Chapter 844 Xu Xinsu’s determination
Seeing the shocked look on Xu Ke's face, Qian Tiandun continued: "Boss Xu must have heard that our Haihan base camp is located on Qiongzhou Island in the South China Sea, and the defense of Qiongzhou Mansion is under the responsibility of Hainan Guard. It has jurisdiction over many thousand-household offices such as Haikou Office, Qinglan Office, Wanzhou Office, Nanshan Office, Danzhou Office, Changhua Office, Yazhou Office, etc. There are more than 10,000 troops stationed on the island, and the land and water force is more than that of the Changguo Guard Shipu Office. But now the garrison on the island is getting along very well with us, and the two sides have cooperated happily, and there have been no problems. I think this method should also work in Zhejiang.”
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Of course, Haihan's process of seizing control of Hainan Island was not as easy as Qian Tiandun said. Especially when he attacked the Ming-controlled area in northern Hainan in 1630, he fought several siege battles seriously. During this period, there was no "harmonious" or "happy" atmosphere between the hostile parties. Although Haihan later used propaganda methods to describe the war that broke out in Qiongbei as "the Haihan militia helped the government fight against pirates," in fact, after a few years, many parties involved gradually understood that Haihan sent troops in the name of "suppressing bandits." The purpose of Qiongbei is not to kill pirates of unknown origin, but to gain military control of the Qiongbei region.
After that war, almost all officials in the Qiongzhou government who were hostile to Haihan died or disappeared. In the next one or two years, the succession of local officials changed frequently. The officials who finally stayed on Qiongzhou Island were basically those who understood the current situation and were willing to accept Haihan's support with their eyes closed. As for the Ming garrison, it only retained its nominal establishment. The entire garrison system only had officers from top to bottom, and there were no troops to command at all. A quick-thinking person like Danzhou General Li Jin simply took a casual position as a "staff officer" in the Haihan Army. He could hold two jobs at the same time and live a leisurely life. After evacuating the entire officialdom of Qiongzhou, the so-called Ming garrison naturally, as Qian Tiandun said, could not cause any more trouble to Haihan.
Xu Keke didn't know the inside story, but the Haihan people made Qiongzhou very prosperous, and there were many rumors in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In the past, he didn't think about the reason in detail, but now that he heard Qian Tiandun mention it, he realized that the Ming Dynasty law prohibited private possession of swords, bows, and armor, but this Haihan even had guns, cannons, and warships. Once it was created, it would have been such a heinous crime that killing the head ten times would not be enough. Since Haihan has such a powerful armed force, how can the local government turn a blind eye? The only explanation is that the local government is colluding with the Haihan people, or it has simply been controlled by the Haihan people and has lost its right to speak and jurisdiction.
Xu Ke didn't dare to imagine that Haihan had fully controlled Qiongzhou, but Qian Tiandun took it for granted, and Xu Yuzhuo didn't raise any objections to it. This statement should not have been made up by Qian Tiandun. . The influence of the Haihan people in Fuzhou and Guangzhou seems to be far beyond the rumors. If we measure it by what they did in the south, then taking over a small place like Shipura is really not a big deal. Haihan's powerfully armed fleet has at least several thousand people, and it is enough to crush the local garrison when it enters Shipu Port. If the Haihan people are not prepared to think too much about the consequences and impacts and just want to achieve their goals, then there is indeed nothing wrong with the approach Qian Tiandun mentioned.
Xu Ke frowned and said: "If the Shipu garrison mistakenly thinks it is pirates or an invasion by enemies from other countries, and starts fighting with your army, how will it end?"
"It's very simple, fight as quickly as possible, and then block the news." Qian Tiandun said lightly: "If the local defenders are so ignorant of current affairs, then we can only use radical methods to deal with it. Guards at similar levels Fortress, one or two hours should be enough to solve it.”
"This...this is the Ming Dynasty's official army..." Xu Ke didn't know how to comment on Qian Tiandun's statement for a while, but it did subvert some of the ideas in his mind - someone dared to do it in this way Openly challenging Ming's authority, wouldn't such behavior be the same as an invasion? There is really going to be a war. Does the news say that a blockade can be used to block it?
Xu Ke stammered and persuaded: "General Qian, the water channels in Shipu Port extend in all directions, I'm afraid... they can't be blocked!"
What Xu Ke said is true. Shipu Port is a harbor surrounded by the mainland and multiple islands. There are as many as five or six channels out of the harbor. The exits on the east and west sides of the harbor are forty miles apart. If you want to All channels are blocked, making movement very difficult. Moreover, to the west of Shipu Port is the north-south Baijiao Waterway. This waterway, which is more than fifty miles long, leads to Xiangshan County. At the end of Siputou Port, you can see Xiangshan County after climbing over a mountain beam. If the Haihan Fleet wants to block all these waterways, it is basically equivalent to surrounding the entire Shipu Port from the sea. This is not impossible to achieve, but the movement of doing so would probably be much greater than the attack on Shipu Institute. Instead of blocking the news, it would only make the situation bigger and bigger.
Qian Tiandun responded noncommittally: "If it really can't be sealed, then simply increase the momentum, maybe it will have miraculous effects."
Shi Diwen continued from the side: "Since the Ming army here in Ningbo can't even deal with the pirates in their jurisdiction, will they have the courage to fight us?"
Xu Ke still found this matter emotionally unacceptable, and couldn't help but speak for the Ming army: "The background of the Zhoushan pirates is too complicated, and it is not just the fault of the Ming army..."
As he spoke, he looked at Xu Yuzhuo. After all, Xu Yuzhuo was a general of the Ming army and his position should be on the side of the Ming Dynasty. But this time even Xu Yuzhuo was on the side of the Haihan people: "What else can you do if you are a complicit person with pirates?" But you can defend them! If you have the guts to fight with us, let’s see how good this Zhejiang army is!”
Xu Ke was about to continue persuading, but Xu Yuzhuo saw his intention and stopped him decisively: "The head of the family has an order to come to Zhejiang this time, and any action will be decided by the two generals Haihan Qian and Shi. If it is necessary to use military means to solve it, , also under the full command of the two generals.”
When Xu Ke heard this, he realized that a considerable number of the personnel in this fleet were probably from the Fujian Ming Army. However, due to the inconvenience of inter-provincial movement, it was very likely that they were disguised as the Haihan militia to participate in this operation, and even commanded The power was handed over to General Haihan. Xu Xinsu's determination on this matter is evident from this.
Xu Ke also understood at this time that the Xu family was not involved in this matter in an official capacity. The starting point of Xu Xinsu and Xu Yuzhuo was to seek benefits for the family - for example, to obtain a long-term and stable trading base outside Hangzhou Bay, and use this This laid the foundation for continuing to expand maritime trade routes northward. Of course, the protagonists in this play are Haihan people, and Xu only plays a supporting role in this play. As for the possibility of conflict with the local Ming army in the process, Xu Xinsu is already fully prepared for this and will try to win the target even if it starts a war.
After understanding the interests involved, Xu Ke could only sigh silently in his heart. The head of the family was still the one who sent him to Zhejiang a few years ago, and all decisions were made for the sake of profit. Even though Xu Xinsu is now the chief soldier of Fujian, she still does not regard herself as a retainer of the Ming Emperor in private. The Haihan people offer more benefits, so even if they help the Haihan people deal with the Ming Dynasty's own army, they will do the same.
Xu Ke couldn't say how disappointed he was, but he just felt that even if he returned to Fujian and entered the officialdom in the future, his future would probably be very limited. After all, Xu Xinsu, who currently climbed the highest in the officialdom, seemed to have no intention of seeking a higher career. position. However, he still has to fight for this opportunity to perform, because reporting the action to Xu Xinsu afterwards is mostly done by Xu Yuzhuo, and all his performances are seen by Xu Yuzhuo. How much credit he will have by then may It's just a matter of one or two sentences from the other party.
After Xu Ke thought about it, he immediately changed his attitude and began to make suggestions for Haihan's plan: "In my opinion, if we want to control Shipu Port, we must first seal off several waterways in and out of the east road. As long as Shipu City has access to the outside world, Being cut off, it is still possible to block the news for a few days.”
Qian Tiandun smiled and said: "Boss Xu, please point it out to us on this map." Xu Keyiyan pointed on the map that was spread out: "Everyone, please see, Shipu City is located in the harbor at the east end of Shipu Port. There are three waterways in the east leading to the East China Sea, and the west is connected to the depths of Shipu Port. The three waterways in the east are extremely narrow. If they can be blocked at the same time, not even a sampan can get out of Shipu Port..."
Xu Ke had previously said that it was difficult to completely block Shipu Port, but he changed his tune in the blink of an eye. How could Qian Tiandun not know that this guy's mentality had changed. However, without the advice of someone who was familiar with the local terrain and sea conditions like him, the coalition forces would really have no idea what to do with Shipu Port. Although these terrains can be clearly seen on the map, the coalition forces have very little information on the local seawater flow direction, distribution of reefs and shoals, and nearby garrison conditions, which is not enough to ensure the smooth implementation of the operation.
With Xu Ke's guidance, Shi Diwen worked out a rough plan. What he was not sure about was how much effort it would take to finally control Shipu Suo City. Of course, this is not a big problem in Qian Tiandun's opinion. All he needs to do is block the way out and prevent the garrison from calling the police to Xiangshan and Ningbo in the north.
"Boss Xu, I won't go back to Xiangshan for the next two days. How about General Xu sending someone to pick up your family?" Qian Tiandun asked after patiently listening to Xu Ke's words.
Xu Yuzhuo also said: "Bring your family out first, so that you won't have to worry about anything later. Don't worry, we will send them south to Fujian directly after they are picked up. There will be dedicated personnel there to receive and accommodate them. When things here are settled, I will send them The boat takes you south to reunite with your family.”
Xu Ke's home in Xiangshan County has a wife, two concubines, a son and a daughter, plus the housekeeper and loyal servants who serve the family, there are less than ten people in total. There are also some long-term servants, so there is no need to take them away. He just felt a little pity that the manor in Xiangshan County was lost like this.
Xu Yuzhuo seemed to have guessed his thoughts, and comforted him with a smile: "There is no need to worry about my family property. When you sign a resale deed and sell all the manor properties to the person I arranged, the money will be according to the current Ningbo Prefecture." Just add 30% to the market price. I will give you a bank note from Haihan Bank later, which can be exchanged for cash at any seaport in Fujian.”
Xu Ke said politely: "The money for purchasing this property comes from the family. It should not be obtained by me alone, and there is no need to increase the price."
"This money has long been recorded as expenses in the public accounts. You are welcome. This is one of the rewards you deserve for lurking in Zhejiang for many years." Xu Yuzhuo is telling the truth. The Xu family operates so many industries. How could he care about the expenditure of 1,800 taels of silver on a manor in the countryside of Ningbo. Besides this money, Xu Xinsu has even prepared official positions for Xu Ke, a descendant of the Xu family who is about to return to his hometown in Fujian. In comparison, the real estate purchased by Xu Ke in Fujian is not that important.
This scene of humble brothers was very harmonious. Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen also wisely did not interrupt, waiting for the cousins to finish the play. Then several people worked together to carefully revise the action plan set by Shi Diwen, and prepared several response plans for possible situations. By the time all these tasks were finished, it was already dinner time.
Although the Yushan Islands are isolated in the East China Sea and rarely inhabited, they are located at the intersection of the north and south ocean currents and are rich in seafood. They were known as "the number one fishing spot in Asia" in later generations. Qian Tiandun asked the cooking team to cook a seafood banquet to entertain Xu Ke. Although Xu Ke himself is an expert in the fishing industry, he has never tasted such a novel and rich taste.
Xu Yuzhuo revealed relevant secrets during the banquet: "Today, more than 80% of the various edible spices purchased by Fujian from overseas are supplied by Haihan. There are many spices used in Haihan cuisine, and the cooking methods are also unique. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, You can't eat it on the side. Let alone you, even the gourmets in Guangzhou will go to Sanya, Qiongzhou to try the most authentic Haihan cuisine. I am enjoying it with you today, otherwise it would not be so good. Food! ”
Xu Yuzhuo's last words were also intended to praise Xu Ke. In fact, since setting off from Fujian, he had eaten special meals for officers with Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen. Although it was not as sumptuous as this meal, it was still authentic "Haihan" "Taste" is much better than the Ming army's own food.
After finishing the meal, Qian Tiandun said: "Boss Xu, please rest here tonight. We will go to Shipu Port tomorrow."
Xu Ke said in shock: "Going tomorrow?"
Qian Tiandun responded: "It's not too late. The daily expenses of these thousands of people are quite large. If we start early, we can save some military expenses."
(End of chapter)