Chapter 352 Confrontation and Cooperation

According to official statistics from South Vietnam, more than 3,000 people died in the Hoi An Rebellion, and more than 30,000 local residents fled Hoi An during the war. However, among this number of deaths, the number of people killed was directly killed by the Hai Han Militia Army.

In fact, less than a thousand people were killed. On the contrary, more people died in the post-war riots. Of course, the South Vietnamese government would not disclose such inside information. The blame for this can only be shouldered by the invaders, the Haihan people.

The death toll is relatively easy to count, but the property losses are difficult to calculate. The Haihan people looted and took away most of the local property, and the fleeing people also took some away. In the subsequent riots, thousands of mobs looted

Divided the remaining scraps.

For the South Vietnamese court, how many people died in Hoi An City and how much the looted property was worth are not the focus of the matter. After the destruction of Hoi An, how to fill the corresponding financial hole, and how to deal with the influx of people from the sea in the future

The blow is the real headache for the powerful people in charge of the government.

When the South Vietnamese court was shocked by the rebellion in Hoi An, the fleet that went on the expedition to Hoi An had already returned to Black Earth Port and Victory Port. Different from when it set out, the size of the fleet more than doubled, and there were a large number of them.

Some of the ships seized by the militia forces in the name of trophies belonged to Chinese businessmen who followed the militia forces in evacuating Hoi An.

The voyage from Hoi An to the Pearl River Estuary is more than 500 nautical miles. Most of the Chinese businessmen who fled Hoi An in a hurry failed to prepare enough supplies on the ship. Therefore, almost all the Chinese businessmen who followed the Hai Han warship to evacuate Hoi An chose to go to Victory Port to rest and replenish supplies.

——By the way, let’s also take a look at whether the place that the Haihan people have been tirelessly promoting is as good as they claim.

The Executive Committee also attached great importance to the arrival of this group of people and made corresponding reception preparations before receiving the telegram. These Chinese businessmen are familiar with the maritime trade situation in Southeast Asia, and many of them have returned in places such as Manchuria and Canada.

There are trade relations, and these are the resources needed by the commercial department. The summary report meeting after the return of the militia army was probably the most relaxed atmosphere in history.

"...the cash seized in the battle in Hoi An was about 176,400 taels, 8,300 taels of gold, 72 tons of pig iron, 44 tons of copper, and a number of various jewelry and jades. The value needs to be detailed.

Statistics can only be made after identification. In addition, more than 14,000 pieces of porcelain, nearly 20 tons of various spices, 470 ivory tusks, and more than 1,300 various animal furs were seized..."

It took Tom Wang a full quarter of an hour just to read the list of loot. The seizure in Hoi An was so rich that when leaving, due to limited space, he had to give up some supplies that were not of high value, such as rice.

It will take some time to calculate the total value of such food and trophies, but based on the material statistics on paper, there must be 700,000 to 800,000 yuan. The militia army’s foreign military operations

I have done it several times, and each time I have gained a lot, but this time the harvest is definitely the most, and the economic benefits have even exceeded the sum of the previous actions.

Of course, while the executive committee members were excited, they did not forget that the original intention of taking this action was to attack South Vietnam at a strategic level and destroy its foreign trade business. Everyone waited patiently for Wang Tom to finish reading the list of spoils, and Tao Dong came.

Then he cleared his throat and said: "This time there is so much loot that the ship can't load it all. Now everyone doesn't have to worry about losing money in the war."

There was a burst of good-natured laughter from everyone, and Tao Donglai continued: "The seized materials will first be handed over to the relevant departments for inventory. What should be discounted will be discounted, and what should be sold will be sold. After counting the data, we will calculate it according to the proportion we have determined in advance.

, allocated by the Ministry of Finance to the Military Commission. Tom, do you think it is possible for Hoi An to make a comeback after this battle?"

"It's difficult." Wang Tom shook his head decisively and said: "We destroyed not only Hoi'an City, but also the beliefs of the South Vietnamese. They should know very well that even if Hoi'an City can be rebuilt, it will not prevent us from destroying it again.

Regardless of whether they are Chinese businessmen or Portuguese, after this incident they will probably have no more delusions about Hoi An."

"As long as the Portuguese cut off military aid to South Vietnam, and the situation changes, North Vietnam will be able to go south to annihilate the Nguyen family in at most a year." Yan Chujie was very clear about the military strength of both sides in the Annan Civil War, and immediately added:

"Even if we want to rebuild Hoi An, we have to wait until the Annan Civil War is over and let the North Vietnamese court hand over Hoi An to our hands for construction."

"It doesn't make much sense to rebuild Hoi An. The topography of that place is not very good, and the inland port will restrict the development of the city. I think if a port city is to be built there in the future, it would be better to put it in Da Nang, north of Hoi An."

Tom Wang did not blindly agree with his boss's views on this issue, but put forward new views based on the situation he had discovered locally.

"Tom is right." Ning Qi also said: "Because Hoi An Port is an inland port, it must be dredged and dredged regularly every year. This is not a small project. Historically, in the 18th century, Hoi An Port was

It was gradually abandoned because of the siltation of the river. In comparison, Da Nang, which has a natural harbor, has much better conditions and has the potential to build a large port."

"Whether it's Hoi An or Da Nang, the Portuguese are probably more anxious now to find a new transit port." Tao Donglai quickly brought the topic back. If they were allowed to discuss it on their own, I don't know what the topic is.

Where will he be led astray: "Enrique came to talk to me two days ago, hoping to set up a Portuguese trading station in Port Victory."

Enrique, the special envoy sent from Macau, was not in a hurry to leave Victory Port after the Haihan Militia sent troops. He only sent people to take a boat back to Macau to report the news. Regarding his move, the Executive Committee did not stop him at all - if the Portuguese

If you have the ability to stumble Haihan on the Annan issue, then there is probably no need to send Enrique, the special envoy, to Port Victory to lobby.

Although his treatment has not changed at all, Enrique's life in Port Victory has suddenly changed from a leisurely paradise to a day-to-day life. He has also been to Hoi An City and knows that the defense there cannot withstand the attack of loaded guns, powerful ships and powerful cannons.

The fall of Hoi An City to the Hai Han Militia is only a matter of time. Enrique is not worried about the safety of Hoi An City. What he is worried about is the personal safety of the local Portuguese - if these people die at the hands of the Hai Han Militia,

Then the peace talks between the two sides are bound to break down, and once they enter a state of war, the Portuguese in Macau may not be able to withstand the attack of the Haihan militia.

Due to various considerations, Enrique had to wait for the victory in Port of Victory before making the next decision. After suffering like this for more than ten days, Enrique finally received notice from the Hai Han people - the city of Hoi An has been destroyed.

The local Portuguese acted as collaborators and had their personal property confiscated. Five others were hanged for trying to attack the Haihan militia with force.

After receiving such news, Enrique breathed a sigh of relief. Only five people died, and they were all unknown minor characters, so it was not a big deal. As for the property of the local businessmen being confiscated by the Haihan militia

, this is even more indifferent to Enrique - who made them choose to stay in a place like Hoi An? At least the Haihan people did not kill them all, and they also let the local Portuguese live, which gave both sides a chance to continue.

The negotiations left a way out.

After Enrique calmed down, he naturally thought of the consequences of the destruction of Hoi An City - although the Portuguese had not completely lost their foothold on the Indochina Peninsula, they had undoubtedly destroyed the maritime trade that supported the South Vietnamese economy.

Most of the time, if South Vietnam wants to organize a large army for the Northern Expedition in the future, it will inevitably face economic difficulties. Of course, these are the problems of the South Vietnamese court. Enrique has no time to plan for this dynasty that has begun to decline. What he is considering is losing Hoi An.

After entering the port, where should we look for a new trade transfer station?

In fact, there are many natural harbors in the southeastern coastal areas of Indochina, such as Quy Nhon, Cam Ranh and other places. It would not be too difficult for the Portuguese to establish trading stations in these places. But the problem is that just establishing trading stations

Stations are not enough. If you want to form a new maritime trade port, you must have a large number of maritime merchants willing to go to these places. The Portuguese do not have enough goods in their hands to attract maritime merchants. In addition to the Manchuria in the south, the entire South China Sea

Apart from Alaska and Batavia, the most prosperous port is probably Victory Port, which is still in a period of rapid development.

Enrique was not idle during these days in Port Victory. He visited almost all the places he could get permission to visit, and he also had a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment of Port Victory. Port Victory is a place with two large buildings and one small one.

It is a natural port. This natural condition is very suitable for the construction of a large port city. Moreover, since the opening of Victory Port, it has attracted a large number of merchants from the Ming Dynasty to trade here. The Haihan people even organized the "Qionglianfa"

"Such large commercial institutions have spent heavily on local development and construction.

Enrique once visited Sanya New City accompanied by Schneider. He could only describe the Haihan people's plan as ambitious - an inland port that can accommodate hundreds of merchant ships docking at the same time, a ten-mile urban area, and an area of

Large-scale farms measuring tens of thousands of acres, as well as hundreds of thousands of residents who will live here in the future, all these ideas are being gradually realized under the command of the Haihan Executive Committee.

The tax-free policy implemented by Victory Port will undoubtedly attract more merchants to trade here in the future. Ming merchants will definitely be happy to transport goods here and sell them to the Haihan people, rather than being forced to collect them.

Batavia or Manila with tariffs. When Western merchants learn about the policies and environment here, they will probably give up waiting for the arrival of Ming merchants in their own colonies and take the initiative to purchase cheaper goods in Port of Victory.

If the Portuguese need to find a new trade transit station in the South China Sea, Port of Victory is undoubtedly an excellent choice. After Enrique figured this out, he didn't even send anyone to ask the Macau Council for instructions, and went directly to Tao.

Dong Lai submitted an application to establish a trading station - the destruction of Hoi An was already irreversible. If the Portuguese did not want to lose more, they must at least gain a foothold in Port of Victory before the Spanish and Dutch.

"The Portuguese want to build a trading station in Port Victory? This is a good thing. Just abide by the rules of the game we set and let them come. Of course, don't forget to collect money." Schneider responded with a smile. Thoughts on foreign merchants

Schneider has always been pushing for the establishment of a commercial station in Victory Port, not to mention that the commercial department has been looking for a partner who has mastered the Western shipping routes.

As a time-traveling group with a large number of cross-era black technologies, it would be a waste if the products produced could only be sold within the Ming Dynasty. Distant Western countries are also the target customers scheduled by the business department. Especially some products with huge profits.

Silk fabrics, porcelain, cane sugar, and arms that never have to worry about sales are all hard currencies that can be sold to Western countries. However, what currently limits this trade is not the Cross-Trade Group's own productivity and technological level, but the boundless sea.

.

The Crossing Group does have some navigation experts like Wang Tom, but the strength of the entire shipping industry is still weak, not even comparable to that of Ming Dynasty merchants like Xu Xinsu. At present, the only relatively stable route under the Ministry of Shipping is to Victory Port

There are only two routes to Heitu Port and Guangzhou. As for places further away, they are still only on paper plans.

From Asia to Europe, it takes more than half a year to complete the thousands of miles of sea voyage. For such long-distance voyages, the Crossing Group may not have the strength to complete it in the next few years, and it is unlikely that the limited elites will be able to complete it.

personnel are devoted to the task of opening up ocean routes. After all, the main development areas of the Cross-Trade Group are still concentrated in the Far East and South Asia. Therefore, the executive committee has always hoped to find a partner to carry out the task of opening up the Western market - just like

The same principle applies to cooperating with "Furuifeng" to open up the Ming Dynasty market.

In response to Enrique's request, the executive committee rarely raised any objections. The militia army showed mercy to the Portuguese in Annan. This was originally a decision made by the executive committee in advance, and they hoped to express it through this method.

Showing his own "goodwill" and using both kindness and power, the Portuguese realized the mistakes they had made in finding partners. Enrique has obviously thought of this now and is trying to remedy it.

The day after the militia returned to Port Victory, Enrique hurriedly left Port Victory and rushed back to Macau. He needed to report what he saw and heard in Port Victory to the Council as soon as possible, and to inform the latest situation in Annan

Notify the Board of Directors of changes.

On the day Enrique left Port of Victory, the first batch of Ming immigrants recruited by Lijiazhuang near Guangzhou, totaling more than 700 people, were welcomed here. Nearly a thousand people will arrive in the port within the month.

At this time, three months had passed since the militiamen fought in Lijiazhuang and finalized the establishment of an immigration transfer station. The reason why it took so long was, on the one hand, that a large number of temporary residences and corresponding living facilities for immigrants had to be built locally, and the local

The work efficiency of the recruited migrant workers was obviously not comparable to that of the naturalized workers in Shengli Port, causing the construction period to be delayed again and again. On the other hand, the Li family had a public break with Li Fengjie, the top leader in Guangdong. At that time, they were deliberately suppressed by the Guangzhou government, and even the bandit leader Liao was killed.

Such achievements as Dabi were not publicly commended. In order not to give the government an excuse to cause trouble, the Li family did not rush to openly recruit refugees. It was not until recently that Li Fengjie finally stepped down as Haihan people said, and Wang Zunde, the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment, took over as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.

As the governor of Guangdong, the Li family finally showed their signs and recruited immigrants to reclaim wasteland on Qiongzhou Island.

Since they had received "pointers" from Ning Qi and others in advance, the Li family started to burn cold stoves with Wang Zunde half a year ago, and this move obviously had very good results. As soon as Wang Zunde took office, he began to treat his predecessor

The battle of Lijiazhuang, which has been silent for a long time, was reissued with an official commendation order. In the commendation order, the Li family was praised for "serving the country and the people, being loyal and courageous, and should be a model for the gentry in Guangdong and Guangxi." Regarding the Li family's initiative to propose

Wang Zunde also gave a very high evaluation to the work-for-relief work, covering all expenses, and recruiting disaster victims and unemployed people in Guangdong to open up wasteland in Qiongzhou Island. He also gave the green light all the way, allowing the Li family to send people to various states and counties in the province to conduct open land reclamation.

recruit.

In this way, the Li family's recruitment activities will undoubtedly have official endorsement, and they will have higher credibility when they are carried out. The Li family's recruitment activities in various states and counties have official officials coming forward to maintain order, and there are even Yamen

Official documents issued by the state government prove that the Li family's recruitment activities are supported by local government policies, and people do not have to worry about being shipped and sold to Nanyang to be piglets.

The government has also found a new way to solve the problem of victims who have been suffering for many years. They ship these victims who have no food and clothing to remote Yazhou, and let them work in the local area to open up wasteland.

The family is responsible for the supply, and the local government no longer has to worry about the refugees revolting and causing trouble in order to survive. As for whether the fields cultivated by these immigrants belong to themselves, the Li family, or other landlords, Mr. Wang has no idea.

With so many concerns, the greatest political achievement is to maintain peace, and the issue of land ownership will naturally be handled by the local government.

An immigration transfer point that can accommodate 3,000 temporary residents has been built in Lijiazhuang, Panyu County, and the pier has been renovated to allow more immigration ships to dock here at the same time. According to the prior agreement, all this cost will be provided by

The Chuanchuan Group was responsible for the responsibility, and it was not a small sum. Just to build this transfer point and prepare to recruit various materials and manpower, it cost ten thousand taels of silver, and the rice shipped to the local area from May to August was even more.

It amounted to dozens of tons, more than 3,000 sets of clothing, and a large amount of medicines and daily necessities were purchased in Guangzhou. It can be said that the Ministry of Civil Affairs spent a lot of money on establishing this transfer point.
Chapter completed!