1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3842

Qin Jian knew that the "relatives in official positions" Cheng Yunya mentioned most likely included Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang. If he could use Cheng Yunya to influence this important figure, it would be a great achievement.

However, Qin Jian also understood that even if Lu Congshan developed the idea of ​​defecting to Haihan in the future, he would not be allowed to flee in advance. After all, his value lay in assisting Haihan in peacefully taking over Jiujiang as the prefect, and if he fled early, he would be useless. Lu Congshan could only choose to withdraw after the handover of regional control was completed.

Of course, if things really come to that point, Lu Congshan might still have the opportunity to continue his political career in Haihan, but whether he would be willing to withdraw at that time is another matter.

The most that Nanjing could do was to bring his family out in advance, so that even if they were ultimately forced to resolve the issue of Jiujiang's ownership through war, Lu Congshan would have fewer worries and could secretly cooperate with Haihan.

However, given Lu Congshan's status and importance, even a task like transporting his family to Haihan might not be something Qin Jian would be involved in; it would most likely be handled by the military.

Of course, besides Lu Congshan, there are also a lot of officials, big and small, in Jiujiang Prefecture and its five subordinate counties of Dehua, De'an, Ruichang, Hukou and Pengze. Among them, there must be suitable targets. If Qin Jian can persuade Cheng Yunya to act as a go-between, he should also be able to get some lucrative transfer and resettlement deals.

Cheng Yunya was a merchant from the Ming Dynasty, and there were only two conditions that could entice him: considerable economic benefits and the reliability of the matter. Qin Jian revealed Shi Chengwu as a powerful backer to make it clear to him that a high-ranking figure could provide protection.

As expected, Cheng Yunya was somewhat moved when he heard him mention Shi Chengwu: "Lord Qin, are you saying that General Shi... would be happy to facilitate this matter?"

Qin Jian nodded in agreement, saying, "It's good for Haihan that powerful and influential people from Jiangxi are willing to come and join us. General Shi will definitely be happy to see this happen."

Cheng Yunya further confirmed, "Even those who once advocated being enemies with Haihan, would be acceptable?"

Qin Jian said, "As long as there is a willingness to surrender, I can plead with General Shi on your behalf. There shouldn't be too much of a problem. Besides, how many officials have surrendered to Haihan in recent years? Manager Cheng can take a trip to Hangzhou when he has time and see how many high-ranking officials and nobles from the Ming Dynasty are there."

Qin Jian didn't actually know how Shi Chengwu would handle this kind of person, but since Shi Chengwu had authorized him to contact Cheng Yunya, he simply boldly agreed first, and would ask Shi Chengwu for instructions later if it was feasible.

As expected, Cheng Yunya seemed even more tempted after hearing this. If he could preserve his wealth and status after joining Haihan, why not?

Qin Jian pressed on, saying, "Manager Cheng, we can't wait too long to see what happens. You have to understand that serving before the war and serving after the war are two completely different things, and the treatment is also very different!"

"If you join the Han army before the war, it means you have abandoned darkness and turned to light, and you may even be treated as an honored guest. If you only think about changing your flag after the war is over, then you will just be a prisoner of war. You will be lucky if you are not exterminated and banished to the frontier."

Cheng Yunya nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Qin Jian's statement. Changing sides before a war allows for some negotiation on conditions, but after the war, all you can do is offer your head in exchange.

Cheng Yunya asked cautiously, "Lord Qin, could you tell me how much longer you have to consider this?"

Qin Jian understood perfectly well what the other party wanted to know, and glared at him, scolding, "It concerns military intelligence; how can you disclose it so casually!"

Cheng Yunya was startled by Qin Jian's sudden increase in volume and quickly apologized, "I misspoke, please forgive me, Lord Qin!" Qin Jian truly didn't know when Hai Han would make a move against Jiujiang. However, since Shi Chengwu had already decided to take action, it shouldn't be too long. His reprimand of Cheng Yunya was, in fact, a way of indirectly putting pressure on him, forcing him to speed up his actions.

Qin Jian said, "I understand Manager Cheng's feelings, but relations between the two countries are currently tense. We should be careful about what we ask and what we shouldn't ask. We've known each other for a long time, so it's fine, but we're afraid that we might encounter someone with ulterior motives who might mistake you for a Ming spy, which would be troublesome."

Cheng Yunya nodded repeatedly and said, "Lord Qin is right to teach me a lesson. I will remember it."

Qin Jian's apparent "goodwill" was actually driven by ulterior motives. He didn't want Cheng Yunya to be looking for someone else to cooperate with while still employed.

To put it bluntly, Qin Jian isn't the only one in Nanjing capable of handling these matters. Cheng Yunya might seek cooperation with him, but he could also turn to others. However, since Qin Jian has taken a liking to Cheng Yunya first, he naturally wants to do everything in his power to prevent someone else from reaping the benefits.

However, Cheng Yunya also needed time to contact Jiujiang and consult with more people, so he couldn't give Qin Jian any promises at the moment. The two could only reach an agreement on their cooperation intentions for the time being.

The following day, Qin Jian pulled Qu Deren aside and took the initiative to meet with Shi Chengwu to report the latest progress.

Shi Chengwu also praised Qin Jian's efforts and asked him to continue to maintain contact with Cheng Yunya, the second manager of Lufaxing.

However, Shi Chengwu also reminded Qin Jian that he did not need to spend too much energy on Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang.

Although Qin Jian was puzzled, he still agreed.

Seeing the doubt on his face, Shi Chengwu explained, "I have already made other arrangements for the prefect of Jiujiang. If you send Cheng Yunya to persuade him again, I am worried that the two lines will interfere with each other and backfire."

It took a great deal of effort and many twists and turns to win over Yue Shizong in Hangzhou and get him to contribute to Shi Chengwu's plan. Now that the resources invested have been substantial, Shi Chengwu will definitely prioritize ensuring the progress of Yue Shizong's line.

As for Qin Jian's connections, Shi Chengwu preferred to treat them as a backup plan and intelligence gathering channel rather than pinning his hopes of turning the prefect of Jiujiang on the second manager of Lufaxing.

Moreover, Qin Jian was not a member of the military, and although Shi Chengwu appreciated him, he could not reveal too much inside information to him.

Although Shi Chengwu mobilized various resources, Jiujiang and Nanjing are hundreds of miles apart, and the speed of information transmission is ultimately limited by the region. Shi Chengwu still had to patiently wait for a response from Jiujiang.

It wasn't until late February, after several rounds of correspondence between Lu Congshan and Yue Shizong, that some substantial progress was finally made.

Under Yue Shizong's "enthusiastic invitation," Lu Congshan finally relented and agreed to arrange a meeting at a convenient time and place. Of course, the person he was meeting was not Haihan, but Yue Shizong.

Yue Shizong declined Lu Congshan's invitation to visit Jiujiang, citing his duty. At Shi Chengwu's suggestion, Yue Shizong proposed arranging the meeting in Tongling, between Jiujiang and Nanjing.