The Ming Dynasty 1626 Enlightenment

Chapter 49 The commander-in-chief is General Man Gui?

The boat pulled alongside the dock, a dull thud that startled several water birds.

Zhu Ming stood on the gunwale, looking down at the people on the shore.

Yuan Keli stood at the very front, dressed in neat clothes, with an old general with half a step behind him, craning his neck to look in their direction.

That was Shen Yourong.

He took the Qilin bronze fitting from his waist, fastened it to the door, and felt the coolness seep in as the bronze edge pressed against his cheekbone.

The view was narrowed slightly by the mask, but it was enough.

He stepped off the gangplank onto the bluestone pier.

Yuan Keli straightened his hat and stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "This old minister greets the Commander-in-Chief."

"No need for such formalities, Mr. Yuan!"

Zhu Ming stepped forward to support him and said in a deep voice.

That was Zhu Ming's voice, which could be lowered. To be precise, he was the "commander-in-chief" that Yuan Keli was talking about, that is, the commander of the Gouchen Guard!

Upon seeing his physique and imposing presence, Shen Yourong immediately assumed he was a seasoned general.

"This humble general, Shen Yourong, greets the Commander-in-Chief!"

Moreover, seeing his old friend Yuan Keli being so respectful, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I was very negligent just now; I was truly overwhelmed by the Commander's imposing presence."

As expected, Shen Yourong, upon hearing her altered voice, naturally couldn't recognize her at first glance.

"General Shen, there's no need for such formalities! Please rise!"

Zhu Ming glanced at him and also raised his hand to offer a helping hand.

The veteran general, in his sixties, had a booming voice and a broad-mindedness unique to people from the sea. He was very proper when he was reporting to the capital a few days ago, but once he left the court, he seemed like a different person.

Zhu Ming tilted his head slightly, the gaze behind the mask seemed to linger on his face for a moment, and continued, "I have long heard of Lord Shen's name. He is a veteran general who has traversed the seas for twenty years, and his loyalty and bravery are commendable."

"Oh my, General, you recognize me?" Shen Yourong's eyes lit up, and her tail immediately wagged.

As he spoke, he looked the man up and down, his gaze lingering on the mask. "It's quite strange, though, that we've never heard of a commander like him in our Ming army."

Just as he was about to say a few more words, Yuan Keli stepped aside to lead the way: "General, you have come a long way and must be tired. Please go into the government office to rest first."

Zhu Ming nodded and set off immediately.

The group walked through the shipyard.

Along the way, Zhu Ming saw rows of masts and oars along the banks of the canal, and piles of timber piled up like mountains.

Even though this was his second time here, the Weihe Shipyard was larger than he had imagined, or rather, larger than what he had read in historical records before his time travel.

The historical record states that "the Weihe Shipyard built 300 cargo ships annually," which in reality translates into a stretch of workshops, piles of tung oil barrels, and wood shavings and sawdust covering the ground.

And then there were the shirtless craftsmen, their backs glistening with sweat under the scorching summer sun, their muscles bulging with every swing of their axes.

As he walked among the craftsmen, a strange sense of peace suddenly welled up inside him.

After all, the original owner was a max-level carpenter, so it might be a mutual appreciation between people who are both carpenters!

As he was thinking, a rough, large hand suddenly landed on his shoulder: "Brother General, stop pretending, this general knows who you are!"

Zhu Ming paused, his back stiffening slightly.

He was recognized so quickly?

He glanced sideways instinctively and caught a glimpse of Shen Yan behind him, who had already placed his hand on the short blade at his waist, while Lu Xinghe's hand had also slipped into his sleeve.

He used a very subtle gesture to stop them from moving.

Yuan Keli walked ahead, glanced back, but remained silent; the corner of his mouth even twitched slightly.

Zhu Ming steadied his voice: "General Shen? You know?"

Shen Yourong leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said with certainty, "Man Gui, General Man!"

Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow behind his mask.

Man Gui?

Several thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Historically, Yuan Chonghuan and Man Gui had a falling out over the distribution of military merits after the Ningyuan victory.

Therefore, after Yuan Chonghuan was put in charge of Liaodong last month, Man Gui was immediately withdrawn.

Therefore, Zhu Ming took this opportunity to secretly transfer Man Gui away.

Only he and Sun Chengzong knew where he had been transferred.

But how did Shen Yourong mistake his commander of the Gouchen army for Man Gui?

"Although I am at sea, I have heard some things about what is happening on land."

Shen Yourong was still rambling on, one hand on Zhu Ming's shoulder, completely unaware that she was patting the emperor's shoulder, "General Man's stature and imposing presence, though I have never seen them in person!"

"But people always say that a fierce general is broad-shouldered and burly, walking with a swagger. General, your physique and gait are certainly impressive!"

Indeed, only a general like Man Gui, who has fought countless battles and made great contributions in the Ningyuan victory, coupled with the current emperor's unconventional approach to talent selection, could be entrusted with such an important position as the Gouchen Guard.

Zhu Ming did not immediately deny it.

He suddenly found this matter interesting.

Man Gui was a fierce general in Liaodong and a political enemy of Yuan Chonghuan.

Shen Yourong had dealt with Yuan Chonghuan before, but she mistook herself, the commander of the Gouchen army, for Man Gui. This old general had spent a long time at sea and actually harbored prejudices against things on land.

He believed that Yuan Chonghuan, a civil official by origin, was "not tough enough" in his strategy, and naturally felt that Gou Chen's kind of aura could only belong to a fierce general like Man Gui.

"Master Shen has a good eye." Zhu Ming neither confirmed nor denied, only giving a vague reply, and continued walking.

Hearing this, Shen Yourong became even more emboldened. "I knew it! Yuan Ziru dared to kick aside someone like General Man; he truly doesn't know what's good for him. If you ask me, what Liaodong is lacking is someone like General Man!"

Yuan Ziru is also known as Yuan Chonghuan.

Shen Yourong's words were blatantly biased.

He was an old-fashioned military man who couldn't stand the strategist who came from a civil official background. He had spent half his life fighting at sea and believed in head-on confrontation, not verbal battles in official documents.

"General Shen is right!" Zhu Ming slowed his pace slightly and echoed.

"That's right!" Shen Yourong and Zhu Ming didn't deny it, and were even more certain. "Although I'm at sea, I've heard about the battles at Ningyuan. The Commander-in-Chief was truly at the forefront. Yuan Ziru should keep such a person in reserve, so why does he just throw him away like that?"

"So, Commander-in-Chief, would you like to join my navy?"

Zhu Ming paused for two steps.

Yuan Keli, who was half a step ahead of him, did not turn around, but his back visibly tensed.

"General Shen, you must be joking!" Zhu Ming said, speechless behind his mask.

This old General Shen Yourong... is even more straightforward and shameless than described in history books.

They've poached people from themselves, and what's more, they've poached themselves?

"General, I'm not joking!" Shen Yourong said seriously, though her expression was somewhat anxious.

He was getting old, and he would have to hand over the position of naval commander sooner or later. His men were only good at maintaining the status quo, but they were no match for someone like Zheng Zhilong.

He thought about it for a long time and decided that instead of spending time and effort cultivating, it would be better to just poach a ready-made one from the border army.

He couldn't even get his hands on Xiong Tingbi, that brute, and he was also tricked away by the eight thousand naval troops that he had originally wanted to swindle from Yuan Keli. This grudge was quite serious.

Today, seeing this young, imposing, and seemingly Man Gui-like commander of Gou Chen, how could we let him go?

Moreover, the Gouchen Guard has not yet been formally established.

If not now, when?

"The Gouchen Guard is a land-based position; it's a waste of your skills on land. Come to my navy, and I, the Grand Admiral, will guarantee you the position of Admiral!" Shen Yourong gazed at the Qilin mask, her expression earnest, and declared, "The men of the Great Ming must fight to the death at sea..."

He was about to speak again when a voice came from ahead.

A young man in a blue cloth robe stood at the entrance of the government office and first bowed to Yuan Keli: "Lord Yuan, have you summoned your student?"

"Lord Yuan," another middle-aged man also bowed, his gaze falling on Zhu Ming, and quickly added a salute: "Oh, the Commander-in-Chief has also arrived."

Before they knew it, the group had arrived at the entrance of the Prefectural Government Office.

Several people were standing on the steps in front of the door, waiting to provide assistance.