Brother Zhu Youxiao

"Are you full?"

"I am full……"

"I'm not full..."

"I still have four pennies here"

On the streets of Changlefang, Zhou Boqian suddenly opened his mouth when he was going out for a walk after dinner, and Li Dingguo knew that he was not full, so he touched his belt, took out a few copper coins from it, counted them, and handed them out.

"I have two coins, and together we have six coins, and we can eat two bowls of wonton noodles!"

Zhou Boqian saw that he had enough money, and immediately looked for it along the street with his eyes shining.

The two walked on the main road of Changlefang, and the surrounding area could not be said to be very lively, because Changlefang was remote after all, and most of the people who lived there were from the bottom of the East City, without much consumption power, so naturally there were not many shops and stalls.

However, if you really want to look for it, you can find a lot of delicious and fun ones.

"Clang clang clang!"

Just as Li Dingguo was thinking this way, there was a sudden sound of beating gongs and drums not far away, and when he turned his head, it turned out that a storyteller started on the stage.

Storytelling Today's story is "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The storyteller is sitting in a corner, and there are these actors in costumes on the stage to accompany him in the performance.

"Go! Let's take a look!"

"Ok!"

Li Dingguo saw it from a long distance, and found it interesting in his heart. Just when Zhou Boqian opened his mouth, he hurriedly followed Zhou to the stands, stood in the front row, and looked up to watch the play.

"By the way, Zhuge Kongming can pinch and count. He knows that Sima Yi will never dare to enter the city, so he sits on the tower, sweeps his fingers, and the sound of the piano..."

The storyteller on the stage said that the actors behind were still acting, Li Dingguo and Zhou Boqian were standing in the open space watching the play, and the rich adults around were sitting on tables and chairs.

You can't just sit on the table and chairs, you have to order something after you sit down, for example, there are two Confucian scholars at the table and chair next to Li Dingguo and the others, and the sharp-eyed guy immediately brought a plate of sunflower seeds, a plate of pastries and a pot of rough tea.

The Confucian scholars ate a bit of pastry, and then drank a sip of tea without saying a word. Their movements were skillful and graceful, which made Zhou Boqian's mouth water.

They were surrounded by people who didn't spend money to watch the theater like them. Some people clapped their hands and applauded while listening. There were two to three hundred people in the crowd, and there was an eleven or twelve-year-old girl holding a gong in the audience. pick up money.

Some Confucian scholars sitting on tables and chairs waited for the girl to come over, then took out seven or eight Wen coins and gently placed them on the gong.

"Thank you, Lord~" Seeing someone make a move, the girl smiled and called him Lord.

Seeing this group of Confucian scholars spending so much money, the bystanders couldn't help but twitch their mouths. After all, seven or eight Wen is their wages for two or three hours.

"I'm so hungry, let's go eat first."

Zhou Boqian wanted to go to the theater very much, but when he thought that the curfew would be half an hour away, he couldn't help feeling anxious.

With Li Dingguo, he looked for food everywhere, and there were many delicious things around, but it was a bit difficult for two people to eat, and it could still be good, and it should not exceed six yuan.

"Siwen?! Why has the price increased!"

Running to a wonton shop, Zhou Boqian exclaimed immediately when he saw that the wonton on the familiar signboard had changed from three to four.

"Meat is more expensive in winter, would you like two bowls?"

The stall owner who wrapped the wontons smiled, Zhou Boqian shook his head quickly, Li Dingguo also said, "You eat, I'm not hungry."

"That won't work, let's eat in another area." After Zhou Boqian said, he pulled Li Dingguo and started walking around the streets.

Stopping and stopping along the way, they finally found the busiest street in Changlefang.

They spent all their six cents, and got two roasted sweet potatoes and two boxes of dried glutinous rice balls.

The so-called dry glutinous rice balls are actually just dough wrapped in peanut noodles, but even so it cost them six cents.

The two held roasted sweet potatoes and dried glutinous rice balls in one hand, picked up the dried glutinous rice balls with a toothpick in the other hand, and put them in their mouths. Zhou Boqian was very satisfied with the meal, but he couldn't help complaining as he watched the people gradually disperse:

"The imperial court has delayed the curfew from Xu time to the fourth quarter of Xu time, why can't it cancel the curfew like the Lantern Festival?"

In the first month of the 11th year of the Apocalypse, Zhu Youjian deliberately announced before the war that the curfew of the Ming Dynasty would be adjusted from Xushi (19 o'clock) to Xushi four quarters (20 o'clock) in consideration of people's livelihood and economy.

After the adjustment, the store tax in many places can indeed be paid more, and the people can play for a while after daily work.

Not only that, after the curfew was postponed, the errand runners who were only available during the day also began to run errands at dusk, and their wages also increased.

For a boy like Zhou Boqian who is twelve or thirteen years old, what he wants most is to play like he did on the Lantern Festival every day.

Facing his complaints, Li Dingguo also tried to explain: "After all, there is some danger at night. Those dealers who 'harvest and cut off' like to operate at dusk, let alone at night."

"That's true..." Zhou Boqian shrank his neck when he heard the traffickers who were "harvesting and cutting off", and at the same time they walked to the door of the house.

With the development of the times to the Ming Dynasty, the price of candles is not so expensive, but the lighting ability of candles is definitely not high.

Compared with Qi Wang Mansion which can be "brightly lit" even at night, Zhou's courtyard only has a faint fire.

"Mom! We're back."

"Boom...boom...boom..."

Zhou Boqian pushed open the door and yelled into the yard, and at the same time, the sound of evening drums began to sound.

It was already dark in the capital city in the twelfth lunar month. Zhou Wang and Zhou Xiniang were embroidering in the assembly hall. When they heard Zhou Boqian's voice, they looked up and then continued to embroider with their heads down.

Li Dingguo followed Zhou Boqian to the door, only to see a brazier in front of them and candles beside them.

Only the up and down flames can allow them to embroider without hurting their hands.

Although it is embroidery, it is a woman's handicraft after all. Even if it takes a month to embroider, it can only be exchanged for a hundred dollars.

However, even if there is only a hundred texts, it is enough to buy five or six catties of meat, which can be eaten for two or three days.

This means that the Zhou family can only eat meat if they have a pillar who is the chief banner officer. If it were an ordinary family, they would basically save it and wait for the tax payment after the fall.

"Your father asked the scribe to send a letter. You can show me what it means. Xi Niang can't read it all."

Sitting in front of the brazier, Mrs. Zhou Wang spoke to Zhou Boqian who entered the door. Zhou Boqian also quickly took the letter, opened it and read it.

"Ding Wei, the soldiers and horses in the army are rotated. My brothers in the battalion and I exchanged with the southern army. We went to Guangzhou to station for three years, and then changed defenses."

"Recently, it has been rumored in the military that all those over the age of 45 will be discharged from the army. If they stay in their original place, they can be transferred to a local army, magistrate, government servant, or become an official after studying. Increase by ten acres."

"If you are willing to go to the three provinces of Luchuan, Jiugang, and Guanwai, you will be rewarded with a hundred acres of land when you retire. After three years in the army, those who retire will increase their hundred acres every year."

"If a general banner officer like me retires, maybe I can be promoted to a higher rank."

"I will be forty-two next year, and I will discuss it with my wife..."

A letter mainly talked about the Qingzhou battalion and Guangzhou battalion changing defenses from north to south, followed by a discussion on the retirement of the army over the age of 45.

Zhou Boqian's father is already in his forties, that is, three years after this change of defense, he will most likely face the problem of changing jobs and being discharged from the army.

For such a big matter, he is naturally unlikely to hide it from his family and decide on his own, so he is going to discuss with his family in advance whether to change jobs or retire.

After Zhou Boqian read out such a thing, everyone looked at Zhou Wang, but Zhou Wang complained:

"Your father didn't discuss this kind of matter with the general above. He came to discuss it with us. How can we know more than the general above?"

"Anyway, I still think it's good to change jobs. If you change jobs, you can be promoted to a higher level. That is, from the sixth grade, you will still have a salary of 400 taels a year. Don't you think so? Dingguo." Zhou Boqian turned his head to look at Li Dingguo, but Li Dingguo shook his head and said:

"Not necessarily. It seems that the sixth rank of the Bing Ma Si and the Ministry of Criminal Justice is only 320 taels."

"That's too high!" Zhou Boqian raised his voice. After all, half an hour ago, he was still suffering from the price increase of wonton. 320 taels can buy [-] bowls of wonton.

"If you can, you can actually change jobs in different places." Li Dingguo can see the memorials of the Chengyun Hall every day, so he knows that in terms of the remuneration of soldiers retiring and changing jobs, his Royal Highness has actually achieved a good balance.

If a seventh-rank general banner officer like him changes jobs, with military experience plus officer qualifications, if he chooses to go to the three provinces outside the customs, Luchuan, Jiugang, and Nanzhou to change jobs, he can not only be transferred to a sixth-rank official, but also get retired arable land indicators.

Naturally, the number of cultivated land quotas for this conversion will not be more than that of soldiers who have been officially retired, but the number is not small. If Li Dingguo remembers well, the chief banner officer also has hundreds of acres of land when he changes jobs in other places.

"Change jobs in another place? My father didn't write it?"

Zhou Boqian looked through the letter over and over again, but he didn't see a change of job in a different place, but Li Dingguo was a little bit surprised when he heard the news, thinking that the news might not have been released yet, so he could only lie:
"My uncle is also a general in the army. Maybe it's because the news hasn't been spread yet. Aunt Zhou, you can try to wait. Maybe Uncle Zhou will find out in a few days."

"Participant? Such a big official?" Hearing Li Dingguo's words, the three of them were very surprised. After all, in their opinion, defense is already very important, let alone a general.

A general is a person who can be the commander of a government army and horse after changing jobs, and is a fifth-rank official position.

"It's far away. I haven't seen each other for many years. I also heard from my aunt a few days ago."

Li Dingguo was a little ashamed. In order to complete a lie, he had to tell countless lies.

"Oh..." Hearing what Li Dingguo said, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and they didn't think it was strange that Li Dingguo was studying in Changlefang.

"Then the heirs of your uncle's family are probably all studying in the inner city? I'm so envious..."

Zhou Boqian pouted, thinking about the prosperity of the inner city, he couldn't help shaking his head.

"Are you envious? Go to bed now!"

Seeing Zhou Boqian being so angry, Zhou Wang quickly told him to go to bed, after all, he had to go to study tomorrow.

Zhou Boqian was scolded, and immediately shrank his neck, took Li Dingguo to wash his feet and went to sleep.

Perhaps it was because of the smoke and fire in the room, but Li Dingguo felt like he had returned to Yanshan's house to sleep that night, so he slept very soundly.

It's just that while he was sleeping soundly, a fleet from the other side of the ocean also arrived at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

"This is Bald Gorge..."

On the Atlantic Ocean in the twelfth lunar month, when Xu Xiake and his party arrived at the Strait of Gibraltar with dozens of ships, they all felt that the breath they held in their hearts had been released.

As the goal of the second voyage to the West, the Strait of Gibraltar is their destination, and now they have arrived, the next thing to do is to buy some livestock, and then send them to the South Kunlun Supervisory Commissioner to Yan Yingyuan and Yan Yinshao .

"Beep--"

"The direction of the three quarters of the hour, there is a ship approaching by Franji!"

Suddenly, whistles and soldiers' alerts sounded from the mast, and Xu Xiake hurriedly said:

"Send a ship to negotiate, saying that we are patrolling the world on the order of the Emperor of Heaven, and want to replenish and buy livestock in the nearest city, and then we will leave."

"Yes!"

Following Xu Xiake's order, a second-class warship of [-] materials approached the warship, but when the two sides played the semaphore of conversation and approached, they realized that the warship of Europa was really small and pitiful.

"Oh... this damn ship is estimated to be [-] tons. Sending such a main battleship to negotiate, what do these Ming people want to do?"

On the Spanish warship, when Oliki, the captain, looked up at the Ming Yi and other warships that were three times their tonnage, they immediately felt humiliated.

"If it weren't for the royal family's restrictions on ships, we might be able to have larger warships than this."

Vice-captain Olivenza looked at Daming's warship with some envy in his eyes.

In fact, even at this time, Europe's shipbuilding technology is no worse than that of Ming Dynasty, and even surpassed that of Ming Dynasty in some places.

The main reason why they did not have a warship of more than [-] tons was the failure of the naval war.

In the same era, because in sea wars, Spanish large ships would always be defeated by British small ships. Therefore, in order to pursue speed, Spanish warships also changed to between [-] tons and [-] tons, and more than [-] tons. The ships, mainly those used to transport the treasures of the Americas, were seldom used in warfare.

It was mainly after the Anglo-Dutch War that Europe really picked up the craft of big ships again. Now, I am afraid that Europe will pick up crafts of big ships in advance without waiting for the outbreak of this war.

After all, after confronting warships like the Ming Dynasty, which can easily exceed [-] tons, can European countries still stick to the small boat winning tactics?
Not to mention anything else, just talking about a second-class warship right now makes Oliji and others very desperate.

As an important gateway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar can be said to be the "lifeline" of the Mediterranean Sea and the lifeline of Spain.

At present, the countries that believe in the Protestantism and the countries that believe in the old religion are at the moment under the cover of religious disputes, and they are fighting for territory in Europe. The Spanish fleet and trading fleet are often attacked by the British and Dutch fleets, so they are deployed in Gibraltar power is very limited.

Fortunately, it is Spain's main trade partner, the Deming Fleet, who is here this time, otherwise the Strait of Gibraltar may be in danger of being besieged again.

"This boat is so small..."

When Oliji and others were envious of the Ming warship, an official of the Siyi Pavilion on the warship looked at the Spanish warship and couldn't help but shook his head.

Fortunately, the ship's ladder was put in place at this time, and the official also started to walk down the ship's ladder to the warship full of Spaniards.

"Hello, our trading partners, what is the purpose of your coming to Gibraltar?"

As a weaker party, Oliki was not qualified to be tough, so he could only politely ask the officials of the Siyi Pavilion, and the officials also revealed the purpose of his group.

"We have been entrusted by the Son of Heaven to patrol the ocean, and we want to dock some ships at your country's port, supply supplies, and buy some livestock. By the way, we have brought a letter from His Royal Highness King Qi of the Ming Dynasty to the king of your country."

It turned out to be business...

After hearing the words from the officials of the Siyi Pavilion, Oliki and Olivenza breathed a sigh of relief, but they still asked, "What is the number of ships and troops you have?"

"63 ships, a total of 41 warships, 22 supply ships, the number of troops is more than 1 people, and there are more than [-] sailors."

"hiss……"

Hearing the casual words of the officials from the Siyi Pavilion, Oliki and Olivenza gasped.

You must know that even though wars are raging in Europe at this moment, even if Spain is called the empire on which the sun never sets in this era, their army number is only 10,000+.

Now suddenly a fleet came to ask for supplies in the southern port of the empire, and its strength reached 2 people.

It can be said that even if Felipe IV was here, he would not dare to say that Xu Xiake and the others boarded the ship at will.

Zhu Youjian still has too little knowledge of the strength of Europe. In his opinion, a huge empire like Spain has at least three 10,000+ troops?

Therefore, he sent Xu Xiake and the fleet to protect Xu Xiake, just to keep them from being threatened at sea.

But now, they are not threatened, but the whole of Europe is threatened by them.

Even if it is a very close partner, but the problem is that when he stops at your door with an army that can easily plunder most of your land, no matter who you are, you will inevitably feel a little flustered.

Therefore, when Ourich and the others heard about the strength of Xu Xiake and others, they knew that this kind of matter was beyond their control. After all, Ming's warships were too powerful. Launch an attack.

"Your fleet is very powerful. We need to ask the governor first before deciding whether you will land for supplies."

Oliki behaved very decently and did not dare to be arrogant. Olivenza and the Spanish soldiers on the Spanish warship also swallowed their saliva. They only felt that the Ming army fleet in the distance was like a million tons of gunpowder that could explode at any time.

"Of course, but can it be solved in half a month? Our supplies are only half a month away."

The words of the officials of the Siyi Pavilion sounded like a show of weakness and self-explosion of weaknesses, but the problem is that they have such a powerful fleet, and this way of self-explosion of weaknesses is not a sign of weakness at all, but a bit of a threat.

Can half a month solve it?If you can't solve it, then I have to solve it for you...

In Oliki's view, the meaning of the officials of the Siyi Pavilion seems to be not much different from this. Fortunately, Spain's land area is not large. .

"certainly……"

Olji nodded, and the officials of the Siyi Pavilion were also relieved when they saw this, and took a rectangular wooden box from the soldiers behind them:
"This is a letter from His Royal Highness King Qi of Ming Dynasty to the king of your country, please pass it on."

"Do you mind if we check it?" Oliki took the wooden box, sighing in his heart at the exquisite workmanship of the wooden box, he couldn't help asking.

"Of course!" The official of the Siyi Pavilion nodded with a smile, and Oliki and others also opened the wooden box.

Inside the box was a satin brocade scroll made of fine silk, most of which had pictures of auspicious clouds and auspicious cranes, magnificent.

There are flying silver dragons at both ends of the file as an anti-counterfeiting symbol, and the overall color is bright yellow.

It can be said that if you take this item to sell, even an ignorant Spanish businessman will bid 1 pesos.

Oliki looked inside the box, and after confirming that there was no trap, they closed the box, and then saluted the officials of the Siyi Pavilion:
"Please rest assured that we will properly hand him over to the capital. If you go in this direction, you will reach a deserted island in about 10 minutes. There is fresh water on the island. Your fleet can rest here. I will tell you the answer in ten days."

"Thank you..."

The officials of the Siyi Pavilion returned the salute, then left the Spanish warship and returned to Daming's own warship.

Afterwards, the warship set sail and returned to the fleet. The officials of the Siyi Pavilion told Xu Xiake about the incident. Xu Xiake didn't feel that there was anything wrong when he heard the words, but ordered the officials around him to go to the deserted island pointed by the Spaniards.

Soon, a fleet of more than [-] ships set off for the deserted island, and during this process, Oliki and the others paid close attention to the whole process.

They set off with the fleet of the Ming army, like an escort, until they were sent to the deserted island, and after watching them start to land on the deserted island, Oliki and the others returned to the port of Cadiz, Spain.

They told the governor of Cadiz about the appearance of Xu Xiake and others, their strength, and their intentions.

After learning that such a powerful fleet was stationed in his own country's waters, the governor of Cadiz broke out in a cold sweat, and without hesitation ordered the news of the wooden box and Xu Xiake and others to be sent to the capital.

Not only Spain, the British ships and Dutch ships that passed the route in the next few days all found the Ming Fleet stationed on the deserted island. They used trade as an excuse to contact Xu Xiake and others, and after obtaining useful information, they returned with the information. out of the country.

For Xu Xiake, he came this time to visit on behalf of the Son of Heaven, and incidentally bought some livestock for the Southern Kunlun Supervising Envoy.

But for countries that focus on maritime interests, this may be an opportunity for them to leverage east-west ocean trade.

You know, there are not a few countries that rely on trade with Ming Dynasty to continue their lives...

Afternoon update estimated at 05:30