prosperous age

The Forbidden City, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, is home to the Grand Secretariat.

"Grand Secretary Wei, the first battle report from the Eastern Expeditionary Army has arrived."

Just as Wei Guangde was wearily flipping through the memorials sent from various places and mechanically drafting them, Lu Bu strode into the duty room with a document in his hand.

Although the Ministry of War had sent several battle reports before, today, Lu Bu came in and said it was the first battle report, which was obviously a real military operation document.

Heaven knows, these days Emperor Wanli has been summoning Wei Guangde to the Qianqing Palace every day to learn about the battle reports from the front.

After all, a twenty-year-old emperor is always in a hurry to do things.

Now he finally has a respectable result. Although he hasn't seen the battle report, Wei Guangde believes the result will not disappoint him.

Yes, entrusting the task to Qi Jiguang is that reassuring.

Qi Jiguang's greatest advantage was that he was good at assessing the situation and adapting his combat methods to the changing times. He was unconventional and adopted new tactics based on his own weapons and equipment.

Wei Guangde took the battle report from Lu Bu and carefully examined it.

This battle report was jointly submitted by Wang Xijue and Qi Jiguang, but everyone knew that it was actually the battle result reported by Qi Jiguang. Wang Xijue's joint signature after review was merely to confirm the authenticity of the report.

If it were only Qi Jiguang who submitted the memorial, the civil officials might have made a few comments, but with Wang Xijue's signature, they couldn't say anything negative, otherwise it would be questioning Wang Xijue's character.

Wei Guangde carefully reviewed the battle report. According to the report, the Ming army encountered very little resistance after landing in the Iwami area, and the Japanese pirates did not have many troops stationed there.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the government troops advanced rapidly and quickly took control of the nearby villages and towns, and then completely controlled Iwami Province.

The first half of the battle report mainly describes the situation in the Iwami area, and it can be said that they are all good news.

However, the latter part of the battle report was a copy-paste of an urgent report from Commander Sun and Captain Ma of Sado Island, stating that the sneak attack had failed and a full-scale assault was to be launched instead.

The East China Sea Fleet defeated the Japanese navy south of Sado Island, sinking more than forty Japanese ships and gaining control of the waters near Sado Island.

The Ming army's landing was met with a surprise attack by Japanese pirates, resulting in dozens of casualties. They then switched to a full-scale assault and successfully took control of the Sado Island pier, annihilating more than 2,000 Japanese pirates.

Wei Guangde stared intently at the battle report, which contained quite detailed descriptions.

The final plea for help was automatically omitted by Qi Jiguang.

After all, Xu Qiaoan had already led the East China Sea Fleet to support Sado Island and meet the Kuki Navy, which they considered unbeatable. Naturally, he wouldn't include such bad news in his first report of victory to the capital.

Qi Jiguang was also very skilled at using the Spring and Autumn Annals style of writing, and his skill was in no way inferior to that of civil officials.

"Tiger Crouching Cannons Defeated the Japanese Invaders"

Wei Guangde noticed the difficulties encountered in the battle report regarding the assault on the dock. Thousands of Japanese pirates counterattacked but were defeated by dozens of tiger-squatting cannons fired by the government troops.

For most people, such details are just fleeting moments, but for Wei Guangde, it was a completely different scene.

The Japanese pirates charged forward with unstoppable force, but the Ming army opened fire with their tiger-squatting cannons, unleashing a barrage of bullets that swept down the pirates at the forefront, while the rest of the pirates were too afraid to advance.

The cannons that the Ming army was currently equipped with in large quantities were actually the breech-loading cannons, while the general cannons were used as fortified guns and were mainly equipped by the navy and important city gates, and were rarely used in open field battles.

The limited number of General Cannons were only useful in siege warfare. Even though their range was long enough, their speed and power were far superior to the rapid-fire Franconian Cannon and Tiger Crouching Cannon.

Although these two types of artillery have insufficient range, their close-combat effectiveness is excellent, especially the Tiger Crouching Cannon, which has a destructive effect within a range of 100 meters.

After all, it was a cannon that primarily fired shotgun shells, and its ability to sweep across the battlefield was no exaggeration.

"If there are any memorials to be sent, have them delivered to the next room. I'm going to the Qianqing Palace now."

Send someone out of the palace to inform them that my sedan chair should be waiting at the palace gate.

Wei Guangde stood up with the battle report in his hand and gave instructions to Lu Bu.

After saying that, he strode out of the duty room and headed straight for the Qianqing Palace.

News of the great victory at the front had already spread from the Ministry of War.

The earthquake had caused widespread panic in the capital these past few days, and Zhang Ke naturally knew how to appease the people.

Spreading the news of the Eastern Expeditionary Army's great victory was the best way to stabilize morale.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Wanli smiled after reading the battle reports from the front lines.

Whether in the Iwami region or Sado Island, the Ming army fought very well.

Although the surprise attack plan failed, he already knew this intelligence beforehand. However, the government troops had already landed on Sado Island, and the main force of the East China Sea Navy had also gone to assist in the battle. Even if Japan gathered its entire navy on Sado Island, according to Master Wei's analysis, the Ming army's probability of winning was still over 80%.

If it's 80%, then it's basically a guaranteed win.

Moreover, the East China Sea Fleet was only the second largest among the Ming Dynasty's navies; the truly powerful force was the South China Sea Fleet.

The Ming Dynasty had played its trump cards, while the Japanese pirates had nothing.

The monarch of such a small country, whose power was even usurped by his generals, dared to call himself Emperor. He really didn't take the supreme ruler seriously.

"Master Wei, in the final battle report, both General Wang and General Qi expressed their hope that the imperial court would send reinforcements as soon as possible. What do you think about this?"

At the end of the battle report, Qi Jiguang also submitted the latest intelligence obtained from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which stated that the Japanese pirates were gathering 400,000 troops to prepare for a counterattack on the Iwami area.

Four hundred thousand, while the Ming Dynasty only had a total of sixty thousand people, several times more than us.

"Wang Jinglue and General Qi wanted to change their original plan and take down Nagato as well, and then have the South China Sea Navy blockade the Seto Inland Sea. This way, they could concentrate 60,000 troops on the eastern front to fight the Japanese pirates. This was naturally a good plan."

As for hoping that the army of Jizhou will be dispatched as soon as possible to provide support, I believe it is feasible.

Wei Guangde never expected that, amidst such war and chaos, the Japanese pirates would actually put aside their prejudices and unite against the Ming army's attack.

In particular, the Oda and Tokugawa clans were willing to open up their territories, allowing northern daimyo such as the Hojo to lead their troops south.

Although it is still unknown whether the daimyo of Shikoku and Kyushu will respond, it is likely that they will act quickly.

At this time, the capital cannot afford to lag behind and must do its best to meet the needs of the frontline generals.

Wei Guangde was well aware of this.

Only they know what tactics should be adopted to adapt to the battlefield.

All talk of strategizing and winning battles from afar is just empty rhetoric.

Only good news can quell the unrest in the country.

"That's good. I grant your permission. Master Wei, immediately send an order to the Ministry of War to prepare warships and have the Jizhou garrison provide immediate support."

The Wanli Emperor made his decision from his throne.

"According to the order."

Wei Guangde bowed slightly to accept the imperial decree, then spoke of a few minor matters concerning the court before taking his leave of the Qianqing Palace.

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Wei Guangde did not return to the Grand Secretariat, but went directly to the palace gate.

After leaving the palace gates, they only had to wait a short while before servants from the mansion rushed over with a sedan chair.

After the servants escorted him to the palace, they would usually wait at a nearby teahouse, so it was just in time for them to arrive in a sedan chair upon receiving the news.

He didn't stay in the Qianqing Palace for long. Emperor Wanli was probably still in high spirits, repeatedly reading through the battle reports of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

"Go to the Ministry of War, and also ask Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Works to go there."

Before getting into the sedan chair, Wei Guangde gave instructions to the attendant beside him.

Having received the order, the servant immediately ran towards the Ministry of Works.

After Wei Guangde got into the sedan chair, he soon appeared at the entrance of the Ministry of War.

The soldiers standing guard outside the yamen dared not stop him, but a gatekeeper had already passed on the news of Grand Secretary Wei's arrival.

Wei Guangde got out of the sedan chair without lingering to wait for the Ministry of War to greet him, and went straight into the yamen.

When Wei Guangde met Zhang Ke at the second gate, he said casually, "Let's talk inside." Then, Zhang Ke led Wei Guangde into his duty room.

"Is this loan granted by imperial decree?"

After the clerk served tea, Zhang Ke finally spoke and asked a question.

"In the battle report, Qi Yuanjing requested reinforcements, and His Majesty has granted his request. The Ministry of War will immediately begin preparing ships and instruct Dong Yiyuan to organize the army for the expedition."

With the army heading east, the Ministry of War must promptly adjust the troops stationed at the border towns.

Although relations with the grasslands are currently good, we must not let our guard down.

With the main army far away, all border fortresses must be on high alert and refrain from provoking the grasslands.

Wei Guangde's words were actually addressed to the border army officers. Even though bandits were rampant on the grasslands at that time, everyone knew what was going on.

These bandits not only robbed cattle and sheep on the grasslands, but also frequently raided border towns.

However, both sides exercised restraint and remained vigilant, preventing the matter from escalating.

With the main force of the Ming army currently in Japan, Wei Guangde naturally ordered the Ministry of War to take strong measures and put pressure on the border generals, warning them not to misjudge the situation and recklessly attack enemy strongholds.

"I will arrange for the border troops to gradually move eastward as soon as possible, with a focus on concentrating near Datong."

Datong's location is extremely special, situated in the middle of the border region. Garrisoning troops here allows for support from the east and west.

After hearing Zhang Ke's words, Wei Guangde thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, let the western towns secretly mobilize their elite troops to garrison Datong."

Starting from Datong, traveling along the inner Great Wall, one can reach Xuanfu in three days and the surrounding areas of the capital region in ten days.

Wei Guangde was also afraid of his home being raided by the grasslands. Don't forget, the one in charge of the grasslands now is not the old and immobile Anda Khan, but his son.

Although he is over sixty, he can still move around.

Last year, he was eager to go south and recreate the Gengxu Incident in order to enhance his prestige on the grasslands.

Although he was stopped by San Niangzi and others, Wei Guangde did not let his guard down and continued to keep a close eye on the situation on the grassland.

Even though Wei Guangde supported Third Sister, he didn't dare to completely trust her.

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

"My lord, Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Works has arrived."

Just as Wei Guangde finished speaking with Zhang Ke, a clerk outside brought news that Jiang Zhi had arrived.

"Please."

Zhang Ke got up and went out to greet them, and Wei Guangde also got up, but didn't move.

After Jiang Zhi entered, the three of them bowed and sat down. Only then did Wei Guangde ask Zhang Ke to bring out the original battle report for Jiang Zhi to see.

"Shunqing, pay attention to the records of the Battle of Sado Island later on."

While Jiang Zhi was reading the battle report, Wei Guangde offered a reminder.

"okay."

Jiang Zhi, having been reminded, skipped over the earlier parts and focused on the Battle of Sado Island.

Zhang Ke, standing to the side, naturally recalled the contents of the battle report upon hearing Wei Guangde's words.

"Tiger Crouching Cannon?"

Jiang Zhi was good at grasping the key points and quickly discovered the weapon to defeat the Japanese pirates' charge.

Wei Guangde was so busy that he forgot that in this era, the most powerful close-combat weapon was not the machine gun, but the tiger crouching cannon, a type of shotgun.

Fortunately, Qi Jiguang did not forget that his army was always equipped with a large number of tiger crouching cannons.

This thing is simple to make and doesn't require much money; it mainly uses iron.

"The Ministry of Works needs to gather a group of craftsmen to study and improve the Tiger Crouching Cannon."

Wei Guangde made the final decision, which was why he summoned Jiang Zhi: "I hope the Ministry of Works can find a way to increase the rate of fire of the Tiger Crouching Cannon as soon as possible, to fire as quickly as the Frankish Cannon, and then send the prototype to the army for combat testing."

Wei Guangde had already considered this on his way here. With the current level of technology, it might be difficult to significantly increase the firing rate of the Tiger Crouching Cannon.

However, it's definitely not a hopeless situation.

In fact, the breech-loading cannon was, in some respects, the perfect technological source for the tiger crouching cannon.

The tiger crouching cannon was made into an empty barrel, with the propellant cartridge directly inserted into the barrel from the rear. As long as it could fire, it was fine.

The biggest problem with artillery in this era was the inability to achieve airtightness.

Why did the West abandon its breech-loading weapon concept and return to muzzle-loading cannons? Because of insufficient range.

But does the Tiger Crouching Cannon need range?

Not at all.

Although the Tiger Crouching Cannon could fire a hundred feet, Wei Guangde only needed it to block off a battlefield of twenty or thirty feet.

Imagine if the Ming army encountered the British Lobster Soldiers in formation. They would march in neat rows to the front of the enemy's gun barrels, at a distance of 100 meters, or even as close as 30 to 50 meters, and use volleys of gunfire to sweep away the enemy soldiers in front of them before launching a charge to rout the enemy.

If the Tiger Crouching Cannon were to unleash a barrage of fire on the Lobster Soldiers at this moment, the scene would be quite something.

There is virtually no way to counter this except to force them to adopt skirmish tactics.

Without a neat formation, the offensive momentum is not as strong and oppressive.

Wei Guangde shared his ideas with Zhang Ke and Jiang Zhi, asking these two bigwigs to consider what problems might arise from using this weapon.

Zhang Ke was familiar with the Tiger Crouching Cannon; he had seen it before in Zhejiang and knew its power.

The range of 150 zhang is the distance that a large sphere can roll to; the actual effective range is less than 100 zhang.

When Qi Jiguang's army was suppressing Japanese pirates, the Tiger Crouching Cannon was often a powerful weapon against charging Japanese pirates.

First, gunpowder is placed inside the cannon barrel and compacted, then grapeshot is added, and finally a large round bullet is placed to block the muzzle for a certain sealing effect.

A single shot can travel forty or fifty feet, while a grenade can create a barrage of bullets within twenty or thirty feet.

Even the most vicious Japanese pirates, when faced with the barrage of Tiger Crouching Cannons, suffered heavy casualties and fled in disarray; none of them dared to charge the Ming army's formation.

Zhang Ke thought it was feasible, while Jiang Zhi was concerned about the manufacturing difficulty.

Of course, Wei Guangde has already given a general idea, and it seems feasible.

"I will go back immediately to gather the craftsmen to study the work and produce a finished product as soon as possible."

Jiang Zhi said.

"Jinqing, what do you think? Is it usable?"

Wei Guangde nodded and looked at Zhang Ke, asking a question.

"We can make it and try it out. Indeed, the Tiger Crouching Cannon doesn't need a long range. It's enough if it can fire a barrage of bullets to cover the battlefield at a range of twenty or thirty feet."

Previously, the government troops often used the Tiger Crouching Cannon as a disposable weapon, firing one shot and then abandoning it, without time to reload.

What Zhang Ke was referring to was a method used by the Ming army to deal with Mongol cavalry and reckless enemy troops: the Tiger Crouching Cannon had a high rate of fire but a short range, leaving no opportunity for a second reload.

So it is powerful, but its flaws are obvious.

Wei Guangde's suggestion gave him a sudden insight; the battle could be fought in this way. (End of Chapter)