Jingming

Chapter 492 Set sail for war

If Ming Dynasty had not intervened, Soharuyasu would not have become ambitious, Shimazu Takahisa would not have raided Ryukyu, and Japan would not have had two self-proclaimed generals suddenly appear, then the current forty-seven Maori Yuan would still be the same. He is tinkering with his "Two Sichuan System".

After the Maori clan broke away from the Nizi clan, it was not yet stable internally.

But being caught between the Nizi clan and the Ouchi clan, he didn't have much choice.

It is precisely because he spent his whole life in this kind of crack that he eventually became the guardian of the ten countries and interfered with the other two countries. He was famous in Kansai, so he was known as the "God of Counseling" and was known as the "First Wise General of the Western Kingdom".

This shows that Maoliyuan is not stupid. And because he is not stupid, he is more likely to be convinced by the facts and make rational choices.

The premise is to endure it.

"Oro is still in the Ouchi family's mountain castle." Mourimoto said to his ally and retainer, Numata Castle Lord Kobayakawa Shohei, "Shohei, the navy you sacrificed and my eldest son are all necessary prices."

The situation is different. The two wings of Kobayakawa and Yoshikawa under Motonori Mouri were formed earlier, but they are not particularly stable, not to mention the "bitter meat plan" this time.

The relationship between the Kobayakawa family and the Seto pirates has always been very good, so the strength of the naval force under Mouri Moton is mainly composed of the Kobayakawa family.

Now, Kobayakawa Masahei is very optimistic: "The one who needs to be appeased is Xing Jing. Saburo will become his adopted son and will marry my daughter in the future. This matter should be finalized."

The Xingjing he was talking about was the head of a branch of the Kobayakawa family. Kobayakawa Shohei had no children, but he was actually very afraid that the separation would threaten his family in the future. This time, he sent out ships and soldiers, and the branch family also sent out many soldiers. However, the degree of damage to the branch family and the main family cannot be compared.

Mao Liyuan nodded: "I understand."

"Then..." Kobayakawa Shohei hesitated for a moment, then asked, "The Ouchi family will surely doubt us sooner or later, right?"

"Don't worry about it." Mao Liyuan shook his head instead, "Aren't there only two of the ten people we came back with? It was agreed that the two families would share Ishimi Yinshan together, how did he do it? He couldn't have more With great power, if we attack our allies without any evidence, then our subsequent choices will be even more justified. Nizi's surrendered retainers and the people of the country are not loyal to him now. When things get to that point, Dao The Jin family will also be filled with doubts and fears."

"But Mr. Motonori..." Kobayakawa Shohei looked at him, "That Mr. Wang... is it really credible?"

"The Korean War has indeed begun." Mao Liyuan lowered his head, "How many years has it been since Ming merchant ships and escort warships appeared on Tsushima Island? This time is different..."

Yes, this time is different.

Too many people are obsessed with old stories, always thinking that the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty suffered two defeats in the past, and the Japanese had no major dangers with the help of the sea and the wind.

Even the Ashikaga family just used this flag to try their last stand.

But Daming was too patient this time. I have been operating in Tsushima Island for so long, but I have always just pretended to be a businessman.

What Maori Yuan can see from this is that he has used many years to completely master the route.

Just as Yoshitaka Ouchi was depressed, Moto Moto could see the difference: Moto Moto was an immortal demon god who grew up on horseback, and if he crossed the sea to attack, he would lose all his advantages. But Ming Dynasty is different. What Ming Dynasty is taking is the correct way.

Shimazu Takahisa went to massacre Ryukyu first, didn't it mean that it would be slower for the Ming army to come by sea from that direction?

In Shimazu Takahisa's plan, he wanted the Ouchi family to take the lead, right?

As for conquering the entire Japan... Mao Liyuan agrees with Wang Zhi's point of view: Even if there are indeed more than a hundred large and small warships and more troop transports and cargo ships coming together this year, the tens of thousands of elite soldiers who will eventually land will be fully armored and equipped with firearms. , Ming Dynasty’s conquest of Japan also required a group of local people.

The general trend is turbulent, those who follow it will prosper, and those who go against it will perish.

Wang Zhi said that it happened this year, can Maoliyuan be believed?

He may not believe it, but the Ming army is indeed wiping out North Korea. This is a very clear signal.

There wasn't much time left for him to make a decision.

As for the information about the possible conquest of Tsushima Island, Wang Zhi only gave him two choices: if he can send out some information in time, even if there is no accurate time but only signs, then he can be regarded as a hero in the future; if there is no information at all , that is one of the so-called criminal chiefs of the Imperial Guard Alliance who took the initiative to provoke the war against the Ming Dynasty.

Maori Yuan had already made his choice. He indeed only gave a signal that the conquest was inevitable, without specifying the time.

But Tsushima's side accurately captured the time and set a trap. The three ships fought for a long time, and the nine ships defeated the coalition forces.

"...This is an even more terrifying fact." Maori Yuanjiu said quietly, "Is that Mr. Wang...really just trying to persuade me secretly?"

"But how do news come and go? The ports on the coast leading to Tsushima Island are all under the control of the Ouchi clan... If they are Han Chinese..."

"Have you forgotten the Zong family?" Mao Ligen sighed, "Zong Qingyasu once captured Izumo's Saihe Castle and Jugamiyama Castle. How many people failed to go back? And on Tsushima Island, how many people have actually Are you a slave of the Ming Dynasty? Why do you have to start from the port when going to Tsushima Island?"

After a pause, he said: "If I were not in Kansai, maybe I wouldn't have to make such a choice now. But with Ming's strength and determination, I have no choice."

The weather was still very cold, so Maori Yuan stood up, walked behind the screen and took out a box.

After walking under the eaves and looking up at the sky, he opened the box.

Kobayakawa Shohei's eyes narrowed, and when he saw Maori Yuan, he took out the things inside and started operating them seriously.

This is a musket that Kobayakawa Shohei has never seen before.

There were several small paper packets, each containing gunpowder and projectiles.

The musket had a wooden handle, a gold and iron piece like a chicken head, and a trigger in the circular iron ring below.

There are also muskets on Japan Island. As a hero, Maori Yuan is not surprised to have so many guns in his hands, so the sound of gunshots coming from his back house is nothing.

When Kobayakawa Shohei saw Mourimoto, he shot off a branch of a cherry blossom tree in the courtyard and stood there dumbfounded.

"This is a testimony of friendship sent by Mr. Wang after the great victory over Tsushima."

Maori Yuanja also looked at the gun blankly and said softly.

This wasn't the first time he had tried it, and now he felt it was even more of a deterrent.

Such muskets are already the latest standard equipment of the Ming Army's firearms.

He could not imagine what the scene would be like when the Ming army with more than 10,000 weapons arrived in Japan.

How can he choose?

……

The Ming Emperor returned to Beijing after the Northern Expedition to the Mongols and Yuan Dynasties, allowing the Ming Dynasty to enjoy nearly ten years without large-scale military use. But if Zhu Houcong paid so much attention to steam engines and ironclads, how could he not work on individual ordnance that was more likely to produce epoch-making changes?

The appearance of the flintlock gun originally happened around this time, but it originally appeared in Europe first, but it is different now.

The military industry state-owned enterprise system that originated in the early Jiajing Dynasty was able to specialize in this and produce on a large scale.

In February of Yangchun, the city of Beijing was preparing for the Imperial Examination, and the main force of the Japanese conquest army was about to officially set off in Dagu, Ningbo, and Taiyuan.

Qi Jiguang stood on the front deck of the Xuanlong ship, on the three huge masts distributed on the front, middle and rear decks, and the rear deck. The sails had not yet been lowered.

The two thick chimneys in the middle and rear were already billowing with thick smoke.

Qi Jiguang was a little excited. There are more than 400 generals on this Xuanlong ship. Including the boatmen, the number exceeded five hundred.

This is undoubtedly the largest ship ever built by the Ming Dynasty.

Next to him, even the Fengzhou giant ship seemed much smaller, let alone other wave-cutting ships, wave-cutting ships and other centipede clippers.

I don’t know how many people from Ming Dynasty came to watch the fun.

The fleet is huge. In fact, there are only more than 20 Beiyang Navy reserve ships departing from Dagu. But the escort ships of the Maritime Transport Bureau and the Maritime Great Wall Company, as well as the large maritime merchant ships transporting troops and cargo, combined together were mighty.

"The real master of destroying nations!"

"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious!"

The whistling sound is endless.

Xue Han, who rushed back from Incheon and led his men to join Jeju Island first, said in high spirits: "Set the sails and go to war!"

If the Xuanlong ship relied solely on steam engines, it would be heartbreakingly slow.

With its size, it naturally needs the help of sails to maintain speed in the fleet.

Now, the sail was slowly lowered under the joint operation of the sailors and shipwrights, and the dull and loud roar of the whistle could be heard in all directions.

Above and below the waterline, the dark circle of iron is like a ribbon, but it can easily break through the sea.

As flags and drums were passed around, many ships began to raise their sails one by one.

The whole process of setting sail took nearly half a day. Watching the sail shadows heading eastward, the people on the shore felt that they still had more to say.

The Ming Dynasty was fighting such a high-profile war, but the people of the Ming Dynasty did not feel that the burden had increased.

Maybe it's the accumulation in the past few years, maybe it's the ten-year national debt worth tens of millions.

Those who can afford national debt are the powerful and wealthy, and they seem to have little to do with it.

On the way back, they started talking about something new.

"Have you heard? As long as you are willing to go to North Korea, you can also sign up as a scholar. Pay three taels of silver to the Beijing Ministry of Etiquette and Exchange to learn the Korean dialect. In the past, one less county magistrate would be eligible for a post!"

"Then why are you still learning Korean dialect?"

"Confused! I don't understand, what should I do if I'm being coaxed? Only those who are willing to learn are willing to go! If you go to North Korea to be an official, your exams will be used in the Ming Dynasty, and you can even get promoted back!"

They see dividends.

During the Ming Dynasty, the system was expanded for many years, but provincial examinations were held every year. Although simplified characters have long been more useful among the people, now that the power of the imperial court is used as a standard to promote it, the basic threshold for literacy has gradually been lowered.

As the descendants of the Zhu family in North Korea became kings and the new dynasty was established, it was regarded as the new territory of the Ming Dynasty.

It is difficult for ordinary people to farm. North Korea has a lot of people, so the land is narrow and densely populated.

But this time, aren’t they all pretending to be masters?

This is how simple ideas are, unable to withstand some bold and enthusiastic excitement.

On Tsushima Island, Yan Shifan and Wang Zhi said goodbye again.

"I wish you all the best, Admiral!" Wang Zhi smiled and held his hands.

Yan Shifan was in a good mood: "Let's drink in their Kyoto before the Chinese New Year!"

Due to his contribution in helping conquer Korea and defeating the defending coalition forces in Tsushima, this Japanese uncle was not promoted to a title, but was promoted to a formal official.

In other words, since he has been working hard here for many years, he should naturally be the main general in the war against Japan.

Now, the one-eyed general of the Ming Dynasty Navy, whose reputation has begun to show in Japan, has been promoted to the admiral of the Dongyang Navy.

Yan Shifan wanted to bypass the southwest of Japan and go to Ryukyu to join the Japanese navy arriving there.

"We reached Kyoto years ago..." Wang Zhi smiled, "If that guy is smart enough, there is hope."

"This admiral will teach him how to be smart!"

There is also a mature route from Tsushima Island to Ryukyu, but it needs to pass through the coast.

In fact, if most routes are not particularly mature, it is best to sail not far from the coast first.

The typhoon season has not yet come, but Ming Dynasty has already begun to gather from two directions.

Over at Ningbo Port, Xu Dong's house was full of people coming and going.

At first it was just Huizhou Sea Trade, but now his main business direction is only Japan.

"No matter what, help me now!" Xu Dong couldn't help shouting to several people, "Give me the ship, dock workers, and berths! In the future, our Huizhou Maritime Trading Company's share of Japan's business in the Ming Dynasty will be It’s all yours!”

"Brother Xu, what are you talking about? The grain stored in the grain storage account is transferred by you, and the military resources of the General Armament Department are also entrusted to you. Why don't we help each other?" Someone praised, and then added Testing, "Brother Xu is really planning to settle down in Japan in the future?"

"That's natural!" Xu Dong said without hesitation, "In the future, Japan will naturally have many enterprises. Brothers are not talented, so they have the upper hand. Not only the Japanese uncle..."

Having said this, he looked at a few people and his expression became much more solemn: "It is related to the national economy, you must not talk nonsense. What I want to say to you is for your sincere help and to ensure the smooth logistics of the army. There is no need to worry about anything first." Selfishness. If I say I want to give up my business in Daming, if you listen to a few more words, you will seriously believe me!"

Several people looked embarrassed.

Although there is a fee for lending the ship and people to him, it is certainly not as much as earning by doing business on the sea yourself.

Of course they didn't believe Xu Dong's statement that Huizhou Sea Trading Company would not do these businesses in the Ming Dynasty in the future.

That's an income of one million a year.

And Xu Dong Shi Shiran said: "The fourth son of the emperor is His Royal Highness Prince He, and that Dongying calls himself the He clan. My brother, His Highness the Crown Prince, has invited me, and he will bring his daughter to Beijing in the near future."

Everyone was terrified.

Everyone has heard the news that the Crown Princess will be chosen this year.

The fourth prince and the king are brothers from the same mother as His Royal Highness, and their relationship is extraordinary.

Japan is isolated overseas, and it will definitely become its own country in the future; Korea was entrusted to the King of Liao, and it will definitely be accepted as a solid territory in the future.

A smart person can clearly understand His Majesty's arrangement. Two brothers, one is the future lord of the Ming Dynasty, and the other is the lord of Japan. North Korea, caught in the middle, will not dare to take any precautions in the future. When the time comes, everything will fall into place.

Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince already making plans for the future pattern of Japan? Does Your Majesty know about this?

You should know...

They thought so in unison, and then thought of another thing: "Brother Xu's daughter who has not left the palace seems to be only twenty-seven years old, right?"

Xu Dong immediately replied: "Do you think that I am wishful thinking about such favors and honors? That's why I said that I want to give up the Ming Dynasty business!"

He didn't say it clearly, but everyone else understood it.

Did you really make arrangements with the king’s concubine in advance?

Even if she is not a royal concubine, Xu Dong will have the status of a relative of the Japanese country in the future if the relationship is established first.

When it comes to doing business, he is an expert.

So if Japan, which is comparable to several provinces in the Ming Dynasty, has an asset bureau in the future, who else will it be?

"Oh, congratulations to Brother Xu! Congratulations to Brother Xu!"

The congratulatory voices continued immediately, and now they really believed it.

No matter what, in the future, if you can trade with the Ming Dynasty by taking possession of a country's products, you will have such a status. How can it be compared to a big private businessman today?

Only after they all left with new thoughts did Xu Dong look solemn.

The relationship with Yan Shifan and Wang Zhi is true, and the letter from the prince is also true.

But after all, his identity is just a wealthy private businessman. Can His Majesty really allow his youngest daughter to become his concubine?

Perhaps, it was just to get him to help Master Wang transfer food, grass and military supplies.

I'm afraid this is a prerequisite before we can have our own place in Japan in the future.

He arranged another five days in Ningbo before finally setting off for Beijing with his young daughter.

In the palace, Zhu Houcong was looking at the two brothers Zhu Zaicheng and Zhu Zaichi.

The fourth child is actually fifteen years old this year, so he is naturally embarrassed, panicked and excited at the moment.

Zhu Houcong looked at Zhu Zaicheng for a while, and after seeing that he was very calm, he smiled and nodded: "Very good, dad is not afraid that you will consider the long term from a higher perspective. This is right."

"Father……"

Zhu Zai'an was a little moved, and his anxiety finally subsided a lot.

"You are the prince, and you want to pursue the country. If you do your best and don't break the rules, you will be safe." Zhu Houcong praised and reminded, then looked at the fourth child, "The princess should welcome the Japanese girl and ensure that her family is safe. Xu Dong... ...Wang Zhi’s old boss and Yan Shifan’s old friend, there’s no problem in letting him take care of the money bag. As long as you don’t think your brother is trying to harm you, that’s fine.”

"How could Erchen think so... Erchen just didn't expect that this day would come so quickly..."

"It can't be done any time soon. It will take another two or three years for you to get there."

Although the Ming Dynasty is more powerful, it is not a small country, and it will definitely take at least two or three years.

"You were young before, and dad didn't teach you much. You can't compare with your eldest brother." Zhu Houcong looked at the fourth child, "Follow your second brother. Come together and listen to how dad manages politics."

"My son, I obey!"

The young man was only excited about owning a country, but not reluctant to see his father and brother in the future.

Zhu Houcong was a little emotional.

It has been more than two years since I last saw my eldest son. When I grow old in the future, these children will be separated from each other, and I am afraid it will be more difficult to see each other.

This year, several of his daughters are getting married.

So while he began to systematically teach the fourth child how to be a king, he still reminded: "Then Japan is prone to disasters..."

In Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, the Ming army has pushed to Gucheng on the seaside, leaving only Geoje Island, which is located between Tsushima Island and the peninsula.

This time's attack on Gyeongsang Province was no better than the previous siege of Seoul.

To supplement the capital camp that entered the court, there were 20,000 elite soldiers.

They just took the Gyeongsang Road first along the way, so that the land road to Tsushima Island would also be smooth.

"Master Marquis, the general thought that your achievements in becoming a feudal lord were on the grassland!"

Yu Dayou laughed loudly when he heard this, pointed to the sea and said: "My name is Hanhai, isn't this the sea?"

In order to conquer the Japanese army, the Beiyang Navy had Xue Han as its admiral, the Dongyang Navy had Yan Shifan as its admiral, and the infantry troops had Yu Dayou as their commander.

On Tsushima Island, Zhu Wan, who was formerly the Minister of Culture and Education and now holds the title of Minister of the Ministry of National Defense as the commander-in-chief of the Japanese-conquering army, began to expand the military port to welcome the arrival of the army.

In Ryukyu, there is also Hu Zongxian who is managing the logistics of the South Road.

Yan Shifan looked at the Kyushu Island to the east from the sea and said with high spirits: "I will be back soon!"

(End of this chapter)