"Please look at the admiral. This highland is just next to the port, only two miles away from the port. Moreover, because the terrain is high, there is no need to worry about floods. If an enemy attacks from the sea, the soldiers in the fortress can use the fastest

You can reach the port quickly and even use the artillery in the fortress to support the port directly. It can be said to be a good place to build a fortress!" Tang Bohu pointed to a high ground in front of him and introduced to Zhou Chong.

Zhou Chong looked at the high ground and found that the view here is wide and the area of ​​the high ground is large enough. It is indeed a good place to build a fortress. This made him nod and said, "Yes, this place is stronger than the first two places.

If there is no better place, then choose to build a fortress here!"

Although the money for building a fortress is still lacking, the preliminary preparations for building a fortress cannot be delayed. For example, Zhou Chong gave this matter some time ago to the Maritime Department and Shenying and they jointly selected a suitable location for building a fortress.

As a result, they selected three places in total. Today, Tang Bohu took Zhou Chong to inspect it. Unfortunately, the first two places have various shortcomings, but this third one is pretty good.

"Yes, the official obeys the order!" Tang Bohu finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Zhou Chong's words. Since the Maritime Administration belonged to the Sihai Admiral's Office, their Maritime Administration's affairs have become more and more, and the power in their hands has also become more and more.

It is even now that it is not just about collecting taxes, but has begun to interfere in the construction and management of ports. Although this is a good thing, for Tang Bohu, who has just entered the officialdom, he feels that the pressure is getting greater and greater, and he dare not relax at all.

.

After finishing the business, Zhou Chong felt relaxed. When he turned his head and saw Tang Bohu's relief expression, he smiled and said, "Brother Tang. Your Maritime Bureau has been busy recently. And I heard that Yang Tong wants you to take charge of Malacca Port.

How about managing affairs? Do you have the confidence to manage such a large port?”

Hearing Zhou Chong chatting with him in a relaxed tone, Tang Bohu smiled bitterly: "Thank you for your concern. Yang Tiju gave me such an important thing. At the beginning, I really didn't have any confidence, but now the Maritime Affairs Office is in the

Heavy, every official has his own lot of affairs to do. For example, Yang Tiju and Li Deputy Tiju, Ningbo Port and Shuangyu Port are inseparable from them. In fact, I am the most leisurely in the Maritime Manufacturing Department.

So this time the management affairs of Malacca Port fell on me. Just as Yang Tiju said, he had to take the blame even if he had to, otherwise the Maritime Bureau would not be able to draw any other people.

”

Hearing Tang Bohu's complaints, Zhou Chong laughed. After a while, he stopped and said, "Brother Tang, this is just the beginning. In the future, the place where your Maritime Bureau will manage is not only Shuangyu Port and

Malacca, so you must be prepared. Of course, the establishment of your Maritime Department is indeed a bit too small. When I go back, I will advise Your Majesty to merge the Maritime Department of Guangzhou and Quanzhou with you.

You can also do more subordinates by then."

Although Tang Bohu complained that he was under increasing pressure, he actually liked this kind of life very much because it made him feel fulfilled. Moreover, he also learned a lot from it and saw some of it.

The most important point is that he finally realized his wish to serve the country and the people.

Just as Zhou Chong was chatting with Tang Bohu, the Jinyiwei suddenly came quickly to report: "Sir, someone from Jinzhou opposite the strait was coming on a boat and said he wanted to visit you on behalf of the King of Malacca Alik!"

"People from the Huang family?" Zhou Chong was also happy when he heard this. He originally thought that after finishing this period, he would take people to Jinzhou opposite him for a trip, and then find the people from the Huang family and convince them to come back.

When he lived, he didn't expect that before he left, the Huang family had already come by himself, which saved him a lot of effort.

Thinking of this mysterious Huang family, Zhou Chong couldn't help but smile and asked: "Where are the people from the Huang family now? How many people have they come to?"

"Sir Qibing, the Huang family has only sent one boat. Apart from the boatman, there is only one member of the Huang family. According to him, his name is Huang Qionghai, and he is the patriarch of the Huang family. There is no one else except him.

Waiting in the Navy camp." The Jinyiwei who reported the news answered again.

"Very good, let's go back immediately!" Zhou Chong heard that it was the patriarch of the Huang family who came in person, which made him feel refreshed. Since the other party was the patriarch of the Huang family, he should know more about the secrets, just as well.

Can answer the mystery in your heart.

Zhou Chong soon returned to the military camp. Speaking of which, the army in Malacca City lost almost all the losses in the previous war. In order to maintain order in the city, Zhou Chong asked Shenying to take the Beijing Camp into the city, but the navy was still stationed.

The port, and because the original naval camp in Malacca was destroyed, the navy of the Ming Dynasty could only temporarily live in the tent.

Zhou Chong came to the commander's tent of the Navy Camp, but saw a middle-aged man sitting there, drinking tea leisurely on his face. When he saw Zhou Chong coming in, the middle-aged man immediately stood up and saluted:

"See Admiral Huang Qionghai!"

Zhou Chong came in and sat down and looked at the patriarch of the Huang family. He saw that the other party looked in his forties, with big ears and straight facial features. He was neither humble nor arrogant when saluting him. He knew at a glance that he was a very well-educated person.

"Captain Huang doesn't have to be polite. I went to Sanbaoshan to visit the Han merchants who were here. I have heard a lot about the Huang family from them. I admire the Huang family for being able to stand up and maintain the rule of the Malacca king.

, At the same time, I was also very curious about the Huang family. It was a great honor to finally meet the Huang leader today!" Zhou Chong said politely with a smile.

"The Huang family is just an abandoned person overseas. How can we be the admiral so praise him?" Huang Qionghai couldn't help but feel flattered when he saw Zhou Chong being so enthusiastic. However, he actually agreed with their support for Alik for Zhou Chong.

It was a bit surprised, and at the same time, it was also a little excited. After all, now that Sultan Mahmood has left, Malacca City has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty. If Zhou Chong can agree to Alik to take over Malacca City, it would be great.

"By the way, I wonder what is important about the Clan Chief Huang coming this time?" Zhou Chong asked straight to the point, although he wanted to ask what the relationship between the Huang family and Princess Han Baoli was, and Princess Han Baoli's real life

What is the identity, but there are obviously important things for the other party to come to see him, so it is not suitable to talk about these things now.

Hearing Zhou Chong asking on his own initiative, Huang Qionghai immediately bowed and replied: "Report to the Admiral, the villain came this time to represent the King of Malacca Alike to pay homage to you. I hope you can represent the Ming Dynasty to uphold justice for His Highness the King!

”

"Oh, I understand." Zhou Chong looked at Huang Qionghai with a smile. He was also guessing the intention of the Huang family to meet him on the road, and he also guessed that the other party might have wanted to escape while Sultan Mahmoud.

The opportunity to take over Malacca City, now it seems that it is true.

Seeing that Zhou Chong understood his intention so quickly, Huang Qionghai was also shocked and secretly praised him as a very smart person, otherwise he would not have become the admiral of the Ming Dynasty at a young age.

"Admiral, I believe you have heard that my king Alik is the real king of the Kingdom of Malacca. However, later Mahmoud colluded with the Tamils ​​to launch a coup, which forced us to retreat to Jinzhou. Fortunately, the admiral is now

The Lord rushed to Malacca City, hoping that the Lord could preside over justice for my king on behalf of the Ming Dynasty!” Huang Qionghai begged again at this time.

From a legal perspective, Alik was indeed the orthodox king of the Malacca Kingdom. That Mahmoud was just an usurper, so Huang Qionghai came so confidently to ask Zhou Chong to uphold justice.

However, Zhou Chong smiled slightly when he heard this, "Captain Huang, I have known about the experience of your Huang family and King Alik before, and for your Huang family to stand up and support King Alik in times of crisis, I personally

I also admire it very much, but this is a matter within your Malacca Kingdom after all. Although our Ming Dynasty is your sect leader, the Ming Dynasty has never participated in the internal affairs of its vassal states. Therefore, in this matter, although this admiral hopes that you can

Retake the throne, but he dared not violate the Ming Dynasty's policy on vassal states, so the Ming Dynasty would not participate in this matter. At most, I can only find that Mahmoud, and then both of you will solve it themselves!"

The port of Malacca has fallen into Zhou Chong, so it is natural that he cannot hand over the port again, so it is useless for them to come from either Alic or Mahmoud. At most, Zhou Chong will announce the nominal ownership of the entire port, but in fact

It must be controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and no one can take it back, so naturally he would not agree to Huang Qionghai's request.

Hearing that Zhou Chong was unwilling to care about his affairs, Huang Qionghai was anxious and sweating profusely. Finally, he thought for a while before he begged again: "Mr. Admiral, although the Ming Dynasty does not interfere in the internal affairs of the vassal state, now

Malacca City was captured by the Portuguese, but fortunately it was preserved by the Lord's rescue, but Mahmoud fled with his people. His life and death are unknown now, but my king Alik is in Jinzhou. If the Admiral supports our king

, then we will come forward and we will make sure that the Port of Malacca will be settled as soon as possible. If the Admiral has any requests, we can also make it as long as possible."

In order to achieve his goal, Huang Qionghai finally bribed Zhou Chong almost openly. However, Zhou Chong was unmoved at all. At first, he just shirked away that he had no power to deal with the internal affairs of Malacca, but Huang Qionghai was an indomitable person and still

It's a pleading.

At the end, Zhou Chong looked at it almost the same. Suddenly the topic changed: "Captain Huang, after I arrived in Malacca, I heard about a legendary thing, and this matter was related to the Huang family, but I don't know it.
Chapter completed!