The emperor paced back and forth in the side hall and circled the sand table several times. Finally, he made up his mind and realized his mistake.

In terms of naval power, the Ming Dynasty is undoubtedly the best in Asia. However, compared with the naval power of the Netherlands and the rising star of the British, it is definitely far behind.

But the emperor knew that the Western tribes would not turn their attention to Asia for at least a hundred years. The gold, silver, and diamonds of South America and Africa were far more attractive.

Even the century-long war between Britain and the Netherlands was not far from breaking out. By then, they would have even less energy to take care of Asia.

Therefore, with the advantage of being at home, the Ming Navy was able to compete with the Western barbarians in Asia and gain the upper hand.

The emperor realized that his mistake was that he was too cautious, or he didn't think about it.

To say that the emperor was too cautious was naturally because of the involvement in the Liaodong War, which made him not want to make more enemies and fight on multiple fronts; to say that he did not think about it was naturally because he did not give clear orders to the navy or establish any principles regarding the actions of the Western Barbarians.

Anyone who offends the mighty Han will be punished, no matter how far away they are! This was the Han Dynasty's foreign policy principle, full of iron and blood.

However, since the establishment of the Ming Navy, although generals such as Shen Yourong knew that the emperor was ambitious, they had no conclusion on whether to fight the invading Western barbarians first or observe and report before making a decision.

It is not the fault of Shen Yourong and others. The feudal social system and the procedures of the Ming Dynasty in handling foreign affairs prevented them from acting freely.

By pacifying the Liao and destroying the slaves, a powerful land army had been trained in Liaodong; by annihilating the Western Barbarians, it was hoped that the navy would also become iron-blooded and brave.

The emperor made up his mind, turned back to the main hall, and wrote an edict to Shen Yourong and others.

Although the emperor did not know the details of the Dutch attack on Macau, he knew the final result. Macau was always in the hands of the Portuguese, which meant that the Dutch had failed.

The Portuguese were certainly no match for the Dutch at sea, but their ability to thwart the Dutch attempt to occupy Macau proves that the Dutch did not deploy many troops, most of whom failed in landing operations.

Based on this judgment, the emperor wanted the Ming navy to act like a mantis stalking a cicada, while the oriole lags behind. He wanted to intercept and kill the Dutch as they retreated, rather than stepping forward and taking the blame for the Portuguese.

As for the Portuguese, the emperor hired artillerymen and shipbuilders, and also bought a number of cannons from the Macau Cannon Factory. But that was the deal; as for Macau, he was sure to bring it under the direct management of the Ming government.

Therefore, if he lets the Dutch and the Portuguese fight first and both lose some strength, his subsequent plans will go more smoothly.

"If you want to fight, do it hard and make sure that not a single ship and no one on board the Dutch devils can return." The emperor thought so and wrote quickly.

In order to achieve this goal, the emperor had to mobilize the two major fleets in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, with two to three hundred large and medium-sized warships alone. He didn't believe that he couldn't deal with a few red-haired devils.

We must win the first battle and boost the confidence of the newly established navy.

The emperor knew that this would cost a lot of money and materials, but these investments were necessary. To go to war with the Western Barbarians, one must rely mainly on the navy. Without actual combat, no matter how well-equipped the navy was, it would not be able to dominate the South China Sea.

As long as the emperor's intentions were conveyed to the navy, the specific tactical arrangements would no longer be something he could plan.

Where to set up the battlefield, how to hide the ships, how to communicate, the timing of the attack, etc., are naturally discussed and determined by the generals on the front line.

In addition, the emperor also had to mobilize the power of maritime merchants and the Pacification Office to maximize his grasp of intelligence changes.

The Dutch—the emperor stopped writing, a cold light flashing in his eyes.