My father is Jiajing

The sea shimmered with golden light in the afternoon.

Zhu Zaiji had already returned from the Xuande warship and was standing on the temporary viewing platform at the port, watching the fleet of the Eastern Ocean Fleet slowly sail away from the port.

This massive fleet of 120 warships unfolded on the sea, as magnificent as a giant dragon stretching its body!
"Your Majesty, the sea breeze is quite chilly. Please return to the capital."

Meng Chong, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, whispered a reminder from the side.

Zhu Zaiji seemed not to hear, his gaze following the fleet as it sailed further and further away towards the horizon.

Zhu Zaiji gazed at the "Xuande Giant Ship" at the very front from afar, and in his eyes he could still vaguely see the upright figures of Qi Jiguang and others.

These people are the hope for the future expansion of the Ming Dynasty's vast maritime territory.

As long as these people can grow up generation after generation, then the ships of the Ming Dynasty will not be just a dream to sail the four seas and traverse the eight directions in the future.

Only after watching the fleet disappear into the horizon did Zhu Zaiji turn his gaze away.

At the same time, the scene of bestowing the axe and halberd upon Qi Jiguang flashed through his mind.

That jade-carved bronze axe not only represented Zhu Zaiji's absolute trust in Qi Jiguang, but also symbolized supreme military power and the emperor's absolute authority.

Compared to ordinary times, the imperial edict given by the emperor to high-ranking officials was even more important!

Although the power attributes of the two are consistent.

However, the authority represented by the axe and halberd is still incomparable to the trump card or the so-called imperial sword.

"Meng Chong, how long do you think it will take for Minister Qi to send back news of victory?"

Zhu Zaiji casually asked Meng Chong, who was standing beside him, a question.

Meng Chong immediately bowed and replied, "General Qi is a fine general whom His Majesty has long admired. He has honed his skills under Grand Secretary Hu for so many years and has commanded the Japanese navy for so long. He certainly will not disappoint His Majesty."

"Perhaps he can even have some of the same qualities as His Majesty when he defeated the Tatars in the outskirts of the capital, and send back good news within a few months."

Zhu Zaiji smiled slightly, then shook his head and sighed, "Although Japan is small, it is fierce and cunning. Sending Minister Qi and his men to fight overseas this time is much more difficult than when I fought the Tatars in the suburbs of Beijing."

"When I fought the Tatars back then, although I wasn't entirely confident, I knew that as long as I could maintain my composure and disrupt their plans by surprise, the Tatars would surely be defeated once the armies from all over the country arrived to come to the aid of the emperor!"

"But now Qi Jiguang is on an expedition to Japan, almost like a lone army deep in the enemy territory. All I can give him is trust, and I can only leave everything else to fate."

Zhu Zaiji had a very open-minded view of the expedition to Japan.

He did not demand that Qi Jiguang kill him in one blow!

After all, the Ming Dynasty and Japan were separated by a vast ocean, thousands of miles apart. To be honest, it would be very difficult to provide Qi Jiguang with supplies and assistance across such a wide and distant ocean.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty at present does not have many ocean-going warships or supply ships capable of long-distance voyages.

Therefore, it was not as easy as one might imagine for Qi Jiguang to achieve such remarkable results in this battle; there were bound to be some twists and turns.

However, Zhu Zaiji was not afraid of setbacks. As long as the Ming Dynasty's national strength and the morale of its army and people remained, if he could not achieve his goal once, he would prepare twice; if he could not achieve it twice, he would do it three times!

In any case, Zhu Zaiji would never give up halfway like Yuan Shizu did, and would quit after just one attempt.

After all, times have changed.

When Kublai Khan launched his eastern expedition against Japan, it was purely due to the Mongol Empire's inertia of aggression, and there was no real interest behind it.

But now that Zhu Zaiji is leading an expedition against Japan, things are different.

Now, almost the entire Ming Dynasty knows that Japan is rich in silver. Such a valuable gold mine is right across the ocean from the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty can remain indifferent, that would be truly strange.

As the sun set, Zhu Zaiji withdrew his gaze and gave the order, "Prepare the carriage and return."

Upon hearing Zhu Zaiji's decree, Meng Chong immediately sprang into action.

Shouting at the top of their lungs, "The Emperor is returning!"

At this moment, just as Zhu Zaiji was returning to the capital.

The Eastern Fleet on the sea has changed into a marching formation.

At the forefront were ten Cangshan ships led by Qi Jin as the vanguard; in the middle were the "Xuande Giant Ship" commanded by Qi Jiguang and thirty large Fujian ships; on each side were twenty centipede ships as guards; behind them were transport ships and supply ships.

The sun, moon, and dragon flags on the mast fluttered in the wind, and the white waves cleaved by the bow drew countless trails on the azure sea as the ship headed towards the deep eastern sea!

Several days later, off the coast of Jeju Island.

After completing its inspection and oath-taking ceremony at Tianjin Port, the main fleet of the Eastern Fleet finally returned to its home port on Jeju Island.

Upon arriving here, Qi Jiguang stepped out from the bridge of the Xuande warship and simultaneously gave the following orders:
"All troops, listen up! Change to the 'Crane Wing Formation'! Patrol boats, advance twenty li to establish a perimeter!"

Then all the warships and vessels entered the port one by one to prepare for the next phase of military mobilization.

The supervising eunuch, Yu Huatian, also emerged from the cabin and said with a smile, "Commander Qi, I heard that Li Zhen, the naval commander of the Joseon Kingdom, has been waiting at the port for quite some time. I wonder what brings him here?"

Qi Jiguang chuckled and said, "He probably wants to show his loyalty."

Yu Huatian laughed heartily, as if this was the only answer.

Then Qi Jiguang withdrew his gaze and continued to order the messenger: "Order the entire army to dock. Order all ship captains to go ashore for a meeting, without delay!"

Inside Jeju Port, the turtle ships of the North Korean navy are lined up in neat rows, their menacing metal rams gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

On the shore, Lee Jeong-soo, dressed in North Korean official robes, stood waiting, followed by dozens of North Korean generals.

"Li Zhen, a subject of the lower kingdom, pays respects to the Grand General of the Celestial Dynasty!"

Qi Jiguang landed, and Li Zhen immediately performed a grand salute.

Qi Jiguang glanced at Li Zhen and said calmly, "Commander Li, there's no need for formalities. Please stand up and speak."

Li Zhen respectfully rose and then fawned over Qi Jiguang, saying, "General, I have been ordered by the King of our country to prepare provisions and supplies, as well as thirty turtle ships, ready to be deployed at any time. Please accept this as a token of my appreciation."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang couldn't help but glance at Li Zhen again, seemingly thinking that Li Zhen was quite sensible.

Qi Jiguang nodded and said, "Very good. Please ask Commander Li to convey my gratitude to the King of Korea and tell him that I have accepted it."

Li Zhen exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, Commander!"

Just as the two were talking, an officer rushed over: "Reporting to the commander, Zhang Biao, the deputy commander of the left battalion, has refused to carry out the order to patrol the sea and has even incited his soldiers to disobey orders!"

A cold glint flashed in Qi Jiguang's eyes, and a murderous aura surged forth. He said coldly, "Bring him here."

A moment later, a burly officer was brought in, cursing: "Qi Jiguang, I'll take your place! You're just a hereditary junior officer from Dengzhou, what right do you have to order me around? I'm a legitimate member of the Duke of Ying's family, the commander of the Five Armies Commandery!"

There was a sudden silence all around.

Zhang Biao is a nepotism case; he was forced into the position through various connections.

Unexpectedly, this guy revealed his true colors as soon as he arrived, thinking he was a nobleman from the capital.

Qi Jiguang didn't even bother to glance at Zhang Biao. He simply took the imperial axe from his personal guard and asked in a frighteningly calm voice, "Zhang Biao, do you recognize this?"

The arrogant Zhang Biao, who seemed to have no regard for the world, didn't think much of it when he saw the axe in Qi Jiguang's hand. He still arrogantly said, "What? What are you doing? Trying to use a chicken feather as an imperial edict again?"

Qi Jiguang gave a cold laugh, raised his hand and bowed to the sky, "This is an axe bestowed by His Majesty. With this axe in hand, I may kill or do as I please." Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao's face changed drastically. His knees suddenly felt like they had lost calcium, and all his previous arrogance vanished. He knelt down with a thud, crying out in terror, "General, spare my life! This humble general was confused for a moment!"

But would Qi Jiguang give him that chance?

During the past two years of preparations for war, countless people had been forced into his Japanese navy. Now that Zhang Biao had willingly walked into the line of fire and courted death, Qi Jiguang certainly couldn't waste this opportunity.

Moreover, Qi Jiguang also realized that the emperor probably bestowed the axe upon him because he knew there were too many cronies in the army and was afraid that he would be difficult to manage, so he bestowed the axe upon him.

Now that we have the axe and halberd in hand, we must ensure that orders are obeyed and that authority is established.

Otherwise, wouldn't this axe and halberd become just decorations?
Qi Jiguang, brandishing his axe, said coldly, "Disobeying orders and disrupting the morale of my army. His Majesty has granted me the authority to act expediently; today I will execute you!"

After saying this, Qi Jiguang symbolically swung the axe in the air, and then said, "Take him out and behead him!"

The guards in the camp immediately took action, dragging the screaming Zhang Biao out. With another scream that abruptly stopped, everyone knew that Zhang Biao's head was really gone.

At this moment, all the soldiers present were filled with awe and understood that this was no ordinary time; it was now a wartime moment. Although disobeying military orders would only result in death!
Qi Jiguang surveyed his generals and then said sternly, "Anyone who disobeys orders again will be executed on the spot!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals inside and outside the camp immediately bowed in unison, saying, "Your subordinates understand!"

Five days later, off the coast of Kyushu.

Deng Zilong stood at the bow of the "Yongle Giant Ship," gazing at the outline of Nagasaki Port in the distance.

With the arrival of the Xuande giant ship, Deng Zilong was able to upgrade from a musket to a cannon, and directly used the "Yongle" giant ship, the flagship of the Japanese water transport fleet that Qi Jiguang had previously sailed on!
"Vice Commander, the tide is about to turn. Shall we proceed as planned?"

Deng Zilong's deputy asked for instructions from the side.

Deng Zilong squinted at the sky, silently pondering. "Order the vanguard to transfer to smaller boats and land under the cover of the fog. Prepare the Fujian ships' cannons; bombard the harbor forts immediately upon my signal!"

Thirty Cangshan boats quietly launched over a hundred small boats, and two thousand elite marines silently rowed toward the shore.

These soldiers were mostly veterans of the "Qi Family Army" personally trained by Qi Jiguang, skilled in combining firearms with close combat.

The Japanese garrison at Nagasaki Port was completely unaware of the approaching danger. It wasn't until the first rocket pierced the pre-dawn darkness that the piercing alarm sounded throughout the port.

"Enemy attack!"

When the Japanese commander Shimazu hastily donned his armor and went into battle, the harbor forts had already been reduced to ruins by the Ming army's precise artillery fire. Hundreds of Japanese samurai gathered at the dock, holding long swords and ready for battle.

"Armored gunners, prepare!"

Yoshihiro Shimazu shouted.

Just as the three rows of arquebusiers formed their ranks, the sky suddenly darkened—thousands of rockets swarmed down like locusts, exploding incessantly. This was the Ming army's "Hundred Tigers Charging Forward Arrows!"—a single shot could launch dozens of rockets.

"charge!"

Deng Zilong personally led his troops ashore, wielding a modified three-barreled gun, and shot down three Japanese samurai with a single shot.

Street fighting unfolded in Nagasaki's narrow streets.

The Ming army used a "Mandarin Duck Formation" of five men each: two shield bearers in front, two spearmen in the middle, and one musketeer at the rear, working in perfect coordination. Although the Japanese samurai were brave, they were repeatedly defeated by this tactic.

At noon, the Japanese general Shimazu led his remaining troops to retreat and defend the castle tower.

Deng Zilong ordered: "Bring the 'General's Cannon'!"

Three heavy cannons were pushed to the front line and fired three shots at the castle tower.

The wooden and stone structure collapsed amidst a deafening explosion, burying Yoshihiro Shimazu alive.

"Report! The commander-in-chief's main fleet has arrived at the open sea!"

Deng Zilong wiped the blood from his face and said excitedly, "Raise the signal flag to let them know that Nagasaki has been captured!"

Three days later, the Kanmon Strait, between Kyushu and Honshu, opened.

Qi Jiguang stood on the deck of the "Xuande Giant Ship" and examined the battle report that had just been delivered.

Deng Zilong has completely taken control of Nagasaki, and Li Zhen's turtle fleet has also defeated the Japanese navy's counterattack.

Now, only a few stubborn strongholds remain on the entire Kyushu island.

"General, the Japanese reinforcements from Honshu have arrived on the other side of the strait."

Qi Jin pointed to the map and continued, "The scouts reported that there are about 50,000 troops, led by the Japanese general Mori."

Yu Huatian exclaimed in surprise, "The Japanese are going to fight our army to the death!"

Qi Jiguang pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What's the wind direction today?"

"Reporting to the Commander, it's a southeast wind, with moderate force."

"What about the tides?"

"The tide rises at Shenshi (3-5 PM)."

A glint flashed in Qi Jiguang's eyes, and he immediately gave the order: "Order the entire army to prepare for 'Fire Dragon Emerging from the Water'!"

The generals were stunned.

This is the latest tactic practiced by the Ming army, and it has not yet been used in actual combat.

As dusk fell, the tide began to rise. Sure enough, the main force of the Japanese army crossed the sea by ship, and the dark fleet filled the strait.

"put!"

Qi Jiguang waved his command flag and decisively gave the order.

Suddenly, dozens of strange carts were pushed out from the Ming army formation, each equipped with huge metal pipes.

As the fuse was lit, streaks of fire roared out, heading straight for the Japanese fleet—this was an improved version of the "Fire Dragon Emerging from the Water," with a range far exceeding that of ordinary rockets.

Japanese ships were hit by bullets and caught fire one after another, and the sea was thrown into chaos.

Even more terrifying, the southeast wind blew the flames toward the Japanese army's main camp, and the fire, fueled by the wind, burned ever brighter.

It was as spectacular as Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang recreating their glory at the Battle of Red Cliffs!
"Army attack!"

Seeing that the situation was very favorable, Qi Jiguang decisively drew his sword and pointed forward, ordering his army to seize the opportunity and rush forward.

As the Ming fleet pressed forward across the board, artillery fire also covered all the remaining Japanese ships.

North Korean turtle ships also flanked from the flanks, using the most primitive force to directly ram and sink the enemy ships with their iron rams.

By late at night, the Japanese army had been completely routed.

The Japanese general Mori managed to escape by small boat, but his 50,000-strong army suffered more than half its losses, with the remainder scattering and fleeing.

This battle was a resounding victory!
------

Please vote with monthly tickets~~~ (End of this chapter)