Chapter 2428
Although Haihan is currently trying every means to continue the rule of the Ming Dynasty, the reason for doing so is mainly due to the needs of his own development. If the Ming Dynasty falls too fast like in history, then Haihan may not have time to fully accept this legacy. , it is almost inevitable that the world will be in chaos. The wars that will be triggered may last for several years in some areas, and Haihan, who has been dragged into the quagmire of the war, will also be greatly slowed down in its development. These are foreseeable situations. Travelers from the future Naturally, we have to find ways to avoid it.
If we look at it from a long-term perspective, Haihan's development trend is of course to replace the Ming Dynasty and become a new generation of East Asian hegemon. Whether he inherits a nearly complete country or a ruins filled with smoke and fire, then it depends on Haihan's own choice. . With Haihan's current military strength, it is not difficult to defeat the Ming Dynasty in the coastal areas, and even occupy several coastal provinces. But the problem is that this will break the balance between the two countries, and Haihan will lose the most. resource production areas and sales markets, and provided opportunities for the Qing army in the north to take advantage of the situation. This was not a situation the Executive Committee was happy to see.
Shi Diwen also agreed with the long-term strategy of developing first and then taking action. However, he was not willing to just be a warlord who established a separate empire overseas. For him, although the day of conquering the mainland was still far away, the preparations for war began when he stationed in Zhoushan. That day had already begun.
The Zhoushan area has a unique geographical advantage. Shi Diwen can obtain a large amount of funds needed to develop military power through international trade, and has all kinds of resources including manpower. Although it is not convenient to start a war with the Ming Dynasty at the moment, the expansion of garrison establishment, new warships, and even various preparation methods including espionage have been carried out quietly.
Some of these were reported by Shi Diwen on his own initiative and the executive committee was also aware of the progress. There were also some cases where Shi Diwen acted on his own initiative and carried out secretly. For example, the preparations for war mentioned by Shi Diwen just now have not been mentioned in detail in official documents.
But out of trust in Shi Diwen, Tao Donglai did not immediately ask him what other preparation measures he had taken. Since Shi Diwen is focusing on the overall situation, he believes that the other party should be very clear about what can and cannot be done. However, the construction of the Warrior-class sailboat in Zhoushan involves many aspects, and Tao Donglai cannot agree to him at the moment.
"I will discuss the shipbuilding matter with various departments after I finish my work and return to Sanya." Seeing that the front was approaching Shi Diwen's station, Tao Donglai dealt with his request first.
Shi Diwen also knew that this matter could not be urgent. He had been waiting for several years, and he did not care to wait for another three to five months. Since Tao Donglai agreed to help coordinate with various departments, it means that there should be room for maneuver in this matter. Anyway, Tao Donglai will stay in Zhoushan for a few days, and he can find a suitable time to discuss the details later. If there are any expenses or the like, Shi Diwen can make arrangements in advance.
Considering that Tao Donglai's itinerary required confidentiality, Shi Diwen did not arrange for local civil and military officials to be present to greet his arrival. Even the Feng Feng Banquet was private. Only Shi Diwen's family and a few close associates were present. The scene was slightly Seems deserted.
Of course, Shi Diwen still had to explain the whole story to Tao Dong to prevent him from worrying too much. However, Tao Donglai was very satisfied with this relatively simple family atmosphere. Speaking of his previous visit to Zhangzhou, he had to deal with various banquets from the Xu family every day. Several Haihan officials from the local office had to serve him in those days. When it came to drinking, everyone drank heavily. He himself almost suffered from gastroenteritis due to drinking, which was really not a good experience.
"Next time someone from the Xu family comes to Zhoushan, I will avenge Mr. Tao!" Shi Diwen was amused, but he immediately expressed his support for Tao Donglai. The Xu family also has a lot of business dealings in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It has its own offices in Dinghai Port and Ningbo Prefecture. When senior members of the Xu family come here, they will naturally take the initiative to visit Shi Diwen, and there will be greetings and farewells several times every year. Opportunities to go.
Tao Donglai smiled and waved his hand and said, "That's not necessary. The Xu family sends many people to Sanya for training every year, and there are plenty of opportunities to deal with them. When you deal with them, just keep an eye on their movements."
Shi Diwen understood that the real target that Tao Donglai asked him to pay attention to should be the military movements of the Xu family, so he nodded to express his knowledge and did not discuss it in detail.
After the banquet, Shi Diwen withdrew his family and subordinates and invited Tao Dong to the study for tea. Although he grew up in the West before time travel, after staying in Zhoushan for so many years, his living habits are slowly moving closer to the Han civilization of this era. This study room is actually in a traditional Chinese style, with tables, chairs, screens, and bookshelves. All made of rosewood, the shape is simple and the workmanship is very exquisite. A faint aroma can be faintly smelled in the air, which should be the smell left after the natural agarwood burns to ashes.
Tao Dong was a man who knew the goods. He entered the study and looked around and said, "These are all Su Zuo's furniture! Good stuff!"
Shi Diwen responded: "Actually, I don't know much about this. Magistrate Qu came to my place before and said that the study room was a little lacking in style. Then he asked someone to send these furniture and furnishings. I followed his suggestion and put them in. The furnishings inside and outside the study have been changed. I also think this style is very good. Staying in the study can calm down the mind. ”
The furniture making style in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty was collectively called Su Zuo, which emphasized simple and smooth lines. Similar furniture styles named after regions include Jingzuo, Guangzuo, etc. For example, in Sanya, where the executive committee is located, the furniture style is deeply influenced by the Guangzuo school, which pays more attention to the decorative sense of shape.
Shi Diwen took a can of tea from the bookshelf and personally made a cup of hot tea for Tao Donglai: "I didn't like drinking tea before. I thought it was not as comfortable as drinking wine. But in the past two or three years, it may be the same as drinking tea." I have spent a lot of time interacting with local people, and I have gradually become accustomed to drinking tea. Now that I don’t make two cups of tea a day, I always feel that something is missing. This tea was sent by Wang Tongpan from Hangzhou Prefecture, saying it is fresh and bright. Qian Longjing was delivered overnight from Hangzhou by speedboat a few days ago. Mr. Tao will try to see how it goes.”
Tao Dong saw that the tea leaves in this cup were short and tender, and the buds were like lotus cores. After brewing with hot water, the aroma was overflowing, and he knew it was something good even before he took it in his mouth. Of course, there are high-end teas like this in Sanya, but because of the long distance, the tea sent to Sanya is at least about a month later than the production time. In addition, the climate and environment in the south and Jiangsu and Zhejiang are different, so the natural freshness will also be different. The quality is indeed incomparable to the country of origin.
Tao Donglai took a few sips and praised the tea for its soft and sweet taste. It was indeed a good tea. Shi Diwen even said that before Tao Donglai set off, he would give him half of the tea he received, and prepare more for Tao Donglai when he came back from doing business in the north. After all, Hangzhou is more than 400 miles away from Zhoushan by water. If Tao Dong comes to buy fresh tea now, it will take at least a week or so, which may affect his subsequent itinerary.
Tao Donglai didn't refuse, and immediately thanked Shi Diwen for the arrangement. Hundreds of people give him gifts every year, many of whom come carrying gold and silver treasures. A few tea leaves from his own people do not make him feel burdened. When he was a guest in Zhangzhou before, the various local specialties that Xu Xinsu gave him weighed one or two thousand kilograms in total, but he left most of them at the Zhangzhou office and asked the local government to arrange for them to be sent back to Sanya. "Mr. Tao, you sent a telegram before to say that you wanted to meet with the local top officials. Those officials in Hangzhou are just grassroots, and they will fall in whatever direction the wind blows. I have thought about it again and again, and you can always rely on your words. I'm afraid the only high official is Qu Zhifu. If you want to meet with the nearby Ming military attache, the commanders of the nearby guard posts can make an appointment to meet one day in advance."
After taking a few sips of tea, Shi Diwen took the initiative to mention the business that Tao Dong had to do during his visit to Zhoushan. It was a rare opportunity for Tao Donglai to come here. If he followed the normal inspection schedule, he would naturally have to meet with Ming officials in nearby areas. However, this trip required confidentiality, which was inconvenient and too ostentatious, so he could only arrange for Tao Donglai to meet with him. A relatively reliable object. This left Shi Diwen to choose. Looking at the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, Qu Yu Tong, the prefect of Qu, who was married to him, was naturally the most trustworthy.
But Shi Diwen actually didn't know what Tao Donglai's purpose was for meeting with local officials, so he had to ask Tao Donglai for his opinion before arranging the meeting. Anyway, he has basically dealt with officials from several state capitals adjacent to Zhoushan, especially military attachés such as commanders of various guard posts and Qianhu, who have received a lot of benefits. He has long been regarded as a living god of wealth, and he has made appointments with these officials. People are not difficult.
Tao Donglai thought for a moment, then nodded and said: "You know the situation here in Zhejiang better, so I would like to trouble you to arrange a meeting with Magistrate Qu on your behalf. As for the other officials, don't be in a hurry and wait until I return. Plan.”
Shi Diwen then asked: "When we return, do you want to arrange a meeting with the local wealthy businessmen and celebrities? The Huizhou salt merchants supported by us in Yangzhou are very keen on establishing a good relationship with my country, and they have always done so. They donated a lot of money to us. If they heard that Mr. Tao came to Zhoushan, they would definitely not miss the opportunity.”
Tao Donglai asked: "Speaking of Yangzhou salt merchants, what is the current situation there?"
Shi Diwen said: "Currently, Huizhou salt merchants have decided to join us in order to protect themselves. The Shanshan salt merchants on the other side now know that they cannot offend us, so they have restrained themselves much more than before. We are currently selling to the Yangtze River. The salt in the northern region is sold through the channels of Anhui salt merchants. Although we have to share a part of the profits with them, the operation efficiency is indeed much higher than doing it ourselves.”
"However, the Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants have a great influence in Yangzhou and even the Jianghuai region, so it will be difficult to completely uproot them in the short term. After discussing with the Huizhou salt merchants, I came to the conclusion that they may We will have to coexist for a long time, but with our support, the strength advantage of Huizhou salt merchants will become more and more obvious in the future. In the long run, Shanxi salt merchants will definitely be squeezed out of this market.”
“At present, in addition to training armed personnel for Hui salt merchants and coaching them in organizing militia armed forces, I am also trying to persuade them to select outstanding young children from their families to study abroad in Sanya, or to invest in and establish plantations in Taiwan Island or even the South China Sea. . As long as it is an operation that can strengthen ties with our country, these salt merchants should be very interested.”
"Then what are your long-term plans for these salt merchants?" Tao Donglai continued to ask.
Shi Diwen said: "These salt merchants are rich and powerful, and out of their own interests, they do not dare to rely on the protection provided by the Ming Dynasty. For now, the help we can provide is far from More than the government they trusted in the past, so they are happy to temporarily attach themselves to Haihan and obtain economic benefits from cooperating with us in the salt industry. From the perspective of salt production costs, our supply price is lower, completely replacing their past. Supply channels are only a matter of time. By that time, they will become more dependent on our country, and we can let them do more things for our country, such as dealing with the officials in the Jianghuai area and letting these people go to work. , it will be much more convenient than doing it ourselves.”
"I think as long as we are patient and operate, it will not be difficult to cultivate a group of vested interests loyal to our country, so that their personal interests and family interests will be firmly bound to our country. In the future, if we want to control the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area, these people should also be of great help.”
Tao Donglai said: "We can provide them with certain military support, but remember, we don't need to cultivate too many Xu Xinsu-like characters. Do you understand what I mean?"
Shi Diwen nodded slightly and said: "Tao is always worried that they will not be able to lose their control in the future."
Tao Donglai said: "These people are already rich and powerful. Once they have the force in their hands and find that many things can be done without our help, they may not be so obedient."
"I understand." Shi Diwen knew the meaning of Tao Donglai's words as soon as he heard it.
Tao Donglai was worried that after Huizhou salt merchants gained power, there would not be many conditions to restrain them in the future. Once the Huizhou salt merchants completely eliminated their competitors, there would be no need to turn to Haihan for help. Even if cooperation with Haihan can bring them considerable economic benefits, this is not a necessary condition for them to obey Haihan's arrangements honestly.
This is actually just like the current international situation. If Haihan takes action to help Ming get rid of its main enemy, then Ming will no longer need Haihan's help, and I am afraid that the old accounts between the two countries will soon be settled. Tao Donglai reminded Shi Diwen that he was worried that he would be too radical and helped Huizhou salt merchants to fight against their competitors. Although doing so can remove Haihan's obstacles in the salt trade field, it may not necessarily be a good thing in the long run.
(End of chapter)