The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 596: This Battle Prospers the Ming Dynasty
This New Year's Day was extremely lively both inside and outside the capital.

The reconstruction of the imperial palace never stopped, and nearly two thousand craftsmen were busy working around the Huangji Hall.

The selection exercises at the Nanyuan training ground did not stop either. The young and strong men from various military garrisons braved the severe cold and rode in carriages to the capital.

The reconstruction of the palace was completed before March.

Before April even arrived, millions of new recruits had already been selected.

At this time, Wanli also began to consider when to set off for Nurgandusi.

It has been a long time since he led an army in person.

He has been busy reorganizing the court in recent years and has no time to go to the battlefield to command in person.

However, he must go to this battle.

This battle can be said to be a battle for the destiny of the Ming Dynasty.

Once the Jiannu were wiped out, the shadow of the Ming Dynasty's demise would be completely eliminated, and from then on no one could stop the Ming Dynasty's prosperity.

The problem is that he is the only one who understands the importance of this battle, while everyone else is still a little confused.

In history, when the Jiannu army overthrew the Ming Dynasty, its total population was less than the number of Ming Dynasty's border troops and garrisons.

At this moment, the remaining Jiannu troops were not even a fraction of the soldiers under their command.

Who would have thought that the Jiannu army, which seemed to have no chance of defeating the Ming Dynasty, actually defeated the Ming Dynasty in history?
He didn't want the Jiannu to take advantage of the situation because his generals didn't pay enough attention. Nurhaci's ability to take advantage of the situation was extremely strong.

In history, the Ming Dynasty was really brought down by this guy.

So, he must go, and this time, he must wipe out the Jiannu!

On the fifth day of the fourth month, around the afternoon of Shen time, Wanli was explaining something to the map in the Grand Council Hall with Zhu Changxun and Song Yingxing. Finally, Deng Zilong, Wang Zheng, Li Zhizao, Yu Zigao and Li Guozhu arrived together.

He is waiting for these people.

After the emperor and his subjects exchanged greetings, he said cordially, "Yun Qing, long time no see."

It has indeed been a long time since I returned to Beijing to meet the Emperor.

Deng Zilong quickly explained, "Your Majesty, in recent years, Longjiangzhou Baochuan Shipyard and Xinzhou Shipyard have been working hard to build naval ships, and they have built too many ships.

I must reorganize and train the navy officers and men, and mobilize them to take charge of the navy ships. I am truly a bit stuck, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

I'm afraid you don't have any naval officers and soldiers to reorganize and train at this moment.

Wanli nodded slightly, then asked, "Yunqing, are there enough naval officers and soldiers?"

Well, there are already enough naval soldiers, more than the soldiers in the Beijing garrison. Can I say that it is not enough?
The problem is that the two major shipyards are building naval ships so frantically that there are simply not enough naval soldiers.

This is a good thing for the navy, and the more ships the better.

The key is that the ships must be operated by naval officers and soldiers.

How do you say this?

Deng Zilong thought about it carefully, then explained carefully: "Your Majesty, I know very well how much food and wages are needed to support hundreds of thousands of naval officers and soldiers.

However, with the increase in the number of naval ships, the number of naval officers and soldiers is really insufficient.

I have no choice but to reduce the number of people operating the ships. Now the 2,000-ton Fuchuan warships are only equipped with 200 naval officers and soldiers, and the 1,000-ton Fuchuan warships and fishing boats are only equipped with 100 naval officers and soldiers.

As for the 800-ton centipede boats, the navy officers and soldiers they are currently manning have been reduced to around 20 people. If they continue to reduce their numbers, I'm afraid there won't even be enough people to row them."

They don't have many Fuchuan warships now. There are only more than a thousand Fuchuan warships with a toll of 2,000 tons, and less than a thousand Fuchuan warships with a toll of 1,000 tons.

In other words, there were only about 300,000 naval officers and soldiers operating the Fu ship warships, but the naval officers and soldiers operating the centipede ships accounted for the majority.

Wanli thought for a moment and then asked, "How many centipede ships does the navy have now?"

This number is a bit scary.

Deng Zilong said cautiously, "Your Majesty, last year the navy had over 20,000 centipede boats."

This centipede boat is indeed useful in near seas and inland rivers, but it cannot be built again. It is a waste of manpower.

A centipede boat needs at least eighteen rowers, one helmsman, and one lookout and commander. These twenty people can only concentrate on operating the boat, and no one can participate in the battle!
This way of staffing is definitely not feasible. Most of the naval officers and soldiers are just operating the ships and have no combat effectiveness at all.

Wanli thought about it carefully, then asked, "Yunqing, how many naval officers and soldiers are standardly assigned to a shuttle ship?"

This shuttle is amazing.

Deng Zilong became excited when he heard about the shuttle.

He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Your Majesty, the shuttle boat is great. It only needs six operators to operate it day and night.

The standard configuration of a shuttle ship now is ten naval officers and soldiers, and there are four more who can be armed with guns to guard and escort.

If it is to participate in the war, a shuttle ship can carry hundreds of musketeers to the battle.

This shuttle ship is much better than the centipede ship."

Of course, it's a steamship.

Wanli nodded slightly, then asked, "Liangfu, can the centipede ship be transformed into a shuttle ship?"

How should I put it? Wang Zheng nodded slowly and said, "It is possible, but it is very troublesome to modify it, even more troublesome than building a new one.

Your Majesty, if there is a shortage of shipbuilding materials, I can have the two major shipyards convert their docks to specifically rebuild the Centipede Ship."

There is a shortage of shipbuilding materials at this time.

You misunderstood what I meant.

What I mean is that centipede boats cannot be sold in large quantities because many princes and royal families are purchasing centipede boats.

This centipede boat is more troublesome to modify than to build a new one, so it has to be eliminated. There are plenty of shipbuilding materials, and it is faster to build a new one than to modify it slowly, so of course it is better to build a new one.

The question is, what should we do if these centipede boats are eliminated and cannot be sold?

Wanli thought about it carefully, then said solemnly: "Liangfu, go tell Danyang that Longjiangzhou Baochuan Shipyard and Xinzhou Shipyard should completely stop the production of centipede ships and stop building them in the future.

The 800-ton dock waterways of these two major shipyards will be renovated, and only shuttle ships will be built in the future. The navy's centipede ships will also be gradually phased out. As many centipede ships are phased out as shuttle ships are built.

Also, you must quickly develop warships with a capacity of over 2,000 tons. I have already explained the cabin design and gun configuration to Danyang in detail. You only need to consider how to use the steam engine to drive it."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli then gave detailed instructions: "Yunqing, remember not to sell any of the centipede boats that the navy has eliminated. We will give them to the military garrisons that need them.

Now the Nurgan, Liaodong, Dongyang, and North America Western Districts all need a large number of centipede ships. Every time the navy eliminates a batch, it will be evenly distributed to these four districts."

Are you sending ships again?
Deng Zilong heard this and nodded repeatedly, saying, "I understand."

Wanli thought for a moment, then asked, "Guozhu, how much gold did you bring back this time?"

Li Guozhu said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, I have collected five million taels this time and brought them back."

This money is so much that I can’t spend it all. I have to spend it quickly.

The question is, how to spend it?

Since we can’t recruit too many troops now, we’ll just build ships like crazy!

Wanli thought for a moment, then asked, "Guozhu, there should be a lot of timber in the Spanish colonies in America, right?"

Li Guozhu nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, there is a lot of wood over there, and some types are especially suitable for shipbuilding.

The Spanish also asked us if we wanted timber, saying they had a large supply and that it was quicker to produce than copper. Copper had to be mined and refined, but timber could be cut down directly.”

They don't build their own ships, do they?
I've packed it for them.

Upon hearing this, Wanli said decisively, "Okay, go buy from them. Take all the wood that can be used to build ships. You can load as much as you can on each return voyage."

We have already started buying the wood, so when should we start fighting them?

Li Guozhu was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then he nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli then gave detailed instructions: "Liangfu, go tell Danyang that Longjiangzhou Treasure Shipyard and Xinzhou Shipyard should immediately build new docks and waterways specifically for building warships with a capacity of more than 2,000 tons.

The newly built docks and waterways of the two shipyards must be able to build at least 200 warships and gunboats simultaneously, and at least 400 ships per year."

Uh, we are also building a dock waterway?
Okay, this is not my business. I'm just passing on a message.

Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Next, we should encircle and suppress the Jiannu.

Wanli pointed at the map and gave detailed instructions: "Kemai, you will lead one thousand 2,000-ton Fuzhou warships to the port south of Shuangchengwei to replenish food and fresh water.

After you have replenished, lead the fleet to circle around to Dongyangdusi, then go north along the east side of Dongyangdusi, and deploy the fleet to the west coast of Kuyi Island and be ready.

Remember, don't get close to the sea area near Yongle Mountain. You can't let the Jiannu realize our intention to encircle and suppress them in advance.

As for when to move eastward and begin blockading the waters west of Yongle Mountain, I will send a speedboat out of the Heilongjiang River to inform you."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zigao quickly bowed and said, "I understand."

Wanli thought for a moment, then asked, "Yunqing, where are the 1,000 shuttle ships and 8,000 centipede ships that participated in this battle now?"

Deng Zilong pointed at the map and explained in detail: "Your Majesty, these 9,000 warships are not assembled together because there is no section of the river that can accommodate so many warships.

Now, eight thousand centipede ships are all on the line from the Haihe River to the North Canal, and one thousand shuttle ships have entered the moat waterway."

The situation in Nurgandusi has not been completely thawed yet, so there is no need to be too anxious.

Wanli nodded slightly, then pointed at the map and said, "First, order all the centipede boats to take turns coming to the Datong Bridge Canal Wharf to pick up the new recruits.

Within four days, one million new recruits will be boarded and ready to depart. On the tenth day of April, we will all set out for Nurgandusi."

You are going to lead the army in person again!
Deng Zilong was stunned when he heard this.

He was also a little puzzled. There were only tens of thousands of Jiannu people. Why did they have to mobilize so many troops and ships to encircle and suppress them?

His Majesty even felt that this was not safe enough and wanted to lead the army in person!
This is the fundamental reason why Wanli had to lead the army in person.

Because now no one knows that the Ming Dynasty in history was destroyed by the Jiannu. If they don’t know, it will not attract enough attention.

He didn't want to fail and let the Jiannu escape.

(End of this chapter)