Amidst the banging and the smell of gunpowder smoke, the Japanese pirates who were resisting in front of Shuangyu Port screamed and fell to the muzzle of the gun. Even if they jumped into the water, what awaited them was still the blunderbuss, bows and arrows of the Ming army.
and fishing nets…
Soon, the sea near the port was filled with floating corpses. The Japanese pirates who were rampant and arrogant along the southeast coast also experienced the feeling of being killed on their doorstep, which was very satisfying to watch.
But Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei stood on the boat, on the front line, looking at the one-sided battle, without much joy on their faces.
Hu Zongxian was able to hide his thoughts, but Xu Wei simply shook his head and said softly: "With such fighting power, if we encounter powerful Japanese pirates, I am afraid that we will be defeated, and it will be our Ming army..."
It's not that Xu Wei is pouring cold water on this. This is really a lackluster battle in which more defeats the smaller.
The fighting spirit of the well-paid Ming army emerged, but the habits formed over the years are not so easy to change.
His coordination ability is so poor that when fighting with real swords and guns, he subconsciously pulls back and then rushes forward when he feels something is wrong. When it comes time to grab the credit, he rushes forward again and then drinks no matter what.
Unable to stop, he jumped into the sea and fished out the bodies and heads.
Even if the Japanese pirate heads were adjusted during the war, there would still be one hundred taels of silver!
Such soldiers, equipped with good muskets and suppressed by equipment, can naturally beat the few Japanese pirates on the island to flight. But when they encounter those powerful Japanese pirates, can they really win in battle?
Hu Zongxian answered clearly and turned his attention to a team that was fighting bravely for the first place.
Especially the formidable general at the head, who can defeat many with one enemy and is deadly with his sword, but can still walk leisurely and calmly. He is obviously a powerful general who can defeat ten thousand enemies.
This man was none other than Yu Dayou. He was proficient in swords, guns, and sticks, and his martial arts skills were unparalleled. Even the thirteen eunuchs of the Jin Yiwei who had competed with him were convinced and admired him endlessly.
The early transfer of this powerful general to Zhejiang also gave the Ming army a capable vanguard force.
Unfortunately, the number of people is still too small, and the training time is too short, not enough to be able to stand alone.
Hu Zongxian withdrew his gaze, began to weigh, and soon came to a decision: "I'm going to see Governor Li!"
Zhang Jing sat in the rear as the governor of the six provinces, and Li Tianchong also arrived by boat.
This is the difference between a practical minister and a strict party member.
For example, Yan Song's two godsons, Yan Maoqing and Zhao Wenhua, and Yan Shifan's aide Luo Longwen, all nominally went to the anti-Japanese front line, but stayed in Hangzhou and did not have the courage to take a boat to the front line battlefield.
Hu Zongxian had hesitated before whether to compromise with the Strict Party, which was in full swing. After being awakened, he had made his choice. Now he is even more determined. He must take advantage of this great opportunity to make achievements. Jane is in the heart of the emperor!
Li Tianchong stood on the big ship, watching the battle on the island. His elegant face also showed no joy. On the contrary, when he saw Hu Zongxian's arrival, he immediately showed a friendly smile: "Ru Zhen is here!"
Not to mention the life-saving grace of Dr. Li behind Hu Zongxian, Zhang Jing and Li Tianchong were greatly grateful to Hu Zongxian for stepping forward at the critical moment, stabilizing the overall situation of the military camp, and minimizing the harm to the two people after they were kidnapped.
.
….
Xu Wei was asked to wait, and Hu Zongxian came in front of him. He did not show any arrogance about taking credit, but saluted meticulously: "I'm here to see you, Governor Li!"
"No one else is around, but you are still so outspoken... How about calling me Brother Zicheng?"
Li Tianchong said he was blaming, but in his heart he thought more highly of the other party. He pulled Hu Zongxian to his side and sighed: "After this battle, are you feeling uncomfortable too?"
Hu Zongxian smiled bitterly: "The governor has a keen eye...Brother Zicheng has a keen eye!"
Under Li Tianchong's fake stern gaze, Hu Zongxian changed his title: "This time the siege of Shuangyu Port has been a great victory. Our army has been fighting to support fighting, and has cultivated a spirit of daring to fight. The combat power will continue to increase, but
After all, it will not be enough to create a huge advantage in a short period of time. I am afraid that the previously formulated sweep plan will need to be adjusted..."
"exactly!"
Li Tianchong nodded heavily, but then
Concerned: "But your majesty's edict says that we must do humane things and must not hinder the revival of Shinto. How many Japanese pirates have to be destroyed before we can be considered as doing humane things?"
Jiajing was very much looking forward to the revival of Shinto. He also listened to Tao Zhongwen's instigation and was afraid that the Ming army would be defeated by Japanese pirates and hinder the Dragon King's revival, so he got the full support of the court this time.
The problem is that Li Tianchong doesn't know what kind of record Jiajing needs to be satisfied.
The sea is not land, and there are cities that can be conquered. There are probably more than 100,000 Japanese pirates roaming the southeast coast today. Today, there are only less than 2,000 Japanese pirates in Shuangyu Port. The remaining ones are scattered in large and small areas.
Islands, not to mention that the army is not strong, even an invincible army cannot clear them out everywhere.
Hu Zongxian came here for this reason: "My official believes that we need to select a Japanese bandit leader who poses the greatest threat and pacify him in order to live up to His Majesty's expectations!"
Li Tianchong said in a deep voice: "Xu Hai?"
This man is currently the most serious Japanese pirate leader who plunders coastal areas. He is also feared by the people as the reincarnation of the evil dragon because wherever his ships pass, the sea is calm, but the rival official ships are there.
A lot of waves were thrown over the waves, and as time went by, the officers and soldiers became increasingly afraid to compete with them.
However, Hu Zongxian shook his head and said another familiar name: "Li Gang, Wang Zhi!"
Li Tianchong wondered: "Wang Zhi? Do you think this person is the biggest threat?"
For later generations, when it comes to the Japanese pirates in the Jiajing Dynasty, Wang Zhi is a person who cannot be avoided, but in this year, Wang Zhi is not the main opponent in the southeastern anti-Japanese war.
On the contrary, he even took the initiative to cooperate with the government, put down several groups of Japanese bandits who burned, killed and looted, and maintained order along the coast. Therefore, many officials spoke well of him, and his reputation among the people was even better.
Hu Zongxian said solemnly: "Compared to Xu Hai, who has no fixed address and is wandering around, Wang Zhi has been in Ligang, hoping to recreate the prosperity of Shuangyu Port and become another largest base for maritime smuggling."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "This man is ambitious and will not tolerate compromises. He has dealt with the Ming government and monopolized the trade routes from Fujian and Zhejiang to the Japanese country, and the Japanese country to Nanyang. He controls nearly two dozen ships.
Thousands of ships, and as many as 100,000 people directly subordinate to him."
"Japan's foreign trade is almost monopolized by him. Many famous people even send gifts and tributes to him. They don't dare to neglect him at all. He treats him as if he is a powerful king. How can he not be the biggest threat?"
….
Li Tianchong's face changed drastically when he heard this: "Is this true?"
It was difficult for Hu Zongxian to say that this information was provided by North Korean businessmen, but since Mr. Hu was so sure, he nodded without hesitation: "It's almost the same!"
When Li Tianchong thought about the combat effectiveness of the Ming army, his first thought was: "Can it be comforted?"
Hu Zongxian said: "If the imperial court wants to appease Wang Zhi, there is only one possibility, and that is to impose a sea ban."
Li Tianchong shook his head: "It is absolutely impossible to impose a sea ban just because of a merchant!"
Hu Zongxian continued: "It really doesn't work. Once the maritime ban is lifted, Wang Zhi will become the largest maritime merchant, and he will become the overlord of the ocean in an upright manner. By that time, all the ships of the imperial court will probably look up to this man!"
"The key is that compared to other sea bandits, Wang Zhi's connection with the Japanese country is too close. Even if we tolerate it now, this person may have colluded with the Japanese people about the revival of Shinto. If it really affects the overall situation, it will be too late to regret it.
Got it!"
The last sentence made Li Tianchong look serious: "In that case, sweep the surrounding area and investigate Wang Zhi. If there is any slight movement, attack Ligang immediately!"
…
"Wang Zhi is a serious problem. We are taking precautions this time. If we can quell this disaster, even if we cannot completely eradicate the Japanese pirates, we can greatly slow down the Japanese situation."
After hearing the message from Xu Wei who came by boat, Li Yan nodded.
Hu Zongxian did a good job. Although he was not an anti-Japanese commander, he was able to set correct strategic goals.
Today's Wang Zhi has not completely broken up with the imperial court. He neglects business and banditry, and even helps the imperial court kill Japanese pirates. The purpose is to dominate the family, accumulate strength, and finally blackmail the government and open up the port and the city.
From a historical perspective, with the opening of the Age of Discovery, China has
It is inevitable to be involved in the whirlpool of globalized trade. The original tribute policy cannot adapt to the growing trade growth. The maritime ban policy should be liberalized.
But the establishment of a sea ban is a sea ban. As Li Yan said before, it must at least wait until the current Japanese pirates are pacified, let alone be forced by maritime merchants.
Wang Zhi was a maritime merchant who almost became the overlord of the sea. This man later founded the Song Dynasty and claimed to be the King of Hui. "According to Songjinpu in Satsuma Island, he falsely named himself Song and claimed to be the King of Hui. He deployed officials and subordinates and had a name.
Control the key points, and the barbarians on the thirty-six islands are all under his command."
The name of the country is Song, and the name of the country is Hui. The end result is surrender. Zhao Ji said, brother, who should you imitate?
Of course, in terms of ability alone, Zhao Ji inherited the throne of Zhao and Song Dynasty and was disgraced by Jingkang in the end, while Wang Zhi started from scratch and built a huge family business. The Japanese even erected statues in later generations to thank him, and his historical records are also rich.
Bias, it’s hard to distinguish between true and false...
Naturally, Xu Wei didn't know that a mere pirate could be so capable, but he was concerned about his spiritual practice: "Will this Wang Zhi have any connection with Japanese practitioners?"
Li Yandao: "The possibility of this person's connection with the secular world of Japan is not small, but what role the Dragon King played in this dream is still unknown."
Xu Wei said: "I hope there is, so that you can take action legitimately, otherwise we will just rely on the Ming army...hang!"
Li Yan understood Xu Wei's concerns. Even with Yu Dayou here, it would be difficult to lead the current Ming army. The worldly combat power may not necessarily win the battle.
….
However, the fate of the practitioners on both sides is that with their current appearance and their greed for success, there is also the possibility of failure.
Sure enough, after learning about the mortal war situation through Xu Wei, Luo Wanxiang and Gong Kepei came again.
The faces of the two Taoist priests were very ugly, and Gong Kepei said simply: "Tao Shi'en is so happy for his success. Recently, he has forced the disciples of our two sects to search for the whereabouts of Dragon Palace. If there is really a thief in our group, he will be there all the time.
Putting fellow disciples in danger, Master has agreed to part ways!"
Luo Wanxiang said: "We are willing to help Mr. collect the auxiliary materials of the 'Pure Breath Pill', and we will go separate ways with Zheng."
Li Yan asked: "When are you going to separate?"
Gong Kepei said: "Since you have decided, let's leave now!"
Luo Wanxiang smiled bitterly: "Uncle Tanyang has always been so resolute, my master hopes to take a break for the night."
Li Yan looked at the sky: "It's late now, and the sun is not far away from setting. It is inconvenient to sail at night, and it is easy to teach others to leave in a hurry. It is indeed more suitable to leave tomorrow."
Gong Kepei frowned, and Luo Wanxiang agreed: "This is exactly the truth. The Zhengyi faction is obviously domineering, but now we are escaping in a hurry, but it seems that we have a guilty conscience!"
Li Yan said: "I have another suggestion. Don't inform me in advance. I'll inform Zhengyi Yiyi tomorrow morning."
Gong Kepei agreed: "Yes, if Tao Shien is prepared in advance, after thinking about it all night, and he doesn't know what will happen tomorrow, just inform him directly!"
After agreeing on a time to meet up in the morning, the two of them bowed and left. Li Yan turned his hand and a little turtle appeared holding the elixir. The elixir was obviously smaller in size.
He gently teased the little thing with his hand: "It depends on tonight whether the girl is fine."
…
"Took the bait!"
In the dead of night, Li Yan was sitting on the bed meditating. Suddenly he opened his eyes and his body floated gently out of the cabin.
He saw the phantom of a dragon with a human body floating on the bow of the ship. He bowed his hands in the distance and said respectfully: "Little dragon pays homage to your Majesty. I wonder what the relationship between your Majesty and the Great Sage is?"