"On this trip, the plan has hardly been realized."

Du Fujiao walked next to Zhao Xingde and Shi Heng, and grunted and complained.

"Plans can't keep up with changes, that's the characteristic of our sailors."

Liu Zhijian said with a smile, and Liu Zhiyuan behind him also nodded.

Because of a strong wind, the Southwest Sea Master was stranded on Longzhu Island for half a month, and the two brothers were full of brotherhood. With this relationship, the sailor got the best supplies since he went to sea on Longzhu Island, and a group of sailor officers also made friends with Liu Zhiyuan. Zhou He, Feng Mi and others saw that although the Xia Kingdom only had such a stronghold in the Southwest Sea, the two cities on Longzhu Island were very strong, with elite soldiers and horses, and a large number of firearms, ammunition, grain and grass were hoarded, and they were all secretly frightened. However, on the surface, in the past half a month on Longzhu Island, the officers of the two countries who have arrived at the port have been extremely harmonious. The isolated environment of the sailor is like a melting pot, which sometimes makes people forget about the wind and clouds on the continent for a while, and focus on crossing the waves in front of them together, which is exactly what Zhao Xingde hopes to see.

"Lord Zhao, this is the latest military order." Liu Zhiyuan stepped forward and handed a silk scroll to Zhao Xingde.

"Military orders?" Du Fujiao said, "Didn't you receive it half a month ago?" ”

He looked at Liu Zhiyuan, Liu Zhiyuan also looked puzzled, although the flying pigeon passed quickly, but because of the huge loss of military pigeons along the way, the military government generally will not easily use the pigeon station, if there is nothing to do, generally two or three months only once to pass the news back and forth, like now, half a month twice in a row to send the military order, is unheard of, plus Zhao Xingde with the pigeon station briefly replied to a twist, this half a month three times to use the military pigeon to pass, the cost is huge, and may even make some of the pigeon stations along the way temporarily unable to pass the news.

"I ordered that our sailors arrive and occupy Basra by the end of March. Along the way, merchant ships were collected, and at all costs, rice, wheat, cassava, dried meat, dried fish, preserved fruits, sugar cubes, and all other food that could be filled with military rations, the total amount was limited to 200,000 stone of grain, and the rest of the cabins were full of forage for the army in the river. The deed of the silver needed for the purchase of grain was issued by the sailor, and the treasury was to cash the full amount to the merchants. In addition, all the military rations and ammunition that had been hoarded on Longzhu Island were handed over to the sailors to be loaded and transported. ”

Zhao Xingde said in a deep voice, and the general ordered it to close. His face was uncertain. Liu Zhiyuan, Shi Heng and Du Fujiao also looked surprised.

"Just the gale-strong half a month ago, if it was an ordinary fleet, it would have dispersed a long time ago, thanks to General Zhao's prestige, and the commanders of all ships did their best, so that the sailors could be brought together again. How could those people in the Protectorate who had never seen the sea in their lives imagine it? The sea is uncertain, and even the gods are not sure to arrive in Basra before the end of March. ”

Shi Heng didn't have a good temperament, he was a person from the Bachelor's Mansion, and he was not subject to the control of the General's Mansion and the Protector's Mansion, and he didn't have any scruples about speaking.

In his opinion, the most important thing in navigation is the wind direction and current, like the unprecedented voyage of the Southwest Sea Division, as long as there are not too many sunken ships and the destination is safely reached, it is necessary to thank God, it is impossible to control the speed as strictly as the marching division hopes. "These idiots who only know how to count time with a ruler!" In his heart, he scolded the person who gave this military order countless times.

"If you forcibly requisition merchant ships, the shipowner will cry to death." Du Blowhorn cried and said with a sad face, "The barbarians are all bartering, and now the treasures that should be loaded are full of spices, ivory, rhino horn, and pepper, and those who are not full are waiting for the treasures to be on the ship on Dragon Ball Island, and now they are going to requisition merchant ships, isn't this killing them?" Besides, once the news is transmitted back to Yangzhou, the price of Nanhai coupons will definitely plummet, and how many people will go bankrupt! When he anchored in Zhancheng, Du Chuijiao asked a familiar shipowner, and as soon as he returned to Guangzhou, he immediately cashed out his military salary at the local Yajiao line, and bought all the South China Sea bonds.

Although this voyage to the southwest sea has experienced many setbacks, the merchant ships that have returned one after another have made a lot of money.

In Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Yangzhou and other coastal cities, there are people guarding the port every day, waiting for the news of the ship docking.

The short-term harassment of the Song coastal areas by the Great Food Pirates caused the city to be extremely hungry for treasures in the South China Sea, and the Northern Expedition was in full swing and urgently needed various materials, so the demand for sugar, rice, spices, rhino horn, ivory and other goods returned from the Great Song Dynasty was almost endless. Soon after each ship docked, merchants flocked to the shore and snapped up the goods, and many shipowners became rich overnight. The good news is one after another, and the price of Yangzhou Zhengxintang's Nanhai coupons is rising day by day. However, in the final analysis, the price of the South China Sea Bonds is still supported by these merchant ships at sea, and if the news of the Southwest Sea Division's forcible requisition of merchant ships comes back, it will definitely make the price of the South China Sea bonds pour down like a flood.

"It's over, it's over," Du asked in despair, clenching his fists and twisting his eyebrows, "why requisition merchant ships?" ”

"yes, why? Liu Zhijian also said strangely, "The military government's requisition of civilian property will definitely not be for no reason." ”

"And ......" he looked a little embarrassed, and he sighed.

"Moreover," Shi Heng continued: "Most of these merchant ships are from the Kanto region, and if they are forcibly requisitioned, at the smallest, they will be dishonest and provoke the Song Kingdom, and at worst, they will be dishonest and provoking the people of the Kanto region." Is the person who issued this military order crazy and disheartened? He shook his head dissatisfiedly, even if it was in the Xia Kingdom, the Prime Minister's Mansion requisitioned civilian materials, and the proclamation would inevitably explain it in detail in order to gain the understanding of the people. Even so, the Shangzhu State and the Protector would still criticize it, and the lieutenant would often complain on behalf of the sergeants. And this sudden requisition of the merchant ships of the Song State is tantamount to robbery, completely ignoring the authority of the Kwantung court and the credibility of the current dynasty in the Kwantung region, and if there is no strong reason, it is really difficult to convince the public.

"There is no explanation in the military letter." Zhao Xingde handed the general book to Liu Zhiyuan, "But the meaning is very clear." ”

"But ......"

"No, but. The military government naturally has a reason for issuing this military order. ”

Zhao Xingde looked at Du Chuijiao and Liu Zhijian, and said in a deep voice: "In order to avoid the fluctuation of the army's heart, pass on my military order, and the army is not allowed to discuss this matter without authorization. Du Fujiao reluctantly agreed, and Liu Zhijian went separately to invite the officers of the Song State to come over to discuss, and slandered all the way, and I don't know what the marching division thought, most of the officers and soldiers of the Navy Division were Song people, and Xia Guo forcibly requisitioned the merchant ships of the Song State with a military order, aren't you afraid that the Song State will turn its face and the officers and soldiers mutiny? Liu Zhijian was preoccupied, and if something was abnormal, he would be a demon, and the military government did not explain the reason, if it was not dizzy, it would have happened extremely important on the Western Front, so that no rumors could be discussed.

Shi Heng frowned and looked at Zhao Xingde, only to see him looking at the place where the sea and the sky met in the distance, his face was not shocked or angry, and he didn't know what he thought in his heart. However, Shi Heng expected that his heart would not be at peace, the Xia State Military Government had requisitioned the Song State merchant ships so arbitrarily, and Zhao Xingde was between the two countries, which would inevitably be doubly difficult. Soon, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the cabin, Zhou He, Xu Xiaoyun, Feng Mi, Ma Yuan and other officers came one after another when they heard the news, Zhou He's face sank like water, Xu Xiaoyun's face was extremely ugly, if the governor of the Southwest Sea Division was not Zhao Xingde, even if he fought to the death, he would have to scold, and now he was looking at Zhao Xingde silently.

"To tell you the truth, in the military government's original military order to the Southwest Sea Division, in addition to deterring the coastal princes, there is also the camera to capture Basra and Cairo and prepare heavy grain and grass for the western expeditionary army, but this military task is not a priority or urgency, and it is diametrically opposed to the current situation. If Zhao hadn't lived in Dunhuang for some days, when he saw this military order, he would definitely be the same as everyone thought in their hearts, and the person who made this military order would have gone crazy. Zhao Xingde said in a deep voice, Zhou He and the others' faces softened slightly, he waved his hand, and said, "However, according to Zhao's knowledge, a military order to requisition and distribute civilian materials like this is definitely not made by the Great General's Mansion alone, and it still needs to be signed by the Prime Minister's Mansion before it can be issued." Although the war is in full swing now, there are at least more than 40 captains in the Dunhuang Protectorate Mansion. The Kansai Lieutenant and the Kanto School were promoted in the same way, but it was not a blessing, everyone was not an idle person, and it was possible for one person to lose his mind and go crazy, and it was almost impossible for dozens of people to lose his mind and go crazy together. ”

Liu Zhijian, Shi Heng and others nodded. "It's not that you're crazy," Xu Xiaoyun asked rhetorically, "so what?" ”

"That is to say, there must be a major reason behind this military order, so that the Five Mansions have to do so."

Therefore, although the military order seems to be a bit arrogant and unreasonable, its original intention is to requisition the ships of the Song State, which can also be said to be asking for help from the Kanto. There is also a phrase in the military order that 'at all costs', and we can negotiate with the merchant ship keepers for compensation, and make conditions for ships that will voluntarily sail westward with the sailors, and only when there are not enough westbound ships will we consider forced requisition, so as to minimize the impact of this on the merchant fleet. Zhao Xingde said unhurriedly, Liu Zhijian, Shi Heng and others were a little moved, no matter whether the four words "at any cost" in the military order are indeed meaningful, or the scribe who drafted the manuscript did it casually, the conditions negotiated between Zhao Xingde and these businessmen were later borne by themselves before the posthumous recognition of the Protectorate Mansion. However, when he was in Liaodong, he was just a lieutenant general, and he issued a house deed to the people of Han'er, and now as a general, he is in the Zhuguo, and it is not surprising that he acts like this.