1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2396
Different from the strategy adopted in the south of Ming Dynasty, Haihan's attitude towards the development of civilian armed forces in the north is more cautious.On the one hand, this is because Haihan’s stronghold in the north is closer to the power center of Daming. If these small actions to challenge the official authority are carried out under its nose, it may irritate the other party; The situation is very complicated. If Haihan sells standard weapons in batches to the northern civilians, these equipment will probably flow into the hands of the rebellious peasant army through various channels, and this is not a situation that Haihan wants to see.

Therefore, although Haihan has established a stronghold in Shandong for several years, he has been relatively restrained in supporting local tyrants to establish civil armed organizations. Especially in terms of arms sales, Haihan's attitude can even be described as cautious.So far, only the militia group formed by the Ma family has received the weapons, equipment and military training provided by Haihan. Although some local tyrants in other parts of Shandong have actively contacted Haihan in this regard, they have not achieved substantial results. progress.

As for whether the powerful and rich merchants from Shandong who joined the chamber of commerce this time will get different treatment, Chen Yixin doesn't care about it. He has to report the situation here to the executive committee first, and Sanya will decide whether to let them go. Open the ban.

Of course, for Chen Yixin personally, he is very happy to promote Haihan to expand his military influence among the people of Daming. This will not only help Haihan build up his prestige, but also has very limited troops deployed by Haihan in the north of Daming, and he can use them when necessary. Pro-Haihan civil armed organizations to complete some light military tasks, such as armed escort, guarding prisoners of war, maintaining law and order, etc., thus saving the valuable troops of the Haihan army.

For example, during the Shandong turmoil, the Majia militia was organized to share part of the tasks for the Haihan army, and judging from the current execution effect, it is still passable.The Haihan army doesn't need to let these people set foot on the battlefield to fight, as long as they can fight for themselves, so the requirements for their training and equipment are not too high, and they are qualified if they can be reliable and obey the command.

However, the current situation in Shandong makes everyone feel insecure, and they all thought of forming private armed forces to protect their own safety. This is indeed a golden opportunity for Haihan.Governments in all parts of Shandong are currently in chaos and have lost their proper functions, and it is not difficult to judge that this state of chaos will continue for a long time after the end of the war. After all, the government does not have enough manpower, material and financial resources to restore the local If the local tyrants organize private armed forces, most of the government can only turn a blind eye to this, acquiescing to their temporary control of local order.

Whether it is the provision of weapons and equipment or training measures, Haihan is familiar with the road, and there is no difficulty in implementing it. It just needs the nod and approval of the executive committee.The real problem that needs to be solved is how to firmly bind the interests of these people with Haihan, so as to ensure that the military support provided to them will not be used by people with ulterior motives and become a tool to disrupt the situation in Ming Dynasty.If they can't come up with enough nomination certificates, even if they are willing to pay money in exchange, Hai Han still won't agree.

The purpose of this current meeting is to let everyone understand the functions and functions of the Shanhaihui, a commercial organization. As for the military cooperation, it is not good for Chen Yixin to speak too clearly in public, so as not to give others a handle.But as long as he is a smart person who is interested in this, he can naturally figure out some flavors from his words.

The business resources that Shanhaihui can bring to these partners are definitely beyond their imagination.If in the past their trade scope was only concentrated in one state and one county, then after joining the Shanhaihui, this scope is almost equivalent to Haihan's trade territory.From the Liaodong Peninsula in the north to the Straits of Malacca in the south, there will be countless business opportunities waiting for them to explore and grasp in the future.

"Although this war has caused great losses to all walks of life in Shandong, but misfortunes depend on blessings, and fortunes depend on misfortunes. The wars also brought everyone to Fushan County by chance and became trading partners with our country. Waiting for this After the turmoil subsides, everyone should be able to appreciate the benefits of this trip soon." After Chen Yixin finished speaking, he ordered someone to bring the membership contract of the Shanhaihui, and asked everyone present to sign it.

The content of this contract is actually very normal. It is nothing more than voluntarily joining the Mountain Sea Association, sharing resources in the form of mutual assistance, ensuring business integrity, etc., and there is no special mention of Haihan, which seems to be almost the same as the rules of ordinary chambers of commerce.

"For the convenience of everyone in the future, the contract we have prepared does not contain any prohibited clauses, and you can sign it with confidence." Chen Yixin explained to everyone in a leisurely manner: "This contract is only to prove that you are Shan Haihui. A member of the Chamber of Commerce can enjoy all kinds of treatment provided by the chamber of commerce, it will not cause trouble to you, and there is no content related to our country."

Chen Yixin knew that some people were worried that signing the contract and other written documents would be taken by Haihan, so he took the initiative to explain the situation of the contract to reassure these people.

Someone asked: "How can we ensure that the various transaction conditions agreed with your country can be realized?"

Chen Yixin said: "We can sign a separate contract for each transaction. If it is troublesome to sign each time, you can also sign a long-term cooperation contract with us. The content will be more detailed than the one you have seen. There is also room for discussion on the conditions. If you are interested, you can also communicate in private."

In terms of the flexible use of contracts, Haihan, who is proficient in trade, naturally far surpassed these people present.On the one hand, he used a simple and harmless contract to trap them, and on the other hand, he offered better conditions to lure them to sign a separate cooperation agreement with Haihan in private.Of course, the content of this separate agreement is definitely not that simple, and these partners will inevitably be required to make certain special commitments as constraints.

A person with a quick mind would have understood Chen Yixin's intentions immediately, and would naturally ponder whether there should be a deeper cooperation with Haihan.And those who couldn't understand what he said would not continue to ask about the details at this time.Anyway, there was nothing special about the contract in front of me, so I signed it first to reserve a position as a member of the Shanhaihui for myself.

After the contract ceremony was over, Chen Yixin hosted a banquet for everyone to celebrate.The delicacies of mountains and seas that can only be enjoyed in big cities during the Taiping period, such as chicken, duck, fish, and fine wine, are all good during the banquet, and there are even bands playing nearby to add to the fun. Compared with the refugee camps several miles away, the singing and dancing here is simply like two worlds.Everyone was a little suspicious in a trance, whether the war that happened in Shandong was real, or it was their own illusion.

Chen Yixin deliberately created such an atmosphere to let these people feel the kind of shelter Haihan can provide them in troubled times. This is also a special way to show their strength.Although doing so seems a bit extravagant, people are used to worshiping the strong. The more Haihan behaves like this, the more they will respect him, and the more they will trust Haihan's ability to fulfill the various promises he made.

At the end of the banquet, everyone bid farewell and left one after another.Chen Yixin had just sat down and had a couple of sips of tea when his subordinates reported that Zhen Lang had returned and wanted to see him.

"Smart man!" Chen Yixin exclaimed, and asked his subordinates to invite him in.

Chen Yixin could roughly guess why Zhen Lang turned back, and that's why he praised "smart man".Of course, this person didn't drop something and wanted to come back here to find it, but wanted to find an opportunity to meet Chen Yixin alone as soon as possible. trick.

"Boss Zhen, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon." Chen Yixin said jokingly when he saw Zhen Lang coming in.

Zhen Lang bowed in response: "General Chen, Mr. Zhen is bothering you! It's just that if you don't ask about some things, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight."

"Since you can't wait even one night, it must be a very important question, so ask!" Chen Yixin smiled and said, "As long as it doesn't involve confidentiality, I will try my best to answer it."

Zhen Lang thanked Chen Yixin, and then asked: "General Chen said before that the specific cooperation matters and conditions can be discussed separately, so I would like to ask boldly, if you want to ask your country to train the militia on your behalf, will you be there?" What is the scope of cooperation?"

Chen Yixin nodded and said: "Of course. Our country has many military partners in the south, not only civilians, but also officials. But for the selection of military partners, our country has a very strict review system. People can be what they want to be.”

Zhen Lang continued to ask: "Then I would like to ask the general, what kind of conditions do you need to qualify for cooperation?"

Chen Yixin was silent for a moment before responding: "Leaving aside the economic strength and local influence, at least we must first gain the trust of our country."

Zhen Lang said: "Then how can I gain the trust of your country? Do I buy this cooperation qualification with silver, or is it like the Ma family? Let me be straightforward, and General Chen, please don't blame me."

Of course, the Ma family's approach was more thorough than paying money, directly turning Chen Yixin into their own son-in-law, thus gaining Haihan's trust, which naturally has nothing to say.Zhen Lang took the Ma family as an example, not to ridicule anyone, but he really intends to imitate this kind of practice. If Chen Yixin is willing to make marriage a condition for cooperation, then the Zhen family does not have fifteen or sixteen-year-old good-looking girls.

Chen Yixin shook his head and said: "It's not as extreme as Boss Zhen thought. The main thing is to gradually deepen mutual understanding through close cooperation, so as to help establish a real mutual trust relationship. The situation of the Ma family is just a special case. Boss Zhen Don't take this as a shortcut."

Zhen Lang said: "To be honest, my Zhen family has a lot of property in Qingzhou Prefecture, but now the local order has long been lost. If there is no nursing force, I am afraid it will be difficult to make a comeback after returning. So I plan to follow the example of the Ma family and set up a militia group , I hope the general can solve the personnel training and required equipment on his behalf. As for what conditions are required, I hope the general can point out the way."

The situation like Zhen Lang is representative to a certain extent. Although he is a rich and big landlord, because he does not have force, it is difficult to protect his property and family in troubled times, so he can only flee to a different place to seek asylum.Unwilling to be resigned to the status quo, he naturally wanted to find a solution, and the militia that Haihan helped the Ma family form was obviously an excellent solution.

In Zhen Lang's view, although the Majia militia is only a local regiment, it is equipped with standard muskets, and it drills frequently, and the Haihan army acts as a military advisor. .If I can also train a private soldier in Qingzhou under a similar name, and then spend some money to donate a regiment to practice generals and other official positions, in the future I can build my own Zhuangzi into a fortress with private soldiers guarding it, so I don't have to worry anymore up.

Of course, this kind of plan must first be supported by Haihan before it can be implemented. Since Zhen Lang knew that Chen Yixin was a senior general who commanded the Haihan Army in Shandong and Liaodong, he decisively chose to omit the middle link and communicate directly with Chen Yixin. this matter.If Chen Yixin wanted money, then Zhen Lang wouldn't mind gritting his teeth and paying a large sum to win his support.

Zhen Lang didn't know that it took time to build trust, but he heard that the Qing army had withdrawn from Jinan Mansion, so he should be able to return soon.If you can't pull out a team after you go back, your own safety will still not be guaranteed.So even though Chen Yixin pointed out that it is not advisable to find shortcuts, Zhen Lang still hopes to get military assistance from Haihan in the fastest way, so as to help the Zhen family members to live a stable life after returning home.

Chen Yixin said: "Since Boss Zhen is so eager, well, then I can also do special things. But the question is, if you want to train the militia, does Boss Zhen have enough people available right now?"

Chen Yixin knew that the Zhen family came to Fushan County to take refuge in a total of a hundred or so people. Excluding the elderly, weak, women and children among them, perhaps less than half of them were truly suitable for military training.

Zhen Lang had figured out the key point a long time ago, and immediately responded: "If the general is willing to help, I have a few followers who are from the army under my command, can I let them learn and practice with the Haihan army first, and then wait for me to help." Come back to Qingzhou with me in the future, and then recruit other people to teach the skills learned in Fushan County."

Chen Yixin looked at Zhen Lang with a half-smile and said, "Boss Zhen has figured it out very clearly, but if we, the Haihan Army, train personnel on his behalf, then if we want to purchase weapons from our country in the future, we can only calculate according to the number of directly trained personnel. Amount available for purchase."

Zhen Lang asked in astonishment, "Why?"

Chen Yixin said: "During our military training, we will observe the temperament of the trainees. Those who are not suitable for this job or trustworthy, we will eliminate them as soon as possible. Only those who have passed the training are qualified to use the weapons produced in our country. I So, can Boss Zhen understand?"

(End of this chapter)