Steam Daming: Stop calling me to supervise the country

Zhu Zhanqian took the lead with the fleet to Temasek.

The little Temasek saw such a huge Third and Fourth Fleet in the South China Sea of ​​Ming Dynasty, all the merchants didn't know what happened.

Fortunately, Temasek is under the direct jurisdiction of Ming Dynasty, so there is no need to be afraid.

The governor of Temasek was picked up by Zhu Zhanqian himself. He was named Fan Shizhong, a middle-aged man, and he was welcome at the port.

Seeing that it was Zhu Zhanqian who came in person, Fan Shizhong immediately went up to greet him: "Your Highness, I don't know if you are coming in person, why don't you send someone to notify first, I'm here to get ready."

"It's just a temporary stay, it won't stay for a long time, there's no need to prepare for it, my stay is mainly to replenish the ship, and I have some things to explain to you." Zhu Zhanqian will not enter the city, saving all the time, At the port, someone took a chair and sat down to talk to Fan Shizhong.

Seeing Zhu Zhanqian's serious expression, Fan Shizhong also put away his smiling face, sat opposite Zhu Zhanqin, and listened carefully to Zhu Zhanqin's words.

"I'm going to go to the West, you should all know."

Fan Shizhong nodded, how could he not know about this matter: "But Your Highness, didn't you say to wait until His Highness the Crown Prince returns from the Northern Expedition before setting off?"

"It's not going to fight now, but to let our army go to do early deployment."

Zhu Zhanqian then said: "Temasek is an important gateway to the West. Next, I need you to maintain the stability of Temasek. All factors that may affect the stability of Temasek must be eliminated to protect our army. Front-line supplies, the country has prepared a large amount of coal supplies, which will be transported to Temasek in large quantities and then enter the West. I will deploy a large number of supplies at major ports. Temasek has a small place, so if you store your subordinates, go there Discuss the place with the Principality of Malacca, and I will leave this matter to you."

Fan Shizhong said solemnly: "Don't worry, Your Highness, the coal materials needed by our army will become the most important resource in the future. I will definitely ensure the supply of our frontline troops."

Zhu Zhanqian nodded in satisfaction. Fan Shizhong was still reliable and decisive in his work. Those who promoted him could feel at ease after all. He continued: "The resources transported by the merchant ships of Ming Dynasty will be very huge, so the safety work must be guaranteed. One of the units of the Second South China Sea Fleet will be stationed in Temasek, and you should be responsible for these tasks.”

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Also, the material transportation of the Australian Mining Group to the north and the transportation of some coal mines will also be guaranteed."

What Zhu Zhanqin explained was all about logistical support. Because of such a long-distance and large-dimensional battle, our army has not yet established a good position on the front line. Once the logistics supplies cannot keep up, it will be easy to lose touch and even unsustainable.

In the past, Zhu Zhanqian was responsible for this aspect of the war, but this time he had to go to the front line first, and Daming's army had never fought such a long-distance battle, and no one had experience. This group of people has been promoted.

Fortunately, many of them are graduates of Hainan University. These young soldiers are inexperienced, but they are all educated in the new style. They also admire Zhu Zhanqian. This is a good opportunity to train them and make contributions.

...

Zhu Zhanqian is very confident in the fighting power of the Ming army, especially the navy. Now the fighting power of the Ming army and other armies is almost not at the same level, and the Europa group is not an opponent.

However, the weapons and ammunition that these warships can carry are limited, the coal fuel is limited, and the requirements for long-distance sea transportation are also high. The food for so many troops is also a big problem. Once the food and ammunition are exhausted, the most powerful guard of honor of the Ming army Disappeared.

This is also the lesson of Zheng He's fleet going to Europa this time. Fortunately, their ships are still the first generation of warships with sails, and they can still go without fuel.

But their ammunition is insufficient. After a few battles, the ammunition is almost used up, and there is no follow-up supply ability. After the battle, they become an ordinary army. Possibly, this is the only reason Hou Xian agreed to exchange warships for Zheng He in the end.

Because they really don't have anything.

This lesson must be kept in mind. Zhu Zhanyi increased the proportion of material ships in the South China Sea Third Fleet to avoid the shortage of materials as much as possible, but the establishment of strategic supply points along the way is the most important thing.

Without staying in Temasek too much, Zhu Zhanqian arranged things, and the team temporarily rested for two days to replenish fuel and set off again.

This is the first time Zhu Zhanqian has crossed the Strait of Malacca. When he came here, he went to the other side. This time he crossed the Strait of Malacca and went to the West.

The Western Ocean mentioned in the Ming Dynasty was mainly the Indian Ocean, and Zheng He also went to these places in history.

The horizontal outline of the Indian Ocean is closed in the north and open in the south. The South Asian subcontinent protrudes from other places, which is what people used to call Tianzhu. A large part of Tianzhu now belongs to the Delhi Sultanate. Humans conquered this subcontinent and finally conquered it.

Later, it was split into many countries, so now Tianzhu refers to many countries, but because of the limited understanding of Ming Dynasty, Tianzhu is generally used to refer to this area.

Zhu Zhanqian’s first strategic material point wants to be established here. In fact, the nearby Ceylon Island is also a good choice, but the population there is limited, and a large number of people will be needed in the future. Slaves will be transported from the slavery country here. Going to mine is obviously closer.

According to Zhu Zhanqian's understanding, the caste system, also known as the humble nationality system, is now implemented on a large scale here.

The caste system was originally a social system created with the Aryan invasion.The original caste system is not to divide the class and the high and low of people, but to ensure the ruling power of the Aryans themselves and maintain a certain number of people for various jobs.

This is a very typical and strict class system, which still retains its power today.

As long as the caste system exists in people's hearts, the sea breeze in the Indian Ocean will never be free.

In a society of slavery, what is cheapest and best-selling?
When Zhu Zhanqian was sailing on the scorching sea with the sea breeze of the Indian Ocean, Mu Bin walked up to him: "Your Highness, according to the chart, it should take a few days to reach Kochi, and the port of Kochi belongs to Vijayanagar The country of Luo, this country has a deep relationship with Ceylon. In the past, Ceylon had a lot of trade with us. There are some trades, but they are generally in a state of mutual customs clearance."

...

As the new captain of the South China Sea Third Fleet, Mu Bin carefully studied the situation of the countries above the Western Ocean during this period, including the intersection with Ming Dynasty and what happened between the two sides over the years, and even the special products of various places.

Zhu Zhanqian nodded with satisfaction, and then said: "The productivity of this place is backward, and there are many slaves and people at the bottom of society, the law is not strict, and crimes occur frequently, so most of Ming's merchant ships are unwilling to stop at Kezhi, but choose Ceylon. Island, this time I go to Kochi Port, I will first discuss with their king to spend money to buy Kochi Port.”

"Your Highness, the country of Vijayanagaro should not agree. The location of Kochi Port is good, and it is also their most important port in recent years."

"If you agree, develop the port, and establish the headquarters of the Third Fleet, hoard Kochi Port as the headquarters of our army in the west, and if you don't agree, directly suppress Kochi Port with heavy troops. With the current strength of our army, take down Kochi Port. No problem."

"Yes, Your Highness." Zhu Zhanqian's meaning was very clear, and he didn't want to deal with them in any way. All dealing with them was a waste of time. Zhu Zhanqian's style of this Western Expedition was very different from his previous style.

"The sea breeze in the Indian Ocean is really sultry and boring."

……

Zhu Zhanqian sent troops, and the court was shocked.

"Your Majesty, Haiwang's move is contrary to what he said before. He agreed to wait until His Royal Highness returns to court before leaving, but now the prince has broken his oath." The censors angrily reprimanded Zhu Zhanqian in the court hall.

Zhu Gaochi had another headache, and another censor came to play: "Yang Lu, the commander of the governor of Guangdong, as the commander of the capital, failed to prevent the prince from going to sea, and failed to manage the subordinate army well. It is a serious crime. I hope your majesty He will be dismissed and investigated, and the nine clans will be killed."

The censors often open their mouths to shout and kill, but this memorial was played by Fang Shi, the governor of Guangdong.

Zhu Gaochi was dizzy, and Zhu Zhanqian's operation completely stunned him. He set off suddenly, although he left a letter explaining it, but in the end he cut it first and then played it. This is a big taboo in the court.

Everyone in the imperial court felt that they had been tolerant of Zhu Zhanqian in the matter of the Western Expedition. Once they made a claim without punishment, it was not enough to quell the anger of the imperial court.

What the ministers said the most was that Zhu Zhan had no emperor in his eyes and acted without authorization. It didn't matter that he was an emperor with a good temper, but the people below were in a hurry.

Few people in the court spoke for Zhu Zhanqian, but this was also what Zhu Gaochi felt most at ease about.

He acts perversely and does not consider the consequences of doing things. He has real power and amazing wealth, but he has never formed a clique or colluded with cronies.

When the court was so noisy, Zhu Gaochi finally made a decision: "First dismiss Yang Lu, the commander of the Guangdong capital, and quickly send a messenger to catch up with King Hai, and order him to return to the voyage. After returning, order him to stay at home and contemplate for a year."

Zhu Gaochi decided the nature of this matter, and finally dismissed Yang Lu, but ordered someone to chase after Zhu Zhanqian, can they be chased?The sea is vast, and after chasing Zhu Zhanqian and wanting to bring Zhu Zhanqian back, it is not just a word from the emperor.

After all, Zhu Zhanqian set off with the consequences of disobeying his will.

Poor Yang Lutangtang, the commander of the Guangdong capital, was directly dismissed, but because of Fang Shi's participation, Fang Shi's position doesn't matter, at least one of the two stays in the original position, and can help Zhu Zhanqian take care of the Guangdong Fan manage.

...

And a very important point is that Zhu Zhanqian can keep all his wives in Shuntian Mansion except for his personal bodyguard, Hei Snake Ji, and he also intentionally keeps his weakness.

The news of Zhu Zhanqian's departure came from Mobei again, and reached Zhu Zhanji who was on the expedition.

Zhu Zhanji sighed: "Fifth brother, fifth brother, the fact that you do this is too disrespectful to the court and the emperor."

At this time, the people around Zhu Zhanqian reminded him, "His Royal Highness, may this be a good thing for you?"

"Oh?"

"The style of King Hai's behavior this time has also made the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty understand that Lord Haiwang will never be swayed by the court's remarks, and it can even be said to be reckless and arbitrary. Your Highness also knows that the most feared thing for the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty is For those who act arbitrarily and do not listen to their opinions, His Royal Highness acting like this is tantamount to cutting off his relationship with the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty, and it is not harmful to His Highness."

Zhu Zhanji was stunned for a moment, he didn't think of this at first, but after thinking about it carefully, it seems that it is indeed the case.

"Could it be that Zhan Yan did it on purpose." Zhu Zhanji thumped in his heart.

He supported Zhu Zhanqian in the court, and the way Zhu Zhanqian responded to him was to deliberately irritate the court officials and completely severed the relationship with the court officials in order to respond to him.

Although he doesn't know whether Zhu Zhanqian did this on purpose, but this thing is done so irrationally, if Zhu Zhanqian can't take this into consideration, then he absolutely doesn't believe it.

The person next to him was right, this matter was not harmful to him.

After careful consideration, Zhu Zhanji asked someone to bring the letter back. Every word in the letter was full of support for Zhu Zhanqian, and his distress and love for his fifth younger brother. At the same time, he also told the emperor and court officials not to embarrass Zhu Zhanqian , Wait until I return from the Northern Expedition to talk about punishment.

When he also sent letters to the elders of Chaotang Pavilion and the officials of the princeling party.

After all, Zhu Zhanji's support still had some effect. After all, many people belonged to the prince's faction and had to follow the prince.

The court was chaotic, and Zhu Zhanqian planned to ignore everything from the moment he set off. His plan was to arrange the matter of the canal no matter what this time. As long as the canal starts to be dug, this battle must be fought. Otherwise, all the national power and funds spent will be in vain.

"Your Highness, you will arrive at Kochi Port tomorrow. The King of Ceylon has heard that our army is coming, and now he is approaching our army and inviting us to go."

Such a huge fleet appeared on the sea and was already approaching Ceylon. It was normal for them to get the news. As a tributary state of Ming Dynasty, they naturally recognized the military flag of Ming Dynasty and sent people to contact them.

They were not sure about the intentions of the Ming army, so they came to express condolences to the Ming army with gifts.

With a wave of Zhu Zhanqian's hand, the flag of the flying Henan Ren waved, and the warships in front gave way one after another, and Zhu Zhanqian's main ship stepped forward.

The King of Ceylon's ship is like a small fishing boat in front of the mighty flying Henan Man.

Leading their envoys to board the ship, Zhu Zhanqian looked at them condescendingly, and they saluted one after another: "See His Royal Highness Daming Sea King."

This was the first time they had seen the legendary Great Ming Sea King. He was tall and heroic, with a dignified look on his brows and eyes.

...

"Your Excellency is Aamir Khan, the prince's son of the Kingdom of Ceylon?" Zhu Zhanqian asked, looking at the strong young man who was the leader of the envoy team.

The man nodded immediately: "It's Wei Chen."

This is the etiquette that a tributary country should have. Zhu Zhanqian nodded in satisfaction. Generally speaking, the Kingdom of Ceylon has had the best relationship with Ming Dynasty in the West these years.

"Hearing that His Royal Highness Sea King was passing through the border, Father specially invited His Highness to come to our Kingdom of Ceylon for a gathering. Because Father is too old to move around and cannot come in person, he sent me here. I hope His Highness will not blame you."

Zhu Zhanqian thought for a while and said: "This time I have an urgent matter, and I have no plans to go to the Kingdom of Ceylon, so I will not go there, and I will go when I have time on the return journey."

Amir Khan still wants to invite more, but Zhu Zhanqian is obviously not interested.

"By the way, my son, what is your relationship with Vijayanagar?" There is only a strait between the two countries, so they must be very familiar with each other.

Aamir Khan said in surprise, "Your Highness, where do you want to go?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Your Highness, the king of Vijayanagara is a complete devil. He enslaves hundreds of thousands of people and lives like livestock. Our merchant ships are not willing to dock there." Amir Khan said earnestly. .

"Oh? Really? 10,000+ slaves?" Zhu Zhanqian smiled slightly.

Amir Khan said with a little disgust: "Yes, if you count the people enslaved by other lords."

"Oh? Really?" Zhu Zhanqian's half smile was not a smile.