My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 159 Yang Wenruo borrowed a boat and never returned it

On the sea outside Tianjin Prefecture, a huge fleet of ships was floating at this time.

On the flagship, Tianjin Navy Commander-in-Chief Shen Yourong and Liaodong Transportation Department Yang Sichang were chatting on the bow.

"Envoy Yang, the military appearance of your Liaodong Transportation Department is quite neat."

"Haha, is there any?"

Hearing the word "military appearance" in Shen Yourong's words, Yang Sichang flashed a hint of embarrassment on his face and laughed.

"Young man, I have spent my entire life in the military. After winning the military examination, I have been wandering on this sea for more than forty years. I even achieved military merit in the Denglai Navy before I was promoted to the rank of chief military officer."

As he spoke, Shen Yourong took a deep look at Yang Sichang, which made the thirty-two-year-old young man blush.

"Although he is over sixty years old now, his eyesight is not blurred and his ears are not deaf. I can still recognize this Denglai Navy Master."

"Commander Shen, can you lend me the Denglai Navy's fleet for a while?"

Shen Yourong revealed that most of the fleet under his feet belonged to the Denglai Navy. Yang Sichang awkwardly turned around on the plywood.

"How long do you want to borrow it for?"

Shen Yourong asked while looking at the young man with a smile.

"I heard that you almost hired all the boat masters in Tianjin."

"Now that Xiong Tingbi has defeated Jiannu, the situation in Liaodong has been suspended. The food crisis has been resolved.

"You must know that although His Majesty ordered you to set up the Liaodong Transshipment Division, he also ordered me to set up the Tianjin Guards Navy. But you took away Denglai's fleet, but now I have sailors but no ships."

"In the two months before and after, your Liaodong Transportation Department has transported nearly [-] stones of grain and grass to Liaodong, which has solved Xiong Jinglue's urgent need. It's time to return the ships to me and let me form a navy."

"Well, even though Your Majesty gave me money, I also ordered a ship from a shipowner and hired a boatman, but the ship hasn't been built yet."

Yang Sichang scratched his head and felt a headache.

The governor of Denglai and the navy in Tianjin was Yuan Keli.

Both Yang Sichang and Shen Yourong were under Yuan Keli's management. One was a civilian and the other was an army. One was responsible for transportation and the other was responsible for fighting.

Since Shen Yourong hadn't taken up his post, it made sense for Yuan Keli to ask him to temporarily borrow a ship and give priority to ensuring Liaodong's food supply.

But now Shen Yourong has arrived and his creditors have come to visit him. If he still occupies other people's warships, it would be unreasonable.

"General Shen, our Liaodong Transportation Department is responsible for the transportation of materials between the capital and Liaodong, and we also need ships."

After scratching his head, Yang Sichang looked at Shen Yourong and said sheepishly.

"Your Majesty also gave us some money. See if you can resell some of this ship to us."

"Selling the warship to you?"

When Shen Yourong heard this, he was immediately amused by Yang Sichang's words.

"Selling warships, how many heads do you think I have that your Majesty can chop off?"

"How about I submit a letter to His Majesty?"

After hearing Shen Yourong's words, Yang Sichang immediately felt that there was a way out and quickly explained.

"His Majesty is concerned about the military affairs in Liaodong and maritime transportation. He also ordered Magistrate Yuan to oversee the Northern Maritime Affairs, and also asked Changlu Saltworks to use [-]% of its monthly profits to purchase ships."

"Originally, according to Governor Yuan's wishes, this new ship was going to be assigned to our Liaodong Transshipment Department. But the Liaoning incident was urgent and we needed food and fodder urgently, so I had no choice but to borrow a ship from the Denglai Navy."

With that said, Yang Sichang bowed his hand to Shen Yourong.

"I will return [-]% of Denglai Navy's ships first."

"Every month, Changlu Salt Farm will send money to Magistrate Yuan to buy new ships. These new ships will be given priority to supply the general soldiers."

"In addition, I gave [-] taels to the general from the silver taels allocated to our Liaodong Transportation Department by His Majesty."

"how?"

As he spoke, Yang Sichang looked at Shen Yourong sincerely.

"Eummm."

After listening to Yang Sichang's words, Shen Yourong looked at the young man in front of him with admiring eyes.

After stroking his long beard, Shen Yourong fell into deep thought.

After boarding the flagship, Shen Yourong discovered that Yang Sichang was quite capable.

As a civil servant, relying on an imperial edict from the emperor and a transfer order from Yuan Keli, he could well coordinate the Denglai Navy.

There are only a few people in the Ming Dynasty Navy who can achieve this kind of commanding ability. "At the end of this month, I will go to Beijing to meet the Holy Spirit. How about envoy Yang Zhuan going to Beijing with me?"

"I am willing to accompany you."

Hearing this, Yang Sichang quickly cupped his hands and said.

Shen Yourong and Yang Sichang stood on the bow of the ship talking, and soon the ship entered the port.

As the ship docked, the gangplank was lowered, and Shen Yourong and Yang Sichang got off the ship together.

"Able to lead a fleet of more than seventy ships in an orderly manner, Transport Envoy Yang is also a capable person."

With a smile on his face, Shen Yourong looked at Yang Sichang and said suddenly on the way to the Tianjin magistrate's office.

"I wonder if you have any ideas about leading the navy?"

"This."

Hearing this, Yang Sichang hesitated.

To be honest, he was moved.

More than [-] large ships are all under his control, and they can sail freely on the sea. The kind of arrogance cannot be felt on the shore.

However, commanding the navy is a military position after all, and he is a civil official and a Jinshi.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen, for your love."

In the end, Yang Sichang still rejected Shen Yourong's words.

"But I am a civil servant after all. If I were to lead the army, I'm afraid the emperor would not agree."

After staying in Beijing for a while, I also met the emperor in Nanhaizi and knew that the emperor was sensitive to military power.

"Too."

Hearing this, Shen Yourong shook his head slightly disappointed.

It's not easy to find a good prospect who can command the navy, but he still doesn't want to.

The mighty Daming Navy back then had finally declined.

The fleet prepared to conquer Japan has been sold and rotted over the years, and is now no longer of use.

These ships are fine for transporting food, but why are they used for fighting?

He really thought that Shen Yourong was a fool for not wanting to take back Denglai Navy's ships.

Those ships should be given to this young man to use as waste. He should go to the capital to see the emperor to see if he can get some money to buy new ships.

As soon as the two of them entered the magistrate's office, they saw a pale-faced man with no beard walking out holding the hand of a little boy.

"Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief of the Tianjin Navy, Shen Yourong, is here to see His Highness."

Shen Yourong, who had met Zhu Youjian for a long time, saw this and quickly bowed and saluted.

"I've seen the general."

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen quickly returned the courtesy.

Recently, Yuan Keli was teaching Zhu Youjian to read the "Book of Rites", and the eunuch Wang Chengen was also reading beside him.

Although the emperor wanted Zhu Youjian to train Yuan Keli according to the standards of a prince, the prerequisite for training was to correct the boy's character first.

However, Yuan Keli found that Zhu Youjian's character was a bit difficult to correct, so he planned to cultivate this boy's humility first.

Therefore, Yuan Keli didn't hold back. He should be beaten and trained.

This also made both the elder and the younger know that Yuan Keli was a somewhat rigid person, and he valued etiquette very much.

"The official Liaodong transfer envoy Yang Sichang comes to see His Highness."

Although he didn't know the child's identity, when he saw Shen Yourong saluting, Yang Sichang also quickly saluted.

"I've met Yang Zhuan Envoy."

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen returned the favor.

Standing at the entrance of the lobby of the magistrate's office, Yuan Keli stroked his beard as he looked at the people saluting.

This Fifth Highness finally has some sunshine in him.

(End of this chapter)