Dominate the Country

In the eighteenth year of Chengtian, the eighth day of the eighth month. This is Chen Han’s ‘Army Day’!

As early as the first year of Chengtian, this festival was completely finalized by the cabinet.

At that time, the old Confucianists in the opposition and the old Confucianists in the court wrote to Chen Ming, begging him to withdraw this decision. Because in their eyes, such a policy would not be of any benefit to the current situation of Chen Han Dynasty, which has always been more civil than military, but would instead enhance the influence of the army.

But the facts have proved that eighteen years have passed, and the influence of the Army Day has gone through peaks and valleys. Now the popularity is mediocre, and the influence in society is also mediocre.

Not to mention compared with traditional festivals such as Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qiqiao Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and Spring Festival, even Chen Ming’s Longevity Festival and National Day are far inferior.

That is, the army really takes it seriously. For all officers and soldiers, this day is their common ‘birthday’.

It’s already 10 o’clock in the evening. At the Singapore naval port, under the light of fire, two Western-style first-class sailing battleships, Qin Shihuang and Han Wudi, were moored side by side, and outside them were four third-class sailing battleships, Wang Jian, Sima Cuo, Li Guang, and Huo Qubing.

Outside the six battleships were a large number of frigates and small clipper warships that were still patrolling at night.

In the port area not far from the naval port, a hotel was still in business. Everyone who has been to Singapore knows this Home Inn, one of the national chain hotels in which the Jiuzhou Chamber of Commerce participates in the holding. The other big boss is the Li Group founded by the famous lame uncle Li Kun.

Over the years, the chain stores of this hotel have opened all over China. The lintel of the hotel is hung with the sign of "Home Inn", the words are written very ordinary, but it is said that it is the name of the current emperor's imperial pen, and even the name "Home Inn" was given by the current emperor.

The hotel's facade decoration is simple and straightforward, but with the two emperors' personal nominations, it gives people a feeling of simplicity and grandeur, and the grade has risen immediately.

Home Inn Singapore has been open in the port area for so many years, and the chef level here is still beyond the reach of the chefs of other hotels in Singapore. Although their chefs are replaced every two years, the level has never dropped.

The reputation has been established, and because of the hotel's extraordinary backing background, it has become the favorite gathering place for Chen Hanhai's army officers when they take vacations and entertain guests. Of course, in view of some inexplicable mutual dislike between the navy and the army, in order to prevent accidents, the waiters here often kindly guide the army officers and the navy officers to sit separately and keep a distance.

Today, the third floor of Home Inn is covered by the navy, and the second floor is covered by the army, leaving a floor for others.

In order to determine the ranking, the representatives of the navy and the army almost had a fight in the hotel manager's office.

In the end, both sides took a step back.

Your army is awesome, occupying the second floor, but it is still suppressed by the navy.

And your navy should not be so arrogant, you are still one step ahead of the army in the ranking.

Anyway, it is not the first floor, and Home Inn Hotel has made up its mind early on not to grant the first floor to any of the navy and the army.

At this time, the third floor was crowded with young naval officers. These officers, who were generally under 40 years old, had red faces, raised their glasses and talked loudly, celebrating this festival that belonged to them. Most of the people here were officers of the Nanyang Navy who were resting in the naval port, especially officers from the two squadrons led by two first-class sailing battleships.

"...Haha, you know, when the British saw our fleet, their eyes widened, as if they saw their God!"

A young naval sergeant seemed to be drunk, knocking on the table while deliberately imitating a silly look of wide eyes, and his colleagues around him laughed in response. At the same time, several drunk naval officers hugged each other in a gay manner, knocking on the table with their hands, and singing the naval military song loudly.

The two first-class sailing battleships belonged to two mobile squadrons, one of which had just returned from Honolulu. The tall warships also shocked the local natives, but the natives of Honolulu were just a group of newly civilized savages. No matter how much they were shocked, they could not inspire the pride in the hearts of the fleet officers and soldiers.

It was the British, the other mobile fleet that had just returned from the Indian waters, and the first-class sailing battleships that the Chinese Navy unveiled to the public for the first time, which were really not inferior to those of the Europeans.

There are 112 guns, including 16 35-jin short-barreled guns, 48 ​​20-jin guns, 30 15-jin guns, and 18 10-jin guns.

Compared with the British first-class sailing battleships, this number is only higher, not lower. The firepower seems to be even stronger.

Although the threat of rockets makes it difficult for naval warships to fight each other at a distance of one or two hundred meters, they are generally expanded to more than 500 meters apart. In this way, the importance of the rate of fire of the naval guns decreases, but the importance of accuracy is greatly enhanced.

The role of short-barreled guns with great power but short range is greatly reduced.

Therefore, the short-barreled guns equipped on the Chinese Navy's first-class sailing battleships represented by Qin Shihuang and Han Wudi have generally dropped from 20 to 30 guns at their peak to less than 20 guns today.

It's just that in this era, the first-class sailing battleships represent the highest combat power of the navy, and the number is as rare as the aircraft carriers of later generations. The symbolic meaning is stronger than the practical meaning.

A squadron led by a first-class sailing battleship appeared on the coast of India, which shocked the British.

Of course, in some corners, there are also many officers facing each other calmly, with low-alcohol blended fruit wine or beer on their tables, as if they were isolated from the world, maintaining a completely different calm from other naval officers and soldiers around them.

Not everyone is passionate, and not everyone has an irresistible interest in talking big. For example, Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu.

Both of them are from powerful families. The Shi family does not have outstanding talents in officialdom and the army, but they have a concubine in the emperor's harem, who has been quite favored for 10 or 20 years, so their background is naturally not bad.

Zhang Yu's cousin is also in the harem. His father is Zhang Qiu, the first admiral of the Southeast Navy. Shi Yiyang's father, uncles and even grandfather all worked for the Zhang family.

It was because Shi was favored after entering the palace that the Shi family gradually broke away from the shackles of the Zhang family, but the two sides never broke up.

After Shi's son left the competition for the throne early, the relationship between the Shi family and the Zhang family became closer. Who made the Zhang family's daughter only give birth to a daughter?

The two families huddled together for warmth, and the families behind the women in Chen Ming's harem, and their families huddled together for warmth?

The Yao family, who was born in Taiwan, also made up her mind early on to let her son not look at the chair in the Fengtian Hall.

As the children of relatives and the children of the Southeast Navy, Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu are both graduates of the Fujian Naval College. They are even classmates and practiced on the same training ship.

But when they were assigned, they were both assigned to the Nanyang Fleet involuntarily, because they wanted to avoid suspicion.

The backgrounds of these two guys are definitely not low, but unfortunately, neither of them has any talent. They both lack the affinity and closeness to the sea that their grandfathers had in their bones. Compared with Ye Huan and Zhu Shifu, who were recognized geniuses in the academy, the evaluation of them when they graduated was just average.

The two had also envied Ye Huan and Zhu Shifu, especially Ye Huan, the youngest son of Ye Tingyang. His father only abandoned the dark and joined the light when he was at the end of his rope, but a decade or two later, not only did Ye Tingyang become a naval commander trusted by the emperor, but even his son was a genius.

In contrast, the Zhu family, who followed Chen Jigong to join the group in the early years, have climbed up at an astonishing speed over the years, but they did not treat people differently like Ye Tingyang's family did.

The Zhu family has King Song behind them.

Although the old prime minister has retired for eight years, the emperor's second uncle is always among the first-class people in the grand banquets and rewards in the palace every year.

Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu have been promoted to sergeants step by step over the years, and recently received the training notice of the captain class of the Guangzhou Naval Academy. They will graduate next fall and then have the qualifications to serve as the acting captain of a small warship.

Now one of them is serving in the Third Mobile Squadron of the Nanyang Navy and went to India; the other is serving in the Second Mobile Squadron and went to Honolulu.

The two have been sitting face to face for a long time. Shi Yiyang looked up through the glass window and looked at the moon in the sky outside, while Zhang Yu was holding a glass slowly and watching the play of his naval colleagues deep in the hotel.

Amid the noise, a group of people slowly walked towards the two. Zhang Yu's eyes lit up and he gently tapped the table with his hand to remind Shi Yiyang, then a bright smile appeared on his face and he stood up and adjusted his military uniform.

The person who came was not Zhu Shifu or Ye Huan, but Yang Dong. The second son of Yang Shijin, the admiral of the inland navy.

Although Chen Han's army and officialdom have not yet "fallen to the point of class solidification", it is undeniable that classes do exist in any era.

There are many second-generation people like Yang Dong, Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu in Chen Han's major naval fleets.

They may not be able to excel in the army, but as long as it is a peaceful era, these people's promotion and advancement are not as good as the favored sons of heaven with background and ability, but they are definitely much faster than the grassroots elites with only ability but no background.

War is a catalyst for the advancement of talents, this statement is absolutely true.

Only in the context of the war, the influence of the backers behind the second-generation people with backgrounds like Yang Dong will be reduced to the minimum.

Otherwise, it will be completely the opposite.

On this point, Emperor Chen could not completely achieve it no matter how many times he issued strict orders.

"Haha, have you gained weight? Your face has become rounder. I can't tell. You guys had a pretty good time in the army!" A young man following Yang Dong passed cigarettes to Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu, while teasing Shi Yiyang who had gained weight.

"Old Shi has gone to India now, so he is in a good place, right? He is so happy. What's the big deal about gaining some weight?"

Shi Yiyang was teased repeatedly, but he was not angry. They often make such jokes, "I am really surprised. Why did you guys come to Singapore on Army Day?"

"I don't believe you really welcome Zhang Yu and me."

Yang Dong borrowed the fire to light a cigarette, took a long breath and spit it out, "Lao Shi, we are really here to welcome you two. We have been here for more than half a year, are we old friends, let's have a little What’s wrong with the welcome ceremony? You really hurt the hearts of the brothers by saying this.”

Zhang Yu next to him said with a look of disgust on his face: "Come on. Stop talking, I'm going to vomit if you say it."

"Seriously, what needs all of you to come here?"

"It's about the sandalwood."

"What about the sandalwood?" Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief. "Isn't it enough to just tell me about Sandalwood? Is it necessary for you to come here in person?"

"It's necessary, it's necessary." Yang Dong and several people who came with him shouted in unison.

After several people took their seats, Yang Dong lowered his voice and spoke to Zhang Yu and Shi Yiyang.

"Let me tell you two, the price of this sandalwood will definitely soar in the next few years."

"You should know about the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu, right?"

"The emperor himself said that it is a national treasure that must be protected. A few days ago, when we were repairing and cleaning up the accumulated sand, we discovered a large scripture cave. We dug out Buddhist scriptures and social documents from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty. , embroidery, silk paintings, ritual implements and other cultural relics."

Buddhism still has a great influence in China today. Even if Taoism has improved in recent years, Buddhism is still better than Taoism in terms of folk foundation.

Wu Chengen's "Journey to the West" is so influential that many people think that Tathagata Buddha in heaven is the most powerful, and all the gods in heaven are just living on dry food, and they only understand the most superficial meaning.

On the other hand, it is unclear whether many of the plots in "The Romance of the Gods" are a counterattack against Buddhism and "Journey to the West". But what is certain is that "The Romance of the Gods" is not as popular and influential among the people as "Journey to the West".

The image of Sun Dasheng is too deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

"We don't have the ability to get a share of the big business, so we'll start small. As long as we plan it properly, we can gain a lot." Yang Dong analyzed the influence of Buddhism in today's society, and the Mogao Grottoes Buddhist scriptures If the treasure of the cave is announced, I don’t know what kind of craze it will trigger among the people to burn incense and worship Buddha.

Zhang Yu and Shi Yiyang still didn't believe it. With just such a small noise, how could a group of them get into such a big fight?

"Don't worry, I also heard some news. Some people say that the emperor is planning to dig up the underground palace of Famen Temple."

"Famen Temple was bombarded during the war. Not long ago, the True Body Pagoda of Famen Temple collapsed due to continuous rain, and the statues and scriptures hidden in the tower fell. After cleaning, it was found that there was a Song Dynasty inscription "P 20 fragments of Lu Zang , there are 579 volumes of "Jinning Collection" in Yuan Dynasty, 33 fragments of "Secret Collection" in Yuan Dynasty, and 7 volumes of "Miaofa Lotus Sutra" in Qing Dynasty. Among them, "Jinning Collection" and "Pilu Collection" are very rare nowadays. Rare scriptures, very valuable.”

"Then, because Famen Temple was going to build a new pagoda, when they were cleaning up the base of the remaining pagoda, they discovered an underground palace under the pagoda about one meter above the surface. Looking at the exposed carving techniques, it is said that it was probably from the Tang Dynasty. There were many royal families in the Tang Dynasty. The Buddha's finger relics were sent to Famen Temple. If the underground palace was really from the Tang Dynasty, there would be many treasures enshrined in it. If all these things were placed intact in the underground palace, it would be really extraordinary. "

Yang Dong's face was full of envy, because those who don't know are the best. You can know how prominent Famen Temple was in the Tang Dynasty by reading the history books. If it was really a treasure enshrined by the Tang Dynasty royal family, and the most important thing was the Buddha's true body relic, it would really be invincible.

"The Buddha's true body relics."

"Now we are running Ceylon, and we have also taken over Burma, and Siam is also our little brother. In these territories, Buddhism has a great influence. If we can dig out the true relics of the Buddha, haha, this The emperor will never resist temptation."

The greatest significance of the underground palace of Famen Temple is not the treasures enshrined by the royal family of the Tang Dynasty, but the real relics of the Buddha. This has great political significance for Siam, Myanmar and Ceylon.

By the way, there is also a hiding place.

Shi Yiyang and Zhang Yu no longer ask about the value of sandalwood. If these two discoveries are announced to the world, it will really be a prosperous age for Buddhism. Just the Buddhist temples all over the world don’t know how much sandalwood is used.

"This kind of business has certain risks. If the true body relics are not dug out, the effectiveness will be reduced by half. It is also troublesome, it takes a long time, the profit is not much, and the capital turnover period is very long.

Even those giants look down upon it, and only people like us can get a share of the pie. You two brothers are the most important people in our group, so you can't let yourself slip. "

"Don't worry. My fourth uncle is now the mayor of Honolulu. Can't you handle this little thing?"

"The Governor of Ceylon is my father's old friend. As long as we don't lose our status, we won't go on a business trip."