1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3844

Tongling, also known as the Copper Capital, gets its name from its copper production. This area has a history of copper mining and smelting dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, making it one of the birthplaces of bronze culture. Even today, Tongling remains an important copper-producing region.

It was precisely for this reason that, although Haihan did not demand that the Ming Dynasty cede Chizhou in the previous ceasefire agreement, it unceremoniously incorporated Tongling County, which was under the jurisdiction of Chizhou, into its own territory. Naturally, the copper mines on this land also came under Haihan's control.

Although the Ming Dynasty was unwilling to give up the copper mines here to Haihan, it was ultimately no match for Haihan's military might, so it could only swallow its anger and acquiesce.

However, although the copper mines in Tongling are important to both countries, they have no direct connection to this meeting.

The reason for meeting Lu Congshan here, besides its geographical location being midway between Nanjing and Jiujiang, was that Yue Shizong, citing "duty that prevents him from returning to his homeland without authorization," could only choose a place where the spheres of influence of the two countries intersected, which made the meeting seem quite reasonable.

"Has Lord Yue visited Tongling before?"

Upon hearing Shi Chengwu's question, Yue Shizong nodded slightly and said, "A few years ago, I traveled by boat from Nanchang to Yingtian Prefecture and briefly stayed in Tongling County for half a day along the way."

Shi Chengwu laughed and said, "I've been to Tongling more often than you. Since our country took over Yingtian Prefecture, I've come to Tongling every year."

During the Ming Dynasty, Chizhou Prefecture belonged to the Southern Zhili region and was also under the jurisdiction of Nanjing. Today, Tongling County has also been incorporated into the jurisdiction of Nanjing, so it is indeed a continuation of the same lineage.

The reason Shi Chengwu visits Tongling every year is certainly not for sightseeing. The copper mines in Tongguanshan, Shizishan, Datuanshan, Dongguashan, and Fenghuangshan in Tongling County are what Shi Chengwu is concerned about.

Before occupying Tongling County, Haihan's main source of copper was the Fushan Copper Mine in Dengzhou, Shandong. However, it is said that the copper reserves in Tongling County far exceed those of the Fushan Copper Mine, and its mining value is naturally greater.

Haihan possessed far more advanced mining and smelting technologies than the Ming Dynasty, and applying these technologies to the copper mines in Tongling County would increase production capacity several times over. For Tao Hongfang and Shi Chengwu, who were based in Nanjing, this was a veritable treasure trove that could generate a continuous stream of wealth.

Yue Shizong had only stayed in Tongling briefly once. Although he knew that the place produced copper, he didn't have a deep understanding of the local situation. However, having heard that Shi Chengwu came to the place every year, he could sense the importance that Haihan attached to Tongling.

The ship Yue Shizong transferred to in Nanjing was a private official vessel used by Tao Hongfang and Shi Chengwu, and its comfort level was indeed far superior to the previous fast ship. Although the ship also had a steam power system, the journey from Nanjing to Tongling took a relatively long time, so there was no need to rush.

Shi Chengwu's visit to Tongling County was also under the guise of an inspection tour, and the local government was not informed of the planned talks in advance. Therefore, the locals only knew that Shi Chengwu was coming to inspect, but they did not know that Yue Shizong, an official of the Ming Dynasty, was accompanying him, nor did they know that Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang, would also secretly come to Tongling.

Yue Shizong also agreed with Shi Chengwu's low-key approach. This meeting with Lu Congshan was already very sensitive, and if the news got out, it would only complicate matters that they were going to discuss.

The two then discussed how to coordinate their actions when they met Lu Congshan. Shi Chengwu decided that he would not appear in person first, but that Yue Shizong would receive Lu Congshan alone to test his attitude. This way, Shi Chengwu could more effectively propose conditions to win him over.

That night, Lu Congshan arrived in Tongling County aboard a merchant ship operated by Lu Faxing. A carriage arranged by Shi Chengwu was already waiting at the dock to greet him and take him directly to a private residence in the south of the city.

Yue Shizong was already waiting at the gate. When he saw Lu Congshan get out of the carriage, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and greeted him, "Brother Lu, it's been a long time!" Lu Congshan returned the greeting in perfect unison, "Brother Yue, the last time we met was many years ago in the capital!"

Neither of them referred to each other by their official titles, in order to avoid being overheard and having their identities discovered.

Yue Shizong then invited Lu Congshan into the house and had hot tea and snacks served.

After dismissing the servants, Yue Shizong got to the point: "Brother Lu is busy with official duties, yet he still made a special trip to Tongling to meet me. I am extremely grateful. However, the matter is urgent and it is inconvenient to explain in detail in a letter. I can only trouble Brother Lu to make the trip."

Lu Congshan said, "We haven't seen each other for many years, yet you insisted on inviting me to Tongling. It must be something very important. If I don't come, I might miss the opportunity."

Yue Shizong simply nodded in agreement with his statement, but did not rush to continue the conversation.

Lu Congshan continued, "Brother Yue has been appointed as the ambassador to the Han Kingdom in Hangzhou. I dare to guess that what Brother Yue wants to discuss with me in detail must be closely related to the relations between the two countries."

Yue Shizong then asked, "May I be so bold as to ask, Brother Lu, what is your view on the current relationship between our two countries?"

Lu Congshan said, "To be honest, I think it is already quite difficult for the two countries to coexist peacefully. As officials, we should do our best to maintain this situation."

Yue Shizong said, "But everyone in the world knows that Haihan intends to replace the Ming Dynasty. The ceasefire is just a break before the next war. What do you think of this trend, Brother Lu?"

Lu Congshan sighed and said, "Given the current situation, even if we wanted to, we couldn't stop Haihan from doing what he was going to do. Let's just see how we can minimize the losses when the war breaks out again!"

Yue Shizong continued, "If one day Haihan were to launch an attack on Jiujiang Prefecture, would Brother Lu choose to surrender the city or fight to the death?"

Lu Congshan said, "Surrendering the city can save the people of Jiujiang from the suffering of war. Fighting to the death can probably only preserve my reputation. But if tens of thousands of people die in the war, what use is my reputation?"

By making his point clear, Lu Congshan's attitude was quite evident: if the two countries were to go to war again, and the battlefield were Jiujiang Prefecture, which was under his jurisdiction, he would prefer to surrender without a fight.

The fact that he could say these words so readily suggests that this wasn't the first time he'd thought about this matter, and that he wasn't worried about the potential consequences of telling Yue Shizong about it.

Yue Shizong nodded and said, "Since Brother Lu has such an idea, I am willing to introduce you to a benefactor who can not only protect Jiujiang Prefecture during wartime, but also preserve Brother Lu's wealth and honor."

Lu Congshan said frankly, "I had already anticipated that Brother Yue would not be waiting for me here alone, so please quickly invite our distinguished guest out to meet us!"