As the Xiaoliuli Island Shipyard and the upgrade of armaments are proceeding smoothly, Zhu Muchen is also focusing most of his energy on the major matter of moving north. At the same time, the ocean strategic plan is being planned by Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Gaochi, and Yu Qian
With the joint efforts of others, preliminary results were finally achieved.
On this day, Yu Qian came to the Prince of Chu's mansion very excitedly and reported to Zhu Muchen about the selection report of the captains. After listening to Yu Qian's report, Zhu Muchen nodded with satisfaction.
After strict screening by officials from various places, local young people with excellent water skills and experience in driving ships are gathered together to recruit into the army, and those with extraordinary talents are gathered together for general training. A simple system for training maritime troops is close to
It's taking shape.
Zhu Muchen could already vaguely see the prototype of a very powerful maritime force in the future Ming Dynasty. At the same time, he couldn't help but think about where the person "Zheng He" went in history? He has never discovered this person until now.
He asked Yu Qian but got no answer.
Speaking of Zheng He, basically everyone will think that he is an inescapable figure in the history of navigation. There are few people who can compare with him in the history of ancient navigation.
Different from ordinary captains, Zheng He is the kind of leader who commands a fleet. He has a far-sighted vision and a great mind. He is the best candidate to be a navigation leader at the moment. Although he has been continuously selecting talents from all over the country, I am afraid that among them
No one can compare with Zheng He. For the sake of the future maritime army of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Muchen planned to find Zheng He.
In order to find out Zheng He's whereabouts, Zhu Muchen also specifically asked Zhu Zhanji, and later received a reply from the emperor's grandson Zhu Zhanji.
"Zheng He grew up next to Emperor Zhu Di when he was young. He followed Zhu Di in the southern and northern wars. He was a meritorious official in the "Jingnan Campaign" and was regarded as a confidant by Emperor Zhu Di. He was deeply trusted by the emperor and was awarded
Zheng He was given the rank of "Eunuch of the Imperial Envoy", and more than 20,000 officers and soldiers were given to Zheng He to command and protect the safety of the palace."
After Zhu Muchen heard the explanation from the emperor's grandson Zhu Zhanji, he understood why he failed to meet Zheng He. As the official responsible for the official position of "Imperial Commissioner and Eunuch" in the palace, Zheng He was the person Zhu Di trusted most, and he did not want to meet him at all.
There will be interactions with other foreign kings.
After all, if the person who protects the emperor personally is bribed by outsiders, it will be difficult for the emperor's life and safety to be guaranteed.
After learning this, Zhu Muchen thanked Zhu Zhanji first, and without explaining anything to the confused Zhu Zhanji, he went directly to the palace, preparing to find Zhu Di's important person. If Zheng He was just here
It is too wasteful to hold the position of commander of the guards in the palace. Only by commanding the fleet at sea can he shine.
After returning to the palace, Zhu Muchen told the emperor Zhu Di about this matter.
Zhu Di stroked his beard and asked meaningfully: "Zheng He is the person closest to me. How did the King of Chu know this person's talent?"
Facing the emperor's question, Zhu Muchen replied without any panic: "I asked the emperor's grandson if he had any suitable candidates to recommend. The emperor's grandson said that Zheng He is a very talented person and the most suitable one."
"Nowadays, the maritime army has begun to build a large scale, but it is lacking a qualified leader. Zheng He is not only talented, but also your emperor's confidant. He is trustworthy. In the future, the naval force will definitely be the most powerful existence. This
This army must be in the hands of people you trust, Your Majesty."
After hearing this, Zhu Di first secretly scolded Zhu Zhanji for this little brat, and then smiled and agreed to Zhu Muchen's request. After all, as the King of Chu said, this is a maritime army that was built with a lot of money and effort.
Just keep it firmly in your own hands.
Moreover, after he told the King of Chu to implement such a huge ocean-going strategic plan, if he didn't even give him the person he wanted, it would be a loss to his face. After the ministers learned about it, they would inevitably feel a little resentful towards him.
.
In this way, with Emperor Zhu Di's nod of agreement, Zhu Muchen also successfully drew the future sailing hero Zheng He under his command.
After Zheng He got the secret order from the palace, he went to the palace of Prince Chu to resume his duties. When he met Queen Chu for the first time, he felt that this famous person beside the emperor had no airs at all and treated others very well.
Affinity.
When Zhu Muchen saw Zheng He again, he felt like meeting his old friend. He pulled him to the dining table, prepared delicious food, and discussed matters at sea while drinking fine wine.
After Zheng He listened to Zhu Muchen's ocean-going strategic plan, he immediately showed a very strong interest. He took the initiative to ask Zhu Muchen about many things about sailing at sea.
Zhu Muchen took this opportunity to instill some current navigation knowledge into Zheng He. Zheng He is worthy of being a future navigation hero. He is often very knowledgeable about navigation, and can even learn from it.
To give some examples of my own analysis, this kind of talent is far beyond ordinary people. At least Zhu Muchen has never seen anyone whose comprehension ability in this field exceeds that of Zheng He.
In this kind of close conversation, the relationship between Zhu Muchen and Zheng He gradually became closer, as if they were old friends who had been dating for decades, talking about everything and communicating with each other.
After talking with Zheng He for a few days, Zhu Muchen no longer had any knowledge to hand over to him, so he immediately sent Zheng He to Xiao Liuli Island to assist in the task of building warships. This would allow him to familiarize himself with the composition of warships in advance and to deal with them.
To assist him in his mission as a future seafaring leader.
Zheng He bid farewell to Zhu Muchen cordially and assured him that he would complete this task perfectly.
After finishing Zheng He's matter, Zhu Muchen began to pay attention to the follow-up matters of the armaments upgrade. Now with sufficient materials, a batch of firecrackers have been manufactured. After testing, the quality of these firecrackers is very good.
good.
After Zhu Muchen learned that the firecrackers had been manufactured, he was ready to start upgrading the army! His first target was the Ming Dynasty's cavalry battalion.
He ordered Aji to be solely responsible for training the cavalry battalion in the use of fire guns and mounted archery. Aji had a very profound understanding of fire guns and was very good at teaching them.
The Emperor Zhu Di was naturally aware of Aji's abilities. After all, those who could be kept by the King of Chu would be more than just ordinary people. He directly ordered Aji to be appointed as a first-grade officer with the rank of governor and magistrate in the Governor's Mansion of the Fifth Army.
One of his purposes for doing this was to attract talents for the court. After all, what Ming Dynasty is most in urgent need of is talents in all aspects! With these talents, the strength of Ming Dynasty can be improved, and the other is to facilitate the control between him and
Regarding the relationship between King Chu and Zhu Muchen, although Zhu Di now admires and trusts Zhu Muchen, as an emperor, he has to be wary of someone as powerful and talented as King Chu.
After all, he had obtained the throne through rebellion, and he knew that people's hearts were the most unpredictable thing. If he left the King of Chu alone, then it was possible that Zhu Muchen would directly raise his troops to rebel after he became stronger.
There would be absolutely no force in Nanjing that could check and balance the King of Chu.
The best way now is to gradually bribe and corrupt the people around King Chu, and control Zhu Muchen's every move in his own hands to prevent unexpected events in the future.
However, Zhu Di still underestimated Aji's level of loyalty. After finishing his business at the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion every day, he would return to the Prince of Chu's Mansion to serve Zhu Muchen as usual, even if he did not stay in the luxurious mansion given to him by the imperial court.
He stayed in the Prince of Chu's mansion every day.
In the end, Zhu Muchen had no choice but to drive him away, and he returned to his mansion to rest every evening.
After Zhu Di learned the news, he could only sigh in his heart. He really didn't know what kind of ecstasy soup King Chu Muchen had poured into this Aji, so that even after he had gained power and status, he still wanted to serve King Chu.
.
After learning that Aji could no longer be bribed, Zhu Di gave up the idea.
While Zhu Muchen was busy working on the development of the Ming Dynasty, the King of Han and the King of Zhao gathered together. The situation in Nanjing was changing very rapidly, making them all feel a slight sense of crisis in their hearts.
"Second brother, my Jin Yiwei has received news that Chu King Zhu Muchen has taken Zheng He from the old man."
After Zhu Gaoxu, the King of Han, took a sip of the wine, he frowned and said, "Zheng He? Is that the Zheng He who participated in the Jingnan Campaign with us, and then served as the "Eunuch of the Imperial Envoy" and was in charge of more than 20,000 officers and soldiers?
"
"That is the most trusted person around the old man. Even if we don't have the chance to get in touch with him, the emperor actually gave that person to King Chu? This is too trusting of him!"
Zhao Wang Zhu Gaoxu sneered and said: "In addition, there is one more thing. I am responsible for arranging the informants around Yu Qian to tell me that the previous Chu King Zhu Muchen actually did not find the iron mines of the previous dynasty."
"That news is false. They deliberately released it to deceive you and me, in order to make us rush to sell the iron ore, so that they can purchase it at a low price. You know what they used to pretend to be
Iron ore? What’s in that sack is just potato seeds!”
Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han, changed his face when he heard this! He spent a lot of money to buy all the iron ore overnight. Later, when they heard that King Chu had discovered the iron ore left by the previous dynasty, they hurriedly sold it at a low price.
The price difference caused him to lose a lot.
Zhu Gaoxu suddenly threw the wine glass out, and said angrily: "King Chu Zhu Muchen! Just wait for me! Sooner or later, I will make you pay the price."
