"The army must belong to the country, otherwise the old days of the Three Kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty and the vassal towns at the end of the Tang Dynasty will inevitably happen again. By then the country will be torn apart and wars will continue, which will only allow foreign enemies to take advantage of it."
Zuo Mengeng's words were sonorous and powerful.
Next to him, Zheng Zhilong was submissive, with a rather unnatural look on his face.
Following Zuo Mengeng, he walked around Shandong and saw more of Shandong. Zheng Zhilong felt guilty from the bottom of his heart.
He thought about the future, so he tested Zuo Mengeng.
But Zuo Mengeng's words put Zheng Zhilong in a dilemma.
Beep beep beep...
The sharp whistle interrupted Zheng Zhilong's reverie.
He looked up and saw about a hundred soldiers practicing in the grain field not far away.
During this time, he had already understood the military structure of the New Army and knew that it was a company.
What shocked him was that he was not in a military camp at this time, but in a farmer's field.
The entire New Army was dispatched by Zuo Mengeng to help the people harvest food. While they were busy, their training was not interrupted.
Even on the grain field, even without weapons and armor, these soldiers still practiced very seriously.
Although there were only about a hundred people, the queue was strict and the pace was uniform. The various methods of transformation are dazzling, and the speed is so fast that there is no time to wait.
Although Zheng's abilities on land were average, Zheng Zhilong also knew what it meant for an army to be able to change formations at such a speed.
Combined with what Zuo Mengeng said just now, he felt even more stressed.
Looking at Zheng Chenggong, who was kneeling next to Zuo Menggen and making tea for Zuo Menggen with all his heart, he felt a little more secure.
This time the harvest was carried out in a timely manner. With the help of the army, farmers from all over the country were able to put grain into storage.
Property has been preserved, there is no need to worry about starvation, and the people's love for the new government has reached an unprecedented level.
At this time, no matter who wants to be an enemy of Shandong, these people will actively take action to defend the regime.
"According to statistics, the total output of winter wheat this year is 4.5 billion jins, which is 300 million jins more than last year. Considering that the farming methods and climate environment are not much different between this year and last year, it can be inferred that the increase in output basically comes from seeds. improvements."
Chen Zilong ran over to report the data to Zuo Mengeng.
In an era of frequent disasters, food production can still increase, which is absolutely great news.
With more food, more people can be fed. The problem of the most scarce labor force in Shandong can be greatly alleviated.
In the past, it was precisely because of the shortage of food that Shandong was both open and rigorous in absorbing the outside population, always paying attention to the number of outsiders. I am afraid that the limit of food supply will be exceeded and cause a social crisis.
"Still can't let down our guard. God has become more and more evil these years, and no one can tell what kind of catastrophes there will be in the future. In any case, food is crucial. We must not only ensure the output of the fields, but also open up new areas. Multiple sources of food.”
Zuo Mengeng has read too much information about how terrible the natural disasters in the late Ming Dynasty were.
It would be no exaggeration to describe this era as the last days.
In his memory, Shandong was not affected by disasters in the past few years, and it seemed that it would experience several major disasters in the future.
At this time, there is no other way. On the one hand, we have to fight against God, and on the other hand, we need to find more ways to survive.
The Europeans were able to survive these difficult years through colonization. Although the Chinese did not advocate colonial plunder, they could definitely find sufficient supplies from overseas.
At least in recent years, aquaculture and marine fishing have proven that abundant food can be obtained from outside the land.
When he returned to Linqing, Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua came together to find him.
"Commander-in-Chief, Anthony van Diemen made a suggestion. The Dutch plan to establish a commercial post in Shandong and be responsible for our trade there. We discussed it and felt that this matter was beneficial and harmless, so we were ready to agree. . However, Mr. Hou said that this matter is the first of its kind, and it is best to go through your review."
Zuo Mengeng nodded, appreciating Hou Xun's maturity and perseverance.
Although they are all indigenous officials, Hou Xun is more thoughtful than others.
He asked: "Since the Dutch plan to build a business store here, can we take equivalent measures?"
Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua looked at each other, they really hadn't thought of this.
"Since ancient times, only barbarians from all over the world have come to pay tribute to the Celestial Empire. Unless necessary, it is rare for the Celestial Empire to send envoys to foreign lands."
When talking about historical materials about missions to foreign lands, the first thing that Liao Zhongjian and others thought of was Su Wu Muyang.
"You guys... where have you learned the art of war? Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be victorious in every battle. Why have you forgotten it?"
After being scolded, Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua were both very ashamed.
"We will reply to the Dutch and set up a business office in Batavia as well."
"That alone is not enough."
Zuo Mengeng stopped them.
Now that the Dutch had made a request, he planned to act on the momentum.
"Go and talk to the Dutch. We can set up embassies for each other. Each side will send ambassadors to both sides. Although the embassy is on the local territory, it exists as its own territory. Both sides must ensure the safety of the other side's embassy and at the same time not infringe. In the future, Any exchanges between the two parties, including political, economic, military, diplomatic and civil disputes, can be handled and handled by the embassy.”
Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua were greatly surprised when they heard Zuo Mengeng's thoughts.
They were still very young and did not immediately understand the benefits.
But Zuo Mengeng understood the meaning too well.
"On the surface, an embassy can be regarded as a representative of a country in the field of other countries, and can conduct smooth communication and exchanges with the country where it is stationed on behalf of its country. But in fact, the embassy, envoys and embassy staff can be regarded as their own The eyes and tentacles can not only keep an eye on every move of the host country at any time, but can also make some moves in private."
He made it so clear that Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua still didn't understand the benefits, so they just found a rope to hang themselves.
"Don't worry, Commander, we will definitely handle this matter beautifully."
Both Liao Zhongjian and Chonghua understood that the purpose of the embassy revealed by Zuo Menggeng was not something that the Dutch could understand in a short time.
And this time difference is enough to reap huge benefits for Shandong.
After the two of them found Anthony Van Diemen and explained Shandong's idea, the other party agreed on the spot.
The act of sending envoys to other countries is actually very common in Europe, and Shandong's approach is just a step further, also taking into account the distance.
As a commercial country that has always dreamed of having in-depth exchanges with China, the Dutch are eager to establish deeper ties.
