Chapter 1616 Building the Embassy

Early the next morning, Zhang Qianzhi came to the Guest House in the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took Fei Cexian to see the location of the embassy. Fei Cexian did not doubt that he was there, and after packing up, he and Zhang Qianzhi went out.

Currently, the foreign embassies in Sanya include Annan, Champa, Portugal, the Netherlands, etc., and the Matalan country has also started construction of the embassy at the selected address after Luo Honglangsang’s previous visit. It is expected to be completed in another one or two months.

It can be completed in time. The Matalan people are rich and don't care about the cost of building the embassy. In addition, Luo Honglangsang's energy is focused on the arms purchase agreement, so after finalizing those few transactions, Luo Honglangsang hurriedly

He hurried back to China to resume his duties, and entrusted the construction of the embassy to Haihan.

In addition, there are various offices of the governments of Fujian and Guangzhou in Sanya. Because the two countries did not formally establish diplomatic relations in the past, it was inconvenient to use the name of embassy. These institutions affiliated to the local governments all exist under the names of the Guangdong and Guangxi Guild Hall and the Fujian Guild Hall.

.These guild halls not only handle the trusteeship or shareholding business for officials, but also handle some government affairs that require contact and consultation with Haihan.

Haihan placed all these institutions with diplomatic functions and political overtones at the foot of the mountain not far from the Guest House. The locals called this area the embassy area. The Ming Dynasty wanted to set up an embassy in Sanya.

Naturally, the site selection is no exception. It is also a piece of land designated in this area.

"Master Fei, please see, this land is surrounded by mountains and forests in the north, facing Fort Victory in the south, the Portuguese Embassy in the east, and the west side is empty with room for future expansion. It faces south and has a wide view. It is close to Fort Victory, the Guesthouse, and the downtown area.

They are all only one mile away, and life and work are very convenient. The land is provided by our country, and there is no fee. You only need to complete the registration procedures. As for the building plan of the embassy, ​​Mr. Fei can decide on his own, and our country also has many alternative plans.

For your reference, Mr. Fei. The construction team is ready, and we can start construction as soon as we set a date for groundbreaking."

Zhang Qianzhi led Fei Cexian around the land and introduced him to the surrounding environment and Haihan's arrangements. Naturally, what Fei Cexian valued was the environment here. There were other places nearby.

Foreign embassies, this arrangement is obviously to facilitate Haihan's management. If Ming Dynasty had to force another embassy to open another embassy elsewhere, it would also appear unhumane. Moreover, the environment here is indeed as Fei Cexian said, life is

It is very convenient and there are no noisy ordinary residential areas around. It is indeed an excellent choice to build an embassy.

Fei Cexian asked: "According to your country's wishes, how big can our embassy be built? How many personnel can be stationed?"

"The land limit for the embassy is fifty acres, and the number of residents cannot exceed one hundred. All military attachés, guards, bodyguards and other armed personnel must undergo special registration." Zhang Qianzhi immediately explained to him.

Upon hearing this, Fei Cexian realized that these conditions were basically consistent with what Qiu Yuan had said in Haikou. It seemed that no matter where the embassy was eventually built, these basic conditions would not change. But this was good, lest he need to

Consider more objective factors when choosing an embassy location.

Regarding the building plans of the embassy, ​​Daming has already prepared several sets, and will make adjustments based on the conditions Haihan can provide. For example, if the space is too small, the courtyard can be reduced from four or five to two or three.

, but Fei Cexian looked at the environment here and felt that there was no need to make major adjustments to the existing plans. Even the largest construction plan would not be able to use up the fifty acres of land given by Haihan. Of course.

Well, the project budget under Fei Cexian's control is limited. If the embassy is to be built in a big way, the interior decoration will definitely be hasty. On the contrary, if the building area can be controlled well, there will be enough funds to decorate the interior better, and even

You can still have enough money to build a courtyard inside and build some scenery on the outside to increase the comfort of living.

Fei Cexian asked again: "Has the local foreman arrived?"

"Come on, come on, let him come over and answer." Zhang Qianzhi responded and called the foreman who was waiting nearby.

Fei Cexian mainly asked questions about construction, roughly understanding how long the construction plan he requested would take, how long it would take to prepare building materials, how to calculate wages, etc. This foreman was an old employee who worked with Liu Shanxia in the Ministry of Construction.

, I have been responsible for the construction of so many projects in these years, and I answered all the basic questions asked by Fei Cexian fluently without being sloppy at all. Fei Cexian was also very satisfied with this. The Han people are really very thoughtful in doing things, but then I thought about it.

I thought, with so many embassies built here, the Haihan people were naturally familiar with them. Maybe they didn't have any special care for the Ming Dynasty, but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Zhang Qianzhi didn't know about these little calculations in Fei Cexian's mind. He listened to the question-and-answer conversation between Fei Cexian and the foreman with a humble expression, but in his heart he was judging whether Fei Cexian had received a kickback from the embassy project.

Plan. Although the quotation given by Haihan is basically the cost price, if Fei Cexian really said this, Zhang Qianzhi would not hesitate to make the decision and put a benefit into Fei Cexian's pocket. Zhang Qianzhi remembered

When he first went to Guangzhou, He Xi once said to himself that when dealing with Ming Dynasty officials, what he was afraid of was not corrupt officials, but the fear that the other party would not want to ask for benefits. As long as he was willing to accept money, the rest of the matter would be easy to handle.

Zhang Qianzhi has always kept this truth in mind. He has dealt with many Ming officials over the years, and practice has repeatedly verified that He Xi’s words are indeed correct. Almost all Ming officials who cooperated with Haihan came from

Starting from collecting benefits from small things, as long as there is greed, it will be difficult to remain insulated from Haihan's endless bribery methods. If Fei Cexian wants to deduct a fee from the embassy construction project and put it into his own pocket, then

There must be some signs to follow. As long as Zhang Qianzhi discovers such signs, he will naturally be able to find a way to attack him.

However, Mr. Fei seems to have been in Qingshui Yamen for a long time and has no understanding of the world. He has no other ideas about the embassy project he is leading. After asking about how long the construction period will take to complete the project, he stopped talking and left it to the side.

Zhang Qianzhi, who had been listening, felt a little disappointed.

After the foreman finished answering the questions and left, Zhang Qianzhi asked tentatively: "Master Fei, don't you plan to deduct a small amount from the project payment and reserve it for emergency purposes?"

Sure enough, Fei Cexian asked without knowing what he meant: "Why should it be deducted from the project payment? What kind of emergency is emergency?"

Zhang Qianzhi couldn't speak too openly, so he had to explain tactfully: "Master Fei, things are unpredictable, so you have to keep some money around for emergencies. If the work is completed smoothly in the end, you can arrange the money by yourself."

Yes."

Only then did Fei Cexian realize that Zhang Qianzhi was giving him another idea to embezzle public funds. He looked displeased and said, "Am I, Fei, a person who is greedy for petty profits? Don't say that in front of me again in the future.

Such words!"

Zhang Qianzhi quickly agreed, thinking that this person named Fei was difficult to deal with, and he responded so seriously. How could he pry this stubborn rock off? But then he thought about it, Fei Cexian might just not understand the method, and

If I feel that this kind of money is not secure, it does not mean that I am not really interested in money. I still have to be more patient and find out the other person's preferences and act in a targeted manner to be effective. Anyway, Fei Cexian will stay here for a long time.

, just find the right time slowly.

In fact, Fei Cexian didn't take what Zhang Qianzhi said too seriously. In his eyes, Zhang Qianzhi was just a philistine who put profit first in everything. How could he waste his energy and have the same knowledge as such a small person? What's more, this

Although Zhang Qianzhi's words are not very pleasant, he can do things well, and he is from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fei Cexian does not want to offend such a person and let him go back to report on himself. Therefore, he warned Zhang Qianzhi,

He also stopped talking and had no real intention to reprimand the other party. His energy was mainly focused on the current embassy project.

According to the foreman's introduction, the construction period can actually be adjusted to a certain extent based on actual needs, but the cost will naturally change accordingly. To put it simply, if you want to shorten the construction period, you need to hire more manpower. If you have enough funds, you can even arrange several shifts.

People took turns to work, and construction continued day and night. However, after Fei Cexian heard the introduction of labor costs, he quietly gave up the idea. Although the funds at his disposal were not small, if the construction period was to be forcibly shortened, then the entire embassy would

The cost of the project will increase two or three times as a result, and it will be difficult for him to submit a report to the court.

There is another reason, that is, Fei Cexian feels that the conditions of the guest house he is currently staying in are actually quite good. Living and office facilities are all available. Food, accommodation, and transportation are all arranged by Haihan officials. He has already inquired about it.

As long as they are willing, foreign envoys like him can always live in the Guest House. Even if the Ming Dynasty Embassy in Sanya is built in the future, the living conditions may not be as comfortable as the Guest House. Since there is no need to rush to move, Fei Cexian feels

The matter of building an embassy is not so urgent - at least not for me personally.

As for whether the court is in a hurry or not... Fei Cexian remembered what Ning Qi said during yesterday's dinner: "Master Fei, what did you do and what did you say in Haihan? In fact, the big shots in the capital will have to do it as soon as possible."

You won't know until a month or two later, so there is no need to rush for many things including negotiations. No matter how firm your attitude is in Haihan, it will not be felt in the capital."

At that time, Fei Cexian didn't have deep feelings about Ning Qi's words, but now that he thought about it, he felt that Ning Qi seemed to have something to say. But slowing down the pace a little doesn't seem to be a bad thing. Besides, this embassy

It may need to be used for many years after it is built, so it is always right to work slowly and carefully.

Once people have the idea of ​​​​deserting in their minds, they will continue to find various reasons for themselves to rationalize this behavior. Fei Cexian is currently showing signs of this. Although he remains loyal to the Ming Dynasty

, but after seeing the colorful world of Haihan Kingdom, I can't help but be a little shaken by my previous ideas. With the prosperity of Haihan Kingdom, there seems to be no need to invade the Ming Dynasty. After all, the living standards of the people of Haihan Kingdom are obviously higher than those of the Ming Dynasty.

There are so many, and there are all kinds of ways to make money, so why use war to achieve your goals.

Haihan is unwilling to take the initiative to go to war with Ming Dynasty. This is a fact that even a blind man knows. Since there is no need to go to war, it means that conflicts and conflicts of interest can be resolved through negotiation. Negotiation is a very time-consuming exchange.

Method, if Ming shows too eager attitude, he will be inferior. The Haihan people are so shrewd, they will definitely try to lead Ming by the nose. This is a situation that Fei Cexian must try his best to avoid.

After Fei Cexian saw the embassy land arranged by Haihan on the spot, he basically decided to start construction of the Ming embassy here. However, he did not rush to urge the foreman to start construction. Instead, he looked at the almanac first and specially selected two days.

The next day that is suitable for groundbreaking will be the day to start construction. As for the two days in between, Fei Cexian does not intend to be idle. He has to consult with the foreman on the specific construction plan. Although he does not know much about the construction field,

But since I am an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, I can only pretend to understand and try my best to ensure that the various building materials required by the foreman can be in place before the construction phase begins.

The two parties still signed the project agreement according to formal procedures. Fei Cexian paid an advance payment of 10,000 yuan as the first payment for the construction team to enter the site and start work. The construction team also followed Fei Cexian's requirements.

, continuously transporting various building materials to the construction site. At this time, Fei Cexian began to realize how strong Haihan's material transportation capabilities were. Those slates and stone bricks weighed dozens of kilograms, were more than one foot tall and two feet in diameter.

The pillars with feet and the beautiful and refreshing glazed tiles are constantly transported by heavy-duty carriages from the port and railway station to the construction site.

Fei Cexian originally thought that he did not follow the foreman's suggestion to hire more construction workers, which would slow down the progress of the entire project, but in fact this was not the case. The embassy construction site under the command of the foreman was operating extremely efficiently, which made the worried people

Fei Cexian also breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps considering that the Ming Dynasty Embassy was under construction and Fei Cexian needed to be a temporary supervisor on the construction site, Haihan did not take the initiative to arrange a negotiation meeting, intending to let Fei Cexian finish this section first. But Fei Cexian said this

Shi Ye really has no time to look around. In addition to supervising the construction progress at the construction site every day, he also has many things to do.

First of all, the memorial must be written. After so many days, everything is on track. It is also necessary for Fei Cexian to report to the capital the progress and achievements he has made in Haihan. In addition, Fei Cexian is also here

Pay attention to the local business operation model and think about why this model has not appeared in the Ming Dynasty. Is it because the Haihan people are smarter, or is there simply no room for this business model in the Ming Dynasty?
Chapter completed!