"I love the sea, and it has always been my dream to be able to swim, fight, and live on the boundless ocean!"

Zheng Sen carefully looked at his brothers who were expressing their feelings, Dong Changbo of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Guo, Prince Shaobao, Governor of the Later Army, Governor of the Left Governor's Mansion, and the chief military officer of several provinces, and Zhou Huchen, the first horse of the dynasty. Zheng Sen's life is very comfortable now, can he have a brother like Zhou Huchen?

"Brother, do you know the sea? Do you know how hard life is at sea? Zheng Sen asked a little lazily:

Zheng Sen is now fully adapted to his role as a brother, it is actually good to be Zhou Huchen's brother, there is a lot of consensus between the two, and many things that cannot be said to others can be talked freely between the two, and they can say their true thoughts without any scruples. After a long period of contact, Zheng Sen finally understood the legendary Zhou Huchen, he is also an ordinary person, just a combination of wisdom and courage plus opportunities, Zhou Huchen has his own troubles, his own joys and sorrows, and his own life, no one is perfect, there is no essential difference between Zhou Huchen, the god of war who is mythologized by the people, and an ordinary young man who is high-spirited.

"I know a little bit about it." Zhou Huchen replied with a smile.

"A little bit of the sea, the sea is boundless, you can play on the sea, but going to sea is equal to the long torment of the sea, you need a lot of skilled sailors, you need an experienced ship boss, this ship boss at the helm is equal to the brain of the whole fleet, you must be familiar with astronomy, know geography, so as not to have no goal in the vast sea, so as not to encounter a deadly storm. The sea is very vast, very beautiful, and you can also take risks to get a huge amount of wealth, but this is just a good saying, once you beg for a life at sea, it is a very difficult process, what do you eat after years of living at sea? Where does the fresh water come from? The sea is actually not so beautiful, and only those who have experienced it know the hardships of life at sea. Books and rumors are far from explaining the dangers of the sea, nor can they describe the incomparably difficult life at sea! With some alarmism, Zheng Sen unceremoniously hit Zhou Huchen a little.

Zhou Huchen fell into a short period of contemplation, and then the door curtain was raised, and Zhou Huchen's staff Jian Chen entered the house.

"I've seen Mr. Pu Ya." Zheng Sen was very familiar with Zhou Huchen's army during this time, and he was full of reverence for this elegant and wise Jian Chen, so he hurriedly got up.

Zhou Huchen also smiled: "Mr. is here, sit!" ”

Sitting down unceremoniously, Jian Chen lifted the teapot by himself: "What topic to discuss today, I have nothing to do today." I just sit in on it. ”

"The sea, today's topic is the sea." Zheng Sen took the lead without waiting for Zhou Huchen's answer, and then picked up the fire drill and dialed the silver frost charcoal in the charcoal basin and asked Zhou Huchen: "Since you talk about the sea, brother, do you know that the essence of sea combat and land is different?" ”

"General Weng is the general of Zhejiang coastal defense, General Weng knows how to sail and fight, and will also cooperate with my navy to adapt to the sea, not to mention that there are those subordinate sergeants in Fujian, brother, my brother is too worried!" The general soldier Weng that Zhou Huchen said is Weng Zhiqi, the chief soldier from Zhoushan who has been guarding the sea for a long time. should be familiar with things at sea, with his help, and Fujian's navy, Zhou Huchen is still more assured.

"Is going to sea the same as patrolling? Weng Zongbing is a general of coastal defense. But what are his men doing by the sea? In fact, Brother Xian, don't you know, the imperial navy is just patrolling the sea offshore, and going to sea and patrolling the sea are the same thing? Going to sea requires a giant boat that can sail on the sea, and it needs a strong force and related personnel, and the combat effectiveness of Zhoushan's naval army, do you know? It's the age of giant boats and cannons, and although gang jumps still happen from time to time, overall. It is still a strong ship and a sharp artillery that can have combat power at sea, and as for those coastal defense officers and soldiers in Zhoushan, don't count on it! ”

Zheng Sen talked eloquently, what he said was reasonable and well-founded, and put the facts in front of Zhou Huchen, not because he looked down on Zhoushan's naval army, but because Fujian's maritime army was indeed very strong, otherwise there would not be Zheng Zhilong's today, and there would not be Zheng Sen's trip to Tianjin this time.

"That's true, I've heard of it, only people who have been at sea for a long time understand the sea, and now the sea combat seems to be different from before, I heard that the Western Francophone people are very good at making artillery, and they are also good at ocean navigation, what Ming Yan said is true, and the marshal sees it too simply."

Jian Chen didn't know much about the sea, but he hadn't seen a pig run and always eaten pork, and he had been in contact with those things he had seen and heard at sea, which was basically the same as what Zheng Sen said. Therefore, Jian Chen also spoke.

Zheng Sen nodded and continued to explain: "Sir, virtuous brother, in fact, this Franco-machine man is just my Ming's general name for the Xiyi people, these Xiyi people have many countries, such as the Franco-machine people are actually a kind of title for the Spaniards or the Portuguese, because they are good at making Franco cannons, they are called Franco-machine people by the Chinese, and there are actually many other maritime Xiyi powers, such as the red-haired Dutchmen in Dayuan (Taiwan), as well as the French, the English, etc. These countries are actually similar to robbers, in the face of strong opponents, these Xiyi people will do business in a proper manner, and in the face of weaker countries and fleets, they will directly become pirates, so Xiyi people are robbers and merchants. For example, the red-haired fan and the Spaniards had fought with their father at sea for many years, but fortunately their father won, and these Spanish people have now stopped a lot. ”

Zheng Sen knows the ocean very well, although it is an understatement when it comes to maritime contention, everyone knows that interests are always the greatest pursuit of human beings, and the tragedy of maritime competition and the difficulty of victory can be imagined. Speaking of the sea, Zheng Sen has his pride, because of his father, because of the dragon on the sea.

"The younger brother heard that it seems that the big man is still under the control of the Hongmaofan, and the Haojing (Macau) is also controlled by the Portuguese, why didn't the uncle drive these Xiyi people out? Let them roll away, and leave these people behind, and will not they add to their troubles? Zhou Huchen couldn't help but ask.

Zheng Sen picked up the teacup: "It's just the needs of business, after all, we have to communicate with each other, these Yi people can bring a lot of things that my father and Daming need, such as spices, jade and jade, and Fran machine guns and other things, not to mention that Ryukyu is still relatively far away, where the miasma is too heavy, and my father can't reach it, so he is too lazy to worry about the red hair." As for Haojing, it is relatively far away and does not belong to the rule of my father, so I can't manage it. ”

Omit the facts! Zhou Huchen understood what Zheng Sen meant, it wasn't that Zheng Zhilong couldn't take care of it. It's not that Zheng Zhilong doesn't have the strength to manage it, it's that he doesn't want to take care of it, because he is driven by interests, and keeping these Westerners has a use, and they can bring Zheng Zhilong great wealth!

Laughing, in order to avoid embarrassment, Zhou Huchen changed the topic, and he continued his lyrical performance: "The word sea and sky is a metaphor for the vast sea, and now there is a brother here, and there is a strong maritime army in Fujian. What else am I afraid of? What are you afraid of the coastal slaves? The sea is wide and the fish jumps, the sky is high and the birds fly, the sea is our sea, isn't it? ”

Zhou Huchen actually knows about the sea, and the things in his memory are very useful. However, what he needs now is the participation of Zheng Sen, let him cooperate with himself, the previous words are foreshadowing, Zheng Sen, a national hero in history, needs to stand up. And also as a staunch ally.

"Four or five hundred miles is not a distance at sea, it only takes two days to reach the ocean on the east side of Shanhaiwei, and of course the strength of troops is not a problem, the problem is the landing site. Who is going to fight the Jiannu who guards the Shanhaiguan? ”

Zheng Sen understood what Zhou Huchen meant, he wanted to go to sea to attack Shanhaiguan, that is, to use the sea power of the Zheng family, except for the soldiers to participate in the battle. The most important thing is to transport soldiers and all kinds of supplies, after all, the Zheng family started at sea, and there is no doubt about their ability at sea. And Zhou Huchen's soldiers are the strongest on land. The fiercest battle belonged to them, which was equivalent to Zheng Sen asking Zhou Huchen who to send to take Shanhaiguan and how many people to send.

"Adjutant General Wu Yun will lead more than 30,000 soldiers, including artillery, as well as the naval army of General Yu Dahu and General Weng will also have a lot of people accompanying him, plus those soldiers from my brother Fujian, I am afraid that 100,000 people will be mobilized for this operation." Zhou Huchen's meaning was very clear, his subordinates had to accompany him, after all, the opportunity was rare, and it was a must to adapt to it at sea.

"Nearly a thousand giant ships are going to be dispatched! The virtuous brother is so generous, not only the personnel, but this provision will not be a decimal! Since you attach so much importance to this sea operation, it is a good story to go to the sea for my brother and take Shanhaiguan, what do you think? Since Zhou Huchen attaches great importance to it, Zheng Sen is no longer reserved, in order to reassure Zhou Huchen, he decisively asked for battle.

Zhou Huchen understood what Zheng Sen meant, this kind of war is not that Zheng Sen wants to fight in person, but to supervise his own Fujian naval army: "The supply is naturally from the imperial court, the south of the Yangtze River is rich, this year's famine is relatively light, the supply of food and silver is very sufficient, and my brother wants to go to sea in person, I can't ask for it!" "This is the result that Zhou Huchen wants, Zheng Sen personally went out to fight those soldiers from Fujian will work hard, there is no suspense for the final result of this battle, the key is to tie those Fujian soldiers with himself, and make the Zheng family in Fujian his firm allies.

"It's decided, run a trip to the naval camp for my brother, such a big move, and make some preparations in advance." Being able to participate in the war made Zheng Sen a little excited, and he was about to return to the naval camp in Jining immediately.

Zhou Huchen decisively stopped Zheng Sen: "Brother don't be in a hurry, it's not too late to wait for the canal to be opened, when the land attack will be carried out at the same time as the water, and this plan must be kept secret, and it must not be revealed, we need to wait now, when the time comes, when to take Shanhaiguan is not up to you, brother." ”

"Don't fool me! For the brother to succeed at sea, as for the attack on Shanhaiguan, you have to count on the soldiers of the virtuous brother! I can be responsible for waving the flag and shouting, responsible for sea transportation and other things, since I am not in a hurry, I am here to accompany the virtuous brother, and I am duty-bound when I go to sea! ”

Zheng Sen is still self-aware, this is not the time for him to be able to strategize, he is a scholar who has not experienced too many battles to lead his Zheng family's naval army, but commanding an army of 100,000 is tantamount to joking, Zhou Huchen is just praising him. And the current history seems to be still far from the era of Zheng Chenggong's dominance.

In the blink of an eye, the soldiers brought food, and alcohol was not allowed in the army, Zhou Huchen did this very thoroughly, even he, the coach, never violated the rules. The three of them talked and ate, and after the meal, they continued to talk about some topics of interest, and soon after, Zheng Sen and Jian Chen had enough to talk about, and the two said goodbye.

The two left, and Zhou Huchen let out a long breath.

"The sea, my sea finally has hope, the longing for the ocean world, how far away are you from me?" (To be continued......)