Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1931 East India Company and Southeast Asia ([-])

On August 1685, 8, Colonel Lan Fei lay under a big banyan tree to enjoy the coolness on the south bank of the Pearl River during the scorching heat.

Guangdong in August is really too hot, and it won't take long to march under the sun. Even the well-trained and adaptable officers and soldiers of the Taiwan Marine Battalion can't stand it, let alone his gang from the capital on the east coast. The "Wuling Boys" are gone.This group of second-generation rich and minor officials are currently huddling in the temporary barracks one by one, panting with their tongues out like dogs.No way, I was tortured enough by the weather, I couldn't stand it.

Because of the supervision of the truce in Guangdong, the east bank army led by Lieutenant Colonel Lan Fei has been stranded on the south bank of the Pearl River opposite Guangzhou (in order not to irritate Li Yuanhao too much) for more than half a year.For more than half a year, they occupied Foshan Town to the south of Guangzhou City, and based on this, they continued to search for local residents who were willing to emigrate to sea in the surrounding area to enrich the immigrant inventory.At this moment when the Guangdong civil war is clouded, there are quite a few people who are "deceived by sweet words" on the east coast and are willing to emigrate to the sea. The total number probably exceeds several thousand, which is a pleasant surprise.

In addition, when the 4000 cavalry and infantry artillerymen from the east bank set off from Xiangshan and Macao, although there were no major obstacles along the way, there were some "stubborn people" who could not recognize the situation and actually gathered troops. The stubborn resistance surprised Colonel Lan Fei, but also made him a little angry.After these people were defeated and taken prisoner, they and their families were all taken away. They were first sent to collective farms within the jurisdiction of the Heishui Pioneering Team for labor reform, and then sent to the mainland in batches to be accepted by the immigration department.

Even under the pressure of the imminent immigration gap, Colonel Lan Fei also carried out "expansion" without psychological pressure, punishing local residents for small mistakes, and the way of punishment is to arrest and exile.Thinking about these small mistakes is a bit ridiculous, even terrifying. For example, whoever colludes with the nearby Li Yuanhao's forces seems to be not good for the East Bank. Regardless of whether there is any conclusive evidence, the whole family and old friends will be arrested together, and then pretend Ship to the north.And if someone helps to resist or hide during this process, that's even better, and it will be taken away immediately as an accomplice without mercy.

In fact, if you think about it carefully, he is originally a courtier of Hui Guogong Li Yuanhao, isn't it normal to work for him?On the contrary, in the name of mediation and peacekeeping, the people on the east bank directly sent troops into Guangdong, looting everywhere, and intimidating the "legal local government". Is this really good?It is true that people from the east coast are invaders from Guangdong!So, Cantonese people work for the "Imperial Army" during the day, and flirt with the "Eight Routes" at night. Is there any problem?

But the people on the east coast naturally don't care!They were eager to recruit people, but if there is no reason, it is not good to mess around here in the "friendly country" Guangdong, for fear of affecting future business.Now is the right time to take advantage of this opportunity to mediate the Erli War and make a fortune in Guangdong.It doesn't matter even if it looks a little ugly, such opportunities don't come often, and if you miss this time, it may not be the next time.

According to incomplete statistics, this time the east coast troops entered Guangdong for mediation, occupied Shunde, Foshan and other prosperous places along the way, and arrested more than 6 people (most of them were surrendered soldiers and their families). Livestock, gold and silver and other commodities, with a total value of not less than 30 yuan.If you count the food, grass, pigs and sheep, and cash donated by the big local households, the total may be 60 yuan, which is fully worth the cost of dispatching troops this year and there is still a surplus, which makes Colonel Lan Fei very proud. At the same time, I also gained a new understanding of the wealth of Guangdong.

Such a rich place has been occupied by Li Chengdong, an old Shaanxi farmer, for so many years.Calculated based on the current situation, how rich the old Li family in Guangzhou must be. If you have the opportunity in the future, you must "see and see"!

"Lan Battalion Commander, you are really in a good mood." Just as Lan Fei was fanning the cattail fan and drinking herbal tea to escape the heat, there was a burst of laughter outside the door.

Soon, Lu Xiaozhong, who was wearing a sky-blue navy summer uniform, strode in, picked up the herbal tea on the table, drank it, and then said: "Do you know that I'm going to work in a place of bitter cold, so I'm sorry I miss this colorful world in Guangdong. In fact, it is completely unnecessary. What is there in the jurisdiction of the Heishui Management Committee? The whales, volcanoes and geothermal hot springs in Heixiazi Port, the salmon, moose and seals in Sakhalin Island, and the land of Ezo The galloping horses and the intoxicating scenery of the Qiandao Islands dancing with bears are all very enviable. Ah, by the way, the summer there is not so hot, it is a good place to escape the summer heat, and the environment is beautiful, even You can skate and ski in the harsh winter, don't be too comfortable."

"I still remember the vacation I took when I went north to report to the headquarters last time. It was really memorable." Lu Xiaozhong pulled a chair and simply sat under the shade of the tree opposite Lan Fei, drinking tea while He said with a smile: "My friend and I were fishing in Dabo Bay, where the flounder was surprisingly plentiful, and we even brought in sea urchins, real '1st minute' sea urchins, eaten with lemon juice, delicious That’s great. By the way, there are many seals, sea lions, and fur dogs there, and they can’t be chased away. They are so stupid, and they are all moving purses, haha.”

"I also went to Heixiazi Port a few years ago to deliver supplies. The prisoners of the Qing army who were exiled in the past intermarried with the local natives and established a large-scale city. In recent years, some normal immigrants have passed by, and the whole city has become more and more prosperous. Excellent. More importantly, it’s not cold here, not cold at all, and it’s still a year-round ice-free port. I remember that time when we went to a submissive native tribe as a guest and swam in a wild geothermal lake. It was winter. , Haha. It was a novel experience to have dinner with a group of reindeer and dogs (huskies) on the shore, and I still miss it so much." Lu Xiaozhong continued.

"Your current state looks like a businessman who runs a ship, flight or hotel." Lan Fei glanced at Lu Xiaozhong and teased: "It's a pity that our country has not developed tourism as a pillar industry. So, your personal Experience is not of much use. Of course, as the incoming director of the Blackwater Management Committee, I will of course visit every piece of land in the jurisdiction during my term of office, and I will inspect everything to ensure that there are no omissions."

"Of course—" Lan Fei elongated his voice at this point, and finally said with a smile: "I will try the flounder, salmon, cod, king crab, sea urchin, sea cucumber and so on you recommended After all, this is also part of the work. The Heishui area has endless resources, not only mineral resources (coal, gold), forest resources, but also rich animal resources, especially the local rich seafood, which can be said to be sold at home and abroad When I was in Yantai, I heard people say that every child in Denglai grew up eating dried blackwater salted fish. I have heard that the whaling industry has been developed for so many years, and the output is very low. How can this work? The same is true for the leather industry. It is unreasonable to be satisfied with the current low level, and it must be improved. changed."

"Say you're fat, and you're still panting, haha." It is said that Major Lu Xiaozhong, who is said to be promoted to the commander of the Okhotsk Sea Squadron of the Third Fleet, immediately said with a smile.Once Lu Xiaozhong became the chief officer of the Okhotsk Sea Fleet, he automatically entered the Black Water Management Committee, ranking fifth among the members, and he was also one of the local leaders.

Although Lan Fei didn't know about some internal trends of the navy, but seeing the retirement of the old navy guys in the Far East, and the return to the homeland, there were only a few of the younger generation who had some ability and fame, so he knew it in his heart .Therefore, he is also willing to chat with Lu Xiaozhong here for a while at this meeting, as it is to communicate in advance for future work.

"By the way, what is the end of the current mess in Guangdong?" After joking, Lu Xiaozhong asked about the business of this trip.He had just returned from Fujian, and after exhausting all his efforts, he finally negotiated a deal with Zheng Jing, and the Zheng family withdrew from the chaos in Guangdong.In exchange, the people on the east bank need to fully support the Zheng family's pioneering business in Dayuan (Taiwan), provide tools, medicines, tents, cloth, daily necessities, and even weapons and ammunition at preferential prices, and help the Zheng family shield possible diplomatic problems. pressure.In addition, the Zheng family wants to join the Shandan trade that the people on the east coast are doing so well, and hopes that the people on the east coast can give them some help.

Of these two conditions, the second one is actually easier to say. After all, people on the east bank often need to get goods (raw silk, tea and sugar cane) from Fujian. Not impossible.Let's sit down and have a good talk, we should be able to talk together, the only difference is how big it takes you to play.

But the first one is to fully support the Zheng family's development in Taiwan Island, so we need to be more cautious.You must know that as the East Coast people take more and more goods from the Dutch (mainly spices, rice, sugar and other tropical commodities), the amount is getting larger and larger, and they can provide a large amount of rice, Formosa, the island of sugar and leather, is certainly gaining in importance.If you count the entrepot trade between the island and the Zheng family in Fujian and Japan, as well as the smuggling trade with the local government in Guangdong, the profit provided by the island to the East India Company once accounted for nearly one-third of the total. The appearance is very amazing.

To be honest, one-third of the profit ratio, in Batavia's view, is enough to do anything for it.Anyone who dares to threaten this part of their interests will incur a crazy blow from them, unless you can prove that you can bring them more benefits; or simply prove that you are stronger than them, and you can easily knock them down and let them suffer greater unacceptable loss.

Fujian Zheng's previous development in the northern part of Taiwan Island has already annoyed them very much!If they hadn't exported a large amount of Wuyi green tea, raw silk, porcelain and other commodities from Zheng's family to Japan, Vietnam or European markets every year, they would have turned against Zheng Jing a long time ago, how could it have been delayed until now!Of course, perhaps the overt or covert support of the people on the east coast is also one of the important reasons why the Dutch are reluctant to do anything. The interests of the two companies, the East India Company and the Bank of Taiwan, are really too deep. , It can be said that it is a typical example that both sides benefit from cooperation, and both sides lose from division. Neither party can easily make up their minds to turn their faces.Therefore, as long as the scope of activities of Zheng Jing's subordinates is limited to the northern part of Formosa Island (which was a Spanish colony many years ago, with poor management and few benefits), there is no serious threat to the Dutch East India Company's core area in the southern core of the island. rule, then they will continue to endure and will not overreact.

But what does the Zheng family want to do now?Obviously, they have lost interest in developing the wild and dangerous northern Dayuan Island at a huge cost.Now, they want to develop further south, because the further south, the higher the degree of development, the larger the population, and the higher the improvement of the environment, which is indeed more attractive.

Now most of Zheng Jing's thoughts are still focused on managing Fujian's basic market, and the development of Dayuan Island is just a retreat operation.As far as the current stage is concerned, he doesn't have any motivation to invest much resources in it, which is unrealistic.Therefore, rather than throwing limited resources into the north where the water is not even a risk, it is better to concentrate resources and focus on the development of the central and southern regions close to the Dutch ruled area, where the environment is better and it is easier to obtain benefits.As for the Dutch threat?Don't you have to ask you Dongguo people to come forward to mediate this!

When Lu Xiaozhong told Colonel Lan Fei about this situation, both of them hesitated immediately.Why is Zheng Jing so messed up?Supporting your expansion across the island of Taiwan, don't you know how much it will cost and risk?One bad thing is a war, can your Zheng family afford it?If the Dutch start a war against you, they may not even think about selling a catty of tea to Japan. Is it fun?

If the people on the east coast are exhausted, they will help you prepare some things necessary for tropical pioneering, and there is nothing else they can do to help you.You are going to tease the Dutch. The East Bank side supports it in their hearts, but they will not give too much obvious assistance in action. At most, they will sell some weapons.But now Zheng Jingming wants the people from the east coast to come forward directly to escort their pioneering business in Taiwan Island. The cost involved is high, and it cannot be decided by the two of them. It must be discussed with other people. Take a moment and make a collective decision.

"Is Zheng Jing a little too arrogant now?" Lan Fei put the teacup on the tea table, then stood up, and after taking two steps, he said, "Where does he have the confidence? Do you think he is taking advantage of our shortcomings? Now The war between Er Li has basically subsided, and there is little possibility of a resurgence in the short term. Even if he attacks the Chaozhou government now, does he really think he can turn the situation around? Li Yuanhao in Guangzhou, in my opinion, has lost his courage. Don’t dare to fight against us. Even if Zheng Jing’s envoys come to Guangzhou to talk sweet words, I don’t think Li Yuanhao will be able to persuade Li Yuanhao to restart the war again. Therefore, the Zheng family must have overestimated their own energy!”

"However, the Zheng family is also a rare force that we can see clearly. It still has a certain effect on balancing the situation on the mainland. It cannot be killed with a single stick." Lu Xiaozhong also stood up, and said with a smile: "Some dirty work, In the future, we will have to rely on the Zheng family to do the wet work. Let’s discuss it with Denglai and Ningshao first, and then we will come to a conclusion. I heard that the Southern Exploration Team is planning a southward trade strategy. Due to lack of strength, It’s hard to say what their attitude is if they intend to invite the Zheng family to do it together, so let’s just wait patiently.”

Hearing Lu Xiaozhong mention the so-called southward trade strategy, Lan Fei also nodded slightly, agreeing with him.In fact, the main operators of this southward movement are the Bank of Taiwan and the Haizhu Island Commercial Station, that is, they went southward to enter the sphere of influence of the non-Dutch East India Company, including the Indochina Peninsula, the Philippines, and Timor Island, to carry out trade and many cooperations to obtain commercial benefits. .

This strategy has actually been planned for some years, but it has not been implemented.This time, it happened to negotiate a peace with the Qing court. Visually, there is no possibility of a major war in the next ten years. Therefore, the Southern Exploration Team and the Bank of Taiwan also started some other attempts. This southward trade is obviously one of the attempts.

(End of this chapter)