Chapter 1535: Aboard the Songshan

Watching the sunrise at sea always makes one feel the vastness of heaven and earth and the insignificance of man. Even as the crown prince of a nation, he could not help but feel that sense of awe before the ocean.

All under heaven is the king's land; to the shores' end, all are the king's subjects. But could an ocean so boundless and infinite truly be the sole possession of one nation and one ruler? He had studied geography with the missionaries, so he had a very clear concept of just how vast "all under heaven" truly was, unlike the muddled ignorance of the ancients.

Yet this question was perhaps one he would never find an answer to in his entire lifetime.

But he also knew, just as his imperial father had said, that it was enough for one generation to accomplish the work of its own time.

"So long as my house governs diligently from generation to generation and expands the realm, the day will come when all the oceans of the world are trodden by the warships of the Great Han, and all nations shall cower before the nation's might. Wherever the dragon banner points, there lies the Great Han's domain!" With such thoughts, his spirit grew ever more fervent, and he raised his head to gaze at the dragon banner fluttering upon the mast.

After the founding of the Great Han Navy, following internal debate and deliberation, the design of the naval ensign was finally chosen — a golden coiling dragon on a blue field. The blue symbolized the ocean, while the rampant, fang-baring golden dragon coiling in all directions was naturally the emblem of the Great Han Navy.

The ensign on the mast was wiped clean every day, so now it gleamed and glittered as it fluttered in the morning sun. Beneath the ensign, vast white sails billowed in the sea wind, giving the warship he trod upon boundless propulsion.

Beside the warship he stood upon, vessel after vessel of slightly smaller size, yet still bearing numerous great cannons, likewise filled their sails. They formed a massive seaborne fleet, sailing forward irresistibly.

This fleet had likewise assembled at Tianjin Port according to plan. After receiving instructions from the State Council, the staff officers of the Naval Military Affairs Department immediately worked through the night without rest to formulate plans, then communicated with each fleet to muster every surface force they could deploy.

This fleet was the elite core of the Northern Fleet, which ordinarily cruised between the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, and so had been summoned to assemble at Tianjin Port, conveniently transporting the crown prince to Goryeo. And they were merely a part of the escort fleet designated for the planned conquest of Japan.

When the entire fleet assembled at Busan Port according to plan and set forth toward Japan, it would be the most massive and indestructible fleet ever assembled upon this ocean in all of history.

At least in East Asia, no maritime force could contend with this fleet — perhaps not even all of them combined.

Just as the crown prince stood on the deck watching the morning sun and letting his thoughts wander, the sound of several footsteps unexpectedly rang out behind him. He interrupted his reverie and turned to look back.

As expected, three people had arrived. The one in front was a youth, his attendant Zheng Sen, while the two following behind were figures of no small consequence. One was the Army Commander-in-Chief for this campaign against Japan, the newly enfeoffed Count of Xingyang, Zhao Song. The other was the Grand Marshal of the Great Han Navy, Commander of the Northern Fleet, and Navy Commander-in-Chief for this campaign against Japan, Marquis of Langya, Cai De.

To watch the sunrise, the crown prince had risen very early that day. However, to avoid disturbing these two important army and navy officers, he had instructed his attendant to inform them only after they had woken. But these two high-ranking officers were both career soldiers long accustomed to military life, so they rose very early as well. Thus, while the crown prince was still not quite satisfied with his viewing, Zheng Sen had already led the two of them over.

"Your servants pay respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Upon arriving before the crown prince, the two military commanders bowed deeply in salute.

"You may dispense with formalities." The crown prince waved his hand impassively.

He turned his head once more, casting a final, lingering glance at the distant sun, which had already transformed from crimson red to golden yellow. Then he turned back, looking solemnly at the two great generals. "Regarding this campaign, I have some matters to consult you both on. I ask that you be generous with your instruction."

"Your servant will speak all he knows!" The crown prince's words did not surprise the two generals, and they immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

They were the commanding officers of the army and navy for this campaign; the crown prince was bound to come to them with any military questions, and they had been preparing for this over the past few days.

Then, the crown prince strode forward, taking the lead as he brought the two men toward his own lounge.

The warships of the Great Han Navy were broadly divided into two types. One was the fast and nimble cruiser. These vessels were simple in structure, modest in size, and carried few cannons, but their advantages were high speed and great numbers, allowing them to perform general duties such as reconnaissance, pirate suppression, and patrols. The naming convention for these warships was rather casual, mostly using everyday objects, some even named after flowers and birds.

The other type, naturally, was the large warship of immense size and heavy armament: the ship of the line. These warships were relatively slower, but their firepower was tremendously formidable, and they were used for decisive battles against enemy maritime forces. They were the very foundation of the Great Han Navy, perhaps the primary tool by which the Great Han would seize absolute naval supremacy in East Asia. The naming convention for ships of the line was very rigorous, using the mountains of the realm, signifying "suppressing the great sea."

The warship the crown prince rode upon was a ship of the line, and moreover the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the Songshan — one of the largest warships of the Great Han. This warship was so enormous that upon the sea's surface it was as imposing as the mountain of its name.

Its decks were divided into three tiers, carrying a total of over ninety cannons, and among these cannons were some of the largest-caliber naval guns. Both the ship and its cannons were completed under the supervision of specially hired Western engineers by the finest craftsmen of the Great Han. It could be said that every inch of it embodied the painstaking efforts of the entire navy, high and low, and it was the navy's pride. The moment it was launched, it became the flagship of the Northern Fleet.

Generally speaking, the treatment of naval officers and sailors was directly proportional to the size of the warship. The larger the warship, the more importance the navy placed upon it, and the more space there was to store supplies and for living quarters. As the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the officers and sailors aboard the Songshan enjoyed the highest standard of living in the navy. Not only were there dedicated rest areas for the crew, but for the convenience of visiting dignitaries, there was also a dedicated VIP reception room on the first deck.

The moment the crown prince arrived on the Songshan, the navy naturally did everything in its power to ensure his daily needs. He was arranged to stay in the finest VIP reception room and was served the best standard rations every day.

The crown prince brought the two generals into this lavishly decorated room and politely invited them to sit.

"Marquis of Langya, Count of Xingyang, you two are the commanding generals of this campaign, each leading the officers and men of the army and navy. Thus, whether this great undertaking succeeds depends upon your wholehearted cooperation." Once they were seated, the crown prince spoke courteously. "My imperial father has dispatched me to oversee the rear and says I am to supervise all affairs, but as you both know, this is my first time handling state business away from the capital, and I am still young. There is much I do not understand, so I have no wish to act clever and overstep my bounds. I can only ask that you both exert yourselves greatly for the nation and fight this battle well, so as not to cause my imperial father worry. Everything depends upon you two."

Seeing the crown prince so self-aware, both high-ranking officers inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Truth be told, they were men long seasoned in battle, having accumulated extremely rich experience in all manner of engagements. What they feared most was not being unable to defeat the enemy, but rather that the crown prince, young and full of vigor, would be overly confident in his own cleverness and end up giving blind orders, needlessly creating trouble for them. Since the crown prince was now so sensible, they were reassured.

"Your Highness, we who eat of our sovereign's bounty shall naturally be loyal to our sovereign's cause. We will absolutely not disappoint His Majesty, nor disappoint Your Highness." Marquis of Langya Cai De immediately expressed his stance. "Ever since receiving the order that day, the entire navy, high and low, has been sleeping on their spears, preparing through the night, all wanting to fight this battle well."

"That is very good." The crown prince nodded. "Although I do not understand military affairs deeply, I imagine the most important thing in war is unity of purpose from top to bottom, wholehearted solidarity. I have no doubt whatsoever of your loyalty and valor, but the campaign against Japan requires the combined use of army and navy, so coordination between the army and navy is especially critical and must not be neglected in the slightest. The reason my imperial father sent me to take command this time is precisely to unify military orders between the army and navy, lest poor communication between you lead to discord..."

Hearing these words, both generals felt a slight chill in their hearts. Although the crown prince was extremely polite on the surface, his repeated mentions of His Majesty were clearly meant to assert his unquestionable authority over the two of them.

"Your Highness, we know only to slay the enemy and serve the nation; we have no other thoughts. We are also full of respect for our naval colleagues and will absolutely not have any discord." Zhao Song hurriedly declared.

"When you are on the battlefield, the most important thing is to make decisions on the spot. Therefore, I will not interfere with your command, much less interfere with your specific handling of the officers and men below. I only wish to help you fight this battle well and satisfy your logistical needs." Following his prior thoughts, the crown prince stated his decision. "Thus, I have no other requirement of you, except that every one of your military orders must be recorded in a register, and a duplicate copy provided to me. I will then compile and keep them on file."

The implications of this were immensely significant.

In the military system of the Great Han, during wartime, commanding generals either made decisions and issued orders autonomously, or selected one from among the suggestions of staff officers to serve as the military order directing operations. These military orders, besides being transmitted to frontline army and navy officers via orderlies, were all to be recorded by dedicated personnel and then archived by the Military Council after the war.

This was done, firstly, to summarize combat experience, so that in the future these orders could be used to train reserve officers in the military academies, allowing them to know in advance how to handle unexpected situations during battle; and secondly, to record the course of the war and clarify the merits, faults, rewards, and punishments of the generals.