The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Li Jin woke up early the next morning, washed up, and went out of the guest room. He found Chen Zhenlong, the steward, and after discussing for a while, they took a few guards and walked to the trading place in the city.

As he said last night, he has a lot of things to do in Manila today.

Not only do we need to clear out all the goods we brought on this trip as soon as possible, but we also need to buy a house in the city so that we can recruit local people to work.

As for the news about Lin Feng, Li Jin also found out clearly at the banquet last night that the Yi people had no intention of sending troops for the time being and were still training the locals.

According to Garcia, these locals are very stupid and their soldiers have a hard time training them.

Since the Yi people will not send troops to Tortoiseshell City in the short term, there is no need to rush to send news to the Nanhai Navy.

So, for several days, Li Jin and Chen Zhenlong were busy in Manila, bargaining with foreign businessmen to negotiate deals, and then used some of the money they earned to buy the two-story building they were looking for.

After all, it is in the city, and the price of a house protected by a city wall is higher than that outside the city, even more expensive than a house near the dock.

After Chen Zhenlong's selection, several servant candidates were also selected.

Here, as soon as a negotiated deal was completed, Chen Zhenlong whispered in Li Jin's ear: "My boss, I have selected a few people over there, do you want to go and take a look too?"

Li Jin knew what Chen Zhenlong meant, shook his head slightly and said: "I will not come forward in this matter. If something goes wrong, we will have no room for maneuver.

If you come forward to do this, even if the barbarians notice it, I can come forward to make peace with Garcia.

It would be hard to say if I was involved. "

"Yes, boss."

Chen Zhenlong also knew how powerful it was, so he immediately nodded and agreed, and then he went to talk to those candidates.

The purpose of the conversation was naturally to ask them if they could get sweet potatoes or sweet potato vines. Naturally, he wouldn't say that he wanted to take them away. He just said that he wanted to plant some in the garden behind the house because his boss loved roasted sweet potatoes.

As long as they can be planted in the garden behind the house, there will be a way to take some away when the time comes.

It's this thing, it's a bit troublesome to hide it somewhere on the ship.

There is definitely no way to carry it in the cabin. How about making a hole in the mast and hiding the sweet potatoes?

Along the way, Chen Zhenlong thought of ways to secretly take away the sweet potato seeds, and he soon entered Manila.

Wei Guangde didn't know that in Manila, thousands of miles away, someone was already trying his best to think of a solution to his plan.

In fact, Wei Guangde didn't know that the Spaniards would attach so much importance to sweet potatoes and strictly block them, prohibiting exports from the Ming Dynasty.

In his original world, there were no sweet potatoes anywhere in the country. He could just grab a bunch of them and there was no need to go out of his way to get them.

Of course, although sweet potatoes have many advantages, they have not become the world's staple food due to various reasons.

Well, the so-called six major staple foods in the world in later generations are wheat, rice, corn, potatoes, sorghum and cassava.

Even though there is only one word difference between cassava and sweet potato, most Chinese people can’t tell the difference between these two things and only think they are the same crop, but in fact they are two crops.

Sweet potato is a perennial herbaceous vine, native to South America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. It was introduced to domestic cultivation around the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

Cassava is a woody plant, which means it can grow as tall as a tree.

This plant is native to Brazil. The reason why it is called cassava is because its root is cylindrical, looks like a sweet potato, and is rich in starch.

Cassava is a plant with stronger vitality than sweet potato. Although it is a woody plant, its roots are rich in starch and can be eaten. It is also known as the "King of Starch" and is the main food source in tropical areas of Africa. It was also the food for nearly 600 million people in later generations, so it became the world's staple food.

China once planted a large amount of cassava in the south, but now it is almost gone. The reason is because cassava is poisonous.

Cassava comes from the famous "poison family" - Euphorbiaceae. Most of the plants in this family are poisonous. Among the poisonous plants included in the Chinese Plant Atlas Database, the entire plant of cassava is also poisonous.

The toxic substances contained in the cassava plant are mainly linolein. Hydrocyanic acid, a nerve agent, is produced under the action of stomach acid. If people accidentally eat raw or undercooked cassava, it can easily cause poisoning.

In later generations, in order to make profits, unscrupulous businessmen took advantage of the high yield and low price of cassava starch to replace sweet potato starch with cassava starch. Not only sweet potato starch, but also the so-called "yam vermicelli" on the market are essentially cassava vermicelli.

Speaking of which, Li Jin stayed in Manila for seven or eight days and finally got everything done. He purchased the supplies needed for his return voyage and prepared to leave Manila and head to the north of Luzon Island to find the South China Sea. The navy's fleet delivers the message.

"Boss, those two natives have found some sweet potato vines and said they can just plant them directly."

After arranging for the crew to transport supplies onto the ship, Chen Zhenlong whispered in Li Jin's ear.

"Have you figured out how to take away the sweet potato vines?"

Li Jin asked in a low voice.

“I plan to get some sections of sweet potato vines and tie them to absorbent ropes, then apply mud on them and wait for them to dry.

I thought that since the rope was just thrown on the deck of the ship, the Yi people would not have thought that we would put something under their noses. "

Chen Zhenlong said softly.

"hiss"

Li Jin was shocked when he heard Chen Zhenlong's idea, and then he found that this idea seemed very good.

The light is dark.

"At first, I was thinking about making a few holes in the boat planks to hide the sweet potatoes, but it seems that your idea is better.

I don't believe that the barbarians will be interested in the pile of ropes in front of them."

Suddenly, Li Jin clapped his hands and laughed, "Just do it, you ask people to leave the sweet potato vines and wrap them in the ropes."

When Chen Zhenlong left and prepared to do something, Li Jin was already humming his hometown tune and lying comfortably on a sofa.

Now he is in a really good mood. It seems that he has done everything he wanted to do in this trip to Manila.

Not only did he find out the traces of Lin Feng's pirate group, but he also knew the barbarians' plans.

As for the current defense situation in Manila, it has also improved a lot compared to before.

At least, from what Garcia said, the number of the Yi people stationed in the city will not be less than three or five hundred. They will never dare to leave only a few dozen people in the city and send the others out to rob and capture people.

As for the defense facilities in the city, I have seen almost all of them in the past few days.

Thinking of this, Li Jin couldn't help but slap his head, secretly thinking that he forgot to ask the manager whether he had drawn the map of Manila City.

Although he can talk about it very well, he doesn't have the ability to draw after all, but he can gesture it.

It still depends on Chen Zhenlong, the scholar, to do the drawing well.

After two days of preparation, Chen Zhenlong came to report that the preparations for the return voyage had been completed.

Only then did Li Jin pack up and come out of his newly bought mansion.

Although the house still looks a bit simple now, after all, he didn't expect to buy a house in Manila this time, so he didn't bring furniture from Daming.

As for letting the locals in Manila do it, it's better to save the effort. Li Jin doesn't like their craftsmanship.

Of course, the things of the barbarians are not bad, such as this sofa, but it's too expensive.

Knowing that Li Jin made a lot of money in Manila, the barbarians also asked for a lot of money from him, a Ming Dynasty merchant. Many things that looked useful were extremely expensive.

Even Li Jin, a businessman, felt overwhelmed, so he just bought a big bed and a sofa.

However, the things made by the barbarians are really comfortable to use. They are softer than the wooden chairs in Ming Dynasty, just like sitting on cotton.

As for selling foreign goods to Ming Dynasty, although these things are good, the prices offered by the barbarians are too high, and other people may not be willing to pay for them after shipping them back.

Thinking of this, Li Jin suddenly thought about whether to let the craftsmen at home come to see how this soft big bed and sofa are made.

The barbarians offered such a high price, and they must have made a lot of money.

If our craftsmen can learn how to make this kind of furniture made by the barbarians, can we make it and sell it in Ming Dynasty?

These thoughts, until they boarded the ship, Li Jin was still thinking about the feasibility.

"Garcia, has my ship been checked?"

On the deck, Li Jin saw Garcia standing there, and several barbarians were coming out of the cabin, obviously they had already checked it.

"Of course, we are old friends, and I have always trusted you, Li.

It's just my duty. If I don't let them do this, it would be my dereliction of duty.

If they report this to the higher-ups, I may be severely punished."

Garcia heard Li Jin's voice, turned his head and watched him get on the ship, so he walked over and hugged him before whispering to him.

Not long after, several barbarians on another boat next to him also got off the gangplank, and one of them trotted over and whispered a few words in Garcia's ear.

Garcia's smile remained unchanged, and after chatting with Li Jin for a few words, he said goodbye and got off the ship.

As the prosecutors left, the barbarians on the dock directed the local coolies to retract the gangplank and untie the ropes on the dock.

Li Jin stood at the bow and waved goodbye to Garcia who was standing on the dock.

Gradually, the merchant ship left the dock and headed for the west sea. The city of Manila behind it became smaller and smaller, and gradually disappeared.

"Boss, look over there."

Just as Li Jin was about to go back to the cabin to rest, Chen Zhenlong behind him suddenly shouted to him.

"What?"

Li Jin hesitated and looked in the direction of Chen Zhenlong's finger. More than a dozen large ships that were obviously Luzon-style passed by quickly under the leadership of several Spanish patrol boats.

On the boat, countless locals paddled the famous oars, and paddled rhythmically and vigorously with the sound of the big drum on the bow.

"No wonder it's so fast."

Li Jin couldn't help but sigh.

Well, when people on the boat see other people's boats, their judgment of speed is often ranked first.

"It's really fast, but boss, do you think this is the Spanish armed army preparing to attack Lin Feng?"

Reminded by Chen Zhenlong, Li Jin also remembered it all of a sudden.

Pointing to the direction of the fleet, Li Jin asked: "Where is that place?"

"That place."

Chen Zhenlong hesitated for a moment before saying: "It should be Ilugu Island. I seem to have heard that the barbarians built a water fort there and moored warships. Warships."

"That should be it."

Li Jin nodded, "It seems that the barbarians will take action against Lin Feng soon.

That Garcia actually told me that those natives are too stupid and need training."

"Boss, it has been half a year since Lin Feng attacked Manila. I guess these natives should have trained for a few months and can be sent out to fight.

Besides, the real fighters should be those hundreds of barbarians, who are the main force of the war."

Chen Zhenlong said again.

"No matter what, we should find the South China Sea Navy as soon as possible and tell them the situation here so that they can be prepared."

Li Jin said, and then went straight into the cabin.

Chen Zhenlong gave a few instructions to the crew and followed them into the cabin. After a while, a crew member sent a few vines into the cabin.

Looking at the things on the table, Li Jin also reacted and asked, "Is this the sweet potato vine?"

"Yes, boss, this is the sweet potato vine."

As soon as Chen Zhenlong finished speaking, he heard Li Jin's hearty laughter.

"Great, I've always wanted to get rid of this thing, but I didn't expect it to work this time.

If we had known, we should have done it earlier. Maybe Ming Dynasty could have eaten sweet potatoes now."

Yes, Li Jin had this intention for a long time, but he was a businessman after all. He knew that the barbarians did not agree to introduce sweet potatoes to Ming Dynasty. For the sake of his business at sea, he would not take the initiative to offend them.

In Luzon, he still knew that he had to abide by the rules set by the barbarians, otherwise the business would not be done.

It was just like the barbarians had to follow the rules of Ming Dynasty when they came to Ming Dynasty.

Two days later, the two big Fu ships sailing in the north-east direction collided with two warships of the navy.

After the first encounter, Li Jin was no longer a prince in his heart this time, but took the initiative to approach.

After contacting the navy, he knew that they had brought back important information, so he naturally escorted the two merchant ships to the north.

After another day, they finally joined the fleet led by Deng Zilong, but there were only eight ships left out of the original ten ships.

The other two warships of the navy should be searching from another direction.

This time, the Fu ship that Li Jin was riding on directly docked next to Deng Zilong's ship, and he went directly to the opposite ship through the gangway, and soon saw Deng Zilong in the cabin.

"General Deng, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission."

When they met, Li Jin bowed to Deng Zilong and said.

"Oh, have you done all the things I entrusted to you?"

Hearing Li Jin's words, Deng Zilong was delighted. Although he didn't know what it was, he still asked.

Li Jin turned around and waved to Chen Zhenlong, who immediately took out the city defense map of Manila from his arms.

Well, this thing is a floor plan drawn by Chen Zhenlong, and Li Jin just pointed out a few mistakes.

Seeing that it was the city defense map of Manila, the smile on Deng Zilong's face couldn't help but fade a little, but he still took it solemnly.

The change on Deng Zilong's face naturally caught Li Jin's attention, and he immediately said, "We have also found out where Lin Feng is."