Jingming

Chapter 493 The black ship is coming

After more than two hundred years, the natives on the small island of Tsushima once again saw the heroic army from the mainland.

That year, 30,000 Mongolian and Goryeo coalition forces landed at Sasuura on Tsushima Island in more than 900 ships of various types. The ancestors of the clan led more than 80 warriors to make the first wave of resistance, and the result was no doubt. Within days, Tsushima was captured. The next month, Mongolia attacked the island, and the Kamakura shogunate assembled more than 100,000 troops at Hakata Port to hold Mongolia back on the shore. Then, a divine wind struck and half of the Mongolian ships were destroyed.

Mongolia's first expedition to Japan was terminated.

Seven years later, they took action again with an even greater force. One hundred thousand Southern Song surrender troops were ordered to set out from Qingyuan and Dinghai in Zhejiang on more than 3,000 ships, while 40,000 Mongolian and Goryeo allied troops set out from Goryeo. During this time, the Kamakura shogunate built dozens of miles of stone wall fortresses along the coast of Kyushu Island.

Outlying islands such as Tsushima Island were naturally hit hard first. However, the Eastern Expedition Army arrived here in the summer. They were originally scheduled to land on the second day of August, but they encountered a typhoon on the first day of August. This time it was even more outrageous. The allied forces of Mongolia and Goryeo simply "broke the boat and lost seventeen or eight troops." Most of the people just sent it.

The new Jiangnan Consort Army formed by the surrendered troops of the Southern Song Dynasty originally built forts on the island, and the ships were anchored fifty steps away from each other, so the impact was not particularly great. However, one of them, You Cheng, who had been appointed in advance, insisted on withdrawing, so in the end it was the commanders who returned to Hepu, North Korea by boat with the remnants of the Mongolian, Yuan and Goryeo armies. There were still nearly 100,000 Jiangnan Army generals who had to stay on the shore to prepare. Make your own raft to return home.

Needless to say, the result was that of the 140,000-strong army, less than 30,000 came back. Among them, Goryeo returned the most, nearly 20,000 including the craftsmen. Among them, the largest group of survivors were the southern Han Chinese in the Jiangnan Army. These people were obviously from the Southern Song Dynasty, but they were called "Tang people" and "saved from death as slaves."

Facing the arrogant Mongolia at that time, the legend of the Japanese Kamikaze was formed. What about the Ming Dynasty?

Is it better to avoid typhoons, first spend a few months in winter to assemble in places like Tsushima, and then let the army rest for a typhoon season to eat food, and then wait until autumn to brave the severe cold to land and fight; or is it better to transport them during the typhoon season? Gathering troops, taking the risk of being destroyed on the way, just hoping to start fighting quickly after arriving to support the war?

Mongolia had two eastern expeditions, one in winter and one in summer. So what about the Ming Dynasty?

The Zong family began to make a fortune by resisting the first Mongol expedition. Zong Qingkang was very aware of that history, but he now realized that the Ming Dynasty was different.

The first to arrive were not warships, but craftsmen, laborers, and merchant ships.

Tsushima Island has never been so popular: in the Asaka Bay area, two peninsulas form an opening, and inside is a wide bay, which is divided into many forked bays by multiple small peninsulas. As soon as Zhu Wan arrived, he first organized manpower and material resources to build wharfs and berths, and built roads leading to Jizhi and the big and small ships.

Then, the heroes they saw set up camp in the Daoshan and Zhusou areas after disembarking from the ship, and also devoted themselves to the work of building fortifications.

Most of Yu Dayou's generals in the Beijing camp suddenly became engineers, while the other half guarded the criminal chiefs and rebel soldiers who were brought over from North Korea to build construction projects.

They are entrenched here, and the north and south of Tsushima Island have been cut off, with the Ming army in the middle.

The Beiyang Navy arrived later.

A small number of escort warships belonging to the Maritime Transport Bureau and the Maritime Great Wall Company are anchored in the newly built military port on the bank of the strait leading to the sea from Asamao Bay. The large force bypassed the south coast of Tsushima Island and docked at the most mature harbor here.

Zong Qingkang stood on the pier, waiting with Zhu Wan, Wang Zhi and others.

His eyes couldn't help but look at the newly renovated pier: What kind of ship needs such a long berth? Do we need to leave such a wide channel next to it, and do we need to go so deep?

In order to rebuild this berth, Wang Zhi spent the entire last year in the name of dealing with the possible incoming imperial defense coalition forces. In addition to using the Ping'an Road and Huanghai Road prisoners and generals transported from North Korea, he also asked Zong Qingkang to recruit numerous soldiers. Few people come to work: cutting stones, felling trees, building breakwaters, surveying water depths...

In this process, more than a hundred lives were actually lost.

Now, first a small clipper ship came over.

It is responsible for guiding.

After coming over to get acquainted with the conditions of the bay, the clipper began to adjust the sail angle again before heading out of the bay.

At this time, Zong Qingkang could faintly see the fleet in the distance.

Among them, there was a dark spot, which was obviously much larger.

"The heroic appearance of the Xuanlong Ship can finally be seen." Zhu Wan said, "General Wang, the coal, water, grain, rice, meat and vegetables required by the Xuanlong Ship must be prepared in a single warehouse!"

"Don't worry, the commander has been preparing for this since he arrived at Tsushima Island. Around Asama Bay, the commander has already mapped out the zones. As long as the route is continuous and the manpower is sufficient, there will be no mistakes."

Zhu Wan nodded: "I have heard about General Wang's name a long time ago. I came east under the order, and I was worried until now. When I got here, I realized that your Majesty had already planned a strategy and used the right people."

"The platform has been over-reputed..."

After the First World War in Malacca, Wang Zhi was promoted to the fifth rank of Deputy Thousand Households due to merit. He was transferred to Tsushima Island and planned the great victory in Tsushima. Now he has become the third rank of Deputy Qianhu due to merit, and has the title of colonel and military expedition. The official position of the guerrilla general of the Japanese Pioneer Camp.

This is before the war has fully begun. As an important minister who is most familiar with the situation here like Yan Shifan, his role at this stage is to help Zhu Wan clarify the logistics support here, and then naturally he will lead the Beiyang Naval Division and the main force of the Jingying Marine Warfare to land on the island. .

"Secretary Zong, since the Zong family understands the righteousness and sincerely surrenders, please comfort the people on the island. The army of the North Route is gathering here, and the soldiers and civilians live on the same island. Except for me to restrain the officers and soldiers, the rest will have to trouble the Chief Minister."

The future of Japan will naturally be different. The current Zong family has already been rewarded and given the position of a third-grade minister.

Hearing this, Zong Qingkang imitated Wang Zhi, bent down and said: "Don't worry about making Taiwan, I will definitely restrain everyone on Tsushima Island and work hard to help the war."

"Look at the heroic appearance of the Beiyang Navy of the Ming Dynasty!" Zhu Wan pointed to the distance, and then said as if commenting, "In the past, during the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty's Eastern Expedition, there were not only natural disasters but also man-made disasters. Due to care, many ships were hastily built , most of them have no keels. If the enemy’s situation is unknown first, and the attack is unorganized later, how can there be any reason to be invincible?"

Zong Qingkang remained silent.

Zhu Wan, however, thought of himself and said: "Twenty years ago, the Japanese envoys competed for tribute to Ningbo and harmed the people of the Ming Dynasty. Long Yan was furious! The Japanese king was in name only, the powerful ministers were ineffective, the localities were divided, and wars continued. For decades, , Japanese pirates are constantly invading our neighbors, and the Ming Dynasty has been preparing for this battle for twenty years!"

Zong Qingkang was shocked: This was the first time that an important minister of the Ming Dynasty told him clearly that the Ming Emperor had been thinking about Japan as early as twenty years ago.

"Maritime merchants took the lead, surveyed the shipping routes, and had strong transshipment; shipbuilding took place over the years, and now three marines are galloping across the sea; there was civil strife in Korea, and the Ming Dynasty sent troops to relieve the people, and the land routes were smooth; Ryukyu was robbed, and His Majesty gave him millions in grain, grass, and silver Rebuild the bridge of all nations, and the Eastern Navy will attack from the north and south!" Zhu Wan looked ahead through the telescope, with some anticipation and excitement in his eyes, "Now, the Xuanlong ship is here!"

He handed the telescope to Zong Qingkang: "The sails have been furled and we are ready to enter the harbor."

Zong Qingkang knew that the Ming army had such a thing. In the past, they could not be seen by the defending coalition forces, but the people sent by Wang Zhi were able to see the movement of the defending coalition forces so early. They relied on using more maneuverable ships and This thing spies from afar.

Now, he held this thing curiously, put it in front of his eyes like Zhu Wan, and then swayed in his steps.

From that round perspective, he saw a huge ship that seemed to be not far away in front of him.

The sails were indeed being furled, but there were still two cylinders on the giant ship emitting black smoke.

After a while, a dull voice came over, like a dragon's roar.

After sailing at sea for nearly two months, first going to Jeju Island for supplies, the Xuanlong ship finally appeared in the sight of the officials and people on Tsushima Island.

There was a treasure ship in the Ming Dynasty, which was more than forty feet long. Its exact size would remain a mystery for hundreds of years.

If it is more than a hundred meters long as everyone thinks, it would exceed the material endurance limit of a wooden sea ship. This size does not match the units of five thousand materials, two thousand materials, etc.

A more reliable reality is that the "seven-inch" ruler used to measure the size of ancient ships may be a little over 20 centimeters per foot.

In that case, it would be relatively reasonable.

So now, when the Xuanlong ship put away its sails and slowly sailed into the harbor driven solely by steam engines, Zong Qingkang and others, including Zhu Wan and Wang Zhi, all received a strong visual impact.

This should undoubtedly be the largest ship that has ever appeared, and it also has the highest technological content.

No sails or oars, cutting through the waves.

"I heard that the Xuanlong ship has steel bones and iron scales. It is more than a hundred meters long. It swallows fire and breathes without wind. It is the masterpiece of the Treasure Ship Supervisor who combined sailing ships, paddle steamers and steam engines. Mr. Shen, the treasure ship supervisor, was awarded the honor for supervising its construction. Feng Yu Haibo, His Majesty agreed with his proposal to name this ship. The Xuanlong giant ship is well-deserved."

The telescope was still in Zong Qingkang's hand, and his hand was trembling a little. Looking at the deep muzzles on the dark circle of iron, it was hard to imagine what it would look like when it was fully fired.

To suit the occasion, the remaining parts that were not covered with iron were also painted with black paint.

At this moment, the giant ship is slowly approaching, indeed like a black dragon, with a strong sense of oppression.

The steam engine alone is not very fast, but now that we are preparing to dock, we don’t need to go that fast.

Zong Qingkang just watched quietly as the flagship of the Ming Dynasty's Beiyang Navy entered the harbor, with only one thought in his mind: If it had not surrendered as soon as possible, he would have seen it firing now. I don’t know if this island is easy to attack, but Tsushima definitely suffers every time.

Does he want to repeat the tragedy of his ancestors using more than 80 warriors with mantis arms as chariots?

What happened to Dara...

……

The Ming Dynasty is approaching, and the southern and northern armies are gathering in Ryukyu and Tsushima.

"Yan Shifan and Wang Zhi are both people who know the situation there very well, but we still have to remind them not to act too hastily."

Zhu Houcong, who is staying in Beijing, is more like manipulating a "game" that takes place in the real world: "Let's get the logistics support running first. It doesn't matter if we spend more money now. The supplies will be transported there first. Typhoons usually last for several months. , after several months of pressure, the other side must be like North Korea in expropriating it. After collecting their food, they will go all out to capture Kyushu Island, Shikoku Island and their so-called China. Kyoto, located in Kansai, does not need to So anxious."

As long as this Eastern Expedition is willing to spend more money, be patient, and don't always suffer from the weather, command, and logistics like Mongolia did, the combat power level of the Ming generals will not be at the same level as that of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty was seriously prepared to avoid the typhoon season at two bridgeheads. So what if the ancestors had a supply of horse chews for a few months?

We want more private maritime merchants to enjoy the dividends of the war and be willing to bring more hired workers there.

In the conquest of Japan, Zhu Houcong was not prepared to let his generals spare more hands and harm the people less.

They have been fighting each other for so many years. The Japanese poor have long been accustomed to war disasters.

Daming is absolutely strong, and they will admire the strong.

The army is approaching. No matter who it is, as long as they organize a large number of "coalition forces" to build the first line of defense on the shore, it will not be a bad thing for Ming Dynasty.

The ships of the Ming Dynasty were not only used to transport troops.

If they block the landing battle, they will launch a round of artillery fire.

They did not block the landing. As long as the Ming Dynasty marines established coastal strongholds, it would be hot weapons versus cold weapons, and they would still have the advantage.

In short, after a few months, there will always be an attack and defense; the Japanese defenders have more troops, and it will be much easier for the Ming army to continue to advance after winning.

"Your Majesty, the trouble is serious, I will ask you to come in person." Xia Yan said, "Zhu Zichun is good at civil affairs. This battle will take a long time, with heavy transfers and must be carried out step by step. If he captures the land of Guanxi in Dongying, he will I’m at my wits end.”

Zhu Houcong looked at him and then at Tang Shunzhi.

"Gong Jin, do you really want to go?" Zhu Houcong asked, "Once you go, it will be difficult to come back."

"I am already sixty-three years old, and Japan is not as good as North Korea. I am willing to do my best to achieve this supreme achievement for Your Majesty! If I can get what I want, I will die without regrets!"

Xia Yan said it categorically.

At present, in the direction of Japan, the only important civil official is Zhu Wan.

Although he is a high-ranking member of the second rank, how can Japan's territory be comparable to that of North Korea?

Xia Yan was so active because even if he was as powerful as the Han and Tang Dynasties and as fierce as the Meng Yuan Dynasty, he had never achieved the feat of completely subduing the Japanese. Just this one thing can indeed become a person whose name will be remembered throughout the ages.

Just like Guo Xun, he also knew that he had only one achievement in office. The future management of the Southwest, Mobei, and Western Regions will probably have to wait until a few years later.

Zhu Houcong hesitated only for one thing: Tang Shunzhi was only thirty-eight years old, and it would take too long to take over as the top leader of the military.

Tang Shunzhi stood up: "Your Majesty, please go with General Staff Xia!"

"...You're going too?"

"General Staff Xia is the commander, and I am the staff officer. I will go to the front line and return when I have achieved success." Tang Shunzhi lowered his head, "With General Staff Xia and the ministers going with you, Your Majesty does not have to worry about the war in Japan. Your Majesty will concentrate on preparing for the future expeditions to the north and south, and the military affairs meeting All the staff can assist Your Majesty in making preparations."

Zhu Houcong thought about it seriously.

If Xia Yan and Tang Shunzhi go there together, they will naturally feel more at ease in that direction.

Tang Shunzhi also knew that he was still a little young, and Zhu Houcong had almost discussed his "military strategy" plan for the rest of his life, and the rest was really just preparation. On the one hand, we provided logistical support for the Eastern Expedition, and on the other hand, we began to plan for Mongolia and Yuan and Outer Yunnan.

So... we need to temporarily select a general staff officer and a minister of state to make the transition?

Zhu Houcong looked at Yan Song who had returned, and after thinking about it, he said: "That's fine! In this case, when Gong Jin goes from North Korea to Tsushima Island, he also takes care of North Korea's military affairs; Ying De goes from Taiwan to Ryukyu, Meet up with Yan Shifan. Ying De, the storms on the sea are unpredictable, so you must be well prepared!"

"Thank you for your concern, your majesty." Tang Shunzhi said with a smile, "I am young and strong, and have martial arts skills at my side. I still look forward to assisting your majesty in creating a unified world. I cherish my life!"

Yan Song was murmuring in his heart: Naturally, he himself had served as an official in the Ming Dynasty, but Yan Shifan would stay in Japan in the future. Xia Yan and Tang Shunzhi had teamed up with him before. Did they work together to prevent Yan Shifan from being defeated in Dongyingwei after this war?

Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou have both passed. The two naval admirals, Yan Shifan and Xue Han, can only steal the show during the initial landing battle and subsequent coastal auxiliary wings, and advance on land. Who can stop the brilliance of Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou?

He lowered his eyebrows obediently and kept his eyes straight.

"Advisers and brave generals have gathered in Japan. Your Majesty, Qinggan, Hetao, and Xuanning still need to be properly arranged to prevent Anda from taking the opportunity to start a provocation, causing the Ming Dynasty to be in trouble!"

Yang Shen opened his mouth, seemingly as a reminder, but actually he disagreed with this arrangement.

Zhu Houcong shook his head: "I know it well. According to the decree, Mao Bowen returns to Beijing to serve as the general military staff, and General Ma Fang is temporarily appointed as the general military officer of Xuanning!"

Xia Yan was shocked: "Your Majesty, he is only twenty-seven!"

After Yu Dayou entered the court, Ma Fanggang was promoted from guerrilla general to general of Xuanning North Road.

"That's why I'm here for the time being!" Zhu Houcong said simply. "For many years, Ma Fang has led the cavalry out to burn wasteland and plunder the wilderness in Mobei. His capabilities are known to all the generals. In extraordinary times, everyone can make contributions. An opportunity to be rewarded. If Ma Fang can make me dare not move lightly during this period, then the word "temporary signature" can be removed. At the same time, generals Qinggan, Hetao and Xuanning will also know that I have not forgotten In order to eradicate the Northern Troubles. The special promotion is a signal of preparation!"

Yang Shen was a little tired and looked at Xia Yan and Tang Shunzhi: "Although I can't worry about it, I still hope that you will end the Eastern Expedition as soon as possible. One link after another, at least this year we can take down the Shijian Yinshan that His Majesty mentioned."

Just like Fei Hong back then, Yang Shen also had this idea.

Please resign after this term. You are too tired.

The Eastern Expedition has just begun, and a signal is given for the Northern Expedition?

Yan Song kept the surprise in his eyes, he heard the tone in Yang Shen's words.

Tired?

I'm not tired!

More than sixty people took a trip to North Korea and came back in high spirits.

Yan Song felt more and more, could I really live to be eighty like His Majesty said?

He really feels that his body and bones are okay!

Zhu Houcong looked at the white hair on Yang Shen's head and felt a little regretful: "Isn't Yong Xiu only over fifty? Why does he look so exhausted?"

Then Yan Song suddenly thought: I am already over sixty!

Yang Shen pursed his lips and made a salute: "There are many things to do, and the military affairs minister is only here to attend. Now that it has been agreed, I please leave. Ying De is going to Japan, and cultural and educational matters cannot be ignored. I have to go back to invite all the state affairs officials." Let’s discuss the matter of adding a new Minister of State together.”

Xia Yan and Tang Shunzhi's self-invitations left two more top positions in the Ming Dynasty Center.

One of them has been determined, and the other is bound to attract competition from others.

Yan Song couldn't help but look at Tang Shunzhi: He doesn't have to go. This concession and resignation from the post of General Staff not only gave Mao Bowen but also gave others an opportunity to become Minister of State.

Are you really not afraid of the dangers at sea and on the battlefield, and are you sure that your holy family will always be there?

To be honest, he couldn't learn the freedom and ease of leaving the center easily.

(End of this chapter)