Chapter 523: Preparations Before the War

Latest URL: "Please, Your Highness, give us your instructions." Wang Chong's eyes revealed anticipation.

Often at times like this, Yan Wang would always give him a solution to a major problem.

"Next, you need to think of a way to have one Steam Engine drive multiple machines," Zhao Xu said.

If every machine required one Steam Engine, then the number of Steam Engines he would have to build would be an astronomical figure.

And in fact, in the development history of the Steam Engine, often only one Steam Engine was needed to drive the machines in an entire Workshop.

Therefore, he wanted the Steam Engine at the Armament Department to be able to drive as many Broaches as possible to cut Rifling.

"To tell you the truth, my subordinate was just discussing this matter with my father," Wang Chong scratched his head, "but my subordinate's ability is truly meager; I thought about it for a long time, but could not think of what to do."

"Tomorrow morning, come to the Prince's Mansion to pick up the blueprints," Zhao Xu said directly.

He had never intended to let Wang Chong design it himself.

The technical foundation of the Great Song was too shallow; if they were to follow the beaten path, they wouldn't catch up for a hundred or two hundred years.

He could only provide the ready-made ones directly, then let them understand the theory.

It was equivalent to learning to imitate first, then learning to manufacture.

After discussing this, Wang Chong led Zhao Xu to the Workshop where the Hydraulic Boring Machine had previously been installed.

At this moment, the roar of a Steam Engine could be heard inside as well.

Zhao Xu walked in and discovered a Steam Engine was currently driving a Boring Machine to cut the Cylinder of a Steam Engine.

"Your Highness, this is the Steam Engine that exploded last time. Because it wasn't broken in any major way, my subordinate repaired it and put it to use. With it, cutting the Cylinder is much faster," Wang Chong said with a hint of pride.

In this way, the birth of the next Steam Engine would be much faster.

Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction.

What he saw today was his confidence for dealing with the Northern Di and the powerful clans next.

"Very good, it's starting to look like something. This Prince hopes to see the Prince's Personal Army switch to Rifled Muskets sooner rather than later," Zhao Xu said.

Wang Ying and Wang Chong exchanged a glance and simultaneously answered in the affirmative.

Returning to the Prince's Mansion.

Zhao Xu asked Feng'er to pack up; he prepared to head to Leting tomorrow, then go to Chrysanthemum Island.

Having defeated the attack from Wufeng Island, and with the Steam Engine and Rifled Musket on the right track, he could now focus on dealing with the Northern Di.

During the last war, because the supply line of the Ningjin Dusi was too long, he did not let Chang Wei penetrate deep into the Ningjin Dusi.

But now the situation was different.

He had completely controlled the Yanzhou sea area.

Furthermore, the Ningjin Dusi was, in the current era, the Liaoxi Corridor.

To the west were mountains, to the east was the sea, and in the middle was a plain, and the widest part was no more than sixty li.

Therefore, going from south to north, fighting to Jingcheng required traveling nearly four hundred miles.

This would make non-supply extremely difficult.

But if one fought from east to west, it would be different.

The entire Ningjin Dusi would have no depth for him.

Moreover, every Warship of Zhou Yi was a mobile supply station.

Not to mention he also had an unsinkable Warship deep within the Ningjin Dusi: Chrysanthemum Island.

In this way, once the Ningjin Army finished training and was equipped with Rifled Muskets, then coordinated with the Prince's Personal Army.

He would truly be able to go toe-to-toe with the Northern Di in the Ningjin Dusi.

Relying on the mobility advantage of the Warships on the sea, he could project his forces to a single point and launch an attack.

At that time, the Northern Di would only be able to respond passively, exhausted from running about.

If the battle went poorly, they could board the Warships and turn to the next location at any time.

At the same time, his leaflet plan was also prepared to be executed by relying on the Warships.

"Your Highness has only been idle for how long, and you are going to war again," Feng'er went reluctantly, unable to hide her heartache.

Luan'er also sighed slightly, but she did not try to persuade him, because she knew the burden on Yan Wang was currently very heavy.

It was not enough for the Great Song to use the strength of the entire country to resist the Northern Di.

Now Yan Wang had to face the Northern Di alone.

Zhao Xu smiled helplessly.

The two girls' nerves were too sensitive now.

He was only going to inspect them, that was all.

After all, the Ningjin Army was different from the Prince's Personal Army.

The soldiers of the Prince's Personal Army were all commoners from the fief, and they had a natural reverence for him.

But the soldiers of the Ningjin Army all came from the Ningjin Dusi.

Although they hated the Northern Di, he feared they also held no small amount of hatred for the Great Song.

In his view, this anger was a double-edged sword.

Used well, it was the morale for killing the enemy.

Used poorly, it was easy for disaster to occur.

The next day.

Zhao Xu went to Leting accompanied by Xu Lie.

After the naval battle, Zhou Yi left two Warships at Leting.

Usually, one Warship would patrol, and one Warship would be docked at the Pier.

Boarding the Warship.

Upon learning of Yan Wang's itinerary, the captain immediately steered the Warship toward Chrysanthemum Island.

Zhao Xu and Xu Lie stood on the forward deck.

The sea breeze blew gently, and waves surged across the sea surface.

Since the Warship was launched, this was his first time traveling on the sea aboard a Warship.

Watching the land of Ningjin Dusi recede continuously as the Warship moved forward, the corners of his mouth curled upward.

During this period, the minor provocations from the Northern Di had, in fact, never ceased.

Yanshan Bastion had killed quite a few invading Northern Di scouts.

The Scouts of the Prince's Personal Army also frequently clashed with Northern Di scouts, with casualties on both sides.

However, these were ultimately not the keys to influencing the overall war situation.

Now, he was very curious to know how Mule Hongzhen intended to deal with him.

After all, the trouble he had prepared for the Northern Di was already ready.

A day and a night passed.

At noon the next day, Zhao Xu caught sight of a small island in the sea.

Based on the knowledge in his mind, he immediately recognized this as Chrysanthemum Island.

And in the contemporary era, its name was Juehua Island.

"This subordinate Bai Shang pays respects to Your Highness." As Zhao Xu boarded the land by small boat, Bai Shang and a group of officers immediately saluted.

"Rise," Zhao Xu said.

Because the firearms for the Marine Corps had not yet been delivered, Zhao Xu had ordered Bai Shang to cooperate with Zhou Yi.

After the order was issued, he led six thousand soldiers to arrive at Chrysanthemum Island in advance.

Immediately, his gaze rested on the last person.

This man was missing an arm, and his expression was somewhat timid and shrinking.

"Is General Yang Zhen afraid that this Prince will eat you?" Zhao Xu said.

Hearing this, Yang Zhen's body trembled, and he immediately stepped forward, "Sinner Yang Zhen pays respects to Yan Wang."

He then said, "This subordinate is not afraid, but ashamed, and dare not see Your Highness."

Zhao Xu looked Yang Zhen up and down, finding a trace of Yang Feng in him.

He said: "Old General Yang Feng has already arrived safely in Yancheng and is living quite leisurely now, so you need not worry about that."

Looking toward the Ningjin Dusi opposite, he said: "As for whether you are a sinner or not, that will depend on your performance from here on out. Losing is not terrible; what is terrible is not being able to take it back."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen's expression became agitated, and his eyes turned red.

Yan Wang establishing the Ningjin Army was, without a doubt, aimed at Ningjin Dusi.

Over these years, even in his dreams, he had been fighting the Northern Di on the land of Ningjin Dusi.

Now, he finally had this opportunity.

From now on, even if his blood stained the battlefield, he would be willing.

After all, with his father and daughter safely in Yancheng, he had no more worries.

The two were just speaking.

Just then, a burst of angry shouting came from not far away.

Hearing this, Yang Zhen and Bai Shang both changed color.