Zhu Youzhen didn't care about Zheng Zhilong's departure. He thought that Zheng Zhilong was deliberately expressing his thoughts, "What then?"
"If you can capture Malacca, you will establish a home port in Malacca, and at the same time build a castle on land. The army and navy will be stationed in Malacca at the same time. On this basis, you will pull out the Xiyi strongholds in the southern Ryukyu Islands, Java, and Manchuria one by one."
"..."
"After consolidating the route from Taiwan to Malacca, the fleet will leave Malacca again, sailing in the direction of Xiyi along the route opened by Zheng He at the time, and exploring the sea road to Xiyi for Daming. After all, Xiyi has already arrived. Daming’s doorstep, and Daming still doesn’t know where Xiyi is."
South China Sea Fleet Yang Wei Nanyang, Zhu Youjian no longer doubted it, but Nanyang is very close to Daming, even if it wins, it is not enough to be complacent. After all, it is fighting at home. If they can defeat them at Xiyi’s home, it will prove the South China Sea Fleet. Is powerful.
Zhu Youjian still didn't dare to think about such a goal. Daming had no real warship yet, and he didn't know if the drawings were designed.
However, Zhu Youjian is quite satisfied with Zheng Zhilong’s thinking. Like Zheng He, Zheng Zhilong likes the sea and has the surname Zheng. I don’t know if Zheng Zhilong is a descendant of Zheng He. It seems that Zheng He is an eunuch, and there is no direct descendant. , Collateral is possible.
However, today’s discussion is about the development of the South China Sea Fleet. He should explore the genealogy of the South China Sea Fleet. Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian said to several officials of the National Defense Agency: "Everyone, your team is Zheng What opinions and suggestions does the general think?"
"Taking Taiwan as the home port and marching into Malacca with thousands of miles apart, how can the fleet's supply be solved?" Li Chunye raised his own question. He had seen the sketch map of Nanyang drawn by Zhu Youjian a long time ago and was able to estimate the distance between Taiwan and Taiwan. The approximate distance of Malacca is now in the age of sailing. The speed of the ship is only seven or eight knots, and it is against the sky if it can reach ten knots.
"What is the use of finding a channel to Xiyi?" Cao Wenzhao is in charge of the equipment of materials. The South China Sea Fleet is really going to sail. A large amount of materials must be stored. If it is just for finding the way, these materials will be worthless if they are consumed. .
"The Daming Navy has not had a naval battle for many years. Can the South China Sea Fleet focus on stability during this expedition. After regaining Taiwan, it will consolidate Taiwan and fight again in the South China Sea?" Qin Yongnian felt that the South China Sea Fleet had no actual combat experience and its combat effectiveness had not been tested. It's better to be safe.
"Qin Aiqing, once the war machine is activated, it may be difficult to develop according to personal will. If Taiwan is to be defeated, whether to continue fighting or not, I am afraid that the South China Sea Fleet will not be able to help." Zhu Youjian looked at his old leader, calm and courageous. Inadequate, he was the first minister of Ming Dynasty to serve as a military commander, and his strategic vision is not flattering. "Qin Aiqing knows, who is entrenched on Taiwan Island?"
"The people on Taiwan Island are not Dutch people?" Qin Yongnian didn't care much about matters outside of himself. Since serving as Minister of the Navy, he only cared about the surrounding waters of Daming, especially the Taiwan and Nanyang regions that Zhu Youjian particularly valued. .
"Qin Aiqing is right. The island is Dutch. Now it is called Holland. Aiqing think about it. The Dutch have a large number of strongholds and navies in the South Seas. Daming removed his stronghold in Taiwan. Will they give up?"
"Your Majesty..."
"Therefore, General Zheng's consideration in this regard is correct. Once Taiwan is occupied, he must be prepared to fight the Dutch." Zhu Youjian ignored Qin Yongnian's explanation. "Taiwan is an important transit for the Dutch trade in Japan. Station, in the Tianqi years, they fought the Ming Navy for eight months in order to obtain Penghu before they were forced to abandon Penghu and move to Taiwan. If Taiwan were to be lost now, their trade in Japan would be completely interrupted. For commercial profits, they must Will make a comeback."
"Your Majesty, the minister understands that since the war is inevitable, it is better to prepare early and take the initiative to fight." Qin Yongnian did not understand, but still expressed his support for the South China Sea Fleet.
"Well, as for how to fight, it's up to General Zheng." Zhu Youjian personally went into battle and finally persuaded a senior official of the National Defense Agency.
"Your Majesty, Daming doesn't have much interest in the South China Sea. At most there is some commercial profit. Is it really worth it to fight so hard?" Cao Wenzhao is a typical army general. Daming's land is already large enough. Does it still need the ocean
"Taiwan, Daming must fight." Zhu Youjian first set a downgrade for the war. Later discussions around Taiwan and Southeast Asia will not be a question of whether to fight or not, but how to fight. "First of all, it is for Daming's own safety. Taiwan is so close to the mainland, and the Dutch deployed artillery in Taiwan, like a sword in the throat, which may cut Daming's throat at any time."
"However, the Dutch have not attacked Daming over the years."
Zhu Youjian was helpless to this sea-blind minister, "That's because there are Nanyang's resources for them to plunder. Once Nanyang's resources are exhausted, or their appetite cannot be satisfied, they will inevitably attack Da Ming. In fact, the Netherlands has long been Invaded Daming, Portugal also defrauded a piece of land in Guangdong, Macau, does Cao Aiqing know?"
"The minister knows something."
"It's good to know," Zhu Youjian glared at Cao Wenzhao. "The tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps going. Xiyi has already come to Daming's door. Even if Daming retreats, war is inevitable. Just ask Cao Aiqing and Xiyi runs away. After such a long journey to the East, will he live peacefully with Daming? If Daming does not make preparations, Nanyang today will be Daming tomorrow.
"Your Majesty, the minister understands."
Everyone discussed it, and finally basically agreed to Zheng Zhilong’s plan, but Zhu Youjian added: “After the occupation of Taiwan, you can establish a home port in the elders, but don’t rush to Malacca, but advance to the south of Taiwan. In the Ryukyu Islands, a stronghold centered on Manila has been established, and the strategic center has gradually moved south."
The Southern Ryukyu Islands are what the Spanish call the Philippines. Luzon Island in the north produces silver. Over the years, Spain has gradually lost its dominance in the eastern sea trade, but it has dug a silver mine in Luzon without a sound.
Zhu Youzhen knew that silver was the currency in circulation that Daming had the most shortage.
The original Ministry of Households, the current Ministry of Finance, when distributing salaries, generally only distribute 50% of the silver, and the rest will directly distribute grain, cloth and other physical objects. If Daming can occupy Luzon Island in the Southern Ryukyu Islands, it will be fine. Capture the silver mines on the island to provide Daming with a steady stream of silver.
As for exploring the road of maritime trade, it is natural to make the greatest profit for the Ming merchants. Some of these profits will be given to the taxation department as taxes, which will actually help both the Ming merchants and the imperial court.
Zhu Youjian also proposed: "In order to reduce the voyage, in the future, after the fleet leaves Malacca westward, it can establish a naval supply base in Myanmar, Austria, which is now called the Toungoo Dynasty."
Zheng Zhilong has not yet understood what Zhu Youjian meant: "Your Majesty, the fleet is heading westward to establish a supply base along the way, but Myanmar is not the land of Ming Dynasty, and the court needs to send personnel to coordinate."
Zhu Youjian said casually: "Isn't Burma before Daming's land?" He had already planned to regain Burma and open the mouth of the Indian Ocean. If it hadn't been for the riots in Tibet and Yuchang, it would have been recovered.
"Your Majesty is ready to regain Myanmar?" In Li Chunye's eyes, Zhu Youjian is a hawk. Even if the land that the Han people once had, even if it is only in contact with the Han people, he will take it back step by step. If Zhu Youjian wants to take back Burma, he will do nothing Not surprisingly, as the director of national defense, he must first prepare for the war.
Zhu Youzhen is really not the kind of person Li Chunye thinks. He is not trying to regain all the homeland, but using the vision of later generations to establish a strategic basis for Daming. With Daming’s current strength and future development, he can completely occupy more Much land.
More land is not necessarily a good thing. The larger the land, the more difficult it is to effectively manage. Just like Meng Yuan, it can be said that he established a huge empire with no one before, but it soon fell into division and endless wars.
In fact, more Mongolians died in the war than any ethnic group.
Without advanced technology and culture, they have been in a nomadic state for a long time, and the living conditions of the Mongols are not much better than that of animals. They have always taken food and clothing as their highest goal and acted as cannon fodder for others in wars in various places.
Zhu Youjian did not aim at land occupation, but with effective management as the premise. He made use of the relatively advanced technology and culture of the farming nation, and made use of the population advantage and centripetal force of the Han nationality to make arrangements for the survival of Ming Dynasty hundreds of years later. The nation provides more room for development.
With Zhu Youjian's gaze, he can only see what happened hundreds of years later. He doesn't know. Who can see through the final destination of mankind
After the infinite development of science and technology, humans fly various high-speed aircraft to travel the entire universe, or as described in prehistoric culture. Once humans have developed to a certain period, the earth will be overwhelmed, and it will be extremely developed due to wars, natural disasters, and technology. Waiting for reasons, leading to the destruction of all living things on the earth, and then according to Darwin's theory of evolution, to evolve again
The future is unpredictable, and Zhu Youjian must do a good job now.
"The time to take back Myanmar has not yet arrived. The nearby Yunnan army has not returned in Tibet. The northern army has difficulty adapting to the hot and humid climate in Myanmar. Let's talk about it later. The initiative in the war is ours." Zhu Youjian scanned several senior officials present. , "This is just a verbal chat between you and me. Don't disclose it, otherwise some ministers will say that I am arrogant."
"Your Majesty, the minister understands." Li Chunye said heartily, now is not the time, that is, sooner or later, it is better to make preparations early, so as not to keep up with the emperor's rhythm and become passive.
Zhu Youzhen didn't care what Li Chunye thought. He glanced at Zheng Zhilong, "General Zheng, I will give you one month to train the soldiers of the South China Sea Fleet in accordance with the requirements of the Ming soldiers."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Be prepared to regain Taiwan. At that time, when I am in Beijing, I will not be able to watch the battle in person. I will give you a gift today. It is a good time for you!" Zhu Youjian looked at Li Chunye and saw that Li Chunye was in a daze, so he had to cough. It was a reminder.
Li Chunye woke up from the reverie. He shook his sleeves quickly and took out an official certificate from the inside: Zheng Zhilong was specially appointed as the commander of the South China Sea Fleet.
He Guanping handed it to Zheng Zhilong together with the flag of the South China Sea Fleet.