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When the Mawei fleet had just entered the coastal waters of Fujian, it was discovered by the watchtower on Matsu Island. It was determined that it was the return of their own fleet, and half of the guard towers drove the speedboats to greet them, and at the same time sent personnel back to Mawei to report the good news.

Therefore, before Geng Jingzhong and the others arrived at the mouth of the Minjiang River, the Houyu Port and the Mawei Military Port were already boiling. For two whole months, the Monkey Island Port and the Mawei Military Port, which were not garrisoned by the Mawei Fleet, were in a state of combat readiness. The nerves have been tense all the time, and now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!

In the past two months, Li Guangdi stayed in Mawei to look after his family, and he also tried his best. Outside the port of Houyu has been newly arranged with a new fort, and even the station of Nanri Island is the same, and a large number of sentinel ships patrol the coastal waters every day, and the patrol intensity has more than doubled compared to the past.

In the Mawei Military Port, 60 large merchant ships also slowly sailed out of the Mawei Military Port. They have also been stationed here for two full months, and for safety reasons, the shareholders unanimously agreed to stay in Mawei. Otherwise, if the Zheng family on the opposite side took advantage of the situation and surrounded the Kunpeng caravan at sea, it would be troublesome. If the Zheng family captures the Kunpeng fleet, then their strength will be greatly improved, and Geng Jingzhong's side will suffer heavy losses.

Although these sixty merchant ships were large enough, they were not authentic warships, and there were few guns on them, so they basically did not play any role against the enemy, so Geng Jingzhong vetoed Li Guangdi's attempt to use this Kunpeng fleet at the beginning. Staying honestly in Mawei Military Port is not only less troublesome, but also safer.

In the two months that Geng Jingzhong went on his expedition. Houyu Port is still very prosperous. But it's still a lot worse than it was two months ago. The main reason is Lee Kwang-di's censorship. Blocked a lot of merchant ships from going to the Japanese and Korea. It can be said that as long as the merchant ships originally engaged in Oriental trade, they were not allowed to depart from Fujian, so as not to interfere with Geng Jingzhong's expedition. However, the business in the Nanyang area has not been affected in any way.

All 300 dragon ships were on standby in the bay between Langqi Island and Kulu Island, and as soon as they heard the alarm, 2,000 warriors would drive these dragon ships to attack the invading enemy and die with them. Of course, the sailors on board will not die with the ship. As soon as the fireship came within range of the enemy ship, the sailors would set it on fire and then jump out of the sea and swim back to shore. Therefore, fireship tactics are generally used in offshore or narrow sea areas, and fireships collide head-on with the enemy. Unless it's like the Mawei fleet, the firepower is so strong that it sinks the fireship before it gets close, it's really miserable.

"See, the mast is tied with a red belt, which means that His Royal Highness the Prince of the World has returned with a great victory!" When the Mawei fleet entered the mouth of the Min River. The people on the dock could finally see clearly. Immediately, there were many people pointing at the fleet and being elated.

"Needless to say. The Mawei fleet is so powerful, it's a piece of cake to deal with the Japanese pirates! However, I remember that a certain brother said that the future of the prince's trip is not good! Merchant A squinted his eyes and said to Merchant B next to him.

"Ahem, I'm not worried about the world. And I don't seem to have said anything about the future of the son, I just said that the situation is unpredictable! Meng Yuan's hundreds of thousands of troops conquered the Japanese twice, and they were defeated and returned, and the prince had to worry about this expedition, which is also human nature. Besides, you don't know the situation at sea, in case of a storm and tsunami or something, even the largest fleet will suffer, otherwise the Wa Kingdom will not worship the kamikaze for so many years! Merchant B coughed awkwardly before retorting.

"That's right, the prince just set out for a cough in June, and the sea is also the heaviest time of the year, which is indeed a little worrying. But it's good to come back now, and we're also guaranteed. The volume of trade in these two months is much less than before! Merchant A sighed. These two months add up to the previous month's earnings, because the atmosphere here is much more tense, and many businessmen have reduced their business activities, and the losses are not small.

"Dili Da La~~" "Knock T Just when everyone was talking, the sound of gongs, drums, suona and other musical instruments sounded in their ears. All of a sudden, various performances such as dragon and lion dances began enthusiastically on the pier. These performers were not invited by Lee Kwang-di or anyone else, but by the troupe of performers.

On the port of Houyu, there are now three teams dedicated to performances. Whenever there is any festive thing, according to the rules of Fujian, these people must be invited to perform, just to increase the festivities. The merchants on the port are all rich and like to be lively, so the business of the three performance teams is also not bad.

When the sentry on Matsu Island came back on a fast boat to report the news, the entire Monkey Island Port knew about it, and these people who were doing the performance business were already well-informed, and of course they knew it for the first time. So the three teams immediately led their own teams to the dock to celebrate the triumphant return of the Mawei fleet.

Geng Jingzhong did not let the team stop at Houyu Port, but continued to drive straight towards Mawei Military Port, but the speed slowed down. The captains of the ships just stood on the left deck and waved to the crowd on the beach. One hundred and thirty warships came one after another from the water in front of the port of Houyu, and the soldiers also increased their faces under the gaze and welcome of many people. As soon as the Mawei fleet entered the port, the news of Geng Jingzhong's victory spread in all directions along with many merchants in Houyu Port.

Li Guangdi led a group of generals who stayed behind and were already waiting at the dock of the military port, and everyone was elated, but only one person had no smile on his face. Ma Jiuyu, the chief general of the Marine Army, is the oldest qualified general, even if Zeng Yang's temperament is worse than he wants. Originally, he was in charge of the Marine Army this time, at least when Geng Jingzhong held a mobilization meeting. There are unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and people have good and bad luck, and this sentence is really not just the end of the sentence. Just the day before he hurriedly prepared for this expedition, he drank too much wine, and he was nearly sixty years old, and his body could not stand it and collapsed!

It's not that he doesn't want to go. It's that his body really won't let him go. Freezing three feet is not a day's cold. His body had a big explosion at this time. The dark wounds of the past are now returning. There was no way, Geng Jingzhong had to leave him for treatment and recuperation, so Ma Jiuyu also missed such an opportunity to leave his name in history.

By the time Ma Jiuyu woke up, the Mawei Navy Fleet had already set sail for a day. When he learned the news, his already bad health deteriorated again, and many famous doctors in Fuzhou City also took a lot of effort to save him. After two long months of recuperation, his body finally recovered. However, due to his age, he is no longer young. And after this serious illness, his physical condition is not as good as before. When Geng Jingzhong comes back, he should also take the initiative to resign, he still has such self-knowledge.

However, it is precisely because of this that his face is as bad as his body, and he can't get any better. The subordinates around him didn't dare to provoke him again, for fear that if he was not careful, he would be furious, and he would be in trouble if he was killed by the fish pond. Even Li Guangdi kept accompanying him with a smile during this time. I often go to him to ask him about arming problems. It's not that Li Guangdi won't, but it's specifically for Ma Jiuyu. so that he will not be too lonely.

"It's coming, it's coming! Firecrackers! Li Guangdi and other generals saw the Mawei fleet that turned around almost at the same time, Geng Jingzhong's Zhenyuan took the lead, leading the warships behind to start entering the port, and Li Guangdi immediately ordered the salute to be fired.

"Tom tom!"

"Tom tom!"

"Tom tom!"

Two rows of sixty salutes fired one after another, each shot three times, very rhythmic. This salute is different from the guns on warships, they are divided into three sections, and they can make three sounds, just like a fireworks explosion, purely for fun, and they can't hurt people at all. Of course, if it is straight and close to people, it still has a lot of power, but as a salute, it is all at a forty-five degree angle towards the sky.

"The end will see the son! Congratulations on the triumph of the prince! All the generals on the dock clasped their fists and saluted, and said loudly. It's like a pre-rehearsal exercise, and the language of the movements is exactly the same.

"Everyone is also fortunate, it is also a great achievement to keep the rear from chaos, otherwise the soldiers will not have the heart to go to the battle!" Geng Jingzhong got off the boat, nodded to everyone, walked up to Li Guangdi and a few people, and patted a few people on the shoulder. "Uncle Ma, you're all right. The next time there is a battle, you will definitely be called, so don't be upset again! ”

Xie Shizi cares. The old man is really old, and his body is not ready now. Today is a day of great joy, so I don't want to say that I am unhappy. Steward Li has ordered someone to prepare a celebratory dinner, and we will all be drunk and not return home in a while! Ma Jiuyu finally had a smile on his face, waved his hand, and shouted loudly at the generals behind Geng Jingzhong.

"Oh old horse, you still have to drink, good health is the biggest capital, you still have to take care of your body, next time our two brothers will go out together!" Zeng Yang smiled and said to Ma Jiuyu. Originally, he didn't fight for Ma Jiuyu, and it was decided that he would stay in the horsetail. It's a pity that Ma Jiuyu didn't have this life, he fell, and in the end, he led the army. He was happier than anyone else when he went on the expedition, and that's why. Now that I think about it, my thoughts are a little inauthentic, I'm sorry for this old brother, and I started to say good things.

"You're in luck, you old boy! Hey, I'm afraid I won't have a chance again! Forget it, don't talk about it, Shizi, please! Today, my old horse is happy, and I must accompany you to drink a few more bowls! Ma Jiuyu smiled and said loudly.

"Let's go! I haven't been drinking in the past two months, and I really want to! Geng Jingzhong said with a smile in order to enliven the atmosphere.

"Hahaha, the words of the prince have gone to my heart! Outside the expedition, except for the smell of alcohol in the ward, the rest, hey let's go, I can't wait! As soon as Geng Jingzhong finished speaking, Wang Zhenbang laughed and said.

"Hahaha!" The surrounding generals also laughed.

The generals who went out on the expedition did not drink for two months, and the same was true of the soldiers below. There are few Chinese characters in the army who are not good at drinking, and they have been holding it for two months, so they have to drink a round belly now. After a night of carnival, tens of thousands of soldiers all drank and staggered, and many of them fell directly on the open-air banquet and fell asleep directly on the ground. Fortunately, the temperature in Fujian is still high at this time, otherwise I don't know how many people would get sick.

Geng Jingzhong and other generals were slightly better, and of course they would not drink in the open air. In the spacious hall, there are several long rows of wooden tables. And the soldiers sat on either side of the wooden table. Jar after jar of fine wine was served. Soon the bottom was reached. Many generals who drank a little less fell on the table. Geng Jingzhong also drank too much, and was finally driven back to the room by the guards.

They celebrated, and of course they had to be guarded. From the inside to the outside, the soldiers who were originally in charge of staying behind did not relax because Geng Jingzhong returned. Before receiving the order to change the guard, one by one still stuck to their posts. This is the barracks, and it is also their lair, and they must not be sloppy at any time

The next day, Geng Jingzhong slept until noon and did not get up. The same goes for the rest of the soldiers. The soldiers who were drunk at the open-air banquet were later helped to sleep in the dormitory one after another, and this sleep was not a little burdensome, so they slept very sweetly. After waking up, they were all talking about when the prince would give them a holiday.

After two months of expedition, of course, the soldiers wanted to go home and have a look. At that time, there was no hurry, because the reward for this expedition had not yet been issued. The harvest of this expedition was huge, so the rewards given to the warriors should not be stingy. Before the expedition, Geng Jingzhong promised tens of thousands of soldiers that the battlefield capture of the Shimazu Satsuma Domain would be equally distributed to all the soldiers, and this must not be broken.

In fact. On the days of their return trip, they had settled all the accounts on the battleship. Five million taels of gold obtained from a treaty with the Edo Tokugawa family. None of the fighters below knew. Even if you know, these things have nothing to do with them. However, the harvest on the Shimazu family's side is closely related to them.

The Mawei fleet recovered more than 50,000,000 taels of gold and silver from the Satsuma Domain, of which the treasury of Kagoshima Castle and other castles accounted for the lion's share, about 35,000,000,000 taels; The rest was obtained by robbing the wealthy merchants in Kagoshima Castle, which was also fifteen million taels.

Wang Zhenbang and Zeng Yangxing are the highest-ranking commanders of the Navy and the Marine Corps, and each of these ranks will be rewarded with 100,000 taels; 60,000 taels for the captain and deputy of each detachment; 30,000 taels each for the commander of a third-class battleship and a battalion commander for the Marine Army; Fourth-class warships and the following are 10,000 taels and 8,000 taels respectively; Each rank had a fixed reward, and the smallest warrior received one hundred and fifty taels, or one hundred and fifty large silver dollars, for each of them. This sum of silver is equivalent to their military salary for two years, which is also a considerable amount.

There are rewards for the soldiers who go out, and of course there are also rewards for the soldiers who stay behind. According to the original reward system, a sum of money was also given to the soldiers who stayed behind. However, in terms of numbers, it was much less than the number of soldiers who went out on the expedition. This is also to stimulate the soldiers who stayed behind and stimulate their belligerence.

"Line up!" In the large school field, each battalion stands neatly in its own position, not far from each other, and at this moment on the school field are only the five Marine Army barracks that went out this time.

Guo Jing, the commander of the eighth battalion, stood at the front of his team, standing on top of the old tall wooden box and looking at his soldiers. On this expedition, his eighth battalion of 1,000 men eventually returned with 920 men and lost 80 men. Of the 920 men who returned, more than 30 were missing arms and legs, and it can be said that they were the battalion with the heaviest casualties.

The main reason is that they rush too fast and hit too hard. When he was the first to storm Kagoshima Castle, he was suddenly attacked by some Japanese samurai and lost some of his soldiers. Then during the assault on the fortress of the Shimazu family, dozens more people were lying on the slopes of the hill. But Geng Jingzhong and Zeng Yangxing did not blame them for their losses, but praised them for their bravery.

"On this expedition, we lost some of our brothers! However, the prince also said that those brothers who died in battle were very brave and well-known men. Our eighth battalion is also praised by the prince as the sharp knife battalion, which is the honor that these brothers who died in the war have earned for us! Guo Jing glanced at his fighters and saw that everyone's faces were heavy. They died in battle, but the son of the world will not forget them, and we will not forget our own brothers. According to the order of the prince, the families of all soldiers who were killed or seriously wounded in battle would be treated with the greatest privilege. Let's start distributing the rewards this time, starting with the brothers who died in battle! ”

"Wu Fa, a total of 500 yuan for rewards and bereavement benefits!"

"Pu Long, the reward and bereavement pension are 500 yuan in total!"

"Xiong Shao, the reward and bereavement pension are a total of 500 yuan!"

"The above is a list of brothers who died in battle, and their rewards and bereavements are all sent to their homes by the logistics department. In the future, if there is something in their family, the brothers will try to help if they can, do you hear? Guo Jing shouted loudly at the soldiers.

"Understood!"

"Alright, it's our turn now! Let's start with the first brigade! Guo Jing didn't ask others to help with this name, which is also a means of gathering people's hearts. He personally distributed it, showing that he was not greedy for a silver dollar, and at the same time he could make the soldiers read his good.

"Pei Caiguang, kill five enemies, three hundred and fifty yuan!"

"Cheng Kangwen, kill five enemies, three hundred and fifty yuan!"

"Qiu Si, kill three enemies, two hundred and seventy yuan!"

"Cheng Kangwen, kill one enemy, one hundred and ninety yuan!"

According to the basics, each soldier is given 150 pieces, and then a reward of 40 pieces of silver for killing an enemy begins. The Marine Corps, like the Navy, will be able to go home after receiving their reward today. Geng Jingzhong was also very generous to give the soldiers a week's vacation and join the group with his family. In fact, after he woke up the day after arriving in Mawei, he immediately rushed home!

The rich reward was indeed a great boost to the confidence of the warriors, and with this bounty, the family could live a good life. When people have money, they will want to enjoy it and will no longer be willing to endure hardship. This is also human nature, for this kind of thing, Geng Jingzhong has already taken precautions, and when the soldiers return to the camp this time, this plan can be implemented.

Geng Jingzhong wants not to be a soldier like the American GIs of later generations, he doesn't want to fight because he has a big family and a big business, and he can only use mercenaries in real foreign wars. His army must be like the warriors of Great Qin during the Warring States Period, happy to hear the battle, invincible! (To be continued......)

PS: Sorry for being late today, brothers. There is only one chapter today, but it is a 5,000-word chapter, and tomorrow the younger brother will rest, and he will definitely make up for it!