Chapter 2737
Zhu Zian knew that he had a lot of success in solving the Yuan exam in Hangzhou. It was all because Shi Diwen had paved the way for him in advance that it was so smooth. After he joined the mission, he realized that his academic ability was significantly different from that of Haihan's peers, and it was impossible for him to be qualified for high-level positions in Haihan's bureaucracy. But he was really unwilling to just continue to be a clerk. He could only solve his problem by improving his strength as soon as possible.
During his mission, he also gradually learned a lot about the situation in Haihan, especially the cultural and educational aspects that he was most interested in. Only then did he learn that even the current king of North Korea, Li Zhen, had visited Haihan before he succeeded to the throne. I studied abroad in Sanya, the capital of China, for a period of time. Since the King of North Korea could go, of course he could go too, and Zhu Zian started thinking about studying abroad.
Shi Chengwu didn't expect that Zhu Zian wanted to go to school first. This was obviously inconsistent with Shi Diwen's plan to appoint Zhu Zian. He immediately advised: "Studying abroad is not that simple. You have a special status and need to Arrangements can only be made after approval by our executive committee, and you may not be able to adapt easily to the South China Sea.”
Zhu Zian heard that Shi Chengwu wanted to dissuade him, so he asked for advice: "I don't know much about Haihan Kingdom and I don't think carefully enough. Does Master Shi have any better way?"
Shi Chengwudao: "At the time of the handover between the old and the new, there are still many vacant positions in the Donghai Region. I think it is better for you to stay and engage in handover-related work, so that you can also use your strengths. As for studying, we will In the next few years, many government-run academies will move to Hangzhou from the south, and there will be no delay in arranging for you to study there.”
What Shi Chengwu said is true. The Donghai Region is currently taking over Anhui, Jiangxi and other regions from the Ming Dynasty. During this period, the handover of government affairs, military affairs, and finance needs to be presided over by knowledgeable and reputable officials. Although Zhu Zian is not an expert, he has a distinguished background after all. If he is assigned to be responsible for the central coordination, the local officials originally affiliated with the Ming Dynasty will certainly have to give him some face, which may have the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort.
It is no secret that the relocation of the government-run academy was to be implemented simultaneously with the capital relocation plan. In particular, institutions of higher learning that specialize in further training for civil and military officials will inevitably move to the new capital of Hangzhou along with the executive committee's institutions. However, there is no specific timetable for when the relocation will be completed.
Tao Hongfang listened to the conversation between the two and also advised: "Zian, it is certainly a good thing that you are willing to put down your identity and develop in our country. I suggest you think carefully about what you can do to benefit our country, the Ming Dynasty, and It’s good for you.”
If Zhu Zian wants to achieve a win-win situation for all three parties, he must of course be consistent with his identity and engage in coordination work during the handover between the old and new dynasties. As long as he can effectively ensure the smooth progress of the handover, his personal career will be bright.
In fact, Zhu Zian had already thought about Tao Hongfang's suggestion carefully and understood his value to Haihan. But after traveling abroad for such a long time, he couldn't help but doubt his ability and worried that he would be unable to do relevant work.
Zhu Zian's real ability is certainly not too bad. Shi Diwen arranged for him to serve in the missions visiting North Korea and Japan. Although it was meant to be a test, it was also a recognition of his ability. Although Tao Hongfang recognized his ambition, he also believed that studying abroad in Sanya was not the best solution at this time. Zhu Zian's identity was of almost no use in Sanya. Only by staying in the Donghai Region or returning to Shandong could he make full use of it. His value.
After some persuasion from everyone, Zhu Zian gave up the idea of studying abroad for the time being. After all, his current situation is that he is living under a roof. It is not up to him to choose which path to take in the future. He can only take it step by step according to Haihan's arrangements. Along with the New Year comes not only heavy snow, but also good news on the negotiating table. In the first meeting in 1656, the mission finally reached an agreement with the shogunate on a number of trade cooperation projects and signed a supplementary agreement based on the trade treaty between the two countries.
Although the content of the agreement did not fully realize the conditions proposed by the mission earlier, basically every issue achieved certain results, but some adjustments were made in accordance with the requirements of the shogunate.
In terms of import tariffs, the shogunate promised to reduce tax rates for 48 types of Haihan products included in the tax reduction list, but such preferential treatment was limited to Nagasaki and Edo. This move was also intended to encourage Haihan merchants to traffic goods to trading ports directly controlled by the shogunate, thereby weakening several other ports that, although licensed by the shogunate for trade, were actually controlled by local vassals.
Regarding the improved trade settlement methods requested by Kaihan, the shogunate also agreed to use Kaihan banknotes on a wider scale or through accounts established at Kaihan Bank for settlement. However, this so-called "wider scope" is also limited to areas directly under the shogunate and will not be open to the entire country.
While Kaihan proposed the establishment of transnational commercial ships with fixed destinations, the shogunate firmly restricted the opening location to Nagasaki Port. In the first phase, four routes will be opened from Nagasaki to Ningbo Dinghai Port, Taiwan Jilong Port, Fujian Quanzhou Port, and Shandong Qingdao Port. There will be two sailings per month, developed from both ends of the route. At this stage, all ships are operated by Haihan cargo ships. Later, maritime merchants under the shogunate will be considered to join the operation.
Since commercial ships on fixed routes were to be put into operation, the establishment of an exclusive port area in Nagasaki was approved as an additional condition. However, the shogunate still had strong vigilance about this, and set clear restrictions on the location and construction scale of the exclusive port area, isolating Haihan's business area from Nagasaki City, similar to the previous restrictions on Western merchants. measures taken.
However, the mission didn't mind this. Being isolated from the city meant that there was plenty of room for expansion in the surrounding area. As long as it operated slowly, a new urban area was developed around the exclusive port area, and 18,000 Han people could be moved there to settle there. In a generation or two, it will be difficult to say whether the Nagasaki Port will be named Tokugawa or Haihan.
But the arms trade that the shogunate was most concerned about was not as smooth as commercial trade. Although the Executive Committee agreed in principle to sell standard equipment to the shogunate, it put corresponding restrictions on the type and quantity of the equipment, and the price was also very expensive, far exceeding the price level provided to allies.
Especially for the standard warships that the shogunate was eager to obtain, due to the short supply of construction capacity, it would take two years at the earliest to deliver the first ship, and 40% of the total order amount must be paid as a deposit before signing the contract. Such conditions made the shogunate quite for dissatisfaction.
(End of chapter)