As it turned out, he never expected that the Little Emperor would actually dare to entrust the Navy to him.
Meeting Zhang Huangyan's somewhat surprised gaze, Zhu Ci said warmly, "Minister Zhang is a man of both literary and martial talent; it would be a great pity to let such talent lie dormant. Moreover, I have heard that your military discipline is strict when you lead troops, which pleases me deeply."
Zhang Huangyan's mind shifted; he had vaguely heard that this Little Emperor was extremely protective of the people when leading troops in battle and maintained very strict military discipline, unlike most of the generals of the current era.
In fact, he had already admired this Little Emperor quite a bit before, but.. he was too young. Even if he managed to struggle his way out, he would first have to face the encirclement and suppression by the Qing Army, so he had chosen the older Zhu Yihai.
Who could have imagined that the very person they once thought was too young to shoulder the weight of the Great Ming's mountains and rivers would now possess the countenance of a wise ruler.
Truly, heroes emerge in their youth.
When Zhu Ci tried to win people over, he almost never failed.
Back then, he and Zhu Ying had almost nothing in common; even if he didn't particularly admire her, he could still make her spin around her finger, let alone the current Zhang Huangyan.
Even if Zhang Huangyan is a Juren and has seen more of the world than Zhu Ying, people are essentially the same at their core.
Moreover, Zhu Ci's current identity is different, he truly admires Zhang Huangyan.
He vaguely remembered that the spoilers had mentioned this person; Zhang Huangyan was also one of the male lead's experience packs, but he had caused a great deal of trouble for Alna.
This man remained steadfast on the front lines against the Qing from the very beginning until his death, even when captured in the end, he resolutely refused to surrender.
It is hard not to admire him.
Zhang Huangyan also felt very comfortable chatting with the Emperor, but in his heart, he felt a sense of emotion; people truly are different from one another.
The Prince of Lu, Zhu Yihai, whom they chose, was already middle-aged and lived in a daze, possessing no clear goals at all, wanting nothing more than to live in peace in his own little corner.
To be honest, Zhu Yihai could hardly be called a tyrant; at most, he was merely a mediocre ruler.
And given the current state of chaos in the world, a mediocre ruler is no better than a corrupt one.
The Little Emperor, however, had a very clear goal.
Although Zhang Huangyan had been flattered into a glowing countenance and no longer felt the trepidation he had before, he still clearly remembered what the Emperor had just said.
He hesitated for a long while, feeling that the Little Emperor did not seem as hot-tempered as the legends suggested, prone to killing at every turn, so he simply asked, "Your Majesty, why do you wish to fight Zheng Zhilong's forces?"
Zhu Ci said nonchalantly, "Originally, I did not wish to deal with them for the time being. Regardless of whether they recognize me as the legitimate successor, at least they are resisting the Qing. In the past, the Great Ming nearly perished because of severe internal strife. I simply did not expect that even though I intended to let them go, they would be relentless, provoking me time and time again. It is truly beyond endurance."
Zhang Huangyan felt somewhat embarrassed; he naturally knew what was going on, as they had their hand in this after all.
However, he still asked, "I do not understand why we must fight a decisive battle at sea against Zheng Zhilong."
Anyway, it was clear that even Emperor Longwu would not be able to hold out for much longer.
Zhang Huangyan felt somewhat conflicted regarding the fate of Zhu Yujian.
Originally, both sides wanted to secure legitimacy first and then consolidate their strength to resist the Qing in one fell swoop; they didn't care at all about the Little Emperor, who was still just the Crown Prince at the time.
As it turned out, they had spent so much time fighting without reaching a conclusion, while the Little Emperor had already gained control over half the realm.
After defeating Zuo Liangyu and persuading Li Chuangwang to surrender, he has now also taken Xuzhou.
With Fujian about to be taken as well, under these circumstances, he should be focusing all his strength on resisting the Qing, so why is he still fighting naval battles?
Moreover, what would be the use of defeating Zheng Zhilong? At most, it would just mean seizing control of all the maritime trade routes.
He didn't say that maritime trade routes were useless; they were certainly useful. He knew very well that the rise of Great Ming was inextricably linked to maritime trade.
How could those high-grade weapons be manufactured without money?
It was just a matter of priority; what was most urgent right now was not that, especially since they still held a certain share.
Zhang Huangyan felt puzzled in his heart, but he also felt that the Little Emperor should not be someone who cannot distinguish between what is important and what is not, so he asked a question.
Of course, if the Emperor's attitude had not been sufficiently warm, he would not have dared to ask.
Zhu Ci sighed and said, "Do you think I don't know that the most important thing right now is to expel the Tartars? But if Zheng Zhilong retreats to Taiwan, he will ultimately become a hidden danger. Setting aside everything else, what if he launches surprise attacks on sea vessels or ports? Being attacked from both front and back during the most intense battles against the Qing Army would be disastrous; it would be better to deal with him now to prevent any future complications."
Zhang Huangyan said with a bitter smile, "Your Majesty, that Zheng Zhilong has dominated the seas for many years; he is not that easy to deal with."
Zhu Ci gave him a mysterious smile. "I shall take you to see two things."
What he saw, of course, were the submersible and the □□.
Zhang Huangyan's eyes went wide when he saw the submersible diving.
Although Zhu Ci knew that a prototype of the submersible had already appeared at this time, news might not be that well-received on the Great Ming side due to years of continuous warfare.
Moreover, even if they knew about and had seen that submersible, that thing had always been used merely as a recreational toy; it had almost no real strategic value.
This one of Zhu Ci's has already been improved; it is capable of true long-term underwater navigation. I cannot say much else, but it would have no problem conducting surprise attacks on ports or vessels.
Zhang Huangyan's eyes grew brighter the more he looked at it, his gaze fixed on the submersible as he asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, who is this gifted genius capable of creating such a divine tool?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Hehe, guess. *Cat flicks its tail and sways it slowly. jpg*
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 169
The Grand Secretary, who had been standing silently by the side, slightly raised his chin and said in a tone carrying a barely perceptible trace of pride, "The entire design of this object came from His Majesty's own hands."
He had heard back then that Zhang Huangyan seemed somewhat unwilling to accept it; does your Prince of Lu have this kind of ability? And you are still unwilling?
Zhang Huangyan was extremely surprised upon hearing this: "Your Majesty is truly learned and talented."
Fu gave a light snort after hearing this. How far has he come? Currently, all the advanced weapons of the Great Ming army were produced by the Little Emperor's hand; otherwise, how could the Great Ming have its current situation?
But seeing Zhang Huangyan's expression, Fu knew that this man had already surrendered his heart.
He truly breathed a sigh of relief. Very good; with Zhang Huangyan on his side, the Little Emperor should no longer insist on personally leading troops to fight Zheng Zhilong.
The chances of defeating Zheng Zhilong have increased even more.
Back then, Zhang Huangyan's navy was not even as good as the current Great Ming Navy; they fought to a standstill against Zheng Zhilong's forces on the inland waterways. Although they have since shifted their combat to the sea, their personnel and equipment have improved, naturally, they are much more confident.
He turned and bowed to Zhu Ci, saying, "Your servant is willing to lead the Navy to capture the rebels."
Zhu Ci had a smile on his face; although he felt some regret that he could not go out to lead the troops, it was still better to let someone with more experience go.
Even if he went out to sea himself, he might not be much better than Zhang Huangyan.
Zhu Ci smiled brightly, helping Zhang Huangyan up as he spoke, "Very well, very well. I shall entrust the Great Ming Navy to Xuanzhu."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Huangyan felt pressured, but at the same time, he felt invigorated.
For someone like him, the thing he fears least is pressure; it would only be being set aside and left unused that would make him feel miserable.
Zhang Huangyan asked, "I do not know when Your Majesty intends to set out on the expedition? I would like to make arrangements for the Navy's defenses."
In fact, he wanted to quickly familiarize himself with the situation of the Great Ming Navy, but he feared that saying this would make him appear as though he were stalling for time and lacked the courage to go on a campaign.
Zhu Ci said with a smile, "There is no need to rush, Xuanzhu. You have just arrived; first, go and familiarize yourself with the situation and discipline throughout the military ranks."
Zhang Huangyan felt much more relieved instantly, thinking to himself that an Emperor who had truly led troops was indeed reliable. Someone like Zhu Yihai did not understand these matters, so he was easily deceived by Zheng Cai's sweet words, which would lead him to become suspicious of generals like them.
He soon discovered that the Little Emperor's reliability lay not only in his knowledge of military affairs, but also in his clear understanding of the tensions between civil and military officials.
When he heard that the Great Ming's military expenses were now independent and controlled by the military itself, he was completely shocked.
He subconsciously glanced at Fu and asked, "This.. did this plan not encounter any opposition?"
Zhu Ci also glanced at Fu with a smile and said, "This plan was discussed between me and the Grand Secretary."
After speaking, he said earnestly, "I know what generals fear most when fighting far from home. Rest assured, I will never allow anyone to hold them back!"
Zhang Huangyan felt in his heart that it was impossible. Being a scholar by profession, how could he not know what the Scholar-official group was thinking? They were hardly easy to deal with.
When he left, he and Fu left the palace together. Upon arriving at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, Zhang Huangyan could not help but say, "Grand Secretary Fu, may I speak with you in private?"
Fu wore sunglasses so that Zhang Huangyan could not see the scrutiny in his eyes, but his tone was very gentle: "What questions do you have, General Zhang?"
Zhang Huangyan asked in a low voice, "Is there really no problem with the separation of military and civil administration that His Majesty mentioned before?"
Fu looked at him meaningfully: "His Majesty is no ordinary monarch."
Although it was said that he ascended the throne in the presence of the late Emperor, this Little Emperor was no different from the founding monarchs. His personal prestige was not something anyone could simply match; even if others were dissatisfied with the decisions he made, what could they do?
Zhang Huangyan frowned. "It's just.. sometimes, not opposing doesn't necessarily mean agreeing."
He spoke somewhat indirectly, but in reality, he wanted to ask if the Scholar-official group would launch a counterattack.
Regardless of whether Zhang Huangyan was born as a Juren, if he were to lead troops into battle now, he would be a military officer and must stand with the military officers.
Even if he were given a choice, he would still choose to lead troops into battle. Since ancient times, what has been faster to build a career on than military merit?
Fu did not refute him, but simply looked into the distance and said, "They are waiting for an opportunity, but.. there is no need to worry. General Zhang, just go and find out what happened before, you will know."
The scholar-official group's advance seemed to suggest they had accepted this outcome, but both Zhu Ci and Fu knew very well that they would not stop there; they were waiting for an opportunity. Was not Zhu Ci also waiting for an opportunity to completely crush their ambitions?
In any case, Zhu Ci would never allow military power to be controlled by them; if things truly escalated, he might actually dare to drive away all the civil officials.
There is no shortage of people who are accomplished in both civil and military matters throughout the world, is not the Zhang Huangyan before us the best example?
Could it be that the world cannot be conquered without those civil officials?
Zhu Ci did not believe in such things.
Zhang Huangyan was somewhat puzzled by Fu's answer but found it inconvenient to ask more. Once he returned home and made some inquiries, he gasped in surprise: this Little Emperor appeared gentle and mild on the surface, but he was truly resolute and decisive, possessing a certain air of absolute authority.
However, that wasn't entirely accurate either. It was said that the Little Emperor also placed great importance on the opinions of the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate, so he wasn't the type of person who would insist on something even when he was wrong.
What was very strange was that the Little Emperor's decisions rarely contained major errors; perhaps they were sometimes immature, but in the long run, they all seemed to be quite good.
Could he truly be a once-in-a-generation genius?
After following an indecisive monarch, encountering an emperor like this—one who is capable, steadfast in his opinions, places great importance on military generals—was no different from a windfall from heaven.
Zhang Huangyan went to prepare for battle in high spirits. He felt no lack of confidence while preparing, but rather, he had simply never fought such a well-funded war before.
The Little Emperor had once said that the imperial family would not be supported by the state's tax revenue, it turned out to be true.
After no longer having to cover the extravagant expenses of the imperial family, the agricultural taxes of the Great Ming were reduced significantly. Even so, they could still support the Navy's military expenditures; the reason the Navy's scale was currently small was primarily because many ships had not yet left the factory.
Zhang Huangyan was full of confidence here, but Zhu Ci was somewhat worried.
The court discussion regarding whether or not to attack Zheng Zhilong has yet to be passed. If this delay continues, he will ignore the opinions of the Six Ministries and issue the orders by force.
Just as Zhu Ci was hesitating over whether to issue a firm order, Zheng Zhilong had already taken his entire family to Taiwan.