Wangjiang and the sea breeze are still biting in February.
On the pier, the Wangjiang was docked at the berth on the shore. Busy craftsmen were working on and off the ship, repairing the damage everywhere. The sound of knocking could be heard far away along the sea breeze.
On the shore, the guards on duty walked back and forth, always paying attention to the warship in the berth. This large ship with fire marks and arrow holes everywhere was a treasure of the navy.
Farther away, on the top of Dongji Mountain, several thick ballistae raised their heads and pointed diagonally high into the sky, gazing at the distant sea.
When Su Lu arrived at Wangjiang, it was noon. Su Ping led a dozen generals and lieutenants to greet Su Lu at the city gate.
"Second brother, you are finally here."
Su Ping had a blister on his mouth and his face looked haggard.
Su Lu patted Su Ping on the shoulder and asked:
"Why, it's so serious that I get angry when I'm anxious. I haven't seen my wife for so many days and I'm so depressed."
There was laughter all around, and a group of generals and the surrounding guards burst into laughter.
Su Ping's face turned red, sighed, and said helplessly:
"Although we have won the battle at sea, our only treasure is lying in a lump and cannot leave the port. Various auxiliary ships have also suffered heavy losses, and we can't even assemble a small fleet to sail out of the port."
"The Yingte people suffered a big loss and sent at least four fighting ships to patrol outside our port every day. If they were not afraid of our super-large ballistae, they would have rushed up long ago."
"I can't eat well or sleep well. I'm afraid that one day the Yingte people will rush up regardless of the situation. The ballistae on Dongji Mountain won't be able to stop them, and they will wipe out Wangjiang River."
Su Ping said with a wry smile on his face, and the blisters on his mouth were as big as soybeans.
"Let's go and have a look at the harbor."
Su Lu ordered.
Su Ping took the lead and led the group towards the harbor.
Just as Han Ergou was about to move forward, he was grabbed by Liu Chuang, the deputy general of Zhaowu under Lieutenant General Liu.
"Old Han, I heard that you are making a big splash in Beijing this time. Is this true?"
Han Ergou chuckled, his face full of pride:
"Of course, my life, Old Han, is worth it."
The naval officers and generals who gathered around him all looked curious. What good thing had happened to this grandson? It was worth it all his life.
Duan Xiu, who was equally high-spirited, tugged on Han Ergou's lake green jersey and said with a face full of teasing:
"Yes, I, Han, was made such a regular robe by His Majesty's female officer. If I can marry that female officer, then my life will be worthwhile."
"You kid said it again."
Han Ergou slapped Duan Xiu's hand, his dark face full of pride:
"Ms. Lin is someone who serves His Majesty. How can a woman like a fairy in the sky marry a rough guy like me? If she can give me a regular robe as a gift, I will be satisfied."
A group of lieutenants stretched out their hands and pinched Han Ergou's robe.
"Oh, the stitches are fine. This job is well done. Old Han is lucky."
"Look at the material, it's the best cotton. Miss Lin has put so much thought into it, she must be interested in Ergou."
"This grandson Ergou is so lucky."
Han Ergou's face was full of pride and he allowed a group of robes to touch his clothes.
Duan Xiu yelled next to him:
"What's the matter? It means that Old Han was lucky enough to meet Ms. Lin to serve him. If I meet Ms. Lin, this robe will be mine."
"The bed in Wuying Palace is so comfortable, and the female officer's hands are so soft."
"It's a pity that the female officer who serves us is not as diligent as Ms. Lin."
At the end of the sentence, Duan Xiu felt extremely sorry.
The captains around him all stared blankly, and Liu Chuang even started to curse.
"Damn it, damn Duan Xiu, you're still sleeping in Wuying Palace. Staying in the palace, you two are so unlucky."
"I regret it. Why didn't I get on the fire ship? If I had been braver, this robe would have been mine."
"I regret it."
A group of captains beat their chests and regretted one after another. They were upset that they had not tried their best on the battlefield and missed the opportunity to be rewarded in the capital.
Lin Gang appeared next to Han Ergou, patted Han Ergou on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone:
"Colonel Han, if you want to marry Miss Lin, you have to work harder. A Colonel Yihui cannot marry Miss Lin."
Han Ergou jumped up and rushed towards the pier as if he were flying:
"I have to learn something from the prince. If I can't catch up with the commander-in-chief, I will at least become a general."
Duan Xiu's face was full of curiosity, "Captain Lin, if Old Han really becomes a general, can he really marry Officer Lin?"
The surrounding captains looked at Lin Gang curiously, with expectations on their faces.
These people are all rough people. In the past, they only knew how to fight and farm. People like Duan Xiu, how could they have contact with female officials in the palace like Ms. Lin if they didn't have Wuying Hall to stay for one night.
Lin Gang laughed when he heard this:
"Everyone, whether I can do it or not, it doesn't matter what I say. It also depends on whether the person you want to marry is willing, and whether your own titles are high enough. As far as I know, the General Staff Office has opened a new naval department to be responsible for it.
After studying naval warfare tactics and examples, we select elite generals from various naval armies. If you are lucky enough to enter the Navy Department, a fourth- or fifth-grade general will be fully qualified to be a female officer."
All the captains stared at Lin Gang with wide eyes, and after a moment, they all ran towards the pier in a swarm.
"I'm going to learn some tactics and examples from the prince. I can't let Ergou take all the good things."
"Let's go together and discuss it together."
"What kind of tactics does the navy have? The commander-in-chief didn't mention it. Weren't we all reckless in the past? Is this considered a tactics?"
"Forget it, those who can win are good at fighting."
Lin Gang looked at the navy captains scrambling for the first place, with a smile on his face. These big guys were really easy to fool.
On the dock, Su Lu greeted Lu Zhonglian, who was repairing the stern battleship, and after saying a few words, the old man ignored him and continued to work on repairing the deck.
Su Ping smiled helplessly: "Old man Lu has such a temper and likes to deal with big ships. He can work like this for a whole day without saying a word, but the job he does is hard to say."
Su Lu nodded: "If such craftsmen are used well and placed in the right place, they can save a lot of effort."
"We need to accumulate experience in building stern battleships, and we must make good use of such masters. The boys who graduated from the school in Wangjiang City this year are all recruited to learn shipbuilding and ship repair from these old craftsmen."
Lieutenant General Liu next to him was a little surprised: "Your Majesty, students are all going to take the imperial examination, so it's not appropriate to do this carpentry work."
Su Lu's eyes fell outside the harbor, looking at the distant place where the sea and the sky met, and his tone was full of doubts.
"Just do as I say."
Lieutenant General Liu's expression froze, but he did not dare to question Su Lu. He just said a few words of obedience and stopped talking.
Su Ping rolled his eyes and said, "Second brother, there are quite a lot of people in the shipbuilding department. It is enough to build a stern fighting ship. If we recruit so many people, there will be no place to put them."
"The Ministry of Revenue has approved six million taels of silver for you just to build ships for you."
"Silk……"
Su Ping and Vice General Liu looked at each other, and the generals around them were also surprised and grinning from ear to ear.
Six million taels, how many battleships must be built?
"beep……"
A sharp and piercing whistle sound suddenly sounded from the top of Dongji Mountain.
The guards in the harbor immediately took action, and more than a dozen grasshopper boats sailed toward the harbor like arrows leaving their strings.
In the distance, where the sea and the sky meet, a small black spot appears.