Chapter 1881 Farewell to Zhoushan

Of course, Li Bo's idea was just an afterthought. Later that year, the Hou Jin Iron Cavalry invaded North Korea, cutting melons and vegetables all the way until North Korea was unable to fight back. His father, Li Bo, fled from Seoul in panic to Ganghwa Island to escape the war.

In the end, in order to protect themselves, they signed a city alliance with Hou Jin's general Amin, in exchange for Hou Jin's withdrawal. Even though everyone in North Korea was determined to have a decisive battle with Hou Jin, the result would not fundamentally change, and at most it would be a complete battle.

It just takes a few more months.

But the consequences of doing that are very likely to be that Hou Jin was determined to annex North Korea directly, or to support another puppet to replace Li Zhu's rule. Either way is unacceptable to Li Xi. So after weighing the pros and cons, Li Xi

He chose a method of handling that could preserve his dominance and North Korea's rule. Although it was humble, it at least achieved the desired effect.

And before the war started this year, the military strength gap between the Qing Dynasty and North Korea was actually even greater than in 1627. If North Korea hadn't brought reinforcements from Haihan, it would have been a humiliating signing of an even more humble agreement after a beating.

Armistice Agreement. However, it is precisely because of Haihan's intervention that there were no serious political differences in the Korean court this time like the Dingmao Rebellion in 1627. Even Cui Mingji's faction who previously advocated early peace talks with the Qing army

, also wisely chose to keep his mouth shut after Hai Hanjun appeared.

During this year's Anti-Qing War, North Korea's domestic thinking was relatively unified. There were no more anti-war voices in the official circles. Even the southern regions that were not affected by the war tightened their belts to support frontline operations——

Mainly to pay the high military expenses for hiring Haihan to send troops.

However, Haihan's newspaper did not mention North Korea's funding to mobilize reinforcements, which may be regarded as a fig leaf for North Korea. After all, it requires money to bring in reinforcements, which does not sound like something worth boasting about.

It will appear that the relationship between the two countries is not as close and harmonious as it seems on the surface.

After Li Bo read the article on the front page, he thought about it carefully for a long time before continuing to read the following content. As the official media of Haihan, the Times mainly focuses on international and domestic current affairs, and because this newspaper targets

The people are from the middle and upper classes of society, so they have a strong sense of guiding public opinion, and the various news reported are mainly positive and uplifting.

"The exploration work in Pit No. 4 of Shilu Iron Mine has been completed and mining will begin within this month. The Ministry of Industry is optimistic about the increase in steel production capacity this year..."

"Wenchang County added more than 8,000 acres of cultivated land in the first half of the year, completing the county's annual reclamation tasks ahead of schedule..."

"The No. 3 dock of Cam Ranh Port has been completed and opened recently, marking that the base can complete the repair and maintenance work of the Majesty-class warships on its own in the future..."

"Ambuna Island has been hit by a typhoon recently. It is reported that the island has activated a disaster prevention emergency plan. Citizens who plan to visit the area in the near future are asked to change their travel plans as appropriate..."

"Sing Tao Administrator Tan Juren went to Batavia in the Netherlands for a goodwill visit and met with Van Diemen, the Governor of the Dutch East India Company. The two sides reached an agreement on deepening bilateral trade and safeguarding regional peace..."

Many of the place names in the newspaper had never been heard of by Li Bo, and he could not figure out where these places were. However, from the content of these news reports, he could easily outline an orderly operation in his mind.

Huge empire.

After reading this newspaper, Li Bo was still not satisfied, so he asked his subordinates to refill the lamp oil once, and then picked up another newspaper and started reading. After he read all the newspapers sent by Jin Shangjiu, he noticed outside the window

The sky has begun to turn white, and it's almost early morning.

However, after reading the newspaper all night, Li Bo didn't feel much sleepy. He felt that his understanding of Haihan had increased a lot, and there were many contents in the newspaper that he didn't quite understand. He couldn't help calling Jin Shangjiu again.

To clear up the confusion.

But this time he overestimated Jin Shangjiu. Although Jin Shangjiu had stayed in Zhoushan for a long time, the main way for him to understand the domestic situation of Haihan was also through this kind of newspaper provided by the Zhoushan authorities.

Even if he understands it, he basically can't understand it.

For example, Li Bo immediately asked: "Master Jin, this newspaper said that Haihan is trying to use a new locomotive to replace the old locomotive that was originally used to transport iron ore between Shilu and Changhua. What is this locomotive?"

?How much ore can be transported?"

Jin Shangjiu said: "We only know that this is a weird-looking iron cart that needs to move on a specially laid iron track. It is said that it can pull tens of thousands of kilograms of weight. The Haihan people use it to transport bulk goods and cargo on land."

Personnel. Perhaps the prince will be able to see this thing with his own eyes when he comes to Sanya in the future. I heard that there are also trains there."

Li Pu frowned. Based on Jin Shangjiu's narration, he really couldn't imagine what kind of existence it was. And the relevant content in the newspaper only had text and no pictures, making it difficult for him to have a clear understanding of it.

know.

In desperation, Li Bo had no choice but to give up seeking a specific answer to this question and instead raised another question: "The overseas territories of Haihan are often thousands of miles away from their homeland. How do they achieve the stabilization of these places?"

’s rule?”

This question really stumped Jin Shangjiu. His understanding of Haihan had not touched such a core political system level. After hesitating for a moment, he hesitated and replied: "Maybe... it is due to its powerful force.

If there is any sign of rebellion, the army will be sent to suppress it."

Li Shu shook his head and said: "This may be one of the reasons, but it is certainly not comprehensive. When we visited the port earlier, General Shi introduced that almost all military supplies for the northern garrison were transshipped through Dinghai Port. I think as long as the port is

By controlling the operational needs of overseas garrison troops in terms of logistical supplies, we can effectively prevent chaos in overseas areas."

Jin Shangjiu quickly flattered him and said, "Your Majesty is wise! Why didn't Wei Chen think of this level just now?"

Li Pu's view is indeed one of the control strategies actually used by Haihan, but it is still not comprehensive. The most fundamental method for Haihan to rule overseas colonies is interests. These overseas areas can only obtain by relying on Haihan's political system.

Good development conditions, population, capital, materials, markets, etc., must comply with the arrangements of the state. Without the support of the state, the social productivity of these areas will soon fall to the level of the same era. The Executive Committee adopts materials

Supply to achieve control of overseas troops is only one of many means.

Of course, with Li Bo's insight, it is indeed difficult to realize the more advanced political methods contained in this. His understanding of Haihan is still based on the two more prominent fields of force and trade, and has not been drawn from the perspective of military force and trade.

He has to understand the operating mechanism of this country from a political perspective, and no one in North Korea can explain to him the difference between Haihan and his own country at this level.

After a conversation with Jin Shangjiu, Li Bo didn't get any actual results. He still didn't understand the questions he didn't understand. The impact of staying up late was also coming up, so he asked Jin Shangjiu to leave first. After eating something hastily, he

Then he lay down and fell asleep.

According to Shi Diwen's arrangement, he plans to let him live here for ten days and a half, and then take him to places like Xiangshan Saltworks and Shipu Port when he finds time. As for Ningbo Prefecture and Hangzhou City, forget it, Li Shu

The identity of the crown prince of Joseon is too sensitive, and it is not a popular behavior to show up in the Ming Dynasty.

But in the end, Li Bo only stayed in Zhoushan for four days before setting off again. It was not that the arrangements here did not suit his wishes, but that Li Bo hoped to make full use of the limited time and visit more places. After all,

He is scheduled to study abroad for only two years, and the flight from Seoul to Sanya, the capital of Haihan, may take a month. Staying too long on the way will shorten his future study time.

Seeing that Li Bo insisted on leaving, Shi Diwen did not force him to stay. He transferred several warships from the East China Sea Fleet to escort the North Korean mission to the south.

After the fleet left Dinghai Port, it went south along the coastline, passing through areas such as Taizhou and Wenzhou without docking again. On this day, it arrived in the waters near the Matsu Islands. Another fleet came from the sea and sent a message to North Korea from a distance.

The fleet where the regiment was located hoisted flags and slowly moved closer to it.

Li Bo was also notified that this fleet was affiliated with the Fujian Navy and was waiting here specifically to provide protection for the North Korean mission while passing through the Fujian Strait.

Although he knew that the Fujian Navy was about to become the private army of the Fujian warlord Xu Xinsu, this arrangement still greatly satisfied Li Bo's vanity. After all, this arrangement of letting the Ming armed fleet escort even his father

It’s also hard to enjoy.

Of course, the mission of this naval fleet was not just to escort. Soon, naval officers boarded Li Bo's passenger ship in a small boat and invited him to visit Zhangzhou.

As the most powerful local warlord in the south of the Yangtze River under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Xinsu did not have as many scruples as officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Even though Li Bo's identity was extremely sensitive to the Ming Dynasty, this did not prevent Xu Xinsu from issuing an invitation -

-After all, he didn't even ask the court for permission to send troops to North Korea, let alone meet with a North Korean prince who was passing through.

This invitation was really something that Li Bo couldn't refuse. Putting aside Xu Xinsu's influence in the Fujian waters, among the coalition forces that sent troops to Korea to fight against the Qing army, there was a naval fleet from Fujian, and the generals who led this fleet were

It was Xu Xinsu's fourth son, Xu Yuzhuo. Li Bo had also met this Ming general when his father, Li Zhu, met with the allied generals.

Fujian sent troops to aid North Korea without charging North Korea any additional military expenses, but only asked North Korea to open its trade market to it. This is a relatively acceptable condition for North Korea. The relevant negotiations have ended, and Xu Yuzhuo has also led the expedition fleet back to Fujian. Now Xu Xinsu

Taking the initiative to invite Li Bo to Zhangzhou, he had to go through this fate both emotionally and rationally.

So under the escort of the Fujian Navy, the North Korean delegation arrived at Zhangzhou City. It was also the first time that Li Bo stepped into a city that truly belonged to the Ming Dynasty.

The reception standards Xu Xinsu provided to the North Koreans were undoubtedly very high. She cleared a special dock on the bank of the Jiulong River early and asked her fourth son Xu Yuzhuo to come to the port to greet Li Bo and his party. The carriage that took Li Bo and his party into the city was

All of them were four-wheel box carriages customized from Haihan. Although Li Bo had already ridden such a carriage in Zhoushan, the wealthy Xu family sent out more than ten such carriages at once, and even all the Korean students

At the same time, he enjoyed super-standard treatment, which made Li Bo once again sigh that it is good to have money.

Different from the Haihan-style urban area in Zhoushan that did not have city walls, Zhangzhou City was a typical fortified city design of this era. After Xu Xinsu became successful, he renovated and expanded Zhangzhou's city defenses many times. According to Xu Yuzhuo's plan when he entered the city

According to introduction, Zhangzhou’s city defense system is a design plan provided by Haihan Ministry of National Defense, which spent a lot of money to transform the original square city into a huge bastion defense system. To this end, it even took two years to transform the city outside the city.

The moat has been dug again. As of now, the city's defenses are still being improved, and the investment in construction has already exceeded one million.

The number of artillery equipped in the Zhangzhou city defense system is probably second to none in the south of the Ming Dynasty. Xu Yuzhuo said proudly: "Zhangzhou has 30,000 land troops and 30,000 navy troops to defend it. The city defense is so impregnable that no one in the world can defeat it!"

Li Bo couldn't help complaining: "What if the opponent is the Haihan Army?"

Xu Yuzhuo was stunned for a moment. He had never thought of such a possibility. He shook his head and replied: "My Fujian Xu family has always been on good terms with the Haihan Kingdom. They have always been unanimous in dealing with the outside world. There is no possibility of falling out and starting a war. On the contrary,

If one day a powerful enemy army approaches Zhangzhou City, the Haihan Army will definitely come to rescue them."

When Li Pu heard how he defended Haihan, he suddenly remembered that he had heard that this Ming army general had also studied abroad in Haihan to receive military training, so he immediately asked him to confirm this matter.

When he mentioned that he went to Sanya for training, Xu Yuzhuo suddenly became very excited: "Your Majesty, there are two military academies in Sanya, namely the army and the navy. They teach new tactics that were not mentioned in the old military books. Every time I go to Sanya for further training,

They all feel that they have benefited a lot. I heard that your country has also selected some military officers to study abroad this time, which is really gratifying. In the future, your country's famous generals will surely come from among them."

Hearing what he said so confidently, Li Bo was a little more optimistic about the prospects of military officers studying abroad. North Korea spent money to send these military officers to Haihan to study abroad. Naturally, it was hoped that they would learn real skills and use them to revitalize the North Korean army in the future.

Wei. But in the end, no one can tell what kind of learning can be done before. It can only be based on the generals who led the Annan and Fujian forces of the Allied Forces to Assist Korea. Since Xu Yuzhuo, an experienced person, evaluated Haihan’s military training

With such a high score, Li Bo felt that maybe his country's military officer cadets could produce a few generals like Xu Yuzhuo.
Chapter completed!