Chapter 1789 The army passes through the border
Shi Diwen actually didn't care that much about the little moves made by some people in Ming Dynasty behind his back, at least not as nervous as Qu Yutong. Haihan has many years of experience in dealing with Jin Yiwei. This kind of spy yamen has no mystery in Haihan's eyes. If it weren't for Qu Yutong's insistence, Shi Diwen would definitely not care about Lin Xing leading the group of Jin Yiwei. Dispose of them all. Anyway, the number of Jin Yiwei who fell into the hands of Haihan over the years has long been beyond Deng Qing's leadership, and he didn't care if he would offend the Jin Yiwei one more time.
As for whether Jin Yiwei's purpose is to deal with Qu Yutong or Hai Han, Shi Diwen believes that the former is more likely. First, because Qu Yutong's sources point to this possibility, and secondly, with Jin Yiwei's strength, he has already It would be difficult to cause more trouble for Haihan, something Jin Yiwei himself must have understood. However, Shi Diwen felt that the possibility of Jin Yiwei trying to remove Qu Yutong from the position of Ningbo magistrate was slim.
When the Haihan Society selected Qu Yutong as a partner, they also conducted a comprehensive review of him. They valued not only his official position, but also his official connections, family background, work ability, political leanings, personality and hobbies, etc. Detailed evaluations were also conducted. As for the subsequent marriage between Shi Diwen and Qu Yutong's family, although it was driven by certain interests, it was also a decision made on this basis. If it were another person, this marriage might not be possible.
It is precisely because of this that Haihan can confidently and boldly invest a lot of resources in the development of infrastructure and commerce in Ningbo and Zhoushan, and assist Qu Yutong in continuing his layout and stabilizing his position and influence in Zhejiang official circles.
Shi Diwen had a close personal relationship with Qu Yutong, and he also knew that the prefect had always wanted to follow the successful path of Fujian Xu Xinsu, and the executive committee had always been willing to support local Ming officials who wanted to cooperate deeply with their country. The greater Qu Yutong's influence in Zhejiang, the more convenience Shi Diwen can get. This is of great benefit to him personally and to the country of Haihan, so Shi Diwen does not care about the public. Privately, I am very happy to invest resources to help Qu Yutong achieve such a goal.
If someone in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty wants to try to depose Qu Yutong and replace him, then unless they can negotiate with Haihan on better terms than they are now, and ensure that Haihan's interests will not be harmed during the transfer of power, Only then would it be possible to gain Haihan's approval. Of course, we must also add the problem of trying to deal with Shi Diwen, which cannot be ignored. Judging from the current situation, unless Qu Yutong is directly killed, it will be difficult for Haihan to give up on him. Jin Yiwei thinks of those troublemakers. Idea, in fact, it will not have much differentiation effect, let alone destroy this cooperative relationship.
Shi Diwen does not believe that there are currently other suitable officials in Zhejiang who can replace Qu Yutong, let alone those from other places. Even if they are transferred, they will not be able to control the operations of Ningbo Prefecture in the short term. Today's Ningbo is no longer left to the Daming family to have the final say a few years ago. Haihan's influence in many industries in Ningbo has given it a certain say. Even many matters need to be discussed with the Ningbo government office in Zhoushan. Officials from other places may not be able to adapt to this new situation for a while.
However, since the situation in Ningbo has been a bit unstable recently, Shi Diwen planned to take advantage of the opportunity of the army to move north through Zhoushan to shock the Zhejiang officialdom and give Qu Yutong some help. But to complete such an operation, in addition to letting Qu Yutong cooperate in Ningbo City, what Shi Diwen needs more is the support from the troops going north. So after meeting with Qu Yutong, he already contacted the people on the way north through the radio Tom Wang of Zhejiang Province explained to him the situation in Zhejiang and his plans.
As for the troops going north, it was originally planned to stop at Dinghai Port in Zhoushan for supplies, which would take at least two days. Wang Tom did not have much objection to Shi Diwen's request. Investigation information sent back from Liaodong showed that the Qing army did not mobilize its troops too frequently in the direction of the Korean Peninsula. However, it is said that it has started collecting this year's grain tax from the people in advance and recruited more than 3,000 civilians. There is a plan to launch a war. initial signs.
After discussing with Qian Tiandun, Wang Tom, who was still on his way north, believed that if the Qing army wanted to prepare for the invasion of North Korea, it would take more time. The troops heading north would definitely have time to arrive in North Korea before the Qing army. In the most ideal situation, there would even be some time to train North Korean troops, so that at least the small number of new troops already equipped with Haihan weapons can master basic firearms tactics.
In late April, military supplies purchased by Haihan officials through various channels in Zhejiang were gradually transported into Ningbo Prefecture, loaded onto the waiting Haihan cargo sailing ship from the dock on the bank of the Yongjiang River outside Ningbo City, and then shipped to Zhoushan. Harbor storage. Perhaps Jin Yiwei realized that his intentions had been exposed, and the problem that had always worried the prefect Qu Yutong finally did not reappear. All kinds of materials, including military rations, arrived in Ningbo in time to complete the delivery.
The two brothers He Xiao and He Li took over most of Haihan's material supply business. However, because it cost a lot to hire the Golden Shield Transport to deliver food before, the profits this time were far less than expected. But the He brothers were more open-minded about this. Fortunately, Lin Xing led the troops to stop the Jinyiwei's actions. Otherwise, with the power they could command, it would be difficult to compete with the Jinyiwei head-on. By the time this batch of grain cannot be transported to Zhoushan in time, the impact will be so great that it cannot be compensated by losing money.
At the end of April, a huge fleet from the south finally entered the waters of Zhejiang. In addition to the main force of the Northern Fleet, this mixed fleet also includes army and navy units that have moved north to defend Zhejiang, Shandong, and Jinzhou, and a logistics and troop transport fleet that is larger than the Northern Fleet. Several Allied fleets went out with Haihan, as well as a large number of merchant ships that followed the fleet northward in order to obtain free escort. The entire fleet stretched for dozens of nautical miles, and the scene was so spectacular that after crossing the Fujian Strait, there were still many good people who prepared their own ships and went out to sea. They followed the fleet for a long distance, which was a rare experience. of wonders.
When entering the Zhejiang waters, the fleet numbered more than 200 large and small sailing ships. There were already some rumors in the Ningbo market that Haihan would make big moves in the Zhejiang waters in the near future. In fact, this kind of news is not made up by idlers, but a means jointly operated by the Ningbo government and the Zhoushan authorities to create a relatively tense atmosphere.
Under Qu Yutong's deliberate arrangement, relevant news quickly spread to coastal state capitals, including Hangzhou. When the Haihan fleet entered Zhoushan Port, these places had already learned of this disturbing news. Although there is no evidence that the Haihan Fleet has bad intentions, it still reminds many people of the Haihan Fleet's deeds when it rushed into Hangzhou Bay and blocked the Qiantang River a few years ago.
Although Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty last year, neither the official nor the private sector in the Ming Dynasty were optimistic about the solidity of this relationship. After all, Haihan's history of fortune began with the occupation of the Ming Dynasty's territory, and it still remains It controls many key areas along the Ming Dynasty's coastline, and has long-term armed forces stationed there, so it can launch an aggressive war against the Ming Dynasty at any time. A few years ago, the Haihan Fleet arrived at the gates of Hangzhou, which fully demonstrated the gap in strength between the two countries' armies. Now that a large-scale Haihan Fleet has arrived off the coast of Zhejiang, people can't help but feel fearful.
The Zhejiang Chief Envoy Department and the Capital Command Envoy Department responded relatively quickly. After receiving the news, they sent officials to Ningbo to confirm Haihan's movements. At the same time, officials such as Wang Yuan, the general magistrate of Hangzhou, who had interests in dealing with Haihan, also began to use their own private channels to obtain more precise information from Haihan. These Ming officials who have interests in Haihan are naturally the group of people who are least willing to see the war break out. Once the two countries go to war, the chain of interest transmission will be interrupted. It is very likely that they will be asked by Haihan to cooperate in the war. The offensive should be coordinated internally and externally. When the time comes, you will be in a dilemma, and you will easily be confused inside and outside. But at this time, even Haihan's staff stationed in Hangzhou City did not know what was happening with the fleet in Zhoushan, so it was difficult to give an accurate answer to these anxious officials at the first time.
On the night when the Haihan fleet entered Zhoushan Port, new news came out. Haihan will hold a maritime military exercise in Hangzhou Bay in a few days. At that time, fleets from multiple countries, including the Fujian Navy, will be jointly dispatched. This exercise is public in nature. Local officials in Zhejiang, regardless of rank, can attend the exercise. However, they need to apply for registration within two days, and then Haihan will make unified arrangements for the visit to avoid being accidentally injured during the exercise.
However, in this news that seems to be released by Haihan officials, there is no mention of whether this military exercise has obtained the consent of Ming Dynasty. It is obvious that Haihan officials have ignored this point intentionally or unintentionally, and We don't plan to wait until Ming Dynasty agrees before arranging this so-called military exercise. This made the local officials who received the news quite angry, but also felt a little helpless.
Regardless of whether Haihan's military exercise was just an excuse to launch a war, it was obviously an insult to Ming Dynasty. As for the involvement of the Fujian Navy in this arrangement, it was a slap in the face to the Zhejiang Ming Army. Of course, the Ming Dynasty could justly reject Haihan's military exercise arrangements, and even ask Haihan armed ships not to sail into Hangzhou Bay, but everyone knows very well that most of these requests to the Haihan people will not receive a response. , will only be ignored in the end.
There are also clear-minded people who have thought about some questions. Why did Haihan choose to hold a maritime military exercise at this time in Zhejiang, thousands of miles away from his homeland? Who is this military exercise for and what is it trying to achieve? For this purpose, after the military exercise, this huge fleet will be stationed in Zhoushan, or will it break camp and leave for other places. Of course, no matter what the Haihan people do here, Ningbo Prefecture, which is closest to Zhoushan, should be the first to bear the brunt, so Hangzhou can wait and see for a few more days to adjust its response strategy.
The big shots in Hangzhou didn't know that the magistrate of Ningbo Prefecture was no longer in the city. Instead, he secretly left the city and crossed the sea to Zhoushan to attend the reception dinner hosted by Shi Diwen for the officers of the fleet heading north.
As a participant in this plan, Qu Yutong is naturally not as anxious as others. In fact, he is very satisfied with the current progress and the impact. The more panic in Zhejiang official circles, the more it highlights the influence of him as the prefect of Ningbo. Important role in diplomatic mediation with Haihan.
Before Qu Yutong set out for Zhoushan, he had already received official letters from people from several nearby prefectures. The purpose was all the same, which was to find out what the Haihan people wanted to do in Zhejiang this time. There is unavoidable anxiety that cannot be concealed between the lines. However, when Qu Yutong saw these official letters, he felt very happy in his heart. He knew that soon there should be several official letters sent to the prefecture's Yamen from Hangzhou, but he was not anxious about it at all, letting those in Hangzhou city The officials spent a sleepless night, presumably giving them a clearer idea of who could negotiate with Haihan.
Of course, Qu Yutong did not come to Zhoushan empty-handed. Shi Diwen actually used such a big move as a maritime military exercise this time, which Qu Yutong and his colleagues had never expected before. However, since Haihan wants to dispatch a fleet to build momentum for himself, Ningbo Prefecture will more or less bear part of the cost. Although it will be a bit painful, for the sake of his future, Qu Yutong has to grit his teeth in front of Haihan's senior officials. Just have to show something.
"You leaders have come a long way, worked hard all the way at sea, and will have to conduct local military exercises next. As a landlord, I have prepared a few small gifts for the labor of the army. I hope you will not find it objectionable." Qu Yutong said softly. After clapping his hands, He Xiao, who was standing behind him, immediately stepped forward and handed a gift list to Shi Diwen with both hands.
Shi Diwen opened the gift list and looked at it, then handed it to Wang Tom next to him for circulation. In addition to the personal gifts given to the senior officials of Haihan present, the most important contents of the gift list were the 10,000 taels of silver and 50,000 jins of grain presented in the name of the labor force.
"Master Qu is so polite, how dare you spend so much money!" Seeing that Qu Yutong was such a good person, Shi Diwen cooperated and started a business model: "If everyone in Ming Dynasty was as smart as Master Qu, With local officials who understand the importance of importance, the relationship between our two countries will definitely be more harmonious than it is now!”
Wang Tom smiled and said nothing after reading the gift list. In fact, the so-called military exercise is also in line with the trend. Originally, the coalition fleet was formed in a hurry. It needs to be adjusted on the way. When it sets off from Zhoushan Port and heads north, it will take a turn in Hangzhou Bay. , fire a few cannons to scare the Zhejiang officialdom, and the military exercise will be considered completed.
(End of chapter)