Chapter 455: Chrysanthemum Island

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“Your Highness, what shall we do with these prisoners?”

After some questioning, the Goryeo general revealed everything he knew. At this point, Yue Yun ordered the soldiers to put away their bayonets.

“How have they treated our fishermen?” Xiao Ming’s expression turned cold.

“Anyone they catch is made a slave,” Yue Yun said angrily. He already knew that many coastal pirates were actually Goryeo soldiers in disguise, which made him hate Goryeo even more.

“I’ve said before, ‘Anyone they catch is made a slave,'” Xiao Ming said.

“Yes,” Yue Yun sneered coldly and motioned. Soldiers carrying bayonets fixed on their flintlocks drove the Goryeo prisoners toward the salt fields.

Feeling some relief, Yue Yun continued, “Your Highness, since the barbarians crossed the pass, Goryeo has frequently bullied our Great Yu people and forcibly taken over surrounding fishing grounds. Now that our fleet is taking shape, it’s time to teach these two-faced Goryeo people a lesson.”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking. From now on, you must send warships to patrol the sea. Attack any Goryeo or Wokou ships encountered,” Xiao Ming said coldly.

The coastal pirate problem had long troubled Great Yu. Whether real Wokou, Goryeo disguised as Wokou, or Great Yu merchants disguised as Wokou, all caused serious threats to coastal cities and trade routes.

Now that he had signed a trade agreement with the Dutch, his merchant ships would soon transport goods to southern Great Yu via sea and land. At this moment, he had to ensure their safety.

That was why he made this decision.

Yue Yun nodded excitedly. He had long dreamed of this day. Now the era of Great Yu’s dominance over the seas was finally coming.

They discussed details of the warship patrols.

Actually, the idea was simple. Just like today, warships patrolled mainly to fight pirates and protect trade routes.

Because the ocean was vast, it was unrealistic for all warships to act together. So Xiao Ming divided the fleet into groups of two or three warships.

Each group was responsible for patrolling a specific sea area. This way, his current fleet could cover East Asian routes completely and firmly control the sea lanes.

Of course, warship patrols were only the beginning. Soon, he would monopolize sea trade, becoming like the Dutch—the maritime “coachmen” of East Asia. Only his merchant ships could carry goods between different countries and earn profits.

But this goal was still difficult to achieve now. Without a fierce war, he probably could not force Goryeo and Wokou to acknowledge his naval supremacy.

Though he wanted to start war now, the reality was that the number of warships was still too small.

Galleon ships were not all-powerful and not very agile at sea. Facing hundreds of enemy warships was still dangerous. So he was waiting for twenty-four third-class sailing warships to be launched this year.

With that, he would have thirty-nine warships. Such a fleet could fight flexibly in naval battles and not worry about the Dutch betraying him behind his back.

“Those not of our tribe always have different hearts,” Xiao Ming thought. He would never trust the Dutch just because of a signed agreement. Between nations, only interests are eternal.

After deciding on patrol routes, Yue Yun planned to implement them soon. For now, the fleet’s main function was to protect trade routes.

Leaving the naval port, Xiao Ming returned to the government office. On the way, he began thinking about his next East Asia strategy.

If he still lived in modern times, Xiao Ming wouldn’t worry about so much. But now, as a Great Yu prince, he had to find a bright future for his territory.

After encountering Goryeo warships at sea, Xiao Ming became even more determined to attack Goryeo and destroy their navy.

It was not just to teach Goryeo a lesson but because attacking Goryeo was an important step to suppress the barbarians.

Without destroying Goryeo’s navy, he could not station troops on Juehua Island to directly attack the barbarians’ heartland.

Juehua Island, also called Chrysanthemum Island, was the largest island in modern Liaodong Bay. During the Ming dynasty, the navy on Juehua Island was led by guerrilla commander Jin Guan.

Its roles were: guard the island’s grain and equipment; assist the army in recovering lost Liaodong territory; and support Ningyuan city’s defense.

Historical records said: “Building the eight-li fortress is key to Ningyuan’s defense, guarding the 40,000 men of Baling who defend Ningyuan’s front, forming a pincer with Juehua Island. If enemies attack the city, island troops burn the floating bridge and strike from behind.”

Later, the Jin army fought the Ming in the Battle of Huajue Island over this place, showing its strategic importance.

Now Xiao Ming also valued this place. To attack the barbarians’ heartland with fortress-based advance strategy, this island would be perfect.

On land, the northern barbarians were still Qingzhou’s biggest threat. Though Xiao Ming was developing the navy, arrangements against the barbarians never stopped.

In the last Jizhou battle, Beishan’s fate was unknown. Afterwards, the barbarians seemed to quiet down.

This surface calm made Xiao Ming more uneasy. Storms always come after calm. He didn’t want to imagine the worst.

It was because of this worry and worst-case planning that sea trade routes were especially important. If his territory lost external support, sea trade would be his last lifeline.

Back at the government office, Fei Yue’er was feeding fish by the pond. Her relaxed expression showed she had calmed down.

“Your Highness,” Fei Yue’er smiled and stood when she saw Xiao Ming return.

Xiao Ming approached and asked, “Did today’s events scare you?”

“You underestimate me, Your Highness. I wasn’t scared, just seasick,” Fei Yue’er said with some embarrassment.

“Seasick?” Xiao Ming was speechless. “Why didn’t you tell me before going out?”

“I didn’t want to spoil your mood. Besides, I lived in Chang’an and never saw the sea. I really wanted to come see it with you,” Fei Yue’er said.

Xiao Ming patted Fei Yue’er’s head. “No wonder you said little and looked pale all the way. I thought the naval battle scared you.”

Fei Yue’er became more embarrassed. “Your Highness faces barbarians fearlessly in Qingzhou. As your wife, how could I let the soldiers laugh at me?”

Xiao Ming nodded. Fei Yue’er was increasingly looking like a proper princess consort.

The two laughed. Just then, a servant came in and said, “Your Highness, Commander Yang requests to see you. The fishing boats have returned.”