Chapter 3577
Chapter 3577
Chapter 3577
In recent years, the prominent figures of Hai Han have been slowly paving the way for their own children, arranging for the younger generation to enter officialdom to gain qualifications so that they can inherit the empire that the time travelers have worked so hard to build in the future.
It is not difficult for high-ranking officials like Shi Diwen and Tao Donglai to find opportunities to arrange good positions for their children. Shi Chengwu and Tao Hongfang are partners in Nanjing, and their backgrounds are similar, so there will be no situation where one side is too strong and monopolizes power.
But whether these young people can stand on their own in the local officialdom and achieve outstanding political and military achievements after leaving their parents depends on their personal abilities and luck.
As of now, the situation in Nanjing has become stable. There has been no famine, plague, rebellion and other situations that are most likely to occur after the war. This shows that the governing ability of these two young people is quite good.
As for the differences in governance mentioned by Shi Chengwu, Shi Diwen considered them to be just minor matters.
Shi Diwen thought that this was because he had always been in charge of the military and political power in the East China Sea Region, which had a great impact on Shi Chengwu. So when it was his turn to go to Nanjing to work, he found that he was still being constrained by Tao Hongfang, and naturally felt a little uncomfortable.
But let alone Shi Diwen, who was just elected to the Executive Committee last year, even the highly respected Tao Donglai could not do whatever he wanted in the political arena. In Shi Diwen's view, Shi Chengwu's discomfort was simply that he had not yet truly adapted to Hai Han's system.
The power system designed by the time travellers was originally intended to prevent a single person from monopolising power and causing the country to return to the path of a feudal dynasty. Shi Chengwu must first adapt to this system so that he can successfully inherit his father's business and become a member of the Hai Han Executive Committee in the future.
However, the Executive Committee is currently more concerned about expanding its influence in overseas areas. Its attitude towards the Ming Dynasty is like boiling a frog in warm water, drying up the water in the pot bit by bit, and it is not in a hurry to take it all down immediately. Therefore, the governance and preparations for war in Nanjing have to be ranked behind overseas military operations.
This is certainly not good news for Shi Diwen, who specially arranged for his son to go to Nanjing for military gilding. This means that in the near future, Shi Chengwu probably will not have the opportunity to gain military merit from his current position, which will in turn affect his promotion progress.
Seeing that Shi Chengwu looked resentful, he took the initiative to ask, "Do you feel that it would be better to arrange for you to command military operations overseas instead of sending you to Nanjing to take up your post last year?"
Shi Chengwu said: "I don't think it's better to go overseas, but if there is no war to fight in Nanjing for the next three to five years, wouldn't it be a waste of time?"
Shi Diwen shook his head and said, "We will not give the Ming Dynasty that much time to recover, and the military operations against the Ming Dynasty should not be interrupted for that long. You will find out later that it is much easier to gain military merits from the Ming Dynasty than to earn them overseas."
Although the Executive Committee’s current focus is not on the Ming Dynasty, Shi Diwen still firmly believes that the Han-ruled area on the East Asian continent that has been in existence for thousands of years is Hai Han’s true base, and the country’s future must be based on this region, rather than its overseas colonies scattered around the world.
Perhaps Hai Han will have several overseas regions and autonomous territories in the future, but as long as Hai Han’s capital remains in Hangzhou, these governors and generals overseas will probably find it difficult to become members of Hai Han’s top-level power body, the Executive Committee.
If Shi Chengwu can gain some significant military merits in the process of Hai Han's annexation of the Ming Dynasty, his chances of gaining the attention and praise of the Executive Committee will be much greater than those generals who command military operations overseas.
Although Shi Chengwu was somewhat skeptical, he finally chose to trust his father's vision. After all, Shi Diwen was one of the rulers of Hai Han. There were probably few people in the world who knew better than Shi Diwen how the country would develop in the future. Of course, Shi Diwen was not just talking. Since his son wanted to make a difference in Nanjing, he, as a father, had to give him some practical help.
"The fleet that was sent to Japan in the first half of the year has now returned to Dinghai Port. Once the troops have rested for some time, I will send you some more ships to sort out the Yangtze River Basin!"
Shi Diwen did not elaborate on how he would sort it out, but he believed that after saying this, Shi Chengwu should be able to understand his intentions.
As expected, Shi Chengwu immediately smiled and said, "Since we are preparing for war, we must understand the hydrological conditions of the Yangtze River. We should also practice crossing the river more so that we will not be confused when the war starts."
In the first half of the year, Shi Diwen transferred more than half of the combat forces of the East China Sea Fleet to Japan to support the battle. Now that the war situation there has stabilized, the garrison at the Sasebo base is enough to maintain order, so Shi Diwen transferred this part of the navy back to Zhoushan.
Although the current situation is not suitable for a full-scale war with the Ming Dynasty, arranging an armed fleet to implement military deterrence on the Yangtze River and giving the navy a chance to become more familiar with the river environment can also be regarded as a preparation measure during the armistice period.
As for how to earn military merit with the help of this armed parade, it depends on Shi Chengwu's specific operation. If he can't even do this well, there is no need to entrust him with important tasks.
When the father and son finished their official business, the moon was already high above the tree branches. Shi Diwen heard Shi Chengwu growling with hunger, so he ordered someone to prepare a midnight snack for the father and son to enjoy together.
Ever since Shi Chengwu went to Nanjing last year, the father and son have been spending less and less time together, and the times they can sit down to eat together are even rarer.
Shi Chengwu tentatively asked his father about his plans for the next day, to see if they could get together for another day, but the answer he got left him somewhat disappointed.
"I have two meetings to attend tomorrow morning, and after the meetings I have to go to Ningbo. The new shipyards in Zhenhai and Xiangshan are inaugurated and the Shi family also has shares, so we need to go and show up."
Shi Diwen paused, then continued, "I have a lot to do on this trip, so I may not have much time to stay at home. I will have to leave for Japan after finishing my business. If you are not in a hurry to return to Nanjing, stay at home and accompany your mother tomorrow. She usually doesn't say much, but she is always thinking about you two brothers in her heart."
Shi Chengwu said: "Why don't I take my mother with me when I return to Nanjing to live there for a while, so that she won't be bored at home. It's like going out to relax."
Shi Diwen said: "That's good, it's convenient to go back and forth from Nanjing... You must be tired after rushing back, go and rest!"
Shi Chengwu nodded, stood up and thanked Shi Diwen for his hard work, then bowed and left the study.