If you want to open a port for foreign trade, you naturally need something that can be traded, and at present, Mao Wenlong seems to have nothing to trade with outside merchants except for grain.

When he was distressed that there was nothing to trade, Mao Wenlong thought about opium during the Opium War. He thought viciously that if he could use these things to poison those countries that might become enemies in the future, it would be a kind of revenge.

It's a pity that Mao Wenlong doesn't have these things at present, and such an idea can only be stillborn. Mao Wenlong, who was originally full of confidence, really started to operate at this moment, and only then did he feel that things did not seem to be as simple as he thought.

In addition to Mao Wenlong being distressed, the three brothers of the Lijia family were also distressed, they didn't think about it so much. From the very beginning, they took it for granted that Mao Wenlong would arrange everything, and they only had to do what Mao Wenlong told them.

But now it doesn't seem to be the case, Mao Wenlong also crossed the river in the dark, and there is no feasible plan at all. Could it be that the opening of ports for foreign trade can only be aborted like this? The three brothers of the Lijia family were obviously unwilling to give up their dreams like this.

"Commander, why don't we go and see the other ports and see what they are trading? And then we'll figure out how to deal with it. After careful consideration, Lihui made a suggestion to Mao Wenlong.

After hearing this, Mao Wenlong's eyes lit up, and he laughed: "Yes, it should be like this!" ”

Mao Wenlong, who had drilled the tip of the bull's horns, finally woke up to the fact that what he traded did not depend on what he had? Rather, it depends on what those maritime merchants need? Only by understanding what maritime merchants need and what is urgently lacking, and then trying to find a way to get it yourself, the problem will be solved.

"Do you know that the port is the most active there?" Mao Wenlong looked at Lihui hopefully.

Lihui was stunned for a moment when asked, and then hesitated and said: "It is said that there is a port in Fujian, which is very prosperous, and it is also the only port in the Ming Dynasty that conducts foreign trade. Why don't we go there and have a look? ”

Mao Wenlong hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision on the spot: "Okay, you go and prepare now, and strive to set sail to the port of Fujian in these two days." ”

"Yes, Commander. It's just that in what capacity should we go? "It's no problem to go to Fujian, but it's someone else's territory, so you can't just kill it with a large army.

Mao Wenlong frowned and pondered for a moment, and then made a decision: "This time it's just to investigate, don't make a big fuss." On the premise that we have enough ability to protect ourselves, we can just pretend to be a caravan and go there. Also, by the way, bring something over, since it's a caravan, you can't bring nothing. ”

Lihui had no objection this time, he immediately agreed, and after saying goodbye, the three brothers stepped back to arrange everything.

Naturally, he couldn't bring his family with him when he went to Fujian, so Mao Wenlong negotiated with Chen Lan and Hong Ziyan that night to let them stay in Andongwei with their children. Chen Lan and Hong Ziyan did not embarrass Mao Wenlong, and told him to be careful, so they agreed.

Without worries, Mao Wenlong was also relieved, and two days later, the three brothers of the Lijia family prepared the fleet, and then set off immediately.

Since he came to Daming, Mao Wenlong has really never tried such a long trip, so he is still looking forward to this journey. However, the frequent accidents along the way made him finally understand the hardships of sailing in ancient times.

This time was different from the last time he set off from Liaodong to Dengzhouwei, the distance of the voyage was much farther, and the bad weather at sea also made Mao Wenlong understand the hardships.

"Chief soldier, these are already commonplace, as long as people with experience in sea navigation can completely ignore them. Only the elusive pirates or pirates at sea are the most worrisome. "Lihui gave Mao Wenlong a lot of dangers at sea along the way.

"It seems that it is not easy to make a living on this sea!" Mao Wenlong suddenly let out a sigh.

"It's alright, Chief. Although it is dangerous to make a living at sea, it comes with great rewards. As we used to do, we only need to go to sea three or four times a year to live a carefree life, and if we are lucky, we can accumulate a lot of wealth by sailing twice a year. It's a pity that the Ming Dynasty has always imposed a ban on the sea, and those of us who run the sea in the north are also living a tight life. The second Licheng couldn't help but say a word.

Mao Wenlong quite agreed with the second child's statement, and it is precisely in such a profiteering situation that someone will risk losing their lives and resolutely step into this dangerous sea.

It was almost dusk, and Lihui bowed his hand to Mao Wenlong: "Chief soldier, tonight we will dock on the coast of Nanjing for a night, and by the way, replenish fresh water and food, and set off tomorrow?" ”

Mao Wenlong waved his hand indifferently and said: "You are in charge of the things on the voyage, and you don't need to ask more." ”

This self-knowledge Mao Wenlong still has, people who don't know anything, if they insist on blindly commanding, they will only make mistakes, which is absolutely not a good thing for the fleet.

Lihui obviously also appreciates Mao Wenlong the most, in the field where he doesn't know, he will never command blindly. With a smile on his face, Lihui and the two brothers retreated to arrange the docking of the fleet.

Mao Wenlong stayed alone on the deck for a while, then felt bored and returned to the cabin to rest. Dozens of meters away from Mao Wenlong's fleet, there was a small boat, rippling with the waves on the sea, and there were two men dressed as fishermen on the small boat.

Since Mao Wenlong's fleet appeared, the two have been following cautiously, and at this moment, they found that Mao Wenlong's fleet showed signs of docking, and the two immediately rowed away.

There were two warships moving slowly on the open sea, and the small ship was rapidly approaching the two warships.

On the deck of the battleship, two big sturdy and swarthy men were watching the boat, and both of them had a hideous smile on their faces.

After a while, two fishermen from the boat hurried to the big man on the deck.

"The big boss, the second boss, the fleet we found earlier is now docked on the coast of Nanjing, and it seems that it will not continue to sail tonight."

The one-eyed man of the big boss snorted coldly: "Sixth son, can you see clearly, that fleet is a caravan?" Didn't find out if they had artillery or anything like that on board? ”

Liuzi's rough black face suddenly showed a trace of bitterness: "Big boss, that fleet has five ships, and there seems to be a lot of manpower, in order to avoid startling the snakes, we didn't get close to investigate, so I don't know if they have any artillery on their ships." ”

At this time, the second master spoke: "Big brother, don't worry about it so much, it's not easy to wait for this fat sheep, you can't easily miss such an opportunity." ”