Chapter 1184 Trade-off of interests
Wang Ji disagreed with Qu Yutong's statement, shook his head and retorted: "My Ming Dynasty and Haihan have not yet formally established diplomatic relations, how can there be talk of high-level intermarriage? Even if Haihan has this idea, the royal family will never agree. Intermarry with such a small barbarian country.”
Qu Yutong thought that if Haihan was a small barbarian country, then what level would it be for our Ming Dynasty to be bullied by them and unable to fight back at home? Of course, you can only think about this in your heart, and it would be disrespectful to say it out loud. At that moment, he still defended himself politely: "It's the official's statement that is wrong. The so-called high-level officials do not specifically refer to the royal family members, but the local dignitaries. As we all know, the Haihan people claim to have crossed the ocean from the east." They came from the sea, and the country they established in the South China Sea was just a branch. There were not many Haihan people with authentic blood among them. These people were all nobles in the Haihan Kingdom in the South China Sea, such as the commander-in-chief of the Haihan Navy whom you met earlier. Tom is one of them.”
"What do you mean, Mr. Qu, to try to bridge the gap between high-ranking officials from this province and high-ranking officials from Haihan?" Wang Ji understood what Qu Yutong meant this time, and said in deep thought: "Your idea is quite interesting, if it can come true. , but it is also a useful attempt. However, the Haihan people are foreign barbarians after all, and the risks of doing this kind of thing are not small. I am afraid that except for businessmen, it is difficult for anyone to take the initiative. "
What Wang Ji said is also true. Higher-level local officials like him and Qu Yutong would not easily bet on their political futures. Marriage with a foreign country like Haihan, who has not yet established formal diplomatic relations, is definitely not a politically correct choice. If there are any recurrences in the relationship between the two countries in the future, this marriage relationship may have a negative impact on the political future at any time. And with Haihan's routine of threatening the city with force at every turn, it is really hard for people to believe that they will behave honestly from now on.
Qu Yutong was silent for a while, then lowered his voice and said to Wang Ji: "I am willing to be the leader for the Ming Dynasty."
Wang Ji couldn't help but change his face when he heard this. Fortunately, they were talking alone in the study room without a third person listening, and no one except Qu Yutong noticed his little gaffe.
"Master Qu, this kind of thing... is not something to be joked about!" Wang Ji still didn't believe that Qu Yutong had such a bold idea: "If you want to try this, have you carefully considered the consequences?"
Qu Yutong said sternly: "Since I raised this matter in front of your Excellency, I have naturally considered the possible consequences. But if this matter can work, in the long run, it will have a great impact on the country and the people." The benefits are great, I think it’s still worth a try.”
Seeing that he was serious, Wang Ji immediately became serious: "Do you know that if there are any mistakes in this, people will say that you are colluding with foreign countries, which will be very detrimental to your official reputation in the future."
Qu Yu Tongxin said that I naturally understand this truth, but how can you understand the strength of Haihan, a big backer, if you haven't gone to Zhoushan to see it with your own eyes. If he hadn't proposed a marriage with Shi Diwen, the chief official of Zhoushan, how could Haihan have trusted him and planned this drama to keep his position as prefect. How ruthless the Haihan people are in doing things can be seen from this bitter plot. Now that you have made up your mind to hold on to Haihan's thigh, you can no longer look forward and backward and regret it temporarily.
Haihan has hinted to him many times that if the Ningbo government is unwilling to cooperate with Haihan's trade and immigration policies, then they may take some unconventional means to ensure that their rights and interests in Zhoushan are not threatened. As for what these unconventional means were, Qu Yutong didn't ask and didn't want to know. In short, as long as the other party was able to keep his official position. Even if this may affect his official reputation in the future, Qu Yutong must continue to implement the established plan. Otherwise, it may not be the loss of his official position, but his foundation in Ningbo will be destroyed by Haihan. Shoveled out by the roots.
In response to Wang Ji's question, Qu Yutong had already made a plan, and immediately responded solemnly: "Sir Wang, Zhoushan was originally under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture, and is now occupied by the Haihan people. If they are dissatisfied, they often make trouble in Zhejiang, making the people unhappy. Ning, how can the official reputation of Xiaguan be any better? It’s better to give it a try. If it works, it can be regarded as fulfilling the responsibility of a parent official. Even if it doesn’t work, at least it can leave some experience for those who come after me.” >
Qu Yutong's words were righteous and awe-inspiring, and he seemed to be an upright official who had risked his life for the country. However, this kind of trick may be useful to deceive the people. It is still a little short of a trick to deceive Wang Ji, a veteran who has been in the officialdom for decades. Skill. Wang Ji did not believe that Qu Yutong's mind could be so simple, or in other words, an official who could reach the position of prefect could not think about problems in such a simple way and in depth.
"Master Qu, there are no outsiders here, and you don't have to act so upright." Wang Ji decided to point out the other party a little more: "The Haihan people are doing business in the area under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture. If they don't pay you tribute, I am determined. I don’t believe it. Mr. Qu, tell me honestly, is your idea of marriage related to the benefits they give you?”
Qu Yutong's heart trembled, and he quickly denied: "The Haihan people did show their kindness, but it has nothing to do with the intermarriage mentioned by Xianguan. If he is greedy for the benefits they give, Xianguan will not take the initiative I applied to negotiate with him, but stayed in Ningbo to live a peaceful life.”
Qu Yutong also knew that if he denied it completely, it would be unreasonable. Haihan had always done things with money and force. This was something everyone knew. They had stayed in Zhoushan for more than a year. If they had not contacted the Ningbo government and had not bribed or given gifts to local officials such as Qu Yu, it would have been impossible. Moreover, since Haihan troops stationed in Zhoushan, they have almost never had a direct conflict with the Ningbo government. Before the Haihan army entered Hangzhou Bay this time, I didn’t hear that they had made any big moves in Ningbo. It’s a bit hard to talk between the two sides. There's nothing fishy about it, it's obviously just lies. So Qu Yutong also accepted the situation, but he would never admit that the idea of marriage was to obtain more benefits from the Haihan people.
The most powerful evidence that Qu Yutong can clear his name is that he negotiated for the Zhejiang government this time. In the eyes of outsiders, including Wang Ji, fortunately Qu Yutong had a deep enough understanding of the situation of the Haihan people that he could grasp the psychology of the other party during the negotiation process and persuade them to abandon military confrontation and negotiate a peaceful agreement. way to resolve the current crisis. Of course, Qu Yutong could choose to stay in Ningbo Mansion and watch the excitement. After all, Haihan rabbits don't eat the grass beside their nests. They made a huge fuss in Hangzhou Mansion, but in Ningbo Mansion, they just passed by like a dragonfly. But he still chose to take the risk and come forward. , this is undoubtedly a move that won Wang Ji's favor.
Sure enough, Qu Yutong's defense was understood by Wang Ji. Wang Ji nodded and said: "I naturally trust you, otherwise I would not have given you full authority to handle the negotiation affairs before. If you really colluded with the Haihan people, , wouldn’t asking you to negotiate be an act of luring a wolf into the house?”
Qu Yutong secretly felt ashamed. The matter was just as Wang Ji had guessed. He and the Haihan people had already discussed a complete set of operation plans, and the whole incident was just a script. Fortunately, his acting skills were good. Although some people questioned him during the process, he finished the whole drama smoothly in the end. However, Qu Yutong also knew that Haihan had no intention of large-scale invasion of the Ming Dynasty, so he was willing to cooperate with Haihan's plan. In his own opinion, it could not be said to be inviting wolves into the house, but at most it was harming the public and enriching private interests. Wang Ji continued: "It is a good thing that you have the intention to serve the country, but there is no precedent for this matter in Zhejiang, so you must be cautious. In my opinion, it is best not to publicize it to the outside world before it is completed. People who know The less the better. If it does happen, try to keep it as low-key as possible to avoid too much gossip.”
Qu Yutong bowed deeply and said, "Your admonition is correct, and your subordinates will definitely keep it in mind."
Wang Ji continued: "Someone mentioned to me earlier that Ningbo Mansion and Haihan are very close, and they are suspected of colluding secretly to seek profit and betray the country. However, Ningbo Mansion has been relatively peaceful in the past two years, and Mr. Qu is in charge of the place. It can be considered that I have tried my best and made no major mistakes. Therefore, I have suppressed this matter and did not report it to the court. Master Qu, you have your own way of governing and the means to deal with the Haihan people. This is not a problem, but you must remember yourself. Because of your identity, don’t do anything disloyal. I think it’s better to be under your control in this Ningbo Mansion. Do your job well and don’t let me down.”
Wang Ji's words were so straightforward that Qu Yutong felt cold sweat break out on his back. Obviously Wang Ji was not ignorant of his movements, but in the end he decided to trust him after considering the stability of the overall situation. Wang Ji probably also understood that even if someone else came to govern in Ningbo, it would not help. Most of them would still be Like Qu Yutong, he became an ambiguous fence-sitter. Since Qu Yutong is still available and he has mastered the communication channels with the Haihan people, there is not much need to replace him.
After hearing these words, Qu Yutong knew that the problem he had been worried about for a long time had finally achieved an ideal result. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked Wang Ji again. He was already planning to wait for Wang Ji. When Ji celebrates his birthday this year, he must prepare a big gift and send it over.
After Wang Tom and Wang Ji signed the peace agreement, the Haihan Army quickly left Hangzhou and returned to Zhoushan Island in the East China Sea by boat. The lower reaches of the Qiantang River, which had been banned from navigation for more than ten days, finally returned to the lively conditions of the Thousand Sail Races. The anxious businessmen and ship owners were finally able to start operating their businesses again.
Just as the city officials held a banquet to celebrate the peaceful resolution of the matter, the sailboat carrying a new batch of Haihan goods had quietly arrived outside Hangzhou. The Haihan Army spent a lot of military expenses during this mission. The Dinghai Port Management Committee also hopes to restore trade to pre-war levels as soon as possible and recover the military expenses consumed during the operation. Because he could accurately grasp the progress of the armistice negotiations, the goods had already been shipped from Zhoushan before the agreement was signed, and the action was not unpleasant.
In addition to profit considerations, there is another reason that prompted Haihan to re-distribute goods so quickly, which is to use this method to build confidence in local partners-as long as the war stops, business can continue. No one can expel Haihan from Zhejiang, not even the government. Moreover, according to the official agreement signed by both parties, in the future, these transactions will change from underground gray nature to legal public transactions. This will undoubtedly save a lot of channel costs for merchants who secretly sell Haihan goods, and they will no longer have to go out specifically for this purpose. Buy the relevant yamen.
Although the armed confrontation between Ming Dynasty and Haihan had just ended for more than half a month, this small-scale war did not seem to affect the enthusiasm of the local business community for Haihan goods. Three ships of goods arrived outside Hangzhou in just Within half a day, it had been evacuated.
Naval trainee officer Pan Yan received the leave granted to him by Wang Tom before the evacuation, so he did not withdraw to Zhoushan with the large army. Instead, he changed into civilian clothes and entered Hangzhou as a merchant.
When Pan Yan entered the city, he took a closer look at the city defenses of Hangzhou. The title of the largest city in the south of the Yangtze River was indeed well-deserved. The city wall was so high and thick that even if it was bombarded with artillery, it would take only ten days and a half to destroy the city wall. . Haihan, because of his elite soldiers, has never advocated forcibly attacking fortified cities. Pan Yan felt that even if he let go of the attack, there was little hope that the Haihan Army could break through Hangzhou City in a short time.
Of course, if Pan Yan knew how Hai Han captured Hue City in Annan, he might not think so. Although the city of Hangzhou is well built, it is not invulnerable. As long as Haihan makes full use of the black technology at hand, it is only a matter of time before he breaks into the city.
After Pan Yan entered the city, he followed the instructions and went straight to a shop called Fengsheng Rice Store on a street in Nancheng. The owner of this shop is Lin Si, the second of the three Lin brothers. It is also one of the intelligence stations of the Haihan Security Department in Hangzhou.
After Pan Yan went through the identity check, he was taken to the backyard to meet Lin Si. During his temporary stay in Hangzhou, he could stay in a guest room at Fengsheng Mihang every day, which was much safer than staying in an inn outside.
Lin Si didn't know Pan Yan before, and didn't know that he came back from the north with Wang Tom. However, Pan Yan's letter of introduction stated that he was a senior military officer with commissioner treatment, so he must be well received. The so-called commissioner treatment refers to senior naturalized cadres who are directly assigned by the local management committee or executive committee to perform official duties at the local level. Although Pan Yan did not become a Haihan nationality, his status as a foreign military cadet secured him the temporary treatment of this commissioner. With this identity, he will have someone to take care of his food, drink, toilet and safety issues during his stay in Hangzhou.
(End of chapter)