"Eldest son, the place ahead is the place where you agreed to meet with the Haihan people!"

After hearing this, Zheng Zheng came back from his contemplation and said to the steward who was standing next to him: "The white strange ship before, but it is the ship of the Haihan people?"

The steward responded: "The villain has not seen the white ship when he traded with the Haihan people a few times ago, but according to the seventh prince who was sent back by the Haihan people a few days ago, the Haihan people do have such a strange sailing ship, which can sail like flying on the sea. ”

Zheng Zheng nodded slightly, the seventh prince in the steward's mouth was Zheng Lin, who was sent to Huilong Mansion by the Haihan people before, in terms of seniority, Zheng Zheng and Zheng Lin are the same generation, Zheng Lin ranks seventh in the Zheng family's generation, and Zheng Zheng is slightly older.

When Zheng Lin was sent to Huilong Mansion, he also brought back samples of refined salt and trade requirements from Haihan. For North Vietnam, which was in the midst of a salt shortage, this news was undoubtedly a relief in disguise, and soon the Zheng family sent a caravan to contact the Haihan side, and completed the first transaction of 2,000 catties of refined salt. To others, the Haihan people may be just a group of ordinary foreign maritime merchants, who buy and sell salt only for profit, but Zheng Zheng is very curious about the origin of these people, and has carefully asked Zheng Lin about the situation of the Haihan people.

According to Zheng Lin, the Haihan people only appeared on the coast of Vietnam in July, and after packing a group of refugees in Thanh Hoa with their fleet, they went directly to a small bay in the northeast to build a port, and then in a short time they gathered thousands of locals to mine coal there. By the time he was sent away by the Haihan, the port had become a sizable town, and thousands of residents had begun to live a peaceful and orderly life in the area under the management of the Haihan.

It only took more than a month to build a town and a port in a deserted land, and Zheng Zheng believes that this is not something that ordinary maritime merchants can do. Moreover, according to what Zheng Lin said, there is only refined coal produced in the local area, and no salt farms have been established, so the refined salt transported and traded by the Haihan people must have come from elsewhere, perhaps the destination to which the local refined coal was shipped.

Later, there was information from Haihan that the other party wanted to sell arms, and Zheng Zheng couldn't sit still. If it's an ordinary weapon, it's just that, Thang Long Mansion has an official weapons department that specializes in building weapons for the army, but the other party explained that it sells muskets and artillery, and the weapons department can't make this thing.

Although the current Vietnamese army has not begun to be equipped with firearms, this does not mean that the Vietnamese military top officials do not know the power of firearms. In fact, from the 16th century onwards, various primitive arquebuses began to flow into Vietnam through various channels, but this sporadic influx was simply not enough to equip the army, and could only become the playthings of a few powerful people. However, Vietnamese craftsmen have not been able to master the technology of making muskets, which directly leads to the fact that this weapon cannot be manufactured on a large scale in Vietnam. As for the artillery, it is even more rare, and the only few cannons in Thang Long Mansion are still old antiques left over from the reign of the Ming Dynasty, and it is difficult to say whether they can be used now.

After the Trung clan took power in North Vietnam, he also had plans to purchase firearms to equip the troops, but he has always suffered from the lack of such a way. Most of the Western missionaries who were able to provide firearms were active in the south, and they were already extinct in the north after the war between the north and the south. The Ming Dynasty in the north was obviously even more unlikely to sell such advanced weapons to Thang Long Province, and the Ming Emperor was afraid that he would like Vietnam to become a mess, and then send troops to clean up the mess and reoccupy the place. Although the Zheng clan has the heart to strengthen the army, they do not have the right channel to achieve this goal.

But the appearance of the Haihan people seemed to make a glimmer of light appear in front of the Zheng family, and Zheng Zheng did not dare to regard the trade relationship with the Haihan people as just a way to make quick money, but quickly reported to his father Zheng. As the actual holder of the military and political power in North Vietnam, Zheng naturally knew very well what it meant to buy and sell arms, and since there were businessmen who came to the door and were willing to sell muskets and artillery to North Vietnam, he had to at least go and see if it was true or not. Out of prudence, Zheng was not at ease to let outsiders host this matter, but asked his eldest son Zheng Zheng to personally run this trip to get in touch with the Haihan people to see what the other party meant.

The two ships sent by the Zheng family caravan this time were not seagoing ships, so when they sailed into the harbor and docked, the hull appeared to be much smaller than the two lucky ships on the shore. And Zheng Zheng also noticed that the white sailboat had been cruising on the sea not far away, which made Zheng Zheng, who had planned to observe the ship up close, a little disappointed.

After Zheng Zheng got off the boat and landed on the shore, he first noticed that the clothes of the other party to greet him were obviously different from those of the Ming people, almost all of them were waist-length short clothes, and their hair was short and they didn't even have a bun, which should be the Haihan people that Zheng Lin said.

The steward brought by Zheng Zheng and Qian Tiandun had already met twice in past transactions, and they introduced the protagonists of both sides respectively. Tao Donglai was also refreshed when he heard the identity of the other party, although according to most people's opinions, Vietnam is just a state, but this Zheng Zheng is also a famous figure in history, this is the first time he has come into contact with this level of historical figure after crossing over, it can be said that the existence of the crossing group has really begun to affect the historical process of this time and space.

After a few words of greeting between the two sides, Tao Donglai invited Zheng Zheng and others to enter the tent set up on the shore to discuss. After taking a seat, Tao Donglai said straight to the point: "Regarding your proposal to expand the salt trading volume, after careful consideration, we believe that we can provide you with 200,000 catties of salt in the remaining three months, and we can further increase the trading volume to 100,000 catties per month next year." This time, our fleet brought 30,000 catties of refined salt, which can be inspected and traded later. ”

"Why is this? Could it be that you can't produce the amount we request?" Zheng Zheng asked puzzled.

"It's not just the production volume. Tao Donglai quietly denied Zheng Zheng's speculation: "It's because we also have to provide a large amount of refined salt to Daming, and I think Mr. Zheng can also understand that the amount required by Daming is far more than yours several times." ”

Although the private salt sales network in Daming has not yet been rolled out, this does not prevent Tao Donglai from pulling the tiger skin to make a big banner, and first blow a cowhide, anyway, the other party can't verify the truth of this statement.

Zheng Zheng snorted in his nose and said, "Presumably, the salt you sold to Daming is not a serious way, right?"

Tao Donglai shook his head and said: "We only sell salt to regular merchants, as for where they ship it to sell, how to sell it, and whether they will be taxed by the government, we don't know and won't ask." Whether the path is correct or not, that's not our problem. ”

Tao Dong's eyes kept staring at Zheng Zheng when he said this, which made Zheng Zheng's heart feel a little uneasy. Of course, he could understand that Tao Donglai's words were actually meant for himself, but he always felt that the other party seemed to have some kind of extraneous voice that he couldn't understand.

Tao Donglai didn't react after seeing the other party, knowing that the other party was probably too young and inexperienced in society to understand his own obscure statement, so he had to say more bluntly: "The principle of our Haihan selling goods, making money is the first important thing. Whether it's salt or something else, it's a buy and sell to anyone, and the difference is just to make money and not make money. ”

At this time, Zheng Zheng understood and nodded: "If we ask you to only trade with us in Vietnam, what do you think?"

The regional agency monopoly is one of the important means to expand the business activities of the group outward. Because Haihan goods are in short supply, every merchant who has a trading relationship with the Crossing Group wants to have this exclusive power in order to increase their competitive advantage in the region. At present, there are individuals or firms such as Luo Shengdong, Anfu Hong, and Fu Ruifeng who have obtained the monopoly rights of agents in different levels of different levels, and almost every businessman who has obtained this power has made a lot of money.

As long as the people sent by the Zheng clan in North Vietnam are not fools, of course, they should be able to think of how useful this monopoly is, although Zheng Zheng is a little tender, but he still quickly realizes this. Although the Zheng clan was in charge of the military and political power in North Vietnam, Zheng Zheng did not intend to use this power to threaten the Haihan people to achieve his own goals, such as letting the Zheng clan monopolize the trade channels of Haihan refined salt. The key is that if the Haihan people offend the Haihan people and the other party no longer sells salt to North Vietnam, it will be a very troublesome matter, not to mention that there is still an arms business that needs to be discussed in detail in the future.

Seeing that the other party could still keep up with the train of thought, Tao Donglai's mood was also a little relaxed, and he began to make conditions to the other party: "If you can agree to our two conditions, then we can give you the right to monopolize commodities in Hue and Quang Tri in the future." ”

"What conditions?" Zheng Qi asked calmly. He is not a child, so he naturally knows that this kind of benefit cannot be given to him for no reason, since it is a deal, it is inevitable that he will also need to pay some price. Moreover, the other side clearly put forward the concept of "the area north of Hue and Quang Tri", which shows that the other side is very clear about the current shape of the country, and may even send envoys to the south to negotiate business with the Nguyen regime.

As soon as he thought of this possibility, Zheng Zheng's heart was a little nervous that the goods that the Haihan people could sell to the Zheng clan could also be sold to the Ruan clan, not only refined salt, but also what they called muskets and artillery.

The Nguyen clan in the south is said to have conquered most of the Champa state, and the wealth of the Champa royal elite has probably become the Nguyen clan, and in the face of military suppression by North Vietnam, the Nguyen clan may really invest a lot of money to buy weapons. The North Vietnamese soldiers did not want to see a Southern rebel army armed with firearms on the battlefield, at least not with iron knives and guns against projectiles that could pierce armor.

"The conditions we put forward are simple: first, we want to be on the Tushan Peninsula...... Well, that's where we are now, and we've set up a trading house and a port, so that we can stack our goods and send people in charge of commerce, so that we can trade with you in this place more conveniently in the future. Tao Donglai put forward the first condition with a smile: "Of course, for this reason, we may need to hire some laborers from the local area and send some armed personnel to maintain law and order." This is completely for the sake of long-term trade cooperation with you in the future, I don't think Mr. Zheng should oppose it, right?"

Zheng Zheng pondered for a long time before asking noncommittally, "Then what is the second condition?"

"The second condition is that we have built a black soil port in the northeast, and I believe that you already know it, and I hope you can recognize the legitimacy of its existence. Tao Donglai didn't seem to understand Zheng Zheng's words, so he continued to explain: "The so-called legitimacy includes the right of the Haihan people to settle in the local area, the right of the people of Annan to accept our employment to settle in Heitu Port, and our right to enjoy administrative autonomy and the power of rule of law in the local area. ”

Tao Donglai didn't explain, but this explanation made Zheng Zheng even more confused. He had never even heard of what the other party said, let alone fully understood the meaning. However, despite this, Zheng Zheng still had a general understanding of what the other party wanted to achieve, and the Haihan people seemed to hope to be able to give their coal-producing port in the northeast an independent status.

The Executive Committee has put a lot of thought into the security of the Black Soil Port, and since the initial site selection, security and external defense have been the top priorities of the overseas bases. However, due to the current strength, Heitu Port has neither the protection of sea forces, nor the defense of shore fortifications, and even the military and police forces are only about 100 people, so they can only play a role in maintaining law and order internally, and the external defense force can be said to be extremely limited.

And as the trade between the crossing group and the North Vietnamese regime unfolded, the other side would certainly notice the preservation of the Black Soil Port. And whether the North Vietnamese regime will be dissatisfied with this nail in the northeast of the country, no one can say. The port of Heitu is only 40 nautical miles away from the mouth of the sea near Haiphong, and even the naval forces of the North Vietnam War can also go there, and the external military threat to the port is still real.

Therefore, the Executive Committee wanted to continue the opportunity of trade and reach an agreement with the North Vietnamese regime as much as possible to legalize the storage of the Black Soil Port. Even if such an agreement is only temporary, it is good to ensure peace in the area for three or five years, and the military police department has full confidence that it will be able to beat out any force that dares to invade the port of Black Earth at that time.

Zheng Zheng did not rush to express his position, but began to think about the purpose of the other party's two conditions. Tao Donglai's first condition is not a problem in Zheng Zheng's opinion, this place is already deserted, the terrain is narrow, there is no food, and there is no production, so there is no practical value at all. The only thing worth commendating here is probably only two natural harbors that are more suitable for ships to dock, perhaps the Haihan people who came across the sea took a fancy to this. As for the construction of the business inn here and the stationing of personnel, Zheng Zheng believes that it is not a big deal, and the transactions between the two sides can be carried out here at a fixed point in the future, saving the time of passing back and forth every time, which is really as convenient as the other party said.

As for the armed personnel mentioned by Tao Donglai, Zheng Zheng didn't take it to heart, which big family doesn't have a few thugs to guard the house? Since the Haihan people want to build a merchant store here to stack goods, it is natural that there must be some guards stationed here, and this request sounds very reasonable.

"You can agree to the first condition you put forward, but this second condition is ......" Zheng Zheng was a little hesitant about the second condition proposed by Tao Donglai.

It's okay here on the Tushan Peninsula, the Haihan people just opened a merchant inn and built a small wharf, no matter how they tossed it, this place is so big, at best it is the difference between a large merchant inn and a small merchant inn.

However, the meaning of the existence of the Black Soil Port is not the same as that of the Tushan Peninsula. Not only have thousands of people settled in the area, but there is also a steady stream of coal, which is equivalent to producing money, and it is unjustifiable that such a place is not under the rule of the government. And now the Haihan people actually proposed to hand over that piece of land to themselves for governance, isn't this extremely ridiculous? As for saying that the Black Soil Port was developed by the Haihan people, this reason is not in Zheng Zheng's consideration at all, but a group of maritime businessmen want to take that land to themselves after building some houses on the territory of our Annan Kingdom?

But the current situation is not so simple, Zheng Zheng wanted to reject Tao Donglai's condition, but he had to worry about what kind of attitude the Haihan people would adopt towards the North Vietnamese regime after refusal. Now the goods sold by the other party are not only refined salt, but even muskets and artillery are important weapons of the country, and Zheng has repeatedly told him before coming to make sure that the weapons provided by the Haihan people are usable and can be provided for a long time. As for the other terms of the transaction, Zheng said that it can be considered at its discretion, but this involves the territorial issue of Annan, so how should this be a discretionary law?

Zheng Zheng knew that his father attached great importance to the territorial issue, and now the Nguyen clan in North Vietnam wanted to fight the remnants of the Mo dynasty in the northern mountains on the one hand, and on the other hand, he wanted to crusade against the Nguyen rebels in the south, in the final analysis, it was not all for the purpose of unifying the territory of Annam. In Zheng Zheng's view, the request of the Haihan people is tantamount to dividing the territory and splitting the land, even if he agrees here, he will definitely not be able to pass the pass when he gets to the old man.

Agree to the conditions of the Haihan people, and if you go back, you won't be able to pay the difference, if you don't agree, I'm afraid that I will offend the Haihan people, and the source of arms that is now finally a little eyebrow will be ruined, Zheng Zheng is really in a dilemma for a while, and he doesn't know how to choose.

After a long time, Zheng Zheng said with a look of embarrassment: "It is too difficult for you to put forward this second condition, please forgive me for not being able to agree." ”