Chapter 1885
Maritime Trade
Chapter 1885 Maritime Trade
An Daoshi and others have personally witnessed the strength of the Haihan army in previous wars. It can be said that they embarked on this trip to study abroad with admiration for the strong, but as for what they can learn in Haihan How many things, what kind of height they can grow to in the future, they actually have no idea in their hearts.However, the Fujian Ming Army is undoubtedly an excellent reference object. Considering the years of service, equipment level, combat experience and other conditions, the Fujian Ming Army is almost the upper limit for imitating the Haihan Army.
Unlike Li Luo's laymen watching the excitement, An Daoshi had already seen clearly during the exercise just now that the strength of the Fujian Ming army was indeed far superior to that of his own country.Regardless of the level of equipment, the Ming army showed uniform tactical actions during the exercise, and the maintenance of combat formation during the march and retreat of the troops is by no means what the current North Korean army can do.These details may seem inconspicuous, but at least they reflect the training level of an army, and when such an army enters the battlefield, these tactical details will help them exert stronger combat effectiveness.
Of course, compared to these aspects that can be improved through learning and training, An Daoshi is actually more envious of the advanced weapons and equipment of the Fujian Ming Army.Although all weapons were provided by Haihan, the equipment of the Fujian Ming Army was superior to the North Korean Army in terms of performance, and the resulting gap in combat effectiveness was difficult to make up for through training.
The root of this gap is, to put it bluntly, economic.Given the current economic situation in North Korea, it is difficult to forcibly pile up a strong army with real money like Fujian. We can only learn from the training and management experience of the Fujian Ming Army, so that we may be able to build a strong army in the future. Avoid detours.
After listening to Xu Yuzhuo's account of the battle experience of the Fujian Ming Army, although he didn't know how exaggerated the other party was, he probably didn't dare to make a joke about the Haihan Army, not to mention that there were officials from Haihan among the people present.If all are true, then the actual combat effectiveness of the Fujian Ming army should not be underestimated, at least judging from its previous performance in being able to deal with the Qing army alone on the Korean battlefield, its combat effectiveness is indeed not blown out.
After talking about the military, the next thing is to talk about the maritime trade that Fujian is proud of, and the speaker has also been replaced by Xu Xinsu's number one aide, Dong Yanyun.
Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and Fuzhou in Fujian are all extremely prosperous traditional sea trade ports. Quanzhou is the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. The volume of foreign trade remains the first in Ming Dynasty.And Xu Xinsu was originally a maritime merchant. After he took charge of Fujian Coastal Defense, he opened the door to maritime trade. Fujian's shipping industry and shipbuilding industry have gained a lot of room for development. the highest point in history.
Fujian's largest trading partner at present is Haihan, and more and more details are in line with Haihan's shipping and trade standards, so as to provide the greatest degree of convenience for this cross-border trade.For example, the Haihan Bank branch operating in major trading ports in Fujian, the mutually agreed fixed routes and shipping schedules, and more and more standard-sized containers used in shipping, etc., are all designed to save various costs in bilateral trade. kind of trouble.
Dong Yanyun admitted that the current situation in Fujian is largely due to the well-developed local maritime trade.Transnational trade not only brought huge profits to the Fujian authorities, but also allowed them to have a powerful armed force second only to the Haihan Army.
Then Dong Yanyun talked about the trade relationship between Fujian and North Korea. Although the two places are separated by sea and the voyage is three thousand miles, Dong Yanyun believes that Fujian is the first choice for North Korea to establish a trade route with Daming.
"Your Majesty should also know that Shandong and Liaodong are in the post-war recovery period, and the ports established by Haihan are mostly for military use and are not suitable as trading ports. As for the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, although Zhoushan Dinghai Port is used as a trade distribution center, the local The government's attitude towards cross-border trade is not stable. Even if some officials are willing to cooperate, it is often only for personal gain. The channels for goods entering and exiting Ming Dynasty are not smooth. But our Fujian is different. All trading ports obey Mr. Xu Regardless of the transaction tax or the cost of loading and unloading goods, all regions have uniform standards, and the government will give institutional protection to foreign businessmen."
Li Lu recalled his experience of visiting the Zhangzhou Outer Trade Zone the day before, and what he saw was indeed what Dong Yanyun said. The market was prosperous and well-organized, which was almost similar to the situation in Dinghai Port.However, whether Fujian is really better than Jiangsu and Zhejiang as a trade destination, Li Wei feels that this is still to be verified. After all, he only has a glimpse of the trade situation between the two places, and he is not clear about the role of the local government in it. What is the role of .
Moreover, Li Luo had a point of view in his heart. He believed that it was probably the Haihan people who really mastered the cross-border trade between the two places.I remember that when he was in Zhoushan, Li Wei once read an article about the scale of trade in coastal areas of Daming in a certain issue of the Haihan Times, but at the time he did not realize that the data listed in this article had any practical significance, but it should be helpful The problem I encountered at the moment is of great reference value, and I will find out that article and take a good look at it when I have a chance in the future.
But one thing is beyond doubt, that is, the level of security that the Fujian authorities can provide to foreign merchants and fleets is definitely beyond the reach of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.After all, Fujian has a naval force known as the No. [-] in Ming Dynasty, and its water armed forces are far superior to the coastal guards of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Basically, merchant ships entering and leaving Fujian's coastal waters do not need to worry about safety issues-the last group of pirates operating in this sea area probably have to be It goes back three or four years ago.
It is difficult for the local guards in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to provide the same conditions. Due to the lack of powerful armed ships, the security at sea can only be maintained by the Haihan East China Sea Fleet.Compared with these two, it is natural that the safety of navigation in Fujian is more secure.
Dong Yanyun quickly listed Fujian's advantages in maritime trade one by one. It is a traditional trading port itself, and now it has official support, security is guaranteed, and various supporting facilities are also complete. The only shortcoming is only It's just that the voyage from North Korea is farther than Jiangsu and Zhejiang.But this shortcoming is only relatively speaking, because from another point of view, the flight distance between Fujian and Haihan is shorter, and the corresponding shipping costs for transactions with Haihan will be lower.
The reason why it took so much time to introduce Fujian's trade advantages to the North Korean mission is self-evident, and it is hoped that North Korea will use Fujian as its main trade destination in the future.Although North Korea's current international trade scale is not large, Fujian believes that since Haihan is optimistic about North Korea, it shows that its development potential is huge, and it is worthwhile to win over North Koreans in advance.
After these years of cooperation, Xu Xinsu has firmly believed in the vision and judgment of the Haihan people. Of course, the work he is doing now is actually a side dish. To repay, and according to Fujian's wishes, reaching in-depth cooperation in economics and trade seems to be one of the few ways for North Korea to repay.
Li Luo is also very aware of this point. Before leaving the country, his father told him that if he had the opportunity to meet Xu Xinsu, he should convey his country's thanks.Of course, if it is just verbal thanks, it is definitely not enough, so since Fujian wants to further consolidate the trade relationship between the two places, Li Lu feels that it is understandable to meet the needs of the other party.
However, out of caution, he did not express his position immediately, but only said that he would write down the key points that Dong Yanyun had expounded, report back to the country, and persuade his father to accept Fujian's proposals in the field of maritime trade.
This level of response already made Xu Xinsu very satisfied. He didn't expect the son of North Korea to make any decision on behalf of his country at the moment. It is already quite good to be able to intentionally facilitate this matter.
In order to express his gratitude to the son of Joseon, Xu Xinsu presented a handmade flintlock pistol to Li Luo immediately.This thing is not so much a weapon as it is more suitable as a handicraft. The handle and body of the gun are carved with fine cloud patterns.But this is not just a handicraft, as long as it is loaded with ammunition, its power is enough to kill people within twenty steps.This was originally a personal belonging of Xu Xinsu, and giving it to Li Lu as a gift has a strong political meaning.
Li Luo didn't have anything to give back to Xu Xinsu at the moment, so he drew a ladle on a gourd and took off the self-defense dagger around his waist as a gift in return.There is nothing particularly precious about this short sword. It was one of the utensils bestowed by Li Yan when he made him the son of the crown. It is usually kept in a box, and Li Yan only wears it as an ornament on a few formal occasions. .
Xu Xinsu was very happy after listening to Li Min's introduction of the origin of this short sword. She believed that this temporary exchange of gifts symbolized that the mutual trust between North Korea and Fujian had reached a new height. Donate a thousand taels of silver to show support and encouragement.
This amount of money is not much for Xu Xinsu, but it is not a small amount for the North Korean missions who are already struggling with funds for studying abroad.After a few words of resignation, Li Lu still handed over his hand to thank Xu Xinsu for his kindness, and his perception of Fujian increased a bit.When I was a guest in Zhoushan earlier, the local government did not give gifts and money like this, so the comparison between the two sides will make a judgment.Li Wei thought to himself, when he wrote a report to his father, he should say a few good words for the local emperor of Fujian.
After staying in Zhangzhou for four days, the North Korean mission set off again, but their next destination was not the south, but Magong Port in Penghu, which is facing Zhangzhou on the side of Taiwan Island in the Fujian Strait.This is the place to visit that Hai Han had arranged for a long time ago, so Li Lu must have to follow it.The Fujian Navy once again assumed the escort mission, escorting the North Korean fleet from Zhangzhou all the way to Magong Port, four hundred miles away.
The place of Penghu was once occupied by the pirate gang Shibazhi before the arrival of Haihan. The Haihan army expelled Shibazhi from this place in the Battle of Penghu in 1632 and took the island as their own without hesitation. .Later, they entered Taiwan smoothly with the springboard of Penghu, first built Kaohsiung Port in the south, and then attacked the two ports of Danshui and Jilong at the northern end of Taiwan Island, driving the Spaniards out of this area.
Yu Yao, the military general who currently sits in Penghu, has not moved since he was transferred from the Cantonese Office to Penghu in 1633.However, although the office has not been moved, in fact Yu Yao's position has been steadily promoted in the past few years.The area under his jurisdiction is far more than the one-third of an acre of the Penghu Islands. The entire Fujian Strait waters, including Jilong Port and Kaohsiung Port, are considered his jurisdiction.
After the pirates in this sea area have been cleared away, the main target of defense is actually the Western colonists.However, the Dutch have been relatively low-key in recent years, and have not used the Dayuan Port under their rule to make troubles. After being expelled from Manila Bay this year, the Spaniards have already fled to places further south, and basically The possibility of returning to Taiwan Island in the short term has been lost.So at present, Penghu's defense pressure is extremely small, and there is basically no need to worry about large groups of hostile armed forces entering this sea area.
In fact, every time Haihan took a large-scale military operation in the northeast, it had to transfer troops from the south. Penghu was the target of deployment because of its light defense mission and its proximity to the base camp of its allies.During last year's Liaodong Spring Offensive, the Haihan Army mobilized a large number of troops to fight on the Jinzhou Isthmus, and more than half of the troops in the Penghu defense area were also withdrawn. There was only one battalion of troops and less than ten combat ships left in the entire defense area.
One battalion sounds like a lot, but there are several places in the Penghu defense area that must be deployed: the Jinguashi gold mine near Jilong Port, the Chusulkeng oil production area in Miaoli, and the slave plantation near Kaohsiung Port in the south.Each of these places was divided into one company, and there was only one infantry company left in Magong Port.
Yu Yao was quite open about this. The security situation in the Fujian Strait and Taiwan Island was generally good. As long as the warlike native tribes on Taiwan Island did not cause trouble, there would be no pressure if there were fewer garrison troops.What's more, there are militia organizations in various population settlements. If necessary, at least one temporary infantry battalion can be pulled out, which is enough to deal with small-scale armed conflicts.
As for the sea, to be honest, Yu Yao didn't think there was any force in this sea area who dared to attack Haihan. The only outsider, the Dutch, had been cautious in recent years, lest he would give Haihan an excuse to drive them out of Dayuan Port.The navy and the Fujian navy form mixed fleets to cruise inside and outside the strait from time to time, which will also have a certain deterrent effect on the younger generation.
(End of this chapter)
An Daoshi and others have personally witnessed the strength of the Haihan army in previous wars. It can be said that they embarked on this trip to study abroad with admiration for the strong, but as for what they can learn in Haihan How many things, what kind of height they can grow to in the future, they actually have no idea in their hearts.However, the Fujian Ming Army is undoubtedly an excellent reference object. Considering the years of service, equipment level, combat experience and other conditions, the Fujian Ming Army is almost the upper limit for imitating the Haihan Army.
Unlike Li Luo's laymen watching the excitement, An Daoshi had already seen clearly during the exercise just now that the strength of the Fujian Ming army was indeed far superior to that of his own country.Regardless of the level of equipment, the Ming army showed uniform tactical actions during the exercise, and the maintenance of combat formation during the march and retreat of the troops is by no means what the current North Korean army can do.These details may seem inconspicuous, but at least they reflect the training level of an army, and when such an army enters the battlefield, these tactical details will help them exert stronger combat effectiveness.
Of course, compared to these aspects that can be improved through learning and training, An Daoshi is actually more envious of the advanced weapons and equipment of the Fujian Ming Army.Although all weapons were provided by Haihan, the equipment of the Fujian Ming Army was superior to the North Korean Army in terms of performance, and the resulting gap in combat effectiveness was difficult to make up for through training.
The root of this gap is, to put it bluntly, economic.Given the current economic situation in North Korea, it is difficult to forcibly pile up a strong army with real money like Fujian. We can only learn from the training and management experience of the Fujian Ming Army, so that we may be able to build a strong army in the future. Avoid detours.
After listening to Xu Yuzhuo's account of the battle experience of the Fujian Ming Army, although he didn't know how exaggerated the other party was, he probably didn't dare to make a joke about the Haihan Army, not to mention that there were officials from Haihan among the people present.If all are true, then the actual combat effectiveness of the Fujian Ming army should not be underestimated, at least judging from its previous performance in being able to deal with the Qing army alone on the Korean battlefield, its combat effectiveness is indeed not blown out.
After talking about the military, the next thing is to talk about the maritime trade that Fujian is proud of, and the speaker has also been replaced by Xu Xinsu's number one aide, Dong Yanyun.
Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and Fuzhou in Fujian are all extremely prosperous traditional sea trade ports. Quanzhou is the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. The volume of foreign trade remains the first in Ming Dynasty.And Xu Xinsu was originally a maritime merchant. After he took charge of Fujian Coastal Defense, he opened the door to maritime trade. Fujian's shipping industry and shipbuilding industry have gained a lot of room for development. the highest point in history.
Fujian's largest trading partner at present is Haihan, and more and more details are in line with Haihan's shipping and trade standards, so as to provide the greatest degree of convenience for this cross-border trade.For example, the Haihan Bank branch operating in major trading ports in Fujian, the mutually agreed fixed routes and shipping schedules, and more and more standard-sized containers used in shipping, etc., are all designed to save various costs in bilateral trade. kind of trouble.
Dong Yanyun admitted that the current situation in Fujian is largely due to the well-developed local maritime trade.Transnational trade not only brought huge profits to the Fujian authorities, but also allowed them to have a powerful armed force second only to the Haihan Army.
Then Dong Yanyun talked about the trade relationship between Fujian and North Korea. Although the two places are separated by sea and the voyage is three thousand miles, Dong Yanyun believes that Fujian is the first choice for North Korea to establish a trade route with Daming.
"Your Majesty should also know that Shandong and Liaodong are in the post-war recovery period, and the ports established by Haihan are mostly for military use and are not suitable as trading ports. As for the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, although Zhoushan Dinghai Port is used as a trade distribution center, the local The government's attitude towards cross-border trade is not stable. Even if some officials are willing to cooperate, it is often only for personal gain. The channels for goods entering and exiting Ming Dynasty are not smooth. But our Fujian is different. All trading ports obey Mr. Xu Regardless of the transaction tax or the cost of loading and unloading goods, all regions have uniform standards, and the government will give institutional protection to foreign businessmen."
Li Lu recalled his experience of visiting the Zhangzhou Outer Trade Zone the day before, and what he saw was indeed what Dong Yanyun said. The market was prosperous and well-organized, which was almost similar to the situation in Dinghai Port.However, whether Fujian is really better than Jiangsu and Zhejiang as a trade destination, Li Wei feels that this is still to be verified. After all, he only has a glimpse of the trade situation between the two places, and he is not clear about the role of the local government in it. What is the role of .
Moreover, Li Luo had a point of view in his heart. He believed that it was probably the Haihan people who really mastered the cross-border trade between the two places.I remember that when he was in Zhoushan, Li Wei once read an article about the scale of trade in coastal areas of Daming in a certain issue of the Haihan Times, but at the time he did not realize that the data listed in this article had any practical significance, but it should be helpful The problem I encountered at the moment is of great reference value, and I will find out that article and take a good look at it when I have a chance in the future.
But one thing is beyond doubt, that is, the level of security that the Fujian authorities can provide to foreign merchants and fleets is definitely beyond the reach of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.After all, Fujian has a naval force known as the No. [-] in Ming Dynasty, and its water armed forces are far superior to the coastal guards of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Basically, merchant ships entering and leaving Fujian's coastal waters do not need to worry about safety issues-the last group of pirates operating in this sea area probably have to be It goes back three or four years ago.
It is difficult for the local guards in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to provide the same conditions. Due to the lack of powerful armed ships, the security at sea can only be maintained by the Haihan East China Sea Fleet.Compared with these two, it is natural that the safety of navigation in Fujian is more secure.
Dong Yanyun quickly listed Fujian's advantages in maritime trade one by one. It is a traditional trading port itself, and now it has official support, security is guaranteed, and various supporting facilities are also complete. The only shortcoming is only It's just that the voyage from North Korea is farther than Jiangsu and Zhejiang.But this shortcoming is only relatively speaking, because from another point of view, the flight distance between Fujian and Haihan is shorter, and the corresponding shipping costs for transactions with Haihan will be lower.
The reason why it took so much time to introduce Fujian's trade advantages to the North Korean mission is self-evident, and it is hoped that North Korea will use Fujian as its main trade destination in the future.Although North Korea's current international trade scale is not large, Fujian believes that since Haihan is optimistic about North Korea, it shows that its development potential is huge, and it is worthwhile to win over North Koreans in advance.
After these years of cooperation, Xu Xinsu has firmly believed in the vision and judgment of the Haihan people. Of course, the work he is doing now is actually a side dish. To repay, and according to Fujian's wishes, reaching in-depth cooperation in economics and trade seems to be one of the few ways for North Korea to repay.
Li Luo is also very aware of this point. Before leaving the country, his father told him that if he had the opportunity to meet Xu Xinsu, he should convey his country's thanks.Of course, if it is just verbal thanks, it is definitely not enough, so since Fujian wants to further consolidate the trade relationship between the two places, Li Lu feels that it is understandable to meet the needs of the other party.
However, out of caution, he did not express his position immediately, but only said that he would write down the key points that Dong Yanyun had expounded, report back to the country, and persuade his father to accept Fujian's proposals in the field of maritime trade.
This level of response already made Xu Xinsu very satisfied. He didn't expect the son of North Korea to make any decision on behalf of his country at the moment. It is already quite good to be able to intentionally facilitate this matter.
In order to express his gratitude to the son of Joseon, Xu Xinsu presented a handmade flintlock pistol to Li Luo immediately.This thing is not so much a weapon as it is more suitable as a handicraft. The handle and body of the gun are carved with fine cloud patterns.But this is not just a handicraft, as long as it is loaded with ammunition, its power is enough to kill people within twenty steps.This was originally a personal belonging of Xu Xinsu, and giving it to Li Lu as a gift has a strong political meaning.
Li Luo didn't have anything to give back to Xu Xinsu at the moment, so he drew a ladle on a gourd and took off the self-defense dagger around his waist as a gift in return.There is nothing particularly precious about this short sword. It was one of the utensils bestowed by Li Yan when he made him the son of the crown. It is usually kept in a box, and Li Yan only wears it as an ornament on a few formal occasions. .
Xu Xinsu was very happy after listening to Li Min's introduction of the origin of this short sword. She believed that this temporary exchange of gifts symbolized that the mutual trust between North Korea and Fujian had reached a new height. Donate a thousand taels of silver to show support and encouragement.
This amount of money is not much for Xu Xinsu, but it is not a small amount for the North Korean missions who are already struggling with funds for studying abroad.After a few words of resignation, Li Lu still handed over his hand to thank Xu Xinsu for his kindness, and his perception of Fujian increased a bit.When I was a guest in Zhoushan earlier, the local government did not give gifts and money like this, so the comparison between the two sides will make a judgment.Li Wei thought to himself, when he wrote a report to his father, he should say a few good words for the local emperor of Fujian.
After staying in Zhangzhou for four days, the North Korean mission set off again, but their next destination was not the south, but Magong Port in Penghu, which is facing Zhangzhou on the side of Taiwan Island in the Fujian Strait.This is the place to visit that Hai Han had arranged for a long time ago, so Li Lu must have to follow it.The Fujian Navy once again assumed the escort mission, escorting the North Korean fleet from Zhangzhou all the way to Magong Port, four hundred miles away.
The place of Penghu was once occupied by the pirate gang Shibazhi before the arrival of Haihan. The Haihan army expelled Shibazhi from this place in the Battle of Penghu in 1632 and took the island as their own without hesitation. .Later, they entered Taiwan smoothly with the springboard of Penghu, first built Kaohsiung Port in the south, and then attacked the two ports of Danshui and Jilong at the northern end of Taiwan Island, driving the Spaniards out of this area.
Yu Yao, the military general who currently sits in Penghu, has not moved since he was transferred from the Cantonese Office to Penghu in 1633.However, although the office has not been moved, in fact Yu Yao's position has been steadily promoted in the past few years.The area under his jurisdiction is far more than the one-third of an acre of the Penghu Islands. The entire Fujian Strait waters, including Jilong Port and Kaohsiung Port, are considered his jurisdiction.
After the pirates in this sea area have been cleared away, the main target of defense is actually the Western colonists.However, the Dutch have been relatively low-key in recent years, and have not used the Dayuan Port under their rule to make troubles. After being expelled from Manila Bay this year, the Spaniards have already fled to places further south, and basically The possibility of returning to Taiwan Island in the short term has been lost.So at present, Penghu's defense pressure is extremely small, and there is basically no need to worry about large groups of hostile armed forces entering this sea area.
In fact, every time Haihan took a large-scale military operation in the northeast, it had to transfer troops from the south. Penghu was the target of deployment because of its light defense mission and its proximity to the base camp of its allies.During last year's Liaodong Spring Offensive, the Haihan Army mobilized a large number of troops to fight on the Jinzhou Isthmus, and more than half of the troops in the Penghu defense area were also withdrawn. There was only one battalion of troops and less than ten combat ships left in the entire defense area.
One battalion sounds like a lot, but there are several places in the Penghu defense area that must be deployed: the Jinguashi gold mine near Jilong Port, the Chusulkeng oil production area in Miaoli, and the slave plantation near Kaohsiung Port in the south.Each of these places was divided into one company, and there was only one infantry company left in Magong Port.
Yu Yao was quite open about this. The security situation in the Fujian Strait and Taiwan Island was generally good. As long as the warlike native tribes on Taiwan Island did not cause trouble, there would be no pressure if there were fewer garrison troops.What's more, there are militia organizations in various population settlements. If necessary, at least one temporary infantry battalion can be pulled out, which is enough to deal with small-scale armed conflicts.
As for the sea, to be honest, Yu Yao didn't think there was any force in this sea area who dared to attack Haihan. The only outsider, the Dutch, had been cautious in recent years, lest he would give Haihan an excuse to drive them out of Dayuan Port.The navy and the Fujian navy form mixed fleets to cruise inside and outside the strait from time to time, which will also have a certain deterrent effect on the younger generation.
(End of this chapter)