Chapter 560 Competing
At dinner time, someone came to the door to invite two alternate officials to a banquet. Originally, the two of them planned to go there in official uniforms, but now that they had just arrived, there was no ceremonial guard for the trip. Li Jin's only four soldiers were also injured and sent to the hospital. The two of them could not wear official uniforms and act as polished commanders. That would destroy one's own identity. In desperation, the two had to give up the idea and put on casual clothes. Zhang Xin was very considerate and arranged a carriage for them to avoid the embarrassment of having to walk to the banquet.
The reception banquet arranged by Zhang Xin for them was held in a restaurant in the city, occupying the entire second floor. However, this banquet was not paid for by the management committee, but by the newly established Danzhou Chamber of Commerce. This was not simply to flatter the two new adults, but to give face to the Haihan Management Committee. This group of businessmen were the first to realize the changes in the local situation, and they quickly adjusted their attitude and began to move closer to the stronger Haihan side.
The members of the Danzhou Chamber of Commerce, which was established under the arrangement of the management committee, are basically merchants who are willing to cooperate with Haihan. With Haihan's intentional support, these merchants can not only get better guarantees in the supply of in-demand goods, but also enjoy first-class treatment compared to ordinary merchants in terms of settlement, transportation, and business scope. As a result, those merchants who openly or covertly boycott Haihan and adopt a non-cooperative attitude will face considerable operational difficulties.
Although the types of commodities that Haihan can currently supply to the Danzhou market are still relatively limited, bulk commodities related to people's livelihood such as grain, salt, pig iron, and coal are all under Haihan's control. In addition, commodities such as cloth, oil, wood, Most of the trade channels for spices and other daily necessities are also controlled by Haihan Trading. The most critical thing is the transportation channel, whether it is sea transportation or land transportation. For the Qiongbei area, which is still under military control, without the passage order issued by the Haihan Management Committee, bulk goods cannot be transported between various places. One of the thresholds for obtaining such a pass is that you must first join the newly established Danzhou Chamber of Commerce.
The bosses who joined the Chamber of Commerce benefited from it, so they would naturally make time to give some small rewards to the management committee. Hearing that the imperial court had sent an alternate official to Danzhou, the people from the Chamber of Commerce immediately went to find Zhang Xin and took the initiative to undertake the banquet. On the one hand, you can flatter the management committee, and on the other hand, you can sell well in front of the new officials. This deal is a good deal anyway.
Zhang Xin didn't know the plans of these businessmen, but he didn't mind that some people did these things with two sides in mind. The general trend that Haihan has achieved in Hainan Island can no longer be changed by the Ming court sending a few alternate officials. It can also make some people who are not firm in their stance see clearly that the so-called Ming Dynasty and the so-called orthodoxy are in Hainan. How much influence can Han still have on the territory ruled by Han Dynasty?
After the two arrived at the restaurant by car, Zhang Xin came out to greet them personally and then took them to the second floor. There are three tables in total for today’s banquet. The main table is for local officials and the person in charge of the management committee. Of course, the officials who can still sit here are basically those who have joined Haihan’s leadership party, such as those who had a conflict with Li Jin in the morning. Xiao Laosan was also present. The other two tables were accompanied by local businessmen and cultural representatives.
The merchant's table was fine, and Yan Mingjun wasn't very interested in getting to know these guys who reeked of copper, so he just said a few polite words. When he arrived at the table of people in the cultural world, Yan Mingjun cheered up, because this was most likely his only local ally.
And the lineup of guests at this table did not disappoint him. They brought together the heads of the most famous local cultural institutions such as Bailu Academy, Qingfeng Academy, Nanhai Academy, etc., and all of them were scholars with outstanding academic achievements. Generous portions. Yan Mingjun exchanged greetings one by one, and Zhang Xin saw it in his eyes and did not try to dissuade him.
After introducing the three tables and the two new officials taking their seats, Zhang Xin announced the opening of the banquet without any polite words. Yan Mingjun originally wanted to take this opportunity to say a few words, but someone at the same table had already stood up to toast him, so he had to hold his words back in his stomach and drink a toast before talking. However, it was almost impossible to close the venue at the beginning, and people from behind lined up to join in. If Li Jin hadn't been a good drinker and blocked half of Yan Mingjun's drink, he would have probably fallen down on the spot after drinking this round.
Yan Mingjun saw that some people were already eager to try and prepare for the second round. He knew that if he continued like this, even if Li Jin sat next to him in the wine tank, it would not be an option. He quickly stood up and said: "Everyone, can I say a few words first? ”
After hearing this, everyone did not rush back to their seats, but looked at Zhang Xin's face first. Zhang Xin coughed dryly and said: "Master Yan has just arrived in Danzhou, and he should have already felt everyone's enthusiasm, so everyone welcomes Master Yan and says a few words!"
Everyone put down their wine glasses and applauded loudly. When Yan Mingjun was puzzled, Zhang Xin explained: "It is our Haihan habit to applaud before and after the leader speaks. Sir Yan, please invite me!"
Yan Mingjun cleared his throat and said: "After the bandit disaster occurred in Qiongzhou last year, the emperor and the nobles in the court were also very worried. Fortunately, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Mr. Wang, responded appropriately, commanded well, and mobilized all forces to quickly calm down the incident. Banditry..."
Speaking of this, Yan Mingjun probably felt a little lack of confidence himself. After all, everyone here was involved in Danzhou, and they all knew how the areas where Qiongbei fell were rescued. If he boasted too much, these people would be in the way. If you don't expose it on the spot with your face, you must have some thoughts in your heart.
However, he is still a person who holds the post of governor, and he still has a thick skin. He quickly passed this embarrassing scene: "Now I am recommended by the governor and appointed by the court to come to Danzhou to take over as the first governor of the state. I hope that all my colleagues and gentry here will assist me in governing Danzhou well in the future..."
Suddenly, Zhang Xin coughed beside him and interjected: "I think it is better for the management committee to handle the matter of governing Danzhou for the time being."
Zhang Xin said this without any tone, but the atmosphere at the table immediately turned cold. Yan Mingjun did not expect that Zhang Xin, who was originally polite, would choose such an opportunity to suddenly jump out and stab him, and he was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he realized that none of the twenty or thirty people present had spoken out to accuse Zhang Xin.
In front of so many people, Yan Mingjun couldn't just shrink back, so he had to take action himself: "What do you mean by Director Zhang's words?" Zhang Xin said unhurriedly: "You don't mean anything else, Master Yan. I came to Danzhou to know the state, so do what you should do. As for the local government affairs, it will probably take some time before it is completely handed over to you. For the sake of Danzhou's stability and security, I think it will be better for the time being. It is more appropriate for the temporary management committee organized by us to manage the daily affairs of Danzhou.”
Yan Mingjun retorted: "Danzhou is a territory belonging to the Ming Dynasty, and I am an official of the imperial court. Since I am appointed as the magistrate of Danzhou, it is only natural to manage this place. Your management committee should assist me and get familiar with the local people's conditions as soon as possible. .”
Zhang Xin shook his head and said: "Master Yan, you are new here and don't understand the local situation. If you take over government affairs rashly, I'm afraid there will be many problems. I think this step should be slowed down and done step by step. Master Yan still Let’s spend three to five months getting familiar with the local people’s conditions before we talk about accepting government affairs.”
Before Yan Mingjun could respond, Li Jin beside him could no longer sit still. He slapped the table and said, "Bold! The imperial court has appointed me here to take up the post. There is no room for you to interfere!"
However, Zhang Xin was not intimidated by his momentum of slamming the table and hitting the bench. He still said in a calm tone: "As for Mr. Li's succession process, I'm afraid it will be more troublesome than Mr. Yan. The local garrison last year The organization has been broken up during the pirate siege. So far, the local security has been maintained by the Haihan Militia. If Mr. Li plans to rebuild the local garrison, he will probably need to recruit and train again. "
"You..." Li Jin raised his hand and wanted to slap the table again to get angry, but found that this time he had no sufficient reason.
Last year, pirates ravaged Qiongbei. The entire Ming army stationed in Qiongbei, except for Fucheng, was disorganized and almost all the officers above the general were lost. In addition, the rapid entry of the Shanghai Han militia, it was basically impossible after the war. It is impossible to organize reconstruction. When the Guangdong government saw that the chaos in Qiongzhou had been calmed down, they had no plans to rebuild the garrison as soon as possible. After all, the cost of organizing and recruiting thousands of troops would not be a small amount. Moreover, most of the troops originally stationed in Qiongzhou were mainly garrison troops. To organize separate troops from other places to station them was obviously a measure that was not in compliance with the rules and required a lot of financial support to be implemented. Therefore, due to intentional or unintentional delays, although the war has passed for several months, the garrison organization in Danzhou has not been rebuilt so far.
It is easy for Li Jin to take over the position of general here and he can do it at any time. But all he could take over was an empty shell, not even soldiers to command - the people under Xiao Laosan would definitely not listen to his command. There is no chance that the Haihan police and militiamen who currently control public security in Danzhou will obey his orders. Regarding this, he had already experienced this firsthand at Baimajing Pier in the morning.
It's okay if you feel unconvinced. Li Jin can recruit his own troops locally. After all, he has the title of Danzhou General on his head and still has certain authority to act. However, the problem is not just whether he can recruit soldiers in Danzhou, but whether he has enough money to do this.
The establishment of the Danzhou Guard Army is two thousand-household units, that is, an establishment of more than two thousand. Even if one soldier is recruited and given two taels of housing expenses, the basic cost will be four thousand taels. This money is even if he sells himself. It's impossible to get it together. As a general, he has no soldiers and does not even have the qualifications to shout, unless he is willing to abandon the dignity of a general and follow Yan Mingjun's example to fight with words.
After Zhang Xin choked Li Jin back, he continued: "From last year's bandit disaster, we can find that the local government's ability to govern Danzhou is relatively limited, and the governance achievements of Haihan after taking over Danzhou are beyond our control. It’s obvious to all. If anyone thinks there’s something wrong, they can say it now in front of the new governor.”
Yan Mingjun looked at the table of people in the cultural world with hope. He knew that the guys in the business world were completely unreliable, and the local officials at the same table had no moral integrity at all. He could only hope that the people in the cultural world could still do it. Remember to uphold the Ming Dynasty’s orthodoxy.
However, what disappointed him was that all the people at the table were looking at their noses and noses, and their minds were in concentration. They were as quiet as an old monk sitting in meditation. No one tried to take the initiative to stand up to protect the interests of Ming Dynasty at this time. Yan Mingjun took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "I am a scholar who has read a lot of poetry and books. I should be able to understand justice and distinguish between loyal and traitorous. I wonder what everyone here thinks!"
Now that the roll call has been made, the people in Danzhou's cultural circles can no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb. After some mutual exchanges, the person in charge of Bailu Academy came forward to speak: "We will all watch with our eyes how the leaders of Haihan will govern after they arrive in the local area. Not to mention other things, at least in terms of cultural and educational propaganda , I am convinced. Master Yan did not know that after Haihan came here, he vigorously set up private schools and invited many unemployed scholars to be teachers. All children under the age of fourteen were free of charge, even for literacy. They also provided all the books, pens and ink used by Danzhou students whether they were taking the provincial examination or the general examination. Haihan also provided financial subsidies and arranged for ships to be sent to Guangzhou to take the examination. All kinds of benevolent and righteous actions were appreciated. Enum.”
The person in charge of Qingfeng Academy also continued: "In addition, Haihan also often funds local literati to organize various activities to meet friends through literature, such as the Danzhou Poetry Festival in the golden autumn every year, which will be held for the third time this year. It is already considered the largest cultural event in Qiongzhou, and there are at least seven or eight such events a year in Danzhou, all of which are sponsored by Haihan. If Mr. Yan wants to know what Danzhou literati say about Haihan, I can only use the word 'excellent' as an answer."
"Even if Haihan took money to sponsor the local academy, it's two different things than they are now replacing the local government with a management committee!" Yan Mingjun was furious and retorted loudly. However, he himself has also realized that the heads of these local academies have probably been bribed by Haihan. Thinking about it, I have taken the problem too simply. Since the Haihan people can allow these people to attend today's occasion, they are of course very relieved about their stance. If you expect these people to show their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty in front of the Haihan people, you are obviously overthinking it.
Sure enough, the people at the cultural circle at the table looked at me and I looked at you. Although no one spoke out against his statement, no one planned to change their position and stand up to support him.
(End of chapter)