On the Bohai Coast in early April, the sea breeze is cool and the sunshine is pleasant. On the outer edge of the port, there are three peaks adjacent to each other, which are abrupt and tall. The mountains penetrate into the sea and look like a crescent moon.
Guo Ning stood on the top of the peak and looked far into the distance. He saw only the boundless blue sky and the tidal blue sea.
Dozens of ships are moored in the harbor. There are merchant ships and a few fishing boats. The ships are connected with wooden planks. Some sailors or fishermen walk on the wooden planks to the trestle, and then follow the trestle to several newly built wine shops on the inside of the harbor.
There are also a few people who are more ornately dressed, and they are the maritime merchants staying in Sanshan Port. I heard that these people have already bought houses and shops in Ye County, and are preparing to make the smuggling business completely public and flex their muscles.
Already.
It was the time of high tide. Waves of waves were lapping against the rugged and towering boulders at his feet. The water collided with the caves deep inside the boulders, making a vast and powerful sound, as if there was something huge and unpredictable below.
space is the same.
This was Guo Ning's first time here. He couldn't help but look down and stamp his feet.
Li Yundao, who was accompanying him, said: "Commander Jie, back then the First Emperor traveled eastward to the sea and paid homage to the famous mountains, rivers and eight gods, asking for the immortals' envy. Five of the eight gods here are all under the jurisdiction of our Dinghai Navy. And
The place where Jieshuai now sets foot is the Three Mountains where the Lord of Yin is worshiped. Which deity the so-called Lord of Yin is is unknown now, but the reason why he chose to offer sacrifices here must have something to do with the sound of the sea water."
Guo Ning asked: "Is this really the place where the First Emperor worshiped?"
"Commander Jie, please look here." Li Yun said: "Are there faint traces of wine bottles and chopsticks on this flat stone? Legend has it that this is the place where the First Emperor poured wine to worship the Lord of Yin. In addition, we set up a watchtower.
The place is said to be the site of the Sanshan Pavilion built by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty when he offered sacrifices here."
"That's it." Guo Ning nodded and touched the marks on the stone: "Speaking of sacrifices... Later, you can ask Jin Qing for me if you need to make arrangements, so that Taoist Priest Yuyangzi from Donglai Mountain can be arranged.
Come forward."
"Yes." Li Yun bowed solemnly: "Then he added, but Mr. Jin Qing probably won't make a big deal about it."
Guo Ning thought for a while and nodded.
The reason why he suddenly talked about this was because the day before yesterday, Du Shisheng sent people from Zhongdu and sailed south in a light boat and brought a piece of news.
Tu Shanyi died of illness.
This powerful official who wanted to maintain the situation in Daikin at all costs finally completed his forty-year official career and reached the end of his life.
He is a Jurchen, but at the same time he is a gentle Confucian scholar and the leader of the Han civil servants in the court. Therefore, for decades, he has been working tirelessly to bridge the many conflicts in the court. When the conflicts finally intensified, he was able to make a decisive decision and take the final decision.
Drastic measures are used to eradicate the soil that creates conflicts.
Even in Guo Ning's eyes, Tu Shanyi is a rare and capable minister. In his forty years of official career, he started from the first batch of Jurchens to be Jinshi, to Prime Minister Zuo, Marshal of the Du, and Pingzhang Zhengshi, Guangyang
The prince became the most powerful minister under one person in the court and above tens of thousands of people.
However, his forty years of official career were also the forty years when the Kingdom of Jin turned from prosperity to decline. For Tu Shanyi himself, seeing the power of the Kingdom of Jin like this, even though his personal official position and power were increasing, perhaps
There's nothing to be happy about.
With Tu Shanyi's talent, he should have accomplished more. But in the increasingly difficult situation, he could only adapt to the situation.
In fact, few of the changes he made were completely successful, and after a change, they would often be driven by the current situation, resulting in more unpredictable changes. But at least, every decision he made was indeed successful.
It will be of some benefit to the situation.
For example, the powerful minister who tried to support the army and respect himself did indeed die, and the emperor's throne did change. Another example is that the new emperor really had to insist on confronting the Mongolian army in Zhongdu.
And Tu Shanyi worked hard for this little benefit.
Guo Ning had already expected Tu Danyi's death. He met Tu Danyi twice, and each time he felt that the old man was older than before.
But Guo Ning really didn't expect that his life would end so soon. He always felt that the old man had a special power in his body that allowed him to continue to persevere with his aging body.
Perhaps Tu Shanyi's last bit of energy was devoted to supporting King Wanyan Shouxu of Sui to go south to Kaifeng. When he confirmed that the situation of two points between Dajin and Jin was formed, his body lost the reason to continue to maintain it.
Guo Ning had no feelings for the Kingdom of Jin, and was even more disgusted with the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Jurchens. In the process of his rise from the grass, he also had several battles of wits and courage with Tu Shanyi. But for Tu Shanyi himself, he was really
Somewhat respectful.
As Tu Danyi's close nephew, Yi La Chucai chose to follow Guo Ning, turning his back on Tu Dan Yi and his path. After hearing the news of his death, Yi La Chu Cai's mood was probably very complicated.
In the past two days, Yi La Chucai, who was always full of energy and devoted himself to official duties, took leave of absence, so Guo Ning took Li Yun on a tour.
Even Li Yun himself has a bit of mixed emotions. Li Yun has never met the golden prime minister, but in the few months he has been presiding over the situation in Zhigu Village, he has heard many rumors about Tu Shanyi. He can at least confirm it.
, once Tu Shanyi dies, the political situation of Dajin, the game between the emperor and his ministers, and the subtle relationship between Daxing Prefecture in Zhongdu and Kaifeng Prefecture in Nanjing will all undergo huge changes.
And this change will soon affect Ding Haijun, and you may be able to see it today.
Guo Ning listened to the sound of the ocean tide and was silent for a long time.
After all, he was just the prime minister of Daijin. He didn't want to make the atmosphere too heavy, so he smiled and asked: "Ayun has been in Shandong not long ago, so he is very familiar with these anecdotes?"
"How could I have such ability... A while ago, I went here with Judge Yi La and accompanied several large merchants. I listened to what Judge Yi La said on the way. Once, he even composed a poem on the spot, and I also memorized it.
Do you want to hear it, Jieshuai?"
Guo Ning waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I have a headache."
Negotiations between smuggling Chu materials and maritime merchants have been going on, but there have been no results. However, the smuggling trade between the Song and Jin families lasted for decades, and everyone was here for making money, even if Laizhou Dinghai Navy was in an official capacity
The reason for going off in person is to make money, and not to enforce rules for maritime merchants.
The reason why many details are difficult to implement is because both parties understand that in this kind of bargaining process, the more the party can control its temper, the more it can take the initiative at the critical moment of the negotiation and get more benefits.
So on Ding Haijun's side, it was still Li Yun who came forward, banging the table and chatting around every day, while Yi La Chucai still accompanied him on trips every now and then. As time went by, everyone felt that Judge Yi La of Ding Hai Hai had a calm demeanor.
But that Li Yun is really unworthy of being a son of a man.
Li Yun took up this post and put in a lot of effort. He didn't know a few words at first, but for the past few months he had memorized them by rote and studied hard by candlelight every night. Now he looks like a somewhat experienced businessman, not to mention
Negotiate with others carefully, and even if you travel with someone who has moved Chu Cai, you can still be elegant and not show any vulgarity.
This is a time of lean times, and the grain obtained by Guo Ning's troops from last year's plundering and looting is being consumed very quickly, so they have reached an agreement with a group of maritime merchants to ship a few ships of grain as a preliminary practice before a large-scale transaction.
Therefore, Guo Ning immediately asked Li Yun about the preparations for the repair of various private ports. Li Yun mentioned the addition of facilities in several places outside Sanshan Port, Shihuzui, Diaolongzui, Taiping Bay, and Hutouya, as well as ports, warehouses and
The transportation route arrangement of the military fort is also discussed.
Guo Ning was very satisfied and was about to ask something else when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps. Someone was stepping on the ladder of the watchtower and ran down to report: "Commander, the ship is almost here!"
Guo Ning squinted and looked at the sea, only to see a white sail going around the three mountains. Someone on the boat was waving two-color flags, echoing the same waving flags on the watchtower.
In the port, several civil and military officials who had been waiting in advance began to line up on the seawall at the end of the plank road. Another group of soldiers came out from the military fort south of the port and dispersed the people along the way to avoid blocking the road.
After watching for a long time, Guo Ning suddenly frowned: "This matter has gone astray. Do I still have to go to the mountains to shout long live and kowtow to the visitors in front of so many people?"
Li Yun coughed repeatedly: "Jie Shuai, after all, he is an angel... a greeting is nothing."
Guo Ning chuckled twice.
The banner of the imperial court will indeed continue to be fought for a while. But there are some things that Guo Ning doesn't like to do. Does the imperial court still have the ability to force him to do it?
Based on the current situation of the Jin Kingdom, Daxing Mansion in Zhongdu has soldiers and people, and even has the name of the imperial court, but it is desolate everywhere and is in urgent need of food and fodder. The prosperous Kaifeng Mansion can provide everything that Zhongdu needs, so it can rely on food and fodder.
The advantages of materials were actually controlled by the Zhongdu imperial court.
At this time, only Ding Haijun's sea route could bring another channel for supplying grain and materials to Zhongdu; and only by Ding Haijun's high-handedness, could the Zhongdu court have the confidence to continue entangled with Kaifeng Prefecture.
The Zhongdu court should take note of this. As long as the big shots in the court are smart enough, they will try their best to win over Guo Ning to maintain the sea route. If they are not smart enough, Guo Ning doesn't mind doing them a small favor and letting them
Be smart.
So Guo Ning sat down on a stone in the mountain and said concisely and concisely: "Let the envoy come and ask him to come here to see me."
Li Yun responded and went.
Half an hour later, a servant in embroidered clothes ran up from the mountain and saluted deeply from a few feet away: "Deputy envoy Wuwei, I would like to remind the Qingshan slave of the attendant bureau to pay my respects to the envoy Xuanfu!"
"Xuanfu envoy?" Guo Ning asked with a smile, "Am I promoted?"
