(0833) In the era when there were no radio waves, the transmission of information mainly relied on fast horses. And the transmission of information on the ocean can only rely on clippers. However, the speed of the ship, after all, is limited. In a smooth situation, it will take at least five or six days to transmit information from Brunei back to Guangdong. The speed is ideal only if there is a smooth wind.

However, smooth sailing is absolutely impossible. In ocean navigation, headwinds always dominate the vast majority. On average, it takes at least fifteen days for each battle report to be delivered from Brunei to Xu Xingxia. If Xu Xingxia wants to receive the battle report from Nanyang as soon as possible, he can only get as close to Nanyang as possible.

Fortunately, Emperor Taichang had promised to implement a constitutional monarchy and hand over the power of the de facto surname in his hands. The white-clothed army has entered Jinling City. The original Ming army was all disbanded. The original systems of the Ming Dynasty, which were incompatible with the laws and regulations of the White Army, were all cancelled. The new "Da Ming Law" is being drafted intensively.

Emperor Taichang's relinquishment of power meant that the White Clothes Army had officially completed its rule over the Central Plains. The integration of various resources and the centralized mobilization of talents have greatly improved efficiency. This is also the reason why the white army and navy can be developed rapidly. If you have money, people, and raw materials, you don't have to worry about not having warships. As long as Xu Xingxia is willing, as many warships as he wants, he can make as many warships.

There are already many shipyards in Gangnam. The shipyards in Jinling, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Quanzhou and other places are quite large. Especially the famous Longjiang Shipyard. The main treasure ship of Zheng He's fleet was built at the Longjiang Shipyard. After the implementation of the sea ban policy, many shipyards were abandoned. The same is true for the Longjiang Shipyard. After the White Clothes Army entered Jinling City, the Longjiang Shipyard was reopened to help build large warships.

According to Xu Xingxia's request, the Longjiang Shipyard will open 50 large docks, which will be specially responsible for the construction of "Tianshan" class warships with a displacement of more than 1,500 tons. At the same time, it was responsible for the experimental manufacture of warships of the "Yellow River" class with a displacement of 2,000 tons. Due to the need for the start of construction of the Longjiang Shipyard, more than 30,000 people were recruited near Jinling City at once.

The disbanded Nanming army, after a simple screening, all became people on the spot, and entered the Longjiang Shipyard in a steady stream. Xu Xingxia implemented militarized management of the Longjiang Shipyard. He adopted the method of the construction corps of later generations and specially established a Longjiang shipbuilding corps, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the shipbuilding department. The main task of this corps is to build ships. It is said that it is said that it is night after night, and it is said that it is persistently shipbuilding.

In addition to the Longjiang Shipyard, Xu Xingxia also set up similar shipbuilding corps in Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Leizhou, Yazhou and other places. All the corps commanders were personally selected by Xu Xingxia. By bringing shipyards into militarized management, shipbuilding efficiency and quality have been greatly improved, effectively ensuring the needs of the front.

By the spring of the fourth year of Taichang, the shipbuilding department had a total of eight large shipyards in Dengzhou, Longjiang, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Leizhou and Yazhou. The number of docks at each shipyard is between thirty and fifty. All the docks combined, there are more than three hundred. In other words, the construction of 300 large warships can be started at the same time.

Based on the common Wutai Mountain-class battleships with a displacement of 1,000 tons, the construction period is about nine months. If all the dockyards were used to build Wutaishan-class warships, it would only take nine months for the White Navy to obtain more than 300 Tianshan-class warships. This kind of construction speed, such a number of constructions, is absolutely unprecedented.

Of course, this is only the most ideal number. In fact, it is impossible for the White Navy to use all the docks for the production of Tianshan-class warships, but also for the production of other types of warships. At the same time, part of the dockyard must also undertake research tasks. Therefore, the number of warships acquired by the White Coats Navy every year is about two hundred and fifty ships.

It is definitely not an exaggeration to describe the white-clothed army and navy as nouveau riche. From the original poor and white, to the current net worth, it only took three years. By the four years of Taichang, the White Army Navy had more than 200 warships with a displacement of more than 500 tons. Such strength can definitely be called second to none on the sea in the east.

The only weakness of the navy is that the software can't keep up. More precisely, talent can't keep up. It does not mean that the navy has combat effectiveness if it has large warships. No matter how powerful a battleship is, it needs people to drive it. The strength of the Navy is often reflected in the quality of its personnel. If it is said that in the composition of combat effectiveness, warships account for 50 percent, and personnel also account for 50 percent. However, the weakest link of the white-coated navy is currently this link.

The expansion of the navy of the White Coats was too fast to find so many skilled sailors. The original Ming Dynasty implemented a policy of banning the sea for hundreds of years, resulting in a great shortage of civilian sailors. In coastal areas, there are not many people who have experience in going to sea. Therefore, Xu Xingxia's task for the navy is still mainly training, supplemented by external expansion. The more time the navy has mastered, the higher the degree of training and the stronger the combat effectiveness.

In addition to military shipyards, Xu Xingxia also vigorously advocated the development of private shipyards, advocated private shipbuilding, and advocated the active participation of non-governmental people in maritime trade. He lifted all restrictions on maritime trade. As long as you have the strength, can afford to buy a ship, and can afford to hire sailors, you can participate in the maritime trade. The tax on maritime trade is also fixed at about 10%. There is no other tax other than this tax.

Obviously, Xu Xingxia's policy is still very stimulating for the development of non-governmental maritime trade. In the past, maritime trade was in the hands of a few powerful families, and ordinary people had no chance to participate in it. Otherwise, it will definitely suffer from the joint attack of several major families. But now, that risk doesn't exist.

In front of the bayonets of the white-clothed army, the major families, including the Ye family, have been greatly suppressed. Not only are their official positions gone, but their armed families have all been disbanded, and their land has all been registered. All properties are also registered in a unified manner as the basis for collecting taxes in the future.

According to Xu Xingxia's instructions, the first thing the white-clothed army did after entering Jiangnan was to issue a decree to collect taxes uniformly. As long as you have land, no matter who you are, you must pay taxes truthfully. As a result, the large landowners who had extensive land could not enjoy the preferential treatment of tax exemption. They must hand over a part of their interests.

Of course, it's okay not to pay it. The consequence of not paying it is that the house will be confiscated, the clan will be exterminated, and then all the land will be divided. In Suzhou, Changzhou and other places, some big landlords did not believe in evil and gathered together to try to confront the white-clothed army, but as a result, all the big landlords who participated in the confrontation were wiped out with an order. Their land was also nationalized.

Realizing that the white-clothed army was definitely not joking, the other landlords obediently counted the number of acres of their fields and took the initiative to pay taxes in advance, so as not to cause death. As a result, the white-clothed army had just entered Jiangnan, and the taxes collected in terms of fields exceeded 10 million taels of silver. In the commercial field, the tax collected exceeded 20 million taels of silver. In Songjiang Prefecture alone, the various taxes paid exceeded one million taels of silver. The taxes paid by merchants in Hong Kong also exceeded one million taels of silver.

"Wouldn't it? Oh my God, what was I doing before? ”

For this number, the most surprising estimate is Emperor Taichang.

When the Southern Ming Dynasty was still there, it was really stormy and overstretched, and the treasury was so empty that even rats could starve to death. Emperor Taichang practiced strict economy and repeatedly reduced expenses, but the result was still that it was difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice. Such a pitiful income is simply not enough to pay officials. In order to raise money, Emperor Taichang wanted to break his head.

Emperor Taichang did not fail to think of collecting taxes from large landowners, big bureaucrats, and big merchants, but they were all politely rejected by the ministers. The ministers below him all told him that the rich merchants in Jiangnan actually didn't have any money at all. They all say that the surface is shiny, but the inside is actually rotten for a long time. Taxing them is to leave a stench for 10,000 years, and it is to be played with and scolded by future generations. Emperor Taichang, who was unfamiliar with the people, believed it and shelved the matter.

As a result, I didn't expect that when the white-clothed army first arrived, it was useless to use any means, so it received an income of 30 million taels of silver! If the white-clothed army uses a little means, I am afraid that this number can be doubled or even quadrupled. In an instant, Emperor Taichang hated [***] Xing and Ye Xianggao to death, and swore that they would pay the price.

"These bastards! I'm going to make you pay! ”

Sure enough, after Emperor Taichang gave up his power, he was worried that Yuzi would be bored, so he decisively found his life goal. He swore that for the rest of his life, he would definitely [***] Xing, Ye Xiang, and others and vomit all their wealth.

Hmph, in the past, you joined forces to deceive Lao Tzu and make Lao Tzu uncomfortable, but now, Lao Tzu has just the time to toss you slowly. This point, I'm afraid that [***] Xing and Ye Xianggao would never have imagined.

"What is the dream of a slave?"

"Freedom.

"Wrong."

"Isn't the slave most longing for freedom?"

"What slaves yearn for most is to own a large number of slaves themselves."

“……”

…… The spring of Taichang's four years is still belated.

The surface of the South China Sea has undergone great changes. The most important change is that the atmosphere of the big war is getting stronger and stronger. Whether it is the Spaniards or the Portuguese, or the Italians and the French, they can clearly feel that between the White Navy and the Dutch Navy, I am afraid that an earth-shattering battle is about to break out.

Under the thick atmosphere of war, some merchant ships, who were worried about being affected, resolutely left the waters of the South China Sea and went to the Indian Ocean to take refuge from the limelight. Even the merchant ships of the Spaniards made the same choice. Except for the merchant fleet, the naval fleets of all forces are highly concentrated, vigilantly staring around, lest they miss a single detail.

After the news of Seedorf's capture by the White Coats Navy spread, the prestige of the Dutch was dealt a very serious blow. If it weren't for the fact that the news had been repeatedly verified, I am afraid that no one would have been able to believe that the commander of the Dutch Far East Fleet was actually captured alive by the White Army Navy. For a time, the entire South Sea was full of the cowardice and incompetence of the Dutch.

The fighting in the port of Palinban made the Dutch feel that there was no other solution than war. Because, the white navy has made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of sitting down with the Dutch to negotiate. Even if the Dutch took the initiative to ask for negotiations, I am afraid that the white army would not agree. Rather than being sent to be slapped in the face, it is better to give it a go. The Dutch still have a certain degree of self-confidence in their naval military power.

However, the strength of the white-clothed navy is also constantly increasing. The navy of the White Coats not only established a foothold in the port of Palin, but also established a strong port in Dernat. In Brunei, a strategic point, the white-coat navy has also driven a nail. The local indigenous royal family also allowed the White Navy to dock at the port of Brunei.

The promises of the indigenous royal family, of course, are not worth much. The various forces on the surface of the South Seas will not take any indigenous royal family in their eyes. The indigenous royal families in the port of Brunei allow the white-clothed navy to be stationed, which actually has no effect on the strength of the power in the South Seas. Politically, however, there is a very fatal place. It is precisely this that the White Army grasps.

No matter which country it is, in fact, it has not really incorporated all parts of Nanyang into its own territory. This means that, politically speaking, the South Sea Islands are actually still reading. Those indigenous royal families are still nominally the masters of various places. Using bayonet tactics, the White Navy forced the Brunei Empire to issue an order forbidding Dutch merchant ships to dock.

As we all know, Brunei is basically in the center of the map of the South Seas. Merchant ships traveling between Manila and Malacca generally have to stop at Brunei. The Dutch merchant navy was certainly no exception. However, the White Navy came to such a hand, which directly cut off a very important trade route for Dutch merchant ships. Jamming the route is equivalent to jamming the neck.

In response to the various provocative acts of the White Army and Navy, the high-ranking officers and directors of the Dutch East India Company were about to go crazy. However, they have no choice. Because, apart from iron and blood, no other means can resolve the dispute between the two sides. However, Esco did not have enough confidence in defeating the White Coats Navy.

Thankfully, at the most critical moment, the Dutch's support finally arrived. At the end of April of the fourth year of Taichang, Dutch Admiral Robben, led more than 50 large warships, appeared in the South Sea near Jakarta. The morale of the Dutch was immediately boosted.

(To be continued)