Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 587

In the northeastern part of the South Island, there are more than 75 islands, such as Maud, Brother Island, Pepin Island, etc., the largest island is called Alapau Island, with an area of ​​about [-] square kilometers. The island is forested. Lush, surrounded by many reefs.

This morning, several canoes sailed out of a reef. Each canoe sat two people. They were all naked men with dark skin and a fierce appearance, with their hair hanging down behind them.

One of them rowed the boat, and the other held a sharpened earthen spear and stared at the sea surface. Suddenly, a big fish was pierced by the spear and surfaced. The two natives laughed excitedly.

This is an indigenous tribe from the northeastern archipelago, with about dozens of people. As Fan Ning said, they failed in the tribal war for the island. Thirty men brought more than a dozen women and The children fled here in a canoe. They crossed the strait two months ago. They originally landed on the South Island, but they found traces of people on the island, so they dared not go to the island and hid themselves on the largest island among the seaside islands. superior.

Just over ten days ago, they went to the North Island to investigate the situation and found the newly built city. In order to find out information, they kidnapped a Japanese laborer. However, they could not communicate with each other. Out of embarrassment, they killed the laborer. and eat him.

At this time, the aborigines are still arguing over whether to stay or not, but they don't know that a disaster of extinction has quietly come.

Several canoes were busy fishing on the calm sea, when suddenly there was a huge rumbling sound coming from a distance, which stunned the people. Suddenly, a huge ship appeared from the fjord, and several people The aborigines turned pale with fright, turned around and fled back to the island one after another.

At the same time, hundreds of soldiers of the Song Army from the southeast and southwest sides of the island were pulling their nets to kill the natives. A dozen of the natives who fled south happened to meet the soldiers of the Song Army. Desperately, the Song army has fired arrows in disorder, and hundreds of crossbow arrows shot them down mercilessly.

Immediately afterwards, the Song army found their lair and killed them with a knife. The natives were desperate and were beheaded one after another. Only seven or eight rushed into the canoe, trying to escape from the water, but dozens of Song army boats had already captured the island. The northern part was blocked, the soldiers on the big ship fired arrows, and the last eight natives also fell into the water and died.

There was only one old man left among the more than fifty natives. Although he could not understand the language, Song Jun used pictures to interrogate him. After a short time, the interrogation results came out.

Commander Wu Tie reported to Fan Ninghui: "I have reported to the envoy that the interrogation has been completed. Only this group of natives came to the South Island, and there are no other natives. They are the ones who killed the laborers."

"Where did they come from?"

"They didn't know that they had sailed at sea for more than 20 days before arriving here."

Fan Ning breathed a sigh of relief. The arrival of these natives should have been an accident. Perhaps it was because they discovered the North Island and the South Island and spread the news when they went back to pick up the people, that the natives began to go south one after another. migration.

This is of course just speculation, but in any case, the immediate alarm has been lifted, and there is no need to consider the influence of the natives for the time being.

After Fan Ning stayed in Beidao for another two days, he set off to return to Song Dynasty.

On the fourth day of October, after replenishing fresh water and coke in Luzon on the way, Fan Ning's giant ship finally returned to Quanzhou. The family was overjoyed. After nearly a year of separation, the family was finally reunited.

Fan Ning rested at home for five full days before going overseas to manage the government office.

There are two ways for officials to resign, one is handover in the capital, and the other is when new officials take office and hand over directly in the government office. Fan Ning belongs to the latter method. He is overseas, and it is not when he will come back. In late September, the appointment and dismissal order was issued, appointing deputy envoy Li Mu as the new head of the Overseas Economic Strategy Office, responsible to Zhizhengtang, and at the same time Fan Ning was removed from the post of overseas economic strategy envoy, and went to Beijing for another appointment.

He no longer has an official position in Quanzhou, and he doesn't know whether he is relaxed or lost. Fan Ning only feels empty in his heart. After four years and nine months, he finally created the prototype of the Overseas Song Dynasty, and he felt a little bit of reluctance in his heart.

Of course, his Nanyang economic strategy also has regrets. The eastern part of Java Island and the Irian Islands, more than 100 million square kilometers of land, have never been set foot by Song Dynasty, and they can only be left to future generations.

Zhu Pei sent her husband out of the house, and said with a smile: "It means, we are going back to the capital?"

Fan Ning nodded, "Send a pigeon letter first and ask my sister-in-law to clean up the house for us. When we arrive in the capital, we can move in directly."

"What about the Quanzhou house?"

"Don't sell the house in Quanzhou either. Put it aside for the time being. Later, I will go to Ganjiang Island and transit in Quanzhou. There is a place to rest."

Zhu Pei nodded. Their luggage had already been packed, and the whole family would go to Beijing together after her husband came back.

"Then come back early and have dinner together in the evening."

Fan Ning smiled and got on his horse, "Then I'm leaving!"

Zhu Pei waved goodbye to her husband and watched him heading towards the government office. She looked back at the mansion. They had lived here for nearly five years and were finally going back to the capital.

When Fan Ning came to the official office, Li Mu greeted him and bowed to salute, "Your Majesty has worked hard this year!"

"Congratulations, Brother Li, for his promotion!"

Li Mu has been promoted from the fourth rank to the fourth rank to be a public envoy and know overseas business affairs.

He was not promoted to overseas economic strategy envoy, but served as the governor of the overseas economic strategy office, which means that he is no longer directly responsible to the emperor, but to the Zhizhengtang.

This is also a compromise reached between Zhizhengtang and Empress Dowager Cao last year. After Fan Ning’s tenure ended, the Overseas Economic and Strategic Office was changed to the director of Zhizhengtang, and the overseas economic and strategic envoy also became a vain job. Lue government affairs are real duties.

Li Mu smiled wryly. The biggest reduction in the power of the governor of the Overseas Economic and Strategic Mansion is the loss of military power and the right to recommend overseas officials. Moreover, it is known that the government is very restrained and the authority is greatly reduced. Ren, with the support of the queen mother, has great authority, and his current authority is the norm.

He invited Fan Ning into the lobby, and Fan Ning said with a smile: "Let's hold a handover ceremony! I'll be relaxed."

Li Mu immediately set up the incense table, and the two held a handover ceremony, and Fan Ning completely resigned from the position of the Economic Bureau.

Fan Ning came to his official room. Three of his aides had taken up official positions. The office was still the same as when he left last year. There was a thin layer of dust on the table. Fan Ning sat in his seat for a while, I feel very emotional in my heart, nearly five years have passed, I hardly sit here much, and spend most of my time in the open sea.

At this time, an employee reported at the door, "Su Zhizhou has something urgent to see!"

It was Su Liang who came, Fan Ning nodded, "Please come in!"

Fan Ning heard from his wife Zhu Pei that Su Liang's term of office has also expired, and he will enter the court as the chief guest doctor of the Ministry of Rites. , both of them have reached the hurdle of the fifth rank.

After a while, Su Liang walked in quickly and said, "Go and have a drink, I'll tell you some important news."

"If you have to make a fool of yourself, let's go!"

Fan Ning had nothing to do in the Jinglue Mansion, so he simply went to have a drink and learn something about it.

The two came to the Xin'an Restaurant next to the Jinjiang River. Sitting on the second floor, they could clearly see the scenery on the river.

The bartender served food and drink to the two of them. Su Liang grabbed the jug, filled the glass in front of Fan Ning, and asked with concern, "What's the news about your new job?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "It will only be announced after talking with the imperial court and the emperor, and there is no news for now."

After a pause, Fan Ning asked again: "Is the Son of Heaven in power?"

Su Liang looked around and said in a low voice, "The Son of Heaven has assumed power, but the Empress Dowager has not retreated either."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I heard that the small government queen mother has delegated power, but on major matters, the queen mother still holds the final decision-making power."

"Then what is an important matter?" Fanning asked again.

"Let me tell you something! I also heard people say that Han Qi took the blame and resigned. The emperor refused to agree, thinking that Hebei's lax defense had nothing to do with Han Qi, but the queen mother approved Han Qi's resignation, so Han Qi could not stay. down."

Fan Ning understood, "You mean to say that the right to appoint and remove senior officials of the third rank is still in the hands of the Queen Mother?"

"That's what it means. There are still funds of more than one million guan that must be approved by the Queen Mother. Liu Kan, the third secretary, divided a sum of 120 million guan money into two projects of 60 guan, which were approved by the emperor. But Liu Kan Kan was soon impeached and imprisoned, and the emperor had no choice but to mobilize an army of more than [-] people. The empress dowager had to hand over the tiger talisman, and the power of personnel, finance, and military was actually in the hands of the empress dowager."

Fan Ning was speechless. If the Queen Mother continues to love power like this, big trouble will happen sooner or later.

He sighed in his heart, and asked again: "Didn't you say that you have important news to tell me?"

Su Liang nodded, "I heard it from a Japanese businessman, and I don't know if it's reliable. The envoy from the Liao Kingdom has arrived in Ping'an Jing."

(End of this chapter)