At the end of November of the fourth year of Daguan, the northern land was already covered in silver. And Quanzhou, the most prosperous city on the southeast coast, is also shrouded in cold wind and rain these days. There are no snowflakes floating in the sky, no freezing cold, but there is also a cold and damp cold. It's the feeling of a little chill, but it can penetrate into the bone marrow.

At least for Su Zhe, who is old and has declining qi and blood, this cold and damp winter is not pleasant.

In the inner hall of the backyard of the state government, there is a red clay stove, and a pot of Fujian daughter red is boiling on the stove. The wine is fragrant, floating in the hall of Nuoda.

Su Zhe took a sip of the old wine, picked up a fruit with the wine and put it in his mouth, closed his eyes and chewed it.

Below the hall, several scribes sat precariously, and no one spoke. They looked at Su Zhe, waiting for the question of the former prime minister who had retreated to Quanzhou and traveled leisurely.

These people are all Su Zhe's disciples, and one is his son Su Shi.

"Is it worth one and a half million?"

Su Zhe suddenly spoke, looking a little clueless.

The people who were not sitting in the hall understood the meaning of Su Zhe's words, and one of them hurriedly got up and said: "Back to the prime minister, the island of Taiwan is just a wild place, and miasma is rampant, and it is not worth much at all." The Penghu Islands are slightly better, but they are also the islands where fishermen and maritime merchants rest. The two places alone are not worth millions in any case. But there is the key to the southeast, the shield of the hinterland. ”

Su Zhe frowned, and said to himself: "The key to the southeast, the shield of the hinterland...... But no one said that in the early years. ”

In my mind, a galley warship flying the swastika flag immediately appeared, and it was raging and rampant on the sea.

Wu Hao Gu Ke not only has a land division, but also a navy that is enough to compete with Ji Yi's sea route city ship control division.

It is precisely because of the existence of this navy that the strategic position of Taiwan Island and the Penghu Islands was immediately revealed. It is very appropriate to use the key to the southeast and the shield of the hinterland to describe Penghu, Taiwan.

"Since it's so important, why is Wu Haogu willing to give it to us?"

Su Shi took over the topic and replied: "My lord, Wu Haogu is short of money and it is difficult to maintain the stronghold of Taipeng, and secondly, I hope to help our Su family so that we can contain the Ji family's forces." ”

When Su Zhe heard this, he frowned.

"When did our Su family and the Ji family meet shoulder to shoulder?"

The Su family is the prime minister's family! Su Zhe, Su Shi, Su Chi, two generations and three dukes. Although the Ji family has a Ji Yi, it is a businessman after all, and Ji Yi is destined not to be the prime minister for some reasons.

"My lord, why is our Su family compared to the Ji family now?" Su Shi asked himself, and then asked himself, "Ji Yike is not only the envoy of the sea route city, but he also got himself the name of the Nanyang Dadu Protector, turning the Srivijaya City Bosi into the jurisdiction of the Dadu Protectorate, turning the Nanxin Island Commercial Market into Xingzhou, and following the example of Youzhou, he implemented a republic in Xingzhou...... Although the Ji family can't firmly control Xingzhou, the Ji family still holds the foundation of Banzhou. What does our Su family have? How does it compare with the Ji family? ”

"What Ji Yizhi did, is it what a minister should do?" Su Zhe asked.

Su Shi thought for a while, nodded and said, "My son thinks that what Ji Yizhi did did not violate the courtesy of the ministers. The republic of Xingzhou is beneficial to the country and the people, and the foundation of Banzhou is also what the Ji family deserves. If Ji Yizhi really did something, then loyal ministers like us should stand up and take down Taipeng! ”

And this kind of statement? Su Zhe's brain didn't turn for a while, but just looked at his son in a daze.

Su Shi said: "If Ji Yizhi is also a chaotic minister and thief, then Tai Peng's status is even more important!" How can it not be firmly in the hands of the loyal ministers of the imperial court? ”

Su Zhe just shook his head, "That's when Ji Yizhi met the current official family, if he is replaced by any of the first emperors, he will not be tolerated." ”

"I can't tolerate it, and I can only tolerate it." Su Shi said, "How the Ji family gives up Xingzhou, Wu Haogu will take it over." In the future, the lifeblood of Western maritime trade will be all in the hands of Wu Haogu.

As for Taiwan and Peng, the situation is the same. If my Su family doesn't want it, Wu Haogu won't quit. When he has grasped Goryeo and Japan, it is time to use Taiwan and Peng as a base and compete with Ji Yizhi for the southeast sea. In the future, if he has a disobedient heart, Taipeng will be his stronghold to take over the southeast!

My lord, do you think that my Su family has received the emperor's grace, shouldn't I stand up and share my worries for the country? Moreover, the official family is lenient and benevolent, does not ask about Youzhou, appeases Hexi, and turns a blind eye to what Ji Yizhi did in Nanyang. What else do we have to worry about? ”

It seems that there is also competition in the matter of colonization at sea!

Monopolies are always inefficient, and the same is true for colonization. Why did Europeans engage in colonization so vigorously in history? It's not that there are too many turf grabbers, if you don't grab it, others will take the lead. And the great China, for the island of Taiwan, which is close at hand, has not moved for so many years, and the reason is that no one has fought for it?

If Taiwan is a land of miasma and has little economic value, then how much benefit can the land of rivers and rivers have? Starting from Wang Shao, if the capital thrown by the weak Song Dynasty in Hehuang was smashed on the sea, the New World might be able to be circled.

But there was no one to fight for what was on the sea, and it seemed that there would be no threat from the sea. Therefore, the Song Dynasty's long-term scholars and officials who could play big chess would never have thought of going to the sea to encircle territory in case of emergency—even in the later Mongol-Song War, they did not think of building a piece of territory overseas as a way out.

Now, though, the monopoly has been broken.

The territory on the sea, the court does not rob it, but the martial arts ancient will rob it! If Su Zhe doesn't rob it, Ji Pirates will rob it!

If Su Zhe is not a loyal minister, then he should take Taipeng and build it into "Sujiawan". If Su Zhe is a loyal minister, then he must guard the key to the southeast and the shield of the hinterland for the imperial court!

"But how can our Su family have 1.5 million yuan?" Su Zhe frowned and asked.

Su Shi smiled: "Don't hide it from adults, there are still some savings in the child's eunuch pocket......"

Have 1.5 million savings? You're a corrupt official!

Su Zhe couldn't believe his ears, "There are so many?" ”

Su Shi smiled, "Not yet...... But soon. ”

Still greedy...... I'm ready to continue to be greedy!

But it's right to think about it, Su Shike has been the promoter of Jingdong City and Quanzhou City for many years. How can you not be greedy as such an official?

And Su Shi's father is the prime minister, his uncle is the prime minister, and his brother is also the prime minister, one family and three princes, the background is as hard as a steel plate, and no one dares to pursue corruption if it is corrupt.

"You ......"

"Your Excellency!" Su Shi smiled and said to his father, "Since the child is in charge of the No. 1 city in the world, he can't be a clear stream." And when the child gets money, doesn't he also use it on the right path? ”

Su Zhe sighed. That's my own son! You can't just kill your relatives to expose it, right? And...... No one is going to pursue this. After Su Shi mastered the Quanzhou City Shipping Division, the taxes paid by the Quanzhou City Shipping Division tripled, and the income from buying and buying increased tenfold, and the treasures sent to the palace also increased a lot. How could Zhao Ji be interested in fighting corruption?

"Either way, no matter what!" Su Zhe shook his head, "I won't ask about your affairs, so let's do it myself!" ”

Su Zhe didn't ask, then Su Shi could let go and fish.

Of course you have to catch it! If Su Zhe thought that his precious son would use the money he had worked so hard to embezzle to buy Taiwan Peng for the country, then his old man must have Alzheimer's.

As far as Wu Haogu is concerned, Taipeng is a non-performing asset that has not been able to generate cash flow for a long time, and it must be sold in time to save expenses and obtain military spending for the use of troops against Goryeo. For Su Shi, who controls the foreign trade of Fujian all the way, Taipeng is a treasure land that can generate huge income.

After returning from his father's mansion to the Yamen of the City of Thorn Tong City, and seeing Fan Zhiwen waiting there, Su Da was a corrupt official and said with a wry smile: "I finally persuaded the old minister...... It's just that I can't take out the money for the time being! My father didn't agree to take the money from Quanzhou and the city, so he had to ask me to raise it myself. ”

"Self-funded? Su Shibo, how are you going to raise 1.5 million? ”

"Got it!" Su Shi beckoned to Fan Zhiwen, "Take out the map of Taiwan Island and take a look." ”

In addition to building a Lukang city and reclaiming more than 100,000 acres of land around Lukang, Wu Haogu invested resources in Taiwan were used for surveying and mapping and exploring Taiwan's geography. A map of Taiwan soon unfolded in front of Su Shi's eyes.

"Look, what a nice island! There is a large valley (Taipei) in the north of the island, a large plain (Taoyuan), a plain (Yilan) on the east side of the island, and a long plain on the west side of the island. The land that can be reclaimed is always more than 10 million mu, right? In addition, there is abundant rainfall and a warm climate, so rice can be grown at least twice a year. ”

Fan Zhiwen frowned and asked: "Su Shibo, don't you want people to make money by cultivating land on Taiwan Island?" ”

Su Shi smiled: "This official is not so stupid...... What this official means is that there are still many places on the island of Taiwan that can be opened up into counties. At least fourteen or fifteen counties can be opened, right? It is enough for the official to keep two, and the rest of the songs can be sold, how can there be 1.5 million. ”

"Sell? Sell to whom? ”

"Sell to a merchant!" Su Shi said with a smile, "Fujian is eight mountains, one water and one field, and the land does not support people, so the common people do more business, especially maritime business." Those who are worth millions of dollars are the amount of the car. Spend more than 100,000 yuan to buy a hereditary and reckless county official, will anyone be willing? From then on, he was not a merchant who let the officials slaughter the fish, but the lord of a county who owned the land, like those local officials in the northwest and southwest. ”

"Can the court agree?" Fan Zhiwen asked.

"Yes!" Su Shi smiled, "Because there is Youzhou!" If Taipeng belongs to Youzhou, the southeast half of the wall, the national treasury, may be invaded by Youzhou at any time! If we want to turn Taiwan and Peng into the key to the southeast and the shield of the hinterland, we must set up counties and cities and operate in tuntian...... What a good reason? ”