Chapter 3800
Chapter 3800
Chapter 3800
There are three proposals and plans on Shi Chengwu's side that have been temporarily suppressed by the Executive Committee, all of which are related to military affairs.
The first item is the expansion plan of the Navy’s Yangtze River Fleet, which is also the project that Shi Chengwu currently attaches the most importance to.
The current organization of the Yangtze River Fleet is actually under the jurisdiction of the East China Sea Fleet. In order to save money, most of the warships it is equipped with are models that were originally in service at sea. They are not fully suitable for the inland river environment of the Yangtze River, and various adaptability problems are increasingly exposed in actual operations.
Shi Chengwu's idea was to use Nanjing as a base to build a fleet that was more suitable for fighting in inland rivers and lakes. The mission of this fleet was not only to guard Nanjing and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but also to go deep into the upper reaches of the Poyang Lake Plain and the Jianghan Plain to prepare for shipping in these areas.
The plan that Shi Chengwu proposed for the Yangtze River Fleet was a large armed force with a full staff of 20,000 people and more than 200 ships of various types. Its jurisdiction would include not only the Yangtze River section and coastal areas, but also the Yangtze River's tributaries and large lakes.
This big pie is certainly not prepared for others. Shi Chengwu plans to personally serve as the commander of the Yangtze River Fleet to ensure that this armed force can be controlled by the Shi family.
"If this plan can be implemented, it can greatly speed up the integration of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River into my country, and the revenue from mastering the upper reaches of the Yangtze River will be enough to cover the cost of forming and operating this fleet. But I don't understand why the Executive Committee rejected this project I proposed."
After listening to Shi Chengwu's story, Shi Diwen just said noncommittally: "The Executive Committee has many directions to consider, and the Yangtze River Basin is just one of them. It is not even a priority at the moment. It is not surprising that your project was suppressed."
Shi Chengwu asked: "The Yangtze River Basin has a large population and abundant resources. If it is taken over, our national strength will be taken to a higher level. How can the Executive Committee think that this is not a priority target?"
Shi Diwen waved his hand and said, "Don't be so anxious to get to the bottom of this. Finish talking about the other projects first."
The second project planned by Shi Chengwu was an expansion plan on the north bank of the Yangtze River.
Jiangpu and Liuhe counties on the north bank of the Yangtze River had been taken by Shi Chengwu nearly two years ago. Shi Chengwu would not be satisfied with stopping there, and he hoped to start the next move as soon as possible to take over Chuzhou, Hezhou, Luzhou, Anqing and other prefectures along the Yangtze River.
With the existing garrison forces in Nanjing Prefecture, it would not be too difficult to defeat the Ming army's defenses in these prefectures. However, simply defeating the Ming army is not enough. To control such a large area, Shi Chengwu must have more available troops.
So in addition to the action plan to attack these provincial capitals, Shi Chengwu also proposed that the army troops stationed in Nanjing should be expanded, with at least five to eight thousand troops added to ensure that the rule over the newly occupied areas could be maintained after the operation.
Shi Chengwu believed that he had considered the military action very carefully, but the relevant combat plans and military expansion plans were also temporarily suppressed by the Executive Committee on the grounds that "the timing was not ripe."
This time, Shi Diwen did not let Shi Chengwu talk about his ideas, but asked him to talk about the third project.
The third project planned by Shi Chengwu was to open an arsenal and shipyard in Nanjing to produce weapons and equipment and inland ships needed for subsequent military expansion and combat missions.
Shi Diwen laughed after hearing this: "Chengwu, even if I were to review this project, I would definitely reject it." Shi Chengwu asked: "Why is that?"
Shi Diwen explained: "The selection and production arrangement of the arsenal have special considerations. It is not the case that the closer to the garrison base, the better. Your project, combined with your previous proposal to expand the army and prepare for war, will only make the Executive Committee doubt your true purpose, and it will definitely not pass the review."
Shi Chengwu said: "Nanjing is located at the crossroads of the Yangtze River and has abundant supplies of materials and manpower. It is the most suitable place to develop military industry. I really cannot understand the decision of the Executive Committee."
Shi Diwen said: "You don't need to fully understand the resolution of the Executive Committee, but you must respect it and follow it."
Seeing that Shi Chengwu did not try to defend himself, Shi Diwen softened his tone and said, "The country's resources are limited, including military resources, and they can only be selectively invested in some of the most urgent areas. In the eyes of the Executive Committee, Nanjing does not urgently need to invest a lot of resources to develop military projects."
"At this stage, the focus of development is still overseas. Our overseas expansion speed is more than a hundred times faster than the areas bordering Ming Dynasty, so the Executive Committee chose to tilt limited resources toward overseas development. The prefectures around Nanjing, and even the entire Ming Dynasty, are just meat in the pot for our country. No matter how we cook it, the meat will not fly away, so there is no need to rush."
"Plus, when you proposed these projects, you didn't agree with Tao Hongfang, who was in charge. The local military and political leaders had different ideas. How could you expect to get the support of the Executive Committee?"
"The Executive Committee's direction for domestic governance is to develop the economy and increase the population. You are obsessed with using military force against the Ming Dynasty, so it is inevitable that you will be unwelcome."
Although Shi Chengwu's doubts were explained, he was still unwilling to give up the projects he had worked so hard to plan: "Father, if all military projects in Nanjing are restricted and I can't even get military merit, what can I do there? If I had known this, I might as well have led troops overseas!"
Shi Diwen said: "Why are you in such a hurry? The reason why your projects failed to pass the review is simply because the timing is not yet ripe. If there is no future for leading troops in Nanjing, I will specially arrange for you to be the commander of this garrison?"
Shi Chengwu said: "Father, do you mean that there is still hope for this matter?"
Shi Diwen said: "Let me ask you, what should we do if the time is not right?"
Shi Chengwu said: "If we wait for the right time, it would be too passive. After all, no one can accurately predict the future changes in the situation... In my humble opinion, instead of waiting for the opportunity to appear, it is better to take the initiative to create the opportunity."
Shi Diwen finally showed a look of relief on his face, and said softly, "Do you still remember the assassination of Zhu Zhongyun that happened in Hangzhou two years ago?"
Shi Chengwu said: "It was because of this case that our country launched an attack on the Ming Dynasty. Nanjing Prefecture was also obtained because of this. How could I forget it!"
Shi Diwen said: "The timing of launching military action against the Ming Dynasty was not very good, but the assassination case provided our country with an excellent reason. I think you can use it as a reference and think about how to create a situation that is beneficial to you."