Just as Lu Yongmao was sent away, a soldier came in and reported: "Sir, someone from Beijing has arrived." ”

"Wherever the people are, bring them in immediately."

A messenger walked into the office: "Report sir, a handwritten letter from General Jiang Beiming." ”

"It's hard work, go down and rest." Zhou Lei took the letter, opened it and looked at it for a while.

"Sir, do you have any orders from Beijing?" Yang Tao asked.

"It's going to be war again." Zhou Lei raised the letter in his hand, "In the past few days, we have gathered troops, all of them have come back to standby, and we are waiting for news from the imperial court." ”

"Sir, who are you going to fight this time?"

"Li Zicheng." Zhou Lei said, "The imperial court wants to transfer us and the Yulin army in Datong to exterminate Li Zicheng." ”

In the Forbidden City in Beijing, the side of the potential Chongzhen stands with his hands down.

"Gao Qiqian, I can't do anything about you like this." Chongzhen slowly sipped the tea and said, "I also have to consider the opinions of the court. ”

"The slave understands." Gao Qi hurriedly knelt down and said, "The slave knows Your Majesty's difficulties. ”

"Did you find out who did that?"

"Back to Your Majesty, the slave and maid found out, it was Yulinwan who did it."

"It's them." Chongzhen didn't show surprise, "What are they doing now?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the slave maid heard that the Ministry of War has issued an order to send the fast gun team and the Yulin Army of Xuanfu and Datong to Shaanxi to assist Lord Hong in clearing out the Liukou."

"Wipe out the rogues." Chongzhen put down the tea bowl in his hand, "How many Yulin troops are there in Xuanfu and Datong?" ”

"Avoidance, there are only 2,000 people in total, and the rest have returned to Qiongzhou Mansion."

"I know, you should step back first." Chongzhen didn't ask anything more.

A large number of people suddenly gathered in the commercial area outside the earthen wall of Yulin Bay, and everyone was crowding forward.

"Don't squeeze, don't squeeze." An interpreter kept shouting, "This has just arrived, everyone has come to take a look." Each of them is as strong as an ox, with a gentle temperament, and is down-to-earth and upright. ”

"What are they selling, why are those people so dark?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"That's called Kunlunnu, and it was there when it was in the Tang Dynasty." A man next to him replied.

There were seven or eight black people standing behind the interpreter, one by one, with their hands lowered and their eyes down, looking at the Ming people around them in confusion.

"Hey, are these people for sale?" Someone asked.

"Yes, this is what Captain Addison brought here, 200 taels of silver each." The interpreter replied loudly.

"200 taels, it's too expensive, who can afford it."

"That's it, my family only hires a maid for one or two silver a month."

A Westerner next to the interpreter arched his hand like a Ming Dynasty person: "Ladies and gentlemen, these are a few black slaves that I brought from the distant Afrika continent to the ocean. It's rare in your Ming Dynasty, and 200 taels is not expensive. ”

"What's going on over there, how are so many people gathered?" Tan Jing and two members of the Women's Federation happened to pass by here.

"Director Tan." The man next to him replied, "Listening to their shouting, it seems that they are selling something, and it is not cheap." ”

"yes, there's something new, let's go see it." Tan Jing became interested, and separated everyone and squeezed in.

The interpreter knew Tan Jing and hurriedly greeted him: "Director Tan, are you also interested?" This was brought by Captain Addison of England, and he said that he had brought it from Afei, and the little one had never seen such a black person before. ”

Tan Jing's face sank: "What are you doing here?" ”

"Director Tan." The interpreter didn't understand why Tan Jing suddenly got angry, "The little one is helping Captain Addison buy and sell." ”

"Buying and selling?" Tan Jing pointed at the black men and asked, "Are you selling them?" ”

Addison stepped forward and said to Tan Jing, "Dear Madam, I am Addison from England. These are the ones I brought with me from Africa, and they are my personal property at a fair price. ”

"Your private property?" Tan Jing asked sharply, "Can people also be bought and sold as commodities?" ”

"Director Tan." The interpreter said, "They are not our Ming people, you see what they look like." ”

Tan Jing ignored the interpreter, turned around and instructed the people of the Women's Federation: "You go to the patrol room to report the case, and no one here can leave." ”

Addison didn't understand what Tan Jing meant: "Dear Madam, my sale of my private property here is in line with the regulations of your Ming Dynasty. In the New World, we did the same. ”

"This is not the New World, this is Yulin Bay." Tan Jing pointed at Addison and said, "I don't care who you are, you must not buy and sell people in Yulin Bay, let alone treat people as slaves." ”

The two were arguing, and Cao Lin arrived with the patrol: "Director Tan, what's wrong?" ”

"Cao Lin, you came just in time." Tan Jing said, "Bring these people back, and bring back this Englishman, who is suspected of human trafficking." ”

Cao Lin paused for a moment: "Director Tan, there seems to be no regulation prohibiting human trafficking in our laws, and it is not easy to do it. ”

Tan Jing knew that she couldn't control Cao Lin: "Cao Lin, bring them back first, and I will explain to your chief inspector." ”

"But Director Tan."

"No, but." Tan Jing was a little angry, "I said I would explain it to your chief inspector, I don't want to say it a third time." ”

"Yes, Director Tan." Cao Lin hurriedly stood upright, this tigress was even stunned by the chief inspector, and he still didn't want to get into trouble.

"It's all scattered, scattered, don't look at it." Cao Lin shouted, "Come on, bring these people back." ”

Addison was anxious: "Why are you taking me away, I didn't break your laws." ”

"I'll talk about it when I go back, I'll talk about it when I go back." Cao Lin beckoned and brought everyone back to the patrol room in the old area.

Liu Guannan rushed over after receiving the report: "Sister Tan, what happened, I heard that someone is buying and selling people?" ”

"Guannan." Tan Jing asked, "Do we have any legal provisions prohibiting human trafficking?" ”

Liu Guannan thought for a while: "This is really not, there are no special provisions in the original "Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women and Children". We are basically employed in Yulin Bay now, and no one is willing to buy and sell, because once something goes wrong, we do not recognize the sales contract in practice. ”

"But there was just an open sale of human beings, and it was black."

"Sister Tan, you're talking about the Englishman." Liu Guannan probably knew what was going on, "It is indeed inappropriate to buy and sell black slaves, but firstly, the trade of black slaves is normal in this era, and secondly, we really have no basis for law enforcement." ”

"Guannan, you actually said that it is normal to buy and sell black slaves."

"Sister Tan, I didn't mean that." Liu Guannan hurriedly laughed when he saw that Tan Jing was about to get angry, and then turned around and shouted, "Cao Lin, go and invite Justice Shi Xianyang and Justice Fan Qiuming here, I have something to ask them." ”

Shi Xianyang and Fan Qiuming both came to the patrol room, and after listening to Tan Jing's story, Shi Xianyang said: "This time I am on Sister Tan's side, human trafficking is illegal. I suggest you go to the arrest room to detain the Englishman. ”

"It's not good." "We don't have a law prohibiting human trafficking, and we just got on good terms with the British, so I don't think it's appropriate to arrest them now," Liu said. ”

"Guannan, it's not without legal basis." "The Twelfth Amendment to the Covenant clearly stipulates that no one shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. There is freedom in this. ”

"But there's also property to be had." Liu Guannan retorted, "Those blacks are Addison's private property. ”

"No, Guannan." Shi Xianyang said, "How can people become property. There is an immutable principle in the legal profession that natural law is always superior to human law and social law. The philosophical basis of human rights is natural law. ”

"I know you're right, and I know the slave trade is certainly wrong." "But it's the 17th century, it's 1637, and if we ban the slave trade now, if we ban the human traffic, will there be any problems?" ”

"No problem at all." "Even in the New World of the Americas, there was already an abolitionist movement. In 1688, the Quakers in the colonies openly wrote a manifesto against slavery, and later Thomas Jepson and Franklin proposed the abolition of slavery. By 1804, slavery had been abolished in all northern states. And in Britain, on March 25, 1807, the British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act through the efforts of abolitionists. All of this is just over 100 years behind us, so why can't we do it? ”

"Haunting, now is not the time for you to endorse." Liu Guannan smiled, "I now want to know what our patrol house should do." ”

"I have a suggestion." Fan Qiuming said, "Can we pay to buy these black people, just like before, and then give them freedom." ”

"I'm against it." Shi Xianyang expressed a different opinion, "When we bought Wu's sister-in-law, they were determined by the situation at the time, but now it is different. If we still use the method of buying and selling, it will be tantamount to recognizing the legality of the slave trade, and we must not do so, and we must use legal means to prohibit it. ”

"But Addison is British." Fan Qiuming asked the same question as Liu Guannan, "Will this affect our relationship with the British?" ”

"Old Fan, human rights know no borders."

"Yes, I won't argue with you." Fan Qiuming smiled, "I think this matter should be reported to the committee." ”

"I agree." Tan Jing agreed.

"But what should I do?" Liu Guannan asked, "Is that Addison still locked up, and what about those black people?" ”

"So be it." Shi Xianyang said, "Addison can let him go first, but he can't leave Yulin Bay." Those blacks, you should settle the patrol house first, and then we will decide what to do when we come up with a resolution. ”

An enlarged meeting of the two committees was held, and most of the people expressed their understanding and agreed with Shi Xianyang's opinion on this matter, and that the black slave trade must not be carried out in Yulin Bay. Tan Jing proposed to convene a new conference to amend the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women and Children to include the prohibition of human trafficking in law.

In order to take care of the relationship with the British, the committee decided not to hold Addison accountable for the time being, and he could live and trade freely in Yulin Bay.

For those blacks, their own opinions will be consulted, and the committee willing to return to Africa will find a boat to send them back to their homeland. If you don't want to go back, you can live in Yulin Bay, which is open to everyone.

After this meeting, the Military Commission held a separate enlarged meeting, which was attended by all the senior officers at home, including Ye Zhan and Andreas, who were not traversers. Because the Annan landing operation is imminent.

Liu Guannan also attended the meeting as an invitee.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am entrusted by Chairman Dong of the Military Commission to report to you the population situation of the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture." Liu Guannan was the first to speak, "According to the registration of our patrol house, the total population of the Yulin Bay lease and the Wanzhou lease is more than 164,500 people. Among them, the number of people who join the army is about 60,000, but in fact it is impossible to do so much. Excluding Yulin Bay and Wanzhou, we do not yet have an accurate population figure, but through sample surveys, the approximate population is about 280,000, of which 80,000 are of appropriate age. The total population of the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture is 440,000 to 450,000, and the number of soldiers is 140,000. ”

"I'll also talk about conscription." Han Wantao said, "Now the three independent divisions are full, and the total strength is 21,000. According to the arrangement of the Central Military Commission, the three divisions were reorganized into the new First Army. I served as the commander of the New First Army and the commander of the First Division, Lin Zhaolong served as the deputy commander and commander of the Second Division, He Chaoyong served as the commander of the Third Division, and Xu Lang served as the chief of staff of the New First Army. ”

"Wait, wait." Xu Lang shouted, "Why am I again, didn't I originally say that I wanted to kill this chief of staff in the cold weather?" ”

"You are familiar with the situation in Vietnam, or it is more appropriate for you to come." Dong Fei explained, "This is an adjustment that has just been made. ”

Xu Lang shook his head and stopped talking.

Zeng Guangxian continued: "We have also made adjustments in the navy. Now the combat effectiveness of our 30 gunboats has lagged behind, so we are ready to decommission a batch of 30 gunboats, and the combined fleet will only keep the East China Sea Pearl, Guangdong, Fujian and four 500-ton warships, a total of 7 warships. The crossing meeting also made a resolution that only two 500-ton warships, Fuzhou and Qiongzhou, would be retained on the Dengzhou side. ”

"What do you want to arrange for these 30 gunboats that have been decommissioned?" Leng Tianbing asked.

Zeng Guangxian said with a smile: "Tianbing, do you want to ask Li Lin's customs again?" ”

Leng Tianbing said: "That's really the case. They now only have two anti-smuggling boats at the customs, which are still small boats of about 100 tons, and they are too busy. Moreover, I heard Li Lin say that a customs branch office will be set up in Qiongzhou Prefecture, and anti-smuggling boats are also needed there. ”

"It's okay this time, you can give it all to them."

Leng Tianbing was a little happy: "Then I'll thank you for her first, this time I don't want to change my mind again." ”