Di Ming

Chapter 238 We finally arrived at Blackwater City!
East China Sea, Daishan Island.

The May sea breeze, carrying the warmth of early summer, soothes the vast waves and sets seagulls soaring into the sky. Among the islands, sails dot the blue sea and sky like white clouds.

The songs of sailors and fishermen, along with the cries of seagulls and the sound of waves, echoed in the harbor and were carried to the island by the sea breeze.

On the battleship Kuaiji, which has been in service for nearly four years, a group of Jinghai Navy sailors are repainting the deck with tung oil, another group is changing the canvas, and yet another group is cleaning the gun barrels. There are people busy on all three decks.

Today is May 15th. According to the Jinghai Navy's system, warships and cannons are maintained and serviced in batches on the 15th of each month.

Today, the Kuaiji battleship, with a crew of 500 sailors and equipped with 60 cannons, remains the flagship of the Jinghai Navy.

Besides the Kuaiji, the Jinghai Navy also had the Gusu and Linzi, of similar class, stationed at Jingzhou in the South Seas, both of which had been in service for two years. These battleships were the most powerful warships in the entire East.

Two years ago, the Daishan and Jingzhou fleets sailed south together, on the one hand escorting smuggling merchant ships to the Strait of Malacca for trade, and on the other hand deterring the Portuguese and Indian authorities who controlled the East-West maritime trade routes.

The Portuguese authorities in India were greatly alarmed, fearing that their colonies in Southeast Asia would be lost.

In recent years, the Eight Banners of the Sea have risen to power, occupying Daishan and Lüsong, controlling the sea routes from the East China Sea to the South China Sea, levying taxes on passing merchant ships, and cracking down on piracy, thus becoming the hegemon of the Eastern seas. The Eastern interests and human trafficking of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have been greatly affected.

Last year, the powerful United Kingdom, unwilling to accept its defeat in Southeast Asia, and the Habsburg family and the Italian Papacy vowed to organize a naval crusade. The Jesuits wrote to the Habsburg family and the Papacy, saying that if the Chinese pirate forces occupying Luzon were not eliminated, both their commercial interests in the East and their missionary work would suffer a major setback.

As Lü Song's Chinese pirate regime became increasingly stable and powerful, it would, in the foreseeable future, bring immeasurable damage to the Western world's expansionist activities in the East.

The Jesuits suggested that the United Kingdom and the Papacy should temporarily set aside their struggles with England and Protestants, and instead allocate more resources to suppress Lu Song's pirate regime. To achieve this, they should unite with the natives of Southeast Asia and Japanese pirates, arming and funding them.

With one side providing money and weapons, and the other providing manpower and resources, they were able to not only form a joint mercenary force but also quell the Lu Song regime, which was controlled by Chinese pirates.

They could even cooperate with the Ming emperor and coastal powerful families to suppress their rebels.

However, what the Jesuits were unaware of was that their letters from Macau to the Western world were no secret to the Jinghai Navy. Their agents in Macau, known as "Tiger Fang," had long been aware of this intelligence.

According to intelligence from South Asia, Huya predicts that within three to five years, Western barbarians may form a naval crusade, potentially numbering in the tens of thousands. Before the naval crusade arrives, these barbarians will support the Annamese, Japanese, Burmese, and others in forming a joint mercenary force to fight against the Jinghai Army.

Therefore, both Daishan and Jingzhou were phasing out old, dilapidated ships, building new ones, and strengthening their military in preparation for a major battle.

Not far from the Kuaiji, a new battleship was launched today and named Xianyang.

In this way, the Jing Navy now has four domestically built warships.

At this moment, on the highest deck of the Xianyang warship, a slender young woman dressed in a pale yellow horse-face skirt and wearing a Sumu veil stood at the bow, gazing at the sea. A sea breeze blew, lifting the veil to reveal a beautiful, fair face, as delicate as a lotus flower emerging from clear water. Although her appearance still retained a touch of childlike innocence, her brows exuded a dignified air.

The young girl's clothes fluttered in the sea breeze, her beautiful hair flowing. Her clear, bright eyes reflected the blue sky and white clouds, appearing distant and profound. She was like a goddess between the sea and the sky.

"Lady Caiwei." A voice came from behind, deep and weathered.

“Brother Li Yang.” Ning Caiwei turned her head and looked at Ding Huogen, who was tall and full of energy.

Ding Huogen smiled and said, "Are you waiting for Xu Wei? He should be here in the next few days."

Ning Caiwei brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, squinting her eyes as she faced the sea breeze. "I'm waiting for him. When he arrives, we'll go to Beijing together."

Ding Huogen sighed, "You and Zhihu are getting married in September, so we won't be able to go to Beijing for the wedding. The only person who can represent me at the wedding is Hongying."

When his daughter was mentioned, Ding Huogen couldn't help but feel a little troubled.

Hongying is nineteen years old, but she can't find anyone she likes and is still unmarried. It's really worrying.

When he mentioned Hongying, he was actually subtly reminding Ning Caiwei to hurry up with his daughter's marriage.

How could Ning Caiwei not know? She smiled and said, "Brother Liyang, don't worry. With Hongying following me and Zhihu, we will definitely not ruin her life's important matter. We will find her a suitable husband. I reminded Zhihu when he went to the Northwest to make an expedition, and told him to be careful in choosing a husband. Zhihu said that he will use his own daughter's dowry."

"Haha!" Ding Huogen rubbed his hands together. "Then I won't thank you. Anyway, we're all family, so I won't stand on ceremony."

Ning Caiwei said, "When the troops set out for the expedition at the end of the year, I will come to Daishan Island again to join my Eight Banners army. Well, I will leave Beijing at most two months after the wedding."

Ding Liyang asked, "Is it for business in Japan?"

Ning Caiwei nodded, "Business in Japan is becoming increasingly important, and I need to go there personally. Before, without the protection of a large army, I didn't dare to take the risk myself. At the end of the year, when the army is on its way to war, I can go with them to arrange some important matters."

Ding Liyang understood. "Should we take the merchant corps with us and take the opportunity to train our troops in Japan? This is a good opportunity. Your merchant corps already has several thousand people. They are fed and cared for well, but they are ultimately just guards for the trading companies and mines. They have never been on the battlefield and are not very useful."

Otherwise, how could they be one of our own? Ding Huogen immediately guessed Ning Caiwei's intention.

Over the years, under the protection of powerful officials, Ning Caiwei's business interests have expanded extensively, and her aphrodisiacs have even become bestsellers in Europe. As her business grew, so did the number of bodyguards she hired, which Ning Caiwei referred to as a "merchant group."

The armed merchant caravan already numbered three thousand, plus two thousand miners selected from the miners, totaling a robust five thousand. However, these men were scattered across various commercial establishments, ranging from a few hundred to several dozen.

Ning Caiwei planned to use the war against Japan to consolidate the scattered merchant militias into a force of several thousand men. While the Ming and Jinghai armies were drawing the main Japanese forces away, she intended to seize the most prosperous commercial districts in Japan and capture the prominent business families. Through this campaign, she aimed to control Japan's commercial lifeline.

Although she wasn't familiar with history, she had already discussed it with Zhu Yin. This war against Japan, with the influence of time travelers, would definitely be different from history.

The scale of the war will be much larger than in history!
In Zhu Yin's plan, the Imjin War would not only be fought on the Korean Peninsula, but would also involve a counterattack on the Japanese archipelago, where they would face hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops.

Therefore, the Ming army, the Jinghai army, and the merchant guild were all planned to participate in the war. On the surface, the three forces fought independently, without any unified command.

The minimum strategic objective is to break Japan's unified state and plunge it back into a state of great division.

The medium-term goal is to force Japan to cede territory and pay reparations, at least obtaining Kyushu Island.

The primary goal, of course, is to destroy Japan and divide it up.

Such a large target cannot be achieved with too few troops.

Ning Caiwei said, "By the end of the year, how many troops can the Eight Banners send to invade Japan? My merchant corps can only send a maximum of five thousand people to sea to participate in the war. In October, I will arrange for them to go to sea in batches and train in Daishan for a month."

Ding Liyang spoke directly, saying, "The Eight Banners, including men, women, and children, number only a little over 70,000. We can only send a maximum of 10,000 troops, no more than that, because we need to leave several thousand to defend Daishan and Jingzhou; we can't send everyone. Adding your 5,000 merchant troops, that's only 15,000 people on the expedition." "Therefore, the success or failure of the conquest of Japan mainly depends on the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming can mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to conquer Japan, we will have a chance to invade Japan. It all depends on whether Zhihu can oversee the overall situation of the conquest. If he can, our plan will be half complete."

As the two were discussing, they suddenly saw Kangxi and Qianlong go up to the deck.

"Why would Kangxi and Qianlong personally travel by sea to Daishan when they were in Beijing?" Ning Caiwei's heart sank slightly, and she immediately knew that there was important news.

Otherwise, the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors would not have personally gone to sea.

"Madam!" Kang Qian, travel-worn, bowed to Ning Caiwei first. "The Empress Dowager, influenced by the monk Shan Guo of Miaoyin Temple in Xishan, wants her nephew Li Mingcheng to be engaged to Second Madam. Ten days ago, Empress Dowager Li sent the foot-binding woman Jin San Niang to our door to bind Second Madam's feet..."

Ning Caiwei listened calmly to Kang Qian's account without showing any anger.

But deep down, there was a barely suppressed murderous intent.

You dare touch my sister? You're asking for death!

But Ning Caiwei waited until Kangxi and Qianlong finished speaking before calmly asking, "This is clearly a conspiracy, using Empress Dowager Li to deal with my Zhu family. What is the background of the monk Shan Guo?"

“Your Excellency is wise,” Kang Qian said with a smile. “That monk Shan Guo appears to be a highly virtuous monk, but he is actually a henchman of the Zheng family. The Zheng family promised that if the Third Prince becomes the Crown Prince, they will appoint him as the Protector of the Nation Zen Master and grant him 30,000 mu of land.”

"Although Empress Dowager Li is extremely noble, she is actually only a little bit clever. She can't even recognize all the characters in the Thousand Character Classic. She's just a vulgar woman who protects Buddhist monks. What kind of insight could she possibly have? She believed the monk Shanguo's rambling words without a doubt. Little did she know that Shanguo was actually Consort Zheng's man?"

"Consort Zheng hopes to use the纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat) Li Mingcheng to sow discord between the lord and the Empress Dowager. If the lord offends the Empress Dowager, it will implicate the eldest prince, and the Empress Dowager will then dislike him. In that case, the third prince can seize the opportunity to gain the Empress Dowager's support. Although we know all this, unfortunately..."

Ning Caiwei frowned. "What's a pity?"

Kang Qian said, "Unfortunately, although we have discovered that Shan Guo is secretly serving the Zheng family, we have no evidence. The Empress Dowager trusts Shan Guo very much, and we have no way to prove that he is a member of the Zheng family. Therefore, it will be difficult to shake the Empress Dowager's trust in Shan Guo."

Ning Caiwei sneered, "I've heard your lord mention Empress Dowager Li before. She's a short-sighted woman who can't even teach her son properly. She only knows how to protect her own family and disregards the laws of the country. Zhang Juzheng's house was raided because of her."

“If she were truly intelligent, she wouldn’t have arranged for her nephew, who is twelve years older than her, to be engaged to my six-year-old sister. She thought it was a good thing for my sister, even a blessing.”

Kang Qian said, "This involves the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Concubine, and the two families' relatives. It is a matter of great importance, and we dare not act on our own initiative. We would like to ask for your guidance, Madam."

Ding Huogen snorted coldly and said, "Why not secretly kill that playboy Li Mingcheng, or kill the monk Shan Guo?"

Kangxi and Qianlong quickly shook their heads: "General Ding, you are mistaken. This method will not work. Whether Li Mingcheng or Shan Guo dies, Consort Zheng and Empress Li will blame the Zhu family. They will not be able to escape suspicion. Even if Li Mingcheng dies at the hands of someone else, the Zheng family will spread rumors that it was the Zhu family. The Zhu family will not be able to clear their name and will still be the scapegoat. Empress Dowager Li is extremely protective of her own family and likes Li Mingcheng the most."

Ning Caiwei thought for a moment, "Didn't you also send a message to the Northwest? The head of the family must have his own ideas. Killing people is definitely not an option, that's the worst thing to do. If someone dies at this critical juncture, the Empress Dowager will definitely suspect the Zhu family. We can't afford to arouse the Jinyiwei's investigation now."

"This matter will ultimately have to be settled in the imperial court. Doesn't Li Mingcheng hold an official position? Since he holds an official position, he is a subject and therefore falls within the rules. You should find evidence of his crimes and then instruct the appropriate court officials to impeach Li Mingcheng."

"He was impeached and had a crime on his head. How could Empress Dowager Li still have the nerve to mention the marriage alliance again? If she were to bring up the marriage alliance again and insist on issuing an imperial decree, it would be a blatant slap in the face. The head of the family could defy her imperial decree, and the entire court would oppose it. Even if she were stupid, she wouldn't do such a thing."

Kang Qian nodded and said, "Don't worry, Madam. We are already looking for evidence of Li Mingcheng's crimes, but we haven't found it yet."

Ning Caiwei said, "These are turbulent times. This matter must not be blown out of proportion, otherwise it will affect many important matters. You must not kill anyone. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not very capable, it is not entirely useless."

"When you return to Beijing, you must keep an eye on Second Sister. If Second Sister tries to poison anyone, your Tiger Fang team must stop her and not listen to her and do anything reckless."

Kangxi and Qianlong revealed a strange smile, as if they wanted to say something but then stopped themselves.

Ning Caiwei frowned. "What? She's already told you to make your move?"

"Ahem..." Kang Qian coughed and said with some difficulty, "Second Madam said there is a kind of medicine that can slowly poison people to death. She wants us to find a way to poison the Empress Dowager in the palace, so that no one will suspect that it was poisoning. Once the Empress Dowager dies, she will not issue any more imperial edicts. Second Madam is just a child and doesn't think twice, so we did not agree."

Ning Caiwei was not surprised at all, and said speechlessly, "As expected, she will never be peaceful! Remember this, do not easily agree to any of her requests."

"Yes!" Kangxi and Qianlong accepted the order.

.........

Juyan Lake, Heishui City, Ming army camp.

Above the ancient ruins, a large banner flutters, bearing the inscription: "Bestowed with the Imperial Sword, Imperial Envoy and Governor-General of the Five Garrisons, Zhu."

The imperial edict bestowing upon Zhu Yin the Shangfang Sword and appointing him as the Governor-General of the Five Garrisons had already been delivered to Zhu Yin.

At this time, Zhu Yin had already decisively defeated 15,000 Oirat and Khoshut Mongol cavalry, achieving another great victory.

More than ten days ago, Zhu Yin personally led 3,600 men to Jilu Village to rescue Li Rusong and Qin Liangyu.

With Zhu Yin holding them back, the Oirat army could not launch a full-scale attack on Jilu Village, giving Li Rusong and Qin Liangyu a chance to catch their breath.

The following afternoon, Qi Jiguang led 10,000 cavalry to the vicinity of Jilu Village. Qi Jiguang devised a plan to mislead the enemy, making it appear that the cavalry had traveled a long distance and were unable to fight again, retreating dozens of miles to rest and regroup, thus luring the Oirat cavalry to risk a night attack.

As a result, the Oirat underestimated the Ming cavalry and indeed pursued Qi Jiguang, only to fall into an ambush by the Ming army and be trapped in the Aolongbulege Grand Canyon west of Jiluzhai, unable to advance or retreat.

Soon, all Ming army units arrived to join the encirclement, and the Oirat cavalry were trapped in a desperate situation.

The Oirat cavalry made a desperate breakout attempt, but some died and others surrendered, leaving only a little over a thousand cavalrymen fleeing north in panic.

Thus, the 15,000-strong Oirat army that marched south vanished into thin air!

Zhu Yin led his troops for less than three months and successively defeated the Ordos tribe, the Doro Tuman tribe, and the Khoshut tribe, shaking the desert with his might!

The Ming army continued westward, and the rebel forces of Prince Qing and Bo Bai, stationed at Juyan Lake, were terrified and quickly crossed the Gobi Desert to flee south to Gansu and Liangzhou.

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang led more than 20,000 Ming troops and several thousand newly formed surrendered troops across the desert to Juyan Lake.

We've finally arrived at Blackwater City!
P.S.: The largest-scale war was the resistance against Japanese pirates, because it differed from historical events. How large was the scale of the later stages of the war against Japan? Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
(End of this chapter)