unclear

Chapter 1000 Tracking and Pursuit
The rescue fleet rested in Enniao Port for five days and set sail again on the sixth day. It was divided into two squadrons, the vanguard and the main force, and headed westward to the Cape of Good Hope.

Four days ago, less than two thousand Kosa cavalry, led by a captain of the Marine Guard, and carrying four field guns, headed to Zhuowan by land, and were expected to arrive on the 11th day.

Even against the wind, the fleet led by Hong Tao could complete the 600-kilometer journey in four days. The three days difference between the fleet and the cavalry was the time for the planned naval battle.

"Yan Bu Si, has it been hard to be stationed in Enniao Port for the past two years?"

In addition to the 12 Qin-class warships brought by Hong Tao, two Qin-class and one Guangzhou-class armed cargo ships originally stationed in Enniao Port also joined the rescue fleet, whose commander was General Zhaoyong of the Indian Ocean Fleet.

Looking at the fleets of the navy, it is not uncommon to find captains with the rank of third rank, but they are rare. Having served since the establishment of the navy, in the past 20 years or so, at most he has been promoted to fourth rank, and it is very slow to be promoted based on seniority.

Yan Bushi was indeed one of the first graduates of the Hai Hu Division to join the navy, but he had never participated in any major wars, such as the Battle of Manila, Port of Shalian, etc., and he had not even followed the emperor on the maiden voyage around the Cape of Good Hope.

There is only one reason why his career is still smooth: he has served diligently in the Maritime Transport Command for more than 20 years. He started as a navigator, then a first mate, then a captain, and finally became the commander-in-chief of the Maritime Transport Command.

He commanded the transport fleet to travel to all ports from Jinzhou Songshan Port to Enniao Port, transporting countless tons of supplies, food, personnel and equipment for the navy, army, Ministry of Revenue, royal family and disaster victims, and never made any mistakes.

Whenever there is a war, army and navy generals will have a chance to come to the fore sooner or later as long as they don't do anything stupid. But he and the officers and soldiers of the Maritime Transport Command are always behind the scenes. The intensity and danger of their work are not much lower than those at the front, but their chances of making merit and becoming famous are pitifully low.

This is not because the General Staff discriminates against the Maritime Command, but mainly because the officers and soldiers of this department have a special background. Since the establishment of the Reserve Command, the navy's manpower has been guaranteed.

However, not every recruit who signs up to join the navy can pass the assessment and get a chance. What should be done with the recruits who are rejected? After all, they have gone through more than a year of training. It is a pity to give up directly because they cannot join the navy just because of some skills that are not up to standard.

Therefore, the Maritime Transport Command became an important channel for arranging failed naval recruits. Here they could continue to realize their dreams of contacting big ships and the sea, while strengthening their own abilities to make up for their shortcomings. Then they could prove themselves again in the annual assessments and get the opportunity to join the navy.

In addition, every year there is a group of retired veteran sailors who do not want to leave the sea and the big ships, and voluntarily join the Maritime Transport Corporation to continue to contribute their remaining energy.

A bunch of old men leading a bunch of young men is the current situation of the Maritime Transport Command. Even if new recruits with sufficient personal ability come here, they will pass the naval assessment and leave within two or three years. The rest can't be said to be defective, anyway, they are still a little short of the official navy.

Such a department lacks competitive conditions and only does logistical work, so it is natural that it is ignored and unknown.

Naval officers with a good family background like Yan Bushi were originally transferred from the navy to build the framework of the Maritime Transport Headquarters in obedience of orders. After serving for so many years, they were gradually transferred back to the front line of the navy after the Maritime Transport Headquarters was operating normally.

Yan Bu Si was a rather dull person, he was taciturn and not good at socializing, which meant that he was forgotten in the Maritime Commandery. It was not until the Indian Ocean Fleet was newly formed and was very short of experienced captains that Angelo, the then commander of the Maritime Commandery, encouraged Yan Bu Si to sign up for a try.

In his words, you are so young and you are a graduate of a professional school. You have the qualifications and experience. You should not stay here to retire. You have to fight for everything, otherwise pie will not fall from the sky. Facts have proved that Angelo is right. If Yan Bushi does not take the initiative to sign up, the junior students of the Sea Hu Division in the Navy General Staff will really not remember him as an old senior.

Then the matter was known to the Navy Governor Huang Nanping, who accidentally revealed it to the emperor during a royal meeting.

After asking Angelo for details, Hong Tao decided on the spot to promote Yan Bushi by two levels, from the fourth rank to the third rank, in recognition of his down-to-earth and conscientious spirit in doing every job well and not competing for fame and fortune.

Thus, a captain with a higher rank and more experience than most commanders appeared in the Indian Ocean Fleet. Although the emperor rewarded him, he did not recommend that the navy let Yan Bushi take up a high command position.

The reason is simple. No matter how rich your cargo sailing experience is, it is different from naval warfare. It is best to start as a mid-level officer, make up for this lesson first, and then decide whether to promote based on your performance.

Yan Bushi didn't care about his position. He served in Shalian Port for two years and it was still smooth. It was just two years since he was transferred to Enniao Port. If the British and Spanish fleets did not come to harass him, he might be transferred to another port in another year, and he would still not be able to catch up with the real naval battle.

"Your Majesty, students are not suffering. Although this place is far from the base, it is very rich. There are schools of whales in the sea, and there are large tracts of fertile land and countless animals on land. There is no worry about food and drink.

The local black people were also very enthusiastic. Every time we went on the whaling boat for training, they would give us the best gifts and invite us to their homes.

You see, this scabbard is made of elephant ivory, inlaid with a lot of gold, silver and gems. If you take it back to Guangzhou and sell it, you might be able to exchange it for a sloop."

Yan Bushi is not a man who is not good at speaking and submissive. His miserable life in childhood and subsequent experiences have made him an easy-going person. As long as things are not particularly difficult, he is very easy to be satisfied.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the living conditions at Enniao Port are the most difficult, but when it comes to his stationing mission, he has no complaints at all, and all he can see is happiness and joy in his eyes.

"You are almost forty, right? Are you married and have children? How do you consider family life?" Hong Tao treated all these Haihusi graduates as his juniors and cared for them whenever he had time and had the opportunity.

Since most of them have been in the military and have had little contact with the opposite sex since childhood, marriage is easily delayed. Not to mention getting married before the age of 20, many are still single after they are over 30. The navy is the worst hit, with officers and soldiers stationed in ports all year round, so even if they want to find a wife, they don't have the conditions.

For this purpose, the Naval Staff specially set up a small department to search for women of interest to these officers in various places, and then take them to Manila Port by communication ship to meet with the officers and soldiers on leave for a few days.

But the effect is not very good, mainly because girls from decent families are not used to this kind of arranged matchmaking model. They must have their parents' approval and then the matchmaker's decision before they can talk about marriage.

(End of this chapter)