The Ming Dynasty: A Modern Return, Building an Overseas Empire

Chapter 112 Zhu Gaoxu's Choice: I'm Not Willing to Give Up Without Trying! (Please Subscribe)

Zhu Gaoxu sat in the chair with his eyes closed and his brows slightly furrowed.

He kept weighing the pros and cons in his mind, constantly deducing and reviewing the situation, wondering if he could withstand the pressure from Zhu Di and the Ming Dynasty at that time.

At that time, his strength will definitely increase as well.

But at that time, did he really have the ability to protect himself in the face of the Ming Dynasty?

Now, all of his fiefdoms are islands, and it can be said that they are surrounded by the sea.

Zhu Gaoxu kept thinking that the Ming Dynasty wanted to put pressure on him, and there were only two ways.

The hard one is military pressure.

As long as they can withstand the Ming Dynasty's navy, especially the elite fleet led by Zheng He, as well as the Ming Dynasty's vassal states abroad, they will also cooperate with the Ming Dynasty to put pressure on him under Zhu Di's edict.

At that time, he was not only facing the Ming Dynasty, but also countless small countries in the surrounding area.

The softer approach was that Zhu Di summoned him back to the Ming Dynasty, not wanting him to continue living outside.

At the same time, his economy was completely blocked, and trade channels between the Ming Dynasty and its vassal states were cut off, so that the Ming Dynasty's food and supplies could not get out.

And the surrounding vassal states, under pressure from the Ming Dynasty, will even follow in the footsteps of the Ming Dynasty and impose comprehensive economic blockades on it.

Under that kind of pressure, will he be able to withstand it? Will he be able to maintain efficient development within his own territory while achieving self-sufficiency?

Zhu Gaoxu thought for a long time, then suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"I almost forgot, Japan!"

Zhu Gaoxu was genuinely frightened. He had considered many possibilities, but he had forgotten one crucial point: Japan. He had not yet completely resolved the issue.

If he hadn't completely destroyed Japan and turned it into his own domain during this period, the people there would definitely have allied with the Ming Dynasty.

If the Ming Dynasty were to exert military pressure, Zhu Di would certainly be happy to use this to put even more pressure on him.

In this way, the Ming army can land on the island with the help of Japan!

That would turn Japan into the entire battlefield, and if he still wanted to develop, he was just dreaming.

Even if he destroys Japan, his domain has a huge and long coastline. Could he defend it?

How many naval forces or ships would he need to wage a naval war on at least three fronts simultaneously?

For a moment, Zhu Gaoxu fell silent.

He knew that the probability of holding on was extremely low.

Zhu Gaochi knew very well how many warships the Ming Dynasty had, and that the Ming Dynasty was still building ships, so there would only be more at that time.

Unless, of course, his warships, cannons, and muskets have an absolute advantage over the Ming army, and their numbers are not significantly fewer than those of the Ming army.

Even so, it's still not enough.

Because at that time, he was facing not only the Ming Dynasty, but also the power of many small countries.

One or two small countries may not matter, but what about a dozen or twenty? Or dozens?

Quantitative changes can also lead to qualitative changes.

"Did I make the wrong choice in the first place? Should I not have come out of retirement? Should I have fought for that position in the Ming Dynasty?"

At this moment, Zhu Gaoxu was even doubting whether he had chosen the wrong path and had been too simplistic in his thinking.

The Ming Dynasty is the most powerful country in the world today, with the largest territory, abundant resources, mature development, and a mature system.

Only by understanding the Ming Dynasty can one know how terrifying it is today.

Zhu Gaoxu was extremely unwilling, even though he knew the road ahead would be difficult, he just couldn't accept it.

In my past life, I didn't think so much about it, and that's how it ended. Does that mean nothing can be changed now?

Zhu Gaoxu clenched his fists, his breathing became heavy, and his chest began to heave violently.

"I won't be satisfied if I don't give it a try!"

Zhu Gaoxu closed his eyes again, pondering whether a slow and gradual approach would work.

But soon, Zhu Gaoxu began to doubt himself.

If development hadn't accelerated, he probably wouldn't have even taken that first step into Southeast Asia before he died.

He really didn't want to miss the best opportunity to acquire land in the Americas, South Asia, the Middle East, and especially the Americas.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Zhu Gaoxu pondered how he could further enhance his strength to its peak at that time.

Since the problem has arisen, let's solve it and overcome the difficulties.

After pondering for a long time, Zhu Gaoxu slowly opened his eyes.

"Someone come here immediately! Summon the chiefs of the Shipping Bureau, Ironworks Bureau, and Firearms Bureau!"

Zhu Gaoxu ultimately wanted to give it a try; he wouldn't be satisfied if he didn't!

How will you know if it will work if you don't try?

At worst, we can have a war of attrition with the Ming Dynasty ahead of schedule.

If Zhu Di really did this to him, then no one could expect to have a good life.

If you lose, just pretend you never came. You can always start over.

If it is defended, the Ming Dynasty will be unable to contain its development.

Now, Zhu Gaoxu can only place his hopes on the things he has commissioned these few officials to build.

If we just focus on normal development, giving him another ten or twenty years would probably only pose some danger to the Ming Dynasty.

If he wants to advance ahead of schedule, he can only create what he learned in the modern world and find a new path.

Zhu Gaoxu remained silent, and Zhu Huan did not make a sound to disturb him either.

In fact, Zhu Huan was very confused. He was also wondering what Zhu Gaoxu was struggling with and hesitating about at this moment.

He already knew Zhu Gaoxu's attitude just now, which was that the Shimazu clan would be destroyed.

The idea of ​​destroying the Shimazu clan was beyond Zhu Huan's comprehension; he couldn't understand why it was worth such attention.

Zhu Huan soon had a guess: Zhu Gaoxu was probably thinking about more than just the Shimazu clan.

However, apart from the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Huan could not think of any other reason that could make Zhu Gaoxu so cautious and hesitant.

Even here, Zhu Huan was extremely puzzled.

What happened in the Ming Dynasty that could make Zhu Gaochi act like this?

In the end, Zhu Huan felt deeply ashamed and extremely dissatisfied with himself.

In fact, he has been working hard to learn and improve so that he can keep up with Zhu Gaoxu, offer advice and strategies to Zhu Gaoxu, and shoulder the heavy responsibilities he now bears.

But now it seems that Zhu Huan feels he has not only not made progress, but has actually regressed.

Back in the Ming Dynasty, he was able to guess many of Zhu Gaochi's thoughts.

Now, he has absolutely no idea what to expect.

Zhu Huan never imagined that, let alone him, even if you summoned all the outstanding people from past dynasties, they would not be able to keep up with Zhu Gaoxu's ideas.

There are some things that, before you have the necessary perspective, even someone with extraordinary wisdom is helpless.

Because no one could have imagined it.

Time passed slowly, and the Three Ministers arrived.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Get up.

"Maritime Affairs Bureau, how are the new seagoing vessels I ordered you to build coming along?"

Zhu Gaoxu's gaze first fell on the Director of the Shipbuilding Department. He remembered the shipbuilding technology very clearly back in the modern era.

It can be said that he remembered these military matters in great detail.

As a martial artist, I am genuinely interested in these aspects.

It can be said that Zhu Gaochi was very concerned about the technological development after the Ming Dynasty, even in his modern days.

"Reporting to Your Highness, construction is already underway. The blueprints and techniques Your Highness provided are very detailed, but there are still some problems during the construction process."

However, the shipping company has already conducted many tests as the prince suggested, and progress is not currently difficult.

The first batch of large ships has now entered the assembly stage.

The subsequent shipbuilding process has been completed, and the timber can be used to build three batches of ships.

However, due to space limitations, the event can only be started in batches.

The first batch consists of five ocean-going vessels, and it is expected that all will be completed by late spring or early summer next year.

Zhu Huan, listening from the side, was no longer surprised, but only felt admiration for Zhu Gaoxu.

In order to allocate manpower and necessary resources to the shipping company, he knew exactly what the newly built seagoing vessels would look like.

At first, he was quite shocked by Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu knew this stuff incredibly well, including the entire process and even the blueprints.

Even the Ming Dynasty didn't have this knowledge, yet Zhu Gaoxu knew it. Zhu Huan had been amazed more than once at how Zhu Gaoxu knew so much.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have doubted whether Zhu Gaoxu was truly a reincarnation of an immortal.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu showed no joy whatsoever; instead, he frowned.

Five ships in one batch is too inefficient!

This production capacity is lower than he expected.