Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chen Jie entrusted the task of controlling public opinion to Aunt Thirteen.

Besides gathering intelligence, the Ximen Tang "undercover unit" had an even more important task: controlling public opinion throughout the Daqian Dynasty.

After several revisions, the Ximentang Newspaper began to be distributed uniformly in eastern Zhejiang, Songjiang Prefecture, Nanjing, northern Jiangsu, Shandong, Cangzhou in Hebei, Tianjin and other places.

therefore,

Thirteenth Aunt was responsible for summarizing and reviewing various information every day, while Eighth Sister kept an eye on the printing plants in various places in Ximentang.

Zhang Yulan assisted Ba Mei in the distribution and proofreading of the Ximentang Newspaper.

She was literate and could read, so she was adept at proofreading and checking newspapers.

Therefore, Zhang Yulan has been visiting the Governor's Mansion quite frequently during this period.

After the moon-viewing session ended.

Chen Jie discussed matters related to trade in salt fields, grain, and cloth in various parts of Jiangnan with Zeng Xuanhuai and Aunt Thirteen.

After taking control of eastern Zhejiang, Ximentang then controlled the sea salt market.

This isn't about money; it's about basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Zeng Xuanhuai greatly appreciated this, because he was mainly responsible for people's livelihood issues and was particularly concerned about food and oil.

Although Ximentang was not short of money and made a fortune every day, various factories sprang up like mushrooms after rain, selling all kinds of products to various parts of the Great Qian Dynasty.

but,

Salt, oil, cloth, grain, and other supplies must be firmly under Ximentang's control in order to remain invincible.

These livelihood issues are the foundation for whether Ximentang can maintain stability.

Therefore,
Zeng Xuanhuai wholeheartedly supported Chen Jie's arrangement.

Because he knew very well that although Chen Jie was married to Princess Lingyue and was the son-in-law of the Great Qian Dynasty.

but,

The situation of the Great Qian Dynasty is precarious, and it could collapse at any moment.

If Emperor Li Zheng were to pass away, the Great Qian Dynasty would be plunged into turmoil.

Ximentang brought the entire coastal area under its jurisdiction in order to establish its own foundation and cope with the turbulent situation of the Great Qian Dynasty.

As long as people's livelihoods are stabilized, they can live and work in peace and contentment.

This had a great benefit on the future development of Ximentang's rule.

Although Ximentang never had any rebellious intentions, sometimes it is necessary to plan ahead, because who can say for sure what will happen in the future?
After a while,
Zeng Xuanhuai looked up at Chen Jie and asked:
“Young master, our Ximen Hall has firmly controlled the entire coastal area.”

"The Green Gang in eastern Zhejiang has been defeated and can no longer cause any trouble. Other forces have also withdrawn from our jurisdiction."

"What are your plans for the next step? Will you lift the blockade on the sea directly, or—?"

Chen Jie looked up towards the south, his gaze deep, and said:

"Lifting the blockade of the sea is not being considered for the time being."

"I've thought it through. The Japanese blockading the sea isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it can restrain the major clans within the Great Qian Dynasty."

"These guys are very good at fighting amongst themselves. With the pressure from the Japanese at sea, they won't focus all their attention on us, Ximentang."

"Let's take advantage of this time and take over the Penghu Islands first!"

The Penghu Islands are commonly known as the Bay Islands!
Originally, Chen Jie wanted his Jack Bonaparte mercenaries to take advantage of the situation and seize the Penghu Islands.

but,

According to news from Jack Bonaparte, the Japanese continued to reinforce their troops in the Penghu Islands, and Jack Bonaparte's army was unable to defeat them and land on the islands.

Therefore,
Chen Jie suddenly changed his mind and decided to take over the Penghu Islands first.

"Penghu Islands?"

Zeng Xuanhuai was taken aback upon hearing this.

Chen Jie had only spoken with Jack Bonaparte about the plan to attack the Penghu Islands.

Therefore,
No one, including Zeng Xuanhuai, knew about this plan.

He thought for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Young master, why did you suddenly think of attacking the Penghu Islands first?"

Chen Jie said in a deep voice:
"The Great Qian Dynasty is about to enter a period of chaos. Although there is conflict in various places, it is a good time to make achievements and establish a career."

"I promised the Emperor that I would never do anything to betray the royal family."

"But things are unpredictable, and no one can say for sure what will happen in the future. What Simon Tang doesn't want to do, someone might force us to do."

"Whether it will succeed or not, I am not absolutely certain."

"I'm the kind of person who always plans ahead and prepares for the worst."

"So we must find a perfect way out before we lift the blockade at sea."

Zeng Xuanhuai paused for a moment, then asked in surprise:

"A way out?"

Chen Jie nodded and explained, "That's right, it's our escape route. We need to establish the largest base in the Penghu Islands."

"To the east, we can directly attack Japan; to the south, we can attack the Philippines; and we can also radiate influence to eastern Zhejiang, southern Fujian, and southern China."

"As long as we occupy the Penghu Islands, it will be like Ximentang having two legs to walk on, which will help stabilize the situation of the Daqian Dynasty."

"Once we stabilize the situation in Daqian, our next target will be Japan!"

in fact,

Occupying the Penghu Islands has always been within Chen Jie's objective.

and,

His desire to occupy the Penghu Islands was not merely to provide Ximentang with a way out.

He needed to have the largest gateway at sea in the Great Qian Dynasty and to expand the strategic depth of Ximentang.

Even if they encountered setbacks within the Daqian Dynasty, they still had the Penghu Islands as their base.

of course,

The Penghu Islands are quite large, rich in resources, and have significant development potential.

It contains silver, copper, iron, coal, oil, sulfur, and other minerals, all in very good quantities.

In particular, offshore oil will be an important development resource for Simondon in the future.

Originally, Chen Jie had planned to occupy the Penghu Islands after the maritime blockade was lifted.

Because the Ximentang fleet had already completed its repairs ahead of schedule and had reached a considerable size.

With the Kwantung Army deploying a million troops in the northeast of the Great Qian Dynasty, the Great Qian Dynasty's situation underwent a tremendous change.

then,

Chen Jie had to change his plans, first capturing the Penghu Islands and then lifting the blockade at sea.

The First Fleet of the Ximen Hall has been established for so long and has been trained to a high standard; it's time to give it some serious training.

Since experiencing two consecutive naval battles, the elite naval forces of Ximentang have been eagerly anticipating a major battle.

They are passionate, experienced, well-equipped, and possess explosive combat power.

not to mention,
The Penghu Islands are now under the control of the Japanese, who are constantly increasing their troops. Their fighting strength is far greater than that of the Dutch, Spanish, and French in the past.

According to Jack Bonaparte's intelligence, the Japanese have increased their troop presence in the Penghu Islands by more than 100,000.

They drove the Dutch away and possessed formidable firepower.

Moreover, the news of Ximentang's defeat of the Western Waldersee coalition had not yet spread throughout the Penghu Islands, as the news was blocked by the Japanese.

Therefore,
Jack Bonaparte's French mercenaries could play a role in the attack on Bay Island.

It can at least deter the naval forces of other countries.

Chen Jie had long planned to attack Taiwan Island. He recruited Jack Bonaparte and formed a mercenary army, not only to seize the warships of the Western Allied Forces.

He needs to take over the Penghu Islands in the name of Jack Bonaparte.

That's right,

Although Ximentang must occupy the Penghu Islands, it must do so in the name of Jack Bonaparte.

As a result,
Only in this way can the value of Jack Bonaparte's French mercenary force be maximized. Maximizing profits has always been Chen Jie's guiding principle.

in addition,

Chen Jie also understood that although the Japanese had occupied the Penghu Islands, they had not been in power for long since taking them from the Dutch and their foothold was not yet secure.

They have only occupied the land; they haven't had time to build anything yet.

Therefore,
There is no popular will.

Ximentang's fighting prowess in conquering Taiwan Island is beyond question.

If we can completely control the Penghu Islands in the name of Jack Bonaparte, we can turn the islands into Ximentang's largest maritime fortress.

As for how to control Taiwan Island, Chen Jie has his own methods.

The Great Qian Dynasty has not yet completely collapsed. Although Emperor Li Zheng's health is deteriorating, he is not about to fall ill so quickly thanks to the medical care provided by the Imperial Palace.

Taking advantage of the gap between the Kwantung Army's advance and the Northwest Prince Ning Li Mu's rest period, it would be the best strategy for Ximentang to seize Taiwan Island first.

This laid the foundation for Simon's conquest overseas.

Otherwise, once the Japanese have fully developed the islands and migrated a large number of people there, it will be many times more difficult for them to occupy and rule the Penghu Islands.

After hearing Chen Jie's explanation, Zeng Xuanhuai was filled with respect and admiration.

He was well-versed in celestial phenomena, studied the I Ching and Bagua for many years, and had a deep understanding of the general trend of the world.

All along,
He believed he had a firm grasp of the overall situation and was full of confidence.

but,

When I heard Chen Jie's assessment of the situation and his vision for the future development of Ximentang, I was struck by his foresight.

He was immediately filled with admiration for Chen Jie.

"Alright! It seems that you have a comprehensive plan for occupying the Penghu Islands."

"In the next period, we will first connect the eastern Zhejiang, Songjiang Prefecture, and southern Jiangsu regions into a whole, fully open up trade and economy, and prepare for the lifting of the maritime blockade in the future."

"The First Fleet of the Ximen Hall, it's time to unsheathe its sword!"

When talking about the First Fleet of Ximentang, Zeng Xuanhuai's eyes lit up.

He had never seen such a powerful fleet before.

Chen Jie took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and said:
"You're right. Our fleet has been resting and refitting for so long, it's time to unsheathe our swords and start with the Penghu Islands!"

-

Clang, clang, clang—!
Jack Bonaparte, wielding a rapier, relentlessly attacked Chen Jie.

He was wearing armor, and his hair was tied up, flowing gracefully in the sea breeze.

As the heir to the Bonaparte family, he was already incredibly handsome.

His swordsmanship at this moment displayed a touch of the Silver Knight's style.

boom--!
His fighting spirit was boundless, and his sword intent erupted at full power.

His blue eyes were devoid of emotion, filled only with fighting spirit.

unfortunately,

In Chen Jie's state of 'Heart Fasting' and Spirit Refinement, no attack from him could escape detection.

"what--!"

Jack Bonaparte thrust his longsword repeatedly, letting out roars.

Chen Jie, wielding only an ordinary longsword, countered each move with equal force.

After their swords clashed more than ten times, Jack Bonaparte suddenly collapsed onto the deck of the warship with a thud.

The longsword slipped from his hand, and Chen Jie lightly tapped his wrist with his sword.

Fortunately, this was just a friendly sparring match; otherwise, Chen Jie's sword strike would have crippled his wrist.

Huff—huff—!
Jack Bonaparte lay on the ground, taking deep breaths.

Lost!

He never expected that he, as a top-tier Silver Knight, would lose to Chen Jie.

How long has it been?

When he first met Chen Jie, he was simply shocked by Chen Jie's 'Bible spiritual practice'!
At that time, Chen Jie's "Bible Spiritual Practice" was stronger than his "Bible Prophecy Technique," and could suppress him mentally.

I never expected this to happen.
Chen Jie's martial arts skills have already surpassed his.

In the martial arts sparring match just now, he was almost powerless to fight back.

"Again! I refuse to believe I can lose to you in swordsmanship!"

Jack Bonaparte shouted defiantly.

He picked up the longsword that had fallen to the ground and gripped it again, raising his fighting spirit to its limit once more.

Clang, clang, clang—!
next moment,
Chen Jie and Jack Bonaparte clashed again.

Less than half a minute later, Jack Bonaparte was knocked to the ground again by a sword.

He struggled to get up from the deck, and his fighting spirit finally died down.

There's no other way but to keep the engine running, otherwise we'll just get beaten up.

Chen Jie's current martial arts power exertion level is at the late stage of "Marrow Transformation and Power Transformation", and his spirit refinement level is at "Heart Fasting"!
With Jack Bonaparte's Silver Knight fighting prowess, how could he possibly be his match?
Chen Jie sheathed his ordinary longsword, stepped forward, and steadied the swaying Jack Bonaparte, smiling as he said:
"Alright! Mr. Jack Bonaparte, let's call it a day."

"You've been sparring with me for almost two hours. Take a break and we can have another match another time."

Jack Bonaparte nodded, gritting his teeth as he said:
"I didn't expect to lose to you in a fight. It seems I've neglected my training lately."

"I need to train an extra hour every day. I am the heir to the Bonaparte family, and I must become stronger."

"Otherwise, I would not be qualified to inherit the Bonaparte family and would not be able to lead the entire family to a complete revival."

He is the heir to the Bonaparte family, a descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte, and carries the pride of his family.

Chen Jie smiled calmly and said:

"Mr. Jack Bonaparte, it's not wrong to be strict with yourself, but you must pay attention to rest."

"People must clearly understand the situation!"

"You are no match for me. No matter how much you train, you are destined to never be able to defeat me."

"If you continue to spar with me, you'll get hurt!"

"You are too focused on family honor, placing the entire responsibility of reviving the Bonaparte family on your own shoulders. Why bother?"

"However, there is one thing I can assure you: as long as you help me achieve my goal, I will help you fulfill your wish."

After hearing Chen Jie's words, Jack Bonaparte lowered his head and remained silent.

call--!
After a moment, he took another deep breath and sheathed his longsword.

Next,
He nodded to Chen Jie and turned to walk towards the cabin.

Chen Jie shook his head and smiled helplessly. It seemed that his defeat of his opponent in the martial arts sparring match had been a blow to him.

As a noble Silver Knight, I possess the dignity of a knight.

He originally chose to follow Chen Jie because Ximentang possessed formidable combat power.

He never imagined that he would lose to Chen Jie in terms of personal combat skills.

This was the only source of pride in his heart.

but,

Unexpectedly, when Chen Jie came to find him this time, he completely defeated him in martial arts.

The knight's honor was completely shattered, and he found it hard to accept it for a while.

Although Chen Jie could understand Jack Bonaparte's feelings, it was a great pity that he couldn't help him.

Whether Jack Bonaparte can recover from the defeat depends on his own mindset.

If he can get out of there, his martial arts level will become stronger, and he may even break through to the 'Golden Knight' level in one fell swoop!
If he can't get over it, he might never recover. (End of Chapter)