"Listen, I heard it..." Yu Tongyuan, a man in his forties and eight feet tall, cried like a child weighing one hundred and sixty pounds in front of His Highness the King of Chu.
"Then take your sword back!" Zhu Zhen handed Yu Tongyuan's sword to him. "Lead your brothers to reload and set off! Wash away the shame of defeat! Create the glory of the commercial fleet!"
"Yes!" Yu Tongyuan suppressed his excitement and took the sword with trembling hands, but did not put it back into the sheath. Instead, he squeezed it hard with his right hand. The sharp sword blade immediately cut through the palm of his hand, and blood flowed out.
Then he ordered his soldiers to bring a white sheet and write a big word "shame" on it with his own blood. "Hang it on the bow of my boat. When will I avenge my shame? When will I take it off?"
Come down!"
"Yes!" The soldier held the sheet in his hands and left.
Zhu Zhen has been watching this scene calmly. How can I say, although it is a bit second-guessing, the effect is very good.
The shame of leaving behind his comrades and retreating turned into the motivation to take revenge and take revenge. The low morale of the soldiers increased visibly to the naked eye...
~~
Seeing that the atmosphere had reached this point, Zhu Zhen asked the Marquis of Nan'an to immediately gather the main officers and hold an on-site review meeting.
The purpose is to summarize lessons and study how to turn defeat into victory in the future.
The Chaohu Navy has never lost a battle, but Yi Zhi was defeated in the first battle, which was really embarrassing for the old man. The officers had been holding back their words for a long time. After His Highness allowed them to speak freely, they immediately started talking.
"Your Highness, after reviewing several generals, the command of the Marquis has been faultless from beginning to end." A Qianhu said: "The ships did not relax their alerts. They discovered the enemy ships at the first time, and the preparations for the battle were also maintained at a high level."
"If I were to find fault, it would be that after we left the Srivijaya Kingdom, we did not conduct a deceptive voyage, but sailed directly to the country. Only then were we blocked by pirates off the Fuyao Islands."
"Yes, we must have been targeted at Srivijaya." Everyone nodded.
"Yeah." In fact, Zhu Zhen had the same view. This defeat indeed had little to do with Yu Tongyuan and the soldiers.
In fact, thanks to Yu Tongyuan's prompt decision and proper command, as well as the well-trained officers and soldiers who followed orders and prohibitions, most of the fleet was saved.
This is why Zhu Zhen did not punish Yu Tongyuan. If Yu Tongyuan was withdrawn, the soldiers would feel aggrieved on his behalf. In addition, they had broken bones and tendons, and the newly formed commercial fleet might even fall apart.
So we have to retain Yu Tongyuan. Since we retain him, of course we have to do things beautifully.
~~
"Then let's talk about why we lost?" After they finished summing up, Lao Liu announced the next question.
"The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered."
"Their ship is big and our ship is small, so the disadvantage in boarding battle is too big."
"Moreover, they are very well-prepared because they have calculations but not care. On the other hand, we are restricted in everything and very passive. How can we be invincible?" Liao Dingguo sighed and explained to His Highness:
"Naval battles are different from land battles. Courage alone is not enough. If one side is completely defeated by the enemy, they may try their best and still not be able to even touch the enemy."
"Yeah." Zhu Zhen nodded, expressing understanding, and asked: "Then what do you think is the most urgent need for improvement now?"
"Build a ship!" the officers said in unison: "If we want to build a large ship with more than 2,000 materials, as long as the sides of both sides are the same height, we will have the confidence to kill them in a broadside battle!"
Of course they are not bragging. In the Poyang Lake water battle, the Chaohu Navy won the battle by relying on the side battle.
"Yes, Your Highness." Marquis Nan'an said with embarrassment, "We can overcome everything else. We can also install return artillery, we can also attack with fire... Even in terms of military strength, we are no less than them!"
The Chaohu Navy has been dismantled several times and still has more than 20,000 troops. Only one-tenth of the troops participated in the first voyage, and 90% of the troops have not been transferred to Huai'an.
"Indeed, military strength and weapons are not a problem, only shipbuilding... a ship with two thousand materials is no longer something that ordinary shipyards can produce. And even if it can be built, the construction time will be measured in years. Once it is built, Daylily
It’s all cold.” Liao Dingguo also said with a grimace.
"Don't worry, I will solve this matter!" Zhu Zhen waved his hand as if he was very confident: "I will return to Beijing tomorrow. You guys should quickly regroup and wait for my good news!"
"Yes!" Seeing His Highness King Chu's confidence, Yu Tongyuan and others were also very excited. They firmly believed that as long as the ship did not suffer losses, they would definitely win!
~~
Returning to Shibosi Yamen, Zhu Zhen washed away the dust and then summoned Han Yike to come and have a meal with him.
"How's it going, senior brother? It's been half a year since you took office, are you still used to it?" His Highness King Chu asked with a pleasant smile.
"There are so many things to worry about and I'm so busy." Han Yike smiled bitterly and said, "But compared to being in Fengyang, it's not worth mentioning."
"Hahaha, that's right." Zhu Zhen laughed loudly: "But the Shibo Company is almost idle now. When it becomes bigger and stronger in the future, all the big players in Jiangnan will demand you, and you will have a headache sometimes."
"Your Highness is still confident?" Han Yike picked up a small whitebait with chopsticks, put it into his mouth and tasted it carefully: "That's right, His Highness is a powerful influencer in Suzhou City, and his reputation has spread from Zhenjiang to Zhejiang. How can he be so small?
Intimidated by small setbacks?”
"Just make fun of me." Zhu Zhen laughed and scolded: "Why, you are sympathetic to a big family in Suzhou? Oh, by the way, your family is a big family in Zhejiang."
"My family is just an ordinary family!" Han Yike emphasized loudly at first, and then whispered: "It's not that I have any objections to His Highness and the King of Jin. I caused the big dogs in Fengyang to lose half their lives. How can I sympathize with Suzhou's people?"
Big dog owner? I just have to remind His Highness that your arrogant harassment of the big family in Suzhou has caused many people to feel uneasy. However, His Highness the Crown Prince suppressed all the accusations against you two."
As he said this, he couldn't help but smile: "Oh, by the way, your Highness is not clear yet, right? The Emperor has newly established the General Affairs Department. All memorials, including bullets, must be sent to the General Affairs Department first, and then submitted to the Emperor by the Department.
And the emperor also emphasized that Bai Zhongshu Sheng must not be shut down."
"I heard about it." Zhu Zhenxin said, how new it is. The emperor is my father and the prince is my eldest brother. How can I know what they are doing as well as an outsider?
"As a result, it is convenient for the emperor. All the memorials that he does not want the ministers to read can only be stared at by Liuzhong, Zhongshu Sheng and Yushitai." Han Yike couldn't help but laugh, then he put away his smile and asked:
"Okay, let's get down to business. Your Highness wants to build a ship, and it will be a large ship worth two thousand materials. There will be at least twenty ships... Where will the money for shipbuilding come from?"
"Good question." Zhu Zhen said calmly: "For fundraising, there are many enthusiastic people in Suzhou who are willing to donate generously."
