Chapter 1470 Northern Route (3)

He Li had never been to Shandong before. If it hadn't been for this accidental mistake, he probably wouldn't have had many opportunities to come to such a distant place in the rest of his life. But by this time, spring was getting warmer in the north.

, and they are both coastal areas, and the climate is not much different from Ningbo. He Li and his sailors did not feel any discomfort after entering Shandong waters.

However, when they sailed into Zhifu Port, He Li and the sailors couldn't help but sigh at the scene before them. Two thousand miles away from Zhejiang in the north, everyone thought that this was an important coastal defense area of ​​the Ming Dynasty that guarded the entry and exit channels of the Bohai Sea. However,

A port with the same obvious Haihan architectural style as Zhoushan Dinghai Port appeared in front of us, and the visual impact was really great. It seems that the rumors of Haihan establishing a territory in Shandong are not false, otherwise it would not be like this.

A calm environment to build a large port.

He Li spent time on the dock of Dinghai Port a few days ago. Although he didn't learn any military secrets, he did know a lot about Haihan's standards for building ports. Although the port called Zhifu Port is not as large as Zhoushan Dinghai Port

, but it is by no means comparable to the ordinary ports in the coastal capital of Ming Dynasty. Looking at the tall cranes lined up along the shore and the rail trucks used to transport bulk cargo, you can tell that Haihan has invested considerable funds and manpower here.

The function of this built port is by no means just for ships passing by to replenish supplies.

After the fleet docked, in addition to representatives of the Haihan Military and the Ministry of Shipping waiting on the shore, He Li was also shocked to see a flag with the words "Fushan Inspection Department" flying at the door of a house on the dock. He Li

Of course, we don’t think that the local government can really surrender Haihan and bring the port under its control. This is naturally a trick of the Haihan people.

He Li couldn't help but secretly thought that the Haihan people really knew how to operate, and even put the signboard of the government agency on the pier. This would minimize the doubts about the ownership of this place, and at the same time, it would also make Ming, who came here for the first time like himself,

People relax their guard. But thinking about it on the other hand, the Haihan people can obviously even drive the inspection department to do this, which shows their great influence in the local area. The government here can swallow their anger, if only they have taken enough

The good thing is that I have been taught a lesson so that I don't dare to make mistakes.

He Li's idea is not far from the facts. Fushan County, as the area where Haihan first landed in Shandong, has been penetrated most thoroughly. The local government has already acquiesced to Haihan's various local privileges, including mining and construction.

They turned a blind eye to the actions of the road and immigrants, and naturally did not care about the scale of the port on Zhifu Island. Anyone who dared to go against Haihan in Fushan County was almost dead by this time, and most of them

Even if most locals don't want to be attached to Haihan, they certainly don't want to provoke this big devil.

As for the dispensable security agency like the Inspection Department, since the Haihan people are willing to pay to maintain it, the county government will naturally not object. The Inspection Department does not need to do anything specific, as long as

Just put up a signboard at Zhifu Port. The county government can at least use it as a channel for communicating information between the two parties. There is no telling when it will come in handy.

For Haihan, spending a small amount of money to buy the sign of the Inspection Department for his own use is a very cost-effective deal. Moreover, the positive effect that retaining the Inspection Department can have on the security situation in the colonies is in the South.

The conclusion drawn after years of practical verification is that the existence of this security agency may be more effective than the rifles of the Haihan Army for those immigrants who have just arrived in the Ming Dynasty. Even He Li and his gang from the south

People, after seeing the signboard of the Inspection Department, will have the illusion that this place is still under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, in the team that was handing over to He Li and others on the pier, no one from the Inspection Department showed up in the end. He Li couldn't help but think that maybe the sign was really just a sign, even if the Inspection Department really needed to show up.

In this case, the Haihan soldiers might actually do it for them. At most, they would just change their uniforms. Ordinary people wouldn't have the guts to ask for verification of the other party's identity.

The official of the Ministry of Shipping who was responsible for receiving them announced to them expressionlessly that this place was a military controlled area. All non-military personnel in the fleet were not allowed to leave the dock area at will. If they were found, they would be investigated and dealt with confidentially. This decision made people who were originally planning to relax here

The relaxed sailors were all disappointed. They had already discussed in twos and threes that after landing in Shandong, they would find a place to have a good drink and then see where there were good-looking girls. Everyone took the time to solve all the problems that needed to be solved.

Then we set off to Liaodong, which is said to be desolate and inhabited.

Although He Li didn't have a lot of tricks up his sleeve, he really wanted to wander around Zhifu Island to see how big a scene Haihan had created here. But with this ban, he was also included in the ban on going out.

Among the people, naturally you can no longer get what you want.

Fortunately, the officials immediately announced several remedial measures, such as limited supply of alcohol to the sailors, and they would still enjoy the same remuneration as going to sea during their rest here, etc., which made the sailors' mood slightly better. But for He Li

For him, these measures are better than nothing. He is not greedy for drinking, and as a ship owner, he does not care so much about the settlement of personal remuneration for a few days. But being locked up on the dock and unable to go anywhere is really uncomfortable. Originally on the ship

The space for movement is very limited. Unexpectedly, after setting foot on land, the space for movement is only slightly larger.

It was not until the reception dinner jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Shipping for the carriers in the evening that He Li finally got the good news. Haihan officials will organize carriers and ship owners to visit Haihan's construction achievements in Fushan County tomorrow. Although it is official

The arranged itinerary probably won't include free movement, but it's better than being stuck on the dock with no way to go anywhere. Therefore, the carriers including He Li were very excited after hearing the news, and they all whispered about the possibility.

places you will go to.

He Li also knew little about Haihan's business operations in Shandong, but he believed that since Haihan was said to have occupied a county, according to his usual strategy in the south, he must have built many plantations locally.

Since Haihan officials are planning to arrange a tour, they will inevitably be dragged to visit several plantations.

This transport fleet from the south will stay at Zhifu Port for two days. During this period, part of the goods will be unloaded from the ship and kept locally. Then some local goods will be loaded onto ships and shipped to Liaodong. And all the goods on He Li's ship will be

They were all shipped to Liaodong, so in the past two days, apart from replenishing fresh food and fresh water on the ship, there were only some minor repairs. He did not have to watch the ship himself, and could safely follow the officials to visit.

However, it was not until the time of unloading that He Li discovered that the fleet had actually shipped a large amount of coal to Shandong. He did not quite understand why the Haihan people would transport coal to Shandong in early spring. Logically speaking, the season for burning coal for heating had already passed.

Even if it is sold, this thing may not be able to fetch a high price in Shandong. And it seems that the coal will not be completely unloaded here, and some of it will be left for shipment to the next stop.

Out of caution, He Li did not bother to inquire about the ins and outs of these coals. He thought that maybe he could find some relevant clues during the next visit. For a ruling area established in a war-torn place like Shandong, He Li also

I was very curious about what kind of business strategies the calculating Haihan people used to achieve profits. As for the possibility of losing money, He Li didn't consider it at all. He didn't think that the shrewd Haihan people would go so far.

A place to do loss-making business.

The next day, He Li and several others boarded several covered carriages arranged by the Ministry of Commerce at the pier and traveled south from Zhifu Island along the sandbar connecting the mainland. Since his line of sight was not blocked in any way, He Li could see clearly

A defense line that spans the entire sandbank. This line of defense, which is composed of countless barbed wires, trenches, roadblocks, bastions, bunkers, and forts, seems to be heavily fortified. It is self-evident as to who it is guarding against. He Li also noticed from this.

Although the Haihan people were able to cover the sky with one hand, they still left a way out for themselves. If necessary, they could just retreat to the island and defend it. It would be difficult for the Ming army to break through this narrow sandbank channel with the capabilities of the Ming army.

As expected by He Li, after entering the inland, the Haihan people first arranged for them to visit two nearby plantations, take a quick look at the local food planting situation, and then got in the car and set off. He Li's thoughts on

It is not surprising that Haihan promotes food cultivation locally instead of cash crops. In places like Shandong that have experienced war, food is the most important material for the people. Even if you have money during the war, you may not be able to buy food, so although

It was already in a peaceful stage, but people still valued food reserves much more than getting rich. Therefore, the collective farms and plantations operated by Haihan in Fushan County also relied on rice, wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

, mainly corn and other food crops.

He Li can also deduce further conclusions from this. The grain produced locally in Haihan is not enough to supply the needs of Liaodong, so a large amount of grain will still need to be transported from the south. However, if the agricultural development in Liaodong is done in the future,

If it can be implemented smoothly, the need for support from the south will not last long.

Then the convoy went all the way to the upper reaches of Jiahe River. After crossing the river, they saw the county seat in the distance. When He Li was wondering why the Haihan people took him to see the county seat, he found that the convoy really went straight to the county seat. However, there was no encounter at the city gate.

If there was any obstruction, the convoy drove directly into the city. Seeing the Haihan convoy entering and exiting the county so freely, He Li couldn't help but secretly sigh that the county was probably just an empty shell. Even if the county government was still there, this place was not that big.

Meiji came.

The second stop that Haihan officials took them to was actually the Fushan County government office, and the county magistrate Zhang Pucheng personally received these southern businessmen who came to Fushan County for the first time.

After He Li sat and drank tea for a while, he realized that it was Haihan officials who brought his group of people to pay homage to the pier. Although the magistrate was probably just a clay Buddha-like symbol, Haihan still put it on the surface.

He had done a lot of work and even prepared a gift list for the magistrate in advance. The smile on He Li's face when he took a peek at the gift did not look fake. It seemed that the gift list was genuine and not adulterated.

After the two sides chatted for a while, the magistrate Zhang cleared his throat and got down to business: "You are all wealthy businessmen in the south. Now you are willing to work tirelessly to build a trade route between Shandong and Zhejiang to help Fushan County.

I am deeply gratified that the people have rebuilt their homes, and I would like to thank you all on behalf of the local folks!"

Everyone immediately said that they didn't want to take it seriously. He Lixin said that we were obviously helping the Haihan people run errands and transport goods, but why did we come here to help the people of Shandong rebuild their homes? The county magistrate's ability to tell lies with his eyes open is very good.

Zhang Pucheng continued: "You may be a little surprised, how can Fushan County tolerate the existence of Haihan. To be honest, before Haihan came here, the local area had been troubled by war for a long time. Bandits were everywhere and harmed the people. The people were displaced.

The countryside was abandoned. Although the imperial court also made a decree to rebuild Dengzhou, it was powerless and had no practical results. It was not until the arrival of Haihan that the bandits were suppressed, refugees were rescued, fields were planted, crops were built, bridges and roads were built, and the scene of Fushan County became more beautiful.

Changes. You may have noticed when you entered the city that the county town does not need to be fortified at all. This is also thanks to Haihan. Although the city dare not say that the houses are not closed at night and the streets are not picked up, at least there is no need to worry about thieves. In my Fushan County, breaking the law

All the people in the county have been sent to the mines to work as coolies, and now no one dares to commit crimes easily. As long as the local weather is good and there is peace, the county can certainly coexist peacefully with Haihan. If we really want to confront Haihan, there is no other way than to rekindle the war.

, what other results could there be?”

After He Li thought about this passage carefully, he had to admit that the county magistrate was indeed a person who understood current affairs. His "compromise" seemed to have caused damage to the interests of the Ming Dynasty, but it may not have harmed the local people.

It's a bad thing. At least as far as I can see on this trip, the people who work in the fields for the Haihan people are not dissatisfied. The imperial court cannot provide them with an environment like Taiping, but the Haihan people can do it, so they naturally

They accepted the rule of the Haihan people. Anyway, the Haihan people would not ask them to rebel. How they lived in the past is still the same now, so who would be willing to jump out and oppose the existence of the Haihan people? Even if there were such voices, they would definitely not

It appeared in Fushan County.

He Li felt that Haihan's influence here was even greater than in Ningbo. At least it was impossible for Magistrate Qu to say such heartfelt words in front of outsiders. Of course, perhaps it was also because of Magistrate Zhang

The official position is humble and there are not as many things to worry about as the prefect.
Chapter completed!