After everything in the study returned to calm, Linhuai Marquis Li Tingzhu and Zhu Pingan sat opposite each other and talked.
"What? Zihou, you actually took over the military preparation affairs of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Office?! Alas, it's too late. I wanted to specifically tell you not to take over this mess of 'military preparation'. The military preparation affairs of the coastal provincial surveillance offices in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Shandong are all deep black pits."
When Linhuai Hou Li Tingzhu learned that Zhu Ping'an had taken over the military affairs of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Censorate, he could not help but sigh.
"Let's not talk about anything else. The Japanese threat is getting more and more serious, and the war is dangerous. Alas, I still remember that when I was in the capital, I talked with my nephew about the Japanese threat in the southeast. At that time, I thought that as long as we recruited or lured Wang Zhi to death, the Japanese threat in the southeast would be resolved in a short time. Alas, I was too wishful at the time. Whether it was recruiting or luring, it was too unrealistic. Now, the Japanese threat is like a raging fire, and it is already boiling. The Japanese threat is emerging in an endless stream along the entire southeast coast, and it is rampant to the point of being unimaginable. The Japanese pirates are brave and good at fighting, and they are insidious and cunning. When the garrison troops encounter them, they are often beaten and thrown away. My nephew, you are in charge of the military preparations of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Inspection Office, and you are in charge of militia, which is worse than the garrison troops. You are leading the militia to fight the Japanese pirates. Isn't it a suicide mission?! Shu'er is still pregnant. If something happens to you, how do you want Shu'er to deal with it?"
Linhuai Marquis Li Tingzhu shook his head repeatedly. He was very pessimistic about Zhu Ping'an leading the militia and was very worried.
"Also, the Censorate was not originally in charge of military preparations. It was only established because of the recent serious Japanese invasion. Not only is the supporting food and salary insufficient, but the duties overlap with those of the guards and the new army. The position is quite awkward, and neither grandma nor uncle loves it. If you participate in the anti-Japanese war and win by chance, your militia will only assist, and the credit will basically not go to you. If you lose, sorry, when the blame is shared, you will not be left out, and you may even be blamed for everything. The Censorate got involved in military preparations. Fujian started earlier than Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Military officials of the Fujian Censorate have been repeatedly demoted and punished for their mistakes, and some have even been arrested and imprisoned..."
"besides... ... "
In just a cup of tea, Linhuai Marquis Li Tingzhu gave Zhu Ping'an more than a dozen reasons why the military preparations were unacceptable.
"Thank you for your concern, uncle." Zhu Ping'an listened patiently, bowed his hands to express his gratitude to Linhuai Hou for his concern, and then said with a firm look, "*******, *******! Nowadays, the Japanese pirates are getting more and more serious, and the people along the coast are suffering. Ping'an eats the emperor's salary and the people's money, and I also want to do my part."
"*******, ******..." Linhuai Hou repeated silently, raised his head and looked at Zhu Pingan with a complicated expression, and sighed, "You... Alas, maybe I am old."
Standing facing the mountain, bravely shouldering the heavy responsibility... ...such a high-spirited young man!
Linhuai Hou was filled with emotion. The young man in front of him was just a scholar who had lived in the Hou Mansion. Within a year, he had risen to the high position of the fifth-rank deputy chief judge of the Criminal Investigation Department. It was not just luck. His broad mind and courage were far beyond his reach! He was blessed by his ancestors. They were all marquises. He had been in the officialdom for decades, but he was still only a fourth-rank governor of Caojiang.
Although my rank is higher than his, the people in power in my dynasty are civil officials, and the military officials are of lower status. Let alone myself, a fourth-rank governor of Caojiang, even a third-rank guerrilla, lieutenant general, or garrison commander, cannot stand up straight in front of civil officials of the same rank or even lower than me. What's worse, I have to kneel down, so that some military officials call themselves "running dogs" in front of civil officials of lower ranks. If I and Zihou were not related, I, a fourth-rank governor, would have to bow first when I met Zihou, a fifth-rank assistant governor of the Criminal and Ancha Si.
"Uncle's skills are still sharp. When he was in Yingtian, he was in charge of the defense of the upper and lower rivers. He did not shy away from fighting and was willing to take on the heavy responsibility of expelling the Japanese pirates. Ping An was in charge of the military preparations of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Department, and he also learned from his uncle."
Zhu Ping'an praised Linhuai Hou for his courage to take on such an important task and gave him a high compliment.
Hearing this, Li Tingzhu's old face turned red. He had originally thought that the Japanese invasion in Jiangnan was just a minor one and could be easily quelled soon, so he came to take office... ... He was not so great... ...
"How is things going at your uncle's job recently?" Zhu Ping'an asked curiously.
"Alas, it's hard to explain. The navy is in disrepair, the warships are in disrepair, and only three out of ten are still in existence. If we encounter a small group of Japanese pirates with a few small boats, our navy can still drive them away; but if we encounter a large group of Japanese pirates, we will not be able to deal with them..."
Linhuai Hou spoke slowly, his old face turning even redder.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but twitch his lips. It seemed that the navy was even more derelict than the garrison.
In fact, the navy is very important! If the navy is strong, for example, with half or even 30% of the strength of the eunuch Sanbao when he sailed to the West, the Japanese pirates can be wiped out at sea. The Japanese pirates dare not come to the Ming Dynasty at all, and they can't reach the shore of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the navy is not strong enough to resist the Japanese at sea, it can cooperate with the army guards to attack the Japanese pirates by land and sea, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
However, throughout the feudal era, the army was the dominant force and the navy was not taken seriously, so the status of the army was more important than that of the navy.
Although it is lamentable and sad that the navy has been abandoned, it is also understandable.
"Uncle, how dilapidated are the navy ships?"
Zhu Ping'an knew the importance of the navy and could not bear to see it being abandoned and unable to play its value.
"The Admiral Caojiang is in charge of the defense of the upper and lower rivers. The original quota was 400 warships. However, the previous Admiral Caojiang Shi Panjin reduced the number by half in order to save military expenses. When I took office, the court approved the request and cut 200 ships, leaving only 200 ships. Ahem, due to the recent abolition of the inspection minister by the Ming court, Chinese and foreigners dare not speak out about the maritime ban, and the coastal defense is lax. The navy of Admiral Caojiang is also affected. The damaged warships cannot be repaired in time, so that there are less than 100 warships available at present."
Linhuai Marquis Li Tingzhu replied somewhat awkwardly.
That means less than a quarter of the navy's warships are left, and this is just the warships, what about the navy? ! At present, the situation of empty pay, lax training, and insufficient military preparations is no secret in the Ming army. It is estimated that the navy's combat power under Linhuai Hou can be retained at 20% of the original.
Therefore, the navy under the command of Linhuai Hou could only use warships to drive away a few broken wooden boats, and no more than that.
"Uncle, the Japanese pirates have been getting stronger recently and have been harassing the southeast repeatedly. How can a hundred warships be enough? Why don't you write a petition to the emperor and request to build more warships, or at least restore the old number, so as to drive out the Japanese pirates and give full play to the role of the navy." Zhu Ping'an thought for a moment and advised Linhuai Hou Li Tingzhu.
"My dear nephew, His Majesty approved the reduction of the number of warships by half just two years ago. Now I am submitting a memorial to advise the emperor to increase the number of warships. Isn't this going against His Majesty's will? I can't do this, I can't do this..." Linhuai Marquis Li Tingzhu shook his head.
"Uncle, this is a different time and that is a different situation. When the emperor agreed to Shi Caojiang's request to reduce the number of warships, the Japanese invasion was still under control. Now the Japanese pirate leader Wang Zhi's request for trade has failed, and the Japanese pirates have been allowed to plunder the southeast. The Japanese invasion is getting worse and worse. The number of times they invade the coastal areas, the severity of the degree, the scale, and the wide range of regions are simply unmatched by the Japanese invasion in other periods. At this time, I request the emperor to add warships and restore the old quota. I believe that the emperor will agree. In this way, not only will the strength of your uncle's navy be greatly enhanced and can play a greater role in resisting the Japanese, but it will also be of great benefit to your uncle personally. It is the so-called 'being in your position, planning your policies, exercising your power, and fulfilling your responsibilities'. It will not only highlight your uncle's duties and achievements, but also allow you to hear the emperor..." Zhu Ping'an explained patiently.
Linhuai Hou was moved by what he said, but after hesitating for a long time, he still shook his head and said, "My dear nephew, forget it. After all, the emperor has just reduced the number of warships. It is not appropriate to submit a petition at this time. Don't offend the emperor..."
Don't seek merit, but avoid mistakes...
Zhu Ping'an knew Linhuai Hou's mentality at the moment and knew that it was useless to say more, so he stopped talking.