Chapter 50 Bargaining

"I'm very busy! The Jesuit adults always have many things to entrust me to handle." Lando twirled his mustache in an extraordinary manner - this was specially left to enhance his masculinity.

"Really?" said the black slave girl, "Are you interested in doing a small thing for my master in your busy schedule?"

"Who is your master?"

"Here," the black slave girl picked up the purse, "do you think my answer is satisfactory?"

This heavy purse contains at least three hundred Spanish pesos. This is a great temptation for the cash-strapped Lando. After the nightmare, his enthusiasm for defecting to Lingao has dropped a lot. With this amount

At least I can live in Macau for a while with my money.

"It would be better if you have two masters." Lando said, "Okay, tell me, what's the matter?"

"You are an excellent soldier."

"good."

"You served Aragones," said the black woman.

"Yes. I can't serve him since he went bankrupt. What a pity." Lando said. This Spanish playboy has been afraid to return to Manila since he lost his ship. He spends all day hanging out in Macau, which is worse than his condition.

It is unlikely that this person will come to recruit you.

"You have been to Lingao."

Lando suddenly became alert: Not many people in Macau knew about the fact that he participated in Aragones' adventure to attack Lingao. Aragones kept it a secret when he first set sail, and after he fled back to Macau in defeat, he was so embarrassed.

The great defeat was even more secretive. As for the sailors on the ship, they were either from Europe or Malays recruited from various islands in Southeast Asia. They only knew how to sail and had no idea where they were going. The few who knew about it either died that night.

Either he was attacked or died in the battle with Zheng Zhilong.

As for myself, I have never publicized that I participated in this operation with the ship.

How did this black woman know that she had been to Lingao?

"Does this have anything to do with you?"

"It doesn't matter, but my master wants to know."

Your master must know this! Lando thought, who is this person? What on earth is he trying to do?

"It can't be said that I have been there," Lando said cautiously, "I have entered the port of Lingao, that's all."

"You also saved Aragones' life in the South China Sea."

"It was just a matter of course to save him."

"Are you willing to go to Lingao again?"

"It depends on what we are doing." Lando realized that this man knew what happened to him on the Countess of Scarborough.

"It's certainly not an easy thing to ask a capable person like you."

"Okay. You nigger girl, little ***, tell me quickly: What does your master want me to do?" Lando became impatient and said with an arrogant expression - he is a high-ranking person here.

Sir, it would be a shame to talk so much to this ugly black woman.

There was a malicious look in the black woman's slanted yellow eyes, but she continued: "My master, she, he wants you to go to Lingao, no matter what your identity is - to find out how their fortress is laid out.

, how far their artillery can hit, what are the weaknesses of their armaments... everything about the situation of the Australians defending on high ground."

"Humph, your master must be plotting against Lingao." Lando said.

The other party remained silent.

"There are many people here who have been to Lingao, why are they looking for me?" Lando felt strange. There are boats from Macau to Lingao every week to sell goods in Lingao.

"This is the master's order." said the black slave girl. "He said that you know the Australians better than anyone here."

Lando was stunned by these words. What did it mean? He could explain this in any way, but when he said it at this time, it seemed to hit his target.

"Know better than anyone here!"

For a moment, he even thought that he had been exposed, and he looked very discouraged as he looked like a great lord.

Lando's first reaction was to refuse, but at this time he did not dare to act hastily. He vaguely felt that the other party seemed to know something.

He became cautious: "This task is difficult."

"Four hundred Spanish pesos."

"I want eight hundred."

"Six hundred. Here are three hundred." The black woman took out a money bag and said, "You will give me another three hundred when you come back."

"Deal." Six hundred pesos is a good deal.

"How long do you need?"

"One month."

"I will be waiting for you here in a month."

"Okay." Lando then said to the stall owner, "Here, give me a bowl of milk made from your beans. It's too dark here."

Half an hour later, the black slave girl reported to Li Siya exactly how she met He Landu.

"He really asked for six hundred." Li Siya commented boredly.

More than a year has passed since she escaped from the casino in a panic by changing a boat. This political schemer in Macau and a female pirate on the South China Sea continues to play with her intrigues and adventures, sometimes for someone.

He works hard and sometimes makes suggestions for someone. When there is a good opportunity, he will not refuse to carry out a lucrative maritime robbery.

The more chaotic the situation at sea, the better her business. Even her inconsistent position gave her many opportunities that others did not have. All parties hope to use her as a channel to establish relations with certain parties. Zongheng

Many people are also keen on the trick of continuous maneuvering in the South China Sea.

As a pirate and a mercenary on the sea, Lisya became a famous figure for a while. She appeared in Manila, Batavia, Guangzhou, and Damuan Port.

body.

She was a guest of various sea masters, governors, commanders, and merchants. Everyone asked her to do things for them, paying her large sums of money without hesitation, or giving her the privilege of transporting goods.

, but everyone is secretly wary of her.

However, Li Siya knew that her good days of having both sides would not last long.

After Zheng Zhilong became a Chinese official, he was able to use the power of the Ming government to continuously obtain supplies of ships and people from the mainland. Xiong Wencan even directly sponsored cannons and ships to him. There was no need to keep the goods he trafficked to Japan secret.

The acquisition was carried out unimpeded after the acquisition. In contrast, Kuiqi's situation was much worse. Although he had many more people and ships than Zheng Zhilong at the beginning,

To supplement the difficulties, the sea trade business was also constantly hit by Zheng Zhilong. Although Liu Xiang on the Guangdong sea was not incompatible with Zheng Zhilong, he was not an ally of Li Kuiqi. After Zhu Cailao was destroyed, most of the remaining power was absorbed by Zheng Zhilong, and the rest was absorbed by Liu Xiang.

With Xiang He Lingao taking in, Liu Xiang's power skyrocketed, and he was eager to eliminate an opponent so that his power could reach a higher level and become the well-deserved overlord of China's southeastern coast.

Li Siya estimated that Zheng Zhilong has a high chance of winning, not only because he has the support of the government, but also because his foundation is much deeper than Liu Xiang. Both the Portuguese and the Japanese have deep influence. Li Kuiqi

Once destroyed, Liu Xiang's destruction will be instantaneous.

After Zheng Zhilong eliminates all his opponents, he will forcibly establish a new order at sea here. Not to mention that the Portuguese are helpless, even the Dutch may not be his opponents.

Therefore, Li Siya's recent activities have begun to be biased towards serving Zheng Zhilong's potential opponents - she still dare not openly offend Zheng Zhilong. To be precise, she is serving the Dutch.

She had just met with Savanchi Gonzalez, the personal representative of the Governor of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, de Carpentier. This man was a real Spaniard and a Spanish officer in the past. He was dishonorable.

After he retired from the army, he was in poverty, so he had no choice but to come to Manila to try his luck. After he didn't get any good luck in Manila, he simply went to the Dutch side and became an officer in the East India Company.

The Dutch East India Company welcomes all European scum who are willing to serve it. The death rate of whites in the East Indies is very high, and the governor needs a large number of soldiers, officers and business personnel, so basically no one is turned away. But for the Spanish

For such Catholics, serving the Dutch risks losing their souls - the Dutch allow religious freedom at home, but in the East Indies, all company personnel must participate in Protestant religious ceremonies, otherwise it is rebellion and may happen at any time.

Hanged - The East India Company's laws were notoriously harsh.

Savangie Gonzalez had no choice but to risk his soul by serving the Dutch. As an experienced former Spanish artillery officer, he served as an artillery officer in the East India Company's army and participated in several expeditions, including several

The previous unsuccessful expedition to the Pescador Islands (Penghu Islands). At that time, he commanded three 12-pound cannons on the hastily built fort, facing the densely packed Junk ships on the sea and the continuous influx of water.

Chinese soldiers on land.

After the expedition to the Pescador Islands failed, he followed the fleet to the main island and built a castle there. Savanci Gonzalez served as the commander of the local fortress artillery for a period of time. During this period, he and incoming attacks

Chinese pirates and local indigenous people exchanged fire several times. They survived the battles and epidemics.

He gradually gained trust. When the governor needed someone to infiltrate the Portuguese colony, Spanish Savanchi Gonzalez became a suitable candidate. A real Spaniard was obviously more effective than a Dutchman in sneaking into Macau.

For safety reasons - Macau has the Jesuits, the mortal enemy of the Dutch. Moreover, this former Spanish artillery officer will also play a big role in the next move planned by the governor.

Savanci Gonzalez is tall and stocky. He lost one eye in a battle with the Turks in his early years and became one-eyed. He wears an eyepatch, and his scar outlines an "out-and-out"

The image of "Soldier".

Savanci Gonzalez came to Macau as an unemployed veteran, and soon met with Li Siya's agent in the tavern. Then he visited the legendary female pirate and handed over the

Letters from the Governor.

In the letter, the Governor asked Lisya to provide information about Lingao, including the true situation of the so-called "Australians" - there are many legends about them, and some goods have also been transferred to the East Indies and various parts of India. But so far,

No one has ever seen an Australian long-distance trading ship appear on the sea.

Your Excellency the Governor is very interested to know: What kind of people are the so-called Australians? Are they white? Are Australians interested in trade? Are the castles built in Lingao for trade with China? If so, their current trade status

How? What is the attitude of the Chinese government towards them? What condition are the Australian iron ships and artillery in? Are their capabilities exaggerated? How many Australians are there in Lingao? Are there any blacks or Malays?
To be continued...