The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"It's easy to talk about the ship. As long as the court is willing, you can make a big difference in this place in two years. But I think the morale of the sailors on your ship is low. You should practice well after you go back. 6⃞ 9⃞ s⃞ h⃞u⃞ x⃞.⃞ c⃞ o⃞ m⃞

Also, it would be best to mobilize more sailors from the Denglai guards for training. How can this be done with such a small number of troops? "

When Yu Dayou heard about Denglai Navy's current predicament, he didn't take it seriously and just gave a kind reminder.

"With the current finances of the imperial court, how much money can I expect from the government? If they had valued us, they would have allocated money long ago."

Xu Qiaoan said bitterly, "The imperial court's intention is to integrate all the ships of Shandong Dusi to defend this sea area. What I can do is to patrol the sea with warships that can still go to sea to ensure the safety of one side." .”

"You, if I hadn't seen that you are Qiao Song's cousin, I wouldn't even bother to remind you."

At this time, Yu Dayou felt that this Xu Qiaoan was a rare enterprising person among the generals of the Ming Dynasty, at least much better than Xu Qiaosong.

Perhaps because of Xijue, the temperament of Xu Qiaoan cannot be seen in Xu Qiaosong.

When Yu Dayou met Xu Qiaosong for the first time, he was still a very motivated man, cruising on the river with Shuiying all day long, blocking the passage of Japanese pirates into the inland.

But when we met again later, he had become slippery and lost his previous vigor.

Perhaps, he was influenced by the big dye vat of officialdom and became a lot more philistine.

The way Xu Qiaoan looks now reminds Yu Dayou of Xu Qiaosong. If he doesn't give him hope, it won't take long before he will become like everyone else.

Thinking about it, Yu Dayou said: "When I was transferred from the battlefield to Guangxi and took over as the chief military officer of Guangxi, I switched from fighting Japanese pirates to suppressing bandits and suppressing rebellion. I couldn't understand it at that time.

But I did not sink. I worked hard to fulfill the orders of the court, and then went to Fujian to order naval warships. And now, I have the Nanyang Navy, which governs Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and the Guangxi Navy that I personally built. Now there are thousands of warships. The ship is much more powerful than when he was the commander-in-chief of a province. "

"That is because the commander-in-chief has great military exploits and is famous. Even the last general in Shandong has heard the legend of Yu Long and Qi Hu. The imperial court will naturally use people."

Xu Qiaoan gently flattered Yu Dayou and also praised the court.

Being able to rise to an official position like admiral is not something that ordinary people can achieve.

Many military generals, throughout their lives, only know that the chief military officer is the highest title of a military general, and the admiral is such a distant official position.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, even if a general leads an army alone, he is still the chief military officer, and there is really no such thing as a higher one.

On the other hand, the official position of governor in the civil service is similar to that of admiral, but the appointment decree usually states "Governor of military affairs and money and food of a certain place", which gives the governor the right to interfere in local military and government affairs.

The word "admiral" first appeared in the early years after the "Gengxu Rebellion" in the 29th year of Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing wanted to reorganize the Beijing camp and appointed the position of "admiral-general military officer". However, it soon became Change again.

The regiment camp and the two official offices were dismissed, and the old system of the three camps of the Yongle period was restored. The three thousand battalions were renamed Shenshu camp. The three battalions of the three battalions, such as the commanders and ministers, were abolished and all the ministers were abolished. They were commanded by a general and were called Governor Jingying Rong. In charge of government affairs, he is also assisted by a member of civil servants, who is called the assistant manager of the military affairs of the capital.

Because the post of governor is mostly an official position held by a civilian governor, the generals who governor the military affairs of the Beijing camp are generally called the commanders of the Beijing camp, but they dare not call themselves governors.

Wei Guangde gave Yu Dayou great power, allowing him to take the position of Chief Military Officer of Guangxi over the Chief Military Officer of the three provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. Naturally, he could not be allowed to continue to serve as the chief military officer in the position of Chief Military Officer, so he thought hard for a long time before taking the post of Chief Military Officer in Jiajing. To find a "precedent" for this.

As a result, the "Admiral Military Affairs" general, who is half a level higher than the general military officer, was born. The military general oversees military affairs, while the governor is the governor military affairs. Speaking of which, the admiral still has to listen to the governor.

Therefore, Zhang Juzheng, Lu Tiaoyang and other court officials did not make a fuss about Wei Guangde's proposal and accepted it calmly.

In their view, the generals in charge of the generals were nothing more than the so-called generals in the past, and the other generals were deputy generals. There was nothing to argue about. They all had to look up to the civilian officials anyway.

But this is also a serious matter. The military general has the official position of admiral above the chief military officer.

However, there are not many general military officers in the Ming Dynasty. If you want to be an admiral, you must first take the position of general military officer. You must also have strong connections with Beijing and China. In addition, you need to have opponents. Only then can you be given control of several provinces by the imperial court. The rights of soldiers and horses.

These points are indispensable and naturally difficult to achieve.

It can almost be said that Yu Dayou has reached the pinnacle of the Ming Dynasty military generals, commanding the troops and horses of the four provinces.

The only person who has commanded more troops than him in recent years is probably Hu Zongxian, the governor of Jiangnan during the Jiajing Dynasty, who could nominally mobilize troops from the thirteen provinces of Jiangnan.

However, since he is a civil servant, it is a different matter.

"What if I choose to give up and just get by while I'm in Guangxi? Do you think the imperial court will give me this opportunity to lead troops?"

Yu Dayou sneered.

"Well."

Xu Qiaoan was stunned and didn't know how to answer the question.

"I'm telling you this because as far as I know, the Denglai Navy was proposed by Elder Wei Ge at that time. I know Elder Wei Ge's temper and will never do this for no reason.

Now that there is a Nanyang Navy in the south of the Yangtze River, can't there be a Beiyang Navy in the north?

One south and one north guard the peace of the Ming Dynasty. "

Hearing this, Xu Qiaosong fell into silence and lowered his head to think.

Yu Dayou knew to some extent that Wei Guangde had the idea of ​​​​raising troops to go to Nanyang and restore the Xuanwei Department in the old port. Otherwise, he would not be allowed to inquire about the situation in Nanyang and learn Western shipbuilding and gun-building technology, just to show off his power overseas.

There are no ships and cannons that are sharper than the Western Yi people. Based on his understanding of Wei Guangde, he will never order them to go to sea in a hurry.

Therefore, during this period of time, Yu Dayou has been arranging people to inquire about the barbarian ships and artillery technology, and sent people to steal troops.

During this voyage, we unexpectedly met the Denglai navy, which may have been a blessing from God.

If it hadn't been for this meeting with Yu Dayou, perhaps Xu Qiaosong would have withered quickly like other Ming Dynasty generals in the near future, becoming a comfortable and enjoyable general, with no ambition to conquer the sea.

The watercraft selected by Nanyang Navy and Wang Zongmu are naturally excellent, so they can let go of speed and head towards Tianjin with the maximum range.

The warships of the Nanyang Navy can actually have higher speeds, but they have to slow down the speed to take care of the canals.

But even so, the speed of the watercraft at sea is still higher than that of the old and dilapidated ships of the Denglai Navy.

After all, the Denglai Navy also had to take care of those ships in the fleet that could no longer sail at high speeds. They could only reduce their speed and maintain the fleet's formation.

After separating from Yu Dayou, Xu Qiaosong made up his mind to train his sailors hard when he went back, so as not to lose his people again when he met with the Nanyang Navy next time.

At the same time, he also planned to write a letter to his cousin and ask if Yu Dayou was following someone in the capital.

Although from the previous conversation, he had a vague inkling that the person behind Yu Dayou should be Mr. Wei Ge in the cabinet, but after all, he was too far away from the level of the court. In the past, he was more dependent on his cousin's Yongkang Houfu.

If Mr. Wei Ge, as mentioned by Yu Dayou, really values ​​the navy, then it would not be a bad idea to join him.

The second assistant, in the court, there is one person below ten thousand people. Except for the first assistant, the second assistant seems to be the biggest.

Although there is a little emperor above him, after all, the emperor is too young and he is said to not be able to govern personally. The cabinet handles the government affairs of the court.

"Finally finished."

At this moment, the guard beside Xu Qiaoan took a long breath and sighed.

Xu Qiaoan then looked outside. The fleet that stretched for an unknown length of time had finally surpassed the Denglai Navy.

"I'm afraid there are less than a thousand ships. I didn't expect that my Ming Dynasty would have such a large naval force."

Another guard beside him sighed.

Indeed, before this, the most powerful force in the northern waters of the Ming Dynasty was the Dengzhou Navy.

Later, because they gathered the ships from the garrison stations in Laizhou and Jimo, and doubled the size of the Dengzhou navy, they believed that dozens of ships were already a strong maritime force.

But seeing the warships of the Nanyang Navy this time taught them a profound lesson, letting them know that there was a more powerful navy in the south, one that was countless times more powerful than theirs.

"No wonder we haven't heard of the Japanese pirates now. With such a powerful navy, who dares to scratch the tiger's beard?"

Xu Qiaoan heard the discussion of the guards below, and without realizing it, his heart moved, and he finally made up his mind.

He likes the feeling of staying on the boat and the sea. He wants to become the strongest king on the sea.

At this time, Nanyang Navy Yu Dayou was on the boat. Yu Dayou ordered the guards behind him: "It is getting late, find a harbor to anchor, and we will leave tomorrow.

Send someone to deliver a message to Chen Lin, asking him to be careful around him and keep an eye on the ships. This is still the open sea, and it will be safe once he passes through the Miao Island Islands and enters the Bohai Sea. "

"Yes, Marshal."

The personal guards took the order and left, and Yu Dayou also returned to the cabin to rest. After a day of sea breeze, he, a veteran, could no longer stand it.

"Brother Zili, come and have a drink."

In the flower hall of Wei Mansion in the capital, Wei Guangde was entertaining Tan Lun, Minister of War.

Then he waved his hand and said to the person sitting next to him: "Zilong, you also raise a glass, and we will drink from it."

"Drink, we are all our own people, no need to be formal."

Tan Lun spoke at this time.

After a glass of wine, Wei Guangde glanced at the man next to him and asked: "Brother Zili, Zilong is one of the few military heroes among my descendants in Jiangxi. Do you really want to arrange for him to go to Guangxi?

There is no peace there, and according to the official documents sent back by Yunnan, Myanmar is eyeing Mengchong, Manmo, Mengmi and other places in the Ming Dynasty. It is not a good place to go. "

"Zilong participated in quelling the rebellion in Jiangxi in his early years. He also led troops with the Dayou into Fujian and Guangdong to suppress the Japanese rebellion. I think he should be given a chance. If he continues to stay in Jiangxi, it will be useless."

The person who accompanied the drink also had a name in history, but Wei Guangde didn't know it. He was recommended by Tan Lun, the Minister of War.

And his name is Deng Zilong. He should have been an unknown person in history. It was only because he died heroically on the battlefield in a naval battle that his name was passed down.

Deng Zilong, also known as Yunqing, also known as Wuqiao, also known as Huguan Taoist, was born in Fengcheng, Jiangxi Province. He was proficient in astronomy and geography, good at riding and archery, capable of poetry, and good at calligraphy. He was an outstanding military strategist in the Ming Dynasty, a famous anti-Japanese general, and a national hero.

Originally, it was not difficult to get Deng Zilong out, whether to the southwest or the north, but Tan Lun knew that Wei Guangde had already had a series of thoughts about the affairs of the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of War. Deng Zilong was only in his forties and could still work on the battlefield for another ten years or even two. Ten years, so I brought people here to see if Wei Guangde had other arrangements.

Again, they are all fellow countrymen. Although they have different paths in culture and martial arts, Wei Guangde's background determines that he cannot treat martial people lightly.

Perhaps Wei Guangde would arrange a more suitable position for him.

"We are all fellow villagers. Since Brother Zili brought you here, it means that he thinks highly of you."

When Wei Guangde said this, he paused briefly and then said: "He asked you to go to the southwest, where there may be military affairs.

Although I have never been to that place in the southwest, I have heard a lot about it and it is not suitable for a large army to conquer.

If you are good at directing small-scale battles, it would be great to go to the southwest.

But if you are not good at this, but are in the orthodox Ming army formation method, I would advise you not to go to the southwest. "

After Wei Guangde finished speaking, he noticed that Tan Lun nodded in agreement and said, "I also told him this, but now there is no place to make achievements except in the southwest and Liaodong."

"Do you have any ideas about the navy?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

"Sailor?"

Deng Zilong, who was not good at words, was stunned when Wei Guangde mentioned the navy. He knew that Yu Dayou, the former Jiangxi military commander, is now the admiral of the Nanyang Navy. He has control of thousands of warships, large and small, and can also command the coastal guards of the four provinces.

Thinking of this, Deng Zilong couldn't help but look at Wei Guangde, wondering if he was planning to let him change his career to become a naval general.

You know, there is no sea visible in Jiangxi. When Zhang Lian was defeated, he led his troops into Fujian and saw the sea for the first time.

"Yes, it's the Navy. Your old boss will arrive in Tianjin soon. If you are interested, you can come with me and train under him for a few years. The Navy is also in urgent need of generals who are good at land and water battlefields. .”

Wei Guangde said.

"Good loan, you."

Tan Lun hesitated to speak, but finally did not say anything.

Wei Guangde knew what he meant and chuckled: "Brother Zili, it is a national policy for the navy to go to Nanyang to restore the old port. I don't know what is going on there now, but the warships of the Western barbarians keep coming from the west. We, the Ming Dynasty, have to pay great attention to it." .

The geographical location of Xuanwei Division in Jiugang is crucial. If the imperial court resumes its management there, it will be able to control all the traffic of Western barbarian ships.

With the old port, the entire Southeast Asia can also be called the Daming Sea.

Moreover, the natives of Nanyang can establish a country there, so there is no need to worry about not having enough financial resources to allow the court to maintain contact between the two places.

As far as I know, Nanyang is rich in products. Rice can be produced three times a year, which is even better than that of the Ming Dynasty Jiangnan.

For this reason alone, it was worthy of the imperial court's attack. "

Wei Guangde didn't know if there were gold and silver mines in Southeast Asia. He only knew that there seemed to be coal mines there, but they were of little value for development now.

But using this as a springboard, we can extend our tentacles to the kangaroo country.

Of course, due to transportation and communication reasons, it will be difficult for the Ming Dynasty to effectively control this place within a hundred years, but it might as well make some attempts.

In Old Port, generals familiar with amphibious warfare must be retained. This was his decision.

"The final general is willing to follow Marshal Yu."

Although he didn't know where the old port they were talking about was, Deng Zilong still knew that this place was very important. Hearing that Wei Gelao planned to let him guard it, he immediately spoke. (End of chapter)