force of the "Four King Kongs" of the year, that is, the four sea shark ships supporting the scene. Although there were only six battleships, each of the cruisers running across the ocean had the ability to single-handedly take on European battleships. If you provoke the emperor and the court who are full of meritorious deeds, and the enclosure is full of **, they are on fire and exert their ruthless efforts, and it will be easy to pile up dozens of battleships in a year.

Fan Sihai shook his head: "It's best not to fight, it's too far away from the mainland after all, but the Spaniards are close at hand......"

Luo Wugui nodded, indeed, whether to fight or not, how to fight, it is not the turn of the navy to speak, before the Beiyang Fleet took the initiative to provoke trouble in North Korea, it was reprimanded by the Privy Council and the emperor, and even the promotion of Bai Yanding and him Luo Wugui was pressed by one level. It would be nice to be able to convince the Spaniards to accept the status quo at the state level.

It's just that Luo Wugui still has a fire in his heart, you have been here once, this place is yours? What kind of truth is this?

Of course, at this time, he naturally did not think about what he was doing in the Luo Bai Strait, further north in Upper East Continent, and if the Rakshasas wanted to break the border, he would turn around and accuse the Rakshasas of the legal principle that the Spaniards had nominal sovereignty over Puzhou.

"So...... What about raw flowers? ”

There are officials from the Tongguan and Zhongshu Province in the fleet, and they can help Puzhou solve their worries from the perspective of civilian officials, and Luo Wugui didn't think much about the Spaniards, but asked about Shengfan.

Fan Sihai stood up and said that it was no big deal, Shengfan did not have the power to threaten the survival of Puzhou, and it was not worthy of Luo Wugui's concern.

Brother for many years, how could Luo Wugui not hear the strangeness, under questioning, Fan Sihai sighed: "I know Wugui's intentions, but I really don't want you to make a move in this matter." ”

Taking Luo Wugui back to his mansion, Fan Sihai took out a booklet, "Earlier, I pressed Liuxi to do my homework, and I had to write down what I thought in my heart every day, lest he not use his pen for a long time and couldn't even read words." You can first take a look at his account of this matter, so that you can know the ins and outs of Puzhou's life, and then make a decision. ”

Fan Sihai sighed: "The matter of life is related to whether my Puzhou can establish a century-old foundation in Dongzhou, a decision of life and death......"