Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 363 Dengzhou
The warm, moist soil in my palm seems to still carry the most genuine warmth and hopes of the common people.

Zhu Youjian slowly released his hand, letting the soil and debris mixed with grass roots drift away in the wind.

He stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing.

Behind them stretches a vast expanse of fertile land, a symbol of new hope.

Before me lies the boundless ocean, the journey to the future.

When the emperor's carriage arrived in Dengzhou Prefecture, the salty and fishy smell of the sea wafted over.

Standing atop the newly built sea-viewing platform in Dengzhou Port, Zhu Youjian's dragon robe fluttered in the whistling sea breeze.

He finally saw with his own eyes the new world that had been built by countless people and resources under his will, yet it was completely beyond his imagination.

What came into the emperor's view was a colossal object lying quietly in the azure harbor.

On the Grand Canal in Beijing, the dragon boats, though large, are nothing more than exquisite pavilions; in historical records and scrolls, the treasure ships, though enormous, are ultimately just depictions in ink and brush.

What lay before him now was a true fleet, capable of conquering the ocean.

These were the sea fortresses that Portugal, the Netherlands, and even England presented as "small gifts" to him in order to persuade him to open his ports for trade.

These warships, built by the Western barbarians, now all fly the Ming Dynasty's sun, moon, and dragon flags.

Behind and around these massive Western ships lay a vast and vibrant scene.

The large, towering Fujian and Guangdong ships, though lacking the sharp lines of Western warships, possessed their own domineering presence.

Today, these once mighty warships that once dominated the southeast have all been replaced with the Ming Dynasty's sun, moon, and dragon flags, silently guarding the sides like tamed beasts, demonstrating the final integration of imperial power over the seas.

Countless merchant ships shuttled back and forth between them.

They set sail from Songjiang, Quanzhou, Guangzhou and other places, their billowing sails adorned with the logos of various merchants. The ships were laden with southern silk, porcelain and sugar, which they would exchange for northern beans, wheat, furs and timber in this largest port in the north.

The imposing presence of warships and the bustling noise of merchant ships do not clash; instead, they intertwine to create a grand picture where majesty and vitality coexist.

Dressed in military attire, Qin Liangyu stood half a step behind the emperor, her voice steady as a mountain: "Your Majesty, this is the first fleet of the Dengzhou Navy."

The emperor remained silent, only nodding slowly.

Their gaze shifted from the forest of sea monsters to the training ground on the shore.

There, Qin Liangyu's 40,000 elite troops stood in formation in more than a dozen huge square formations on the vast training ground.

Looking around, there wasn't a trace of disorder.

The queue is as straight as if cut by a knife or axe, horizontal and vertical.

Forty thousand men, eerily silent, with not a sound except for the military flags fluttering in the sea breeze.

The emperor's dragon carriage slowly approached the front of the formation, and he saw the face of every soldier.

The naval soldiers stood on the deck of the fleet, their skin dark, the deepest mark of the sea wind and the scorching sun.

Their eyes held an arrogant and untamed look, as if only the warship beneath their feet and the ocean before them were worthy of awe.

The army before them, a mixed elite force of Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Soldiers and newly recruited soldiers, had a different look in their eyes—sharp as an eagle, steady as a mountain.

They were no longer the emaciated, listless soldiers of the past; their faces had a rosy glow, nourished by a sense of fullness and honor, and their spines were straight.

The will of the people lies not in the heights of the court, but in the fullness of the granaries. The morale of the soldiers is not bolstered by inspiring words, but by the iron will of discipline!

Zhu Youjian muttered to himself.

He saw their uniform dark brown military uniforms, the gleaming muskets and spears in their hands, and the rows of gleaming artillery carriages in front of them.

Musketeers, spearmen, swordsmen, and artillerymen were arranged in square formations, with clear division of labor, making them easy to identify.

"Perform martial arts!"

Qin Liangyu's voice rang out like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

The foremost musketeer phalanx moved. Thousands of men moved in perfect unison, as if they were one person.

"Raise your guns!"

"Light the lighter!"

"Load the gun!"

"Load!" ...

The commands were clear and concise.

The soldiers mechanically repeated the actions they had practiced thousands of times.

"Front row, raise your guns!"

"Aim—Fire!"

No hesitation, no hesitation.

The first rank of soldiers pulled the trigger, and a deafening roar suddenly erupted, instantly filling the air with thick white smoke.

The giant wooden target, hundreds of steps away, was torn open with countless holes, and wood chips flew everywhere.

Before the smoke cleared, the soldiers in the second rank stepped forward and repeated the same action.

Next is the third row.

"boom!"

"boom!"

Three continuous roars formed a dense barrage of fire.

Under continuous attacks, the target finally collapsed with a crash, shattering into a pile of debris.

Following closely behind was the artillery battalion's performance.

More than twenty cannons of varying sizes were quickly pushed to the front of the battle line.

The specially trained artillerymen worked in perfect harmony, carrying shells, measuring distances, adjusting angles, and igniting them all in one smooth motion.

"put!"

A dull, loud bang resounded, and the earth seemed to tremble.

The black projectile traced a visible arc through the air, striking the earthen mound far away with pinpoint accuracy, sending up plumes of dust and causing the earth and rocks to crumble—its power was terrifying.

Over the past year, Zhu Youjian has devoted himself to supervising the construction of artillery. What we see here today is an artillery battalion capable of supporting an independent large-scale battle.

Zhu Youjian watched all this quietly, the air thick with the scorching smell of gunpowder and dust.

The martial arts demonstration was nearing its end.

Qin Liangyu rode her horse from the front of the battle, dismounted, and the armor plates clanged.

She bowed respectfully, her voice as steady as ever: "Your Majesty, what I just saw was a weapon of war. I humbly request Your Majesty to inspect the foundation of our Dengzhou, the site of our victory."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

After leaving the exhilarating training ground, the deafening roar and shouts gradually faded away, and the surrounding air seemed to calm down from its fiery intensity.

After walking for a short while, a vast, continuous cluster of warehouses came into view.

Before you even get close, a breeze carrying the scent of grains and the aroma of dry wood blows in your face, instantly dispelling the lingering smell of gunpowder—a scent that symbolizes abundance and stability.

When Qin Liangyu led the emperor into the enormous granary, which resembled a hollowed-out mountain, Zhu Youjian truly felt what it meant to have confidence.

Rows upon rows of granaries stretched as far as the eye could see, their interiors piled high with grain.

Rice, wheat, and beans are sorted and dried, with a pleasant aroma.

These products were not only from Dengzhou, but also transported in continuously by countless cargo ships from the south and the inland.

Next was the armory.

Zhu Youjian stretched out his hand, his slender fingertips tracing a row of cold, smooth gun barrels.

The biting metallic chill did not make him feel cold; instead, it ignited a raging fire in his heart.

A clearer picture of the world's chessboard than ever before unfolded in his mind!

Dengzhou!

This 40,000-strong elite force, commanded by Qin Liangyu, a general with a hundred battles under his command, and this fleet capable of crossing the seas for expeditions, was the thunder hammer he used to shatter this chess game!

(End of this chapter)