1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 290 The cruel reality

Since Wei Ping got rid of the knot in his heart, his way of looking at things is also very different from before.This matter had to be left a few months ago, and he might really feel aggrieved for Luo Shengdong, but now his thinking is a little different.

No matter how much Luo Shengdong complained, he would not be troubled by money in the end, and ninety percent of the time he would continue to cooperate with the Haihan people to make money.Moreover, the Haihan people have spent so much effort and money to promote Luo Shengdong's father-in-law to take over the position of prefect of Yazhou, which has already shown that they will not take measures to occupy Yazhou by force—at least not in a short period of time.The interests of Luo Shengdong's family and the Haihan people are getting more and more entangled, and the Haihan people don't need to worry about him or his father-in-law's unwillingness to cooperate.

As for the news released at the end of the sacrificial ceremony just now, Wei Ping believes that this is actually more of an act of publicly declaring control.In fact, everyone has long been aware that in the waters near Shengli Port, including the coastal area of ​​Yazhou, who is in charge now.No matter in terms of ships or troops, the Yazhou navy is far inferior to the Haihan militia.Among the various actions of Haihan in recent months, the warships of the Yazhou Navy are more often used to cooperate with the orders of the Haihan Executive Committee, serving as means of transportation or props to scare outsiders. To put it more seriously Well, the Haihan people didn't even treat the Yazhou navy as a possible threat at all.

In the past, although the cooperation between Haihan and the Yazhou navy had been semi-public, they had never publicly declared control over this sea area, and the two sides maintained a tacit understanding in private and did not take the initiative to mention this matter.But this time the Haihan militia came back victorious, it seems that the situation has begun to change quietly, and the Yazhou navy began to feel the pressure of survival for the first time.However, in Wei Ping's view, this matter may not be that simple. The Haihan Executive Committee should not simply and rudely exclude the navy, and there may be other turning points.

"If inspector Wei is fine, would you like to go down to the military and police department with me?" Luo Shengdong probably thought up his words, and was about to go to the military and police department to find out what happened.

Wei Ping clasped his fists and said, "Since it's Mr. Luo Qian's business, I have a duty to do it! Go together, go together!"

Wei Ping was also very curious about what the Haihan people were planning this time.Speaking of which, he and Luo Shengdong are both grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If Luo Shengdong, who is more valuable to the Haihan people, is put into another book, then Wei Ping's life will not be good in the future. Where to go.

The two have stayed in Victory Port for a long time, and now they even have the right to enter and leave Base [-]-of course, it is definitely not allowed to carry followers and weapons.But compared to most of the local people, this is considered an extremely noble treatment.

Although the Haihan Military and Police Department has great power, its office space is relatively small. It is a building with a first floor and a ground floor built of prefabricated houses. There are only eight offices and a small meeting room in total, which are divided into the staff office and the political office. , logistics department, training department, equipment department, security department and other departments, it is hard for those who don't know to imagine that all the military plans of the crossing group are formulated and implemented in such a small prefabricated building.There is also a blue brick building behind the Military and Police Department, which looks similar to the currency exchange center in Port Victory. It is also thick and simple, but there are no windows at all on the wall, and the door and the roof are guarded 24 hours a day. This place is convenient. It is an arsenal under the Ministry of Military and Police, and it stores all black technology weapons and equipment brought from another time and space.

After the two arrived at the military and police department, they didn't go in immediately, because the military and police department was also overcrowded at this time - the military merit review work was in progress, and the officers of each company and the personnel who reported their personal military achievements were all gathered here to wait for the review .The entire small building was crowded with members of the Haihan militia, and "outsiders" like Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping could only wait outside.

In this overseas military operation, the militiamen, civilian husbands, craftsmen, etc., participated in a total of more than [-] people. Among them, there were more than ten squads and platoon-level teams who reported collective military merits, and even more, as many as [-], reported individual military merits. Among them, the war dead have already completed the review and award process before this.In the merit list, the Heitu Port Special Warfare Company, which performed the most missions and completed the missions in the best condition, was the leader. Among the military merits reported, the Special Warfare Company accounted for nearly half.However, since the Special Warfare Company was still stationed at the front line of Zhengjiang in Annan to deal with post-war affairs, it did not have time to send someone back to go through the formalities of running the department. Even the written materials of the meritorious service were brought back by Yan Chujie.

The two stood on the outside for a while, hesitating whether to come back another day, when they heard someone greet behind them: "What are you two doing?"

Luo Shengdong turned his head and saw that the person who spoke to him was Yan Chujie, who seemed to have just come back from the outside, and immediately responded: "Mr. Yan, I have something unclear with Inspector Wei, and I want to ask you in person."

Yan Chujie nodded and said, "Is it what I announced just now? I didn't expect you to come so soon... Okay, come upstairs with me!"

With Yan Chujie's appointment, the two of them naturally didn't need to line up outside, and followed Yan Chujie to the second floor.As the head of the Military and Police Department, Yan Chujie was fortunate to have a separate office.But if Tao Donglai also works in the Military and Police Department, they will have to share this office—the space is really limited, and there is no way to spare another room for Tao Donglai to use alone.

It was not the first time for both of them to come to Yan Chujie's office. Apart from the novelty of the electric lights and wired telephone installed in the room, the most special thing was the conspicuous world map on the wall behind Yan Chujie's desk. But I haven't had a chance to take a closer look.

"Sit down, both of you." Yan Chujie let the two into the room, and then asked the orderly to pour water and make tea.

"The establishment of the Maritime Security Force is a decision made by the Executive Committee after careful consideration. Our purpose of setting up this force is not to target anyone, and we do not intend to break the balance between Shengli Port and the local government of Daming. , the appearance of this army is to maintain peace, not to fight." Yan Chujie paused, and then asked: "Can you understand me when I say this?"

Luo Shengdong's mind was spinning rapidly while listening, and he responded: "What Mr. Yan said about 'not breaking the balance' refers to the balance with the Yazhou garrison including my Yazhou Shuizhai? "

"I know what you are worried about. The Yazhou water village will definitely continue to exist. There is no doubt about it." Yan Chujie first gave Luo Shengdong a reassurance, and then changed the subject: "But the establishment of the Yazhou water village, we have no doubts about it." I think it’s time for a change.”

Luo Shengdong's face changed slightly and he said, "I don't know what kind of reform Mr. Yan plans to do?"

"You don't need to be nervous. No matter what the reform is, you should be President Qian or President Qian, and you will still be promoted when it's time to be promoted." Yan Chujie's face showed an imperceptible sarcasm: "The change we are talking about must be based on not The premise of harming the interests of our partners... If there is any damage, we will definitely try to make up for it."

Luo Shengdong laughed dryly and said, "Is this someone who is greedy for official positions? I'm just worried that the people of Yazhou will be affected by this, so I have to ask Mr. Yan for the details first."

Wei Ping next to him coughed dryly and said, "President Luo Qian means that most of the brothers in Shuizhai have settled down in Yazhou. If Shuizhai is affected, it will definitely affect the local people."

Yan Chujie was not in the mood to listen to the two guys' flattery, nodded and said: "Then I will tell you the general arrangement first, so that you can have time to prepare."

Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping looked at each other, put away the smiles on their faces, sat upright and listened to Yan Chujie's continuation.

"After our long-term contact and understanding, we now have a better grasp of the situation of the Yazhou water village. The ships are in disrepair, the personnel are lack of training, and the weapons are outdated and outdated. It is indeed a bit difficult for you as a local maritime security force. But if I am afraid that the ships of our Haihan militia will not be able to convince the public. After careful consideration, the executive committee decided to choose a more compromise method."

While sizing up the expressions of the two, Yan Chujie said slowly: "Our military and police department will organize a team to assist the water village to guard the sea. The ships, personnel, weapons, and various consumption and expenses of this team will be paid by We are responsible for it. However, when going out to sea for cruises and law enforcement operations, we will use the name of the Yazhou Water Village depending on the specific circumstances."

"Then who will command this team?" Luo Shengdong regretted the words as soon as he uttered the words. The ship, people, and money were all paid by Haihan. Isn't it a waste of time to ask who to command?
Sure enough, Yan Chujie responded: "Under normal circumstances, the actions of this troop will be directed by the Haihan Military and Police Department. Let me emphasize again that we are only assisting the militia in the water village, not the Daming Navy in the true sense. Mr. Luo Qian, do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, I understand!" Luo Shengdong hurriedly responded, but couldn't help but slander in his heart—isn't this just an attempt to use the name of my Daming Marine to illegally smuggle Haihan?

It is conceivable that after the emergence of this naval division affiliated to the Haihan Military and Police Department, the maritime defense between Yazhou and Shengli Port, which was originally in charge of the Yazhou Water Village, will definitely be taken over unconditionally by newcomers. Then the official name came out and the Yazhou water village, which was fake and powerful, will be completely reduced to the transportation brigade of the Haihan people from now on—it depends on whether the Haihan people will give them work. If there is no work to do, brother We have no choice but to go back to the time when we ate military rations and lived a hard life.

Although he could predict what would happen in the future, Luo Shengdong still refused to give up hope, and asked hesitantly, "Mr. Yan, what should I do in Yazhou Water Village from now on?"

Yan Chujie smiled and said, "Don't worry, we won't unload mills and kill donkeys... No, we won't do things like tearing down rivers and bridges. The private salt business in Qiongzhou Island is still left to you, Mr. Luo Qian. What happened to you before, in the future It's still the same, although it may not make you rich and powerful, but it is definitely no problem to be a rich man in Yazhou. Besides, the official career is long, and you are young and strong, Qian Zong is not your end, even if you You don’t have a single soldier under your command, as long as you have our support, you will be able to continue to advance slowly with your accumulated military achievements!”

Luo Shengdong's eyelids twitched when he heard this. Yan Chujie's words undoubtedly showed his trump card - the purpose of the Haihan people to set up this navy is to completely empty the Yazhou water village.What made Luo Shengdong even more uneasy was that this evasion was not to eliminate the Yazhou water village, but to keep the establishment of the water village and continue to accumulate military exploits for himself.As for what further plans the Haihan people will have after pushing themselves to a higher defensive and general position in the future, it is not difficult to speculate from their current actions.

If it was placed a few months ago, Luo Shengdong might still have the courage to reject the other party's unilateral decision, but after some recent events, Luo Shengdong is a little hesitant.In terms of martial arts, Luo Shengdong didn't have the capital to fight Hai Han at all. The military parade some time ago and this overseas victory made Luo Shengdong fully aware of the strength gap between the two sides.As for the thesis, Haihan has now controlled the officialdom in Yazhou. If he really rejects the words of Haihan people, it is hard to say which side his old man who is waiting to take over the position of Zhizhou will stand on, let alone those who have been promoting himself. The coworkers who are jealous of getting rich—for example, the inspector Wei next to him is still the ninth-rank official who has never been touched.

Luo Shengdong can imagine that if he rejects Yan Chujie's arrangement, he will be skinned even if he does not die. The Haihan people will soon find another Li Shengdong and Zhang Shengdong to take his place. It will soon disappear in the Yazhou official circles, become people's gossip for a period of time, and then slowly be forgotten-this is probably the best ending.

And if you obey the wishes of the Haihan people, then you can drink wine and eat meat as much as you want in the future, and you should earn a lot of money. Every year or a half, you will have the opportunity to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds under the arrangement of the Haihan people.It seems that any garrison, general, or commander will become a desirable and achievable target.

Comparing the hatchback, which one is better or worse can be distinguished at a glance.Luo Shengdong gritted his teeth and asked, "Mr. Yan, I'm sorry to ask you, what is the size of your maritime security force?"

Yan Chujie only responded vaguely: "There will be five to seven warships launched this year, and all the personnel on board will be included in the establishment of the Maritime Security Force."

"Is it the same regulations as the 'Explorer'?" Luo Shengdong asked.

"It's not the same. A bigger boat will be launched soon. That's right, this is one of the reasons why we need to borrow the name of the Yazhou water village." Yan Chujie answered this question without any concealment.Anyway, after two or three months at the latest, Luo Shengdong will also find that the new warships produced by the shipyard far exceed the standards for civilian ships stipulated by the imperial court, and such ships that exceed the specified standards are obviously easy to attract the attention of the outside world .

It was only then that Luo Shengdong suddenly realized that protecting the safety of the waterway and assisting the law enforcement in the water village were all excuses by the Haihan people.The new warships of the Haihan people have exceeded the standard of the imperial court's civilian ships, and this is probably one of the fundamental reasons why they chose to rely on the shell of the Yazhou Water Village!

Luo Shengdong, as a naval officer, of course realized that the size of the "Explorer" had already exceeded the standard, but with so many benefits from the Haihan people, he just turned a blind eye and turned a blind eye.But the Haihan people who don't know what is good or bad are still building bigger ships, which is not something that can be fooled.According to the regulations of Ming Dynasty, only the warships of the military can exceed the construction standard of [-] materials. After the Haihan people built the big ships, they did not want to fight against Da Ming, but also wanted to legalize them. The only way was to let these big ships enter Military establishment.As long as these ships become naval warships, they will naturally be able to show their faces in public and swagger through the market openly.

The people of Haihan are very good at planning!Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping had the same thought in their hearts at this moment.According to this method of operation, it may only be a matter of time and procedures for the Haihan militia to overthrow the guard establishment in Yazhou.Perhaps three to five years later, all the military forces deployed by Daming in Yazhou will fall silently under the control of the Haihan people.The influence of the Ming Dynasty Ministry of War, at most, stays at the level of the garrison commander, the polished commander.

As for how big the Haihan people's navy will be in the end, since Yan Chujie was vague, Luo Shengdong can roughly estimate that this number may not be so easy to accept.As far as Luo Shengdong knows, there are about 80 people on board the "Explorer" including the crew and combat personnel. The larger warship must have more than a hundred people. Based on the five to seven ships mentioned by Yan Chujie, the number must be the same. It has already exceeded the current strength of Yazhou Water Village.As for the level of the warships, it goes without saying that the firepower of the "Explorer" is stronger than all the warships in the Yazhou water village combined, so there is no need for comparison.

Luo Shengdong took a deep breath, and asked with the last glimmer of hope: "At that time, the officers commanding the warships on your side will be awarded positions according to the establishment of our navy?"

"You mean to be the same as you, with military ranks like Mr. Bai, Mr. Ba, and Mr. Qian?" Yan Chujie's expression was half a smile: "No, we don't need to adopt this method. Mr. Luo Qian, let me make it clear, we I have no intention of applying to the Ming court for the treatment of recruiting security."

Luo Shengdong swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty, and the last soap bubble of hope was shattered.If the Haihan officers are willing to accept the establishment of the Ming military, then there is indeed a slight possibility of recruiting security, but Yan Chujie's answer undoubtedly clearly denies this possibility - we are simply using the cover, not to replace Served as a soldier in the Ming Dynasty.

Clearly, without concealment, the ambitions of the Haihan people are displayed without any concealment.But the sad thing is that Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping, who have already learned the truth, have neither the courage nor the ability to fight against the ambitions of the Haihan people.If they do not choose to obey, they will lose everything they have.

(End of this chapter)