The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 143 Already had a plan
The officer responsible for contacting the Dutch negotiators reported on the recent negotiation trends. After hearing this, Feng Guohui waved him away without comment.

Lu Zhencao, who served as the Chief Governor of Central Java, saw the Marshal looking thoughtful, so he asked tentatively: "Commander, those Dutch ghosts seem to be stalling for time and have no intention of solving the problem?"

"You can see it too."

"Zhengcao is not talented. Judging from the attitude of the ghost envoy, he has been pestering for the release of the prisoners without saying anything. He obviously lacks sincerity in negotiations."

"This matter cannot be rushed. There is an inherent reason why it is difficult for the Guilao Governor's Office to make decisions today. The term of the current governor is about to expire, and he does not want to return to Europe with a bad reputation. In addition, the two places are far apart, so it is difficult to deliver a diplomatic email It only takes three to five months, how can you get up so quickly?”

"So, it's impossible for those ghost prisoners to be released in a short time?"

"Don't say half the words and leave the other half." Feng Guohui raised his eyebrows and turned his eyes thoughtfully to Lu Zhencao, which made him quickly lower his head and cup his hands to report back;
"Commander, I forgive you. This is because I am responsible for the production recovery and urban construction in Central Java. The roads and bridges that need to be repaired and the planned urban construction tasks are heavy. I will continue to have outstanding talents to help.

I heard that many of the captured white soldiers were good at civil engineering, and some were graduates of the University of Europa, who had solved many bridge repair problems.

So, I couldn’t bear it for a while..."

"Haha, this is a good thing!" Feng Guohui chuckled and retracted his sharp eyes, thought for a moment and then said;

Those who perform well and contribute can improve their living conditions, and you can control the details yourself.

As he walked, Feng Guohui explained that the detailed urban planning requirements were formulated by him. The width of the road, the central green belt, separate lanes on both sides, specially planned carriage lanes, sidewalks, etc. were all based on the experience of modern cities in later generations. .

This was the result Lu Zhencao expected. He was overjoyed when he heard this, and once again bowed his hands deeply and said:
"Thank you, Marshal, for understanding how difficult it is for me to wait. During these days, I have been really busy with many engineering problems. A craftsman with a little experience has to be divided into several people.

Then there will inevitably be buildings on one side of the road that need to be demolished and rebuilt. The principle is to avoid ancient buildings, temples and other ancient buildings with historical value, and build urban parks and public toilets at a distance to beautify the urban environment.

Well, this group of ghost prisoners are mostly responsible for repairing roads and bridges in Pekalongan, and they are coming to an end in the near future.

If we can get help from these ghost guys, the reconstruction work will be greatly accelerated. You can also get useful guidance on urban planning and urban layout.

Among the cities in Central Java and East Java, almost no city meets the requirements.

Even so, many engineering teams had to stop and wait, especially those building bridges.

The Nanyang Military Government allocated up to 172 million silver dollars for this purpose, which was mainly used for the reinforced concrete and steel beam components needed to build bridges, as well as steam machinery and labor food needed for quarries. Most of the labor was free, and only those who participated Chinese construction workers and military government staff can enjoy monthly salaries.

This is the benefit of the warlord system. One voice can make all the nagging people shut up!
Throughout the hinterland of Central Java
As many as 3.67 indigenous convicts worked on dozens of road construction sites, including seven trunk roads connecting east, west, north, and south, basically connecting all cities and towns in Central Java.

It seems that the previous thought was not thorough. This is not a task that just a few people can complete.

“Central Java is a vast area with many roads and bridges that need to be repaired and urban planning and reconstruction tasks are heavy. What we lack most today is senior talents.

There are also some highway branch projects that can be easily connected to the village level, and all roads can reach the minimum limit for heavy-duty horse-drawn carriages to travel smoothly. For this reason, hundreds of bridges, large and small, need to be built and repaired.

There are many critics of such a forward-looking urban plan. Many people sarcastically ridiculed that the Marshal's Mansion was so happy with its success that the road was so wide that it could be used as a square.

The Marshal's Mansion issued an order, and the Semarang Division sent an escort team to deliver these prisoners to Solo City for you, and you arranged for someone to take them over.

However, under the authoritarian rule of the warlords, the detailed urban planning requirements promulgated by the government were still implemented to the letter.

Screen and select specific talents and try to make the best use of them.

"This can only be cultivated step by step. It is currently implemented in accordance with urban planning requirements. Solo City is planned to be a first-class large city. The width of the main road in the city center shall not be less than 46 meters, and a 3.8-wide green belt in the center of the street must be built. The city is second-class The width of the main road shall not be less than 36 meters, leaving ample space for future development..."

The road construction project is expected to last until early next year, and then the focus will shift to urban reconstruction and reconstruction, so there is an urgent need for many civil engineering professionals.

Speaking of which, there are still too few people available. "

But I want to tell you, these ghost captives all have ransoms on them. If there is one less one, you will pay for it yourself. "

After implementing this major event, Lu Zhencao reported on some problems in the construction of Central Java, including the further tilt of the immigrant population.

Commitment of the Marshal's Mansion

By the end of this year, the vast majority of immigrants have met the needs of various towns and villages in Central Java, except for those needed to join the army and recruit workers, filling the previous population vacancies.

Just this month, more than 2800 Chinese immigrants entered Saladila. This attracted the attention of Central Java officials such as Lu Zhenchao, who skillfully reflected their dissatisfaction.

Although Salatiga belongs to the Central Java region, as a frontier area for fighting against the Dutch army, it is currently under complete military control and has not yet been transferred to the Central Java Regional Administration.

Therefore, out of consideration of its own interests, the Central Java Regional Administration has criticized the military's actions. This was originally part of the issue. It involves many issues recognized by the military as priorities for the reconstruction of Central Java, and it will certainly not turn a blind eye.

After leaving the headquarters, Lu Zhencao's carriage stopped by the totem pole. He took his secretary to the carriage,
At this moment

A group of wounded soldiers passing by caught Lu Zhencao's attention, and he couldn't help but stop and watch.

Recently, the Nanyang Army headquarters stationed in Salatiga has had frictions with the Belik Dutch Army from time to time. Small-scale battles will break out once every three days or every five days, causing damage to each other, resulting in a tense situation in the region. There are no signs of easing.

These wounded soldiers were injured in the conflict. After their wounds are treated, they will be evacuated from Salatiga to Semarang, and then returned to Surabaya by boat to recuperate in the rear.

The Nanyang Army has taken Pekalongan into its hands. With the sailing fleet dominant, Semarang now belongs to the rear and will basically not face the front of the white colonial army.

Carriages passed by one after another, and there were about sixty or seventy wounded soldiers sitting on the carriages. The seriously wounded were lying down, and the lightly wounded were sitting, biting pipes in their mouths and looking very interested.

For officers and soldiers who have experienced many bloody battles, it is not a bad thing to be injured and take a vacation to stay away from dangerous battlefields.

Pedestrians on the street paid attention to the officers and soldiers one after another. The local indigenous residents all leaned on the roadside with fearful expressions and bowed their heads to show respect. No one dared to cause trouble.

This was also the notorious reputation of the Nanyang Army, which frightened the indigenous residents into not being able to resist.

Can't afford to offend, really can't afford to offend.

With a smile on his lips, Lu Zhencao got into the carriage with his secretary and knocked on the front wall of the carriage with his cane. The coachman raised his long whip and made a loud crack, and the carriage moved forward under the drag of a strong horse.

sitting on carriage

Lu Zhencao recalled in his heart the preferential policies obtained by the commander-in-chief, and became more confident in the reconstruction of the entire Central Java region.

Nowadays, the wave of immigrants to Java is getting more and more popular. A large number of Chinese descend from China to the Southeast Asia. The sail cargo ships from Surabaya to China are loaded with food when they go north.

When returning from the south, they were loaded with porcelain, silk and immigrants, forming a long-term and stable immigration route. Today, dozens of sail cargo ships are put into the mainland route.

Many small and medium-sized landowning families, businessmen, and scholars from the coastal provinces and cities of the mainland went to Southeast Asia to escape the war, and Java Island was the main destination.

In the past two months, more than 10,000 Chinese immigrants have been resettled each month, rapidly filling the missing population in towns and cities in Central Java.

Agricultural production has recovered visibly, and the city is prospering day by day. Lu Zhencao is very confident that he can fulfill his promise to the commander-in-chief.

Not only did he want to restore his former prosperity, he also wanted to do better.

In the development plan of the Central Java Regional Administration, the next step is to vigorously build and restore farmland water conservancy facilities, build more than 30 large and small reservoirs, and open up wasteland and increase cultivated land to 220 million acres.

According to the deployment of the Marshal's Office, we must also vigorously develop natural rubber forests, expand the area of ​​tobacco planting, expand the area of ​​spices and other specialty plantations, and significantly increase production.

In the areas controlled by the Nanyang Army, about 22 ships of spices are currently produced annually, and it is planned to expand to 60 ships in the next three years, tripling the output.

This is a development plan based on the urgent needs of the market.

Based on the current agricultural output in East Java and Central Java, food has greatly exceeded its own needs, and new markets for exporting food need to be opened.

This year alone, it is expected to export about 12 tons of grain, mainly rice and soybeans.

The planned new market is the Northern Continent. In the war-torn Northern China, not to mention 120,000 tons of grain, even if this number is increased ten or twenty times, it can be easily digested.

"Master Lu, looking at the situation in front of us, we might still have a battle with the Gui Lao army. Have you heard anything about it?" Secretary Wang sat in the carriage and couldn't help but ask the questions in his heart.

Lu Zhencao replied calmly, "Don't ask about these things. The battle and the commander-in-chief's mansion have their own plans. This is not something we can comment on. The most important thing at the moment is to do what is within the duty and share the worries of the commander-in-chief. "

"I understand, my lord, humble duty means curiosity."

"I think you are free. Since you are so free, just do something. When you go back, inform the various departments of the administration and get suggestions on urban planning and reconstruction work. A meeting will be held in three days to discuss specific plans. You will be responsible for this matter "

"As you command, sir, I promise not to talk too much in the future."

"It's good to know."

After Lu Zhencao finished speaking, he turned his face to the car window and watched the street scene outside the car window moving back. His eyes were filled with thoughts.

As a high-level member of the Nanyang Military Government, Lu Zhencao must have heard about the implementation of the policies of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies by the General's Office and participated in the decision-making.

Through research and analysis and the collection of information from all aspects, the Generalissimo's Office has basically determined that the reinforcement fleet from the Kingdom of the Netherlands will arrive sometime between June and July.

Waiting for the enemy to grow in strength has never been Commander Feng Guohui's style.

Based on the analysis of this strategic pattern, the Nanyang Army is preparing for an overall battle against Bellick's enemy, and plans to concentrate all its efforts to defeat and annihilate the heavy white colonial army group in one fell swoop.

And this time point will be sometime in early June,
With a steady growth rate of one thousand men per month, the Nanyang Army is continuing to expand its military strength. By early June, it will increase its military strength by more than two thousand men.

By then, the total strength of the Nanyang Army will increase to between 2.3 and 2.4. Excluding a small number of coast guard regiments, shore artillery regiments and local guard forces, more than 1.5 troops can be assembled.

Including some local militia groups, the number exceeds 2.

Marshal Feng Guohui planned to use thunderous power to defeat Bellick's enemies in one fell swoop. On this basis, he would expand the Nanyang Military Area to the vicinity of Bandung.

That is
It is necessary to penetrate the power into Java Island, which is a prosperous and densely populated West Java area, and form a clear advantage over the Dutch Governor-General in terms of occupied area and population.

On the one hand, this represents greater war potential, and on the other hand, it represents the final stage of expansion on the main island of Java.

Even if reinforcements from the Kingdom of the Netherlands arrive on Java Island, within the foreseeable two to three years, it will not be possible to change the overall strategic situation of being at a disadvantage.

Next Step

By building an ironclad fleet, the Nanyang Army will expand its influence and power to the Kalimantan Islands, Sulawesi Islands, Irian Islands (New Guinea Islands) and Sumatra Islands.

This is the medium and long-term goal planned by the commander in the next three to ten years. In the short term, he is based on Java Island and strives for greater strategic advantages.

For the Nanyang Army
It is almost certain that it is impossible to watch the colonial government grow in strength.

However, the commander-in-chief's office has issued a confidentiality order for these high-level decisions, and they are not allowed to be leaked out at will, otherwise military law will be enforced.

The Nanyang Army's sense of confidentiality is much stronger than most governments in the world today.

Although the outside world has various speculations about the Nanyang Army's next move, they are all based on the imagination of civilian military strategists and do not have authoritative caliber.

As a senior member of the military government in charge of regional affairs, Lu Zhenqiao is qualified to participate in high-level decision-making, but this does not mean that he can leak confidential information to those around him.

To do that would be a huge responsibility.

Lu Zhencao has been following the Marshal for more than two years, and Lu Zhencao has some understanding of the Marshal's character.

This is a tycoon who is ruthless and decisive in his actions. If he is really offended, it will be difficult for him to die easily.

(End of this chapter)