Eight hundred and ninetieth chapters dispatch troops
Qin Zhongtang returned to the shogunate because it was approaching the end of the year and many phased tasks were beginning to be completed, not just the renovation of the Yuewang Temple.
Tang Shunzhi, who was entrusted with taking charge of daily work, came to Qin Zhongtang to compile the information.
Qin Zhongtang didn't pay too much attention to other matters, and his funds were continuously increased through smuggling. The only thing he paid most attention to was the preparation of force.
Among the three directions, Yu Dayou, who went to Guangdong, was in the best situation. The Guangxi native soldiers he received were already combat-effective and could be used as long as they were brought over.
In addition, the work of building and recruiting warships in Guangdong also went smoothly.
The progress of the Qi family's father and son's trip to Yiwu was a little slower than Qin Zhongtang expected.
The thousands of miners recruited so far are still in training and are not expected to achieve initial combat effectiveness until March or April next year.
There is nothing Qin Zhongtang can do. He cannot encourage the young people to make things happen. Science cannot be vain at all.
Fortunately, March and April are not too late, so we can catch up with the new wave of Japanese pirate attacks next year.
So with a stroke of his pen, Qin Zhongtang allocated another thirty thousand taels of silver to the Qi family and his son.
Backed by smuggling income, Qin Zhongtang felt that he had more money than the historical governor Hu Zongxian.
The third aspect of force preparation is Lu Borang, the commander-in-chief of the Fujian Dusi.
Although among the anti-Japanese generals in history, Lu Bor was ranked third behind Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang, at present, it is Lu Bor that Qin Zhongtang values the most.
Because this person is currently in a plug-and-play state from status to ability, and can be put to use immediately without having to undergo "training".
Tang Shunzhi put away the book and asked, "You haven't seen Lu Bor in the middle hall, right? Since you value Lu Bor so much, why don't you summon him here?"
Qin Dewei sighed: "I just don't know if Lu Boring can really be used, or to what extent he can be used. It all depends on his performance."
Tang Shunzhi asked curiously: "How should he behave?"
Qin Zhongtang replied: "The end of the year is coming soon. If he is serious, he should come to see me with a heavy gift, so that he can be used!"
Tang Shunzhi: "..."
I come to see you with heavy gifts at the end of the year. Is this acceptable?
Qin Zhongtang is a person who works hard, but in his words and deeds, people always misunderstand him as a traitor!
When Qin Zhongtang forwarded the memorial of Hu Zongxian's impeachment of Lu Bor to Lu Bor himself, it was considered a blow.
If Lu Bo understands the truth, he should come over and visit him immediately!
But at that time, Japanese pirates were raging along the coast of Fujian. As the general of Fujian Dusi, Lu Bor was commanding the battle on the front line and could not leave at all.
Until the trade winds changed in winter and autumn, this year's wave of Japanese pirates mostly withdrew except for some entrenched ones.
Therefore, Lu Boring must have been free at this time. If he was sensible, he should come and visit Qin Zhongtang.
This is why Qin Zhongtang uses whether Lu Bor visits him as a criterion to judge whether Lu Bor is available.
Of course, if Lu Bo is really ignorant, Qin Zhongtang will make him sensible.
Before Qin Zhongtang finished speaking to Tang Shunzhi, he heard soldiers coming to report that Mr. Lu from Fujian Dusi was visiting.
Then I saw a senior military attache standing in the hall with ten loads of boxes and cages of various kinds.
Mr. Lu Boring pointed to a row of boxes and cages and said, "This is what Xianguan captured during his battle with the Japanese pirates this year. I came here to present it to the shogunate!"
This Lu Ti was not only sensible, he was even too sensible! Tang Shunzhi stood up with a wry smile. He felt that he should avoid it.
After Qin Zhongtang glanced at the boxes and cages, he said indifferently: "I won't do this next time!" Then he asked: "You said that you are selecting combat-ready soldiers from various garrison posts in Fujian and forming new battalions. How is the progress?"
Lu Ti reported: "After much selection, we have selected two thousand people. If you don't mind the small number of people, you can go into battle now."
After Qin Zhongtang thought for a while, he said: "That's enough!"
Lu Ti didn't know how to answer, mainly because he didn't know what to do. Otherwise, how could he be considered useful?
Lu Boring gained Qin Zhongtang's approval and was qualified to know the secret.
Qin Dewei revealed something: "What I mean is that two thousand people should be enough to attack Shuangyu Island."
The permanent population of Shuangyu Island fluctuates between three and five thousand, and it is impossible for all the people to be soldiers. Therefore, an army of 2,000 people should be enough to attack Shuangyu Island.
Moreover, both the waterway and the land route on the island are not wide. No matter how many officers and soldiers there are, they can't open a frontal attack. It's enough to attack the island with 2,000 people.
Of course, in the original history, this was how Lu Bo captured Shuangyu Island, so his copying work would never go astray.
This is the first time Lu Bori in this time and space has heard of Qin Zhongtang’s determination to attack Shuangyu Island.
Qin Zhongtang continued: "Here in Zhejiang, the relationship with Shuangyu Island is so intricate that it is impossible to keep it secret!
So I plan to use your Fujian officers and soldiers to catch them by surprise and attack them unprepared!"
After Lu Ti came to his senses, he quickly expressed his determination and said: "I am willing to serve in Zhongtang!"
Qin Dewei drew another big cake and said: "If Shuangyu Island is captured, you will be directly promoted to the commander of the Fujian Dusi! Officers and soldiers will be allowed to plunder Shuangyu Island for one day!"
Lu Bor once again expressed his determination and said: "How dare I refuse to fight to the death? But if Fujian warships, officers and soldiers are used, it will be difficult to catch the enemy by surprise."
Once the Fujian warship arrives in Zhejiang, it will definitely attract attention, and everyone will guess the purpose of the Fujian officers and soldiers going to Zhejiang.
By that time, the bandits on Shuangyu Island will probably be wary."
Qin Dewei nodded and said: "What you said makes sense, this Central Hall is also looking for the right time to conceal the true purpose of the officers and soldiers!
Don’t worry, just make preparations for departure after returning to Fujian, and wait for orders after the New Year!”
Qin Zhongtang's reputation for resourcefulness was still very strong, so Lu Borang stopped asking any more questions.
In Ningbo Prefecture on the other side of Zhejiang Province, under the huge gap in interests, the undercurrent has reunited and surged.
The ritual of drinking in the countryside has existed since ancient times. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Gao promoted the ritual of drinking in the countryside, and local officials regularly invited local elderly people to gather.
At the end of the 20th year of Jiajing, after the drinking ceremony between urban and rural areas in Ningbo, the official personnel dispersed, but some local gentry gathered again.
If Qin Dewei were here, he would definitely find that these few people look familiar.
Yang Meihuang, Tu Ren, Zhang Shixing and other famous figures from the four major families are included, and there are also several other families affiliated with the four major families.
There are about a dozen wealthy families in and around Ningbo, and half of them came to the gathering here.
When talking about the situation in the past three months, everyone in the family shook their heads and sighed.
It took three months for the institutionalized smuggling system established by the shogunate to finally be completed and operational, directly swallowing up most of the profits of each family.
It turns out that after goods from the mainland are shipped to Ningbo, they must pass through the hands of various major families before they can be shipped to the sea.
The owners of sea-going ships can only transport goods to Shuangyu Island or sell them to maritime traders only by obeying the instructions of the major families.
But now, goods can be transported directly from the mainland to designated guard ports, and ship owners no longer need to be exploited by major families and can directly pull goods.
Then you only need to pay a sum of money to the guard station in exchange for the ship's guide to "legally" go to sea and the guard station's "escort".
Of course, each major family owns many sea-going ships, and they can also be exchanged for ships to pull goods. But compared to the previous monopoly platform status, the money earned from sea-going ships is just hard money.
Therefore, in the past three months, the profits of major families have decreased sharply. And in the foreseeable future, as long as the new system further matures, profits will definitely continue to decrease.
It should be said that the profits can still barely support people, but they are not as abundant as before.
However, the major families have changed from market rule makers to ordinary practitioners and have lost excess profits. This gap is the most unacceptable.
Someone first asked: "What did Baldy Li say on Shuangyu Island? After working with us for so many years, we can't just ignore it."
Another person said angrily: "People like Baldy Li are greedy for profit! For Shuangyu Island, no matter who delivers the goods, it's the same. If you have breasts, you are a mother!"
Someone else said angrily: "Is it possible that Yan Shoufu, Zhang Ge Lao, Tu Zongxian and other senior officials in Beijing are just watching like this!"
Others said: "Yan Shifan, the son of Yan Shoufu, was responsible for the release and write-off of the shogunate's ships there, and he did a great job!
I don’t know what Qin Zhongtang was thinking, but he was so confident in using Yan Shoufu’s son! I’m afraid he didn’t want to use this to silence Yan Shoufu!”
Suddenly someone behind the pillar coughed a few times. Everyone looked around and saw a fat man with one eye...
Zhang Shixing, the general manager of the Zhang family's commercial bank, had a conflict with Yan Shifan. He slapped his wife and said angrily: "Why are you here?"
The eldest Mr. Yang Meihuang raised his hand to express that he had something to say, and the others paused their speeches.
"Sir Yan, I invited you here." Yang Meihuang vouched for it, and the others said nothing.
Then Mr. Yang made a clear statement: "This year has passed, but after spring comes next year, we cannot continue like this. We must have a response charter."
Someone asked impatiently: "What kind of regulations can there be? I'll just work together to do it."
Zhang Shixing said a few words: "Finding someone to impeach Qin Dewei, even if it is useless, we must put pressure on Qin Dewei and not let him relax in vain."
Immediately, everyone started talking about it and put forward five or six opinions.
"Hahahaha!" Suddenly someone looked up to the sky and laughed, pointed in a circle and said, "I really don't know how you can make your family business bigger with this little knowledge!"
Zhang Shixing stood up with his servants and was about to take action.
What's wrong with you, Yan Shifan, being Yan Shoufu's son? Didn't their Zhang family just give birth to a pavilion boss, Zhang Bangqi? He has the same vote as Yan Shoufu!
Yang Meihuang quickly stopped Zhang Shixing and advised: "Let him finish speaking first!"
The danger of being beaten was no longer enough to shock Yan Shifan. He said calmly:
“I have a few humble opinions. First, communicate with the high-level officials of the DPRK and the Central Committee and ask the court to strictly review the ban on maritime trade and preparedness for Japanese pirates. This is a flag we can use!
Carrying the banner against the banner is the best way to do things!
Second, reorganize the local soldiers as soon as possible. The more people, the better! This is the embodiment of your local strength!"
The first point was fine, but the second point made everyone present a little surprised.
Because of the particularity of coastal areas, rural soldiers have always existed. Yan Shifan specifically emphasized the reorganization of rural soldiers. What is the special meaning?
Is it possible that we are planning to use force for a full-scale confrontation? Is this too much of a move?
Yan Shifan's proposal, "Don't step on the horse," is just trying to dig a hole and trap everyone in it, right?
Yan Shifan guessed that everyone might have misunderstood, and quickly added: "In the spring and summer next year, the Japanese pirates will definitely come back with the help of the trade wind!
In order to prepare for Japanese pirates along our coast, shouldn’t we reorganize rural soldiers? In order to prepare for Japanese pirates, the imperial court also allowed localities to organize rural soldiers!”
Someone asked in confusion: "What next? How to use rural soldiers?"
Yan Shifan said with determination: "Disperse the rural soldiers to all water and land checkpoints entering and exiting Ningbo City! In the name of preventing smuggling and Japanese communication, we will investigate all people and goods entering Ningbo from the mainland!"
Immediately someone shouted: "Wonderful!"
Since being attacked by Qin Zhongtang, the wealthy family cannot continue to control the channels for goods to be shipped to the sea, but the goods must always be transported from the mainland to Ningbo first!
As long as the checkpoint is moved from the ocean direction to the other side, the inland direction, if the goods want to enter Ningbo, they still have to pass through the hands of their wealthy family!
[To be honest, I have been using Yeguo Reading recently to catch up on books, change sources, and read aloud with many sounds, and it can be used on both Android and Apple.]
In the name of banning smuggling along the coast and preventing communication with Japanese pirates, things can be done in a reasonable manner!
This is the ability of local snakes. With policies and countermeasures from above, they can always find ways to gain benefits.
After everyone figured it out, they all cheered in unison, and after discussing for a long time, it finally became feasible!
Someone else asked Yan Shifan: "Aren't you working for Qin Zhongtang? Why do you want to help us with advice?"
Yan Shifan sighed and said: "Based on the relationship between Qin Dewei and my father, you don't think that I will sincerely help Qin Zhongtang, right?
As the saying goes, I am in the Cao camp but my heart is in the Han Dynasty. Just think of me as an undercover agent!
And as for the ideas I come up with, you have to weigh them yourself, use them if you think they are good, and discard them if you think they are not good!"
Seeing that people from all the families had unified their attitude, Yang Meihuang directly told everyone: "As for the number of rural soldiers, it cannot be less, otherwise it will not be enough to make Qin Zhongtang surrender!
I have tentatively decided as follows: Yang, Lu, Zhang, and Tu’s four families will each recruit 500 village soldiers! The other families can each have 200 or 300 soldiers!
This adds up to 3,000 people, and anyone who sees this number should think twice before doing anything."
Someone asked: "If Qin Zhongtang insists on going his own way and treats others with force, what should he do?"
Yan Shifan judged: "No, Qin Zhongtang absolutely does not dare! How can three thousand local soldiers suppress it easily? How much trouble would that cause?"
A larger scale of Japanese pirates will definitely arrive next year. Qin Zhongtang cannot risk the situation where Japanese pirates will arrive at any time and trigger civil strife in Ningbo City.
If the city of Ningbo is in chaos first, then why should we guard against Japanese pirates? So even if Qin Zhongtang has extraordinary abilities, he still has to use the enemy at this time!"
Yang Meihuang finally said: "If there is no objection, just do it! Within this year, each family will prepare their manpower, and after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year, we will start working!"
Let’s all join together to gather strength this year and see you next year!
