The British are very black, and they want to get benefits, but also to discredit their opponents. Spain, the Netherlands, not a single one. As for Zhu Yongxing, he was very indignant on the surface and had a very tough attitude. The same is true of the heart. But his future opponents are not only these two, Southeast Asia, Asia, will be bathed in the glory of the Ming Dynasty.

Well, that's a bit far away. Zhu Yongxing quickly retracted his thoughts and sorted out the information he had obtained. Britain is not the only foreigner in the Ming Tong area, and he has many channels to obtain information.

Not satisfied with the victory of Britain in the First Anglo-Dutch War and the forced signing of the Navigation Regulations by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom promulgated a new and more stringent Navigation Regulations last year, launching a new offensive against the Dutch colonies overseas. However, the British navy was no longer what it used to be, with expeditions to Ireland, Scotland, and war with Spain, leaving the country with huge debts. In addition, due to corruption in political and military circles, the navy's allocation last year was only two-thirds of the navy's budget, resulting in dilapidated ships, a shortage of salaries and low morale among soldiers and soldiers, and a serious weakening of the navy's combat effectiveness.

The Netherlands, on the other hand, had been seeking an opportunity to regain sea supremacy, reorganizing its navy, reorganizing its strategic thinking, stepping up the construction of large warships, and forming an anti-British alliance with France and Denmark......

Britain also realized that the Netherlands were about to prepare a counterattack, and that Europe and the West Coast colonies of Africa, which traded in ivory, slaves, and gold, would be the main battlegrounds. Therefore, investment in Asia cannot continue, and it is important to hold the Ming army, an increasingly powerful ally.

"Spain, the Netherlands, will be the future enemies of our army." Zhu Yongxing seemed to be angered by the British provocation, but as soon as the conversation changed, the British understood that this was not so simple, "It's a pity that the army has to focus on the civil war." The navy is not strong enough to compete, let alone deal a heavy blow. Your country has indeed given our army a lot of help, but this is obviously not enough! Ships and artillery are all urgently needed by our side, and your country has to take care of them, which is inevitably a bit insincere. If it goes on for a long time. China can only find another way to obtain what it needs from other sources. ”

"Your Royal Highness, you have misunderstood." Lei Trai smiled bitterly and said: "In Asia, my country's military strength is not very strong, and there are occasional interceptions and captures, and the number is not much. And Europe is too far away to ship. As for the price, as well as the payment method. Of course, of course, it's all easy to say. ”

Zhu Yongxing smiled but did not answer, looking at him left and right, it seemed that he was going to end this summons. This attitude made the British a little anxious, because there was another important matter that they wanted to obtain Zhu Yongxing's consent. Now Zhu Yongxing doesn't speak, but they can't hold back.

"I heard that His Highness summoned the Ryukyu envoy, but I don't know where the Ryukyus are—" Harry couldn't bear it anymore and asked tentatively.

"Ryukyu is a member of my Ming Dynasty. However, it was invaded and extorted by the Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom, and the Lone King intended to send troops to expel him. Fulfill the responsibilities of the lord of the domain. This is a secret, and I don't want to ask you where you know it, but I would like to remind you not to spread it. Otherwise—" Zhu Yongxing said lightly, but with a majestic expression.

In 1372, after Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, issued an edict to Chadu, the king of Zhongshan in the Ryukyus. The three kings of Ryukyu, Beishan, Nakayama, and Nanshan then began to pay tribute to the Ming government. From then on, Ryukyu became a vassal of the Ming Kingdom. 1392 - Seeing the difficulties of the Ryukyus for the sea navigation of the envoys to China, the Ming Taizu gave the Fujian people 36 surnames who were good at shipbuilding and navigation to move to the Ryukyus. This was the key to later promoting Ryukyu's overseas trade.

Among the 36 surnames of the Fujian people, they include "those who know books, give the doctor a long history, and think that they are tributary; Those who practice navigation are taught generals. Always ready for the guide". It can be seen that they were not only good boat handlers, but also served as interpreters and other tributary-related affairs. After settling in the Ryukyus, they became a group of outstanding people who represented China in assisting the Ryukyus for a long time and enhancing Sino-Ryukyu relations.

Between 1400 and 1550, the Ryukyus entered a golden age with highly developed commerce, trading with the interior, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

In 1609 (the 37th year of Wanrya), Shimazu Iehisa, the lord of the Satsuma Domain of Kagoshima, which was close to the Ryukyu Kingdom, sent 3,000 soldiers led by Hisataka Kayama to invade the Ryukyus, and included it in the territory of the Shimazu family.

In 1616 (the 44th year of Wanli), Nagasaki Acting Official Murayama and others were ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead 13 ships led by his son Murayama Akiyasu to mobilize 2 to 3,000 people to invade Taiwan, which was the first large-scale use of troops against Taiwan by Japan. However, Japan's actions were detected by the Ryukyu king Shōning, and even though the country was ruined, he still did not forget to "send an envoy to hear" and inform China to guard against Japanese aggression. It can be seen that the king of the Ryukyus remained loyal to the central government.

In 1632, the Ryukyus established a pavilion on the islands occupied by Satsuma, and officials from both countries managed trade and collected taxes. After that, the Ryukyu Kingdom became a puppet regime of the Satsuma Domain, and at the same time it was a vassal to the ostensible central power and the actual Satsuma Domain, and after the official tributary trade income, it was exploited by the actual suzerain, the Satsuma Domain.

The famous patriotic poet Wen Yiduo wrote "The Song of the Seven Sons", comparing the seven places occupied by the imperialist powers, namely Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Weihaiwei (now Weihai City, Shandong), Guangzhou Bay (now Zhanjiang City, Guangdong), Kowloon, and Lushun Dalian, to the seven sons who left their mother's arms, crying about the pain of being bullied and ravaged by robbers.

And in the section "Taiwan" he writes about the Ryukyus:

"We are a string of pearls from the East China Sea,

Ryukyu is my brother, and I am Taiwan.

I still have the heroic soul of the Zheng family in my chest,

The red blood of Jingzhong stained my family legacy.

Mother, the scorching summer day is going to kill me,

Give me an order, and I can fight against the city.

Mother! I'm coming back, Mother!. ”

Whether it is from the strong anti-Japanese sentiment inherent in his memory or from the consideration of reality, Zhu Yongxing will definitely not sit idly by and watch the fact that Ryukyu was invaded by the Japanese state. Therefore, in order to open up the sea to the sea, he intended to convey such a message to the Ryukyu royal family through formal and unofficial envoys, and gradually increased the amount of sulfur imported from the Ryukyus.

Ryukyu is a small and weak country, in other words, he can only go with the flow and be submissive everywhere. At first, there was no positive response to the Nanming government's information temptation. After all, the outcome of the war between the Ming and Qing dynasties seemed to be irrevocable, and the King of Ryukyu also sent envoys to the Qing Dynasty in 1654 to ask for canonization, and was named the King of Ryukyu by Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty.

However, with the continuous victories of the Ming army, the attitude of the Ryukyu royal family gradually changed. Began to pay attention to the rise of the Nanming government through merchants. After all, the Qing Dynasty was only satisfied with the vanity of tribute, and had no ability or intention to fulfill the responsibilities of the vassal state. In the end, King Shoche of the Ryukyus finally secretly sent an envoy to ask the Southern Ming to send troops to expel the soldiers of the Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom, ending the history of Ryukyu being invaded and being a puppet.

Ryukyu is rich in sulfur and saltpeter. For the Ming army, it is a very important source of raw materials. Obviously, the military strength of the Satsuma Domain did not require the main army to be defeated. A foothold in the Ryukyus will undoubtedly open up and ensure the smooth flow of trade routes in East Asia.

Zhu Yongxing saw this, and the British also saw it, so they were anxious to see it, hoping to catch a ride and extend the tentacles of commerce to East Asia. The Ryukyus were the closest to the Satsuma Domain. It was also the only private domain that could obtain international trade income in this disguised way after the shogunate announced the closure of the country. In other words, through the Ryukyus, it is very likely to break the situation of the Zheng family's exclusive trade with the Japanese kingdom.

The Ryukyus sent a secret envoy, and the British actually learned that Zhu Yongxing sent someone to reveal it. Without him, he just wants to take the opportunity to get more benefits from the British.

Sure enough, the British were stunned by Zhu Yongxing's means of trying to capture him. He was very eager to express his willingness to send troops to help the war and to give more help to Daming. Commercial offers can also be discussed. And after Zhu Yongxing went around in a circle, he reluctantly agreed to the request of the British.

In fact, Zhu Yongxing was not afraid that the British would not make concessions, and it was not a very difficult thing to help the Ryukyus, and with the strength of the Ming army, it could be done alone. And getting the best of both worlds is what makes him satisfied.

Of course. Sending troops to the Ryukyus is not a matter now, and Zhu Yongxing's reply to the Ryukyu envoy also leaves room for the Ming army to be dispatched within a year. During this time, what Ryukyu had to do was endure humiliation. and provided the Ming army with the largest amount of sulfur.

Outsiders may not know the real reason for the rise of Nanming, admiring, surprised, admiring, and puzzled...... In fact, in Zhu Yongxing's view, it is also very simple, that is, to integrate all kinds of favorable forces regardless of size and give full play to them. But in that era, he was the only one who had such vision, such thinking, and such knowledge, and could skillfully seize opportunities in the complex changes in the internal and external situation.

In the eyes of insiders, Zhu Yongxing is a "saint from heaven" like an existence, from the initial half-belief to the current undoubted, which includes Zhu Yongxing's efforts, as well as everyone's preconceived thinking substitution, and constant factual shock.

This characteristic cannot be concealed, even the British, French, have been in contact with Zhu Yongxing a few times, and they have already found that His Royal Highness the Prince is very shrewd, not that kind of petty trick, but the wisdom of understanding people's hearts and understanding the situation.

"It's very powerful, and I'm afraid the Tatars will be defeated in the end." After the summons, Lei Chui walked out of the mansion and spoke.

I don't say who it is, but it's not hard to guess. Harry smiled wryly and nodded approvingly. Sending troops to help in the war should have been begged by others, but they were in a hurry, for fear that others would not use it.

"The rate of armament of muskets is about the same as that of European countries." Lei Chui then sighed: "There are also a lot of artillery, and the Tatars are still stuck on broadswords, spears, bows and arrows, and they are stupid and short-sighted to close the sea trade. It won't be long before it will be the same as the Netherlands back then. ”

In the First Anglo-Dutch War, under the strangled blockade of the British navy, the weakest side of the Dutch economy, its overdependence on foreign trade, was soon exposed. The streets of Amsterdam were overgrown with weeds and beggars, and the lockdown almost left the Netherlands in a state of destituteness.

Obviously, Thunder did not know much about the specifics of this ancient continent. In an agrarian country, without maritime trade, the fiscal revenue will be reduced and the outside world will be closed, but it will never be as miserable as the Netherlands.

"It's different, it's not the same." Harry immediately corrected himself, "The Dutch over-trusted foreign trade, while the Ming and Tatar regimes were more agricultural than mercantile and did not focus on commerce. ”

"Is that so?" Lei Chui was very puzzled, "Silk, tea, porcelain, and a lot of local products, oh, there will be sugar soon, why don't you focus on foreign commerce?" How much income can you earn from just farming? ”

"This is the short-sightedness of the Tatars." Harry didn't want to explain too much, in fact, he also knew a little bit about it, and he couldn't say how well he was familiar with the politics, economy, and culture of this old empire.

"If the Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom is driven away, and the Ryukyus make Naha a free port, we can enjoy the same rights as the merchants of the Ming Kingdom." Lei Chui does not dwell on these complex topics, but is very optimistic about the future.

"The Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom is no match for the Ming army." "Trade routes in East Asia are opening up to us, and only the Zheng family is left in the way," Harry said. However, His Royal Highness the Prince, whether it is a title or strength, is surpassing the Zheng family. With our help, I believe that this obstacle will no longer exist in the near future. ”

"What about the Dutch!" Lei Chui frowned slightly, "In Asia, even with the ally of His Royal Highness the Prince, it is difficult to pose a threat to the Dutch in the short term. ”

"Not at sea, but on land?" Harry smiled slyly, "As long as they can avoid the naval battle and land smoothly, will the Dutch be the opponent of thousands of Ming troops?" ”

Lei Trai suddenly realized and nodded again and again. He was a navy, so he was naturally entangled in the comparison of naval strength, but he forgot the strength of the Ming army and the common weakness of Western countries in the colonies, that is, the lack of people.

……………

"Attacking Luzon doesn't necessarily require a strong enough navy." Zhu Yongxing clicked heavily on the unfolded map, "Use merchant ships to camouflage, and then carry troops to land quietly, as long as the troops are strong enough, it is enough to defeat the Spaniards." ”

Summons are frequent, at least for this time. The gentry of Guangdong, the merchant group led by the Zheng family, who came to open a commercial hall...... After the British, Zhu Yongxing summoned Chinese merchants who had fled from Luzon.

Seeing the joy on this Chinese businessman's face, Zhu Yongxing changed his words and said with a wry smile: "It's just that our army is currently fighting with all its might, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to transfer troops to Luzon." Well, if King Yanping is interested, King Gu is willing to help him. ”

The Chinese shang's face darkened, but he returned to normal, bowed down and said: "Thank you, Your Highness, the grass people know that the situation at this time, which is more important and which is more important, can still be distinguished." His Royal Highness's golden body is very noble, and if he can summon him, the grass people are already grateful. ”

This Chinese businessman is not simple, Zhu Yongxing couldn't help but appreciate it very much when he heard him talk eloquently. After a deep sigh, he said, "I am very pleased to be able to understand the general situation." You tell me more about the situation in Luzon, well, Lone may have to send you a mission. ”

…………… (To be continued......)