Lu Ming

After entering the camp, I found the deputy director in charge of Wailian, and Fu Youdi handed over the paperwork first.Next, the deputy director told him: the ship to Guangzhou is still preparing goods, and it will take a few days before departure.

It doesn't matter if Fu has the land, after receiving the number plate, he goes to the assigned dormitory to rest without mentioning it.

After two days of rest like this, Fu Youdi originally planned to go to Saigon City for another tour, but the deputy director ran to say that the construction schedule at the pier was tight and there was a shortage of people, so he asked him to help out tomorrow morning.

If you help, you can help, the world's discipline is one family.

Early the next morning, with the ancestral heirloom... the black leather whip issued by Qiongzhou Erkan was hung on the back of the waist, and Fu Youdi went out, stepped on the assembly point, went to the playground to meet the local guards and gun-armed guards, and led a team Hard labor, escorted to the pier.

Dock work is boring, that is, to supervise the hard labor to transport goods to the warehouse, and then transport the goods to the hold of the cargo ship.

Today, the hard labor carries a local specialty: rice.

Due to the advent of the Little Ice Age in the traditional grain-producing areas of the Ming Dynasty at a higher latitude, grain production has been greatly reduced year after year.The Mekong Plain, located in the tropics, is also affected by the climate, but the loss is not high.

Grain is the bulk of goods that Dayan Kingdom attaches the most importance to in the occupied areas of South Asia.

If there is not enough commodity grain to cover the bottom line, it will not be able to support the increasing number of domestic industrial workers.The industrialization and population migration that people across the Ming Dynasty were committed to promoting became a joke.

Therefore, from the first moment of the occupation of Saigon, following the flames of guns and guns, was the large-scale reform of grain planting in the surrounding land.

Many of the hard laborers carrying rice sacks today are former farmland owners who once resisted "land intensification".

After the sound of "pa", a coolie who was pushing a small cart was whipped on the back: "Give me some energy!"

Hitting him was not because of laziness, but because of the rules.

The rules of Qiongzhou No. [-] Kan: Newcomers enter the ranks, no matter how obedient they are, they must at least be whipped and disciplined, and there is no upper limit.

Fu Guanjiao's character is a bit flattering, but correspondingly a bit harsh.Therefore, he implemented all the methods of dealing with prisoners in the regulations.

So even if it is in Saigon today, even if it is a temporary help, in the view of Fu Guanjiao, since he has started working, the rules must be enforced.As a result, everyone in the team of laborers guarded by Instructor Fu received more or less whippings.

As the whip was pulled down, a red mark oozing blood suddenly appeared on the bare back of the beaten laborer, blatantly accusing the atrocities of Yan imperialism.

However, the laborer himself gritted his teeth and kept silent. Instead, he lowered his head and accelerated the speed of the cart: Any behavior that resisted the discipline, or was judged by the guards as a resistance to discipline, would be shot and killed immediately.

In this way, Guanjiao Fu helped out at the pier for another two days.On the third day, he finally received the news: the ship will depart tomorrow.

Later that day, Fu Youdi finished the last job of the day: driving all the laborers under his jurisdiction into the cabin.

Fu Youdi, who has had an experience once, knows that this is the fleet that is going to set sail again for Fort Ridge.In the past few days, he has observed clearly on the pier: a large amount of construction materials and mechanical equipment have been loaded on the ship, and today's laborers are the last "cargo".

In the early morning of the second day, Fu Youdi packed up and saluted, and as a passenger on the ship boarded a grain transport ship Xing'anping back to Guangzhou.At the same time, a large fleet of ten ships hoisted their sails and sailed out of the port to the south.

Today is undoubtedly a busy day.Just as Fuyoudi was waiting for the Xing'an Ping to set sail, another large fleet sailed in from outside the port.

The number of this fleet is also quite large, with as many as eight ships.

Out of the cabin of the first boat that docked were people in overalls with satchels on their backs.Looking at the attire, Fu Youdi knew who these people were: immigrants from the mainland.

At this moment, the boilers of the three-ship formation where the Xing'an Ping was located rose to full pressure, and the fleet set sail amidst slow vibrations.

As the fleet drifted away, the immigrants pouring out from more and more docked ships, like gray colonies of ants, gradually disappeared from Fu Youdi's field of vision.

On the morning of June 28, Fu Youdi set sail on a boat to Guangzhou.

Since the channel from Saigon to Guangzhou is already familiar, the fleet raised its full sails after leaving the port, and with the help of the rare favorable wind, began to head north at full speed along the Annan coastline.

As the leading flagship of the fleet, the Xing'anping transport ship is the latest steam engine sailing ship launched last year.The iron-ribbed wooden shell has a displacement of [-] tons and a full load displacement of more than [-] tons.

In later generations, transport ships under 80 tons were usually classified as inland river type.Those who dare to carry cargo across the ocean are ashamed to say hello if they don't have [-] tons... The world's largest oil tanker, [-] tons, has a deck longer than an aircraft carrier.

But in the seventeenth century, the [-]-ton Xing'an Ping was a world-class ocean transport ship.Due to the light weight of the iron-ribbed wooden shell, although the tonnage is not the largest, the actual cargo capacity is more than [-] tons of old-fashioned sailing ships.

As the only passenger on the ship, Fu Youdi waited for the ship to leave the port and run smoothly, then went to find the owner of the ship.

It is different from the "state-owned enterprise" transport ship with a numerical hull number.A traditional ship name like Xing An Ping usually means that the ship is privately owned.

Although Fu Youdi didn't know the specific price of this ship, he, who often works as a dock supervisor, knew that this new type of transport ship with a steam power system would cost at least 15 taels of silver to buy, and it would cost more than [-] taels of silver. The commander-in-chief's relationship is quite proper.

Even if according to the tradition, several shipowners jointly invested in this ship, any one of them, to Fu Youdi, would be a big local tycoon with astronomical net worth.So he went to visit the shipowner immediately.

The shipowner's surname is Lin, and his name is Lin Baoquan. He is from Funing Prefecture, Fujian Province.Lin Chuandong, with short hair, is in his 50s, dressed simply, and is a kind old man.

Seeing the passengers on the boat coming to pay a visit and wearing the uniform of civil servants, the old man happily poured out the best tea produced in Fujian and invited Professor Fu to drink tea.

I didn't want to drink it, but it took a long time... Lin Chuandong was shocked when he learned that Fu Youdi had been to Fort Lizhui on business, and asked in detail.

Originally, Fu Youdi didn't intend to go into details, but shipowner Lin saw his concerns, so he took out his identity document: Vice President of Fujian Shipbuilding Chamber of Commerce.

Seeing the familiar certificates in the system, Fu definitely knew that this was a big shot.He was relieved, and then he talked about the situation of Lizhuobao.

After Lin Chuanowner listened very carefully, he didn't ask any more questions, but very politely sent Disciplinary Fu out of the cabin, and said that he would invite Disciplinary Fu to drink tea later.

Then on the second day, the shipowner sent someone to invite the officer Fu to drink tea, and he was still asking about the situation of Lizhuobao.

Of course Fu Youdi knew what the rich man was up to.Now in Cao's territory, the topic of development and investment has long been a "scholar" of public discussion.

But it's useless to know.Fu Youdi is a poor ghost and can't afford to get involved in this kind of business.So he could only use what he had seen and heard in Fort Lipcone as a topic of conversation, and talk about it every day after sipping tea.

Commercial transport ships like Xing'an Ping usually sail economically.Sailing with the wind and burning coal against the wind, the speed is roughly constant at around six knots.Compared with traditional sailing ships, steam ships are not only faster, but more importantly, steam ships have a stable speed.

In this way, the approximate daily voyage of the Xing'anping fleet can be calculated: 6 knots by 1.8 kilometers by 24 hours ≈ 260 kilometers.

So, on the fifth day after departure, the Xing'anping fleet, which was traveling all the way north, appeared in the sea off Hue Port, a thousand kilometers away.

Hue is the southern capital of Annan, which was previously ruled by the Nguyen family for more than a hundred years.

Two years ago, with the assistance of the crossing forces, Annan's northern power minister Zheng Bing sent his army south to Hue for a decisive battle with the southern Ruan clan. He finally won, occupied Hue, exiled the Ruan clan, and nominally unified the entire Annan area. .

Now, more than two years have passed.During this period, Hue invested heavily in infrastructure with the support of the crossing forces, and has become an important transit port in central Annan.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, after the Xing'anping fleet arrived in Hue, it had to enter the port to replenish coal and water, and then go for repairs.

However, Fu Youdi and Lin the owner of the ship knew that they would not be able to enter the port this time after inquiring about going out of the cabin to watch. On the coast about [-] miles south of Hue, guns roared, fireworks were everywhere, and soldiers and horses were fighting.

"It's the internal disability of the Yue people." Lin Chuandong, who didn't know when he took out a telescope, observed it carefully for a while, put down the telescope with a gloomy face, and said to the first officer beside him: "Shangfan, go to Shenglong Mansion .”

Chapter 713 Receiving the Wire ([-])

From Hue to Thang Long (Hanoi), the distance is very short.If the sea route takes a straight channel, it will take [-] kilometers to reach the mouth of the Red River.

This distance, for the steam fleet, is less than two days' voyage.In the early morning of July [-], the fleet sailed through most of the Beibu Gulf and arrived at the mouth of the Red River as planned.

At this position, seeing the patrol ship with the flag of Cao's recognition, the sense of crisis that had been faintly emerging in the fleet finally disappeared.

According to the "Fuyuan Treaty", the mouth of the Red River already belongs to the daily patrol range of the Nanyang Fleet of the Dayan Kingdom.

In fact, just like the Yangtze River in the late Qing Dynasty, the weak Annan Navy was completely unable to stop the erosion of the superior navy.Now the jurisdiction of the entire Red River is in the hands of the Dayan Kingdom Navy.

From the Red River Estuary to Thang Long Mansion, there is only a [-]-kilometer inland waterway left.

By this time, there is no need to be stingy.Lin Chuandong, who had something to worry about, was eager to hurry, ordered the boiler to be boosted, and put the last bit of fuel into the furnace cabin.

It is the same as all the big rivers under control.After the original treaty was signed, the ancient Red River has been transformed by a series of navigation projects such as dredging the channel.

The fleet that went up overnight, followed the light buoy along the safe channel, and easily arrived outside Thang Long Mansion before the early morning.

After dawn, the Xing'anping fleet waiting outside the port entered the port smoothly.

As soon as the fleet docked, after replenishing coal and water, shipowner Lin sent the second mate into the city, and then sent sailors who could speak Annan to the pier to inquire about news.Fu Youdi accompanied Lin Chuanowner in the cabin, not thinking about food and drink, waiting anxiously.

It stands to reason that it is impossible for a small person like Fu Youdi to know the situation in An Nanguo.But Lin Chuanowner is an expert, so after these two days, Fu Youdi has a considerable understanding of Annan's national conditions.

As for why Shipowner Lin is particularly concerned about the situation in Annan, there is a reason for that: Shipowner Lin was the first group of Ming natives who took refuge in the crossing forces.Over the years, Lin Shipowner's net worth and social status have skyrocketed because he hugged General Cao's thigh.

Where there is a loss, there is a gain.Now that you are on board, you have to take risks accordingly: investing in Annan is a concrete manifestation of Shipowner Lin's "response to the country's call."

The Lin family placed a heavy bet in Annan.Not only invested in litchi orchards and rice bases, but also partnered with others to run a fruit canning factory.

So when he found out that An Nanguo had started a civil war again, Shipowner Lin hurried to Shenglong Mansion to inquire about the news, fearing that his property would suffer losses in the flames of war.

While waiting for this period, news came in continuously: The expelled southern warlord Ruan clan suddenly gathered troops in Saigon a few days ago, erected an anti-banner again, and counterattacked the ancestral land.

It is said that Hue, an important town in the south, has been captured by the inside and outside a few days ago, and returned to the hands of the Nguyen family.

There is also a saying that Hue has not yet been captured, but it is also at stake.

It is said that the prime minister of Annan, Zheng Bing, had assembled troops and horses yesterday and led his troops south to suppress the rebellion.

All morning, all kinds of news came in chaotically, I don't know whether it is true or not.

Waiting on the pier until noon, the second officer who had disembarked earlier finally led a young man in a new military uniform onto the ship.

Seeing the young man, Lin Chuandong seemed finally relieved, he laughed and introduced to Fu Youdi: The young man's name is Lin Feng, he is the son of his disciple.

Lin Feng's father, Lin Baoan, was a partner with Lin Chuandong in fighting the country.One of the two is five in the clan, and the other is seven.Now both of them are prominent new-school gentry, one is in charge of fleet business and trade, and the other is in charge of sitting in Fujian.

Lin Feng, the only son, is the evidence that his father completely surrendered to Cao Dashuai.

The outstanding sons and nephews sent by the new school of industrial and commercial gentry into the system are equivalent to inner disciples, and they are their own people.This type of young people is usually promoted very quickly within the system.Although Lin Feng is young, he is already the second-class military officer of the Dayan State Embassy in Annan State.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the impatient Lin Chuan-dong asked about the Yue people's civil war.

The young military officer Lin just smiled mysteriously when he heard the words, and then told his uncle: "This is a confidential matter, uncle, please stay calm, this matter is under control."

Seeing that his uncle was still a little worried, Military Officer Lin, who knew his thoughts, said helplessly, "Even if there is a loss in the family's property, there will be compensation from Annan's property afterwards... When did the commander let his own people suffer?"

Speaking of this, if Lin Baoquan didn't understand that a certain force was playing big chess, he would be an old lackey in vain: "Look at me, I'm making a fool of myself."

"I'm old, I'm old." Patting his own head, Lin Chuanowner relaxed and returned to normal: "Don't talk about this matter again, good nephew, follow me to heal your hunger."

Hearing that Uncle wanted to treat guests to dinner, Military Officer Lin hastily declined: He has been busy with official duties recently, and he came to the ship to give an explanation today because he took the time temporarily, and now he has to rush back to the embassy.

Shipowner Lin saw that this was the case, so he had no choice but to go with him...Vice President Lin, a high-status social figure, is qualified to stay in the embassy area.

By the way, considering that Guanjiao Fu will go to Lizhuobao again, which is worth investing in, so Lin Dongzhu invited the lucky Guanjiao together, and once again had a car, a meal, and a high-end guest house.

The Annan embassy, ​​Fu Youdi, as a member of the system, of course knew that there was such a place.Not only that, he also knows that the Annan embassy is the territory of the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs".

According to the "Fuyuan Treaty" signed that year, a folk alley marked by Shenglong Mansion in the east of the city became the embassy area of ​​the Ming Dynasty.

After that, the embassy area began to be heavily constructed, which strongly stimulated the local economy.

Today, the embassy district has long been built.Fu Youdi sat in the carriage, entered the big city of Shenglong Mansion through the North Corner Gate, and soon stepped on a unique red brick road.

Seeing this unique red brick road and the high walls on both sides of the road, I know with certainty that Embassy Street has arrived.

Entering the embassy through a side door, Lin Feng left in a hurry: Military attache Lin works in the core area of ​​the embassy area, and outsiders cannot enter.

Lin Chuandong, who was familiar with the road, went straight to the reception with Guanjiao Fu and two attendants, opened the room first, and then went to the restaurant.

The restaurant in the embassy area is quite advanced, and what is served at noon is actually a buffet.This is the first time for Guanjiao Fu to eat a buffet, and he felt his eyes opened, and he started to know the way of the big eater in the food area. He copied a whole plate of seafood and opened it up.

Lin Dongzhu is getting old, and eating is a reasonable combination of health care.After eating casually, seeing a few young people fighting fiercely, they smiled and went to rest.

Here, Fu Youdi had eaten hard for an hour before he could enjoy himself.After the meal, he started to take a walk with his bulging belly in his hands, and visited the famous first embassy of Ming Dynasty abroad.

But after this visit, his senses were not good.The courtyards that guests are allowed to visit are all gray concrete houses.There are no carved beams and painted buildings, nor wood, stone, flowers, grass, turtles, insects, butterflies, and swallows. The courtyards around the entire embassy area are all rigid square buildings, and even the window lattices are made of iron bars.

Strolling around, it was simply boring.So Guanjiao Fu went back to the courtyard of the guest house, found his own room, and fell asleep.

This sleep is all afternoon.After waking up in the evening, Fu Youdi's appetite remained undiminished, and he went to the cafeteria to grab a meal.During this period, he met with Shipowner Lin and learned that he would stay in the embassy for a few more days: Shipowner Lin had to wait for the manager of his property to report the situation and discuss countermeasures before leaving.

With a buffet meal, Fu Youdi wished to stay in the embassy for another month, so he nodded his head immediately.

The happy time is always so short.

That night, Fu Youdi, who was sleeping soundly, was suddenly awakened by a loud noise.

In a daze, he turned his head and looked out the window, but what he saw was the dancing flames.

"Are you in the water?"

After a few circles in his mind, Fu Youdi sat up from the head of the bed, hurriedly put on his clothes and ran out the door.Standing in the courtyard as bright as day and looking around, I realized that it was not water, but passengers running around with torches.

He reached out and took out his pocket watch to see that it was exactly the right time.Looking at the shining torches and kerosene lamps all over the yard, Fu Youdi, who was at a loss, turned his head, and just in time, he saw Chuanowner Lin who was hurriedly returning from the outside.

Then, a shocking inside story confuses Fu Youdi: the embassy was surrounded by Annan's soldiers and horses!

Before Fu You could digest the shocking news, a young second lieutenant military officer rushed into the courtyard with a few soldiers armed with live ammunition: "Everyone, temporary requisition. Those who have experience in using ordnance, report to me!"

Fu Youdi heard the words, so he had no choice but to suppress his doubts and go forward to report: it is a troubled time, and civil servants of any level in the Great Yan Kingdom must have received regular firearms training on a daily basis.

This kind of firearms training is not formalism.According to the requirements of the outline, a team of 48 temporarily assembled civil servants, accompanied by [-] community activists, must have the ability to defend a small county town for [-] hours in the face of bandit gangs.

Fu Youdi was wearing the uniform of a civil servant, and the official documents used for check-in, so he couldn't hide.

Fortunately, my way is not alone.There may be tourists who dare to go to Annan to do business these days. There may be some who don't know how to settle accounts, and there are none who don't know how to use knives and guns.

In the end, after a report, nearly forty passengers in the two guest room courtyards were requisitioned, except for a few old men like Shipowner Lin.

Next, the second lieutenant first ordered Shipowner Lin and other miscellaneous people to retreat into the inner courtyard.The second lieutenant then divided the passengers into two groups.At this time, Fu Youdi, who was wearing a civil servant uniform, was undoubtedly assigned as the team leader.

Team leader Fu got the official title on the front foot, and led a group of subordinates on the back foot, and went to the inner courtyard with the second lieutenant to receive equipment.