Haimen, Hujia Inn.
There was steam bubbling out of the big iron pot, and large plates and bowls of free mutton were placed on the diners' tables. They raised their wine bowls together to celebrate the group's yet another big win!
Everyone was filled with joy. They tapped their tables, clapped their hands, and sang the popular "Marine Corps Song":
"The immortal war gods are Li Guang, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. Li Jing, Yue Fei and Di Qing are the invincible generals who made China flourish!
How can the heroes of later generations compare? Only the sons and daughters of our Coast Guard. There are no heroes in ancient times, and gunpowder and bullets kill people!
Unheard of Oda City, the invincible Hongwu Cannon. And rows and rows of brave and fearless Marines!
Line up with guns to meet the enemy, the drums of war will never stop! Raise your guns, aim and listen to the command, the sound of gunfire is like thunder!
We fired round after round, leaving corpses all over the ground and making the enemy lose their courage! If you dare to fight me hand-to-hand, I will kill you with my sharp bayonet!
The victorious warriors ushered in peace, and the elders welcomed the return of the warriors. Fill the cups with fine wine and offer them to their loved ones and soldiers!
Wash away the dust of the journey and set out again, set sail to fight across the seven seas and eight wildernesses! The Marines swear to keep fighting until the world returns to the Ming Dynasty! "
~~
The song "Marine Corps Song" was hummed by the tone-deaf Zhao Hao. The tune is somewhere between "March of the British Grenadiers" and "Guerrilla Song". It was re-arranged by Ma Xianglan and is brisk and fluent with a distinct rhythm. The lyrics are also written in vernacular Chinese to make them easy to remember.
The earliest batch of Marines have been demobilized and transferred to the Jiangnan Security Group as instructors. They also taught this song to the militia they trained.
This song became popular all over the country, and almost everyone in the group could sing it.
Although it was only the first time Hai Rui heard it, it left an indelible impression on him. It had been several days since he left Haimen and Nantong Prefecture, but he could still hear the sound of the men singing with their hoarse voices.
"Wash away the dust of the journey and set out again, setting sail on seven seas and fighting in eight wildernesses! The Marines swear to never stop and bring the world back to the Ming Dynasty..." His son was the same, and he would hum unconsciously from time to time.
Hai Rui rode on the horse, tapping the beat gently. The last line of the lyrics, "Let the world return to the Ming Dynasty," still made him feel a little comforted.
But in the Ming Dynasty, the Zhu family might not have anything to do with it...
"But without the Zhu family and the emperor, would the Ming Dynasty still be the Ming Dynasty?" Thinking of this, Hai Rui felt depressed and fell into the thinking about the Ship of Theseus that had troubled him for a long time.
After leaving Yangzhou, Hai Rui decided to avoid the Jiangnan Group's control area along the coast as much as possible and go deep inland to the north, so that his son could see another Ming Dynasty.
However, it was somewhat unexpected that the situation he saw along the way was actually not bad. Although it was a world of difference compared to the south and north of the Yangtze River, it was a considerable improvement compared to what Hai Rui saw more than ten years ago.
After passing Huai'an and entering the Yellow River flood area, you can always see ragged and haggard refugees on the road, staggering southward like zombies.
In this freezing season, corpses of people who died of starvation and freezing could be seen on the roadside. When we arrived in towns, we saw beggars, children and girls being sold, and people putting up signs to sell their goods. Most shops were closed, and the streets were muddy and dirty, a scene of the end of the world.
Now, everything is much better. Although people still look pale and there are still many beggars, at least there are no more people selling their children and themselves, and shops are open. Maybe it's because it's close to the New Year, so business is still booming.
Even though he was extremely unhappy with Zhang Juzheng, Hai Rui still had to say that he had made great contributions over the past decade.
It was because Zhang Juzheng insisted on appointing Pan Jixun as the chief manager of river transport and supported his idea of managing the Yellow River first and then the Grand Canal against all odds that Pan Jixun was able to fundamentally manage the Yellow River and the Grand Canal.
In the tenth year of Wanli's reign, the Yellow River flooded and broke the main hall of the Fengyang Ancestral Mausoleum. Pan Jixun was impeached by the entire court, and only survived thanks to Zhang Juzheng's resolute protection.
Finally, in the 12th year of the Wanli reign, the two rivers were completed. The Yellow River resumed its old course after years of taking over the Huai River, flowing through the solid riverbank made of concrete. The Grand Canal finally had sufficient water, allowing the canal ships to pass unimpeded. This allowed the people to avoid floods and rebuild their homes.
Of course, we should also thank the Jiangnan Group, which, in addition to providing cement, also gave up most of its share of grain transportation to the north, allowing grain transportation to be restored and the economy along the canal to recover.
Moreover, the Jiangnan Group set up immigration offices in all prefectures and counties of the Ming Dynasty, and recruited people to settle overseas on a long-term basis.
If ordinary people really can't make ends meet, they can just go to the immigration office to register, pass a simple physical examination and review, and put their fingerprints on the immigration contract. Then the whole family will be sent to the nearest dock for transportation. From the moment they put their fingerprints on the immigration office, they will start to take care of the food, so naturally no one will starve to death. There is no need to sell your children or yourself...
In the early years, there were rumors that those who were sent overseas by the Jiangnan Group became slaves for mining and land reclamation. But the common people really had no way to make a living, so as long as they could have a meal, they would be slaves.
But after so many years, so many people have lived a good life overseas, and even made a fortune, the rumors have long been dispelled. Now going overseas has become a very normal choice for the people of the Ming Dynasty.
Of course the landlords are unhappy. The poor people just run away overseas. Who will do the work for them? Who will farm for them?
The landlords all complained that the common people had been bewitched by the Jiangnan Group and turned into unruly people! If the Jiangnan Group was not so powerful, they would have smashed the damn immigration office long ago.
The princes and royal families were not afraid of the Jiangnan Group, but they were afraid of the presence of Grand Tutor Zhang and Grand Lord Zhao, so they did not dare to openly obstruct the immigration office from recruiting people. Instead, they warned their own slaves, tenants, and farmhands that anyone who dared to sign up for immigration would have his legs broken.
For this purpose, they specially sent people to watch outside the immigration office, and if they saw any bastard dare to disobey, they would immediately arrest his entire family.
Hai Rui and his sons encountered this situation several times in Yanzhou, Shandong. The evil slaves of the Lu Wang clan beat people, arrested people and set fire to their houses. Hai Rui had to reveal his identity to stop them from doing evil, and called the staff of the Immigration Office to give them a severe reprimand.
"How can you be so irresponsible in your work?" Hai Rui's face was dark as he scolded Zhuang Suan, the senior clerk who was still in charge of the group's Zou County office. "It's not just one or two days since the evil slaves of the royal family have been targeting immigrants. Have you thought of any solution?"
"We have already made several reports." Commissioner Zhuang, who was always on friendly terms with the county magistrate, dared not breathe in front of the God of Sea Gate. "We have also protested to the palace."
"Protest, if protest is useful, why do we still have an army?" Hai Rui snorted coldly and asked, "What did the higher-ups say in response?"
"Let's try to avoid such incidents." Commissioner Zhuang whispered, "The princes and royal families are used to being lawless, and we can't afford to offend them. But the common people come to register and say they are free. We are short of manpower and can't investigate one by one, so it is inevitable..."
"You're talking nonsense!" Hai Rui mercilessly exposed him and asked, "What is the full name of the Immigration Office?"
"Jiangnan Group Zou County Immigration Affairs Office..." Zhuang Suan shrank his neck.
"As the name implies, the Office of Immigration Affairs is responsible for all matters related to immigration! You must be proactive and go all out to solve the worries of immigrants and ensure their safety! Instead of either cutting off the troubles at once! Or expecting the higher-ups to solve all the problems! Then why do we keep you useless people?"
"What Lord Hai taught me is..." Zhuang Suan lowered his head with a look of shame and admitted his mistake. As for whether he was convinced in his heart, no one knew.
"In fact, this matter is not that troublesome at all. We can solve it by using our brains and doing more things." Hai Rui slowed down his tone and said, "For example, after they sign, we can send a team of security personnel to accompany them back to pick them up, or require the applicants to be present with their entire family, so as not to give those evil slaves of the royal family a chance to do anything bad."
"Mr. Hai, this is a brilliant idea. We will make improvements immediately." Zhuang Suan nodded repeatedly.
"I also know that you are alone and helpless when you are sent to the inland. You can only rely on yourselves for everything. It is impossible for you to take care of everything." Hai Rui sighed and said earnestly, "But you must distinguish between the primary and the secondary. When it comes to the safety of the people, it is a matter of great importance. No matter how much effort you put in, it is not too much!"
"Yes, I will keep Mr. Hai's teachings in mind." Zhuang Suan was finally moved.
"I will not report this matter to Zhao Hao for now. Please write to me later and tell me how you have corrected it." Hai Rui patted his shoulder and said, "If the royal family here dares to do evil again, you also tell me. If you higher-ups can't punish them, I will do it!"
"Hey, I'll remember this." Zhuang Su'an couldn't help but burst into tears. He kowtowed to Hai Rui and said, "Grandpa Hai, don't worry. I will definitely do as you say in the future!"
"Okay, I believe you. Get up." Hai Rui finally smiled kindly and said, "My child, remember, a nine-story tower starts with a pile of earth. The reason it doesn't fall is because the foundation is thick. The reason it falls is because the foundation is thin. The success or failure of your group's business really depends on you, the grassroots cadres who deal directly with the people."
"Yes!" Zhuang Suan nodded heavily.
~~
Hai Rui's identity was exposed, and he could no longer continue his incognito visits with his son.
Soon, the magistrate of Zou County came to pay a visit to Mr. Hai and respectfully invited him to stay at the county mansion.
The next day, the prefect of Yanzhou, Xiong Ruqi, also heard the news and came with guards and a carriage to escort the Grand Protector to the north.
Naturally, Hai Rui declined all the offers, but he did not blame Xiong Ruqi and others.
It is true that being the prefect of Yanzhou is the most difficult job in the world.
Apart from the line of Prince Lu who have been parasitic and multiplying in the territory since the founding of the country, there are also the Kong family of Qufu and the Meng family of Zou County. These two wealthy families have golden medals of immunity from death. They are simply hopeless!
Hai Rui felt that even if he were his old self, he would not be able to withstand such a luxurious lineup...
So apart from encouraging Magistrate Xiong to be strong and speak more for the people, he had nothing else to say.
But when he thought about the descendants of Confucius, the second sage, and Taizu, all of whom had become a cancer that brought disaster to the country and the people, and no one could touch them, he felt itchy in the teeth.
I wish I could use the Hongwu cannon to kill them all...
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