Zhao Changshui said: "Big shopkeeper, do you think Wu Sangui will be in this fleet?" ”

Li Zhaoji shook his head slightly, he couldn't say for sure, during this time, Wu Sangui became more and more separated from the trading company, and the news exchange became less and less.

In the past, Wu Sangui transported troops to Gangnam or Jeju Island, and the ships of the trading company and the ships of the sailors he collected were mixed, regardless of you and me, and even because the ships of the trading company were larger and more stable, the generals under Wu Sangui were willing to take the ships of the trading company.

But gradually, Wu Sangui didn't use the ships of the trading company if he could, and he didn't let the ships of the trading company transport troops a long time ago, but helped transport some family members. And his warships were no longer mixed with the fleet of the trading company, and often went south alone, and Wu Sangui would even spend money to hire Ming merchant ships to go from south to north to assist in transportation.

Li Zhaoji looked at the fleet formation, there were two lucky boats, a bird boat and two sand boats of Jiangnan merchants. This kind of behavior of not notifying the trading company, not allowing the trading company to escort the navy, and not even allowing the Guangdong merchant ships to be incorporated has proved the special nature of this caravan.

"I don't know, but these warships are the last few ships in the Northland that can still be seen, there are more and more drift ice on the sea, and Juehua Island is about to freeze. Even if Wu Sangui is not in this fleet, his family assets are estimated to be there. Li Zhaoji said.

Zhao Changshui asked in a low voice: "Then you mean, do it?" ”

"It's about the same time in time........" Li Zhaoji thought for a moment and said to Zhao Changshui: "Then let's do it, whether you hold it or not, it doesn't hurt to hold Wu Sangui." Send a fleet to intercept it in the Bohai Strait first, and as long as you find Wu Sangui's fleet, you will start immediately. ”

Two days later, a not-so-fierce battle broke out in the Bohai Strait, led by the Jeju Heavy Cruiser, a total of six warships intercepted Wu Sangui's fleet, and although the bird ships and Fu ships under his command resisted, all the ships did not have as many guns as the Jeju Island, and they were quickly defeated.

The rest of the ships still wanted to escape, but it was simply impossible.

Because Wu Sangui's ships use Chinese sails, the hard sails used are very suitable for the weak wind weather along the coast of China, and because they are good at using the eight-sided wind, they are also more agile in steering. But there is a huge drawback, that is, the boat does not run fast, and the fastest will not exceed six knots.

The trading company's navy was all ships with Western soft sails, and their speed was faster than that of Wu Sangui's battleships, especially the two schooners, whose maximum speed could easily exceed ten knots.

Wu Sangui's fleet couldn't fight, couldn't run, and finally surrendered directly, and even resistance was lackluster, because these sailor warships were originally not subordinate to Wu Sangui, but were from the sailor battalions in Tianjin, Dengzhou and other places, because when the Jiashen national disaster was over, the north wind season ended, and these people didn't want to surrender Dashun, so they took refuge in Wu Sangui in order to find someone to get the salary, and they wouldn't take their lives for Wu Sangui.

In a farmhouse on the outskirts of Lushun.

When the shopkeeper named Dacheng came in, Liu Li was still sleeping, and the fierce knock on the door made Liu Li scold and get up, sit up from between the two women, and push them, the two women got up and waited for Liu Li to get up.

"Second master, something happened." It was easy to open the door, and the shopkeeper of Dacheng sprayed a mouthful of turbid air on Liu Li's face.

Liu Li frowned: "What can happen, can the sky still fall?" Could it be that Zhao Changshui doesn't know how to lift and refuses to join our gang? ”

The shopkeeper of the big city said: "Oh, that guy sent four big boxes early this morning, and the little one thought that the guy had already received your favor. But the little one was afraid that he would deceive, so he quietly pried open his box, and inside it was some tattered clothes and worthless porcelain, and nothing else.

Second master, this is not right, not to mention, the two hundred taels of silver you gave him are all official silver, not silver dollars, he dares to put such money into the container of the mail ship, dare to carry it with him? ”

When Liu Li heard this, he shook his head heavily and said, "This guy must have sold Lao Tzu, or took the benefits and didn't do anything." ”

"Yes, that day, the little one went to deliver the money, and he obviously promised to ask you about the personnel arrangements in the Northland, and he sent the box today, and he didn't mention anything. I also made so much tatters, even the names used on the manifest are pseudonyms, and the pseudonyms are signed with the left hand, which is a clear line with you.

If there was no movement on the side of the big shopkeeper, he wouldn't be like this.

Second master, didn't we do those things, it happened? The shopkeeper of the big city said anxiously.

"Second master, second master, something big has happened, something has happened." A man came in a hurry, covered in mud, his face was flushed, his whole body smelled of alcohol, and he couldn't stop screaming.

Liu Li looked up and saw that this was also his henchman, who was in charge of the two smuggling ships, and he should be leaving for Lianyungang today.

"What's wrong with you?" Liu Li asked.

"Second master, our ship has been detained, and all the people on board have been arrested. Zhao Changshui, with his entourage and a team of soldiers, was searching the ...... on the ship. The captain pointed in the direction of the harbor and screamed endlessly.

"How did you get out?" The shopkeeper asked.

"Small...... The little one wasn't on the boat, and yesterday I drank and went to ........ The captain whispered.

Now gathered in the Lushun area, in addition to the various armed forces of the trading companies, there are also thousands of Liaodong refugees who have attached themselves to Li Zhaoji, these people form a small town, and can also provide some services for the merchant ships and troops coming and going from the south to the north.

Liu Li kicked the two guys into the dung pit with one kick, and he scolded and said, "Is it still useful to argue about this now?" Grandma's, Zhao Changshui played a trick to retreat and deceive Lao Tzu. ”

The shopkeeper of the big city said: "Second master, something is wrong, why only catch those two boats, and how can the small one be responsible for the boat safe and sound?" ”

"How do I know this!" Liu Li said.

Obviously, Liu Li didn't know that it was just a misunderstanding. Two of his ships full of smuggled goods were arrested because they were flying the flag of Pingxibo Wu Sangui, because his goods were going to Jiangnan, and they were all along the coastal routes, and it was easy to encounter the armed merchant ships of the trading company.

At present, armed merchant ships will intercept and inspect any ships on the sea, whether they are coming from the south or going north, mainly to see if there are any smuggling materials. Of course, the ships that come and go from the south to the north are all smuggling ships, and what Li Zhaoji wants to catch is the smuggled materials that are traded with the Manchus.

If there were Mongolian horses, ginseng, deer antlers, furs, and other things produced outside the customs on the ship, it was regarded as trade with the Manchus and was all intercepted.

And there are only two kinds of ships that will not be checked, one is the trading company's own ship, and the other is Wu Sangui's ship.

In the past, Liu Li used the ships of trading companies and even warships to smuggle, but now he can't. Because the ships heading south were full of people returning to Tamsui, the wounded and sick, and the families of the army, there were many people, and the cabins of each ship were requisitioned for mail, and filled with large and small standard boxes, it was obvious that it could not be done with a trading company ship.

So Liu Li deliberately hoisted Wu Sangui's flag to avoid being investigated, and because Wu Sangui's ship never sailed alone, Liu Li organized two ships and docked in Lushun, waiting for the other two.

His two smuggling boats were controlled, and it had nothing to do with him, precisely because he flew Wu Sangui's flag. And Li Zhaoji did not have a full understanding of Liu Li's party, and it was because it was Wu Sangui's ship that he ordered his entourage and the army to control the ships in the port while making moves against the southbound fleet.

But in any case, it is impossible to hide it now, there are people on the ship who know Liu Li's details, and the ship is full of all kinds of contraband, and there are even a few handwritten letters from Liu Li to some business partners.

"Ayutthaya, you go home at once, pack up the gold and silver, and join me here, I still have a boat, you can leave!" Liu Li said to the shopkeeper of the big city.

The shopkeeper of the city said, "Second master, where are we going?" ”

Liu Li laughed: "Of course I went to my eldest brother, my eldest brother is in charge of the army in Sado, and with his face, the big shopkeeper will not do anything to you and me." Let's go and avoid the limelight first. ”

When the shopkeeper of Ayutthaya heard this, he nodded slightly and went immediately.

Liu Li said to the captain again: "The two women in it, it's useless to keep them, you can dispose of them for me." ”

The captain drew the dagger he had with him and rushed in, followed by the screams of a woman inside. Liu Li came in, and the two were killed on the bed, but Liu Li pointed to one and said, "You stupid, you can't do this bit of work, that one is not dead." ”

The captain immediately turned to mend the knife, but felt a chill in his lower back, and looked down to see a dagger stuck in his lower back.

When the shopkeeper of Dacheng came back, he was carrying two heavy boxes, but he saw Liu Li throwing a box out of the well, climbing up, and scolding endlessly.

"Second master, what's wrong?"

"Liu Qi, that idiot, went down to get the silver and fell into the well by mistake, Dacheng, you go down quickly, fish him up, and .......take all the silver boxes by the way." Liu Li said.

The shopkeeper of Dacheng didn't suspect him, grabbed the rope and went down, but when he looked up, he saw Liu Li cutting the rope with a knife, and he hurriedly shouted: "Second master, what are you doing here?" ”

"Stupid, don't you know about killing people for money?" Liu Li continued to cut the rope and said lightly.

The shopkeeper of Dacheng said: "You don't want to vote for the uncle, what are you going to do, the second master, I have been with you for two years, where you go, where I go, my money is a reward given by the second master, the second master wants to use it, just use it."

Please, second master, don't harm my life. ”

Liu Li said coldly: "Lao Tzu is going to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, are you willing to be this traitor with me?" ”

Without waiting for the big city shopkeeper to answer, the rope had been cut, and the big city shopkeeper fell into the well, and Liu Li picked up a few big stones and threw them in, and smashed them until there was no sound inside, so he clapped his hands, lifted the big city shopkeeper's box, and left in a hurry.

Bullhorn Fort.

"The big shopkeeper, the big shopkeeper." Zhao Changshui rushed into the room, but saw Li Laiheng and a few businessmen sitting opposite, Zhao Changshui whispered something in Li Zhaoji's ear, Li Zhaoji smiled, and said to everyone: "It's a woman's business again, ouch, women are really annoying." ”

"Hahaha........" Everyone laughed, everyone knew that Li Zhaoji had two big beauties around him, and it was too late for others to envy him, but he was annoyed.

"Big shopkeeper, if there is anything, let's talk about the next details after lunch, anyway, you have already decided." A businessman stood up and said with a joke.

Li Zhaoji nodded slightly: "That's the only way, thank you for your understanding." Come to Heng, stay and eat, but you are not allowed to leave. ”

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