Ji Tang

Chapter 1058 Prelude!

Seeing Guo Xiaoke looking at him doubtfully, Su Lie smiled and said, "Thanks to Duke Xie, the general learned a lot about the sea from him, especially battleships and naval battles."

"Oh? Can you tell me in detail?"

Guo Xiaoke was stunned for a moment, but then he suddenly realized!
Only then did he remember that this person had an extraordinary relationship with Ji Song, so it wouldn't be surprising to learn from him!
"You're welcome, Governor. If you want to hear it, I'll just say it. If there's something wrong, please forgive me!"

Su Lie did not refuse, which would not only strengthen the relationship between the two, but also allow Guo Xiaoke, who was not familiar with maritime affairs, to understand the sea.

Guo Xiaoke was overjoyed when he heard this and quickly asked someone to prepare tea, pen and paper so that he could write everything down.

Su Lie smiled slightly when he saw him like this, but didn't say anything.Since Datang opened Mingzhou Port and later Dengzhou Port more than ten years ago, the income from maritime trade has increased day by day. Now it accounts for [-]% of Datang's total tax revenue, and it is still growing.

In addition, after the aristocratic family entered the sea, they needed a large amount of materials while establishing their territory, and these materials could only be obtained from Datang, which caused overseas interests to grow year by year.

Many coastal areas are now reporting to the court, hoping to open ports.But for some unknown reason, it has never been approved by the court!

But it is foreseeable that as maritime interests continue to expand, it will be impossible for the court to stop it.But if you want to make a difference in the court, if you don't know anything about maritime affairs, you can imagine that you will be inferior to others.

Considering his age, when this term is over, the most likely thing for him is to return to the court and enter Wuying Pavilion to discuss military affairs.Now that the naval fleet is getting stronger and stronger, it will inevitably become an extremely important military force of the Tang Dynasty in the future.

If he doesn't understand anything, he will definitely be laughed at in the future.

In addition, he also wants his son to enter the sea, which can be considered as a plan for the future of the Guo family.At this time in the Tang Dynasty, whether it was aristocratic families, nobles, or local powerful people, they all invested heavily in the sea.

However, the Guo family delayed it again and again because they did not have talents in this field.

Now that Su Lie, who was personally taught by Ji Song, was explaining maritime matters to him, how could he be unhappy?In order to prevent omissions, I asked someone to prepare pen and paper to write these down for future reference!
Su Lie pondered for a moment and said: "I won't go into details about the importance of the ocean. The increasing taxes of the imperial court year by year are enough to explain the problem. The South China Sea War was also triggered by the unwillingness of the cannibals to damage maritime interests. "

At first, Guo Xiaoke didn't take it seriously. But when he thought about it, it was just about grabbing profits at sea. As long as there were many people on the ship, who wouldn't?
But when Su Lie talked about the connection between this naval battle and the Western Regions, he thoroughly analyzed the origin of this war.In particular, he was completely silent about the significance of this war and its impact on the future of Datang.

What happened in Datang in recent years?Why do I feel like I have been abandoned by the times?

Su Lie didn't pay attention to Guo Xiaoke's expression, because when Mr. Xi explained it to him, he was not even as good as Guo Xiaoke at that time.

"Warships are different from other war weapons. Their construction period is long, the process is complex, and the technical difficulty is high. Without a huge up and down chain, it is impossible to build a huge warship. Therefore, the number of warships and their strong performance Weakness is the best indicator of a country’s strength.”

“Without strong national strength, we simply cannot support such construction.”

"And the naval officers have basically read some books. Without a certain foundation, they may not even be able to operate a ship, let alone identify the direction at sea, measure the wind speed, and guide the route."

Su Lie took a deep breath and said: "Without decades of accumulation, it would be impossible to build a huge fleet capable of sailing in the deep sea. This is still the case in the Tang Dynasty when Duke Xi is here. If it were placed in some countries, without a hundred years of accumulation, The accumulation of experience in maritime navigation cannot form a strong combat power."

"Gong Hao was far-sighted. More than ten years ago, when everyone was confused and even called him stupid, he sent his three most proud disciples south to build a ship. After the ship was successfully built, he crossed the ocean, tens of thousands of miles away, and experienced After ten years, I returned to the Tang Dynasty after narrowly escaping death."

He looked at Guo Xiaoke and said, "Thousands of soldiers and various types of people on board the ship also developed impressive skills in navigating the sea under such difficult circumstances."

"This is the reason why the Tang Dynasty Navy fleet was able to be quickly established after they returned. Otherwise, this time would have been extended for at least several decades."

Guo Xiaoke looked solemn. Previously, he thought it was the result of the strong support from the imperial court that allowed the navy to develop rapidly.But after Su Lie finished speaking, he understood.

Without the key personnel of the long-distance navy fleet entering the navy, the current navy would be useless. It would be good if it could sail in coastal waters, and there would be no need to think about distant seas.

Once these people suffered heavy losses, it would be impossible for the Tang Dynasty to rebuild the navy without ten years of hard work.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, he looked at Su Lie, took a deep breath and said, "Is this the reason why Ji Song would rather suffer casualties than fight this battle?"

I understand, now I understand everything!

"Not bad!"

"Datang has the Taibai Royal Academy, which continuously cultivates talents. This is incomparable to Dashi. According to intelligence, there is no academy or specialized institution that specializes in training naval engineers in Dashi. The reason for this It can compete with the Tang Dynasty, or even surpass it. This is the result of continuous accumulation over the years."

"if."

Guo Xiaoke smiled bitterly and said: "If we can severely damage the fleet of Dashi this time, or even completely annihilate it, Dashi's navy will be depleted and will not be able to compete with the Tang Dynasty for at least several decades."

"But by that time, the Tang Dynasty was no longer what it used to be, but they were still stuck in the same place, even worse than they are now. One is going down, the other is going up, Ji Song can see it clearly!"

He had to admire Ji Song's vision and determination. The Great Eaters did not want to give up the interests of the East-West trade routes to initiate this war, and wanted Datang to retreat in spite of the difficulties.But Ji Song thought of succumbing to an epidemic and completely broke the backbone of the great water master.

They all want to solve the problem based on the current situation, but Ji Song looks through the appearance to eliminate the most fundamental problem.

One only treats the symptoms but not the root cause, but the other uproots and makes judgments!

"Is he so confident that he will win this naval battle? If he fails."

"There will never be peace along the coast of the Tang Dynasty!"

Su Lie solemnly said: "But compared to letting them escape unscathed and then giving Datang a look at who knows when, it's worth it!" '

"Yes, it's worth it, but Ji Song is being roasted on the fire!"

When Su Lie heard this, he also glanced at Nanfang worriedly and said, "This is his choice, and it is also the most correct choice. Although the losses may be heavy, it is still better than the war burning along the coast."

"Forget it, now we can't do anything we want to do, so let's just take care of it for now!"

Guo Xiaoke sighed, and Su Lie also shook his head and said: "Yes, although it is unlikely that the Big Eater will make any moves in the Western Region, it is still right to be careful. I will be Broken Leaf City tomorrow."

Guo Xiaoke nodded and said nothing more.

As the emperor's order spread to all directions, the war machine of Datang was completely in motion.The governors and officials of each state tried their best to ensure the operation of various places, and responded harshly to the local gangsters who they had not cared about in the past.Anyone who remains unruly during this period will be severely punished.

Even small and medium-sized aristocratic families in various places have become more at ease, because they know that making trouble at this time is just a fool's errand. Once they are caught, ten lives are not enough to kill them.

So he restricted his children to study at home, and anyone who dared to go out and cause trouble would be punished according to the family law.

The sea breeze tore apart, and the dawn sun had not yet risen, not even a bit of fish belly white had appeared.At this time, the clouds were thick, and the bright moon in the sky was hidden in the thick clouds, as if they couldn't bear to see the war that was about to happen on the ground.Ji Song stood at the bow of the boat, wearing a large cloak, facing the fishy sea breeze, looking straight at the faint black line ahead.It's like a giant beast lurking in the deep sea, ready to choose people and devour them!

"Master Chief!"

The soldiers quickly came to Ji Song and said loudly: "General Liu has sent people to capture all the outposts along the road. So far, the big cannibal has not made any move!"

"Give me the order, don't be careless, wait for the signal from my supervisor!"

"promise!"

After the ordering soldiers left, Gu Yanzhi beside him fell silent and said, "Isn't that the case?"

Ji Song waved his hand and said resolutely: "I will bear all the consequences. You can watch. But if you dare to shake the morale of the army, behead him!"

Gu Yanzhi opened his mouth, and finally turned it into a sigh: "Everything must be obeyed by the general manager's orders. From now on, all subordinates will obey orders!"

Ji Song nodded and said: "I know this is against your beliefs, but you must understand that some people must do some things. We are in this era and we must be responsible for future generations."

"Whether this battle succeeds or fails, it will be of epoch-making significance. We are proud of it. But what I want to say is that it is cruel now and will be even more cruel in the future."

"Some opportunities are fleeting, and if you let them go, you will be in endless trouble. I don't care about reputation, let alone any achievements. If Your Majesty hadn't forced me, I would have gone to teach in the academy."

"But now that I have reached this position, I have to think about the Tang Dynasty and the future. I want to give you a piece of advice here. When you are an official in the government in the future, you must remember one thing!"

Gu Yanzhi bowed and said, "I'm all ears!"

"Those who do not plan for the future cannot plan for the moment. Some things may look good now, but they may not be so in the future. On the contrary, some things that are not good now may become the trend in the future."

"The ruling party should be thoughtful and not do things that will bring disaster to all generations just because of temporary gains. Confucianism can indeed stabilize the country and rule a huge empire at the lowest cost. But it also has limitations. At this time, the Tang Dynasty Like the rising sun, like a newborn tiger, with scales and claws flying in the air, majestic."

"This is the time when our Chinese people are rising up to expand their territory. Look at history, how many years has this era been like? It happened when Zhou Fen enfeoffed the princes. It happened when Qin unified the world. It happened during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It also happened during the Sui Dynasty. Pass."

"It's the Tang Dynasty's turn now, but in such a prosperous time, can we grasp it?"

Ji Song stopped talking. He seemed to be talking to Gu Yanzhi, or to himself.Gu Yanzhi could understand some of them, but he didn't understand others.

"Well, before this battle, I can say something that I didn't dare to say before, which can be regarded as a lot of peace of mind."

He took out a sealed letter and handed it to Gu Yanzhi.

"This is...?" Gu Yanzhi was stunned and looked at Ji Song with some confusion.

Ji Song looked at the fish belly white slowly appearing in the east and said with a smile: "The soldiers in this battle are in danger, and no one can guarantee that they will survive. This letter is from me to Your Majesty. As for the ones at home, they were sent to me when this battle started." It has been brought back to Chang'an by the falcon."

"The reason why I keep this letter now is that I am hesitant. But now I have thought about it. If anything happens to me, you will personally take this letter back to the Tang Dynasty and hand it over to His Majesty."

"No opening during this period!"

Gu Yanzhi looked horrified, looking at Ji Song at Yundan Organ, he said anxiously: "Mr. Xi, why is this possible?"

"Hahaha!"

Ji Song laughed loudly, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Don't think too much, it's just a letter, just in case. No need to say it, just follow my instructions."

Before he could say anything else, he waved to a soldier in the shadow behind him.

After a while, a tall and sturdy man appeared in front of him.Looking at the majestic soldiers in front of me, they are rare even in the army.

"Greetings to the Chief Steward. Can the Chief Steward have anything to tell you?"

The visitor was none other than Yuchi Baolin, who was driven over by Yuchi Gong.Moreover, Duke Yuchi wrote a special letter, and Ji Song was not allowed to take special care of him, so he was asked to start as a small soldier.

"Yes, it seems that you have learned a lot during this time in the academy. At least the recklessness in you is less. You have become more stable, but do you have any resentment in your heart?"

Yuchi Baolin shook her head and said in a deep voice: "Please ask the chief manager to let me serve in the front army!"

Looking at Yuchi Baolin who was staring at him stubbornly, Ji Song fell silent.

"Please also ask the Chief Manager to help you!"

Yuchi Baolin knelt down on one knee and begged: "Only military exploits can wash away the shame of my Yuchi family, and only military exploits can make me feel at ease. Otherwise, life would be worse than death!"

"Please help me, Brother Song!"

Ji Song was shocked. How long has it been since anyone called him "Brother Song" like this?

"You have to think carefully, the sword has no eyes, even I can't guarantee my absolute safety!"

Seeing him indifferently, Ji Song finally nodded and said to the soldiers: "Send him to Zhang Zhang's command. Tell him to treat everyone equally."

The soldier is a member of the Ji family, so of course he knows the relationship between the family head and the Yuchi family.Hearing what the head of the family said, he immediately hesitated.

"Go ahead! If you don't let him go through this, what's the difference between him and a walking zombie?"

"In this case, it is better to fight to the death and save the trouble of looking at him. Uncle Yuchi has lived a life worthy of heaven and earth. I hope you can stand upright. Let those bastards in Chang'an see that there are no cowards in the Yuchi family."

Yuchi Gong bowed deeply to Ji Song, turned around and left with his soldiers.He knew what kind of pressure Ji Song was under to make such a decision.Based on his relationship with the old man, once he dies in battle, Song Geer will probably feel guilty for the rest of his life.

But a real man has his say and does not do anything.Even if he died in battle, he didn't want to live with the infamy.

"Pauline!"

Yuchi Baolin was stunned, but she only heard Ji Song faintly say: "Ten million, come back alive!"

(End of this chapter)