"Pingguo Gong!"
King Sang Sixian of the Ryukyu Kingdom came forward with a respectful expression.
In just a few months, the Ryukyu Kingdom not only built a huge Tamsui Port with the help of Datang, but Shang Sixian also firmly controlled the domestic power.
In the past, the petty thoughts of the powerful officials in the country were all put aside after they learned that Shang Sixian and Duke Ping of the Tang Dynasty had good personal trainers.
It can be said that Shang Sixian's thigh hug is completely normal.
Tang Ping looked at the newly built wharf in Tamsui Port with satisfaction. As long as he can deal with the Nanyang Kingdom's Wei navy this time, Tamsui Port will be the choke point between the Central Plains and Nanyang.
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If you control this place, you can control this route.
At that time, ships traveling from north to south can transit and dock here.
"??????????????? How are our supplies prepared?"
"Don't worry, Lord Ping, there are more than enough supplies!"
Tang Ping began to blockade this sea area. East Vietnamese merchants complained about being blocked from going south to Nanyang, but Tang Ping immediately sent them a big order.
These merchant ships were used to transport supplies to Ryukyu, mainly coal.
You must know that among the dozen or so main warships in Tang Ping's East China Sea Fleet, they are not driven by wind power but by coal-burning steam engines.
To deal with the Wei navy at sea, sufficient power is essential.
Zhen Xiong took away almost all of East Vietnam's navy, but East Vietnam, as a country that relies on maritime trade, still left a large number of merchant ships. Now many of these merchant ships have joined Datang's supply lines.
"Then we will repair for three days. After three days, we will set off!"
"Mr. Ping Guo, is there anything we, the Ryukyu Kingdom, can do?" Although the country is small and the people are few, Shang Sixian still has to express his attitude.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. If possible, please prepare some good wine and food for our triumphant return!"
"It's your job!"
…
Three days later, countless citizens of the Ryukyu Kingdom came to Tamsui Port to see off the Tang Dynasty's East China Sea Fleet as they left.
Now they also know that both countries are prosperous.
They are helping Datang. If Datang wins, the benefits will be endless in the future.
But if Wei wins, he may be liquidated immediately.
The Taihao ship took the lead, its whistle made a dull whine, and black smoke billowed out of the large chimney on the top of the ship and began to accelerate.
"Do you think this is really a warship?" Some Ryukyu citizens were the first to see the Taihao ship launched.
"This only looks like a warship, but it's actually a giant beast!" Another Ryukyu citizen next to him said with a proud face: "A few days ago, I was able to apply as a porter and help deliver water and food to the ship. You guys Do you know what I found?"
The people around him heard that he had actually been on the Taihao ship, and they all gathered around him with envy.
"Stop being so pretentious and tell me, what did you find?"
"I discovered..." The man looked around at the people around him and then said slowly: "That Taihao ship is made of steel!"
"What?"
"How can it be?"
"Absolutely impossible!"
A group of people shook their heads: "Who doesn't know that steel sinks when it enters the water? How can it be used to build big ships?"
"Really!" The man saw that the people around him didn't believe it and felt that he was lying. He was a little anxious: "When I was picking things up that day, I saw with my own eyes a weighing weight falling on the deck of the ship, making a huge sound. The sound of gold and iron.”
"Then I heard the sailors on the Taihao ship saying that the Taihao ship was made of steel and was invulnerable. I secretly went over and took a look. The spot hit by the scale was just this big. The mark of the White Teeth. If it were made of wood, No matter how good the wood is, it will definitely be a small hole."
"This is true, I was also on the boat that day." Someone nearby testified.
So a group of Ryukyu citizens marveled at the uncanny craftsmanship of the Tang warships, and became more confident in this battle.
This confidence is even greater than that of Tang Ping.
"This battle is not easy to fight!" On the bridge of the Taihao ship, Tang Ping looked at the endless sea ahead.
Qian Laosan and Luo Siye nodded on the side. They are the two people with the most experience in naval battles in the East China Sea Fleet of the Tang Dynasty.
Based on the initial intelligence, Datang's East China Sea Fleet had a good chance of winning. However, due to incorrect intelligence, and if the secret fleet of the Wei Navy was added later, the balance of victory began to tilt towards the side of Wei.
Tang Ping also wanted to win this victory with minimal losses. He wanted to bring back all the young sailors brought from Datang.
"Ping Guogong, Donghai No. 1 and No. 2 ships have moved forward to conduct reconnaissance from east to west. Although we have a small number of ships, our maneuverability and firepower far exceed those of the Wei navy. As long as we are not overwhelmed by a sufficient number of Wei ships, If the navy surrounds us, we can drag Wei to death even if we drag him!"
"Lao San is right!" Fourth Master Luo nodded: "In terms of head-on fighting, Lao San and I were able to swarm up and bully those merchant ships in the past. But when it comes to fighting while running, hey, that's our strength. "
Tang Ping nodded: "When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy is stationed, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue!"
Qian Laosan and Luo Siye's eyes lit up and they said respectfully: "Gong Ping's words are very kind. They are really... they are..."
The two of them were originally going to flatter each other in a polite way, but they couldn't hold back the words anymore.
"Okay, okay!" Tang Ping waved his hand. The two old pirates always wanted to behave politely after becoming navy generals, but in the end they couldn't imitate them no matter what. It's better not to worry about it?????????? ??????It’s hard for them.
Moreover, this sixteen-character mantra was not proposed by Tang Ping, but was summarized by Taizu back then. On this vast sea, it is suitable for dealing with the large number of Wei navy.
"There's a signal, there's a signal!"
The lookout's voice came from the intercom. Everyone looked at the sky and found two flares emitting black smoke in the sky to the west and east.
This was the signal agreed upon at that time. One signal flare meant that there were fewer enemy ships, and two signal flares meant that there were more enemy ships.
The presence of a large number of enemy ships on the east and west sides at the same time means that the main force of the Wei navy is likely to arrive.
In fact, this is not surprising. Tang Ping wanted to settle the matter in one battle, and the Wei navy also wanted to complete its achievements in one battle.
They need to annihilate the Tang Dynasty navy and reopen the waterway from the Central Plains to Nanyang.
Only in this way will Sri Lanka change his attitude, and the waterways in the Central Plains and Southeast Asia will be in the hands of the Wei Dynasty, and those East Vietnamese merchants will begin to waver.
Businessmen pursue profit. When they find that only Wei can bring them more benefits, they will turn to Wei.
Although East Vietnam surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, the domestic wealthy merchants were extremely powerful. If these wealthy merchants turned to the Wei Dynasty, they would cause instability in the situation in East Vietnam.
The more chaotic the Tang Dynasty was, the safer the Wei Dynasty in Nanyang was.
Therefore, after Zhen Xiong received Zhen Youqian's reward, he directly took charge of the expedition and mobilized the whole country to come to Ryukyu.
He believed that as long as he was at sea, Wei would be invincible!
