Chapter 1043 The situation in Zhejiang
The last time the large-scale Haihan Fleet passed through the sea off Wenzhou was probably a year ago. At that time, the fleet led by Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen headed north to Zhoushan. Along the way, they also wiped out pirate gangs near the coast, including the Yueqing gang operating in the waters north of Wenzhou and south of Taizhou, as well as some scattered nearby. small band of pirates. After these pirates were wiped out, the navigation safety situation in nearby waters has also been significantly improved. Therefore, local merchants and fishermen are still grateful to Haihan for his "righteous deeds" and are happy to follow Haihan's fleet passing by. Contact and conduct some simple trading activities.
Of course, one year later, it is no longer news that Haihan has opened a trading port in Zhoushan. When local maritime merchants want to conduct bulk trade with Haihan, they will still choose to go to Zhoushan Dinghai Port for transactions. There, it is not under the supervision of the Ming Dynasty government, but it can easily carry out trade with Ningbo Prefecture, Shaoxing Prefecture, Hangzhou Prefecture, Jiaxing Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture and other places. It can also do entrepot trade with merchants from Japan and Ryukyu locally. For maritime merchants, it is a commercial port with excellent trading conditions and geographical location.
After the fleet rested at Dongtou Island for two days, the weather finally improved, and Wang Tom ordered to set sail and continue northward. However, the size of the fleet is much larger than when it arrived, because at least a dozen more civilian ships have joined the fleet. The destination of these ships is Zhoushan Dinghai Port. Joining Haihan's fleet heading north, the journey of about 200 nautical miles will naturally be much more comfortable. Although there are no pirate activities during this voyage, being able to go with Haihan's warship is at least a big psychological comfort. If there is any situation at sea, so many ships can take care of it.
"Aren't you worried that these civilian ships will be followed by the government's eyes and ears?" Hao Wanqing looked at the long slippery boat on the sea behind the fleet and asked Wang Tom with some confusion. Because he was not used to the wind and waves at sea, he rested in Hong Kong for a few days. It was not until Wang Tom's troops returned to Penghu after fighting in Miaoli that he rushed over to join the main force. However, these days, he has basically adapted to the bumps of the sea voyage, and his current physical condition is no longer as bad as when he traveled from Sanya to Hong Kong.
Wang Tom responded in a deep voice: "What can the government do if they know? The more they know, the clearer they will be about how far they are from us. I don't think this is a bad thing, and it may be more effective than Tao Guang's obscurity. .”
Wang Tom's attitude towards this was very calm. Haihan had kept a low profile in the past. On the one hand, he was hiding his own strength for convenience, and on the other hand, he did not want to attract too much attention from the Ming court. However, now that Haihan has established a country in the South China Sea, dealing with the Ming Dynasty in the future will no longer be the vague business dealings before, but the diplomatic relations between countries. Although some people believe that acting in a high profile may anger Ming Dynasty and thus affect bilateral relations, the military believes that under this new situation, if it maintains its previous low profile, it will actually have no practical benefit to Haihan.
After hearing Wang Tom's explanation, Hao Wanqing responded thoughtfully: "The Ministry of National Defense probably doesn't want the relationship between Haihan and the Ming Dynasty to be too harmonious, right?"
Wang Tom smiled and did not respond directly to his question. Instead, he kicked the ball back: "What is the attitude of the Ministry of Security? Can Minister Hao explain it to me?"
Hao Wanqing said: "Our Ministry of Security certainly hopes that the world will be peaceful, so that everyone can relax."
"If the world is really at peace, your profession will all be unemployed, right?" Wang Tom smiled and continued without waiting for Hao Wanqing's response: "When we arrive in Zhoushan in two days, I guess you will be busy."< br>
After Haihan occupied Zhoushan Island, he has been fighting against the local government and pirates and civilian armed forces in the surrounding waters. After a year of hard work, the pirate forces operating outside Hangzhou Bay have basically been wiped out by the Haihan army. Opponents in Zhejiang's officialdom also seem to have restrained themselves a lot. Especially after Hainingwei commander Ma Yue died inexplicably at sea, his comrades no longer dared to rashly attack the Haihan Merchant Ship, and instead adopted a more covert method of confrontation.
Zhejiang's officialdom has begun to show a more obvious distribution of camps. The officials in Ningbo, Taizhou, Shaoxing, and Jiaxing, which are close to Zhoushan, have benefited a lot from Haihan's arrival and are more inclined to maintain mutually beneficial trade relations with Haihan. , and the nature of diplomatic relations is deliberately vague, and they are only treated as overseas Chinese. However, the officials in Hangzhou, Huzhou, Jinhua and other places tended to be conservative and believed that the Haihan people organized an astonishingly large private armed force with the intention of causing rebellion. If they did not abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty, they should be completely expelled from the Ming Dynasty.
As for the attitudes of the military, they are even more varied. Some are deeply resentful that Haihan occupied Zhoushan and cut off their own wealth. Some are sitting on the sidelines and have nothing to do with the matter. There are also some who have already taken the plunge and actively join Haihan to make money together. Although the Dusi Yamen, as the highest military command center in Zhejiang, has a relatively hostile attitude towards Haihan, the local garrisons below will not always obey obediently. After all, the interests are current, and the actual benefits Zhejiang Dusi can give are limited, far less than those of the Han people in Shanghai. He is generous, and it is normal for the people working below to obey the official documents issued by the Dusi Yamen.
Regarding the overt and covert conflicts with the Zhejiang authorities, there are actually not many ways that the military can respond. Especially for conflicts that are not overt, it is easy for the military to handle them without any leeway, and there is also a lack of professional personnel to operate them. Matters in this area are still handled by the Department of Security.
Last year, He Xi sent one of his most capable subordinates, Gong Shiqi, to Zhejiang to take charge of security intelligence affairs here. However, Gong Shiqi is a naturalized citizen. Although there is no doubt about his loyalty and his personal ability is relatively strong, he does not have long-term training experience in Haihan. In other words, his work style is a bit wild, so Sanya gives him the authority to act. There are still certain restrictions. After Hao Wanqing arrived in Zhejiang, there was no need to ask Sanya for instructions on local intelligence work arrangements. He could make decisions directly with his presence.
Of course, Hao Wanqing's final destination is not Zhejiang. After straightening out the local work, he will also go north to the Jiaodong Peninsula with the Haihan army. Although his Shandong native place did not play a big practical role in this era, it is undeniable that this was one of the main reasons why the Executive Committee transferred him to the north to take charge of intelligence work.
After entering the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture, the fleet chose Shipu Port as the last stopping point before arriving in Zhoushan. Last year, the Haihan army entered Ningbo Prefecture. Shipu Suo and Gangwan were the first places to be captured. However, the Ming army's organizational structure here was not completely destroyed. In name, Shipu Port still belongs to the defense area of Changguo Guard Shipu Suo. Qianhu The institute's establishment is still retained, and even the official position of Qianhu Ma Ling has not changed. It's just that the boss Ma Ling has to face, in addition to the commander of Chang Guowei, is also Chief Haihan on Zhoushan Island.
When Wang Tom and others disembarked, Qianhu Maling was already waiting respectfully on the dock. Although he didn't know the purpose of this huge fleet coming to Shipu Port, Ma Ling didn't have much fear, because he knew that he had done a lot for Haihan this year, and the people of Haihan would not give up easily. Kill the donkey and do it yourself. Besides, the Haihan people also need an official organization, Shipu Institute, to manage and maintain this area on their behalf. Many things that were not convenient for Haihan to deal with had to be handled by his Qianhu family.
Taking a step back, Haihan really planned to do something to Ma Ling. With just a summons, he would rush to Zhoushan Island to obey his orders. There would be no need to dispatch a fleet to suppress him. So even though the Haihan fleet suddenly appeared in Shipu Port, Ma Ling did not panic. "Ma Ling, a thousand households in the Shipu Institute, is here to see all the leaders!" Ma Ling bowed and clasped his fists, with his body pouted like a shrimp. Although he did not kneel down, his attitude was very respectful. He did not recognize the senior Haihan official at the head, but he did recognize the two "Dignity-class" warships clearly visible at the port pier. He could lead such a large fleet on a voyage. When he got off the ship, he was surrounded by people. The armed men cleared the way. It was obvious that these people had high status. It was always right to call them "chief".
"Ma Qianhu is exempt from the gift." Wang Tom smiled and gave him a little help. Standing next to him was Haihan's clerk in Shipu Port, who had already explained Ma Ling's identity to him. For Ming officials like Ma Ling who chose to join Haihan, Wang Tom would still try his best to appear friendly, which would have some appeasing effect.
"Ma Qianhu, we are going to rest here for a night. You can organize the manpower to arrange a campsite for the fleet personnel."
As soon as Ma Ling saw that he recognized the gentleman who was speaking, he quickly responded: "I obey General Chen's instructions!"
When Chen Yixin was stationed on Zhoushan Island last year, Ma Ling had met him when he went there on business. He knew that the young general named Chen was Haihan's most trusted deputy, Marshal Qian, who led the army. However, when I went to Zhoushan Island two months ago, I didn't see him again.
Ma Ling immediately ordered people to clear out the nearby dock as a night camp for the Haihan fleet personnel, and immediately ordered people to organize supplies to be transported to the dock. If they did not know his identity, Wang Tom and others would probably think that He is a naturalized cadre.
The natural environment and port conditions in the Shipu Port area are actually good. However, Haihan currently focuses its development on Zhoushan, so it has not yet carried out large-scale commercial development of Shipu. At present, the industry here is still mainly based on fishing. Haihan organized manpower to build a small shipyard nearby, specializing in building medium and large fishing boats, and providing corresponding fishing gear, so that fishermen can go to further sea areas to catch fish. group.
For those fishermen with limited financial resources who cannot afford high-end fishing boats, Haihan also provides a variety of cooperation methods. Fishermen can use their household registration, land, houses, etc. as collateral to apply to Haihan for leasing a fishing boat, and then use the proceeds to Profit to pay rent. Daring fishermen can even apply for an installment loan from Haihan Bank to buy an offshore fishing vessel of their own. Although you have to bear some interest for this, the low-interest loans of Haihan Bank are much more lenient than private loans, and are within the affordable range for most fishermen.
This model, which has been operating in Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian and other places for a long time, has also achieved relatively good results in Shipu. In the eight months since Shipu Shipyard was established, more than 40 fishing boats of various types have been delivered to fishermen, and there are still more than 20 unfinished orders. It has not only promoted the development of the local fishery, but also revitalized a shipyard. Haihan does not expect this shipyard to make much profit from fishing boat orders. Being able to use this model to cultivate professional and technical personnel for the Haihan shipbuilding industry is the most important benefit for relevant departments.
Based on Haihan's past operating experience, most of the craftsmen who join the shipyard will decide to naturalize as Haihan within three months to six months, in exchange for higher income and better benefits. Compared with the turbulent Ming Dynasty, Haihan, which can provide stable living conditions, is undoubtedly a very attractive place for civilians. It is easier for craftsmen with special skills to obtain Haihan's native place than ordinary people, so Even in Zhejiang, which is relatively prosperous, many folk craftsmen eventually chose to join the Haihan family.
After Wang Tom landed, he went to the shipyard for inspection. Although he was not an official of the relevant department, the shipyards under Haihan's name would be converted to military use during wartime, so it was appropriate for him, the naval commander, to inspect the work. On the way.
Small shipyards like this, whose main business is building fishing boats, are not found only in Shipu. There is also one on Liuheng Island in the north. The large-scale shipyard that actually builds military ships is located on Zhoushan Island, where Zhang Tiangui's second son Zhang Qianxiang currently serves as the factory director and technical director.
"What does Ma Qianhu think of this shipyard?" Wang Tom casually asked Ma Ling, who was accompanying him on the tour.
Ma Lingxin said that in order to avoid suspicion, I don't dare to hang out here at all. I just think this place is transparent, so I don't have any ideas. However, he was a quick thinker, and after thinking for a moment, he responded: "Since the shipyard was built, more local fishermen have gone to sea, which is beneficial to the national economy and people's livelihood, which is naturally a good thing."
Wang Tom nodded and asked: "I don't know where the usual repair and maintenance of Shipu Qianhu's ships are carried out?"
Ma Lingxin said that after the battle last year, Shipu Suo's warships sank, and even though they were paid, there were only a few unarmed sentry ships left to show off, so there was no repair and maintenance work. He didn't know what Wang Tom meant, so he responded cautiously: "Commander, Shipu Qianhu Station currently only has three sentinel boats. They are rarely dispatched and there is little need to maintain them."
(End of chapter)