Autumn is high in August. What is gratifying is that Han Dynasty has another great harvest. People in all states are happy to welcome the harvest. Even in the prosperous age of Kaibao, for the people of Guizhou, nothing is more worthwhile than a bumper harvest. happy. Even if you are in Tokyo, you can still smell the fragrance of rice spreading in the air, which means fullness and hope.
In Qionglin Garden, on the bank of Jinming Pond, Emperor Liu leaned on a bamboo joint and strolled slowly on the sparse and yellowed lawn. The scent of osmanthus permeating the air was particularly intoxicating. The autumn air was crisp and the lakeside scenery was really refreshing.
There are still more than a dozen warships parked in Jinming Pond. This is the navy stationed in Tokyo. Naturally, it is not as good as the giant ships in the Han Navy, but its level is not low. After all, in the Dahan Navy, all officers above the commander level are All promotions require training in the capital, and the training location is the Jinmingchi Navy. Although it is somewhat unreasonable, political considerations have led to such a rule.
The imperial court wanted to ensure control and influence over the navy, so Jinmingchi would naturally not have much of a training role. After all, the Han Dynasty's navy had completed its transformation from a river navy to a navy. Therefore, it was more important to conduct "political review" and Loyalty to the emperor and patriotic education.
Today's Han Dynasty navy is basically a self-contained system. The main ships are basically stationed in several major military ports in Henan, Jiangnan, Fujian, and Guangdong, including Goryeo, Liuqiu, and Annan, and are composed of seven large and small fleets.
Among them, there is also great autonomy in the recruitment, selection, training and training of officers and soldiers. In recent years, the development of the navy has always shown a high-spirited and upward trend. Even in the reform of the military system, it has not been greatly affected. Impact.
The navy is an offensive branch. The imperial court maintains such a large-scale professional navy not only to defend its territory. Although the Han Dynasty has thousands of miles of sea territory, there are almost no threats from the sea.
Therefore, the Han Dynasty's navy was actually prepared for expansion. Since the empire's land strategy changed to shrinking defense, Emperor Liu encouraged and cultivated the pioneering spirit for many years and placed it on the navy.
Looking at the development of the Han Dynasty Navy in the past twenty or thirty years, it has indeed lived up to his expectations, not to mention the important role it played in previous domestic wars involving water and naval battles. In the past ten years, it has , the rapid rise of overseas trade, and the vigorous development of the Maritime Silk Road. Behind these prosperity, the Han Navy is the most basic support and escort.
Today, in addition to those maritime merchants, the main force spreading the civilization and glory of the Han Dynasty to Southeast Asia is the naval base of the Han Dynasty. Three years ago, Guo Liangping, commander of the Annan Navy, came to the table to organize the army and conduct an ocean voyage. On the one hand, it was for voyage training, and on the other hand, it was to show the power of the Han Dynasty to overseas barbarians.
The Han Navy has developed for so many years and is constantly being updated. The older generation of heroes, such as Guo Tingwei and Zhang Yanwei, have long since retired.
"I Have a Picture Book of Ghosts and Gods"
Nowadays, those in charge of the navy are Haining Hou Liu Guangyi and Lin Renzhao. Haining Hou Liu Guangyi even has the title of deputy privy envoy, which is regarded as a sign of the improvement of the navy's status.
However, the children and disciples of the older generation of naval admirals still fill the large navy system. For example, the Guo family has dozens of people serving in commands and positions at all levels.
As the eldest son of Hai'an Marquis Guo Tingwei, Guo Liangping's future is naturally guaranteed. There are some objections in the court to his proposed ocean-going plan, especially the "Continental Army Faction" who are wary of the rise of the navy. They directly point out that it is a waste of people, money and futility. be opposed to.
However, Emperor Liu highly recognized Guo Liangping's suggestion and praised it greatly. If Emperor Liu approved it, then the resistance from below would not be a big problem.
After three months of preparation, with the support of the Central Committee, the ocean-going fleet was formed and set out from Cam Ranh Port in the Annan region. Emperor Liu personally named it: Henghai Fleet.
The formation of this cross-sea fleet was originally not intended to involve major wars, but during the formation process, a little more left and a little more were added to the right, and the scale suddenly increased.
Initially, according to Guo Liangping's plan, he only planned to dispatch the Annan Navy, with a dozen ships and two to three thousand men. However, after some deliberation with the Central Committee, they felt that it was too stingy, so the Privy Council ordered to mobilize warships, officers and soldiers from various military ports. Only fifty-two combat ships were mobilized, and the remaining auxiliary ships were also more than a hundred. Officers, soldiers and auxiliary personnel More than 20,000.
In addition, shipping companies in various cities along the coast also formed caravans, loaded with porcelain, silk, tea and other commodities from the Han Dynasty. After hearing the news, some dignitaries in the maritime trade industry also participated. As for private maritime merchants, they are also very active. The benefits of going to sea are never low, but they often face various risks.
However, if we follow the Han Dynasty Navy to sail long distances for trade, the risks outside of nature will be almost minimized. With such a mighty and majestic navy escorting merchants, how can we still do business?
Therefore, when Guo Liangping led the "Henghai Fleet" to set off, it turned into a huge fleet composed of more than 400 military, official, commercial and civilian ships. It is not an exaggeration to say that it was going on an expedition.
That voyage turned out to be a success. The Han Empire's horse and infantry troops were invincible and swept across East Asia without any rivals. But the navy was also unrivaled when it sailed across the ocean.
The team was led by an aggressive expansionist like Guo Liangping. The fleet traveled back and forth for a year and a half, "visiting" more than 20 countries and regions, reaching as far as the Persian Gulf, and gaining official recognition from the imperial court and Central Asia. Direct conversation.
This is extremely difficult to achieve from land. For example, the Ghaznavids dynasty, which ruled most of Persia at this time, if they want to make contact from land, they must first destroy the Black Khanate, or even the Black Khanate that is still in its prime. Samanid dynasty.
By the time they returned to Annan, the Han Dynasty had added more than a dozen vassal states, and all the ships were almost full. In addition to goods, gold, silver and jewelry, they also included some captives and beauties, as well as envoys from the newly surrendered barbarian states. .
The process and content of the voyage were obviously rich and tortuous, but compared with the results, they were nothing. The previous investment by the imperial court was not worth mentioning in the face of the rich harvest, and there was no need to calculate it carefully. Only through calculation and experience, the officials could conclude that the income from this ocean voyage was several times the investment.
Not to mention other things, just the hundreds of beauties. This exotic style is full of novel temptations and is very popular among the powerful class of the Han Dynasty.
After the Henghai Fleet returned with a full load, the imperial court also had a newer and deeper understanding of the overseas world. Even those diehards who opposed business and maritime trade had to admit the benefits.
From the government to the private sector, there is once again a craze for going overseas. The "small fights" in the past are not as shocking and exciting as the gains brought by this large-scale action.
As the initiator and executor, Guo Liangping received a generous reward. Emperor Liu granted him the title of First-Class Zhiyuan Uncle. This was not an inheritance from Yin, but a result of his own hard work. This not only caused envy, jealousy and hatred, but also attracted more noble disciples to join in. When honor and interests beckoned to them at the same time, not many people could resist the temptation.
At the same time, the value of the navy was once again reflected, its status was once again consolidated, and the strategic transformation of "going south" was officially launched.
In the past, whether it was maritime trade or naval development, the focus was on the north. On the one hand, there were two relatively mature countries in the north, Korea and Japan. On the other hand, the origin and development of the Han Dynasty's navy began in the north.
However, as time changed, Goryeo and Japan alone could no longer meet the increasing demands for maritime trade of the Han Dynasty. Both of them, as well as the internal development needs of the Han Dynasty's navy, were also forced to move southward.
Staying in the north is just complacency, but looking around the Han Dynasty, only Nanyang is a vast world with great potential. After years of development, many people have realized that although the barbaric areas in Southeast Asia are not civilized, they are really good places and the products are really fragrant. Those gold and silver, spices, pearls, agates, corals, including grains, fruits, are really valuable. It is of great value. As long as you can successfully bring it back, you will definitely not lose money, and most of the time you will make some money.
Moreover, when the subjects of the empire do business, privileges are natural. In the Han Dynasty, they may just be a commoner, but outside, they are the uncle and the master.
By the 20th year of Kaibao, the Han Dynasty had established gathering points in various places in Nanyang. Among them, there were thirty-seven famous ones marked on the map, and there were even more unnamed ones.
After the voyage, Guo Liangping returned to the court to report on his work, and also proposed to establish a naval base on Puluo Zhong Island in the Kingdom of Srivijaya as a fulcrum for the Han Dynasty in the Nanyang region, so as to control the Nanyang trade routes and maintain the Maritime Silk Road. Road trade, while also protecting the merchants and people of the Han Dynasty, exerting influence on the local area at any time.
Emperor Liu didn't know where Puluo Zhong Island was originally, but after comparing it with the map and Guo Liangping's explanation, he found that it was at the entrance of the Strait of Malacca. It was not clear where it was, so he decisively agree.
Emperor Liu was very satisfied. Compared with the kind of plan that required him to personally order and push forward, he was even more pleased with the plan that was proactively proposed by the ministers below according to the needs of the development of the situation.
Whether it was a long voyage or setting up a naval base in Nanyang, Guo Liangping won the Sacred Heart. This was probably the reason why Emperor Liu was so generous in rewarding the earl.
Puluo Zhongdao is the territory of the Srivijaya Kingdom. It is now also a "big country" among the indigenous countries in Southeast Asia. Many small countries and forces around it are its vassals, and they rely on the golden waterway for east-west trade to make profits. Quite a lot.
Such a request made by the Han Dynasty was obviously unacceptable to the Three Buddhas and Qi Kingdom. What was a little excessive was that after the Han envoy made the request, the compensation given was only a reduction in the tribute paid to the Han Dynasty for one year.
This matter has been wrangling for twenty years since Kaibao, but there is still no result. Srivijaya always insists on disagreeing, and the relationship between the two countries will inevitably deteriorate, and even affect the normal business activities of Han merchants and Han people who went to Nanyang.
But the imperial court was impatient. The task assigned by Emperor Liu had been delayed for so long, and they were also under pressure. The people within the Naval Group were even more dissatisfied. Seeing that diplomatic channels could not solve the problem, their first reaction was naturally to resort to force. The Naval Department of the Privy Council was already formulating a plan to conquer the Three Buddhas Kingdom. Guo was still actively promoting it. Ryohei.
