1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 868 Qu Zhifu's Will
It was not the first time for He Xiao to come to Liuheng Island to do business. In fact, since the end of the previous year, he would come here on average every three to four months to handle some secret affairs for Qu Yutong, the prefect of Ningbo.Among the staff around Qu Yutong, He Xiao is the most trusted one. After Qu Yutong became the prefect of Ningbo, the first money sent by the Sanlin Gang was collected by He Xiao. After that He was logically responsible for the daily communication and money exchange between Ningbo Mansion and Sanlin Gang.

During this process, the Sanlin Gang did not give He Xiao less money, and every time he came here, he reaped a lot of money. Therefore, He Xiao has always been willing to accept being arranged to go on a business trip to Liuheng Island. Good jobs are not available all the time.But this time when he was sent to Liuheng Island, He Xiao's mood was a little complicated, and he even resisted a little.

The news of the accident on Liuheng Island reached Ningbo Prefecture in five days. The first reaction of Qu Zhifu after hearing the news was naturally to worry about the safety of the properties he handed over to the Sanlin Gang to "operate" on the island.But soon there was further news that what happened on Liuheng Island was not the Sanlin Gang, but its rival Haisha Gang.It turned out that the Sanlin Gang, the Shipu Guard under Chang Guowei, and the Haihan people from the south were the ones who attacked him.

This situation was undoubtedly beyond Qu Yutong's expectation, because of reason and reason, the Sanlin Gang should have informed himself beforehand if they wanted to do such a thing. After all, he was the biggest backer of the Sanlin Gang in Ningbo officialdom, and The Haisha Gang that the Sanlin Gang was dealing with also had an official background. The Lin brothers handled things so silently, and it was easy for them to fall into a passive position.And the cooperation of these three parties made Qu Yutong completely unable to understand the drawings.

As far as he knows, the Sanlin Gang has nothing to do with the Haihan people in the south, and it has no contact with the Ming military. After all, the backstage of the rival Haisha Gang is from the Ming military. It is impossible for the Sanlin Gang to win over Support for this camp.It is indeed a rare thing for these three forces to unite to attack the Haisha Gang.

However, the attitude of the Sanlin Gang was much better than Ma Qianhu's attitude towards his boss, so they sent people to Ningbo Mansion to explain the general situation to Qu Yutong.Of course, in order to unify the external caliber, what happened is basically what Ma Ling wrote in the report.Different from the report submitted by Ma Ling to Chang Guowei, the report from the Sanlin Gang to Qu Yutong did not focus on how the Haisha Gang provoked these three parties so that they ended up in ruins, but that the Haihan people now plan to Go north, and plan to settle down in Zhejiang.Through unremitting efforts, the Sanlin Gang has already won the opportunity of business cooperation with the Haihan people. As for whether to seize this opportunity, it is up to Qu Yutong to make a decision.

As for the benefits of cooperating with Haihan people, Qu Yutong should know more and more in-depth than the gangsters of the Sanlin Gang, because in neighboring Fujian there is a Xu Xinsu who hugged Haihan's thigh and climbed all the way to the position of the general soldier.In recent years, Xu Xinsu has had a double harvest in the officialdom and shopping malls. The achievements he has achieved make people feel envious, but at the same time, they also make people feel afraid of Haihan's power. his stepping stone.

Everyone wants to be Xu Xinsu, but no one can guarantee whether he will become a stepping stone for others. Instead of taking this risk, it is better to follow the rules and slowly develop according to the existing officialdom rules.Therefore, no one in Zhejiang official circles has been willing to take the initiative to cooperate with Haihan. Those who have such intentions are suppressed by others as soon as they show their signs.

But today is different from the past, the Haihan people have already appeared in Ningbo, and they played a big trick as soon as they appeared on the stage. In two days and one night, they brought the Haisha gang from Liuheng Island to a hotpot, fully demonstrating their extraordinary talents force.The Sanlin Gang made it very clear in their report to Qu Yutong that the Shipu Guards and the Sanlin Gang were involved in this process, and the Haihan Militia was really responsible for the frontal combat missions, and it was basically in the form of crushing The fight was resolved quickly.Not only the Haisha Gang, but even the armed forces in the entire East China Sea, it is impossible to find an opponent to match it.

When the matter got so big, Qu Yutong must send someone to Liuheng Island to have a look, so this task was logically handed over to He Xiao.Although He Xiao likes silver, Liuheng Island is not peaceful at this time, and the people he wants to meet are Haihan people who have never dealt with before. There are too many variables in the process, and He Xiao doesn't like to deal with such situations. The situation, but the boss has already called the roll, so I have to bite the bullet and go this trip.

The last time He Xiao came to Liuheng Island was two months ago, but this time he came to Liuheng Island again, and he noticed some subtle changes in this place since he got off the boat.Although the sailors working at the pier on the island were still familiar faces, he saw many men in gray clothes and carrying a musket on the shore.Before disembarking, members of the Sanlin Gang brought a few gray-clothed men onto the ship and conducted a careful search inside and out. This kind of treatment was the first time for He Xiao in history.

"Mr. He, don't be surprised. There are still remnants of the Haisha gang on the island who are at large recently. In order to prevent people from colluding inside and outside to deal with these fugitive gangsters, that's why they are so strictly investigated." After Lin Xing, who came to pick him up at the pier, explained Only then did He Xiao's unhappiness calm down a little.

"The Haihan people took over the territory of the Haisha Gang, why did you also take over the place of your Sanlin Gang?" He Xiao asked softly.

Lin Xingying said: "It's not taking over, it's just that we don't have enough manpower, so the Haihan people assigned some people to help."

He Xiao was noncommittal after hearing this explanation, and continued to ask: "Then when will we meet the Haihan people?"

Lin Xingdao: "It's getting late today, Mr. He will stay overnight first, and tomorrow I will accompany Mr. He to the south to meet the Haihan people."

He Xiao snorted and said, "This Haihan man is so arrogant!"

Lin Xing didn't answer his words, and thought in his heart that when you go to the southern port tomorrow and see the Haihan warship docked there with your own eyes, you will naturally understand how this shelf is set up.Having said that, if the Haihan people didn't have any good stuff, how could the Sanlin Gang be so willing to join them.

Since He Xiao came to talk about business, of course he wouldn't wait until the next day to start working. During dinner, he asked Lin Xing about what happened on Liuheng Island.

Lin Xing knew that the Haihan people would have other actions in the future, and for the sake of confidentiality, there are many things that cannot be detailed, so he just went around and did not give a positive answer.After He Xiao asked twice, he became angry: "It seems that Boss Lin is planning to change his employer! Anyway, I will go back to Ningbo tomorrow and tell Mr. Qu the truth."

Lin Xingxin thought that this is not intended to be changed, it has already been changed, okay?But he couldn't say that. After all, the Haihan people specifically confessed that they would continue to maintain the official relationship with Ningbo Mansion, so He Xiao couldn't just offend him for the time being.

"Mr. He, if you just go back like this, you still can't answer Mr. Qu's question about the situation on the island! In my opinion, it's better to go and talk first, and then talk if we can't agree." What Lin Xing can do now It's just good advice.

Of course, He Xiao was just putting on a gesture. He came here specifically to inquire about news. If he didn't bring back any useful news, he really couldn't explain it to Qu Yutong.The matter of Liuheng Island is not just a private fight between civil armed forces. If it is serious, it will involve the interests of many people in the officialdom in Zhejiang. If it is not handled properly, Qu Yutong may become the target of public criticism.When the time comes, there will be no eggs under the overturned nest. He Xiao is just Qu Yutong's staff member. If Qu Yutong collapses, he will naturally lose his job.He Xiao can still distinguish the priorities of the matter, and he won't be really emotional.

He Xiao didn't get any useful information from Lin Xing, and he wasn't in the mood to enjoy the food and wine slowly, so he took his leave and went back to his room to rest.Early the next morning, Lin Xing sent someone to pick up He Xiao, and then set off on a boat from Xinshuangyu Port to the south.

It is only a three-hour flight from Xinshuangyu Port to the southern part of Liuheng Island, which is directly controlled by Haihan, and they arrived there before lunch time.After sailing into the harbor, He Xiao's face changed immediately—as long as people with normal eyesight can't turn a blind eye to the large number of Haihan warships docked on the shore, the tall hull and the intimidating side gun ports , will have a great visual impact on people who see them for the first time.

Seeing He Xiao's shocked expression, Lin Xing was also secretly amused, completely forgetting that when he went to Shipu Port to talk to the Haihan people, he had almost the same reaction as him.

He Xiao is not a down-and-out literati who only knows how to be poor. He works beside the magistrate, so he has seen a lot of the world. It is not difficult to see that the strength of this fleet is far higher than that of the civilian armed forces in the East China Sea. The Zhejiang Navy does not seem to have such a well-organized combat fleet, and it is no wonder that the report sent by the Sanlin Gang to Qu Yutong claims that the Haihan fleet is unparalleled in combat power.

The port here has been completely taken over by Haihan. As far as He Xiao could see, there were all Haihan soldiers in gray short shirts. He immediately asked Lin Xing, "Where is this person who originally lived on the territory of the Haisha Gang?" ? They were all killed by the Haihan people?"

"That's not true." Lin Xing shook his head and said, "The Haihan people don't kill indiscriminately. They are extremely concerned about manpower, so they shipped all the captives away. It is said that they were transported to the south for mining."

"Using captives to open mines?" He Xiao frowned and said, "Sure enough, he is a businessman who counts pennies and pennies!"

Lin Xingxin said that the Haihan people have to transport hundreds of thousands of war refugees back from the Jiaodong Peninsula in the north every month. .There were thousands of people living in the area controlled by the Haisha Gang before. Excluding those armed men, there were at least two or three thousand civilians. If so many people were immigrated to the southern territory of the Haihan people, at least one or two towns could be formed. up.

Besides, most of these people are family members or related personnel of the Haisha Gang. If they are allowed to stay, it will undoubtedly be a great hidden danger. Moving them away from Liuheng Island can be regarded as an extremely safe solution.However, He Xiao didn't know the secret behind this, so in the eyes of outsiders, this method of the Haihan people was just a manifestation of the habit of businessmen.But if you just treat them as businessmen, you may stumble.

He Xiao once followed Qu Yutong to inspect the local military camps. At this moment, he felt as if he was not in a trading port, but a naval military port.It wasn't until this time that He Xiao remembered that apart from being good at doing business, the Haihan people also had a famous specialty, which was military training.Not only did he train by himself, but he even helped the government to train soldiers. It is said that the elite soldiers under the command of Fujian General Xu Xinsu were trained by Haihan people.Haihan people traveled thousands of miles to Zhejiang, and they can still use force without fear. They really have the confidence to do such a thing.

Under the leadership of Lin Xing, He Xiao finally met the leader of the Haihan people.Although Lin Xing tactfully introduced this person as Boss Qian, He Xiao could still tell at a glance that this Boss Qian Tiandun was not a businessman. Fake replacement soldiers.

The two parties greeted each other, and He Xiao was still thinking about how to express his intentions in a tactful manner, so that Haihan people realized that their actions had already attracted the attention of the Ningbo government. Respect the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and are willing to help the government to calm the place so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment. Whether it is money or effort, Haihan has always cooperated actively, and it is also well received in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian. This time when I first came to Zhejiang, I had the opportunity to assist the government in suppressing bandits , is really an honor for me.”

It has not been a day or two for Qian Tiandun to deal with various officials of this era, so he naturally knows the importance of controlling the right to speak.No matter how the officials of Ningbo Mansion intend to characterize the Liuheng Island incident, Haihan will not let go of the saying that the bandits must be killed.On the one hand, this is to ensure the legitimacy of Haihan's actions, even if it is only superficial; The actions of the Haisha gang are pure black and white, and thus they have scruples about the prospect of cooperation with Haihan.

He Xiao didn't expect the Haihan officer to be so slick, and he took the lead as soon as he came up.He Xiao didn't want to lose the initiative, so he definitely couldn't follow the other party's lead, so he shook his head and said, "Boss Qian's statement has yet to be verified, and the news I heard is not so simple. This place is under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture, where bandits are suppressed." The matter should be presided over by the official, your side will send troops to attack Liuheng Island, this matter is not something Boss Qian can decide on alone."

Qian Tiandun said: "That's easy to say. I have evidence. Ma Lingma Qianhu from the Shipu Guard can prove that what I just said is true. Ma Qianhu is on the island now. Should Mr. He invite him to confront him? ?”

(End of this chapter)