Chapter Ninety-Five: The Three Armies Have Not Moved, Grain and Grass Go First

Nanjing's affairs, from the moment he left Nanjing, He Xi didn't think about it.

He Xi and Lu Zhongheng were in the same boat, and He Xi took Lu Zhongheng to look at the magic weapon hidden in the bilge.

It is more than three meters long, and the barrel is dark and bare, and there are several clamps on the gun body, which has been strengthened. And the muzzle of the gun is gone, smooth as a mirror, without any burrs. Lu Zhongheng put his hand into the muzzle of the cannon and stroked it carefully, as if he was caressing his lover's skin. said: "I haven't seen it for a few years, but the Ministry of Industry actually has such a craft." I think that the first artillery we built back then had a big gap in it, and I tried it, and it could hold a bowl of water. Just like that, it has to be used. And it's the first time I've seen such a big cannon. How powerful? How many doors are there. ”

He Xi said: "This is the latest production of Taiping Iron Works. It was originally planned to be placed on the Jinling city wall. However, I fought hard in front of His Majesty, and I was able to get my hands on it, and there were thirteen in total. There have been test guns. I didn't look at it, though. When you arrive in Ningbo, you can try the gun again. ”

Lu Zhongheng said: "Then try it on the ship, right?" ”

He Xi shook his head and said, "No." This ship will not work. The recoil of this cannon is great. I guess I was able to sink the ship. ”

Lu Zhongheng is actually not too proficient in naval warfare. Hearing He Xi say this, he didn't ask. He sighed and said, "With these thirteen cannons, they have helped us a lot. Otherwise, I don't know how to start with the affairs of Nanyang. There are only a few thousand men and horses, and Lao Tzu has never commanded such a small number of soldiers and horses for so many years? ”

He Xi was stunned for a moment and said, "Didn't you transfer more than 20,000 people from the coast?" And Zhou Wangsan's guards? How are there only a few thousand? ”

Lu Zhongheng said; "You don't know that. Zhou Wangsan's guards, those are all false, not to mention, Zhou Wangsan's guards are not full at all. After receiving the order, it will take at least a few months to recruit soldiers and replenish the manpower from other guards. That is, the three guards of King Zhou are all fully assembled, and they can act now when they give an order. But the landlubbers of the north, if you don't put them in order, do you dare to let them get on board? ”

"The only ones who can really do it are the soldiers who are drawn from the coast. It's just that the three armies have not moved, and the grain and grass go first, not to mention, the Nanyang Navy comes first. In particular, the grain and grass that sustains the South Seas. It is estimated that at least half of the manpower is needed, and we can have thousands of soldiers and dozens of warships in our hands, which is already good. Don't think about anything else. ”

He Xi actually understands this truth. I just didn't think about it. After all, in the battle of Yunnan, speaking of which, there were also 300,000 troops, but the real soldiers were only in the early 100,000s, and the others were just transshipments.

It's just that He Xi didn't expect that this time in the southern expedition, there were so few troops at hand. What can thousands of people do?

He Xi said: "Java is at least a country of ten thousand times, only a few thousand soldiers, what can it do?" ”

Lu Zhongheng said; "Don't worry, I told Your Majesty. His Majesty assures that these thousands of men and horses will be the most elite soldiers in the entire southeast. All of them are between the ages of twenty and thirty, who have fought in battle formations and even beheaded veterans. There will be no problem. The small countries of the South Seas, their armies, I have seen them all, are just scattered sand. Fighting in formation, I broke tens of thousands of him, but in a snap of my fingers. ”

Lu Zhongheng's self-confidence in this sentence did not come for nothing.

Because in terms of political structure, Nanyang is now in the Spring and Autumn Period of China. That is, the army of the state economy is nothing more than the king's private army. And the other armies of the state are nothing more than the private armies of other nobles, and the state is essentially an alliance of nobles. It was in the era of transition to a feudal dynasty. Whoever is more centralized will be powerful. That's why Vietnam dominates the South Seas.

It can be said that the training of these armies is not unified and the command is not uniform. Not to mention, in terms of weapons, the Ming army still has an advantage.

If it is not for the purpose of occupation, thousands to tens of thousands, Lu Zhongheng said that there is no problem at all.

No matter how greedy Lu Zhongheng is for money, he is a veteran of a hundred battles after all. He wasn't joking about war.

After all, when the Portuguese arrived in the South Seas, there were only a few thousand. Although at that time, it was the period of decline of the Javanese dynasty. Even Southeast Asia doesn't even have a single one that can fight. Not the same as the heyday of Majapahit.

But the bottom line is the same.

He Xi doesn't trust Lu Zhongheng so much.

Lu Zhongheng was too greedy for money, which made He Xi doubt Lu Zhongheng's military judgment. But this suspicion cannot be spoken.

He Xi pondered for a moment and said; "Your Majesty said that this time all the customs duties in the southeast were diverted to military spending. I haven't been in the southeast for a while, how much money does the southeast customs have? ”

Lu Zhongheng said: "500,000 taels of base, let's talk about it when it comes to the specifics." ”

He Xi pondered for a moment and said, "Do you say that it is possible to outsource the task of transporting materials to maritime merchants?" ”

Lu Zhongheng was stunned for a moment and said, "Why? ”

He Xi said: "This can save logistics forces to the greatest extent. Put more forces into battle, as for the maritime merchants, they are all Ming, and there will be no objections. Will give money anyway. ”

In He Xi's view, this time to the south, it is necessary to realize the integration of military and civilian. The Ming army opened up markets for the merchants of the Ming Dynasty, and the merchants of the Ming Dynasty assisted the Ming army in carrying out military operations. 500,000 taels though much. But apparently not enough.

However, He Xi was not too worried.

There is an army, but I am afraid that there will be no money, especially in this relatively chaotic place in Nanyang.

Even in Ho Xi's plans, there may not have been no military contractors, or colonial companies such as the East India Company. You must know that because of the special reasons of the Ming Dynasty, the first batch of maritime merchants are all supported by the nobles, the founding nobles of the Ming Dynasty, but a group of fierce people with a serious excess of martial virtues.

The maritime merchants under their support, if they can't fight, they will be laughed at by the entire Ming upper-level circle for several years when they go back.

The surplus martial arts of the Ming Dynasty were introduced into overseas expansion. This is Ho Xi's long-term plan. It's just that Lu Zhongheng can't understand this.

The first thing that came to Luk's mind was business.

It's about making money.

Lu Zhongheng said secretly: "I really want to know what He Xi has in his head?" This method can also be figured out. Isn't that giving yourself money? ”

Lu Zhongheng understands very well that there is absolutely no problem in transporting logistics to these firms. Because they all know the roots. Although he didn't say who was behind the firm, everyone in the circle knew that something really happened, and it was not the face of the firm that was lost, but the face of a certain earl and a certain marquis.

They are all on the battlefield, and they all know that there is no way to fight a war without logistics. Put the responsibility for the defeat of Nanyang on them, they must not be willing.

And Lu Zhongheng personally estimates that there should be no major problems in this section of the South China Sea. After all, the forces of Java have not yet reached the South China Sea. Generally, small countries do not dare to move the ships of the Ming Dynasty. The biggest problem is actually the storm at sea.

However, in the event of a storm at sea, even if it is an army ship, is there really any way to do it before this force of nature, all that can be done is to resign itself to fate.

"Good idea." Lu Zhongheng said; "However, I don't think it's a priority. When the army was in the army, it was imperative to send envoys to the countries of the South Seas to let them know what to do. ”

He Xi nodded.

Relying on the tens of thousands of people in the Ming Dynasty alone. It is perfectly fine to have a stronghold in the South Seas. But the war with Java is not enough. It can only be with the help of the power of the countries of the South Seas. In such a situation in Nanyang, it can even be said that the role of vertical and horizontal cooperation is more important than real swords and real guns.

He Xi said: "Before I left, I had already communicated with the Ministry of Rites. The Ministry of Rites has already given a hundred blank official photos. We just need to pick the good people. Fill in the name, that is, the seven qualities of the Ministry of Rites, can represent the Ming Dynasty to envoy the Nanyang countries. ”

"We have to discuss what to do with the Nanyang countries."

Lu Zhongheng said; "What happens in Java, you can wait for a while. I'll wait until we know something. But the countries that paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty were already able to start. If you don't say it, I'll discuss this matter with you. ”