Shen Yourong's flagship, the "Zhenhai" named by the emperor himself, is not the largest in the navy, but it has the highest comprehensive data.
His long career at sea had enabled Shen Yourong, now in his eighties, to remain on board for extended periods of time. He even suffered from insomnia when he slept without the rocking of the ship.
Tomorrow is the day to set sail and head straight for Luzon. The final military meeting is also being held on the ship.
There were not many Spaniards in Luzon, and they had only a dozen warships and armed merchant ships, which were no match for the Ming Navy.
Although the emperor spoke of revenge, generals like Shen Yourong saw it as a major achievement in expanding territory. As long as there were no accidents at sea, they were absolutely sure to capture Luzon.
"If the Spanish inspect merchant ships entering the port, it will easily reveal our flaws." Shen Yourong shook his head slightly, rejecting Gan Hui's suggestion. "Our army has an absolute advantage in strength. Victory by force is the safest approach."
Gan Hui's suggestion was also good: let the merchant ships enter Luzon Harbor first, and then hide elite soldiers on the merchant ships, or disguise them as sailors. After entering the harbor, they could launch a surprise attack on the Spaniards, which would be more effective.
Shen Yourong smiled and explained, "The Emperor said that victory should be achieved in the most reliable way. The more sophisticated the plan and the more steps it involves, the more likely it is to encounter unexpected events."
Then he looked at Gan Hui and said, "What our army needs most is actual combat training, and this is a great opportunity."
"I understand." Gan Hui bowed and accepted the instruction.
Shen Yourong nodded, stroking his long beard and said, "The most important thing is actually to send the Marines ashore. Three thousand soldiers are enough to crush the Spanish. I heard that their phalanx is very powerful and very famous. Zheng Zhihu, Hong Xu, you must not be careless when fighting."
"Don't worry, Marshal. I'm fully aware of the Spanish's strengths and weaknesses, and I've carefully studied their phalanxes." Zheng Zhihu bowed and said, "If we deploy our formations and engage them in battle, they will undoubtedly be defeated."
The emperor attached great importance to the conquest of Luzon.
The Marine Corps will also be the main force for the Ming Empire to expand its territory, and its equipment will be even better.
Even the extremely difficult Minié rifle, which the emperor personally named "Thunderbolt," was issued a hundred times. This was a first for the troops, and no other unit had this privilege.
The Spanish had built a fort at the port with about twenty cannons, which were clearly inferior to the artillery of the Ming army.
But Shen Yourong's plan was to use both land and sea forces, with the fleet bombarding the fort with artillery in an effort to destroy it as quickly as possible.
The Marines would use small boats to land on the bay beaches, outflank the harbor batteries, or attack Manila directly.
To this end, the navy also specially built flat-bottomed speedboats suitable for beach landings, similar to the centipede boats used near the coast, which can be rowed very fast.
Given the number of Spaniards, it was impossible for them to control Manila Bay. Even if the naval fleet's attack failed, the landing force would be enough to defeat the Spaniards.
As for the Spanish Phalanx, it was indeed once very famous, but times have changed. The changes that flintlock rifles and bayonets brought to warfare were obviously not something the Spanish could adapt to and master.
In fact, the final military meeting was merely a reiteration of the emphasis. All units were already very familiar with the operational plan and had conducted actual combat drills.
This was the navy's first major siege and plundering operation, and the emperor attached great importance to it. How could Shen Yourong and the generals dare to neglect it?
They knew exactly how much real money they had invested. The more they invested, the greater their expectations. As long as they satisfied the Emperor, promotion and nobility were within reach.
At the very least, Shen Yourong was certain to be granted a knighthood. Furthermore, this was likely his last battle. At his age, even if the emperor wanted to use him, Shen Yourong felt somewhat incapable of doing so and would have to submit his resignation after the battle.
But who can replace him is a big problem.
The navy's development to date has been no more than ten years. In order to keep up with the world trend, Shen Yourong, following the emperor's will, vigorously recruited and promoted young generals.
Although generals like Zheng Zhihu, Gan Hui, and Hong Xu have grown up and have actual combat experience, they are still not qualified to be naval commanders in terms of age and qualifications.
If they were transferred from the Ministry of War or the Military Academy, they would lack practical experience and might not be able to get along well with these young generals.
The emperor was a little worried, and so was Shen Yourong. The navy he had painstakingly built was being handed over to incompetent officials, and the emperor was worried, and Shen Yourong felt distressed and regretful.
Young generals such as Zheng Zhihu, Gan Hui, and Hong Xu also saw this situation and were trying their best to show their abilities. They believed that conquering Luzon was the best opportunity.
In fact, judging by seniority, the current commander of the East China Sea Fleet, Zhang Keda, should be a good choice. However, in the emperor's view, his lack of actual combat experience is his biggest flaw.
Moreover, Zhang Keda has his own tasks and is working hard to complete them.
In Busan Port, more than 50 warships of the East China Sea Fleet are docked in the port. There are neatly arranged houses on the shore, including dormitories, warehouses, and watchtowers.
Through negotiations with the imperial court, the East China Sea Navy leased the Port of Busan as a transit point for its advance toward Sakhalin Island.
Qingdao or Tianjin, Lushun, Pi Island, Busan, Vladivostok, Sakhalin Island, this is the emperor's planned development path for the East China Sea Navy.
Although compared with the warships and troops of the South China Sea Navy, the East China Sea Fleet has only more than 100 warships and only 3,000 marines, with a total strength of no more than 20,000.
But in terms of warfare, there are very few of them. Even the anti-smuggling and catching of thieves are becoming less and less.
Although the emperor also assigned tasks to the East China Sea Fleet, there was no tight time limit, and the East China Sea Fleet was basically left to handle it on its own.
Zhang Keda was also a steady general. He participated in the Ping Liao Campaign, but he mainly transported troops and supplies and had no chance to fight in naval battles.
Therefore, he took steady steps, advancing northward step by step, and gradually realizing the emperor's vision.
Half of Busan Port was leased and put under military control. Zhang Keda stored supplies while dispatching ships, and even went out to sea himself to explore the way north.
As spring came and the ice melted, Zhang Kedai was about to lead his ship out to explore Vladivostok again and report to the court on the possibility of establishing a naval base in Vladivostok.
Vladivostok is located on the shores of the Golden Horn Bay at the tip of the Amur Peninsula, stretching inland from southwest to northeast. Surrounded by low mountains and hills, the bay offers a strategic location, making it a natural harbor.
This was the result of the first exploration by Zhang Keda's ships, but Vladivostok also had a problem: it was not an ice-free port. From mid-December to March, there was a freezing period of over 100 days.
In later times, icebreakers could be used to assist navigation, but in that era, it was like closing the port and isolating it from the outside world.
In addition to exploring Vladivostok, Zhang Keda's mission this time also involves investigating the Tumen River estuary and striving to open up a sea route to Liaodong.
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