Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 828 You are the one who cuts through the thorns of Southeast Asia

The fifteenth day of the first month of the third year of the Longxing era.

Jiangnan, Lin'an.

The jubilation from last year's great victory had not yet faded when the New Year arrived as scheduled, and the capital of Song was once again immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

As the Song Dynasty was renowned for its commercial prosperity, merchants naturally became extremely active during major celebrations.

Especially since the Lantern Festival, with its strong commercial atmosphere, is coming up next, it is the best time to negotiate and buy and sell large quantities of goods. Therefore, many merchants who come to Lin'an to build relationships with high-ranking officials and transfer benefits will usually stay until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month before leaving.

The Lin family of Quanzhou was naturally among them.

Moreover, the Lin family of Quanzhou in this era was not just a simple maritime merchant family, but an official family that began to rise in power during the Tiansheng period of the Northern Song Dynasty. Their ancestor, Lin Qi, had a famous nickname: Lin Jiumu.

The origin of this title is quite simple and direct: it comes from the fact that Lin Qi was particularly good at having and raising sons. All nine of his sons were high-ranking officials, at the level of prefect, governing their respective regions. Hence, he was given the title of "Nine Prefects of Lin".

If Liu Huai were here, he would definitely recall someone from the high-end online novels of his previous life, namely 'Scholar Lin Jingmo'.

Of course, in this world, Emperor Zhao did not stop fleeing south, nor did he use a duck on Mount Bagong to turn Zhang Jun into a loyal minister and general. Therefore, Lin Jingmo was only a prefectural-level official until his death.

However, even so, the Lin family was not someone to be trifled with.

Moreover, being in a place like Quanzhou, how could one not have any connection with maritime merchants?
However, it was somewhat unreasonable for scholar-officials to engage in lowly occupations. It was usually the lesser branches of the family that did this, while the main branch would take the imperial examinations to maintain official status.

With such an arrangement, it would be a miracle if the Lin family didn't prosper.

In fact, there are Lin clan ancestral halls in Thailand and Malaysia in later generations, and Lin descendants are spread throughout Southeast Asia.

Back to the present, Lin Zongchen, then thirty-three years old, was waiting for distinguished guests in the largest restaurant in Lin'an.

At this time, Lin Zongchen was not yet the martial arts champion who would be seventeen years later, ranking first in both archery and strategy in the martial arts examination.
Nor was he the upright official who directly pointed out the malpractices of the government, offered strong remonstrances, and was thus praised by Zhu Xi;
He was not a pro-war military officer who went with Chen Liang to search for fortresses on the Jianghuai front and analyze the current situation of the Jin Kingdom.

He was a martial arts practitioner.

However, it is not accurate to call Lin Zongchen a wandering knight-errant. After all, this is no longer the Han Dynasty. With the gradual improvement of the household registration system and laws, and the expansion of government responsibilities, there is no longer room for wandering knight-errants to survive.

If a martial artist, especially one from a wealthy merchant family, has no place to survive in the Song Dynasty, where can he act so fiercely and violently?
It's overseas, of course.

Lin Zongchen sat by the window, drinking alone, gazing at the bustling street and watching the young women and wives coming and going. His face, tanned by the sea breeze, was beaming with joy. He let the winter wind blow against his face, but his clothes were open, as if he felt no cold.

"My lord, young master Luo has arrived."

After a trusted family member came to report, Lin Zongchen reluctantly ordered the windows to be closed and then got up to greet him.

A moment later, a boy who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, completely covered up, came up to the second floor and bowed to Lin Zongchen with a smile.

"Uncle Lin, you've arrived very early today. I'm so sorry I'm late, so very rude."

Lin Zongchen strode forward, patted the other man on the shoulder, and laughed heartily, "Young Master Luo, you're being too polite. I only informed you in a hurry. I'm already flattered that you would grace us with your presence during the New Year. How could I possibly blame you, Young Master Luo?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiaolang... also known as Luo Huaiyan, grabbed Lin Zongchen's hand, chuckled, and pulled him to the table full of delicacies: "Uncle Lin is still blaming me, so I'll punish myself with three cups."

Lin Zongchen quickly reached out to stop him: "You can't hold your liquor. You'll go back to sleep after three cups. We'll have made a wasted trip."

Luo Huaiyan put down the wine pot and said seriously, "Uncle Lin, it's not that my elders didn't want to come, but several of my uncles returned to Haizhou to pay respects to our ancestors before the New Year. Uncle Lin is really a step too late."

Lin Zongchen looked somewhat disappointed upon hearing this and shook his head, saying, "It's just that our fate wasn't meant to be. You can't blame anyone else."

Luo Huaiyan spread his hands: "We northerners never imagined that the merchants of the Great Song Dynasty would be so dedicated that they wouldn't even go home for the New Year."

Lin Zongchen drank a cup of warm wine, then pulled open his collar again, revealing his chest full of black hair: "The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit. Merchants are the most profit-driven, and it's always inevitable."

Upon hearing this, Luo Huaiyan revealed a mysterious smile: "That's it, that's the sentence."

Lin Zongchen perked up: "What do you mean?"

Luo Huaiyan coughed twice and lowered his voice by three octaves: "The big shots in the north have already agreed that they can make a fortune together with Uncle Lin."

Lin Zongchen immediately became beaming with joy.

But Luo Huaiyan continued, "Wait a minute, Uncle Lin, there are other versions of the story."

"You said."

"We also need to get involved in the business in Southeast Asia."

Lin Zongchen seemed to have anticipated this, but he did not immediately agree or refuse. Instead, he held his wine glass, squinted, and pondered carefully.

Since He Zizhen opened up the north-south ocean routes, trade between the north and south has rapidly become as hot as boiling oil on a hot fire.

One reason for this is the Yellow River's diversion into the Huai River, which disrupted the Huai River system. However, more importantly, the Central Plains and Hebei had been in chaos for the past few years, with the two Jin states and the Shandong rebels fighting each other. The once prosperous Bianliang to Jiangnan area had become a war zone.

In this situation, merchants transporting goods northward would be walking into a trap.

Going back further in time, during the period of peace between the two sides, the Huai River served as the boundary between the Song and Jin dynasties. Due to the real pressure of border defense, the two sides adopted the practice of border market trade, which involved opening several large markets on the border and having the government supervise the transactions.

The government had priority in trade, and the types of goods that could be bought and sold were restricted, resulting in some commodities being available but priceless in both the north and south.

Qualified warhorses from the north fetch astronomical prices when transported to the south.

Southern spices are extremely precious even when they reach the north.

Although smuggling was inevitable, nothing beats the convenience of trading on massive ships carrying thousands of bushels of grain!

For these merchants, the advantage of sea transport was that it was difficult for the government to effectively supervise it. I said I was going to Southeast Asia, but in fact I turned off at sea and went to Dengzhou, Shandong. The sea was vast, who could find me?
Even if I get caught, I can just push the boat towards the storm. God may be blind, but you can't blame me, can you?!

With the opening of the deep-sea route from Lin'an to Dengzhou, these merchants who went to Southeast Asia all became envious.

That must be a huge piece of fat!

However, navigation routes cannot be learned by simply drawing a line on a map. Knowing where the ocean currents are, when the monsoons arrive, where the reefs are, where the reliable ports are, where pirates roam, and when to go to sea to avoid hurricanes—these are all things that are learned at the cost of lives.

It's impossible to learn properly by just going on one trip; what's needed is for experienced people to mentor newcomers and for them to go through continuous practical operation before they can truly understand the route.

Knowledge is the most precious thing in the world, how could it be easily given to others?

Conversely, Shandong's maritime merchants also coveted the shipping routes to Southeast Asia. Those waterways that transported spices and silver were not just filled with water, but were practically overflowing with gold!
Both sides were completely clueless about each other's shipping routes, and could only engage in transshipment trade near Taicang. Although they made a fortune, the thought of not earning any money left made all the merchants feel as if they were losing money. Under such circumstances, it was only natural for merchants from the north and south to collude together.

At this time, Luo Huaiyan and Lin Zongchen did not represent two separate merchant families, but rather the interests of the two shipping routes, one to the north and one to the south.

Luo Huaiyan naturally had direct orders from the military governor's office and could make the decision. However, Lin Zongchen was different. He was a true merchant and had to answer to all the merchants in Southeast Asia, so he also needed to weigh the pros and cons and was momentarily caught in a dilemma.

Seeing Lin Zongchen bowing his head in silence, Luo Huaiyan couldn't help but smile and say, "Now the sea route to Japan is also open..."

Lin Zongchen's cheek twitched, and he interrupted Luo Huaiyan, saying, "Are those stoneheads in Japan willing to open their country's doors?"

Luo Huaiyan took a sip of rice wine, smiled and shook his head: "Of course not, but now that we have a stable shipping route and have established relations with Goryeo, we will be able to open up Japan sooner or later."

Lin Zongchen was even more tempted upon hearing this.

If Luo Huaiyan had just patted his chest and claimed that he had already breached the Japanese border, Lin Zongchen certainly wouldn't have believed him, and would have even considered Luo Huaiyan a liar who spouts nonsense.

However, Luo Huaiyan honestly stated that he had only discovered a safe sea route, but there was no way to open Japan to foreign trade. He also provided a follow-up plan, including the Korean invasion, which indicated that the matter was very promising.

Sulfur, silver, swords, and fans from Japan were all highly marketable commodities. What was even more ingenious was that Japan was constantly in a state of food shortage, and these Southeast Asian merchants could directly use grain for large-scale trade as they traveled north.

Damn it, even if we have to use crossbows or ram them with big ships, we'll break down Japan's gates!
Thinking of this, Lin Zongchen burst into laughter: "Young Master Luo is so straightforward! Since that's the case, I, your uncle, will make a promise: I will do my utmost to persuade those stubborn old fogies in Southeast Asia!"

Luo Huaiyan laughed as well, clinked glasses with Lin Zongchen, and said, "Then we'll wait for Uncle Lin's good news. Besides that, there's one more small matter: we'd like to send our head chef to Quanzhou to visit the shipyard."

Lin Zongchen's smile froze instantly.

This can't possibly be a small matter, can it?
If shipping routes are a matter of vital importance concerning the rise and fall of a family, then shipbuilding is a matter of life and death, a matter of paramount importance that requires sacrificing one's life to protect.

This is also a core secret that maritime business groups need to protect collectively; how could they possibly give it away to others so easily?
Does Luo Xiaolang even know the rules?
Under Lin Zongchen's strange gaze, Luo Huaiyan solemnly said, "This is not what our Chamber of Commerce thinks, but rather something that came down from the top."

Furthermore, our privately-owned shipyards will be open to master shipbuilders from Southeast Asia, allowing us to exchange resources and work together to promote the development of the shipbuilding industry.

Lin Zongchen froze upon hearing the first sentence, spilling wine all over his pants before he finally reacted. He quickly tossed his glass aside and pointed to the sky, saying, "Up there? The words coming from up there?"

Luo Huaiyan nodded emphatically: "Above, at the very top of the North, higher than the sky."

Lin Zongchen was speechless again, gesturing wildly for a while before finally saying, "Such a big shot... uh... how could he... uh... a ship? You... I... no..."

Luo Huaiyan sighed, but said sincerely, "The words above were passed down from my uncles, and I have already memorized them. Uncle Lin, please listen."

After coughing twice, Luo Huaiyan raised his voice and imitated Liu Huai's manner, saying: "We drove out the Tartars, restored China, and recovered the northern lands; you, on the other hand, braved the waves, overcame all obstacles, and managed the South Seas."

Ultimately, it was all for the sake of expanding the territory of the Han Dynasty. From this perspective, you and I are just ordinary people, without any distinction of rank or status.

As fellow comrades, I hope you will all join me in working together to build a great future for the Han dynasty.

Lin Zongchen was finally completely stunned.

He never expected that someone like Liu Huai would tell him there was no distinction between superior and inferior.

This is ridiculous.

From the perspective of these Southeast Asian merchants, Liu Huai's power in the north had reached the point where he was absolutely in control, and he was powerful enough to even become emperor. How could they, who were engaged in lowly trades, compare to him?

However, seeing Luo Huaiyan's serious expression, Lin Zongchen also felt that it was impossible for the other party to be talking nonsense.

"Young Master Fei Hu...is this truly how you regard us?"

Luo Huaiyan nodded emphatically: "This is what my uncles told me personally after they met with the eldest son. I know it by heart, word for word!"

Lin Zongchen was stunned for a moment, then poured himself a glass of warm wine and drank it all in one gulp.

People who travel long distances to sea are generally good drinkers, because freshwater at sea is easily perishable, so they usually bring some low-alcohol rice wine to drink.

However, for some reason, Lin Zongchen's cheeks turned red after just one cup, as if he were drunk.

Luo Huaiyan tried to stop Lin Zongchen from drinking, but Lin ignored him, picked up a jar of wine and drank it all in one gulp. His eyes became clear, and his expression became more invigorated, showing signs of being refreshed.

"Since Luo Xiaolang has said these words, even if he is lying to me, it has scratched my itch." After letting out a long hiccup, Lin Zongchen looked up at the sky and sighed: "I, Lin Zongchen, have been well-versed in poetry and martial arts since childhood, and I want to serve my country. However, due to the difference in social status, I have to engage in lowly occupations and cannot serve as an official."

Now that Luo Xiaolang has compared me to the Flying Tiger General, and likened us, the lowest of merchants, to Han heroes who reclaimed our homeland by exploring Southeast Asia, what resentment would I have even if I died on the spot?

Luo Huaiyan then stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Uncle Lin, in the North, no one dares to impersonate the eldest son's words, nor does anyone dare to arbitrarily change the eldest son's decree."

Lin Zongchen seemed genuinely drunk from drinking too much alcohol, and upon hearing this, he simply shook his head: "Say what you will, but I still have to give you a guarantee."

Lin Zongchen's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "I'll say it again: I can't say what the final outcome will be, but I will do my best to make this happen and live up to my promise to open up Han territory."

Luo Huaiyan, still with his hands clasped, said, "Uncle Lin has seen my family's ships before. Even if they are not as big as the ships in the South Seas, they still have some merits. I will definitely not let you suffer any losses."

Lin Zongchen nodded emphatically, wine splattering from his beard. Then, with slightly drunken eyes, he said, "Since Young Master Luo can speak with Flying Tiger, could you ask us, the merchants of Southeast Asia, for something?"

Luo Huaiyan shook his head and laughed: "My family only obeys orders under the command of Fei Hu Langjun, so how could we have any say?"

However, this was after all a task assigned by the eldest son, and he values ​​you all highly. My family will surely be able to deliver a message through reporting back.”

This means that there's no guarantee of success either.

Lin Zongchen seemed to have expected this as well. After downing another jar of wine, he said in a serious tone, "Nowadays, there are more and more pirates in the South Seas. All kinds of people, such as Arabs, Semu people, and Kunlun slaves, want to take a bite out of us."

We have heard that Lord Flying Tiger possesses a type of firearm mounted on his warships, whose sound is like thunder, capable of shattering rocks and splitting metal. May we request to purchase some for our own expansion?

Upon hearing this, Luo Huaiyan's smile faded. After looking Lin Zongchen up and down, he shook his head and chuckled, "If it were any other item, that would be fine. But this is a crucial military and national asset. Let alone buying it, even trying to find out about it will get you into trouble."

Uncle Lin, you'd better not think about it anymore. Otherwise, if the eldest son becomes suspicious, it will truly be a loss for you.

Lin Zongchen patted his forehead: "Young Master Luo is right. I was just drunk and confused. Come, come, let's drink some wine..."

Seeing that the two had finished their business, a trusted family member quickly summoned dancers and singers and instructed the shopkeeper to replace the dishes that had cooled down.

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely that day.

(End of this chapter)