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In the city of Nanjing, everything seemed calm on the surface, but secretly, the court was already making intensive preparations for the southern expedition to Guangdong and Guangxi.
Take the enemy by surprise, attack them when they are unprepared, and fight quickly and make a quick decision. This was the battle plan agreed upon by Qin Mu and his core ministers in Huagai Palace that day. To take the enemy by surprise and attack them when they are unprepared, naturally, we cannot make a big fanfare in advance.
The people of Nanjing City, having just celebrated the ascension of the new emperor, were busy preparing for the New Year. Merchants organized a large number of goods to be shipped to the capital, and all kinds of carriages and horses were busy on the road. On the Yangtze River waterway, there were thousands of sails and boats, and it was a busy scene.
Qin Mu, who had always been frugal, also asked Han Zanzhou to take out two thousand taels of silver from the inner treasury and invited a troupe to perform on the Imperial Street during the New Year so that the people could enjoy the show.
All this seems to indicate that Nanjing will have a joyous and festive New Year this year.
That day, Qin Mu went to Yanziji to inspect the Royal Navy. He did not bring any military officers with him, but brought Huang Zhenlin, the head of the Ministry of Works, and Xu Yongshun, the Fengzhilang. It seemed that he went there mostly for entertainment.
Under the protection of the inner guards led by Niu Wanshan and Li Shi, Qin Mu left Taiping Gate with a small entourage.
To the west of Taiping Gate is the vast blue waters of Xuanwu Lake. It is a picturesque place, but the existence of the three judicial departments, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate, makes it daunting for ordinary people to visit.
The side outside Taiping Gate, close to Fugui Mountain, is the weakest point in the entire Nanjing city because there is no moat.
When Huang Zhenlin was in charge of the construction of the imperial palace, he proposed to build two fortresses outside the Taiping Gate, and Qin Mu agreed. Now the two fortresses have been built and are located outside the Taiping Gate, forming a tripod with the Taiping Gate.
In order to attack Taiping Gate, they had to take these two fortresses first, and in order to attack these two fortresses, they would inevitably be hit by artillery fire from Taiping Gate.
When Qin Mu passed the Taiping Gate, he said sincerely: "Ziying's move makes Nanjing even more impregnable. Good, very good!"
Qin Mu usually only addressed close ministers by their courtesy names, which made Xu Yongshun, who was sitting next to him, quite envious.
Huang Zhenlin bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Mencius said: The people of a country are not bounded by its borders, a country is not secured by its mountains and rivers, and the world is not intimidated by the power of weapons. Those who are righteous will have many supporters. With many supporters, the world will obey them. Your Majesty is a wise and benevolent person, and the world will be loyal to you. I originally proposed to build these two fortresses, but now I think it was really a superfluous move."
"I didn't expect Ziying to be so good at flattering people, hahaha..."
"Your Majesty, I am only speaking the truth."
The group chatted and laughed in a relaxed atmosphere. Only Xu Ruoshi, who was disguised as a man by her brother, was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She shrank as much as possible and hid behind her brother, not daring to say a word.
Xu Yongshun was excited and nervous. He had brought his own carriage. He never expected Qin Mu to call them and Huang Zhenlin to the imperial carriage. For a moment, he was really at a loss.
Xu Ruoshi was dressed in men's clothing, with a mink collar covering half of her face, and a mink hat on her head. She looked so charming that if she walked on the street, I wonder how many young girls and wives would be charmed by her.
But when Qin Mu saw him for the first time, he thought he was too "beautiful". Qin Mu didn't like Long Yang, and he had an inexplicable aversion to men who were too fetishized.
So after the first glance, he never looked at Xu Ruoshi again, and he really let her fool him.
Qin Mu put his hands on the hand warmer and said, "The so-called popular will is just an ideal state, and it only works for the people at home. It would be foolish to talk about defending the country against foreign enemies without relying on the dangers of mountains and rivers.
Therefore, strengthening the army is something that a country cannot relax at any time. However, if you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. Xiao Shunzi, I handed over the Longjiang Shipyard to you. Another year has passed. Have you made any technical breakthroughs?"
Xu Yongshun immediately put aside his distracting thoughts, cheered up and said: "Your Majesty, this year Longjiang Shipyard mainly studies Western ships in detail. Now we have mastered the technology of Western ships and learned a lot of advantages from them. Combined with our original technology, we are now developing a main battleship with faster speed, better seaworthiness, wind and wave resistance, and 62 gun positions. It is estimated that it will be ready for sea trials in two months.
In addition, Zheng He's treasure ship is also being replicated. The giant keel has been laid, but the craftsmen said that some new technologies need to be added, so the construction process may be slower. It is initially estimated that it will take another year before it can be launched. "
Zheng He's treasure ship was no different from an aircraft carrier in that era. Its huge hull could be used to grow vegetables, raise chickens, and accommodate large amounts of supplies. With such a treasure ship, the fleet could go further without having to frequently dock for supplies.
Qin Mu was very much looking forward to this. He said with satisfaction: "Xiao Shunzi did a good job, but don't be complacent. Technological innovation can never stop."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will follow your orders..."
Qin Mu waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "You are wrong. Technological innovation is the life force of all things. It has nothing to do with my will. If you regard technological innovation as an act of pleasing me, then your starting point is wrong. Life is not even a hundred years long. I will be old one day. If you cannot recognize the true meaning of technological innovation, I am afraid that no one will continue to spend energy on it after I am gone for a hundred years."
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, blessed with great fortune, and will surely be able to..."
"Haha... The wonder of life is that you know it will end, but you don't know when it will end. So you should do more meaningful things in your lifetime. If life is immortal like a stone, then it will be meaningless. Well, let's get back to the topic. You can continue to talk about the shipyard."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Ever since the steam engine was developed, I have been committed to applying it to ships. Two months ago, the Longjiang Shipyard even built a small iron-hulled ship and tried to install a steam engine on it, but it was unsuccessful."
Qin Mu smiled faintly and said, "Is it because the steam engine is too heavy and lacks driving force, so it failed?"
"Your Majesty is very observant. That's right. However, I have asked the shipyard to test-build a larger iron-hulled ship. Once there is any progress, I will report to Your Majesty immediately."
"Well, all successes are often accumulated through countless failed experiences. It doesn't matter if we don't succeed now. As long as we continue to summarize the experience of failure, I believe that we will be able to manufacture a steam iron-hulled ship one day."
Xu Ruoshi was originally very nervous and used her brother's body to block Qin Mu's sight, but after a while, she found that Qin Mu was always talking about business and didn't notice her at all, and she gradually relaxed.
The carriage was spacious, and could hold more than ten people. With four people sitting in it, it didn't feel crowded, but rather spacious. The decoration of the carriage had a royal atmosphere, but it didn't seem too luxurious.
To her, what Qin Mu and the other two talked about was somewhat boring. The former Emperor Chongzhen was also worried about military and political affairs all day long, and he looked old at a young age. Is this the life of an emperor
She quietly looked out of the half-open car window. The Zhongshan Mountain was covered with lush green pines and cypresses, and egrets were flying. The scenery of Nanjing was particularly charming in this cold winter season.
The carriage went out of the outer city and continued on the wide road. There were farmlands and villages on the roadside. Although not as prosperous as those in the city, they had pink walls and green tiles, hidden under the osmanthus trees. Children were running and flying kites at the village entrance, white geese were playing in the pond, and the sound of reading could be heard from the private school in the village. Occasionally, a clear shepherd's flute could be heard from the fields. The scenery of the countryside was full of poetic and picturesque beauty.
After exiting the outer Guanyin Gate and walking a short distance ahead, you will reach Yanziji.
Swallow Rock is known as the "No. 1 Rock on the Yangtze River". The rocks stand upright on the river, facing the sky on three sides, and their shape resembles a swallow spreading its wings about to fly, hence the name Swallow Rock.
Yanziji is also an important ferry crossing for north-south traffic, with Hongji Temple, Guanyin Pavilion and other buildings nearby. There are 12 caves in Yanshan, which were formed by the impact of the river. Most of them are cliffs, and the momentum is amazing.
When Qin Mu arrived, Gu Rong, Tong Haifeng, Shi Lang, Liu Zhongqin and other naval commanders were already waiting here. On the river, dozens of large and small warships were lined up, with flags fluttering and guns pointed.
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ps: The subscription has dropped sharply. I feel so tired these two days. I also want to go out and relax, but unfortunately I don’t have any manuscripts saved. Life must go on. I used to persevere in this way. Do you have monthly tickets? I beg for a few monthly tickets!
.(To be continued..)
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