In the days following the defeat of Yi Sunsin, Zhou Qingfeng stayed in Pyongyang. His daily job was to let his staff officers and officers make their own plans, and then the task of attacking Seoul was not difficult but trivial, and it was left to the Korean Front and the Korean puppet government to complete. As for the requirements of Huofeng and Binghuang, the two sides are still arguing.

North Korea may seem barren and remote, but its geographical location is quite important. Japan's control of Korea was a springboard for its advance into the mainland. The Central Plains regime controlled Korea, and it could easily threaten the Dongying Islands - although the Japanese were poorer and more chaotic than Korea, who would make the gold and silver production on their territory high.

Knowing that Korea was about to be controlled by the whole territory, the administrative department of the 'Revolutionary Army' began to think about going to Jeju Island to raise horses, and Zhou Qingfeng asked for a lot of horse breeds after more than a month of collection. And steam power can't replace animal power for decades, so it is still necessary for horses to develop well.

The trouble with raising horses is in the feed and not in the territory. If the horses want to run, a few hundred meters of running track is enough for them to have fun, and the key is that the horses have high feed requirements. The Central Plains can't afford to convert farmland to pasture. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a place with open terrain and not too cold in winter to raise horses.

Just as Zhou Qingfeng was preparing to continue preparing for the trip to Dongying, in a certain merchant house in Hirado, Nagasaki, a man named Richard. The British merchant of Kirks was giving Thomas to the British East India Company. Sir Roy wrote.

"Dear Sir Roy, your servant sends you gracious greetings in the far east. I would like to report to you and His Majesty King James I on some recent events, and I hope that you will take the time to listen to my suggestions.

You know that Japan, where I am located, is ruled by a shogun. Beginning last year, His Excellency Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada introduced a series of orders banning the spread of Catholicism. This ban was originally intended for the damned Spaniards. However, it was very frustrating that the Japanese could not recognize us Westerners, which made our trade in Nagasaki very difficult.

In the far east, trade has always brought great benefits, but it also comes with great risks. A few years ago, two Portuguese cargo ships sailed from Haojing, China, to Malacca, only to be intercepted and captured by the Dutch on the way. The ship's fortune was auctioned off in Amsterdam for six million guilders. A medium-sized Galen ship made a trip to the Far East to return to Europe, earning a fortune in millions.

Every ship sailing in the Far East is as if it were filled with gold, and it is worth all our efforts. But now the Far East is dominated by the Spaniards and the Dutch, and even the Portuguese are stronger than us. Now that the Japanese market may close to us at any time, we have to look for new ports, new sources of goods and new markets. We need more support from you.

Fortunately, the Ming Kingdom in the Far East is God's best trading partner for us. Their sea power is very weak, and the goods they produce are surprisingly popular. Originally, the Ming Emperor refused to make a deal with us, but they are in a bad situation - a powerful rebel army is trying to seize the rule of this ancient empire.

In Nagasaki, there was a Ming merchant named Li Dan, who told me about the current plight of the Ming government. It is said that the Portuguese in Ho Kyong had been summoned by the Ming Emperor to forge cannons for the Ming government in exchange for more trade power. Personally, I think it's a huge opportunity for us and we should be a part of it.

Dear Sir, if you can send a fleet from Goa, India, to the Far East, we can take part in this war. Our friend of the Ming Kingdom, Li Dan, was willing to provide the port of Quanzhou to provide docking and replenishment for the fleet, and the officials of the Ming Kingdom also promised to provide convenience. Personally, I am more than willing to serve this expedition. It would be a great honor for you to have your trust. ”

Write a beautiful floral signature at the end of the letter with a quill pen, Richard. Kirks rolls up the letters, bundles them, and seals them. He gave the letter to his servant and had it delivered to India as quickly as possible. He was confident in convincing the venerable Thomas. Sir Roy, because with the letter was an armed cargo ship loaded with silk and porcelain.

The cargo of this ship was provided by Li Dan, a merchant of the Ming Kingdom, and its value would definitely make Sir Roy seriously consider the feasibility of sending a fleet - among the empires on which the sun never sets in history, the first two countries to rise were Spain and the Netherlands. They have carved up all the markets and sources of goods in the known world. Britain, as a latecomer, is eager to open up a new situation.

It is now the beginning of the European Age of Discovery, but the shipbuilding industry in European countries is already very developed. On the basis of the two ship types of 'Clarke' and 'Caravell', the Great Powers transformed the epoch-making 'Galen' in a short period of time. This is an enduring type of ship from the age of sail.

The Galen has high speed, easy handling and excellent seaworthiness. Since its birth, it has been widely welcomed by European countries. The light 'Galen ship' has a displacement of more than 100 tons, which is the largest 2,000-material giant ship in the Daming Naval Division. Medium-sized 'Galen' ships are between 500 and 800 tons, and large ships are 1 or 2,000 tons. It can have seven decks and easily cross the Pacific Ocean.

The battleship slowly developed from the type of 'Galen'.

At this moment, the seafaring capabilities of the East and the West opened up a gap that was difficult to catch up. This is also Richard. The greatest guarantee that Kirkes's confident plan will work - there is really no decent sea power in the countries of the East now. Southeast Asia is completely a playground for countries such as Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and you can do whatever you want.

After the letter was sent, Richard. Kirks walked into the parlor of the Merchant House. Li Dan, a maritime merchant dressed as Dongying, was sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, and he looked at Richard. Kirks said, "When will your fleet arrive?" ”

"In two or three months." Kirkes said casually: "Sir Roy is touring India on behalf of His Majesty James I, and even if he makes a decision immediately, there is no way to let the fleet fly over." Lee, you need to be a little patient. ”

Li Dan is a native of Quanzhou, has always done business in Japan, and is the leader of Chinese businessmen. In fact, he was not appointed by the Ming court to agitate the British this time. It's that the cloth merchants and salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River can't stand the cultural and military intimidation of the 'revolutionary army', so they are in a hurry to find helpers everywhere to clean up Zhou Qingfeng.

Li Dan was a maritime merchant and a pirate, and he had a fleet of hundreds of lucky ships under his command, and he made a living by trading between the southeast coast and Japan. Although the forces of the 'revolutionary army' have not yet reached Jiangnan, its aggressive posture has made many people uneasy.

He Zhuo led his troops to invade Shandong, and the fierceness of the offensive was completely beyond the imagination of the Ming gentry. The huge Shandong was beaten by thousands of people, and the tens of thousands of militiamen followed behind were completely washing the ground, and the land of Qilu was clean. Tens of millions of ordinary people have been mobilized, and land reform is being carried out everywhere, and the uproar is vigorous.

Seeing that the 'revolutionary army' was about to dig the roots of the gentry, and even the Confucian Mansion was liquidated, the rich and noble families in Jiangnan really couldn't sit still. But they had nowhere to escape, and there was no other way but to resist desperately. It seems that the 'revolutionary army' cannot be defeated on land, so it can only find a way to attack from the sea.

Li Dan, as a major force in the southeast coast, was naturally approached by the gentry in Jiangnan. Li Dan is also extremely wary of the 'revolutionary army', after all, other forces focus on the fields, but the 'revolutionary army' likes the ocean. Several five-hundred-ton steamships had been launched in the direction of Lushun, and although Li Dan had not seen them with his own eyes, he was also afraid.

The sail giant ship of the Tessipani ghost is powerful enough, and now there is a big ship that has no wind and propelled itself, so how can this man who runs to the sea to eat still live? Therefore, Li Dan searched everywhere for allies in Hirado, and suddenly found Richard, who was also troubled by the shrinking business. Kirks. The two hit it off and wanted to drag the British East India Company into the water.

Richard. Kirks said that the British fleet would come in two or three months, and Li Dan pondered that the deadline should be relaxed, and it should be able to come in three or four months. It's already August, and it's about to fall and winter. He was worried that the north wind would move south in winter, which would affect the navigation of the ships. But Richard. However, Kirks said that the British 'Galen ship' can run against the wind, and there is no need to worry about the wind direction.

"If your fleet can come, I can not only arrange for the port to anchor, but also send a fleet to attack the north together." Li Dan thought for a while and said, "The nests of the anti-thieves are in Lushun and Tianjin. As far as I know, they only emerged in the past two years, and most of the ships were newly built, and there were no regular warships. As long as we fight all the way, we can definitely win.

Now Tianjin is extremely wealthy, and the production of various commercial goods is extremely rich. As long as we take Tianjin, we can grab it and make a lot of money. ”

Li Dan has lived in Nagasaki for a long time, and his understanding of the 'revolutionary army' is all the news that the Jiangnan gentry have changed hands seven or eight times. He didn't tell Richard. Kirk's matter about the 'steamship', and the gentry in Jiangnan did not tell him the real situation in Tianjin. In fact, with the current pace of development of the 'revolutionary army', it is already difficult for outsiders to grasp its power -- it is really 'three days of Shibei, and you should be impressed'.

The plan from the British, Zhou Qingfeng didn't know at all. He was still in Pyongyang, using Jia Gang's divine clone to make a request to Zhao Ze, who was far away in Jinzhou, "We encountered a North Korean tortoiseshell boat this time, and we all relied on a commuter boat to support the scene of the navy." When will there be a real standard battleship? ”

"Building a warship is not a hen laying eggs, do you still want to build a ship in a day? We now launch one steamship a month, and that's fast. At present, wood drying kilns alone are not enough, and hardwood for shipbuilding has become scarce. Don't overthink it. "Zhao Ze hates Zhou Qingfeng the most, urging and urging him.

"And what about my spring steel?" Zhou Qingfeng went to bother Shi Dong again.

"Nope." Stone lost two words, plus a sentence, "Don't bother us if it's okay." ”

"I'm just going to have something right now."

"What can you do?"

"Huofeng said she could help make steel, and even help build ships."

"Oh...... you've got that phoenix done? She's a master at playing with fire, so let her come to us. Promise her anything. ”

"But she wants Lao Tzu's life!"