In the prefectural office of Lujiang.
In this study, a group of people gathered around a desk.
There was Lu Yu, Liu Ye, Cheng Yu, and Liu Xun…
Lu Yu stood to one side, while the other three stood on the opposite side.
Because of Lu Yu’s memorial, Cao Cao had allowed Liu Xun to remain as the Prefect of Lujiang, managing the defense against Jiangdong. Cao Cao had even specifically allocated him provisions to help him hold Lujiang.
It was for this reason that Liu Xun was extremely grateful to Lu Yu.
In fact, this was already the best arrangement. There were almost no skilled naval commanders in Cao Cao’s camp at this time.
Besides Liu Xun, Lu Yu truly couldn't find another Prefect of Lujiang who could resist Jiangdong.
And now, Lu Yu, Liu Xun, Cheng Yu, and Liu Ye were discussing something…
To be precise, the four of them were discussing the construction of large ships, massive tower ships as tall as three or four-story houses.
According to intelligence from spies, following the great defeat in Jiangdong, Sun Ce’s strategic focus had shifted from territorial expansion to stabilizing the internal situation and addressing various internal hidden dangers.
It seemed…
Lujiang would be safe for a while, but precisely then, intelligence arrived.
Recently, Zhou Yu had been extensively building shipyards and constructing tower ships.
Speaking of tower ships, Lu Yu and Liu Ye were no strangers.
In "Zhuangzi: A Happy Wanderer," the tower ships used by Wu and Yue in naval battles during the late Spring and Autumn period were recorded!
The tower ships of that era already reached lengths of twenty-seven meters, were tall and imposing, and served as the main warships in naval battles. The state of Yue even had a special "Tower Ship Army"!
And the development of tower ships in the Han Dynasty was even more impressive…
The hulls were enormous, the weapons and defensive facilities were strong, capable of both offense and defense, resembling floating castles…
Similar to the "Fei Yun" and "Gai Hai," the two tower ships built by Eastern Wu in the later Three Kingdoms period, they could carry three thousand soldiers, with horses able to gallop freely on deck, equivalent to aircraft carriers of this era.
Such large and sturdy ships were undoubtedly a fatal blow to enemy fleets…
Of course, at this current stage, Jiangdong could build tower ships, but not the ultra-large tower ships like "Fei Yun" and "Gai Hai" that could accommodate three thousand people!
And this… precisely presented an opportunity!
“Does Prefect Lu mean that we in Lujiang are to… construct tower ships capable of carrying three thousand people?”
Liu Xun felt as if he were hallucinating…
Let alone three thousand people, the shipbuilding techniques for tower ships passed down from the Han Dynasty could at best accommodate five hundred armored soldiers.
Three thousand people, how large would this ship have to be?
If they could build such a ship as Lu Yu described, then twenty of them, moving in unison… conquering Jiangdong would be almost a crushing, overwhelming victory!
But even a moment’s thought told him how difficult it would be to build such a ship?
“To carry three thousand people, how large would the ship’s hull have to be?” Even Cheng Yu, who was usually bold, couldn’t imagine it upon hearing about the tower ships carrying three thousand people. He frowned, incredulous.
Only Liu Ye, stroking his beard…
It should be known that he had been discussing the design drawings of these massive tower ships with Lu Yu in the study for over ten days.
One could say…
During his time in Lujiang, Lu Yu was either on the Qing boat or in the study; in any case, he was very diligent!
And now… the tower ship design drawings laid out on the desk were the result of Lu Yu’s theoretical guidance and Liu Ye’s skilled drafting, with extremely high feasibility!
One could say…
Liu Ye’s brain was about to explode for these "three-thousand-person-capacity" tower ship design drawings.
“Prefect Liu, Commander Cheng, rest assured, these drawings were drafted entirely under the guidance of Prefect Lu. I have repeatedly deduced every design in my mind countless times, and I am confident that the first of these can be completed within half a year.”
Half a year…
This figure sounds like a long time!
But in reality, being able to manufacture such an “aircraft carrier”… no, such a large tower ship within half a year sounded like a fantasy to anyone.
Liu Xun and Cheng Yu couldn’t help but gasp…
If it were anyone else, they would not have believed it for a hundred reasons.
But it was precisely under Lu Yu’s guidance. This young Grand Minister of Agriculture was most adept at creating miracles.
“Cough, cough…”
Hearing this, Lu Yu coughed lightly. “Prefect Liu, please be at ease. It’s just that… I hope you can strongly provide the materials required by Administrator Liu. Of course, if anything is missing, you can always write to me. After all, I am the Minister of Agriculture of our Great Han!”
As he spoke the last sentence, Lu Yu smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.
The meaning was clear…
What does the Grand Minister of Agriculture do? He manages the finances and agricultural affairs of the Great Han!
In this era, as long as one had money and grain, what materials couldn’t be obtained?
According to Lu Yu’s idea, developing a navy was imperative, and these massive tower ships needed to be mass-produced!
“Since Prefect Lu has said so, then… I, Liu Xun, will certainly go all out to support Administrator Liu in building this massive tower ship!”
“Not just tower ships,” Lu Yu continued. “Along with Administrator Liu, I have also drawn up many ship designs. After I return to Xudu City, I will immediately recruit a large number of craftsmen and send them to Lujiang…”
At this point, Lu Yu’s tone became much more serious.
“Prefect Liu, currently all the naval forces in Cao Cao’s camp are under your command. You must change your concept!”
“Naval forces, just like land forces, must have synchronized troop coordination. Cavalry, archers, and infantry, each fulfilling their roles and supporting each other, can become more efficient on the battlefield!”
“And it’s the same with large tower ships. One massive tower ship needs to be equipped with a series of supporting vessels, such as Mengchong, Doujian, scouts, vanguard ships, Chi Ma Zhou, and other smaller vessels. With different functions, they must cooperate with each other to exert their greatest power.”
Speaking of this, Lu Yu thought of China’s “aircraft carriers.”
Are aircraft carriers powerful?
They are definitely powerful…
After all, they are equivalent to establishing an air strike base at sea.
But if we talk about weaknesses, aircraft carriers also have weaknesses. If they are hit by torpedoes or sunk by continuous missile attacks, their effectiveness naturally diminishes.
But an aircraft carrier fleet is different!
It is equipped with cruisers, destroyers, support ships, nuclear submarines… Depending on the combat mission, the combat composition and tactics are flexibly matched, and only then can they be invincible.
Similarly…
Ancient naval battles were too straightforward, especially during the Han Dynasty. Tower ship fleets were just tower ship fleets, and Mengchong fleets were just Mengchong fleets. There was no concept of combination, and thus they could not cooperate with each other to exert their maximum combat power.
Lu Yu could only vaguely explain this to Liu Xun. As for how much he could grasp, it would depend on his fortune.
“Prefect Lu, rest assured, Administrator Liu and I will not fail our mission!” Liu Ye said with great confidence. It seemed that after more than ten days of drafting the drawings, he had gained considerable confidence.
Just then.
“Prefect Lu, there is another matter!”
Liu Xun changed the subject, mentioning another matter. However, his tone was quite solemn, indicating that this matter was not minor.
“A merchant from Jiangdong has managed to evade the search by the Jiangdong fleet and arrived on our side of the Jiangbei. However… fearing he might be a spy sent by Jiangdong, my subordinates have apprehended him!”
“He doesn’t know where he heard the news, but he learned that Prefect Lu has been drawing ship designs recently. Therefore… he mentioned wanting to meet Prefect Lu. He even claimed that his mind holds various ship manufacturing blueprints from Jiangdong, all of which would be greatly beneficial to Prefect Lu!”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu, who had been feeling a bit sleepy, suddenly perked up.
A Jiangdong merchant?
And… he held Jiangdong ship blueprints in his mind?
Was this a defection?
Funnily enough, with Liu Xun’s explanation, Lu Yu became curious. Who was it?
With this thought, Lu Yu immediately asked:
“Prefect Liu? What is the man’s name?”
Seeing Lu Yu ask so seriously, Liu Xun scratched his head but still replied respectfully, “This… my subordinate’s deputy asked, but he refused to say. However… judging by his appearance, he is likely around Prefect Lu’s age. Judging by his clothing, it is neither luxurious nor worn out. But if I were to say he’s a merchant, I absolutely wouldn’t believe it!”
Heh…
Around the same age? Not a merchant? Came specifically to see him, Lu Yu?
Lu Yu mused that this merchant was either a liar, or… he truly possessed some skill.
Perhaps he was a member of a Jiangdong family, sneaking across to Jiangbei to defect to Lu Yu?
Considering the peculiarities of Jiangdong families…
Lu Yu felt it was quite possible.
After all…
Jiangdong had many prominent families, which was why their military system was also very special.
Simply put…
If five hundred retainers were given to Zhou Yu by Sun Ce, then… these five hundred retainers would forever belong to Zhou Yu, obeying only Zhou Yu.
If Zhou Yu died, these five hundred men would belong to Zhou Yu’s son, passed down through generations.
For example, Sun Ce, the lord of Jiangdong, couldn’t mobilize soldiers, but rather generals.
Generals might obey him, but soldiers only obeyed their own masters!
This was also why, after Sun Quan ascended to power, the first thing he had to do was to win over and balance the various factions.
In essence, the soldiers were not in his hands, but in the hands of various generals, and even various families.
After such an analysis.
It was not unreasonable for some Jiangdong families, seeing Sun Ce’s defeat in Lujiang and the general decline of his fortunes, to actively defect to Cao Cao. After all… Jiangdong in the Three Kingdoms period was particularly fond of those who surrendered!
Lu Yu thought a lot of things in his mind, but showed no outward expression.
“This is excellent! I, the Minister of Agriculture, am also building ships, so it’s a good opportunity to see just how many ship blueprints this merchant has hidden in his mind?”
As soon as he spoke…
Liu Ye and Cheng Yu exchanged glances and took their leave, leaving the study to Lu Yu and this guest from Jiangdong.
Of course, Liu Ye was an honest man. After making the bold claim that he could build the massive tower ship within half a year, he immediately rushed to the shipyard upon leaving the prefectural office and began to closely coordinate with the craftsmen…
A long time passed, but the craftsmen were all confused, and many aspects were not understood.
Liu Ye then began another round of detailed explanations…
This time, he had to clearly explain the general idea, as it was crucial to the success of the massive tower ship.
As for Liu Xun, he also bid farewell to Lu Yu and retreated, going to arrange for this “Jiangdong guest” to be escorted over.
Naturally, he would be bound tightly!
He had to ensure Prefect Lu’s safety!
Of course.
This Jiangdong guest was overjoyed to hear that Lu Yu wanted to see him!
His family’s, no… his entire family’s fate was now on his shoulders. He had to… he had to meet Lu Yu, the only hope for his family’s full revival!
…
…
Xuzhou, Xiapi City!
“What a Fang Tian Hua Ji!”
Inside the forging workshop, Lu Bu picked up a brand-new Fang Tian Hua Ji and swung it repeatedly, the explosive sound of tearing through the air echoing ceaselessly.
In his opinion.
It was clear that this Fang Tian Hua Ji surpassed the previous broken one in both weight and sturdiness.
“Marquis Wen, this Fang Tian Hua Ji was forged by myself and Miss Lingqi together,” said Gao Shun, speaking loudly. “Previously, when our Bing Province soldiers fought against the Long Xiao Camp, although we suffered heavy losses, we fortunately captured several war halberds and sets of armor. Miss Lingqi and I melted down these war halberds and armor and recast them into a brand-new Fang Tian Hua Ji. In addition, there is also a spear and a saber!”
As Gao Shun said…
In the past, the Bing Province Wolf Riders suffered heavy losses fighting against the Long Xiao Cavalry, but… fortunately, they also managed to kill over ten Long Xiao knights!
Gao Shun and the armored soldiers of the Trapped Formation Camp had also seized the opportune moment to specially capture some armor and war halberds.
After repeated attempts, Gao Shun discovered…
The materials of these Long Xiao Cavalry’s war halberds and armor were many times harder than ordinary steel, so he and his disciple Lu Lingqi attempted to melt them down and forge three new weapons.
The Fang Tian Hua Ji was naturally given to their lord Lu Bu;
The spear was given to Lu Lingqi;
As for the saber, Gao Shun kept it for himself.
In addition, there were some captured war halberds left. Gao Shun distributed them to generals like Zhang Liao, Hou Cheng, and Wei Xu.
These weapons were the divine weapons wielded by the Long Xiao Cavalry, capable of greatly enhancing their combat effectiveness.
However, there were only this many…
“Excellent, General Gao! You are thoughtful! With this new Fang Tian Hua Ji, hmph, I don’t believe I can’t defeat that ‘Ancient Fierce General’ of the Long Xiao Camp!”
Holding the new Fang Tian Hua Ji, Lu Bu became much more confident.
He even mentioned “Dian Wei!” for the first time.
It should be known that he had fought Dian Wei twice, drawing once and losing once!
As a consistently proud Lu Bu, the unparalleled God of War recognized in this era.
Such a record was absolutely unacceptable to him.
One could say…
Dian Wei had become a nightmare in his heart. Without defeating this person, Lu Bu could not rest easy, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles!
Now, it was fine. Dian Wei, wasn't it due to the superiority of his weapons?
Now, my Fang Tian Hua Ji is no less inferior to yours. Next time… I can finally have a fair and proper contest.
“Marquis Wen, Miss Lingqi’s contribution is indispensable in melting down the war halberds and forging this Fang Tian Hua Ji. Marquis Wen should spend more time with Lingqi when you have the chance?”
Gao Shun repeatedly reminded.
This…
Upon hearing this, Lu Bu’s brow furrowed.
At this moment, he realized.
Indeed… in recent years, he had been spending less and less time with Lingqi.
Because of the birth of his daughter Ling Ju by Diao Chan, Lu Bu had placed almost all his energy on Diao Chan and her daughter…
He had never expected that he would neglect his eldest daughter Lingqi’s feelings.
“Where is Lingqi?”
Lu Bu immediately asked…
“Recently, Miss Lingqi has been studying military strategy, tactics, and troop deployment with Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong. I believe she is currently at the Chen residence!”
Gao Shun replied truthfully. “Miss Lingqi mentioned that she wants to share her father’s burdens and lead troops for him. She is a thoughtful child!”
As these words came out…
Lu Bu suddenly felt that his eldest daughter Lingqi had grown up. This made Lu Bu’s heart tremble with excitement.
“Hahaha… Let’s go, to the Chen residence.”
Lu Bu ordered with a laugh, and he and Gao Shun hurried towards the Chen residence.
However, his movements had already been discovered by the eyes and ears of the Xu Province gentry faction planted within the prefectural office. The informant immediately rushed to the Chen residence to report the matter.
…
Tread, tread. The solid and heavy footsteps echoed on the main road of Xiapi City.
The Chen clan of Xiapi was a prominent noble family in Xiapi City.
Therefore…
Their mansion was very close to the prefectural office. After turning a street, Lu Bu and Gao Shun arrived at the Chen residence. The gatekeeper was about to report, but Lu Bu stopped him.
Lu Bu wanted to see what Lingqi was learning from Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong.
They proceeded without speaking. Just as they were about to enter the study, they could already hear the conversation between Chen Deng and Lu Lingqi from within.
Lu Bu gestured with his hand…
He and Gao Shun stopped simultaneously, standing just outside the door, listening carefully to the voices within.
Speaking of which…
Although Chen Deng was thirty years old, more than ten years older than Lu Lingqi.
However, his talent, his familiarity with military strategy, and even his understanding of troop deployment deeply impressed Lu Lingqi.
Therefore…
The forthright Lu Lingqi, just as she apprenticed herself to Gao Shun, also apprenticed herself to Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong, to study military strategy and tactics.
“Master Chen, are you going to lecture on the current world situation today?” Lu Lingqi’s voice was heard first…
“You could say that,” Chen Deng smiled slightly. He deliberately raised his voice a bit and said loudly, “The general trend of the world today is actually very simple. Whoever gains your father’s assistance will control the world situation!”
“Yuan Shu’s claim to emperorship and his subsequent defeat was because he did not receive your father’s help, hence his defeat at Shouchun, becoming an eternal regret!”
Upon hearing Chen Deng praise her father so highly, Lu Lingqi smiled slightly.
“That’s natural… My father is known as the peerless warrior. His martial arts are the best in the world. Whoever he helps will naturally become invincible in the world!”
Clearly, having lived beside her father since childhood and not having experienced the hardships of a chaotic world.
Lu Lingqi had a near-obsessive admiration and trust in her father, Lu Bu!
Hearing Chen Deng praise her father… she was naturally overjoyed.
However…
Lu Lingqi then thought of something else.
“Master Chen… but what if Father doesn’t want to help someone? Can’t Father himself be invincible in the world?”
“Haha…” Chen Deng smiled slightly. “Lingqi… I only said half of what I meant, and you interrupted. In fact, there is the other half!”
“With your father’s valor and strategy, he is capable of defending Xiapi and securing Xuzhou, and then defending Xuzhou and securing the Central Plains. Afterward, whoever secures the Central Plains wins the world! Why must he necessarily assist outsiders? Haha, perhaps Lingqi, you don’t know the reputation of the cavalry your father commands in the Great Han?”
As these words came out…
Lu Lingqi became even more delighted.
She even felt even more proud to have such a father.
However…
At this moment, it was not only Lu Lingqi who was experiencing joy and anger, but Lu Bu outside the door was even more delighted!
Speaking of which…
Lu Bu had been quite vexed lately.
Because Chen Gong always told him how unfavorable the current situation was?
How powerful Cao Cao’s camp was?
How mysterious and difficult to deal with the Hidden Dragon in Cao Cao’s camp was!
Over time, this made Lu Bu’s mood increasingly restless.
Now, however…
These words from Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong, were like a soothing balm to his heart!
He hadn’t heard such pleasant words for a long time.
“Hahaha…” Lu Bu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. For a moment, a bold idea struck him: Chen Gong always suppressed other strategists, not giving them room to perform? Did he… have to be right?
It seemed…
Ever since his defeat in Yanzhou, all the strategies he formulated had ended in great defeat.
Why…
Could he, Lu Bu, not employ more talented individuals?
The father and son, Chen Gui and Chen Deng!
Whether in terms of reputation or talent, were they not the wise individuals that Lu Bu needed!
…
…