Chapter 2794
Since Prince De's Mansion has been chosen as the target of support and a large amount of resources have been invested in it in the early stage, this actually shows that Haihan does not care so much about Ming Ting's attitude.
Internal reduction of vassalage is of course one of the powers that the Ming court still retains, but this method is probably difficult to stop Haihan's determination to continue the matter. Haihan had already anticipated Mingting's reaction and had formulated a response plan.
Bai Kesi's statement was not just a temporary statement. If the Ming Dynasty really planned to reduce the vassal status of the King of De, Haihan would definitely put pressure on the Ming Dynasty through other channels to get it back.
Huo Mingxian's purpose of coming to Qingdao Port was to seek support from the top management of Haihan, but Bai Kesi's statement still shocked him. This was not just supporting Prince De's Palace behind his back, but instigating Prince De's Palace and Prince De's Palace. Mingting launched a head-on resistance.
Huo Mingxian asked tentatively: "Master Bai, if the palace disobeys the imperial decree, the crime will be equivalent to rebellion. If the imperial court becomes serious, the palace will probably not be able to handle it. If there is a stalemate, the imperial court will If there is going to be a vassal reduction by force, how should the palace respond?"
Bai Kesi said: "If the Ming Dynasty launches troops against Prince De's Mansion, our country will never sit idly by. The naval force sets out from Dengzhou and rushes to Jinan Mansion along the Yellow River. It will take at most three or four days to deal with most emergencies. If the situation is really urgent, we will also try to arrange for the evacuation of Prince De’s Mansion from Jinan Mansion by water to ensure your personal safety.”
The voyage of the Yellow River from Jinan City to its mouth is about four to five hundred miles. The plan mentioned by Bai Kesi is indeed very feasible. Moreover, the Ming army's waterborne armed forces along the lower reaches of the Yellow River have long been cleaned up by Haihan under various excuses. The North Sea Fleet can travel upstream to Jinan City without encountering almost any obstacles.
If the North Sea Fleet dispatched warships equipped with steam power systems and advanced at high speed throughout the whole process, it would only take a day and a night for the troops to reach Jinan City from Dengzhou, and there would be no time for armed intervention.
The Northern Region had already reported the relevant emergency plan to the Executive Committee, and Bai Kesi had also participated in the review, so he could easily pick it up without thinking.
However, Huo Mingxian obviously did not understand the contents of the emergency plans formulated by the Northern Region for Prince De's Mansion, and his expression was a bit dubious.
Bai Kesi didn't want to waste his words explaining the detailed operation details to him, so he said in a different way: "If King De thinks that the current situation is not safe and needs to make plans early, then he can also consider finding an excuse to leave Jinan Mansion first. Go to Dengzhou or Liaodong to temporarily avoid the limelight.”
Having said that, Huo Mingxian could not make any further demands. After all, the Ming court's threat to reduce the vassal status has not yet been implemented. Prince De's palace can't expect Haihan to directly send troops to Jinan, or simply push back the capital, right? A high-ranking official like Bai Kesi expressed his support for Prince De's palace and gave several plans to solve the problem, which was considered a quite sincere response.
After Huo Mingxian thanked him profusely, Jiang Jianzhang sent him out.
Bai Kesi wanted to test the two young people around him, so he asked them what they thought about this matter.
The two looked at each other, and Ning Zijing spoke first: "This King De is willing to send his children to our country for development. He can be considered a clear-headed person who can judge the situation. If he can be protected, it should be helpful for the future. The transfer of power in the Ming Dynasty.”
Bai Letong then said: "Both De Wang and Zhu Zian are role models supported by our country. If De Wang falls, Zhu Zian's value will be greatly reduced. All the preparations we have done in the past will be invalid. We cannot give in on this matter. , you have to be tougher.”
Bai Kesi nodded slightly and said: "The Northern Region has always been responsible for the affairs of Prince De's Mansion. How to deal with it specifically? Let's see what Chen Yixin's opinion is when we arrive in Dengzhou!" After lunch at Qingdao Port that day, Bai Kesi The fleet was ordered to prepare for departure. All cargo ships in the fleet have completed loading and unloading cargo, even slightly ahead of schedule.
Starting from Qingdao Port, you need to go east around most of the Jiaodong Peninsula before you can get to the next stop, Dengzhou Zhifu Port. The two places are about 800 miles apart, and it is expected to take two days and two nights to complete the journey.
Both Bai Letong and Ning Zijing came to the Northern Region for the first time. They were full of curiosity about this unfamiliar territory. They spent most of the time on the deck, learning how to calculate the speed and identify the sea from the old sailors in charge of navigation. direction.
For them, the biggest difference between this sea area and the south is that there are far fewer sea ships along the way. Not far from Qingdao Port, there are no other sailing ships on the sea, which is far from the bustling and prosperous scene in Hangzhou Bay.
Bai Letong said: "It seems that the shipping industry here is not too developed yet. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of large ports in the north?"
Ning Zijing nodded in agreement: "Furthermore, several famous ports in the north are now operated by our country. This is mainly due to the impact of the previous maritime ban, which resulted in a complete blank in the shipping market in the north. , our country’s shipping agencies have hardly encountered any competitors.”
Judging from what I saw in Qingdao Port this past day, there are indeed very few local shipping business organizations in the north. They are basically all run by the Denglai Chamber of Commerce with obvious Haihan background.
The majority of the shipping market is still dominated by major shipping companies from the south. In terms of comprehensive transportation capacity, supply organization, staffing, capital scale, and operational experience, there is no doubt that merchants in the south have very obvious advantages. Merchants in the north probably still have a long way to go if they want to make a difference in the shipping market.
Two days later, the fleet successfully arrived at Zhifu Port.
Bai Kesi, who had been resting in the cabin on the way, also came to the deck in advance to watch this large harbor built entirely by Haihan with his juniors and subordinates.
"Compared to the last time I came here, the changes here are really great!" Bai Kesi looked at the scene on the coast and sighed involuntarily.
The last time Bai Kesi came here was twenty years ago.
In 1636, Haihan marched into Liaodong, launched a spring offensive, and captured the Jinzhou Isthmus. At the same time, Wang Tom led the armed fleet to Seoul and forced North Korea to sign an alliance under the city walls. At that time, Bai Kesi personally escorted a large amount of arms and equipment, stopping at Zhifu Port and heading to Liaodong. On behalf of the Executive Committee, he met with the envoys of North Korea and the Ming Dynasty in Jinzhou, and agreed on the Three-Nation Covenant that would later determine the direction of the situation in Northeast Asia.
(End of chapter)