Returning from a long voyage, preparing for a rainy day
The return of the Wavebreaker dispelled the oppression that had shrouded the town for days. The docks were crowded with people, welcoming the heroes of the expedition and eager to learn about the outside world.
Yan Qing and Boss Zheng had no time to rest, so they reported in detail to the core members in the meeting hall about the gains and observations of the voyage.
"To the north, we sailed most of the way along the coastline of Ryukyu Island," Boss Zheng pointed to the new nautical chart, which had many winding coastlines and annotations added to it. "The eastern part of the island is full of cliffs and there are few landing points, but the forest resources are extremely rich. The western part is relatively flat, and we have discovered several large estuary alluvial plains with fertile land. There may be scattered indigenous tribes, but they do not seem to have formed a strong and unified force." This means that if they need to expand, the west has huge potential.
"We headed west, approaching the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang with extreme caution," Yan Qing continued, his expression serious. "We didn't dare to directly negotiate with the authorities, but instead used some covert channels to establish contact with several small but reputable private maritime merchants. The situation in our homeland...is not optimistic."
He paused, his voice lowering. "The Jin army is powerful, their cavalry has marched south many times to attack the border, and the imperial court... well, it's still seeking peace and paying tribute, trying to survive in a corner. Powerful corrupt officials like Tong Guan and Gao Qiu control the government, and corruption is rampant. The people of Jiangnan are increasingly destitute due to the remnants of the 'Flower and Stone Gang' and the exploitation after the Fang La Rebellion. What's worse..."
He glanced at Zhang Qing and Qiongying. "Rumors about our Liangshan remnants fleeing overseas with a vast treasure have occasionally circulated in certain coastal circles. While they haven't garnered widespread attention, Zhu Jie and his men clearly believe them and have been secretly investigating. The group of spies we encountered is by no means isolated."
Finally, he mentioned his explorations southward: "The situation on Luzon Island is complex. There are several coastal port towns controlled by a mix of Han Chinese, native chieftains, and Nanyang people, such as the 'Dragon Turtle Port' we encountered, and there are conflicts among them. Further south, there are numerous islands with abundant resources, but the power structure is unclear. Overall, there is currently no unified and powerful force in the southern waters that can threaten us, but we must be wary of the greed and hostility that may exist in those port towns."
After the report, a silence fell in the meeting hall. Yuanhang had brought back valuable geographical information, confirming that the threat from their homeland was not groundless, but was closely linked to the corrupt official Zhu Jie.
"Zhu Zhen..." Zhang Qing chewed on the name, a cold glint in his eyes. "This man is extremely greedy. Now that he has set his sights on us, he will never give up easily. Although the spies were scared away this time, they will definitely come back, and next time, they may bring a stronger force."
Qiongying gazed at the sea chart and said slowly, "Blessings often lie in the shadow of disaster, and disasters often lie in the shadow of blessings. This crisis is also an opportunity." She raised her head and glanced at the crowd. "First, now that we have identified the main source of external threats, we can focus our efforts and take targeted precautions. Zhu Jie is, after all, a powerful minister, not the emperor. The personal power he can mobilize is limited, and he must act in secrecy. This gives us room to maneuver."
"Secondly," she pointed to the plain west of Liuqiu on the sea chart, "this fertile land that Boss Zheng has discovered is our future retreat and also a new space for development. We can't put all our eggs in one basket. We need to consider establishing separate bases to spread the risk and complement each other."
"Third, we must not abandon our connections with ports in Luzon and other places because of a lack of resources. We must carefully select reliable partners and establish limited, profit-based trade relationships. This will not only allow us to obtain external material intelligence, but also, to a certain extent, leverage their power to contain Zhu Jie's forces."
Zhu Wu twirled his beard in agreement. "Madam, your opinion is excellent. Our current strategy can be defined as 'strengthening the foundation internally, establishing external checks and balances, and preparing a retreat route.'"
A specific strategy was quickly formed:
1. Strengthen the Fundamentals: Accelerate the upgrade of the town's defenses, especially in the dock area facing the open sea. Build additional artillery batteries (using improved crossbows and a small number of prototype artillery pieces) and deploy underwater barriers. At the same time, increase strategic reserves of food, weapons, and medicine. Provide more systematic military training for all residents, ensuring a constant readiness and a virtuous cycle of military action.
2. External liaison and checks and balances: Yan Qing is responsible for this. He will use his communication skills to select one or two towns that are not in Zhu Zhen's sphere of influence but have interests to pursue from the Luzon ports that he has contacted before. He will try to establish stable trade channels and use the local specialties (such as high-quality timber, a small amount of gold and silver, and leather) in exchange for intelligence, books, high-quality crop seeds and necessary military supplies in the hands of the other party.
3. Prepare a retreat: Secretly organize an exploration and construction team, led by Hu Sanniang and Wang Ying, equipped with sufficient resources and weapons, and sail to the western plains of Liuqiu. Select a suitable location, establish a small outpost, reclaim farmland, and build simple docks and defense facilities as future diversion points and strategic depth.
With the strategy in place, the town began to operate efficiently again. Knowing the source of the threat and how to address it, the people felt less panic and more determination to unite against the enemy. The enthusiasm for building and defending their homeland was unprecedentedly high.
Little Qiming seemed to sense the solemn atmosphere of the adults, and he studied harder in school and took martial arts seriously. He whispered to Qiongying, "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be like Daddy and Uncle Yanqing, sailing a big ship and protecting our home!"
Qiongying looked at her son's young yet resolute face, her heart filled with comfort and hope. Crisis is also a whetstone, sharpening the backbone of a new generation.
Just on the eve of the Western Exploration Team's departure, the speedboat responsible for monitoring the sea area sent back an urgent report: traces of unidentified ships were found again in the northwest direction, and the number seemed to be more than last time!
Zhu Jie's minions were indeed unwilling to give up and came back even faster!
This time, they will no longer test the waters, but will come with clearer goals and greater strength.
The storm arises from a tiny ripple.
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