Chapter 2560
Haihan supported the Anhui salt merchants in Yangzhou, on the one hand, to expand the sales channels of Haihan salt into the Ming Dynasty, and on the other hand, it also took a fancy to the salt merchants' influence among the people. For the sake of practical interests, the salt merchants cooperated with Haihan to obtain high-quality and low-priced salt supplies, obtain the military protection provided by Haihan, and open up the trade routes in the south. Naturally, they were happy to see the results. .
This kind of cooperation has lasted for more than ten years, and both parties have gained a lot of benefits from it. Moreover, these salt merchant families in Yangzhou have also sent many elite children to serve in the Haihan government and the military over the years, thus benefiting both parties. The connection becomes deeper and deeper.
But this does not mean that Haihan's senior management has unconditional trust in the salt merchants. In fact, after the salt merchants' children join the Haihan official, their promotion speed is often not ideal. They can spend money to get official positions. Doesn’t make sense. Currently, he is the only one like Dai Chengrong who can rise to the rank of colonel in the military.
Shi Diwen knew the importance of military power, so those who could truly hold military power under him were all loyal subordinates who had followed him through life and death in his early years. And people like Dai Chengrong, even if they have certain abilities, are still limited by their background, and they are basically finished when they reach the level of group leader.
However, Shi Diwen also knew very well that even so, Dai Chengrong's family would still respond to official requests as always. After all, the Dai family will continue to send their children to the government in the future to ensure their social status and family interests. All of these situations are actually not unfamiliar to the executive committee. Similar situations have long been seen in the south. It's not uncommon, and the Donghai Region's use of salt merchant families is not a big deal in the eyes of the Executive Committee.
Of course, the most important thing is that Shi Diwen did not deliberately conceal the situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang from Sanya, and was not worried about the attitude of the executive committee. Therefore, he was more of a wait-and-see attitude rather than a vigilant attitude towards the young people sent by Fort Victory to inspect Hangzhou, and he had no intention of restricting the actions of these young people in Hangzhou.
Shi Diwen said: "These young people grew up in Sanya, and most of their understanding of the current situation of the country is only within the scope of Hainan Island. Coming to Hangzhou this time should be a brand new experience for them." The questions they just raised may seem like trivial matters to you, but for them, they have to learn how to deal with these problems from scratch. I also hope that my explanations can help them understand better. How much they can understand the situation here depends on their personal qualifications.”
Shi Chengwu said: "Father, do we still need to send people to keep an eye on their whereabouts?"
Shi Diwen nodded slightly and said: "I asked you to arrange for people to keep an eye on them and keep track of their whereabouts. It's not to worry about them causing trouble, but to ensure that they are in Hangzhou and don't cause any trouble in my territory. Do you understand? Why did they come to Hangzhou? They can’t leave without a hair!”
Shi Chengwu quickly bowed and responded: "My child understands!"
From the moment Tao Hongfang and others stepped into Hangzhou, their whereabouts were already under Shi Diwen's control. Where they lived and who they had contact with, every detail was reported in detail. Including how these people went on inspection today, someone had already come to report to Shi Diwen before they came to Shiyuan. After Tao Hongfang and others entered the stone garden, they were told that Shi Diwen was handling official business. At that time, Shi Diwen was actually listening to oral reports from his subordinates about the itinerary of these people.
It is precisely because of this that Shi Diwen actually has a rough prediction of the questions that these people will ask him face to face, so he can respond calmly and answer their various questions.
But this was not Shi Diwen's original intention in arranging surveillance measures. Although he behaved calmly and calmly in front of Tao Hongfang and others, he attached great importance to the personal safety of these young people within his jurisdiction. Sanya did not equip these young people with guards and did not intend to let their identities be disclosed. Shi Diwen could only follow Sanya's wishes and adopt a relatively low-key approach to ensure the safety of Tao Hongfang and others. Shi Diwen gave this task to his eldest son Shi Chengwu, which shows that he attaches great importance to it. It is unclear how long Tao Hongfang and others will stay in Hangzhou, but the relevant measures must not be stopped so soon, so he specifically warned Shi Chengwu to deal with the matter seriously.
Wang Anguo said: "What if Ha Jianyi invites me to continue inspecting local military affairs together? Please give me some advice, uncle."
Shi Diwen asked: "What? You can't stay here for a few days after you come back?"
Wang Anguo smiled and said: "I don't dare, it's just that my nephew has a mission. Even if he goes to do other things, he will still keep business in mind."
Of course, Shi Diwen understood what Wang Anguo meant by "business" and responded in a deep voice: "Of course I will try my best to complete the matters entrusted by your father, but time is tight and I won't be able to handle it so quickly... I guess it will be the best to finish it." It will be done by the end of the year, and you can stay here with peace of mind during this period. It is beneficial for you and Chengwu to have a good relationship with Ha Jianyi. After all, he is also a senior staff officer of the Ministry of National Defense, and he has a lot of information for you. You can’t reach them overseas, do you understand what I mean?”
Wang Anguo nodded quickly in agreement. His return to China across the ocean this time naturally has a heavy responsibility, and it can only be completed with Shi Diwen's full assistance. Although the two families of Shi and Wang are closely related, as a junior, Wang Anguo cannot push Shi Diwen too hard. As long as Shi Diwen expresses his attitude, he will immediately give up.
Shi Diwen continued: "How about this? Ask Ha Jianyi tomorrow if he is interested in inspecting the East China Sea Fleet and the shipyard. If he wants to go, then you can go together and you can also take a look. Look at things that make you miss.”
Wang Anguo was overjoyed, knowing that Shi Diwen was taking care of him, so he compromised on the arrangement and quickly thanked him.
Although the vanguard fleet that Wang Tom brought to North America had a large lineup, it was far away from the Haihan mainland, lacked supporting facilities, and was inconvenient to repair and maintain. The rate of damage and obsolescence was much faster than that of naval ships serving in East Asia. Therefore, Wang Tom had notified Shi Diwen before this, hoping to build several warships as supplements in his shipyard. If the construction period is too late, then using old ships from the East China Sea Fleet would also work.
One of Wang Anguo's tasks when he returned to China this time was to complete the handover of these ships and bring them back to his base in North America.
(End of chapter)