Chapter 2792
Bai Kesi was not surprised by this situation. In fact, this has become the norm in the officialdom of overseas regions. The structure of local officials is often built on the basis of the local chief official's cronies, followers, relatives, and partners. The executive committee is actually dispatched from Hainan Island to Local officials will not become the main force in the local officialdom. Even in some relatively remote areas, such foreign officials may not even account for one-tenth.
Of course, although overseas regions have certain autonomy in selecting local officials, appointments to senior positions still need to be carried out in accordance with local recommendations and the process approved by the executive committee. The Executive Committee still has the final say on the appointment and dismissal of local officials, so when senior officials like Bai Kesi go to inspect local areas, they must receive the highest level of courtesy.
According to the itinerary, Baikes and his party only stayed in Qingdao Port for one day, which meant that the opportunities left for local officials to perform were very limited. Therefore, Jiang Jianzhang did not hide anything, and almost all the good things he could get were displayed at the dinner.
In addition to the good wine and food that flowed to the table like water, there were also silk and bamboo troupes and song and dance performances with local characteristics. The officials took turns coming forward to toast to Bai Kesi and his party, and they did not forget to express their respect for the country and the Executive Committee at the same time. of loyalty.
However, Jiang Jianzhang knew his limits and did not try to offer gifts such as gold, silver, and jewelry to Bai Kesi. He only prepared a batch of supplies, which were basically various local specialties, such as Laoshan green tea, Lingshan Island sea cucumber, etc., worth It couldn't be said how valuable it was, so Bai Kesi didn't refuse much. After looking at the gift list, he let Bai Letong accept it.
As long as the gifts sent by local officials during the inspection are not valuables or have a negative view of the officials, Baikes will generally not reject them.
After the dinner, Bai Kesi and his party stayed in Jiang Jianzhang's official residence. As for the fleet's supply, loading and unloading of cargo and other matters, they are handled by relevant people, and there is no need for them to personally intervene.
Early the next morning, Jiang Jianzhang came to see Bai Kesi again, saying that he had something important to report.
When Bai Kesi met Jiang Jianzhang, he saw that he had someone with him. He looked quite unfamiliar and was not the local official he had seen yesterday.
Jiang Jianzhang took the initiative to introduce: "Master Bai, this is Mr. Huo Mingxian from Prince De's palace. Mr. Huo happened to be working nearby. Hearing that Master Bai had arrived in Qingdao, he came here to see him."
Bai Kesi is such a person. After listening to Jiang Jianzhang's introduction, he guessed the purpose of this uninvited guest.
Although the Dewang family was already considered a failure among the royal family of the Ming Dynasty, in Haihan's view, Dewang's palace was a valuable target. Chen Yixin persuaded Prince De's Mansion to cooperate and sent two children of the Zhu family to serve as officials in Haihan. One stayed in the Northern Region, and the other was Zhu Zian who was now working in the Special Liaison Office of the Donghai Region.
If these two people can make a name for themselves in Haihan, they will not only be able to bring the abject Prince De's palace back to life, but also set an example for the nobles of the former Ming Dynasty, allowing them to see the prospect of cooperating with Haihan. If we can win more nobles from the previous dynasty to actively seek cooperation, it will be a great help for the current dynasty replacement and power transfer.
Chen Yixin must have maintained some secret communication channel with Prince De's Palace, so that during Bai Kesi's visit to the Northern Region, representatives from Prince De's Palace could be arranged to meet with Bai Kesi.
As for Jiang Jianzhang saying that Huo Mingxian happened to be working nearby, that was obviously an excuse. Huo Mingxian looked tired from all the work, and he had probably traveled from Jinan City for several days. Calculating the time, the news of Bai Kesi and his party's departure from Hangzhou spread to the Northern Region, and then managed to notify Prince De's Mansion. Then he traveled 600 miles day and night from Jinan City to Qingdao Port, and the time seemed to be about the same. If he had arrived half a day later, he might have missed the opportunity to see Bai Kesi, and he would have to turn around and head back to Fushan County in the north.
Bai Kesi believed that this was the arrangement of the Northern Region. Since the local government attached so much importance to it, he was willing to see what matters the Prince De's Mansion had to discuss with him.
Bai Kesi asked Huo Mingxian to take a seat, and then took the initiative to ask him the reason for his visit.
Huo Mingxian did not beat around the bush and said straight to the point: "I heard the day before yesterday that Mr. Bai was about to inspect the north. The prince hopes to take this opportunity to discuss cooperation matters with Mr. Bai. If Mr. Bai's schedule is convenient and he can visit Jinan Mansion, everyone in the prince's mansion will definitely visit him. Welcome on the couch.”
Although the scope of the Northern Region includes the entire North China Plain, the current actual control area in Shandong is still centered on Denglai and Denglai. Jinan Prefecture, which is hundreds of miles away, has not yet been taken over by Haihan.
This means that the local environment is not absolutely safe, and senior officials like Bai Kesi are currently unlikely to take risks to visit the area.
Bai Kesi responded: "Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty. However, I did not arrange my trip to Jinan in advance this time, so I am afraid I will have to disappoint Your Majesty. If Your Majesty's schedule is convenient, you can go to Dengzhou or Liaodong and make an appointment to meet. I should be able to meet you." Stay in these two places for a while.”
Bai Kesi's statement was neither humble nor arrogant, but in fact he still expressed his attitude very implicitly - King De wants to meet, so he can do it himself. He wants me to go to Jinan, but I'm sorry there is no such arrangement.
As a high-ranking figure in the emerging empire, how could he easily change his schedule just to meet with a down-and-out nobleman from the previous dynasty? Such reserve must be maintained.
Huo Mingxian probably didn't expect that such an informal invitation would be immediately accepted by Bai Kesi, and continued: "Master Bai has many things to do every day, and his schedule must be very tight, so I was rude. But the palace has some important matters recently, and the prince cannot leave at the moment. Yes, I’m afraid it’s not easy to make an appointment.”
Bai Kesi knew that the other party would not mention the palace affairs to him for no reason, so he took the initiative to ask: "Is there anything you need help from our country?"
Huo Mingxian must have been waiting for Bai Kesi's words, and immediately responded: "The court probably heard the news about the cooperation between the prince's palace and your country. The man in the palace was very angry. It is said that he was going to issue an order to cut the prince's title and cancel the virtue. The prince is not afraid of reducing the vassal status, but this may affect the cooperation between the two parties, so he must inform your country in advance to avoid being unable to deal with the situation unexpectedly. "
Bai Kesi understood now that King De was here to ask for help. Haihan's cooperation with Prince De's Mansion was of course based on the identity and influence of Prince De's family, but if the Ming court canceled Prince De's title, the effect of this cooperation would be greatly reduced. Due to practical considerations, Haihan had to find a way to maintain his position for Prince De's palace.
(End of chapter)