Chapter 1313 The true face of Fort Victory

"Going to Guangzhou? Will you come back next month?" Liu Shang repeated. Seeing the other party nodding to confirm, the stone that had been hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground. He and Liao Yuan had agreed to communicate with each other every few days.

He wanted to get some news in case something happened to one of them and the other was still ignorant. This time, he was temporarily captured by Yu Xiaobao and was taken away. He didn't have time to inform Liao Yuan beforehand, so he was always worried that Liao Yuan couldn't be contacted on the way.

He made some irrational actions under his own circumstances, and even exposed his identity and implicated himself, making all previous efforts in vain.

Fortunately, by mistake, Liao Yuan also went to other places. Now Liu Shang no longer has to worry about what irrational actions this reckless man will make in a hurry. At least before he comes back from Guangzhou, his situation should be relatively good.

safe.

The man didn't know that Liu Shang had so many thoughts, and asked curiously: "It seems that I haven't seen Mr. storytelling in the teahouse recently. I heard that he has found another job?"

When Liu Shang heard this, it turned out that Liao Yuan was still tight-lipped, and even his own subordinates did not let him know. He said politely: "It's not a high position, I just found another job, so I don't have to show up in the teahouse for the time being."

Apart from the introducer Chang Degao, the teahouse owner Jiang Han and himself, only Liao Yuan knew the details of Liu Shang's recruitment by the Propaganda Department. Chang Degao was an official, and Jiang Han was the person Chang Degao had greeted.

These two people will definitely not disclose the inside information to the outside world casually. As long as Liao Yuan does not tell others, it will be difficult for others to know the official status that Liu Shang currently has.

Sure enough, the man did not doubt that he was there, and after a few casual greetings, he said goodbye and went back to the store. Liu Shang also relaxed and found a restaurant nearby, ordered a few dishes and a bottle of wine, and celebrated his lucky escape.

After a calamity. These days, he has been thinking about this matter, as if he was carrying a huge ideological burden. Only now can he finally put this burden down.

While Liu Shang was drinking with his legs crossed, he was thinking about the next arrangements in his mind. The inspection team's errands here have come to an end, and they will probably continue to complete the induction training for publicity personnel that has not yet started, and then enter the publicity department.

This time I went out to deal with officials from many departments. Under his careful management, I have initially established some official contacts. Although it is not of great use now, if it is long-term in the future,

As an official in Haihan, these connections will come into play sooner or later.

Liu Shang felt that his performance with the inspection team this time was pretty good. Yu Xiaobao also expressed appreciation and praise to him many times. Presumably when he went back to hand over to the Propaganda Department, Yu Xiaobao would inevitably say a few good words for him.

.Given Yu Xiaobao's status, this kind of greeting may also be of some help to his future career. The only thing he needs to worry about is probably whether his future job will be assigned to another place.

If we have to leave Sanya, it may not be so easy to collect some important information in the future.

In the future, there may not be many opportunities for inspection teams to get access to information on politics, military, economics and trade, social and cultural aspects, etc. However, as a member of the Propaganda Department, there will be many times when they contact and cooperate with other departments. Liu Shang believes that

If you use this kind of job opportunity properly, you can still collect some information that is not so confidential.

But the biggest problem he faces now is not how to collect the intelligence that Ming Dynasty needs, but whether this intelligence can really change the situation between the two countries after it is collected and sent back to Ming Dynasty. This kind of problem should not be

From Liu Shang's perspective, that was something that the big shots in the court should worry about, but the psychological impact of what he saw and heard in Haihan was too great for him to turn a blind eye to the huge differences between the two countries.

The technological advantages that Haihan possesses in various fields of society are not the miraculous skills or witchcraft as rumored. Liu Shang has confirmed this through his own personal experience. The powerful ships and cannons possessed by Haihan are many ingenuities.

The products are all made bit by bit by craftsmen, and are not monsters conjured out of thin air by the legendary Haihan people's way of ascending the altar. Even if Liu Shang does not understand the true principles of these technologies, he can understand Haihan

The various technologies he mastered were far ahead of those of the Ming Dynasty. There were many things that the Ming Dynasty had never heard of, and it was even difficult to imagine them.

In fact, intelligence like this has been reported back one after another in the past, but no one believed the authenticity of this information. Even Liu Shang once expressed his disapproval of the "steam engines", "trains" and "high-speed sailing ships" mentioned in the intelligence.

He scoffed at the existence of such things, and did not know that such unimaginable things existed in the world until he came to see them in person. After the intelligence information he collected in Haihan was sent back to the Ming Dynasty, the big shots above could believe it.

What's the score?

Liu Shang sighed, knowing that he was worrying about this kind of thing in vain. Can an unknown person like himself control the country of Ming Dynasty? There are so many smart people in the court, but they can't think of a reasonable plan to suppress the south.

As a Haihan people, what can you gain from your random thoughts here?

After finishing his meal, Liu Shang paid the bill, then called a rickshaw to take him back to Victory Port. He found a quiet hotel to stay in, took a shower and changed clothes, and had a good sleep. After getting up the next day, he had breakfast.

, and then follow Yu Xiaobao's instructions and go to Victory Castle calmly.

Regarding Victory Fort, it has always maintained a relatively mysterious image to the outside world. Everyone knows that this place is the core of the Haihan Kingdom and the most heavily guarded place in Haihan. In order to defend this castle, the Haihan people even

A moat was specially excavated, and there were countless heavy firearms equipped inside and outside the castle. It is said that when the Haihan people originally designed this castle, they had already considered the situation of being besieged by an enemy force of ten thousand people, so it was strong.

The level may far exceed the castles that ordinary people think of. If Sanya is the first seaport city in the South China Sea, then this Victory Fort can be called the first castle in the South China Sea.

Among the intelligence personnel sent to the island by the Ming Dynasty, some had successfully entered the Victory Fort. However, the information sent back seemed to be of low credibility. It was said that there was no splendid palace inside the fort, and it was all without any sense of beauty.

The various central offices of Haihan are crowded into small gray brick and stone buildings to handle various official affairs and manage the operation of the country.

This situation is obviously very unreasonable. Everyone in the world knows that Haihan State is very wealthy and the senior officials of Haihan are very particular about the details of life. These senior officials of Haihan even use blue and white porcelain for the toilets in their homes. How can they tolerate themselves in such a simple environment?

Central Office? Moreover, the city of Shengli Port is full of all kinds of magnificent buildings. How could it be possible for the central government office that manages the country to look so shabby?

Liu Shang was also one of the skeptical people. He knew that the Haihan people did not pay much attention to frugality. He ate all kinds of food in various places during his trip and gained at least five or six kilograms in half a month. This has fully proved that

Haihan also has a luxurious side. Moreover, the local officials' residences he saw everywhere were either requisitioned from the Ming Dynasty's official offices or were self-built compounds. The ostentation was not small at all. Since this Victory Fort

It is the political center of Haihan State, so it should not be too crude.

From the port area, follow the landscape avenue all the way north to the end, which is Victory Square, one of the local landmarks, and Victory Fort is located at the north end of Victory Square. Although this is not the first time Liu Shang has visited this landscape avenue in Victory Port,

When we get here, we can't help but be moved by the scenery on this road. This avenue is several feet wide. The carriage path and the sidewalk are separated by flower beds. The roads are all paved with asphalt. On both sides of the road, shaded by green trees, there are rows of

There are rows of shops facing the street, where you can see a wide variety of products from all over the world. There are more shops in the branch alleys on both sides. If you want to move around all the large and small shops here, you will definitely be able to do it in two or three days.

Not available.

Walking on the street, you can see foreigners in fancy clothes strutting around everywhere. Among them are merchants from trade, as well as envoys and students studying abroad from various countries stationed in Sanya. However, Liu Shang met more foreigners at once in Danzhou before.

, but I am not surprised by such a scene.

Liu Shang has never seen such a prosperous urban area in the cities he has visited. Markets in the city are often limited to a limited area, and there are not too many shops concentrated in a certain square. And Sanya

Because there are no city wall restrictions in this city, the markets can extend outward along the roads to form a large commercial area. Haihan's planning in this regard is undoubtedly very foresight. The road network built in advance allows commodities from all over the world to enter the port.

After landing, it can be easily transported to shops throughout the city, and local products can also be easily shipped directly to the port for shipment.

But the more prosperous the city became, the more Liu Shang did not believe that Victory Fort would be as shabby as the rumors said. He walked along the road through Victory Square and came to Victory Fort. The outer defenses of this castle were not really majestic and tall.

, according to Liu Shang, it may not be as good as the city walls of some counties. The moat is only more than a foot wide, and the water flow is relatively slow. In the middle is a suspension bridge connecting the doorway to the main entrance, with a stone gate tower built above it, and extending on both sides.

of retaining walls.

The outer facade of the parapet is hardened with cement, so you can't tell whether it is wrapped in stone or adobe. The parapet is not high, but there are many large and small artillery shooting holes on the wall.

Liu Shang immediately thought of the densely packed side artillery of the Haihan battleship. It seemed that the firing of this protective wall had a similar idea.

There is a gate at the end of the suspension bridge to check people entering and exiting. Employees working inside use a passage with a green number plate next to it, while visitors like Liu Shang must first identify themselves for registration, and then wait nearby.

There is a dedicated person responsible for bringing them in.

Liu Shang first registered his personal information, and then took out the introduction letter Yu Xiaobao had issued for him yesterday, stating his purpose of visit, and asked the officer at the door to check it. The officer took it and glanced up and down, and then looked at a soldier sitting next to him.

He ordered: "Call the Youth League office and ask if a gentleman named Liu is here."

Liu Shang saw the soldier pick up a dark thing and put it on his face. There was a crooked string connected to the thing below. The soldier raised his hand and pressed it a few times, and waited.

After a while, he whispered a few words, then put down the thing in his hand and reported to the officer that this was indeed the case. Liu Shang knew that this thing was probably an application of the "Thousand-mile Sound Transmission Technique" mastered by the Haihan people. It is said that even if

Even in the Fuguang area, this technique can be used to send and receive messages instantly, which is extremely scary when you think about it. The Haihan people actually popularized this thing to concierges, probably just to save manpower and time. This kind of usage is used in Liu

It looks really luxurious.

Immediately, the officer arranged for a soldier to take Liu Shang to the Youth League to handle matters. Liu Shang quickly thanked him and hurried to follow.

After passing through the main entrance, Liu Shang finally saw the true appearance of this legendary place. To his slight disappointment, this place was really just like the rumors. All the buildings he saw were gray bricks.

The stone buildings are very dense, and the distance between the buildings may be only a few feet. Different yamen are only separated by flower beds or green trees, not even courtyard walls. The buildings are connected by bluestone paths.

The cleaning was very clean, and as far as the eye could see, there was not even a speck of dirt on the ground.

Two soldiers were seen standing guard at the door of almost every building. However, Liu Shang noticed that the soldiers here were not equipped with rifles, but the kind of continuous-fire rifles he had seen in the Danzhou military exercise.

The short-wheeled musket was inserted into the cowhide holster at the waist, and it looked quite majestic. Office workers came and went from time to time in various small buildings, and everyone had a brand of unknown material hanging on a cotton rope around their neck. The color seemed to

There are also differences, presumably for identification purposes.

There are eye-catching plaques hanging at the door of each building. Liu Shang looked carefully all the way and saw the locations of the "Ministry of Commerce", "Ministry of Defense", "Ministry of Transportation", "Ministry of Finance" and other yamen. Sure enough, no matter what yamen they were,

The appearance of these small office buildings are all the same, with a few more and fewer rooms at most. Liu Shang couldn't help but secretly muttered, since the Haihan people are so rich, why don't they build a large-scale construction outside the Victory Fort and cover the yamen.

If it is built outside, the place can be more spacious. Wouldn't it be much more comfortable than having everyone crowded in to work?

When Liu Shang was thinking wildly, the soldier leading the way had stopped and it turned out that he had arrived at the office of the Youth League. With such a big name, the Youth League did not expect that this office only occupied a two-story building.

There are only three rooms. In Liu Shang's opinion, it is not as spacious as the office of the county magistrate in any county government office. To describe it as shabby is not an exaggeration.
Chapter completed!