Chapter 1470 Northern Route (3)
He Li had never been to Shandong before. If it hadn't been for this accidental mistake, he probably wouldn't have had many opportunities to come to such a distant place in the rest of his life. However, it was already getting warmer in spring in the north, and since they were all coastal areas, the climate was not much different from that of Ningbo. He Li and his sailors did not feel any discomfort after entering Shandong waters.
However, when they sailed into Zhifu Port, He Li and the sailors couldn't help but sigh at the sight before them. Two thousand miles away from Zhejiang in the north, everyone thinks this is the important place of Ming Dynasty coastal defense that guards the waterway in and out of the Bohai Sea. However, a port with a distinct Hai-Han architectural style like Zhoushan Dinghai Port appears in front of them, which creates a great visual impact. It's really not small. It seems that the rumors that Haihan has conquered a territory in Shandong are not false, otherwise there would not be such a calm environment to build a large port.
He Li spent time on the dock of Dinghai Port a few days ago. Although he didn't learn any military secrets, he learned a lot about Haihan's standards for building ports. Although the port called Zhifu Port is not as large as Zhoushan Dinghai Port , but it is by no means comparable to the ordinary ports in the coastal capital of Ming Dynasty. Looking at the tall cranes lined up along the shore and the rail trucks used to transport bulk cargo, you can tell that Haihan has invested considerable funds and manpower here. The function of this built port is by no means just for ships passing by to replenish supplies.
After the fleet docked, in addition to representatives of the Haihan Military and the Ministry of Shipping waiting on the shore, He Li was also shocked to see a flag with the words "Fushan Inspection Department" flying at the door of a house on the dock. Of course he would not think that the local government could really surrender Haihan and bring the port under its control. This was naturally a trick of the Haihan people.
He Li couldn't help but secretly thought that the Haihan people really knew how to operate, and even put the signboard of the government agency on the pier. This would minimize the doubts about the ownership of this place, and at the same time, it would also make Ming, who came here for the first time like himself, People relax their guard. But thinking about it on the other hand, it is obvious that the Haihan people can even drive the inspection department to do this, which shows their great influence in the local area. The government here can swallow their anger, either because they have received enough benefits, or they have been taught so much that they dare not make mistakes.
He Li's idea is not very different from the facts. Fushan County, as the first area where Haihan landed in Shandong, has been penetrated most thoroughly. The local government has already acquiesced to Haihan's various local privileges, including mining and construction. He turned a blind eye to such actions as roads and immigration, and naturally he did not care about the scale of the port on Zhifu Island. Anyone who dared to go against Haihan in Fushan County was almost dead by this time. Even if most locals didn't want to be attached to Haihan, they certainly didn't want to provoke this big devil.
As for the dispensable security agency like the Inspection Department, since the Haihan people are willing to pay to maintain it, the county government will naturally not object. The Inspection Department does not need to do anything specific, as long as Just put up a signboard here at Zhifu Port. The county government can at least use it as a channel for communication between the two parties, and there is no telling when it will come in handy.
For Haihan, spending a small amount of money to buy the sign of the Inspection Department for his own use was a very cost-effective deal. Moreover, the positive effect that retaining the Inspection Department can play on the security situation in the colonies is a conclusion reached after years of practice and verification in the South. The existence of this security agency may be more effective than the rifles of the Haihan Army for those immigrants who have just arrived in the Ming Dynasty. Even He Li and his group of people from the south would have the illusion that this place was still under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty after seeing the sign of the Inspection Department.
Of course, in the team that was handing over to He Li and others on the dock, no one from the Inspection Department showed up in the end. He Li couldn't help but think that maybe the sign was really just a sign, even if the Inspection Department really needed to show up. In this situation, the Haihan soldiers might actually do it for them, and at most they would just change their uniforms. Ordinary people wouldn't have the guts to ask for verification of the other party's identity anyway.
The official of the Ministry of Shipping who was responsible for receiving them announced to them expressionlessly that this place was a military controlled area. All non-military personnel in the fleet were not allowed to leave the dock area at will. If discovered, they would be investigated and dealt with confidentially. This decision greatly disappointed the sailors who were originally planning to relax here. They had already discussed in twos and threes that after landing in Shandong, they would find a place to have a good drink, and then see where there were good-looking girls. Everyone took the time to get there. Solve all the problems that need to be solved, and then set off for Liaodong, which is said to be desolate and inhabited.
Although He Li didn't have a lot of tricks up his sleeve, he really wanted to wander around Zhifu Island and see how big a scene Haihan had created here. But with this ban, he was also included in the list of people who were prohibited from going out, so naturally he could no longer get what he wanted.
Fortunately, officials immediately announced several remedial measures, such as a limited supply of alcohol to the sailors, and they would still enjoy the same remuneration as going to sea during their rest here, etc., which made the sailors' mood slightly better. However, for He Li, these measures are better than nothing. He is not greedy for drinking, and as a ship owner, he does not care so much about the settlement of personal remuneration for a few days. But being locked up on the dock and unable to go anywhere is really uncomfortable. Originally, the space for movement on the ship was very limited. Unexpectedly, after setting foot on land, the space for movement was only slightly larger.
It was not until the reception dinner jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Shipping for the carriers in the evening that He Li finally got the good news. Haihan officials will organize carriers and ship owners to visit Haihan's construction achievements in Fushan County tomorrow. Although it is an officially arranged itinerary, it is estimated that there will be no free movement, but it is better than being trapped on the dock with no way to go anywhere. Therefore, the carriers including He Li were very excited after hearing the news and whispered among themselves. Talk about the places you might go.
He Li also knew little about Haihan's business operations in Shandong, but he believed that since Haihan was said to have occupied a county, according to his usual strategy in the south, he must have built many plantations locally. Since Haihan officials are going to arrange tours, they will inevitably be dragged to visit several plantations.
This transport fleet from the south will stay at Zhifu Port for two days. During this period, some goods will be unloaded from the ship and kept locally. Then some local goods will also be loaded onto ships and shipped to Liaodong. All the goods on He Li's ship were destined for Liaodong. Therefore, in addition to replenishing fresh food and fresh water on the ship in the past two days, there were only some minor repairs. He did not need to keep an eye on the ship in person. An An followed the official to visit with peace of mind. However, it was not until the time of unloading that He Li discovered that the fleet was actually shipping a large amount of coal to Shandong. He didn't quite understand why the Haihan people would transport coal to Shandong in early spring. Logically speaking, the season for burning coal for heating had already passed. Even if it were to be sold, this thing might not fetch a high price in Shandong. And it seems that the coal will not be completely unloaded here, and some of it will be left for shipment to the next station.
Out of caution, He Li did not bother to inquire about the origins of these coals. He thought that maybe he could find some relevant clues during the next visit. Regarding the establishment of a ruling area in a war-torn place like Shandong, He Li was also curious about what kind of business strategies the calculating Haihan people used to achieve profits. As for the possibility of losing money, He Li didn't consider it at all. He didn't think that the shrewd Haihan people would go to such a far place to do business at a loss.
The next day, He Li and others boarded several covered carriages arranged by the Ministry of Commerce at the pier and traveled south from Zhifu Island along the sandbar connecting the mainland. Since his line of sight was not blocked by anything, He Li could clearly see the fortifications across the entire sandbank. This defense line consisting of countless barbed wire fences, trenches, roadblocks, bastions, bunkers, and forts looked heavily fortified, and it was obvious who it was guarding against. From this, He Li also realized that although the Haihan people dominated the local area, they still left a way out for him. If necessary, he could just retreat to the island and defend it. It would be difficult for the Ming army to break through this narrow sandbank with the ability of the Ming army. aisle.
As expected by He Li, after entering the inland, the Haihan people first arranged for them to visit two nearby plantations, take a quick look at the local food planting situation, and then got in the car and set off. He Li was not surprised that Haihan promoted food cultivation locally instead of cash crops. In places like Shandong that have experienced war, food is the most important material for the people. Even if you have money during the war, you may not be able to buy food. , so even though it was already in a peaceful stage at this time, people still valued food reserves much more than getting rich. Therefore, the collective farms and plantations operated by Haihan in Fushan County also relied on rice, wheat, Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and other food crops are the main crops.
From this, He Li could also deduce a further conclusion. The food produced locally by Haihan was not enough to supply Liaodong's needs, so a large amount of food still needed to be transported from the south. However, if agricultural development in Liaodong can be implemented smoothly in the future, the need for support from the south will not last long.
Then the convoy went all the way to the upper reaches of Jiahe River. After crossing the river, they saw the county seat in the distance. When He Lizheng was wondering why the Haihan people wanted to take him to see the county seat, he found that the convoy was really going straight to the county seat. However, there was no obstruction at the city gate, and the convoy drove directly into the city. Seeing the Haihan convoy entering and exiting the county so freely, He Li couldn't help but secretly sigh that the county was probably just an empty shell left. Even if the county government was still there, this place could not be considered under the Ming Dynasty.
The second stop that Haihan officials took them to was actually the Fushan County government office, and the county magistrate Zhang Pucheng personally received these southern businessmen who came to Fushan County for the first time.
After He Li sat and drank tea for a while, he realized that it was official Haihan who had brought his group to pay homage to the pier. Although the magistrate was probably just a clay Bodhisattva-like symbol, Haihan still made every effort to show off and even prepared a gift list for the magistrate in advance. The smile on He Li's face when he took a peek at him when he received the gift didn't look fake. It seemed that the gift note was genuine and not adulterated.
After the two sides chatted for a while, the magistrate Zhang cleared his throat and got down to business: "You are all wealthy businessmen in the south. Now you are willing to work tirelessly to build a trade route between Shandong and Zhejiang to help Fushan County. I am deeply pleased that the people have rebuilt their homes, and I would like to thank you all on behalf of the local folks!”
Everyone immediately said that they didn't want to take it seriously. He Lixin said that we were obviously helping the Haihan people to run errands and transport goods, but how could we be here to help the people of Shandong rebuild their homes? The magistrate's ability to tell lies with his eyes open is very good.
Zhang Pucheng continued: "You may be a little surprised that Fushan County can tolerate the existence of Haihan. To be honest, before Haihan came here, the local area had been troubled by war for a long time. Bandits were everywhere and harmed the people. The people were displaced. The countryside was abandoned. Although the imperial court also made a decree to rebuild Dengzhou, it was ineffective and had no practical results. It was not until the arrival of Haihan that the bandits were eliminated, refugees were helped, crops were planted, bridges and roads were built, and the scene of Fushan County was restored. Change. You may have noticed when you entered the city that the county does not need to be fortified at all. This is also thanks to Haihan. Although the city does not dare to say that people will not pick up items at night, but at least there is no need to worry about thieves in Fushan County. All of them have been sent to work as coolies in the mines. Now no one dares to commit trouble easily. As long as the local weather is good and everything is peaceful, the county can certainly coexist peacefully with Haihan. If we really want to confront Haihan, we will have to rekindle the war. , what other results could there be?”
After He Li thought about this passage carefully, he had to admit that the county magistrate was indeed a person who understood current affairs. His "compromise" seemed to have caused damage to the interests of the Ming Dynasty, but it may not have harmed the local people. It's a bad thing. At least from what I saw during this trip, there was no dissatisfaction among the people working in the fields for the Haihan people. The imperial court could not give them an environment like peace, but the Haihan people did it, so they naturally accepted the rule of the Haihan people. Anyway, the Haihan people will not ask them to rebel. How they lived in the past is still the same now, so who would be willing to jump out and oppose the existence of Haihan? Even if there were, this kind of sound would definitely not appear in Fushan County.
He Li felt that Haihan's influence here was even greater than in Ningbo. At least it was impossible for Magistrate Qu to say such heartfelt words in front of outsiders. Of course, maybe it's also because Zhang Zhixian's official position is humble and he doesn't have as many things to worry about as the prefect.
(End of chapter)