Ming politicians

On the eighth day of February, when his family was still in the process of settling down, Su Tiancheng left the capital city of Dengzhou and went to Weihaiwei. His first step in revitalizing Dengzhou, Laizhou and Qingzhou was in this Weihai port.

This is a very crucial step. The opening of Weihai Port means that Daming has banned the sea, and it also means that Su Tiancheng has touched the fundamental interests of many people, the most direct one being Zheng Zhilong.

For a long time, Zheng Zhilong relied on the navy stationed in Fujian to control the waters around Guangdong and Fujian, and even the waters around South Zhili. It is necessary to pay tribute to Zheng Zhilong's fleet, that is, to pay taxes. This kind of tax is so high that Zheng Zhilong is as rich as an enemy. In fact, the Ming Dynasty's maritime ban, in Zheng Zhilong's view, is like a fake. Zheng Zhilong was originally a pirate. Controlling the sea area of ​​Fujian, as long as the ships pay taxes, they can also enter Daming to conduct transactions.

Knowing this situation, the imperial court can only turn a blind eye and close an eye. There is nothing to do. Zheng Zhilong’s navy is powerful, with more than 3000 large and small battleships. If the imperial court offends Zheng Zhilong, he can go to sea to live and fight. Established a foothold, occupied many islands, and lived a leisurely life, but no one could protect the coast of Daming.

As for the navy controlled by the Ming court, it existed in name only. The court had no money and could not maintain the hugely expensive navy. It was tired of dealing with the bandits and the Houjin tartars, so it could not take care of the navy at all. After Lushun was occupied by the Houjin, It was difficult for the navy of the Ming Dynasty to gain a foothold. Dengzhou and Laizhou experienced Kong Youde's rebellion and fell into a slump. The south was controlled by Zheng Zhilong's navy.Under such circumstances, the Daming Navy had no place to stand, and the once powerful navy quickly declined.

Under such circumstances, there are many difficulties for Su Tiancheng to form the Daming Navy.First of all, we have to deal with the challenge from Zheng Zhilong. When it comes to the issue of interests, the two sides are not so polite.

Of course, Su Tiancheng has sufficient confidence. The navy he wants to form is close to a navy in the modern sense. The warships are equipped with the sharpest artillery. There are not many warships, but each group of fleets.Scientific configuration is required. What is the mission of each warship needs to be clarified. When fighting, how to assist each other, how to cooperate, how to attack the opponent to the maximum extent, and so on.

All of these require a huge amount of silver to support, relying on the mutual market to support.That is unrealistic, the only thing that can be relied on.It is the port of Weihaiwei. By opening this port, a large amount of money is earned to maintain the expenses of the navy, and even the expenses of the Jiangning camp. The profits of maritime trade are huge.It is fully able to maintain all the expenses of the navy, and even the expenses of all levels of government in Dengzhou, Laizhou and Qingzhou.

Weihaiwei used to be the place where the guard was located. It was originally a small fishing village. When Hongwu was 31, it was used to prevent Japanese pirates from invading.The guards were set up, the guards were mainly infantry, and there were also part of the navy, including warships. When Kong Youde rebelled, Weihaiwei's garrison also took boats to reinforce Dengzhou and Laizhou. Dorgon invaded Dengzhou and Laizhou When I was in the army, I didn't forget the Weihaiwei place. The garrison and warships of the guard were all destroyed.

Before Su Tiancheng arrived in Dengzhou, Weihaiwei was set up as a restricted area. Within a radius of ten miles, no one was allowed to build houses, let alone ordinary people. Weihaiwei was within the jurisdiction of Wendeng County, even if it was Wendeng County Government , nor can it interfere with any affairs of Weihaiwei.

When Su Tiancheng came to Weihaiwei, what he saw was devastated, pitch-black everywhere, burned houses and warships, accusing the crimes of the Houjin Tartars.

Xiong Zijian, Deng Hui, Lan Qiaozheng, Liu Chongsan, Liu Jingting, Gu Xingsong and others who accompanied Su Tiancheng to Weihaiwei were all very strange. Why did Tiancheng draw such a large area? Could it be that Su Tiancheng plans to build a navy here, but Penglai has already been built very well, so it should be the residence of the navy.

A group of cavalry came to the seaside, looking at the ruins everywhere, Su Tiancheng finally spoke.

"Xiong Zijian, for some time to come, you will lead five thousand soldiers of the Jiangning battalion to be stationed here. My consideration is to build the largest port in the Ming Dynasty here in Weihaiwei. This port is used for maritime trade. Yes, the area within a radius of ten miles will all serve this port."

"Gu Xingsong, Mr. Xiong is in charge of the specific construction of the port, and you must provide your full assistance. When the port is completed in the future, the organizational system will be independent, and the Governor's Office will directly govern it."

"Deng Hui, as the prefect of Dengzhou, from now on, you must consider the overall planning and coordination of Weihaiwei Port, including the mobilization of personnel, the placement of merchants, and other matters. My purpose is very simple. It will be built here to become the largest maritime trade port in my Ming Dynasty, relying on this port to maintain the navy's expenses."

"Lanqiaozheng, the construction of Weihaiwei Port is a huge project and requires a lot of labor. You also need to consider how to transfer part of the labor from Laizhou to support the construction of the port."

"The task is very difficult. You have to be prepared to endure hardships. I will give you half a year to build this port. The talents involved in the port construction are on their way to Dengzhou. It will be spring plowing season soon. In terms of manpower, you need to find a way In case of insufficient manpower, the soldiers of the Jiangning Camp will directly participate in the construction of the port."

"Xiong Zijian, you are in charge of all construction matters. Starting today, you have to think about how to build Weihaiwei Port. I want to remind you that the construction of this port is not only about business, but also about defense. The most important thing is to build according to the requirements. The port has its own particularity, and all aspects must be considered carefully. Don’t do things that beat your head, and construct in strict accordance with the design.”

During the process of Su Tiancheng's arrangement, no one opened their mouths to speak. The construction of a ten-mile radius is a very difficult task. The construction of a port is not like a city. There are many things to consider. The port is actually a huge city. Construction As for the port, there must be a large number of merchants nearby, and all matters such as transportation cannot be ignored. The requirements here are very strict.

As it was getting late, Su Tiancheng and his party came to Wendeng County.

The scale of Wendeng County is not small. Gu Xingsong has already made preparations and arranged for everyone to stay in the official post. As for the two hundred soldiers who followed, they all stayed in the inspection department.

The construction of the city of Wendeng County has not yet been completely completed. Su Tiancheng walked around the city. Although it was night, he could see many merchants in the city. Some shops were still doing business, and there were quite a lot of people in the city.

Seeing such a situation, Su Tiancheng was very happy. He was glad that he had already made arrangements and considered all aspects. When appointing officials at all levels in Dengzhou and Laizhou, Su Tiancheng was sensitively aware that he had to use his own Confidant, under such circumstances, when these people do things, they will treat the government's affairs as their own affairs.

The huge changes in Dengzhou and Laizhou made Su Tiancheng feel that his decision was completely correct. If the officials were sent by the imperial court, there would probably be devastation everywhere and there would not be much change.

Of course, this also indicates that Su Tiancheng will be fully responsible for the safety and promotion of these people.

After returning to the official post, Su Tiancheng called everyone together to discuss important matters again.

"There are a total of more than [-] officials at all levels in Dengzhou and Laizhou. This number is already very large. Now the salaries received by officials are still the standard of the imperial court. Such salaries are too low. It is difficult to support their families. It is somewhat difficult. I don’t want officials at all levels to reach out to the common people because of insufficient salaries. Therefore, the salaries of officials in Dengzhou and Laizhou must be adjusted. On the current basis, the salary should be increased by about ten times. As for Qingzhou , After adjusting the officials, we will consider this matter again. In this way, the expenses will be huge. Dengzhou and Laizhou, government offices and county offices have almost no deposits of silver, and even very little food. It is very unlikely that these salaries will be cashed out. From now to August, that is, before the autumn harvest, it will take more than half a year. The governor’s office will be responsible for the money that needs to be spent. But after the autumn harvest, you will have to think about it. I’m afraid I have to pay a large part of it myself, and the taxes after the autumn harvest are still quite a lot, enough to maintain basic expenses."

In the guest room, it was very quiet. What Su Tiancheng said today was something that no one had thought of. To do these things well, what is needed is money. How much should it cost for port construction, navy construction, and official salaries? Silver, can Su Tiancheng really take it out all at once?

"I know you are very worried. You are wondering whether the Governor's Mansion can provide so much money. You don't need to think about this. What you need to consider is to do your job well according to the requirements of the Governor's Mansion. As long as you If you can do your job well, Dengzhou, Laizhou and Qingzhou will soon become prosperous places, and you will have inexhaustible money.”

"This time, my requirements are different. Anyone who fails to do things well must be severely punished. Those who can successfully complete the task, the Governor's Office will definitely invite the imperial court to promote them. Most of you have been by my side for many years. I also know my temper, Dengzhou, Laizhou, Qingzhou, Weihaiwei Wharf, naval construction and other matters, I will leave it to you."

That night, Su Tiancheng didn't fall asleep for a long time. He thought of a lot, the situation when he just crossed, the journey he traveled all the way, and the slow struggle to where he is today. All of this was achieved by unremitting efforts. After ten years of contributions, I am now starting to build a solid foundation for myself. (To be continued..)