Section Nine

Lin Feng glanced at the official records, set them aside, and looked toward the two military officers standing below the dais. "Colonel Su Mao?"

"Yes, your subordinate, Su Mao, a brave and valiant colonel under the command of General Shi Lang, the Admiral of the First Fleet of the Great Han Navy and Regional Commander of Fubo," Su Mao knelt on one knee and kowtowed. "I pay my respects to the King of Han. May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!"

"Qian Sigou?!" Lin Feng could not help but smile, casting a glance at Li Ergou beside him.

"Present. Your subordinate, Qian Sigou, a brave and resolute colonel under the command of General Yang Haisheng, the Admiral of the Second Fleet of the Great Han Navy and Regional Commander of Fubo, pays his respects to the King of Han. Long live the King!"

"Rise, both of you," Lin Feng said, looking at Su Mao on the left. "Colonel Su, you are a veteran brought out of Taiwan by General Shi Lang, aren't you? How long have you been in this line of work at sea?"

"Yes, reporting to the King of Han. I went to sea with my father to fish at the age of nine. When I was twelve, disaster struck my family, and after my parents passed away, I went to work for the venerable Zheng Zhilong. Later, I followed the Lord of the Imperial Surname... ah, no!" He realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly corrected himself. "I followed Prince Zheng Chenggong. During that time, I served under General Shi's command. Later, when General Shi had a falling out with Prince Zheng, I followed General Shi to join the Great Qing. Finally, when the King of Han entered Beijing, I began serving under the Han flag!"

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction. This man was a typical soldier—straightforward, clear-spoken, and honest. He turned to look at Qian Sigou. "And you, Colonel Qian?"

"Reporting to my liege, I am much like old Su. I also fished from a young age and came from the same village as General Yang. Later, when he raised his banner and started his business, I followed him to make a living. When you arrived in Linji County, I followed General Yang to pledge my allegiance to you!" Qian Sigou had a dark complexion and sturdy muscles, appearing exceptionally fierce. He looked at Lin Feng with a grin, not caring about protocol. "I am one of your veterans. From Fujian to Beijing, I have participated in every battle, from killing the little Tartars of Kangxi to driving back the old Tartars under Tu Hai. If you have an order, just say the word. Whether it’s through water or fire, if I even frown, then I am no longer a veteran under the Han flag!"

Lin Feng was slightly taken aback and could not help but burst into laughter.

Su Mao shook his head. "Prime Minister Li, you do not understand. They have always been like this. Now our Great Han Navy has hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of soldiers. Our military strength is formidable, and we have the Taiwan fleet as reinforcements. They dare not engage us, so they are forced to bow and treat us with courtesy. You will see, if we were weak, they would certainly be arrogant, threaten and bully us, and extort us without limit!" He smiled bitterly. "These people are utterly shameless. After committing atrocities against gods and men in the South Sea islands, they often call themselves 'gentlemen' or 'civilized people,' while calling honest, law-abiding commoners 'natives' or 'savages.' They tell others that enslaving and bullying the locals is righteous, that it is spreading civilization and is for their own good!"

Li Guandi’s face darkened. He had been reluctant to agree to send troops to war against Spain, but after hearing Su Mao, he realized it was indeed necessary to fight these maritime marauders. "Lord Su, to tell you the truth, our Great Han court just received news that the Spanish barbarians in Luzon have slaughtered tens of thousands of our citizens. The King summoned you here because he intends to go to war with them!"

Su Mao and Qian Sigou were startled upon hearing this, but their faces showed no surprise.

Lin Feng asked angrily, "Didn't you just say we have hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men? Can't we even defeat a mere bunch of Spaniards?"

Su Mao smiled bitterly. "I deserve death, your Majesty. What I meant was, if those Europeans came to our coastal waters to fight, our navy would have a high chance of victory, but if we were to launch an expedition, the outcome would be unpredictable!"

"How so?" Contrary to Su Mao's expectations, Lin Feng was not angry. He looked at the three ministers beside him and said with a smile, "Explain the logic to these gentlemen!"

"Yes, yes!" Su Mao bowed. "Reporting to the King and the gentlemen, you may not know that since our Great Han Navy opened ports and built the fleet, under the instruction of our liege, our main focus has been expanding the fleet, training personnel, and protecting trade caravans. Therefore, for the past few years, other than fighting some pirates, we have hardly fought any real battles. As you know, training alone is useless in war. If the soldiers have not seen blood, it is very risky to fight! That is the first reason."

"The second reason is that although the Great Han Navy 'claims' to have hundreds of ships, in reality, the number of warships capable of actual naval combat, combined between the two fleets, is perhaps only sixty or seventy. Of those, perhaps only twenty are capable of long-range expeditions..."

Wang Shirong was shocked. "How... how can this be?!"

Qian Sigou sighed. "Sir, let me be frank. Although our navy looks like it has many ships, many of them are not for combat, and some aren't even officially navy ships. They are merchant vessels from the Jin-Hui Guild or the Beijing firms, which have just been escorted by the First Fleet over the past few years and placed under our protection. Many of the sailors on those ships only know how to sail, not how to wield swords or guns. Some carry only one or two cannons to scare off small sampans. Take our recent transport of Governor Wang Pingliao to Jiangsu for the war—many merchant ships refused to go at first. We had to coax and deceive them into transporting troops. Fortunately, the Tartars had no naval vessels and we didn't have to fight at sea; otherwise, there would have been chaos."

"Oh? What about during a full-scale mobilization for war?"

"That is hard to say; it depends on the General's orders. Warships carrying logistics and supplies have less firepower and capacity, while the main combat ships are stronger," Su Mao said with a smile. "To put it this way, take General Shi Lang’s flagship as an example. It is a large ship of 1,200 'liao' (units of capacity). If fully loaded, it can carry over sixty or seventy cannons of various sizes and more than 500 soldiers. It is like a small city, with masts reaching over ten zhang high. It can sink an enemy ship from over ten miles away. That is truly powerful!"

Lin Feng gasped and nodded in praise. "Your navy has really grown over these years!"

"By the grace of our liege," Su Mao bowed. "The navy protects the maritime borders of the Han King and pledges its life to serve!"

"Indeed," Li Guandi and Wang Shirong exchanged glances and asked Su Mao, "Since your ships are so large and capable, wouldn't dealing with mere Spanish barbarians be as easy as reaching out and taking them?"

"They are not soft persimmons!" Qian Sigou scratched his head and smiled bitterly. "Their ships are no smaller than ours, and they carry even more cannons. You don't know, but their warships typically have sixty or seventy cannons. When the gun ports on the side flip open, good heavens, when they start firing, it looks like it's on fire; it’s like a rain of cannonballs."

"Not only that," Su Mao added with a solemn expression, "Reporting to the King and the gentlemen, besides strong firepower, their ships are better built than ours. They are sturdier, more resistant to wind and waves, and have larger cargo holds. I have seen the large Spanish warships; the biggest ones are even larger than General Shi Lang’s flagship. They are bulky, have a deep draft, and are very powerful!"

"Then do you know how many Spaniards are in Luzon? How many warships do they have?" Lin Feng frowned.

"Reporting to the King," Su Mao said, "When I was in Taiwan, I was responsible for patrolling the South Sea. As far as I know, Spain has a Governor and various government offices in Luzon, with a garrison of about 4,000 troops. In addition, there are thousands of colonial settlers. These male settlers are all strong and fierce. If a war breaks out, they will definitely be conscripted. Altogether, they have five or six thousand men. As for their naval fleet, they have quite a few—at least thirty or forty warships of various sizes. Furthermore, their merchant ships are very dangerous and not much different from warships. They operate on a 'civilian-military integration' principle; with just one document from the Governor, they can drop their cargo, load cannons, and become warships. It is difficult to calculate the exact number!"

"So, if we go to attack Luzon now, we might not win?"

"I dare not deceive the King," Su Mao said shamefully. "Unless we succeed in a surprise attack, land a large number of ground troops, and engage them in land warfare, it would be truly difficult to fight them head-on!"

"Then launch a surprise attack!" Lin Feng turned to look at Qian Sigou. "Aren't you experts at that?"

Qian Sigou smiled bitterly. "My liege, are you joking? They just killed so many of our people and are feeling guilty; the moment they see our fleet from afar, they will surround us. How can we launch a surprise attack? If it were a small fleet, there might be a chance to slip through, but Luzon has thousands of enemy troops and fortress fortifications. Our expeditionary force wouldn't be able to take it without at least ten thousand men. You say we should send so many people over thousands of miles—setting aside the troops and weapons, just the grain and supplies would require many ships. How could we possibly launch a surprise attack?"

"Indeed, a long-distance expedition with a large army might not be supported by our grain and silver!" Li Guandi, hearing about an expedition of ten thousand men, was startled and hurriedly advised, "My liege, there is no need to rush, is there? A month ago, we had a major war with the Dzungars, and the imperial treasury spent a vast amount of money. Although we are not short on silver for now, the summer harvest has not yet arrived, and grain is scarce!"

"That is true!" Lin Feng nodded helplessly. "They are an old-school empire; we are indeed still a bit green..."

"My liege!" Wang Shirong suddenly said. "I have a plan!"

Lin Feng turned in surprise and stared at Wang Shirong. As far as he knew, although Wang Shirong was resourceful, he knew nothing about naval warfare. Could he really have a countermeasure?

Wang Shirong smiled, bowed to apologize to Li Guandi and Zhou Peigong, and turned to Lin Feng. "Please forgive me, my liege. I truly know nothing about overseas affairs, but this matter is of great importance, and I cannot remain silent." He paused, looking hesitant, but under Lin Feng’s expectant gaze, he finally said, "I believe that whether it is naval or land warfare, both are matters of national military power. Although the forms differ, the intent is the same. I heard Colonel Su Mao say that the enemy in Luzon is well-prepared and strong, so we should not underestimate them. But the Art of War says: 'Avoid strength and strike at weakness.' Could we perhaps avoid their sharp edge and strike at their soft underbelly?"

"Strike at their soft underbelly?" Lin Feng was stunned, then laughed. "Ji Yun, speak quickly. In your opinion, how should we strike at their 'weakness'?"

"We don't attack Luzon. We go straight to their home country!" Wang Shirong said with a solemn expression, enunciating every word. He turned to ask Su Mao, "May I ask, Lord Su, do you know how many miles it is to travel from China to the continent of Europe?"

Su Mao’s eyes widened, looking at Wang Shirong in disbelief, and he muttered, "I heard... the foreign barbarians in Macau say it takes fully ten thousand miles, and the journey takes six to eight months!"

"Then we shall travel for six to eight months!" Wang Shirong waved his hand. "If they can come here, we can go there!"

Hearing this, Lin Feng was deeply moved and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ji Yun, what spirit!"

Su Mao was speechless, saying helplessly, "Lord Wang, you might be thinking too simply. Along the way, it is not just Spanish territory. It is tens of thousands of miles of sea, with hundreds of ports, and we would have to pass through several continents and oceans. We would be inspected and questioned everywhere. A slight mistake would lead to exposure. Furthermore, Chinese ships have never traveled that far. You... you aren't joking, are you?"

Wang Shirong’s expression was solemn; he was not joking at all. "Lord Su, I naturally know that, but we don't necessarily have to use our own ships!" He turned and bowed to Lin Feng. "Reporting to my liege, I heard that you have established relations with the Portuguese in Macau. My suggestion is that we negotiate with a Portuguese merchant guild, bribe them with gold and silver, and then, in the name of a Portuguese merchant guild, hire their shipbuilders to guide us straight to Europe!"

Lin Feng stared at Wang Shirong, at a loss. "This... will this work?"

"A thousand-mile journey is only for profit. As long as we are willing to spend gold and silver, merchants will never refuse!" Wang Shirong affirmed. "I have spent a long time in Jiangnan and have seen many merchants. This class of people forgets righteousness for profit. As long as there is money to be made, even murder, arson, or treason is of no concern to them, let alone this small matter!"

Lin Feng looked at Wang Shirong with suspicion. "Ji Yun, you don't know—the road is truly too far, and we have to keep entering ports for supplies. If this fleet of ours sails around so ostentatiously, I fear we will be discovered before we even leave the South Sea!"

"You misunderstand, my liege. The Art of War of our Great Han is profound. For such a major event, how could there be no follow-up plan?" Wang Shirong smiled slightly and said proudly, "The first trick is called 'Avoid strength and strike at weakness,' and the next one is naturally 'Deceive the heavens to cross the sea'!"

"'Deceive the heavens to cross the sea'?" Lin Feng stared blankly at Wang Shirong, then suddenly laughed. "I would like to hear the details!"

"Exactly," Wang Shirong nodded. "We bribe a Portuguese merchant guild, hoist their flags, load the ships with legitimate tea, silk, porcelain, and other goods, and travel openly as if conducting business. Any trading or negotiations will be handled by the Portuguese merchants, and our soldiers will act as ordinary Portuguese sailors..."

"Are you joking, Ji Yun?" Lin Feng smiled bitterly. "Although Portuguese people look somewhat different from other Europeans, they are still far too different from us Chinese. You want us to disguise ourselves as them? Aren't you joking?"

"My liege is mistaken!" Seeing Lin Feng’s rebuttal, Wang Shirong remained undeterred. "I have seen Portuguese merchant ships in Quanzhou. In fact, many of the people on their ships are not Portuguese at all. Many sailors have different appearances: there are 'Red-haired' people, Arabs, jet-black Kunlun slaves, and even many natives from the South Sea islands..."

"That is correct!" Qian Sigou suddenly chimed in. "These European barbarians are cruel and love to plunder populations everywhere to serve as slaves. Over these years, there have been many mixed-race people in the South Sea islands. Some have yellow hair but local faces, others have red beards and green eyes but black hair... they look strange and don't resemble anyone in particular!"

"You mean..." Lin Feng suddenly realized, looking at them in astonishment.

"Exactly so!" Wang Shirong nodded. "As long as we are willing to spend the effort and money, what is difficult about this? We can have our soldiers dye their hair and disguise themselves as South Sea natives or Arabs. Is that not possible? Besides, we can hire Portuguese merchants to assist us, and we can also go to Macau to buy black Kunlun slaves to put on the ships as sailors. This way, who would dare say we are not a 'Portuguese merchant fleet'?"

"And along the way..."

"Conduct legitimate business!" Wang Shirong reminded him. "Do nothing else, just trade goods and travel along the route. Whatever other merchant ships do, we do the same!"

"Oh?..." Lin Feng stared blankly at Wang Shirong. "And what about after arriving in Europe?"

"Once in Europe, we take our goods into Spanish ports, and then, in the dead of night, we suddenly strike, attack the city, kill, and commit arson to avenge the citizens slaughtered in Luzon!!!"

Everyone was moved. Li Guandi couldn't help but ask, "Then... according to Lord Wang, how many people do we need to send in this fleet?"

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, in my opinion, victory depends on quality, not quantity. Two thousand men are enough!" Wang Shirong calculated silently, then nodded. "Three hundred cavalry, five hundred artillerymen, and twelve hundred musketeers, taking six to eight merchant ships, departing in two batches to rendezvous at a location in Europe—perhaps Portugal—and then attacking Spain!"

"Three hundred cavalry?" Su Mao was stunned. "The men are fine, but we can't fit horses!"

"Bring only the men, no horses. We will capture horses once we arrive; if there are none, they will be musketeers!" Wang Shirong said solemnly. "The Great Han Army is powerful, and we have countless elite soldiers. The Chief of Staff can select two thousand death-defying soldiers, train them at a port in Liaodong for several months, and then set sail!"

Zhou Peigong stared at Wang Shirong in disbelief. "Ji Yun, you... do you know that if we launch such a raid, these two thousand soldiers will not be able to return, regardless of victory or defeat?"

"That is why they are called death-defying soldiers!!!" Wang Shirong’s face was grim as he gritted his teeth. "Those who offend the majesty of the Great Han must be punished, even if they are far away!!!"

After a long silence, everyone was speechless. Lin Feng turned to look at Su Mao and Qian Sigou. "Two colonels, such a dangerous battle—do you have the courage to set sail?"

Su Mao and Qian Sigou looked at each other, their expressions heavy. Hearing Lin Feng’s inquiry, they knelt together. "We will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Lin Feng nodded. "Very well. Zhou Peigong!!!"

"I am here!"

"Immediately summon Shi Lang and Yang Haisheng back to the capital, mobilize the relevant staff officers, establish an Expedition Department, and draft a detailed operation plan. Consult the foreigners in Macau thoroughly and get the details clear, including ports along the way, hydrography, weather, languages, and scripts. Calculate the exact budget for the operation!" He paused for a long time, then said solemnly, "There is no need for further discussion. This operation is not for conquering territory or seizing wealth; it is primarily for killing. If the expeditionary force successfully arrives, try not to engage the Spanish army. Instead, kill as many of the enemy’s civilians as possible. Primarily slaughter children under twelve, followed by young women, and then adult males..."

Everyone couldn't help but be struck dumb. Lin Feng looked up at the sky and said coldly, "My mind is made up. We will bathe Gibraltar in blood!!!"