Just after seeing Lu Yongmao go, a soldier came in and reported: "Sir, someone from Beijing is here."

"Where are people, bring them in immediately."

A messenger walked into the office: "Report to the Chief, General Jiang Beiming's handwritten letter."

"Thank you for your hard work, go and have a rest." Zhou Lei took the letter and opened it for a while.

"Sir, are there any orders in Beijing?" Yang Tao asked.

"There is a war again." Zhou Lei Yangyang said the letter in his hand, "These days, the troops are gathered and they are all back and waiting for news from the court."

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

"Li Zicheng." Zhou Lei said, "The court will call on us and Datong Yulin Army to wipe out Li Zicheng."

In the Forbidden City in Beijing, Gao Qiqian stood beside Chongzhen with his hands hanging down.

"Gao Qiqian, I can't do anything to you like this." Chongzhen said slowly as he savored the tea, "I also have to consider the opinions of the court."

"I understand." Gao Qiqian hurriedly knelt down and said, "I know your majesty's difficulties."

"Did you find out who did that?"

"When I go back to your majesty, I found out that it was done by Yulin Bay."

"It's them." Chongzhen did not show surprise, "What are they doing now?"

"When I go back to your majesty, I heard that the Ministry of War has issued an order to transfer the gun team and Xuanfu, and the Yulin army in Datong will go to Shaanxi to assist Lord Hong in clearing out the bandits."

"Purge the bandits." Chongzhen put down the tea bowl in his hand, "How many Yulin troops are there in Xuanfu and Datong?"

"After avoiding it, there are only two thousand people in total, and the rest have returned to Qiongzhou Prefecture."

"I understand, you can retreat first." Chongzhen didn't ask anything more.

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

"Don't squeeze, don't squeeze." A general translator kept shouting, "This is just shipped, everyone will come and take a look. Everyone is as strong as a cow, with a gentle temperament, and a down-to-earth and honest."

"What are they selling? Why are those people so dark?" someone asked in the crowd.

"That's called Kunlun slaves, it was found in the Tang Dynasty." A person next to him replied.

Behind the translation were seven or eight black people, one by one, looking down at the Ming people around them in confusion.

"Hey, do these people sell them?" someone asked.

"Yes, this was brought by Captain Aidison, 200 taels of silver per." Tongzhi replied loudly.

"200 taels are too expensive, who can afford it?"

"That's right, my family hired a maid to only cost one tael of silver a month."

A Westerner next to the translation followed the Ming Dynasty and bowed: "My dear fellows, these are a few black slaves I brought from the distant Africa to the ocean. It is rare in your Ming Dynasty, 200 taels are not expensive."

"What's going on over there? Why are so many people gathering?" Tan Jing and the two women's federations happened to pass by here.

"Director Tan." The person next to him replied, "Listen to their shouts, it seems that they are selling something, it's not cheap."

"Is that so? What new stuff is there? Let's go and take a look." Tan Jing became interested and separated everyone and squeezed in.

The general translator knew Tan Jing and hurriedly came up: "Director Tan, are you interested? This is brought by Captain Aidison of England. It is said that it was brought from some continent of Afi. The young man has never seen such a black person before."

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

"Director Tan." The general translator didn't understand why Tan Jing was suddenly angry, "The young man is helping Captain Aidison buy and sell."

"Buy and sell?" Tan Jing pointed at the black people and asked, "Are you selling them?"

Aidison walked up to Tan Jing and said, "Dear Madam, I am Aidison of England. These are all brought from Africa. They are my private property, and the prices are very fair."

"Your private property?" Tan Jing asked sternly, "Can people also buy and sell goods?"

"Director Tan." said Tongzhi, "They are not from us Ming Dynasty. Look at what they look like."

Tan Jing ignored the general translation and turned around to the women's federation's people and said, "You go to the police station to report the case, and no one here can leave."

Aidison didn't understand what Tan Jing meant: "Dear Madam, I'm selling my private property here in accordance with your Ming Dynasty regulations. In the New World, we do the same."

"This is not a New World, this is Yulin Bay." Tan Jing pointed to Aidison and said, "I don't care who you are. You must never buy and sell people in Yulin Bay, let alone treat people as slaves."

The two were arguing, and Cao Lin arrived with the police: "Director Tan, what happened?"

"Cao Lin, you're here just in time." Tan Jing said, "bring all these people back, and the Englishman is also back, they are suspected of buying and selling people."

Cao Lin was stunned for a moment: "Director Tan, there seems to be no regulations prohibiting the sale of people in our law, so it is not easy to handle a low-level position."

Tan Jing knew that she couldn't control Cao Lin: "Cao Lin, take them back first, I will explain to your Chief Inspector."

"But Director Tan."

"No need, but." Tan Jing was a little angry, "I said I would explain to your Chief Inspector, I don't want to say it for the third time."

"Yes, Director Tan." Cao Lin quickly stood at attention. The tiger was even scared of the chief inspector. He should not cause trouble.

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

Aidison was anxious: "Why did you take me away? I did not violate your laws."

"Let's talk about it when you go back, let's talk about it when you go back." Cao Lin greeted and took everyone back to the police station in the old district.

Liu Guannan received the report and rushed over: "Sister Tan, what happened? I heard that someone bought and sold the population?"

"Guan Nan." Tan Jing asked, "Do we have any legal provisions that prohibit the sale of population now?"

Liu Guannan thought for a while: "This is really not the case. There was no special provision in the "Women and Children's Rights Protection Law" at that time. Now we are basically in the employment model in Yulin Bay, and no one is willing to trade, because once there is a problem, we do not recognize the trading contract in actual operations."

"But just now someone bought and sold people publicly, and they were still selling black people."

"Sister Tan, you are talking about the British." Liu Guannan probably knew what happened. "It is indeed inappropriate to buy and sell black slaves, but firstly, it is normal for black slaves to buy and sell in this era, and secondly, we do not have a basis for law enforcement."

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

"Sister Tan, I don't mean that." Liu Guannan hurriedly smiled when he saw Tan Jing getting angry, and 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 police room. After listening to Tan Jing’s story, Shi Xianyang said: “This time I am on Sister Tan’s side. Population transactions are illegal. I suggest that you detain the British in the police room.”

"It's not very good," said Liu Guannan. "We don't have any law to prohibit population trading, and we just got a relationship with the British, and I don't think it's appropriate to arrest their people now."

"Guannan is not without legal basis," said Fan Qiuming. "The 12th Amendment to the Convention clearly stipulates that no person's life, freedom and property shall be deprived of without due legal procedures. Freedom is included in it."

"But there is also property." Liu Guannan retorted, "those black people are Aidison's private property."

"No, Guannan." Shi Xianyang said, "How can man become property? There is an unchanging principle in the legal world. Natural law is always higher than human law and higher than social law. The philosophical basis of human rights is natural law."

"I know what you said is right, and I also know that the slave trade is definitely wrong." Liu Guannan said again, "But it is the 17th century and 1637. If we now prohibit the slave trade and the population trading, would there be any problem?"

"No problem at all." Shi Xianyang replied, "Even in the New Continent of America, there is now abolition movement. In 1688, Quaker members of the colony publicly wrote a declaration against slavery, and later Thomas Jepeson and Franklin proposed to abolish slavery. By 1804, all northern states had abolished slavery. And in Britain, on March 25, 1807, with the efforts of the abolitionists, the British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. All of this was only more than 100 years later than us, so why can't we do this?"

"Xianyang, now is not the time to let you recite the letter." Liu Guannan smiled, "I want to know what we should do in the police station."

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

"I object." Shi Xianyang expressed different opinions. "We bought Mrs. Wu and the others at the time, but now it is different. If we still use the method of buying and selling, it is equivalent to acknowledging the legitimacy of the slave trade. We must not do this, and we must use legal means to prohibit it."

"But Adison is an Englishman." Fan Qiuming raised the same question as Liu Guannan, "Will doing so affect our relationship with the British?"

"Lao Fan, human rights do not distinguish between national boundaries."

"Okay, I won't debate 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 Aidison still locked up? What should those black people do?"

"Let's do that." Shi Xianyang said, "Adison can let him go first, but he can't leave Yulin Bay. Those black men, you can set up the police room first, and we will decide what to do when we come up with a resolution."

The enlarged meeting of the two committees was held. Most people expressed their understanding and agreement with Shi Xianyang's opinion on this matter. Negative slave trade must not be carried out in Yulin Bay. Tan Jing proposed to convene a new time travel meeting to amend the "Women and Children's Rights Protection Law" and write the prohibition of population trading into the law.

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

For those black people, they will consult their own opinions, and the committee willing to go back to Africa will find a boat to send them back to their hometown. Those who are unwilling to go back can live in Yulin Bay, which opens its doors to welcome everyone.

After the meeting was held, the Military Commission held an enlarged meeting alone, and all senior officers at home participated, including non-travellers such as Ye Zhan and Andreas. Because Annan's landing operation was imminent.

Liu Guannan also attended the meeting as an invitation.

"Everyone, 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 police station, the total population of Yulin Bay leased land and Wanzhou leased land is more than 164,500. Among them, the number of people who are eligible to join the army is about 60,000, but in fact it is impossible to have so many. Apart from Yulin Bay and Wanzhou, we do not have an accurate population figure at present, but through sampling surveys, the approximately population is about 280,000, of which the eligible to soldiers should be 80,000. The total population of the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture is 440,000 to 450,000, and the number of soldiers is 140,000."

"I'll talk about the recruitment situation," Han Wantao said, "Now the three independent divisions are full, with a total force of 21,000. According to the arrangements of the Military Commission, the three divisions are reorganized into the New First Army. I serve as the commander of the New First Army and the commander of the First Division, Lin Zhaolong serves as the deputy commander and the commander of the Second Division, He Chaoyong serves as the commander of the Third Division, and Xu Lang serves as the chief of staff of the New First Army."

"Wait, wait." Xu Lang shouted, "Why is it me again? Didn't you say that you would dry the chief of staff?"

"You are familiar with the situation in Vietnam, it is more appropriate for you to do it." Dong Fei explained, "This is the adjustment just now."

Xu Lang shook his head and stopped talking.

Zeng Guangxian continued: "We have also made adjustments to the Navy. Now our 30 gunboats have lagged behind, so we are preparing to retire a batch of 30 gunboats. The joint fleet only retains the East China Sea Pearl, Guangdong, Fujian and four 500-ton warships, a total of 7 warships. The Crossing Conference also made a resolution to Dengzhou to retain only two 500-ton warships, Fuzhou and Qiongzhou.

"What do you want to arrange these retired 30 gunboats?" Leng Tianbing asked.

Zeng Guangxian smiled and said, "Tianbing, do you want to ask for Li Lin's customs again?"

Leng Tianbing said: "It's true. They only have two anti-smuggling boats in the customs office now, and they are still small boats worth about 100 tons, so they can't get busy. And I heard from Li Lin that she would set up a customs branch in Qiongzhou Prefecture, and anti-smuggling boats were also needed there."

"It's okay this time, I can give it to them all."
Chapter completed!