Chapter 439: Ask the ship, what the Duke’s Mansion saw, South border

Using the silver and copper price difference between the mainland and Japan, if large-scale transportation is reduced, this is indeed quite amazing, and it can also occupy many strategic materials.

Such a business will not allow too many people to intervene. Since Zhou Jihai has become a pioneer, with Shandong's style of conduct, he will leave some benefits to Zhou Jihai, but the premise is that these business that concerns lifeline must be in his own hands, and others cannot intervene.

In such a chaotic world, it is indeed a paradise for adventurers. As long as you dare to gamble, you may soon become successful, but it is unlikely that later generations want to repeat this path of success.

Kong Sande, Ning Gangui, Zhou Jihai, Zoucheng's Meng family, etc. are all lucky people with good luck or keen vision in this great era. If they make the right bet and do the right thing, they and their family will surely make a fortune in the future.

Because of the Tartars' captive population, the original residents were plundered outside the pass as slaves. However, because the Tartars' rush left, the city and the houses and facilities in the city were not destroyed, and they became a complete empty city, which is now equivalent to a central fortress in Shandong.

Except for the officials and their families placed here in the Ming Dynasty, the rest were all soldiers and military families from Jiaozhou camp. Then some licensed merchants were allowed to do business in the city and provide some necessities of daily life.

At this time, almost all the people from all over the place who had congratulated each other and asked for a meeting had dispersed, and the city returned to its quietness and serenity a few months ago.

Therefore, when Zheng Zhihu walked on the street, it seemed particularly awkward. In Jinan City, except for female family members and civil servants in the Ming Dynasty, who could sit in sedan chairs and elderly people could make big carts, the rest of the people were either walking or riding horses.

Zheng Zhihu was riding on the horse. A few porters carrying loads followed behind him, and they had already passed by the three teams of patrol soldiers in the city. The daily public security of Jinan City was a rotation of the old camp outside the city. It was almost a regiment for a month. These regular soldiers naturally would not have any folk style of maintaining public security.

Therefore, Jinan City is currently implementing strict military control. Zheng Zhihu is the number one general of the Zheng family. He fought at sea. Master Zheng Er is usually the first to jump to slash people with a knife. Naturally, he also has some murderous aura of a warrior. In Jinan City, such a person, and is not a person from the Shandong system, is naturally eye-catching.

It was not pleasant to be stared at by fully armed soldiers, especially the soldiers were well-armed and murderous. The porters following Zheng Zhihu were already pale and scared.

The news that Zheng Zhihu, the second leader of the Zheng family, came to Jinan for a meeting, was rejected by Li Meng, Duke of Qi for several months, had long been spread.

Originally, the Zheng family was in a big position, and the Bamin Business Company was a first-class deal. Many wealthy merchants in Shandong had good relationships with them, but in Shandong, Li Meng's attitude was just a barometer. When they saw Li Meng like this, there were still people who dared to deal with the Zheng family, and they all avoided it.

Zheng Zhihu couldn't find him if he wanted to ask someone to plead with him. His identity was not low, but he had to whisper to make an appointment to ask for a meeting every day, and was turned away countless times.

When Zheng Zhihu was summoned today, he felt relaxed and walked on the road and looked around and saw the troops of the patrol who passed by him. It really made him feel palpitations.

Zheng Zhihu was not a kind man and a woman. It was not an exaggeration to say that his hands were covered with blood. But after seeing these ordinary soldiers from Shandong soldiers, Zheng Zhihu was still a little scared. He also had some vision and thought about whether he was the opponent of the other party with his weapons. The more he thought about it, the less confident he was.

Moreover, in Jinan City for a few months, Zheng Zhihu also knew that these meticulous patrol soldiers in Jinan City were ordinary soldiers stationed outside the city, not personal soldiers of the Duke of Qi, nor were they famous subway cavalry. The troops patrol troops had been rotated several times, and every time Zheng Zhihu saw them, they looked so powerful. It seems that the Zheng family's evaluation of the Duke of Qi in Shandong should be improved a little further. The boss was really confused at the time.

Zheng Zhihu's thoughts changed a lot. When he saw a flagpole inserted on the left of the intersection in front of him, there was no flag on the flagpole, and the flagpole was painted in vermilion red. Zheng Zhihu quickly turned over and dismounted.

Within three hundred steps from the Duke of Qi's Mansion, there is such a long vermilion pole erected at each pass. Except for the core figures in the Jiaozhou camp, the rest of the people must dismount at the position indicated by the long pole, otherwise the garrison troops outside the Duke of Qi's Mansion will be alarmed.

This is also the rule of the Duke of Qi's Mansion. It looks like a stylistic approach. In fact, for the sake of safety, the soldiers guarding this place also received instructions in advance. Zheng Zhihu showed his identity and did not interrogate too much, so he just let him go.

The houses were demolished at a distance of 300 steps around the Duke of Qi's Mansion. If the enemy walked into this open area, they would definitely be targeted for muskets and cannons.

Zheng Zhihu was thinking about how to organize the wording after seeing Duke Qi. No one knew the reason why Duke Qi refused him, but secretly there was a rumor that the Zheng family and the Qing Dynasty had traded, which made Duke Qi extremely angry.

When Zheng Zhihu heard this rumor in the day, he was really scared and sweated. The Zheng family sent military ships to the coast of Shandong and plotted to seize several ports in Shandong. I don’t know if the Duke of Qi knew, or the Qing Dynasty sent spies to follow the Zheng family’s ships to the port of Shandong and wanted to enter the inner tea, I don’t know if the Duke of Qi knew.

Since there is already trade, many people will have a rough guess. If that is the case, it may be difficult to make things better.

When doing business with the Qing Tartars, the Zheng family was also doing business, and they were confused by the gold and silver they earned for a while. This was to do business. Collude with the Tartars, be willing to be a spy, and conspire to attack the port. Perhaps the Duke of Qi did not know about it. If he had known, he would have been arrested long ago.

After walking more than a hundred steps, Zheng Zhihu was shocked to find Luo Xi, the butler of the Duke of Qi's Mansion, waiting in front of him. This was really frightened.

Luo Xi, the butler of Duke Qi, was also a big shot who was shaking when his feet were stomped on the ground in Jinan City. This butler did not charge the guests' money and did not rely on the power of the Duke's Mansion to indulge his family. In this way, his work was more public and more respected.

Because Mr. Luo is a public servant everywhere and has a high prestige outside the Duke's Mansion, few people think that Mr. Luo is a fake tiger's power, but think that he represents Li Meng.

Zheng Zhihu stayed at the door of the Duke of Qi's Mansion for several months and saw Shandong Governor Yan Jizu visiting. But even with such a high-ranking civil servant, Luo Xi only left the mansion for thirty steps. What kind of virtue is he? He actually let the butler come out so far.

He has seen a character who has seen such a big world, but he is still a little dazed with such treatment. Zheng Zhihu couldn't help but look back and saw that there were no one else on this road.

The butler Rossi smiled and bowed, first greeting:

"Mr. Zheng Er is so happy recently. Please invite him?"

According to the rules, there is indeed no need to go so far. After Li Meng and Ning Gangui had a talk with Zhou Jihai together, they planned to summon Zheng Zhihu. Ning Gangui also came to the Duke's Mansion early to prepare to meet with him. But half an hour ago, Duke Li Meng of Qi seemed to suddenly remember something and sent him to invite Mr. Gongsun over. After inviting Mr. Gongsun, he asked him to welcome Zheng Zhihu outside.

He also told him to lead Zheng Zhihu outside to delay some time and wait for the instructions inside. The Duke of Qi has always been steady. He rarely saw this situation. Although Rossi couldn't figure it out, he still took the order and did it.

Seeing the butler Luo Xi's kindness, Zheng Zhihu was even a little flattered. He hurriedly walked up to him with a smile, and spoke in Fujian's official language:

"Why did Mr. Luo come out in person? He is really a killer."

While speaking, he had already handed over a golden cake wrapped in silk cloth in his hand. Whether it was a word, the key was to show his pleasing attitude. Sure enough, Rossi pushed it back behind him. Zheng Zhihu was not embarrassed at all. He took the golden cake back as if nothing had happened, and chatted and laughed calmly.

While talking, I saw a group of very small children in front of me running along the wall of the Duke of Qi's Mansion in a relatively neat formation. These children should be extremely lively and laughing, but these children are extremely quiet and just trot and follow.

The leader, the adjutress, and the guards on both sides were all young men dressed in the Jiaozhou camp. They ran to the gate of the Duke's Mansion. They all stopped. The soldier in the lead shouted a few times. The children dispersed in a sudden burst of noise and gathered together to make fun of each other.

Zheng Zhihu was a little stunned. There was no need for Rosie to find anything to delay time. Zheng Zhihu reacted and exclaimed:

"Even children's behavior is like a big army. There is indeed a reason why Shandong's military and horses are so powerful that it is admirable."

Dirosy said with a smile on the side:

"The Duke of the State is not willing to be too idle for the prince, so he came up with this method of military training. Many high-ranking officials and generals are sent here in the mountains and rivers, and even the grandsons who are here are there. Not to mention, after practicing for a while, they are not so naughty at home. They know how to abide by the rules, which makes people happy."

Rossi is much older than Li Meng, and he started a family earlier. At this time, he was already three generations living together. When it comes to his grandson, his face is full of love. Zheng Zhihu on the other side also made a few interesting words, and the atmosphere is very good.

Li Hong's daily exercise and collective life will naturally not be alone. Li Meng specially announced in Shandong that all the children and grandchildren of noble officials and generals, as long as they are of similar age and are willing to train together, can come over, and those children of martyrs can come in, as well as those who are suitable.

Being able to get along with the eldest son of the Duke of Qi and grow up together is a great thing, and it will be of great benefit to their future. What people in Shandong are worried about is that they cannot get closer to Duke of Qi Li Meng. Now that they have this opportunity, they are related to their future glory and wealth, so naturally everyone is competing for the first place.

In this era, except for private schools, there were no institutions similar to nursery schools. Children like Li Hong, who were two or three years old, were usually managed by their grandparents themselves, or were hiring nurses and nanny to take care of them. There were often various problems, unlike this training camp.

Cultivating children's good health and rules, and having a large number of peers to play with, is really a healthy development. Every family who sends their children to take them home during holidays and intervals, and not only finds that the children are healthy, but also have a lot of sensibility. This is a real surprise.

Whether it is Li Meng's inner house or Shandong's civil and military wealth, they have praised this method of training for children. Li Meng is already thinking about expanding the scale.

After all, this is also a good way to increase your children's connections and cultivate future teams...

Rossi and Zheng Zhihu were having fun while watching his grandson laughing and playing there, but he didn't feel that there was any difficulty in delaying time.

However, he did not delay too much, because he soon saw a personal soldier from Duke Qi making a gesture to him from afar. The butler Rossi breathed a sigh of relief and stretched out his hand sideways:

"Mr. Zheng Er, Duke of Qi is waiting in the room, please follow me."

Rossi was slowing down here, and Zheng Zhihu didn't dare to say anything. When he heard Rossi talk, he breathed a sigh of relief, nodded and followed.

The journey into the mansion is not far. The Duke of Qi's mansion did not occupy a large area, so Zheng Zhihu felt a little despised because the specifications of this mansion were different from Zheng Zhilong's industry in Fujian. Zheng Zhilong's mansion covers a very wide area. It is magnificent and has a canal that leads to the bay.

That is the courage of a great man, but judging from the wealth of the Duke of Qi, he has made great progress in all aspects. However, he is so stingy and simple, so what kind of a great man is like?

This idea may be the reason why the Zheng family can only be the leader of a pirate, and the powerful who were recruited, but never achieved greater wealth.

When he entered the living room of Li Meng's reception site, Sun Chuanting was no longer there, only Li Meng and Ning Qiangui were waiting there. When he walked outside the courtyard, Luo Xi and the personal guards at the door explained, and then retreated.

When he approached the gate of the courtyard, Zheng Zhihu saw Li Meng looking at a large hanging picture with his back to him, while Ning Qiangui was sitting there smiling and nodding.

Two people in the room, no matter who they are, have a much higher status than Zheng Zhihu, so they will naturally not get up to respond. Instead, Zheng Zhihu hurriedly took a few steps and knelt down in front of the hall. He shouted respectfully:

"Fujian Coastal Defense Guerrilla Zheng Zhihu, I would like to pay tribute to the Duke of Qi!!"

Li Meng did not turn around from the big picture. He just said calmly:

"No need to be so polite, come into the house and talk!"

Seeing Li Meng's attitude, Zheng Zhihu's heart was quarrel, and walked into the living room respectfully. After walking in, he smiled humbly at Ning Qiangui and said hello.

After entering the house, Zheng Zhihu discovered what the large picture Li Meng was looking at was, it should be a sea chart drawn by a Westerner. Zheng Zhihu felt even more nervous, thinking that this Duke of Qi would turn his attention to the sea, which was the territory of the Zheng family. If he asked later, what should I do?

After carefully observing the angle of Li Meng's head, his eyes seemed to be looking at the top of the map, that is, the sea in the north. Zheng Zhihu was relieved.

"How much did the Zheng family make in business with the Tatars??"

Li Meng turned around and asked lightly. Zheng Zhihu made a lot of preparations over there, but he didn't expect that the question Li Meng asked was actually this. His heart suddenly raised up. Duke Qi asked, and according to the rules of the officialdom, he should kneel down and reply. Zheng Zhihu knelt on the ground respectfully and answered:

"The Duke of Returning is a man who has been doing business in the Tartars for about three years, and they are all done through the Koreans. The Zheng family has received the orders for the North Korean merchants and must be sent to the designated ports. In this way, they can start a business with the Tartars. They are not afraid of being accused of being accused of. The Zheng family now has an official position, but after all, they are directed to the business at sea. The villain dares to ask the Duke of the Tartars for forgiveness."

The meaning of this is to do business, and the main reason is the North Korean businessman, and it has nothing to do with him. In fact, even if Li Meng doesn't know the detailed information, just doing business, the Zheng family can be charged with being a foreigner and being willing to be a spy.

This is common sense. The Qing Dynasty was not a fool. If you had such a source of information from the Ming Dynasty, you would naturally not let it go easily. However, now Jiaozhou Camp has something to ask for and will not investigate it in depth.

"Don't be discovered by me that your Zheng family has any evil things to collude with the Tartars, otherwise you will be severely punished and get up. I'm busy some time ago, so I didn't see you."

Zheng Zhihu felt relieved when he heard Li Meng say this, but he didn't know why he was so easy to talk. He respectfully said, "The Duke is magnanimous." This was when he got up and stood up. However, he realized in his heart that Shandong must have known the Zheng family and the Qing Dynasty, but he didn't care. Zheng Zhihu was still thinking about why the other party let him go easily, and then he heard Ning Qiangui next to him speak:

"Brother Zheng, Shandong will buy a large amount of copper materials from Japan recently, and it will take a lot of ships. Shandong alone will definitely not work. I wonder if the Zheng family is willing to help with transportation. This freight is naturally easy to negotiate."

The Zheng family fleet traveled between Japan and the Ming Dynasty, and every business was huge profits. Each ship was loaded with a full ship of goods and came back almost with a full ship of silver. If they were transporting copper materials, the profit would be reduced. Zheng Zhihu would soon forget about this.

In business, Zheng's family is a businessman. If you have huge profits first, but you want to make less money, it is equivalent to losing money. I am really reluctant.

But thinking about the fact that he had offended the Duke of Qi before, his elder brother Zheng Zhilong had already said that as good as possible, the wealth and prosperity of our Zheng family may be achieved through this Duke of Qi. Zheng Zhilong had a smile on his face and answered:

"Mr. Ning. You still need to speak up in person. It's really a waste of money. Let the shopkeepers of Lingshan Trading Company go to our side to say hello. They will definitely do it for you. I just don't know how much copper material will Shandong need?"

Ning Qiangui said a number, and Zheng Zhihu breathed a sigh of relief. The number. The Zheng family merchant ships traveling between Shandong and Japan were just replaced with two-thirds of the bait-pressed stone with copper. It would not affect the normal business transactions of the fleet, and there would be some extra freight to make. This business was easy to do.

Eighty percent, that is, it can transport more than 10,000 yuan. If it is a supply and equipment such as Jiaozhou camp, it might be 7,000 people.

Thinking of this, Li Meng was a little discouraged and leaned on the back of the chair and waved at Zheng Zhihu. He said:

"Today I see you, I'm asking you and your leader to stop thinking about it. Shandong and Fujian are so far apart, and the connection between them is nothing more than sea routes. Everyone is doing business well."

Seeing that Li Meng wanted to see him off and had already made a vague promise, Zheng Zhihu knew that the purpose of the trip had been achieved and he knew an amazing secret. In fact, he thought he knew it. Zheng Zhihu stood up respectfully and said goodbye with Ning Gangui next to him.

The Zheng family's fleet is really coveted, but it is unlikely to be in control in its own hands. These pirates in Fujian are not the same as the regular army in Shandong. They are not opponents at all. But if these pirates cannot defeat them, they can escape by boat. That's helpless.

The manufacturing of sea ships is completely different from river ships. What Li Meng didn’t understand is that Shandong has such a long coastline, but there are not many qualified shipbuilders.

After the double-layer gunboat was in Lingshan Private Port, Shandong sent shipmakers to study it at all costs to see if one could be built in this style. However, nearly two years have passed, and two cannons have been copied, and the speed is 20% slower than those built by the Zheng family.

If you want to complain, you can only blame the Ming Dynasty forbidden seas. Li Meng was really helpless. At present, the most sudden and efficient way to deploy troops is to carry out the transportation through sea transportation. Especially those targets at the beach, but he can only borrow the Zheng family's shipping, which is a headache!
To be continued...