Chapter 353: The Great Ming's Sons are All Husbands

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"Husband, the Great Ming is changing from disorder to more order." Luo Lian had shown her extraordinary insight from the beginning. She had never talked to Deng Zilong about her background, and Deng Zilong had never asked. Everyone has their own secrets, and Deng Zilong had never asked too much.

Where the heart is at peace is home. Luo Lian was full of disgust for the West, and even preferred to choose to go to sea and fight with the unknown rather than continue to stay in the West. In life, everyone has some helplessness.

"Indeed, His Majesty has finally grown up." Deng Zilong looked at the sea, feeling quite touched.

Under the imperial system, it is just like this.

With the gradual growth of the Great Ming Emperor and the gradual promotion of the Wanli New Policy, the main contradiction of the country began to slowly change from the intensity of usurping the power of the monarch to a gradual easing. The conflicts were no longer so obvious, nor so intense.

The monarch is young and the country is suspicious, and the ministers are not attached. Various ambitious people are emerging one after another. They hope to usurp more privileges when the Great Ming Emperor is still ignorant. But because of the protection of the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, these ambitious people were either beaten or killed, and became honest.

Under the situation where the main contradictions in the Great Ming court were constantly relieved, the conflicts of contradictions were no longer intense, which shows that the Great Ming is recovering its health.

"New contradictions are actually gradually appearing." Deng Zilong looked at the sails on the sea, his brows furrowed and said: "Every time I look at these ships, I have an inexplicable worry. The Great Ming's national policy has always been conservative. According to the Grand Tutor's theory of contradictions, everything has two sides, and everything is the unity of opposites. Then, is the conservative ban on the sea really not worth mentioning, and has no merit at all?"

Luo Lian smiled and said: "Money is the devil. People who have money always feel that they can own everything."

"I reminded you very, very early on that Philip II's empire on which the sun never sets also has the Netherlands region. The Great Ming's vast territory also has the Southern Yamen. This is a place where money gathers, and it is also a place where the devil bewitches people's hearts."

"Why should my husband worry? The Great Ming's sons are all husbands."

Luo Lian was very optimistic about the Great Ming's future. New storms had indeed appeared, but so what? Problems appear, problems are solved. In the struggle, there is constant conflict and constant compromise, thus reaching a state of harmony. The Great Ming has its own husbands to solve these things. Living in the Great Ming, this is a country with few wars in the hinterland. The most intense contradictions and wars always happen in the border regions. This is a fortunate thing.

"Barbarian Regional Military Commissioner! The Viceroy's Office summons the General to go to the port immediately to discuss matters!" A Tie-Lin soldier turned off his horse and shouted loudly.

Port!

Deng Zilong's expression changed. Discussing matters in this place, in most cases, meant an emergency expedition. As the Great Ming's Barbarian Regional Military Commissioner, Deng Zilong was always active on the front line of battle. He once went to Lin Afeng's island alone, later collected intelligence in Manila, and to this day, Deng Zilong is still charging into battle.

Luo Lian naturally felt a sense of worry. She touched her lower abdomen. A new life had been brewing for four months. She hoped from the bottom of her heart that her husband would not take such risks again. The battlefield is a place where everyone can be killed. But she thought for a moment, hugged Deng Zilong directly, stood on tiptoe, kissed him, and whispered in Latin: "My love, you must come back alive."

"My love, you must have awe for life. We have our own child. If the door cannot be entered, there is still a window that can be entered. I will wait for you to come back."

Luo Lian kissed her husband who was about to go to war. Even with her bold personality, she was embarrassed to say these words in Han language, but said them in Latin, which Deng Zilong could also understand. This was a thought, letting Deng Zilong, who was fighting abroad, have an obsession with going home.

Deng Zilong rushed to the port. Governor Yin Zhengmao and Zhang Yuanxun were also there. They looked at the five-masted ocean-going ship that occupied a berth alone.

Governor Yin Zhengmao said solemnly: "We received news that the Goa Viceroy's Office has dispatched twenty-three galleys, seventeen carrack sailing ships, seven light sailing ships, and five clipper ships, totaling 1,200 Red-Haired Barbarians and 3,000 wild people, who are heading to Mianlanlaodao. Their goal is very clear: they hope to bite us to death in Luzon. Barbarian Regional Military Commissioner Deng Zilong, I, with the Son of Heaven's banner and the power to act according to circumstances granted by His Majesty, order you in the name of the Great Ming Luzon Viceroy's Office to lead 3,000 navy troops and repel them all."

"You go first, and the Yingyang Earl will cover you."

"Yingyang Earl, Barbarian Regional Military Commissioner, tell the sons of the Great Ming that behind us is the Great Ming!"

"The last general accepts the order!" Deng Zilong and Zhang Yuanxun moved.

The horns and war drums of Manila Port sounded. All the ships entering the port began to move slowly, giving up the shipping lane. 3,000 guest soldiers gathered quickly at the port. Trackers dragged gunpowder and lead bullets toward the five-masted ocean-going ships, three-masted clipper ships, and battle ships. The sound of war drums became more and more urgent.

Every five of the 3,000 guest soldiers had one person wearing iron armor. The iron armor reflected the noon sun, shining brightly. Everyone's expression was determined. Under the leadership of the commander, they began to board the ships, like a long dragon, boarding the warships.

The Luzon Viceroy's Office was always in a state of combat readiness. When there was an enemy situation, it would attack immediately.

The anchor of the five-masted ocean-going ship was pulled up amidst the sound of work songs. The tow ropes of the barges were hung on the ship. The ship moved slowly at the berth, heading toward the blue sea. Behind it were twelve three-masted clipper ships and forty-two battle ships.

Deng Zilong looked at the port. He saw that thick red color on the sea embankment. That was Luo Lian's red hair, the wife who was waiting for her husband to return safely.

The goal of the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet was Mianlanlaodao. There was still a Red-Haired Barbarian castle there. Even if it belonged to Spain, all the viceroys of the Viceroy's Office learned from missionaries that the King of Portugal was seriously ill and might die at any time. The one most likely to obtain the Portuguese throne was Philip II.

Whether it was Portugal or Spain, the overseas Viceroy's Office had great autonomy. Even if Philip II was not yet the King of Portugal, the viceroys in various places would still cooperate under the trend of interests.

The Goa Viceroy's fleet, in order to head to Mianlanlaodao faster, adopted a relatively radical route. They did not stop at any port and spent a month heading straight for Mianlanlaodao. Deng Zilong's fleet's destination was also Mianlanlaodao. They had to intercept the enemy before the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet arrived.

In the entire Mianlanlaodao, there were not many places suitable for landing. The Luzon Viceroy's Office and the Philippines Viceroy's Office belonging to Spain had been at war on this island for six years. Deng Zilong was very familiar with every place here. Deng Zilong dispatched the maritime inspection water-flying ships to the "City of Tuna."

The City of Tuna is the only import port on the entire Mianlanlaodao. Even Davao is not suitable for large-scale ships to dock. There is a "u"-shaped bay here. The coastline extends into the sea and then embraces the City of Tuna at the bottom. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The remaining Red-Haired Barbarians on Mianlanlaodao rely on the terrain to hold this place.

The seawater here is clear and transparent. One can see the coral underwater and the mantis fish and rays playing in the coral group. In early June, every morning, a total of five hydrofoil sailing ships would appear here on time. The yellow-lined snapper fish scattered in panic.

On the morning of the thirteenth day of the sixth month of the seventh year of Wanli, the tops of more than a dozen masts appeared in the telescope of the water-flying ships. Their sails were red crosses. The moment the red cross appeared, the maritime inspection water-flying ships left the harbor of the City of Tuna and headed toward the navy.

Deng Zilong's main force completely blockaded the harbor an hour later.

Like a beast that stepped into a trap without knowing it, the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet began to get excited after seeing the coastline. Just as the crew on the ship were still cheering, the roaring sound of cannons sounded.

Goa Viceroy Menezes miscalculated. The first miscalculation was the Great Ming's powerful reconnaissance ability in the ten-thousand-mile maritime territory. He was actually very clear about the existence of these hydrofoil sailing ships, but he never expected that their fleet would be detected by the Great Ming's water-flying ships as soon as they left the port.

The second miscalculation was that Goa Viceroy Menezes did not expect that the Spaniards on Mianlanlaodao would be so cowardly. The Great Ming navy had blocked the door, but this group of Spaniards was still in their lair in Davao! A group of cowards! They did not cooperate with the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet to attack from inside and outside.

The Spaniards on Mianlanlaodao had been fighting with the Great Ming for so many years that they had long since lost their fighting spirit. Fight? That's a five-masted ocean-going ship!

In the gunfire, the sea battle began. Under the terrified flight of countless sea birds, the Great Ming's battle ships and three-masted clipper ships soon surrounded all the warships except for the galleass warships, while the five galleass warships were dealt with by the five-masted ocean-going ships alone.

"Sure enough, big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp." Deng Zilong put down his telescope. The Great Ming's three-masted clipper ships and the opponent's flagship galleass warship were the same model of warship. The Great Ming had never denied the contribution of the Luzon Viceroy's Office to the Great Ming's shipbuilding. The three-masted clipper ship was improved on the basis of that galleass warship in Manila.

The opponent's flagship was dragged down by the five-masted ocean-going ship, while their own twelve three-masted clipper ships launched a massacre on the remaining small ships.

The Great Ming's ships had higher speed, were more flexible, and the cannons were nine-jin naval cannons. The power of the cannons was stronger, the range was longer, and the rate of fire was higher. Deng Zilong commanded the five-masted ocean-going ship and played a game of "you chase and I run" with the Goa fleet on the sea. This game was not fun for the Goa fleet, because every time the five-masted ocean-going ship fired a volley, it would severely damage a warship.

The Goa Viceroy's Office fleet was originally exhausted from a long journey. They were already tired, and the Great Ming was waiting at ease. Plus the terrain, the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet was like ants on a hot pot, anxious and spinning around. In their terrified eyes, two more five-masted ocean-going ships and more than twenty three-masted clipper ships appeared on the sea. What made the Red-Haired Barbarians even more desperate was that these ships hung the Big Dipper flag belonging to the Great Ming.

Guangdong Regional Commander Li Xi and Vice Commissioner Zhao Kehuai led the ocean-going ships and clipper ships to reinforce Manila. After resting for three days, they rushed from Manila to the City of Tuna and just caught up with the big battle.

The Great Ming immediately went from a relative advantage to an absolute advantage. Even if a sudden rainstorm broke out, it could not save the Goa Viceroy's Office fleet.

"This Li Laoxi! He came to Luzon to grab battle merits again. Don't they have any in Guangdong!" Deng Zilong saw the tooth flag on the bow. Seeing the character "Li," he knew who had come. Zhang Yuanxun's tooth flag was on another five-masted ocean-going ship.

The recovery of the Great Ming navy was marked by the old and aging Yu Dayou leading 3,000 guest soldiers to Songjiang Prefecture, confiscating Xu Jie's home, and establishing the Songjiang Town Navy. The Great Ming navy deeply implemented Yu Dayou's military building thought, which is: sea warfare is nothing more than winning with big ships over small ships, winning with big guns over small guns; winning with many ships over few ships, winning with many guns over few guns.

Big is strong, many is beautiful. Under this guiding ideology, the Great Ming's sea warfare was often in a state of bullying the small with the big and bullying the few with the many.

This time, it was no exception.

This sea interception battle ended in a complete victory for the Great Ming navy. One of the opponent's galleass warships was completely destroyed and sank. The Red-Haired Barbarians on the ship jumped into the sea. There were two other galleass warships that were severely damaged. When the five-masted ocean-going ship slowly approached, these two warships chose to surrender. Half a day later, one of them sank into the sea, and the remaining two lightly damaged galleass warships escaped the battlefield. Zhang Yuanxun led a team to pursue, sank one, and the other escaped.

Of the twenty-three galleys, seventeen carrack sailing ships, and seven light sailing ships, only four escaped the battlefield. The other warships were either sunk or captured.

A total of 153 Red-Haired Barbarians were captured. As for how many Red-Haired Barbarians jumped into the sea, this could not be counted. If according to the Great Ming's previous head-count rewards, the head-count reward for this battle would not exceed 30 people. And Red-Haired Barbarians are not as valuable as Northern Hu. One Northern Hu head is 50 taels of silver, while one Japanese pirate or Red-Haired Barbarian head is only 10 taels of silver.

But now the Great Ming uses "merit rewards." According to the five-grade merit rewards, the 5,000 soldiers who participated in the battle would at least each receive a third-grade merit reward, with each person receiving at least 50 taels of silver in reward money. This is equivalent to five head-count rewards per person in the past, which would require cutting off 25,000 Red-Haired Barbarian heads to obtain such merit rewards.

This battle is of great significance. It shattered the enemy's conspiracy to penetrate deep into our army's rear and intended to drag our main force so that we could not continue to attack the Strait of Ma Liujia. It dealt a heavy blow to the morale and arrogant arrogance of the Goa Viceroy's Office. This is the Great Ming's turn. The Great Ming dared to take the initiative to attack while attacking, which greatly deterred the Spaniards occupying Mianlanlaodao, who never dared to test the edge again.

It is completely worthy of the court's assessment of a third-grade merit reward.

The Great Ming court clearly knew the defects of the head-count reward system. In the early years of the Great Ming, during the Hongwu and Yongle years, and even during the Jianwen years, the rewards for merit were essentially merit-based. Why did the head-count reward system gradually become the mainstream after Yongle? Did the Great Ming Emperor and the Great Ming court officials not know the drawbacks of the head-count reward system? The answer is very clear; everyone knew it well.

Hou Yuzhao, the Marquis of Zhongjun, mentioned this matter. It is not that Hou Yuzhao is a big smart person; on the contrary, he is a bit "stupid." Everyone knows it but doesn't say it. Hou Yuzhao said it, so it seems a bit silly.

Why does no one say it, and no one change it?

Because the court is poor, the financial expenditure is in a huge deficit, there is no silver, no food, and even less military equipment. It can only rely on individual bravery.

Taking the Great Ming guest soldiers who went to war this time as an example, aside from the original salary, boarding the ship meant three qian of silver in travel money per day, plus five jin of national cellar wine. Five bottles of national cellar wine, if diluted with water and used sparingly at sea, could last for three months. This battle only lasted for more than half a month, and it hadn't even reached the point of diluting the national cellar wine. These five jin of national cellar wine are worth three taels of silver per jin. Plus the 50 taels of silver in merit rewards, this trip is worth about six or seven years of salary.

Ordinary Great Ming rice wine is only three qian of silver per jin, but this is high-degree strong liquor, which is only used a little bit in folk rituals as ritual wine.

Great Ming soldiers actually don't expect the Great Ming Emperor to love his soldiers like his own children. If they can be full, guard the home, stand on the pass, and repel the invading enemy, they are worthy of the Emperor's grace. If they are given some silver, going into battle to kill the enemy is not a problem. Since the Wanli years, the treatment of Great Ming soldiers has steadily improved as the Great Ming's finances have gradually recovered.

The Great Ming Emperor really gave too much!

Fortunately, His Majesty is the Emperor; otherwise, the soldiers would have thought His Majesty was going to rebel.

Zhu Yijun's military talent is very low, which has been personally certified by Qi Jiguang. But every navy soldier holding national cellar wine only has gratitude for the Great Ming Emperor. His Majesty may not have military talent, but his logistical talent is extremely high. This talent is specifically manifested in making money and getting food.

In Qi Jiguang's view, logistics is a hinterland war, and the rear war determines the result of the front-line war, with extremely high weight.

In this era when military theory, that is, the art of war, only discusses strategy and tactics, Qi Jiguang's military training art of war is already a bright star cutting through the long river of history. He has now also turned his gaze to logistics.

On the thirteenth day of the sixth month of the seventh year of Wanli, the Great Ming navy returned triumphantly from Mianlanlaodao. All the ships entered Manila Port steadily.

Deng Zilong jumped off the trestle bridge, and a red figure threw herself into Deng Zilong's arms. It was clearly Luo Lian, who was waiting for her husband to return safely.

"Alright, alright, there are so many people here." Deng Zilong said with a smile: "Didn't I come back?"

"Husband, I washed up well, clean and tidy, and prepared fish oil." Luo Lian whispered in Deng Zilong's ear.

Deng Zilong's feet slipped, and he almost fell into the sea. Fighting on the battlefield was one thing, but returning to Manila and having to fight in bed—what kind of thing was that!

"Husband, husband still has to go to the Viceroy's Office! Wife, go back first, go back."

"Hahaha." Watching Deng Zilong run away in a panic, Luo Lian laughed very brightly.

Before the triumphant return of the army, the report of victory had already been written and sent to the Great Ming by the maritime inspection office. The report of victory only took five days to reach Songjiang Prefecture, and another two days to reach the capital of Tianjin Wei.

"Good, good, good! Good, good, good!" Zhu Yijun held the report of victory and said "good" repeatedly.

The report of victory is a battle report sent directly to the imperial presence by the Marquis of the Beacon Towers and the maritime inspection office. When Wu Dui and Fang Fengshi played the trick of "lighting the beacon to tease the feudal lords," reporting false military intelligence three times, making the capital region panic, the highest commander of the beacon tower scout team was directly under the Embroidered Uniform Guards. The Embroidered Uniform Guards were originally an intelligence department.

"In this way, the Goa Viceroy's Office, Menezes, will not dare to easily leave the Strait of Ma Liujia to fight. The Great Ming has obtained the ten-thousand-mile maritime territory, and my plantations can produce steadily without worrying about the plunder of the Red-Haired Barbarians. Good, good, good!" Zhu Yijun put the report of victory on the table. He was really very happy, his mouth crooked with a smile.

His Majesty likes reports of victory, especially reports of victory for decisive battles, which he likes even more.

A muddled monarch, loving greatness and success—isn't that very normal?

Zhu Yijun gave the soldiers so many rewards, actually... not many. That's right, even though the soldiers were already grateful and wished they could rebel with His Majesty, in Zhu Yijun's view, he actually gave very little.

For this sea battle, the Great Ming's results are not just a few ships, hundreds of captives, and hundreds of kills. The Great Ming repelled the enemy in this battle, and the Goa Viceroy's Office's probe failed, chopping off its claws. No matter what, it would never dare to leave the Strait of Ma Liujia again.

The Great Ming defended the ownership of the plantations and defended the order of stable production in the plantations. These small countries in the ten-thousand-mile maritime territory heard the news and knew that the Great Ming they were familiar with had returned. The Great Ming's merchant ships would travel more smoothly in the ten-thousand-mile maritime territory without being maliciously harassed. Zhu Yijun, as the Emperor who combines monarch and country, gained extremely rich rewards, which absolutely could not be bought with hundreds of thousands of silver.

Hundreds of thousands of silver can buy three three-masted clipper ships, but in this battle, the Great Ming fought for benefits of millions, or even tens of millions.

Viceroy Menezes's judgment was very accurate; the Great Ming's support was indeed faster.

"Let Yu Shuai see it, let Yu Shuai see the report of victory. Let the Ministry of Rites know, and three days later, read the victory news at the Noon Gate! Let the Ministry of War know, confer the title of Sishui Marquis on the National Surname Zhengmaohou, confer the title of Yingyang Marquis on Zhang Yuanxun, and confer the title of Shilong Earl on Deng Zilong." Zhu Yijun walked back and forth on the platform, then stood firm and made further rewards.

Sishui is in Java, Shilong is in Borneo, Yingyang is in the Old Port. These are overseas titles, actually the same as the barbarian kings outside the passes—they are not worth much. The difference is that the barbarian kings outside the passes, such as Mahamu, Tuohuan, Yexian, Andahan, and Tumanhan, are all Hu people, but Governor Yin Zhengmao, Zhang Yuanxun, and Deng Zilong are all Han people.

"Go and invite the Teacher!" Zhu Yijun waved his hand and went to call Zhang Juzheng again. After sharing a joy, there were several joys.

Zhang Juzheng arrived at the Western Garden very quickly. After all, the speed of the small railway was really fast. He had already received the report of victory and could only say that the bravery and battle results of the Great Ming soldiers were completely worthy of His Majesty's salary.

Thinking from the perspective of others, before, the Great Ming couldn't even guarantee half the salary, and even repeatedly owed pay. The border troops fought on empty stomachs. Before the battle, firing three shots at the sky was worthy of this half salary. Not mutinying was completely worthy of being loyal to the monarch and patriotic. If they were given some silver, going into battle to kill the enemy was not a problem. Since the Wanli years, the treatment of Great Ming soldiers has steadily improved as the Great Ming's finances have gradually recovered.