Ming Zuo

Chapter 530 Meeting Ceremony

The East China Sea is sunny, floating gold and shining shadows; Xichou's spring dawn, painting screens and barricades.

The northern country has to smell the spring breeze, and Fujian has already been full of flowers.

At the estuary of the Ishii River, countless ships come and go.What is brought is wealth, and what is transported away is wealth.

The person who controls all this sits on the pier, admiring his masterpiece with satisfaction.

In the distance, several centipede boats led a lucky boat into the port, which caught Zheng Zhilong's attention.

After a while, the boat stopped, and a young man came running quickly.Before he could speak, Zheng Zhilong questioned him first.

"Hong Xu, didn't you ask you to guard Zhoushan, why did you come back without authorization?"

It was the sturdy young man Liao Zhongjian met on Zhoushan Island, Hong Xu, one of Zheng Chenggong's generals in the future.

But now Hong Xu is still very young, within the Zheng Zhilong Group, he can only be regarded as a latecomer.

Therefore, he was sent to Zhoushan, the northernmost place, to be in charge of the trade along the coast of Zhejiang.

This time he ran back without being summoned, Zheng Zhilong couldn't help being a little angry.

Hong Xu didn't care about these things.

"Zong Rong, Zuo Menggeng from Shandong sent people here, and they also sent them extremely good things."

"Oh……"

Hearing that Zuo Menggeng sent someone, Zheng Zhilong was very puzzled.

After meeting Zuo Menggeng in Nanjing last time, the two established business contacts.However, it is only limited to business and trade, and has nothing to do with it.

Why did Zuo Menggeng suddenly send someone over?
"In Liao Zhongjian, I met an official."

The title of Liao Zhongjian made Zheng Zhilong happy.

Although he is already the leader of the pirates, he is still the chief soldier of the imperial court.But I prefer others to call him an official, it's so kind.

"Brother Zuo is busy with personnel, I heard that he has done a lot of things in the north, why did you think of Zheng?"

Before coming to Fujian, Liao Zhongjian had done very detailed homework.

He is familiar with Zheng Zhilong's temperament, hobbies, and the vital interests of the Zheng Group, and knows how to deal with these pirates.

"To be honest, it is my general who asked for an official."

Zheng Zhilong's words are impeccable.

"Brother Zuo promised me the glass business back then, with deep affection, Zheng did not dare to forget it. If there is an order, just ask, and Zheng will do his best."

Can it be done otherwise...

Liao Zhongjian didn't care about this.

"As a general of Shandong, my general has always been dedicated and loyal to quell the troubles of the White Lotus Sect and Dongjiang's rebellion. However, the treachery in the imperial court has slandered my general with two hearts. The heinous disaster is not far away. My general naturally shines The wind and the moon are fearless. It's just that my wife's furniture is in Songjiang, and there will be changes every day, and I'm afraid it can't be reversed. Therefore, my general plans to send an army to Songjiang by sea to deal with unbearable changes. The sea is naturally an official In the world, it is inevitable that an official will misunderstand, and I am specially ordered to come here, and please allow me."

Zheng Zhilong was dumbfounded, he didn't expect Zuo Menggeng to play so well.

What should not be tolerated...

How did he, Zheng Zhilong, start his business? He is very clear about this kind of thing.

Obviously, that Zuo Menggeng had an affair with the imperial court, and he must have mischievous intentions.

But for such a big matter, Zuo Menggeng sent someone to inform him in advance, which made Zheng Zhilong very satisfied.

This shows that Zuo Menggeng respects his status as the overlord of the sea and does not want to challenge his authority.

But Zheng Zhilong was still quite hesitant about Zuo Menggeng's actions.

"Songjiang Mansion is the most elite place in the world, if there is a rash change, I'm afraid the imperial court will not let it go."

Liao Zhongjian understood his thoughts at once.

"My general said that when we met an official in Nanjing that day, we felt like old friends at the first sight. I heard that the Dutch are aggressive today, plundering maritime merchants, and killing my Han people. They are cruel and beastly, and people and gods are indignant. My general knows that an official will not tolerate the arrogance of the Dutch , How can I, a dignified Han, be reduced to a lamb of a foreign race? But I have no skills to separate myself, and I am hopeless. I can only express my heart, hoping to help an official."

Things were lifted up.

With the oilcloth removed, it exudes a charming light in the sun.

a cannon.

Although it is not big, it looks very fine artillery.

Unlike any artillery available today.

First of all, this gun doesn't look very big, the barrel is very tight, and the whole body is glowing with blue-black light.

The most important thing is that the whole body of the cannon is smooth, like glazed porcelain.

It is completely different from the crude artillery that can be seen everywhere today.

Secondly, the gun mount under the artillery is very simple.It is mostly made of solid wood and iron, which is very light at first glance.

Again, this gun has two very huge wheels.The wheels are also covered with iron, which must be very wear-resistant.

There is a curved bracket on the back of the artillery.

When the artillery is placed, the bracket is just on the ground, which plays a role of balance.

"This is……"

Zheng Zhilong was startled.

After hearing the news, Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Zhihu, Shi Daxuan and others had already pounced on it, caressing every part of the cannon as if seeing a beloved woman.

They are all experts in warfare, and you can tell at a glance whether a gun is good or not.

Compared with the cannons currently used by the Zheng Group, this cannon is far superior in terms of material and forging process.

And this gun is lighter.

Zheng Zhihu and Shi Daxuan worked together to lift the cannon carriage, dragged it for a few steps, and then they knew it.

"I'm afraid this cannon is worth less than a thousand catties. I don't know why?"

Liao Zhongjian is full of confidence.

"I will demonstrate it to you all."

He brought people and immediately started to operate on the spot.

The fixed gunpowder packed in the paper shell was stuffed into the muzzle, and then a palm-sized iron ball was put in, and it was sent into the innermost part with just a push with a wooden pole.

Another gunner poked the hole in the tail with a pick and inserted the fuse.

"boom……"

Amidst the white smoke, a stone wall [-] meters away immediately crumbled, never returning to its original appearance.

It was a target built with two layers of blue bricks, and it was easily destroyed.

Zheng Zhilong and the others couldn't sit still.

Of course they know what that means.

The two-story wall of blue bricks cannot stop the artillery, which means that ships at sea can also be penetrated.

This cannon doesn't look big, but it's so powerful.

Liao Zhongjian took everyone's expressions into his eyes and gestured, and the gunners started the second demonstration.

This time the target was a target [-] meters away, and it was still an accurate hit.

With just these two cannons, Zheng Zhilong was instantly conquered.

"Mr. Liao, this cannon..."

Liao Zhongjian smiled confidently.

"This cannon is made by me in Shandong. If an official needs it, based on the friendship between you and my two families, we will give you a discount."

He was very puzzled in his heart.

Zuo Menggeng sold such a poor thing to Zheng Zhilong, but Zheng Zhilong still felt like a treasure.

What's wrong?

How did he know that he was used to seeing rifled steel guns using gunpowder explosives in Shandong, and when he saw this old-fashioned front-loading smoothbore gun, he naturally found it unsightly.

But in the eyes of Zheng Zhilong and others, this cannon that the new army discarded like walking on is definitely the top weapon in the world.

(End of this chapter)