Chapter 1789 The army passes through the border

Shi Diwen actually didn't care that much about the little tricks that some people in the Ming Dynasty made behind the scenes, at least not as nervous as Qu Yutong. Haihan had many years of experience in dealing with Jinyiwei, and this kind of spy yamen was in Haihan's eyes.

There is no mystery anymore. If Qu Yutong hadn't insisted, Shi Diwen would definitely not have cared about Lin Xing leading people to get rid of all those Jin Yiwei. Anyway, the Jin Yiwei who fell into the hands of Haihan over the years,

Deng Qing had already led the team, and he didn't care if he would offend the Jin Yiwei one more time.

As for whether Jin Yiwei's purpose is to deal with Qu Yutong or Hai Han, Shi Diwen believes that the former is more likely. First, because Qu Yutong's sources point to this possibility, and secondly, with Jin Yiwei's strength, he has already

It would be difficult to cause more trouble for Haihan. Jin Yiwei must have a certain understanding of this. However, with Jin Yiwei's own efforts, he wanted to remove Qu Yutong from the position of Ningbo magistrate. Shi Diwen felt that

The possibility is slim.

When the Haihan Society selected Qu Yutong as a partner, they also conducted a comprehensive review of him. They valued not only his official position, but also his official connections, family background, work ability, political leanings, personality and hobbies, etc.

They were also carefully evaluated. As for the subsequent marriage between Shi Diwen and Qu Yutong's family, although it was driven by certain interests, it was also a decision made on this basis. If it were another person, this marriage might not be possible.

.

It is precisely because of this that Haihan can confidently and boldly invest a lot of resources in Ningbo and Zhoushan to develop infrastructure and commerce, and assist Qu Yutong in continuing his layout and stabilizing his position and influence in Zhejiang officialdom.

Shi Diwen had a close personal relationship with Qu Yutong, and he also knew that the prefect had always wanted to follow the successful path of Fujian Xu Xinsu, and the executive committee had always been willing to support local Ming officials who wanted to cooperate deeply with their country.

The greater Yu Tong's influence in Zhejiang, the more convenience Shi Diwen can get, which is of great benefit to him personally and to the country of Haihan, so Shi Diwen does not care about the public or the public.

Personally, we are very happy to invest resources to help Qu Yutong achieve such a goal.

If someone in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty wants to try to depose Qu Yutong and replace him, then unless they can negotiate with Haihan on better terms than they are now, and ensure that Haihan's interests will not be harmed during the transfer of power,

Only then can it be possible to get Haihan's approval. Of course, we must also add the problem of trying to deal with Shi Diwen, which cannot be ignored. Judging from the current situation, unless Qu Yutong is directly killed, it will be difficult for Haihan to give up on his own initiative.

The troublemaking ideas that he and Jin Yiwei thought up were not going to have much of a divisive effect, let alone destroy this cooperative relationship.

Shi Diwen does not believe that there are currently other officials with suitable conditions in Zhejiang who can replace Qu Yutong, let alone those from other places. Even if they are transferred here, they will not be able to control the operations of Ningbo Prefecture in the short term. Today's Ningbo is not what it used to be.

In recent years, it has been time for the Ming family to have the final say. Haihan's influence in many industries in Ningbo has given it a certain say. Even many matters, Ningbo government has to discuss with Zhoushan.

I'm afraid it will be difficult for officials from other places to adapt to this new situation for a while.

However, since the situation in Ningbo has been a bit unstable recently, Shi Diwen planned to take advantage of the opportunity of the army to pass through Zhoushan to shock the Zhejiang officialdom and help Qu Yu. But to complete such an operation, besides letting Qu Yu

In addition to cooperating with Ningbo City, what Shi Diwen needs more is the support from the troops going north, so after meeting Qu Yutong, he already contacted Wang Tom on the way north through the radio and explained to him the situation in Zhejiang

situation and your own plans.

The troops heading north had originally planned to stop at Dinghai Port in Zhoushan for supplies, which would take at least two days. Wang Tom did not have much objection to Shi Diwen's request. Investigation information sent back from Liaodong showed that the Qing Dynasty

The military's troop mobilization on the Korean Peninsula is not too frequent, but it is said that it has begun collecting this year's grain taxes from the people in advance and has recruited more than 3,000 civilians, showing initial signs of launching a war.

After discussing with Qian Tiandun, Wang Tom, who was still on his way north, believed that if the Qing army wanted to prepare for the invasion of North Korea, it would take more time. The troops heading north would definitely have time to arrive in North Korea before the Qing army. The most ideal situation

There will even be some time to train the North Korean troops, at least to enable the small number of new troops who are already equipped with Haihan weapons to master basic firearms tactics.

In late April, the military supplies purchased by Haihan officials through various channels in Zhejiang were gradually transported into Ningbo Prefecture, loaded onto the waiting Haihan cargo sailing ship from the dock on the bank of the Yongjiang River outside Ningbo City, and then shipped out to Zhoushan.

Stored at the seaport. Perhaps Jinyiwei realized that his intentions had been exposed, and the problem that had always worried the prefect Qu Yutong finally did not reappear. All kinds of materials, including military rations, arrived in Ningbo in time to complete the delivery.

The two brothers He Xiao and He Li took over most of Haihan's material supply business. However, because it cost a lot to hire the Golden Shield Transport to deliver food, the profits this time were far less than expected. However, the He brothers were optimistic about this.

Fortunately, Lin Xing led his men and horses to stop the Jinyiwei's actions. Otherwise, with the strength they can command, it would be difficult to compete with the Jinyiwei head-on. By then, this batch of food will not be transported to Zhoushan in time.

The impact is so great that it cannot be compensated by losing money.

At the end of April, a huge fleet from the south finally entered the waters of Zhejiang. In addition to the main force of the Northern Fleet, this mixed fleet also included army and naval forces stationed in Zhejiang, Shandong, and Jinzhou.

A logistics and troop transport fleet larger than the Northern Fleet, several Allied fleets that accompanied Haihan, and a large number of merchant ships that went north with the fleet in order to obtain free escort. The entire fleet stretched for dozens of nautical miles, and the scene was spectacular.

It was so spectacular that after crossing the Fujian Strait, there were still many good people who prepared their own boats and went out to sea. They followed the fleet for a long distance to experience this rare spectacle.

When entering the Zhejiang waters, the fleet numbered more than 200 large and small sailing ships. There were already some rumors in the Ningbo market that Haihan would make big moves in the Zhejiang waters in the near future. This kind of news was not fabricated by idlers.

This is a joint operation between Ningbo Prefecture and Zhoushan authorities to create a relatively tense atmosphere.

Under Qu Yutong's intentional arrangement, relevant news quickly spread to coastal state capitals including Hangzhou. When the Haihan fleet entered Zhoushan Port, these places had already learned of this disturbing news. Although it was not

There is no evidence that the Haihan Fleet came with bad intentions, but it still reminds many people of the Haihan Fleet's deeds when it rushed into Hangzhou Bay and blocked the Qiantang River a few years ago.

Although Haihan had established formal diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty last year, neither the official nor the private sector in the Ming Dynasty were optimistic about the solidity of this relationship. After all, Haihan's fortune began with the occupation of the Ming Dynasty's territory, and it still remains

The Ming Dynasty controlled many key areas along the coastline and had armed forces stationed there for a long time. It could launch an aggressive war against the Ming Dynasty at any time. The Haihan fleet's arrival at the gates of Hangzhou a few years ago fully demonstrated the gap in strength between the two countries' armies.

, now that a large-scale Haihan fleet has arrived off the coast of Zhejiang, people can't help but feel fearful.

The Zhejiang Chief Envoy Department and the Capital Command Envoy Department responded relatively quickly. After receiving the news, they sent officials to Ningbo to confirm Haihan's movements. At the same time, people like Wang Yuan, the general magistrate of Hangzhou, were in contact with Haihan.

Officials with interests in Han Dynasty also began to use their own private channels to obtain more precise information from Haihan.

These Ming officials who have interests in Haihan are naturally the group of people who are least willing to see the war break out. Once the two countries go to war, the chain of interest transmission will be interrupted. It is very likely that they will be asked by Haihan to cooperate in the war.

The offensive should be coordinated internally and externally. When the time comes, you will be in a dilemma, and it is easy to be confused inside and outside. But at this time, even Haihan’s staff stationed in Hangzhou City do not know what the situation of the fleet in Zhoushan is, so it is difficult to

Give these anxious officials an accurate answer as soon as possible.

On the night the Haihan fleet entered Zhoushan Port, new news came out. Haihan will hold a maritime military exercise in Hangzhou Bay in a few days. At that time, fleets from multiple countries, including the Fujian Navy, will be jointly dispatched.

This exercise is public in nature, and local officials in Zhejiang, regardless of rank, can attend the exercise. However, they need to apply for registration within two days, and Haihan will then make unified arrangements for the visit to avoid being accidentally injured during the exercise.

However, in this news that seems to be released by Haihan officials, there is no mention of whether this military exercise has obtained the consent of Ming Dynasty. It is obvious that Haihan officials have ignored this point intentionally or unintentionally, and

We did not plan to wait until Ming Dynasty agreed before arranging this so-called military exercise. This made the local officials who received the news quite angry, but also felt a little helpless.

Regardless of whether the Haihan military exercise was just an excuse to launch a war, it was obviously a humiliation to the Ming Dynasty. As for the participation of the Fujian Navy in this arrangement, it was a slap in the face to the Zhejiang Ming Army. Of course the Ming Dynasty

You can righteously refuse Haihan's military exercise arrangements, and you can even ask Haihan armed ships not to sail into Hangzhou Bay, but everyone knows very well that most of these requests to the Haihan people will not receive a response. In the end,

It will only be ignored.

There are also clear-minded people who have thought about some questions. Why did Haihan choose to hold a maritime military exercise at this time in Zhejiang, thousands of miles away from its homeland? Who is this military exercise for and what is it trying to achieve?

For this purpose, after the military exercise, will this huge fleet be stationed in Zhoushan, or will it break camp and leave for other places? Of course, no matter what the Haihan people are going to do here, the one closest to Zhoushan should bear the brunt.

Ningbo Prefecture, so Hangzhou can wait and see for a few more days and adjust its response strategy.

The big shots in Hangzhou didn't know that the magistrate of Ningbo Prefecture was no longer in the city, but secretly left the city to cross the sea to Zhoushan to attend the reception dinner hosted by Shi Diwen for the officers of the fleet heading north.

As a participant in this plan, Qu Yutong is naturally not as anxious as others. In fact, he is very satisfied with the current progress and the impact. The more panic in Zhejiang official circles, the more it highlights the influence of him as the prefect of Ningbo.

Important role in diplomatic mediation with Haihan.

Before Qu Yutong set out for Zhoushan, he had already received official letters from people from several nearby prefectures. The purpose was all the same, which was to find out what the Haihan people wanted to do in Zhejiang this time.

There was unavoidable anxiety between the lines. However, when Qu Yutong saw these official letters, his heart was very happy. He knew that soon there should be several official letters sent to the prefecture's Yamen from Hangzhou, but he did not

There is no rush at all. Let the officials in Hangzhou spend a sleepless night. I think it will make them more aware of who can negotiate with Haihan.

Of course, Qu Yutong did not come to Zhoushan empty-handed this time. Shi Diwen actually used such a big move as a maritime military exercise this time, which Qu Yu and his colleagues had never expected. But since Haihan is going to dispatch

For the fleet to build momentum for himself, the Ningbo government would more or less have to bear part of the cost. Although it would be a bit painful, for the sake of his future, Qu Yutong had to grit his teeth and perform in front of the senior officials of Haihan.

"You leaders have come a long way, worked hard all the way at sea, and will have to conduct local military exercises next. As a landlord, I have prepared a few small gifts for the labor of the army. I hope you will not find it objectionable." Qu Yutong said softly.

After clapping his hands, He Xiao, who was standing behind him, immediately stepped forward and handed a gift list to Shi Diwen with both hands.

Shi Diwen opened the gift list and looked at it, then handed it to Wang Tom next to him for circulation. In addition to the personal gifts given to the high-ranking Haihan officials present, the most important content of the gift list was in the name of the labor force.

The gift was 10,000 taels of silver and 50,000 jins of grain.

"Master Qu is so polite, how dare you spend so much money!" Seeing that Qu Yutong was such a good person, Shi Diwen cooperated and started a business model: "If everyone in Ming Dynasty was as smart as Master Qu,

With local officials who understand the importance of justice, the relationship between our two countries will definitely be more harmonious than it is now!"

Wang Tom smiled and said nothing after reading the gift list. In fact, the so-called military exercise is also in line with the trend. Originally, the coalition fleet was formed in a hurry. It needs to be run in on the way. When it sets off from Zhoushan Port to the north, it will go around Hangzhou Bay.

, fire a few cannons to scare the Zhejiang officialdom, and the military exercise will be considered completed.
Chapter completed!