Hangzhou City, Shifu.
Shi Diwen and a group of subordinates were having a meeting in the study, while Shi Chengxin was standing in the patio outside, waiting for the meeting to end. He knew that his father would definitely summon him after the meeting, so waiting here in advance also showed his attitude.
Shi Chengxin had been standing here for a long time. He looked up at the darkening sky and wondered to himself whether this meeting would last until night. Why not go to the kitchen first and prepare more meals for tonight? Some, lest the attending officials in the study go hungry.
Shi Chengxin should be one of the first people to know that Shi Diwen planned to visit Japan, and he also knew that his father did not intend to take him with him on this mission.
The meeting currently being held in the study is related to this visit. The officials who were notified to come to Shi Mansion for a meeting today are basically the ones who want to travel with Shi Diwen.
Shi Chengxin could understand his father's arrangement, but he was not very satisfied that his father did not allow him to be one of his entourage. After all, he also hopes that like his elder brother, he can get the opportunity to make achievements with the support of his father. Although he is not good at leading troops in war, he has been staying in Hangzhou, so he obviously will not have any chance of making meritorious deeds.
It's just that the eldest brother Shi Chengwu has been transferred to Nanjing. After his father goes abroad this time, he is the only one who can temporarily take on the responsibility and handle the urgent official affairs of the Donghai Region.
But now several other uncles and elders on the executive committee are also in Hangzhou. With them sitting in charge, there is not much room left for him to perform. The role Shi Chengxin can play is only to ensure that the industries and regions he controls during this period will not be easily reached by others.
If I could follow my father on a trip to Japan, visit various local vassal states, and instigate the Japanese civil war, and when the work is completed, I will definitely get a share of the credit. Wouldn't it be much better than staying in Hangzhou?
When Shi Chengxin was wandering in his thoughts, the door of the study room opened. The meeting was over and the officials filed out of the room.
When these officials saw Shi Chengxin standing outside, they all bowed and saluted, called him "Second Young Master", then said goodbye to him and left. Shi Chengxin also smiled, greeted these officials one by one, and sent these officials off respectfully.
The officials who could be summoned to Shi Diwen's home for a meeting were almost all close friends who had followed Shi Diwen in the north and south. Most of them were older than Shi Chengxin, so Shi Chengxin did not dare to put on airs in front of them.
After seeing off these officials, Shi Chengxin entered the study.
Seeing the undisguised fatigue on his father Shi Diwen's face, Shi Chengxin asked proactively: "Father, can I help you pour a cup of ginseng tea?"
Shi Diwen waved his hand and said: "I drank a lot of tea in the meeting just now, don't do it... Sit down first, I have something to tell you."
"If my trip to Japan goes well, it may take more than half a month, or it may take longer. In short, while I am not at home, I will leave the family affairs to you. If you have any undecided matters, please do it first Send me a telegram. If the matter is urgent, then go directly to the uncles on the executive committee. Do you understand?"
Shi Chengxin nodded and said: "Father, you have told me these things several times, of course the child understands."
Shi Diwen said: "Then if you still don't understand, ask me quickly before I set off." Shi Chengxin said: "My child has something unclear. The war between our country and the Ming Dynasty has just ended, and it is time to recuperate and regain strength. Why did my father choose this time to instigate the Japanese Civil War, and why did he go to all the trouble to make this trip himself? ”
Shi Diwen said: "The reason is actually very simple. This war against the Ming Dynasty did not achieve the goal I expected."
"I originally expected to fight all the way to Jiujiang and occupy all the prefectures along the Yangtze River in the lower reaches of Jiujiang. After the war, I will arrange for you two brothers to sit in one area south of the Yangtze River and the other in the north of the Yangtze River, so that all the Yangtze River coasts below Jiujiang will be included in our territory. Family’s sphere of influence.”
"The executive committee and I have reached a tacit understanding on this matter, but as you know the actual situation, our army stopped at the Yangtze River, and the armistice agreement signed with the Ming Dynasty also temporarily divided the river to rule. It failed to conquer Luzhou and Luzhou in the north of the Yangtze River in one go. Hezhou and Anqing were captured.”
"So to divide the cake after the war, I can only arrange a position for your eldest brother first and let him serve as the commander of the Yingtian Mansion garrison. If I want to get you a position in charge of the government, I have to find another way."
If Shi Chengxin realized something, he said: "So my father plans to use his contribution to instigating the Japanese civil war to change his position in the executive committee for his son?"
Shi Diwen nodded and said: "The next war with the Ming Dynasty will be at least a few years later. I don't want to delay that long. We can still start a war now, and there are not many places within our reach in the East China Sea Region. Japan's The domestic situation has been unstable, so it is currently the easiest target.”
Shi Chengxin said: "Since my father has such an arrangement plan for my two brothers and plans to send my children to work in local places, why have I never mentioned it to my children?"
Shi Diwen said: "The reason for the war against the Ming Dynasty this year was the Hangzhou assassination. Although we planned the matter in advance, there were too many variables. At that time, I was not even sure whether I could let the executive committee decide to start the war. , how dare I promise you the future arrangements in advance.”
Shi Chengxin said: "Why should father be so anxious? My son is doing his job smoothly now. In two or three years, he may be promoted to various departments directly under the executive committee."
Shi Diwen shook his head and said: "You don't know something about this. According to the promotion system designed by the executive committee, as an official of the regional administrative yamen, if you want to go up to a higher-level yamen, you must first go abroad. You can become a local official for a few years and have the corresponding qualifications.”
Shi Chengxin's current position is the head of the Land and Resources Department of the Donghai Region. This department does not have much power, but its scope of work is very broad. This means that there are many directions to go in the future, and it will not be limited to a certain field. As long as he has enough qualifications, he has every opportunity to be transferred to other more important departments.
Shi Diwen continued: "We are not the only ones eyeing good positions now. Many people are trying to arrange for their children to serve in local governments. If you wait for another two or three years, there will be more competitors. You You may not be able to grab the position you like.”
"There are two positions in Yingtian Mansion, one civil and one military. Your eldest brother reserved the military position. Tao Hongfang and Ning Zijing competed for another civil position, and finally Tao Hongfang was chosen. Didn't you see that Ning Zijing's father Ning Qi recently During this period of executive committee meetings, he has been picking on Nanjing.”
Shi Chengxin said: "Even if the child cannot go to Yingtian Mansion, his father can still arrange to serve in several other newly occupied state capitals?"
Shi Diwen waved his hand and said: "Taiping Mansion, Ningguo Mansion, Chizhou Mansion, those places are still in chaos, and they can't get as many support measures as Yingtian Mansion. Not only can't they be gilded, but they will easily capsize, otherwise I have already arranged for you to go. Of course Ning Qi also knows the situation, so he has no intention of letting his son become an official in these places."