Chapter 595 Opening the skylight
The next morning, Xu Yuzhuo also arrived at the mission's headquarters early and directed the soldiers here to boil hot water for the mission to prepare breakfast. He did not look like a military general at all, but more like a housekeeper.
Ning Qi saw this and couldn't help but praise: "It seems that the Xu family's family tradition is not bad. Xu Yuzhuo, who comes from a background like this, actually has no airs."
Shi Diwen responded: "The information sent back before said that among Xu Xinsu's seven sons, Xu Yuzhuo was the most important. It seems that there is some truth."
After Haihan and Xu Xinsu secretly reached a cooperation agreement, Fujian soon sent a group of officer cadets to study in Sanya, and Xu Yuzhuo was among the first batch of cadets. Although more and more children of the Xu family later came to Sanya to study various subjects, Xu Yuzhuo's relationship with Haihan officials was undoubtedly the deepest among them, and he also knew the most about Haihan. The various professional skills he learned from Haihan, as well as his broader vision and knowledge than his contemporary officers, will indeed help him find a better future in the military.
When Xu Yuzhuo saw Ning Qi and Shi Diwen coming out of the room, he immediately came forward to say hello. Ning Qi smiled and said: "Xu Yuzhuo, you are a military general of the Ming Dynasty. It doesn't seem right to be so attentive to foreign visitors like us?"
Xu Yuzhuo said sternly: "Although the student is a general of the Ming Dynasty, the master-disciple etiquette must still be followed. Our Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette, and this is also the proper etiquette."
Shi Diwen said: "Xu Yuzhuo, if you are not busy today, you can take me around the island after lunch."
Xu Yuzhuo responded: "The mission of students these days is to accompany all distinguished guests. Mr. Shi has an order, and students should obey it."
After breakfast, Xu Xinsu sent someone to invite the people from the mission to go to Zhangzhou with them. However, according to the temporary discussion last night, Shi Diwen will stay on Xiamen Island with the main combat ships and crews, while Ning Qi will take the non-military mission members to Zhangzhou on the "Lightning". In order to ensure safety, Shi Diwen sent an "exploration-class" warship and a supply ship to go together.
Before the team set off, Shi Diwen specially called Morgan to the side to give him a few words. The presence of a blond foreigner like Morgan in the Haihan mission was quite eye-catching. Even some Ming army officers who had met each other yesterday couldn't help but look at Morgan a few more times at this time.
Ning Qi walked up to Xu Xinsu and actively invited him: "Master Xu, if it is convenient, you can take a ride on our sailboat." After saying this, he pointed to the "Lightning" catamaran sailboat that had been watched by people on the pier.
Xu Xinsu responded with a smile: "I have my wish, but I don't dare to ask my ears."
After the "Lightning" catamaran was originally purchased by the North American gang, some of the living facilities were dismantled in order to transport more arms and supplies. However, after the crossing, the Ministry of Shipping still tried its best to repair the interior of the ship. Although it can no longer compare with the condition when it left the factory, the comfort of its internal environment is still much better than that of sailboats of this era. Moreover, among the hundreds of ships belonging to the entire Maritime Transport Department and the Navy, the "Lightning" and another catamaran "Speed" are the two best-maintained ships. On average, they have to enter the dock for maintenance every two months. A complete maintenance and repair, so despite being used for four years since crossing, the boat is still in pretty good condition.
Xu Xinsu boarded the ship from the stern under the leadership of Ning Qi. She stood at the door of the cabin and took a look before ordering her subordinates: "Don't come up, there is no room for you to stand in the cabin!"
However, Xu Xinsu's men did not dare to let him stay alone on other people's ships easily. What's more, it was said that this ship was extremely fast and ordinary sailboats could not catch up. What if something happened?
The two parties coordinated for a while, and finally Xu Xinsu's party was asked to send four people to board the ship. However, this has basically reached the upper limit of the number of people on the "Lightning". After all, there are still several people on Haihan's side, plus the crew and sailors responsible for operating the ship. If there are more people on board, there will really be no place to sit. .
Although the "Lightning" sailed at a fast speed, this place was Xu Xinsu's territory after all, so the pilot boat was still arranged by the landlord. After the "Lightning" unmoored, raised the sails and anchored, it only followed steadily behind, without any Increase boat speed.
"I have heard that Haihan's little white boat is fast and stable at sea, but I didn't expect that I would have the opportunity to ride it myself!" Xu Xinsu sat on the sofa in the living room of the cabin and couldn't help but reach out and touch the soft boat. The leather sofa in front of me kept praising: "This cushion is very comfortable, you Haihan people will enjoy it!"
"Master Xu, if you like it, you might as well go and live in Sanya for a while when you have free time. There will definitely be a lot of things that will interest you." Ning Qi responded with a smile.
Xu Xinsu patted the armrest of the sofa gently and said: "Why don't I want to stop and rest for a while? It's just that the situation in Fujian has been difficult to stabilize, and I can't just ignore it for the time being!"
"Master Xu is talking about Shiba Zhi? I heard that in the past two years, Master Xu has been fighting in succession, Shiba Zhi no longer dares to harass Zhangzhou and Quanzhou?" Ning Qi asked tentatively.
Xu Xinsu shook her head and said: "The matter is not as simple as the rumors say. With the military assistance provided by Haihan, Shibazhi is no longer our army's opponent in the war, but there are too many people along the coast of Fujian who are inextricably linked to them. Due to the relationship of interests, even if the current situation continues for another ten or eight years, it will be difficult to completely eradicate Shibazhi!”
Ning Qi heard that Xu Xinsu seemed to have something in his words, so he followed his meaning and asked, "What do you think Mr. Xu has to say?"
Xu Xinsu said: "To destroy Shiba Zhi, we must destroy Zheng Zhilong! As long as Zheng Zhilong dies, Shiba Zhi will surely fall and scatter, and will soon break into small gangs, and then they can be eliminated one by one."
Ning Qi nodded and said: "I understand the truth, but how do you plan to kill Zheng Zhilong? As far as I know, Zheng Zhilong is either in Penghu or on Dajuan Island, and there doesn't seem to be enough in Fujian." Surface armed forces go to attack places so far away.”
"What Mr. Ning said is true, so I can only write down this account temporarily and wait for the time to mature before making any plans." Xu Xinsu readily acknowledged Ning Qi's statement.
Upon hearing this, Ning Qi quickly asked: "So the war between the Fujian Garrison and Shibazhi has ceased?" "Whether we want to fight or not, the initiative does not lie with us." Xu Xinsu shook his head and said: "Our army is still Just stick to the stronghold and defend against the opponent's attack."
Ning Qi thought to himself that you were able to explain everything in just one sentence. It seems that if you don't explain it clearly, the circle will have to continue like this.
"Forgive me for asking boldly, is Mr. Xu now thinking about a temporary truce with Shibazhi?" Ning Qi asked very specifically this time, so that Xu Xinsu could no longer be easily fooled.
Xu Xinsu looked at Ning Qi and replied: "Mr. Ning, when Quanzi returned from training in Sanya, he once recited a lot of your military theoretical knowledge to me. I remember one of them roughly said that war is to serve politics. Understand why you fight. This is a very important thing for people who hold great power.”
Ning Qi nodded and said: "This is a theory written by a Western general named Clausewitz, called "On War". Some of the contents were indeed conducted on the officer cadets who studied in Sanya. Lecture.”
Xu Xinsu continued: "Then what is our army fighting against Shiba Zhi? To destroy pirates for the Ming Dynasty? I think you may not believe this reason, and even I am not sure about it."
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Ning Qi smiled, agreeing with Xu Xinsu's statement. Xu Xinsu started her career by helping Li Dan, a large businessman, in her early years. In addition to formal business, Li Dan also had many shady transactions in private. Many of the pirates that have become the norm in this era are both sea traders and pirates. Among Xu Xinsu's subordinates who came ashore with their clean slate, there are actually many who were involved in the business of licking blood in their early years.
Although Xu Xinsu is now a senior general of the Ming army and a provincial official, it is hard to say how much weight the interests of the Ming Dynasty hold in his heart. If we really want to make a comparison, maybe Bai Huahua's silver weight is heavier. The war that broke out between him and Shiba Zhi was from the beginning to compete for control of maritime trade. The interests involved were simply astronomical. It was not a simple game of cat and mouse, or officers and soldiers catching robbers. Xu Xinsu himself understood this very well, and he believed that the Haihan people who had been giving him military aid also saw the stakes very clearly.
Xu Xinsu continued: "I have been fighting with Shibazhi for so many years, and all I have done is profit. But if we don't have to continue fighting, there are ways to protect our own interests. Then, will the benefits of a truce be greater than if we continue to fight? How big is it?”
Ning Qi responded calmly: "Although what Mr. Xu said is reasonable, this calculation method should only be about economic benefits, right?"
Xu Xinsu nodded and said: "It is indeed as Mr. Ning said, from a business point of view, once the war ceases, we can save hundreds of thousands of military expenses every year, and can restore normal relations with Taiyuan Island, Ryukyu, and Japan. The total benefits involved in trade transactions here and there are at least one million taels. And the taxes paid to the court by Fujian last year were less than three million taels. As a normal person, no one can deal with such a large amount. Are you turning a blind eye to money?”
"If everything is decided by money, then many things will be very simple to deal with." Now that Xu Xinsu has taken the initiative to open the skylight and speak openly, Ning Qi no longer intends to be secretive: "Our weapons are the same You can also sell it to anyone who gives you money, but we have not done this before, and we do not plan to do it in the future. Does Mr. Xu know why? ”
"I would like to hear the details." Xu Xinsu's expression did not change much, and she still looked very calm.
"It's very simple. We have different paths and don't work together." Ning Qi said: "We only cooperate with people who have the same ideas and interests. Some people's ideas and intentions are far from ours. Such people will not become ours." Partners.”
"So you chose to cooperate with me because we have a lot in common?" This topic aroused Xu Xinsu's interest. Although the two parties have been cooperating for several years, Xu Xinsu actually did not have many opportunities to discuss such deep-seated issues with Haihan senior staff in person. It is indeed a rare opportunity for Xu Xinsu to have the opportunity to hear the opinions of Ning Qi, one of the most powerful people in Haihan.
"At least there is one thing where we have the same attitude." Ning Qi said slowly: "As for the existence of Shibazhi, we also have the attitude of getting rid of it as soon as possible. But our abilities are limited. We must find a strong ally to assist us, and Lord Xu is a very suitable candidate in our opinion.”
Ning Qi's words are actually a bit cryptic, but Xu Xinsu has been in the world for many years, so naturally he can hear the implication of what he said - at least one thing Ning Qi said has the same attitude. In fact, it is very possible. It means that this is the only common ground between the two parties, and if this only common ground is gone, then the basis for cooperation between the two parties will no longer exist.
This time Xu Xinsu was silent for a while before she spoke again: "If I hadn't started a war with Shibazhi, then naturally I wouldn't have had the opportunity to cooperate with you?"
"Perhaps there will still be economic and trade cooperation, but the military aspect will definitely not choose Mr. Xu as a partner." Ning Qi did not hide anything and showed his trump card straightforwardly.
Although what both parties said is only a hypothetical situation, there is no doubt that this also applies to the current situation. If the Fujian side really ceases war with Shibazhi, then the Haihan side may react to this and stop cooperation with the Fujian side. Once this kind of military cooperation stops, it is hard to say whether Shibazhi, who has been coveting Fujian, will still be willing to abide by the so-called armistice agreement.
Ning Qi didn't need to say this truth, he believed that Xu Xinsu would be able to think of it. If Xu Xinsu is willing to take such a risk and insist on a truce with Shibazhi, then Ning Qi can only admire his stubbornness.
Xu Xinsu said in a deep voice: "Some things cannot be decided by me alone. There are many interests involved, so I can only weigh them and make a decision that is beneficial to all parties as much as possible."
"The choice you made may be beneficial to other people, but for us Haihan, with all due respect, I didn't expect it to be beneficial." Ning Qi followed closely: "The truce means that Shibazhi has The energy has gone south and entered our Haihan sphere of influence. No matter where they go, this group of people will be a big trouble! At that time, we will probably have to dispatch the fleet to help Fujian clean up this pile of scum. Or maybe this is Master Xu. The real purpose of choosing an armistice? ”
(End of chapter)