The Office of Foreign Intelligence conducted extensive research on the issue of coastal navigation safety. [No pop-up novel website] After all, he is a full-time naval intelligence officer stationed in the Foreign Intelligence Bureau of the Navy.
By consulting historical data and talking to a large number of indigenous people, naturalized sailors, and merchants, Jing Ke came to the conclusion that a small number of transport ships from **O Shipping can completely pass through the ocean in Fujian, but Ships need to be adequately armed to deal with possible robberies by small groups of pirates. However, he also pointed out: If a large number of ships pass by, Zheng Zhilong's attitude may change. Any large-scale shipping may arouse the suspicion of these maritime powers.
“In addition, we have to consider one thing: [Chinese] traditional navigation skills generally do not leave the coast.
Coastal landmarks are often used as reference points for navigation. Even the "route to Southeast Asia" tries to sail along the archipelago. The senior crewmen we have trained can completely rely on sextants and nautical charts to sail in the ocean far away from the coastline, thereby avoiding coastal areas that are easily monitored and blocked. route."
After some discussion and preparation, the second inspection group took a medium-sized ship of Jiabo Shipping to sail to Hangzhou. This lucky ship is a specially modified ship in **O Company. Its mission is to transport important people and cargo.
The ship is equipped with smoothbore cannon for self-defense. In addition, plainclothes personnel from the Escort Bureau and the Special Reconnaissance Team were stationed on the ship to ensure the safety of the journey. The Special Reconnaissance Team not only carried G-rocket launchers to ensure that the expedition team was safe at sea.
The port of arrival for the inspection group was selected in Shanghai County. Qiwei Escort Bureau has opened a waterway sub-container in Shanghai County, specifically responsible for the transfer of people and goods at this terminal in Shanghai.
In the Yuan Dynasty, Hangzhou had Kanpu as its outlet to the sea. However, in the late Ming Dynasty, due to sediment obstruction and difficulty in entering and exiting ships, Hangzhou's outlet to the sea was transferred to Zhapu and Ningbo. The navy and Japanese shipping personnel discussed and concluded that instead of going to Zhapu or Ningbo, it was better to go directly to Shanghai to investigate the local hydrogeographic conditions. After docking in Shanghai, an advance team was sent to conduct on-the-spot investigation and find out the conditions along the way to Hangzhou. The condition of the waterway will be improved so that it can be used when transferring refugees from Zhejiang to Shanghai in the future.
The trip of the inspection team went very smoothly. Fuzhou chose an "outer sea" route. In the old days, it was just a coastal route. However, at that time, sailing away from the "inner ocean" where six places could be seen was rare. . The ship did not encounter any danger and arrived at Shanghai Port safely in late April.
Shanghai County has a long history, and its construction history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. However, until the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there was no city wall in Shanghai County. The county seat was built in the second year of Sanfeng reign of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty to "prepare for Japanese invaders". The city is nine miles in circumference. The city wall is two feet and four feet high. There are six gates, large and small, four gates in the southeast and northwest, named Chaozong, Kuahai, Yifeng, and Yanhai. There are also two gates, Baodai and Chaoyang, commonly known as Xiaodongmen and Xiaonan. Door.
The pier along the Wusong River is located outside Xiaodongmen. Since the "Opening of the Sea in Longqing", this place has gradually become a port city. Songjiang Prefecture, where Shanghai County is located, is famous for its cotton fabrics and is known as “the world of clothes and quilts”
Songjiang cloth can be seen even as far away as Hainan Island, the origin of China's cotton textile industry. As a cotton export port, Shanghai's market was a little prosperous. However, compared with the prosperous foreign trade of Fujian and Guangdong at that time, Compared with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, they seem to be lagging behind in this regard. The overseas ports that were once prosperous in history, such as Taicang Liuhe, Ningbo and other places, are now unable to compare with Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou and other places.
As soon as the ship arrived, there were people standing at the pier waiting for it. When they saw the lucky ship flying the flag of ***o docking, they immediately waved on the shore. Standing on the bow of the ship was the permission from the Foreign Intelligence Service. During his trip, he not only had the task of escorting the inspection team, but also personally observed the hydrological environment along the way. He immediately responded with a gesture. The gangplank had not yet been set up. The leader who was waiting on the pier stepped onto the boat with two steps. " He was agile and as if he were walking on flat ground. One glance showed that he was used to life on the water.
The visitor came to him and bowed and saluted: "Is this Mr. Xu?"
The news that Xu Xu and others were going to Shanghai was issued by Qiwei Escort Bureau's Guangzhou head office a month ago, and was delivered to the Shanghai overseas counters one by one via manpower and pigeons through the outer counters along the escort route. How many people are coming and how many houses, warehouses and porters need to be prepared are all specified on the bill of lading.
Although this system is not as fast as the telegram, in terms of speed, it is no slower than the court's post." It only took less than ten days to transmit from Guangzhou to Shanghai, which was faster than the speed of Titang official who sent important documents to the court. Faster. On the one hand, this is because Qiwei established an effective pigeon communication network under the guidance of Nick, an expert on horse and pigeon breeding from the Committee of Agriculture. At the same time, it also absorbed a group of professionals. The imperial court abolished the post staff, and a large number of talented people were dispersed. Experienced relay staff.
Qiwei has recruited many capable professionals.
After receiving the affirmative reply, the visitor simply said hello: "Greetings to Mr. Xu, little Mao Sansheng, please be at your disposal!"
The person who came was the shopkeeper of Qiwei Shanghai Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. He was a distant relative of Bie Kecheng.
I used to work as a discharge worker on the Han River. Drainage workers on long-distance waterways all know how to defend themselves with fists and kicks. Later he became unemployed and had no job. Mao Sansheng defected to Qiwei in Guangzhou, and he was one of the many "old cousins" in Qiwei who came to Qiwei to defect to Sun Kecheng. Mao Sansheng worked hard to become a bodyguard, and Sun Kecheng initially arranged for him to be a prostitute, and later became a waiter in charge of the store. Although Mao Sansheng was born as a discharge worker, he was very good at dealing with people. The General Administration of Political Security conducted a secret investigation on him and evaluated him as reliable, so he was sent to Shanghai as the foreign secretary.
"Everything is ready," Mao Sansheng said with a bow, "The gentlemen will stay in Panyuan first, and the goods will be transported to our warehouse for temporary storage. We will transport them together when the ship is ready. The sedan is on the dock."
, "Okay, you go to the pier and say hello."
As soon as Mao Sansheng left, Xu Xu returned to the cabin. Instruct everyone to pack their bags and get ready to disembark, especially to put on their fake buns to avoid getting lost. It's easy for others to say that Jin Lige is in a little trouble. After all, his image of a tall nose and deep eyes is attracting attention. It must be covered up to some extent.
Because Qiwei Waikai in Shanghai is still in its infancy stage, there is insufficient housing. Mao Sansheng was afraid that he would not be able to entertain the elders, so he borrowed Pan Garden from the local gentry Pan Jiashang as a place for the elders to stay.
This place is just behind the Chengyou Temple in Shanghai County, and it was officially the predecessor of Yuyuan Garden, the first garden in Shanghai. In this time and space, Yu Garden was the property of Pan Yunduan, who served as Sichuan's chief envoy during the Jiajing period. It is still in the hands of Pan's descendants. Although it is located in the downtown area of the city, it is quiet and elegant in the middle of the city. It provides food and drinks. It's also easy to get in and out.
A few people lingered in Panyuan for several days. Mao Sansheng was busy arranging a ship from Shanghai to Hangzhou. Of course, it was official, but when it came to travel comfort and safety, it was better to take a ship. Besides, they also carried a lot of heavy cargo. , walking on Route 6 is even more inconvenient.
, “I never thought we would live in Yu Garden.
It's like a dream. "
At the beginning of the lanterns, several elders were sitting around in a flower hall in Pan Yuan, and they couldn't help but talk about permission.
Several elders felt that it was a bit like a dream. They had all been to Shanghai in another time and space. They also visited the Chengyou Temple and visited Yu Garden. Some even drank tea in the teahouse next to the Jiuqu Bridge and ate the famous Xiaolongbao. Now everyone actually lives in Yuyuan. Of course, Panyuan can only be regarded as the predecessor of Yuyuan.
Zhou Dongtian picked up a piece of hawthorn cake on the table. The four plates of snacks on the table were "gifts" from the owner of the Pan family. All the food supplies for them staying in Pan Yuan were provided by the Pan family, and there were also a number of Pan family servants to take care of them. After all, the Pan family is a gentry, and their food and drink are extremely exquisite. This hawthorn cake is not the gelatinous substance of the old days that was made entirely of sugar and substitutes. It is made from real peeled hawthorns and tribute sugar. It is sour, sweet, soft and hard. Of course, this kind of enjoyment is not completely free. After they leave, Mao Sansheng will also give him a large sum of money as usual, "Thank you." instrument".
, "Your horizons are too small." Zhou Dongtian was eating hawthorn cake. "What does the small Yuyuan Garden mean? From now on, I will go to the Forbidden City and the emperor's palace to sleep for a few nights."
"That house is actually not comfortable at all." Merlin, who visited the Forbidden City, said, "I can't imagine the emperor living in that kind of house." The inner palace is not grand at all, it is just an ordinary brick house. Not to mention plumbing and the like. Summers are hot and winters are cold. I finally understand why the Manchu and Qing emperors had a monastery palace outside Beijing. "
, "I think it would be good to hold a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony." Lu Zhongxing, who was on a business trip from the Ministry of Communications, said, "Put five hundred tables, each with a big round table, and then behind each person stood a row of princesses, princesses, and county officials. Lord, Princess, Miss, etc., there are all kinds of skin colors. 1ùThe stage was full of bands, one from China and one from Europe. "When Mr. Wen raised his glass to toast, the band started playing music."
"Shit, why does Mr. Wen raise a toast?" Zhou Dongtian expressed contempt, "It's not like he has been the [chairman] for the rest of his life."
, "Okay, any elder, what do you think of this banquet?"
, "Don't be ridiculous." Xu Xu said, "Mao Sansheng said, we have to stay here for a few days. Would you like to take a stroll around Shanghai during this period to see the specific market? "
"Yes, of course." Otherwise, what are we doing here? Zhou Dongtian said without hesitation, "We came to Jiangnan just to understand the local social conditions." We couldn't see anything in the garden. "
Although Shanghai County is not a famous city in this time and space, it is a county under Songjiang Prefecture that is famous for its cotton spinning. Shanghai itself is an impact land with sandy soil, which is very suitable for growing cotton. Therefore, the local cotton textile industry and cotton plantation industry are also large-scale and are a direction worthy of investigation.
On the second day, everyone took a general tour of Shanghai County under the leadership of the Weiwei personnel. At that time, Shanghai County already had 100,000 households, and there were more than 30,000 households in the city. Among the more than a thousand counties at that time, it was considered a large county that could rank high. When passing by Qiaotou Road, Zhou Dongtian noticed that there were many people in rags gathering at Qiaotou and teahouses. They all looked disheveled, but they did not look like beggars and homeless people, so he asked Mao Sansheng.
, "Sir, these are all weaving mechanics, as well as dyers and calenderers." Mao Sansheng said that there are more than 2,000 craftsmen in this county who "eat cotton cloth", and most of them are casual workers who are paid on a daily basis. .
"The cotton market has been bad recently. The machine owners can hardly start the business themselves, so who else can hire craftsmen?"
, “Cotton is not selling well?”
"The market for cotton cloth has been very bad since last year. The cloth cannot be sold at a high price," Mao Sansheng said. "Not only are the machine owners and machine workers unlucky, but also the villagers who grow cotton in the countryside are having a hard time. The cloth cannot be sold for money, and cotton is even more unlucky." No more money to sell. "
Zhou Dongtian and others were speechless. They originally thought that Songjiang cloth was already a "clothing and quilt world" and would have no worries about sales. They didn't expect that the local cotton textile industry had declined to such an extent. The Ming Dynasty's economy not only had problems; Not too small.
Several people walked to a large house in Taiqingfang in the county town, commonly known as "Nine Rooms Building". Mao Sansheng whispered that this was Xu Guangqi's old house.
"There is currently no Xu family living in this house" and only a few servants guarding it. "
As one of the few people in China who "opened his eyes to see the world" at that time, Xu Guangqi was already seventy years old at the time. However, he was not at his residence in Shanghai County at this time. He had already become the Minister of Rites and a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy last year, and was the assistant director of Zhan Shifu. Most of his family members are also in Beijing.
Xu Guangqi's son Xu He and Bie Yuanhua are in-laws, and the relationship between them is unusual. Because of the Dengzhou Rebellion, the Foreign Intelligence Bureau has been paying great attention to Xu Guangqi's clue. One of the missions of the intelligence team sent to the capital was to use the Jesuit connections to try to establish a relationship with Xu Guangqi. "Shanghai side" did not take any action for the time being, but ordered Qiwei to pay attention to the activities of the Xu family in Shanghai.
Mao Sansheng told Zhou Dongtian that the Xu family lived in the cross-sea gate of Shanghai County, that is, in Kangqu Lane outside the south gate. The "Double Garden" was the Xu family's ancestral property, and now it is the Xu family's vegetable garden and mulberry garden. Sweet potatoes were introduced to the south of the Yangtze River from the Fujian-Guangzhou area and it was Xu Guangqi who first successfully planted them there. There is a peach orchard outside the north gate, where many peach trees are planted and the harvest is very good. There is also a farm villa in Fahua Town called "Hour Le Hall". This is also the location of the ancestral tombs of the Xu family.
, "It's Xujiahui!" Zhou Dongtian blurted out. He knew the origin of the name Xujiahui. Xujiahui is where the Xu family real estate is located. Xu Guangqi's descendants once lived here, so it got such a name.
Mao Sansheng looked at him inexplicably, and the words "Xujiahui" came out of nowhere. Zhou Dongtian just smiled slightly and did not explain.
The Xu family's properties in Shanghai, except for residential buildings in Pozhong, almost all involve agriculture. Although Xu Guangqi's grandfather started as a merchant, the Xu family did not have much involvement in business, but Xu Guangqi was not a farming family in the traditional sense. Although he did not have much land, he managed every place carefully and was very knowledgeable about agricultural technology and farmland water conservancy. He has studied deeply in agricultural methods such as farming, field management, etc., so the land returns are quite good. Although Xu Guangqi is known as a scientist who spreads Western learning in later generations, in fact he can also be called a successful agricultural capitalist. There were many such people at that time. .
Obviously Qiwei's work efficiency in the local area was quite good, and he quickly found out the specific situation of the Xu family. Although Zhou Dongtian thinks it doesn't make much sense.
Several people went to several Shuilu docks in and outside Shanghai County to observe the traffic conditions.
Lu Zhongxing, one of the members of the inspection team, was sent by the Ministry of Transportation to inspect the road traffic conditions in Jiangnan. He holds a double degree in electrical engineering and road and bridge engineering, and used to specialize in road and bridge quality inspection work.
Examining the traffic conditions is not only to plan the route for future troops to march in, but also to prepare for future business activities in Jiangnan. Transportation is always a prerequisite for the economic development of a region.
The next day, Mao Sansheng's ship was ready. These are two short-distance passenger ships commonly used in Jiangnan for wealthy people to travel, commonly known as Wuxi Express. The ship is not big and has complete facilities, not only bedrooms for resting, but also a living room for dining and living. There is a kitchen at the rear and stern, which is very convenient for providing meals. Wuxi Kuai is very famous for enjoying travel. To be cautious, Mao Sansheng replaced all the people on the ship with powerful men and horses. Of course, this would not be as considerate as the famous Wuxi boat girl. In addition to the passenger ship, there are two other ships accompanying the ship to carry luggage. As for other goods, it will be arranged by Qiwei and multiple ships will be transferred in batches.
After Zhou Dongtian and his party boarded the ship, they enjoyed the spring scenery of the south of the Yangtze River along the way. When they were tired, they talked loudly in the cabin. Lu Zhongxing has more things to do: he has to measure the water depth from time to time, conduct observations on the waterway, and accumulate first-hand information for future dredging of the waterway.
Sitting bored in the cabin, several people discussed the transportation plan from Hangzhou to Shanghai.
At that time, the most convenient transportation route from Hangzhou to the north was of course the Grand Canal. Take the canal from Hangzhou directly to Suzhou, which is fast and convenient. But if the transshipment terminal is located in Shanghai, Suzhou is still **10 kilometers away from Shanghai.
"I asked around: Mao Sansheng said he could go directly from Shanghai County to Hangzhou without taking the Grand Canal. It's just that the river he passes through is not as wide and deep as the Grand Canal. I'm afraid it won't be able to carry a heavy-loaded ship."
Jiangnan is known as a water country. Not only are there lakes and swamps, criss-crossed by rivers, but there are also a large number of paddy fields. Except for county and capital cities, most villages and towns do not have access to dry roads and have to travel by water. Even though there are official roads connecting the prefectures, counties and cities, transportation is also convenient by waterway. Inland navigation is very popular. However, most of the rivers have not been repaired and dredged. Many rivers are either not deep enough or narrow, and only small boats can travel on them. The largest one is just a so-called "ship". According to Lu Zhongxing's estimate, the carrying capacity of this kind of ship is only more than 20 tons. a.
