Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 793: General Li Jinglong

Li Jinglong was having a headache. For the current plan, he could only seek help from Fujian and nearby ports to purchase grain to resettle the people.

However, just when he was about to send a messenger to seek help from the Nanyang ports, he happened to see a naval officer and soldier hurriedly pushing the door open. Before he could salute, the man blurted out in a panic: "Young Master, something serious has happened."

"There are reports from Sanshan and Nanyang Islands, saying that barbarians have invaded the ports and plundered them... The messenger has arrived at Tamkang!"

"What?" Li Jinglong's eyes widened.

Astonished, Li Jinglong immediately held a military meeting and received the messenger who came by boat to report the news into the naval barracks at Tamjiang Port. When he heard the news from the messenger, Li Jinglong couldn't help but burst into anger and said anxiously: "Damn it, the port concessions in Zhongshan, Nanshan, and Beishan have all been attacked, and there are also traces of thieves on the Nanyang Islands... After all, Where did the red-haired thief come from? At such a critical moment, isn’t this a disgrace to my Duke Cao’s mansion!”

Two years ago, when Zhu Su went west to support King Yan in attacking the Timurid Empire, he left several treasure ships for him to form a Nanyang fleet, in order to ask Li Jinglong to help patrol Nanyang, eliminate pirates, and protect these coastal areas. Tranquility in the land of the colonial concession. Over the years, in order not to lose the reputation of his father Li Wenzhong and avoid being slandered as the father of a tiger, Li Jinglong also worked diligently on ships to patrol the islands that had become the Ming Dynasty's maritime territory. He knew that he had no talent for leading troops on land, but he was very happy to lead the fleet on the sea. Therefore, I enjoyed it and became more and more emotionally attached to the sea.

Originally, he and his Nanyang Fleet, not to mention the impregnable defense of this Ming Sea area, should have given these bandits no chance to take advantage of them. However, it happened that Zhou Wang Zhu Su and Yan Wang Zhu Di returned to the capital during this period, and the Western Expedition Army and his heroes who ensured their retreat and opened up sea frontiers all had to discuss their merits and reward them.

Moreover, to put it bluntly, this "Nanyang Fleet" was just a partial support force of the Ming Dynasty to aid King Yan, and was not a force with a fixed establishment of the imperial court. Therefore, Li Jinglong docked the fleet in Dawan, preparing to take the road to Beijing from Dawan, so that he could return to Beijing to receive rewards and shine on the lintel of Duke Cao's mansion.

By the way, he was granted the official position of admiral of the "Southern Fleet" so that he could continue to lead the Nanyang Fleet and protect the maritime territory.

However, now, when I was arrogant and high-spirited, preparing to return to the capital to receive rewards and feel proud, something as big as this happened in Nanyang. A group of ignorant bandits who did not know whether to live or die destroyed the Big Belly Kingdom that he wanted to slowly win over. They even extended their hands to Dawan Island, which was already regarded as the meat of his Li family, and also attacked many Southeast Asian countries. Ports and concessions...

what is this? After getting into such a big trap, how could he have the dignity to go back to Beijing and ask his great uncle, the emperor, to reward him? How could he have the dignity to say that he, Li Jinglong, had not lost the reputation of his father, Li Wenzhong?

"Damn it, these red-haired Yi people are definitely the British people who have been banned from intercourse by the imperial court... These people jumped over the wall in a hurry, but they came to use my Duke Cao's mansion as their raft." Li Jinglong cursed angrily. On the side, the steward Li Gui asked him for instructions: "My young master, should I report this matter to the court and ask the court navy for assistance?"

"These red-haired bandits are no better than the others... just in case..."

Li Gui was still very worried about the young master's abilities. The young prince himself said that the young prince’s military skills were unworthy. Although Prince Zhou supported their government and taught the young prince to lead a navy to ensure the security of the Ming Dynasty, that was probably just It was an expedient measure, after all, to defeat those people who only had canoes. Relying on the strength of the Ming Dynasty's boats and artillery, the young prince still made it happen.

But the red-haired barbarians... Li Gui had followed Li Wenzhong all over the country in the past, so he knew that the red-haired barbarians were not comparable to those barbarians who drank blood like raw materials. Some of these Yi people came to China via the Silk Road in the pre-Tang Dynasty. Starting from the Yuan Dynasty, merchants often drove large ships to and from the Ming Dynasty for trade. They could sail thousands of miles on the sea. Naturally, such a country could not Take it easy.

The Ming Dynasty only began to pay attention to maritime affairs after His Royal Highness the King of Zhou participated in government affairs. And those Yi people have had ships arriving here since the Yuan Dynasty, a hundred years ago... Maybe their strength at sea is more powerful than the fleet under the Young Master? The old father-in-law and the father-in-law are both descended from a single family. Now that the father-in-law is getting older, he has only one son, the young father-in-law. Li Gui would never dare to let Li Jinglong take any risks.

Li Jinglong didn't think so. After the previous victory in the sea battle with Fan Ren, his "firepower superiority theory" was approved by Zhu Su, so his confidence in himself became even more intense. Hearing Li Gui say that he wanted to ask the court for help, Li Jinglong suddenly slapped the table, which shocked Li Gui.

"Requesting assistance from the imperial navy? This Nanyang is our jurisdiction, and these ports were built by our merchants."

"When my fifth uncle left in the past, he personally entrusted me with this major Nanyang event. He asked me to protect Nanyang's peace and tranquility, and not to lose my reputation as the invincible Ming Dynasty."

"Now that these barbarians have created such a big trap, they want me to go back in despair to find the navy of the imperial court to stand up for me? I, Duke Cao, cannot afford to lose this person!"

"Wherever I lost my place, I will find it again... I, the Ming Navy, are invincible in the world, how can I be afraid of a mere red-haired Western barbarian?"

Li Gui was startled by him and quickly stood up to persuade him: "This... Young Master, no, for the sake of safety..."

"No need to say it." Li Jinglong stood up. He suddenly thought of the scene in "Three Kingdoms" that he heard in the Bifeng Imperial Mansion, where Sun Zhong tried to overcome the public opinion and united with Liu to fight against Cao, and he choked. With a bang, he drew out the sword from his waist, slashed it hard, and cut off a corner of the table in front of him.

"I have made up my mind to expel these Western barbarians to show the glory of our Nanyang Navy! If anyone talks about quitting again, there will be such a case!"

Li Jinglong's natural appearance was upright, but with such an attitude, he really seemed to have a heroic spirit rushing into the sky. The navy generals and the messengers who came to ask for help couldn't help but feel excited. They secretly thought in their hearts that he is worthy of being a general. Son, you are so heroic.

But Li Gui looked depressed, thinking to himself, I didn't even say that I wanted to retreat... But Li Jinglong looked determined to not change, so he couldn't say anything more.

Now that he had made a decision, Li Jinglong gave up his plan to temporarily seal up the fleet and rush to receive the reward. Instead, he first wrote a letter to explain the situation here, and then led the fleet to go out and vowed to expel these sea Tartars. , Unless the Ming Dynasty is restored to a clear and clear sea, I vow not to fight again.

As a result, the first real naval battle after the founding of the Ming Dynasty broke out.

(End of this chapter)