Chapter 1534
Local Separatists
Chapter 1534 Local Separatists
For Qu Yutong, in addition to earning huge profits in various trade projects with Haihan, they can also be exchanged for Haihan’s personal help in various aspects. For example, if Qu Yutong needs some road repairs Bridge, relief of victims, suppression of bandits and thieves and other political achievements to pave the way for him to make progress, then Haihan is undoubtedly an excellent object of leverage.Moreover, the Haihan people are not as difficult to deal with as the local gentry, as long as the conditions are negotiated, everything can be done properly.
In addition, Qu Yutong had seen Haihan's confidant private army trained by Xu Xinsu in Zhoushan, and he had already made up his mind to follow suit, seek military assistance from Haihan, and train an armed force that only obeyed his orders. Army, in order to buy insurance for yourself and your family.Otherwise, if one day the imperial court wants to liquidate his charges of liaison with foreign countries, he may not even be able to escape from Ningbo City.Of course, the establishment and maintenance of this kind of private armed force requires a lot of funds. Even if he is a fourth-rank magistrate, his family property is far from enough to support this kind of use. Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate deeply with Haihan in terms of trade. The profits earned from the business are used to subsidize the expenses of building private armies.
At present, Qu Yutong has secretly selected and dispatched more than 200 young and strong men to Zhoushan Island to receive military training provided by Haihan through the clan relationship. Most of them are the younger generations of the clan.Even if Shi Diwen gave a certain discount to the expenses in terms of personal relationship, the monthly expenses of this group of people for food, lodging and training on the island are still a very considerable figure, which basically takes up Qu Yutong's income from trade. About [-]% of the gross profit, it would be a lie to say that it doesn't hurt.
But Qu Yutong has also heard many benefits of owning private armed forces from Shi Diwen, especially when the import and export trade between the two countries is still dominated by smuggling, owning a private armed force is equivalent to There are great conveniences in open trade.Xu Xinsu from Fujian is the best example. He was originally one of the largest sea merchants in Fujian. After getting the backing of Haihan, his strength has risen even higher. In just a few years, the geographical scope of his commercial routes So it rose from the southeastern waters of Daming to Haihan's control area, and even the Haihan colonies in the South China Sea that were thousands of miles away from Daming also had more or less industries invested by the Xu family.
Although it is unrealistic for Qu Yutong to expand his business to the scale of Xu Xinsu's, he also hopes that when he is in power, he can make full use of the power at hand to build an industry for the family and future generations that can last for generations.At the very least, they have to acquire thousands of acres of plantations overseas, so that even if the next generation does not live up to expectations, at least the wealth of their generation can be preserved.
Of course, with the addition of Shi Diwen's relationship now, Qu Yutong has more confidence in what he says and does. After all, in the Zhejiang waters, Shi Diwen is the chief executive representing the Haihan Kingdom. The princes canonized by the royal family are still big.So regarding the future relationship between Haihan and Daming, Qu Yutong got a detailed explanation from Shi Diwen, which must be much faster than the official official channel.
Regarding Qu Yutong's concerns, Shi Diwen also expressed his understanding: "Trade stability is the most important thing for the Executive Committee. No matter how the relationship between the two countries will be in the future, trade will be an eternal theme, and it is only a matter of scale. That's all."
Qu Yutong didn't quite understand Shi Diwen's words, so he tentatively asked, "Can General Shi explain it more clearly?"
Shi Diwen said: "To put it simply, the previous business will continue to be carried out. The difference is that the qualification of the agent will be re-examined, but it should not affect Mr. Qu. After all, the cooperative relationship between us is different."
Only then did Qu Yutong nod slightly, feeling a little relieved, he didn't actually want Shi Diwen to explain the Haihan Executive Committee's decree word by word, but just wanted to get a reassurance from the other party.As long as Shi Diwen can make a promise to keep the situation stable, he thinks it is enough.After all, the reputation of Haihan people has always been outstanding. As long as the promises are spoken, there are generally no major problems. What's more, there is an in-law relationship between him and Shi Diwen, which is much stronger than a pure interest relationship.
Qu Yutong's worries were quickly resolved, and the heart hanging in his throat was finally returned to its original position, but Shi Diwen had other things to inform him during his trip.
"Master Qu, there is an important matter to discuss with you." Shi Diwen quickly raised the topic: "You are also aware of the situation of Zhoushan Islands and Shipu Port. The executive committee attaches great importance to this place. So we are going to declare sovereignty over these two places, and in the future diplomatic agreement with Daming, these two places will be written into the agreement as the territory of Haihan."
Qu Yutong's expression immediately became a little unnatural: "General Shi said that these two places are all under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture. If you do it according to your country's wishes, then wouldn't this official become Ming Dynasty's?" Criminal? No, this is absolutely impossible, and I hope General Shi will write to your country's executive committee to oppose this unwise move."
Of course, Shi Diwen would not change his mind just because of Qu Yutong's two words, and immediately continued: "What is Mr. Qu worried about? Is the imperial court's punishment? Please rest assured about this. We are negotiating with the Ming court. , will put forward some conditions, including retaining the current officials of Ningbo Mansion and not changing them at will."
Qu Yutong's face became even more ugly: "Wouldn't this be putting the official on fire? It's not right, it's not right!"
Shi Diwen shook his head and said: "Master Qu, your thinking is still the same as before, and you have not kept up with the development of the times! Think about it, what does Daming want now is a courtier who can fight against our country, or a courtier who can communicate with our country? Liaodong The region is now waiting for our army to put out the fire, so for the thousands of miles of sea supply line from our mainland to Liaodong, our country requires several coastal ports as guarantees, isn't this condition too much?"
Qu Yutong knew that if he wanted to argue about this kind of issue, he probably couldn't argue with an experienced high-ranking official like Shi Diwen, but he really didn't want to be charged with the crime of losing the country during his tenure, so he still planned to persuade Shi Diwen, give up this arrangement that will make him unable to step down.He thought for a while, and changed to a more eclectic statement: "General Shi, is there any other way to ensure your country's control over these places and keep it on the territory of Ming Dynasty?"
Shi Diwen shook his head slowly and said: "Master Qu, I'm not afraid to tell you that the two places I mentioned just now are our country's inevitable goals, even if we use force, we must take these two places down. Of course, I believe that armed conflict will not break out in the dispute over the ownership of these two places, and your court will definitely choose to compromise in the end."
"How do you know?" Qu Yutong asked unwillingly.
"It's very simple. The envoys sent by your country to Liaodong to contact our country have already expressed your country's attitude, that is, the actual occupied areas in Shandong and Liaodong by our country can be regarded as controlled by our country. Because the war in Liaodong has not yet ended, it is difficult to divide the boundaries, but basically the area south of the Jinzhou Isthmus has been determined to belong to our country, and the situation in Shandong is similar. Most of the areas in Fushan County, Dengzhou will probably be included. my country."
It was only at this time that Shi Diwen revealed the shocking inside information to Qu Yutong. The purpose was to shock the mountain and let the other party know that he had already grasped the bottom line of Ming Dynasty: "Zhejiang is not the only place that will be ceded to our country. land, there are other places north and south to complete the same arrangement."
Although Shi Diwen's words were a bit shocking, Qu Yutong still believed that he would not talk about such a big matter.It's just that this kind of agreement to cede territory is too unbelievable for Da Ming, and he can't imagine how this exchange condition can be written down in black and white.
However, Shi Diwen quickly answered his confusion: "The agreement will be divided into two parts, one is open to the world, and the other is a secret agreement between the two countries, and the part about the territory will only be published in private It appeared in this agreement. So Mr. Qu had better keep this secret, once it gets out, how many unlucky ghosts will be killed."
"Understand, understand, I understand!" Qu Yutong has been in the officialdom for many years, so he naturally knows how involved it is. Even if he is a fourth-rank official, if he is identified as the source of the leak, the black hat on his head will be the same won't keep it.
But this kind of non-disclosure agreement is actually similar to stealing the bell when you think about it carefully. After a long time, people in the world will still be aware of Daming's complete abandonment attitude towards these places.And Shi Diwen's explanation for this is that Daming's need for Haihan's military assistance is too urgent now, even if it is self-anesthesia, he can only agree to Haihan's territorial request first.
As for the real ownership of these areas in the future, Da Ming actually has the same idea as Hai Han, that is, whoever is stronger will have the final say.Daming believed that sooner or later he would be able to defeat his opponents in the north and quell the civil strife in the Central Plains, and it would not be too late to free up his hands to deal with these territorial disputes.Of course, the people like Haihan are more aware of the trend of history. It will be very difficult for Ming Dynasty to restore its national power to its prosperous period in the future. It is basically impossible to take back the land from the increasingly powerful Haihan.
If Daming can really solve the internal and external troubles in a few years, the national strength of Haihan at that time must be far beyond the current level. Even if the feat of snake swallowing elephants cannot be completed by then, I want to create some places on the coastline of Daming It will not be too difficult to implement the separatist forces.
And now Shi Diwen wants to make Qu Yutong understand the truth that Haihan wants the two places in Ningbo not through negotiation with the Ningbo government as he said, but Haihan unilaterally. A decision was made and the prefect was informed of this conclusion.There is no room for bargaining in this matter, and this is an agreement at the national level. Seriously speaking, Qu Yutong is not qualified to participate in it.
Shi Diwen saw that Qu Yutong had understood his subtext, and his tone eased: "Master Qu, I have already said it before, and now I am emphasizing it again, the diplomatic agreement between our country and Ming Dynasty will not affect you It will not have any negative impact on your official position. If the court of your country has any objections to this, then we will exert diplomatic pressure on our side to keep you. Although you are an official of Ming Dynasty, you are Our country is also a meritorious person, we will not give up on you, let alone let you take the blame."
Shi Diwen has been in contact with Qu Yutong for a long time, and he understands what the fundamental problem this old fox is worried about. In the end, he is afraid that Haihan will abandon him as a partner.If you don't make this point clear, Qu Yutong might not be able to eat well and sleep for a while, and he will always think about this problem.
After hearing these words, Qu Yutong finally showed a smile on his face: "General Shi's words are too outrageous, how can I be such a snobbish person? Besides, with the friendship between you and me, this officer There's no need to worry about taking the blame. Just kidding, kidding!"
Shi Diwen laughed a few times, but he understood in his heart that everyone was talking beautifully, but in fact they regarded each other as a tool to achieve their own goals.He doesn't have any strong likes and dislikes towards Qu Yutong, it's just that the job needs to maintain this relationship.It is of course best for Qu Yutong to understand and cooperate, but if he really can't figure it out, then Shi Diwen will still unceremoniously remove this stumbling block.
After the two of them talked about the business, Qu Yutong hosted a banquet in honor of Shi Diwen, but because Shi Diwen's identity was more sensitive, he didn't find any more accompanying guests, but asked his servants to go to the brothel in the city to pick up two Qing people who can sing come to accompany me.Shi Diwen didn't really have much interest in this kind of entertainment, but since Qu Yutong had arranged it, he would not refuse the other party's kindness, lest Qu Yutong have more intentions.
In fact, Shi Diwen came to Ningbo Mansion for more than just meeting Qu Yutong. In addition to political consultations, he also shouldered the task of expanding the scope of trade.Although the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will not have much impact on the industries operated under the name of officials like Qu Yutong, if we look at the entire market, there will still be more obvious changes.After the scale of Haihan's commodity output increases, the dealer's profit will definitely decrease, and some dealers with weak strength may even be gradually squeezed out of the market.
During this period of time, Haihan spared no effort to try to integrate various industries in the coastal state capital, in order to gradually control the social economy of these areas.As long as it can monopolize some relatively basic livelihood industries, it will be much easier for Haihan to implement further measures in the future.Moreover, the Ministry of Commerce has been planning this for many years, and is waiting to reap the huge profits after the monopoly is realized.When Shi Diwen came here, he was going to have talks with the main operators of some industries in Ningbo.
(End of this chapter)
For Qu Yutong, in addition to earning huge profits in various trade projects with Haihan, they can also be exchanged for Haihan’s personal help in various aspects. For example, if Qu Yutong needs some road repairs Bridge, relief of victims, suppression of bandits and thieves and other political achievements to pave the way for him to make progress, then Haihan is undoubtedly an excellent object of leverage.Moreover, the Haihan people are not as difficult to deal with as the local gentry, as long as the conditions are negotiated, everything can be done properly.
In addition, Qu Yutong had seen Haihan's confidant private army trained by Xu Xinsu in Zhoushan, and he had already made up his mind to follow suit, seek military assistance from Haihan, and train an armed force that only obeyed his orders. Army, in order to buy insurance for yourself and your family.Otherwise, if one day the imperial court wants to liquidate his charges of liaison with foreign countries, he may not even be able to escape from Ningbo City.Of course, the establishment and maintenance of this kind of private armed force requires a lot of funds. Even if he is a fourth-rank magistrate, his family property is far from enough to support this kind of use. Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate deeply with Haihan in terms of trade. The profits earned from the business are used to subsidize the expenses of building private armies.
At present, Qu Yutong has secretly selected and dispatched more than 200 young and strong men to Zhoushan Island to receive military training provided by Haihan through the clan relationship. Most of them are the younger generations of the clan.Even if Shi Diwen gave a certain discount to the expenses in terms of personal relationship, the monthly expenses of this group of people for food, lodging and training on the island are still a very considerable figure, which basically takes up Qu Yutong's income from trade. About [-]% of the gross profit, it would be a lie to say that it doesn't hurt.
But Qu Yutong has also heard many benefits of owning private armed forces from Shi Diwen, especially when the import and export trade between the two countries is still dominated by smuggling, owning a private armed force is equivalent to There are great conveniences in open trade.Xu Xinsu from Fujian is the best example. He was originally one of the largest sea merchants in Fujian. After getting the backing of Haihan, his strength has risen even higher. In just a few years, the geographical scope of his commercial routes So it rose from the southeastern waters of Daming to Haihan's control area, and even the Haihan colonies in the South China Sea that were thousands of miles away from Daming also had more or less industries invested by the Xu family.
Although it is unrealistic for Qu Yutong to expand his business to the scale of Xu Xinsu's, he also hopes that when he is in power, he can make full use of the power at hand to build an industry for the family and future generations that can last for generations.At the very least, they have to acquire thousands of acres of plantations overseas, so that even if the next generation does not live up to expectations, at least the wealth of their generation can be preserved.
Of course, with the addition of Shi Diwen's relationship now, Qu Yutong has more confidence in what he says and does. After all, in the Zhejiang waters, Shi Diwen is the chief executive representing the Haihan Kingdom. The princes canonized by the royal family are still big.So regarding the future relationship between Haihan and Daming, Qu Yutong got a detailed explanation from Shi Diwen, which must be much faster than the official official channel.
Regarding Qu Yutong's concerns, Shi Diwen also expressed his understanding: "Trade stability is the most important thing for the Executive Committee. No matter how the relationship between the two countries will be in the future, trade will be an eternal theme, and it is only a matter of scale. That's all."
Qu Yutong didn't quite understand Shi Diwen's words, so he tentatively asked, "Can General Shi explain it more clearly?"
Shi Diwen said: "To put it simply, the previous business will continue to be carried out. The difference is that the qualification of the agent will be re-examined, but it should not affect Mr. Qu. After all, the cooperative relationship between us is different."
Only then did Qu Yutong nod slightly, feeling a little relieved, he didn't actually want Shi Diwen to explain the Haihan Executive Committee's decree word by word, but just wanted to get a reassurance from the other party.As long as Shi Diwen can make a promise to keep the situation stable, he thinks it is enough.After all, the reputation of Haihan people has always been outstanding. As long as the promises are spoken, there are generally no major problems. What's more, there is an in-law relationship between him and Shi Diwen, which is much stronger than a pure interest relationship.
Qu Yutong's worries were quickly resolved, and the heart hanging in his throat was finally returned to its original position, but Shi Diwen had other things to inform him during his trip.
"Master Qu, there is an important matter to discuss with you." Shi Diwen quickly raised the topic: "You are also aware of the situation of Zhoushan Islands and Shipu Port. The executive committee attaches great importance to this place. So we are going to declare sovereignty over these two places, and in the future diplomatic agreement with Daming, these two places will be written into the agreement as the territory of Haihan."
Qu Yutong's expression immediately became a little unnatural: "General Shi said that these two places are all under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Prefecture. If you do it according to your country's wishes, then wouldn't this official become Ming Dynasty's?" Criminal? No, this is absolutely impossible, and I hope General Shi will write to your country's executive committee to oppose this unwise move."
Of course, Shi Diwen would not change his mind just because of Qu Yutong's two words, and immediately continued: "What is Mr. Qu worried about? Is the imperial court's punishment? Please rest assured about this. We are negotiating with the Ming court. , will put forward some conditions, including retaining the current officials of Ningbo Mansion and not changing them at will."
Qu Yutong's face became even more ugly: "Wouldn't this be putting the official on fire? It's not right, it's not right!"
Shi Diwen shook his head and said: "Master Qu, your thinking is still the same as before, and you have not kept up with the development of the times! Think about it, what does Daming want now is a courtier who can fight against our country, or a courtier who can communicate with our country? Liaodong The region is now waiting for our army to put out the fire, so for the thousands of miles of sea supply line from our mainland to Liaodong, our country requires several coastal ports as guarantees, isn't this condition too much?"
Qu Yutong knew that if he wanted to argue about this kind of issue, he probably couldn't argue with an experienced high-ranking official like Shi Diwen, but he really didn't want to be charged with the crime of losing the country during his tenure, so he still planned to persuade Shi Diwen, give up this arrangement that will make him unable to step down.He thought for a while, and changed to a more eclectic statement: "General Shi, is there any other way to ensure your country's control over these places and keep it on the territory of Ming Dynasty?"
Shi Diwen shook his head slowly and said: "Master Qu, I'm not afraid to tell you that the two places I mentioned just now are our country's inevitable goals, even if we use force, we must take these two places down. Of course, I believe that armed conflict will not break out in the dispute over the ownership of these two places, and your court will definitely choose to compromise in the end."
"How do you know?" Qu Yutong asked unwillingly.
"It's very simple. The envoys sent by your country to Liaodong to contact our country have already expressed your country's attitude, that is, the actual occupied areas in Shandong and Liaodong by our country can be regarded as controlled by our country. Because the war in Liaodong has not yet ended, it is difficult to divide the boundaries, but basically the area south of the Jinzhou Isthmus has been determined to belong to our country, and the situation in Shandong is similar. Most of the areas in Fushan County, Dengzhou will probably be included. my country."
It was only at this time that Shi Diwen revealed the shocking inside information to Qu Yutong. The purpose was to shock the mountain and let the other party know that he had already grasped the bottom line of Ming Dynasty: "Zhejiang is not the only place that will be ceded to our country. land, there are other places north and south to complete the same arrangement."
Although Shi Diwen's words were a bit shocking, Qu Yutong still believed that he would not talk about such a big matter.It's just that this kind of agreement to cede territory is too unbelievable for Da Ming, and he can't imagine how this exchange condition can be written down in black and white.
However, Shi Diwen quickly answered his confusion: "The agreement will be divided into two parts, one is open to the world, and the other is a secret agreement between the two countries, and the part about the territory will only be published in private It appeared in this agreement. So Mr. Qu had better keep this secret, once it gets out, how many unlucky ghosts will be killed."
"Understand, understand, I understand!" Qu Yutong has been in the officialdom for many years, so he naturally knows how involved it is. Even if he is a fourth-rank official, if he is identified as the source of the leak, the black hat on his head will be the same won't keep it.
But this kind of non-disclosure agreement is actually similar to stealing the bell when you think about it carefully. After a long time, people in the world will still be aware of Daming's complete abandonment attitude towards these places.And Shi Diwen's explanation for this is that Daming's need for Haihan's military assistance is too urgent now, even if it is self-anesthesia, he can only agree to Haihan's territorial request first.
As for the real ownership of these areas in the future, Da Ming actually has the same idea as Hai Han, that is, whoever is stronger will have the final say.Daming believed that sooner or later he would be able to defeat his opponents in the north and quell the civil strife in the Central Plains, and it would not be too late to free up his hands to deal with these territorial disputes.Of course, the people like Haihan are more aware of the trend of history. It will be very difficult for Ming Dynasty to restore its national power to its prosperous period in the future. It is basically impossible to take back the land from the increasingly powerful Haihan.
If Daming can really solve the internal and external troubles in a few years, the national strength of Haihan at that time must be far beyond the current level. Even if the feat of snake swallowing elephants cannot be completed by then, I want to create some places on the coastline of Daming It will not be too difficult to implement the separatist forces.
And now Shi Diwen wants to make Qu Yutong understand the truth that Haihan wants the two places in Ningbo not through negotiation with the Ningbo government as he said, but Haihan unilaterally. A decision was made and the prefect was informed of this conclusion.There is no room for bargaining in this matter, and this is an agreement at the national level. Seriously speaking, Qu Yutong is not qualified to participate in it.
Shi Diwen saw that Qu Yutong had understood his subtext, and his tone eased: "Master Qu, I have already said it before, and now I am emphasizing it again, the diplomatic agreement between our country and Ming Dynasty will not affect you It will not have any negative impact on your official position. If the court of your country has any objections to this, then we will exert diplomatic pressure on our side to keep you. Although you are an official of Ming Dynasty, you are Our country is also a meritorious person, we will not give up on you, let alone let you take the blame."
Shi Diwen has been in contact with Qu Yutong for a long time, and he understands what the fundamental problem this old fox is worried about. In the end, he is afraid that Haihan will abandon him as a partner.If you don't make this point clear, Qu Yutong might not be able to eat well and sleep for a while, and he will always think about this problem.
After hearing these words, Qu Yutong finally showed a smile on his face: "General Shi's words are too outrageous, how can I be such a snobbish person? Besides, with the friendship between you and me, this officer There's no need to worry about taking the blame. Just kidding, kidding!"
Shi Diwen laughed a few times, but he understood in his heart that everyone was talking beautifully, but in fact they regarded each other as a tool to achieve their own goals.He doesn't have any strong likes and dislikes towards Qu Yutong, it's just that the job needs to maintain this relationship.It is of course best for Qu Yutong to understand and cooperate, but if he really can't figure it out, then Shi Diwen will still unceremoniously remove this stumbling block.
After the two of them talked about the business, Qu Yutong hosted a banquet in honor of Shi Diwen, but because Shi Diwen's identity was more sensitive, he didn't find any more accompanying guests, but asked his servants to go to the brothel in the city to pick up two Qing people who can sing come to accompany me.Shi Diwen didn't really have much interest in this kind of entertainment, but since Qu Yutong had arranged it, he would not refuse the other party's kindness, lest Qu Yutong have more intentions.
In fact, Shi Diwen came to Ningbo Mansion for more than just meeting Qu Yutong. In addition to political consultations, he also shouldered the task of expanding the scope of trade.Although the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will not have much impact on the industries operated under the name of officials like Qu Yutong, if we look at the entire market, there will still be more obvious changes.After the scale of Haihan's commodity output increases, the dealer's profit will definitely decrease, and some dealers with weak strength may even be gradually squeezed out of the market.
During this period of time, Haihan spared no effort to try to integrate various industries in the coastal state capital, in order to gradually control the social economy of these areas.As long as it can monopolize some relatively basic livelihood industries, it will be much easier for Haihan to implement further measures in the future.Moreover, the Ministry of Commerce has been planning this for many years, and is waiting to reap the huge profits after the monopoly is realized.When Shi Diwen came here, he was going to have talks with the main operators of some industries in Ningbo.
(End of this chapter)