Chapter 2436

Shi Diwen and Qu Yutong are limited by the power they have. The countermeasures they can use must be limited to the local area and cannot rise to a higher level. Moreover, the methods used cannot be too radical, otherwise

Further intensifying the contradiction may trigger a conflict between the two countries. Even if Shi Diwen is not afraid, Qu Yutong may not be willing to see such a result. What he wants is to try his best to preserve his official position and financial resources, but he does not want Haihan to really

Waging war against the Ming Dynasty.

The solution they proposed can be said to have taken into account the interests and concerns of all parties, but thorough consideration does not mean that it is a perfect plan. It is precisely because too many compromises have been made that there will be many links in the implementation process.

There are risks and loopholes in all. As a bystander, Tao Donglai naturally noticed these problems more clearly, so he did not agree with their ideas.

Qu Yutong was also quite depressed at this time, his face was gray, and he said listlessly: "Do we really want to give up Ningbo Mansion? This... well, I am really unwilling to do so!"

Tao Donglai shook his head slightly and said: "You don't have to give up in a hurry, this matter is not yet at the end of the road."

When the two of them heard Tao Donglai's words, it seemed that things could turn around. Shi Diwen quickly asked: "Mr. Tao, do you mean that there are other ways to resolve this crisis?"

Tao Donglai nodded slightly and said: "If your opponent is really Yang Sichang, then maybe things can turn around."

Qu Yutong didn't care much at the moment. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply and said: "Master Tao, please tell me clearly what needs to be done next to resolve the current crisis. I will definitely cooperate with you!"

Tao Donglai waved his hand and said: "What you have to do now is don't do anything and wait for the news first."

"Waiting for news? Where are we waiting for news?" Qu Yutong asked in confusion.

Tao Donglai pointed to his nose and said: "Wait for my news. There are some things to be discussed between our country and Ming Dynasty in the near future. The trade relations between the two countries should also be discussed at that time. I will find an opportunity to mention Ningbo.

The situation. Mr. Qu is extremely important to the trade between the two countries, and our country will certainly support Mr. Qu to continue to serve."

Qu Yutong heard Xian Ge and knew what he meant: "So Master Tao will meet Yang Sichang this time when he comes to Ming Dynasty?"

Tao Donglai spoke very harshly and did not answer his question directly: "It has not yet been decided whether to see him or not. But Mr. Qu, just don't worry. The problem you encountered is indeed a big deal in Ningbo, but when it comes to the bigger picture,

Judging from the environment, it is actually not that difficult to solve. Taking a step back, even if the Ningbo magistrate needs to be replaced, Master Qu will not have to worry about his retreat. If he is willing to come to our country for development in the future, whether he continues to pursue an official career or run other industries, he will

There are good development prospects.”

Qu Yutong responded quickly: "Master Tao, it's really a great reward. Then Qu will be waiting for the good news in Ningbo."

Tao Donglai quite admired Qu Yutong. He was able to decisively marry Shi Diwen a few years ago. His vision and courage were among the best among Ming officials, and he had served as the prefect of Ningbo for several years.

Years ago, his experience in governing local areas is not bad. If he can recruit Haihan to be a local official, he should be able to adapt quickly. Of course, in order to play his greatest role, it seems that he should remain in the position of Ningbo magistrate for now.

Better. With him in Ningbo, Haihan's trade situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will be more secure.

Shi Diwen was not in a hurry to ask. The solution Tao Donglai mentioned reminded him of some information he had, but this information was not convenient to discuss in front of an outsider like Qu Yutong.

It was not easy for Qu Yutong to travel all the way from Ningbo City. Shi Diwen naturally wanted to host a banquet for him. However, considering that Tao Donglai's itinerary was confidential and that some sensitive topics might be discussed, he did not arrange to accompany him.

. Even Qu Yutong's staff member He Xiao didn't come to the table. Shi Diwen arranged for his close confidant Duan Tiancheng to receive it on his behalf.

Qu Yutong was naturally a little curious as to why Tao Donglai came to Zhoushan, and he had previously sounded like he wanted to meet with high-level figures in the Ming Dynasty, so he started asking for information in a roundabout way. However, Tao Donglai was still very strict and went around and around.

He just didn't respond directly. When Qu Yutong saw that Shi Diwen didn't mean to help, he probably expected that the matter was a bit sensitive, so he wisely didn't ask any further.

Although Tao Donglai avoided answering, Qu Yutong could actually guess to some extent. In recent months, the Qing army has been raging in Shandong. After seeing the local chaos, countless people will be displaced and find it difficult to make ends meet, so they can only go out.

Haihan had always coveted the population of the Ming Dynasty and tried every means to introduce immigrants from the Ming Dynasty. He was unwilling to miss such a good opportunity. Tao Donglai's appearance in Zhoushan at this time may be related to the large number of immigrants who have been arriving at Dinghai Port recently.

However, these reasons are not important. As long as Haihan can help him retain his official position, Qu Yutong will not care how many people will flow from Ming Dynasty to Haihan. To put it harshly, the court will definitely not have enough ability to rescue refugees. If there is no Haihan,

If these refugees are taken away, a considerable number of them will either die of hunger and cold, or become gangsters in order to survive. Being taken overseas by Haihan for resettlement, at least they can save their lives first, which is also a help from a certain point of view.

Ming Dynasty solved the hidden dangers that were difficult to deal with.

Tao Donglai took the initiative to mention some of Haihan's current progress in resettling refugees: "Recently, our country has a large number of immigrants who want to be resettled in Taiwan Island, and the labor force is relatively sufficient. Is Mr. Qu interested in buying some more industries there?"

Qu Yutong responded quickly: "Of course I am disrespectful of this business of making a fortune. How about building a plantation as before?"

Tao Donglai said: "Of course Mr. Qu can choose what kind of projects he operates. Just contact the relevant departments for specific matters. Shi Diwen, please help arrange it."

Shi Diwen nodded and said: "No problem. I will ask Yang Yun from the Ministry of Commerce to contact Master He later and follow the previous rules. If Master Qu has any requirements, just say so."

One of the reasons why Qu Yutong gained Haihan's full trust is that he has invested in and operated some industries in Haihan's ruling area, mainly cash crop plantations. In Kaohsiung alone, there are more than 500 acres of land.

acres of plantations, and has hired more than 200 people locally to manage these properties. Although the operating costs have not yet been recovered, the long-term profit prospects are promising, and Haihan is protecting it, so there is no need to worry about losing money on this business.

The more properties Qu Yutong has in Haihan, the trust he can gain will naturally increase. He also understands that the benefits he can get by participating in the development of Haihan colony through this kind of investment are far more than just economic.

Tao Donglai had just said before that he would try to keep Qu Yutong's official position. Now when he mentioned investing in plantations in Taiwan, Qu Yutong naturally wanted to reciprocate the favor and decisively agreed to it.

Relevant matters have always been handled by He Xiao and Yang Yun of the Zhoushan Management Committee. Both parties are familiar with each other and have ready-made cooperation plans. Qu Yutong only needs to deposit the money in Haihan Bank and transfer it to Haihan Bank.

After the plantation begins to harvest, Haihan officials will come forward to purchase it, and the payment will also be transferred through the bank. After settlement, Qu Yutong will be there

He can withdraw cash in Ningbo. Basically, he doesn’t have to worry about the whole process. He really has no reason to refuse such a convenient and profitable transaction.

This kind of cooperation is also very profitable for Haihan. As long as the unowned land in the colonies is used, Ming investors can be attracted to invest in the development of these areas. This not only solves the funding problem required for local development, but also provides people who have just been resettled in the area.

It provides a livelihood for immigrants in the area, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. After the various cash crops grown in these plantations are harvested, Haihan officials will also purchase them, further process them and then sell them on the market, and the profits are also very considerable.

While obtaining economic benefits, Haihan will also use this kind of cooperation to tightly tie the interests of investors to himself, many of whom include people like Qu Yutong who served as officials in the Ming Dynasty. These officials cannot withstand the temptation.

, even the family property has been transferred to Haihan's territory, and his position is naturally self-evident.

After finishing the meal, Qu Yutong took the initiative to say goodbye to Tao Donglai and Shi Diwen, preparing to return to Ningbo first, leaving He Xiao to handle follow-up affairs in Zhoushan. The reason why he was so anxious to go back was because the official situation was not stable recently.

Steady, if someone wants to pry his position, some rumors will inevitably spread, so even when he came to Zhoushan this time, he quietly left the city at night, not wanting the outside world to know his movements, so as not to give any excuse for colluding with Haihan.

After Qu Yutong left, Shi Diwen asked Tao Donglai about his doubts: "Mr. Tao, are you really going to meet with the top management of Ming Dynasty this time when you go north?"

Tao Donglai nodded slightly and said, "We have this plan at the moment, but it's not certain whether it will come true."

"How do you say that?"

Tao Donglai explained: "Meetings with Ming Dynasty's high-level officials need to be arranged several months in advance. However, there is currently chaos in Shandong, and the situation in the north is more complicated. Who can Ming Dynasty send to meet with them? There is no confirmed candidate yet."

Shi Diwen said: "Isn't it possible that after you arrive in Shandong, you are not sure how long you have to wait before you can see the representatives sent by Ming Dynasty?"

Tao Donglai shook his head and said: "We probably won't be talking in Shandong. Fushan County has taken in too many refugees and the environment is complicated, so it's not suitable for arranging talks. I'm going to put the meeting place in Jinzhou."

"Jinzhou?" Shi Diwen couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "Then it might become a three-party meeting!"

"Maybe it's the Quartet." Tao Donglai responded: "North Korea will definitely pay attention to this meeting. It would be inappropriate to exclude them. I plan to let North Korea send envoys to participate, even if there is no speech without them.

Right, but at least you will stand in line, right?"

Shi Diwen laughed when he heard this and said, "That's really the truth!"

In fact, it was not Hai-Han who first proposed a high-level meeting, but the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. When the Manchu and Qing senior officials realized that there was no chance of winning the war with Hai-Han, and that the continuation of the confrontation in Liaodong would be increasingly detrimental to themselves, they decided

Plans for an armistice and peace talks.

In the past winter, when the Manchu and Qing Dynasties sent troops to attack the Ming Dynasty, Huang Taiji ordered Shang Kexi to go to Jinzhou to start armistice peace talks with Chen Yixin. However, Shang Kexi's trial did not immediately achieve the progress Huang Taiji expected. It can even be said that

It didn't go too well. In front of the envoys he sent, Chen Yixin did not show his willingness to negotiate, and directly offered a sky-high price to cede the entire Liaodong Peninsula to Haihan to persuade the other party to retreat. However, at the same time, Chen Yixin also offered this surprising offer.

The news was notified to the Executive Committee, allowing the Executive Committee to decide whether to use this opportunity to seek more benefits.

For Haihan, it is not difficult to understand the reasons and intentions of the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty for seeking peace talks, but the conditions for peace talks they can offer are not convincing. The Manchus and the Qing Dynasties are neither willing to pay compensation nor cede territory, but only want to carve up

The Ming Dynasty tried to persuade Haihan to cease the war on certain conditions. How could this be achieved?

After considering the current international environment and the trend of the situation, the Executive Committee believes that if used properly, it may be able to obtain great benefits from the peace talks, but the source of these benefits may not be the Manchus.

If Haihan talks with the Manchus and Qing Dynasties, then the two countries that least want to see this happen are the Ming Dynasty and North Korea. Without the help of Haihan, neither country will be able to deal with the powerful enemy of Manchu and Qing alone. Once Haihan relents,

, then they will be in big trouble. So as long as the two countries know that Haihan intends to start peace talks with the Manchus, it will be enough to make them sleepless.

Then if the Ming Dynasty and North Korea join in, it will form a situation that is extremely beneficial to Haihan. Putting aside North Korea, which is weak in national power, the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty are like being on opposite ends of a seesaw. Who can give Haihan a better

If the conditions are set, whoever has the chance to step onto the ground safely will have the opportunity to step on the ground safely. But the party whose conditions are not high enough can only hang in the air first, waiting for the decision of fate.

And North Korea, which is not qualified to sit on an equal footing with these three powerful countries, can only cling to Haihan's thigh, because the only one among the three countries that can guarantee North Korea's security is Haihan. Even if Haihan finally chooses to cease war with the Manchus, North Korea will also

We can only stick to Haihan unconditionally. In this way, even if the Manchus beat dogs, it depends on the owner. At least North Korea can keep its own security. As for the Ming Dynasty, which has already crossed the river and cannot protect itself, even if North Korea feels sorry for it,

But I will never choose the wrong camp at this juncture.

Holding a four-party meeting will undoubtedly give Haihan the opportunity to maximize benefits from this chaos. And if such a big event is only hosted by a few military generals in the north, it will still seem that there is not enough attention, so Tao Dong

Lai went north in person to host this important meeting. However, in order to ensure Tao Donglai's personal safety, Haihan did not announce the matter to the outside world, and even the itinerary was kept confidential.
Chapter completed!