Chapter 2754
Although Yanzhou Prefecture belongs to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, it is hundreds of miles away from the coastline. The area under its jurisdiction is mountainous. It neither enjoys the convenience of sea transportation nor the large plains needed to become a land of plenty. Therefore, Yanzhou Prefecture has always been at the bottom among the dozen or so prefectures in Zhejiang in terms of economic level and population size. Although most people can keep food and clothing warm, there is a clear gap compared to other prefectures. .
The prefect Zhang He had served as a local magistrate in Yanzhou Prefecture for three years before joining Haihan. However, due to the limitations of the objective environment, he did not have any outstanding political achievements. The fourth-grade prefect was in a low position in the Ming Dynasty's bureaucracy, but Zhang He was in the prime of life, so he was naturally unwilling to stop making progress.
It’s just that the Ming Dynasty has been on a downward path for decades, and the regime is already crumbling. It is generally believed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang that the increasingly powerful Haihan will surely replace him, and Zhang He has no intention of hanging himself from this tree. He has already made it. Plans to change the court. The day after Haihan announced that he would take over the prefectures of Zhejiang from the Ming Dynasty, he asked someone to send a secret message to Shi Diwen, expressing his willingness to lead the civil and military officials of Yanzhou Prefecture and tens of thousands of people to join Haihan.
Zhang He's choice was undoubtedly a wise one. At that time, the various state capitals near the sea in Zhejiang had already negotiated cooperation terms with Haihan, and almost all announced their service to Haihan immediately. Several state capitals located in the interior are not so closely connected with Haihan, and their response is inevitably slower. Yanzhou Prefecture has performed outstandingly among them, and thus won Zhang He the opportunity to stay in office.
Chuzhou Prefecture, located in the southwest of Zhejiang Province, tried to resist and refused to accept Haihan's rule. The Donghai Region sent two battalions of troops to advance from Wenzhou along the Yongning River to Lishui, where it was governed. It only took one day to conquer it. The city captured all the local civil and military officials in charge, as well as the gentry elders who supported the government, a total of more than a hundred people, and spread the word to all states and counties in Zhejiang, causing the still wavering local officials to give up the idea of resistance.
Although there were many local officials who gave up resistance or even took the initiative to join Haihan, not all of them got the chance to stay in office. For example, although most of the adults in the Sansi Yamen of Hangzhou City voluntarily surrendered, because their positions are too high, even if they are retained, it is difficult to arrange for them to continue to hold actual positions. Most of them can only work in organizations under the Donghai Region Management Committee. Become an honorary consultant or a special director.
Especially those military attaches who hold military power, whether they are the commander-in-chief or the commander-in-chief, staff generals, and thousands of households in various places, they can only hand over their power and step down and no longer hold their original positions.
However, these senior officials often have various industries closely related to Haihan under their names, and no longer holding actual positions does not prevent them from continuing to make money. Even when some people handed over power, their descendants and relatives were already serving in the new official government organized by Haihan.
Yanzhou Mansion does not have any special products, nor is it a major transportation hub. Zhang He simply does not have the capital to bargain with Haihan. If he wants to keep his position of power and even strive for future development opportunities, he can only use a positive attitude to win Haihan's trust.
Fortunately, Zhang He not only got the chance to stay on, but also received a good thing like pie in the sky. When the Donghai Region Management Committee informed him that several industrial projects would be launched in Yanzhou Prefecture in the next few years, Zhang He actually did not understand what this meant.
However, Zhang He was still flexible. After making inquiries, he found out that this so-called industrial project had already been competed by several coastal states, all of which wanted it to be implemented in their jurisdictions. The benefits that will result from this are even difficult to estimate simply in terms of money. At that time, the news that Haihan would move its capital to Hangzhou had not yet spread, but well-informed people had realized through various signs that Zhejiang would become Haihan's key development area. Among them, these areas that can be allocated to industrial projects will undoubtedly be the top priority.
After Zhang He realized this, he was naturally very concerned about it and determined to devote all the government's resources to fully support the construction tasks of industrial projects.
Almost all of the industrial projects assigned to Yanzhou Prefecture were concentrated in Jiande County. The start of each project coincided with the winter farming season, so Zhang He mobilized thousands of people from various counties to invest in various construction sites.
The Donghai Region has also invested a lot of resources in order to quickly promote the relocation of industrial projects. Since the start of construction, various materials have arrived in Jiande from Hangzhou almost every other day. Even the ship on which Bai Kesi and his party were traveling this time also had a batch of labor tools recently shipped from the south, including hoes, shovels, axes, saws, hammers, etc. Chisels are available, totaling thousands of pieces.
Speaking of excitement, Zhang He said with pride: "Although various projects are still in the early stages of construction, many local industries have benefited from these projects. Now there is even a lack of people coming from the neighboring Quzhou Prefecture and Huizhou Prefecture. Come to the local area and join the construction team. The current prosperity of Yanzhou Prefecture is the first time I have seen it since Xianguan took office. This is all due to the planning and command of the executive committee!”
The surge in transportation demand has put the water transport capacity from Yanzhou to Hangzhou into a state of short supply. Many local fishermen who originally made a living by fishing in Qiandao Lake and Xin'an River, seeing that shipping is profitable, have also switched careers and become sailors. . There were even some larger fishing boats that were simply converted into cargo ships and began to run the shipping business.
The start of construction at many construction sites has made the local bamboo weaving business boom instantly. The large number of bamboo baskets required by these construction sites far exceeds the local traditional production capacity. For one project of the Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station alone, orders have been placed We bought five thousand bamboo baskets each, and we will definitely add more in the future. Many farmers engaged in bamboo weaving now have their whole families working together to supply the construction sites at full capacity.
The people who made money from these projects also quickly boosted Yanzhou's consumer market. Restaurants and inns in Jiande County are overcrowded basically every day, and the demand for various daily necessities and food has broken the historical record of Yanzhou Prefecture. It is no exaggeration to say that almost all industries on the market have benefited from these projects to varying degrees, directly or indirectly.
Haihan's approach of using infrastructure projects to drive local economy has long been tried and tested in the South and has accumulated rich practical experience. The current situation reported by Yanzhou Prefecture also proves that this approach is still very effective in Zhejiang. Ordinary people don't care so much about who is running the country. They care more about their actual living standards. If Haihan can provide them with better choices, there is no need to forget the previous dynasty.
(End of chapter)