The purpose of the Crown Prince's special trip to Japan is very simple. To put it bluntly, it is to show the world that the Japanese Islands will be an important part of the tribute circle. The Ming Dynasty is committed to maintaining an orderly, stable economic, political, and military circle with China as the core. .
Just like inspecting the territory and declaring sovereignty, the crown prince will first stay in Nagasaki Nobusuji for two days to inspect the local situation, and then fly to Tokyo and stay there for three days.
If we include the rest days along the way, we will finally return to China and Beijing on July 20th.
"Your Highness, the plane is descending. Your ears may be a little swollen."
Zhu Lizhen took a nap during this period and looked sideways out of the window.
At this time, the plane had passed through the clouds, and the green land below was clearly visible.
Aim for the runway and slow down for the approach!
The propellers and tires kicked up the dust on the runway. The plane slowed down slowly on the runway and finally stopped steadily.
In this way, Zhu Lizheng, who was unprecedented and represented both the emperor's will and the court's determination, set foot on the Japanese Islands.
What an important symbolic and historic day this is? The reporters present have been waiting for a long time, and cameras and cameras are facing the only way.
The image of the Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty stepping off the plane through the gangway was frozen. Almost as soon as the first photo was taken, newspaper staff started running out with the film in hand.
People from the Los Angeles Times and Le Figaro were the fastest runners, almost in no particular order. They rushed into their newspapers’ mobile fax trucks and began developing the film quickly.
This is a medium-sized box truck equipped with a darkroom for developing film and equipment for scanning photos.
After about half an hour of operation, the photos were developed, and the mobile fax truck also drove to the nearby wired telegraph pole. The operator connected the wires to the on-board equipment, and the scanner immediately began to scan the photos in circles.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to get there, and the photos were decomposed into image signals, which were then transmitted to Los Angeles on the other side of the ocean via submarine cables laid on the sea floor and across the entire Pacific Ocean.
There, the newspaper staff quickly received the signal and restored it to the image - it was a passenger plane with the dragon pattern that symbolizes the royal family. At the cabin door, a well-proportioned figure was steadily walking down the gangway with his head held high.
Timeliness is what newspapers pursue most.
After racking their brains in gimmicks with text headlines but failing to gain an advantage, some newspapers began to find other ways to overtake them in a corner.
For example...photos.
We are also reporting an important news. Your newspaper has only text on the front page, but I have photos of the scene. Who will be more popular?
So a few years ago, this technology for remote image transmission was officially put into use.
In this day and age, such technology is a bit unbelievable and can be called science fiction.
While newspapers around the world were working tirelessly and overtime to print newspapers with the headline "Chinese Crown Prince Arrives in Japan", Zhou Changfeng's family was having dinner happily.
It was getting late after signing the contract, and because the conversation was so exciting, Xia Xiaoshi asked Lin Xi to stay for dinner before leaving, and even wanted to keep her overnight.
"Sir, it's getting late. Rather than letting my little girl go to the inn alone, why not let her stay overnight? Our west wing is empty anyway."
The west wing has two rooms, north and south, one of which is a guest room, used to entertain visiting guests.
"You can eat, but you can't stay overnight. Don't forget the rules." Zhou Changfeng refused directly.
In fact, Xia Xiaoshi didn't expect him to refuse outright at first, so she was stunned for a moment before she realized what was wrong with it.
Well, it would be inappropriate for Lin Xi, a foreigner, to stay overnight at his home before the foreign police department examines her.
Dinner is relatively simple and unpretentious.
In addition to fried eggs with leeks and fried shredded pork with fungus, there is also a grass carp that Zhou Changfeng and Xia Bing caught from Mochou Lake last night. It weighs two and a half pounds. It is stewed with tender white tofu to make a fragrant grass carp. Stewed tofu.
"How is it? Are you used to it?" Xia Xiaoshi asked with a smile, "Isn't your food very different from ours?"
That's natural. There are still big differences between Hakka cuisine and the cuisines of the Central Plains and Jiangnan regions.
"Well, the dishes made by Madam are all good."
Zhou Changfeng had been observing Lin Xi consciously or unconsciously. He was a little surprised by the crispness and neatness of this little girl's movements.
Just... the behavior of ordinary people is generally relatively casual. Even if the family is very strict, their movements are just more regular and elegant. Unless you are from a martial arts family, how can you be so neat?
So he asked: "Xiaoxi, have you ever practiced martial arts? I think your behavior is quite crisp and neat."
Lin Xi, who was about to pick up the food, subconsciously took back his chopsticks when he heard this, then shook his head and replied: "No, I just received training as a sergeant."
Okay, I forgot about this.
Only then did Zhou Changfeng remember this matter.
The education system in Lanfang is very similar to that in the United States. There are four years of high school from ninth grade to twelfth grade. When entering the eleventh grade, you can voluntarily sign up for the National Defense Student Candidate Sergeant Training. In the next two years, you will have to participate in 40 trainings. A total of 960 hours are spent, and the rank of reserve corporal or sergeant is finally awarded based on the evaluation results.
"Why did you think of signing up for this at that time? Is it mandatory?" Xia Xiaoshi was a little curious.
"Well..." Lin Xi said hesitantly: "Because you can learn some skills without spending money, and dad said that with this (reserve sergeant status), if you are desperate in the future, you can still find a job in the military. "
Zhou Changfeng, who was secretly happy in his heart, asked: "What kind of sergeant did you apply for?"
"Communication."
Due to the background of the times, wired and wireless communication technologies in the 1920s and 1930s developed rapidly and were no longer high-end. Telephones have entered the homes of ordinary people, and faxes and telegraphs are no longer out of reach, gradually becoming commonplace.
In view of the good market prospects, Lin Xi's father asked her to apply for the popular communications sergeant training. For this reason, she specially stuffed red envelopes to build connections before applying.
In this way, after high school, you can learn skills for free and have the status of a reserve sergeant, which is really beautiful.
But after working in the Telecommunications Department of Dongwanlu National Library No. 2 for a year, Lin Xi felt that such a life was too boring and resigned without permission.
"Can you use a gun?" Zhou Changfeng asked.
This little girl is thin and small, and her fighting training is useless.
"It will take a while. We have a self-defense weapons class."
"How much is one point? How many rings are there on a ten-meter target?"
"Seven shots (PPK), more than fifty rings... I remember it was fifty-two rings."
This result is not bad, not ideal for a male combatant, but Lin Xi is a female non-combatant, so it is not bad.
Hiring a nanny who cooks, washes, and cleans and also comes with a bodyguard? It’s simply not a good deal!
After dinner, Lin Xi said goodbye to Zhou and Xia and left. He found a nearby inn to stay at, and then went to the Foreign Investigation Factory to apply for review on his own initiative early the next morning.
This matter was originally very small, just an insignificant thing among the countless large and small matters that the outsourcing factory dealt with every day. However, because it involved a high-ranking naval officer, the staff who handled the matter reported it according to regulations.
After registration and review in accordance with the standard procedure, a supervisor casually told Shen Yu during a casual chat - because he remembered that Shen Yu seemed to know this "famous" Zhou.
"...Don't tell me, it's really effective and I'm more energetic. I'm just wondering, why do you drink tea but it doesn't work, and coffee doesn't work, but I'm just the opposite?"
"Who knows, anyway, I won't be able to bear the pain if I drink that bitter stuff. I should be sleepy, so I'd better drink tea."
During lunch, several officials from the outside factory were chatting. At this time, someone said to Shen Yu, who was drinking soup: "Zihao, let me tell you, my subordinates encountered something this morning. A woman from Lanfang came to be investigated on her own initiative because she wanted to work as a maid in someone else's house."
Shen Yu, who felt baffled, glanced at him and complained: "Then what? There is no beginning or end."
"You should know the family she is going to. Zhou Changfeng is the one from the navy."
"Um?"
Shen Yu frowned when he heard this, and immediately asked alertly: "What? Is there something strange about that woman?"
"That's not true. There was nothing unusual during the routine check. Lao Li also took a look and said she was just an ordinary girl."
"That's great, the fine works that Lao Li has screened are no less than the bridges you have crossed."
Although he said so, Shen Yu was still very surprised - what did Zhou Changfeng do? Always doing something weird!
Not to mention the past, a military attache from Deshe came to visit some time ago, and now a reserve sergeant from Lanfang came to visit.
When looking for a maid for your sister-in-law, shouldn't you give priority to someone you are familiar with? No matter what, at least he has to be a local, right? I really don't understand what this guy is thinking.
Shen Yu complained a few words in his mind, and Zhou Changfeng, who was having a meeting in the No. 3 conference hall of the Ministry of War and Navy Department, couldn't help but sneeze.
"Oh!"
He touched his nose and thought that the temperature of the air conditioner here was set too low, but he obviously didn't feel cold.
There were more than twenty Ming naval officers sitting in the huge conference hall, ranging from majors to commodores...civilian majors, technical lieutenant colonels, staff colonels, etc.
As a Lieutenant Colonel of the Marine Corps, Zhou Changfeng should have been an inconspicuous member of the group. However, his deeds were so legendary that they had already spread among the army, navy and air force. He was so "famous" that it was difficult to keep a low profile.
"...After all, this is the first-level experimental model. It is my first time to preside over the design, so there are bound to be some omissions and inadequacies. If you have any opinions, please convey them in time. I hope that we can become more perfect in this aspect and strive for excellence." This is A designer from Jiangzhe Shipbuilding Group was speaking. He presided over the design of the Ming Dynasty first-class frigate.
"...In short, for such a brand-new ship type, it is necessary to be clear about how to use it, so that the regular fleet destroyers can be completely liberated from the heavy escort missions, and the power of the front-line main fleet can be increased in disguise." This is a speech by a staff colonel of the Nanyang Fleet. He is describing his analysis of protecting maritime supply lines in the future.
When Zhou Changfeng had just joined the Navy and was still taking extra classes in the training class, he once talked to Yan Chenwu about the "frigate" type of light warship.
The latter's uncle, Yan Zhong, is the chief officer of the First Battle Fleet of the Eastern Fleet, so his words naturally carry considerable weight.
Under many driving forces, the Ming Navy officially established the project of "small warships that are low-cost to build, do not need to be too fast, and are mainly used to accompany anti-submarine escorts of transport fleets."
A design team from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Shipbuilding Industry Group designed a "trial-production Type A light frigate" based on the mature Guangning-class cargo ship.
The Quang Ninh-class cargo ship is a type of civilian ship born in the early 1930s. It has an unladen displacement of more than 900 tons. There is great demand among the people. In just seven years, more than 100 ships have been built one after another. Shipyards have modified them in various ways. Fishing, hauling, salvaging and more.
Because the Navy requires "low construction costs," using such a mature cargo ship as the basis can save resources to a great extent. Those small and medium-sized shipyards can quickly switch to production proficiently, and can also use some original accessories.
The "Trial Type A Frigate" has a standard displacement of 1,030 tons, a full-load displacement of 1,250 tons, a length of about 68 meters, a width of about 9.5 meters, and a crew of 114. The power configuration was originally planned to install a 4,000-horsepower marine diesel engine, which can reach 18 The maximum speed is knots, and the maximum range is 5,000 nautical miles at cruising speed.
You can also choose to use the old-fashioned water tube boiler and triple expansion steam engine with a large inventory, which can output 2,500 horsepower, the maximum speed is reduced to 16 knots, and the range is also reduced to 3,200 nautical miles.
The weapon configuration is two 112mm naval guns. This is considered an ancestral thing of the Ming Dynasty Navy and has been used almost thirty years ago. It adopts a front-to-back layout, a semi-open gun mount, and no turret.
There are also two single-mounted 20.8mm anti-aircraft guns, two twin-mounted 12.8mm anti-aircraft machine guns, and three 7.36mm heavy machine guns. There are two depth charge delivery tracks at the stern of the ship, and there are one depth charge ejector at the left rear and right rear. The ship is equipped with a total of 60 depth charges.
In fact, Zhou Changfeng has never understood why the Japanese anti-submarine escort efficiency was so low during the war in history. Not only was the pre-war construction biased, but there was also a lack of effective remedial measures during the war.
Is it because of the characteristics of the Japanese war situation since ancient times that they naturally lack the concept of "protecting food routes during war"?
There was neither an effective anti-submarine escort force nor sufficient merchant ship reserves. There were very few cargo ships built during the war. After a large number of merchant ships were sunk by US submarines, the embarrassed Japanese were in a dilemma.
Looking back at the Ming Navy in front of us, it attaches as much importance to protecting maritime supply lines as it does to studying fleet decisive battles, and it can even be said to be even more important.
In particular, the dozen or so submarines deployed by the Americans in Wakayama and Ishikawa counties have always been a thorn in the side of the Ming Navy. They even had several detailed plans to destroy these submarines as much as possible at the beginning of the war.
"... As for this type of special support ship, it is purely prepared to provide strong support for the landing troops. The power of the multiple rocket launchers... is earth-shattering. Huh? Where are Zhou Changfeng and Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Changfeng?"
(End of chapter)
