1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3841

The matter that Qin Jian inquired about from Cheng Yunya was not exactly a secret. The Lufaxing was not the only channel for communication between the two countries. Haihan also had many other means of collecting information about the views of the Ming Dynasty officials on the relationship between the two countries.

However, how Cheng Yunya responds will reveal whether he is concealing the true situation in Jiujiang. In addition, Qin Jian also wants to take this opportunity to find out which figures in Jiujiang's officialdom have a more flexible stance.

Cheng Yunya, under the influence of alcohol, didn't suspect anything and began to recount what he knew.

Although Jiujiang and Nanjing are separated by 800 li of waterway, given the current situation and strength of the two countries, the route between them is actually quite smooth. After exhausting the military strength of the surrounding prefectures in the Battle of Yingtianfu a few years ago, the Ming Dynasty has no decent defensive deployments in this area.

If Haihan were to launch an attack on Jiujiang from Nanjing upstream, the several prefectures along the Yangtze River, including Taiping, Chizhou, Hezhou, Luzhou, and Anqing, would likely only be able to watch from the sidelines, utterly powerless to stop Haihan's advance along the Yangtze.

These prefectures, lacking the support and protection of the imperial court, have been almost completely infiltrated by Haihan. The people there are already restless, and when the next round of war between the two countries breaks out, many places will surely surrender without a fight and directly switch allegiance to Haihan.

From this perspective, Jiujiang, as the gateway to Jiangxi, was the Ming Dynasty's bridgehead in the Yangtze River basin during this period. This is also the main reason why Shi Chengwu bypassed the intermediate prefectures and directly targeted Jiujiang.

According to Cheng Yunya, local officials in Jiujiang were also aware of their situation. One of the consensuses in the local officialdom was that the peace between the Ming Dynasty and the Han Dynasty was temporary, and if war broke out again, Jiujiang would likely become the primary target of the Han Dynasty.

However, where there is consensus, there will naturally be disagreements. The main point of contention among local officials regarding relations between the two countries is when war will break out again. In other words, how much time is left for Jiujiang?

Some believe it will take two or three years, but optimists think the current peaceful state may last for a long time, because Haihan has clearly shifted its focus overseas in the past two years and seems less interested in seizing Ming territory.

Qin Jian couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. It seemed that the officials in Jiujiang were paying attention to the domestic political climate in Haihan, and were even able to deduce such an interesting conclusion.

However, this is not surprising. Since merchants like Lufaxing could freely enter and exit Nanjing and other places under Haihan's jurisdiction, they could certainly collect Haihan's military and political intelligence through publicly distributed newspapers and other channels.

After listening patiently to him finish speaking, Qin Jian said meaningfully, "It seems that the important figures in Jiujiang are quite aware of potential dangers even in times of peace. I just wonder if they have any thoughts on seeking advantage and avoiding harm?"

Cheng Yunya said, "Of course we have ideas. Who would want to be caught up in the war? The safest way is to find a way to transfer us away from Jiujiang and to a rear area further away from Haihan."

Qin Jian nodded silently upon hearing this, which was consistent with his judgment. Although the Ming Dynasty had lost large areas to the Han Dynasty over the years, it still had a vast territory that could continue to serve as a buffer zone, allowing the Zhu Dynasty to prolong its existence.

Therefore, in the eyes of the officials who were still serving the Ming Dynasty, although the Ming Dynasty was in decline and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before it was swallowed up by the Han Dynasty, it was too big to die anytime soon, so they should continue to serve as officials.

Since Jiujiang has become a dangerous place at the forefront of the storm, transferring away from Jiujiang is the simplest way to avoid danger. However, Cheng Yunya then explained that this method is not something that everyone can use. Without certain connections in the Ministry of Personnel, transferring to another position is not so easy. Most people can only wait until their term is completed before making any plans.

Moreover, although Jiujiang faced the risk of being affected by the war, its status as a regional shipping center remained unaffected; on the contrary, it became even more important. After the Ming Dynasty lost Nanjing, Jiujiang became the shipping hub of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which brought numerous opportunities for wealth to Jiujiang's officials.

Let alone a big shot like Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang, even the low-ranking officials under him who managed the port and had similar responsibilities to Qin Jian could easily make a fortune by using the resources at their disposal.

Therefore, local officials are on the one hand, tense because of any slight movement between the two countries, and on the other hand, they are taking advantage of this environment to make a fortune from cross-border trade.

This period of uncertainty, where war is imminent but not yet fought, is the most valuable time for the civil and military officials of Jiujiang. Many plan to use this period to accumulate wealth for their retirement. Of course, some officials with greater power and ability have already secured enough wealth for generations to come.

As for their future plans, most officials believed that money was the key to a safe haven. Whether they retreated to the rear of the Ming Dynasty or simply fled to Haihan, having money would solve many unforeseen problems.

Upon hearing this, Qin Jian felt that the time was perfect and immediately shook his head, saying, "Manager Cheng, if all the officials in Jiujiang think this way, they will suffer a great loss!"

Cheng Yunya asked in surprise, "What makes you say that, Lord Qin?"

Qin Jian explained, "When war really comes, the wealthy will only become easy targets for others. Without connections and prior arrangements, how easy is it to escape from Jiujiang to Nanjing? They might even be intercepted by mutinous soldiers on the way. This kind of situation happened quite often when Yingtian Prefecture was in turmoil before."

After Qin Jian finished speaking, he gave Cheng Yunya several examples of how powerful and influential people in Yingtian Prefecture died in the chaos of war without any clear reason.

The examples he cited were all real people with names and identities, not just made up on the spot. He described them vividly, which surprised Cheng Yunya.

Cheng Yunya looked terrified and said, "It's fortunate that Lord Qin reminded us, otherwise, if we had only hastily evacuated when the war started, something terrible might have really happened!"

Qin Jian comforted him, "If Manager Cheng were to reside in Nanjing long-term, he would have no such worries. At most, he could bring his family over as soon as possible. There are thousands of elite Haihan soldiers stationed inside and outside Nanjing, and a large number of reinforcements from the Jiangzhe region can be quickly sent to reinforce the city via the Yangtze River at any time. Even if the Ming Dynasty were to gather troops from Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi to attack, they would not be able to defeat them. You can rest assured and stay here."

Cheng Yunya said, "I have already purchased a farm at the foot of Qixia Mountain, so settling down is easy. However, I have some relatives who are officials in Jiujiang. They are not as free as I am, and they can leave whenever they want."

Upon hearing that the matter had finally been brought up, Qin Jian immediately took over the conversation, saying, "If Manager Cheng needs anything, I can certainly lend a hand. At least my words can carry some weight with General Shi, the local garrison commander."