The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 219 Pacific Strategic Center

December 12, Hawaii Island, Huaiyang Port (now Pearl Harbor, Hawaii).

The two merchant ships "Fushun" and "Fuqing" stumbled into the harbor one after another. Broken masts, damaged sails, and lost sailors obviously experienced a baptism of sea storms and were at a loss. In this situation, I came to this island belonging to Qi State.

"Hey, if you two ships don't need to be repaired, you probably won't be able to make it to Luzon. So... do you need a comfortable and warm hotel during the stay?" Yin Shunxi tilted his head and looked at the scene in front of him. The two pitiful merchant ships were thinking about which hotel they knew they should introduce to when they were repairing the ships, so that they could get a hefty commission.

"Come on, don't introduce me to a black shop." Cheng Shide, the senior shopkeeper of the David Kingdom's "Shenghuaiji" trading company, turned around and glanced at the two merchant ships behind him, with an unlucky look on his face, "We often run this Pacific route. We have our own familiar hotels and restaurants, so we don’t need your courtesy.”

When Yin Shunxi heard this, he couldn't help but curled his lips secretly, but he was not frustrated by the rejection. Instead, he continued to promote the purchase of supplies such as drinking water, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Since decades ago, the State of Qi has occupied the Weiyi Islands. Because it is located at the "crossroads" of the Pacific Ocean and is a maritime transportation hub between the mainland, Yinzhou and Hanzhou, it has an extremely important strategic position. Therefore, a lot of efforts were made to develop and construct it, making this island a prosperous trade relay station in a short period of time. Many merchant ships from various countries plying the Pacific route will stop here for a short rest and supplies.

There are frequent storms and waves on the sea, and those who run boats are basically adventurers who put their heads in their belts to earn high trading profits or salaries. After experiencing various hardships at sea, they usually spend a lot of money at ports or supply points to comfort their panic. Naturally, they are extremely generous with what they have on hand.

But the merchant ships and sailors belonging to Weiguo are an exception. How can I put it, they are very stingy and spend money, and they have a strong sense of being a little family.

More than fifty years ago, as I watched the neighboring Kingdom of Luzon (the Zheng family) engage in the lucrative trans-Pacific trade with Spanish America and make a lot of money, I couldn't help but feel jealous, but there was nothing I could do about it.

"Grandma, there are so many ships coming!... Hey, hurry up, those cans, drinks, fruits and vegetables, all at the price you just paid, order them for me immediately!"
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"Now that you have calmed down, everyone should line up and follow me. Remember, you are not allowed to run around. If you get lost, you may be caught by the police and the army, and you will all be imprisoned in the coolie camp!"

"Hehehehe..." Yin Shunxi showed a sly smile, stretched out his hand and pointed towards the sea, "This big shopkeeper, please take a look at the sea!... There is a big fleet coming! Darling, there must be more than ten or twenty people here. Boat, right? Hey, this is going to make a fortune!”

"Hey, why, I'll just give you a few words and ignore this man." Cheng Shide was on the dock asking the man where he could buy cheaper drinks and cans, but he saw the other man turned his head away. Standing on tiptoes and looking towards the sea, I couldn't help but feel a little angry.

A tall lighthouse stands on the top of the mountain, pointing the direction for ships passing through the port one after another.

Several horse-drawn railway tracks extend from the dock to Huaiyang City in the distance, with countless commodities flowing and spouting on them.

If the State of Qi hadn't been in charge and restrained the two countries, they would have fought long ago, causing a war in Luzon.

After the Qi State colonized and developed the Yinzhou area, the Wei State merchants who knew the opportunity also formed a fleet, followed the Qi people, and squeezed into the trans-Pacific trade in order to eat some leftovers.

In the port area, one steam boom after another is busy loading and unloading cargo for ships. Numerous dock coolies shuttled among them. They were stocky, dark-skinned, and sweaty. They carefully carried precious commodities.

Even during the Qi-Xi War, due to the request of the sovereign, they had to send navy and land forces to follow Qi to attack Spanish American territories such as Baja California and Mexico. But after the war, the Zheng family quickly bridged the "traditional friendship" with the Spaniards. They continued to fight fiercely and made the trans-Pacific trade prosperous. Ship after ship of gold and silver were shipped from the Americas. Back.

It seems that everywhere the Qi people stay, there are huge machines and thick smoke emitted by the machines. The sugar factory in Ryukyu, the brick kiln lime factory in Qingyuan, and now the fruit and vegetable canning factory on this island.

Not to mention, the Kingdom of Luzon also owns several extremely rich gold and copper mines in the northern region, making millions of dollars in profits every year. With money, people continued to increase immigration and various armaments construction, making the strength gap between Weiguo and Luzon wider and wider. This made the monarchs and ministers of the Wei Kingdom feel a little anxious and...unwilling.

"Hey, you want to scare me?" Cheng Shide said disdainfully: "Such a port city with thousands of people dares to increase the price of all goods just because two of our ships have entered the port?"

Wang Shuigen let out a long breath and tried to take a few steps forward. He felt as if those feet had become part of his body again and he could freely control their movements.

"Okay, okay, I won't bullshit you anymore." Yin Shunxi set up a pergola with his hands and looked at the sea, with a look of surprise in his eyes. "If you think canned food and drinks are expensive, just buy a bunch of coconuts. That thing is A ready-made water bottle, and it is sweet, and the coconut meat can satisfy your hunger, which is enough for you to use at sea for a long time... However, I have to remind you to place an order quickly, otherwise, in a short time, everything in the port area will be gone. The prices of goods are going up!”

There were several thick black smoke floating in the sky above Huaiyang City, which looked particularly dazzling under the clear sky. In a daze, you can even hear the roar of machines coming from the factories in the city.

Perhaps due to their "poor background", the merchant ships and sailors of the Wei Kingdom seemed a little timid in spending money. Whether they were going to Yinzhou for trade, they would spend their money with the local fur merchants to pay for the quality and price of each fur. The arguments continued, and they were still buying supplies, accommodation and meals at the ports or islands they stopped at. They also made careful calculations, and they wanted to break a silver coin into half and use it, which made people criticize them endlessly.

Although they were both vassals of the Qi State, the relationship between the two countries, which divided the north and south of Luzon, was always on the same level due to the conflicts and hatred accumulated during the founding of the country, and they wanted to kill each other.

Perhaps for the sake of regional balance, in the face of the weakness of Wei State, Qi State also provided more support. It not only helped them establish (control) a series of industrial facilities, but also actively guided Wei State's business forces to go out and expand Annan, Borneo, and Malay. The markets in Peninsula, Weiyuan, Jinzhou (today's Sumatra), Hanzhou mainland, and even India were opened to them, integrating them into the Eastern trade circle dominated by Qi.

Cheng Shide turned his head and looked towards the sea. He saw heavy shadows of sails and billowing thick smoke. A fleet of more than ten ships was slowly sailing towards the bay.

Who allowed us to establish close trade relations with the Spaniards!

Well, the feeling of being down to earth is reassuring!
As he slowly walked along the long queue to the east side of the pier, he raised his head and looked around.

Oh, and maybe a seafood processing plant.

When I was still on the boat just now, I saw a fish as big as several houses on the west pier being dragged out of the boat by a boom, then cut into pieces by workers, and then transported to the city via a cargo carriage. go.

It’s hard to imagine how the people of Qi fished such a big fish out of the sea.

Wang Shuigan was a "contract miner" recruited from Wenzhou by the Yinzhou Trading Company and went to the Huaiyuan area (today's San Francisco) to mine gold. According to the contract between the two parties, Wang Shuigen will receive a monthly salary equivalent to fifteen yuan of Daqin silver dollars each month (but three yuan of room and board expenses will be deducted), and he will serve Yinzhou Trading Company for five years.

After the contract expires, he can choose to take the money and return to the mainland, or he can choose to stay in Yinzhou, buy land, settle down, and become a national of Qi's overseas territories.

However, when Wang Shuigen and many of the recruited "contract miners" signed the contract, deep down they all hoped that after earning a handsome sum of money, they would return to Qin in a high profile, buy a few acres of irrigated land, and build a large building. House, then marry a gentle and virtuous wife, have a bunch of babies, and live a happy life.

After the recruiters from Qi heard about their wishes, they didn't say much and just smiled.

But their smiles all had an indescribable flavor that made people feel a little uneasy.

Is it contempt?
Still disdainful?

Who cares, the people of Qi are so rich that they shouldn't cheat them. Besides, we are all Chinese compatriots and have Yanhuang blood, so they won't be tricked in the end.

To be honest, if the people of Qi sign a labor contract with them to go to Hanzhou, maybe they will not return to Qin after their service period expires, but stay there happily, eating delicious food and drinking spicy food. If you have the chance, bring all your relatives at home and live a good life together.

As for Yinzhou, forget it. I heard that it is so remote that it is not as large a place as the population of Wenzhou Prefecture.

On the east side of the pier, there are dozens of large warehouses lined up, and large tracts of cleared space are used as cargo yards. But when the warehouses and warehouses were vacant, they were often passengers on immigration ships that stopped here.

Wang Shuigan and other contracted miners and accompanying male and female immigrants would rest in these warehouses or temporary tents for a few days to replenish enough energy for the next journey.

As for those merchants and sailors who had money on hand, they took carriages and excitedly made appointments to go to Huaiyang City to have a delicious meal, then lie down on soft beds and have a good sleep.
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"Governor." A guard took out his bayonet, cut a hole in a huge coconut, and then handed it respectfully to Weiyi Governor Min Yuanxia.

"Yes." Min Yuanxia wiped the sweat from his forehead, then threw the riding whip to the guard, took the coconut with both hands, and drank it without caring about the image.

"It's so pleasant!" Feeling the sweetness and deliciousness of the coconut, and the gentle sea breeze blowing, Min Yuanxia couldn't help but hummed in comfort, and then exhaled a long breath.

"I heard that in Hanzhou, some smart businessmen also mixed the coconut water with sugar and cocoa, and then bottled and sold it, which is cheaper than high-end alcohol. Can you guys tell me if we, the Governor of Wei, can also invest in setting up a factory? , to produce this kind of canned beverage?”

"Governor, I'm afraid it's not feasible." Dong Sizhe, counselor of the Civil Affairs Department of the Governor-General of Weiyi, said with a wry smile: "Weiyi Island is too far away from both Hanzhou and the mainland. If this drink is produced, it will only take a long distance. The freight alone is enough to make the price uncompetitive. If you want to sell it to passing merchant ships or the Yinzhou area, you probably won’t have enough purchasing power.”

"Oh, that's a pity." Min Yuanxia looked at the coconut in his hand and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Although this coconut can be bought for some money, the price is actually a bit low, and it has no great significance to the financial compensation of the entire governor-general."

"A little is better than nothing." Dong Sizhe understood that the governor wanted to work hard to increase local finances so that he could carry out large-scale construction of Weiyi Island, so he comforted him: "With the increase in ships and people, this Coconuts can also create a lot of wealth for the people under the jurisdiction. Furthermore, coconut shells and coconut trees are also the best fire-making materials for the people. They can reduce the intensity of wood cutting on the island, which is of great benefit to the overall environment. Yes. As time goes by, when the Yinzhou governorate slowly develops, our Weiyi Island will naturally prosper as well."

At present, although some factories and mines such as sugar factories, canneries, grain processing plants and brick kilns have been built in the Hawaiian Islands, in general, the industrial base is very weak and can only barely maintain a small amount of demand in the region. More commodities and materials need to be transported from distant Luzon, Beiming and Hanzhou.

The economic industry of the entire governorate is also mainly based on agricultural planting and timber (sandalwood) export, the production of sugar cane, fruits (coconut and pineapple), and fishing, while providing necessary material supply services for passing ships, and the lives of the people have also changed. Even though they are making do, they are very poor in terms of financial resources. They are not as good as the Ryukyu Governor-General, and they still need to rely on a large amount of financial subsidies and support from the local government.

However, thanks to the excellent geographical location of the Weiyi Islands, it has extremely high strategic value. To a certain extent, the importance of this place is even much higher than that of the Yinzhou Governor-General and the Cabinet Government. and the Navy attach great importance to it.

As we all know, the military or strategic significance of a naval stronghold depends on its geographical location, strength and resource status. Among the three, the first is the most important because it is determined by nature; and whatever shortcomings there are in the latter two aspects can always be fully or partially compensated for by the day after tomorrow. Building fortifications can eliminate the weaknesses of a stronghold; if nature has not endowed the area with many resources, it can also be improved or hoarded in advance with a long-term perspective.

The geographical location of a stronghold within the strategic sphere of influence cannot be changed by manpower.

The ocean presents no obstacle to a ship, and it may follow one of many routes across the surface of the earth between two points, but distance, convenience, traffic, or wind direction nevertheless dictate to it certain regular routes. line. If these routes pass through a certain stronghold in the ocean, and the latter has use value, it has influence on these routes. Where multiple routes pass through, this influence becomes so great that it can dominate and control everything.

Looking at the Hawaiian Islands from God's perspective, the remarkable situation is clear to anyone who observes a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean including both shores. You will notice at a glance that the Weiyi Islands are in a relatively isolated state on a large expanse of ocean. They form a large circle with a radius roughly equivalent to the distance from Huaiyang to Huaiyuan (today's San Francisco). center.

If you are not too lazy to put a ruler on a map to measure, you can find that the circumference of this circle passes in the west and south through the outer edge of a series of islands extending from Hanzhou and Dongzhou (now New Zealand) to the American continent in the northeast direction. And within this circle are dotted a few deserted, insignificant islands that seem to exist only to emphasize nature's transition between the Hawaiian Islands and the islands of the South Pacific.

The Wei Islands are an island group with a unique strategic position in the Pacific Ocean. They are an important strategic center and sea base for the Qi Navy, and are also the core of controlling the overall situation in the North Pacific.

The archipelago is about 3800 kilometers away from Yinzhou Huaiyuan in the east, nearly 4000 kilometers away from the Black Rock Islands (today's Aleutian Islands) in the north, more than 5000 kilometers away from Qi's Yanbo Islands (today's Samoa Islands) in the south, and Tianping Island belonging to the Kingdom of Luzon in the west. (Today's Guam) about 6000 kilometers. It is not difficult to see that the Hawaiian Islands happen to be located in the center of a maritime circle with a radius of about 4000 kilometers, and there are no other important islands to rely on within this range. Therefore, relying on the unique geographical advantages of the Hawaiian Islands in the Eastern Pacific, the Qi Navy did not hesitate to include them in the core position of strategic deployment in the Pacific.

In addition, the Weiyi Islands have the nearest deep-water port to Yinzhou. Huaiyang Port on Weiyi Island is shaped like a shell, with a small mouth and a large belly. The port area is about 30 square kilometers, and the average water depth is more than 10 meters. After years of operation, there are more than 30 piers in the port, which can accommodate large-scale 3,000-ton vessels. There are more than 60 ships of various types including battleships. At the same time, there are also facilities such as ship repair shops, coal supply stations, and naval readiness warehouses in the port. The excellent geographical environment and perfect berthing conditions make Huaiyang Port the best foothold for Qi's naval power in the center of the Pacific.

A more critical point is that the Hawaiian Islands are a key link in the "island chain" blockade of the Americas set up by the state. This "island chain" is a line of defense centered on Wei Island, starting from the Black Rock Islands in the north and ending at the South Pacific Islands in the south, tightly surrounding the eastern Pacific waters.

If something happens to Yinzhou in the future, the Weiyi Islands will serve as a "stepping stone" and strategic support point to the Eastern Pacific.

(End of this chapter)