Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 682 Building a Hong Kong Treasure Island
  Most of the ships in Longjiang Shipyard are now sailed by Zhang He and Tie Xuan. Currently, there are only one treasure ship and three blessing ships that can be used. Fortunately, the shipping business has become increasingly prosperous in recent years, and the shipbuilding industry has also prospered. In just a few years, many shipyards have sprung up along the coast.

  From these shipyards, Zhu Su successfully recruited a dozen medium-sized merchant ships. Although these merchant ships are not as tall and sturdy as treasure ships and lucky ships, and can run invincibly on the sea with their hulls alone, they are used to transport troops. But it is quite enough.

  In addition, in the Baoyuan Bureau, due to the development of various minerals and rich sulfur mines in Dongying Island, the Ming Dynasty's artillery and gunpowder production have made a qualitative leap. Once the artillery is installed on these merchant ships, Zhu Su is sure that just these Merchant ships equipped with large-caliber cannons are enough to traverse the world in this era.

  So, on an auspicious day with good winds and smooth winds, the fleet swore to set off for the expedition in Hangzhou. In addition to about twenty majestic warships of the Ming Dynasty, there were also many large and small merchant ships following behind. Hundreds of ships all departed from the harbor under the dragon flag of the Ming Dynasty, and their momentum was quite impressive.

  "Uncle Fifth, where should we go first?" Standing on the bow of the boat, feeling the sea breeze, looking at the sky and the vast sea in front of him, even Li Jinglong, who felt like he was being chased, felt refreshed at this time. , with a broad mind. Turning around, he saw Zhu Su still looking at the chart in the pergola on the deck, so he eagerly turned around to ask.

  "Where else can we go? Head south first, and then make plans after arriving at Quanzhou Port." Zhu Su said. This time, some of the military households accompanying the expedition came from Fujian and Guangdong and had not yet boarded the ship. They had to wait until the fleet arrived in Quanzhou and Guangzhou before they could board the ship and accompany the expedition. However, what Zhu Su was thinking about at this time was not how to receive the soldiers from these two places. He looked thoughtfully at a place on the map and asked, "Who is stationed in this land of Ryukyu now?"

  "Da Liuqiu?" Li Jinglong heard the sound and came over. "Oh, this place is mostly inhabited by some indigenous tribes, and there were Japanese pirates who wanted to station themselves here. However, the indigenous people here are very brave, and it is difficult for the Japanese to gain a foothold. That's why the island is still dominated by indigenous people today."

  "I have heard of the name of the largest tribe on the island. It is said that it is called Da...oh, Dadu!"

  The Ryukyu Island we are talking about now is the treasure island of Taiwan in future generations. The so-called Xiaoliuqiu refers to the Three Mountain Kingdom on the Ryukyu Islands. Obviously Li Jinglong had done a lot of homework for this trip to sea, and continued to explain to Zhu Su: "This Dadu tribe lives on the seaside to the west of Da Liuqiu, making a living by fishing and hunting. Occasionally, there are also merchants and merchants from Fujian. There are some contacts. However, their tribe is very closed-minded and exclusive, and they do not pay tribute to our Ming Dynasty. They are self-sufficient and do not value trade..."

  "Except for this big belly, are there other tribes on this island?" Zhu Su asked.

  "Of course there is." Li Jinglong said. "The land of Da Liuqiu is quite vast. In addition to the Dadu tribe, there are many small tribes standing there. There are also many uninhabited wastelands. Does Fifth Uncle want to take this Da Liuqiu?"

  This island was later called Treasure Island. It was rich in natural resources and had many natural ports. And with the development of maritime trade in the Ming Dynasty, this place will inevitably become the hub of Asian shipping in the future, and it is close to the mainland of the Ming Dynasty, so it should naturally be chosen.

  "In the past during the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu Dynasty sent troops to live and manage this island. However, it was only after the Five Husties invaded China and their descendants were unfilial that they gained and lost it. Since I, the Ming Dynasty, are determined to expand the territory, how can we ignore this territory? ?" Zhu Su said. "We are waiting for the advance soldiers to divide into two groups. I will go to Quanzhou to fetch the Fujian and Cantonese soldiers. You will go to Dadu first to find a place to build a port and leave [-] people to garrison. You must come here before the wind comes. Join me in Quanzhou."

  "This... the fifth uncle wants me to lead an army alone?" Li Jinglong was stunned and immediately felt a little flinching. "My nephew really doesn't have the talent to lead an army. This..."

  "A manly man, how come he belongs to his mother-in-law?" Zhu Su frowned and said impatiently. "There are just a few natives on the left and right, and I didn't teach you who to fight with." "Didn't you say that there are many uninhabited wastelands on the island? Just find those open spaces to build a port, what's the big deal? There is cement, It takes ten days and a half to build a city fortress."

  "Don't be nagging, I'll arrange a few ships...you can go back quickly."

  So Zhu Su simply allocated ten merchant ships equipped with ship cannons to Li Jinglong and sent him to build a port on Daliuqiu Island. Some of the accompanying merchants who were willing to invest in this port followed Li Jinglong with their own supplies.

  This is the first time that Li Jinglong has led an army seriously. Ever since he left Zhu Su, he has behaved like a general. Fortunately, after all, he still has some foundation in martial arts generals. He marched and deployed all the way. Something went wrong. Soon he arrived at the northern part of Dayiuqiu Island. Following the direction drawn by Zhu Su on the map, Li Jinglong discovered that this place is indeed a very vast and habitable plain. It is not only close to the sea, but also has rivers. It is a natural excellent port and sheltered port. .

  This place was Taipei, the future seat of Taiwan's provincial government. Perhaps because the nearby tribes at this time were all alpine tribes living in the mountains, the vast Taipei Plain at this time was still a virgin land that had not been developed by humans. Li Jinglong and the merchants who came with him were overjoyed to see such a treasure land. They immediately began to unload various infrastructure materials that had been prepared and began to build a port here.

  This place is still far to the west of Da Liuqiu, and it should not offend the so-called Big Belly tribe. However, Li Jinglong is still worried, and he just hopes that the protective city wall will be built earlier, so that he can feel more secure.

  However, whatever you are afraid of will eventually come. It has only been a week since they landed, and the cement port walls have not yet been surrounded. Li Jinglong has received the intelligence and news about the indigenous people from the scouts: "Young Master, the people to the east High in the mountains, a team of the mountain tribes native to Ryukyu was found."

  "How many enemies are there? Are they armed? Are there any casualties among our people?" Li Jinglong asked in a panic.

  "There were about a hundred people, and they brought some bows, arrows, knives and guns... but they just threatened me not to go up the mountain, but no brothers were injured or killed as a result." The scout reported.

  "Young Master, there are only over a hundred people... It seems like it's just a small tribe. Why don't we strike first..." A businessman suggested.

  Li Jinglong thought for a long time and finally shook his head. "He showed no hostility. Our Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette, and we are not a bandit."

  "...let me think about it, think about it..."

  (End of this chapter)