Chapter 2919
"Let's not talk about whether we should deploy so many technical personnel from the south to support construction. I would like to ask, can the local area effectively ensure their safety? After all, the places you just mentioned are very far away from the Manchu Qing's sphere of influence. It’s close. If the Qing army gets jealous and launches a sneak attack on our industrial area, the losses will be incalculable in terms of money.”
Schneider, who is in charge of finance, did not dwell on the issues mentioned by Baikes, but asked him to first confirm whether the local environment was safe enough. After all, the coal and iron mines in places like Anshan, Liaoyang, and Shenyang are located only a hundred or so miles away from the traditional territory of the Qing Dynasty. If war breaks out between the two countries again, these areas may indeed be affected by the war immediately. .
When it comes to safety issues, Baikes has a ready-made example. During his previous inspection in Shenyang, a cargo interception and murder incident occurred at Qingyang Fort on the border with the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. He immediately described the investigation and handling process of this cross-border case in detail.
For these senior officials who have been staying in Sanya all year round, their understanding of various events occurring in overseas regions often comes only from written reports written by local governments after the fact. Official documents should be concise and concise, and unimportant details are often skipped over. So even if some people have heard about this matter before, the information they have is still far behind Bai Kesi.
Bai Kesi described in detail how Chen Yixin mobilized troops and generals to investigate the case, and the attitude of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Everyone rarely had the opportunity to hear the story of this kind of border conflict, and they were all listening with relish at the moment.
Perhaps it coincided with the visit of the imperial envoy Bai Kesi, and Chen Yixin also intended to expose the frontier troops guarding Shenyang, so he took an extremely tough attitude towards handling the matter. After the incident, he exerted tremendous pressure on the Manchu Qing Dynasty through various channels.
The Manchu Qing Dynasty also knew that the consequences of this matter were serious. Shunzhi sent Geng Jimao and Suk Saha to deal with the matter, and the truth was quickly found out. In the end, more than 200 Manchus involved in the robbery were taken to the Qingyang Fort where the incident occurred and beheaded. Hundreds of other related personnel were sentenced to three thousand miles of exile. The punishment methods were so harsh that even Haihan couldn't find any fault with him.
After hearing this, Ning Qi asked: "Shunzhi is so cruel to his own people, isn't he afraid of affecting the morale of his subjects?"
Bai Kesi explained: "Behind this robbery was the entanglement of interests between the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty. Shunzhi's attitude was not entirely to submit to our country, but also to use this to attack certain forces within the Qing Dynasty and maintain his own rule. status. Of course, the Qing government does not want to conflict with my country because of this matter. If a fight really breaks out, Hetuala, the capital of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, is only about a hundred miles away from the border with my country. Once the war starts, it will become a front line. Shunzhi The little emperor obviously doesn’t want to take this risk.”
Ning Qi suddenly said: "I see. So, then, the Manchu Qing Dynasty is trying its best to avoid conflicts with our country?"
Bai Kesi nodded and said: "According to my local knowledge, there is indeed such a trend. After all, their opponent is no longer the Ming Dynasty. If they continue to play the game of fighting and killing, they will not be able to take any advantage. The powerful figures in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, including the young emperor, will now more or less benefit from the trade between the two countries. Profit comes first. Going to war will damage the interests of many people. Military means are no longer their second priority. One choice.”
Yan Chujie added: "To forge iron, we need to be strong ourselves. The key is that our military strength can suppress the Manchu Qing. Otherwise, in the eyes of those barbarians, we are just like the Ming Dynasty, just a group of fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered." "Old Yan is right, all of this is based on our sufficient strength. It is our strong ships and guns that make these barbarians outside the customs learn to abide by the rules. In the future, when we achieve industrialization, they will take the initiative to put down their hands. With his sword and bow, he became hospitable and good at singing and dancing."
Tao Donglai's joke elicited a round of knowing laughter. The participants present were all time travelers who knew the process of historical development. Naturally, they understood that behind this joke was actually the process of conquest of backward civilization by advanced civilization. When the strength gap between the two opposing parties reaches a certain level, the weaker party will naturally give up the idea of confrontation and seek to live in peace with the stronger party.
As far as the current situation is concerned, although the Manchu and Qing Dynasties have admitted defeat and have temporarily given up the practice of armed confrontation with Haihan, this does not mean that the Manchu and Qing Dynasties have chosen to honestly play the role of "good at singing and dancing" in the future. . If there are problems with Haihan's governance in Liaodong and the Manchus feel that there is a chance for a comeback, then they may show another face.
Now that the words have come to this, Tao Donglai continued: "Everyone should be more or less familiar with the situation in Liaodong. Although we have signed an armistice agreement with the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty, will these two countries be reconciled? Giving up Liaodong, I don’t think the answer needs to be guessed.”
"In order to maintain long-term stability in the Liaodong region, in addition to military means, we also need to further enhance the local comprehensive strength, especially the process of industrialization. In this era, steel production capacity is equivalent to military strength. When Liaodong's coal and iron industry When the complex industrial base is put into operation, I think the Qing Dynasty should really give up the idea of confronting my country.”
Tao Donglai's statement basically set the tone for the industrial development plan proposed by the Northern Region, linking the importance of industrial implementation with the regional situation.
"Whether it's equipment, funds, or technical personnel, we will try our best to provide whatever the Northern Region needs. There will definitely be difficulties, but they won't be more difficult than when we first arrived in Sanya, right? Lao Bai, what do you say? ?" After Tao Dong finished speaking, he turned the topic back to Bai Kesi.
Bai Kesi knew that this was not Tao Donglai trying to make things difficult for him, but that he was clearing obstacles for himself. He immediately responded: "Resources from all aspects can be given priority to the northern region to support the implementation of local industrial projects as soon as possible. Everyone, In the future, the Liaodong Industrial Base will far exceed the current scale of Hainan Island. The sooner we start, the faster we can reap benefits.”
For Haihan executives who are dominated by the Industrial Party, Liaodong's industrial projects will definitely receive a sufficient proportion of votes in favor. Tao Donglai saw not only the prospects for industrial development, but also the long-term impact it would have on the regional situation.
However, how to coordinate and prepare for the large amount of resources required for this is indeed an extremely arduous task. Even if Bai Kesi has the power to mobilize the country's industrial resources, he still needs to plan carefully before he can come up with a plan.
(End of chapter)