On October 18, it is advisable to open the light, seek an heir, crown a crown, and marry.

350 miles southeast of Kagoshima, Kyushu, the wind is calm and the waves are calm.

The two fishing boats coming out of Shikoku Island were the first to notice a huge fleet coming from the sea, and by the time the fishermen on board confirmed that the black fleet was not a Japanese navy, more than a dozen Yae Tiger clippers of the Ming ** team had outflanked them.

A fishing boat was burned down by the Ming army that caught up with the "fire dragon going to sea", and no one on board survived. The other was detained on the spot. Because the fishermen were non-combatants, they were not executed but temporarily imprisoned.

At the same time, the Daming, the flagship of the Combined Fleet, unfurled flags and fired red, yellow, and green smoke bombs to convey all safety signals to the Admiral's maritime eunuch ship Dongya, which was in the rear.

After receiving the signal from the front, the Dongya immediately arrived in the near sea area under the escort of 60 warships, and the flag on board was displayed with the words "hard work of officers and men."

The Daming number replied with the words "serving the Son of Heaven".

By noon, the main force of the Combined Fleet, more than 280 warships, large and small, carrying nearly 20,000 officers and men of the army, had gathered in this sea area, and dozens of alert fast boats were distributed around the sea area, seizing every ship they found, whether it was a merchant ship or a fishing boat.

In addition, 32 warships formed the 1st and 2nd guerrilla detachments to patrol the vicinity of the sea area to ensure that the main force of the fleet would not be attacked or harassed by any naval forces from the Japanese side.

........

On board the East Asia, officers and men are enjoying lunch.

Lunch is simple, Annam's rice rice with salted fish and pickles.

Father-in-law Wei, who wore a white mink coat because of the cold, also ate on the deck.

In order to show the equality of his family and the officers and soldiers, and to reflect his own frugality and simplicity, the father-in-law's meal is also very simple, two lobsters weighing a few pounds of boiled rice, and the next meal is a plate of pickles.

Because vegetables were difficult to preserve, and the officers and men of the expedition had to replenish green pigment, the combined fleet of the expedition carried a large number of pickled vegetables. There are more than 200 altars in the hold of the East Asia.

Father-in-law Wei, who was busy with state affairs, was busy with work even when he was eating, and his old man was listening to Ge Sanlang's report.

"So, Shimazu Tadashi wants to be a wall-to-wall grass?"

After breaking the huge shrimp butt and biting the meat hard, Father-in-law Wei laughed "hehe", "It's a good calculation, we want to win Xiuzhong, he Shimazu is our friend, we can't beat Xiuzhong, he's afraid Shimazu won't let us go back." ”

"This kind of person can also be described as two-faced and three-stabbed."

Shen Yourong, chief of staff of the Combined Fleet, sneered, and the deputy commander of the Ming Expeditionary Force, who had announced its disbandment before going on an expedition, did not agree with the "bribery and publicity" strategy proposed by Wei Gonggong.

The chief of staff firmly believed that the best policy was to deal with Japan, a small country, by force. Although bribery and propaganda can make some Japanese fall to the Ming Dynasty and reduce the casualties of the Imperial Army in the war against Japan, those Japanese are also not credible.

Perhaps, this is because Shen Yourong often fought with the Japanese in Fujian and Zhejiang.

However, as the chief of staff of the Combined Fleet, since the Admiral and Eunuch had already set the policy, Shen Yourong could only reserve his opinion, so as not to affect the war against Japan.

"There are two sides, three knives, Shimazu Tadashi doesn't dare yet." After throwing the meatless shrimp butt shell on the table, my father-in-law picked up a towel and wiped his mouth and hands, and then took a toothpick to pick his teeth.

"Father-in-law, this Satsuma Domain is not credible, and its subordinate Kayama Mountain has been destroyed by me, how can Satsuma sit back and watch our imperial army attack the shogunate and ignore it? The last will think that there is deceit. "Cao Wenyao, the commander of the Guards Division, was extremely suspicious of Shimazu Tadashi's ill intentions.

Ge Saburo explained: "General Cao didn't know, and it was only right for Shimazu Tadashi to make this choice, and according to his humble understanding, his Shimazu family was not the hardcore of the Tokugawa family. I heard that before their Sekigahara War, the Shimazu family supported the Toyotomi family's western army, and later the western army was defeated, and the Shimazu family interceded with Tokugawa Ieyasu, so as to keep the territory, but the strength of his family was greatly weakened by Tokugawa Ieyasu, so Shimazu Tadashi would have the intention of being a wall grass. ”

"So, what's the point?" Grandpa Wei couldn't think of it for a while.

Ge Saburo said in a low voice: "Father-in-law, there is a discord between the face and the heart. ”

"That's right, that's the way it is, it can also be said to kill people with a knife."

Gonggong Wei laughed, waved his hand and asked someone to remove the lobster rice, and then said to the generals: "It seems that Shimazu Tadashi is now eager for the imperial army to go straight to Edo, and his Shimazu family is so muddy and fishing." ”

Shen Yourong snorted: "I'm not afraid of fishing in troubled waters, but the last general is afraid that Satsuma Akari will sign a contract with me, but behind his back, he will report to the shogunate, and even stab us in the back." ”

"General Shen, even if Satsuma is a villain, his sailors are only a few dozen ships, and his strength is less than one-fifth of my combined fleet, how can he threaten the imperial army?" Ge Saburo didn't dare to say that the chief of staff was a little suspicious.

"Don't forget, that Kapitan is in Satsuma."

Shen Yourong pointed to the lower right of the Japanese map of Kyushu hanging in front of everyone, "Li Dan's fleet and Lao Wo are just east of Tsurumaru City, Hirata Masumune once said that Shimazu Tadashi and Li Dan's personal relationship is also very good, most of Satsuma's maritime trade is done by Li Dan's fleet, and this Li Dan has a close relationship with the shogunate, he got the dominance of Japan's maritime trade from the shogunate, how could he watch the imperial army attack the shogunate and not send troops to aid the shogunate?" ”

Shen Yourong's words made Ge Saburo frown, yes, Li Dancheng was in the shogunate, and the shogunate can be said to be parasitic, without the support of the shogunate, how could he, a Han man, monopolize Japan's maritime trade, and form a fleet that can essentially be called the Japanese navy.

"Yes, this Li Dan is a little forgetful, and he forgot that he is a Chinese after wearing the kimono for a long time."

Gonggong Wei flicked the toothpick into the sea in a dashing manner, "Hu Guang said that he didn't express his position, and it seemed that the imperial army attacked the shogunate by default, and the two didn't help each other, but our family can't believe it, otherwise the boat capsized in the gutter and asked him Li Dan to put one, is it possible to let our family swim back to see the emperor?" ”

Shen Yourong asked, "What does my father-in-law mean?" ”

"Didn't you just say that you were afraid that Satsuma would stab us in the back, so then we would cut off their knives." Gonggong Wei patted his ass and said coldly: "Destroy Li Dan first, our family will not only break the arm of the shogunate, but also let Satsuma know that those who follow me will prosper, and those who oppose me will die!" ”

"Li Dan's nest is in the Chitose Gorge of Hyuga Province east of Tsurumaru Castle..."

Shen Yourong saw that Gonggong Wei accepted his suggestion to eliminate Li Dan's hidden danger first, and after his spirit was greatly lifted, he immediately told the abdominal case that he had already prepared.

After hearing this, Duke Wei nodded in agreement with Shen Yourong's deployment, and ordered the combined fleet and the Guards Division to cooperate in the operation, and must completely annihilate this Japanese naval force led by the Chinese.

"As soon as Li Dan died, knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger, our family should see if he Shimazu Zhongheng is a wall grass or the commander of the major general brigade of the Imperial Cooperative Army."

Father-in-law Wei unbuttoned his mink coat, he ate too much lobster rice, his stomach was very hot, and the sea breeze was nothing.

Ge Saburo stepped forward and said, "Father-in-law, Oshima brought a message to my father-in-law by the Gallitos. ”

"Oshima, he's a good man, let's think about him, what did he say?" Thinking of Oshima's former figure, his father-in-law's eyes turned red.

Ge Saburo said: "Oshima wishes my father-in-law martial arts prosperity!" ”