After hearing this, Lao Zhu leaned back on his chair and looked at Tang He with a bit of sympathy. He asked helplessly: "Don't you know what's going on on the other side? It's tens of thousands of miles away from Ming Dynasty.
Well, Han Du almost died and was blessed by God before he was able to come back. Are they all willing to go?"
"Yes, they are all willing to go." Tang He replied with great certainty.
Now Lao Zhu was surprised. You must know that the conditions in Nanyang are much better than those on the other side. From the capital to Nanyang, a round trip only takes about half a year, but what about going to the other side? Not even a year, I'm afraid.
Don't even think about it.
"Why is this?"
Tang He squinted his eyes and said with a relaxed expression: "Han Du said that the reason why he narrowly escaped death was because he took the southern sea route that required crossing the sea. He had no choice but to do so now.
Where to go."
"Now you can take the sea route to the north. As long as you walk along the coast, there is basically no risk and you can reach the other side safely."
Lao Zhu naturally knew about this road to the north, but the nobles did not. Therefore, Han Du would explain it to the nobles, and Lao Zhu could understand it.
"But it is tens of thousands of miles away after all. Are you really willing to leave your hometown?" Lao Zhu looked at Tang He with a dull look and asked with a hint, "I want to remind you first, what's going on over there?"
It is completely different from Nanyang. It is a truly barbaric land. You can still see some normal people in Nanyang. But over there, they are all barbarians. Have you seen the one Han Du brought back, Zhai Yuan?
No? I heard that at the beginning, he was wearing animal skins all over his body and didn't even have any clothes. It was only in the Ming Dynasty that he gradually got used to wearing clothes."
"In Nanyang, there are still Western merchants who come to trade. As governor, you can more or less trade some things and receive some taxes. But there are no merchants there. Who can you trade with?
To what?"
Tang He looked serious and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, Nanyang was also a barbaric wilderness at the beginning, and Japanese pirates were rampant. Since I didn't back down at the beginning, naturally I won't do it now. There is indeed nothing to trade on the other side, but Han Du
As I said, the products on the opposite side are extremely rich, even if nothing is exchanged, just transporting the special products on the opposite side back to the Ming Dynasty, the income will be extremely considerable."
Lao Zhu was dumbfounded, and then asked in surprise: "Are all those nobles willing to give up their seats as governors of Nanyang?"
"As the superior said, aren't the governors of Nanyang all appointed by the superior? I and they are just guarding for the superior. Of course, I also have selfish motives. If I can be a governor, I can increase the income of the government.
, I will be satisfied if I can improve the lives of the people in the house." Tang He lowered his posture and held Lao Zhu high.
Sure enough, Tang He's move worked.
Lao Zhu laughed happily, and was extremely satisfied with Tang He's answer. He patted his shoulder and said, "Don't go, let the nephews and nephews in the house go. You are quite old, and it's time to enjoy peace and happiness."
.Besides, I can’t live without you.”
As he said that, Lao Zhu raised his head and sighed: "Since the third brother left, there is one less person to talk to me. If you go there, then I really have no one to talk to."
"Okay, okay, I will listen to my superiors and won't go anywhere. I will stay here to guard my superiors." Tang He had never thought about going to America. Just now, the words came to his lips and he had to say them.
If the superiors obeyed him and insisted on letting him go, then even if Tang He was very likely to die on the way, he would have no choice but to go there.
Now that he has been retained by his superiors, Tang He still feels warm in his heart.
"Then the superior agreed to my request?"
Lao Zhu smiled and nodded, and said: "Isn't it just to set up the Governor's Mansion over there? I agreed to this."
"Thank you, sir." Tang He quickly wanted to stand up tremblingly and solemnly thanked Lao Zhu.
But Lao Zhu really didn't want Tang He to have a hard time, so he stretched out his hand to hold his shoulders and said, "We old brothers don't need to worry about these red tapes."
"Hey, hey~" Tang He smiled and nodded, agreeing.
Lao Zhu was originally worried that the nobles would cling to the position of Nanyang Governor, which would lead to conflicts with civil servants and lead to political instability. After all, every governor position represents an interest, and it is still huge.
Not everyone can give up their interests easily.
But Lao Zhu did not expect that Han Du would propose to set up the Governor's Mansion opposite, and that the nobles were actually willing to go. He thought that the nobles were willing to leave Nanyang, a prosperous place that has prospered, and go to a place where birds can't shit again.
It was wild, and there were no conditions, just a request to set up a governor's palace, and Lao Zhu felt moved in his heart.
At the same time, I thought that the civil servants were not even willing to go to Nanyang. Even after Fang Xiaoru presented the memorial, there was a collective boycott by the civil servants.
Compared with the nobles who were willing to take the initiative to go to America to serve as governors, these civil servants seemed much more cowardly.
Now that his goal was achieved, Tang He stood up and resigned.
Lao Zhu did not keep him, he smiled and nodded and agreed, and also told Tang He to pay more attention to rest when he went back, and to go to the palace to talk to him when he had time.
After Han Du left Tang He's house, he found Fang Xiaoru with doubts.
"What's going on with you? Why did you suddenly ask a civilian to serve as governor?"
Facing Han Du's questioning, Fang Xiaoru looked extremely calm and said: "Since Nanyang needs governance, isn't it reasonable for civil servants to join Nanyang as governor?"
Han Du was immediately choked by Fang Xiaoru's words. He was not sure whether Fang Xiaoru knew whether he would receive a 10% reward for serving as governor. Han Du did not dare to reveal the news to him anymore, so he sighed and said: "Nanyang belongs to the emperor.
In the land of wealth, if you rush to report like this, if the emperor thinks you have ulterior motives, you will be in serious trouble."
In response to Han Du's warning, Fang Xiaoru looked disapproving and said: "I hope that the emperor can let civilian officials serve as governors. To govern a place does not mean giving up Nanyang, how can it have any impact? And civilian officials should govern the place.
If it's suitable to compete with military generals, maybe it will make Nanyang more prosperous?"
When Han Du saw Fang Xiaoru taking it for granted, he was surprised for a moment, and then said to him with a wry smile: "Nanyang is completely different from the Ming Dynasty, and the civil servants may not be able to guard it. You wouldn't think that,
Didn't you have a thorough understanding of the situation in Nanyang when you looked around like a quick glance at the flowers?"
When Fang Xiaoru heard this, she did not rashly refute Han Du. Instead, she frowned and thought deeply for a moment before asking, "What? What's wrong with Nanyang?"
Han Du had no choice but to explain: "Except for Luzon and Old Port, there are a few governor's palaces in Nanyang. Because Ming people live there, they are relatively stable. But in other places, such as Java, there are basically no Ming people.
Traces. In a place like this, it relies entirely on the Governor's Mansion to use force to suppress the resistance of the local natives."
"Do you think that if a civil servant leaves, he will be able to guard the Governor's Mansion?"
Although most civil servants say that mounting a horse can lead an army and dismounting a horse can bring peace to the people, they would only believe this after drinking a few glasses of wine.
Of course, there are people who are truly both civil and military. But there are really too few such people. Usually, civil and military officials can still distinguish themselves.
Although Han Du is a good hand in handling government affairs, he has never said that he is also a good hand in leading troops and fighting. Even the naval battle that Han Du is best at relies on "Caliber is justice, range is truth", plus
Some of the common sense of naval warfare accumulated in the war is just bullying. When the two armies faced each other, Han Du always delegated command authority to his subordinates and did not dare to make blind decisions on his own.
It's no joke that one general's incompetence can lead to the death of three armies.
Fang Xiaoru also knew that it was somewhat unrealistic for civilian officials to lead troops to suppress one party. Facing Han Du's words, he could not refute. He simply spread his hands towards Han Du and said helplessly: "But now that I have already reported it, then
What else can be done?
"
What else can I do? Let’s serve it cold.
Now we can only see what Lao Zhu means, whether to put this matter aside, or whether he really wants to send a civilian to Nanyang to serve as governor. If Lao Zhu really intends to let a civilian serve as governor, then Han Du can only suggest
Lao Zhu first asked civil servants to take up a few relatively stable positions, step by step.
Or it could be to equip civilian officials with military generals, and return to the state of civilian officials governing and military generals fighting.
"If you must go to Nanyang to serve as governor, you should choose Jiugang or Luzon." Seeing Fang Xiaoru's attitude, Han Du knew that he could not persuade him, so he gave him a last word and left.
Jiugang has a local snake like Shi Jinqing, so there is no problem in terms of stability. As for Luzon, given the importance Lao Zhu attaches to Luzon, Han Du is not sure whether Lao Zhu will let Fang Xiaoru serve as the governor of Luzon.
When Han Du returned to the house, an inexplicable feeling always lingered in his heart. He always felt that the matter of Fang Xiaoru's memorial was not as simple as he said.
Even if Fang Xiaoru saw the prosperity of Nanyang with his own eyes and wanted to serve as governor, there was no need for him to report it. He told himself his thoughts, couldn't he run it for him?
Although Han Du doesn't think he is that great, he still has the ability to run a governor's position. After all, Nanyang was conquered by himself, and the governor himself suggested Lao Zhu to set it up. Lao Zhu has made so much money in Nanyang in recent years.
The good thing is that he will still give it to him.
Moreover, from Fang Xiaoru's point of view, no matter what, I was the first choice to help him become the governor. So, why did Fang Xiaoru sacrifice the near for the far, the easy for the difficult, and insisted on submitting the memorial himself?
The more Han Du thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.
"Could it be that Fang Xiaoru knew that the governor would be rewarded with 10% of his annual tribute?" A thought came to mind, and the more Han Du thought about it, the more he realized that this was the case.
But there are two problems with this, that is, how did Fang Xiaoru know about the reward? Only Xungui and Lao Zhu knew about this matter, and neither Lao Zhu nor Xungui could tell Fang Xiaoru the news.
You will not let the civil officials know this news and compete with them for the governor's seat.
Lao Zhu would not tell Fang Xiaoru, or even let anyone know how much benefit he made from Nanyang every year.
Who told Fang Xiaoru?
Another thing is, since Fang Xiaoru knew about the reward from the governor, why didn't he write it in the memorial or tell it directly in the court? With such a fortune starting from 100,000 yuan a year, if the civil servants knew about it, they would simply
Instead of opposing Fang Xiaoru together, he would be eager to go to Nanyang to serve as governor.
It is impossible for Fang Xiaoru not to know about such an easy way to win people's hearts, but he never mentioned a word about it in the court. He would rather be misunderstood and targeted by all the civil servants than reveal anything.
What exactly does Fang Xiaoru want to do?
Suddenly, Han Du thought that there was another person who knew about the reward.
Zhu Biao!
When he thought of Zhu Biao, Han Du suddenly felt enlightened for some reason.
Although Han Du didn't know why Zhu Biao revealed this news to Fang Xiaoru, he did have the conditions to do so. Fang Xiaoru is now an official in the Prince's Mansion, said the Minister of the East Palace.
Although Han Du still can't figure out the second question, Han Du can't wait to ask Zhu Biao.
Arriving at the East Palace, Han Du entered without any obstruction. When he saw Zhu Biao, he found that he was making tea with his own hands.
Before Han Du could speak, Zhu Biao glanced at Han Du with a smile and said, "Here you are? Sit down."
Han Du followed Zhu Biao's instructions and sat on his left hand. He glanced at Zhu Biao suspiciously, took the tea, and asked doubtfully: "Your Highness knows that I will come?"
Zhu Biao nodded with a smile and said: "Calculating the time, it's almost time for you to come see Gu. However, you are still a bit beyond Gu's expectations. You came a little earlier than Gu expected."
Seeing Zhu Biao act like this, Han Du felt a little clearer in his heart. He stopped beating around the bush and asked directly: "Did His Highness tell Fang Xiaoru that there will be a 10% reward for serving as governor?"
"Of course." Zhu Biao agreed as a matter of course, and continued: "Not only that, even he submitted the memorial under Gu's instructions."
No wonder Han Du suddenly understood the second question in his mind.
Originally, Han Du felt strange about Fang Xiaoru's various behaviors. Now it seems that it is not that Fang Xiaoru behaves strangely, but that he was simply instructed by Zhu Biao.
However, the doubts about Fang Xiaoru were gone, and new doubts arose in Han Du's heart. He looked at Zhu Biao very puzzled and asked: "What exactly does His Highness want to do?"
Zhu Biao smiled and said directly without going around in circles with Han Du: "I won't hide it from you. I think that since we are in charge of governance, maybe civilian officials are better than military generals. Moreover, Xungui has been occupying the throne for the past few years.
If the position of Nanyang Governor continues like this for a long time, there will be something wrong after all, right?"
"It is certainly not appropriate for your Excellency to hold the position of governor all the time." Han Du nodded sincerely, agreeing with Zhu Biao's view, and then continued: "However, does your highness think that the time is ripe for a civilian to serve as governor?"
Zhu Biao was stunned when he heard this, and said with a faint smile: "What? Do you think the time is not ripe yet?"
Han Du nodded solemnly. Seeing Zhu Biao's confusion, he explained: "Your Highness, there are indigenous people in Nanyang. The Ming Dynasty has just occupied Nanyang for a few years. The situation in many places is not stable and requires garrison to suppress it. If civil servants
As governor, I am a little worried that they may not be able to control the place where they live."
Zhu Biao knew very well the difference between governing one side and suppressing another, and also understood the strengths and weaknesses of civil officials and military generals.
Frowning, he asked: "But Fang Xiaoru said that Nanyang is very prosperous now. Although it is not as prosperous as the capital, it is no worse than other big cities in the Ming Dynasty."
Han Du smiled bitterly after hearing this, and explained with a sigh: "It is true that Nanyang has become prosperous now, but those are only the ports along the way from Daming to Old Port, or Luzon. What Fang Xiaoru saw at the beginning was only these places. These
They are all places where Ming Dynasty merchants stayed, so they will naturally appear prosperous."
"Of course, I am not saying this to object to Your Highness's desire to have a civilian serve as governor. I just want to remind Your Highness that when a civilian serves as governor, it is best to choose these places. Other local ministers are worried that civilians will not be able to guard it."
Zhu Biao did not expect that this would be the case, and immediately fell silent. After thinking for a long time, he asked: "What is the situation in other governor's mansions?"
Han Du sighed heavily, stood up and explained: "How should I put it? Your Highness also knows how much wealth each governor's palace contributes to the inner treasury every year."
When Zhu Biao heard this, a strange color flashed in his eyes. He only learned about this in recent years. A governor's palace sends millions of dollars of wealth into the inner treasury every year. Such huge wealth shocked Zhu Biao for the first time.
He had no idea that such a huge wealth could exist in a wild land in the eyes of the world.
At the same time, Zhu Biao couldn't help but be jealous of these wealth. After all, wealth is attractive. As a prince, Zhu Biao had a lot of money to spend. Otherwise, he would not have accepted the 40% of the coal mine that Han Du gave him.
Shares.
Han Du continued: "Think about it, Your Highness, the prosperous Governor's Palace can make up this money by relying on taxation and trade. But what about those Governor's Palaces that have no way to trade?"
Zhu Biao looked at Han Du hesitantly, his brows suddenly furrowed. He was reminded by Han Du that he also thought about this problem.
Seeing that Zhu Biao was obviously silent, Han Du had no choice but to continue: "Then we can only rely on local specialties. If there are mines, let the local indigenous people mine them. If there are valuable timbers, let the local indigenous people cut down the timber. But Your Highness, those
Why should the indigenous people listen to us and do whatever we tell them to do?"
Without waiting for Zhu Biao's answer, Han Du sighed and said: "It is precisely because of the suppression by the Governor's Mansion that those natives will be obedient. But no matter what, will they always be convinced?"
Without Han Du's explanation, Zhu Biao could figure out that the natives would definitely not be convinced.