Five days later, Chongming Island.

The whining of conch cinches resounded in the sky.

Through the raging waves and the rising white sails, the sharp bow of the Tamsui River slashed the sea, taking advantage of the high tide, and rushed into the enemy line smoothly, followed by four galleons and as many as 40 long galleys, and the large ship was hung with the green dragon flag of the trading company, and the small boat was the flag of the daimyo.

At the mouth of the Yangtze River, four schooners lined up with the Jeju Island, which had just completed the reconstruction work, and the Jeju Island, which had been refitted, was partially modified and completely turned into a flat-deck battleship, with the stern further lowered, so that it looked more sleek and beautiful.

Lee sat in a chair and watched the battle in the distance, the two fleets colliding into each other in a fierce engagement, but the galleys of the trading company were the protagonists of the battlefield, and each salvo of their guns would smash a large number of pirate ships to the water.

The barrage of firelight caused too much killing, but the most threatening was the ramming of the galleys, with bronze ramming horns and a sharp solid bow that could smash any of the pirates' ships.

"It doesn't look like any ship will come near us." Li Zhaoji said lightly, and said to the people around him, he got up, walked to the side of the boat, patted Chen Liuzi on the shoulder, and said: "An Yingxian, it sounds like a very civilized name, but it is a tiger general."

I think he can take over the galley fleet. ”

"At your command, Commander." Chen Liuzi said half-jokingly.

An Yingxian is Chen Liuzi's old acquaintance in Pattani, is the second batch of people to come to defect, has been by Chen Liuzi's side as an assistant, this time in the Yangtze River estuary operation, he led the galleys fleet played a decisive role, whether it is the outpost battle, or the current decisive battle, is the main force.

The cleanup of pirates at the mouth of the Yangtze River was one of the conditions for Li Zhaoji and Shen Youlong to cooperate on the matter of the Liao soldiers on Jeju Island.

There are a large number of pirates entrenched in Chongming Island, they are pirates, but also fishermen, Chongming Island is full of sand beams, shoals, the big ships of the official army can not enter, so it can not be exterminated, as long as the official army is large-scale clearance, these people will flee to the open sea, go to Zhoushan to hide.

But now, the Ming court needs to exterminate them, they became in Chongming Island, and they also died because of Chongming Island.

This is because, a year ago, Chongming Island was still walking on dozens of sandbanks at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and Chongming County was only located on the largest sandbar. However, in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Chongming Island, which can be seen on the map of later generations, was officially completed, becoming the third largest island in China in later generations, and has not dissipated since then.

Shen Youlong obtained about 70,000 Liao soldiers and Liao people from Jeju Island, and how to settle them was a problem.

Although Wu Sangui defected with more than 20 nobles and scholars, and the Hongguang court confiscated a large number of grange properties, it was a rare resource for Shen Youlong, and it was a rare resource to serve the huge scale of the new Beijing camp in his plan, so some of the relatives of the Liao soldiers and the Beijing camp were placed on the newly born Chongming Island to open up the wasteland.

And the task of exterminating this group of pirates was entrusted to the Oriental Trading Company, as well as the Taiping Bo King, and a soldier and horse of Xing.

Half an hour later, Ahn Young-hyun came to the Jeju Island, and he said, "Commander, the pirates have been defeated, do you land on Chongmyeong Island?" ”

Lee asked, "Did you catch any special people?" ”

"Gu Rong was caught, but Gu San Mazi fled to the Zhoushan Islands." Ahn Young-hyun said.

Li Zhaoji nodded: "You take all the prisoners to Songjiang first, you only need to cover the landing of Taiping Bo's people."

He'll divide half of the capture to reward your fleet, and if it's not enough, I'll arrange for a reward.

After resting, you choose the opportunity to go to Zhoushan, if Gu San Mazi does not surrender, you will destroy him. ”

An Yingxian hurriedly said yes, and Chen Liuzi said, "Bring Gu Rong and arrange other things." ”

Not long after, Gu Rong, who was tied into zongzi, was brought to Li Zhaoji, and there were two others with him who were met by Li Zhaoji, one Shi Lang and the other Zheng Zhibao.

"General Zheng, General Shi, let the two of you wait for a long time, now we can talk." Li Zhaoji said with a smile.

Gu Rong trembled, and immediately knelt on the ground and said: "Master Li, it's a little one who doesn't know what to do, and I misunderstood your kindness, please give the villain a chance to change his past mistakes and work for you." ”

Li Zhaoji smiled slightly: "Okay, today is to give you this opportunity." ”

The three of them sat cross-legged in front of Li Zhaoji, while Li Zhaoji opened a leather chart and said lightly: "The three of you are all heroes on the sea, and you have also fought against me. The coast of China has changed owners, I like quiet trade, I don't like pirates who disrupt order.

And you, either you are pirates or you will become potential pirates. ”

Shi Lang fled back to Fujian after the Nagasaki incident, and his father Shi Daxuan and uncle Shi Fu were both high-ranking members of the Zheng maritime group, because even if Zheng Sen wanted to kill him, Zheng Zhilong would not agree. During the reign of Lu Jianguo, Shi Lang's family obeyed Zheng Zhilong's order and went to Nanjing by land to converge, but was ambushed by Zuo Mengeng, and Shi Lang was arrested in Nanjing.

Shi Fu was kidnapped by Wu Sangui and went to Liaodong, but Shi Lang was lucky to escape.

Now there are only three branches left in the Zheng family: Zheng Sen, Zheng Cai and Zheng Hongkui, Zheng Sen vowed to kill him, Shi Lang originally wanted to defect to Zheng Cai, but before he arrived, Zheng Cai was sent away by Li Zhaoji, he originally planned to take the account book to Japan to join Zheng Cai or Zheng Tai, but was captured.

Zheng Zhibao is also an unlucky guy, Zheng Cai wanted to kill him at the first time in order to seize power, but he was lucky to avoid it. He wanted to vote for his brother Zheng Hongkui, but was rejected by Zheng Hongkui.

Zheng Hongkui was originally an outlier of the Zheng maritime group, he rarely participated in trade, and was bent on taking the path of serving the imperial court by martial arts, although he became the chief soldier of Zhenjiang, but he did not want to provoke the rights and wrongs of the Zheng family, so he did not accept any important members of the Zheng family.

So Zheng Zhibao was ready to sell his account book and find a place to be a rich man.

Now, three heroes of the sea who have lost their power have gathered in front of Li Zhaoji, and fate must obey Li Zhaoji's arrangement.

"I could kill you, but you really don't have a blood vendetta against me. The one who has the most resentment is Shi Lang, but what you do is also for the interests of the Zheng family, and you and I can't talk about personal enmity. Besides, it didn't cause me much damage, and if you hadn't ruined my trade strategy of going north to Nagasaki and turned the trading company against the Edo shogunate, I, Li Zhaoji, would not have made up my mind to capture Sado Island.

Now it seems that the occupation of Sado was the key to the rise of the trading company. Li Zhaoji said with a smile, and these words soothed everyone's mood.

Lee Zhaoji was telling the truth, if it weren't for Shi Lang's sabotage, the trading company would still be engaged in peaceful trade with Japan. And if that were the case, it would not be possible to capture Sado and have the Treasure Island, which produces more than a million silver per year.

Without the gold and silver produced in Sado, Li Zhaoji would not have been able to establish a community of interests with the Guangdong gentry, and he would not have been able to create the Oriental Brigade.

Without the force of the Eastern Brigade, it would not be possible to march north, and it would not be possible to prevent the Manchus from entering the customs, let alone use this force to influence the changes in the situation on the Eastern Continent.

Lee continued, "I won't embarrass you, but I won't let those of you who are two of you join the trading company.

Among the people who have power and influence, but are not trusted by me, the one who has been reused is Zheng Tingqiu, one of the four pirates surnamed Zheng in Guangdong.

He is now stationed in northern Ryukyu and is making a living by robbing Japan. He is your example. ”

Shi Lang asked: "Are you asking us to be pirates and work for you?" ”

"No, you won't get the same arrangement as Zheng Tingqiu, I think Shi Lang, if you go to Japan, you are more likely to defect to Zheng Cai and become my enemy." Li Zhaoji asked rhetorically.

Shi Lang lowered his head, this was originally his plan, he was too young, he didn't want to waste his life, he wanted to achieve something, but he lacked a platform.

Li Zhaoji dotted on the map, circled the entire Nanyang, and said, "Three, this is your stage."

You can pack up your men, and you can even go to the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang to persuade more pirates born of the collapse of the Zheng family to join, go to Nanyang to conquer a piece of land, and become a soil emperor. ”

Shi Lang and Gu Rong both looked down, and Li Zhaoji continued: "Your conquest will be supported and recognized by me, and I will provide you with all conveniences. For example, Shi Lang, if you want, I will give you a reasonable sum of silver, as if I bought the bill you imposed. On the contrary, if you stay on the coast of Daming, you can only die if you are an enemy of me.

How's that, interested? ”

"Lord Li, Nanyang is the territory of the Dutch, and they ......." Shi Lang said.

Li Zhaoji interrupted him: "Oh, so to speak, General Shi Lang is interested. ”

Shi Lang nodded: "I'm fed up with being under the fence, driven by others, and having a chance to stand on my own, of course I'm willing." And now is the right time. ”

Li Zhaoji said: "Gu Rong, what about you? General Zheng, and you. ”

Gu Rong said: "I can't hold a hoe with these hands, I can only work hard at sea, but you don't take me in, I can only die if I stay here, I am willing to try south, but I have never been to Nanyang." ”

"I've been there, and we can work together." Shi Lang said immediately.

"So be it." Gu Rong immediately agreed, and the two of them also cast their eyes on Zheng Zhibao.

Zheng Zhibao thought for a while and shook his head: "Master Li, I'm not young anymore, I want to go to Siam, buy some land, buy a house, but I will die." ”

"Was the eighteen Zhi of the year so disappointing?" Li Zhaoji asked.

"I really don't want to fight and die anymore." Zheng Zhibao said that his face was piled up with enough flattery: "The silver you promised me is enough for me to live the rest of my life." ”

Zheng Zhibao gave Li Zhaoji his own account book, and also betrayed Shi Lang, getting a total of 35,000 taels, for him before, this money was nothing, but for him now, this is the money to live and live, which is enough.

Li Zhaoji said: "If this is the case, it will be a waste to give you 35,000 taels." Come on, take Zheng Zhibao down, he doesn't even have the heart to work hard, and he is no longer qualified to sit here. ”

Zhao Changshui led people to tie up Zheng Zhibao, and Zheng Zhibao shouted: "Li Zhaoji, you are treacherous, you lie to me." ”

Li Zhaoji smiled and said: "If you want to live the rest of your life in peace, you don't need 35,000 taels of silver, and you don't need to go all the way to Siam and leave your hometown."

Changshui, take five hundred taels of silver, and send Zheng Zhibao to Nanjing and hand it over to Zheng Sen.

Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Sen is a loyal and filial person, you are his uncle, he will support you for the rest of your life. As for your 35,000 taels, it will be counted as Gu Rong and Shi Lang's start-up capital. The two of you remember that the two of you need to return Zheng Zhibao 500 taels of silver every year until the repayment is finished, and when he dies, he will also return it to his family. ”

"Yes, sir!" Gu Rong was overjoyed, his pirate gang was destroyed, Chongming Island was gone, all the wealth he had accumulated was confiscated, and he wanted to conquer the South Seas, but he was short of silver.

Shi Lang said: "Master Li, now you can talk about the specific arrangements, it is very difficult to go to Nanyang to work hard." ”

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