At the end of November of the fourth year of Daguan, the northern land was covered with silver. Quanzhou, the most prosperous city on the southeast coast, has been shrouded in cold wind and rain these days. There is no snowflakes floating all over the sky, no coldness of three feet of freezing, but there is also a kind of cold and humid cold air. It is the feeling that a little chill can penetrate into the bone marrow.

At least for Su Che, who is older and has weakened his qi and blood, this cold and humid winter is not easy.

In the inner hall of the backyard of the state yamen, there is a red mud stove, and a pot of Fujian Daughter Red is boiled on it. The wine is fragrant and floating in the huge hall.

Su Che took a sip of the old wine, picked up a piece of wine and put it in his mouth, closed his eyes and chewed it and tasted it.

In the hall, several scholars sat upright, and no one spoke. They looked at Su Che and waited for the question from the former prime minister who had retreated to Quanzhou and wandered around the mountains and rivers.

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

"Is it worth one million and a half million?"

Su Che suddenly spoke, looking a little confused.

The person sitting in the hall understood what Su Che meant. One of them hurriedly stood up and said, "When I was talking to you, Taiwan Island is just a wilderness, and miasma is rampant, which is not worth much money at all. The Penghu islands are slightly better, but they are just islands where fishermen and sea merchants rest. The two places are not worth millions in terms of tax production alone. But there is the key to the southeast and the shield of the hinterland."

Su Che 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 sailing warship with a ten thousand characters hanging on the flag appeared, rushing on the sea.

Wu Haogu not only had a land division, but also a navy that was enough to compete with Ji Yi's Marine Maritime Control Division.

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

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

Su Shi took over the topic and replied: "Sir, Wu Haogu is short of money and it is difficult to maintain the stronghold of Taiwan and Penghu. Secondly, he hopes to support our Su family so as to restrain the power of the Ji family."

When Su Che heard this, his brows frowned.

"When did our Su family meet with the Ji family's sea merchant?"

The Su family is a family of prime ministers! Su Che, Su Shi, Su Chi, and three ministers in two generations. Although Ji Yi has produced Ji Yi, she is a businessman after all, and Ji Yi is destined to be prime minister for some reasons.

"Sir, why is our Su family now compared to the Ji family?" Su Shi set up a question, and then asked and answered himself, "Ji Yi is not only the commander of the Hailu Maritime Mansion, but also found himself the title of the Nanyang Mass Protectorate, turned the Sanfoqi Maritime Mansion into the jurisdiction of the Grand Protectorate, turned the Nanxin Island Market into Xingzhou, and followed Youzhou to implement the republic in Xingzhou... Although the Ji family cannot firmly control Xingzhou, the Ji family still holds the foundation of the Banzhou. What is our Su family? How to compare with the Ji family?"

"Is Ji Yizhi's actions what the ministers should do?" Su Che asked.

Su Shi thought about it and nodded, "My son believed that what Ji Yizhi did did not violate the etiquette of a minister. The Republic of Xingzhou and the country are both beneficial to the people, and the foundation of the Banzhou is also worthy of the Ji family. If Ji Yizhi did something, he really had something to do, then loyal ministers like us should step up and take down Taipeng!"

There is also this statement? Su Che did not turn around for a while, just stared at his son blankly.

Su Shi said: "If Ji Yizhi was also a traitor, then Tai Peng's status would be even more important! How can he not firmly grasp it in the hands of loyal ministers in the court?"

Su Che just shook his head, "That's Ji Yizhi who met the current official family. If it were any late emperor, he would not be able to tolerate him."

"I can't tolerate it, but I can only tolerate it." Su Shi said, "Wu Haogu will accept it if the Ji family gave up Xingzhou. From now on, the lifeblood of Western maritime trade will be in the hands of Wu Haogu.

As for TaiPeng, the situation is the same. My Su family doesn't want it, and Wu Haogu will not withdraw. When he grasps Goryeo and Japan, he should use TaiPeng as a base to compete with Ji Yizhi for the Southeast Sea. If he is unjust in the future, TaiPeng will be his base to collect the Southeast!

Sir, do you think that if I have received the favor of the emperor from the Su family, shouldn’t I stand up and share the worries of the country? Moreover, the official family is kind and does not ask Youzhou and tolerate Hexi. I also turn a blind eye to Ji Yizhi’s actions in Nanyang. What else should we worry about?"

It seems that the matter of sea colonization also requires competition!

Monopoly is always inefficient, and the same is true for colonization and development. Why are Europeans so excited in history? It’s not that there are too many territories that you won’t snatch them, and if you don’t snatch them, others will take the lead. And the vast China has been unmoved for so many years for Taiwan Island, which is close to you. It’s not that no one is competing for it?

If Taiwan is a place of miasma and dysentery and does not have much economic value, then how much profit can the land of Hehuang have? Starting from Wang Shao, if the capital of the weak Song Dynasty throws into Hehuang is thrown on the sea, the New World might be able to be trapped.

However, no one scrambled for things on the sea, and there seemed to be no threat from the sea. Therefore, the scholars and officials who had long-term vision and could play big chess would never have thought of going to the sea to circle the territory in case of emergency. Even during the later Mongolian and Song War, they did not expect to set up a piece of land overseas as a way out.

But now, the monopoly has been broken.

If the imperial court does not rob the territory on the sea, Wu Haogu will rob it! If Su Che does not rob it, Ji Hai Pirates will rob it!

If Su Che is not a loyal minister, he should take down Tai Peng and build it into "Sujiawan". If Su Che is a loyal minister, he must guard the southeast key and the hinterland for the court!

"But where does our Su family have one million and a half million?" Su Che asked with a frown.

Su Shi smiled: "I will not hide it from the adults, I still have some savings in my child's pocket..."

Have one million and a half million savings? You are a corrupt official!

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

Su Shi smiled, "Not yet...but there will be something soon."

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

But it’s right to think about it. Su Shi was a member of the Jingdong Maritime Manufacturing Department and the Quanzhou Maritime Manufacturing Department for many years. How could he not be greedy for such an official?

Moreover, Su Shi's father is the prime minister, his uncle is the prime minister, and his brother is also the prime minister. He has three masters in his family. His backing is as hard as steel plates. No one dares to pursue corruption even if he is corrupt.

"You, you..."

"Sir!" Su Shi said to his father with a smile, "Since the child is in charge of the world's number one Maritime Department, he will not be able to become a Qingliu. And if the child gets the money, will he use it on the right path?"

Su Che sighed. That's his own son! You can't kill your relatives for justice and expose it? And... no one has investigated this matter. After Su Shi mastered the Quanzhou Maritime Warehouse, the taxes paid by the Quanzhou Maritime Warehouse Warehouse doubled, and the purchase income increased tenfold, and the treasures sent to the palace also increased a lot. How could Zhao Ji be interested in anti-corruption?

"Well, okay!" Su Che shook his head, "I won't ask about your affairs anymore, so I'll do it myself!"

If Su Che doesn't ask, Su Shi can let go and catch it.

Of course, I have to make a fortune! If Su Che thought that his baby son would use the money he had embezzled with hard work to buy Tai Peng for the country, then he would definitely have Alzheimer's disease.

For Wu Haogu, Taiwan and Penghu are a non-performing asset that cannot generate cash flow for a long time. It must be sold out in time to save expenses and obtain military spending on Goryeo's military use. For Su Shi, who has mastered the foreign trade of Fujian All-Road, Taiwan and Penghuhu are a treasure land that can generate huge income.

Returning from his father's mansion to the Maritime Office in the Shitong City, he met Fan Zhiwen waiting there, and corrupt official Su Da smiled bitterly and said, "I finally convinced my old husband... but I can't take out the money for the time being! My father did not agree to take the money from Quanzhou and Maritime Office, so I have to raise it myself."

"Self-raising? Su Shibo, how are you planning to raise 1.5 million?"

"Come on!" Su Shi waved to Fan Zhiwen, "Take out the map of Taiwan Island to take a look."

The resources invested by Wu Haogu in Taiwan were not only built a Lugang City and reclaimed more than 100,000 acres of land around Lugang, but also used them to survey and explore Taiwan's geography. A map of Taiwan soon unfolded before Su Shi.

"Look, what a great island! There is a large valley (Taipei) in the north of the island, a very large plain (Taoyuan), there is a plain (Yilan) in the east of the island (Yilan) in the sea, and a long plain to the west of the island. The land that can be reclaimed is over 10 million acres, right? Moreover, there is sufficient rainfall and a warm climate. You can plant rice at least two ripe 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 and said, "I am not that stupid... What I mean is that there are still many places on Taiwan Island that can be opened into counties. At least 14 or 15 counties can be opened? Is it enough for me to leave two, and the rest of the singing can be sold, so how can I get one million and a half million."

"Sell it? To whom?"

"Sell it to merchants!" Su Shi smiled, "Fujian is a place where all the land is divided into land. If the land does not support people, the people will do more business, especially those who do maritime business. Those who have a net worth of millions are carriages. If they spend more than 100,000 yuan to buy a hereditary county magistrate, no one will want to? This is a carp leaping over the dragon gate. From then on, they will not be merchants who are slaughtered by officials, but rather the lord of a county with land people, like those local officials in the northwest and southwest."

"Can the court agree?" Fan Zhiwen asked.
Chapter completed!