It took two hours, maybe longer, before the training finally came to an end. The sound of cannons ceased, and only the monotonous and depressing sound of wind and water waves remained above the sea.
The wind and waves on the sea are not small. With the old emperor's body, it is obviously impossible to be exposed to the wind and waves for a long time. He cannot withstand the wind and cannot stand for a long time. The roar of the artillery coming in and out of the bridge is indeed shocking, but see more
Well, it will become boring if you listen to it too much.
The time was obviously still early, and the sky was already so dark that it was almost dark. The old emperor opened his misty eyes wide and looked hard, but apart from the black smoke that had not dissipated on the sea level, only the ship was slowly moving.
The gunboat turned around and returned to the sequence.
"Lin Qing, this gunboat makes a lot of noise, but I don't know how effective it is in actual combat! It takes so much effort to hit a target ship that won't resist or escape. One day, it will really be on the ocean.
When facing the enemy, don't turn into a flower stand." After watching for a long time, the old emperor sighed to an old man next to him: "In order to support your navy's research on gunboats, the imperial court has also paid a lot of money, but it must come up with practical things!
"
Hearing what the old emperor said, the old man felt a little shuddered, but he responded calmly: "Your Majesty, the gunboat is a new type of thing. It has high design requirements and is difficult to build. It is not just about moving the artillery to the warship for use. I want to
Perfection and maturity do not happen overnight.
However, insightful people within the navy have reached a consensus that gunboats have a bright future and unlimited potential. They will definitely become the main battleships of our Han navy, sail across the oceans and enhance our country's prestige.
Now that the test ship has been built, if we continue to explore along this road, a more complete and more practical gunboat will not be far away. I sincerely ask your Majesty and the court to wait for good news!"
After hearing what he said, the old emperor chuckled and said: "You are full of confidence! I have always been patient with the research and skills of these military technologies. I can understand and support what you said.
.
However, there are many mediocre people in the world, with short-sightedness, and many people who are stuck in their ways. Some people in the court cannot see or understand things related to gunboats. They only know that the navy has spent more than ten years on people, money and material resources, and still has no
Remarkable results.
You must not ignore these situations!"
The old man next to him was Lin Renzhao, the former deputy privy envoy in charge of the Han Dynasty's navy. This Southern Tang general who had advocated military confrontation with the imperial court decades ago had unknowingly served the Han Dynasty for thirty years.
For Lin Renzhao, life has not been very comfortable in the past thirty years, because whether in the army or in the Privy Council, he can feel the heavy suspicion and rejection. No matter how hard he works, he comes from a certain person.
The doubts of some powerful people have never disappeared.
Of course Lin Renzhao knew the reason. When he was in Jiangnan, his behavior was too radical and anti-Han, and he was obviously always remembered by others. Although everyone was their own master, not many people were willing to take the initiative to understand tolerance, and once involved,
When it comes to interests and status, it is easier to use it as a political attack point and can be used at any time.
This is also related to the political atmosphere of the Han Dynasty. In the eyes of some people, those southern civil servants who surrendered in the late unification period can be tolerated a little. As for those military generals, they should be guarded against. Lin Renzhao is a key figure. If not
Without the support of the old emperor, he would never be able to stay at the top of the Han army for that long.
In the past, they tried to completely integrate into the Han Dynasty like the Guo and Zhang families, but then they gradually gave up. They just had to have a heart to repay the old emperor's kindness and work conscientiously.
After he turned sixty-five, he also took the initiative to step aside to make way for the new generation of naval admirals Guo Liangping. He was no longer directly responsible for naval military affairs. He first supervised training and was transferred to Guangzhou Prefecture within a year as Vice Admiral of Guangnan Navy.
Completely entering a state of retirement.
After the Jinling Shipyard successfully produced gunboats, the navy's enthusiasm aroused again, and it applied to the Privy Council for one, allowing the Guangnan Navy to conduct testing and training, and then devoted its full attention to it.
At this moment, after hearing the old emperor's words, Lin Renzhao showed a touch of sadness on his face, and responded with some emotion: "I should do my best!"
Hearing what he said, the old emperor couldn't help but be surprised. There seemed to be two words written on his face: That's it. After looking at the white-haired Lin Renzhao, the old emperor said: "I thought that Lin Qing would also give me a treat."
He made an impassioned speech and swore an oath.”
Lin Renzhao shook his head, and the smile at the corner of his mouth told the story of the hero's twilight years: "Your Majesty, I am very old. I only rely on a restless heart to exert some residual energy for naval construction. In the future, I will have to rely on young people!"
This statement obviously resonated with the old emperor, who also sighed: "I really have to obey the old man! In these years, I have always felt that I am more than capable but not strong enough!"
He raised his head and glanced at the old emperor. Seeing his sad look, Lin Renzhao immediately said: "I am an ordinary person, but your Majesty is a hero for a lifetime. He is still as generous and ambitious as before, which is heartbreaking."
As soon as these words came out of his mouth, the old emperor couldn't help being happy and said: "Your flattery is really not very clever! You are old and I can't bear to grow old, so there is no need to say these hypocritical words."
words."
"yes!"
Seeing that Lin Renzhao still had the same respectful and unconcerned attitude, the old emperor was slightly bored and raised his eyes to look at the scenery on the sea again. If he was in his prime, the old emperor might still have a sense of the mighty waves on the sea, which would be unavoidable.
He had the passion to conquer the enemy, but now, all he was left with was depression and powerlessness.
"That's all. Now that the training is over, it's time to go back. It's already the third day at sea. Let's send the order to return." He sighed softly and ordered.
Having not been to sea for decades, he stayed on the ship for three days as soon as he boarded the ship. For the old emperor, it was really a special experience. However, it was probably because of his old age that it was really difficult to find it on the blue waves of the vast sea.
Some heroic emotions.
With the flag waving, the training fleet consisting of twenty-two ships reorganized their array, turned around in order, and sailed toward the southeast.
In the command room, the old emperor invited Lin Renzhao to have a drink, and continued to discuss matters related to gunboats, the construction of the Guangnan Navy, the Nanyang war, etc. Such meetings between emperors and ministers, and individual conversations over drinks, were actually the most important thing for Lin Renzhao since he entered the Han Dynasty.
first.
However, the old emperor was obviously more concerned about another issue, and seemingly unintentionally raised a topic: the "naval families" born within the navy after decades of development.
Regarding this matter, Lin Renzhao could not maintain his calm and calm behavior. Therefore, even though he was suppressed at the top, Lin Renzhao was still a big figure within the navy. Five of his children and grandchildren are serving in the navy.
, the Lin family is what the old emperor calls the "Navy Family".
Compared to his previous calmness and calmness, the old emperor obviously preferred to see Lin Renzhao's awkward expression, and his hesitant and tangled response was also more interesting.
Finally, he ended the topic with the sentence "The navy has its own tradition." Although it seemed casual, Lin Renzhao's heart was always hanging in the air. After all, today's old emperor really cannot be treated as a normal person. If he treats the "naval family"
"I also have the idea of using a knife, which is not good. Lin Renzhao himself can be unfazed by favors and humiliations, but he cannot ignore the future prosperity of his descendants.
Fortunately, the old emperor did not mean to embarrass Lin Renzhao. The emperor and his ministers drank together until evening, when the fleet approached a large port. It was not completely dark yet, but the interior of the port was already lit up with lights. From far away from the sea,
Looking from a distance, you can see the dots of stars spreading out from the coast and stretching for miles, which is extremely gorgeous.
The old emperor walked onto the bridge again, looked at the port under the lights, and couldn't help but curiously asked: "Where is this Liu?"
Noticing the old emperor's concerned attitude, Lin Renzhao explained with a chuckle: "Back to your majesty, this is Tuen Mun Port under the jurisdiction of Dongguan County. It is now the largest port off the coast of Guangzhou Prefecture and a must-pass port for merchant ships. Over the years,
The population has increased to more than 100,000, and the navy also has a military port here, called Qingshan Port."
Listening to Lin Renzhao's introduction, the old emperor's eyes became a little blurry, and his deep gaze seemed to be able to travel through time and space and see the distant future. After a long time, he murmured: "It's probably Hong Kong."
Lin Renzhao was slightly stunned when he heard this, but he quickly reacted, murmured something, and then asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, do you want to change the name of Hong Kong to Hong Kong?"
The old emperor came back to his senses, turned to look at him, and then looked at Tuen Mun Port in the distance, and said leisurely: "It's good to call it Qingshan Port. I don't like the name Hong Kong, and neither does Tuen Mun."
Lin Renzhao was even more confused, but he had already made a decision in his heart and informed the Guangzhou Prefecture that the name of Tuen Mun Port could be changed.
"Let's stay at the Qingshan Military Port tonight!"
"yes!"
Stay overnight at the military port. Thanks to the historical breakthrough of overseas trade in the Han Empire, this excellent port developed rapidly with its unique advantages and became the "Pearl of the Orient" in this era.
The next day, the old emperor rarely slept in. Life at sea was still very torturous for him, and it was difficult to get rid of exhaustion.
However, his spirit remained very good, and he asked Hood to make arrangements and planned to go to Tuen Mun Port for "investigation". However, before the trip could take place, a piece of news made him lose all interest.
Lin Renzhao died. He died very suddenly, without any warning. It was either a myocardial infarction or a cerebral hemorrhage. There was no possibility of rescue, and the person was gone.
Soon, mournful music was played in Castle Peak Military Port, and the logistics department quickly went to Tuen Mun Port to purchase white cloth. The emperor issued an edict to commemorate Lin Renzhao in the military port.
Of course, the old emperor didn't have any deep feelings for Lin Renzhao, but his sudden death still made him feel panicked. This could be seen as a kind of empathy. The old emperor couldn't help but think, he wouldn't also
He went so suddenly without any warning. Thinking about it carefully, I feel a sense of fear.