Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 371 Japan is a nice place!
"The second son, Zhanqi, also noticed something amiss." After hearing the Iron-Faced General's words, Zhu Zhanhe added another sentence.

Zhu Zhanhe could, of course, see that his second brother, Zhu Zhanqi, had actually changed his expression since the Iron-Faced General appeared. And after the Iron-Faced General finished introducing himself, Zhu Zhanqi had basically guessed what had happened.

Later, when Zhu Zhanhe allowed the Iron-Faced General to take direct command of the army when necessary, Zhu Zhanqi was completely certain that the Iron-Faced General in front of him, who was completely covered up from head to toe, was his deceased father, Prince Zhuang of Han!
However, what made Zhu Zhanqi hesitate was why his father had faked his death to escape, and why he was now hiding his identity in Annam. But even with these doubts in his heart, Zhu Zhanqi wisely chose to remain silent.

This means that even if someone can perfectly disguise themselves, even if their voice changes, and even if Zhu Zhanqi, who has been a son for over a decade, is slow to react, that inexplicable sense of familiarity is enough for him to detect something amiss. After all, over a decade of father-son interaction doesn't happen by chance!
However, even if someone might have guessed his identity, the Iron-Faced General remained very calm.

"It's alright. Hu Tian is cautious by nature, and given his personality, he won't speak carelessly."

Although his second son, Zhanqi, was usually carefree, he wasn't stupid. Even if his son discovered something amiss, given his personality, he wouldn't blurt it out. After hearing his son's words, the Iron-Faced General Zhu Gaoxu calmly stated that having a few people guess his identity was no big deal! Zhu Gaoxu was completely confident that even if someone discovered clues about his hidden identity, they wouldn't speak carelessly.

After speaking to his son with an arrogant air, General Zhu Gaoxu changed to a serious tone and began to talk to his son about what he considered important.

"He'er, although Annam has been completely occupied, we still need you to stay here and stabilize the morale of the people of Annam as soon as possible."

If you want to continue military operations abroad after the New Year, you must accelerate the improvement of the combat capabilities of your army and navy, replenish the current soldiers in Annam, and intensify their training and integration before the New Year.

Furthermore, the land allocated to Annam must also be used for spring planting. Otherwise, your food supply may be affected after the New Year.

Although I secretly transported a lot of grain and supplies to Yunnan earlier this year, no amount of grain and supplies can withstand your repeated large-scale battles! Therefore, you must build up your own logistical capabilities.

"In terms of weapon supply, firearms manufacturing is also a priority! We are facing small, sparsely populated foreign states, and firearms are the most effective way to reduce our casualties." It must be admitted that Zhu Gaochi, a seasoned general, possessed an unparalleled mastery of warfare and its related capabilities. His opening remarks directly targeted several key weaknesses of the Han Prince's forces at this stage—supplies, weaponry, and firearms!
Zhu Zhanhe readily accepted his father's opinion; he would not become arrogant simply because he had conquered Annam. After a moment's thought, Zhu Zhanhe responded earnestly.

"Father, please don't worry."

Regarding provisions and supplies, after the New Year, the Prince's ocean-going fleet will set sail for trade. They will not only trade in provisions but also extensively search for higher-yield and more widely available crops to bring back. Of course, they will also engage in other businesses as well, with provisions being just a sideline.

If there really is a problem with the supplies and provisions, the Prince's Palace can even borrow some from other tribes in necessary situations!

Furthermore, regarding the Prince's expansion abroad, my requirements for both armies are very clear: they must rely on the enemy for sustenance! We absolutely cannot allow this war to deplete any domestic resources or manpower.” Zhu Zhanhe wasn't particularly worried about supplies. His strategy was to ensure his army's provisions were readily available wherever they advanced! The enemy's provisions were his weapons; the enemy was his granary! Zhu Zhanhe truly achieved complete reliance on the enemy for sustenance!

In Zhu Zhanhe's understanding, only those people who remained in the lands his army had conquered were truly worthy of being his subjects! While this might sound harsh, it was the truth! Moreover, a purely violent institution like the army, if truly facing supply shortages, Zhu Zhanhe wouldn't necessarily allow his subordinates to resort to methods like confiscation of property and extermination of entire families. Besides, right now, Zhu Zhanhe still had the Iron-Faced General, a true black glove, under his command!
Therefore, Zhu Zhanhe did not feel any pressure regarding the issue of food supplies!
However, it was clear that although Zhu Zhanhe spoke passionately about the issue of provisions for a long time, all his words were overshadowed by his final remarks. Or rather, his last sentence drew the attention of the iron-faced general Zhu Gaoxu.

You mean...?

"Can't we deplete your national strength?!" Clearly, after listening to his son for so long, the key point Zhu Gaoxu, the iron-faced general, heard was not Zhu Zhanhe's solution to the problem of grain and supplies! Instead, it was Zhu Zhanhe's slip of the tongue—national strength! Immediately, through his mask, Zhu Zhanhe saw the pair of eyes opposite him, filled with excitement and astonishment.

No~~
"You..." Zhu Zhanhe rolled his eyes helplessly at being caught making a slip of the tongue while speaking. However, he didn't dwell on it. He completely ignored the sly eyes opposite him, quickly adjusted his mindset, and continued speaking.

"Regarding weapons and firearms, the main problems at present are gunpowder and shells. However, Yunnan and Guangdong are already producing them at great expense. If there is no war before the end of the year, they can stockpile more. At present, it seems that it is barely enough for the major war after the new year."

Once things stabilize in Annam, the government will organize and mobilize manpower to expedite production. I believe it should be enough for next year's needs; there shouldn't be any problem!

As for the issue of needing a large amount of iron ore to forge weapons, to be honest, we're still debating whether or not to send people to occupy that isolated iron-ore island overseas first.

After all, we need to expand into new territory after the New Year and also wage war against Japan. Sending troops to the iron ore islands now would be inappropriate for multi-front warfare! To be honest, Zhu Zhanhe wasn't too worried about firearms. After all, his army's firearms were arguably the strongest in the world outside of the Ming Dynasty! Zhu Zhanhe believed that his army's firearms were more than capable of defeating anyone!
As for the iron ore needed to forge weapons, Zhu Zhanhe had considered sending people to occupy the Australian continent. However, he didn't want to stop the expansion of the Indochina Peninsula and send people to develop Australia as well, since he planned to wage war against Japan after the New Year. Zhu Zhanhe was not too willing to fight on three fronts.

Another reason is that there are still quite a few weapons that my father sent when he rebelled, and with the iron ore from Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Annam, the army has enough to forge weapons for the time being, so there is no need to occupy Australia now.

So, in general, Zhu Zhanhe was not lacking in iron ore and weapons, so he was not in a hurry!
"Regarding the soldiers' pay, this is the biggest expense, and we will need to send someone to Japan after the New Year."

In my opinion, Japan is a pretty good place overall. It has four islands, is suitable for rice cultivation, and has gold and silver mines, making it a good island for future fiefdoms.

Therefore, after the New Year, we need to ask the Iron-Faced General to lead the navy to pacify the area.

Their men can be used for mining; children can be trained for mining; the elderly can be used for logistics; and women of marriageable age can be given to our soldiers as concubines. These are all good resources to utilize.” To be honest, Zhu Zhanhe was not too worried about the soldiers' rations and pay.

(End of this chapter)