Han Du collected his thoughts and said to An Qing in a frustrated tone: "In a while, we may have to leave the capital for a while."
"Why?" An Qing and Han Du had only been married for a few years, and they had been spending less time together and more separation. Now that she was pregnant with Liujia, it was the time when she relied on Han Du the most, so she naturally didn't want him to leave.
Han Du hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell An Qing the reason, "Father is preparing to march north to Naha, and ordered us to transport grain and grass to Peiping."
After hearing that it was his father's will, An Qing had no choice but to accept the result. After a moment of pause, a smile appeared on his face and he said: "Consort, just go ahead. You are on an expedition, and I will keep your home safe for you."
Han Du hugged An Qing with a smile on his face and said comfortingly: "It's going to be hard on you, but don't worry, not all the food and grass can be transported to Peiping at once. We also have time in the middle, so we can come back and see you."
"Hmm~" An Qing moved his body to a more comfortable position, lying in Han Du's arms, enjoying the tenderness before the separation.
Since the discussion that night, the court began to move quietly.
Lao Zhu issued a decree to the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of War sent a messenger out of Beijing to convey the order.
The Royal Grain Industry of the Ming Dynasty also began to operate secretly. In the evening, the grain depot was brightly lit, and countless people came and went, making it difficult to tell whether they were storing grain or transporting grain.
The navy station and water stronghold were tightly guarded to prevent any eyes that wanted to see the situation clearly. It had long been crowded with grain-carrying boats. As soon as each boat was filled with grain, it would retreat to the back and let other empty boats to the side of the plank road in preparation for loading grain. The blessing boat filled with grain and fodder did not leave the water village, but floated on the water quietly waiting for orders.
That night, Han Du returned to Zhenhaihou Mansion as usual. After the curfew, Han Du changed into a marquis python robe.
An Qing waved away the maid, dressed Han Du up with his own hands, and looked at him with reluctant eyes.
"Don't worry, we will come back as quickly as possible as soon as the food and grass arrive."
Han Du couldn't bear it and comforted him with a forced smile.
An Qing did the same. He grinned, reached out from Han Du's neck and touched the silk of the python robe, and said with a decisive smile: "Go ahead."
Han Du nodded heavily, turned around and left the Hou Mansion without hesitation.
With Lao Zhu's will, he successfully left the Jinchuan Gate and went straight to the Navy's water village.
Han Du came to the water village and showed his military talisman. As soon as he entered the door, he was greeted by a group of generals.
The leader was the first to kneel down and say, "General Tang Ding, please pay homage to the Marquis of Zhenhai."
"All generals will be exempted from the courtesy."
After everyone got up, Han Du took the initiative to hold Tang Ding's arm with a smile, and said with a smile as he walked: "I didn't expect Brother Tang to be here. I feel relieved that Brother Tang is here."
"My father asked us to follow you and learn more." Tang Ding was also very happy to see Han Du again.
Although Han Du is now a Marquis and the commander of the navy, he still treats Tang Ding as before, without the slightest trace of vitality. This moved Tang Ding greatly.
Han Du only heard what Tang Ding said and knew what was going on. The Ming Dynasty Navy was originally led by Tang He, but Lao Zhu did not pay attention to the Navy in the past. Therefore, Tang He never thought about letting Tang Ding take the path of becoming a navy master.
This can be seen from the fact that Tang He did not bring Tang Ding into the Navy, but instead put him into the Fifth Army for training.
But things are different now. The navy has not only opened up the entire Southeast Asia, but will also soon be responsible for shipping between the north and the south. Tang He could see clearly that as long as Han Du safely transported grain and grass to Peiping this time, the navy would probably snatch away the cargo transportation between the north and the south in the future. Water transportation will probably decline as a result.
At that time, the navy headed south to maintain the stability of the entire Southeast Asia. The nineteen governor-general offices in Nanyang all rely on the navy to support them. Each governor-general must donate millions of coins to the emperor every year. No one will give up such a huge benefit easily.
Moreover, the overseas trade that is now in full swing can only become so prosperous because of the navy's elimination of pirates. The maritime trade tax that the Shipping Department has received so far has reached several million dollars. If there was no navy, how could so much wealth flow into the hands of the emperor?
It was precisely with such huge profits that the emperor could not wait to send troops to conquer Nahachu.
There is no way, the emperor is rich now!
If it had been three years ago, let alone the conquest of Naha, I am afraid that Naha would have taken the opportunity to plunder southward at that time. The emperor, who had just survived the drought and famine, might have had to hold his nose and endure it.
How to send troops to fight without money!
In the past two years, under the leadership of Han Du, the navy's status in the emperor's heart has skyrocketed. If it can be responsible for the transportation of grain and military supplies between the north and the south, it will be on an equal footing with the five armies.
Seeing that the navy has great potential in the future, Tang He naturally wants to put Tang Ding under Han Du. After Han Du retreats in the future, Tang Ding can take over the banner of the navy, which can be regarded as indirectly inheriting his father's legacy.
It would be better for Tang Ding to come to the Navy than to go to the Fifth Army. Although Tang He also has old generals in the Fifth Army, they can help Tang Ding. But there are too many people staring at the Five Armies, and the Ming Dynasty has more than just Tang and a Duke, there are also a lot of marquises and earls. Who doesn't want the glory of his family to continue for a long time? When you go to the Fifth Army, you have to compete with too many people.
But it is different in the Navy. There is currently only Han Du in the Navy, and the first commander of the Navy is Tang He, and the entire Navy is a subordinate of Tang He. Even if Tang Ding doesn't have to do anything in the navy, as long as he waits until Han Du retires, he can take over the banner of the navy. No one is qualified to compete with him.
Although Tang He's plan seems a bit utilitarian, it is also human nature. Why did he go through life and death all his life? Wasn't it just to bless his descendants? Now that we have the convenience of the navy, Tang He naturally has no reason to extrapolate.
Anyone who extrapolates at this time is either a saint or a fool!
"Brother Tang is out of town, what do you want to learn? When it comes to marching and fighting, we should learn from you." Han Du said to Tang Ding cordially.
Tang Ding was also happy that Han Du and he were still as cordial as before. He smiled and lowered his head and said, "Master Hou..."
"Huh? If Brother Tang said that, he would be out of touch." Han Du deliberately showed dissatisfaction on his face.
Tang Ding was also a sensible person, so he quickly changed his words and said, "It's our fault. I'll put some wine at Weiji Pavilion to apologize to Brother Han someday."
Weijilou is also a famous restaurant in Beijing, famous for its delicious food. Anyway, ordinary people have no chance to go in and taste it in their lifetime. Even if you are an official, there is a high probability that you will never have a chance to get in. Unless you meet a boss like Han Du, you will have a chance to get in and get what you want.
