It should be said that Ling Tianfang's words deeply moved the three of them. The rise of the Japanese in the Atlantic Ocean caused the Tanghe Empire to lose its sea power in the Atlantic Ocean, and also took the treasure island, Kamchatka Island and Ryukyu Islands with it. Being occupied one after another, this is undoubtedly a huge humiliation for the naval officers, but the empire, which is trapped in division and civil war, simply does not have the strength to pay attention to these issues. The strong rise of His Royal Highness the King of Thailand seems to have given them a glimmer of hope. Ling Tian Fang's words can be said to come from the bottom of his heart, and it is guaranteed that the three of them will not feel the same way.
Silent for a while, the five people just walked on the beach. The three officers of the Imperial Navy were a little hesitant at this time. They had no doubts about Xijiang's enthusiasm and sincerity, but enthusiasm and sincerity did not represent reality. Building an ideal naval fleet does not rely solely on emotions, it requires real investment. Although Ling Tianfang vowed, the funding problem is quite difficult for any newly established Five Dynasties, let alone Saying that Xijiang is still working hard to seize the world, they still doubt whether Xijiang can have this determination.
"Master Ling, Master Lei, the three of us can understand your feelings and enthusiasm. As Tanghe people, Taiwan, if we are indifferent to foreign enemies invading our maritime borders and seizing our land, then he is not worthy of being a Tanghe person. Since You have already said this. If the three of us still push back and retreat, it will appear that we are too indifferent. We accept your invitation to stay. We are also willing to build a powerful Eastern Navy for His Royal Highness the King of Thailand. Contributing, but we also venture to say something, or say it first. If His Royal Highness the King of Thailand cannot comply with the conditions promised by Lord Ling in building the navy, or it is too far away from the conditions promised by Lord Ling, the three of us will still have to resign. The navy is not as good as the army, It is almost impossible for a navy without strength to defend its territorial sovereignty. As for the personnel issue, I think a group of personnel should be selected from the Huludao Squadron to be used as candidates for the establishment of the Atlantic Navy. I don’t know what this means. How is the situation of the new naval academy in Xinjiang? Can we also send a group of experienced personnel to build this fleet in the Greater East Ocean?"
The three of them exchanged glances, and finally it was Zuo Chang who took the lead in saying these words. Once a decision was made, he went directly to the substantive issues. He was obviously extremely worried about the huge pressure and threats currently facing the Tanghe Empire's maritime borders. Eager to change the current status quo of the navy, it can be seen from this alone that the three of them have no selfish thoughts on the issue of safeguarding the interests of the country and the nation, but only have a high sense of responsibility for the entire navy.
"Okay! Let's make it a deal. If Ling can't do this, then the three Lings will have nothing to say when they leave the Western Xinjiang Navy. If Ling has accomplished everything that Ling promised just now, I also hope that the three Let’s work hard to build this new Atlantic fleet!”
Ling Tianfang did not say a word and went straight to the topic: "The Atlantic Fleet has Yuhang as its main port. Yuhang will also be the core military port of the entire Atlantic Fleet. I would like to ask three of you to sort out and select the location first. Set off for Yuhang immediately. Both Sanan Shipyard and Southeast Shipyard have signed shipbuilding agreements with Xijiang respectively. It is expected that construction will start soon. Regarding the management and maintenance of the military port and ship construction, I would like to ask Mr. Sa Zhenhai to ask more. As for the planning, construction and management of the entire Atlantic Fleet, I would like to ask Mr. Zuo Shichang to take full responsibility. For each standing fleet that needs to be established first, I would also like to ask Mr. Huo Yunfeng to temporarily assume this heavy responsibility. As for the personnel deployment and silk transfer, The three of them can decide on their own. If I have the opportunity, I would also like to invite the three of them to go to the Naval Academy in Nanhai. Any other issues can be discussed with Mr. Lei. It’s just that although the shipbuilding plan has been assigned to Jiangnan Shipyard and Southeast Shipyard, It will take some time. We use Milan as the flagship of the Southern Ocean Fleet. In addition, there are two old-fashioned warships in the Quan Military Port. Although they are a bit dilapidated, they can still be used reluctantly after some repairs. At present, the entire southeastern coastal defense is only We only have this little wealth. But I believe that in the near future, our Atlantic Fleet will appear on the vast surface of the Atlantic Ocean with a brand-new attitude!"
Hearing that a new type of large warship built by the Milan people would be in place immediately, the three of them couldn't help but beam with joy. They didn't know how Xijiang Xiang managed to get the Milan people to help Xijiang build the warship. This means that Western Xinjiang may really have to spare no effort to develop its navy. It seems that the Japanese invasion of the coast has made His Royal Highness the King of Thailand, who is about to unify the empire, feel the pain, and this is a good opportunity for the Atlantic Fleet to rise.
Within a few days of Ling Tianfang and Lei Cangpu's stay in Huludao, Zuo Shichang, Sa Zhenhai and Huo Yunfeng, who were fully motivated, began to make big moves to select a group of experienced and motivated people. In addition to the naval officers who were reviewed by Ling Tianfang and Lei Canpu, Zuo Shichang immediately assumed important responsibilities as the chief planner of the Atlantic Fleet, selecting personnel, deploying ships at high speed, making plans, and a series of complicated tasks. He was so busy that he felt dizzy. Fortunately, a group of his loyal old subordinates quickly gained Ling Tianfang's recognition and quickly stepped into their posts to help him share the heavy workload.
And Sa Zhenhai also acted as Zuo Shichang's assistant. In addition to dispatching ships and contacting the shipyard to arrange port maintenance and restart work, Sa Zhenhai also had an extremely important responsibility, which was to work with several officials brought by Lei Cangpu. Together, we prepare to establish the Eastern Branch of the Naval Intelligence Bureau. The main task is to collect information on coastal defense in the entire Atlantic Ocean, focusing on the Japanese, the construction and activities of various navies, the development of ship manufacturing technology, the current status of islands in coastal areas, the collection and compilation of various charts and maps, and the collection of information on nearby areas. The complex work of intelligence collection at regional ports, especially military ports, overwhelmed Sa Zhenhai. But in his own words, he had not been idle for so long and could work happily, no matter how hard it was. Tired, that’s fun!
Faced with Huo Feng's responsibilities becoming more clear, he immediately led some sailors to Quan Military Port to receive the ships parked there. Those that needed repairs immediately entered the Southeast Shipyard for maintenance. Before the repairs at Yuhang and Quan Military Ports were completed, they could only use the Huludao is the home port and daily training begins.
This time, Ling Tianfang's Southeast Luggage Commander Wu Feng granted him full power, and he used this power to the extreme without hesitation. In addition to appointing Zuo Shichang as the first commander of the Atlantic Fleet, he also Sa Zhenhai was appointed as the deputy commander of the Atlantic Fleet and the commander of the Yuhang Military Port Base. Huo Yunfeng was appointed as the commander of the standing fleet of the Atlantic Fleet. Several other recommended officers also received Ling Tianfang's recommendation. After being appointed, a large number of officers were quickly promoted to mid- to senior-level officers through several ranks, which was simply unimaginable in the Imperial Navy. Of course, all this is an act of power. The appointment of all senior officials still needs to pass the political review of these people by the security department and then be officially effective after His Highness Taiwu signs an order. Until then, they are only temporary acting positions.
The re-recruitment of former Imperial Navy officers and soldiers has also been fully launched. This work has received enthusiastic response from all over the country. The first contributions of Imperial Navy officers headed by Zuo Shichang and Sa Zhenhai have played a very good leading role. , and the favorable treatment of military officers and soldiers in Western Xinjiang also caused many imperial naval officers and soldiers to come one after another, and there was even a phenomenon of imperial naval officers and soldiers defecting to the army. This also brought problems to the political review work of the security department and local government departments. great pressure and distress. But in general, everything was going according to the established plan, and Bian Ling Tianfang did not expect the smoothness of the progress.
On October 23, 699 in the Continental Gregorian Calendar, Ling Tianfang secretly visited the Five Kingdoms of Milan to discuss the establishment of the new regime and the support of the Five Milan Kingdoms to the Western Xinjiang Navy with important officials such as King Louis XI of Milan and Prime Minister Duke Bedric. During the consultation, both parties agreed that after Li Wufeng moved to the imperial capital, the Kingdom of Milan would first recognize the orthodox status of the new regime and promise to help the Xijiang Navy build warships. The agreement was valid, and the Milan Naval Academy accepted Xijiang cadets to study in the academy. Xijiang and The Three Kingdoms Alliance will work together to curb the maritime threats of the Japanese who continue to expand in the Atlantic Ocean and the threats of the Machihans on land, and have negotiated specific plans. The two sides also held the highest-level discussions on the sovereignty of the Mawen Islands, and intentionally proposed the distribution of the ownership rights of the Mawen Islands. This would require Li Wufeng to obtain the supreme rule of the Tanghe Empire.
During his stay in the Kingdom of Milan, Ling Tianfang first inspected the First Fleet of the Royal Navy of Milan, stationed in Naples, the capital of Milan, and the Second Fleet of the Royal Milan of Taranto, stationed in Milan's third largest city and the second largest port. Taranto is located at the intersection of the Northern Pearl Islands and the Northern Warm Current. It is particularly rich in fishery resources. It is a famous fishing ground within a hundred miles. It is extremely important in both economic and military status, so it has also been built as the headquarters of the Milan Navy. The second largest base. Before that, Ling Tianfang also visited the Royal Shipyard of Naples, the largest shipyard in Milan, and inspected the shipyard workshops and docks. Then Ling Tianfang visited the Royal Naval Academy of Milan located on the outskirts of Naples, the royal capital of Milan. In an official capacity, the president of the Royal Academy of Milan and some of his professors were invited to visit the Xijiang Naval Academy located in the autonomous port of East Samoa in the South China Sea.