The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 285 People from the Zheng Family Arrive
After seeing off the army, Jiang Han did not feel relieved at all. Instead, he immediately summoned Zhao Sheng, who was in charge of logistics coordination.

Inside a side hall of the Shu King's Palace, Jiang Han pointed to the winding road leading to Guizhou on the map, his expression grave:

"Shao Yong and his men have led 50,000 soldiers on the expedition. The road into Guizhou is treacherous, and the transportation of grain and fodder is of paramount importance."

"Zhao Sheng, I'm entrusting the logistics and supply matters entirely to you."

"After the grain is transferred from Chengdu, Tongchuan Prefecture, Jiading Prefecture and other places, I need you to personally go to Bozhou to oversee the rear. You must do your utmost to ensure the supply of the army, and there must be no mistakes!"

Zhao Sheng knew the responsibility was heavy, and after a moment's hesitation, he replied:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will immediately begin to allocate grain and fodder to the various prefectures and counties upon my return."

"but."

He changed the subject and suggested,
"Transporting grain by land consumes a huge number of laborers and is inefficient."

"I have a suggestion: could we form a fleet and take advantage of the waterways?"

"Sichuan has a well-developed water system, and water transport can save a lot of effort."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han immediately looked at the crisscrossing waterways on the map.

Sichuan has extremely favorable water transport conditions, with the Yangtze River and its major tributaries such as the Minjiang, Jialingjiang, and Wujiang Rivers serving as transportation arteries.

“Water transport can indeed save time and effort, but the problem is that the military doesn’t have many ships.”

Jiang Han was also helpless. Of course he knew the advantages of water transport, but he just didn't have a boat.

The imperial court originally had a navy in the Chongqing and Kuizhou prefectures of Sichuan, but over time, these naval forces have long since become defunct.

When Zhang Ling was defending Baoning Prefecture, he searched the entire prefecture and only managed to find fifteen warships.

Jiang Han had previously taken over the naval forces in the Chongqing and Kuizhou prefectures, but after a final count, there were fewer than eighty ships that could navigate normally.

Moreover, most of these boats were small patrol boats and sentry boats, with very few larger warships such as the Cangshan and Haicang ships.

These patrol boats and sentry boats could barely accommodate four or five people, so they certainly couldn't be used to transport grain.

If the navy has declined to this extent, then shipyards are even less of a concern.

The Ming government originally had official shipyards in Chongqing, Luzhou and other places to build large ships such as grain transport ships and warships.

However, due to the exploitation by the government, the craftsmen in these shipyards had long since either died or fled, and there was no way to resume production in the short term.

The craftsmen under Jiang Han's command were almost all blacksmiths and gunners, and they had no experience or technical expertise in building large ships.

So the shipbuilding project was delayed.

Zhao Sheng sighed when the matter was brought up.

Nowadays, most of the boats in Sichuan are civilian boats such as "three-plank boats" and "ma yangzi" (a type of small boat), and their numbers are not large, just enough to meet daily needs.

If all these ships were requisitioned for the front lines, normal production and daily life would definitely be affected.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should first requisition a batch of civilian ships."

"Mix civilian ships with the existing military vessels to make up two hundred ships for transporting grain."

"In addition, we still need to revive the shipbuilding industry. We should recruit a group of shipbuilders from the civilian population. They can learn slowly, as long as they are not too stupid, they can always learn it."

"We will be going to Yunnan in the future, so we can prepare in advance."

Upon hearing Zhao Sheng's suggestion, Jiang Han nodded and immediately made the decision:
"Row!"

"You take my warrant with you and have someone requisition civilian boats in the Chongqing and Luzhou area, and pay rent according to the size of the boat and the number of days of requisition."

“I will have the Ministry of Works select a site to set up a shipyard, which will be located along the Yangtze River in Chongqing.”

As he spoke, he waved to summon his personal guards:
"Since we're going to build a shipyard, let's also train a navy."

"Issue my order to recruit a group of fishermen who are skilled in swimming from the banks of various rivers into the army. The number of them shall be set at two thousand."

"After the recruitment is completed, these fishermen will be sent to the army for training for a period of time so that they can become familiar with military discipline and martial arts."

"I remember there were still five or six hundred Ming Dynasty naval officers and soldiers undergoing reform in the rear. Once the reform was completed, these two groups were merged into one battalion, and the garrison was chosen in Chongqing Prefecture."

"As for the banner, let's call it the Yangtze River Navy. The salary will be one tael and five mace per month, according to military practice."

After carefully noting it down, the guard nodded and left to carry out his orders.

Although he had made up his mind to build a navy, Jiang Han was still unsure about how to train it.

He vaguely remembered that the training requirements for the navy were extremely strict.

From the most basic warship drills to artillery duels and boarding maneuvers, there are corresponding procedures, which are even more complicated than those for land warfare.

Training warships and changing formations requires specialized naval commanders and years of training to form a successful fleet.

The problem is that Jiang Han has neither training methods for troops nor naval commanders.

While his soldiers were all skilled in land warfare, they were completely ignorant when it came to naval warfare and naval forces.

Although some Ming naval officers and soldiers surrendered, they were hardly elite.

After all, if you can't even get enough to eat, who has the mind to train? Over time, you basically forget everything.

Just as he was at his wit's end, a guard rushed in to report:
"Your Majesty, an urgent report has come from the garrison at Qutang Gorge: a fleet of ships is lingering outside the Qutang Gorge, and it appears to be coming upstream from the Huguang region."

"According to the leader of the fleet, they were merchants from Fujian who came to Sichuan specifically to do business."

“Commander Hong of Kuizhou dared not make a decision lightly, so he specially sent a messenger to Chengdu to ask you for instructions.”

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Han was stunned. Where did these merchants come from?
He turned to his personal guard and asked carefully:
"Whose fleet is it? What is the name of its leader?"

The guard shook his head:

"Those merchants didn't give their specific names, they only said they were from Fujian."

Jiang Han was a little puzzled. Why would merchants from Fujian make a special trip to Sichuan to do business?
Besides, given the current situation, it's already a good thing that the Ming Dynasty isn't blockading Sichuan. How could they possibly allow the fleet to sail upstream?

Unless this person has an official background.

With official backing, originating from Fujian, and the ability to organize a fleet, the Zheng family must have been the only ones in this era.

Jiang Han's guess was correct; the fleet outside Kuimen was indeed the Zheng family fleet led by Zheng Zhifeng.

Zheng Zhifeng's journey to Sichuan was fraught with difficulties.

The Zheng family's fleet sailed north from Xiamen, detouring through Suzhou and Songjiang, and traveled upstream for nearly three months before finally arriving outside Kuizhou Prefecture.

Zheng Zhifeng thought that by bribing the garrison, he could pass through Kuizhou Prefecture and enter Sichuan territory smoothly. However, as soon as the fleet arrived outside Qutang Gorge, it was stopped by a group of fully armed garrison soldiers.

Fortunately, Jiang Han's order reached Kuizhou Prefecture in time, allowing Zheng Zhifeng to pass through the Three Gorges smoothly. His goal was to go to Chengdu to sound out the new Prince of Han for his elder brother and see if he could establish contact with him.

Once they entered Sichuan, Zheng Zhifeng was quite surprised by everything she saw and heard along the way.

He had expected that Sichuan would be in a state of chaos and turmoil at this time, but to his surprise, it was well-ordered, peaceful and serene.

Farmers could be vaguely seen working in the fields, and there were no refugees to be seen along the roads. Occasionally, a group of soldiers wearing red headscarves could be seen patrolling around.
This orderly scene surprised Zheng Zhifeng, who had been traveling between the turbulent southeastern coast for many years, and it also made him more curious and attentive to the mysterious King of Han.

Zheng Zhifeng couldn't help but compare this place to Bengang in Taiwan, which his Zheng family was vigorously developing.

Bengang recruited refugees from Fujian and Guangdong to brave hardships and reclaim the wilderness;
In Sichuan, however, it was more like a rapid post-war reconstruction and integration, with even greater potential.

When Jiang Han learned that the visitor was Zheng Zhifeng, his doubts deepened.

Zheng Zhifeng is considered one of the core figures of the Zheng family. Why would he suddenly come to Sichuan?

Could it be that Zheng Zhilong has heard some rumors and is trying to engage in political opportunism?

A few days later, Zheng Zhifeng and her entourage arrived in Chengdu.

Jiang Han formally received this special guest who had come from afar in the Chengyun Hall.

The initial meeting between the two parties was primarily one of observation and probing.

Zheng Zhifeng wore a brocade robe with a silver belt and jade ornaments around her waist, exuding an air of nobility.

Led by the eunuch, he stepped into the hall and bowed to Jiang Han on the throne, saying:

"I have long admired His Highness the Prince of Han for his mighty rule over Western Sichuan and his extraordinary martial prowess. To meet him today is truly an honor!"

"My name is Zheng Zhifeng, and my elder brother is Zheng Zhilong, the guerrilla commander of the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense."

"I apologize for disturbing you, but I am here to congratulate His Highness the Prince of Han. Also, I am here on my elder brother's orders to go to Sichuan and broaden my horizons."

"I have long heard that the land of Shu is rich in natural resources and treasures. This time, my Zheng family has specially brought some rare and exotic treasures from overseas, hoping to exchange goods with the Han King's territory and, incidentally, establish a good relationship."

Jiang Han nodded slightly after hearing this and said calmly:
"The Zheng family dominates the southeast and their fame spreads far and wide; I, too, have heard of them."

"However, our two families are located in the southwest and the southeast, one a rebel king and the other a general of the Ming Dynasty. How can we possibly exchange things?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhifeng's smile remained unchanged as she calmly replied:

"Your Majesty is joking. Although my Zheng family holds official positions in the Ming Dynasty, when it comes to doing business, it doesn't matter who we do it with."

"The silver is real and solid. As for whether it comes from the imperial court or the King of Han, it doesn't really matter to my Zheng family."

My elder brother often says, "In chaotic times, having more friends means having more paths to take, and having fewer enemies means having fewer obstacles to overcome."

"The fact that Your Majesty was able to occupy the land of abundance and establish your own kingdom despite the imperial court's encirclement and suppression is a testament to your formidable strength."

"Although my Zheng family is not well-known, our fleet of ships is spread all over the world."

"It's no exaggeration to say that from Japan in the east to Luzon in the west, the Zheng family calls the shots on the sea."

He paused briefly, observed Jiang Han's expression, and continued speaking eloquently:

"The so-called exchange of goods is nothing more than each taking what they need."

"When the King of Han first pacified Xichuan, all industries were waiting to be revitalized, and he must have needed some scarce supplies from outside."

"Whether it's copper and iron materials, saltpeter and sulfur for forging weapons, or overseas treasures to reward officials and fill the treasury, my Zheng family's fleet can be of some help."

"The land of Shu is fertile and rich in resources, such as raw silk, Shu brocade, and medicinal herbs, which are all goods that my Zheng family needs."

"As for the imperial court, as long as we take care of everyone, no one will bother us. The civil officials and generals along the way are probably eager to make some extra money."

Jiang Han listened carefully, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

According to Zheng Zhifeng, trade between the two countries seems to be entirely beneficial.

The Zheng family is an absolute hegemon in the southeast. With their help, Jiang Han can quickly take over the area south of the Yangtze River when he moves eastward.

Tsk tsk, I wonder if the Zheng family has any daughters of marriageable age.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Han raised another question that concerned him most:
"Mr. Zheng, I wish to reorganize the navy, but I am troubled by the lack of generals who are proficient in naval warfare and skilled craftsmen who can build warships."

"The Zheng family has a vast empire, with powerful ships and cannons. I wonder if they could offer us assistance?"

"I am willing to pay a high price to invite some shipbuilding craftsmen and brave warriors who are well-versed in naval warfare to Sichuan to provide guidance."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhifeng frowned, and alarm bells immediately went off in her mind.

Naval warfare was the foundation upon which the Zheng family established their dominance at sea.

Thousands of warships of various sizes, countless experienced helmsmen and sailors, and even shipbuilding methods that combined Chinese and Western technologies were their core advantages in resisting the Dutch, intimidating various pirates, and monopolizing trade routes.

This King of Han possesses the land of abundance, and within a few years he will be able to conquer Yunnan and Guizhou. If he were to also master the technology of building warships and train a capable navy...

At that time, he will be able to sail down the Yangtze River and take over Jiangnan.

If we help him build a navy today, it may become a major threat to the Zheng family in the future. This precedent must not be set!

Zheng Zhifeng's mind worked quickly, and she made a decision in no time.

He didn't agree immediately, but easily steered the conversation away from the topic, shifting the focus to business interests:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. The key to a navy lies in its people and its ships."

"But this matter cannot be accomplished overnight; it requires careful consideration over a long period of time."

"Right now, let's talk about the trading ratio and transportation regulations for raw silk, Shu brocade, sulfur, and copper."

Upon seeing Zheng Zhifeng's reaction, Jiang Han immediately understood what he meant.

It is indeed too early to discuss these matters now, given that the two sides have only just made contact.

He didn't insist further, and instead nodded in agreement, going along with the topic:

"In that case, let's first discuss the details of the transaction."

"We'll discuss the naval matter another day."

After a period of negotiation, the two parties finally reached a preliminary agreement:
The Zheng family obtained a special license to trade in Sichuan and had priority in purchasing local specialties such as Shu brocade, raw silk, and precious medicinal herbs.

Jiang Han, on the other hand, could purchase some overseas specialties and military supplies through the Zheng family's channels.

As for the proposal to assist in establishing a navy, it remains only at the level of a vague verbal intention, and will be discussed further when the relationship between the two sides becomes closer in the future.

(End of this chapter)