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Chapter 1205 Secret Arrival
At the end of April, after more than 4 days of continuous travel on camels, rowboats and ocean-going sailing ships, Emperor Jingyang of the Ming Empire finally escaped from the sea of ​​suffering and arrived safely at the Port of Manila.

"Why are these ships anchored outside the harbor?" Not long after passing the naval gunnery on Corregidor Island, Hong Tao, who had been sleeping in the cabin, was awakened by Wang Chengen. He simply washed up and went down to the deck to get some fresh air.

However, they found that hundreds of sailboats of various types were anchored on the sea outside the mouth of the Pasig River, and there were not many ships in the river, which did not seem to be a blockage. They immediately raised questions to Captain Settle, who was on escort duty.

“Since the navy occupied the port of Colombo, the number of Ming mainland ships heading to the Indian Peninsula has increased dramatically. As the closest large port to the mainland, the dock here cannot meet the demand for loading and unloading, so it began to expand two years ago.

Before the new dock was built, ships that wanted to dock here had to queue up to enter. In order not to block the river, only a few anchorages had to be opened near the coast.

Fortunately, Your Majesty had foresight and ordered the construction of another military port early on. Otherwise, no matter how many guns were installed on the warships, they would have to wait in line for the dock to be cleared, which would take at least half a day and at most one or two days. "

Settle was in high spirits, and the further east he went, the more excited he became. The emperor kept his word and specifically ordered his ship to return, which meant he was one step closer to joining the eastward fleet. When he was in a good mood, he spoke in a pleasant way, not only answering questions, but also taking the opportunity to flatter him a little.

"If I had foresight, I should have expanded the civilian port. In addition, you still need to practice your skills. If you lower a few sails when crossing the Indian Ocean, you can arrive a day earlier.

If you are afraid to operate normally because I am on board, how can I dare to use your ship as the flagship when I arrive in America? If not as the flagship, what reason do you have to be selected for the Eastern Expedition Fleet?"

Unfortunately, Hong Tao was in a bad mood. In addition to anxiety, he was also tired. As a result, Settle's flattery was not in the right place, and he got nothing in return and was scolded.

"I know I was wrong. Your Majesty, rest assured that I will correct it immediately. Give me another chance and use the voyage from Manila to Hawaii as proof. If Your Majesty is not satisfied, I will take the communication ship back from Hawaii Island and will not say a word more!"

Settle was so wronged. He encountered a storm in the Indian Ocean while the emperor was sleeping in the cabin. He deliberately slowed down the ship to reduce the bumps, but ended up getting into trouble. But explaining now would easily lead to criticism, so he could only admit his mistake first and then show his determination, hoping for leniency through his attitude.

"...Why didn't you persuade me not to follow the fleet on the expedition again?"

"Well... I think your Majesty is as vigorous as he was during the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope. Take this return voyage for example. Your Majesty was still able to eat well and sleep well in high sea conditions, and he was able to play cards in his spare time. He is truly a role model for our generation.

With Your Majesty in command of the fleet, we will feel at ease. It will also boost the morale of the sailors and increase their combat power by 50%. We will surely be able to win the battle with one blow!"

There were indeed voices within the army and navy who were unwilling to let the emperor lead the expedition in person. If the court officials were included, this would be the mainstream opinion. Settle himself also believed this, but at this critical moment of whether he could join the Eastern Expedition Fleet, he could only lie against his conscience.

"Well, even though I don't mean it, I like to hear it. Believe it or not, when you are over sixty and can no longer stand on the deck and have to go ashore to retire, I, at the age of a hundred, will still be able to sail the sea and set sail for thousands of miles!"

Hong Tao knew what the army and navy commanders were thinking and why Settle was flattering him. But it didn't matter. As long as they didn't dare to confront him, it meant that he was still in control. "... Students naturally cannot be compared with Your Majesty." In order to achieve his goal, Settle tried his best. Even if the emperor said he could live to 500 years old and could still sail at the age of 499, he had to say it was right and his expression had to be very sure.

Since it was a secret return, except for a few senior naval officers who received the summons, no one knew that the emperor had quietly returned to the Port of Manila. Everyone thought that he was still leading the troops in West Asia, including most of the ground crew in the naval port.

When Settle's Han-class battleship entered the port, the ground support officers and soldiers on the dock were not nervous at all. They followed the procedure as usual, first using flag signals to simply communicate the port entry order, then matching them one by one with the port entry table, and finally sending a small boat to send a pilot to board the ship to guide it.

Hong Tao did not reveal his identity on his own initiative. He stood on the rear deck and observed carefully with a telescope in hand. He used this rare opportunity to secretly inspect the daily work status of the South China Sea Fleet. He did not breathe a sigh of relief until the pilot came on board.

The port entry process basically complies with the requirements of the Navy's drill manual. As for whether the uniforms are neatly worn and whether the time is checked accurately, there is no need to be too demanding. As long as the main contents of the drill manual are completed, there will be no major problems.

The Manila Naval Base's dock is built in a natural bay on the south side of the estuary, 11 kilometers away from Fort Santiago, far away from Manila City and civilian ports, avoiding many troubles and security issues.

Not only the port was divided, but also the waterway into Manila Bay was divided. The northern side of the island was the civilian channel, and the southern side of the island was the military channel.

As the largest military base of the Ming Navy and the largest overseas commercial port of the Ming Empire, in addition to ensuring navigation safety, it has also taken sufficient preventive measures.

If, during wartime, an enemy ship disguised as a merchant ship sneaks into the bay and attempts to cause sabotage, as soon as it deviates from its course, it will be discovered by patrol ships at sea and lookouts on the shore, without having to wait to get close to the military base.

It was even more impossible to approach from the shore. The jungle around the naval base had been cut down, and the Tianshu Guard camps of the Marine Corps stationed here were distributed all around, surrounding the base tightly.

The reason for being so cautious, in addition to preventing the enemy's premeditated sabotage, is another deeper consideration, which is mainly used to target the Dutch.

Hong Tao believed that the Ming Dynasty and the Netherlands would part ways sooner or later. If the Dutch were unwilling to lose their huge interests in Asia and wanted to take risks, the two naval bases of Manila and Da Nang would become the front line of operations and the two sea gates of the mainland. Ensuring their safety would be equivalent to ensuring the safety of many seaports in the mainland.

"Immediately bring all the secret reports from Hawaii these days and notify the relevant personnel to go to the conference room. Are all the people from the General Staff and the Navy here?"

As soon as his feet stepped onto the stone steps of the dock, without having time to appreciate the entire picture of the base he designed himself, Hong Tao issued a series of orders to the astronaut Chief of the General Staff who came to greet him, his face full of bitterness and hatred.

(End of this chapter)