Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The glory of the navy is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey.

In the summer of the tenth year of Xuanji, with the national treasury full and naval affairs thriving, Xiao Chen convened an "Expanded Conference on Maritime Frontier Management" in Jinling, with the participation of the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Maritime Affairs Department, and the Academy of Sciences.

The core topic of the meeting was singular: how to promote Daxia's marine endeavors to a broader and deeper level.

"Liaoluo Bay, Taiwan, Luzon, Penang... these are all the foundations I have laid for the empire's maritime endeavors."

At the meeting, Xiao Chen pointed to the enormous nautical chart, his voice steady and powerful, "The foundation has been laid. The next step is to build a towering edifice! What I want is not a Great Xia navy confined to coastal waters and reliant on a few capable generals, but a truly powerful maritime nation with a sound system, leading technology, a wealth of talent, and a presence across the world!"

A series of unprecedented plans and initiatives were quickly formulated and implemented following this meeting.

I. Expand the shipyard to build a stronger fleet.

Longjiang Shipyard, the cradle of the Imperial Navy, is undergoing another large-scale expansion.

The number of docks doubled, and more advanced steam-powered auxiliary equipment was introduced.

Meanwhile, branch factories of Longjiang Shipyard were established in Tianjin and Guangzhou to share the construction tasks by utilizing timber from the north and ironwood from the south, and to facilitate the direct addition of newly built warships to the North Sea and South Sea Fleets.

Based on the combat experience gained from the Qinglong-class warships, designers from the Academy of Sciences and Longjiang Shipyard began designing a new generation of larger three-masted gunboats.

This new type of warship is expected to have a displacement of over 800 tons, carry more than 40 guns, and adopt a more optimized hull shape and sails, combining speed, firepower and endurance.

Its design goal is to enable it to perform a variety of tasks, such as ocean patrols, fleet battles, and shore bombardment, and to become the backbone of the Imperial Navy in the future.

On the blueprints, this warship, temporarily named "Mingbo-class," has smooth and powerful lines, resembling a giant steel whale about to leap off the paper.

Second, establish military academies to train professional officers.

The lack of talent is a bottleneck restricting the long-term development of the navy.

Therefore, Xiao Chen issued an order to establish the Great Xia Royal Naval Academy on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen.

The first dean of the academy was concurrently held by Zheng Zhilong, the Duke of Jingguo, while the actual teaching affairs were handled by Xu Guangqi, who was proficient in mathematics, astronomy, and navigation, and several experienced Western captains and retired naval officers.

The college recruits students nationwide, without being bound by any background. As long as you pass the rigorous written and physical fitness tests, you can be admitted.

The program is designed to last three years, and the curriculum covers navigation, astronomical observation, artillery, battle formations, shipbuilding principles, chart drawing, flag signaling, Spanish, as well as naval regulations and manuals.

After graduation, the trainees will be awarded the rank of naval ensign and assigned to various ships for internships. Outstanding trainees will be given priority for promotion.

The establishment of this academy marks a shift in the training of naval personnel in the Great Xia Navy from an experience-based model of passing down knowledge from master to apprentice to a systematic and scientific model of institutional education, injecting the most fundamental impetus into the sustainable development of the Navy.

III. Expand shipping routes and draw imperial nautical charts.

Zheng Zhilong was ordered to select elite ships from the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet to form multiple ocean exploration and patrol formations.

A fleet sailed north to patrol the Ryukyu Islands and arrived outside Nagasaki Port in Japan, demonstrating the presence of the Great Xia in the East China Sea and making initial contact with the Japanese shogunate on trade issues.

A fleet cruised along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, visited Seoul, the capital of North Korea, reaffirmed the tributary relationship between the two countries, and surveyed shipping routes in the Yellow Sea.

A fleet, based in Weiyuan Town, Penang, continued its westward exploration, rounded the Strait of Malacca, entered the Bay of Bengal, established preliminary contacts with various princely states and Portuguese outposts along the east coast of India, and mapped the islands and waterways along the way.

Another small expedition team, aboard a modified, fast sailboat, attempted to explore eastward, searching for islands further east of the legendary "Land of the Rising Sun"...

Each patrol brings back a wealth of hydrological, meteorological, and local cultural data.

These valuable firsthand information were gathered at the Royal Academy of Sciences, where Xu Guangqi presided over the compilation of an unprecedented, detailed, and accurate map of the Great Xia's coastal borders, with the participation of numerous cartographers and scholars.

This giant map not only covers the traditional sea areas from the North Sea to the South China Sea, but also clearly marks the newly discovered eastern coast of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, the area around Luzon, the Strait of Malacca, and even the islands and waterways in the eastern Indian Ocean.

On the map, every newly marked island, reef, and port embodies the sweat, wisdom, and even lives of the officers and soldiers of the Great Xia Navy.

The creation of the "Complete Map of the Maritime Frontiers of the Great Xia Dynasty" was not only a scientific achievement, but also a declaration of sovereignty.

It tells the world that the Great Xia Empire not only visited and observed these sea areas, but also incorporated them into its knowledge and jurisdiction.

Spring came exceptionally early in the eleventh year of Xuanji.

The Taiwan Strait is a vast expanse of blue water.

An unprecedentedly large fleet is slowly sailing through this sea area that has witnessed countless historical events.

At the center of the fleet were four newly launched "Mingbo-class" three-masted gunboats. They were like giants of the sea, with larger hulls, denser gun positions, and more complex sails. At the top of the masts, huge dragon flags fluttered in the sea breeze.

Surrounding them were dozens of "Azure Dragon"-class and improved warships, as well as many more auxiliary vessels and transport ships. The masts and sails formed a forest, stretching for miles, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight.

This was a joint ocean-going exercise and deterrence patrol by the Royal Navy of Great Britain.

The fleet will first arrive in Dongning to inspect the local garrison and defenses, and then continue south, passing through Luzon and Penang, all the way to the Strait of Malacca, displaying its strength along the way and exchanging views with various countries and forces.

The "Azure Dragon" has been decommissioned and converted into a training ship. Its successor, the flagship of this massive fleet, is a Mingbo-class behemoth named the "Azure Sea".

At this moment, Duke Jingguo and Navy Marshal Zheng Zhilong was standing on the three-story stern deck of the "Bihai" ship, holding onto the railing and gazing at the boundless blue sea in front of him.

The sea breeze ruffled his graying temples and the purple python robe he wore.

His gaze was profound, as if piercing through time, revealing a glimpse of himself from many years ago—the young pirate who braved the storms in a small boat, desperate for survival; the middle-aged admiral who, in Liaoluo Bay, commanded a new warship for the first time, sending the arrogant Dutch to the bottom of the sea with a broadside volley; the commander of the Eastern Expedition who watched the Dutch governor bow his head and sign the surrender document beneath Fort Zeelandia; the Marquis of Jinghai who, in Manila Bay, used cannon fire to seek justice for his tragically killed compatriots…

In just a few years, everything has changed dramatically.

Behind them was this powerful fleet, capable of dominating any opponent.

Hundreds of warships cleaved through the waves, their dragon banners obscuring the sun.

From the predicament of Japanese pirate raids and weak coastal defenses to the formidable military prowess of controlling East Asian seas and dominating the South Seas, the Great Xia Empire achieved this in less than ten years.

And he, Zheng Zhilong, went from being a "pirate" in the eyes of the court to one of the founders of the imperial navy, rising to the highest ranks of officialdom, and being granted the titles of Duke and Commander-in-Chief.

All of this, so dreamlike and surreal, sometimes made him feel as if it were unreal even in the dead of night.

"My lord, what are you thinking about?" Deputy General Gan Hui walked over and asked in a low voice.

He was already in full military uniform, wearing the newly awarded "Pacifying the Seas" medal on his chest.

Zheng Zhilong did not turn around, but slowly said, "I was thinking... His Majesty once said that this is only the beginning."

"Start?" Gan Hui was taken aback.

"Yes, let's begin."

Zheng Zhilong's gaze turned to the more distant west, towards the Strait of Malacca, the gateway to a wider ocean. "We have quelled the Japanese pirates, defeated the Dutch and Portuguese, recovered Taiwan, established a foothold in Southeast Asia, and have a powerful fleet and our own military academy... But what Your Majesty desires is far more than this."

He turned to look at Gan Hui, his eyes flashing with a sharpness beyond his years: "Have you read Zheng He's biography?"

Gan Hui nodded: "I know a little about it. When Eunuch Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, his treasure ships were as numerous as mountains, and his power shook the four seas. It was the most glorious page in the history of Chinese navigation."

"The most glorious page, and also the page of regret."

Zheng Zhilong sighed softly, "After Zheng He, navigation ceased, the blueprints for the treasure ships were destroyed, and the maritime borders became unstable, leading to rampant Japanese pirates and the invasion of Western barbarians... The lessons of the past should guide the future. Your Majesty often says that if we forget the ocean, we will lose the ocean. What we are doing now is simply making up for the regrets left by our predecessors and picking up what we once had."

"Then... what Your Majesty meant by 'beginning' is...?" Gan Hui seemed to understand something.

Zheng Zhilong's gaze once again turned to the distant West, his voice low and firm: "The Western Ocean. Zheng He's unfinished voyages. Those more distant lands, those wider oceans... His Majesty said that there lies the knowledge we need, the friends we need, and perhaps also challenges we are yet to encounter."

He paused, as if savoring the weight of his words: "He said that the dragon flag of Great Xia should not only fly in the South Seas. One day, it will appear in the Indian Ocean, in the Persian Gulf, in Arabia, and even... farther away."

"And we," Zheng Zhilong patted the sturdy hull of the "Azure Sea," "are the pioneers who will explore that unknown sea for His Majesty and for the Empire."

The sea breeze howls, and the dragon flag flutters in the wind.

The massive fleet, carrying the glory and dreams of the empire, continued its steadfast voyage southward, towards that boundless blue expanse of possibility.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Jinling, inside the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City, Xiao Chen stood alone before the enormous "Complete Map of the Great Xia Coastline".

On the map, from Liaodong to Qiongzhou, from Japan to Malacca, countless markings, lines, and symbols form an unprecedented outline of an empire with the ocean as its core.

His fingers gently traced across Taiwan, across Luzon, across Penang, and finally stopped on that blank area marked "Western," which was even wider than the Strait of Malacca.

There lie unknown continents, ancient civilizations, sea routes waiting to be explored, and hidden challenges and opportunities.

"This is just the beginning," Xiao Chen murmured to himself, his eyes shining with a light more dazzling than the stars.

He seemed to hear a call from the depths of the blue sea, a magnificent echo belonging to a great era.

A mighty whale has broken through the waves. The empire's journey leads to the stars and the sea.