Lu Ming

The fleet that had poured its shells that day quietly withdrew from the Red River at night. Five days later, the replenished fleet knocked off the customs again, and fought a "battle" with the surface fleet urgently dispatched by Thang Long Mansion in the lower reaches of the Red River.

The ending was cruel: the paddling fleet that bravely resisted the invaders could not penetrate the defense at all under the intensive cross-fire.In the end, before the entire army was wiped out, only one fireboat broke within a kilometer of the two "huge ships".

The battle situation continued like this, making the shelling scene that appeared in the previous article once again befall the Thang Long Mansion.

Chapter 595

On the surface of the Red River, the unique dark red water flowed mightily to the east.

This is the confluence of the Honghe River and the Dunhe River, which naturally forms a settlement.Thang Long Mansion sits here, just like the northern and southern capitals of neighboring countries in the north, occupying an important geographical location: no matter from the south to the north, or from the inland to the coast, the location of Thang Long Mansion is a must for internal and external exchanges in Annan place.

Unfortunately, the uninvited guests seem to think so too.In the recent period of time, the other generation has been attacking frequently, and there is a great intention to live here for a long time.

Time has come to late January 1632.Since the previous two unreasonable and unreasonable shelling operations, this is the third time that the South Fleet has visited Thang Long Mansion in ten months.

But this time, things have changed.Compared with the previous two rounds, the Shangguo Fleet, which came to "Xiabang" again, did not launch an offensive as soon as it came, but put up a posture and stopped at the confluence of the two rivers.

Looks like he's here for a ride?

From a distance, the battleship Fuyuan with a full load displacement of more than 1500 tons is surrounded by a large number of ships in the middle of the estuary like a moon surrounded by stars.

This imperialist warship, which the people of Annan hate and fear, did not open the gun ports at this moment, but put down the anchor chain and furled half of the sails.

In fact, the battleships did come for a ride today.

To be precise, the owner of the battleship finally remembered the beautiful Red River Delta for a drive.

On the large rear deck of the Fuyuan, a group of dignitaries sat with empty barrels under their buttocks, and empty barrels in front of them...a wooden plank was temporarily built on top to make a table.The table is full of canned food and tin cans of beer, and they are having a lively party.

Judging from the scene, this high-end and elegant battleship deck invitation reception has obviously been going on for quite some time.The participants probably drank a lot, all of them flushed red and their voices were loud. The roaring sound floated above the Red River, as if it was going to be introduced into the lush and infinite rainforest in the distance.

"Come on, brothers, go one!"

Soon, not long after the round of clinking glasses, Mr. Zhang Dongdong, the commander in chief, raised the cup.

"Leaving again? What... what name?"

"Let's wish Boss Cao a long and boundless life, and Lao Xia... hiccup, um, generally healthy."

"Okay, old Zhang is a good ass. Come on, do it, do it all."

Before the words were finished, a pile of dark green military enamel jars collided together.The next moment, with the aroma of hops, thick white foam emerged from the tank.

There is no doubt that those who can drink beer and toast so arrogantly are naturally timetravelers.

Zhang Dongdong is the one who drank the most today.

This gentleman has a special status.In front of the majority of the natives, he is the real hero who dominates the southern sky.However, within the time traveler, his political status is only a member of the "mass".

not only that.Thanks to the unique internal relationship of the time-traveling people, sometimes Zhang Dongdong even has to be extra "cautious in his words and deeds" to avoid being accused of "overstepping" and taking him as a ghost to Li Kui to claim credit... The occupation of trolls will never be annihilated across multiple planes. Even in the seventeenth century, there were creatures like LAN trolls.

So in general, although Zhang Dongdong's participation in many major events in this plane is inseparable, he usually just "steps out and doesn't care about things", and making good signs seems to be his only job.

Of course, where there is a loss, there is a gain.Without rights, there is naturally no responsibility.In such a state, Zhang Dongdong, after he got used to all these from the initial awkwardness, he found a way of survival from it: play.

Anyway, when dividing the cake in the future, he will not lose 1 gram.

So he drank the most today—in fact, whenever there is an internal party, Zhang Dongdong has always been a generous person who drinks in a big bowl compared to those "time-traveling social animals" who have various jobs.

If you drink too much, you will speak boldly, or talk nonsense.Here, Mr. Zhang floated away again after he just said a beautiful toast.I saw him leaning against the side of the boat, holding the jar crookedly with one hand, and pointing with the other hand at Shenglong Mansion, the capital of Annan Kingdom, which was misty and hidden in the river mist in the distance. He first raised his head and laughed.

After posing, the next moment, Zhang Dongdong spewed out the famous line with the breath of alcohol in the aria: "Brothers, the historical process of conquering a country with a few cannons has finally come! Drinking wins!"

A group of drunkards, who were already in high spirits, were immediately filled with pride when they heard this sentence, screaming, clapping and whistles sounded one after another.

The scene of a group of demons dancing wildly is unsightly.A group of alcoholics who are in a state of depression, no one can make them sober, they can only wait for the natural end.

But there are always exceptions.When a lot of people get together, there will always be those who don't fit in.At this moment, in an inconspicuous corner of the stern, two transversal people who were also sitting on the empty barrel were looking at the dry man at the bar as if they were joking, with mocking expressions on their faces.

In other words, Cao Zongbing temporarily set off for Annan this time, and there were quite a few hitchhikers.After all, no matter how you say it, Annan can be regarded as a "country of a thousand chariots" with grammar and weapons.

Conquering this country of thousands of vehicles is not the same as fighting against tribal Tartars. There is an important "code of conduct for future international relations", which is waiting for those who have experienced this for the first time to collect information and discuss the establishment.

So, besides people from the military and the diplomatic service, there were also other cross-travelers who planned to collect first-hand information, as well as various people from agriculture, mining and so on.

In short, the team is very mixed, there are all kinds of people.

There will be two people sitting in the stern, one is Wei Hu and the other is Ma Ming.

Wei Hu, who was wearing a modified Chinese-style jacket with a stand-up collar, was tall and strong, with a dark complexion, more like a plumber than an accountant, but he was actually a certified public accountant before time travel.

This time, Wei Hu came to Annan on a temporary basis.He is very interested in the financial operation of small countries in the Middle Ages, so he came to investigate.

Today's Wei Hu is the Master Qian Liang of the General Military Mansion.This position has a counterpart in later generations: the Director of the Internal Revenue Service.

Wei Hu, who is in charge of the taxation of all the "actual control areas" of the General Military Mansion, has much stronger real power than his counterparts in later generations in the current environment.

The reason is simple: due to the extreme shortage of "junior and high school arithmetic talents", the current "national tax" and "local tax" are two sets of signs with the same team, and Wei Hu is the real leader in the tax industry.

Wei Hu has another identity in the time-traveling crowd: the leader of the opposition party, and a member of the high-level people in the time-traveling group.

During the initial run-in in the turmoil in Tainan, Wei Hu was the leader of the minority Tangqi Association.Today, although the royalist faction headed by Xia Xianze has occupied the mainstream, everyone knows that there is still a need for some opposition in the end.

So Wei Hu and his group are also living a very nourishing life.

Besides, in the current environment, as long as you are a traverser, you have to be used as a backbone, no matter what crooked melon you are, there are really few people who don't live well.

Sitting next to Wei Hu, Ma Ming is the deputy general manager of Yijian.

The reason why Ma Ming, who is a member of the Imperial Han Dynasty, was able to have a good talk with Wei Hu was definitely not because he could build asphalt roads, but because everyone was a member of the minority.

Ma Ming came to Annan this time to investigate: building castles in a tropical environment and the preliminary preparations for building a "defensive community".

Therefore, at the deck reception composed of many people who eat melons and mainstream factions, Wei Hu and Ma Ming, the two heretics, seem a bit unique.The two of them probably didn't want to be with those "rotten elements" who spend their days and drinks, so they had to find a corner to drink some wine by themselves.

"Listen, listen to what nonsense this is talking about. Alas, there are so many fools."

At this time, Wei Hu had just heard Zhang Dongdong rant.He shook the beer in the military tea mug with one hand, and shook his head: "This is considered a doorstep, and it's still the same set of colonial thinking. The key is that there are so many idiots agreeing... Sigh, I think this is a country-breaking pill."

Ma Ming on the side is also dumbfounded: "The Europeans only had those few onions back then, and they had no choice but to build a colony. If there are enough people, wouldn't it be good to grab them and make them yours?"

Wei Hu looked helpless: "Yes, North America is a ready-made example."

Wei Hu's thinking is correct.

Although the "crowds" are still immersed in the glory of being colonists, they seem to want to return all the humiliation suffered by the old world to this plane.However, high-level people like Wei Hu who have access to strategic planning are actually very clear about one thing: the crossing forces do not intend to establish any colonies.

In other words, even if a colony is established, it is a short-term behavior and will not be used as a long-term national policy.

The reason is simple: in the Ming Dynasty with a population of 1 million, the natural mission of the traversers must be to open up the "land under the eyes" for the basic board of their own people, rather than to set up some colonies and wait for the local aborigines to jump up and run away one day colonists.

After mocking Jiu Mengzi for a while, Wei Hu and Ma Ming had an in-depth exchange of views on the next issue of common concern to both sides: in the year 1632 that has already come, after Cao Chuan himself nodded and agreed, the second general meeting within the crossing congregation The conference has been confirmed to be held, and the time will not be later than the second half of this year at the latest.

This meeting is very important. It is the first plenary meeting since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It will be a link between the past and the future, and a series of major issues will be discussed and voted on.

As the leader of a minority faction, someone like Wei Hu would definitely show his skills at the meeting, punching the nursing home and kicking the kindergarten.So this business trip is also an opportunity for him to use his private time to communicate and collude with the "minorities".

In this way, the invitation reception with different thoughts lasted for a whole day, and this weird "sitting" state on the surface of the Red River also lasted for a day.

The terrified Annan people finally came to their senses after a night of astonishment.

Soon, the liaison boat sent by Shenglong Mansion cautiously approached the huge fleet on the river in the early morning of the next day.

This time, the liaison boat was not swept into the bottom of the river by intensive artillery fire, but was intercepted and questioned by patrol boats.

Not long after, many people in the palace of Shenglong Mansion finally received the first piece of good news since ten months: the general soldiers of the Ming Dynasty agreed to meet Annan's envoy.

Chapter 596 Embarkation

After several times of non-stop communication on the communication boat, Annan and Fuyuan finally reached an agreement: Annan sent an official envoy to Fuyuan to negotiate.

So in the afternoon of that day, a square-headed Annan official ship finally appeared on the wharf outside Thang Long Mansion, which was originally dead.

Zheng Chuntang stood upright at the bow with a serious face.As the boat under his feet sailed slowly, the warships of the Ming Dynasty with white sails hanging on both sides were also left behind.

Although it has never dealt with the Central Plains Dynasty, there is no doubt that the internal structure of a small remote country with a lack of grammar like Annan still adopts the Central Plains Dynasty.

In today's Annan and Houli Dynasties, the interior of the court hall is a replica of Han culture, including the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Officials and other departments.Confucianism is still emphasized in education in China, and there are formal imperial examination rules.In terms of economy, the distribution of taxes is based on the Tang Dynasty's rent and mediocrity adjustment method.

Today's Shenglong Mansion is controlled by the Annan Zheng family.Therefore, the key positions in the court hall are naturally occupied by the Zheng family, which must include the servant of the Ministry of officials.

Zheng Chuntang is the Minister of the Ministry of Officials of An Nanguo.

He is the in-law of the contemporary Annan power minister Zheng Bing. He is a cultural person who has read poetry and books. He also traveled to Daming and other places in his early years, so he has rich qualifications.So this time Zheng Chuntang was entrusted with a heavy task by Zheng Bing, and he took on the important task of "going to the enemy's big ship outside his home".

……

After a long time, the envoy ship sent by the Annan court finally passed through the defensive zone composed of gunboats at all levels alone, and came to the foot of the mountain-like ship.

"God, the rumors are true, this ship is so big!"

The one who exclaimed was a tall foreigner.Judging from the person's fiery red curly hair, solid figure and prominent cheekbones, it is very likely that this guy is Dutch.

Don't be surprised why there are Dutchmen on Annan's envoy ship.

As early as the early seventeenth century, the Portuguese who attacked all the way along the coastline had already landed in the Indochina Peninsula, and were committed to establishing trade relations with the indigenous governments in various places.

At this point in time, the Portuguese were caught up in the Annan civil war: Annan’s nominal Houli Dynasty had survived in name only, and the two private military and political groups Ruan and Zheng separated the north and the south respectively.

Exactly from the year when the traverser appeared, Zheng and Ruan began a see-saw civil war that lasted for more than 40 years: the dispute between Zheng and Ruan.

In this process, the southern Ruan Lord, who was on the weak side, accepted the Portuguese who came from India to find opportunities, and the two parties concluded a trade contract.

After that, the Portuguese not only sold weapons to Master Ruan, but also carried out a series of actions to enhance the military strength of the Ruan family, including training soldiers, building fortresses, and opening foundry workshops on the spot.

The Ruan family survived the first "crusade" launched by the Zheng family in the north in 1627 by relying on the advanced military ideas and weapon assistance provided by Portuguese military experts. , On the forts built under the guidance of the Portuguese, they were beaten badly, so they had no choice but to withdraw their troops.

Afterwards, Zheng quickly found out the whole story: it turned out that Ruan had found the support of his foreign father!

Will the plan come out?

"Report to the king, there are Hongmao'helan' businessmen outside the door asking to see you."

……that is the truth.

The Dutch, who fought with the Portuguese all over the world, immediately found the Zheng family in the north by smelling it.After that, the two sides hit it off, and the Dutch became Zheng's military adviser and arms supplier.

As military advisers, the Dutch usually also acted as the "international relations adviser" of the indigenous regime.

Regarding the powerful Ming fleet that suddenly appeared a few days ago, the Dutch have much more information than Zheng.After all, the Zheng family is just a closed indigenous farming regime, and the Dutch are the "Sea Rhythm Masters" of the seventeenth century. There is a huge gap in the amount of information between the two sides.

This is the reason why there are Dutchmen on the envoy ship that came to the foot of Fuyuan today.

The tall Dutchman who exclaimed was named Van Hermann Hotell.This person is Batavia's trade representative stationed in Thang Long Mansion.

Hearing the astonishment of the Dutch adviser beside him, Zheng Chuntang, An Nanzheng's envoy, was a little puzzled.In his opinion, apart from being a few sizes bigger, the Fuyuan ship in front of the ship with big characters painted with fangs and claws is actually not much different from the Dutch merchant ships that are usually stationed outside Thang Long Mansion.

"Mr. Fan, why are you surprised? Could it be that your country does not have such a huge ship?"

Unfortunately, unlike ordinary people's imagination, the Dutch at this time really did not have a thousand-ton battleship like the Fuyuan.

During this period of time, the Dutch, who have not even resolved the issue of independence, are working on global trade.Most of the seven provincial republics galloping in the global seas are armed merchant ships.Even in a large-scale naval battle with the Spaniards, the Dutch also went into battle with a large number of armed merchant ships, taking the route of beating the old master to death.

And it's not just the Dutch.Even the old maritime powers such as Britain, France and Spain have a three-layer gun deck and can only be used for offshore decisive battles. The number of "first-class battleships" is also very rare.

The reason is simple: first-tier battleships are expensive to build and difficult to maintain.At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the primitive accumulation of countries in continental Europe was insufficient. Whether it was social wealth or science and technology, it was far from reaching the level of the Opium War.

So these days, first-class battleships are usually built in small numbers and used as "national symbols".It is generally used as the emperor's special car, or the flagship of the naval commander.

Unless involved in a major battle, a first-class battleship that moves slowly and has low self-sustainability will never appear in the open sea, let alone sail around the dangerous Cape of Good Hope to East Asia.

And the Dutch really started to build professional warships of the thousand-ton class, and that would have to wait until the first Anglo-Dutch war 30 years later.After that, the Dutch who learned from the pain will start to build a main battleship with three decks.

Thus, Zheng Chuntang got a definite answer from the Dutch population... which made him a little frustrated.After all, in Zheng Chuntang's mind, the Dutch who can travel across the ocean to come here should have masts and oars like clouds in their old nest, full of large ships.

After a few short exchanges, without waiting for Zheng Chuntang to think about it, the ladder on Fuyuan's hull was lowered.

At this time, Zheng Chuntang had no time to study Chinese and foreign ships.He quickly pulled himself together with a serious expression, and climbed up the Fuyuan along the ladder.After the envoys boarded the ship, they first notified their names and official positions and handed over the documents, and then they were inspected by a group of soldiers, and then led to the bow of Fuyuan by a small official.

The meeting place for the traveler today is arranged at the bow of the ship.

Different from yesterday's Rotten Wine Conference, today was to receive foreign envoys after all, so not only was the place vacant on the bow of the ship, but neat tables, chairs and benches were also arranged.

So Zheng Chuntang saw a rather "grand" reception ceremony.

On the left side of the bow, there are three rows of chairs.Sitting on it are all Ming people with potbellies, silk brocades, various colored headdresses, and traditional robes. Most of them are middle-aged and elderly.

On the right hand side of the bow, there are two rows of chairs that are much smaller in scale.In these two rows of top chairs, most of them are young, strange and bright people who wear short shirts, dark hair, and "angry horses in fresh clothes".

Although the guests on the left and right sides had different clothes and hats, they looked at Zheng Chuntang and his party with the same playful expression in their eyes at the moment: This Annan official seems to be neat, and his clothes are similar to that of the Ming Dynasty officials.However, if you look closely, you can see that the loose robes and official hats, as well as the weird patch on the chest, always make everyone feel awkward.

The next moment, Zheng Chuntang straightened his pirated Hanfu clothes, stepped forward steadily, and bowed to the middle-aged man in the middle chair: "My next officer, Zheng Chuntang, see General Cao."

Travelers were not surprised that this Annan envoy could speak fluent Nanjing Mandarin.Today's younger brothers and high-level people in the Ming Dynasty all speak Chinese and use Chinese.Annan had to wait until the French colonial period before the missionaries "invented" the Vietnamese language of later generations.