vstars Chapter 188 Alliance
Chapter 188 Alliance
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After Lin San led his men out, Zheng Zhilong and Liu Ye continued their interrupted conversation, both appearing calm and composed, as if the near-battle had never happened.
Zheng Zhilong asked curiously, "General Liu, the brother behind you said that the muskets can fire three times faster than the government troops' arquebuses. Is that true?"
“Absolutely true. Otherwise, how could I have repelled the tens of thousands of troops that the former governor Wang Zunde sent to press on the border? Under the walls of Guangzhou, with the government troops attacking from both land and sea, how could I have escaped unscathed? And how could Governor Xiong have offered me amnesty? I earned my position as a lieutenant general through sheer hard work and fighting.” Liu Ye said with great confidence.
"General Liu's troops are truly an elite force. I wonder if you could part with these muskets and sell them to me as well?" Zheng Zhilong possessed considerable influence on the water and also had a private musket corps on land, mainly composed of Black men. These well-trained men were more effective than the regular government troops, and their weapons were matchlock muskets, similar to the government army's arquebuses. Hearing that Liu Ye possessed even better muskets, with a rate of fire three times that of matchlock muskets, Zheng Zhilong was tempted.
Liu Ye feigned a troubled expression: "Well... to be honest, General Zheng, the reason I was able to establish myself in Lingao is because of my musketeers. These muskets are my lifeblood; I wouldn't sell them even if the Jade Emperor came. Please forgive me."
Seeing the other party's resolute attitude, Zheng Zhilong didn't know what to say. As long as the other competitors didn't have this kind of musket, it wouldn't matter, since his focus wasn't on land anyway.
Finally, both sides reached an agreement on the alliance and the price of the cannons: they would form a naval alliance to jointly deal with Liu Xiang and the Dutch, and wait for an opportunity to find the other side's main force for a decisive battle, with the Zheng family as the main force and Liu Ye as the assistant. The cannons were priced at three thousand taels of silver, and Zheng Zhilong did not bargain further. However, it was agreed that each cannon would be given thirty solid shot and thirty shotgun shells as a bonus. The first order would consist of one hundred cannons, with half of the silver paid immediately, and the remaining half to be paid after the cannons were delivered after the New Year. The transaction would then be completed.
One had acquired a useful weapon, and the other had earned 300,000 taels of silver. Both were in good spirits and chatted about everything under the sun. However, after talking for a long time, neither of them mentioned the issue of dividing the territory after defeating Liu Xiang through an alliance. Zheng Zhilong deliberately ignored it, secretly planning to use Zheng Zhilong to his advantage. Liu Ye also pretended to be confused; his goal was to dominate the South China Sea, and Zheng Zhilong was an obstacle in his path, which he would eliminate sooner or later. Therefore, the most important issue of forming an alliance was avoided by the two men, each with their own agenda.
After politely declining Zheng Zhilong's "enthusiastic" offer to stay a few more days, Liu Ye took half of the deposit and embarked on his journey home.
This trip to Fujian was incredibly fruitful. Not only did they successfully forge an alliance with Zheng Zhilong, but they also made a very profitable deal. Liu Ye was grinning from ear to ear—a whopping 300,000 taels! How many bottles of Erguotou would it take to earn that back? Besides, the Wanhualou brothel in Hangzhou had seen its profits gradually decrease after being suppressed. Clearly, the arms trade is still the most lucrative.
He smiled and said to Liang Xiaoming, "Mingzi, this Zheng Youji is a big spender, so we can't be negligent. You have to make sure the quality of your cast iron cannons is good. We have to make sure he uses up all the dozens of shells he gave us before we reimburse you!"
Liang Xiaoming said disdainfully, "Look at your shrewish face, you're a typical hypocrite who gets a good deal but then acts innocent!"
"This is the benefit of technology! Who told us to have such amazing gadgets that they're drooling over? You're the biggest contributor, really. Without you building such a great cannon, even my most eloquent words wouldn't have mattered. Come on, let me give you a hug as encouragement!" Liu Ye was in a good mood, teasing the honest man and making a gesture to hug him.
Liang Xiaoming jumped aside in disgust and shouted, "Get out!"
"Hahaha……"
Liu Ye's trip to Fujian went smoothly, but Wang Qinian, who was carrying an important mission, vomited terribly on his way to Taiwan.
Since being successfully tricked and dragged into the scheme by Liu Ye, Wang Qinian has found a new goal in life, and he takes this trip to Taiwan very seriously. In the past, he always hid among the common people, never having to face danger directly. But this time, infiltrating Liu Xiang Group could cost him his head, but he's not afraid—it's the days he used to live for others that terrified him; those days had no future.
He and Liang Dong found a small fishing boat to cross the sea to Taiwan. They had already come up with a reason: Liang Dong would kill the guards after being captured and escape, and he would pretend to be Liang Dong's subordinate. Liang Dong, as a small leader, had more than a dozen men under him, but they all died at the mouth of the Pearl River, and no one came to expose the lie.
Using a fishing boat as an escape tool wouldn't arouse suspicion, but it caused Wang Qinian, who rarely went to sea, a lot of suffering. He started vomiting as soon as he boarded the boat, vomiting until he felt dizzy and the sun and moon disappeared. By the third day, there was nothing left to vomit.
Liang Dong looked at him with pity: "Mr. Wang, why do you have to suffer like this?"
Wang Qinian replied weakly, "I'm already in my forties, yet I've accomplished nothing. As a secret agent for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I don't even dare to marry and have children to avoid implicating my descendants. I've wasted half my life. Now, an opportunity has been presented to me, allowing me to live a second life, to hold my head high, and to have the chance to rise above others. Why not take a chance?"
Liang Dong said thoughtfully, "You're already working so hard, and I'm a few years younger than you. It seems like I'd be letting myself down if I didn't strive for a better future."
After all, the other party was a pirate who had only recently been captured. Wang Qinian couldn't guarantee whether he could be used for his own purposes. He didn't let go of this opportunity to win people over: "A wise man knows when to yield. This Lieutenant General Liu dared to silence the Embroidered Uniform Guard and even wanted to wipe out maritime giants like Liu Xiang in one fell swoop. He has great ambitions and his future is limitless. Don't miss this opportunity to hitch a ride!"
Liang Dong sighed: "Mr. Wang, you're right. Staying with Liu Xiang, I'll always just be a lowly leader, with no future in this life. I might as well take a chance, change careers and become a soldier, and make a fortune that will benefit my family."
Despite his severe seasickness, Wang Qinian still wanted to laugh: "You spend your days robbing and pillaging at sea, doing dangerous and risky things, with no fixed abode. Do you even have wives and children?"
Liang Dong replied sheepishly, "I've been with quite a few women, but I've never married. However, once Liu Xiang is defeated, I'll join General Liu's forces and become a soldier. Once things settle down, I'll naturally be able to get married, and maybe I can even return home in glory."
Perhaps his conversation with Liang Dong about life ideals distracted him, or perhaps he had adjusted to the rocking of the fishing boat, but Wang Qinian gradually recovered and stopped vomiting. He watched the day and night change at the bow of the boat each day, losing count of how many days had passed, until finally they reached the Fujian coast. Liang Dong told him that Dayuan was not far off.