Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 359 Navigation
On the sea, five sailboats are sailing slowly, with a few black and white seagulls flying along the edge of the boats, and the white sails are slightly bulging.
In the afternoon, the sun is blazing and the sky is blue.
The blue sea is boundless, stretching to the end of the sight, and finally merging with the sky in the distance.

Zhu Zhiyu stood at the bow with a pale face. In early May, the monsoon started to blow. After offering sacrifices to the goddess of heaven in Fuzhou, Zhu Zhiyu and his party officially set sail for Ryukyu.
There were five ships on this voyage, three of which were large bird ships sent by the Ming court, and the remaining two were tribute ships sent by Mao Taijiu and his entourage.

These tribute ships were detained in Fujian Province for two years. This time they also returned to Ryukyu with the conferment mission.
In the battle of Fujian Province, Zheng Cai led most of the Zheng navy to surrender to Lu Jianguo, while the remaining small navy, led by Huang Ting, Zhou Hezhi and others, surrendered to the Guangdong Provincial Court.

The Ming court now has two navies. One is led by Huang Ting and cruises along the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang. The other is led by Zhou Hezhi and patrols the waters of Guangdong Province to crack down on smuggling. The main battleships of these two navies are these big bird ships.
After the Portuguese and Dutch arrived in the Ming Dynasty, they also brought new European warships.
Zheng Zhilong found in naval battles that Chinese ships could not withstand European warships, so he built new warships based on the Fuzhou ships and the Dutch galleons.

This new type of sea battleship is the big bird ship that Zhu Zhiyu and others are riding on now.

The big bird ship built by Zheng Zhilong was 37 meters long, and the longest could reach 50 meters. It had two masts and two decks, and each warship was equipped with more than 30 red cannons.

Although this new type of ship was still far behind the Dutch three-deck professional warships, the huge size of Zheng's fleet was enough for Zheng to dominate the South China Sea.

These large bird ships are expensive to build. All the large bird ships owned by the Ming Navy today were acquired from the Zheng family.
The two navies of the Ming Dynasty now only have 15 large bird ships in total, but this time they sent out three at once, directly transferring one-fifth of the naval forces.

The Ming Dynasty was extremely well prepared for this mission to Ryukyu. In addition to the three main warships, there were also 300 soldiers on board.
The warships were equipped with 50 sets of full body armor, 300 sets of cotton armor, and considering the possibility of naval battles, there were also 500 sets of leather armor on board.

In addition to cold weapons such as swords, Zhu Lang also specially allocated 200 flintlock rifles and 1,000 matchlock rifles.

The reason why the Ryukyu delegation brought many matchlock guns this time was due to the combat environment.
Although the flintlock is more convenient and has a higher firepower density, the firing rate of the flintlock cannot be guaranteed.

In China, if a flintlock musket breaks down, a craftsman can be found at any time to repair or replace it, but Ryukyu is isolated overseas and does not have such conditions.

Although the matchlock gun is complicated to load, it has stable performance and is more reliable for the delegation.
According to the intelligence compiled by the Jinyifu, the Japanese Kingdom only sent 3,000 people to defeat the Ryukyu Kingdom and capture the Ryukyu King.

The three large ships of the Ming Dynasty delegation were equipped with nearly a hundred cannons and thousands of armor and muskets. After the delegation arrived in Ryukyu, as long as they recruited appropriate personnel in Ryukyu, with 300 soldiers as the backbone, they could immediately expand to an army of 3,000 to 4,000 people.
With the preparations made by the Ming Dynasty delegation this time, as long as the Japanese side does not attack with all their strength, such military force is enough to destroy the entire Ryukyu Kingdom.
Zhu Zhiyu stood on the deck and looked ahead, but he found that all he could see was vast blue waves, and there was no trace of the coast.

There was a sound of footsteps behind Zhu Zhiyu. Lin Cha and the military missionary Lin Risheng walked out of the cabin and walked towards Zhu Zhiyu on the deck.

Lin Risheng was born in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. When the Ming and Qing dynasties fought a great war in Fujian Province, Lin Risheng took advantage of the situation and led his fellow villagers to capture Yongchun, Quanzhou. After the Ming army defeated the Qing army, Lin Risheng was also incorporated into the Ming army.
The Ming army was expanding rapidly at that time and was short of manpower. Because Lin Risheng could read, he was transferred to the Missionary Department and became a missionary.

Lin Cha looked at Zhu Zhiyu, who was pale beside the fence, and said

"How is the governor? Is he feeling better?"

Zhu Zhiyu was not only the chief envoy to confer the title of Emperor Ryukyu, but also the chief official of the Ryukyu Pacification Office of the Ming Dynasty. He was also given the title of Chief Censor and was in charge of all political and economic affairs of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

"It's all right now. I was born in a water town and have taken many river boats, but I never thought the waves on the sea would be so strong. Fortunately, with the protection of heaven, I finally escaped this storm."

When Zhu Zhiyu said this, a trace of fear flashed across his face.

The delegation had been sailing smoothly, but last night the wind suddenly blew up on the sea, and the cabin was upside down, making it difficult to even stand.
Zhu Zhiyu stayed in the cabin last night and thought that the ship would capsize and he would be buried in the sea. However, he never expected that today, the sea would become calm again. The terrible wind and waves last night were like an illusion and disappeared without a trace.

Hearing this, Lin Risheng also smiled and said

"It was just a little wind and waves on the sea last night, not a storm."

"Such a big wave is just a small wave?"

Lin Cha and Lin Risheng looked at Zhu Zhiyu who looked shocked and smiled.

Before joining the army, Lin Cha was a pirate under Zheng Zhilong. Before the uprising, Lin Risheng was also a small sea merchant who went to Japan to sell raw silk and brown sugar. This is why the army chose Lin Risheng as the missionary.

Both of them had been to the sea before, so they knew what a real storm was like. The rudder was not broken, the mast was not broken, so it was just a small storm.
Why can maritime trade bring such huge profits? It is because the sea is too dangerous. Once you go out to sea, storms, huge waves, pirates and robbers can take your life.
Even if they return safely to the coast, it is common to be robbed by others. If there is no huge profit of several times or even dozens of times, who would choose to go out to sea?
Zhu Zhiyu shook his head, no longer thinking about the terrible storm last night. Zhu Zhiyu's face straightened and he said

"We are on this mission to Ryukyu. Although His Highness said that if things cannot be done, we can lead the army back to the country, but since we have received the emperor's order, we should do our best to complete the arrangements of the court."

"Ryukyu is now under the control of Japan. The Japanese are always vicious and cunning, and they fear power but not morality. I think the first thing we should do when we go to Ryukyu this time is to win over the Kume clan in Ryukyu."

Upon hearing this, Lin Cha nodded and said, "After discussing privately with Envoy Lin, I also think that this is the right thing to do. We only have 300 soldiers accompanying us, which is still too few."

Although the Ming court did not bring many soldiers with them this time, they brought a large number of armored soldiers. If they could recruit reliable soldiers in Ryukyu, they could quickly expand their army. If they could mobilize thousands of troops in Ryukyu, I think Japan would not dare to act rashly.
The ancestors of the Kume clan were the 36 surnames of Fujian people, so they naturally had connections with the Ming court. These people were also the most suitable targets for Zhu Zhiyu and others to win over and potential soldiers.
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhiyu also spoke

"How are those people from the Ryukyu delegation doing now?"

Lin Risheng heard this and replied

"Mao Taijiu is a native of Ryukyu and is related to the previous Ryukyu King Shangxian. He may be used as a tentacle for us to contact the Ryukyu royal family in the future, but he is of no use at the moment."

When Mao Taijiu was on the diplomatic mission, he was the king's uncle, but when he returned, he became the former king's uncle. The previous Ryukyu King Shangxian had died of illness in 1648, and the current Ryukyu King was Shangxian's younger brother Shangzhi.
This is also the reason why Ryukyu did not come to pay tribute in 1648. The new king of Ryukyu had to obtain the approval of Satsuma and the shogunate before he could send people to the Ming Dynasty to ask for the title.
Since the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, Shangxian had sent people to the Ming Dynasty several times to request canonization, but until his death, he still had not received the canonization from the Ming court.
"Both Jin Siyi and Jin Yingyuan were born in Kume Island. Among the three members of the Ryukyu delegation, Jin Yingyuan is the one who can really make the decision."

"According to the intelligence provided by the court, Jin Yingyuan was born in the Jin family, a prestigious family in Kumi. When Jin Yingyuan saw our Ming soldiers boarding the ship that day, he was already shaken."

"We are unfamiliar with Ryukyu. If we want to win over the Kume clan as soon as possible, this person is the most suitable candidate."

Zhu Zhiyu thought for a moment and then said

"If that's the case, then bring this person here. We're almost to Ryukyu, and it's time for him to make a decision."

Zhu Zhiyu and Lin Cha discussed a few words in a low voice, and then they left.
On the side of the ship, a sailor suddenly pulled the fishing line, and a silvery sea fish suddenly broke out of the sea and was thrown onto the deck. The soldiers and sailors on the side cheered and rushed forward immediately.
Zhu Zhiyu and Jin Yingyuan stood beside the fence on the bow deck. It was almost evening and the sunset dyed the sea surface a dark red.

Zhu Zhiyu looked at Jin Yingyuan beside him and said

"Mr. Jin is an expert on the sea. We have been at sea for seven or eight days. I wonder how long it will take to reach Ryukyu."

"Your Excellency, the fleet has passed the Senkaku Islands. At the current speed, we should be able to reach Ryukyu in two days."

Zhu Zhiyu looked at Jin Yingyuan who looked cautious, nodded, and spoke again

"Deputy Envoy Jin has also been to the palace to attend the meeting. He should know the purpose of my visit. In addition to conferring the title on the Ryukyu Prince, I also want to discuss the issue of stationing troops with Ryukyu. Now that Ryukyu is approaching, I have some questions that I need to ask Deputy Envoy Jin."

"Master Zhu, please ask, I will tell you everything I know."

Zhu Zhiyu looked at Jin Yingyuan, who was becoming more and more nervous, and continued to speak.

"May I ask Deputy Envoy Jin, what is the name of the official currently stationed in Ryukyu by Japan?"

Jin Yingyuan was suddenly flustered when he heard this. He looked at Zhu Zhiyu, who was calm in front of him, and forced a smile on his face. He said

"Master Zhu, you are joking. How can there be any Japanese magistrate in my Ryukyu Kingdom?"

"My Ryukyu Kingdom is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. How could we be involved with those Japanese pirates?"

Zhu Zhiyu stared at the man in front of him quietly until Jin Yingyuan's face was covered with cold sweat, then he said softly
"The fake house in Naha Higashi Village should have been renovated this year."

Jin Yingyuan was completely panicked when he heard this. He knew that the Ming Dynasty actually knew that Japan had stationed officials in Ryukyu.
The Japanese embassy in Ryukyu was not located in the capital city of Shuri Castle, but in Naha Port.
The Nishimura in Naha was the official residence of the Ryukyu Magistrate, called the Ogaya, and the Higashimura was the official residence of the Magistrate, including the author, called the Kogaya.
Zhu Zhiyu was able to tell the location of the Fengxing Office, which means he must have had accurate information about the Fengxing Office. The Ming Dynasty actually knew about the Japanese affairs.

The sky was dark, and the reddish evening light made Zhu Zhiyu's face flicker.

Jin Yingyuan looked at Zhu Zhiyu beside the ship, and felt that Zhu Zhiyu, who had originally looked elegant, suddenly had a ferocious look on his face, as if he wanted to swallow him up.
Jin Yingyuan stood by the window, his face pale. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice:
"What does Master Zhu want to do?"

"I would like to ask Deputy Envoy Jin to persuade the Kume samurai to assist the Ming Dynasty in stationing troops in Ryukyu."

Zhu Zhiyu looked at the man in front of him with a calm expression on his face. The evening sea breeze blew, blowing the hair of the two men into the air.
(End of this chapter)