ca-book Chapter 8 Lin Jiayan
Chapter 8 Lin Jiayan
Seeing that the old man was unwilling to continue the topic, Lin Chen wisely refrained from further inquiry and instead steered the conversation back to the transaction.
They bought enough fresh water and several baskets of locally produced rice, bananas, coconuts, cassava and other fruits and vegetables from the old man, as well as enough fish and shrimp, before returning to the Hope with supplies and intelligence.
Before parting, the old man suggested that they go to Lingayen to replenish their supplies. He said that Lingayen has a larger population and is the largest port town north of Manila, as well as a regional trade hub and shipbuilding center.
Lin Chen noted down this suggestion.
"Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission!" Lin Chen returned to the deck, walked a few steps to Zhu Jiheng's side, and reported the information he had gathered in detail.
As Zhu Jiheng listened to his story, a light gradually shone in his eyes. His fingers unconsciously tapped the hard oak hull of the boat, and he murmured softly:
"The Chinese in Luzon have long harbored resentment, while the Western powers, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, are busy suppressing discontent. This is a golden opportunity!"
As he spoke, a cold smile curved his lips. He turned to look at Lin Chen and said, "The old man suggested that we go to Lin Jiayan, so let's follow his advice and go to Lin Jiayan to see what's going on."
"Since Lingayen is the largest trading town north of Manila, there must be a large Chinese population there. Moreover, if we can capture Lingayen, we can use all the resources and shipyards there."
"Your Highness is absolutely right," Lin Chen agreed. "Then I will immediately order the sailors to set sail for Lingayan."
"Um."
Zhu Jiheng nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with confidence.
……
Although the northern part of Luzon, where Braan is located, has been incorporated into the Spanish sphere of influence, the Spanish already had a shortage of troops on Luzon Island, and it was even more impossible for them to spare precious troops to garrison and patrol the resource-poor northern part.
Therefore, after leaving Braan, the Hope sailed south along the coastline without encountering any Spanish patrol boats, but frequently encountered Ilocos fishing boats.
After two days at sea, on October 4, 1683, the Hope finally arrived at the waters off Lingayen Bay.
Even if you only reach the open sea and haven't entered Lingayen Bay, you can still get a glimpse of the prosperity of this place from the number of merchant ships passing by.
Merchant ships used to come in a variety of styles, including Western-style sailing ships, Chinese Fujian ships and Cantonese ships, and more local Palau ships. Flags representing the power behind them fluttered at the stern, making the Hope, which did not fly any flags, seem out of place.
"Your Highness, if we continue forward, we will enter Lingayen Bay. We don't have any flags to identify us, and we might be stopped by the Frankish sentry ships," Lin Chen said in a low voice to Zhu Jiheng. "Should we go ashore first?"
Zhu Jiheng put down the binoculars he had taken from Lin Chen, pondered for a moment, and said, "No, docking directly would be too conspicuous and easily arouse the suspicion of the Francois. Let's turn around, anchor at the small bay we found on the way, and then send people ashore to gather information."
"We don't know much about the internal situation of Lin Jiayan yet. Rushing in would only put us in danger. We need to think it over carefully."
"Yes, sir!"
Lin Chen immediately accepted the order. The Hope's huge sails adjusted their angle, the ship turned gracefully, avoided the bustling main channel, turned north and stopped in a secluded small bay not far from Lingayen Bay.
Then, a sampan carrying Zhu Jiheng and his disguised general's guards rowed to the shore. He ordered Lin Chen to stay behind on the warship while he went to gather information himself.
At first, Lin Chen strongly objected, believing that Zhu Jiheng should not risk his life, but under Zhu Jiheng's firm attitude, he had no choice but to give in.
Zhu Jiheng also had his own reliance. He still had three squads of line infantry and a local cavalry regiment that he hadn't summoned yet. If he really encountered danger, he could just summon these new troops and break through easily.
As for the Falcon Cannon... he would not take out the heavy and difficult-to-move Falcon Cannon unless it was necessary to attack the city.
The sampans made several more trips, transporting all the guards and their horses ashore before Zhu Jiheng led his cavalry south.
Zhu Jiheng knew that in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they could not just swagger into Lingayan City. Therefore, he sent out several scouts ahead to see if they could encounter any Chinese caravans that were also coming from the north and preparing to enter Lingayan.
As it turned out, Zhu Jiheng was always very lucky. About half an hour later, the scout he had sent out returned on horseback and reported to Zhu Jiheng:
"Your Highness, we encountered a Chinese merchant caravan ahead. I approached them and spoke with them. They are indeed on their way to Lingayen City."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiheng smiled, raised his whip, and said, "Lead the way, everyone speed up, and head to meet up with that caravan!"
"drive--"
Led by the scouts, Zhu Jiheng and his group soon caught up with the caravan. From a distance, the caravan was not large, consisting of only three large carts pulled by water buffalo and piled high with sacks. There were about a dozen men dressed in coarse cloth jackets and wearing straw hats guarding the carts. Judging from their attire and appearance, they were indeed Chinese.
To avoid arousing the other side's unease and defensiveness, Zhu Jiheng ordered his guards to remain in place, while he himself, along with his adjutant and the scout, rode forward.
Hearing the sound of hooves behind them, the caravan members turned around warily, instinctively placing their hands on the weapons at their waists. When they saw that some of the riders were the ones who had just spoken to them, their wariness eased slightly, but did not completely disappear.
As Zhu Jiheng approached, he raised his hands in a fist salute and said, "Brothers in front, please don't be nervous. I mean no harm."
"What can I do for you brothers?" The middle-aged man at the head of the group asked in a deep voice when Zhu Jiheng came to speak to him. His gaze swept over the group, especially lingering on their fine swords and magnificent horses, with a scrutinizing look.
Zhu Jiheng smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "We are sorry to bother you. We are merchants who have just arrived from the north. We heard that Linjiayan is prosperous, so we came to try our luck. However, we are unfamiliar with the place and it is getting late. We are worried about not being able to find a safe place to stay or a way to find out the market."
"I see you brothers are kindred spirits. Would you be so kind as to offer some guidance? Or perhaps we could travel together into the city, looking out for each other?"
The middle-aged man's wariness lessened slightly when he saw that Zhu Jiheng was polite and spoke with the familiar Quanzhou accent. He sized up the man and saw that although he was dressed plainly, he had an extraordinary demeanor and was clearly not an ordinary person.
He guessed that this group of people had probably encountered some trouble at sea and were forced to land, or they were newcomers with connections. Such people were often generous, and getting involved with them might bring unexpected gains.