With the defeat of Yangjun by the Qingzhou army, the entire northern border fell into a brief period of peace, but everyone knew that this calm would not last long.

Xiao Jiu, located in Yangcheng County, has been caught in a two-year dilemma in terms of geographical location.

After taking Yangcheng County, Xiao Jiu no longer has much resources to continue to expand, but when the rebel army in Yuzhou and Qingzhou ease up in person, they will face a greater crisis.

Therefore, Xiao Jiu surrendered his eyes to the sea, if diplomacy could be obtained through the sea and several states and counties in the south, the current pressure could be greatly eased.

In particular, Yangzhou, south of Yuzhou, although it is classified as the southern border, is also a relatively wealthy place in the whole of Daxia.

Since the Yuzhou rebel army captured the Yuzhou capital, Yangzhou, which was almost independent of the imperial court, also had to be on guard against the southward infiltration of the Yuzhou rebel army.

Yangzhou, which was originally weak in military strength, also began to recruit troops last year, and was ambitious and ready to go north at any time.

If the establishment of diplomatic relations with Yangzhou is obtained by foreign aid, then Xiao Jiu will be much easier as long as he faces the pressure from Qingzhou.

However, Yangcheng County does not share a border with Yangzhou, and the only way to maintain effective communication is by sea.

The fishing county to the east of Yangcheng County happens to have a small coastal county called Wanpingkou, and if a port is built here, it can directly connect the entire northern coastline.

After thinking about it for a while, Xiao Jiu decided to take this place as a bridgehead and build a military fortress.

The only thing that needs to be scrupulous is the reaction of the Yuzhou rebel army after taking Wanpingkou.

You must know that although the rebel army in Yuzhou and Xiao Jiu are safe now, once there is large-scale friction, it is likely to become the fuse for the outbreak of the hot war.

What Xiao Jiu can do now is to cut through the mess with a quick knife, and take advantage of the harvest before the harvest to win Wanpingkou with a lightning attitude.

After having a general direction in his heart, Xiao Jiu called all these civil and military generals under his command to the City Lord's Mansion to discuss.

When Xiao Jiu said that he was going to raise troops to the east to capture Wanpingkou County, which was near the sea, everyone present was full of surprise.

In their impression, these places along the coast are barren land, where they cannot grow food at all, and the local people can only survive by buying some stinky fish and shrimp.

Now that Xiao Jiu wants to take this barren land, it really makes them a little like they don't understand what the hell is going on to mobilize the people like this?

But Xiao Jiu's actions have always been unpredictable, and every time there is an unexpected move, it is a bit of a novel idea, so they don't dare to refute it.

"Dare to ask the general what can he do if he takes this small Wanpingkou County?"

In the end, it was the honest man Zhou Jin who asked for everyone, and everyone nodded in agreement as soon as this statement came out.

Xiao Jiu was not surprised that they had such a reaction, but explained carefully.

"Now that we are under the enemy, there is no possibility of expansion on land, so we might as well set our sights on the sea, which is also a way out."

After Xiao Jiu finished explaining, the doubts of everyone present were not solved.

Maritime? What can be at sea?

You must know that in a closed agricultural society, only land is the foundation of survival in the eyes of the people of the world.

Leaving home to drift at sea, what do you eat and drink on weekdays?

"Does the lord want to form a maritime army? But how many people can be carried in the fishing boat? ”

After getting along for a long time, Zhou Jin can guess Xiao Jiu's thoughts, but in his concept, there is no shadow of an ocean-going giant ship like Xiao Jiu's previous life.

Hearing Zhou Jin's questioning full of doubts, Xiao Jiu smiled at the corner of his mouth and said, "If the fishing boat can't bear it, then build a warship, can't a hundred-meter-long warship fit it?" ”

After that, Xiao Jiu carefully told everyone what he thought in his heart.

According to his assumption, if he could mobilize craftsmen to build a huge ocean-going ship similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, the sea control in the eastern part of Daxia would be completely in his hands.

And Xiao Jiu had some other thoughts in his heart, that is, whether the world he was in now was the world in his previous life.

If it is the same as the previous life, then there will definitely be the Wa Kingdom, Goryeo, and the treasure island that can never be recovered.

These are all waiting for Xiao Jiu to verify them one by one, and the premise of all this is to have the technology to manufacture ocean-going ships.

In his previous life, Xiao Jiu had experienced naval battles and knew the manufacturing principles of some ocean-going ships, and if he could turn the ideas in his mind into reality, he would definitely be able to become a weapon of war.

Just imagine, when the Qingzhou army mobilized the army to go out to fight, and before it broke through the hometown of Yangcheng County, it was stolen by the Xiao Zi battalion that landed on the coast, which would definitely greatly affect the direction of the war.

It is important to know that sailing at sea is much faster than walking on land, not to mention the weight of grain and grass that must be escorted on the march.

Of course, with the current technology, it is impossible to build that kind of ironclad battleship, and what Xiao Jiu wants to build is similar to the giant sailing ship of the eighteenth century in his previous life.

Xiao Jiu knew that a kind of ocean-going sailing ship called the "Galen Ship" did not need to be made at all with a high level of shipbuilding.

As long as the volume is large enough and the sails are sufficient, a safe manned voyage can be guaranteed.

Moreover, Xiao Jiu doesn't need to let these people sail to the ocean now, he only needs to be able to transport soldiers and materials along the coastline, and that is an elusive surprise army.

Then Xiao Jiu began to deploy the task downward, although Xiao Jiu's subordinates did not have the ability to come up with ideas, but they had a blind belief in Xiao Jiu.

Looking at his subordinates who were busy with his orders, Zhou Jin couldn't help but feel this strong execution.

Now that we have a general direction, we will start to march to the fishing county near the sea next to it as soon as the military horses are put in order.

In addition to the members of Lingshui County who have been following Xiao Jiu, the candidates for this expedition also have a new face.

This person is naturally the young sunspot who turned the tide in the process of going out with the cavalry battalion to Yang County.

After everyone dispersed, Xiao Jiu left Heizi to get to know more about the shy young man.

Before the meeting began, the cautious Xiao Jiu had investigated the origin of the sunspot.

Born in a poor peasant, he was the first militia to respond to the call to fight local tyrants and divide the land during the land reform in Lingshui County, and there was a beautiful wife at home.

Heizi has witnessed Xiao Jiu's rise from Lingshui County step by step, and has always firmly supported Xiao Jiu's various policies.

This upright peasant man knows who gave him his life now, and he no longer has to be a numb tenant farmer or even a tool like before.

For Xiao Jiu's promotion, Heizi was a little frightened in his heart, or Jin Zi comforted him to take over the burden.

Now that Xiao Jiu was alone in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

In the empty study, Xiao Jiu looked at the cramped young man in front of him, thoughtful.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not a man-eating beast."

Looking at Kuroko's cautious appearance, Xiao Jiu spoke of relief and wanted him to relax.

But the sunspot on the other side was still a little nervous, and he didn't dare to ask anything.

"When you were in Yangjun, it was a great achievement for you to keep your strength in danger, and as long as you are a meritorious person in my hands, I will not be too harsh.

I'm leaving you today because I have some new ideas.

You also know that I want to set up a navy and take Wanpingkou, and I plan to put you in charge of the formation of the Marine Corps.

You will be the first admiral."

As Xiao Jiu said slowly, Kuroko frowned and thought about digesting the news, let him be the admiral?

"Why me?"

In the end, Heizi still asked Xiao Jiu suspiciously, no matter what, he didn't think that this kind of heavy responsibility of leading the troops alone would fall on the head of him, a newcomer.

After all, through the discussion in the lobby just now, Heizi already knew how much Xiao Jiu valued this navy.

Hearing Heizi's question, Xiao Jiu was not in a hurry, and slowly explained to him.

"The others only know how to carry out my orders but do not know how to be flexible, although they are loyal and commendable, it is difficult to be a general.

Your performance in Yangjun is excellent, I think you are a clever person, and you are better able to deal with the wind and waves at sea. ”

Listening to Xiao Jiuruo's profound and slow words, a wave of enthusiasm gradually surged into Heizi's heart.

He was flattered by Xiao Jiu's importance, and at the same time he was determined to do a good job as a naval general.

After talking to Kuroko for a while, Xiao Jiu sent him back to prepare, looking at the other party's resolute back, Xiao Jiu was looking forward to him making a difference.

"I'm going to have to use some young people."

Xiao Jiu sighed for no reason, completely forgetting that he was just a young man.

……

Kyoto, the Imperial City.

The study room in the inner courtyard of the imperial city was still lit with faint candlelight in the middle of the night, and Emperor Qin Yu only felt tired when he looked at the fold on the table, and the content of the fold was naturally the news of the Qingzhou army's attack on Yang County.

originally thought that Wen Jie could rely on Yang County to contain Lu Yaoliang in Qingzhou, but he didn't expect it to collapse so quickly.

As a result, all the previous layouts have come to naught, and the general trend of the world is gradually out of their control.

As soon as Wen Jie died, Qin Yu didn't think that Xiao Jiu, who was in the cracks, could support it for long.

After an internal rebellion, Jizhou's power structure underwent a major reshuffle, and power was basically in the hands of local officials in the counties.

If you want to take out your hand to help Xiao Jiu in Yangcheng County, I'm afraid it will not be an easy task.

But if you let it go, when Xiao Jiu is defeated under the attack of the rebel armies of Qingzhou and Yuzhou, the imperial court will be completely unable to control the three inner states.

Now Wanzhou, which has just been recovered by the Zhili Forbidden Army, has not completely leveled the ground, and he has no ability to help the other party.

After the harvest is completed, it will depend on Xiao Jiu's own creation.

In this regard, Qin Yu could only sigh, no longer thinking about it, and could only calm down the chaos under his nose as soon as possible in order to be qualified to plot other things.

"Send it to Li Dazai and tell him that Wen Ji is worthy of Great Xia and is worthy of him as a teacher."

Qin Yu picked up the fold on the table and threw it at the eunuch beside him, and the eunuch also ran out quickly to carry out the emperor's order after receiving the fold.

After the eunuch left, Qin Yu was the only one left in the empty room, and he was accompanied by a dead silence that exuded the smell of decay.