"How...how to do this? Do pirates dare to do this kind of business with me, the Ming Dynasty?" Liu Xingzuo couldn't help but ask, not thinking about it for a moment.
Zhong Jinwei put down his hand and said to Liu Xingzuo with a smile: "Of course it is not a direct transaction with me, Daming. There has to be an intermediary."
"Middleman?" A question mark appeared on Liu Xingzuo's head.
Zhong Jinwei nodded and said affirmatively: "Yes, a middleman. There just happens to be such a middleman, so that the pirates will not suspect our Ming Dynasty officials."
"Who?" Liu Xingzuo couldn't help but ask.
"Zheng Zhihu!"
Liu Xingzuo was stunned after hearing this. He had never heard of this name. But judging from the name, he guessed that it was related to Zheng Zhilong.
Zhong Jinwei didn't wait for Liu Xingzuo to ask again, and took the initiative to explain: "Zheng Zhihu is Zheng Zhilong's younger brother. Their family used to be maritime overlords and had endless grievances and grudges with all pirate forces. Zheng Zhihu was recently mentioned by me as the Guangzhou Water Navigator.
The battalion is on guard, and the three-prow Western-style warship is under the direct jurisdiction of the Municipal Shipping Department."
"I will issue a notice later to let everyone know. I attach great importance to anti-smuggling at sea and will equip Zheng Zhihu with flintlock guns and new artillery. In this way, he will have undercover contact with the original pirates, such as Jin Yiwei, and sell them
Arms became possible.”
"If it is not very convenient, you can use a middleman that Zheng Zhihu knows to make another deal to increase the security of the pirate transaction. As long as the first successful transaction, the pirates will believe in the safety of the transaction and continue the transaction. Of course, this will make
The Zheng Zhihu brothers made their own assessment as to whether they need to find another middleman and what kind of middleman they should find."
Liu Xingzuo nodded repeatedly after hearing Duke Xing's explanation. However, a question still arose in his mind. He asked Zhong Jinwei: "My lord, if Zheng Zhihu and the others ask for food in exchange, will this be suspected by the pirates?"
Zhong Jinwei smiled, shook his head and said: "You can find any reason at will, as long as the transaction can be successful, it is the most convincing. For example, other forces in Southeast Asia have exchanged grain with the Ming Dynasty for ordnance, and the imperial court has also clearly stated how much grain can be exchanged for ordnance.
.In this way, Zheng Zhihu or his middlemen can say that they themselves are safe if they trade in grain."
"The reason why they did this was just to make a profit. If the pirates had the ability, they could have avoided Zheng Zhihu and traded with the Ming Dynasty, but the pirates obviously didn't dare."
When Liu Xingzuo heard this, he realized that this reason was indeed valid. However, it conflicted a bit with what Duke Xing Guo had said before. He reminded Zhong Jinwei: "Gong Guo, just now you said that Zheng Zhihu and the others resold arms, but now it has become a trade for food.
, you will have to pay the price difference in the middle. This...?"
Zhong Jinwei smiled and said: "You can combine the two, as one alone is not in line with the profit-seeking nature of the pirates."
At this time, a military officer in Jinyi brought tea. Liu Xingzuo had already figured out this problem and put it aside. He explained to Zhong Jinwei: "My lord, there are no guests here, so the tea is served slowly."
, please also Haihan."
"Well, that's the punishment. Is there any coconut juice? Let's have a try. I haven't drank that stuff for a long time." Zhong Jinwei smiled, drank a cup of tea first, and then asked proactively.
When Liu Xingzuo heard the Duke joking with him, he also laughed and said quickly: "Yes, yes."
After a while, not only Zhong Jinwei, but also his guards, everyone drank coconut juice. Many guards in the north were not used to drinking this original coconut juice, but the Duke enjoyed it very much.
Liu Xingzuo saw that the Duke had finished drinking and looked comfortable, so he guessed to Zhong Jinwei: "My Lord, regarding the Dutch, is it necessary to dispatch Zheng Zhihu's fleet to destroy them?"
"Yes, that's what I mean." Zhong Jinwei nodded appreciatively, confirming Liu Xingzuo's conjecture.
Then he turned around and gave an order to Gu Baichuan, asking him to quickly mobilize the two brothers Zheng Zhilong and lead their Western-style warships to Zhanjiang to obey orders. He could also tell them what the mission was so that they could be prepared.
After a while, a soldier drove out of the manor on horseback and headed towards Guangzhou.
In the lobby, Liu Xingzuo still had questions. He asked Zhong Jinwei for advice: "My lord, I am afraid that the Dutch will move too fast. Their firearms must have been handed over to the Ruan family in Jiaozhi, which will break the current stalemate in Jiaozhi. This will
What should we do?”
After hearing this, Zhong Jinwei stood up and walked to the map of Jiaozhi. Looking at the war situation between the north and south of Jiaozhi marked on the map, he thought for a moment before replying to Liu Xingzuo: "It doesn't matter, the Zheng family's territory in the north is large enough now. Even the Ruan family in the south.
With the firearms of the Dutch, the Zheng family will not be wiped out so quickly."
"The firearms used in Southeast Asia have been transported south. Once they arrive, they will be traded with the Zheng family immediately. This will be more beneficial to our Ming Dynasty."
"Ah, it's more advantageous?" Liu Xingzuo couldn't help but have questions when he heard the Duke's words.
Zhong Jinwei took his eyes back from the Jiaozhi map, turned to look at Liu Xingzuo and said: "Yes, the Dutch's firearms are not only matchlocks, but also have a short range, they are just well-made. As soon as my Ming Dynasty's flintlock gun appears, it will definitely
A matchlock gun that can completely defeat the Dutch. Trading at the critical moment of the Zheng family will not only raise the price, but also allow the Zheng family to trade more easily."
Liu Xingzuo already understood the benefits before Zhong Jinwei finished speaking, and nodded in agreement.
However, after Zhong Jinwei said that, he said to Gu Baichuan again: "Send someone to urge the person in charge of delivering the flintlock guns and ask him to transport them to Guangdong as quickly as possible. The time for trading the flintlock guns must be controlled within a
During a favorable time period, you can not trade the flintlock guns after they arrive in Guangdong, but they cannot be delayed on the road and affect the layout of Cochin."
"Yes, Duke." Gu Baichuan listened for a long time and understood the importance of transporting flintlock guns to Guangdong, so he immediately went to arrange the matter.
Liu Xingzuo took this opportunity to review Zhong Jinwei's thoughts. When Zhong Jinwei turned to look at him, he took the initiative to talk about the subsequent arrangements: "After the Dutch are defeated by Zheng Zhilong's fleet, they can arrange for the Ruan family's factory to be established."
Wei and Zheng Zhilong performed opera, and after the Ruan family suffered from the flintlock gun, they sold the flintlock gun to them at a high price. Duke, is this the arrangement?"
Zhong Jinwei nodded with a smile and confirmed: "Yes, that's the idea. What I just said is a general idea. Let's discuss the details in detail. We will add more after Zheng Zhilong arrives. The situation in Jiaozhi,
It must be under the control of our Ming Dynasty."
"Yes, Duke." Liu Xingzuo responded loudly and with high morale.
Planning strategies, winning decisive battles thousands of miles away, and affecting the prosperity and decline of a country. This kind of thing will feel very fulfilling for a man, and Liu Xingzuo is naturally no exception.