Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 336, Admiral of the Four Seas

Before the court assembly began, Fang Yong called Zhang Yuan aside and told him about the arrangements for him.

This is normal; communicating with trusted generals beforehand can prevent awkward situations.

Of course, some emperors would feign profundity and say things that were unclear in meaning, leaving their subordinates to guess what they meant.

The purpose of doing so is essentially to elevate one's own image, thereby intimidating some people and consolidating one's rule.

However, Fang Yonglai didn't need to do that at all.

He was the founder, and his rule came from his own strength, not from anything else. He could simply say what he wanted or ask for directly, without needing to do anything ambiguous.

Upon hearing Fang Yong's arrangements for him, Zhang Yuan was immediately moved to tears, knelt on the ground, and loudly proclaimed his loyalty.

Fang Yongze helped Zhang Yuan up and promised:
"I unsheath the Tai'a sword from its jade case; its cold light shines forth, and it is invincible. When the war is over, I will polish the blade, return it to its jade sheath, and place it beside the ancestral temple, before the imperial throne."

This was Fang Yong's promise to Zhang Yuan, indicating that he would ensure Zhang Yuan's safe retirement afterward.

Zhang Yuan was even more moved after hearing this.

Fang Yong put his hands behind his back, looked at Zhang Yuan, and smiled:
"Please come with me to court, General!"

Zhang Yuan solemnly replied, "Yes!"

In fact, successive dynasties did not attach great importance to the navy.

The fundamental reason is that the core area of ​​China was located inland, and the large-scale wars of successive dynasties were mainly land battles, so the importance attached to maritime defense was very low.

During the early Ming Dynasty, although Zhu Yuanzhang laid the foundation for the establishment of the country through naval warfare, he still focused his attention on the north after unifying the country, and the same was true for the later Da Xi Dynasty.

The naval commanders did not have exclusive titles, nor did they have organized fleets.

Generally speaking, most of the naval commanders stationed on the border are concurrently serving as local border guards.

For example, the Prince of Nan'an was responsible for the naval affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi, as well as the defense of the southwestern frontier. In other words, defending the southwestern frontier was his main responsibility, while coastal defense was just a side job.

Take Mao Jie, the former commander of the Tianjin naval forces, as another example. As commander of the Tianjin naval forces, he was responsible for the defense of the inland sea (Bohai Sea).

Most of the time, however, his fleet stayed in the naval port of Tianjin, and even leased the port to send warships out for commercial transport in order to make a profit. This rendered the naval defenses virtually non-existent.

This cannot be blamed on Mao Jie, because no one had ever attacked the Inner Sea in hundreds of years.

However, Fang Yong knew that although it wasn't available now, it should be available in a few years.

The enemy will land from the sea and trample on the land of China as they plundered Siam.

This is not a good thing.

Therefore, the construction of coastal defense is necessary.

Fang Yong planned to first establish two sufficiently powerful fleets in the Inner Sea and the South China Sea, and then complete the fleets in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, making it a total of four fleets.

Fang Yong envisioned that all four fleets should possess the capability to single-handedly annihilate a small country, in order to ensure the safety of Zhongxia and prevent a repeat of past mistakes.

Of course, if his strength really develops in this way, then those enemies from his memories will most likely stop in their tracks, thus avoiding war.

However, regardless of whether war breaks out, Fang Yong will not stop this expansion of military power.

Some might argue that building such a large fleet is a waste of military resources, especially since the enemy has already stopped in their tracks.

However, this view is clearly wrong. Stopping in the face does not mean the enemy has disappeared. The enemy is merely coveting your strength and dares not act rashly. Once you show signs of fatigue, they will still pounce on you like hungry wolves.

Therefore, we cannot afford to be lax in the slightest.

Moreover, even if others don't attack him first, he can still attack others first.

For example, Yingzhou, which is not far away.

This is a country with deep historical ties to China.

During the ancient Qin Dynasty, the great alchemist Xu Fu set sail and eventually occupied Yingzhou, establishing a kingdom there. (This is the setting of the book.)
The script that is still in use on Yingzhou today evolved from the seal script of ancient China.

If no changes are made, Yingzhou will be occupied by others in a dozen years, and will eventually have to change itself, face the Central Plains, and embark on a sinful path of patricide.

Fang Yong did not want to repeat that history.

Whether for the sake of peace between China and the world or for the sake of justice, he must nip this matter in the bud.

The owner and the dog should have been a happy family. The root of all evil came from the intrusion of outsiders. If he had landed in Yingzhou in advance and kept his dog in captivity and protected it, the tragedy could have been perfectly avoided!
Among the titles of generals, the Four Expeditionary Generals are generally considered to be a symbol of nobility. Their usual duties are to resist foreign tribes or quell rebellions. When Fang Yong rebelled, more than one General of the South came to fight against him.

There are also the Four Generals, who are highly respected, but nowadays they are usually just nominal positions, or they are awarded to a minister after he has made great contributions.

Based on this, Fang Yong divided the region into the Inner Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea, and created four new general titles specifically for the navy.

Above the four generals is the position of Admiral of the Four Seas, who is the commander-in-chief of all naval forces.

This title actually harbors greater ambitions.

The inland seas, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea are just the four smaller seas; above them are the four larger seas...

Of course, those are still a long way off.

The position of Admiral of the Four Seas is currently held by Fang Yong, as no one else has such high prestige.

Zhang Yuan was appointed as the deputy admiral and concurrently the Inner Sea General, tasked with the overall construction of the Inner Sea Navy. In addition to the construction of the Inner Sea Navy, he was also responsible for assisting in the construction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea naval fleets.

This was Fang Yong's reward to Zhang Yuan.

In reality, his actual status hasn't changed much. Zhang Yuan was the head of the navy under Fang Yong before, and he is still the head of the navy under Fang Yong now.

The only difference lies in the degree of respect, that is, one's status in the eyes of outsiders.

As a naval commander, Zhang Yuan was not as high-ranking as Fang Yong's other army generals in the eyes of outsiders. However, the appointment of the General of the Four Seas by Fang Yong has elevated this status.

This kind of thing can be useful in some ways and useless in others, but the most important reason why Zhang Yuan was so moved was that Fang Yong granted him power at the same time as awarding him the medal.

The title of Vice Admiral of the Four Seas is not given lightly.

Although he was a deputy, since the principal was Fang Yong, the deputy was already the highest naval officer rank among the generals.

Its authority extends to all corners of the world, and its power is immense.

In addition to recruiting soldiers and conducting military operations, it also has the authority to build naval ports, ships, naval bases, and establish specialized naval training schools.

The last point is especially important.

Establishing a dedicated naval academy is not some seemingly useless teaching task; it is one of the most important powers, representing that Zhang Yuan can directly cultivate his own confidants within it.

(End of this chapter)