Huangming

Chapter 272 Accumulating Ships to Form an Army, Strengthening Naval Defense

Tianjin Wei, Dagukou.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept across the embankment. Unlike the desolate scene two months ago, the harbor is now bustling with activity.

The once collapsed embankment has been reinforced with newly built bluestone and widened to more than 30 feet. Porters carrying cargo boxes shuttle back and forth on the embankment, their shouts rising and falling.

The cranes on the shore turned slowly, hoisting the cargo from the ship's hold to the dock. The grain sacks and cloth piled up on the pier stretched like hills. The shop assistants were checking the numbers with their ledgers, their abacuses clicking away.

The most eye-catching thing is the renovated commercial port.

The original dilapidated wooden dock has been replaced with a sturdy stone structure that can accommodate ten medium-sized cargo ships at the same time.

At this moment, three cargo ships bearing the flags of the "Jin" and "Hui" merchants were slowly approaching the shore. The boatmen were busy dropping anchors and mooring lines, while the sailors on deck shouted to each other as they unloaded bundles of Shanxi silk and Jiangnan tea from the ships.

Not far away, two fishing boats from Dengzhou had just unloaded fresh fish. The fish scales shimmered silver in the sunlight and were quickly surrounded by merchants who had heard the news, with the sounds of bargaining filling the air.

However, this liveliness reveals clear boundaries.

On the west side of the commercial port, a fence ten feet high divides the harbor in two, behind which lies a heavily guarded military port.

This is the core of Dagukou.

Occasionally, grain transport ships would sail in, but they would have to pass through three checkpoints before they could approach the warships to unload their cargo.

"Military port restricted area, no unauthorized personnel allowed!"

The guards by the fence sternly stopped a peddler who was trying to approach, their long knives gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The bustling commercial port and the somber military port coexist in a strange way in this harbor.

Merchants coming and going all knew that the bustling Dagu Port was half due to the business opportunities brought by merchant ships, and the other half due to the confidence provided by the warships in the naval port.

With such an impregnable defense, we can confidently conduct this transoceanic business.

Of course, the bustling atmosphere of Dagukou was ultimately slightly less vibrant than that of another place in Tianjin.

At this moment, the most bustling place in Tianjin is the section of the harbor that stretches from the confluence of the three rivers to Tanggu.

The confluence of the three rivers is the lifeblood of Tianjin, where the Haihe River, the North Canal, and the South Canal converge. The river is as wide as a lake, and it has always been the busiest inland river port in the north.

In the past, this place was bustling with merchant ships and canals, where the shouts of porters, the cries of merchants, and the calls of boatmen blended together, forming the most vibrant character of Tianjin.

Since the emperor issued an edict to establish a maritime trade office here, this body of water has been revitalized like never before.

Merchants and fishermen who used to secretly sail out to sea to fish or risk trading with Southeast Asian countries can now finally raise their sails openly.

As long as you have a "ship permit" issued by the government, you can legally go to sea without worrying about being arrested as a "pirate".

What's even better is that obtaining the boat license is not difficult.

According to the new system, anyone who presents a ship to the Maritime Trade Office can obtain a three-year ship license; if they present a large ship with a carrying capacity of 100 shi (a unit of dry measure), they can obtain a large ship license and sail as far as Luzon and Siam.

By offering a small fishing boat that can only hold a few people, one can obtain a small boat license and fish in coastal waters.

This method of "exchanging ships for licenses" not only replenished the official ship reserves, but also made it possible for ordinary people to easily reach the threshold of going to sea. For a time, shipyards around Tianjin were busy day and night, and the sound of firecrackers celebrating the launch of new ships was almost constant.

At this moment, inside the Tianjin Naval Headquarters at Dagukou, footsteps echoed in unison along the brick-paved path.

Chen Qiyu, the assistant circuit intendant of Tianjin, was wearing a blue official robe and leading a group of his subordinates to inspect the restoration project of the water fortress.

He held a roll of blueprints in his hand, pausing from time to time to compare them with the foreman beside him. His gaze swept over the newly built stockade walls and the renovated barracks, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

All of this was able to take effect so quickly thanks to the confiscation of the assets obtained by corrupt officials in Tianjin.

The money was converted into bricks, timber, and wages for craftsmen, allowing the long-stalled renovation project to proceed at full speed.

More importantly, there are now refugees everywhere in the north, and the one thing that is not lacking is manpower.

The government posted a notice that anyone who participated in the repairs would be provided with three full meals a day and would also receive two coins a day. As soon as the news came out, thousands of refugees flocked to the site, carrying soil, moving bricks, and building walls, working enthusiastically.

In just over a month, the collapsed stockade wall was replaced by a rammed earth wall ten feet high, and arrow crenellations and watchtowers were added to the top of the wall.

The dilapidated naval headquarters has been completely renovated. The plaque with the words "Tianjin Naval Force" hanging on the vermilion gate is as shiny as new. The drill ground in the courtyard is covered with smooth fine sand, and the weapon racks are neatly arranged with muskets and long swords. Even the lanterns under the corridor have been replaced with new red silk.

"Go check on the granary and the gunpowder depot," Chen Qiyu instructed.

The group turned through the moon gate and saw two brick and stone warehouses standing on the east side, with guards standing at the entrance.

Opening the granary door, one finds it filled with golden millet and rice, with labels on the grain bins indicating the date of storage and the place of origin.

The gunpowder depot was even more secure, with moisture-proof wooden planks on the ground, gunpowder barrels neatly stacked, their bodies coated with fire-retardant tung oil, and a faint smell of saltpeter permeating the air.

"Not bad!"

Chen Qiyu nodded repeatedly, then turned to his subordinates and smiled, "It seems that choosing the generals of the Beijing Garrison to supervise the construction was indeed the right decision."

The "generals of the capital garrison" he mentioned refer to Zhao Shuaijiao, the assistant commander of the Shenji Battalion; Zu Dashou, the assistant commander of the Shenshu Battalion; and Huang Degong, the assistant commander of the Shenwu Battalion.

of course.

It was called supervision, but it was more like "training".

All three men were from military backgrounds and could not stand perfunctory work. They watched the craftsmen build the wall, demanding that the brick joints be filled with glutinous rice mortar, and even personally measured the thickness of the moisture barrier. They also brought their personal guards to the gunpowder depot, not allowing even a single spark to get close.

It was precisely because of these idle and bored soldiers from the Beijing garrison that Tianjin Wei was able to get back on track so quickly.

Leaving the naval headquarters and walking along the newly paved stone path to the embankment, the scene before one's eyes is even more breathtaking.

The originally cramped dock has been expanded, with newly built stone embankments extending dozens of feet into the water, enough to accommodate more boats.

Unlike two months ago when only a few dilapidated boats floated on the water, the harbor is now teeming with boats.

Black-cowed boat, bow-shaped boat, sand boat, fire boat, chained boat, eagle boat, wheeled boat, red dragon boat
Displayed there.

The sight of so many ships amazed the accompanying officials.

Chen Qiyu stood on the embankment, looking at the lively scene, a hint of self-satisfaction on his lips.

These boats were hard-won: some of them were bought by him after he had people search for boatmen along both banks of the Haihe River and persuaded them to pay extra.

Another part consists of old boats "returned" from the Grand Canal Administration. These boats, which were originally piled up in the dock and covered in dust, have now been repaired and are ready to be launched again.

Most of them were obtained through "ship permits," where merchants who wanted to go to sea would offer up their own ships in exchange for legal navigation permits, and many of them were selected and kept by the navy.

"My lord, in just over a month, our navy's resources have increased several times over!"

The newly appointed naval commander said excitedly, pointing to the ships shuttling across the water.

"In a few more days, the Tianjin Navy will be able to restore its former glory." Chen Qiyu shook his head slightly.

"It's lively, but there's not much to show for it."

“Look at these boats, most of them are small boats with a capacity of less than 100 shi (a unit of weight). They can only cruise around in the near sea. If they encounter a big storm, they probably won’t be able to hold on.”

Especially giant ships like the Fujian ships, which are extremely rare to find.

Large ships capable of carrying 300 people and mounting 20 cannons are the "stabilizing force" of the navy, but nowadays, there isn't even a single decent medium-sized Fujian ship in the entire Dagu Port.

However, as Chen Qiyu watched the boats shuttling across the water, his brows gradually relaxed.

Fortunately, everything is moving in a positive direction.

His Majesty had already issued an edict ordering the Jiangnan Shipyard to select one hundred skilled craftsmen to go north and build a new shipyard in Dagukou, specifically to build large warships such as Fujian ships and Guangdong ships.

At this moment, those craftsmen with Jiangnan accents are probably already on their way, and it won't be long before a real giant ship is launched in the harbor.

With the addition of these small and medium-sized vessels gathered through junks, the Tianjin Navy's transportation and dispatch capabilities finally began to take shape.

At least the transport of grain and military equipment to Liaodong no longer had to rely entirely on the Grand Canal.

However, transportation is transportation, and naval warfare is naval warfare.

The next step is to ensure that this newly assembled fleet truly possesses the ability to engage the enemy at sea.

As soon as the thought crossed Chen Qiyu's mind, he felt the burden on his shoulders grow even heavier.

This is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight; it is a long and arduous task.

After all, no matter how many small boats there are, they can't compare to a large ship that can mount twenty cannons.

Just like these small boats and hawk-shaped ships, they are fine for patrolling and anti-smuggling, but if they encounter pirate ships or Westerners' deck boats, they probably won't even be able to break through the deck.

The more pressing issue is, once the large ships are built, where will the cannons come from?
The blacksmith shops in Tianjin could only make some muskets at most.

Heavy artillery like the breech-loading cannon and the general's cannon still had to be allocated by the Ministry of Armaments in the capital.

But the Ordnance Bureau is currently busy manufacturing muskets, so it has no spare energy to manage the navy's artillery.
Even if a few can be spared, how to install them on the ship, how to calibrate the range, and how to launch them stably in turbulent conditions...

These are all difficult problems without ready-made answers.

The sea breeze, carrying moisture, brushed against his face, bringing a touch of coolness, just like his mood at that moment.

The road ahead was clearly bright, but between that light and the mud beneath our feet lay countless ditches and gullies.

He looked up toward the capital and thought to himself: Perhaps I should send a secret memorial to His Majesty.

Not only should we urge the craftsmen in Jiangnan to speed up their work, but we should also ask the Bureau of Armaments whether a few of the improved cannons could be allocated to the navy to test their capabilities.

After all, having only a hull isn't enough; these ships need to be equipped with real "teeth" to be considered a fighting navy.

"Commander Chen, the newly recruited naval forces have been counted. Please go to the camp to inspect them!"

Just as Chen Qiyu was deep in thought, a personal guard rushed over from the direction of the barracks and bowed to report to Chen Qiyu.

"Oh? A new batch of soldiers has been recruited?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qiyu turned towards the barracks.

The Tianjin Navy had previously been virtually non-existent, with only a few dozen gray-haired veterans left, who were almost too weak to even maneuver the ships.

Recruiting strong and capable sailors is of paramount importance in rebuilding the navy.

However, the navy is different from the army. Not only must one be skilled with swords and guns, but one must also know how to read water currents, understand celestial phenomena, steer a ship, and load cannons. The requirements are much higher.

He originally thought that it would be good if he could recruit a thousand people in two months, but he didn't expect to make progress so quickly.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the barracks, I heard a series of orderly shouts coming from inside.

Looking up, nearly two thousand men stood in the dark mass on the drill ground, each wearing a short shirt and a leather belt. Although their clothes varied in age, they stood upright and their eyes revealed the sharpness unique to soldiers.

"This... there are so many people?" Chen Qiyu was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Zhao Shuaijiao, who was standing beside him.

Zhao Shuaijiao stroked his beard and laughed, "Uncle Chen, you may not know this, but these are not ordinary people. Most of them are former soldiers of the Southern Zhili Naval Camp who were disbanded, and some are veterans scattered from the Dengzhou and Laizhou Naval Forces. They are all seasoned veterans who have been fighting on the water for more than ten years. They are proficient in steering, firing cannons, and boarding combat. They are combat-ready!"

Chen Qiyu then realized that this must be the troops that His Majesty had secretly mobilized!

A warmth filled his heart, and his gaze toward the drill ground grew even more fervent: "With these veterans here, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort! With them, we can finally have the confidence to transport grain to Liaodong and deploy troops across the sea."

"However, I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you, Lieutenant General Zhao, with this matter of naval reorganization."

Zhao Shuaijiao patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Vice Commissioner Chen, leave the reorganization to me! These veterans have a good foundation. As long as we unify commands and train them in coordination, they'll be ready for combat within a month. Escorting ships, suppressing bandits, and transporting troops and supplies will all be a piece of cake!"

He was the one who most wanted the Tianjin Navy to be rebuilt.

Once I've got the navy in order, I should ask His Majesty for permission to transfer me to Liaodong.

I heard that the great victory in Shenyang resulted in the beheading of the bandit chief's son. It's a real pity I didn't get to witness that tough battle.

If I were in Liaodong, with my skills I would surely be able to achieve greater merit, which would be much better than supervising ship repairs at Dagukou.

Chen Qiyu, unaware of his thoughts, simply cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll have to trouble General Zhao. Once the navy is fully formed, I will personally petition His Majesty for credit on your behalf!"

"Easy to say, easy to say!"

Zhao Shuaijiao laughed and agreed.

In my heart, however, my thoughts had already flown to Liaodong.

. . .

PS:

There are still over a hundred monthly votes left before the next bonus chapter for monthly votes.

It's almost the end of the month, so you can cast your votes now. Those who have been subscribing to my book should have monthly votes. (I've already updated nearly 190,000 words this month.)

So~
If you have a monthly pass, please cast it.

Subscribe now!

After all, the author still needs subscriptions to make a living.

(End of this chapter)