prosperous age

"What?! Loan?! That's absolutely impossible! How could you think of that?"

At the banquet, Yu Dayou and Xu Bangrui were dumbfounded after hearing Wei Guangde's request, never expecting him to make such a demand.

No, what came out of Grand Secretary Wei's mouth was no different from an order.

Xu Bangrui, who was the first to react, spoke up first, saying, "I admit that the firearms we have now are very powerful, but it is absolutely impossible for them to form an army on their own."

The Ming army's firearms tactics were absolutely world-class for their time, in no way inferior to those of Europe.

It could even be said that any weapon in the hands of the Chinese, with thousands of years of war experience, allows us to quickly master its performance and choose the most appropriate tactics.

A civilization with five thousand years of history—that's no exaggeration.

However, in this era, at the end of the 16th century, although firearms technology had made great progress, it still could not reach the level of later generations. Unless one had an overwhelming number of firearms soldiers, it might be useful when facing an enemy who did not have an overwhelming advantage.

However, if the enemy attacks in a concentrated manner, the firearms soldiers will be easily mowed down once they rush in.

Xu Bangrui was in charge of the Nanjing Garrison, which, although it was the Nanjing Garrison, was only slightly inferior in equipment to the Beijing Garrison.

Moreover, after the events of the Jiajing era, the defenses of Nanjing were greatly improved, and the Nanjing Ministry of Works would prioritize equipping the Nanjing garrison with good equipment.

The officials of the Six Ministries in Nanjing were also afraid of repeating the events of that year, as it would be too shameful.

Xu Bangrui paid attention to the training of firearms soldiers, at least the elite of the Beijing Garrison, and they were all his own trusted subordinates and servants.

Therefore, he believed that he knew just as much as Wei Guangde.

After he said this, Yu Dayou, a veteran general of the Ming Dynasty who had commanded troops for many years, expressed the same view.

"Grand Secretary Wei, this matter is probably inappropriate."

Equipping two or three thousand elite troops with muskets and cannons to form a separate army is unlikely to be effective unless equipped like the border army's wagon battalion.

Besides, you're specifying it for the Marine Corps, for beach landings; tanks simply can't move them there.

Yu Dayou considered things more than Xu Bangrui. He had visited the Northern Army's wagon camp when he was in Tianjin last time.

Jizhen Cheying was only a few dozen miles from the imperial carriage; a single whip crack would take you there.

The wagons were linked together in a row, connected by iron chains. Soldiers could hide in the wagons and behind them and fire weapons at the outside of the formation. It was indeed a mobile city wall.

Even against the overwhelmingly superior enemy cavalry, Yu Dayou was confident he could fight.

Even with such troops, Qi Jiguang did not fully equip them with firearms.

Although, strictly speaking, most soldiers were capable of operating the firearms in the formation, they were still equipped with a large number of swords, shields, and spears.

Because this thing is only used in ideal conditions. If the opponent also has artillery, the artillery can destroy the tanks, and the enemy can break in through the gaps.

In close combat, firearms are ultimately not as practical as swords, spears, and clubs.

In short, the wagon camp had to first scout out the enemy's whereabouts and pre-arrange the formation; the effect of temporarily piecing things together was limited.

Landing operations? Heh heh, there's no time for that.

Even the horses can't be led up; are we supposed to push the cart?
That's a mudflat, it's really hard to walk on.

Seeing that both of them objected, Wei Guangde was not in a hurry and said with a smile, "I just asked you to first build a highly armed battalion, not to send them to fight anywhere."

Let's practice first and see how it goes.

You may not know this, but as far as I know, firearms operators make up nearly 30% of the Japanese army, and the proportion of firearms operators in the barbarian army is almost as high as over 40% in Qi Jiguang's elite troops.

Everyone else is making this choice, so I want to see what the combat effectiveness would be like if the troops were composed of more than 80% firearms.

Seeing that Xu Bangrui and Yu Dayou's expressions had eased slightly, Wei Guangde continued, "It's just about setting up an experimental unit to see how strong its combat power really is."

If it goes well, the existing troops can be reorganized; if not, they can be disbanded.

Not only will your South China Sea Navy form a marine corps, but I will also have Qi Jiguang in Liaodong send out an infantry battalion to test equipping it with more than 80% firearms.”

Besides the garrison, the border troops' mobile forces were mostly organized into battalions rather than garrisons.

In addition to the wagon battalion, supply battalion, and cavalry battalion, Qi Jiguang also had several infantry battalions, all of which were excellent experimental units and did not need to be newly formed.

Only the naval forces did not originally have the structure for the marines, so a new one needed to be built.

"The barbarians were highly proficient in using firearms?"

Xu Bangrui was unfamiliar with the Yi people, so he asked the question at this time, but it was Yu Dayou who asked.

"It's about 40% to 50%."

At this time, European armies actually used whatever weapons they could get their hands on, mainly depending on what equipment the monarch provided to the troops.

Like I said, these days weapons are simple and really easy to use.

Many soldiers are actually versatile, especially sailors.

Whether it's maneuvering the boat, firing guns, or even using cannons, it's all possible.

Of course, whether you can hit the target accurately is another matter.

European soldiers in that era, for example, when on guard duty, carried muskets instead of cold weapons like spears.

They all appear to be armed with firearms, but that's not actually the case.

In the armory, when there is a war, soldiers will use whatever weapons they can grab to fight.

The actual rate of adoption of firearms was about 40% to 50%.

The king was also unwilling to spend too much money on firearms, which were far more expensive than cold weapons.

Only on the eve of a war will they be willing to spend money to equip their troops.

After all, nobody wants to lose.

"Grand Secretary Wei, I will arrange this matter as soon as I get back, but I still need to speak with the Ministry of War first."

The establishment of a separate battalion in the army is certainly not something he can decide on his own; it requires the Ministry of War to allocate personnel. Even though the South China Sea Fleet's military pay is actually self-raised, it still needs to be reported.

Otherwise, you might inadvertently be suspected of harboring ulterior motives.

He's old now and wants to play it safe.

Even if it is formed under the name of a standard battalion under the governor, it must obtain approval from the Ministry of War.

Moreover, for Wei Guangde, the Ministry of War's documents were nothing more than a matter of a single sentence.

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Zhang Ke."

Wei Guangde said, "The weapons will be directly transferred from the Nanjing Armory; there's still a considerable amount in stock."

If Wei Guangde hadn't seen the armory, he would never have imagined that the Ming Dynasty's armory contained so many valuable items.

When later generations look back at history, they say that when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing, the Qing army's armory shocked the foreigners because many of the weapons inside would be top-of-the-line weapons in the West. They were just openly stored in the armory instead of being used to equip the Qing army.

During the September 18 Incident, the Northeast Army's armory was also full to the brim. The Japanese could even arm several divisions with these weapons, which made him feel uneasy.

Even if there's no place to fight, the weapons should still be handed over to the soldiers.

Moreover, the cabinet has long been planning to take "retaliation" against Japan, and at that time, a marine corps will definitely be needed to take charge of establishing a bridgehead.

"Shan Dai, look at my Jingying (Beijing Garrison), why don't we take one battalion and try it out?"

Seeing that Wei Guangde was determined, Xu Bangrui also wanted to please his brother-in-law, so he spoke up.

"The Beijing garrison will remain inactive for now. You can submit a report on this matter after the Beijing garrison has also begun to change its uniforms."

Wei Guangde shook his head and said, "This is safer."

The last sentence was quite meaningful, and Wei Guangde spoke it seriously while staring at Xu Bangrui. Xu Bangrui immediately realized that although the emperor had given the Xu family his trust, they couldn't stand out too much, as that would definitely not be a good thing.

"Okay, got it."

Xu Bangrui began to understand, and became even more convinced that Wei Guangde would not harm him, so he hurriedly agreed.

"The last thing is that the Longjiang Shipyard is not very familiar with the way the foreigners operate ships."

Wei Guangde continued speaking to Yu Dayou.

"Alas, Grand Secretary Wei, I have known about this for a long time. In fact, many of the people over there were sent by me."

In the early years, they were sent to Haojing to board foreign ships in order to see the strength of the foreign ships, so they also learned some ship handling techniques.

It's a pity that the way the barbarians operate ships is very different from ours. Although we can understand some of it, our sails are quite different from theirs, and their usage is often completely different. So, we still don't understand how so many sails are actually used.

Don't underestimate people by thinking that it's easy for them to learn how to sail a merchant ship.

Compared to Western sails, ancient Chinese sails were characterized by one word: simplicity.

Chinese sails are rigid sails, and their main problem is their weight, which requires very high-quality materials.

Therefore, Chinese sails are generally not large in area, because the mast cannot support them if they are too large, which results in a low utilization rate of the wind.

However, because it is used in near-shore operations, it is still very applicable.

European sails are light sails with a large surface area exposed to the wind, and they are not only numerous but also very complex.

Especially when facing complex weather conditions, adjustments must be made constantly, and most importantly, it is often necessary to climb the mast to adjust the angle of the sails.

Other smaller sails, such as triangular sails, do not require people to go up, but they need to be adjusted constantly according to weather conditions. It can be said that the operation of European sails is very complicated and is a systematic project.

For most Chinese people who don't have much knowledge, learning is a very troublesome process.

"So you're saying that none of the people you assigned have fully learned how to handle the sail?"

Wei Guangde frowned and asked.

"Some of them seemed plausible but were not, so I had them conduct research and manipulation on the river to master the technique of re-entering the sea."

Yu Dayou said, somewhat embarrassed.

“I told the Admiral of the Caojiang River that we should send a few warships to escort the ship when it leaves port, so as to prevent any further trouble.”

Xu Bangrui also said.

"How to say?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Guangde looked at Xu Bangrui and asked.

"On its first sea trial, it almost collided with two cargo ships."

Xu Bangrui said nonchalantly, "So patrol boats will be sent out to follow and stop nearby merchant ships from getting close, to prevent any further danger."

“The Yangtze River waterway is frequently used by ships, so it is not a good place for trial voyages.”

Wei Guangde understood and nodded, saying, "Let's go to Chongming Island; it's more suitable there."

Matsue Prefecture also built a dock next to the port for basic ship repairs; ships could be repaired there if needed.

After a ship sets sail and enters port, it will need major repairs to some extent. If it encounters a major storm at sea, the repairs will often take a long time.

Therefore, it is quite normal for shipyards to be built near ports.

"So, do those barbarians not often use us Ming people on their ships?"

Wei Guangde suddenly seemed to think of something and asked.

“They were always wary of us before, and that was indeed the intention.”

Yu Dayou said, "Shandai still remembers when the Spanish banned the transport of sweet potatoes from Luzon to the Ming Dynasty, as well as other things. They have always been wary of us."

Even those who work at high-end mirror shops, though they've learned a lot, always try to hide their work. It's our artisans who are meticulous and figure things out on their own.

"Is there such a thing?"

Xu Bangrui genuinely didn't know about the sweet potato incident; otherwise, well, even if he did know, there was nothing he could do.

"What about the others? For example, people from Luzon, other vassal states in Southeast Asia, and people from India?"

Wei Guangde realized that both Spain and Portugal seemed to have manpower shortages, so they had recruited a large number of colonists to board ships.

Okay, the Ming Dynasty isn't a colony, so it's fine if they're unwilling to recruit. But if they recruit people from places like Luzon and India, they should be able to bring them over by spending money.

"It seems so, but at the time we were only thinking about sending our own people to learn it, so we overlooked it."

Yu Dayou was taken aback for a moment, then said.

“Offer them higher wages and allow them and their families to live in my Great Ming. They should at least learn how to sail like the barbarians.”

Wei Guangde spoke up.

Yu Dayou was the first to discover that large ships should use European sails for long voyages. The hard sails of the Ming Dynasty were also good, but they were only suitable for coastal waters and not for long voyages.

Therefore, Wei Guangde took this matter seriously, and Yu Dayou had no reason to object, so he immediately agreed.

"When I get back, I'll have the people in Old Port secretly look for sailors on the Portuguese ships, and I'll also have the people in Tortoise City look for Western sailors. I'll do my best to get this done."

Yu Dayou assured.

"They have mastered the way the barbarians sail, but the officers and soldiers of our Ming Dynasty navy are used to traditional hard sails, so I'm afraid they won't be able to learn it either."

I intend to have the South China Sea Navy establish a special school to recruit the sons of military households from the coastal garrisons to study the operation of Western sailing ships.

Perhaps, in the future, when this method spreads to the East China Sea Navy and other places, they will send people to this school to learn it.

Wei Guangde continued.

"Hiss, Grand Secretary Wei, rest assured, I will personally arrange this matter and will definitely master this method as soon as possible, and then open schools to recruit the children of military households."

Yu Dayou was pleased to hear that Wei Guangde intended to establish a military academy.

Even a lowly soldier hopes that the family's children will achieve something in their studies.

However, due to financial constraints, they could only desire it but could not obtain it.

Now that schools have been established in the military, although they don't teach the Four Books and Five Classics, learning how to maneuver a ship is a good way to get a career in the navy.

The navy consisted mostly of battalion soldiers, recruited from garrisons, whose pay was significantly higher than that of the garrison soldiers.

In the eyes of the military households, this was a very good way out.

After thinking it over, Wei Guangde felt he had said everything he needed to say, so he added, "The main reason I've been staying in Nanjing these past few days is to wait for you to come so we can talk about these things."

Now that I've finished explaining, I'll return to the capital in the next two days and take the opportunity to check on the flood control efforts in the Jianghuai region.

As mentioned before, make the necessary preparations, and keep everything else as secret as possible.

What I fear most right now is the deterioration of the situation in Europe, with the Western barbarians and the Portuguese barbarians fighting in Southeast Asia.

"Notify the old port to be extremely careful, lest our Ming ships be caught in the crossfire."

"Understood. I will write to Old Port as soon as I get back, and I will also remind Guangdong."

At this time, both the Philippines and Goa were also making preparations.

Fearing Spain's strength, Goa even secretly ordered that they retreat to Temasek should the Spanish attack the city.

The Spanish did indeed plan to attack Haojing and replace Portugal's interests there, but they dared not act out of fear of the Ming Dynasty. (End of Chapter)