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Chapter 1103: Ships Gathering 4
But it is difficult for a chatterbox to shut up no matter what the occasion. Next to Ma Lun stood a tall and thin officer. Judging from the shoulder straps and honors, he was also a Marine Corps commander. Even though he understood Li Ruzhang's explanation, he still kept chattering in a low voice.

"... Governor Li, Commander Xiao spoke rudely to the Marine Commander, he should be punished!" Ma Lun was getting a little anxious and couldn't think of how to fight back for a while, but he didn't want to suffer the loss in vain, so he simply expanded the war and wanted to drag Li Rumei into it as well.

This is another son of a general, the second son of the border general Xiao Ruxun, Xiao Si. He joined the navy two years earlier than Ma Lun, but his honorary title and position are equal, and he is currently the commander of the Tulong Guard.

"..." But Li Rumei was not fooled. She stood straight beside Huang Nanping, facing the sea without turning her head, and just stretched out the middle finger of her left hand from behind her back.

"Bang, bang..." Without waiting for Xiao Si to explain, Huang Nanping raised his right hand high, and the deck began to vibrate instantly, followed by a series of loud noises.

Five welcoming gunshots indicated that a general of the same rank had boarded the ship. Although Huang Nanping said that he didn't take Angelo seriously, he didn't take him lightly in his actual actions.

"Oh my God... Your Majesty, please stand up, Your Majesty, please stand up... Don't be nervous, this is a salute. My governor is receiving guests on the ship. I came in a hurry and didn't say hello in advance. I hope you can forgive me."

Just as a group of naval generals and a group of Maritime Command officials were hypocritically exchanging pleasantries on the deck of the flagship, Captain Sun at the gate of the base was pulling the Ryukyu King up by the arm.

This guy is quite agile. It's obvious that he has been spying on naval training. He crawled on his belly as soon as he heard the gunfire. If he were younger, he could be an instructor at 30 years old. His movements are very standard.

"Since the governor of the superior country is visiting, there is no reason for me not to show up. Please ask General Sun to convey the news on my behalf." Upon hearing that it was a salute, the Ryukyu King Shang Ning's movements immediately slowed down and he looked old again.

But the requirements were the same. When the emperor came, he had to say hello, and the governor could not neglect him. It was quite frustrating for the king to be like this. He didn't even dare to offend a thousand households guarding the gate.

But the problem is that apart from the Ming army, every blade of grass and every tree here is under his control, and he holds the power of life and death. After weighing the pros and cons, the only way out is to accept his fate, which is not as good as the best, but better than the worst.

"I'm afraid it won't go as planned... The governor has come to the base on a secret mission this time. If the king wasn't deeply trusted by His Majesty, even the news wouldn't be revealed." Captain Sun was embarrassed when he heard this. He looked around, his eyes stayed on the prime minister for a second, then he moved closer and whispered in a low voice.

"...Secret mission, could it be going to Japan?" The Ryukyu King's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he immediately pulled the other person to the side and whispered.

He had heard that he was in a category that could reveal secrets, so he had to find out more. If the Empire wanted to use military force against Japan, the Ryukyu Kingdom must follow suit, and no matter whether it worked or not, it had to maintain a correct attitude, and maybe it could get some benefits.

"No, no, no. As long as the shogunate can maintain the status quo and not disrupt the stability of East Asia, Your Majesty will not use force against it. Besides, even if you want to declare war on Japan, you don't need so many ships.

To be honest, a few years ago the empire discovered some islands in the east that were larger than the Ryukyu Kingdom and had more fertile land. Only a small number of indigenous people were still living in a slash-and-burn agriculture.

His Majesty felt that it was a waste to leave it to waste, so he privately discussed with several big families how to develop it. In the end, these big families decided to help the navy build a base on one of the islands, and send some family members to lead immigrants to farm, and the money they paid was considered the cost of purchasing the land. The large ships that were later loaded were all construction materials and immigrants, at least four or five thousand people. Don't look at so many people, in fact, it was just the first batch, not even enough to occupy an island.

I heard from my friends in the General Staff that His Majesty is still planning the second step, and more people will be allowed to participate at that time. But this news cannot be spread too early. If everyone wants to invest, it will be difficult to decide who to allow and who not to allow.

Alas... I am so jealous! Those who went to Luzon and Annan to buy land and build farms are now rich. Unfortunately, my family is poor. I can neither afford to buy land nor find immigrants to farm. I can only sigh in despair."

The King of Ryukyu has always regarded Japan as a major concern. Captain Sun knew very well that if the protection of the Ming Empire was lost one day, this small country on the island would not be able to survive for even a month and would be destroyed.

But the fleet was not really going to Japan, the two countries were too close, and there was often smuggling trade, so there was no way to get away with it. So how could I make up a lie? This is where the more than five years of training in the Navy Statistics Department came in handy.

Lies are still lies, but they cannot be completely false. They must be half true and half false to withstand scrutiny. But this is only acceptable. If you can use this to make profits for the empire and make the deceived feel that you have not suffered a loss, and even if you are exposed in the future, you will not bear a grudge, then you are worthy of the title of investigator of the Navy Statistics Department.

"To the east of Japan... the climate there is cold and it's probably not suitable for farming, right?" The King of Ryukyu was no pushover. He had something in his head. After hearing what he said, he thought about it carefully and immediately came to a conclusion.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. It's not the Kuril Islands. The navy had discovered that place long ago and built a supply station there. It's not heading east from Japan, but heading east from Luzon. I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I heard about it from my friends in the General Staff. The local climate is similar to Luzon, with mountains and rivers, which is most suitable for large-scale sugarcane cultivation."

There are two types of people who are afraid of being deceived. One is too stupid and believes what they hear without thinking anything else. The other is too smart and knows a lot. He can find subtle loopholes between the lines and then have doubts. He really won’t believe it unless it is explained clearly.

It is easiest to fool people who have some brains but not too strong in knowledge and logical thinking. As long as the general logic is correct, add a few real details, win their basic trust first, and then you can wait for them to make associations.

"That's a good place to go... General Sun, if I am willing to help the empire, will His Majesty agree?"

Well, the King of Ryukyu belongs to the third category. He has enough brains, but not enough knowledge. The farthest he has been is the Satsuma Domain in Japan and the capital of the Ming Dynasty. He cannot support too complex logical analysis.

But the stories of the reclamation of Luzon Island and Annan had long been widely known, and became the best way for many people to get rich. Now that there was a sudden opportunity, and it was the first bite of meat, the association must have come in waves.

A large part of the driving force for Ryukyu's development in recent years has come from sugarcane, or the sugar industry. Now there is an archipelago larger than the Ryukyu Islands to the east of Luzon Island, which is also suitable for growing sugarcane. Under the premise that competition cannot be avoided, the most advantageous way is to get involved.

(End of this chapter)