December 7, Huaiyang Harbor (now Pearl Harbor, Hawaii) on Weiyi Island.

The two merchant ships "Fushun" and "Fuqing" stumbled into the harbor one after another, and the broken mast, broken sails, and lost sailors obviously experienced the baptism of a storm at sea, and came to this island to which the Qi country belonged in a panic.

"Yo, you two ships are not good to repair, I guess you won't be able to make it to Luzon. So...... do you need a comfortable and welcoming hostel during your stay? Yin Shunxi tilted his head, looked at the two poor merchant ships in front of him, and wondered which familiar hostel to introduce them to when repairing the ships, so as to get a lot of commission.

"Come on, don't introduce you to a black shop." Cheng Shide, the senior shopkeeper of the "Shenghuai Ji" Trading Company of the Kingdom of David, glanced back at the two merchant ships behind him, and his face was gloomy, "We often run this Pacific route, and we have familiar hostels and restaurants, so we don't need you to be courteous." ”

Yin Shunxi couldn't help but pouted secretly, but he was not frustrated by the rejection, but continued to recommend the purchase of supplies such as drinking water and fresh fruits and vegetables to the other party.

Since decades ago, the Qi State occupied the Weiyi Islands, because the place is located at the "crossroads" of the Pacific Ocean, is the maritime transportation hub between the mainland, Yinzhou and Hanzhou, has an extremely important strategic position, so it has been vigorously developed and built, so that this island in a very short period of time, has become a prosperous trade relay station. Many merchant ships sailing to and from the Pacific Rim would stop at the site for a short break and replenishment.

There are frequent storms at sea, and the people who run boats are basically adventurers who pin their heads to their belts to earn high trade profits or salaries. After experiencing all kinds of hardships at sea, they will usually spend a lot of money at the port of stop or at the supply point to comfort the panic and anxiety, and they are naturally very generous at hand.

But the merchant ships and sailors belonging to the country are an exception, how to say it, anyway, it is particularly picky, spending money, and exuding a strong small family atmosphere.

More than 50 years ago, I couldn't help but feel jealous but helpless when I saw the Kingdom of Luzon (Zheng) next door engaged in lucrative transpacific trade with Spanish America.

Who has always established close trade relations with the Spaniards?

Even during the Qi West War, at the request of the suzerain, the naval and land armies had to be sent to follow the Qi State to attack Baja California, Mexico and other Spanish American territories. However, after the war, Zheng quickly forged the "traditional friendship" between the two sides with the Spaniards, and continued to fight fiercely, making the transpacific trade prosperous, and shiploads of gold and silver were shipped back from the Americas.

Not to mention, the Kingdom of Luzon also owned several extremely rich gold and copper mines in the northern region, which made millions of dollars a year. With money, people continue to increase immigration and various arms construction, so that the gap in strength between Weiguo and Luzon is getting bigger and bigger. This made the monarch and ministers of the country feel a little anxious and ...... Unwilling.

Although they were both vassals of the Qi State, the relations between the two countries in the north and south of Luzon had been on the same page due to the contradictions and hatred accumulated during the founding of the country, and they were eager to put each other to death.

If it weren't for the Qi State sitting in it and restraining the two countries, it is estimated that they would have fought a lot long ago, causing the Luzon region to be full of smoke.

Perhaps for the sake of regional balance, in the face of the weakness of the country, the Qi State also gave more support, not only helping them establish (control) a series of industrial facilities, but also actively guiding the commercial forces of the country to go out, opening up the markets of Annam, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, Weiyuan, Jinzhou (now Sumatra), Hanzhou, and even India to them, and integrating them into the eastern trade circle dominated by the Qi State.

After the Qi State colonized and developed the Yinzhou region, the patriotic merchants who knew the opportunity also formed a fleet, followed the Qi people, and squeezed into the trans-Pacific trade in order to eat some leftovers.

Whether it is going to Yinzhou to trade, they will compete with the local fur merchants, quarrel over the quality and price of each piece of fur, or buy supplies at the port or island where they stop, stay and eat, and make careful calculations, eager to break a silver coin into halves to use, which makes people criticize.

"Hey, what, I'll give you a few words, and I'll ignore you." Cheng Shide was asking the tooth man on the dock where to buy cheaper drinks and canned food, but he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when he saw the other party turn his head and look at the sea on tiptoe.

"Alright, alright, I'm not going to talk nonsense with you." Yin Shunxi put up a pergola with his hands, looking at the sea, with a look of surprise in his eyes, "Since you think canned food and wine are expensive, just buy a bunch of coconuts." It's a ready-made water storage kettle, and it's sweet, and the coconut meat can satisfy your hunger, enough for you to use at sea for a long time. …… However, I have to warn you to place an order and buy it quickly, otherwise, after a while, the price of all goods in the port area will go up! ”

"Hey, you want to scare me?" Cheng Shide said disdainfully: "Such a port city with thousands of people, can we dare to raise the price of all commodities because our two ships enter the port?" ”

"Hey, hey, hey......" Yin Shunxi showed a sly smile, stretched out his hand and pointed at the sea, "This big shopkeeper, look at the sea!" …… A big fleet is coming! Well, there must be a dozen or twenty of them, right? Hey, this is going to be rich! ”

Cheng Shide turned his head to look at the sea, only to see the shadow of the sail, accompanied by billowing smoke, a fleet of more than a dozen ships was slowly heading towards the bay.

"Grandma's, so many boats are coming! …… Hey, hurry up, those canned food, wine, and fruits and vegetables are all set for me immediately according to the price you just had! ”

——

"Relieved up, everyone lined up and followed me. Remember, don't run around, if you get lost, be careful of being caught by the police and the army, and all of them will be locked up in a coolie camp! ”

Wang Shuigen let out a long breath and tried to take a few steps forward, feeling as if those feet had become a part of his body again, and he could freely control their movements.

Well, it's still reassuring to feel down-to-earth!

He walked slowly along the long queue towards the east side of the dock as he looked around.

A tall lighthouse stands atop a hill to point the way for ships passing through the harbor.

In the port area, steam boom after steam boom is busy loading and unloading cargo for ships. Numerous dock coolies, shuttling among them, they are stocky, dark-skinned, sweaty, and carefully carry precious goods.

Several horse-drawn railroad tracks, stretching from the dock to Huaiyang City in the distance, countless goods flow and gush on them.

There were several thick puffs of black smoke floating above Huaiyang City, which looked particularly dazzling under the clear sky. In a trance, you can even hear the roaring of machines coming from the factories in the city.

It seems that everywhere the people of Qi are staying, there will be huge machines, and the smoke emitted by the machines. The sugar factory in Ryukyu, the brick kiln lime factory in Qingyuan, and now the fruit and vegetable canning factory on the island.

Oh, and maybe a seafood processing plant.

When I was still on the boat, I saw a fish the size of several houses on the west pier being dragged out of the boat by a boom, and then cut into pieces by the workers, and then transported to the city by a wagon.

It's really hard to imagine how the people of Qi caught such a big fish from the sea?

Wang Shuigen was a "contract miner" recruited from Wenzhou by the Yinzhou Trading Company to mine gold in the Huaiyuan area (present-day San Francisco).

According to the contract between the two parties, Wang Shuigen will receive a monthly salary equivalent to fifteen yuan of Daqin silver yuan every month (but deducting three yuan of room and board) to serve Yinzhou Trading Company for five years.

After the expiration of the contract, he could choose to return to the mainland with the money, or he could choose to stay in Yinzhou, buy land, settle down, and become a national of Qi's overseas territory.

However, when Wang Shuigen and many recruited "contract miners" signed the contract, deep down they all hoped that after earning a good reward, they would return to Qin in a high-profile manner, buy a few acres of water to irrigate the land, build a big house, and then marry a gentle and virtuous wife, give birth to a bunch of cubs, and live a happy life.

When those recruiters of the Qi Kingdom heard about their wishes, they didn't say much, but just smiled.

But their smiles all have an indescribable smell, which makes people feel a little uneasy.

Is it contempt?

Or disdain?

Whatever, the people of Qi are so rich, they shouldn't be able to deceive them, besides, everyone is a Chinese compatriot, and the Yanhuang bloodline will not trap them in the end.

To tell the truth, if the people of Qi sign a labor contract with them to go to Hanzhou, maybe they will not return to Qin after their service period expires, and they will stay there happily, eat and drink spicy food, and if they have the opportunity, they will take all their relatives at home and live a good life together.

Yin Zhou, forget it, I heard that it is very remote, and a huge area is not as large as the population of our Wenzhou Mansion.

On the east side of the wharf, there are more than a dozen huge warehouses lined up, and there are large areas of vacant land that have been cleared as cargo yards. However, when the warehouses and warehouses are empty, there are also many passengers on migrant ships that are scheduled to stop here.

Wang Shuigen and other indentured miners, as well as accompanying male and female immigrants, would rest in these warehouses or makeshift tents for a few days to replenish their energy for the next leg of the journey.

As for the wealthy trading company personnel and sailors, they took a horse-drawn carriage and excitedly went to Huaiyang City to have a beautiful meal, and then lay down on the soft beds and slept hard.

——

"Governor." One of the guards took out a bayonet, cut a hole in a large coconut, and respectfully handed it to Min Yuanxia, the governor of Weiyi.

"Hmm." Min Yuanxia wiped the sweat from his forehead, then threw the horsewhip to the guards, took the coconut with both hands, and drank it without caring about the image.

"Happy!" Feeling the sweetness and deliciousness of the coconut, the gentle sea breeze blowing, Min Yuanxia couldn't help but snort comfortably, and then exhaled a long breath of turbidity.

"I heard that in Hanzhou, some clever merchants also mix this coconut water with sugar and cocoa, and then bottle it and sell it, which is more expensive than high-end wine. Tell me, can we in the Governorate of Weiyi also invest in a factory to produce this kind of bottled beverage? ”

"Governor, I'm afraid it's not feasible." Dong Sizhe, Counselor of the Civil Affairs Department of the Weiyi Governor's District, said with a wry smile: "Weiyi Island is too far away from both the mainland of Hanzhou and the mainland, and if this drink is produced, the long-distance freight alone is enough to make its price not competitive." If you want to sell it to passing merchant ships, or the Yinzhou area, I am afraid that there is not enough purchasing power. ”

"Oh, that's a pity." Min Yuanxia looked at the coconut in his hand and couldn't help but be a little disappointed, "Although this coconut can buy some money, the price is a little lower, and it doesn't mean much to make up for the finances of the entire governor's district." ”

"It's better than nothing." Dong Sizhe understood that the governor wanted to increase the local finances so that he could carry out a large-scale construction of Weiyi Island, so he comforted him: "With the increase in ships and people, this coconut can more or less create some wealth for the people under his jurisdiction." In addition, coconut shells and coconut trees are also the best fire materials for the people, which can reduce the cutting of timber on the island, which is of great benefit to the overall environment. In time, when the several governorates of Yinzhou slowly develop, our Weiyi Island will naturally prosper. ”

At present, although a number of factories and mines such as sugar mills, canneries, grain processing factories and brick kilns have been built in the Weiyi Islands, the industrial base is generally very weak and can barely meet the small demand in the region. More goods and materials needed to be transported from the distant Luzon, Northern Ming and Han continents.

The economy of the entire Viceroyalty is also based on agricultural cultivation and the export of timber (sandalwood), the production of sugar cane, fruits (coconut and pineapple), and fishing, and at the same time providing supplies for passing ships.

However, due to the excellent geographical location of the Weiyi Islands, it has a high strategic value, and to some extent, the importance of the area is even much higher than that of the several governorates of Yinzhou, and the cabinet government and the navy attach great importance to it.

It is well known that the military or strategic significance of a naval position depends on its geographical location, the availability of forces and resources. Of the three, the first is the most important because it is determined by nature; However, whatever is lacking in the latter two areas, it can always be completely or partially remedied. Fortifications can eliminate the weakness of a stronghold; If nature has not given the area much resources, it is possible to improve or hoard them in advance with a long-term perspective.

The geographical location of a stronghold within a strategic sphere of influence is not something that can be changed by manpower.

The ocean is not an obstacle to a ship, and it can cross the surface of the earth between two points along one of many routes, but distance, convenience, traffic, or wind direction dictate certain routes that it often takes. If these routes pass through a stronghold in the ocean, and the latter in turn has a use, it has influence on these routes. Where multiple routes pass through, this influence becomes enormous, enough to dominate and control everything.

Viewed from God's downward perspective, the remarkable picture is evident to anyone who observes a panorama of the Pacific Ocean, including both sides of the ocean. At a glance, you'll notice that the Weiyi Islands, located above a vast expanse of the ocean, are in a state of relative isolation, forming the center of a large circle with a radius roughly equal to the distance from Huaiyang to Huaiyuan (present-day San Francisco).

If you are not too lazy to put a ruler on the map to measure it, you can see that the circumference of this circle passes through the outer edge of a series of archipelagos that stretch northeast from Han Chau and Dongzhou (present-day New Zealand) to the northeast of the American continent. And scattered within this circle are a number of barren, insignificant islands that seem to exist only to emphasize nature's transition between the island of Jiangwaii and the islands of the South Pacific.

The Weiyi Islands are a group of islands with a unique strategic position in the Pacific Ocean, an important strategic center and sea base of the Qi Navy, and the core of the overall control of the North Pacific.

The archipelago is about 3,800 kilometers away from Yinzhou Huaiyuan in the east, nearly 4,000 kilometers away from the Black Rock Islands (now Aleutian Islands) in the north, more than 5,000 kilometers away from the Yanbo Islands (now Samoa Islands) in the south, and about 6,000 kilometers away from Tianping Island (now Guam), which belonged to the Kingdom of Luzon. It is not difficult to see that the Weiyi Islands happen to be located in the center of a sea circumference of about 4,000 kilometers, and there are no other important islands to rely on in this area. Therefore, with the unique geographical advantages of the Weiyi Islands in the eastern Pacific, the Qi Navy did not hesitate to include them in the core position of the Pacific strategic deployment.

In addition, the Weiyi Islands have the closest deep-water harbor to Yinzhou. The Huaiyang Harbor of Weiyi Island resembles a shell, the mouth is small and the belly is large, the port area is about 30 square kilometers, the average water depth is more than 10 meters, after many years of operation, there are more than 30 wharves in the port, which can accommodate more than 60 ships of various types, including 3,000-ton large battleships. At the same time, there are also ship repair shops, coal supply stations, naval combat readiness warehouses and other facilities in the port. The excellent geographical environment and perfect berthing conditions make Huaiyang Port the best foothold for Qi's naval forces in the center of the Pacific Ocean.

More crucially, the Weiyi Islands are a key link in the blockade of the American "island chain" set up by the Qi State. This "island chain" is a line of defense from the Black Rock Islands in the north to the South Pacific Islands in the south, with Weiyi Island as the center, and tightly encircles the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

If there is "something going on" in Yinzhou in the future, the Weiyi Islands will be used as a "stepping stone" and strategic support point to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

(End of chapter)