Chapter 291 Visitors from Fujian
How to avoid quarrels and adopt a more peaceful way to gradually control Yazhou, and even the wider area under the Ming Dynasty in the future, has always been an important issue in the governance process of the Executive Committee. As an executive committee, we will definitely hope to have a stable surrounding environment during the development period. In order to expand the control area, it is a very unworthy way of expansion to quarrel with the local officials of the Ming Dynasty, because it is very difficult to expand the control area. It may have a huge impact on the product sales market and population sources of the Cross-Travel Group. It is obviously an approach that does more harm than good. Moreover, in areas occupied purely by force, there will be many security risks in the rule for a period of time in the future.
So in order to achieve the actual control effect, but also to retain the normal existence of local governments and other institutions as much as possible to maintain the "normal" relationship between the Cross-Travel Group and the Ming Dynasty, the safest way is to gradually use various means to gradually remove the local government The organization is empty. Yazhou, where the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and the foundation of governance is not particularly solid, is undoubtedly an excellent experimental field, which can be used to verify whether the measures taken by the executive committee are feasible. Initially, the Executive Committee targeted the Yazhou Prefectural Government Office, but later found that it seemed easier to target the military, which had closer contacts, and the results would be faster.
The establishment of Yazhou Water Village is only 500 people, and its scale is not even comparable to the planned goals in the "1628 Navy Construction Plan" of the Military and Police Department - in other words, the naval establishment established by the Military and Police Department is enough to destroy the shell of Yazhou Water Village. Replace it completely. If the Military and Police Department can take over the Yazhou Water Village, then in the future, all personnel can be replaced when necessary. The subordinate navy can completely use the name of the Yazhou Water Village to carry out various activities in the South China Sea, whether it is daily activities in Victory Port It is bound to be much more convenient to carry out nearby defense patrols or external armed intervention operations with this shell as a cover.
However, there are still many details that may cause problems in specific operations, such as the preparation issue that Luo Shengdong is particularly concerned about. It is not uncommon for civilian armed forces to serve the government in the Ming Dynasty. For example, the Miao people currently living in Hainan Island are descendants of the Miao soldiers recruited from the mainland to quell the Li rebellion in the early years. And now Li Dong has accepted the canonization of the Ming Dynasty. The capital of Dong like Fu Nuo will have hereditary military attachés, and in the event of war, troops will be sent to follow the requirements of the Ming army. The civilian armed nature of the Haihan Militia will not be an obstacle to this backdoor plan, but it must be recognized and authorized by the Ministry of War.
But from the perspective of the Executive Committee and the Military and Police Department, they are not willing to accept this form of canonization. Even if it is a temporary expedient, it will easily be regarded by public opinion as recruiting peace. If you want to fall out with the Ming in the future, wouldn't you become a real rebel? This negative image will have a huge negative effect on winning people's hearts in the future, and no one is willing to serve in their own navy with official titles such as "Baizong" or "Qianzong" - this will happen a few years later It will definitely become a black history, and maybe even future generations will be affected by it.
Therefore, the final strategy decided by the Military and Police Department was to take the middle road as much as possible, blurring the nature of this behavior, neither accepting canonization, nor breaking up with others, just doing it without talking about it and making a fortune silently. Of course, this middle path still requires the full cooperation of the Ming Dynasty officers headed by Luo Shengdong, otherwise it will be difficult to complete the "legal procedures" and become an officially recognized auxiliary army.
Seeing that Luo Shengdong's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, Yan Chujie changed the topic and said, "Mr. Luo Qian, don't be depressed. This arrangement is actually the best choice for you and us. It doesn't matter if you can't figure it out now. , go back and think about it carefully. If you feel that there are problems with the cooperation between us, you can terminate it at any time.”
Hearing Yan Chujie say "terminate", Luo Shengdong came back from his gloomy uneasiness and quickly responded: "Mr. Yan, there is no need to worry. I will return to Yazhou tomorrow to convince He Shen to send a letter to recruit the Haihan militia. It will take a few days to complete the procedure.”
"This is the best." Yan Chujie nodded and said: "Last month you applied for a five-acre piece of land in the port area, and the executive committee has approved it. You can go back to Ren Liang to go through the procedures. In addition, if you want to use If you come to open a store to do business, you must first report to him.”
"Yes, yes, thank you, everyone." Luo Shengdong responded repeatedly. Luo Shengdong had already submitted the application for land in the Shengli Port Business Zone to the Haihan Executive Committee for a month. However, during this period, the Haihan militia had been fighting outside, so Luo Shengdong naturally did not dare to rush the matter. Yan Chujie's choice to release the news at this time obviously had a certain purpose - if Luo Shengdong's attitude was not so cooperative, the land matter would naturally be postponed indefinitely.
"Mr. Yan, then our Inspection Department..." Wei Ping quickly took the time to find out what Yan Chujie was saying. It seems that the situation in Shuizhai will not change for the better, and Luo Shengdong has no other choice but to accept the arrangement. As for terminating the cooperation, everyone knows that this choice is not actually in Luo Shengdong's hands. However, the Haihan people have now decided to attack the water village. While Wei Ping was saddened by the death of the rabbit and the fox, he was also a little worried about his own situation.
Compared to Yazhou Water Village, the Inspection Department's weight is much different. Luo Shengdong is now a sixth-grade Qianzong, while Wei Ping is only a low-level ninth-grade Sesame Officer. The number of their subordinates is dozens of times different. It can be said that they are not at the same level of strength. Wei Ping knew that the reason why he could still sit here instead of working as a coolie in a labor camp was purely because the Haihan people still needed the Inspection Department to maintain their external image and show that this place was still under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. If you want to continue to live a good life, it is best to follow the wishes of the Haihan people - if Yan Chujie wants to use the reputation of the Inspection Department, Wei Ping will definitely agree immediately without hesitation.
"Inspection Department... Let's maintain the status quo for the time being!" Yan Chujie responded without paying much attention.
Wei Ping was slightly relieved, but at the same time he also felt a little bit disappointed. It is obvious that there is a huge gap in the importance that the Haihan people attach to the two. The Inspection Department's weight is so small that the Military and Police Department has no intention of taking over.
"By the way, if you have candidates who are good at detectives and interrogations, you can recommend them to us." Yan Chujie seemed to have remembered something, and added casually: "We need people in this field now. Once hired, they will be treated favorably! ”
Wei Ping thought to himself that this was a good plan. The Haihan people had no intention of taking over the Inspection Department. They originally wanted to poach the people from the Inspection Department to work for them.
The Haihan people are preparing for their own independent public security management agency, and Wei Ping has heard about it. In Wei Ping's view, this is a move by the Haihan people to straighten out the security team, which has never had a clear position. These security guards in black clothes and black trousers have great authority in Victory Port, so much so that even Wei Ping is envious.
In addition to arresting thieves and maintaining public order, the Haihan Security Team is also responsible for inspecting foreign ships at ports and terminals, and managing labor camps. Among the local people, except for the Haihan militia in military uniforms, all other areas are within the jurisdiction of the security forces. To be honest, the functions of the Inspection Department have actually been eclipsed by the security team from the beginning. This is one of the reasons why Wei Ping can accept the reality calmly.
It is true that some of the personnel of the Military and Police Department had police experience before time travel, but the professional experience of later generations is not completely useful in the current objective environment. Although the practitioners of this era are relatively backward in terms of equipment and technology, they are not without merit. When it comes to their grasp of the people's psychology and their familiarity with the surrounding environment, these people who have worn uniforms in another time and space are really capable. Not necessarily as good as the local aboriginal head catchers.
In addition, there are some dirty and tiring tasks that are not easily known to the outside world and need someone to do them. For example, if you use torture to extract confessions, it will be easier to get twice the result with half the effort if you find someone who knows how to use torture techniques. This is one of the skills that the time-traveling police officers lack. Directly poaching people from Yamen's Yamen is undoubtedly one of the fastest ways. The Crossing Group may lack other resources, but the most indispensable thing is money. As long as the treatment is announced, there will definitely be people who cannot refuse this temptation.
Just as Wei Ping was thinking about which of the old detectives he knew would be more suitable, Yan Chujie's orderly came in and leaned over to report a few words in a low voice. Yan Chujie nodded, stood up and said: "I have other things to rush to deal with now. Please help yourself! If there is anything you still don't understand, you are welcome to come to me for consultation at any time."
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After Yan Chujie left the Military and Police Department, he went straight to the office area of the Executive Committee. Just now he hurriedly ended the conversation with Luo Wei and others because Tao Donglai asked someone to inform him to attend a meeting with the Executive Committee immediately. For the two military leaders Tao Donglai and Yan Chujie to pay so much attention to him, the weight of the newcomer is naturally not light. After Yan Chujie entered the conference room, he saw Tao Donglai and Ning Qi there, as well as a middle-aged man dressed in Mingren. His skin was dark and dry, and he looked like someone who had been active at sea for a long time.
"Let me introduce, this Mr. Dong is from Fujian. Mr. Dong, this is Mr. Yan Chujie, who is in charge of the military here." Ning Qi gave a brief introduction to both parties.
The middle-aged man stood up and clasped his fists and said, "Dong Yanyun, I have met Mr. Yan!"
"You're welcome!" Yan Chujie returned the gesture with fists clasped.
"Mr. Dong came from Fujian this time and said he had some business that he wanted to discuss with us." Tao Donglai asked Dong Yanyun to take a seat again while explaining the situation to Yan Chujie.
In fact, Dong Yanyun is not just a simple businessman. He is one of the important staff around Xu Xinsu, a large shipping businessman in Fujian, and controls some of Xu Xinsu's freight routes to Southeast Asia. This time I made a special trip to Port Victory, and the business I wanted to talk about was of course not just ordinary commodity trading.
Before this meeting, the two parties had already had several contacts in Guangzhou in advance. Dong Yanyun went to the Guangdong Office twice to meet with Schneider and others to discuss the contents of the transaction. However, in the previous talks, both sides had reservations. Of course, Dong Yanyun wanted to know as much as possible about the real strength of Haihan's side, but Schneider's side did not intend to fully explain to the other side, and only briefly talked about it. As for business cooperation matters, as for military and political cooperation, no one at the Guangdong Office, including He Xi, could make the decision without permission, so in the end Dong Yanyun had to go to Victory Port in person to meet with Tao Donglai and other practical Meetings with those in power.
Before Dong Yanyun set off from Guangzhou, the relevant meeting materials had been sent to the desk of the Executive Committee via telegram, so Tao Donglai also took up the task himself. It can be said that the Cross-Crossing Group pays as much attention to the war situation along the Fujian coast and the Taiwan Strait as it does to the Annan Civil War. However, due to its limited maritime strength, the Cross-Crossing Group does not have enough ability to directly intervene in this battle for interests. In the middle, we can only affect the trend of the war in Fujian through a more roundabout way.
As early as half a year ago, Chuanchuan Group sold a small amount of arms to Fujian through the channel "Furuifeng" and sold them to the Xu Xinsu Group to help it resist the "Eighteen Zhi" offensive. In the following six months, weapons, ammunition and materials worth more than 100,000 yuan in circulation coupons were sold to him multiple times. It can be said that without the arms assistance provided by the Crossing Group, Xu Xinsu would probably only have half a life left even if he was not dead. But now he is still alive and well, based in Zhangzhou, occupying Yuegang, the largest foreign trade port on the coast of Fujian. , and the maritime gateway Zhongzuosuo located east of Moon Harbor.
The arms trade of the Chuanchuan Group not only brought huge economic gains, but also had some more intuitive benefits. For example, last year, it exchanged artillery and other arms for a batch of sea-going ships from Fujian. In addition, the procurement costs of some products originating in Fujian have been reduced a lot due to the underground cooperative relationship between the two parties. It can be said that the cooperation between the two parties has been smooth so far, and there has been no unpleasantness in any form.
"Mr. Dong, can you first introduce the current situation along the coast of Fujian?" Yan Chujie was naturally most concerned about the changes in the military situation. He immediately asked the question after sitting down. In order not to waste time in going around in circles, he also specifically added: "What I said The situation refers to the current battle between Xu Daguanren and the 'Eighteen Zhi'."
"Although Zheng Zhilong was powerful at the time, most of his subordinates were pirates and were unruly and unruly. It was not that easy to go on land to fight against the government troops. In the past few months, they have been fighting intermittently, and they have not been called 'ten' What advantage did Bazhi take? On the contrary, they were killed a lot by firearms during the attack on Zhongzuo. My master had already planned to fight to the death on the sea, but the warships were built too slowly, so for the time being. You can't compete with thieves at sea," Dong Yanyun introduced succinctly.
The three people present heard this with disapproval. "Eighteen Zhi" was a pirate, how could Xu Xinsu be any better? Li Dan, the great sea merchant who controlled the sea routes in East Asia, was also a pirate, and Xu Xinsu, who inherited a considerable part of his property, naturally had a poor foundation. Of course, Xu Xinsu had successfully cleared her name by relying on political donations, and now she became a general under Fujian Commander-in-Chief Yu Zigao. Xu Xinsu's pirate leaders such as Yang Lu and Yang Ce also transformed into officers of the Ming Dynasty Navy.
The combat effectiveness of such a miscellaneous army can naturally be imagined. In the original historical trajectory, Xu Xinsu was killed by Zheng Zhilong on Xiamen Island this year. Dong Yanyun was focused on whitewashing his master, but little did he know that the knowledge of the people in front of him about the war situation in Fujian far exceeded his imagination. To put it bluntly, what Yan Chujie wants to know is not the performance of both parties, but just wants to make sure that the Xu Xinsu Group will not show a trend of failure in a short period of time - before the navy across the group rises and can independently deal with the "Eighteen Zhi", There is still a great need for Xu Xinsu to continue to exist as the target and opponent of the "Eighteen Zhi" on the southeast coast.
The difference between the war on the Fujian coast and the Annan Civil War is that the Executive Committee is now more inclined to help North Vietnam eliminate the South Vietnamese regime within a few years in exchange for the rights to establish bases in South Vietnam-controlled areas, and the war on the Fujian coast no matter which company Winning the battle will have no practical benefit to the Crossing Group, because the ultimate goal of the Crossing Group is to control the waterway in the Taiwan Strait, and neither party will obviously be willing to give up this core interest. Therefore, what the Executive Committee wants to achieve is to maintain the strategic balance between the two parties and prevent the Xu Xinsu Group from collapsing in a short period of time, but it also cannot allow it to have too obvious advantages - this can be achieved through the export of weapons and ammunition. To regulate.
Of course, as one of the belligerents, Xu Xinsu would not be kind to the "Eighteen Zhi". When he realized that weapons from a remote location on Qiongzhou Island could help him defeat his opponents and win, he could not help but have further thoughts. ——As long as more Haihan weapons are equipped, it is not impossible to completely wipe out the "Eighteen Zhi".
But wanting to increase arms imports is not something Xu Xinsu can decide unilaterally. The only agent of Haihan Weapons in mainland China is "Fu Ruifeng", and the weapons sold to "Fu Ruifeng" are also subject to strict control, and even the sales targets are stipulated. In other words, even if Xu Xinsu came to the door with money, she would not be able to buy more weapons and ammunition from "Fu Ruifeng". For this reason, Xu Xinsu specially sent Dong Yanyun to Guangdong to find the source of goods. After spending a lot of time, Dong Yanyun finally got on the line of the Guangdong Office, and then secretly came to Shengli Port.
"I'm bringing 300,000 taels of silver with me this time. I hope you can relax the restrictions and sell more muskets and cannons. As for the specific price, we can discuss it." Dong Yanyun didn't go around too much, and just made the choice in a few words. Understand the purpose of your visit - I am rich and willful. You are responsible for setting the price, and I am responsible for buying and buying.
Dong Yanyun's main task is simple, that is to purchase as many Haihan weapons as possible. As for the price, this is not an issue that he needs to worry about. The big boss has already said that the Haihan people will sell whatever they want, and the more various weapons, the better.
(End of chapter)