novelSusiti Chapter 146 The Emperor Faces Danger, the Crown Prince is Young
Chapter 146 The Emperor Faces Danger, the Crown Prince is Young
Chapter 146 The Emperor Faces Danger, the Crown Prince is Young
Chapter 145, Dalu Island, the dock.
The Tianqi Emperor stepped off the gangplank of the "Zhenhai" and let out a long sigh of relief as his feet touched the solid dock. Three days of rough seas had left him somewhat weary, but the excitement in his eyes remained undiminished. He looked up and saw the dock bustling with people; laborers carrying cargo chanted their work songs, and overseers patrolled the area with their ledgers. In the distance, dozens of chimneys billowed thick smoke, turning half the sky a grayish-yellow.
The shipyard on Dalu Island is located in Moon Bay on the southwest corner of the island. This area was originally a rocky beach, subject to the ebb and flow of the tides, and uninhabited. Chen Ying spent a whole year blasting rocks, filling in the sea, building dikes and embankments, and managing to build four giant dry docks on this barren land. Each dock is fifty zhang long, eight zhang wide, and four zhang deep, all made of poured cement, strong enough to withstand the weight of a giant ship of more than five thousand liao.
The Tianqi Emperor stood by the dock, gazing at the unfinished hull of the warship, speechless for a long time. The keel was laid, the ribs stretched out to the sides like those of a giant beast, and the hull was not yet closed, allowing a direct view of the internal cabin structure from the outside. Hundreds of craftsmen were busy on the scaffolding, the clanging of hammers and the creaking of saws filling the air with the smell of sawdust and tung oil.
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
Chen Ying pointed to the warship and said, "This is the second batch of Zhenhai-class 4,400-ton warships under construction. The Zhenhai is also an experimental warship. Many problems have arisen during its construction. The current keel is made of Phoebe zhennan wood from Fujian, the hull plating is made of red pine from Liaodong, and the masts are made of fir from Korea. The timber alone has cost 20,000 taels of silver."
The Tianqi Emperor descended the wooden stairs to the dock and reached out to touch the thick keel. The nanmu wood was hard, its surface polished smooth as a mirror by craftsmen, gleaming with a dark reddish luster in the sunlight. He bent down and saw that the joints between the keel and the ribs were so tight that not even a piece of paper could be inserted.
As a carpenter emperor, his skills far surpassed those of ordinary craftsmen—a natural talent. Curious, he asked, "Who made these mortise and tenon joints?"
An elderly craftsman with gray hair and beard was summoned over. He knelt down and bowed tremblingly. As a craftsman, he was so frightened by the sudden appearance of the emperor that he could not speak. Chen Ying smiled and said, "This is Master Zhou, a carpenter from a family that has been building ships since the Yongle era."
The Tianqi Emperor helped him up and said gently, "Master Zhou, how many years have you been a boatman?"
The old craftsman said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I started my apprenticeship at the age of fifteen, and it has been forty-two years now."
"Forty-two years —"
The Tianqi Emperor murmured, "Then you've seen more ships than I have."
Although the five major state-run shipyards of the Ming Dynasty have been abandoned, the private shipyards of the Ming Dynasty are still in operation. For example, Zheng Zhilong has more than 3,000 warships under his command. Although most of them are small ships with a capacity of less than 600 liang, it shows that the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is still intact.
The old craftsman kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to speak.
Chen Ying led the Tianqi Emperor on the tour. Next to the shipyard was a rope workshop, where dozens of workers were weaving thick ropes with hemp and palm fiber, the machines roaring and dust flying. Further on was a canvas workshop, where over a dozen looms were running simultaneously, producing snow-white canvas that was slowly cut, sewn, and perforated by female workers. Further still was the ironworks workshop, the furnaces glowing red-hot, hammers clanging, as blacksmiths forged anchor chains, nails, and hinges.
"Were all these iron parts supplied by the ironworks in Shahewei?"
The Tianqi Emperor asked.
Chen Ying nodded: "Yes. The refining furnace at Shahewei can produce two thousand catties of molten steel in one batch. The anchor chains cast from it are even stronger than those forged. I have conducted tests, and a large ship of three thousand liang can withstand a level ten storm with the anchor chains from Shahewei."
The Tianqi Emperor took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "Minister Chen, this place is practically a city."
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. There are currently more than 56,000 craftsmen on Dalu Island, and with their families, the total number is nearly 100,000."
They eat, drink, relieve themselves, and sleep all on the island. The daily food consumption alone is three to four hundred bushels.
"Where will the food come from?"
"Some of them were bought from North Korea, and some were bought from Tianjin and Dengzhou. Dalu Island is too small, and most of the area is gravel, so there is no way to cultivate it."
Su Mei and Zhang Changgeng stood not far away, exchanging a glance, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes. Chen Ying's power on Dalu Island far exceeded the court's expectations. Over 50,000 artisans, tens of thousands of soldiers, and mountains of grain and salt...
Iron—if those with ulterior motives in the court knew about this, the impeachment memorials could crush Chen Ying to death.
"My lord," Su Mei stepped forward, lowering her voice, "would His Majesty—"
"No," Chen Ying interrupted her, saying calmly, "His Majesty is not that kind of person."
Before Su Mei could say anything more, Chen Ying had already caught up with the Tianqi Emperor.
The Tianqi Emperor walked along the wide, rammed earth road, his gaze sweeping over neat workshops, warehouses, and barracks. He entered a salt field, where he saw snow-white salt grains glittering in cement salt-drying pools; he entered an ironworks, where he saw molten steel flowing from the refining furnace, being cast into various agricultural tools and weapons along the troughs—
"Minister Chen," the Tianqi Emperor suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chen Ying, "tell me, what is the annual output of Dalu Island worth in silver?"
Chen Ying thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the salt, iron, agricultural tools, military equipment, ships, and trade with Korea and the various tribes of Haixi amounted to about 2.3 million taels of silver last year. After deducting costs, military pay, salaries, school expenses, road repairs, and other expenses, there was a slight surplus."
"Two million three hundred thousand taels—" the Tianqi Emperor murmured. "My imperial treasury only amounts to a little over one million taels a year. I used to think that the Ming Dynasty's wealth came from Jiangnan, from salt taxes and customs duties. Now it seems that the real wealth comes from the workshops, from the mines, and from the coast."
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The wealth of the Ming Dynasty did not fall from the sky; it was created by the people with their own hands. As long as the people are given the opportunity, they can create boundless wealth."
The Tianqi Emperor nodded, then suddenly asked, "Minister Chen, tell me, how many soldiers do you have in total at Dalu Island, Shahewei, Yongning Port, and Shuangchengwei?"
Chen Ying paused for a moment, then replied truthfully, "Your Majesty, the Shahe New Army has 12,000 men, the Daning New Army has 28,000 men, the Wolf Cavalry has 9,000 men, and the naval reserve has 8,000 men, totaling approximately 57,000 men."
"Fifty-seven thousand—" the Tianqi Emperor murmured, "The court has never allocated you a single tael of silver for military pay."
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I support my own soldiers."
The Tianqi Emperor looked at him, his gaze complex. After a long while, he suddenly laughed: "Minister Chen, do you know? In the five years since I ascended the throne, I have met countless generals. Some asked me for official positions, some for money, and some for grain. Only you, you ask for nothing, yet you tirelessly send me silver, grain, and reports of victory."
Chen Ying lowered his head: "I only did what I was supposed to do."
The Tianqi Emperor patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more. He gasped. He knew Chen Ying was capable, but he didn't expect him to be capable to this extent.
"Chen Qing, you're too conservative."
Chen Ying was taken aback.
The Tianqi Emperor pointed to the chimneys in the distance: "How big is Dalu Island? One hundred and fifty workshops are almost filling the island."
What you need is not this small island, but a much larger place. I have heard that Lushun was recently captured by the Jurchens, the defending general Zhang Pan was killed in battle, and the Jurchens looted and retreated. Now Lushun is empty and undefended.
Chen Ying's heart skipped a beat: "Your Majesty intends to—"
"I want to give Lushun to you."
The Tianqi Emperor looked at Chen Ying with stern eyes and said, "Lushun Port is dozens of times larger than Dalu Island. Its waters are deep and calm, making it a natural harbor. If you take it and build a naval base, shipyard, and workshops, it will be ten or even a hundred times better than Dalu Island. With the fighting strength of your Shahe New Army and Daning New Army, you have every opportunity to recover Jinzhou Guard, Gaizhou Guard, Fuzhou Guard, and Haizhou Guard, and occupy the four prefectures of southern Liaoning!"
Chen Ying was slightly taken aback. Looking at the smiling Emperor Tianqi, he seemed to understand that the Emperor Tianqi was using him as bait to set up another trap. He was worried that those people couldn't handle the navy, and the Jurchens were not good at naval warfare. If the Jurchens didn't come, he would go to Liaonan, which borders Shenyang. More importantly, the weather was getting colder and colder. By the time the Jurchens reacted, the Liao River would be frozen, and all the geographical advantages would become very favorable to the Jurchens.
Emperor Tianqi had no choice but to execute them without warning, nor could he punish them for corruption. Despite the Donglin Party's questionable character, many of them were hypocrites who relied on their vast wealth to remain incorruptible and without moral flaws. The only way to deal with them was through a major case. If they dared to restart the Tumu Crisis, they would be wiped out this time. No matter how many people were killed for treason or rebellion, the people of the world would have no grounds for complaint.
Having understood this, Chen Ying took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
The Tianqi Emperor smiled: "I knew you wouldn't let me down."
Three days later, on the sea southwest of Lushun, the flagship Zhenhai was on board.
Chen Ying stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the distant Lushun Port, which was faintly visible in the distance. Behind him were eighty warships from the Dengzhou Navy, three thousand new soldiers from Shahe, two thousand garrison troops from Dalu, two thousand naval reserve personnel, and more than six thousand Dengzhou Navy personnel, totaling more than thirteen thousand men.
On the Zhenhai, all seventy-five cannons were loaded and the gunners were on high alert.
"My lord," Wang Tiezhu's face was a little pale, clearly still seasick, "the scouts report that there are less than a thousand Han slaves in Lushun City, and they are all unprepared."
Chen Ying nodded: "Pass down the order, prepare the artillery. First salvo to wipe out the defenders on the city wall. Second salvo, blast open the city gates. Third salvo, cover the infantry landing."
"yes!"
"Boom boom boom—"
The Zhenhai's thirty broadside cannons roared simultaneously, their shells whistling as they hurtled towards the walls of Lushun. Before the Jurchen defenders could react, they were blown to pieces. Immediately afterward, the other warships opened fire, their cannonballs raining down on the city walls.
After three volleys of fire, the south gate of Lushun had been breached. The Shahe New Army jumped off the landing ships, waded onto the beach, and charged toward the city gate with shouts. The Jurchens inside the city tried to resist, but were unable to raise their heads due to the dense barrage of fire.
The battle lasted less than half an hour. Of the 1,000 Jurchen Han soldiers, more than 600 were killed, more than 300 were captured, and the rest scattered. The Shahe New Army suffered fewer than 10 dead and more than 100 wounded.
Lushun, the city wall.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the sea was shrouded in a gray haze. Chen Ying stood on the city wall, holding a telescope, gazing northward. The telescope was a new product from the Shahewei Optical Workshop, made of fired glass, ground into lenses, and housed in a copper tube, capable of seeing objects several miles away.
The setting sun was turning the sea into a golden hue.
"My lord," Wang Tiezhu said excitedly, "we've taken Lushun! We have new territory!"
Chen Ying gazed at the distant sea and let out a long breath: "Send down the order to clean up the battlefield and repair the city's defenses. Also, send a messenger to His Majesty, saying that Lushun has been captured and that His Majesty is invited to move his entourage."
A few days later, Emperor Tianqi arrived in Lushun by boat, escorted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Shahe New Army.
He stood atop the city wall, gazing at the distant sea, filled with boundless pride: "Minister Chen, tell me, shouldn't I also learn from the founding emperor..."
Emperor Chengzu, will he personally lead the expedition?
Chen Yingyi said urgently, "Your Majesty, you must not. Although the Jurchens have retreated, their strength still remains. Your Majesty, as the emperor, should not take such a risk."
The Tianqi Emperor waved his hand: "I was just saying."
He turned to Chen Ying and said, "Lushun is in your hands. I want to see the Ming fleet set sail from here."
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
When the news reached the capital, it caused a stir in the court and among the people.
The Tianqi Emperor was not in the capital, but in Lushun, the front line in Liaodong, where the Jurchen cavalry could march south at any moment. The Jurchens were not good at naval warfare, and it would take time to win over or force the Dengzhou navy to rebel. Unfortunately, the Tianqi Emperor was arrogant and conceited, and his favorite minister, Chen Boying, actually misled him into getting into a dangerous situation.
This was like a godsend; Qian Qianyi received the secret report and was so excited that his hands were trembling.
"A golden opportunity!" Qian Yiyi slammed his fist on the table, his excited voice trembling. "His Majesty is in Lushun with only Chen Boying's few thousand soldiers. If the Jurchens learn of this, they will surely send out their entire force. Then, the Emperor will be surrounded, and Chen Boying will have nowhere to escape!"
Huang Daozhou frowned and asked, "Lord Qian, you want to contact the Jurchens?"
"It's not about making contact, it's about using someone else's weapon."
Qian Qianyi's eyes were piercing. "Send someone to Shenyang to tell Nurhaci that the Ming emperor is in Lushun with only a few thousand soldiers. If he doesn't believe it, he can send spies to investigate."
Ni Yuanlu said worriedly, "What if the Jurchens really capture His Majesty—"
"That would be even better," Qian Qianyi sneered. "If the Emperor is captured and the Crown Prince is too young, wouldn't we be in charge of all the important affairs of the court?"
Silence fell upon the crowd. The young crown prince, barely able to speak, was nothing more than a puppet. Even if the emperor wanted to protect Wei Zhongxian, what could he do? Moreover, they held the trump card of Consort Li. Even if Empress Zhang wanted to assume regency, she would have to get past Consort Li. The power of the realm would return to the hands of the gentlemen of the Donglin Party.
Huang Daozhou sighed deeply and closed his eyes. At this moment, he was powerless to change anything. He coughed towards his trusted aide, who stepped forward: "Master—"