Chapter 487 Everyone has their own thoughts
For ordinary people in Port Victory, as long as they have been naturalized for a long time, most of them have seen the previous warship launching ceremonies. Therefore, although the hull of the "Majesty" is much larger, it does not surprise them too much. , after all, in their minds, sooner or later a larger and stronger militia warship would appear in the Port of Victory. The "Majesty" only verified their conjecture. Those naturalized citizens who had been naturalized recently were very excited about this situation, because such a large ship has exceeded the scope of most of them's knowledge of sea ships, not to mention that this is a ship that is expressly prohibited by the imperial court. Warship!
However, people in the imperial court may not have the same thoughts as ordinary people. For example, Luo Shengdong and others who are sitting on the viewing platform now look very calm. Of course, they were sitting in the second row on the stage, and they were not wearing official uniforms, so they were not particularly conspicuous.
Wei Ping, who was next to him, slowly turned his head and whispered: "Brother Luo, what do you think of this boat?"
Luo Shengdong responded softly: "This ship is big, but it may not be easy to use."
Wei Ping asked curiously: "Brother Luo, why do you say this? This is a warship that took the Haihan people more than a year to build. According to the Haihan people's work habits, this thing is not just a decoration."
"I didn't say this ship is a decoration. You misunderstood me." Luo Shengdong explained: "In terms of appearance alone, this ship is larger than the existing Ming army warships. Look at the gun windows on the side of the ship. The number and firepower far exceed that of the Ming army’s warships, so they are definitely not a display.”
"Oh? What does Brother Luo mean?"
"Although the ships built by the shipyard before were somewhat out of compliance with the regulations, they are not too different from the ships of the Ming Dynasty..." At this point, Luo Shengdong pointed to the "Majesty" docked at the dock: " But if you look at this ship, it’s so eye-catching! With such a big ship on the sea, I’m embarrassed to pretend not to see it. Except for the port and dock controlled by Haihan himself, no one in the Ming Dynasty would dare to let this ship go. It docks?”
Wei Ping looked thoughtful after hearing this, and seemed to understand where Luo Shengdong's worries came from.
Luo Shengdong continued: "Now that we have left Qiongzhou Island, how many ports are there for the Haihan people? For such a large ship, it is estimated that Panyu Lijiazhuang and Wanshan Port will not be able to stop. The port in Xin'an County is still under construction, and it is not We know when it will be used, so this ship can probably only be placed in Victory Port.”
"It's scary enough to just put it like this!" Wei Ping sighed: "I heard that the largest cannon on the warship built before was the smallest on this new ship. This ship is equipped with so many cannons that it doesn't matter. In two or three months, maritime merchants coming in and out will spread the news to all parts of Guangdong and Guangxi and even further afield. Is there anyone who doesn’t have the foresight to verify it for themselves?”
Luo Shengdong sighed: "In three months, the second ship will probably be put into service. With these two big ships, I am afraid that our Ming Navy cannot defeat them even if we gather all the warships from Guangdong and Guangxi. I heard that The Haihan people also used new technology on this kind of large ship, which makes it faster than the ships they built before. Not to mention that it can't be defeated, and it can't even escape!"
Wei Ping chuckled and said: "Fortunately, you and I have recognized the situation a long time ago and will not be enemies of Haihan. Otherwise, with the few warships in the water village before, there would be no need to fight, and they would be scattered if they were hit by this big ship!" ”
Luo Shengdong didn't take it seriously when Wei Ping made fun of him, and responded casually: "Collision? It would be great if you can get involved! Let me tell you, last month I was lucky enough to follow Mr. Yan to the shooting range to watch the latest naval gun test firing. , the range of this thing is almost equal to that of cannons on land. If you want to rush over and ram the ship, I'm afraid it will be smashed into pieces even a hundred feet away."
After Luo Shengdong said this, his face turned slightly gloomy: "If our Ming Dynasty can also build such a powerful warship, why worry about the unrest in the sea!"
"My little brother has seen through it all. As long as it has to do with war and weapons, my Ming Dynasty cannot compare with Haihan. Look at the guns, cannons, and warships they made. Everything is better than the Ming Dynasty! "Wei Ping sighed: "Fortunately, they don't have bad intentions towards the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, if they really want to fight, the court will really have nothing to do with them."
"The imperial court can't do anything against them, but it can do something against us!" Luo Shengdong continued: "If the Haihan people really start to cause trouble, and the imperial court issues an imperial edict, not to mention you and me, even the gentlemen in Qiongzhou City will have to do it. What..."
"get out of class is over!" Wei Ping reminded, as he was more familiar with such Hai-Han buzzwords.
"Yes, yes, get out of class is over!" Luo Shengdong nodded and said: "Anyway, if Haihan makes trouble, the guards on Qiongzhou Island will not be able to do anything about it. At that time, the court will probably have nothing to do except dismiss these officials on the island. Way. As for the soldiers in Guangzhou Prefecture, they probably got scared when they heard the name of the militia, and they probably can’t count on them.”
"If we don't push them into a hurry, the Haihan people may not break out and make a fuss." Wei Ping responded: "You see, they have been here for more than two years, and they haven't left the Yazhou government untouched. You and I are two brothers. It is still a matter of how to be an official. I heard that Lingshui and Wanzhou are now similar to Yazhou. The orders of Haihan people are more effective than the notices posted by the government. If this continues, it is only a matter of time before Qiongzhou Island changes its surname to "Haihan". . It is not impossible for the whole island to hide it from the court and be called Da Ming, but actually Haihan." More than a year ago, neither of them would have dared to talk about this in public. However, to this day, in their opinion, Haihan's foundation has been unbreakable, and the upward trend has become more and more obvious. Whether it is politics, economy, culture, or military, Haihan is rapidly expanding in almost all aspects. . With the Ming Dynasty's power in Qiongzhou Island, Guangdong and Guangxi, and even the entire South China region, it has been difficult to stop the rise of Haihan. Now even the Jin Yiwei sent by Nanjing are sitting on the viewing platform to watch the Haihan people show off their strength. What else do local officials have to fear?
Of course, Li Qingyang couldn't sit in front and support the Haihan people like Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping. His disguised identity in the local area was that of a drug store accountant. Of course, he couldn't sit on an equal footing with the imperial officials, so he sat in a higher position than the other two. It is the people's representative seat located at the back. This place is basically invisible from the audience area, and almost all of the people sitting on the stage are Haihan's own people, so there is no risk of his identity being revealed easily.
Of course, Li Qingyang also saw the two Ming officials sitting in the front row. He was originally a little worried about what would happen if these two people came to talk to him for no reason. However, this worry soon proved to be unnecessary. Although people saw him, they just nodded calmly as a greeting and had no intention of coming over to talk.
Sitting next to Li Qingyang was He Qiang. In fact, he came to attend the warship commissioning ceremony in the name of He Qiang's entourage. Of course, this spot was specially assigned to him by the Ministry of Security. The purpose was to simply and crudely show off Haihan's military power in front of him and let him receive a shocking Haihan-style education.
Li Qingyang was not confused. He knew very well what the Haihan people meant by inviting him to watch the commissioning ceremony of their warships. However, he did not intend to refuse the invitation, because he really wanted to see how powerful the Haihan people's surface armed forces were, and how dare they hold a large-scale viewing ceremony so blatantly.
However, reality gave him a heavy blow. The majesty's huge hull and powerful firepower equipment that could be seen directly without boarding the ship made Li Qingyang's jaw almost drop. Such a large warship is said to have appeared in the history of the Ming Dynasty. When the Ming Dynasty fleet was led by the eunuch Sanbao on an overseas mission, the treasure ships in the fleet had such a large tonnage. Of course, the force is definitely not as good as the gunboats of the Haihan people, and the treasure ship from two hundred years ago has long been gone, and all the shipbuilding blueprints at that time were destroyed. Now the Ming Dynasty wants to build such a large maritime warship. Not likely anymore.
Based on what Li Qingyang knew, there probably was no warship of the same level in the entire Ming Navy south of the Yangtze River that could compete with Haihan's gunboat. Moreover, what I just heard from the militia officers came out to introduce the situation. The warships of this level are not the only ones in front of me. Another warship of the same level is also in the final stage. Li Qingyang really can’t remember any coastal state capital in the Guangdong and Guangxi areas. The navy stationed there can compete with these two warships.
Li Qingyang really wanted to go to the front row to ask Luo Shengdong, a professional, for his opinion, but he restrained his behavior sensibly. Talking to other Ming officials without permission from your superiors is considered a violation - it is not a violation of Jin Yiwei's rules, but an internal personal code of conduct set by the Haihan Security Department.
Yes, that's right, after Li Qingyang was semi-forced into the Haihan Security Department, there was an additional set of rules that he needed to follow. But at any rate, he can be regarded as a professional from the disciplined forces, so it is not particularly difficult to adapt. Moreover, when Hao Wanqing formulated this set of rules for him, he was actually very relaxed. I hope he can gradually understand it through daily life. Accept Haihan's social system, slowly abandon the idea of imperial power, and stand in Haihan's camp.
Li Qingyang had sent his first report to Nanjing two months ago. Of course, the contents of this report were all reviewed by Ministry of Security officials before being sent out. As for the delivery channel, it was also very simple. Li Qingyang sealed the written report, handed it to the Security Department, and told them how to deliver the report to the Jinyiwei Yamen in Guangzhou.
Although the next step of instructions from Nanjing has not yet been received, at least Nanjing will not send a new batch of personnel to Sanya to perform latent missions in a short period of time. And this was one of the goals that the Haihan Security Department wanted to achieve. After completing this task, Hao Wanqing loosened the chain for Li Qingyang appropriately, allowing him to walk out of the business district and go to the Victory Port Pier. Although this expansion of the scope of activities is not too big, it is still a big benefit for Li Qingyang who is confined in the business district.
Today, he was brought to the military port dock on the east side of Victory Harbor to watch the ceremony. This was his first time entering the sensitive area of Haihan. According to He Qiang, not everyone can come to this kind of place. They are either naturalized citizens or businessmen who have a deep foundation of cooperation with Haihan, such as the "Fu Ruifeng" Li family. partner.
Similar to Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping, when Li Qingyang saw the "Majestic", he already had the idea that Haihan was invincible. Although he also knew that this idea was a bit unworthy of the imperial court, the reality was that In front of us, there is no doubt about the strength of the Haihan people in the military field - they don't just have this big ship, but an entire fleet.
As for what Navy Commander Tom Wang was delivering a speech about "cooperating with the court to protect the country and the people," Li Qingyang certainly did not believe it. The force of the Haihan people has far exceeded the troops deployed by the imperial court in this area. It is not easy to say who should cooperate with whom.
After Tom Wang's speech, there was a naval parade. Three phalanxes of different sizes, composed of naturalized civilian officers, ordinary crew members and sailors, walked in neat steps in front of the viewing platform. Their mental outlook was much better than the Ming army that Li Qingyang had seen before. Moreover, the leather boots on the feet of these militiamen, the leather armed belts on their bodies, their neat dark blue military uniforms, and the rifles on their backs all show that this unit can not only fight at sea, but also after landing ashore. A powerful army.
Transforming the naval force into marines is an idea jointly proposed by Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun who are far away in Annan. The purpose is to increase the combat skills of the naval forces under the current situation that Haihan's military strength is still relatively tight, so that naval combatants can also have the basic capabilities of landing operations.
Of course, the ability requirements for these soldiers to fight on land will not be exactly the same as those of the army, but they still need to master the basic gun formations and land warfare theory. If necessary, these sailors and militiamen can carry out small-scale military operations near the coast without requesting assistance from the army. Taking the "Majesty" as an example, more than 300 of the nearly 400 people on board will receive new combat training to possess amphibious combat capabilities. If all these personnel landed, they would basically be the strength of two reinforced companies. With their obvious advantage in weapons, they would be enough to deal with at least four to five times the size of the Ming army. If naval guns are added for fire cover, the combat effectiveness in a near-shore environment can at least be doubled.
However, there are also some problems with this kind of training. First, the time to form an army will be lengthened due to the increase in training content, which may affect the time for the "Majesty" to truly form combat effectiveness. Secondly, this also requires the purchase of a large amount of army weapons and equipment for the naval force, which is also a considerable expense.
(End of chapter)