Dragon Sea Empire

...the sound of the guns gradually died down.The mist and gunpowder on the broad Yangtze River gradually dissipated.

Ye Hua, the commander of the Second Fleet of the Chinese Navy and the deputy chief of the navy, looked at the map in the command cabin of his flagship Feiyun.The orderly rushed over.Reported loudly with a slightly nervous tone: "Report. The enemy has used fireboats."

"What are you panicking..." Ye Hua muttered and walked to the front window.He raised his binoculars and looked at the river ahead.

This area is the widest river surface near Anqing Mansion.The main battleship Feiyun of the Second Fleet of the Navy (three-story gun bay, 80 guns) carried 80 three-masted gunboats and more than [-] refitted flat-bottomed sand boats.Attack Anqing upstream from Wuhu.Anqing's geographical location is very important.has considerable strategic significance.The gains and losses of Anqing are related to the overall situation of Huainan.For example, the army wanted to regain Jinling.This place is the battleground.

Zhang Heming, Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, has been defeated since the First World War in the suburbs of Suzhou.Not discouraged.Desperately mobilized troops from surrounding areas to win back the round.When Ye Hua's fleet raided Anqing.He happened to supervise the building of warships in Anqing Mansion.This morning.A small number of naval warships were sunk by Chinese gunboats as soon as the battle started.

Zhang Heming didn't understand water warfare at all.I just wanted to imitate the Chibi War.He has long ordered to search for all fishing boats, ferries and sailboats that have not yet been built in the shipyard in Anqing Prefecture.Gathered on the Anqing River.It was originally planned to go down the river and attack Nanjing at that time.Now he ordered the officers and soldiers to pull all these boats onto the river.Then burn it.Let the fire boat float down the current to the Chinese fleet.

In the daily training of the Chinese Army Navy, there are fireboat attacks: but the Chinese Army fireboats must be operated by bold sailors.After approaching the enemy warship, it lit a fire and launched an attack.Sometimes it is necessary to ignite the fire after hitting the enemy ship under the risk of artillery fire.The sailors operating at the same time jumped into the sea to escape.The official army could not find sailors who dared to risk their lives to operate sailing ships under enemy fire.Had to ignite the fire boat from a distance.Cut the cable and let it float.Can it hit and ignite enemy ships.It's all about luck.

Ye Hua saw flames bursting into the sky on the surface of the river.A line of fire trickled slowly down the river.Can't help sneering: "What's the use of this. It's just a waste of wood."

He ordered the sand barge to be mobilized ahead.Take advantage of their ability to move flexibly on shallow river bottoms.Destroy those fire ships with cannon fire.Each sandboat carries sandbags.Hanging around the side of the ship for anti-collision and fire protection.And prepared a moso bamboo pole with an iron tip to resist the action of the fire boat.The rest of the warships began to turn their rudders.Back away slowly.Make room for the maneuver between the sand ship and the fire ship.

Zhang Heming, General Anqing and the officers and troops from Huguang gathered on the bank of the river.Full of hope watching the fire boat go down the river.Groups of flames burned on the water.Smoke and gunpowder smoke filled the entire river.Soon it became impossible to see anything clearly on the entire section of the river.Because the downstream speed is too slow.Those fireships were often burning and sinking.It self-destructs before it can attack the enemy.

The sound of shelling from Chinese navy warships continued to be heard in the thick smoke.From time to time, there were several loud explosions.Several rockets that flew too far landed on the water in front of the river bank where the officers and troops were assembled.Exploded balls of fire.

The sound of the cannon gradually faded away.Thick smoke still filled the river.About an hour later.Jiang Fang, the prefect of Anqing, couldn't bear it anymore.Carefully approached Zhang Heming.Asked in a low voice: "Master Zhang, this pirate is probably wiped out."

"Ah." He didn't finish his sentence.Zhang Shangshu took a step back.All the surrounding officers, generals, soldiers, and officials of Anqing Mansion all let out a cry of surprise.

On the surface of the Yangtze River.A two-masted sand ship flying the Chinese flag on a blue background rushed out of the thick smoke.Except for the place where the whole body was blackened by fireworks.It rushed towards Anqing Mansion intact.

More Chinese navy warships rushed out of the smoke.While firing cannons, they rushed towards the river bank.A few rounds of solid iron bullets overturned a large area of ​​the army gathered by the river.

"Flee!" the officer yelled.The big guys turned around and ran towards the city of Anqing.Zhang Heming, Minister of the Ministry of War, turned pale.He was put on the horse by the soldiers.He dragged and ran towards the city.

that night.Some officers and soldiers abandoned the city and left.Anqing City was in chaos.Zhang Heming, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, could not control the troops.I had no choice but to escape from the city.

Ye Hua's nephew Ye Ying led 1000 sailor musketeers to attack Anqing City at night.It turned out that the water gate of the city wall was open.The officers and soldiers have already abandoned the city.He ran away overnight.Anqing City fell into the hands of the Chinese Army.As a result, the two political centers of Nanzhili, Nanjing Yingtianfu and Anqingfu, have all been controlled by the Chinese army.in the control area.The Chinese Army established the Nanjing Town Guard Mansion to govern dozens of cities.

……

After Yin Feng sent Yang Tingyun and Li Zhizao away that day.He also met Liu Zongzhou, a master of Neo Confucianism, and Xia Yunyi, a famous scholar in the south of the Yangtze River.

Compared with Yang and Li, two far-sighted and open-minded figures.These two embody the acrimonious, unkind, and high-minded principles of the Ming people.The Chinese claim to pay attention to the golden mean and Tai Chi.But go to extremes.Not at all weaker than Westerners.Westerners like to go to religious extremes.The Chinese, on the other hand, go to extremes morally.The nature is almost the same.

Liu Zongzhou's trip has the meaning of carrying the coffin and scolding the thief.When he came up, he scolded Yin Feng for being rebellious, advocating business for demagogy, and opening the sea ban for colluding with foreign barbarians to shake the foundation of the country.Yin Feng was called strange by him.Debate with it patiently.Liu Zongzhou criticized his "Six Great Oaths" thoroughly.Especially those parts that involve the restriction of imperial power: taxation cannot be arbitrarily imposed, people cannot be arrested arbitrarily, purchases and apportionments are abolished, and so on.

Yin Feng asked him: "Confucius said that a tyrannical government is fiercer than a tiger. People in Donglin also said that the mine supervision tax is a disaster for the country and the people. Why can't we ask the imperial court to establish a law of 'no arbitrary taxation'?"

Liu Zongzhou stood in the center of the room.He refused to sit down at first.He shouted at the top of his voice: "It is the Lord's business to administer benevolent government. You just wait for the merchants to be grateful.  …"

"You mean. Benevolent government is a gift from the emperor. It is only natural for subjects to pay taxes."

Yin Feng is a time traveler.In any case, it is impossible to understand these scribes' views on taxation, benevolent governance, and the like.Yin Feng's era.What is popular is the theory of the relationship between the country and the people from the West: the king should tax the people.National consent must first be obtained.Instead, ask for consent.The purpose of taxation must first be stated.State whether it represents the national interest.then. Issues such as "common interests", "common needs", and "common consent" gradually became clear in the discussions and debates between the king and the people.And formed certain concepts and theories.But in this day and age.China's Ming Dynasty.in people's minds.Taxes are a matter of course.So the emperor.Officials do.So are the subjects.so.Not only subjects will not question the rationality of taxation.Ask what rights they have in it and so on.Even those well-educated and high-quality officials who criticize "tyranny is fiercer than a tiger", speak up for their subjects, and even plead for the people.Don't think there is any problem here.

Yin Feng feels that he can discuss issues such as politics and economy, the state and people's rights with people like Liu Zongzhou.It's a chicken-and-duck talk.There will be no results at all.He didn't want to do anything to this nerd.Fulfill his wish to sell his name.Yin Feng said bluntly: "Since we and the Taiwanese businessmen can conquer Nanjing, they can also conquer Beijing. It is not a problem to seize the world. I think that the imperial court has established the country for more than 200 years. The world is in chaos and the people suffer. That's why I thought about negotiating peace with the imperial court. If you keep being tough, you force me to go to a dead end. When the time comes, I will die. I can't care about it. Mr. Liu. You don't need to say more in my place. You go to tell the millions of fishermen along the coast, and go to Taiwan with me. Let the soldiers and civilians go and talk. See if they can listen to your persuasion. Voluntarily put down their weapons and surrender to the court. Do you think this is possible?"

Liu Zongzhou and other Ming Dynasty Confucian scholars.The greatest skill is to dig into the corners of the theories such as "gezhi" and "people's heart" which are empty and empty.Once you encounter a real problem that needs to be solved.I was at a loss.The so-called "talk about your heart with your hands at ordinary times."In an emergency, "repay the king with one death".There is nothing effective for solving specific affairs.

Yin Feng didn't even want to listen to Xia Yunyi's words.Waved to let the guards drive the two away.After Liu Zongzhou's dialogue.And the investigation and research in Jiangnan these days.Yin Feng had a new understanding of the literati class at that time.

really.As Zeng Qi said.Just ignore them.anyway.I want these literati to say good things about the Chinese company.Identify with Chinese corporate domination.quite difficult.but.Is it necessary to rely on them to govern Jiangnan?not necessarily.Zeng Qi said: "Don't bother with them. Just don't share their common knowledge....As long as we can demonstrate our ability in military power and civil governance, these literati will come to rely on us."

Zeng Qi brought dozens of his own students and more than a hundred interns from the Political Science Institute from Taiwan.To be in charge of the government affairs of dozens of states and counties in the south of the Yangtze River.Totally not enough.therefore.The Chinese Army is in the name of Nanjing Town Guard Mansion.Open recruitment of officials.It was beyond the expectations of Zeng Qi and Yin Feng.Unexpectedly, quite a few scholars took the initiative to apply.Want to live an official life under the rule of Chinese companies.Although the announcement posted by the Chinese military first.It reveals the laws and regulations that officials of the tutelary government must strictly abide by.But a large number of scholars still flock to it.There are also people who want to take shortcuts.Come to Nanjing Yinfeng Old Camp.Famous invitations from scribes requesting Yin Feng's interview can pile up into hills every day.

Thus.There is a lack of management personnel needed in the Jiangnan control area.How much is a smooth solution.These locally recruited civil servants.Under the supervision and management of administrative personnel from Taiwan.Finally, the administrative organization of the Nanjing Town Guard Mansion was put into operation.

It's the end of the year.Yin Feng was concerned about finding ways to win the literati class to support the rule of the Chinese company.There is already no interest: as long as the Chinese army is strong enough.Scholars and Confucian scholars will naturally come to repay.Just give them hope that they can become officials.They don't care who the ruler is.certainly.There are many scholars like Liu Zongzhou who talk about solar terms.But the literati class trained under the imperial examination system.Except for a few geniuses who are self-taught.They will not do the great cause of uprising and resistance that requires practical experience.Or.The literati of this period were concerned about all things that required the operation of practical affairs.Basically ignorant.Worried that they can cause trouble for the rule of the Chinese army.Purely asking for trouble.What to worry about.These literati classes will cause trouble in the peace talks between the Chinese company and the imperial court.

therefore.In addition to continuing to attack the court politically and militarily.Yin Feng thought that there was no other way.He was able to force the imperial court to negotiate peace with himself.

The attack on Anqing was the beginning of further Chinese military operations.In fact, it was winter at this time.The wind direction on the sea has changed.Taiwan's logistics supplies have been difficult to ship.The number of troops participating in military operations on the southern front was actually smaller than when the war started.Because a battalion of Li Xing's third division and the indigenous troops from Luzon Taiwan have all been transferred back to Taiwan.Prepare to go to Luzon to suppress the joint rebellion of local aborigines and Japanese people.

But in this case.The Chinese army still launched an attack.Captured Anqing in one fell swoop.The Chinese Army opened an arsenal in Nanjing.Make full use of the original talents of artisans in the city.Produce arms in Nanjing City.at the same time.The Chinese Army also suppressed the "Daxing" and other gangsters in Suzhou, Songjiang and other places.A Zhuang Ding team was recruited from the local farmers.There are still many people.There are already 5000 people.

For the situation in the area ruled by the Chinese Army.Because of businessmen's dealings.The officials, army and court also knew a lot.

But Zhang Heming, the Nanjing manager, was really helpless.

Southern troops were being drawn northward.To deal with the offensive of the Chinese Army on the northern front.In the face of small-scale attacks by the Chinese army in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Taihu Lake Basin.Zhang Heming, Xiong Tingbi and others were also unable to cope.We are losing ground.At this time.There were also riots and riots among people in Sichuan, Jiangxi and other places.The army originally used to recover Nanjing had to divide its troops to suppress it.then.Court officials and military officers in the south of the Yangtze River.Unanimously inclined to appease the Chinese army.

They jointly asked the court for appeasement.This is an obvious fact: for the Chinese Army.You can't beat it.And they still occupy Jiangnan.It won't be long before the whole Jiangnan will not have the surname Zhu.

After all, these southern bureaucrats are politicians who have experienced political whirlpools.Not a nerd like Liu Zongzhou.

Ye Xianggao, Jiangnan officials and gentry in the countryside also jointly signed letters.Ask the court to appease.Some of them are because the war has violated their own economic interests.Some are because they saw the threat of the Chinese Army.Those officials, gentry and landlords who were suppressed by the Chinese army.After all, there are fewer people.Although there are still many relatives, friends and fellow villagers who oppose the recruitment.However, more and more officials in the imperial court recognized the appeasement gradually.

Yin Feng got the intelligence from Beijing in time.Decided to add fuel to the flames.On the first day of the New Year in the 46th year of Wanli.He issued an announcement: The Chinese Army expressed its sincerity in the peace talks.The troops will be withdrawn from Beijing and Tianjin Wei.