The Ming Dynasty started with caution

"Third, prepare all the ships and ten thousand scarecrows. In one month, follow me northward for the expedition!"

Wang Shouren pondered for a moment and then told King Shang Zhen.

King Shangzhen and his ministers were surprised. Generals usually camp in the rear, but he actually wanted to go to the front line in person.

"Why don't you, Lord Wang, take command in Shuri Castle with me?"

Wang Shouren shook his head: "This battle is not easy. We still need to watch the sky and I need to go north in person."

Can you even see the sky?

King Shangzhen and the ministers were really shocked.

One day passed, Wang Shouren came to the school field to train a group of 500 soldiers.

The Yuanyang formation can be used just right. If an enemy lands on the beach, it can be used for defense.

The military preparation of Ryukyu soldiers was extremely poor, thousands of miles away from that of the Ming Dynasty.

The island lacked iron ore and had no mature iron-making technology. Many soldiers did not have armor or weapons.

King Shangzhen ordered that the whole dynasty enter a state of war preparation, worship heaven and earth, and prepare to go to war.

In addition to training, Wang Shouren also selected several generals in the camp.

Responsible for supervising and training soldiers.

Including farming, there are only 8,000 people.

It was better than in Hainan, where there were 5,000 field camps to deal with 100,000 enemy troops.

The training is carried out in an orderly manner. Wang Shouren must go to the school field every day to supervise the training of the soldiers.

King Shangzhen ordered Dong Min to take people to Naha Port to rebuild the walls of the two cities.

He is extremely popular among the people in Ryukyu.

With this order, all the old women in the village started building gun towers and making straw figures.

The Ryukyu Islanders from the south went north to train the Yuanyang Formation and Fish Scale Formation under Wang Shouren's camp.

At night, I lit up the lamp to read the records of sailings and the battle of Ryukyu.

One month passed in a blink of an eye,

Sixty small boats were ready, and the baggage and supplies were loaded onto the large ships. The people packed kerosene and spirits into earthen jars.

"Your Majesty, do you really want Wang Shouren to command an army of ten thousand people?"

"It's better to let Dong Wen, the official in charge, be in command, and Wang Shouren be the military advisor."

The officials were not at ease about handing over the army to outsiders.

If this person acts randomly and surrenders to the enemy, wouldn't it be worth the loss?

Shang Zhen's expression remained as usual. In the past few days, he had been thinking about various emergency measures after the defeat.

But no matter what kind, the conclusion reached can only be victory.

Ryukyu invested too much national power in this Northern Expedition.

When the strong men from the south move north, the cultivated land may be deserted, hundreds of large ships will come out, the fishermen will not be able to fish, and the national treasury will have to maintain military pay for the war.

If the Northern Expedition is defeated, Satsuma Kingdom and Kume Island will land at Naha Port. Ryukyu's military strength and military pay cannot sustain it for long.

Is there any way out?

King Shang Zhen took a deep breath and said firmly: "If you decide to go north to attack, I must trust Wang Shouren."

"The king is right, there is no way out."

Lin Wei, the Yonglu doctor who had not spoken for a long time, spoke.

Why take the initiative to attack Satsuma Country?

With its backing to the island country, Satsuma has a prosperous economy and a huge population, and its national power is becoming increasingly powerful.

They have long wanted to invade Ryukyu and often send troops south to invade.

Shang Zhen handed the seal to Wang Shouren and led all the officials of the court to stand at the dock of Naha Port to see Wang Shouren and Dong Wen off.

"Someone, bring me some wine!"

The guards served sake, Wang Shouren picked up a glass, and King Shang Zhen picked up a glass himself.

"After drinking this glass of wine, Mr. Wang will become my younger brother. When Mr. Wang returns home in triumph, we will raise a glass to celebrate."

“King Shang’s words are serious.”

Wang Shouren was a little surprised. King Shang Zhen actually made a sworn vow to him before leaving?

Although there was some resentment that captured people's hearts, it also moved him a little bit.

The soldiers began to land on the ship, pulled up the anchor, lowered the first mast canvas, and the ship slowly sailed away from the shore.

Wang Shouren took out the monocular telescope he brought from the capital.

Hundreds of small boats go out to sea, which is extremely spectacular.

Wang Shouren said to Dong Min: "The supplies on the ship are insufficient and this battle must be ended within twenty days."

The military rations are enough to last for thirty days, but if they really run out for thirty days, they will run out of ammunition and food, and they will be defeated.

It must not be delayed for so long.

Dong Min felt uneasy. It would be difficult to win on the 20th.

The only advantage is that Satsuma country doesn't know yet that Ryukyu is marching north.

…

Capital City, Metropolitan Procuratorate.

After Yan Chengjin became the censor of the capital, the Shangyi Supervisor sent him a new Fei robe.

However, he was too eye-catching, so he still wore Qin's unicorn uniform and supervised Jiang Wen and the others at the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

Zhu Houzhao heard that this guy had become the censor of the capital. After the lecture at Minglun Hall, he immediately came to the capital procuratorate.

"What is your Highness doing with the pot?"

"The banquet I have given you, hurry up, hurry up, there is beef."

The four young eunuchs moved the stove to the duty room and set up a copper basin with clear soup in it.

The palace maid brought in ten royal dishes including beef, cabbage, mushrooms, etc.

"Your Highness, if you have anything to ask me for, it doesn't matter."

Zhu Houzhao was in high spirits, and it was easy to talk to Lao Gao: "The Hundred Days of Taiping are coming soon. This is my second girl. What should I give you?"

Unexpectedly, this guy is interested in me.

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and said, "Children like toys, so give them nine rings."

Zhu Houzhao blinked his eyes and said, "Old Gao, my girl is only a hundred days old."

"Intelligence needs to be cultivated from an early age. How could His Highness know that she doesn't like it?" Yan Chengjin said.

Zhu Houzhao thought it made sense, boiled the water, and started to eat happily.

Yan Chengjin didn't move at all. He wouldn't eat the food outside.

"Old Gao, can an idiot win? I saw Master Wang crying today."

If you lose, you won’t have a son.

"Brother Bo'an has been smart since he was a child. Please, Your Highness, please don't call him a fool."

Looking at the boiling soup, he began to think of Wang Shouren. If he could win this march, he could go to the island country to move money.

Rumor has it that Shimazu Tadamasa is a descendant of Qin Shihuang.

After the Qin Dynasty was destroyed, a line of people immigrated to the island country and changed their name to the Shimazu clan.

………

The magnificent sea surface is filled with scattered white lights.

After marching for ten days, the fleet rushed north and docked on an isolated island.

Borrowing cannon from a straw boat requires the right time, place and people.

After two days of observation on the island, Wang Shouren discovered that the wind would blow from the island to the sea at night, and during the day, the wind would blow back to the island from the sea.

"Sir Wang, there are warships from the Satsuma Kingdom on Shimoshima Island."

Shimoshima Island is one of the islands of Satsuma Kingdom. It is about twenty miles away from this uninhabited island and is the first line of defense of Satsuma Kingdom.

"Surprise attack in an hour!"

Wang Shouren ordered.

Satsuma didn't know Ryukyu was going to attack, which was its biggest advantage.

Soldiers are deceitful.

Under the cover of night, the accuracy of firearms will be lowered, which can minimize casualties.

Half an hour later, the sea was densely packed with hundreds of small boats, floating towards Xiazeng Island.

There are densely packed scarecrows standing on the boat. Under the night, the figures are moving, exactly like real soldiers.

"Sir, there are six enemy ships ahead!"

Wang Shouren picked up the monocular and saw the icon on the sail in the distance. It was a circle with a ten in the circle.

It's Shimazu!

Drive here quickly and we will meet you soon.

"I found it. As I expected, the straw boat borrowed the cannon and went according to the plan."

Dong Wen nervously went to give the order.

Ten small boats formed a formation, and the sailors rowed forward, taking advantage of the wind to quickly approach the Shimadzu ship.

This is the Star Spreading Formation, a formation commonly used by cavalry.

At this time, Shimazu Tadashi looked at the approaching black shadow and sneered: "Father is right, they really want to make a surprise attack. Turn the sides and prepare to fire!"

The big ship began to slowly adjust its direction, turning its broadside toward the small ship, and was preparing to form a line and fire directly ahead.

Wang Shouren looked through the telescope. He had used the Hongyi General and was familiar with all its shortcomings such as its range and the time to reload gunpowder.

"Blow the drum!"

Suddenly, the war drums on the sea sounded.

When the drums were heard, the boats scattered like stars in the sky.

Boom!

The artillery fire hit the sea, and like a blind man, he could only fire by feeling.

"How cunning, shoot me an arrow!" Shimazu Tadashi shouted proudly.

Through the monocular telescope, Wang Shouren saw a faint light of fire in the sky, and rockets all over the sky were falling rapidly.

Satsuma Country also came prepared.

The boats scattered in all directions,

"Blow the drum again!"

The exciting drum beat sounded again.

The sailors heard the sound of the drums, rowed quickly towards the big ship, dropped chains, linked the small boats together, and surrounded the big ship.