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Chapter 1130 Taking the Upper Route

This question hit the nail on the head. Yes, he just wanted to find the best time to join the expedition fleet, and he had a clear plan. He also had a selfish motive in deliberately preventing Setel from signing up.

Not only Settle, but almost all the captains he valued in the Indian Ocean Fleet were retained. These people were his trump cards. If he could really go one day, he couldn't go alone and be a commander without troops.

The navy is a highly technical branch of the military that places great emphasis on individual quality and coordination. If you have a few captains around you who are capable and work with you day and night, you will have more confidence when you encounter a tough battle.

Moreover, he was not afraid of Settle revealing his inner thoughts, and it would be best if the emperor could hear them. Although he came from the inner palace and was considered a close minister of the emperor, he had enough experience, but he did not have much help in the navy, and he could not integrate into the group of the Sea House Division. At the critical moment, he had to rely on the influence of the emperor to win.

But he couldn't ask the emperor for privileges himself, so he had to find someone to be a mouthpiece and let the emperor know his needs so that he could operate secretly. Setel was the most suitable person, and as long as he also wanted to go to the expedition fleet to make merit, he had to help.

"No wonder my brother always reminds me to talk less and express less opinions every time I go home. Compared to you old guys, my brain is really not enough!"

Faced with the true confession of his immediate superior, Settle not only heard the content clearly but also understood the hidden meaning. He began to lament that he was too young and was on guard every day, but in the end he still fell into the trap and was used as a gun.

"Stop talking nonsense. If I hadn't helped you, you would be fishing on a deserted island thousands of miles away. When the conditions are ripe for landing on the west coast of America, it will be time for you to rotate back."

Since Jieji dared to speak out, she was not afraid of Settle's trickery. Now the two of them were tied together, and their fortunes and misfortunes depended on each other. No one could get rid of the other.

"...Why don't you give me some leave? I haven't been home for more than a year. I don't have any combat missions right now, so it's a good opportunity to go back and take a look!"

Settle really couldn't complain that his boss was using him on purpose, so he thought about it and decided to go all out and try this method. After all, Jie Ji came from the palace and had a lot of experience and skills in how to win the emperor's reward.

"Vacation... Hey, you are good at bargaining. You leave, and what about me!" Hearing that Settle had agreed, Jie Ji was happy at first, but then became unhappy.

This is too damn treacherous. If I choose to take a vacation at this time, then I will have to stay with the fleet. The climate in this sea area is too hot, and the island is even more desolate. Life is very difficult.

"Your Majesty said that if you are willing to give up, you will gain. You can't have both. So, when I pass through Shalian Port, I will let No. 021 take over. Half a month will pass in a flash.

It's settled. I'll take the armed cargo ship back to Colombo first, and then take the communication ship back to Beijing. There's no time to lose. The Spring Festival is in two months, and my brother will be in the palace to see the emperor. There's no time at all."

Once Setel took the initiative, Jieji immediately fell into a passive position and even became the one being commanded. As one of the commanders of the three major fleets, she was actually at the mercy of a captain of a thousand households, and her orders were clearly made.

There is a rather strange phenomenon in the navy. Although most captains are cavalrymen, the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates is not as clear as in the army. As long as it does not involve combat orders, even the commander-in-chief does not have much official authority.

This is not to say that the navy's discipline is lax, but rather due to the special combat mode. Each warship is a separate combat unit, and training and combat are all under the command of the captain, and no matter how high the officer's rank is, he cannot take over the responsibility.

Even when the fleet is sailing, the commander can only stay on the flagship and issue orders to the captains of each ship through flag signals. He cannot always give instructions in person. Moreover, the situation at sea changes rapidly, and it is impossible to enforce orders. Most functions must be understood and implemented independently by the captain. The saying that a general is not subject to military orders is neither advocated nor opposed in the army, but it is the truth in the navy. All officers who can become captains are not yes-men, and must have the ability to fight independently and analyze the battle situation independently.

In terms of experience, technical ability and knowledge, many naval officers are qualified to be captains, but only a few can get this position, and they are not necessarily the ones with the best overall performance.

The problem was personality. Those who were too obedient, had no opinions, and were afraid to take full responsibility were not allowed to become captains. Even if the Navy General Staff recommended them, they would be rejected by the Emperor, and the recommender would be held accountable.

There were once court officials who either heard about or witnessed this kind of atmosphere in the navy, and then submitted a memorial to the emperor, saying that the navy was poorly managed, officials were not officials, and soldiers were not soldiers, which confused the hierarchy. If this continued, the navy would be no different from pirates.

As a result, the emperor said that the navy was nothing but pirates raised by the state. If anyone dared to turn the navy into obedient fishermen, he would throw that person's entire family into Enniao Port to be slaves of the blacks, and would not be allowed to leave for three generations.

Would giving the captain such great power breed a small group consciousness and increase the risk of rebellion? Hong Tao never worried about this. If the army did this, he would have to intervene to stop it, but it would be fine if it was the navy.

No warship can be an independent army and is extremely dependent on logistical support. For example, ammunition, sails, regular maintenance of the hull, food and water support, etc., all of which are not enough. To do these jobs well, a well-trained and well-equipped naval base is essential.

Without the naval base, the warships are like children without a home. Their combat effectiveness plummets. Not to mention rebellion, even whether they can guarantee daily food and drink is a big problem.

What about defection? If a captain feels wronged after being punished and seeks an opportunity to flee abroad, there must be many countries in Europe willing to take him in and pay him a high reward.

With this ship and its various equipment and naval guns as a prototype, it would be difficult to imitate them immediately, but it would greatly improve the local shipbuilding and gun casting capabilities, and make the local navy more familiar with the combat methods of the Ming Empire Navy. The trade-off would be huge.

Hong Tao dismissed this worry. The reason was simple. On any warship or armed cargo ship, the captain did not have the final say. There were also the first mate, second mate, navigator, boatswain and staff officers. Unless most of these people could be convinced, the risk would be great.

In addition, the captain is not a lifetime position. The first mate, second mate, and navigator, among others, are all assessed every two or three years and can continue to serve only after passing the assessment. However, it is difficult to say whether they will still be on the original ship.

This is actually what is done in the army. Officers above the rank of commander are evaluated regularly and their positions are reassigned based on the comprehensive assessment.

In addition, the station and affiliation of each dusi and each guard are not permanent. They will definitely be adjusted and rotated every two to three years or five to six years. This is to prevent someone from forming a small group in the army and turning the country's important weapons into private soldiers.

Would this result in the soldiers not knowing their generals and the generals not knowing their soldiers? The lessons of the Song Dynasty were still fresh in our minds. Would Hong Tao repeat the same mistakes?
In fact, the military service system of the Song Dynasty was very advanced. If you must add a prefix, it was very advanced in the historical period at that time. Otherwise, with the production and living style of an agricultural nation, it would not be able to fight against Liao, Jin, Xixia, and Mongolia for hundreds of years.

In later generations, most developed countries also adopted this military system. The army belongs to the country and is relatively fixed, and the generals are temporary. In wartime, different generals are selected to command according to different needs.

On the contrary, it is some relatively backward small countries that will privatize the military, to put it bluntly, they are warlords. The effect is obvious to all, military coups and military governments are often set up, which is very harmful.

(End of this chapter)