Part 265: The Deal in Anping

While Zheng Zhilong and the Dutch were on high alert, a common two-masted Guangdong junk was slowly entering Weitou Bay. The ship was in excellent condition, its planks gleaming with fresh tung oil, and its two sails, along with their spars and canvas, were as good as new, giving it a clean and efficient appearance.

The sailors on board wore uniform indigo cloth clothing, the uniform of the Dabo Shipping Company. At the stern flew the company flag: three wavy blue lines with a morning star above.

The ship’s draft was deep, clearly indicating it was fully laden with cargo. In these not-so-calm coastal waters, such a cargo ship would attract the covetous eyes of many, but the dark muzzles of several large cannons on the deck were enough to dispel most people’s fantasies. Large anti-boarding nets were also hung on both sides.

However, at this moment, the cannons were all covered with gun coats, indicating its peaceful purpose. After entering the harbor, the ship anchored in the deep water of the bay, and several of Zheng’s small boats quickly approached. A minor leader boarded the deck of the Dabo Shipping Company’s ship, the Wenchang.

After a brief conversation with the people on deck, he quickly climbed back down the rope ladder at the ship’s side. The small boat hastily turned around and rowed towards Anping city.

Half an hour later, Lin Baiguang was already seated in the Xiaosi Hall of Zheng Zhilong’s private residence.

A handsome young servant had already served new tea. Lin Baiguang didn’t need to drink it; just from the aroma, he knew it was top-grade Da Hong Pao—he had once gone to Wuyi Mountain to buy some for a leader when he was working in the county office.

Meeting Zheng Zhilong certainly carried some risk, but Lin Baiguang and the others believed that the possibility of personal danger was small. Firstly, the two sides were not in a state of hostility. Secondly, with the Senate’s current strength, any power would have to weigh the consequences before initiating hostile actions.

Zheng Zhilong, who was currently confronting Liu Xiang, would certainly not do anything foolish.

The fact that Zheng Zhilong was willing to serve Da Hong Pao to his guest gave him a bit more confidence in the success of his mission.

However, it was not Zheng Zhilong who came out to meet the guest, but his brother, Zheng Hongkui.

Thus, the representatives of the two major maritime powers of the South China Sea, or rather, the entire East Asian waters, met. Whether the wheels of history had rolled forward another turn was unknown, but both men held a strong curiosity about each other.

Lin Baiguang noticed that the other party was a young man—impossibly young. Zheng Hongkui was several years younger than Zheng Zhilong. The Senate itself was a group of young people, but in the Ming Dynasty, almost all people of any status were middle-aged or older.

Zheng Hongkui sized up this envoy from the Australians. He had long heard of the Australians’ fame. Although the Zheng brothers had been struggling against the stormy seas almost every day since their amnesty, with little time to spare for other matters, the various Australian goods, known for their ingenious craftsmanship, had continuously flowed into their hands, leaving a deep impression.

Their opponent had risen from an obscure, small group entrenched in a corner to a maritime power that controlled the Pearl River Estuary and dominated more than half of the Guangdong waters. Their biggest rival, Liu Xiang, had left the Pearl River Estuary and headed north. While the desire to compete for the Japanese trade was a consideration, fear of the Australians’ growing power was clearly another reason.

The man before him wore a square scholar’s cap, a straight robe, and layered-sole cloth shoes. At first glance, he looked like a prosperous local merchant, only with dark skin and a lean figure.

Since the other party had taken the initiative to visit him, the “local host,” the Zheng family had to treat him with courtesy. This was the tone set by his elder brother—Zheng Zhilong did not want to provoke a new opponent for no reason.

Zheng Hongkui waited for him to put down his teacup before speaking, “Sir, you have graced us with your presence. What advice do you have for us?”

The dialogue between the powerful needed no pleasantries, nor did it require beating around the bush or repeated probing. Lin Baiguang smiled faintly, “There is a big business deal. I wonder if General Zheng is interested?”

Zheng Hongkui’s interest was immediately piqued. The other party wanted to do business with him! The Zheng family was a major sea merchant, and they dabbled in all sorts of maritime trade. The popularity and profitability of Australian goods made them quite envious.

Now that the Australians were proactively seeking cooperation, it was clearly a recognition of their power in Fujian.

With such an intention, the Australians should not have any hostile intentions for now.

Of course, Zheng Hongkui’s thoughts were not so simple. In history and in reality, there were countless instances of lulling an opponent with various gestures of goodwill and then launching a surprise attack to destroy them. The Australians landing in Taiwan was already a “sword dance with a hidden purpose.” To show goodwill to them at this juncture, anyone who was not overly self-confident would be suspicious.

Therefore, he answered very slowly, “I wonder what kind of business it is?”

Lin Baiguang beckoned with his hand, and a servant entered from outside the door, carrying several small bags.

Zheng Hongkui opened one with curiosity. Inside was a snow-white powder, slightly glistening.

He was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood, “This is salt!”

He tasted a little. The taste was pure, with a slightly sweet aftertaste and no bitter or strange flavors. It was indeed top-quality salt! It was comparable to the expensive Sichuan well salt used in their mansion.

“That’s right, it is salt,” Lin Baiguang nodded.

Zheng Hongkui opened all the small bags one by one. They all contained salt, but of different coarseness and color, probably of different grades.

So the Australians wanted to sell smuggled salt!

Zheng Hongkui thought it was normal. The areas they now controlled, Hainan and Haibei, had many salt pans. Getting some salt was not a problem. Guangdong was not a salt-deficient province, so the market for smuggled salt was probably not good.

Fujian, however, was a place that lacked salt. The entire province’s salt supply relied on imports from other places, especially from Guangdong and Zhejiang. Fujian was a province that neither produced salt nor was it mountainous, making transportation difficult. Therefore, Fujian had the highest official salt prices in the country, and the smuggling of salt was rampant.

Until now, the Zheng family had not put salt smuggling on their agenda. The Australians had actually come directly to them to propose a deal in smuggled salt! The huge profits involved made it difficult for Zheng Hongkui to refuse.

The Executive Committee’s decision to sell salt to Zheng Zhilong was based on several considerations. Firstly, to relax the other party’s guard and avoid any accidental conflict due to a tense situation. Secondly, to use the empty tonnage of the northbound ships to make a profit. Salt was now the most abundant resource under the Senate’s control. Due to mass production, its cost was extremely low. As long as it could be sold, even at one tael of silver per shi, it was profitable—the cargo holds would have been empty anyway.

“Make him an offer he can’t refuse,” Si Kaide had said when discussing this matter with Lin Baiguang. The profits from salt in this era were enough to make people risk breaking the law, even facing execution. For the Zheng family, as a hegemon in the coastal areas, there was little risk in this trade. Si Kaide believed that they would find it hard to resist such a temptation.

If one summarized all of Zheng Zhilong’s actions, from his beginnings under Yan Siqi to his eventual capture by the Qing, it was clear that he was a typical merchant who consistently thought like one and evaluated everything based on profit.

As long as the Senate could offer him sufficient benefits, securing his temporary cooperation or acquiescence would not be a problem.

This kind of business was also a “win-win” situation. It was not only beneficial to them but also helped to reduce Zheng Zhilong’s wariness. If the benefits were too great, Zheng Zhilong would inevitably become suspicious of their motives.

Zheng Hongkui hesitated greatly. Under normal circumstances, they should maintain a respectful distance from the Australians. But the terms the other party was now offering were hard to refuse. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

“Of course, the Third Master will have to discuss this matter with General Zheng,” Lin Baiguang said with a smile. “I will come to visit again another day.” He then stood up to leave.

This move further seized the initiative, leaving Zheng Hongkui somewhat flustered. His original idea of making some small talk and trying to get some information had to be abandoned. He immediately arranged for Lin Baiguang and his entourage to be escorted to the guesthouse and treated well. At the same time, he sent men to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to the sailors on the Wenchang.

Afterward, he immediately took the samples Lin Baiguang had brought and went to see his elder brother.

Zheng Zhilong listened to Zheng Hongkui’s account with his arms crossed. After a long while, he finally said, “Interesting.”

This move by the Australians puzzled him. If it was just to sell smuggled salt, why did they suddenly land in Taiwan? If it was to use Taiwan as a transit station for selling smuggled salt, that would be too much of an exaggeration. The salt consumption in Fujian was not so high as to require a transit station for stockpiling. Even if a transit station were really needed, Taiwan was not a suitable location.

This move by the Australians in Taiwan both puzzled him and made him feel a thorn in his back. He felt there must be some conspiracy behind it.

But no matter how suspicious he was, he faced a choice: either refuse to cooperate and turn a blind eye to the Australians’ presence, or immediately take military action to expel them. Finally, there was the option of cooperating and making a fortune from the salt trade.

If he chose the first or third option, he would have to tolerate the Australians’ presence in Taiwan. If he wanted to expel them, he would have to use force. Since the Australians had gone to such great lengths to send a fleet to Taiwan and build forts, they would certainly not withdraw easily. They could not be driven away by a few threats.

If he chose to use force, the Zheng family had no guarantee of victory, not to mention that Liu Xiang was watching covetously from the side.

For those who understood his way of thinking, it was not difficult to guess what choice he would make between the first and third options. Since the Australians couldn’t be driven away, why not do business and make money?

Furthermore, at present, Taiwan was not his territory—it belonged to the Dutch. The Dutch would only be more worried about the Australians’ presence than he was. Even if action were to be taken, it would be better to let the Dutch do it. If the Australians really had designs on Taiwan, as their power there expanded, they would sooner or later come into conflict with the Dutch.

At that time, entering the battlefield as an ally of either the Dutch or the Australians would be much more advantageous than it was now.

“This deal can be done,” Zheng Zhilong said, making the final decision.