Chapter 1791 Hangzhou Bay Military Exercise
This routine of providing money and food to ensure peace is not new to these local gentry and celebrities. Before the Haihan people came to Zhejiang, the local government and the garrison would perform similar operations every year. Over a long period of time, everyone has a tacit understanding with each other, and the protection fees are paid in place. For some things that are not so legal, such as the smuggling trade with the Haihan people, the government will turn a blind eye and pretend to be ignorant.
However, taking the initiative to pay protection fees to Haihan is not that common in the local area. In order to maintain the relationship with Haihan, most of the local wealthy businessmen had to do it privately and independently. There had never been such a practice where the prefect's Yamen took the lead and everyone contributed money and food to join in the effort. According to the prefect Qu Yutong, this is also done to save everyone trouble, worry and money, and there is no need to worry about things not being done, or that Haihan will treat one thing favorably after receiving the things - anyone who contributes money and food will have a dedicated Register and Haihan will receive the roster.
The prefect has already taken the lead, but who among the attendees has the courage to refuse this arrangement? So no matter whether everyone was really happy or not, at least there was an atmosphere of enthusiastic donation at the banquet. In just one meal, more than 40 invited upper-class people pledged money and food, which far exceeded the amount Qu Yutong had previously donated to Haihan in his own name.
For these local celebrities, donating money and food is not a big problem. After all, the benefits they get from the various transnational trades led by Haihan are far more than the amount of donations. The main thing they need to consider is to do so. The rewards that can be obtained in the future, and whether he will be held accountable by the Ming Dynasty officials for this. Qu Yutong's endorsement undoubtedly dispelled their concerns. As for the rewards they can get, it depends on the amount of their donation.
Taking advantage of the fact that Shi Diwen, a senior official of Haihan, is also present, those who want to earn performance will naturally grit their teeth and donate a large amount, hoping to leave a deep impression on the senior official of Haihan, and go to Zhoushan to participate in activities such as investment fairs next time. , maybe you can get some special care.
Qu Yutong basically covered the cost of Haihan's military exercise with this meal. This performance also made Shi Diwen greatly admired. In front of many local celebrities, he praised Qu Yutong for his hard work and success. Ningbo Prefecture has managed to become a paradise. In the future, the trade between the two countries will also need to be vigorously maintained by Qu Zhifu, which gives Qu Yutong enough face.
The news that Qu Yutong came forward to organize this event spread the next day, and the originally uneasy public sentiment in Ningbo Mansion immediately became much calmer. As long as it was clear that the Haihan Army would not use force against Ningbo, the people quickly returned to normal living conditions. Today, at least thousands of people in Ningbo Prefecture make a living by importing and exporting trade with Haihan. People are very concerned about whether the relationship between the two countries can maintain the peaceful status quo. Even a slight disturbance may affect their jobs. Yu Tong invited senior officials from Haihan to Ningbo to give the people this reassurance, which naturally won praise from the people.
The city of Hangzhou, three hundred miles away from Ningbo, also received the latest news from the front the next day. Although many officials were disdainful of Qu Yutong's actions and thought it was a deliberate attempt to flatter the Haihan people, they could just think about it in their hearts. No one dared to publicly say that there was something wrong with Qu Yutong's approach. , after all, if Qu Yutong were to let go in order to avoid suspicion, no one would dare to take the blame for what the Haihan people would do next.
Nowadays, there are many officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang who are secretly colluding with Haihan to seek benefits, but there are only a few people who can actually sit down and negotiate with Haihan on the table. Qu Yutong is probably the number one person recognized in Jiangsu and Zhejiang officialdom. . Although many people covet Qu Yutong's position because he has gained a lot of benefits, few people think that they can properly handle the relationship with the Haihan people after taking his place. In terms of dealing with the Haihan people, currently, There is indeed no one in Jiangsu and Zhejiang official circles who can do better than Qu Yutong.
The two yamen of Zhejiang Capital Command and Chief Envoys breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the news. The news returned from Ningbo basically convinced senior officials that there would be no war in the future. As for the Haihan Army, Although the military exercise in Hangzhou Bay was not submitted to the Zhejiang government for approval, no one dared to find fault with it, lest it cause further trouble and offend the Haihan people.
News from Ningbo Prefecture stated that in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings caused by this military exercise, Haihan will disclose the entire military exercise process to officials. As long as he arrives in Ningbo before the day after tomorrow, someone will arrange registration and reception there. , going to sea and other matters, even seventh-level county magistrates, or even promotions from the ninth-level salt class, as long as the Guayuan has a formal establishment in the government, can go to the local area to observe this military exercise.
This news seemed to be a manifestation of Haihan's aboveboard behavior, but the veterans in the officialdom still noticed something else in it.
Regardless of the feelings of the Zhejiang officials, Haihan just did the military exercises in Hangzhou Bay. He also specially invited officials from all over Zhejiang to observe the exercises. His purpose was not only to reassure Zhejiang officials, but also to clearly show off his force. But this kind of invitation cannot be completely ignored. Otherwise, if the Haihan people feel that they have been treated with disdain, they may expand the scope of the military exercise from Hangzhou Bay to the Qiantang River. They must be familiar with doing this kind of thing, and the city of Hangzhou The senior officials here did not want the scene of Haihan's troops approaching the city to happen again in a few years.
To put it bluntly, the three government offices did not send anyone to go, and there was no way to completely prohibit the state and county officials below from sneaking out to watch the excitement. Especially in Ningbo, Jiaxing, and Shaoxing, which are adjacent to Hangzhou Bay, local officials have more or less entangled interests with Haihan, and it is very likely that they will take a private trip to Hangzhou Bay on their own initiative.
Therefore, no matter what the consideration is, the Sansi Yamen who received the news must send representatives to the local area. The Chief Envoy Department sent a counselor from the fourth rank, the Provincial Envoy Department went directly to the deputy envoy from the fourth rank, and the Capital Command Envoy Department sent a command officer from the fourth rank. After some calculations by several senior officials at the Hangzhou government office, they finally let Wang Yuan, the general judge who had a close relationship with Haihan, go to Ningbo. As for the Linshan Guard, Guanhai Guard, Haining Guard, Changguo Guard and other coastal guard stations, even if the commander did not go out personally, he at least sent his deputies to Ningbo.
Perhaps it was because the invisible pressure exerted by Haihan was strong enough that Zhejiang officials reacted very quickly in the past few days. The overall operating efficiency was many times higher than usual. Riders rushing to deliver news on the official road came and went very frequently. Between Hangzhou and Ningbo, The post stations in Yuyao, Shangyu, Keqiao, Xiaoshan and other places in the period have almost reached the wartime operation level to ensure that messages can be transmitted in time among various states.
Two days later, the troops heading north had completed their planned supplies and rest at Dinghai Port and began to set off according to the original plan. Before this huge fleet continues to move north, it must first go around Hangzhou Bay to complete the maritime military exercises that have already caused a stir in Zhejiang.
Several large fortune ships organized by Ningbo officials carrying officials from various places also departed from the dock at the mouth of the Yongjiang River and sailed into Hangzhou Bay almost at the same time. According to the agreement with Haihan, these ships will accompany the Haihan fleet to observe this large-scale maritime military exercise. But in addition to the officially organized observation groups, there are also quite a few private ships coming from places like Ningbo and Jiaxing to join in the fun. Although most of the owners of these private ships have not received an invitation from Haihan, since Haihan has declared that this military exercise will not set foot on land, and there are no hostile measures against the Ming Dynasty, then the good guys will naturally find ways to do so. Come out to sea to catch the excitement.
After setting off from Zhoushan Port, the Haihan Fleet sailed westward through the channel between Jintang Island and Cezi Island and entered Hangzhou Bay. Due to the large scale of the fleet, Wang Tom specifically ordered the ships to be distanced for safety reasons. More than two hundred sailing ships formed a team of ten nautical miles on the sea, allowing the busybodies who came to watch the excitement to stay away from each other. can be identified.
The destination of today's military exercise is Yehuangpan Island located in Hangzhou Bay. This small island is about 30 nautical miles away from Zhoushan. The island is uninhabited. It is an island that Shi Diwen has long been optimistic about for training the navy. Everywhere. This time, the navy also sent a ship two days in advance to clean up the island and confirm that no fishermen were living on the island to avoid accidental injuries caused by fishermen breaking in during the military exercise.
Regarding the content of the military exercises, Wang Tom basically planned, arranged and directed them personally. Of course, he didn't plan to spend any more time coming up with anything new. He just copied the routines from the previous military exercise in Sanya, omitting content that laymen couldn't understand, such as formation changes at sea, and highlighting the fleet's firepower advantage. , using Yehuangpan Island as a bombardment target to demonstrate the combat effectiveness of the Haihan Fleet. This should have the most intuitive deterrent effect for local civilian officials who do not know much about military affairs.
The actual situation is just as Wang Tom planned. After seeing this huge fleet reveal its true identity, it is difficult for anyone to maintain a stable mentality. Under special arrangements, several ships carrying officials were allowed to approach the two Majesty-class warships during their journey, allowing the passengers on board to see the densely packed gun windows on the sides at close range.
After about a stick of incense, the two Majesty-class battleships blew their whistles one after another, and then saw waves rising from the stern of the ship. They quickly speeded up and threw away the sailboat on which the officials were riding. On the deck, personnel arranged by the Haihan military explained to the officials that this was the unique "steam propulsion system" of the Haihan warship, which could reach a speed more than twice that of ordinary sail warships.
Although the officials couldn't quite understand what this "steam propulsion system" was, its actual effectiveness was obvious. The superhuman speed alone was enough to make the enemies it fought despair of. Many people recalled the days when the Haihan fleet blocked the Qiantang River a few years ago. Fortunately, they did not summon all the naval forces in Zhejiang to fight against the Haihan people. If they really wanted to fight at sea, they might not even be able to reach the other side's borders. Can't touch it a few times.
The fleet arrived in the waters near Yehuangpan Island, and a red flare was fired from the flagship, indicating that the military exercise has entered the next stage, which is to demonstrate the fleet's ability to launch attacks from sea to land. The fleet formed a formation and circled from the west side of Yehuangpan Island. The warships passing the island used port-side naval guns to bombard the island shore.
The scene of dozens of warships bombarding such a small island one after another is undoubtedly very exciting for these spectators. Whether they are civil servants who have never set foot on the battlefield or military attachés who have been away from the battlefield for a long time, in addition to the excitement of their hearts amidst the rumbling cannons, Besides, I can't help but feel a little frightened. There is no other such powerful force in their knowledge. As for how many kilograms their own navy weighs, most of them know in their hearts that they will never be able to compare with the Haihan Navy.
Some officials couldn't help but sigh: "The Haihan Army is so powerful, no wonder it can dominate the South China Sea!"
Other officials beside him said sourly: "I'm afraid that the small South China Sea can no longer accommodate Haihan. Who can stop them in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea in the north?"
Although this view is suspected of sowing tension between the two countries, it does speak to the current situation. Haihan's control over the sea is difficult for other countries in East Asia to catch up with, and Haihan itself will not limit its control area to the South China Sea. The entire western Pacific region is actually Haihan's next target. If it weren't for the limited military strength, the place where Wang Tom wanted to station troops was not just North Korea. From the Korean Peninsula all the way north to the Bering Strait, these were the conquering goals that Wang Tom had set for the navy.
Of course, it will take some time for this long-term goal to be realized. Controlling the Haihan Line of the Ming Dynasty is the current more practical goal of the Haihan Navy. For example, Hangzhou Bay, a chokepoint to the sea in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, must be under the control of Haihan. If this ambition has not been fully put on the table before, then after today's military exercise, the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang officialdom should Everyone realizes this very quickly. Officials with high understanding can already feel Haihan's purpose at that moment.
Several other participants in the combined fleet also sent armed ships to join the bombardment of Yehuangpan Island. It is worth mentioning that many warships from Annan and Fujian are exploration-class warships provided by Haihan. They are almost identical in appearance to the same-class warships of the Haihan fleet, except for the flags hanging on the masts. their respective belongings. Portugal's Western-style sailing ships are very eye-catching in the queue. Even civil servants who are not familiar with military affairs can see the difference between these ships and the Haihan battleships.
After hundreds of artillery shells were fired on the island, the military exercise came to an end. Originally, this exercise plan also included an amphibious landing, but Wang Tom did not plan to spend more time here, so he decisively ended the military exercise after shelling the uninhabited island, and then the fleet left Hangzhou Bay and headed north directly.
(End of chapter)