1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 561 Buffering
At this time, Yan Mingjun also realized that he had made a major mistake in his judgment of the situation in Danzhou.The Haihan people's influence in Danzhou far exceeded his previous expectations.

Yan Mingjun originally thought that in Danzhou, a place where culture and education flourished, literati would be more virtuous, and Haihan's influence in the local area should mainly come from coercion by force, but this method is not so good for scholars. easy to use.Yan Mingjun believed that as long as he came to Danzhou and raised his arms in the cultural circle in the name of a local official, there must be a large number of scholars who were loyal to the imperial court. The strength of the Haihan people's local control, but at least they can turn the wind of public opinion to the side that is beneficial to Ming Dynasty.In time, by using the power of public opinion to force the Haihan people to make concessions, it can be expected that Daming will regain control of the military and political affairs here through the local government.

However, the local situation is obviously not as optimistic as Yan Mingjun expected. Haihan controls more than just city defense in Danzhou. It can be said that the entire social operation mode here has been deeply imprinted with Haihan.The business and cultural circles here have long been eroded to an extreme degree by Haihan, and even the famous academies in Danzhou have not been spared, and these situations are obviously not controlled by the Guangdong government far away in the mainland.

Judging from what he experienced in the short day of coming to Danzhou, Yan Mingjun believes that Daming's influence here, at least on the surface, has already lost to Haihan.The people present here are all local upper-middle-class people, and these people are obviously more willing to stand on the side of Haihan than to be on the same side as himself, the court official.

Of course, Yan Mingjun can also understand the difficulties faced by the directors of the academy from the oblique speeches just now. If they don’t stand in the same camp as the Haihan people, then they will obviously be at a huge disadvantage in the competition with their peers. After having Haihan's sponsorship, people can recruit more disciples and organize various activities to expand their influence. Academies who are unwilling to accept these conditions will obviously be excluded from the mainstream cultural circle.

In the final analysis, profit is still at work, and human nature is such that Yan Mingjun has nothing to say.The Haihan people are not just a group of businessmen who are very good at making money. Their control over the current situation has obviously far exceeded the scope of what a businessman should be.The current situation in Danzhou, as Zhang Xin said earlier, is not suitable for immediate handover to the local government.

Although Yan Mingjun was extremely disappointed in his heart, he also knew that if he did not make amends immediately, he was afraid that he would have to consider resigning as a state official before he officially took office.

"Since people from all walks of life in the local area think so, it should be that this official is too worried." Yan Mingjun has already lost face once, and he doesn't care if he slaps him twice: "It seems that the Haihan Management Committee has indeed taken care of the local government. The affairs are managed in an orderly manner, and this official will report this credit to the governor in an official document. Director Zhang and everyone present will definitely be rewarded by the court in the future."

Yan Mingjun's attitude changed so quickly, even Zhang Xin didn't expect it, he could only secretly give Yan a thumbs up in his heart.Originally, Zhang Xin did prepare various plans for possible conflicts. If Yan Mingjun wanted to tear his face and make trouble, the militia that Zhang Xin arranged downstairs would go upstairs to arrest people immediately after receiving the signal, and then Zhang Xin would show some Some "evidence" proved that the new magistrate actually had collusion with the pirate gang, and he was sent to the black soil port by boat at dawn to work as a miner.

Of course, this is only a means of handling under extreme circumstances. The opinion of the Executive Committee is to continue to maintain the existence of Daming government agencies in the near future, and try not to intensify the conflict between the local management committee and Daming officials. It is better to use soft means to deal with it. Even the diehards who don't want to get involved will at most use house arrest and other means before determining its harmfulness.

Of course, Zhang Xin didn't want to make trouble for himself. If the new Ming officials were arrested, it wouldn't be the end of the matter if they were sent away. He had to write a written report to the base camp to explain the cause and effect, and he had to deal with the matter himself.Therefore, seeing that Yan Mingjun began to admit his weakness, Zhang Xin still gave him a step down in a timely manner: "Mr. Yan is new here, and he doesn't know the local situation. It is inevitable that there are some mistakes and omissions. It is not necessary for Mr. Yan to take over the local government affairs. Too impatient, just follow our arrangement step by step."

"Then Director Zhang will be here!" Yan Mingjun replied with a smile, as if there was no verbal dispute with Zhang Xin at all just now.

The next banquet was full of hello, me, everyone, and the only person who seemed depressed was probably Li Jin.However, after he finished two bottles of "Sanya Special Brew", he seemed to have temporarily forgotten the previous unhappiness.

After the banquet, Zhang Xin did not arrange other entertainment programs, but still sent carriages to take Yan Mingjun and Li Jin back to their respective residences.Yan Mingjun didn't rush back to his room to rest, but went to the study, took out the bank notes he got from Maiko and Li Nai a few days ago, and put them on the desk.

The combined face value of the two bank notes already exceeded one thousand taels. For Yan Mingjun, if he only relied on his official salary income, he would have to save for several years to reach this amount.Even if it was somewhat lucrative to be a colleague in Luoding Prefecture before, it was difficult to have such a large amount of concentrated income.Moreover, Zhang Xin also told him at the wine table just now that as long as he is an official in Danzhou for one day, he can get a one-day allowance from the Haihan Management Committee. A lot of money.And all bank notes issued by Haihan Bank can be cashed at the nearest bank branch in Danzhou City.

Yan Mingjun was having a hard time deciding whether he wanted a term of office that would be stable and secure, or whether he wanted a term with uncertain prospects and a high probability of failure.He had originally planned to come to Danzhou to show off his personal talents in governance, but after coming here, he found that his hands were tied and there was no room for him to show it.Taking a step back, after seeing the methods and capabilities of the Haihan people, he really dare not boast that he can do better than the Haihan people.At least immediately after the chaos, the local people were organized to renovate the docks and official roads. This kind of ability is not possessed by ordinary rulers.

However, if according to Zhang Xin's intention, he made a clay bodhisattva pretending to be deaf and dumb in Danzhou, Yan Mingjun would really be a little dissatisfied, not to mention that it really does not fit his status as an official of the Ming Dynasty.If nothing is done, isn't it just handing over Danzhou to the Haihan people, and gradually turning this place into the territory of the Haihan people?
Yan Mingjun thought over and over again, and the drunkenness gradually came to his head, and he fell asleep in the study.It wasn't until his family called him outside the room the next morning that he woke up from his lethargy.After Yan Mingjun collected the banknotes and left the study, he realized that a government servant had come here to report.

Yan Mingjun didn't even bother to eat breakfast, so he rushed to the front yard immediately, and saw several yamen servants hanging a plaque with the words "Danzhou Department" on the gate.Yan Mingjun saw that there were still traces of smoke and fire on the corner of the plaque, and he estimated that this thing was probably the plaque of the state government that escaped the robbery when the pirates attacked the city before.However, this plaque is seven feet wide and nearly three feet high, and it is a bit exaggerated to hang at the gate of this courtyard. The lower edge has already partially covered the two opposite gates.

Yan Mingjun frowned and said, "It's not the right size, it's unseemly!"

The few yamen servants stopped when they heard the words, bowed to Yan Mingjun and said, "If Mr. Yan thinks it is not satisfactory, do you need to make another plaque?"

Yan Mingjun just wanted to say yes, but then he thought about it, the Danzhou state treasury has been emptied long ago, more than half of the current operating expenses are maintained by the Haihan people, if we want to make a plaque, if the Haihan people are not willing to pay the wrong money, then Don't you have to pay for it yourself?The government plaque is painted black with gold, although the workmanship is not that expensive, but two or thirty taels of silver always have to be spent, so why should I be taken advantage of?

Of course, the most important thing is that if you say you want to change your name, the wind will reach the ears of the Haihan people, and the plaque may not be made for a year or so.One more thing is worse than one less thing, all the equipment is installed, and it can be used first.Even if there is a little sense of disobedience, it's not like staring outside anyway, as long as it doesn't hinder entry and exit.

"There's no need to change it. Since the plaque is intact, let's use it first!" Yan Mingjun ordered calmly.Several yamen servants responded and continued the installation work at hand.

Yan Mingjun saw that these yamen servants were all dressed in authentic Ming people, and their accents were obviously different from those of Haihan people. They should be local people, so he asked immediately: "How many of you were working in the yamen before this?" of?"

The leader replied: "Master Hui Yan, the villain He Qi, and these brothers used to be the servants of the state government."

Lord Yan Ming said: "How many of you are the only servants in the Yamen of Danzhou?"

Then He Qi replied: "When the pirates attacked the city last year, the Zhizhou lord and the general lord decided to stick to the state government, but they were bombarded by the pirates with artillery, causing heavy casualties. After the Haihan people came, they have been recruiting laborers. Many brothers In order to earn a living, I quit my job and went to help the Haihan people."

Yan Mingjun nodded slightly. He has many years of experience in local politics, so he can understand what He Qi said.

In the Ming Dynasty, prefectural and county yamen were generally equipped with three classes of yamen servants, namely, the soap class was on duty, the fast class was arresting officers, and the strong class was doing hard work.Of course, the so-called three classes of yamen servants are actually just a general term. In fact, there are many positions in the yamen that are outside this division of labor, such as minzhuang, archers, grain messengers, menzi, gangsters, guards, cooks, bearers, and grooms. wait.Although Danzhou is sparsely populated and does not have a large population, the state government has a staff of 300 to [-] people.

The wages of these people are relatively low, and the official remuneration is generally only a few taels of silver a year, and the technical positions will be slightly higher, and they mainly rely on various gray incomes to maintain their lives.But after the government agencies in Danzhou were destroyed by pirates, these yamen servants were immediately unemployed. Without the authority of the government as a backing, these people were not much different from ordinary idlers.Once the income is cut off, there is no such thing as loyalty to the court. Whoever can give food is the father. When Haihan recruited workers, these government servants also knew that Haihan’s rule was to control food, housing and wages, so they all flocked signed up.

Of course, there are not many people who are actually assigned to do manual work on the construction site. These people have been screened out when they sign up, and most of them will still be assigned to more suitable places and positions according to their own specialties.For example, some of the yamen servants engaged in arrests were selected to receive police trainee training from the Ministry of Justice, and then transferred from the Daming arrests to the Haihan Police Department.Especially for technical positions, whether it is archers, clerks, or grooms, almost all of them accept corresponding positions. Even the servants responsible for collecting grain and taxes have also been absorbed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture. Their work experience will be these An important reference for the department to promote the new land system and grain planting technology in Qiongbei.

The few guards who were "returned" did not have any personal skills. The only thing they were good at was standing in the courtroom and shouting mighty, and hitting the prisoner's buttocks with sticks.This kind of skill is not very useful for the Haihan Justice Department. Considering that the new magistrate must have a team to be decent, so Zhang Xin pulled these people out of the wharf construction site and sent them He arranged to come back to be a government servant.

Yan Mingjun sighed: "You guys are loyal, and you were not taken away by the Haihan people."

Several yamen servants didn't answer after hearing this. If the Haihan people hadn't arranged for them to come back to be yamen servants, they would actually still work on the construction site.Haihan pays them three taels of silver a month for these hard workers, and two meals are included during the working period. There is also a labor point promotion system that can increase income.Although it is much harder than being a black-faced god with a water and fire stick in the past, the income level is indeed much higher.

Of course, when the Haihan people arranged for them to come back as yamen servants, they also specially explained that they can get the same salary as working on the construction site when they come back to the yamen servants, but the only condition is to report to the relevant departments in time. Abnormal movements—for example, did some adult who was not so law-abiding say something against Hai Han?

These people have all seen how the pirate army captured Danzhou City with sharp artillery fire, and also saw how the mighty pirate army did not dare to take resistance measures when the Haihan militia attacked, and they abandoned the city and fled early.They have a personal experience of how powerful Hai Han's power is, and their understanding is much deeper than that of Yan Mingjun, an outsider.For the work arranged by the Haihan people, they have no intention of resisting at all.

(End of this chapter)