"Surrendering is just a decent way to stop the battle. Can my warships still fight? But I lost so unjustly. My fleet, the valiant fleet, lost for no reason! "Azeg grimaced as he looked at his warships that were all squeezed together.
Boom! A loud sound far louder than that of a normal cannon shook Azeroth's body. He then heard a rumbling sound and looked towards the source of the sound. A large number of rocks rolled down from the steep cliff on the right side of the bay, bringing with them a cloud of dust as they fell into the sea, creating a wave.
Azeg inhaled sharply. The distance was at least five hundred feet, and the power of the cannon was at least double that of his most powerful twelve-pound cannon.
"Oh my god!" Is this big guy that's covered in cannons equipped with such destructive cannons? Also, it's covered in armor. My cannons can only tickle it from five hundred feet away, but its cannon … if one hit, it can create a hole ten feet wide in the deck.
This kind of battleship, when equipped with armor, was a moving fortress in the coastal waters. Without the armor, it was a giant beast that ran amok in the ocean. One such battleship could double the combat power of the entire fleet. If the Ming Army had three such battleships, they would be able to swallow my entire fleet.
The Ming Army doesn't need to scheme, and my fleet is not a match! This knowledge made Azeg very depressed. There was no need to discuss with the other commanders. This shot had already shattered the courage of all the Portuguese soldiers. The enormous size of the Mighty General, and the shock of Cao Yu's defeat, made it hard for them to seriously analyze the Ming Army's combat power.
In their minds, the power of this cannon immediately doubled the true combat power of the Ming Army. Fighting against this kind of fleet? That was like a warrior riding a donkey trying to challenge God!
The huge difference in power caused Azeg to completely give up on the idea of resistance. He immediately ordered the communication boats to be lowered. As the commander of the fleet, he ordered the five warships outside the harbor to lower their main sails and enter the harbor to surrender.
The five warships were in a state of extreme panic. The Ming warships chasing them had slowed down when they were well out of their effective firing range. But just as their formation was set up, a group of Ming warships appeared behind them from their harbor. At this time, the harbor was quiet, and there were no sounds of fighting.
The Ming warships that had sailed out of the harbor did not take the opportunity to attack them. Instead, they quietly anchored in the distance. The five warships heard a loud sound from the harbor in their confusion. A moment later, they saw Fleet Commander Azeg's messenger ship hurriedly sail over.
Five warships sailed towards the bay under the surveillance of the Ming warships in the distance. The crowded Portuguese fleet was even more chaotic than the trading port. The overcrowding made it so that many fleet commanders did not need to set up a springboard and could easily move from one warship to the Count.
The Invincible Fleet in front of them did not move and did not stop them from gathering. The captains of the ships held the shortest military meeting, and in the end, Azeger straightened his army and said, "Well, friends, as the commander of the Royal Portuguese Far East Fleet, I now order you to restrain all your subordinates and give up any unnecessary resistance. Now, I will board this warship and surrender to the commander of the Ming army! "
At this time, the pursuing Ming warships also sailed into the harbor. They anchored outside the harbor. Only one of the main warships passed by the Portuguese fleet and approached the enormous ship. Azeger ordered the captains of the ships to immediately return to their own warships. Then he walked down the gangway, boarded a small boat accompanied by two guards, and rowed towards the enormous ship in front of him.
Standing on the deck to welcome him was the dejected Luis Diego and a middle-aged Asian man with the air of a market man. Azeg recognized him as Jia Qingyou, the Ming merchant he had detained on the merchant ship and sent to convey his intention to negotiate with the Ming army. He could not help but show a smile that was uglier than crying on his face.
"Are you General Azeger? Our commander will meet you at the top floor of the ship. Please! "A Ming general came up and said politely to him. This person had a full beard and was tall and muscular. It was Liu Bangchui.
Azeger nodded solemnly and followed behind him, walking up step by step. Luis Diego looked at his fleet, shook his head, sighed, and followed behind him dejectedly.
Such a large warship. When Azeger reached the third level, two Ming generals who had just walked up appeared on the gangway opposite him. Azeroth looked at the person in front of him. It was Fujian Navy Admiral Han Wu, who had once been a hostage in his army. Azeroth's gaze fell on his dust-stained battle robe. The one who had fought with him on the sea just now was this general, right?
His gaze moved slightly and looked over Han Wu's shoulder. He just happened to see Adeni's face. Azeger couldn't help but be startled. There was a female general in the Ming army? Her appearance … her facial features were clearly that of a European. Did the Ming army hire military officers?
Just as he was hesitating, a sudden scream came from behind him and gave Azeger a fright. He hurriedly looked back and saw Luis Diego's eyes bulging out and his face looking like he had seen a ghost.
Azeger was furious. Even though he had been defeated, he hoped that his soldiers could maintain the basic dignity of a soldier. Diego was also a brave warrior and had always been favored by him. He hadn't expected him to be so useless.
Azeger suppressed his anger and scolded, "Diego, maintain the last dignity of a noble gentleman. Don't lose face for your family!"
Diego turned a deaf ear and pointed at the opposite side. He screamed in surprise, "It's her, Baron Yariadne, my instructor!"
"What?" Azeger was also shocked. As a navy general, he was naturally familiar with Yariadne's family who was from the navy. Also, the quadrants, horizontal markers, compasses, and hourglasses used by his fleet had all been modified by this girl in front of him. Of course, he knew about this genius girl and also knew that her family had participated in the mutiny.
Yariadne hesitated for a moment and finally walked forward and saluted him. She smiled and said in Portuguese, "Hello, Rear Admiral Azeger. I've heard a lot about you. I am the former Captain of the Portuguese Royal Navy, Yariadne."
"The former Captain of the Portuguese Navy?" Azeger repeated.
Han Wu asked Jia Qingyou a few questions in a low voice, then walked forward with a smile and said loudly, "Yes, Miss Adne is now the military counselor of Mr. Yang, the governor of Ming Destiny's imperial envoy, Yang Ling. She is also his fiancée. The general can call her Lady Adne, or for now, Mrs. Yang Yariadne. "
Two red clouds appeared on Adne's beautiful face, but her bright eyes were clearly filled with a kind of satisfaction, happiness, and sweetness. Azeger was confused. How did she escape to the East, and how did she become the wife of an official of Ming Destiny? In any case, his own defeat obviously had a role in it. Was there anyone more familiar with the tactics of the Portuguese Navy than her?
Thinking of this terrifying giant ship and amazing cannons, Azeger felt a little lucky. "Although I lost inexplicably, if not for this, my fleet would have suffered greater losses, right?"
Following Jia Qingyou's translation, Diego screamed again, and this time even Han Wu and Adne glared at him fiercely.
Upon seeing this, Luis Diego hurriedly covered his mouth and thought sadly, The most beautiful angel in my heart doesn't even remember who I am. This little swan has fled so far away. She actually flew to the far east.
Jealousy made Diego lose the demeanor of a gentleman. Looking at Adne in front of him, who, although wearing a suit of armor, still walked gracefully and gracefully, he thought resentfully, "Although she didn't become the wife of the indigenous chief, but … Governor Ming Destiny? It must be a fat and ugly old man, not even one-tenth as handsome as me! "
When he saw a handsome, slender young man wearing a robe embroidered with a golden snake, his curse was also shattered. In front of the richly ornamented pavilion, Yang Ling sat boldly on a tiger-skinned handsome chair. The two guards on his left and right were holding the imperial envoy's seal and the imperial sword respectively. On the small deck stood two rows of guards with swords in their hands.
Azeger looked at the opponent he had negotiated with several times with a complicated expression. After staring for a long time, he sighed and reached out to untie his sword from his waist. With a clang, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the tall ship, and the steel swords in the guards' hands emitted a glaring cold light. Azeger's movements couldn't help but stop.
Yang Ling smiled and waved his hand to stop the guards' movements. Under the witness of Adne, Han Wu, Jia Qingyou, and Diego, Azeger dragged his long figure and walked towards Yang Ling step by step.
He stopped three steps in front of Yang Ling, bent his proud waist, held the command sword with both hands, raised it high above his head, and said in a heavy tone, "I, Major General Azeger, commander of the Portuguese Royal Navy's Far East Fleet, on behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the fleet, surrender to His Excellency Ming Destiny's Governor Yang Ling. And with my reputation and the lives of all the officers and soldiers, we will hand over our weapons and give up all resistance. His Excellency Yang Ling, please accept the surrender! "
There was a sound of footsteps, and a figure covered the setting sun that shone on him. Then he felt his hand lighten, and a hand reached out and took the command sword from his hand.
Azeger straightened up and looked up. The red sun behind Yang Ling's shoulder was so piercing that his eyes narrowed. He saw Yang Ling raise his sword high, paused in the air for a moment, then sheathed the sword, hung the sword hook on the jade belt around his waist, and said solemnly, "I, on behalf of Emperor Ming Destiny and Ming Destiny Navy, accept your surrender!"
Azeger opened his eyes wide again, but felt dizzy. Cheers rose and fell from all directions, getting louder and louder, and finally converged into a huge sound wave like a tsunami, lingering over the bay for a long time …
※ ※ ※
The palace was located in the ancient city of Malacca, and the northwestern suburbs were deep water docks that could quickly enter the sea.
Exactly a hundred years ago, Eunuch Sanbao Zheng He's huge fleet came here. At that time, he brought porcelain, tea leaves, silk, and a kind smile to the local people. However, the Rajah people who came to welcome him were still a little scared when they saw Zheng He's mobile 'Kingdom on the Sea' for the first time.
This time, Yang Ling had brought cannons, muskets, bows, arrows, and pikes, as well as fully armored, murderous troops. The Tsaka people were singing and dancing, cheering excitedly because they had reclaimed their country with the help of this powerful army.
The luxurious architecture of the palace had oriental characteristics, with some Indian and Arab architectural styles. In fact, the so-called palace was not too big, if only its buildings were considered. But the buildings were not tall, but the unique style of the buildings were hidden in a variety of tropical rainforest crops, and were as beautiful as a garden.
In front of the palace was a large flat stone square, with a circumference of only a few thousand square meters. Beside it was a tall Malacca tree, a kind of tall tree called oil ganoderma. Many soldiers in the square were busy carrying guns and all kinds of spoils of war, sorting them on the square, and then packing them up and loading them on the ships.
Yang Ling led Han Wu, Cheng Qiyun, and the others through the square, entered the palace gate, and went around the main hall, walking through the green trees and flowers towards the back.
"Your Excellency, it's in front, it's here." Walking down the stone steps, the heavy stone door was pushed open with a rumbling sound. Two bodyguards holding torches walked into the secret room, raising the torches high. Yang Ling stood at the door for a while, then slowly walked into the narrow secret room.
Although he had never had a strong interest in gold and silver, even though he had just witnessed Inuo Masaichi's dedication of the large amount of gold and silver treasures that the pirates had plundered and brought from Japan over the years, as well as the gold bars and silver bricks from Pedro's pirate ship, all of these added up were not even one-tenth of the treasures in this secret room.
This was the treasury of the Manchurian Kingdom, and there were large amounts of treasures that the navy of Azeroth had plundered from Persia, Venice, and the Arabs all the way to the east. Yang Ling walked to the pile of sand that was half the height of a person, and the light from the fire reflected the golden light.
He held his breath, bent down and grabbed a handful of golden sand, then relaxed his fingers, letting it pour down like water from the gaps of his fingers. Looking around, there were butterfly trees as tall as a person, all kinds of jade, plates, cups, plates made of pure gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, cat's eyes, jadeites, and crystal clear pearls the size of longans mixed in a pile of necklaces and bracelets, messily piled up in boxes, emitting a colorful and tempting light.
"Oh my god!" A light sigh came from behind, and Yang Ling came back to his senses. He turned his head and saw Cheng Qiyun staring at the countless treasures, her eyes almost turning into emeralds. Although Adeni was not as exaggerated as him, she also covered her small mouth and stared at the jewels with her eyes wide open.
Yang Ling smiled softly: "In the fantasy stories, it is said that dragons love jewelry the most, and beautiful women are snake beauties, close relatives of dragons. No wonder they also like jewelry so much."
"Cough! Cough! "Yang Ling coughed a few times, and the two snake beauties … … The two beauties came to their senses.
Yang Ling pointed to the jewels and said to Cheng Qiyun and Han Wu in a serious manner: "This underground palace is too narrow, and we have to prevent people from fishing in troubled waters. Move all these jewels out and clean them up and screen them. The property that belonged to the surrendered army will be taken as spoils of war and all be transported to our ship. As for the palace property that originally belonged to His Excellency the Sultan, Chief Aman, go find the palace's treasure account book and check it one by one so that we can get it back. "
"Yes, yes, thank you, Mr Yang, thank you, Governor-General Yang!" The former Chief Butler of the Manladaka Royal Palace, Aman, who had just been released from prison by Yang Ling's men, said gratefully.
Yang Ling glanced at the dazzling treasures again, then turned and walked out. Cheng Qiyun immediately followed him and left, not caring about the many treasures behind her. Adeni really wanted to touch and see these treasures from the hands of skilled craftsmen from all over the world, but … …
Baron Yali Adeni reluctantly looked at the dazzling and drooling jewels again, then resolutely and decisively turned around, took out the courage of a soldier, and forced herself to move her long legs … …
※ ※ ※
"Are you done shouting? If you're done, it's my turn to speak. "
Yang Ling slowly took a sip of tea. "General Azeroth, being loud doesn't mean that you're right. If you want to compete in terms of loudness, my guard surnamed Liu can entertain you."
Jia Qingyou had just translated halfway when Archbishop Lamario hurriedly said, "Mr Yang, please don't be angry. General Azeger is a soldier and inevitably has a bad temper. I can assure you that my king is very friendly to Ming Destiny. I came to the East on the orders of His Majesty the King to establish a good trade relationship with your country. "
"It's just …" He looked at Azeger awkwardly and stammered, "Some of our navy people believe in force too much. I believe that after this lesson, they will obey the king's will. At present, this Far East Fleet is too important to us, very important. We hope that Mr Yang can be magnanimous and return the warships to us. "
"Hahahaha …" Yang Ling laughed. Han Wu, Peng Shaosha, Wang Meihua and the other generals also laughed, causing Lamario and Azeger to be at a loss.
Yang Ling leaned forward with a smile and said, "Your Excellency, of course I am willing to believe in your sincerity, but now we need to be clear: we are no longer negotiating. If you can agree to the terms of withdrawal during the negotiation at Gulangyu, my fleet will escort your fleet safely and treat you as a friendly friend and give you exquisite gifts from the East. But unfortunately, you chose war. "
Yang Ling spread his hands and said solemnly, "Now, you are the defeated army. As a defeated prisoner, do you have the right to ask us to return the weapons and warships to you? It's true that Ming Destiny is a country of etiquette, and we don't care about your warships and cannons, but it's impossible to return the weapons. "
"We are sincere in sitting down with your country to continue negotiations. No fight, no deal. I believe that after this conflict, we will be able to establish a stronger cooperative relationship in the future. But as a victorious country, returning the weapons to the invaders is not in line with the rules of war of any country in the East or the West! "
Lamario's forehead was also sweating. He said anxiously, "Mr. Yang, I'll be honest with you. You promised to release all the captives unconditionally after our country officially signed the trade agreement. This is indeed very lenient.
But … to build a new batch of warships is very slow with our strength. Without this fleet, the Indian Ocean will become a paradise for pirates and a paradise for adventurers. Our remaining fleet will not be able to protect the merchants, and this sea trade route will become full of danger, Your Excellency … "
Hearing this, Yang Ling's heart skipped a beat, and a thought suddenly came to him. It was impossible to return the warships and weapons. Right now, Ming Destiny was also in need of money everywhere, but for the navy, which was currently short of funds, they lacked enough warships and cannons. These captured spoils of war would come in handy.
But what Lamario said was the truth. A stable regime controlling this trade route was definitely more conducive to the development of commerce than the feudal lords fighting for hegemony. Was Lamario really worried about the pirates? Perhaps it was the other Western countries that were drooling over the eastern trade route?
Yang Ling slyly looked at him, smiled, and said, "This problem is easy to solve. You are worried that the safe and stable sea route that you have opened up will be destroyed. Once our two countries become trading partners, your losses will be our losses. Your Far East Fleet will not be able to ensure the safety of the Indian Ocean. Our Great Ming Navy will shoulder this mission."
Azeg was shocked. "The Ming Destiny Navy is also coveting this sea route that flows with gold?"
But thinking of the Ming fleet's powerful attack power, he was sure that even without their provocation, Ming Destiny would send troops to the Indian Ocean sooner or later.
He heard that Ming Destiny was in the north, fighting with the descendants of the terrifying demon king Genghis Khan, who had swept through Europe in the past. It must be because of this that they were delayed in moving south.
Otherwise, with their powerful navy, it would be like a crocodile rushing into a quagmire where ducks played. Who could be a match for it? If this was the case … this was something that would happen sooner or later. Even without today's battle, we would still have to give up the Indian Ocean. Azeg judged, and his will began to waver.
Yang Ling was also thinking about wishful thinking. It would still take some time for the construction of the navy to get on the right track. The Ming Destiny Navy, which had never been out to sea, needed an experienced master. There was no more suitable partner than the Portuguese Navy, which had lost its main fleet and was trying its best to maintain its superiority in the Indian Ocean.
He said with a smile, "The Ming Destiny Navy will use Manchuria as a bridgehead to explore the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean will be divided into two, which will be jointly maintained by our two countries. With the strength of your country's navy, it should be possible to maintain half of the area, right? You can think about it. When His Excellency returns, you can bring up my suggestion to your king.
This is a condition that is completely beneficial to you. Think about it. Either you completely lose the Indian Ocean, and watch it be occupied by other countries, including our Ming Destiny. Or, we cooperate and share the benefits. "
Azeroth slumped back into his chair. Yang Ling's words had hit his weak spot. If they lost this fleet, they would lose the Indian Ocean. Was there a need to ask whether they should choose a powerful country in the Far East who had established trade relations with them as a partner, or choose a competitor in the West as an ally?
"Cooperation is cooperation. We will not sign a military alliance agreement. The Great Ming Dynasty's trading partners will not only be Portugal. When we become familiar with the entire ocean under the guidance of a trading partner like you, when our caravans can reach Portugal, we can establish trading relationships with even more countries.
At that time, as Ming Destiny's trading partner and Portugal's competitor, they will unscrupulously compete with you for control of that half of the Indian Ocean. In the end, we will replace the qualified, capable, and popular defenders of order. Maybe … the first to respectfully invite the Ming Destiny Navy to enter this area to protect their own interests will be you. "
Yang Ling thought in his heart. Even if this cake was poisonous, Portugal had no choice but to swallow it.
Through Adni, he understood the distribution of power of the Western countries at sea and the strength of each country's military force. He knew the importance of the destruction of the Far East Fleet to Portugal, so he dared to ask for an exorbitant price.
Who told me to have the initiative here? "" Mowing the grass while beating the hare, I'll take as much as I can.
Lamario frowned and murmured, "This … I will report Mr. Yang's suggestion to His Majesty as soon as possible and reply to you as soon as possible."
"Great, I will also arrange for a ship to take His Excellency back to your country as soon as possible. As for General Azeg and his men, as prisoners of war, we will ensure their personal safety until you bring the goodwill of your king."
To station troops here, we need to build a few large barracks and a dedicated port for the navy, as well as other military facilities. These thousands of Portuguese soldiers are labor that does not need to pay, so we can make use of them. Yang Ling thought to himself.
Lamario and Azeg looked at each other helplessly and got up to bid farewell to Yang Ling and the generals. The guards then escorted them back to the prison.
Although Yang Ling took good care of their food and did not allow the soldiers to abuse the prisoners, he restricted the freedom of movement of all personnel, including their families.
※ ※ ※
Yang Ling and the generals discussed the military and political affairs of the garrison in Mantha for a while. They set up barracks, chose a site for a long-term garrison, and sent people back to the capital to report the situation to the emperor as soon as possible. They also escorted the sultan back to his country to stabilize the situation.
After the discussion of the important matter, Peng Xiaoshou said excitedly to Yang Ling, "Sir Yang, we have sunk seven of the nine Franc Battleships and dragged two back. Furthermore, we have snatched over fifty small to medium-sized cannons from the seven sunken battleships. Uncle Wang just came over and joined us. Their ships and cannons are too lousy, can you leave those new cannons for us? "
Peng Xiaoshou's expression changed and immediately scolded, "You little bastard, you really don't know any better. Those bandit-like soldiers under you should be taught a good lesson. Even now, they are still sneaking around all day. They are all good-for-nothings. Good steel should be used on the blade. Mr. Yang, it is time for you to use the soldiers and ships, where would you find the spare cannons for you? "
Peng Xiaoshou was old and shrewd. His family had a criminal record. Was the imperial court not wary at all? Wasn't this inviting trouble for themselves? Was Mr. Yang willing to give so many cannons to his navy?
Beauty Wang's face twitched when he heard this. He did not look at Yang Ling, but his ears were pricked up to listen to his opinion.
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Well, your fleet's ships and firearms are really too lousy. I will leave this batch of firearms to you. Admiral Wang, report the quantity and specifications of this batch of firearms so that the Bureau of Ordnance can provide you with ammunition."
Beauty Wang was greatly surprised. He stood up in surprise, cupped his hands, and murmured for a long time. His eyes overflowed with tears, but he could not say a word. A scholar will die for his bosom friend. Damn, this life will be sold to the Yang Family in the future.
Although Yang Ling did this deliberately to show kindness, there was actually another reason. The specifications of this batch of small and medium-sized cannons did not match the cannons developed according to Adni's design and Elder Zheng's participation. Even if the cannons were given to them, as long as the ammunition supply was always in his hands, there was nothing to worry about. He did not expect Beauty Wang, a hot-blooded man, to be moved to this extent.
Yang Ling got up and was about to say a few words of comfort when the door was slammed open. The chief steward of the Manladaka Palace, Aman, stumbled in. As soon as he entered the door, he said angrily, "Mr. Yang, Mr. Yang, something bad has happened. A group of robbers suddenly rushed into the treasure picking place and stole all the treasures. They boarded a ship and went out to sea. Quick! Quick! "
He stamped his feet and shouted, "Quickly chase after them!"
At this time, Adni also rushed in and said with a sobbing voice, "Yang, Sister Yun was injured by the robbers. The injury is very serious. Quickly go and see her."
"What?" Yang Ling's expression suddenly changed, and he ran out.
Aman ran after him and chattered, "Your Excellency, quickly chase after the ship. It's so dark at night. If it runs too far, we won't be able to find it."
Yang Ling suddenly stopped and shouted with a livid face, "Bastard, it's just some small things. What's the big deal? It's a big deal for me to help you restore the Sudan. I don't care how many lives I have to sacrifice. But it's just some cold gold and silver utensils. Are they not as important as human lives? Do you want me to disregard the lives of my subordinates and fight for some flashy but impractical things to pile up in your storehouse? "
Seeing his anger, Aman couldn't help but jump in fright and didn't dare to respond anymore.
Yang Ling hurriedly ran to a house where there were already soldiers waiting. The wounded soldiers had all been carried away. Cheng Qiyun was lying in the room with a few palace jewelry account books on the ground beside her. Her palm was pressed against her chest. Blood seeped out from the gaps between her fingers. She looked like she was dying, so no one dared to move her.
Yang Ling hurriedly rushed in and gently pulled her into his embrace. He called out to her in a low voice. Cheng Qiyun opened her lifeless eyes, and her eyes lit up when she saw him. She grabbed his clothes and said while panting, "My Lord, there's … there's a scoundrel who stole … stole the jewels …"
Yang Ling raised his head and roared, "Find a doctor, quickly find a doctor."
When the Mandala Palace was occupied, these Franco-Japanese soldiers who did not believe in Eastern medicine had already driven away all the imperial physicians in the palace. Ahman could not do anything about it. Immediately, someone reported: "Your Excellency, we have already gone to find the military doctor."
Yang Ling lowered his head and held her hand. He asked anxiously, "You … How are you? Who did it? "
"It's … a group of masked men in black. They used Japanese … swords. I also heard … when they were escaping, someone shouted … shouted …"
Aman couldn't help but interrupt, "Someone shouted 'Oshima Hiyoshi, the ship is in our hands'. It should be the Japanese scattered on the island."
There were Chinese, Japanese, Arabs, Indians and local natives on the island. There were also foreign merchant sailors who were forced to stay on the island after the Portuguese army occupied the island.
"Audacious! Damn it! Damn it! Men, Captain Peng, immediately lead the ship out to sea. We must catch up with these thieves! Admiral Wang, immediately check and interrogate the Japanese pirates. See if any captives escaped and helped the Japanese to commit the crime! "
"Yes!" Peng Xiaoshou and Beauty Wang replied. They rolled up their sleeves and rushed out.
Yang Ling glanced at Aman and saw that he was distracted. He said, "You should also go out to sea with the ship. Otherwise, the gunfire will be merciless and the treasure ship will be damaged."
Ah Man finally heard these words and hurriedly agreed and hurriedly chased after them.
Han Wu saw that Cheng Qiyun was barely breathing. He quietly gave a look to Peng Shaosha and the other generals. Everyone was well aware of the relationship between Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun. When they saw Han Wu's signal, they quickly retreated. Adeni opened her mouth and also turned to follow them with tears in her eyes.
Cheng Qiyun was lying in Yang Ling's arms. Her face was facing the door. Her lips were closed and she was breathing weakly. Her eyes were clearly dim. It was as if life was slowly disappearing from her body.
But when everyone retreated and the door was gently closed, her eyes moved and slowly rolled up to look at Yang Ling. Suddenly, she smiled. This smile was like a hundred flowers blooming. It was indescribably charming and moving.
She giggled and said, "What are you doing? You look so sad. It's like you're really dead."
Yang Ling sighed and said, "I'm really very sad. Your acting is too good. Even I thought that you were really shot. How can you continue like this? If you want to lie to me in the future, I'll be sold by you. I'll still foolishly help you count money. "
Cheng Qiyun giggled and suddenly sat up from his arms. She coquettishly rolled her eyes at him and said angrily, "Don't play with me. If I could lie to you, I would have done it long ago. As for selling you, humph, if no one can pay me a price that moves me, I can't bear to part with you. "
The two of them laughed for a while. Yang Ling said, "Go back first tomorrow morning. I'll tell the outside world that I'm sending you back to Yanzhi. Leave the jewelry and jade to Wu Jiyuan. He'll help you sell them. Leave the obvious treasures aside. As for gold and silver, the court is having trouble paying salaries. Rewards for meritorious soldiers and pensions for the dead and injured soldiers are out of the question. This money can't be delayed. It has to be paid as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will hurt the morale of the army. "
Cheng Qiyun grunted and said, "What about the rest of the treasures? Should we hand them over to the court? "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "We have to hand them over, but we only have to hand over the treasures found on the Spanish and Japanese pirate ships to the court. Our country is too big, and the court is too bloated. If we hand over all this gold and silver, it won't even make a splash.
Money has to be used where it matters most. I've already submitted a memorial requesting to open a maritime academy to train officers. If His Majesty allows it, this money can be used to establish the academy. "
Cheng Qiyun sighed softly and said, "Daren is too eager to advance. Opening a military academy is no small matter. Especially since you aren't in the court right now. If a lowly person speaks up and causes the Emperor to be wary … ai!"
Cheng Qiyun had already told Yang Ling that it was too risky to divide the 20,000 elite soldiers he had personally trained into the armies of the six provinces. Because these soldiers were brave in battle and most of them had military achievements, once they were transferred to the local armies, they would immediately become a group of middle and lower ranking officers. Any ruler with a bit of intelligence would not sit and watch this kind of situation occur.
As for opening a military academy, in front of Ming Destiny's ruler system and those rigid bureaucrats, it was definitely not feasible. Although Yang Ling had suggested that the current Emperor be the principal of the military academy to train the Son of Heaven's students. But probably only that naughty Emperor of Zhengde would be willing to agree to this.
How would the Emperor have so much time to really manage a school to train military officers and be a teacher? Letting the officers in charge of the army become more literate and read more books so that they could stand up to the civil officials was a situation that the officials of the court did their best to avoid. Would they tolerate many officers learning from one teacher, forming a huge teacher-student relationship and faction in the army that would shake the foundations of the entire empire?
When these two memorials were sent to the capital, it was probably the current Zhengde. If it was another Emperor, they would immediately begin to reduce his military power and clip his wings. If it was a black-hearted one, they would be prepared to find an excuse to kill him. But even if it was the current Zhengde, he would never agree to anything that threatened the imperial power.
It was true that he despised tradition, it was true that he loved grandiose achievements, and it was true that he wanted the empire to be stable forever. But would he agree to such a suggestion? Even if he had absolute trust in Yang Ling, he had to consider what would happen after Yang Ling once the system was formed? In the future, when he took charge of this school that specialized in training military officers, would it become his world?
If Zhengde really did not care about imperial power, he would not be so anxious about the King of Shu's rebellion. From this, it could be seen that Yang Ling's rash suggestion could easily put him in a passive position.
It was a pity that although Yang Ling had always respected her opinion, he stubbornly insisted on these two matters and did not allow for any objections. Now that Cheng Qiyun mentioned it, she could not help but feel a little resentful.
Yang Ling smiled and did not answer. He had his own difficulties in these matters. In fact, although he had never mentioned it, as the time drew closer, he did not forget about it. Instead, it was always echoing in his mind.
He had originally planned to stay in the capital until the end of the tenth month, when he was about to die. He would not go anywhere and would only think about it after surviving this period of time.
But who knew that his original plan to return to the capital before eight months had been delayed until now just in the southeast. Whether he could return to the capital safely, Yang Ling was becoming more and more uncertain.
He also wanted to return to the capital as soon as possible. On one hand, Liu Jin's influence was growing. Admittedly, part of this was because Yang Ling had deliberately allowed him to do so. However, as his power grew, some uncertain environmental factors were also changing. Liu Jin's circle of power was like the center of a storm, attracting more and more forces. Yang Ling reared tigers to kill tigers, not to create trouble.
On the other hand, he was already feeling extremely guilty for not being by Lian 'er's side when she gave birth. He did not want to be wandering outside when Young-niang gave birth. But now, he was increasingly experiencing the feeling of not being able to act on his own.
Now that he calculated the time, he was more and more worried that the trip to Sichuan might be the biggest hurdle in his life. If he could pass it, he would be safe, but if he couldn't, the land of Sichuan would be his burial ground.
Because of this thought, he had to hurry up and put some plans on the agenda, doing his best to lay a foundation while he was still alive. As for some misunderstandings and careless mistakes, if he was really done for, some slander would naturally disappear, and his family would live the rest of their lives in peace as the family members of the Emperor's favored ministers who had contributed to the Ming Dynasty's destiny. If he was still alive and kicking after the tenth month, some things could still be remedied.
He naturally could not say these words, so he only smiled and changed the topic. "Although it was an empty bullet, it must have given you a fright, right? I always feel that this plan is a little too simple. It's very easy to arouse suspicion from the Manchus. "
Cheng Qiyun smiled. "I really can't be bothered to think of a foolproof plan for them. Besides, the treasure was lost in our camp. No matter what method is used to lose it, there will always be rumors. As long as there is no evidence, what can they do to you, the great general of the country?
Even if the Sultan has a stomach full of doubts, not only can he not mention it, but he will also arrest those who dare to spread rumors. After a year and a half, the rumors will naturally disappear. "
As she spoke, she suddenly turned her eyes and happily wrapped her arms around Yang Ling's neck. "Why did you hide this plan from Adeni? You … You trust me so much … "
Yang Ling interrupted. "One seductress is enough. I'm afraid Adeni will learn bad things from you."
Cheng Qiyun glared at him hatefully and pretended to pinch his arm.
At this time, someone outside the door hurriedly said, "Mr Yang, the military doctor is here."
As soon as Cheng Qiyun heard that the person she arranged had arrived, she immediately fell back into Yang Ling's arms. Her face was lifeless and her eyes were hazy. She looked like she was on the verge of death.
Yang Ling looked at her with a mixture of anger and amusement. He then tried to lower the corners of his mouth and pretended to be grieved. "Come in!" he shouted in a deep voice.
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