Chapter 1623 Upright

In fact, we need to seriously consider the overall situation in the Far East. It is not that urgent to solve the Spanish entrenched in the Philippine Islands. After all, the last battle off the coast of Sanya has caused heavy damage to the Spanish. We can be sure that the other side will not attack in the short term.

There is another thought of launching a war. Moreover, the Philippine Islands occupied by the Spanish are also quite far from the Haihan controlled area, so the possibility of direct friction between the two sides in terms of military or trade is not high.

But Haihan still hopes to resolve this major concern before the tenth anniversary of the time-travel operation. So far, except for Spain, other Western colonial countries have either bowed to Haihan and become partners, or they have been excluded.

Outside the South China Sea, there is no chance to enter this area. Only Spain has always been an eyesore in the South China Sea, constantly reminding the Executive Committee that there is an opponent that has not been eliminated. For Haihan, the use of force means

The political symbolic significance of clearing this opponent from the South China Sea may be greater than the military needs.

It is precisely because of this that the Executive Committee attaches so much importance to the preparations for this military operation. Almost all departments must give priority to the needs of this operation, and the Ministry of National Defense has received the greatest support in history, regardless of

Whether it is troop deployment, military expenditure, material preparation and other projects, or the connection and cooperation with shipping, publicity, medical, financial and other departments, almost all of them are given the green light without any hindrance. Yan Chujie also issued a military order to the Executive Committee on behalf of the military very early

, this combat operation should be used as a tribute to the tenth anniversary of time travel.

Of course, if the military's confidence and determination are to turn into a victory, it can't be done just by talking. It is precisely through these more than ten meetings and discussions that the action plan has gradually become fuller, and apart from the military,

Other departments are also making preparations for this.

After the military's preparations for war have been reported, the next step is to report on the situation from other departments. In accordance with the requirements of the Executive Committee, the Propaganda Department has been publishing articles in various newspapers recently to denounce Spain's various violations of fair trade in the South China Sea.

and regional peace, and also did not forget to mention the Spanish fleet’s sneak attack on Sanya a year ago, using these materials to create an atmosphere of public opinion that “this thief must be eliminated”. Even an outsider like Fei Cexian

, after carefully reading recent newspapers, I have realized that Haihan's resentment towards Spain may be about to explode.

While this kind of publicity measure incites public sentiment, it may also attract the attention of Spanish intelligence personnel lurking in Haihan. However, the Haihan Executive Committee values ​​the justice of the war more. The top management hopes to announce to the people the use of force against Spain.

At that time, we can get the understanding and support from all the people, and this combat operation will be recorded in history as a just war.

Of course, doing so may expose the intention before the action, allowing the Spaniards to prepare in advance and even deploy heavy troops in Manila. But for Haihan, what is needed now is not a surprise victory, but an upright performance on the battlefield.

Defeating the opponent will allow all neighboring countries, including the Ming Dynasty, to see clearly that Haihan is the most powerful country in the Far East in this era.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent an invitation letter to our major allies three days ago, asking them to send military observers to participate in military operations to be held in the South China Sea in the near future." Schneider began to introduce the preparations on his side: "In addition, the Ministry of Commerce has already

The main ports in Fuzhou and Guangzhou have spread rumors, advising Ming merchants not to go to Manila Port in the near future to avoid unnecessary trouble. Of course, if there are still people who refuse to listen, the Ministry of Security and the military will naturally teach them how to behave.

.”

In fact, Schneider has not finished saying this. If he still insists on going to Manila after hearing Haihan's warning, then there is reason to suspect that his purpose of going to Manila is to tip off the Spaniards. Even if Haihan is not there at the moment

If it is intercepted at sea, it will be recorded and the accounts will be slowly settled in the future. As for the Ming Dynasty merchant ship on Hainan Island, after receiving the warning, who dared to leave the port and go to the Philippine Islands in the east?

You are seeking your own death.

This measure was not only to isolate Manila from trade links with the outside world as much as possible before the war, but more importantly, to cut off local information channels, making it difficult for the Spaniards to confirm what had happened to the outside world in a short period of time even if they realized that the situation was wrong.

What happened? Even if they knew that this was Haihan's deliberate move, without further information, it would be difficult to determine whether Haihan wanted to block Manila's trade channels or was planning to go to war with Spain.

The relevant blockade measures are not to tighten the fence at the beginning, but to slowly tighten it as various preparations progress. At present, it is still in the stage of warning maritime traders in various seaports. After some time, it will probably be

All ships were banned from entering the Port of Manila and a stricter blockade was implemented.

As for the entire process of dealing with the Spaniards, the Executive Committee hopes to show it to Haihan's allies so that they can witness with their own eyes how Haihan took the initiative from beginning to end and finally used war to defeat this powerful opponent.

Of course, even if the Executive Committee and the Ministry of National Defense have made preparations for a tough battle, some unconventional methods will still be used in the fight against Spain. In terms of special information collection, Haihan is conducting operations against Manila.

At the same time as the intelligence blockade was being carried out, local military and political intelligence was also collected through spies deployed there, and then managed to be sent back to Sanya.

There are thousands of Han people settled in Manila. Although the social status is not high, it is much easier for Hai Han to send people to integrate into the local area. In the past few years, the Ministry of Security has sent seven or eight groups of people to infiltrate.

In this area, except for one of the spies who got a fever and died before being treated, several other groups of people calmly lurked in various identities in and outside Manila, and were sent back to various places in a steady stream.

kind of information.

However, there is no precise estimate of how long the local intelligence network will be able to operate. At present, it can only be inferred that after the Spaniards are aware of the changes in the external situation, they will definitely take measures similar to Haihan to block the port.

, prohibiting all non-Spanish ships from leaving the port and going to sea to prevent the local military information from leaking out. At that time, the Haihan intelligence personnel lurking in the local area can only stop their activities, try to hide their identities, and wait for the Haihan army to break through Manila before making plans.

While Haihan was preparing intensively for the war, Fei Cexian, who was addicted to the ocean of information in the library, finally escaped from this closed environment temporarily because, according to the arrangement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhang Qianzhi wanted to take him to visit Tiandu Industrial Zone.

To the outside world, this place in the interior of Sanya known as "Tian Du" is undoubtedly a very mysterious place. It is said that Haihan's muskets and artillery, as well as powerful gunpowder that can cause landslides and cracks of lands, and other powerful weapons are all here.

Made locally, even ordinary Haihan citizens are not allowed to enter this special area located in the mountains at will.

Most of the intelligence officers sent to Haihan in the early years of the Ming Dynasty were tasked with finding out what happened to Tian Du, but no one had ever succeeded in so many years. Almost all of the intelligence officers who had made such an attempt ended up mysteriously missing.

, and in the end not even the bones were found.

Fei Cexian can understand this. After all, it is a place where important weapons of the country are manufactured. How can others be allowed to visit at will? Which of the North and South Ordnance Bureau, Warfare Bureau, and Gunpowder Bureau under the Ministry of Industry of the Ming Dynasty can allow idlers to enter?

, let alone foreigners. When he came to Haihan, he basically no longer targeted Tian Du, because he also knew very well that the Haihan people were unlikely to arrange for foreign senior officials to visit their weapons manufacturing sites.

But now this idea was broken by the Haihan people themselves. Fei Cexian didn't understand why the Haihan people made such an arrangement, but since the other party took the initiative, he would definitely not object. Let's go and see what the Haihan people are selling.

What kind of medicine is it?

"Zhang Qianzhi, please tell me first, what is this Tiandu Industrial Zone for? What is industry?" Fei Cexian asked Zhang Qianzhi on the way from the Guest House to the train station. According to

According to the arrangement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they will take the train from Fort Victory Railway Station to Tiandu. This arrangement is also to allow Fei Cexian to experience the advancement of steam locomotives and railways up close.

Zhang Qianzhi responded: "The so-called industry is the industry that collects raw materials and processes them. The industrial zone, as the name suggests, is the place where this kind of industry is most concentrated. Mr. Fei saw it in the local market a few days ago.

Most of the various Haihan products are produced in Tiandu. Of course, this also includes the weapons you have seen in Haikou."

When Fei Cexian stayed in Haikou a few days ago, Qiu Yuan arranged for him to visit a weapons target practice, and the excellent performance of Haihan weapons also left a deep impression on him. At this time, according to Zhang Qianzhi,

The next place to visit seems to include a weapons manufacturing workshop. This is definitely a historic breakthrough for the Ming Dynasty's intelligence work.

Of course, from an objective point of view, Fei Cexian was not the first Ming Dynasty official to visit Tiandu Industrial Zone. There were also Ming Dynasty officials of much higher rank than him, such as Xu Xinsu, the Fujian General Soldier, who had visited Tiandu Industrial Zone several years ago.

He had been to Tiandu. It was precisely because he had seen with his own eyes Haihan's advanced technology in making weapons and knew that Ming Dynasty might never be able to build weapons with the same performance that he decided to follow Haihan.

It's just that the Ming officials who entered Tiandu before this, almost without exception, ended up siding with Haihan, so what they saw and heard in Tiandu did not become intelligence and fed back to the relevant yamen of the imperial court.

This resulted in a situation where the Ming Dynasty only knew the name of this Tiandu Industrial Zone but did not know its details. Fei Cexian was probably the first official in history who was loyal to the Ming Dynasty and was allowed to visit this sensitive area.

It is considered a historical precedent.

Haihan used to be tight in the past, but now it is relaxed, mainly because the two countries have officially established diplomatic relations, and the Ming Dynasty also recognized Haihan's right to rule Hainan Island, so the possibility of a large-scale war between the two countries has dropped to a very low level.

, some things no longer need to be hidden. It may not be a bad thing for Daming to have a little understanding of Haihan's industrial and military technological strength.

Fei Cexian didn't know what Haihan's change of stance meant, but he knew that since the other party had made such an arrangement with confidence, he probably wouldn't be afraid of him. But he knew that he had to seize this opportunity.

Remember everything you saw and heard, write it down in a memorial, and report it to the court in detail.

When the two arrived at the train station, Zhang Qianzhi went to the ticket window and bought two tickets. As for Fei Cexian's entourage, naturally they couldn't go with them. Fei Cexian didn't have any objections to this, after all, the place was originally

No idlers were allowed to enter. If it hadn't been for Haihan's initiative to arrange it, he, Deputy Zuo Si, a member of the Ministry of Rites, would not have been able to touch Tian Du's door, let alone his entourage.

Regarding steam locomotives and railways, there are many records and descriptions by Ming literati who came to Sanya. Fei Cexian also saw a lot when he was in Ming Dynasty. Regarding this kind of iron guy who is said to be able to pull tens of thousands of kilograms of load and gallop on the plains,

Many people think it is the strange skills of the Haihan people, and even regard it as magic and witchcraft, but Fei Cexian does not have such a vulgar view.

Fei Cexian believed that Haihan must have mastered some advanced technology that ordinary people could not understand in order to create such incredible things as trains. While soaking in the library a few days ago, he also looked up some information about steam locomotives.

Although the information is only a superficial introduction, it is much more credible than the various hearsay statements from Ming people. Although Fei Cexian does not understand how to turn coal and water into the driving force to drive the train forward, since this is the sea

Let's just believe the statements made by the Han people. After all, so far, he has not found any boastful deeds by the Han people. And Zhang Qianzhi also told him that steam locomotives and railways are part of industry, starting from taking the train.

It is undoubtedly an excellent choice to start understanding the industry advocated by Haihan Kingdom.

Fei Cexian was certainly very excited when he took the train for the first time, but when he saw the Haihan people standing calmly on the platform outside the yellow line waiting for the train, he felt that he should not be too superficial, lest he be treated as if he had not seen anything.

The out-of-this-world countryman also pretended to be calm at the moment, as if he was waiting to take the bus to work in Tiandu like everyone else.

Not long after, the train came along the railway track from the southwest. From a long distance away, you could already feel the slight vibration of the ground from the soles of your feet, which also showed how amazing the weight of this big iron guy was. Fei Cexian vomited white blood as he looked at it.

The train was slowly approaching with smoke. Even if he had been mentally prepared for this scene, he still inevitably felt a huge impact and shock.
Chapter completed!