Chapter 585 Is this diplomatic etiquette or declaration of war?

Generally speaking, Ming ships departing from Shandong will choose to dock at Incheon Port in North Korea. It is the largest port in central North Korea and is close to Seoul, the capital of North Korea. The diplomatic envoys who come and go to the mountains are basically all at Incheon Port. After getting ashore at Incheon Port, you can reach Seoul in just one day walk. If you ride a horse, the speed will be faster. Therefore, North Korea has set up a special inn at Incheon Port, which welcomes envoys from all sides.

Zhang Jun also chose to land at Incheon Port this time when he "did" on his mission to North Korea. From Weihaiwei Port to Incheon Port, it was almost a parallel route. After a day and a half of sailing, the Dabai Fleet approached Incheon Port. After seeing the land, the fleet's navigation speed gradually decreased. Zhang Jun held up a thousand-mile mirror and looked at Incheon Port carefully.

quiet.

Quiet.

Very quiet.

There seemed to be no sound in the entire Incheon Port, not even the sound of water birds. In a vague way, only the whistling wind and the sound of rolling waves were heard. There were no other ships in the port. Whether it was a large ship or a small ship, it was completely invisible.

"Yu Lin, it seems something is wrong."

Ji Yuqing frowned slightly and reminded in a low voice.

"What are the tricks that North Koreans have come up with?"

Xu Qingluan sneered.

Zhang Zhun nodded coldly and said nothing.

Incheon Port is indeed a bit wrong. Even under pressure from the Tartars, merchant ships still travel to and from North Korea, and they basically choose to park at Incheon Port. North Korea has never closed this port. However, in the current Incheon Port, not only can there be no ships, but even people cannot see them. The so-called abnormality is a monster. Incheon Port is such an abnormality, which means that it is obviously very abnormal in North Korea.

Gao Hongtu came to Zhang Jun's side, clearly expressed his concerns, and said slowly: "Yulin, there may be a big problem within the North Koreans. There is not even a ship in the entire Incheon Port, which is too abnormal. I think you should not go ashore easily to avoid accidents."

Zhang Zhun nodded to indicate that he was taught. Then, he held up a thousand-mile mirror and continued to search carefully at Incheon Port. Suddenly, a very strange phenomenon appeared in the camera. Incheon Port is not completely uninhabited. There were actually two figures on the dock of Incheon Port. Because of their figures, they were too lonely. If they were not close, they would not be able to see their existence. After a closer look, these two figures were one of Feng Menglong and the advance envoy sent by Zhang Zhun. The other was wearing a green official uniform in North Korea.

According to the official positions of North Korea, the royal family's uniforms are purple, the most noble, and the existence beyond the rank. However, they cannot enter the North Korea to become officials (this is a special regulation of North Korea). The official uniforms are called the prefecture of the first rank to the third rank, and the official uniforms are red. From the third rank to the sixth rank, they are called the prefecture of the lower rank, and the official uniforms are blue. From the seventh rank to the ninth rank, they are the lowest rank, and the official uniforms are green. Now, this North Korean official is wearing green clothes, obviously an official under the seventh rank.

Ji Yuqing sneered slightly and said meaningfully: "Yu Lin, it seems that the Koreans do not welcome your arrival very much. You are the first-rank governor of the Ming Dynasty. The North Korean official who welcomes you is actually the seventh-rank sesame official. The difference in rank between them is too big."

Xu Qingluan also sneered slightly and said coldly: "Since Yulin is here, it's not their turn to welcome him. If he, a small seventh-rank sesame official, could bring Zhang Zhun ashore, it would seem that the Heavenly Kingdom would be too shameless."

Gao Hongtu said slowly: "It should be because of the pressure from North Korea's surrender faction that this situation occurred. Officials under the seventh rank are simply outrageous."

Zhang Zhun said as if nothing had happened: "It's okay, we can do whatever we should do."

After a slight pause, Zhang Zhun said casually: "Li Jicheng!"

Li Jicheng hurried over and waited for the order.

Zhang Zhun said lightly: "Put the meniscus formation."

Li Jicheng's face was stern and replied loudly: "I understand!"

The flag utterance was quickly issued, and all the sword-tooth ships took action.

What is the meniscus formation?

Attacking formation!

All the sword-toothed ships, which are aimed at the crescent shape of the sideways at Incheon Port, meant to shell the shell. For a friendly country, it is obviously too much to set up such a formation and there are provocative behaviors. Especially here is the North Korean waters, and setting up shelling formations here is simply a declaration of war. However, now, the situation in North Korea is complicated and not a friendly country for the time being, so it is not impossible to use force.

Sending a seventh-rank official to welcome the envoys of the Ming Dynasty is not a friendly act. It must be known that Zhang Zhun is a first-rank official in the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty is also the sect leader of North Korea. In this case, Zhang Zhun of course had to use force. What North Korea needs is force, and what he owns just happens to be force.

Soon, the crescent shape was shaped. All the flying dragon cannons were pushed out of the cannon window, and the black muzzle was facing Incheon Port. The shells were loaded into the cannon chamber, and all the gunners were on guard. As long as Zhang Zhun gave the order, they could shell Incheon Port.

For a moment, the entire Incheon Port was solemn and silent, as if he could not even hear the sound of wind and waves. Twelve sword-toothed ships and one hundred and ninety-two flying dragon cannons were fired, and the first round of attacks could make Incheon Port a mess. Zhang Jun dared to guarantee that after dozens of rounds of shooting, he could completely destroy Incheon Port.

At this moment, Feng Menglong suddenly made a gesture. He saw two officials in red clothes suddenly appearing in the house behind Incheon Port, hurriedly walking towards the port. Behind them, there were dozens of followers. The red official uniforms were at least the third rank and above. Obviously, they were the ones who came to greet Zhang Zhun.

Ji Yuqing sneered and said disdainfully: "If you don't show off, they won't come out!"

Xu Qingluan was quite afraid of the world's chaos and said with a smile: "It's okay if they don't come out. A round of shells came over and directly killed them. There is no place to seek justice. I don't believe that Yulin really fires the cannon, they dare to fight back."

Gao Hongtu also frowned. Obviously, he didn't like this way of greeting. In the past, North Korea would never have done such a trick of being arrogant at first and being respectful at the top of the Celestial Kingdom. What kind of arrogant capital does North Korea have in front of Ming? Now, due to the weakness of Ming Kingdom, the surrender faction occupied a certain position within North Korea, and has this trick been given to Ming Kingdom?

Fortunately, Zhang Zhun brought twelve sword-tooth ships, otherwise senior North Korean officials might not have appeared. Fortunately, it was Zhang Zhun who came to North Korea. If other Ming officials were not accompanied by Dabai Fleet, perhaps the North Koreans would really have to give a lower-level treatment. Although they were the sect leader and vassal state, they were also above interests. If North Korea could not gain benefits from Ming, it would not be surprising that they turned to the Tartars.

With the emergence of two North Korean officials in the red official uniforms, many people appeared behind them. The originally empty Incheon Port seemed to have thousands of people, arranged neatly on both sides of the port. Someone quickly laid the red carpet on the dock and extended to the invisible end. There were also young and beautiful North Korean women wearing festive costumes, holding flower baskets, waiting aside. Obviously, such a welcome team is normal.

Xu Qingluan said slowly: "This is what she looks like."

Ji Yuqing frowned slightly and said nothing.

Zhang Zhun said cautiously to Li Jicheng: "Continue to maintain the crescent shape."

These North Koreans were obviously testing themselves. If the Dabai Fleet had not been in an offensive formation, the North Koreans might have really done something wrong. At least, the other party was trying to give themselves a warning, embarrass themselves, and cut off their majesty. But as soon as the Dabai Fleet had an offensive posture, they immediately surrendered. It can be seen that no matter when, the force is the most awe-inspiring one.

Soon, Zhang Jun's flagship slowly docked. There were fifteen berths in total at Incheon Port, and Zhang Jun's flagship was parked in the middle. Next to the pier, there were already North Koreans waiting. As soon as the flagship was docked, the North Koreans took the initiative to set up a springboard.

"superior!"

The seal waved his hand and took the lead in getting off the ship.

Behind him, the Marine Corps soldiers lined up in neatly and got off the ship. This was the first time that the Hu Ben Army had appeared abroad and in front of foreigners. Therefore, they all stood up straight, held the weapons in their hands tightly, without squinting their eyes and neatly walking, trying their best to show the military power of the Hu Ben Army.

Behind the Marine Corps were the soldiers of Pinzibat. They came down from another trestle bridge, with their waists straight, their eyes were not squinted, their steps were neat, and they came ashore with great courage. Because they invested a lot of training time in the queue, the soldiers of Pinzibat were obviously more majestic.

According to the previous arrangement, after the soldiers of Pinzi Battalion landed, they were distributed around Incheon Port, taking over various commanding heights, deploying defense, and arranging snipers to monitor emergencies. The Marine Corps soldiers focused on establishing cordons around the harbor, temporarily isolating the welcome crowds from the dock.

Obviously, the arrival of the Hu Ben Army caused a small shock to the North Korean officials who came to greet them. Their eyes kept falling on the Hu Ben Army soldiers. If they were not mistaken, they must be wondering how the Hu Ben Army had dealt with so many Tartars?

Feng Menglong and the North Korean officials in the green official uniform came on board, and Gao Hongtu stepped forward to greet them. The North Korean officials spoke very well in Chinese and did not need any translation. He only heard him say politely: "Secretary, Cui Haoguang, Tongshilang, welcome all the guests. Please come ashore."

In his Chinese, single characters are actually pronounced very standard, but when they are connected, they are a bit stiff and sound strange. There is no way, after all, it is a second language and cannot be very proficient. The same is true for Japanese people. Fortunately, the general meaning will not be wrong.

However, his blunt pronunciation also convinced Gao Hongtu that he was not a professional diplomat. Among the Koreans, there are many people who speak Chinese in a casual manner. If you really have sincerity, how could you send an official who speaks Chinese in a rigid way? It was obviously uneasy and was playing with a good intention. He was afraid that the consequences would be very terrible.

Gao Hongtu said calmly, "You are polite. Please come on the boat and see the governor first."

Cui Haoguang said in a somewhat stiff tone: "Please get off the boat with all the guests."

Gao Hongtu was calm and said slowly: "Please come on the boat."

Cui Haoguang's eyes flashed and he said slowly: "Dear VIPs come from afar. I believe they are tired. Please go ashore as soon as possible. The scented soup and tea have been prepared on the shore, and the inn has prepared wine and food to welcome all VIPs."

Gao Hongtu shook his head and said clearly: "Please get on the boat first."

There is a reason why he insisted like this. It doesn’t seem to be a big difference between getting off the boat and getting on the boat, but it is actually very important. Zhang Zhu’s departure is equivalent to a lower standard of greeting. On the contrary, if the other party comes on the boat and ask Zhang Zhu to get off the boat, the etiquette specification will be higher standard. As the messenger of the Heavenly Kingdom, Gao Hongtu insists on the other party’s greeting officials coming on the boat, which is very necessary.

Of course, some people may say that there is no need to be serious about such details. Anyway, you have to get off the boat. What is the difference between going down earlier and going down later? But for a scholar like Gao Hongtu, you must be serious about etiquette, especially in diplomatic etiquette. If you don’t persist, the other party may underestimate you from now on, and the next thing will be more troublesome.

Cui Haoguang said as if he was scoundrel, and said as if nothing had happened: "Since that's the case, I'll accompany you all and enjoy the beauty of Incheon Port here."

Zhang Zhun said coldly from behind: "Since that's the case, Lord Cui, please get off the boat, and we will go directly to Jianghua Island."

Cui Haoguang's face changed slightly, and he subconsciously said: "Jianghua Island is a military important place in our country. With the Jeolla Dao Navy, if you go there without authorization, it is equivalent to invading our country's territory and will inevitably suffer a painful blow."

Gao Hongtu deliberately smiled slightly and said without any concealment: "Jeolau Dao Navy? Unfortunately, Lee Sun-sin is dead."

This sentence is said without any hesitation. It is simply saying that the other party is incompetent in front of the other party's face. Lee Sun-sen is dead, and the Jeolla Dao Navy has no combat power! It is also a reminder for Zhang Jun that the Jeolla Dao Navy is Lee Sun-sen's army. If necessary, you should be careful. The Hu Ben Army does not know much about the Korean navy.

In fact, there is no such name as the North Korean navy in North Korea. There are eight roads in total, only three roads with naval forces, among which the most powerful one is the Jeolla Do Navy. Lee Sun-sen was the commander of the Jeolla Do Navy. Compared with the Ming Navy, the Jeolla Do Navy was not worth a joke. It was just that the appearance of a Lee Sun-sen in the Korean primary school was already amazing, and of course he had to brag about it.

Zhang Zhun waved at Li Jicheng and shouted sternly: "Fire three guns into the outer sea!"

Li Jicheng immediately issued a flag slogan.

The other sword-toothed ships of the Great White Fleet immediately entered the state of combat.

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

The first round of artillery fired quickly.

The rumbling of cannons shocked the entire Incheon Port, and the sound of cannons could be heard ten miles away. The white smoke from the muzzle quickly drifted over Incheon Port under the blowing of the north wind, and a strong smell of gunpowder quickly drifted in the air. Cui Haoguang's face changed suddenly. Unexpectedly, Zhang Jun would order the cannon to fire. It was too ridiculous. His fleet actually fired fire at Incheon Port. Although it was towards the outer sea, it was also within the territory of North Korea. This was simply declaring war on North Korea!

The two red official uniforms in the port were also anxious. Their anxiousness was completely different from Cui Haoguang. They just put on airs according to the above meaning and tried Zhang Zhun's background. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhun actually ordered the firing! Seeing so many brand new white warships brought by Zhang Zhun, they were already quite shocked. Now that the shelling was unfolding, the sound of cannons rumbling and the smoke of gunpowder was filled, their inner shock became even stronger.

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

They had just walked a few steps when the second round of shelling began again.

This time, the sound of cannons became more intense and more exciting. The sound of cannons in the first round had not completely disappeared, and the sound of cannons in the second round came again, just like waves of tides, constantly slapping everyone's ears. Many people on the shore subconsciously covered their ears. The powerful recoil made the sword-tooth ship constantly squeeze the sea water, stirring up layers of ripples, and spreading to the shore. The originally quiet Incheon Port suddenly became turbulent.

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

A moment later, the third round of shelling began again.

Three rounds of artillery bombardment, wave after wave, with almost no pause in the middle. Under the conditions at that time, the so-called volley fire was actually impossible to fire at the same time. The same round of artillery bombardment may have speeds and slows, so the cannon sounds will definitely have speeds and slows. As a result, the fastest cannon sounds and the slowest cannon sounds are connected to each other, and it feels like they are endless.

It makes sense for Zhang Zhun to order three guns to be fired in a row. Because the special structure of the Dragon Cannon is made of a mother-child gun structure, the three guns in front are very fast, and they can fire three guns in 20 seconds. However, after the three guns, the speed will be much slower.

The shelling stopped, and there was a strong smell of gunpowder floating in the air of Incheon Port. The white smoke was blown by the north wind and spread over the entire Incheon Port, as if there was a layer of fog. The sea water continued to stir, constantly slapped the trestle on the shore, splashing waves, and at the same time, the sounds were clamoring in the dark.

It is indeed not very friendly to visit North Korea in this way. But there is no way. If the fire is not fired, the North Koreans are still pretending to be garlic! When it is time to show their force, Zhang Zhun will never hesitate. What does it mean to conquer people with virtue? This is conquer people with virtue!

Sure enough, after the three rounds of artillery bombardment, the two North Korean officials wearing red official uniforms dared to neglect again. They came on board the ship in a regular manner, and claimed to welcome the envoys from the Supreme Kingdom of the Celestial Kingdom. Gao Hongtu stepped forward to greet him, expressing gratitude without being humble or arrogant. The previous artillery bombardment seemed to have not seen or heard of it, and the two sides were in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Feng Menglong finally had the opportunity to speak at this time. He introduced both sides. The two North Korean officials, one named Yin Siming and the other named Park Ansung, were both third-rank Tongzheng doctors. The two were commissioned by North Korean King Lee Nei to welcome Zhang Jun.
To be continued...