Chapter 1510
Intimidation
Chapter 1510 Intimidation
Haihan has been operating in Fuguang and Guangxi provinces for many years, ranging from governors and envoys in one province, down to county clerks and class heads. In the bureaucratic system of Daming, no matter the level of officials, as long as they are powerful people, Sha Xi How many have had the experience of dealing with.And this time to meet with Mei Shengchuan, a senior official from the Daming Ministry of War, Sha Xi's strategy is to first overwhelm the other party with momentum, and let the other party understand with his rich experience that Daming officials are nothing in their eyes. Unbelievable big man.
Of course, in addition to demonstrations, necessary inducements are also an indispensable means of this occasion.Haihan has many interests in the southern provinces and the officials of the coastal prefectures, and some of these methods of operation are naturally applicable to Meishengchuan.Regarding the negotiation process of Mei Shengchuan in Shandong, Hao Wanqing had already sent a telegram to Lushun after the fleet departed from Zhifu Port, and informed Shaxi of the details.Now that it is known that Mei Shengchuan has a relatively strong interest in the plantation project, Shaxi can prepare some more targeted materials for discussion, so that Mei Shengchuan can understand how Haihan specifically operates Daming officials to invest in their occupied areas. plantation.
"The coastal plain in the northern part of Taiwan Island currently has more than 300 plantations, half of which belong to the officials of the various prefectures in Fujian. It is relatively common to acquire three or four hundred acres of land, and occasionally some rich and powerful officials enclose a thousand acres of land at a time."
While pouring wine for Mei Shengchuan, Sha Xi introduced to him: "There are many places like this in the South China Sea further south. If Mr. Mei is interested, even if he doesn't have time to go to such a far place, he can also appoint him. My confidant, let us arrange a visit. When you know how many officials in Daming have invested in plantations overseas, you probably won’t have any scruples anymore.”
Mei Shengchuan thought to himself that if the officials in the southern prefectures used this as their way of making money, as Shaxi said, then the business should be safe.Only in this way, the officials of the state capitals must have fluctuated so much that it is difficult to fully devote their allegiance to Daming.Moreover, although this kind of cooperation is very profitable, it is also equivalent to handing over their own control to the Haihan people. If the Haihan people want to do things in the south in the future, I am afraid that the coastal provinces will not be able to organize a decent resistance.
As if guessing what Mei Shengchuan was thinking, he heard Sha Xi continue: "This is not treason. Our country only wants to establish normal diplomatic relations with Daming, and has no intention of seeking illegitimate interests through these cooperation."
Sha Xi's remarks are righteous and serious. If Mei Shengchuan didn't know the deeds of the Haihan people before, maybe he really believed it, and it would be hard to say.Of course, now that Sha Xi said these words, Mei Shengchuan would not take it seriously. Haihan occupied so many places along the coast of Daming, and almost all of them used force to achieve their goals. They were definitely not good people.Although Mei Shengchuan was determined to get some benefits for himself from Haihan's side, he could still see clearly what was right and wrong.It is very likely that the southern officialdom can no longer eradicate the interest relationship with Haihan, and this situation cannot be changed by Mei Shengchuan alone.
The purpose of Shaxi was to make Mei Shengchuan understand that cooperating with Haihan to do business was not the daring act of individual Ming officials, but a common phenomenon in the southern coastal states.Haihan has a wealth of operational experience and successful examples in this area, and there is no need to worry that the situation in the south will be turbulent, which will affect the long-term prospects of these businesses.
Sha Xi continued: "Through cooperation projects including plantations every year, our country will regularly send dividends of millions of taels of silver to Daming's partners in return for their investment and trust. But if Daming can establish a relationship with our country Formal diplomatic relations and the opening of the trading authority of coastal state capitals, then we can completely transfer similar forms of cooperation to Daming territory, which saves most of the transportation costs and has relatively abundant and cheap labor. The operation mode can get more lucrative profits. Mr. Mei, what I am talking about with you now is not a business of tens of thousands to 10 taels of silver, but an industry that can bring in income of millions of taels of silver every year. It's just one of many partnerships we offer."
Rao is that Mei Shengchuan was mentally prepared, but he was still shocked by the figures mentioned by Sha Xi. Only then did he realize that Haihan's desire to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries may not only be due to political considerations , This huge economic benefit alone is enough to make many people excited.It's no wonder that Haihan has violated Daming's rights and interests in many years in the south, but the local officials have not only kept silent and condoned Haihan's behavior, but also contributed to the situation.In the Ministry of War, he has seen the official documents issued by the southern provinces in recent years, almost all of which praised Haihan for contributing money and efforts to maintain local peace, and also suggested that the imperial court establish diplomatic relations with Haihan as soon as possible, so that Haihan's military advisers could enter the country logically. The Ming army stationed, and trained the army for the local guard station.
Now that more and more people know about Haihan, Mei Shengchuan naturally understands the situation in these places. Most of them are just a means for the official to get the benefits of Haihan and try his best to promote it.But he asked himself if he was a local official, it would probably be difficult to resist the money offensive launched by Haihan.Taking [-] steps back, it may be difficult for officials who can withstand such an offensive to last long. After all, the Haihan people are not only able to do this trick. Since they have an army that can beat the Houjin Army beyond its head , who would dare to do it right?
Mei Shengchuan replied calmly: "It seems that the matter of establishing diplomatic relations, your country has sent someone in the DPRK to speak for you."
Sha Xi said with a smile: "Yes, there are people in the DPRK and my country who are nice to talk to. Although the relationship between officials from the southern provinces and our country is not bad, the establishment of diplomatic relations has to be led by someone in the capital. We sent so much money to Beijing last year. It is also hoped that through Lord Mei, more officials from the DPRK and China can be made so that this matter can be implemented as soon as possible. Of course, after this is done, we will thank everyone including Lord Mei in return. "
Sha Xi specially emphasized the words "Thank you for your return". How could Mei Shengchuan not understand his overtones, but it would not be easy to persuade several academics in the cabinet to agree to establish diplomatic relations with Haihan Kingdom, even if Haihan More than [-] taels of silver have been spent for this purpose, and Mei Shengchuan still dared not guarantee the time limit for the inevitable success.Moreover, Mei Shengchuan is also very clear that he will never be the only channel for the Haihan people to carry out this matter. There must be other officials in the capital who are secretly working on the joints for Haihan. thing.
"Of course, this official is happy to see Haihan living in peace with our country, but there are still many voices against this in the DPRK and my country, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to unify opinions for a while. Lord Sha, I am sorry that it is difficult for this official to make a clear promise to you. "Mei Shengchuan thought for a while, but chose a more conservative attitude.
Sha Xi didn't show any obvious disappointment at this statement, and he chatted with Mei Shengchuan about Dongjiang Town again: "The soldiers of Dongjiang Town are indeed somewhat different from the Ming army I have seen in the south. They have a strong desire to fight, and are not as slack as the Ming army in the south. Mr. Mei, I am not afraid to offend you. There are many places in the south where the guards are completely useless, and the training and equipment of the soldiers are far from the standard of professional troops. , the will to fight is even weaker, and it is not as easy to use as the people in Dongjiang Town."
Mei Shengchuan blushed when he heard this. Although he knew that the other party was deliberately belittling the Nanfang Weisuo army to help Dongjiang Town, what he said was also true. If the Nanfang Weisuo army was not good, how could the Haihan people be short-lived? In just a few years, it became a climate, capturing so many islands in the south that originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty.Of course, if you want to measure it by this standard, the garrison in Shandong is also a waste. It has had several small and large conflicts with the Haihan Army over the past year, and it has not even taken the slightest advantage.
However, the people from Dongjiang Town saw the opportunity early and chose to hold Haihan's thighs. Now they have not only made a lot of military exploits, but also took advantage of the situation to fight back to Liaodong from Phi Island.If they were to act against Haihan like the garrison in other places, it is hard to say whether there is still Dongjiang Town.
Of course, in front of an outsider like Sha Xi, Mei Shengchuan, as a senior official of the Ministry of War, still has to protect his own people: "Dongjiang Town is a strong army deployed overseas by my Daming, and its performance is not bad. They are all on record, and when I see the generals of Dongjiang Town later, this official will issue the court's awards."
Sha Xi was secretly amused, but he would not expose the other party's words in these scenes.If Daming really paid attention to the existence of Dongjiang Town, how could he let the severe famine on Phi Island be ignored.Moreover, the many military exploits reported by Dongjiang Town to the imperial court this year, as long as anyone who is not blind or deaf, knows that this is a military exploit that was picked up from the back of the Haihan Army. Even if they die in the battle, it is impossible for them to take Jinzhou back from the Houjin Army.
Of course, the sedan chairs were carried by everyone. The existence of Dongjiang Town in Liaodong was originally a means of Haihan showing goodwill to Daming, and Daming's affirmation and award for the military exploits reported by Dongjiang Town was also a disguised acknowledgement of Haihan's presence in Liaodong. exist.Mei Shengchuan expressed this attitude on behalf of the Ming court, and Sha Xi naturally would not break it.
Sha Xi replied: "General Xiao Shen of Dongjiang Town is currently leading his troops to fight on the front line, and General Shen is expected to arrive in Liaodong in a few days, so Mr. Mei can wait patiently for a few more days, and then he will be able to talk to Dongjiang Town. The adults have met. Just in the past few days, we can also arrange for Mr. Mei to go around the Golden State first to see the post-war reconstruction here."
Although Shaxi said at the beginning of the banquet that they would not talk about business affairs, in fact, both sides met with tasks, so how could they not mention business affairs at all, but everyone tacitly avoided disputes as much as possible part is not mentioned.When there was no dispute due to differences of opinion between the two parties at the dinner banquet, it was considered that the guests and the host enjoyed themselves at the end.
The residence that Sha Xi arranged for Mei Shengchuan was the recently built Lushun Fort Guest House, an institution specially used for official reception.However, there were dozens of people attached to Mei Shengchuan, and the hostel could not accommodate all of them, so some of them had to live in a temporary garrison barracks outside Lushun Fort.This arrangement is also for the sake of safety. Mei Shengchuan and his party are placed in two places inside the castle and outside the castle to avoid changes.
Mei Shengchuan didn't have any grudges. He only brought so many entourages to Liaodong.Although this guest house is small, the rooms are very clean. The bedding on the bed and the towels on the shelf are obviously new.And there is also a special kettle that can keep warm, which is filled with boiled hot water.On the bedside table is a box of tea leaves, a few pieces of fresh fruit, and a small snuff bottle for the guests to use by themselves.These details are things that Mei Shengchuan has never experienced before going out to a public office. Whether it is an official inn or a private inn, there is no such meticulous and considerate service.
"Probably only people from Haihan who pay attention to enjoyment would make such an arrangement!" Mei Shengchuan could only express admiration for this arrangement of Haihan. He did not expect that Lushun, Liaodong, which had just recovered from Houjin's hands, would still be able to enjoy it. to such accommodation.Although the place where I lived on Zhifu Island in Dengzhou was bigger before, the details were not as good as the guest house in Lushun Fort.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door and asked Mei Shengchuan if he needed to shower and change, and then took him to the bathroom downstairs.From the waiter's mouth, Mei Shengchuan knew that the hostel originally planned to install a ceramic bathtub and a hot water supply system in each room, but because the cost was too high, and there were no professional technicians in the construction, it could only be put on hold for the time being. With this plan in mind, a bathroom with centralized hot water supply was built downstairs, which is divided into four rooms for four people to use at the same time. If there are female guests, it will be arranged at different times.Of course, during the reception of Mei Shengchuan, this bathroom can only be reserved for special persons.
Mei Shengchuan used the soap provided by the guest house. After washing, he returned to his room fragrant and made himself a pot of hot tea. After taking two sips, he found that the tea was actually the best Zhejiang green tea. road.
"What kind of war are you fighting, doing business with the Haihan people, and learning how to enjoy life!" Mei Shengchuan leaned on the rattan rocking chair and slowly shook, some thoughts that he had never had before floated in his heart.The Haihan people are so particular about the poor conditions in Liaodong, and they don't know what kind of enjoyment they have in the mainland of the south.Those colleagues in the south are close to the mainland of Haihan, so they can easily bring the various enjoyments of Haihan back to their own homes.
(End of this chapter)
Haihan has been operating in Fuguang and Guangxi provinces for many years, ranging from governors and envoys in one province, down to county clerks and class heads. In the bureaucratic system of Daming, no matter the level of officials, as long as they are powerful people, Sha Xi How many have had the experience of dealing with.And this time to meet with Mei Shengchuan, a senior official from the Daming Ministry of War, Sha Xi's strategy is to first overwhelm the other party with momentum, and let the other party understand with his rich experience that Daming officials are nothing in their eyes. Unbelievable big man.
Of course, in addition to demonstrations, necessary inducements are also an indispensable means of this occasion.Haihan has many interests in the southern provinces and the officials of the coastal prefectures, and some of these methods of operation are naturally applicable to Meishengchuan.Regarding the negotiation process of Mei Shengchuan in Shandong, Hao Wanqing had already sent a telegram to Lushun after the fleet departed from Zhifu Port, and informed Shaxi of the details.Now that it is known that Mei Shengchuan has a relatively strong interest in the plantation project, Shaxi can prepare some more targeted materials for discussion, so that Mei Shengchuan can understand how Haihan specifically operates Daming officials to invest in their occupied areas. plantation.
"The coastal plain in the northern part of Taiwan Island currently has more than 300 plantations, half of which belong to the officials of the various prefectures in Fujian. It is relatively common to acquire three or four hundred acres of land, and occasionally some rich and powerful officials enclose a thousand acres of land at a time."
While pouring wine for Mei Shengchuan, Sha Xi introduced to him: "There are many places like this in the South China Sea further south. If Mr. Mei is interested, even if he doesn't have time to go to such a far place, he can also appoint him. My confidant, let us arrange a visit. When you know how many officials in Daming have invested in plantations overseas, you probably won’t have any scruples anymore.”
Mei Shengchuan thought to himself that if the officials in the southern prefectures used this as their way of making money, as Shaxi said, then the business should be safe.Only in this way, the officials of the state capitals must have fluctuated so much that it is difficult to fully devote their allegiance to Daming.Moreover, although this kind of cooperation is very profitable, it is also equivalent to handing over their own control to the Haihan people. If the Haihan people want to do things in the south in the future, I am afraid that the coastal provinces will not be able to organize a decent resistance.
As if guessing what Mei Shengchuan was thinking, he heard Sha Xi continue: "This is not treason. Our country only wants to establish normal diplomatic relations with Daming, and has no intention of seeking illegitimate interests through these cooperation."
Sha Xi's remarks are righteous and serious. If Mei Shengchuan didn't know the deeds of the Haihan people before, maybe he really believed it, and it would be hard to say.Of course, now that Sha Xi said these words, Mei Shengchuan would not take it seriously. Haihan occupied so many places along the coast of Daming, and almost all of them used force to achieve their goals. They were definitely not good people.Although Mei Shengchuan was determined to get some benefits for himself from Haihan's side, he could still see clearly what was right and wrong.It is very likely that the southern officialdom can no longer eradicate the interest relationship with Haihan, and this situation cannot be changed by Mei Shengchuan alone.
The purpose of Shaxi was to make Mei Shengchuan understand that cooperating with Haihan to do business was not the daring act of individual Ming officials, but a common phenomenon in the southern coastal states.Haihan has a wealth of operational experience and successful examples in this area, and there is no need to worry that the situation in the south will be turbulent, which will affect the long-term prospects of these businesses.
Sha Xi continued: "Through cooperation projects including plantations every year, our country will regularly send dividends of millions of taels of silver to Daming's partners in return for their investment and trust. But if Daming can establish a relationship with our country Formal diplomatic relations and the opening of the trading authority of coastal state capitals, then we can completely transfer similar forms of cooperation to Daming territory, which saves most of the transportation costs and has relatively abundant and cheap labor. The operation mode can get more lucrative profits. Mr. Mei, what I am talking about with you now is not a business of tens of thousands to 10 taels of silver, but an industry that can bring in income of millions of taels of silver every year. It's just one of many partnerships we offer."
Rao is that Mei Shengchuan was mentally prepared, but he was still shocked by the figures mentioned by Sha Xi. Only then did he realize that Haihan's desire to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries may not only be due to political considerations , This huge economic benefit alone is enough to make many people excited.It's no wonder that Haihan has violated Daming's rights and interests in many years in the south, but the local officials have not only kept silent and condoned Haihan's behavior, but also contributed to the situation.In the Ministry of War, he has seen the official documents issued by the southern provinces in recent years, almost all of which praised Haihan for contributing money and efforts to maintain local peace, and also suggested that the imperial court establish diplomatic relations with Haihan as soon as possible, so that Haihan's military advisers could enter the country logically. The Ming army stationed, and trained the army for the local guard station.
Now that more and more people know about Haihan, Mei Shengchuan naturally understands the situation in these places. Most of them are just a means for the official to get the benefits of Haihan and try his best to promote it.But he asked himself if he was a local official, it would probably be difficult to resist the money offensive launched by Haihan.Taking [-] steps back, it may be difficult for officials who can withstand such an offensive to last long. After all, the Haihan people are not only able to do this trick. Since they have an army that can beat the Houjin Army beyond its head , who would dare to do it right?
Mei Shengchuan replied calmly: "It seems that the matter of establishing diplomatic relations, your country has sent someone in the DPRK to speak for you."
Sha Xi said with a smile: "Yes, there are people in the DPRK and my country who are nice to talk to. Although the relationship between officials from the southern provinces and our country is not bad, the establishment of diplomatic relations has to be led by someone in the capital. We sent so much money to Beijing last year. It is also hoped that through Lord Mei, more officials from the DPRK and China can be made so that this matter can be implemented as soon as possible. Of course, after this is done, we will thank everyone including Lord Mei in return. "
Sha Xi specially emphasized the words "Thank you for your return". How could Mei Shengchuan not understand his overtones, but it would not be easy to persuade several academics in the cabinet to agree to establish diplomatic relations with Haihan Kingdom, even if Haihan More than [-] taels of silver have been spent for this purpose, and Mei Shengchuan still dared not guarantee the time limit for the inevitable success.Moreover, Mei Shengchuan is also very clear that he will never be the only channel for the Haihan people to carry out this matter. There must be other officials in the capital who are secretly working on the joints for Haihan. thing.
"Of course, this official is happy to see Haihan living in peace with our country, but there are still many voices against this in the DPRK and my country, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to unify opinions for a while. Lord Sha, I am sorry that it is difficult for this official to make a clear promise to you. "Mei Shengchuan thought for a while, but chose a more conservative attitude.
Sha Xi didn't show any obvious disappointment at this statement, and he chatted with Mei Shengchuan about Dongjiang Town again: "The soldiers of Dongjiang Town are indeed somewhat different from the Ming army I have seen in the south. They have a strong desire to fight, and are not as slack as the Ming army in the south. Mr. Mei, I am not afraid to offend you. There are many places in the south where the guards are completely useless, and the training and equipment of the soldiers are far from the standard of professional troops. , the will to fight is even weaker, and it is not as easy to use as the people in Dongjiang Town."
Mei Shengchuan blushed when he heard this. Although he knew that the other party was deliberately belittling the Nanfang Weisuo army to help Dongjiang Town, what he said was also true. If the Nanfang Weisuo army was not good, how could the Haihan people be short-lived? In just a few years, it became a climate, capturing so many islands in the south that originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty.Of course, if you want to measure it by this standard, the garrison in Shandong is also a waste. It has had several small and large conflicts with the Haihan Army over the past year, and it has not even taken the slightest advantage.
However, the people from Dongjiang Town saw the opportunity early and chose to hold Haihan's thighs. Now they have not only made a lot of military exploits, but also took advantage of the situation to fight back to Liaodong from Phi Island.If they were to act against Haihan like the garrison in other places, it is hard to say whether there is still Dongjiang Town.
Of course, in front of an outsider like Sha Xi, Mei Shengchuan, as a senior official of the Ministry of War, still has to protect his own people: "Dongjiang Town is a strong army deployed overseas by my Daming, and its performance is not bad. They are all on record, and when I see the generals of Dongjiang Town later, this official will issue the court's awards."
Sha Xi was secretly amused, but he would not expose the other party's words in these scenes.If Daming really paid attention to the existence of Dongjiang Town, how could he let the severe famine on Phi Island be ignored.Moreover, the many military exploits reported by Dongjiang Town to the imperial court this year, as long as anyone who is not blind or deaf, knows that this is a military exploit that was picked up from the back of the Haihan Army. Even if they die in the battle, it is impossible for them to take Jinzhou back from the Houjin Army.
Of course, the sedan chairs were carried by everyone. The existence of Dongjiang Town in Liaodong was originally a means of Haihan showing goodwill to Daming, and Daming's affirmation and award for the military exploits reported by Dongjiang Town was also a disguised acknowledgement of Haihan's presence in Liaodong. exist.Mei Shengchuan expressed this attitude on behalf of the Ming court, and Sha Xi naturally would not break it.
Sha Xi replied: "General Xiao Shen of Dongjiang Town is currently leading his troops to fight on the front line, and General Shen is expected to arrive in Liaodong in a few days, so Mr. Mei can wait patiently for a few more days, and then he will be able to talk to Dongjiang Town. The adults have met. Just in the past few days, we can also arrange for Mr. Mei to go around the Golden State first to see the post-war reconstruction here."
Although Shaxi said at the beginning of the banquet that they would not talk about business affairs, in fact, both sides met with tasks, so how could they not mention business affairs at all, but everyone tacitly avoided disputes as much as possible part is not mentioned.When there was no dispute due to differences of opinion between the two parties at the dinner banquet, it was considered that the guests and the host enjoyed themselves at the end.
The residence that Sha Xi arranged for Mei Shengchuan was the recently built Lushun Fort Guest House, an institution specially used for official reception.However, there were dozens of people attached to Mei Shengchuan, and the hostel could not accommodate all of them, so some of them had to live in a temporary garrison barracks outside Lushun Fort.This arrangement is also for the sake of safety. Mei Shengchuan and his party are placed in two places inside the castle and outside the castle to avoid changes.
Mei Shengchuan didn't have any grudges. He only brought so many entourages to Liaodong.Although this guest house is small, the rooms are very clean. The bedding on the bed and the towels on the shelf are obviously new.And there is also a special kettle that can keep warm, which is filled with boiled hot water.On the bedside table is a box of tea leaves, a few pieces of fresh fruit, and a small snuff bottle for the guests to use by themselves.These details are things that Mei Shengchuan has never experienced before going out to a public office. Whether it is an official inn or a private inn, there is no such meticulous and considerate service.
"Probably only people from Haihan who pay attention to enjoyment would make such an arrangement!" Mei Shengchuan could only express admiration for this arrangement of Haihan. He did not expect that Lushun, Liaodong, which had just recovered from Houjin's hands, would still be able to enjoy it. to such accommodation.Although the place where I lived on Zhifu Island in Dengzhou was bigger before, the details were not as good as the guest house in Lushun Fort.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door and asked Mei Shengchuan if he needed to shower and change, and then took him to the bathroom downstairs.From the waiter's mouth, Mei Shengchuan knew that the hostel originally planned to install a ceramic bathtub and a hot water supply system in each room, but because the cost was too high, and there were no professional technicians in the construction, it could only be put on hold for the time being. With this plan in mind, a bathroom with centralized hot water supply was built downstairs, which is divided into four rooms for four people to use at the same time. If there are female guests, it will be arranged at different times.Of course, during the reception of Mei Shengchuan, this bathroom can only be reserved for special persons.
Mei Shengchuan used the soap provided by the guest house. After washing, he returned to his room fragrant and made himself a pot of hot tea. After taking two sips, he found that the tea was actually the best Zhejiang green tea. road.
"What kind of war are you fighting, doing business with the Haihan people, and learning how to enjoy life!" Mei Shengchuan leaned on the rattan rocking chair and slowly shook, some thoughts that he had never had before floated in his heart.The Haihan people are so particular about the poor conditions in Liaodong, and they don't know what kind of enjoyment they have in the mainland of the south.Those colleagues in the south are close to the mainland of Haihan, so they can easily bring the various enjoyments of Haihan back to their own homes.
(End of this chapter)