Unconsciously, after spending a few months in the Ryukyus, the weather here still looks like early summer, but people will forget the passage of time in a trance, ignoring that if it is in Chang'an, it is already the season of "boundless falling trees". Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

Accompanied by a letter that had just arrived in the Ryukyus, Xia Hongsheng boarded a sea ship and sailed to Quanzhou.

The letter was sent by Duan Zhan, which conveyed the emperor's will, and also brought the good news that the military aircraft workshop had begun mass production of firearms, and that firearms would be transported to Quanzhou as soon as possible to equip the Ryukyu sailors. On the last page of the letter, Duan Zan also told Xia Hongsheng that everything was fine at home and there was no need to worry. The college has recruited a new batch of students, the number of which has reached more than 1,000, and the gentlemen of the academy have mobilized their own contacts to invite more gentlemen to the academy, and now everything is fine.

Xia Hongsheng was very relieved to learn that his family was safe and sound, and that the college was developing according to his wishes.

"Childe, we're almost there." Qi Yong raised his eyes and said to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng stretched his waist, he was really sore at sea these days.

"When I arrived in Quanzhou, I first went to find the people of Arhan, and asked them to fill the two ships they brought back as soon as possible, and load more porcelain tea, glassware, silk, and spices." Xia Hongsheng instructed Qi Yong: "At the same time, let them start recruiting people in Quanzhou, and say that if they want to set up a caravan to go to sea, it is best to make it known all over the city, so that everyone in Quanzhou knows that there is a young man who has come to Luoyang to form a fleet and build a caravan to go to sea!" Not only recruiting people, but also seeking cooperation with the caravan, the more fanfare, the better. ”

"Okay, the little brigadier general Bao has passed on the order of the childe!" Qi Yong nodded and said, "But, Childe, don't you want to go?" ”

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "I won't show up for the time being, leave some thoughts for these people in Quanzhou, haha!" ”

The ship docked and docked, and the sailors and crew on it were all dressed as soldiers in the Tang Naval Division, and Xia Hongsheng got off the ship with his family guards and entourage and entered Nan'an.

Nan'an, the mouth of Quanzhou, countless sea ships go to sea from here, go along the coast, arrive at Guangzhou, the first port of the Tang Dynasty at this time, and then continue to go to sea, along the so-called "Guangzhou Tongyi Sea Road", arrive at Qiongzhou in turn, followed by Linyi Kingdom, Huan Kingdom, Gate Poison Kingdom, Gudi Kingdom, Longyamen, Luo Yue Kingdom, Sri Buddha Death, Heling Kingdom, Guluo Kingdom, Gogu Luo Kingdom, Shengdeng Kingdom, Bolu Kingdom, Lion Country, Nantianzhu, Brahmin Kingdom, Xindu River, Tirolu and Kingdom, Ula Kingdom, Dashi Country, and even to the Mora Kingdom, Sanlan Kingdom......

This is the maritime Silk Road, which has risen since the Han Dynasty, from Guangzhou through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean to the countries of the Persian Gulf and even Africa, which was the longest ocean route in the world at that time.

In addition, there are also sea ships that go in the other direction, passing through the country of Linyi, the kingdom of Huan, and the country of Men, and then turn eastward, as for the country of Java.

In the late Tang Dynasty, due to the continuous wars and wars in the Western Regions, the Maritime Silk Road finally gradually replaced the land Silk Road and became the main channel for foreign exchanges.

Therefore, at this time, the maritime business was already very prosperous. However, it is still to achieve the level that Xia Hongsheng hopes to trigger the Age of Discovery.

Therefore, Xia Hongsheng wants to come here to clean up and dredge the road, and at the same time add a few fires.

When the people arrived in the city and stayed in the shop, Qi Yong went to find the men of Arhan.

After Arhan was forced to quit by Xia Hongsheng, he assigned two tasks to Arhan, the first was to find cotton from the Western Regions, and the second was to send trustworthy and capable caravans to Quanzhou to understand the situation of maritime merchants, and at the same time become a maritime merchant caravan himself.

This caravan was a normal maritime merchant, and it laid some foundations in Quanzhou in advance to facilitate Xia Hongsheng's subsequent actions.

"Brother Sheng, what should we do next?" Li Chengqian asked.

Xia Hongsheng smiled and said, "Next, let's wait." ”

"Wait?" Li Chengqian's eyes rolled and asked, "Brother Sheng, do you want to deliberately make some noise to lure the snake out of the hole?" ”

"Not bad!" Xia Hongsheng nodded: "Congratulations on your brain finally keeping up." ”

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes and said, "Then let me guess again, you want to cooperate with other maritime merchants with such fanfare, and you want to recruit people to form a caravan, in order to attract the attention of those pirates, so that those pirates can come to the door by themselves!" ”

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, it's right again, go on." ”

Li Chengqian shook his head and asked, "Brother Sheng, you want to find pirates, hasn't the sailor already discovered the traces of pirates?" Directly send troops to exterminate it, why do you have to go to such great lengths? ”

"Pirates aren't just ships cruising the seas and hiding on islands." Xia Hongsheng said to Li Chengqian: "Think about it, why can they be so bold? It's not that there have been no pirates in the local area, but why are they still repeatedly banned? ”

"Why?" Li Chengqian asked.

Xia Hongsheng explained: "Pirates are more than just a gang of robbers. First of all, many pirates usually hide among the people, and when they have the opportunity to do a vote, they hide back among the people, which is difficult to find. The government sent troops to suppress it, and those pirates scattered in a hurry, hiding among the people, and lost nothing but a few ships. And a few boats, a few votes are another fleet. Pirates hiding in the people must have another identity, and this identity, most likely, is the maritime merchant itself. ”

Li Chengqian was stunned for a moment: "Brother Sheng, you mean that there are some maritime merchants in Quanzhou, who seem to be maritime merchants on the surface, but in fact, they are secretly doing pirate business?!" ”

"Yes, the merchant fleet is the best way for these pirates to disguise their identities. There are a large number of men, many ships, they can go to sea, they can dock. If you're a pirate and want to find a white-faced identity as a cover, is there a better way to disguise your identity than this? Xia Hongsheng said: "Also, pirates are so rampant, they even directly offer protection fees to maritime merchants on the surface, hehe, according to my experience, black and white collusion is indispensable in this matter." Without the protection of officials, they dare not be so blatant. ”

"Brother Sheng, do you suspect that there are magistrates in Quanzhou who have been bribed to do things for the pirates?" Li Chengqian's expression was solemn, he lowered his voice, and asked.

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "There was a report before, saying that if the maritime merchants here want to go to sea, there will be pirates before going to sea, and they will be charged according to the number of maritime goods. Maritime merchants have repeatedly filed joint complaints, but to no avail. In order to avoid being plundered after going to sea, the goods, ships, and lives could not be guaranteed, so they had to submit to the payment. If there is no support, no involvement, dare to be so blatant? ”

"Check! Check hard! Li Chengqian's expression was cold, and he gritted his teeth and said: "This kind of moth, you can't let go of any of them!" ”

"Yes!" Xia Hongsheng nodded: "That's why I hid my identity and pretended to be a maritime businessman, just to find out the relationship between the melons and vines in the middle!" (To be continued.) )