Sima Zhifu told Sima Yunqing the news he got from Lu Yuanyuan, and Sima Yunqing said angrily: "This is a partial violation of the Zhenshi Hall's accountability! How can the joint meeting do this? What is eliminated is Zhao Zhiran's presiding over the meeting.
Really? Don’t let him take the main responsibility!”
Sima Zhifu said helplessly: "Junior sister Lu said that Zhao Zhiran is indeed not allowed to take the main responsibility. If anything goes wrong, she will take the main responsibility."
Sima Yunqing immediately lamented: "What happened to Yuanyuan? Will she bear it? Can she bear it? I will talk to their family later!"
Sima Zhifu asked: "What should we do now?"
After a long time, Sima Yunqing replied: "For the time being, we can only find Zhao Zhiran again and tell him clearly that we can't hold on like this anymore, and sea trade should be reopened immediately!"
Zhao Ran was inspecting the Xinjiangkou slipway, and Taoist Amber was reporting the production situation to him: "Based on the experience gained after the first naval battle, we lowered the height of the shipbuildings of the first batch of warships by three feet to reduce the risk of being attacked by the enemy.
Cross section of the hit. But half a month ago, Chen Tianshi told us that he no longer wanted the ship's building. He wanted to build two more French crossbow heavy cannons and asked us to cut off the ship's building. Therefore, the second batch of warships were originally
It is almost ready for launching, but currently it needs to be extended by one month, and it can only be launched after the first month of the year, which involves going to the ship building, changing the design of the bottom tank and so on."
Zhao Ran said: "That's right. Practical combat is the best teacher, teaching us what kind of ship we should build. After the ship is delivered in February next year, shipbuilding will continue. What I need this time is a large ship with thousands of materials, double decks, and longitudinal sail arrangement.
.”
Taoist Hu Hu nodded: "Some elders in my clan have seen that some of the Western Yi ships have longitudinal sails, which can effectively take advantage of crosswinds and create a shooting area for the upper deck. We plan to test the next batch."
Yang Fuwen came over and said, "Teacher, Sima Zhifu is here again, just outside the shipyard."
Zhao Ran said: "Let him wait."
This wait lasted all afternoon until Zhao Ran and Taoist Hubo discussed the shipbuilding plan after February next year: twenty-four thousand-material warships, fifty-six five-hundred-material warships, sixty patrol ships, eighty
After receiving the order for the wind speed boat, it came out from the Xinjiangkou Shipyard.
Zhao Ran walked to the river and waved to Sima Zhifu, who quickly followed and accompanied Zhao Ran to the water's edge. Zhao Ran looked at the slightly bleak water in winter and said nothing, and he did not dare to speak rashly.
After a long time, Zhao Ran finally asked: "Have pirates come to your home again?"
Sima Zhifu said: "Yes, they asked someone to take the lead. They hope that the joint meeting can consider it carefully and recruit them."
"Recruitment?" Zhao Ran couldn't help but laugh: "Why did you suddenly talk about recruiting people? Didn't Taoist Wutong want to occupy the sea and build a pavilion?"
Sima Zhifu said: "They have lowered the conditions again and hope to send someone to talk to the joint meeting."
"What conditions?"
"They no longer seek to ban trade between Guangdong and Guangxi. They have removed this condition. At the same time, they have also removed the granting clause. They mean to retain only two conditions, one is to build a pavilion, and the other is to purchase military armor.
"
Zhao Ran chuckled and said, "It's obvious that we were defeated. Why do the pirates lower their posture and reduce their demands again and again? Do you know why?"
Sima Zhifu said: "They don't want to continue fighting like this. Sea trade has been banned for a long time, and the losses will be so heavy..."
"Think again."
"They don't want to completely break with the Taoist sect. I think they still love the Taoist sect."
Zhao Ran shook his head: "Go back and think about it carefully. When will you figure it out? When will you come to see me?"
"Then...this condition?"
"Rejected, don't accept any of it!"
Sima Zhifu returned to Maoshan in frustration, told Sima Yunqing about Zhao Ran's answer, and asked: "What is the reason Zhao Zhiran said? What does my grandfather think?"
Sima Yunqing sneered: "He means that the island owner alliance is afraid."
Sima Zhifu was stunned and said angrily: "How is it possible? There are two naval battles a year. In May, he wiped out all his fleet in one battle, and in November, he burned down all the fleet's nests. How can he be afraid of such a big victory?
?”
Sima Yunqing said: "You are young, and once you first reach a high position, you will get carried away with yourself, and it is impossible to turn back without suffering a big loss. Since Zhao Zhiran is so conceited, let's just wait and wait for him to make another mistake.
Big fight!"
The news that the second revised terms were still rejected by Zhao Ran passed through the Maoshan Sima family, a certain sea merchant, and a certain island owner, and finally reached Taoist Wutong after several rounds. At this time, it was already the first month of the third year of Longqing.
Ling'ao Island, immersed in the Zhengdan Festival, was suddenly doused with a ladle of cold water. Wutong summoned his three generals: Yin Zhanlong, Zhang Zheng and Qingshan Taoist to discuss how to deal with it. One of the original four generals
Huang Feilong has been captured alive by Chen Shandao.
Yin Zhanlong was very angry: "Is Zhao Zhiran's brain flooded? We won again and again, and he lost again and again. We lowered the conditions again and again, but he remained stubborn! What does this mean? He still wants us to
If you hit him hard again, he will know it hurts?"
Zhang Zheng pondered: "Is it because of other reasons? When I was in Shangsan Palace, I heard that Zhao Zhiran and Mao Shan were at odds. Is it possible that we have found the wrong person? How about changing someone?
Want to try it?"
Taoist Wutong looked at Taoist Qingshan, the four generals of Ling'ao Island, Yin Zhanlong was brave, Zhang Zheng was calm, Huang Feilong was obedient, but Taoist Qingshan was not famous, and the island owners were not very impressed by him. But in fact, Taoist Wutong
Many of his combat strategies came from his ideas. For example, setting up an ambush to besiege and kill Li Dayin, or attacking the Songjiang camp with fire attacks.
Taoist Qingshan thought for a long time and said: "What Brother Feiren said is true, maybe we have found the wrong person."
Wutong Taoist nodded, carefully thinking about the merchants he knew in the sea, and wondering who among them could contact Zhao Zhiran, but after thinking for a long time, he could not think of a better candidate.
"There is no one in the court, what can I do?"
Qingshan suddenly said: "How about using Chen Miuzhu?"
Yin Zhanlong was not happy anymore and hummed: "This person is as afraid of the enemy as a tiger. He went to Yingtian and opened his mouth but kept saying that the Taoist sect is powerful. Can such a person be used?"
Qingshan said: "He is the only one among us who can see Zhao Zhiran. He not only met Zhao Zhiran, but also met other people in the joint meeting, such as Tang Yaozu, such as Wei Chaozong, and went around with him, why not let him
Go directly to the door? As for Brother Yin saying that he is as fearful of the enemy as a tiger, this is not a big problem. We are not asking him to fight, but asking him to hand over our conditions word for word, and then find out what Zhao Zhiran really thinks.
, that’s enough, isn’t it? His whole family is on Ling’ao Island, and we are not afraid of him defecting.”
Zhang Zheng nodded: "Brother Qingshan is right, I agree."
Taoist Wutong looked left and right and saw that Yin Shunlong no longer objected. He nodded and said, "Then let Chen Miuzhu go again."