Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 511 Only after you have endured all the hardships can you realize how good your hometown is.

While Shikoku Island was experiencing turmoil, the southwest waters were also being baptized by artillery fire.

Ryukyu, which many people in later generations will mistakenly think of as a bay, is actually an archipelago between Taiwan Island and Kyushu Island. It gave birth to a civilization belonging to Ryukyu.

The Ryukyu Kingdom is naturally an island country, which is different from Luzon and Japan. It appears to be extremely weak.

In terms of island size, the largest Ryukyu main island is only twice the size of Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea, and there is almost no land suitable for farming on the island.

In terms of population, although there are 100,000 people living scattered here, only 20 to 30% of the people can participate in the war, and there are very few people with real battlefield experience.

In terms of resources, although there are abundant marine resources, once there is bad weather, it is not only impossible to obtain food, but also personnel losses will occur.

Just like this, although the Ryukyu Kingdom left an important mark in the Ming Dynasty's tributary history, its own national strength is actually difficult to maintain even basic dignity.

However, the Ryukyu Islands were crucial in the Age of Discovery. They were the link between the East China Sea and the Southeast Asia, and the only place for trade between Japan and the Southeast Asia.

"What's going on? Why do they have so many muskets, and the Ryukyu Kingdom's military strength is so strong?"

When Wang Zhendong came to the Ryukyu Islands, he was not in a hurry to launch an attack. Instead, he sent a reconnaissance ship. As a result, the reconnaissance ship was driven away by firecrackers like firecrackers from the dock.

Ordinarily, a backward island country located in the remote waters here would have difficulty in being self-sufficient even with ordinary iron weapons, let alone advanced firecrackers.

Unexpectedly, now the opponent does not have one or two, but dozens of them appear one after another. This is undoubtedly a rather strange thing.

Wang Zhendong is a very cautious person. After receiving the information feedback: "Immediately find out what is going on on the island, why the main island of Ryukyu has fire guns, and who provided them with these!"

On the battlefield, you are not afraid of your opponent being vigorous and vigorous, but you are afraid of your teammates stabbing you in the back.

Before every battle, the first person to take action is not the food and grass, but the Night Department hidden in the darkness of the Ming Empire, an organization that is not announced to the public.

As the message was sent out, relevant information was quickly received from the night department personnel.

Although Wang Zhendong had already made some guesses, his face was still livid with hatred at this moment: "Businessmen are only interested in profit, and Jiangnan merchants are even worse. They should be punished!"

The matter has been verified, and it turns out that it was one of my own who provided the King of Ryukyu with the musket.

Although the Ming Dynasty was conquering Kyushu Island, and the emperor went to Jiangnan, a bloody storm broke out in the two places, and people were killed. No matter how dense the net is, some fish will inevitably slip through.

The remaining forces in the south of the Yangtze River did not wander at sea. Instead, they made the Ryukyu Islands their new base early on. In particular, Wang Yanao had a very close relationship with the King of Ryukyu.

But I don’t know whether it was because of the pressure of survival, or because the Ryukyu Princess was so beautiful, or because the Ryukyu Princess, who had never seen the world, fell in love with Wang Yanao at first sight, and Wang Yanao actually became the prince consort of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

It is precisely because of this relationship that the remaining forces in Jiangnan used the Ryukyu Islands as their base and also provided a batch of muskets to the Ryukyu Kingdom.

In addition to the remnants of Jiangnan, the remnants of Kyushu who share the same fate are also rooted here.

After losing the territory of Kyushu Island, this group of Japanese people either became bandits or pirates. Not only were they very dangerous if they wanted to return to Honshu Island, but they were also destined to be under the protection of others.

Originally, they could still roam the waters near Kyushu Island as pirates, but as the Ming Dynasty took action to clean up, they also came south to live in the Ryukyu Islands.

Although they have been exiled to a foreign land, they plan to recuperate and strengthen themselves here, and then take back Kyushu Island when the opportunity is right.

They occasionally looted a few passing merchant ships and lived a leisurely life. But who would have thought that the King of Ryukyu's act of seeking death would lead to the Ming Dynasty fleet being summoned.

Of course, these three forces did not know that the Ming Dynasty fleet had quietly arrived, otherwise they would not still be having fun now, and the king, who was known for his lust, was still watching the beauties dancing in the palace.

"In that case, let's divide our forces into three groups!"

After Wang Zhendong learned the true situation, he also divided the chess pieces on the table into three parts, and then swept away all three parts of the chess pieces with his hands.

With the strength of this Ming fleet, it is completely possible to divide the troops into three groups to deal with these three forces, without giving the remaining forces in Jiangnan and Kyushu Island a chance to escape.

You know, once this group of people escape to the sea by boat, it will not be easy to find them in the vast sea.

"General, please hand over the people from Jiangnan to a lowly position to take care of them!"

"General, please leave the Japanese to the future to take care of them."

"General, why don't you rest first and leave this main island to a humble position?"

……

Facing this war, the Ming army seemed to be very proactive. In particular, Wang Hu had fully grown up after experiencing the battle of Baigu Kingdom. At this time, he also hoped to take charge of his own side, and even had the idea of ​​​​acting as the main attacker.

Wang Zhendong glared at his son fiercely. He had the same surname as Wang, so why was his son neither as good as Wang Hua's son nor as good as Wang Yue's grandson?
"Dad, the child is not young anymore! Your Majesty has always advocated giving opportunities to young people. Huo Qubing was already a champion at the age of eighteen. This time the child is just leading troops to kill a group of Japanese!" Wang Hu saw that his father wanted to kill him again She was sheltered under her wings, and she hurriedly played her emotional cards and begged.

"General, why don't you give the young general a chance!" A veteran general saw Wang Hu looking like he wanted to make contributions to the Ming Dynasty, and he also spoke to help him.

Seeing that his son was very motivated, Wang Zhendong was both pleased and worried. He immediately straightened his face and said, "Wang Qianhu, although you are my son, military law is ruthless! If you cannot win this battle, you will be punished by military law. Do you dare to lead the military order?" ?”

Huh?
The generals present could not help but look at each other, but they did not expect that Wang Zhendong could be so cruel to his son.

This military order is like a mountain. If Wang Hu makes any mistakes in this battle, even if he escapes from death, he will be beheaded in public according to military law.

"I accept the order from my humble position!" Wang Hu, a newborn calf, is not afraid of tigers, and he expressed his attitude with great joy.

Perhaps it was because of this military order that the atmosphere of this war was particularly solemn. Wang Zhendong even conducted repeated deductions before announcing the start of the operation.

The Ming fleet was divided into three and sailed towards their respective destinations.

When the morning light first appeared, the color of the sea gradually changed from dark blue to soft light blue, making it look particularly mysterious and peaceful.

In the distance, the sea and sky are the same color, and the boundaries are blurred, making it difficult to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins, or perhaps the sky and the earth have been sewn together.

Oh... A few seagulls with snow-white feathers flew across the sea, their wings shining silver in the sun, leaving behind a string of cheerful calls.

"No, the enemy is attacking, the Ming army is attacking!"

The Japanese who were on guard duty were relieving themselves when they suddenly noticed a warship breaking into the mist. He reached for his pants and shouted loudly.

The Japanese did not have a strong architectural gene in this era, or they believed that no matter how good the buildings were, they could not withstand earthquakes, so this gathering place for tens of thousands of people was dominated by thatched houses.

"Give the order, shelling!"

Wang Hu, wearing armor, stood on the bow of the ship, his eyes looking very firm.

The heavy cannon of the three-masted ship's gun had been adjusted at an angle. After the order was given, it was immediately aimed and fired in an orderly manner, and every step was orderly.

Boom!

The heavy artillery roared, and the solid lead bullets roared towards the residences on the seaside of Japan with destructive power. Each shell is like a messenger of death, carrying unstoppable power and precise strike capabilities.

boom!
The first artillery shell accurately hit the residence, instantly opening a huge gap, and the Japanese couple who were still naked inside were smashed into a pulp.

boom!boom!
Immediately afterwards, the second and third shells came one after another. Each shelling caused heavy damage to the residence. Not only blood splattered everywhere, but also dust was flying everywhere.

Solid lead bullets are so powerful that they not only easily penetrate the walls of a home, but also destroy everything inside to pieces.

It was just that in the chaos caused by the shells, it was naturally easy for fires to occur, and soon a raging fire broke out in this gathering of thatched houses by the sea.

Because the fire broke out so suddenly and they were unable to put out the fire, some Japanese people were directly buried in the sea of ​​​​fire.

boom!
There was another loud noise. The bow of the Ming Dynasty's warship was covered with iron sheets. It relied on the hull and sturdiness to hit the pirate ship parked on the simple dock. The back immediately fell apart and then slowly sank to the bottom of the sea.

kill!

After seizing the dock and landing, Wang Hu led the main force to kill the remaining forces on Kyushu Island.

The remaining forces on Kyushu Island are led by Shimazu Tadharu. They may have had a premonition, but unfortunately the Ming army is coming fiercely, and they are not fully prepared now.

Shimazu Tadashi, a young man in his early twenties, suddenly asked Wang Hu and others loudly: "Is Shen Wanwan here?"

As soon as these words came out, the people present couldn't help but look at each other, but they didn't understand what grudge this leader had with Shen Baishi. In particular, the name Shen Baishi sounds like a businessman. How can a businessman interact with him?

"He's not here, but Grandpa You is here. Come and accept your fate!" Wang Wei deliberately provoked the Ming Dynasty's army, which was already hungry and thirsty.

Shimazu Tadharu was indeed stimulated, and immediately led his men to rush towards the Ming army to prepare for close combat.

boom! boom! boom!
The Ming Dynasty did not give Shimazu Tadharu and his gang a chance to fight in close quarters. They raised their flintlock guns and fired.

puff!puff!puff!
Shimazu Tadharu and others did not have light armor on their bodies, and the only weapons in their hands were the knives in their hands. Even if they wanted to kill the bullet, the bullet pierced through their bodies in just a flash before their eyes, and a line of blood bloomed like a flower.

The flintlock firepower was fierce and the range was long. The Japanese fell to the ground one after another under the intensive shooting.

Shimazu Tadharu's eyes showed fear and unwillingness, and he waved the sword in his hand vigorously, trying to encourage his men to resist, but the gap in firepower caused their defense to collapse instantly.

puff!
As a bullet flew out, Tadashi Shimazu, who was brandishing his katana, leaned back, and there was already a bloody hole between his eyebrows.

"Kill! Leave no one alive!" Wang Hu did not stop because Shimazu Tadashi fell, but said with a big wave of his hand.

The last remnant force of Kyushu Island was like a faint handwriting on the edge of the beach. After just one rise and fall of the tide, there was no trace on the beach anymore.

Almost at the same time, wars broke out in the other two cities.

Under Ming's absolute firepower superiority, these forces who resisted Ming were nothing more than chickens and dogs.

Although the remaining forces in Jiangnan obtained imitation cannons from unknown sources, when facing the Ming fleet, they chose to surrender without firing a single shot.

Wang Yanao is the son of Wang Ao. His family was originally a wealthy businessman in Jiangnan. Because his father obtained the honor and successfully transitioned from business to official, he occupied a very important position in the Jiangnan business.

Because he happened to be sailing at that time and learned the news in advance when he was on Kyushu Island, he avoided disaster and chose to go south to Ryukyu to take refuge.

It's just that facts prove that they can't escape the clutches of the Ming Dynasty, or they finally realize that they can't completely separate themselves from their homeland.

Although Wang Yanao had committed a crime, he was crying like a child at the moment: "I plead guilty, even if I am beheaded! Please save me, I...I don't want to be this Ryukyu prince-in-law anymore, I want to go back to Ming Dynasty to see my father mother!"

The main island of Ryukyu, the Royal Palace.

Naturally, there would be no royal city here, just a settlement centered around the royal palace. Although the palace is a masonry structure, its scale is not even comparable to the residences of wealthy merchants in Jiangnan, not to mention the Forbidden City, but it is still relatively large.

The King of Ryukyu was a dark-skinned middle-aged fat man. He seemed to be very angry and accused: "You Ming Dynasty cannot bully the small with the big, it will disgrace the reputation of the country!"

"Not to mention that you broke your promise to the Ming Dynasty and committed deception! Now you dare to protect the Ming Dynasty's traitors and enemy invaders. You deserve death and the Ryukyu Kingdom should be expelled!" Wang Zhendong pointed at the other person's nose and also listed the crimes.

After entering the Ryukyu Palace, the Ming soldiers discovered many jewelry and beautiful women.

Wang Zhendong learned from Wang Zhi's practice last year of capturing Bai Guwang's royal jewels and women. Even if the Ryukyu Kingdom's jewels were sealed, these beautiful women would be sent to the capital along with the jewels.

Just a few days later, Xu Hong, the governor of Fujian, came across the sea. However, his mission was not to participate in the battle, but to declare Wang Zhendong the governor of Ryukyu.

Now that the Ryukyu Kingdom has been removed from the list, it will naturally fall under the military control of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ryukyu Governor's Office will be the highest administrative agency in this sea area.

Xu Hong was also responsible for identifying and building Ryukyu City for Wang Zhendong this time. After some discussions, Ryukyu City was finally chosen on Jilong Island.

Wang Zhendong also belatedly found out why the emperor gave him a fishing rod. It was because he wanted him to learn from Xu Shiying, the governor of the East China Sea, and slowly manage the business to build the Ryukyu Governor's Palace into another powerful maritime force of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)