Chapter 128 Looking to the future
"There has been a severe drought in northern Shaanxi for three years, and the imperial court has provided disaster relief several times, but the drought is still urgent. What my uncle did in Zhejiang is to open up a new path for himself?"
Chen Cao raised his eyebrows: "Sir, I said that I am a bit dull."
"My uncle built water conservancy, built workshops, and expanded the academy. This Nanjing Army Academy was not opened randomly. It is an old man with no talents. If he can teach students, it is also worthy of Uncle Meng."
To be honest, Chen Cao really didn't know how Hong Yingming came. He even wanted to send someone to check after today's conversation: "Did you see any mystery, sir?"
"The Guigu sect hides in prosperity and emerges in troubled times. It is said that Yue Wumu also learned from the Guigu sect."
"It's a pity that he didn't meet Mingjun." Chen Cao added inappropriately.
The confrontation between the two was interesting. Seeing this, Hong Yingming confirmed his thoughts and said: "Although there are many mountains in central Sichuan, the plains of Chengdu are not very rich. When farming in Sichuan, you never have to worry about water. Instead, you have to It is a pity that the water conservancy projects are completed during the rainy season, but it is a pity that the people in Sichuan are too lazy to cultivate wasteland;"
Hong Yingming looked at Chen Cao with great interest: "If my uncle's army arrives in Sichuan to cultivate and prepare wasteland, with the existing seed resources in my hands, there is basically no need to worry about food problems in Sichuan."
Hong Yingming's straightforward answer surprised Chen Cao: "After blocking the exits of Liuguan and Henan, we were trapped in Shu, and various resources were unable to enter. Sir, how will the army survive in the future?"
"The old man has lived in Shu for decades. There is no shortage of food, water, trees, silk, salt, and iron in Shu. It's just that the Shu Prince's Palace controls the entire Chengdu Prefecture. If we take over the Shu Prince's Palace, with my uncle's talents, I think he can Grand plans."
"Yes..." Chen Cao was extremely surprised. Although he was not from Sichuan in that world, he had learned from his junior high school textbook that Panzhihua, a big city in the southwest that produces iron and steel, was known as the 'Steel City'...
Seeing Chen Cao's expression of sudden realization, Hong Yingming added: "Although the six passes are closed, if uncle has the courage to open the passage between Shuzhong and Yunnan, even if he cannot get out of Chencang, he can cross Wumeng Mountain from Dongchuan Mansion. In Yunnan, in front of Wuding Prefecture is Kunming..."
Chen Cao leaned back and watched Hong Yingming silently with interest. It was not until Hong Yingming's old face turned a little red that he chuckled and said, "It seems that Mr. Hong knows my details."
"I have a lot of skills, so I can't afford to miss him."
"It makes sense," Chen Cao nodded repeatedly: "It's just that the Mu Mansion still exists in Yunnan."
"The Mu family is mediocre and the local guardsmen are corrupt. If my uncle wants to make a difference, he must find a safe place." Hong Yingming said firmly.
"As Mr. Yi said, which place in the Ming Dynasty is safe?" Chen Cao looked at him with an evil smile.
"They are from Sichuan, Qiongzhou Prefecture in Guangdong, Guanzhong, or Guangxi and Penghu."
"There are so many ways, but the only ones I think are useful are Shuzhong or Qiongzhou." Chen Cao sat up straight and handed over his hands: "Sir, you know my intentions, so why don't you tell me directly."
"I guessed it right. Uncle, do you want to compete in the world?"
"Hahaha..." Chen Cao raised his head and laughed, then stood up: "Sir, teach well in my college. When that day comes, you will be of great use."
Hahaha...
...
"Dongfan Island is mountainous, and those Folangji people are entrenched there. It's very difficult for me to use the land there to feed 50,000 people."
Chen Cao looked at the map of the Ming Dynasty on the shelf and shook his head repeatedly: "Qiongzhou Prefecture is also remote, but there are still many mountains. Apart from the port, it has no uses;
There are many chieftains in Guangxi, and I don't have the leisure to deal with those barbarians first. As for Guanzhong, it's a joke. Even if I get the place, I will be extremely poor. If I can't get supplies, I will have to wait for death. "
"Hey, Uncle, it's a dead end everywhere." Xin Zhao sighed.
Chen Cao shook his head and still pointed at the Japanese country: "Only here can we survive, and we can also survive in places like Gaizhouwei in Liaodong."
.
"The Emperor of Heaven carries the edict: Dingwu Bo Chen Cao...
Now, together with all the virtuous people, I should be rewarded and appointed as Wu Bo and Chen Cao as Fengtian Yiwei Xuanli Wuchen Ding Wuhou. I admire this..."
"I, Chen Cao, thank the Lord for your kindness..."
"Congratulations, Lord Marquis, on your promotion..."
"Congratulations, Lord Marquis, on your promotion..."
Today's Dingwuhou Mansion is very festive. Chen Cao is having a banquet for guests. After all the nobles have left, he talks to his confidants in the central hall.
"Forty million taels of silver bought a marquis. Everyone, do you think it's worth it or not?" Chen Cao looked at the people in the hall with a smile.
"I heard that Wei Liangqing was granted the title of Ning Guogong..." Sun Chuanting said.
Chen Cao laughed, and then said: "He has done great work in repairing the three main halls, so he can naturally be granted the title of Duke. I just provided them with money. After being beaten by His Majesty, I rewarded them with a marquis. It's just that You don’t know the inside story. After returning from the Liaodong War, His Majesty wanted to make me a marquis, but I refused.
They are also afraid that I will bite them back, so they beat them first and then give them benefits. I really don’t feel comfortable with this title..."
Forty million taels, that's twenty years' worth of taxes from the Ming Dynasty. To be honest, it's not worth it to use twenty years' worth of assets to buy a marquis who will be passed down for generations.
Everyone knows Chen Cao's suffering, but on this happy day, who dares to talk nonsense?
Chen Cao waved his hand and asked them all to go back. He went to the study alone, closed the door and thought about something.
Li Waner came to the door with a full belly and knocked on the door. After entering, she found that Chen Cao had fallen asleep. She touched his head with great affection and ordered the maid to serve him well.
When Chen Cao woke up after taking a nap, Li Waner was sitting opposite him and looking at him tenderly.
"What's wrong with Wan'er? It's so late and it's inconvenient to have a full stomach. Go back to your room and go to sleep."
"Husband, why don't we go to Liaodong?"
Chen Cao frowned and then shook his head: "Slavery is rampant. Now I can see clearly that people like me can only rely on themselves. Even if they rely on the emperor, they will be killed at any time. In our family, you and Mei My core skills are good. After I go to Japan, you must be careful. She and you are both pregnant. If something goes wrong, you must take our whole family to the academy. Nanjing Youwei will protect you. Qi Xianzong is Reliable people.”
Li Waner nodded, then walked to Chen Cao and embraced Chen Cao: "I am a husband for all my life. If that moment comes, even if I die, I must keep my home safe."
"Xian'er doesn't know about foreign affairs. Everything is left to you. Remember, you must be careful."
"I know..."
...
In July of the fourth year of Tianqi, after Chen Cao finished explaining all the matters, he took Zhang Chunyao and Chen Ruier on board the warship for the Japanese expedition.
Although it is difficult to go upstream, as long as you break through the huge wave, you will be greeted by the rising sun.
Chen Cao had long been accustomed to sea ships, but he felt sorry for Chen Rui'er. The first time she took a ship, she was so vomiting that she felt dizzy. If Chen Cao hadn't prepared mint and other refreshing drugs, Chen Rui'er might not have been able to survive it.
On the top deck of the flagship, Chen Cao was discussing countermeasures with Hideyori and his party. After all, it was an expedition, and these things had to be dealt with calmly.
"I heard that the Ryukyu Kingdom has been occupied by the Satsuma Domain?" Chen Cao held a bunch of freshly grilled sea fish in his hand.
How did Hideyori and others know this? They could only listen. Xin Zhao took out the information that the Kinyiwei had already investigated from the backpack he was traveling with: "In Shuri Castle, there is a leader of the Satsuma Domain stationed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. He was the one who invaded Ryukyu." Hirata Masunobu, the son of Hirata Masumune, the vice-general of Satsuma Domain, now has an army of 1,100 men."
Chen Cao tore off a piece of fish. The sea fish had a salty smell, and he couldn't eat it. He wolfed it down: "Ryukyu is close to Taiwan Island. Let's start from Nanjing and follow the waterway to Ryukyu. Not to mention there are many, let's attack Ryukyu first. , after conquering Ryukyu, it will serve as our transit point, so as to deter the Satsuma clan."
"Master Marquis, the Satsuma Domain has a large naval force..." Osamu Ono said.
With one word to wake up the man in his dream, Chen Cao thought of things too simply, and he immediately started to think about it: "Okay, if you don't tell me, I really forgot that after Zhao Xin captured Ryukyu, he asked their people to go back and report the news. , and then attract the Satsuma navy to go over and strive for total annihilation. By then, the Satsuma Domain will be like dirt on the ground for us to step on."
...
Ryukyu Kingdom, Nakayama Prefecture Shuri Castle
Because they were deeply influenced by Han culture, both Japan and Ryukyu always sought the architectural methods of the Tang Dynasty when building cities. Although they inherited the Tang style, they did not inherit the height of the city walls from the Tang Dynasty.
It is said to be a city, but the construction of the city wall is not as good as the lowest county wall in the Ming Dynasty. The city is 2.7 meters high, which is as high as the city wall in North Korea. The summer is much longer than the winter; Ryukyu dialect, according to research, is Fuzhou Min Mandarin. How specific is it? To be verified.
Although the palace of King Shangfeng was heavily guarded, as the garrison general Masanobu Hirata, it was just a charade. He could enter and leave whenever he wanted. When sexual desire came, he would enter the palace at any time to have sex. Insulting the palace maids or the royal family members, of course, Hirata Masunobu is still very humanitarian. Except for the queen of King Shangfeng, other female family members have difficulty escaping.
Wang Shizi Shangxian's thoughts were very simple. He had long wanted to send envoys to the Ming Kingdom to ask for help, or to find a group of dead soldiers to assassinate Hirata Zennobu.
"Your Majesty, there are only seventy people available for your right guard."
Shangxian stared at the Crown Prince's right-guard general whom he personally cultivated, and sighed: "There are too few. Pingtian has only a hundred people to enter the palace. Those Japanese pirates are fierce, so I'm afraid there won't be enough of them."
The right guard general said again: "If we can win over the left guard general, we might have a chance of winning."
Shangxian stared at the guard standing guard outside the door: "General Zuo Wei's father has defected to Pingtian. Do you think he will agree?"
The right guard turned his face sideways and said, "The captain of the Lingang guard is a student of Qian Zai. If we can convince him, we can add fifty more people."
Shangxian's hands trembled and he said: "Go and tell Zuogong Chengshilang that I will treat him to a banquet tonight."
"yes..."
