With this mindset firmly in mind, Chen Kai returned to work.

The official documents of Chaozhou Prefecture are basically just reports. There is a complete administrative system there, from the government office, to the county office, to the village elders in each lane, village and town, and the officials are like a human neural network, like the body.

Using an arm is like using an arm to use a finger. If there is a shortcoming, it is that the organizational power of this kind of network cannot be compared with that of later generations.

Similarly, there were reports from Qiongzhou Prefecture. Lin Cha, Du Hui, Zheng Shengying, and Cai Yuan respectively reported on Qiongzhou's coastal conditions, land defense, civil affairs, and the development of Shilu Iron Mine. Other things were still there.

It was unremarkable, except for the iron ore, Cai Yuan said that the mining progress was slow, and it was also facing difficulties with heavy losses of personnel. He hoped that Chen Kai could issue some more prisoners as appropriate.

Regarding the iron ore resources in Qiongzhou Prefecture, Chen Kai remembered that there were two famous ones, one was Shilu, but he couldn’t remember where the other one was. However, he had the impression that Shilu was mined earlier. According to the county records

There are records, and the locals should also know where it is, and the mining in another place was later, and everything had to start again.

However, this Shilu Iron Mine has been around for a long time, but it is not easy to scale it up. In the past two years, relying on manual mining and transportation, in that old forest, even if some hydraulic machinery was built, the income was far away.

Lower than expected. For example, for Chaozhou Manufacturing Bureau, the iron ore and iron resources needed there mainly come from Chengxiang, Xingning, Changle and other places. What is mined from Shilu is mostly just a supplement.

Input and output are not directly proportional. This is a very big problem. Lying on the desk, lit by candlelight, he read Cai Yuan's report over and over again. Chen Kai thought about it carefully, but he could never find a clue.

In this case, just put it aside and deal with other things first, just to change your mind.

Both of these areas are control areas that have been in operation for many years. They are relatively stable and have been relatively less damaged by natural and man-made disasters in recent years. They have relatively stable benefits in terms of taxes and other aspects. Such an example is of great benefit to the entire Zheng Group.

There are also Zhangzhou Prefecture and Quanzhou Prefecture, both of which were restored control areas for two or three years. But for other places, this is not the case.

"Fuzhou Prefecture is short of food, Yanping Prefecture is short of food, Xinghua Prefecture is short of food, and Funing Prefecture is really short of food!"

According to Chen Kai's earlier suggestion, Zheng Chenggong selected people to purchase a large number of sweet potatoes in Zhangzhou Prefecture, Quanzhou Prefecture, and even Chaozhou Prefecture. Some of them were used for food, and more were used for planting. Based on this,

High-yielding crops are used to fill the people's stomachs. As for things like flatulence, we can't take care of them for the time being. We must first put an end to the problem of people starving to death in droves before talking about other things.

This suggestion should be effective, because this crop has been introduced to Fujian and Guangdong provinces during the Wanli period, and is planted in both provinces. It has basically solved the problem of the adaptation of foreign varieties to the local soil and water environment. However,

, the problem here is that crops have a growth cycle, and planting and harvesting are all traceable. Even due to the geographical environment of Fujian Province, even if it is harvested, it may not be able to meet the needs of the province.

It is inevitable to purchase grain from outside.

"The prefectural and county warehouses in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou have tried their best. Zheng Chenggong is still buying and smuggling grain from officials, Japan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I'm afraid it's just a drop in the bucket."

In his letter, Zheng Chenggong asked Chen Kai to transport grain from Guangdong, especially the newly recovered prefectures and counties, to Fujian to survive this period. Chen Kai carefully calculated that a large part of Chaozhou Prefecture's grain reserves were used in the last few days of last year.

During the month of war, Chen Kai had long ago ordered Chaozhou Prefecture to send the remaining grain to Fujian. However, Qiongzhou Prefecture's grain output was not as good as Chaozhou's, and a lot of its inventory was shipped to Hong Kong during the war. How much was left, Chen Kai said.

Kai turned over Zheng Shengying's report again and put these figures on the draft paper. It became clear how to do it.

"The Fu Army has an order to ship 50% of the grain stocks in Hong Kong to Zhongzuo Station, and tell everyone below to take action."

The grain was moved out of the warehouse and loaded onto ships for shipment. Nie Yiniang, the deputy general of the Hong Kong Island City Guard, still had her hair tied up and stood on the pier with a heroic appearance, looking at the soldiers under her command there to help maintain order.

As a lot of food was shipped, her slightly delicate brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't say anything. She was the general in charge of the island's defense, and she knew very well that these warehouses were shipped from Chaozhou and Qiongzhou last year.

It was supplied to the army. Now that the army is still stationed in the east of Guangzhou, these emergency reserves of military rations have been transported away. Thinking of some rumors coming from Fujian, this is inevitable.

"Commander, I've heard last week that Fu Jun is interested in bringing in more reserves from Qiongzhou Prefecture."

Next to Nie Niang, a man dressed as an officer stood beside her. He came out of the rescue team with Nie Niang back then, and now he is also a guerrilla general in charge of a battalion, and most importantly a close confidant. At this moment, the officer turned his head,

Silently he told her everything he knew, and then he looked at her silently without saying a word.

"Last year's war in the counties in eastern Guangzhou and the boundaries of Huizhou Prefecture was short-lived and relatively low-intensity. The damage to civilians was far less than that in western Guangdong. Each county still has a lot of military ration reserves, and the summer tax should also be collected.

It’s not a problem, Fu Jun must have made careful calculations and there won’t be any mistakes.”

The words gently floated out of her small mouth, which was not too big but not a cherry. However, Nie Niang's mind had already drifted to other places, which seemed to be further away. Only the officer was still standing by the side, looking at her silently.

His profile remained motionless.

In the distance, on the other side of the pier, a middle-aged man dressed outside the military but looking quite lean hurriedly boarded a sea-going ship. The ship was going west, crossing the Lingding Ocean, out of the Cross Gate, and then

Continue westward, all the way across the ocean, until you reach the only island-based mansion in Huangming.

The middle-aged man already knew that the ship had arrived. He stood up and walked out of the cabin. The rush in his expression seemed to have been brought here from Hong Kong. After getting off the ship, there were already a group of people dressed as foreigners or shopkeepers on the dock.

As the middle-aged man walked out of the cabin, someone whispered in his ear. Before he finished speaking, the hurried look had faded away and was replaced by a calm and contented one.

"Shopkeeper Cai."

"I've met Mr. Cai."

The middle-aged man was no one else, but Cai Cheng, the big boss of the Guangdong Trading Company, nicknamed Mouse Beard. After getting off the boat, Cai Cheng bowed to the group of people, some of whom he knew, and some of whom he knew.

Some of them have only heard of it, and many of them have only seen the name of the other party's shop on the report, but in person, they are all polite and polite.

Speaking of which, the Guangdong Trading Company, a commercial trading company established by Chen Kai and Cai Cheng, is a subordinate trading unit of the Zheng Group. It has its own independence, but in terms of trade, it is subordinate to the sea trade department of the Zheng Group.

Follow the lead. In the past few years, the Zheng Group's main energy has been invested in the five merchants of Shanhai. Zheng Tai, the leader, also wants to consolidate their relationship with Japan, Ryukyu, North Korea, Dayuan, and old trading partners in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Relationships are really limited. On the ground in Guangdong, especially Qiongzhou Prefecture and Hong Kong Island, they rely more on the close proximity of Guangdong trading companies.

As the agent of the Zheng Group in Guangdong, Cai Cheng must be the one who must please those merchants. The Zheng Group's rate system has long been implemented in Guangdong, and Guangdong trading companies have offices in Qiongzhou Prefecture, Chaozhou Prefecture and Hong Kong Island.

With an official background, the energy is very huge. The amount of goods and money handled is huge. Although the big boss is still held by the Zheng Group, it is just soup in Guangdong, and it is also the largest local merchant.

rivaling.

Most of these people came here to pay a courtesy. All their transactions with Guangdong Trading Co., Ltd. were handled by branches here. However, there were also a few who came specifically to see Cai Cheng, intending to take advantage of the reception banquet.

Let's talk some business.

The boss of the local branch had already come close to introduce these merchants to Cai Cheng. After they all looked familiar, Cai Cheng looked around and bowed to everyone: "I thank you all for your great kindness. But this time I am paying tribute to you.

I came here on Chen Fujun's order. I have to pay homage to Lord Lin, Marshal Du and Lord Zheng first. Please forgive me. Tomorrow, I'm going to be early tomorrow. There will be a lot of fun in the fairy tower in the city. Please come."

"It's what Mr. Cai said. It's so easy to come to our Qiongzhou Mansion. We have to show our friendship as landlords."

Cai Cheng made it clear that he came under Chen Kai's order. No one dared to delay. When the words came, they quickly made way for them. Cai Cheng bowed politely and got on the carriage with the local shopkeeper.

The carriage headed towards Qianhusuo City in Haikou, Fucheng. It must have been Lin Cha's naval office. After the principal left, everyone dispersed in twos and threes. Some returned to the dock to inspect the freight, while others

After rushing to the nearby warehouse, others were just one step behind Cai Cheng and headed for Qianhusuo City in Haikou or Qiongzhou Fucheng.

"It is said that this member Cai was originally a small accountant in the yamen of the Ordnance Bureau. Later he became an official and was found to be corrupt. Chen Fujun used him again and asked him to be the big shopkeeper. Now, it is also us

I have to visit the pier.”

"I have good luck. Chen Fujun has just taken charge of the Ordnance Bureau. His obedient and obedient old subordinates are always a bit thin-faced. Even if it is a lesson, it is in private. Once the benefits are obtained, others will follow him.

It’s my share.”

"Oh, don't be envious, look at me, such a big shopkeeper, he can't count the money he spends every day. But after Chen Fujun's order, he still rushed to Qiongzhou Mansion. This hospitality,

You should also drink spicy food that is popular among others."

"Tch, if that Mr. Fujun is willing to use me, I will work hard without complaint. Even a fool can see that when the Ming Dynasty is restored, Chen Fujun will be at least a six-level minister. If he doesn't fawn over now, he won't be able to catch up by then.

Warm."

Last year and this day, the Ming army was in Fujian, and the situation in Guangdong and Guangdong provinces was excellent. Although their strength was still far inferior, the momentum of the anti-Qing climax this time was gained, and people's hearts were inevitably excited. Things in Fujian

, it’s too far away, so it’s hard to say, but anyone in Guangdong can see that for the capture of Xinhui, the Battle of Jiangmen and the recapture of Guangzhou, His Royal Highness the King of Xining takes the first place, Chen Fujun can also be ranked second, and even the governor

The bachelor of the Normal University and the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi must step aside.

Cai Cheng has followed Chen Kai for many years. He started from a humble beginning and has gone through ups and downs. Now he is a big shot in the Guangdong business circle. When others mention it, they are always envious and envious, imagining that if they had followed Chen Kai in the Arms Bureau,

Kai is good at doing things, and now he can probably make a name for himself.

As a lucky man in the eyes of everyone, Cai Cheng was already immune to such talk. Sitting on the carriage, before returning to the main store in Fucheng, he asked him: "How is Jumu's business doing?"

"Following the instructions from the headquarters, we communicated with the farmers and farmers on the island, and the purchase of giant trees has already been on track. We have prepared the goods from Fujian on time, and the others are placed in the drying yard.

It needs to be dried before it can be used."

"Well, come back and bring me the hoarded account books."

"yes."

Giant wood was the main material for shipbuilding in the era of sailing warships. Before the recovery of Qiongzhou Prefecture, the warships, merchant ships, and masts of the Zheng Group were all purchased by Hong Xu from the Spanish in Manila based on old relationships. The price was high.

One thing, what's even more disgusting is that the Spaniards are also on guard against the Zheng Group. Not to mention, the sales quantity of giant mast trees is very tight, and the inspections are also very strict. This is undoubtedly not a restriction.

The maritime power of the Zheng Group.

The Chinese have been building ships for a long time. The huge wood resources in coastal provinces have long been exhausted and it is difficult to form an industry. Originally, shipbuilding had to be found in the old forests of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou, and some were purchased directly from Nanyang. Nowadays, on the surface of Nanyang,

The Dutch in Batavia and the Spanish in Manila were the two most powerful teams. They roamed the sea and always looked up to others.

The carriage rushed to the Navy Yamen. When it arrived, it paid a visit to Lin Cha. Lin Cha also sent someone to invite Du Hui and Zheng Shengying. When everyone was gathered, Cai Cheng directly talked about the problem of food shortage in Fujian.

Speaking of which, except for Cai Cheng, all of them are serious Fujianese. They have heard more or less about what happened there. The methods used by the Ming army during the recovery of Fujian set off a great trend.

This has the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort. However, the sequelae are also very serious. Except for Tingzhou Prefecture, Yanping Prefecture and Jianning Prefecture, the remaining three prefectures and one prefecture are all in a mess. Recovery will not be temporary.

Half a moment.

The power of heaven and earth has always been awe-inspiring. But this time, Chen Kai showed off the evil of people's hearts and truly proved the horror of greed. But for now, food is not enough. Chen Kai

Kai diverted Hong Kong's emergency military ration reserves and planned to supplement them with those from Qiongzhou Prefecture. Zheng Shengying naturally followed the order, but if he wanted to purchase it again, it would not be that simple.

"The western Guangdong side has been fighting hard for a year. Although His Highness the King of Xining has been devastated, after a year of hard work, the place has long been ruined by the officers and soldiers and the rebels. Now, the territory has been distributed and everyone seems to have settled down.

, but it is even more difficult to recover. During this period, in order to resume production, many people came to Qiongzhou to purchase grain, all under the banner of this commander and that seal. I am afraid that the surplus grain among the people will not be there.

too much."

This is undoubtedly a big problem. The two provinces have been restored, but the people's livelihood is in dire straits, and even Qiongzhou Prefecture has seen a sharp decline in private grain reserves under normal business practices. Those who want to rely on the acquisition of Qiongzhou Prefecture

It seems that it is now impossible to purchase grain to further alleviate the food shortage in Fujian. Fortunately, Chen Kai has already thought of this and has no intention of embarrassing these local officials.
Chapter completed!