Chapter 1421 Mission
In the process of opening up overseas colonies in recent years, it is rare that so many non-military personnel are dispatched to new colonies thousands of miles away at one time. This also shows the importance the Executive Committee attaches to the Liaodong strategy. Even local officials like Zhang Guang, who was already in charge of the administration in Yacheng County, had to temporarily regain their professional skills and put aside their own work to carry out this long-distance field errand.
Of course, Zhang Guang himself may not be opposed to this job. After all, he has never left Hainan Island since time travel and has been living in Yacheng. Nowadays, it is rare to have the opportunity to go out on business to see the great rivers and mountains of this time and space. To a certain extent, I can enjoy this trip to and from Liaodong as a public trip. Although you can only take a sea boat and slowly sail to the north along the way, the advantage is that you have servants serving you all the way. That kind of noble treatment from a master is not something you can enjoy as a small person before time travel.
This group of people are currently on their way to the north from Zhoushan. How much role they can play in Liaodong depends on how they cooperate locally. Although the Executive Committee can also control remotely through the radio, due to differences in information control, it is generally very rare to directly intervene in local affairs in the colony. What's more, one of the people going north this time already has the Executive Committee member Bai Kesi, so he has full authority. Handle some emergencies on behalf of the Executive Committee.
While the Executive Committee was meeting to discuss Liaodong affairs, a group of parties were sitting together on a sailing ship sailing in the East China Sea, discussing the arrangements after going north, and also thinking about it.
As the highest-ranking leader in the team that went to Liaodong, Bai Kesi naturally became the center of this group of people. The weapons and equipment he personally escorted to Liaodong this time have become a hot topic of discussion.
"Mr. Bai, I heard that a lot of new artillery has been put on the front line this time. If it is easy to use, will it be equipped in batches? Can it be given priority to equip the Liaodong garrison? You know, that place is bordering the Houjin territory. If If you are robbed by us, it will be a thorn in your side. I don’t know how many battles we have to fight in a year. We can’t do it without some treasures..." The chatty Shaxi couldn’t stop once he started speaking. He was appointed by the Executive Committee for the Liaodong Colony. The chief administrative officer is naturally most concerned about local defense.
"I'm afraid you are thinking too brightly!" Liu Shanxia, who was standing next to him, shook his head and retorted: "Those wild boar skins are not even good at making guns and cannons. Do you need to use the most advanced weapons to fight them? In my opinion, even if these new weapons are needed The equipment must be given priority to the troops in the South China Sea. The competitors there are Western countries, and they must be suppressed in terms of weapon performance.”
"Although the armed forces of Western countries are closer to ours, they don't dare to fight us!" Sha Xi would not admit defeat easily, and immediately raised his objection: "Count it, Portugal, the Netherlands , Spain, among the countries that have entered the Far East, which one dares to stand up and fight against us? Of course, the best weapons should be deployed where they are really needed, but do we have any opponents in the South China Sea now? "< br>
Portugal had suffered enough in Annan seven years ago, and since then it has taken the initiative to establish diplomatic relations with Haihan. The two sides have maintained close political and economic exchanges for several years and have never had any military conflicts. Today, Portugal has become Haihan's most reliable partner in the Western world. Haihan uses Portugal to obtain trade routes connecting the Western world and information about other Western colonial countries; while Portugal uses Haihan to gain access to the South China Sea and The ports provided by Northeast Asia have made maritime trade flourish, and from time to time, Haihan can use the power of Haihan to suppress competitors who also come from Europe.
As for the Netherlands, they were frightened by Haihan's force and had to lower their heads in order to maintain their qualifications for games in the Far East. Although the Dutch are not as docile and reliable as the Portuguese, given the current international situation, it is indeed unlikely that they will jump out and make trouble for Haihan. After all, the Netherlands does not have many advantages in front of Portugal, a competitor, not to mention that the other party has embraced Haihan's thigh early. If they do not have a good relationship with Haihan, then the Netherlands will probably be able to guard the front line of Java Island. If it survives, it will never reach out to Northeast Asia. This is obviously a situation it cannot accept.
Spain, a die-hard faction, has never had any intention of reconciling with Haihan. Last year, it even sent an armed fleet from Manila to attempt a sneak attack on Sanya. However, after being severely beaten by Haihan, there seemed to be no movement in Manila. Haihan concentrated on concentrating resources to get things done in Liaodong first, and did not want to rush to break up with Spain. He did not declare war or protest to the Manila authorities, but quietly let the matter go. Of course, the mentality in Manila may not be so relaxed. Haihan neither said to fight nor said not to fight, but obviously the problem has been forged, it just depends on when to solve it. As for taking the initiative to start a war with Haihan again, even if the Governor of Manila has this idea, he no longer has enough strength to implement it.
Liu Shanxia reminded: "Don't forget that a group of British guys appeared in the South China Sea last year, and they were not vegetarians."
"Are you talking about the British soldiers who were beaten by Roger on Star Island until they vomited blood?" Sha Xi stretched out a finger and shook it gently: "Obviously the British are not ready to go to war with us at all. You We overestimate their strength. Roger can defeat them with just one battalion, and they are not even a threat to us.”
Liu Shanxia snorted, but stopped arguing with Sha Xi. Perhaps he had realized that it was obviously very difficult to refute Sha Xi with his own eloquence.
However, after Sha Xi gained the upper hand, he did not pursue Liu Shanxia fiercely, but turned back to Bai Kesi: "Mr. Bai, do you think what I said makes sense? Someone like Hou Jin can be ruthless. , the most suitable for practicing new weapons and new tactics. If you have to move this weapon and equipment elsewhere, it may not be useful for a year or a half. Only in Liaodong can you pull out the Houjin Army at any time for target shooting or something. Yes, look how convenient this is!”
Bai Kesi smiled and said: "Are you in charge of civil affairs or diplomacy? You actually think more than me! Let's put it this way, the final testing of new weapons will not be carried out only in Liaodong, and mass production will not be carried out in the near future. It’s something that can be achieved. As for mass equipment, I’m afraid it will still be difficult in two or three years, so don’t think too much about it, it’s all in vain.”
The weapons Haihan Ordnance will send to the Liaodong battlefield for testing this time are mainly artillery. The trial-produced breech-loading rifled gun has relatively high requirements for materials and processes. It is difficult to achieve mass production with Haihan's existing processing capabilities. Produce. Copper cannonballs also consume a lot of copper. At the current stage of Haihan's industrial development, there are many places where copper is needed. Using it to make weapons and ammunition is undoubtedly a less cost-effective option. Since Haihan's existing weapons are already capable of suppressing contemporary enemies, there is really no need to put high-cost advanced weapons into use.
Of course, in line with the principles of military industry research and development of one generation of production, one generation of trial production, one generation of pre-research, and one generation of exploration, the development of new weapons will not stop. There are a large number of weapon drawings and designs in the Haihan database, so it can save a lot of work in the weapon research and development process. As Haihan controls more and more resources, the industrialization process is getting faster and faster. The difficulties in manufacturing technology will be gradually overcome. When more advanced weapons are gradually mass-produced, it will be much easier for Haihan to push the enemy on the battlefield than it is now.
The performance of these weapons in high-latitude operations will naturally be recorded by Haihan Ordnance Industry as a reference for future design improvements. But even if the military wants to equip these advanced equipment that are still in the experimental stage, it must first pass the executive committee. As for a plan like Sha Xi's, even if he is right, it is basically impossible to get the support of the Executive Committee. After all, the Executive Committee needs to consider more comprehensive and long-term things, and Sha Xi only speaks from the perspective of personal preference. Just look at the problem. Sha Xi said disapprovingly: "How can this be a vain idea? It is the mission of each of us to make Haihan develop and grow. Although I am not engaged in the weapons industry, I am always qualified to make suggestions, right?"
Bai Kesi responded: "Speaking of the mission, you'd better take advantage of this time on the road to think about how to carry out the work when you get there. Don't use your mind on irrelevant things."
At this time, Zhang Guang interjected: "I heard that you applied for transfer on your own? Why did you abandon a job that brings you happiness and go to Liaodong to be a bare commander?"
Sha Xi rolled his eyes and said: "Everyone in Guangdong is almost completely bribed by us, so there is no point in staying here. I want to change to a challenging environment. Although Liaodong is far away, But fortunately, the foundation is clean. From now on, the local area will be filled with naturalized residents, so there won’t be so many random people mixed in, and many things will be easier to carry out.”
When Bai Kesi heard this, he couldn't help but glance at Sha Xi. Seeing that his expression didn't seem to be joking like before, he couldn't help but feel slightly moved. Haihan has been operating in Guangdong for several years, and has a good grasp of trade channels and connections, but he still cannot avoid the reality of living and working with the people of the Ming Dynasty. Such a situation will of course bring a lot of resistance to Haihan's governance, and Sha Xi obviously can't stand a situation like this anymore, so he wants to find a place with simple social components and follow his own ideas in peace and quiet. Carry out governance.
Zhang Guang obviously couldn't understand Sha Xi's choice. He shook his head and said: "Mixed living is the norm, and the situation in the Liaodong Peninsula is just an exception. Regardless of your strong fighting spirit now, maybe you will find that when you get there, The leaders of the occupied areas have a lot of troubles.”
"I'm not afraid of trouble." Sha Xi was not moved by Zhang Guang's words and still stubbornly insisted on his opinion: "Old Zhang, you have stayed in the ravine of Yacheng for too long, and you have lost your ambition to make progress. Gone.”
Zhang Guang couldn't laugh or cry and said: "Not everyone wants to be a big shot. I am used to the life in Yacheng. Is this a sign of lack of ambition? Trying to make one's life more comfortable should be regarded as a kind of meaningful persistence. ? It is my mission to manage the county of Yacheng! ”
"When the war in Liaodong is over, Port Arthur should also set up administrative counties, right?" When Sha Xi heard this, his thoughts had already skipped the previous debate and thought of another question: "Then I I will become a county magistrate like you in the future. Do you have any tips you can teach me?”
Zhang Guang did not expect Sha Xi to make such a big turn. He did not react for a moment and asked in confusion: "The secret? What secret?"
"It's the administrative know-how for managing a county." Sha Xi explained: "President Bai just asked me to think about the work on the road. You are the only local official on this boat, so I can only ask you for advice."
Zhang Guangxin said, "You were arguing with me one minute, but you changed your attitude the next minute. The former arrogant and the latter Gong changed their faces very quickly." But in fact, he had wronged Sha Xi. This person was just a chatterer and quick thinker. He was not a capricious person.
However, Zhang Guang was an honest man. Although he complained about Sha Xi in his heart, he still shared his experience and experience in governing Yacheng County for several years for Sha Xi's reference. But he also knew that Sha Xi did not know anything about administrative matters. After staying in the Guangdong Office for so many years, he left his footprints from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. Even if he had never eaten pork, he had always seen pigs running away, so his story That's just the point. Sha Xi has a flexible mind and can naturally understand the key.
The only civil affairs official on the ship who did not participate in the discussion was Gao Huan from the Ministry of Agriculture. However, it was not because he was aloof and unwilling to participate in the discussion, but because he was too busy and had to sort out the items brought out from Sanya during the voyage. He had to buy a large amount of grain seeds and formulate agricultural development and planting plans. These things alone made him unable to get away. He could only work overtime in the cabin, which was far less relaxed than the other uncles.
Seven days after setting off from Zhejiang, the fleet sailed into Shandong waters. The appearance of this huge fleet once again triggered minor riots in coastal counties and counties, and urgent reports were sent to Jinan Prefecture one after another. This can't help but remind people that Haihan had a conflict with Dengzhou officials before winter. Therefore, this huge fleet going north is logically understood as Haihan's upcoming retaliatory measures in Shandong. Otherwise, it seems impossible to explain why. Haihan wanted to mobilize so many armed ships from the south with great fanfare.
Under the careful surveillance of the coastal states, this northward fleet arrived at Zhifu Island in mid-February. This made those who believed that Haihan was about to attack Shandong even more convinced of the war that would break out next.
(End of chapter)