The Dengzhou garrison soldiers truly felt as if fate had lost its mind.
They had always been coastal paupers, surviving by fishing in cracked boats and patching their clothes until the fabric gave up entirely. Then, without warning, fortune crashed down on them like a heavenly cart overloaded with silver.
Brand new armor.
Spears tipped with first rate iron heads.
Their ragged bows replaced with freshly issued Kaiyuan bows, identical to those used by the border armies.
Each man received several taels of silver every month, paid promptly. That was only their salary. Their rations were provided separately. Jiang Cheng had arranged for sacks of rice and bundles of dried meat to be delivered directly to them.
For the first time in years, the Dengzhou soldiers carried provisions home in bulk.
Within days, the hollow eyed fishermen of yesterday were transformed into well fed, upright soldiers. Their cheeks filled out. Their backs straightened. When they spoke of Jiang Cheng, their voices carried reverence.
In their hearts, Jiang Cheng's stature had surpassed even the Emperor.
If asked who they would die for, the answer was obvious.
Yet the soldiers also noticed something important.
There remained a clear gap between themselves and Jiang Cheng's personal guards. The ordinary garrison troops still wielded bows, spears, and sabers. Jiang Cheng's guards, however, carried flintlock rifles.
That difference burned in their eyes.
Who did not wish to rise? To become one of the general's trusted guards meant stable pay, advanced weapons, and lasting security.
After some discussion, the Dengzhou soldiers selected a representative and sent him to speak with Jiang Cheng.
"General," the representative said respectfully, "we understand that we have just joined your command and have not yet earned your trust. But we are willing to prove ourselves. Please tell us what we must do to become your trusted guards."
Jiang Cheng smiled faintly. "That is not difficult."
He produced a book and handed it over.
"Heavenly Book: Military Discipline and Regulations."
"If all of you can master this book," Jiang Cheng said calmly, "and pass our background investigation, I will accept you as trusted guards and issue you flintlock rifles."
The representative accepted the book with both hands as if receiving a sacred text.
"Understood, General. We will study diligently."
For the sake of long term security, what was a little studying?
Under instructors sent by Jiang Cheng, the Dengzhou Navy began a period of intense discipline training. The once idle fishing garrison suddenly became the most hardworking unit along the coast.
While Dengzhou transformed itself through study and ambition, events far to the south were unfolding.
Outside Humen Fortress near Guangzhou.
A fleet of four large English sailing ships cruised along the coast. Their commander was John Weddell, a former officer of the Royal Navy of Kingdom of England.
Decades earlier, in 1588, the so called Invincible Armada of Spain had been shattered. Since then, England's naval power had been steadily rising.
But when English ships sailed eastward toward the riches of Asia, they found the sea lanes already dominated by Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The gates to the golden markets were tightly controlled.
Weddell had recently attempted to dock at Macau to purchase goods. The Portuguese there rejected him outright and refused him entry.
With only four ships under his command, Weddell dared not challenge the Portuguese strongmen entrenched in Macau.
So he turned his attention to the Great Ming.
"Admiral," one subordinate reported, "the light sailing ship Anne has entered the Pearl River estuary to survey the channel. We will soon have detailed nautical charts."
Another added, "The Ming navy has spotted us."
Weddell snorted. "The Ming navy? You mean those battered junks we passed along the way? Do they qualify as a navy?"
The subordinate corrected himself with a grin. "The Ming rabble, then. They have sent someone to negotiate."
"Very well," Weddell said. "Let us hear them."
A small boat from the Guangzhou naval patrol approached. A minor official from the Ministry of Rites climbed aboard the English flagship.
"My name is Kai Long," he introduced himself calmly. "I serve in the Ministry of Rites, handling foreign affairs. We have observed your smaller vessel entering the Pearl River. Such behavior is discourteous. We demand that you recall your scout ship and refrain from entering Great Ming territory without permission."
A Portuguese translator conveyed the message.
Weddell adopted a polite expression. "These are merchant vessels of England. I am here for trade. The weather is unstable, and I fear a typhoon may be forming. We wish to enter the inner river for shelter."
Kai Long replied evenly, "If a typhoon were approaching, shelter could be discussed. The Great Ming is a land of courtesy. However, such matters require approval from the court. You may not simply send scout ships to chart our waters."
Weddell felt irritation rise but forced a smile.
One subordinate whispered, "Admiral, we are not yet ready. The Anne is still surveying. We must not provoke them prematurely."
Weddell nodded slightly. "Very well. We apologize for any misunderstanding. Please allow us to formally request temporary shelter."
Kai Long looked east toward the sea. Having lived long in Guangdong, he recognized the signs of real storms. There was no typhoon brewing.
"I see no threat of severe weather," he said firmly. "Your fleet is safe. You have no need to enter the inner river. Please withdraw from Great Ming waters at once."
Weddell suppressed his anger. "We will depart soon. However, our scout ship has gone far upriver. We have no way to contact it quickly, nor do we possess a smaller craft to pursue it."
Kai Long frowned. In an age without rapid communication, the statement could not be easily disproven.
"Once your vessel returns," he said finally, "you must depart immediately."
He then descended to the waiting patrol boat and returned to shore.
Weddell watched him go. The moment Kai Long's figure shrank into the distance, the polished smile vanished from his face.
A pirate's grin replaced it.
"These small eastern officials," he muttered coldly. "Once we chart these waterways, they will learn what the Royal Navy truly is."
Far to the north, Dengzhou's newly disciplined sailors studied military regulations by lamplight, dreaming of flintlock rifles.
Far to the south, English ships quietly mapped the Pearl River.
The sea, for the moment, remained calm.