Chapter 1900 Li Xi’s suggestion
As long as Li Bo is willing, Tao Donglai can immediately order him to arrange a tour around Haihan, allowing him to slowly think about life during the journey, even for free. For Haihan, if foreign dignitaries like Li Bo are arranged to travel in the country, although the process will be more troublesome, the gains will still far exceed the expenses.
While Li Bo was quietly observing the attitudes of the senior officials of Haihan, the old foxes on the executive committee were also observing the North Korean prince who had just arrived in Sanya without leaving a trace.
Regarding Li Bo's situation, in addition to some information compiled from cultural and historical archives in the early stage, what is more important is the impressions from senior officials from various places, including the Korean front line, after contact with him. Most of the records in historical materials come from the accounts of later generations. Understanding a person through such written records may not be comprehensive and true, but face-to-face contact is different. There are many details that can observe a person's basic character. .
Compared with Li Bo, who grew up in Gyeongbokgung Palace and lived in a very closed environment, senior officials like Haihan who had rich experience in traveling around the country naturally have more power. From the Korean front to Hong Kong, Li Fu's words and deeds in various places he visited along the way, as well as the personal perceptions of officials from various places, had long been sent back to Sanya via telegram, and after being compiled by the intelligence department, a special written report was submitted to the Executive Committee .
According to the analysis of the intelligence department, Li Fu is a young aristocrat with a cautious personality and no airs. But like ordinary young people, Li Fu is also very curious about new things and often takes the initiative to ask questions during visits. . Moreover, according to the report of Hong Kong chief officer Yu Yihan, Li Bo spent a lot of time reading the book "The Rise of the South China Sea" during his stay in Hong Kong, which shows that he had a strong interest in the history of Haihan's rise.
This is a very ideal situation for Haihan. If Li Bo has no interest in Haihan's history, it may be more difficult to make him surrender and worship Haihan. But if Li Pu already has the idea of letting his country follow Haihan in an all-round way, it will be relatively easy to influence him. Therefore, in the report submitted by the intelligence department to the Executive Committee, it was recommended to show Li Bo more of the country's construction achievements in various fields. The more Li Bo realizes the overall gap between the two countries, the easier it will be to influence his position.
Of course Tao Donglai also read this detailed report, so he took the opportunity to recommend a very tempting plan to Li Bo.
Li Pu was really moved when he heard this suggestion, but he still kept in mind that this mission to Haihan was not a tourist trip, and the territory of Haihan was extremely scattered. Three to five to seven months will inevitably greatly reduce the time actually spent studying abroad. Even if you find a study direction that you are really interested in from your travels, the loss of time will be huge. And if you still haven't found the goal, what should you do then?
Li Bo could only politely decline Tao Donglai's proposal, saying that he wanted to calm down and think for a few days before making a choice about future arrangements. Of course, his main reason for wanting to buy some time was to discuss this with Li Xi, who knew Haihan's situation better.
The welcoming banquet held by the Executive Committee was actually easier to deal with than the several stops Li Bo visited on the way. Most of the time, Li Bo introduced these students of his officer to the senior officials of Haihan Kingdom, and then Haihan Senior officials from relevant departments here came forward to offer some words of encouragement. Li Bo only needs to be a spectator most of the time, silently observing the attitude of Haihan senior officials during their speeches, and mentally assessing the importance Haihan attaches to these students.
Of course, with his limited interpersonal communication and political experience, it is difficult to truly understand the position of Haihan's senior officials. However, he has a cautious personality and knows that he is inexperienced and does not take the initiative to interrupt in order to avoid talking too much and making mistakes. In the eyes of others, this is a reflection of his prudent behavior.
But even so, when the banquet ended, Li Bo, who had been highly focused, couldn't help but secretly sweat. Of course, this may also be due to the heavy crown prince dress he is wearing. Although it has already entered winter in North Korea at this time, the temperature in Sanya is still above 20 degrees. If it were not for the banquet, there would be banquets all year round. Li Ming was probably so hot that he was sweating profusely when served the cold drink.
After the banquet, a special carriage was already waiting at the door of the banquet hall. As soon as Li Pu arrived at the embassy, he didn't bother to visit the recently completed building. He summoned Li Xi first, intending to confirm with him his performance at the reception banquet today.
Li Xi's evaluation was simple and clear: "The Crown Prince was calm and steady today, and his performance was excellent!"
After hearing this, Li Pu was still a little unsure: "You're not saying nice words to comfort me, are you?"
Li Xi said seriously: "When I first arrived in Sanya last year, the prince was not as calm as the prince at the reception banquet. When I spoke to Master Tao, his voice was shaking."
Li Bo laughed when he heard this and said: "That Master Tao seems to be quite approachable, why are you so afraid?"
Li Xidao: "Your Majesty, please don't be deceived by Lord Tao's elegant appearance. As far as I know, Haihan's wars over the years were only started after Lord Tao nodded. Although he did not lead troops, But when the Haihan Army fought overseas, it often came from his orders.”
Li Shu suddenly said: "Master Tao is really strategizing, and the decisive battle is thousands of miles away. But the Minister of the Ministry of War... No, it is the Minister of Defense. Isn't there a time when he and Master Tao have disagreements? Then Who should listen to whom at this time? ”
Li Xi explained: "It is said that Mr. Tao also served in the army when he was young. Minister Yan is a comrade with him. Now he has been an official in the same court for many years. There must be a tacit understanding."
Li Xi has stayed in Haihan for such a long time, and the information he has is naturally far better than that of Li Ming, who has just arrived. Although the information he knew about Haihan's senior management was not comprehensive, it was indeed not far from the truth. However, he was still wrong about one thing. The Haihan foreign war was indeed started after Tao Donglai signed it, but Tao Donglai actually signed the combat order on behalf of the Executive Committee, not his personal behavior.
As for Tao Donglai's relationship with Yan Chujie and the Ministry of National Defense, there are not only personal relationships between the two of them, but also some historical reasons. At the beginning, because there were only a limited number of time-travelers with military experience, those who had served in the military held concurrent positions in the Ministry of National Defense, including Tao Donglai.
Although Tao Donglai is in charge of the operations of the Executive Committee, he is not the top leader in the Ministry of National Defense, and he has too many areas in charge, making it difficult to focus on the military field. When the two disagree, Yan Chujie's opinion prevails. , so when it comes to war decisions, Yan Chujie makes more decisions, but these inside stories are not something Li Xi, an outsider, can know.
Li Bo asked again: "Is there anything unfinished about the letter you sent to Hong Kong earlier?" Li Xi nodded and said: "Haihan's spies are very powerful. I'm worried that the secret letter will be intercepted by them on the way. , so I didn’t write anything sensitive, so as not to make the people of Haihan worry. Originally, I wanted to tell the prince that Haihan’s frequent wars with foreign countries this year have cost a lot, and he may find reasons to ask for military expenses from our country, so he must be careful. However, the senior official of Haihan did not mention this matter today, maybe I thought too much.”
Li Xi pushed hard for Haihan to send troops to aid North Korea this year, but North Korea also paid Haihan a huge sum of money as military subsidies for this operation. After Haihan's army arrived in North Korea, in order to make full use of the strategic depth of North Korea's territory to severely damage the Qing army, they took the initiative to withdraw the defense line step by step, lengthening the overall combat time. This also resulted in North Korea having to pay additional payments to Haihan many times. Military subsidies and the national treasury have been completely drained. As a result, among the group of students studying abroad led by Li Shu, many people with financial backers were arranged to jump in.
However, due to limited communication means, it takes at least four or five months for North Korea's own messengers to travel between the two capitals. Therefore, Li Xi, who is in Sanya, is not yet aware of the huge consumption incurred by North Korea during the war and the impact of the two countries after the war. Details of a series of agreements reached. Half of what he knew came from public reports in newspapers, and the other half was informed to him by Haihan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a public-to-public manner. For example, regarding Li Huang's arrangements for going south to Sanya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified him first, so that he could estimate the itinerary and send a letter to Hong Kong in advance to remind Li Huang of some matters that needed attention.
So after Li Pu heard his worries, he could only smile bitterly: "I'm afraid your reminder is a little late."
Li Xi turned pale when he heard this and said, "Have the Haihan people already done this?"
"It won't work if we don't give them money. The Haihan people won't fight if they don't have military spending. Our country has people to ask for, so we can only comply with their requests." Li Ba couldn't help but shook his head and said: "This group of people who came to Haihan to study abroad almost lost their lives. We can’t even raise the funds.”
"This..." Li Xi has stayed in Sanya for a long time, and actually knows that Haihan people are very practical in dealing with things, and you must pay for things with clearly marked prices. When he reached an agreement with Haihan earlier, he actually agreed that North Korea would bear most of the subsequent military expenditures. However, he did not expect that in just a few months, his country would be depleted of its treasury by this war.
Li Xi changed directions and asked: "Then Haihan will station troops in our country in the future. Where will this military expenditure come from?"
Li Ming said: "Haihan has agreed on many cooperation projects with our country, such as mining, salt production, and shipbuilding... At that time, part of the military expenditures borne by our country will also be deducted from the profits of these projects, and perhaps the pressure will not be so great. However, these projects It will take some time to become profitable, I hope we can survive this most difficult period.”
What Li Bo didn't know was that more than a month after he left Seoul, North Korean officials, whose national treasury was depleted, were already facing a funding gap required for the daily operation of state agencies. At this time, it was extremely difficult to rely on active donations from wealthy private businessmen to get through. After all, it is difficult to arrange such fragmented funds in a unified manner, and it is unlikely that the private sector will lend large amounts of funds to the government for long-term use.
The only one who can save North Korea at this critical moment is naturally Haihan, who just emptied the North Korean treasury. However, it is certainly impossible for Haihan to directly return the money that has been pocketed to North Korea. In his usual calculating style, Haihan Bank proposed to North Korean officials to use assets as collateral in exchange for the money provided by Haihan. Emergency Loans.
Of course, Haihan must decide which assets can be used as collateral for loans. However, the high-quality assets that North Korea can now acquire are too limited. It is either real estate and land in Seoul, or it is only the industries that are still under development along the Taedong River.
Cai Jinmei, who had originally returned to Zhoushan, is now rushing from Dinghai Port to Seoul in order to discuss this big project with North Korean officials. After receiving the news, the Executive Committee has already been discussing what kind of benefits it can take advantage of this opportunity to get from North Korea.
Although North Korea managed to survive this year's catastrophe by relying on external military aid, its national economy was almost brought to its knees because of this. Except for the areas in the south that were not directly involved in the war, they were still able to survive, and those in the north that were destroyed by the war were able to survive. Because of the lack of funds and materials, many cities are unable to complete post-war reconstruction work on their own. And once the country's governance offices at all levels are shut down due to lack of operating funds, the impact will be no less than that of a large-scale war.
Li Pu knew that his country was in financial trouble, but he did not expect that the situation was so serious. Although this was not part of Haihan's calculations before the war, Haihan was indeed happy to see such a situation. In the name of aid, he would take advantage of the fire and control as many of North Korea's key industries as possible. For Haihan, it was just right. A good time to start.
However, for Li Pu, there is a more practical problem that is bothering him at the moment, which is the direction of his study abroad in Sanya. As the North Korean who knows Haihan the most, Li Xi is probably the only person who can help him at the moment.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean, you haven't decided what you want to study here yet?" Li Xi was a little surprised when he heard his question and couldn't help but confirm it again. He originally thought that this kind of issue should have been discussed with Haihan before Li Pu set off, but he never thought that the final decision had not been made even in Sanya.
Li Pu nodded and said: "You are familiar with the national culture and people of Haihan. In your opinion, which subject should be studied most appropriately?"
This question really stumped Li Xi. He had never thought that he would choose courses for the prince who came to study abroad. If the prince did not like the courses he recommended, or was not suitable at all, and he failed to study in the future, this responsibility would be Who should bear the responsibility?
"Have the Haihan people given a range of choices?" Li Xi could only try to narrow the range of choices first.
Li Pu responded: "The Haihan people say that you can choose at will without any conditions. I confirmed it to Mr. Tao again at the previous banquet."
(End of chapter)