Chapter 5, Zheng Zhilong

"Get up, get up." Zheng Zhilong surprisingly helped Little Stone to his feet himself

The most well-known is the Dutch East India Company, which initially targeted the fleets of Spain and Portugal based on political and religious reasons. However, later, in pursuit of commercial interests, it also interfered with the fleets of other nations on the same trade routes, frequently plundering Chinese and Japanese vessels that were trading with Spain and Portugal (with a base in Macau)

However, the sudden emergence of Zheng Zhilong later caused the Dutch considerable hardship

This individual is versatile, proficient in various languages including Minnan, Nanjing Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese. They are also enthusiastic about learning swordsmanship and can play instruments such as the Spanish guitar

"Grandfather, I..." Little Stone softly collapsed.

Zheng Zhilong pulled out a short blade from the mouth of the small stone, and surprisingly, a few tears flowed from his eyes. He wiped his eyes and said, "Come, let us bury the small stone according to the young master's standards"

"Master, Master!" the bodyguard cried out in anguish, "Master, spare my life!"

This renowned pirate, handsome and dashing, is known for his unconventional personality. In his youth, he was carefree and disinterested in studying, possessing great physical strength and a talent for martial arts, earning a reputation for his bravery in his hometown and beyond. He was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, while also venerating the sea goddess Mazu and the Buddhist and Taoist deity Marici. In Japan, he even paid respects to the Shinto deity Hachiman.

Ding Yunyi is quite strange; it's just a bowl of tea spilled on him, what is so serious about it?

"Little Stone, there is no one at home, right?" Zheng Zhilong suddenly called out affectionately to his personal guard

Zheng Zhilong is indeed a person of considerable capability

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you have been my loyal subordinates for many years, while others have only recently achieved new merits. I, Zheng, am deeply favored by the Emperor and must share in His Majesty's burdens and difficulties. Therefore, I hope that all of you will work together and assist me. However, if anyone goes against my wishes and secretly engages in disreputable activities, I will have no choice but to take decisive action, regardless of how powerful their backing may be

Kill!

Ding Yunyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Zheng Zhilon was merely putting on an act.

Little Stone, having turned misfortune into fortune, was adopted as a godson by Zheng Zhilong. In his joy, he hurriedly bowed his head in gratitude.

"Xiang Wen, please sit down, sit down." Zheng Zhilong sighed and said, "I know these are indeed trivial matters, but a country has its laws, and a family has its rules and regulations. Even small tasks like serving tea and water cannot be neglected. How can we go to battle and serve the court in the future? With unrest spreading across various regions and bandits rising, His Majesty..."

Ding Yunyi repeatedly expressed his politeness, yet he could not discern what Zheng Zhilong truly intended to do

The large tent was silent, not a sound to be heard. Zheng Zhilong scanned his subordinates with his gaze, finally lingering a moment longer on Ding Yunyi.

"Yes, sir, Little Stone has been an orphan since childhood. If you hadn't taken him in, he would have died long ago." Upon hearing Zheng Zhilong's kind tone, the bodyguard Little Stone finally felt relieved

Later, even the Netherlands had to bow down and collaborate with Zheng Zhilong in business

Ding Yunyi found it somewhat strange; Zheng Zhulong's words were clearly directed at him. However, as a mere inspector of little significance, how could he possibly pose any threat to Zheng Zhulong, the Deputy General?

These are all secondary; what is more important is that this person single-handedly founded the Armed Maritime Merchant Group: the Official Party

Ding Yunyi then realized that Zheng Zhilong intended to kill this bodyguard, and hurriedly stood up to say: "Commander, these are trivial matters, Yunyi does not mind them, I kindly ask the Commander to spare him."

The bodyguard's face instantly turned ashen, and with a thud, he knelt down on the ground, repeatedly bowing his head and pleading for mercy.

Zheng Zhilong nodded: "Over the years, you have followed me with dedication and effort, which has not been easy. I will take you as my adopted son."

Zheng Zhilon whispered, instantly shocking Ding Yunyi, "What do you mean by 'killed'?"

As they were speaking, Zheng Zhilong's bodyguard entered with a bowl of tea. Just at that moment, Ding Yunyi turned around and collided directly with the bodyguard, causing half of the tea to spill onto Ding Yunyi's body.

It is baffling how such a trivial matter has escalated into a national issue, leaving Ding Yunyi utterly confused

The renowned trading companies of that time included the Dutch East India Company, the British East India Company, and the Zheng Zhilong faction and Li Dan faction from China

With this sudden turn of events, everyone in the main tent was left in a state of shock

Since the 16th century, the Age of Exploration, armed merchant groups have become a norm in the maritime trade endeavors of various nations. In order to safeguard the smooth operation of trade, they possessed their own armed forces to fend off pirate incursions, yet they often engaged in behaviors that were both commercial and piratical, targeting competitors in trade and commerce.

He has followed me for ten years, ten years! Zheng Zhilong repeatedly stamped his feet, "Heartbroken": "I treated you as if you were my own son, but little Shitou, oh little Shitou, why did you have to do something wrong? Killing you feels like cutting out my heart; from now on, I can no longer share my innermost thoughts with anyone..."

However, upon seeing Ding Yunyi's arrival, Zheng Zhilang was quite enthusiastic, repeatedly addressing him as "Xiang Wen" as if he truly regarded Ding Yunyi as his own nephew.

"It is precisely because he is my personal guard that I cannot allow him to be so disrespectful in front of guests." After Zheng Zhilong finished his lengthy explanation, he pointed at his trembling personal guard who was kneeling on the ground: "He has been with me since he was eight years old. When he was thirteen, I was besieged by pirates and severely injured; it was he who carried me out from the pile of corpses. Later, when I became an official in the court, I intended to give him a position to repay the life-saving grace from that year, but he was unwilling to leave, only wanting to stay by my side as a humble personal guard. Where can I find such a loyal subordinate? I truly cannot bear to kill him!"

Before Xiao Shitou could finish speaking, he suddenly froze in place. He looked down and saw that a short blade had been deeply plunged into his heart by a figure from a picture book.

His sorrowful appearance hardly suggests that the object of his grief has just died at his hands due to a trivial and inexplicable matter

Thank you, Grandfather. Grandfather, Little Stone will definitely...

As he was about to meet this person, Ding Yunyi felt a certain degree of unease in his heart

Zheng Zhi was also quite astute; on one hand, he expanded the business of issuing flags for his own official pirate fleet (maritime security), while on the other hand, he organized another group of pirates specifically to harass fleets that had not applied for the protection of the official pirate flag. This established his influence along the Chinese coast and effectively reduced the occurrence of independent piracy.

Zheng Zhilong invited Ding Yunyi into his tent and repeatedly instructed to prepare tea quickly. Turning to Ding Yunyi, he lavished him with compliments, praising how he was exceptionally talented in both literature and martial arts, how brave he had been in the battles against the Dutch, and how he would surely rise to high positions in the future.

When the body of the small stone was carried out, Zheng Zhilong finally stopped "crying": "Although I am reluctant, family rules are family rules, and military regulations are military regulations; there can be no leniency whatsoever. Even if my own son violates my orders, he will be executed without exception"