1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2428
Although Haihan is trying to continue Daming's rule at this stage, the reason for doing so is mainly due to his own development needs. If Daming falls too fast like in history, then Haihan may not have time to fully accept this inheritance , it is almost inevitable that there will be chaos in the world.The war that will be triggered by this may last for several years in some areas, and Haihan, who is dragged into the quagmire of war, will be greatly slowed down. These are all foreseeable situations, and the travelers from the future Naturally, we must try to avoid it.

If in the long run, Haihan's development trend is of course to replace Daming, and then become a new generation of East Asian hegemony, but whether he inherits a nearly complete country or is a raging ruin, then it depends on Haihan's own choice .With Haihan's current military strength, it is not difficult to defeat Ming in the coastal areas, and even occupy a few coastal provinces. But the problem is that this will break the balance between the two countries, and Haihan will lose the most. The origin and sales market of resources, and provide opportunities for the Qing army in the north to take advantage of it. This is not a situation that the Executive Committee is happy to see.

Shi Diwen also agrees with the long-term strategy of developing first and then taking action, but he is not willing to just be a warlord who divides one side overseas. For him, although the day of conquering the mainland is still far away, the preparations for the war start when he is stationed in Zhoushan That day has already begun.

The Zhoushan area has a unique geographical advantage. Shi Diwen can obtain a large amount of funds needed to develop military power through international trade, and various resources including manpower are also available.Although it is inconvenient to start a war with Ming Dynasty at the moment, the expansion of the garrison establishment, the construction of new warships, and even various means of preparing for war, including espionage, have been going on silently.

Some of these were reported by Shi Diwen on his own initiative, and the executive committee also grasped the progress, and some of them were carried out secretly by Shi Diwen on his own.For example, the preparations for war that Shi Diwen mentioned just now have never been mentioned in detail in official documents.

But out of trust in Shi Diwen, Tao Donglai didn't immediately ask him what other preparation measures he had taken.Since Shi Diwen is focusing on the overall situation, he believes that the other party should be very clear about what can and cannot be done.However, the construction of a warrior-class sailing ship in Zhoushan involved a lot of affairs, and Tao Donglai couldn't agree to him right now.

"The shipbuilding matter will be negotiated with various departments after I finish my work and return to Sanya." Seeing that Shi Diwen's residence was approaching, Tao Donglai dealt with his request first.

Shi Diwen also knew that there was no rush for this matter, he had been waiting for several years, and he didn't care about waiting three or five months longer.Since Tao Donglai agreed to help find various departments to coordinate, it means that there should be room for manipulation in this matter.Anyway, Tao Donglai will stay in Zhoushan for a few days, and then he can find a suitable time to discuss the details. If there are any expenses in the middle, Shi Diwen can make arrangements early.

Considering the confidentiality requirements of Tao Donglai's itinerary, Shi Diwen did not arrange for local civil and military officials to be there to welcome him. Look deserted.

Of course, Shi Diwen still has to explain the whole story to Tao Donglai, lest he be overwhelmed.However, Tao Donglai is very satisfied with this relatively simple family atmosphere. Speaking of his previous visit to Zhangzhou, he had to deal with various banquets of the Xu family every day. When it came to drinking, everyone drank so much that he almost had a gastroenteritis attack. It was really not a good experience.

"The next time someone from the Xu family comes to Zhoushan, I'll avenge Mr. Tao!" Shi Diwen was amused, but immediately stood by Tao Donglai.The Xu family also has a lot of business contacts in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas. Dinghai Port and Ningbo Prefecture both have their own offices. When the high-level members of the Xu family come here, they will naturally take the initiative to visit Shi Diwen. opportunity to go.

Tao Donglai smiled and waved his hands and said: "That's not necessary. The Xu family sends many people to Sanya for training every year, and there are plenty of opportunities to deal with them. When you deal with them, just keep abreast of their movements."

Shi Diwen understood that the real target that Tao Donglai asked him to pay attention to should be the military movements of the Xu family, so he nodded immediately to express his understanding, and did not discuss it in detail.

After the banquet, Shi Diwen retired his family and subordinates, and invited Tao Dong to drink tea in the study.Although he grew up in the West before crossing over, after staying in Zhoushan for so many years, his living habits are gradually moving closer to the Han civilization of this era. The study room is actually a traditional Chinese style, with tables, chairs, screens, and bookshelves. It is all made of rosewood, with simple shape and exquisite workmanship.A faint fragrance could be smelled in the air, which should be left over from the burning of natural agarwood.

Tao Donglai is a person who knows the goods, went into the study and looked around, and said: "You are Su Zuo's furniture! Good stuff!"

Shi Diwen replied: "Actually, I don't know much about these things. Zhifu Qu came to me before and said that the study was a bit lacking in style, so he asked someone to send over these furniture for decoration. I also followed his suggestion and put the All the furnishings inside and outside the study have been changed. I also think this style is very good, and staying in the study can calm my mind."

The furniture making style in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty is collectively referred to as Su Zuo, which emphasizes simple and smooth lines.Similar furniture styles named after regions include Jingzuo, Guangzuo, etc. For example, Sanya, where the executive committee is located, is deeply influenced by the style of Guangzuo, and it pays more attention to the decorative sense of shape.

Shi Diwen took a can of tea from the bookshelf, and made a cup of hot tea for Tao Donglai himself: "I didn't like drinking tea before, and I thought it was not as comfortable as wine, but in the past two or three years, it may be the same as Tao Donglai. I spent a lot of time dealing with the local three religions and nine streams, and I gradually got used to drinking tea. Now I don’t drink two cups of tea a day, and I always feel that something is missing. This tea was sent by Wang Tongpan from Hangzhou Prefecture, saying it is fresh Ming The former Longjing was delivered from Hangzhou overnight by fast boat a few days ago, and Tao Zongpin will see how it is.”

Tao Dong saw that the tea leaves in this cup were short and tender, and the buds were like lotus cores. After brewing in hot water, the aroma overflowed, and it should be a good thing before you drink it.Of course, Sanya also has high-grade tea like this, but because of the long distance, the tea delivered to Sanya is at least a month later than the production time, and the climate and environment in the south and Jiangsu and Zhejiang are different, and the natural freshness will also be different. The quality is indeed not comparable to the place of origin.

Tao Donglai took two sips, and then praised the tea for its soft and sweet taste, it was indeed a good tea.Even if Shi Diwendang said that before Tao Donglai set off, he would divide half of the tea leaves he received and bring him with him, and prepare more after Tao Donglai returned from his business in the north.After all, there are more than 400 miles of waterway between Hangzhou and Zhoushan. If you want to buy fresh tea for Tao Donglai now, it will be delayed for at least a week, which may affect his subsequent itinerary.

Tao Donglai didn't refuse, and immediately thanked Shi Diwen for his arrangement.Hundreds of people give him gifts every year, and there are many people who come to the door with gold and silver treasures. A little tea from his own people does not make him feel burdened.When he was a guest in Zhangzhou before, the various local products that Xu Xinsu gave him probably weighed one or two thousand catties, but most of them stayed in the Zhangzhou office and let the local arrange to send them back to Sanya.

"Mr. Tao, you sent a telegram to say that you want to meet with the top local officials. Those officials in Hangzhou are just ignorant, and they will fall in whichever way the wind blows. I have thought twice, and the words here are reliable. Senior officer, I'm afraid the only one is the prefect of Qu. If you want to see the military attache of the Ming army nearby, the commanders of the nearby guards can make an appointment to meet up, just arrange one day in advance."

After drinking a few sips of tea, Shi Diwen took the initiative to mention Tao Donglai's business in Zhoushan.It is rare for Tao Donglai to have the opportunity to come here. If the normal inspection schedule is followed, he will naturally have a meeting with Ming officials in the nearby area. However, this trip requires confidentiality, so it is too inconvenient to be too ostentatious, so we can only arrange for Tao Donglai to meet with him. relatively reliable objects.This allowed Shi Diwen to choose. Looking at the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, it is natural that the prefect of Quyu Tongqu, who is married to him, is the most trustworthy.

But Shi Diwen didn't really know what Tao Donglai's purpose was for meeting local officials, so he had to consult Tao Donglai again before arranging the meeting.Anyway, he has basically dealt with the officials of several state capitals adjacent to Zhoushan, especially the military officers who have benefited a lot from the commanders of the guards and Qianhu. People are not difficult.

Tao Donglai thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "You are more aware of the situation in Zhejiang, so I will trouble you to arrange a meeting with the prefect Qu. As for the other officials, don't be in a hurry, and I will do it when I return." Intend."

Shi Diwen then asked: "Then on the return journey, do you want to arrange a meeting with the rich and famous people in the local area? The Anhui salt merchants supported by us in Yangzhou are very keen to establish a good relationship with our country. They donated a lot of money to us, and if they hear that Mr. Tao has arrived in Zhoushan, they will definitely not miss the opportunity."

Tao Donglai said, "Speaking of salt merchants in Yangzhou, what's the current situation there?"

Shi Diwen said: "Currently, the Anhui salt merchants are determined to join us in order to protect themselves. The Shanxi salt merchants on the other side now know that they can't offend us, so they are much more restrained than before. We are currently selling to the Yangtze River. The salt in the northern region is sold through the channels of Huizhou salt merchants, and although they have to share part of the profits with them, the operating efficiency is indeed much higher than if we do it ourselves."

"However, Shanxi salt merchants have great influence in Yangzhou and even the Jianghuai area, so it is difficult to completely uproot them in the short term. After discussing with Huizhou salt merchants, I came to the conclusion that they may We have to coexist for a long time. But with our support, the Anhui salt merchants will gain more and more strength in the future. In the long run, the Shanxi salt merchants will definitely be squeezed out of this market.”

"In addition to training armed personnel for Hui nationality salt merchants and teaching them to organize militias, I am also trying to persuade them to select young children with excellent conditions from their families to study in Sanya, or to invest in plantations in Taiwan Island or even the South China Sea. .As long as it is an operation that can strengthen ties with our country, these salt merchants should be very interested."

"Then what are your long-term plans for these salt merchants?" Tao Donglai continued to ask.

Shi Diwen said: "These salt merchants are rich and powerful. Out of their own interests, they dare not rely on the protection provided by Daming. For now, the help we can provide is far from enough. It is more than the government they trusted in the past, so they are happy to temporarily attach to Haihan and gain economic benefits by cooperating with us in the salt industry. From the perspective of salt production costs, our supply price is lower, completely replacing their past The source of goods is only a matter of time. At that time, they will become more dependent on our country, and we can let them do more things for our country, such as dealing with the government in the Jianghuai area, and let these people go to work , it will be much more convenient than our own appearance.”

"I think as long as we operate patiently, it will not be difficult to cultivate a group of vested interests who are loyal to our country, so that their personal interests and family interests are firmly bound to our country. In the future, if we want to control the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River region, these people should also be of great help.”

Tao Donglai said: "We can provide them with some military support, but remember, we don't need to cultivate too many Xu Xinsu-style characters, do you understand what I mean?"

Shi Diwen nodded slightly and said: "Tao is always worried that they will be too big and out of control in the future."

Tao Donglai said: "These people already have money and power. Once they have armed forces in their hands, they find that many things can be done without our help, and they may not be so obedient."

"I see." Shi Diwen understood the meaning of Tao Donglai's words as soon as he heard it.

Tao Donglai worried that after Huizhou salt merchants gained power, there would not be many conditions to restrain them in the future.And once the Huizhou salt merchants completely eliminated their competitors, there would be no need to turn to Haihan for help.Even if cooperation with Haihan can bring them considerable economic benefits, this is not a necessary condition for them to obey Haihan's arrangement honestly.

This is actually the same as the current international situation. If Haihan helps Daming get rid of the main enemy, then Daming no longer needs Haihan's help, and I am afraid that all the old accounts between the two countries will be settled soon.Tao Donglai reminded Shi Diwen that he was worried that he would be too radical, so he helped Huizhou salt merchants fight against competitors.Although doing so can remove Haihan's obstacles in the field of salt trade, it may not necessarily be a good thing in the long run.

(End of this chapter)