Chapter 2436
Shi Diwen and Qu Yutong were limited by the power they had. The countermeasures they could use were bound to be limited to the local area and could not rise to a higher level. Moreover, the methods used should not be too radical, otherwise further intensification of the contradiction may lead to conflict between the two countries. Even if Shi Diwen is not afraid, Qu Yutong may not be willing to see such a result. All he wanted was to try his best to keep his official position and financial resources, but he did not want Haihan to actually launch a war against Ming Dynasty.
The solution they proposed can be said to have taken into account the interests and concerns of all parties, but thorough consideration does not mean that it is a perfect plan. It is precisely because too many compromises have been made that there will be many links in the implementation process. All have risks and vulnerabilities. As a bystander, Tao Donglai naturally noticed these problems more clearly, so he did not agree with their ideas.
Qu Yutong was also quite depressed at this time, his face was gray, and he said listlessly: "Do we really want to give up Ningbo Mansion? This... Oh, I am really unwilling to accept it!"
Tao Donglai shook his head slightly and said: "You don't have to give up in a hurry, this matter is not yet at the end of the road."
When the two of them heard Tao Donglai's words, it seemed that things could turn around. Shi Diwen quickly asked: "Mr. Tao, do you mean there are other ways to resolve this crisis?"
Tao Donglai nodded slightly and said: "If your opponent is really Yang Sichang, then maybe things can turn around."
Qu Yutong didn't care much at the moment. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply: "I would like to ask Mr. Tao to explain clearly what needs to be done next to resolve the current crisis. I will fully cooperate with you!"
Tao Donglai waved his hand and said: "What you have to do now is don't do anything and wait for the news first."
"Waiting for news? Where are you waiting for news?" Qu Yutong asked in confusion.
Tao Donglai pointed to his nose and said: "Wait for my news. There are some things to be discussed between our country and Ming Dynasty in the near future. The issue of trade relations between the two countries should also be discussed at that time. I will find an opportunity to mention Ningbo. The situation. Mr. Qu is extremely important to the trade between the two countries, and our country will certainly support Mr. Qu to remain in office.”
Qu Yutong heard Xian Ge and knew what he meant: "So Master Tao will meet Yang Sichang this time when he comes to Ming Dynasty?"
Tao Donglai spoke very sternly and did not answer his question directly: "We haven't decided yet whether we will meet him or not. But don't worry, Mr. Qu. The problem you encountered is indeed a big deal in Ningbo, but in a bigger world Judging from the environment, it is actually not that difficult to solve. Even if the prefect of Ningbo needs to be replaced, Mr. Qu does not have to worry about his retreat. If he wants to develop in our country in the future, whether he continues to pursue an official career or run other industries, he will do so. There are good development prospects.”
Qu Yutong responded quickly: "Master Tao, that's a great compliment. That Qu will be waiting for the good news in Ningbo."
Tao Donglai quite admired Qu Yutong. He was able to decisively marry Shi Diwen a few years ago. His vision and courage were among the best among the officials of the Ming Dynasty. He had served as the prefect of Ningbo for several years. Years ago, his experience in governing local areas is not bad. If he can recruit Haihan to be a local official, he should be able to adapt quickly. Of course, in order to maximize his role, it currently seems better to remain in the position of Ningbo magistrate. With him in Ningbo, Haihan's trade situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will be more secure.
Shi Diwen was not in a hurry to ask. The solution Tao Donglai mentioned reminded him of some information he had, but this information was not convenient to discuss in front of an outsider like Qu Yutong.
It was not easy for Qu Yutong to travel all the way from Ningbo City, so Shi Diwen naturally wanted to host a banquet. However, considering that Tao Donglai's itinerary was kept confidential and some sensitive topics might be discussed, no accompanying guests were arranged. Even Qu Yutong's aide He Xiao didn't come to the table. Shi Diwen arranged for his close confidant Duan Tiancheng to receive it on his behalf.
Qu Yutong was naturally a little curious as to why Tao Donglai came to Zhoushan, and he had previously sounded like he wanted to meet with high-level figures in the Ming Dynasty, so he started to ask around for information. However, Tao Donglai still had a very strict tone, going around and around but not giving a positive response. Seeing that Shi Diwen had no intention of helping, Qu Yutong probably knew that the matter was a bit sensitive, so he wisely did not ask any further.
Although Tao Donglai avoided answering, Qu Yutong could actually guess something. In recent months, the Qing army has been raging in Shandong. After witnessing the local chaos, countless people will be displaced and unable to make a living. They can only flee. Haihan has always coveted the population of the Ming Dynasty. He tries every means to introduce immigrants from the Ming Dynasty every year. How can he let it go? Such a good opportunity. Tao Donglai's appearance in Zhoushan at this time may be related to the large number of immigrants who have recently arrived at Dinghai Port.
However, these reasons are not important. As long as Haihan can help him retain his official position, Qu Yutong does not care how much people will flow from Ming Dynasty to Haihan. To put it harshly, the imperial court definitely did not have enough ability to rescue the refugees. If Haihan had not taken over these refugees, a considerable number of them would have either died of hunger and cold, or would have become bandits in order to survive. Being taken overseas and resettled by Haihan, at least he could save his life first. From a certain perspective, it also helped Daming solve hidden dangers that were difficult to deal with.
Tao Donglai took the initiative to mention some of Haihan's current progress in resettling refugees: "Recently, our country has a large number of immigrants to be resettled on Taiwan Island, and the labor force is relatively sufficient. Is Mr. Qu interested in buying some more industries there?"
< br>
Qu Yutong responded quickly: "Of course I am disrespectful of this business of making a fortune. How about building a plantation as before?"
Tao Donglai said: "Of course Mr. Qu can choose what kind of projects he operates. Just contact the relevant departments for specific matters. Shi Diwen, please help arrange it."
Shi Diwen nodded and said: "No problem. I will ask Yang Yun from the Ministry of Commerce to contact Master He later and follow the previous rules. If Master Qu has any requirements, just say so."
One of the reasons why Qu Yutong gained Haihan's full trust was that he had already invested in and operated some industries in Haihan's ruling area, mainly cash crop plantations. In Kaohsiung alone, there are plantations covering an area of more than 500 acres, and more than 200 people are employed locally to manage these properties. Although the operating costs have not yet been recovered, the long-term profit prospects are promising, and Haihan is protecting it, so there is no need to worry about losing money on this transaction.
The more properties Qu Yutong has in Haihan, the trust he can gain will naturally increase. He also understood that the benefits he could gain by participating in the development of Haihan Colony through this kind of investment were far more than just economic. Tao Donglai had just said before that he would try to keep Qu Yutong's official position. Now when he mentioned investing in plantations in Taiwan, Qu Yutong would of course reciprocate the favor and decisively agreed to it. Relevant matters have always been handled by He Xiao and Yang Yun of the Zhoushan Management Committee. Both parties are familiar with each other and have ready-made cooperation plans. Qu Yutong only needs to deposit the money in Haihan Bank and transfer it to Haihan Bank. Han Ministry of Commerce, and then someone will handle related matters. He only needs to send people to the local area to supervise the work. After the plantation begins to harvest, Haihan officials will come forward to purchase it, and the payment will be transferred through the bank. After settlement, Qu Yutong can withdraw cash in Ningbo. Basically, he didn't have to worry about the whole process. He really had no reason to refuse such a convenient and profitable deal.
This kind of cooperation is also very profitable for Haihan. As long as the unowned land in the colonies is used, Ming investors can be attracted to fund the development of these areas, which not only solves the funding problem required for local development, but also provides people who have just been resettled in the area. The immigrants in the area provide livelihoods, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. After the various cash crops grown in these plantations are harvested, Haihan officials will also purchase them, further process them and then sell them on the market, and the profits will be extremely considerable.
While obtaining economic benefits, Haihan will also firmly tie the interests of investors to himself through this kind of cooperation, many of whom include people like Qu Yutong who served as officials in the Ming Dynasty. These officials could not withstand the temptation, and even their family properties had been transferred to Haihan's territory, so their position was naturally self-evident.
After finishing the meal, Qu Yutong took the initiative to say goodbye to Tao Donglai and Shi Diwen, preparing to return to Ningbo first, leaving He Xiao to handle follow-up matters in Zhoushan. The reason why he was so anxious to go back was because the official situation was unstable recently. If someone wanted to steal his position, some rumors would inevitably spread. Therefore, even when he came to Zhoushan this time, he quietly left the city at night, not wanting the outside world to know his movements. , lest there be any excuse for colluding with Haihan.
After Qu Yutong left, Shi Diwen asked Tao Donglai about his doubts: "Mr. Tao, do you really want to meet with the top management of Ming Dynasty this time when you go north?"
Tao Donglai nodded slightly and said: "We have this plan at the moment, but it is not certain whether it will come true."
"How do you say this?"
Tao Donglai explained: "Meetings with Ming Dynasty's high-level officials need to be arranged several months in advance. However, there is currently chaos in Shandong, and the situation in the north is relatively complicated. There is no confirmed candidate who Ming Dynasty can send to meet."
Shi Diwen said: "Isn't it possible that after you arrive in Shandong, you are not sure how long you have to wait to see the representatives sent by Ming Dynasty?"
Tao Donglai shook his head and said: "We probably won't talk in Shandong. Fushan County has taken in too many refugees and the environment is complicated, so it's not suitable for arranging talks. I'm going to put the meeting place in Jinzhou."
"Jinzhou?" Shi Diwen couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "Then it might become a three-party meeting!"
"Maybe it's the four parties." Tao Donglai responded: "North Korea will definitely pay attention to this meeting, and it would be inappropriate to exclude them. I plan to let North Korea send envoys to participate, even if there is no speech without them. Right, but at least you will take sides, right?”
Shi Diwen laughed when he heard this: "That's really the truth!"
In fact, it was not Haihan who first proposed high-level meetings, but the Manchus. When the top management of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties realized that there was no chance of winning the war with Haihan, and that the continuation of the confrontation in Liaodong would be increasingly detrimental to themselves, they made plans to cease the war and negotiate peace.
In the winter that just passed, when the Manchu and Qing Dynasties sent troops to attack the Ming Dynasty, it was gratifying that Huang Taiji was ordered to go to Jinzhou to start armistice peace talks with Chen Yixin. However, Shang Kexi's experiment did not immediately make the progress Huang Taiji expected. It could even be said that it was not very smooth. In front of the envoys he sent, Chen Yixin did not show his willingness to negotiate and directly offered to cede the entire Liaodong Peninsula to Haihan. The sky-high price conditions persuade the other party to quit. But at the same time, Chen Yixin also informed the executive committee of this surprising news, allowing the executive committee to decide whether to use this opportunity to gain more benefits.
For Haihan, it is not difficult to understand the reasons and intentions of the Manchus and Qing Dynasties in seeking peace talks, but the conditions for peace talks they can offer are not very convincing. The Manchus and Qing Dynasties are neither willing to pay compensation nor cede territory, but only want to carve up The Ming Dynasty came to persuade Haihan to cease the war as a condition. How could this be achieved?
After considering the current international environment and the trend of the situation, the Executive Committee believes that if used properly, it may be able to obtain great benefits from the peace talks, but the source of these benefits may not be the Manchus.
If Haihan talks with the Manchus and Qing Dynasties, the two countries that least want to see this happen are the Ming Dynasty and North Korea. Without the help of Haihan, neither of these two countries would be able to deal with the powerful enemy of the Qing Dynasty alone. Once Haihan lets go, they will be in serious trouble. So just letting these two countries know that Haihan planned to start peace talks with the Manchus was enough to make them sleepless.
Then if Ming Dynasty and North Korea join in, it will form a situation that is extremely beneficial to Haihan. Leaving aside North Korea, which is weak in national power, the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty are like being on opposite ends of a seesaw. Whoever can give Haihan better conditions will have the opportunity to step on the ground safely, but the conditions are not high enough. If you are not on the right side, you can only hang in the air first, waiting for the decision of fate.
North Korea, which is not qualified to sit on an equal footing with these three powerful countries, can only cling to Haihan's thigh, because the only one among the three countries that can guarantee North Korea's security is Haihan. Even if Haihan finally chooses to cease war with the Manchus and Qing Dynasties, North Korea will still have no choice but to stick to Haihan unconditionally. In this way, the Manchus and Qings will have to look at their masters to fight dogs, and at least North Korea can keep its own security. As for people like the Ming Dynasty who have already crossed the river and cannot protect themselves, even if North Korea feels sorry for it, it will never choose the wrong camp at this juncture.
Holding a four-party meeting will undoubtedly give Haihan the opportunity to maximize benefits from this mess. If such a big event was only hosted by a few generals from the military in the north, it would still seem to be a lack of attention, so Tao Donglai went north in person to host this important meeting. However, in order to ensure Tao Donglai's personal safety, Haihan did not announce the matter to the outside world, and even the itinerary was kept confidential.
(End of chapter)