open sea

292. Chapter [-]

Wu Dui didn't bring any entourage, so he rode Qi Jiguang's borrowed old horse to Xuanfu to take office.The first thing he did when he was in charge of the Xuanfu area was to tease Chen Mu, and by the way, he checked the position of the Xuanfu Military Weapons Bureau.

Fortunately, Guan Zun's class has ample experience in managing the Military Weapons Bureau, which gives Chen Mu a good reputation. No matter the strict production standards or the improvement of productivity, they are far superior to Wang Gong's factory and other places.

"Chen Shuai's talent in military training has already been learned by Mr. Wu before, and Wanquan has been there countless times. With the rapid changes, there is no need to investigate. Even this military bureau is not as expected by Mr. Wu."

Sitting in the general's mansion in Zhenshuo, Xuanfu, Wu Dui was not in a hurry to go to the governor's mansion to take up his post. ten times!"

Chen Mu nodded. What Wu Dui said was ten times faster was not a compliment. He was already very proficient in making gun barrels.The Guan Zun class supervised the manufacture of more than [-] gun barrels in Nanyang. Even though the Xuanfu expanded the production scale, the production method remained the same.

Let General Chen proudly raise a finger to Wu Dui, and said: "The Military Weapons Bureau can make a hundred barrels and drill through a hundred shots in a day. Only a hundred pairs can be made, but if there are enough carpenters, the Military Weapons Bureau can make two hundred guns a day."

"Let the Shenmu Factory and the Department of Warfare do it, send out the shape of the blunderbuss bed, and the Military Weapons Bureau just makes blunderbuss tubes, [-] shots a day." Wu Dui hammered the case and said: "The Xuanfu weapons can be replaced in half a year. Once again!"

Chen Mu clicked his tongue secretly. Wu Dui's heart is really wild. He has never seen a traditional official in the north who admired the bird gun so much.Wu Dui actually needed 13 blunderbusses to replace the Xuanfu's military equipment. The Xuanfu had [-] registrations, but the actual army was only [-]. What is the concept of [-] blunderbusses?
It is the concept that the gunpowder in stock cannot keep up with the consumption!
"Let's not talk about this, I'm coming down to look for Chen Shuai, there is an important matter in the capital, this - please ask Chen Shuai to retreat from his followers."

Wu Dui asked Chen Mu to dismiss all the attendants in the hall, and then said to Chen Mu: "I have a letter from my master, and there are some things that cannot be written in the letter, so I came here to pass it on personally. Someone from Jinyiwei who went to Nanyang has returned."

Wu Dui's teacher was none other than Gao Gong, the second assistant of the current dynasty who showed his sharpness.

Hearing this name, Chen Mu felt serious, not to mention Jin Yiwei had returned, which made Chen Mu wince his eyes and asked, "So fast?"

Lao Bai said in the letter that Qiuyue Jinyiwei only went to Nanyang last year to go to Malacca, and now only half a year has passed, and Jinyiwei has already returned.Chen Mu had already outlined the route and time of Jinyi's voyage to the West in his mind.

In March, Yi merchants traveled from Malacca to Haojing. In April, May, and June, Fujian merchants went to Guangxi. Qiuyue Jinyiwei caught the tail of the Yi merchants and took a boat to the sea. return.

If this is the case, now that summer is almost over, Jin Yiwei should have returned earlier than now.

He knew the news was much too late.

"how?"

Nothing touched Chen Mu's heart more than what happened in Nanyang, but when he asked eagerly, Wu Dui laughed and said, "Chen Shuai, it's not necessarily a good thing."

"Ge Lao asked you, during Chen Shuai's two years as the commander of the Nanyang Guard, the customs tax withheld has exceeded 10 taels of silver. Except for the addition of ships and new military equipment in Nanyang, what is the purpose of intercepting the rest?"

Showdown.

He couldn't hide this matter, and no one could hide it, because it wasn't something Chen Mu or Zhang Han deliberately hid back then.Even if he sent a manuscript, Zhang Han would definitely approve it—the customs tariff in previous years was 10,000+ taels, which was just enough for the military expenditure of Guangdong and Guangxi.

When Chen Mu rectified Nanyang, the imperial court doubled the tariffs a year, and Chen Mu withheld more tariffs to use for Nanyang Wei. At that time, no one would be against it.

But now that it is revealed, that is the problem.

However, Gao Gong chose to ask Wu Dui to ask himself in private, which can explain the problem.

Chen Mu was very calm, and said: "Build more ships and more ordnance for coastal defense."

Wu Dui nodded noncommittally, and then asked: "The Nanyang Guards traded silks and satins overseas, and transported armaments to the inner guards. When Chen Shuai was the commander of the Nanyang Guards, the income was more than 30 taels. The Nanyang Guards consumed less than three hundred taels a year. Wan, Wei has 14 taels of silver in his inventory, and what is Chen Shuai planning to do with the remaining one hundred thousand taels of silver in Wei's treasury?"

Chen Mu is still very calm, the matter has come to this point, he has nothing to worry about, said: "Build more ships and more ordnance, and wait for the naval battle."

Changed a word, Wu Dui nodded and wrote it down, changed his sitting position and continued to ask: "Ge Lao asked Chen Shuai, from Dongyang to Malacca, the ships carried more than ten million shi a year, and during this period, Fanyi lived together, so merchants gathered. How much profit does Commercial Aviation Malacca make in a year?"

"I can't make it through. The Portuguese do not allow all Ming ships to pass through Malacca. Those who can pass are only a dozen small boats. The goods can be sold at thirty times the profit. Most of the merchant ships in Malacca are Portuguese ships." Chen Mu said helplessly: "Chen If there are merchant ships under his command that can reach Malacca, they will be threatened by soldiers, and only ten Haojing merchant ships can reach Malacca."

Sitting in front of Chen Mu, who was 20 years younger than himself, Wu Dui actually had no idea when he asked these questions.

In the past, the cabinet ministers in the court thought that Chen Mu was a capable minister, and it was true. He lived in the north and south and was able to solve problems.Transferred from the south to leave a strong army in Nanyangwei, and come to the north to repair the Wanquan defense line and set up the Wanquan military bureau. Even with the support of the emperor, cabinet ministers, and internal officials, this is something that only a very powerful person can do. .

People knew that Chen Mu was greedy, it was obvious, and there was no official in the court who could speak a word, and there were some local products from Chen Shuai's hometown in his home. There must be a place for his expenses, but no one digs deep.

This time Jin Yiwei returned to Beijing, and the news he brought back, in Gao Gong's original words to Wu Dui, was that 'this man makes the government and the people terrified'.

Strategies for coastal defense mentioned how rich overseas is, and also emphasized that the Ming Dynasty’s navy was not enough overseas and needed to be strengthened; The coastal defense in the Lingdingyang area is impenetrable.

Everyone in Fujian has opinions-Chen Lin's fleet guarding Lingdingyang can wipe out all the navy in Fujian and Zhejiang.

There is no support in the imperial court. What is Chen Mu doing? He is making preparations. Gao Gong is now the only person in the whole world who can connect what Chen Mu did. minister.

Gao Gong has two big problems in his heart. In the past, there was only Ma Fang who always wanted to lead troops to kick the Alda tribe. Now there is Chen Mu, who wants to go to Nanyang.

"Elder Gao Ge also asked, the imperial court will not agree to go to Nanyang to waste money and people—what should Elder Ge do?"

This time it was Chen Mu's turn to stare, Gao Gong, what, what does this mean, what is Ge Lao, what should I do?
"Brother Wu, I don't understand this sentence by Mr. Chen."

Wu Dui nodded, repeated it to Chen Mu, and asked, "If Mr. Ge wants Chen Shuai to go to Nanyang, what should Mr. Ge do?"

(End of this chapter)