Chapter 347 Enrique’s experiences
The Portuguese Council of Macau was in a dilemma as it had to try its best to keep its own shipping lanes safe but could not easily offend the big local trading houses. It is basically impossible to persuade "Qiong Lianfa" to voluntarily give up its actions at the Pearl River Estuary. After all, anyone with a discerning eye knows that the people behind this matter are the Haihan people, and the attitude of the Haihan people towards external threats has been passed through them before and after. The two cross-sea battles were fully demonstrated. What makes the council most helpless is that even if they use force, they may not be able to defeat the Haihan people, but may get burned because of it.
So the Council had no choice but to approach the Guangdong Office again, hoping to resolve the differences at the Pearl River Estuary stronghold through consultation. However, the Liaison Office in Guangdong Province does not currently have an executive committee stationed there, and its authority over foreign affairs is not high. After communicating with the base camp, the Liaison Office in Guangdong Province responded to the Portuguese and asked their envoys to go to Port Victory to conduct more direct consultations with the executive committee. That's how Enrique visited Port Victory.
"Mr. Enrique, we already know your purpose of coming. With all due respect, your board of directors requires us to withdraw from the Pearl River Estuary. There is no room for negotiation!" After entering the formal negotiation process, Tao Donglai concluded. He lost his previous politeness and his attitude became tougher.
The executive committee has invested a lot of resources in building this Dawanshan Island base. The cost of various materials and personnel transported to the island in the early stage has exceeded 10,000 yuan. According to the plan of the Ministry of Construction, to implement the design plan of this stronghold one by one, at least more than 30,000 yuan will be needed, and this does not include the resident. The military expenses of the island troops are included.
In addition to economic accounts, this stronghold plays more of a military role, and the Executive Committee's interests in this field are absolutely uncompromising. For this reason, the Military Commission did not hesitate to send troops to destroy Dangan Island in the east. The purpose of the pirates is to allow the Dawanshan Island garrison to have absolute control in the nearby waters. Moreover, the construction of Crossing Group's first immigration center in the mainland has begun in Lijiazhuang, Panyu. The existence of the Dawanshan Island stronghold will not only ensure the safety of this important route from the mainland to Sanya, but also enable Lijiazhuang to be carried out when necessary. Quick assistance.
"Perhaps we can find a compromise solution to this matter." Seeing Tao Donglai's firm attitude, Enrique tried to persuade him from another angle: "If you need a cargo transshipment point at the Pearl River Estuary, you can actually consider it. Site selection in Hao Keng O. ”
Tao Donglai smiled and said: "Is that so? If the council can allow our armed personnel to station in Haojing'ao, then I think Mr. Enrique's proposal can still be seriously considered."
Enrique's expression changed and he said: "No, no, no, I didn't say that armed personnel can also enter Haojingao!"
The reason why the Council is so afraid of the existence of the Dawanshan Island stronghold is because an unknown number of Haihan armed personnel are stationed on this island, and Dawanshan Island is less than twenty nautical miles away from Macau, and can be reached in half a day at most. There is an armed force with unknown attitude and considerable combat power stationed so close, which cannot help but make the council feel wary. However, the development of this island is operated by "Qiong Lianfa" in the name of business. Enrique can only try to persuade Tao Donglai to change his mind from this perspective. If "Qiong Lianfa" is willing to give up this plan, what will happen in Macau? It is also worth buying a warehouse in exchange for peace.
It’s just that Enrique didn’t expect Tao Donglai to make it clear directly - the troops I stationed on the island are the army. If you want me to move the warehouse on the island to Macau, then the army on the island must move there together. !
How could the council agree to such a method of luring a wolf into the house when they feel unsafe even across the sea? Enrique quickly rejected Tao Donglai and decided to put this matter aside first, lest the Haihan people take advantage of it and directly target Hao Jingao.
"President Tao once mentioned that he is willing to carry out trade with our country. The council is very interested in this." Enrique thought about it and decided to talk about business first. After all, these Haihan people are based on trade. When you start a business, talking about business should not be as explosive as talking about military affairs.
"We are happy to trade with your country. Later you will get a list of local import and export commodities, and you can carefully select the goods that you Portuguese are interested in." Tao Donglai paused and said: "In addition, I have A special request.”
"Mr. Tao, please speak." Enrique's eyes lit up and he responded quickly. He has dealt with Akito a lot and is well aware of the unspoken rules of this Eastern nation in various affairs. If the other party makes some kind of personal request, it means that many things still need to be discussed - provided that the request he made is met. .
"I'm not making this request for myself, don't get me wrong." Tao Dong came to Enrique with excitement on his face, guessing that he had misunderstood what he said, and immediately defended himself.
Tao Donglai cleared his throat and said: "During the Apocalypse, the Ming Dynasty recruited some Portuguese from Haojing'ao to serve as military advisers and train troops for them. Is this true?"
"There is such a thing." When Enrique heard Tao Donglai ask about it, he wanted to brag a few words. However, Tao Donglai's intention of mentioning this matter was unclear, and Enrique finally suppressed the words that came to his lips. go back.
"If others can afford the price, they can also hire military consultants from you, right?" Tao Donglai continued to ask.
Although Enrique felt a little strange, he still nodded and acknowledged Tao Donglai's speculation. Portugal's mercenary service did not only exist between Macau and the Ming Dynasty. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the entire Europe was a battlefield for mercenaries to make achievements, and the one who participated in this industry the most deeply and extensively was undoubtedly Portugal. People. From the Thirty Years' War in Europe to the suppression of the Cossack uprising in Poland, from the American colonies to the battlefields between the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Portuguese people were fighting for money everywhere in the world.
The country that employed the Portuguese earlier than the Ming Dynasty was Siam. As early as 1511, the Portuguese entered the army of the King of Siam to fight for him, and taught the Siamese people to make and use firearms. When King Parachai of Siam came to the throne in 1538, his personal guard was actually composed of 120 Portuguese. This foreign mercenary army later participated in the war between Siam and the Toungoo Kingdom of Myanmar in 1545. However, what is incredible is that there were also mercenaries from Portugal in the Burmese army at that time, which also proved the professionalism of Portuguese mercenaries.
In order to gain recognition from the central dynasty, the Portuguese who settled in Macau were always very keen on aiding the Ming Dynasty. In the late Ming Dynasty, Xu Guangqi, Sun Yuanhua and others all used Portuguese mercenaries. Therefore, Enrique has no need to deny the matter of mercenaries - in the Portuguese view, there is no essential difference between mercenaries and other goods sales, they are just a business.
"We hope to hire a group of Portuguese military consultants at reasonable prices to serve as instructors to help us train soldiers."
Tao Donglai's words caused Enrique's brain to shut down for a few seconds - the Haihan people were looking for Portuguese mercenaries. What was going on? ,
"Please allow me to confirm, are you saying that you need a group of Portuguese mercenaries?" Enrique asked with his eyes widened. "That's right. By the way, we only need artillery." Tao Donglai made a more detailed request: "As for the cost, I can guarantee that their treatment will not be lower than those who served the Ming Dynasty."
As the fortifications at various ports are gradually completed, and naval warships are launched one after another, the gap in artillery has become the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of Haihan's military power. There is no formal artillery in the Crossing Group, and the instructors are all non-professionals who have become monks on the way, so artillery training has always been a weakness. After Tao Donglai returned from Guangzhou in March, he had already proposed the plan to hire military instructors from the Portuguese. However, due to the anniversary celebration, too many other matters, and the unclear attitude of Macau, the matter was delayed. Come down. This time Macau sent an envoy to visit, and the Executive Committee thought that it could test Macau's attitude on this matter.
Enrique murmured: "This shouldn't be a big problem...but the council..."
"If your council is full of smart people, then they should be able to think that we have no ill intentions towards Hao Jing'ao or the Portuguese. It is impossible for us to hire your soldiers and then order them to go Attack your place of residence?" Tao Dong saw that Enrique was a little confused, so he could only take the initiative to help him clarify the positive significance of this move.
Enrique suddenly came back to his senses: "Ah! Mr. Tao, you are right! I think this is probably the best way to express goodwill and resolve disputes in this current situation!"
The Macau side is worried about the Haihan people establishing a military stronghold at the Pearl River Estuary, and the Haihan people are unwilling to voluntarily abandon this stronghold because of Macau's doubts. If the two sides continue to be suspicious of each other, it will undoubtedly affect the ongoing negotiations. establishment of trade relations. When there was a lack of effective solutions in Macau, the mercenary plan proposed by Tao Donglai actually turned things around.
It is absolutely impossible for Macau to let the Haihan Militia to station in Macau, but the Haihan Militia can hire a group of Portuguese military advisers in a reasonable and legal way. And with the presence of Portuguese soldiers in Haihan's military system, it would obviously be much more difficult if Haihan tried to do anything unfavorable to the Portuguese in Macau. The stakes are not complicated, and Enrique believes people on the council will understand them and find it difficult to object.
But even if the Haihan people and the Macau Council can resolve their differences on the Pearl River Estuary issue, Enrique's mediation mission does not end there - or to be more precise, his mediation mission is only half completed. .
As for the other half, that is the opinion from South Vietnam. Although the council in Macau believed that it was necessary to maintain a peaceful situation with the Haihan people, the Portuguese in South Vietnam did not think so. The bottom line they could accept was that the Haihan people promised not to directly intervene in the civil war in Annan. As for the ban on the sale of weapons, they did not propose any regulations. After all, they knew very well that the arms trade could not be banned at all.
"Is there a big difference whether we intervene directly or not?" After listening to Enrique's account, Tao Donglai responded with a smile: "Whether we intervene directly or not, in the long run, the failure of the Ruan family in the south is an inevitable result. , the advice I can give is to get your people out of the Annan battlefield as soon as possible, and do business honestly. If you must intervene forcefully, be careful that you won’t even be able to do business in Annan in the future!”
Enrique was not used to Tao Donglai's soft and hard attitude at this time. He frowned and asked: "You have many interests in northern Annan. You can't sit back and watch the north lose in the civil war. I can understand this. But you have many interests in Annan." The South has no actual interests, so why should it insist on adopting a hostile attitude towards the Ruan family in the South? ”
"It is true that there is not now, but there will be in the future." Tao Donglai replied concisely and comprehensively: "The existence of the Ruan family will affect our interests in the south in the future. For us, a unified Annan will be more beneficial. We don’t have any hatred against the Ruan family, our attitudes and actions are simply based on our own interests.”
"If the local Portuguese people are unwilling to give in, they will become our enemies. I hope you can convey this attitude to them as soon as possible." Tao Donglai stood up and said: "It's getting late. We are here for Enrique." Sir, I have prepared a simple reception banquet, please come!”
Enrique could feel Tao Donglai's toughness on the South Vietnam issue. This toughness was different from his attitude on the Dawanshan Island issue. Although the Pearl River Estuary matter was not negotiable, Tao Donglai At least he didn't show any hostility towards Macau. As for the South Vietnam issue, it is not difficult for Enrique to feel Tao Donglai's determination - as long as the Nguyen family's regime in South Vietnam is destroyed, the Haihan people will not stop. Anyone who helps the Ruan family in South Vietnam will be regarded as an opponent by Haihan. Although Tao Donglai did not explicitly state when the next military operation against South Vietnam would be carried out, Enrique had an ominous premonition in his heart.
In the next few days, the Executive Committee arranged a rich visit program for Enrique. Except for military barracks and industrial areas, most places in the local area are open for Enrique to visit. The Executive Committee hopes to use this to make the Portuguese understand that what is in the southeast corner of Qiongzhou Island is not some barbaric tribe, but represents the most advanced and creative emerging force of this era.
Enrique's focus during the visit was also different from that of past visitors. Although he was also shocked by the huge iron ship and the speeding train, Enrique noticed more of these "miracles" "The details hidden behind it include the extremely high local child enrollment rate, the advanced financial management system, the pervasive grassroots civil affairs institutions, and the unique land system in the Haihan area, etc. Various details show that this is another society completely different from other towns in the Ming Dynasty.
Under the social system built by the Haihan people, everything appears to be in order. Enrique did not see any beggars, idlers or homeless people here. From the moment they woke up in the morning, everyone was already clear about the work that needed to be done today. When the fixed time comes every morning, Enrique can see people coming out of residential areas in droves and entering offices, farmland, construction sites, schools, docks, etc., completing their duties step by step. There was a sense of order that he had not seen anywhere before.
Before Enrique came here, it was difficult to imagine how the Han people in Hainan could build Victory Port in more than a year. But after coming here, he found that such a miracle was indeed possible, but the prerequisite was that there was Only the Haihan people have such social management capabilities. Compared with the efficiency of the Haihan Executive Committee, Enrique felt that the Ming Dynasty's government was simply a joke. He had never seen any town in Guangdong Province with such good infrastructure as Victory Port. All roads, residences, etc. The area and living facilities have been carefully planned.
There is no smell of garbage, no sewage flowing across the city, and the roads are smooth and straight. Although most of the residential areas are shacks with bamboo and wood structures, the styles, sizes, and orientations are all uniform. Water wells, bathhouses, canteens, toilets, and various public facilities have been designed to maximize the coverage area and provide convenience for people's lives. People living in Victory Port basically don’t need to worry too much about their own food, clothing, housing and transportation. They can devote most of their energy to work, and this is probably the basis for the limited local people to be able to complete so many tasks. One of the reasons.
Order was Enrique's most profound initial impression of Port Victory. Although he didn't understand how the Haihan Executive Committee did all this, after just a few days of living, he could feel that the social system here was definitely more advanced and complete than where he had been before. Whether it is the Ming Dynasty or distant Europa, they are far behind this emerging city on Qiongzhou Island. An immigrant ship arrives at Victory Port every two or three days, and thousands of new immigrants come to settle here every month to participate in the great construction cause of the Haihan people.
The Haihan people did not prohibit Enrique from contacting the local people, so he also learned a lot of information about the Haihan people. When the Haihan people first arrived here, there were only a few hundred people. It took a year to grow to nearly 20,000 people, and this development rate seems to be continuing to accelerate. As a practitioner who came to Asia from distant Europe to establish colonies, Enrique could certainly see that the development model of the Haihan people was actually very close to the way Western countries established colonies—building a port city and then using it as a The center radiates outward, building more colonies and strongholds. But the difference between the Haihan people is that their work efficiency is extremely high. What their Western counterparts may need several years to complete, they can complete in one-tenth or even less time, and they do it Got to be even better.
(End of chapter)