Unlike when it came, the Centipede made its way to Neilingding Island as fast as it could, arriving the next day.

All the high-level officials of the trading company were summoned to the stone building, and Li Zhaoji briefed everyone on the arrival of William's fleet.

After living with the people of the Oriental Trading Company for so long, Yang Yandi and Chen Ping also knew about the enmity between the trading company and the British, and they admired Li Zhaoji even more. They all believe that on the endless ocean, the anti-customer is the main thing, and the victory over the enemy can only prove that the shopkeeper of the trading company is an extraordinary person.

"We only have one warship, which is no match for the British, and even if the ship has been improved and made faster, it will be difficult to defeat the enemy in a head-to-head duel." After introducing the situation, many people showed a mentality of wanting revenge, and Li Zhaoji took the lead in explaining his judgment.

Speed is very important in naval battles, but it is a chase battle, but it is not important at all in a decisive battle, especially in the battle line shooting, the fight is who has more artillery and who has thick pipes. The Vostok was far inferior to its opponent in terms of the number of guns and the quality of its gunners, and it was unable to cope with the head-on duel.

"Shopkeeper, do you have a plan?" Chen Ping asked. He still didn't want to be an enemy of the British, after all, the relationship between William's fleet and the imperial court had not yet been determined, and he was suspected of opening the border provocation by rushing into battle.

Li Zhaoji nodded: "I gathered everyone to announce my plan, from now on, the trading company will enter a state of combat readiness, and the escort team, the vanguard and the two ships will all assemble and prepare for battle." ”

"What about the goal?" But everyone didn't expect Li Zhaoji to put on a decisive posture at once.

Li Zhaoji immediately replied: "The water prison on Wailingding Island." ”

"Wailingding Island?"

"Aren't we dealing with the British?"

There was a lot of discussion among the participants, all of whom did not understand Li Zhaoji's intentions, and Li Zhaoji said: "I did not ask you to discuss the matter of dealing with William's fleet, but I only informed you of the situation facing the trading company. Now we will only discuss the issue of the foreign Lingding Island. ”

Liu Mingde was the first to speak: "I have no opinion on the war against the four surnamed pirates, but the shopkeeper, I just want to know, what is our goal?" Are we going to rescue the piglets in the water prison? ”

"Lao Liu, pay attention to what you say, half a month ago, I was also a pig." Chen Ping's cheeks twitched, and he reminded that he supported the foreign battle on Lingding Island, and the four pirates surnamed Lin Rong on the island were his enemies.

Liu Mingde smiled awkwardly and said, "Okay, rescue the captive people." ”

"Isn't it okay, save the people, do the right thing for heaven, we are famous!" Lee Siu Kee said.

Seeing everyone's suspicious gaze, Liu Mingde hurriedly explained: "No, no, no, don't look at me like this, I'm not against the plan proposed by the shopkeeper, I just want to ask in advance, if we succeed, how to deal with those pigs in the water prison...... Those people? ”

"What do you mean, aren't we here to rescue, but to rob the goods, and when we get it, we sell those people as piglets!" Chen Ping said angrily.

When Liu Mingde heard this, he hurriedly said: "Everyone, our shopkeeper is a kind-hearted person, and he is categorically unwilling to resell those people. But the problem is that we shopkeepers will not sit idly by and watch those people be displaced, and I say all this just to say that we must not recruit them all into the trading company.

You don't know that firewood, rice, oil, and salt are expensive, and our trading company can't afford to raise so many mouths. ”

"That's what you mean, I'm sorry Lao Liu, I'm in Xia Menglang." Chen Ping let go of his clenched fists and made a loss to Liu Mingde.

Chen Liuzi sat in front of Li Zhaoji and said in a low voice, "Does the eldest brother want to send those people to fresh water?" ”

Li Zhaoji shook his head slightly, this thing sounds quite reasonable, but in fact, it is completely inoperable. Freshwater is now a wilderness, a fortress built by the Spaniards, surrounded by natives. Taiwan's indigenous people are mainly engaged in gathering and hunting, and the backward mode of production is not enough to feed the surplus people, and it is so difficult to import rations from other places to feed thousands of people, and the remaining funds of the trading companies cannot support the development of acres of land and produce grain.

What's more, the people of Wailingding Island were all caught from Neilingding Island, and in the past, there were mainly hawkers and fishermen, and these people were not as useful as farmers in terms of early development.

"If we succeed, we should free the people, and we should do a good deed to accumulate blessings and virtues." Li Zhaoji replied lightly, and said: "Unless the trading company needs people, the rest will not be accepted into the company." ”

In these two sentences, the first half of the sentence is Chen Ping'an's heart, and the second half of the sentence is Liu Mingde's relief.

But what Li Zhaoji thinks, only he knows, everyone here knows that attacking Wailingding Island and saving the exiled people is just the beginning, as for the follow-up plan, only Li Zhaoji knows.

Wailingding Island.

The Dragon King Temple next to the water prison is now Lin Rong's residence, during this time, he lived a very comfortable life, some time ago he did that business with Hongmaoyi, and made a lot of money, and Zheng Tingqiu also went to the road, I don't know where to get him a beautiful woman, let him take a concubine.

Lin Rong is both men and women, seeing that the woman is beautiful, he also likes it, so he happily held a banquet.

"Zheng Tingqiu sent someone to send ten satins and two large vts of rice wine."

"Shibi is very filial, that jujube red horse, an unexpected divine horse, I'm afraid it came from the north."

"Ma Xuansheng doesn't have any gifts, but this small bag of golden sand is very eye-catching, I'm afraid it will cost twenty taels ......."

Lin Rong was wearing a red groom's robe, sitting under the tree in the temple courtyard to enjoy the shade, thinking about how to enjoy the woman at night, but listening to the gifts of those pirate leaders in his ears, he was very proud.

"Mr. Qian, there is also not very good news, someone from Guangzhou asked, how are the piglets sold?" After the account room reported, he said with a smile while beating Lin Rong's legs.

"How did you get there?" Lin Rong groaned comfortably twice and said.

The bookkeeper said: "How can I say that this season is not right, until September, the merchants of Nanyang will arrive in large numbers, and when they go south in November, they will bring the piglets back to their hometowns, and at that time, it is a good time for this business." ”

"Yes, that's right. Let the general's expectations be lower, and when the red-haired fleet comes back, that Li Zhaoji will come to the door, and we will sell 800 piglets in one go, and give the master a surprise. Lin Rong was very proud and said his calculations.

Lin Rong said: "Those who gave gifts, did they arrange a banquet?" ”

"They all ate and drank in the side courtyard, saying that they were making a good fuss in the cave room at night, and they refused to leave." The bookkeeper said.

Lin Rong laughed: "Let this group of cubs make trouble, and entertain them well." ”

"Mr. Qian, good news, good news." One of his men walked in drunk, staggering, and shouted loudly.

"You're pickling things, don't get any closer." Lin Rong took out a white handkerchief, covered his mouth and nose, and said in disgust.

The man knelt on the ground and said, "I went to the dock to greet the guests just now, and I saw the English red-haired foreign ship and the interpreter named Li Zhaoji. The little one told them that today is your big day, and Li Zhaoji was very happy, so he went back to the foreign ship at that time, and someone moved a few boxes, saying that he wanted to congratulate you, and he was on his way to come at this time. ”

"Li Zhaoji is here? It's been less than a month since I last bought a piglet, didn't you say three months? Lin Rong immediately became interested.

The man said happily: "Well, then Li Zhaoji is a spirit, I didn't see a foreigner this time, and he is in charge." As soon as I got ashore, I asked how many piglets there were in the water prison, and I changed my mind, asking for 1,05, not 800. ”

"Oops, that's a big deal." Lin Rong rubbed his hands and laughed: "Hurry up, please come and sit down in the hall, he is our most distinguished guest, I will receive him personally." Why didn't he come yet? ”

"Oh, that guy is angry, the boxes carried down from the foreign boat are not counted, buy congratulatory gifts along the street, the old restaurant on the dock, as soon as you enter the door, you will ask for twenty jars, and you will choose the expensive ones. At a glance, there were more than 20 people just carrying gifts, so they set up two tables at the inn next to them and sent them immediately, for fear of losing your face. ”

Lin Rong nodded, and threw a handful of broken silver to his subordinates: "It's done properly, and I'll give you a reward." ”

"Oh, Lord Lin, I'm so damned, I don't even know about your big day. But I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Before Lin Rong left the temple gate, he heard Li Zhaoji's hearty voice, and saw Li Zhaoji leading people in, more than 20 people, carrying and carrying, all gifts.

Lin Rong also greeted him, and wrote excitedly: "Brother just came, how can I blame, you are my honored guest, it is my blessing to be able to come and eat a glass of water and wine." ”

"Carry it in, carry it in......." Li Zhaoji saw things piled up in the courtyard, and immediately ordered them to be carried to the main hall.

The bookkeeper smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Li, you haven't called your name yet, you are all a generous gift." ”

Li Zhaoji put his arm around Lin Rong's shoulders and said, "Don't register by roll call, the relationship between me and Hongmao can't be leaked." This time there was a big business, and the red hair asked me to buy 1,500 piglets. In addition, there is a special one in the gift, which must be inspected by the adult himself. ”

When Lin Rong heard this, he didn't care about any false courtesy, and immediately pulled Li Zhaoji into the hall. Seeing that everyone put down their things, Lin Rong immediately ordered his subordinates to entertain these people.

Most of the people dispersed, and Li Zhaoji pointed to a half-human-high box and asked, "Lord Lin, do you know what is here?" ”

"It won't be a chest full of gold and silver." Lin Rong joked, this box was the largest, he saw with his own eyes that four people carried it in, if it was filled with gold and silver, no less than 10,000 catties, how could the four people carry it.

Li Zhaoji opened a box the size of a shoebox, and showed a box full of Ducatel gold coins, shining gold, and he said: "This is a gift to Lord Lin, where do I have silver to fill such a big box." ”

Compared with the bag of golden gold sent by the pirate leader, this box of gold coins is several times richer, Lin Rong is extremely satisfied with Li Zhaoji, and he can't wait to kiss him on the spot.

"Then what's in this box, it's so big, you can put a person." The bookkeeper joked.

"What the gentleman said is that there is a man here." Li Zhaoji said mysteriously.

The account room was puzzled and laughed: "Could it be that Shopkeeper Li sent a woman to my master." The so-called double swallow complex double swallow, double fly is enviable. ”

Li Zhaoji waved his hand: "I bought a batch of piglets that day, and I saw a worried look on Lord Lin's face, knowing that you were worried that Chen Ping and his gang would escape." In order to give you peace of mind, I brought Chen Ping here. ”

"It turned out to be a dead man." Lin Rong suddenly felt bad luck on this big day, but after thinking about it, Li Zhaoji didn't know that he was happy and couldn't blame him, so he said to the two subordinates in the house: "You two, throw the corpse out." ”

The two subordinates opened the box, and suddenly there was a loud startle, Lin Rong was just about to scold his subordinates for making trouble, when he saw a person come out of the box, stabbed one of his subordinates to death, and broke the other neck.

The account room was horrified, turned around and wanted to leave, Chen Liuzi held the knife, scorpion the tiger lifted the door curtain, stretched out a small foot, the account room fell to the ground, and was stabbed in the back of the heart by Chen Ping.

Li Zhaoji held down Lin Rong, and just when they thought that there was no one inside or outside the hall, a scream came from the inner room, and Li Zhaoji kicked Lin Rong in the big box, drew a knife and rushed in.