Inferior was inferior. The Bing Province army was visibly stronger in both the quality of its soldiers and its weapons and equipment.
Hearing this, Chen Gong sighed. "Then please put more care into their training, General Zhou. I don't want to see these elite officers and soldiers sacrifice their lives for nothing because they are unskilled in naval warfare."
Zhou Yu paused, then said solemnly, "Rest assured!"
After deciding to build a navy, Liu Xie appointed Zhou Yu to train the troops and entrusted the Foundry Bureau with building warships. He also personally summoned Meng Yang, the Juzi who served as the bureau's director.
Weiyang Palace, Xuan Room.
"My respects, Your Majesty."
Upon seeing Liu Xie, Meng Yang immediately bowed respectfully.
"Rise."
Liu Xie raised his left hand slightly to excuse him from further ceremony, then asked, "I will send troops south to subdue the rebels in three months. Can the Foundry Bureau build enough warships within that time?"
A troubled look crossed Meng Yang's face. He hesitated before saying, "Your Majesty, three months... to be honest, that is rather rushed."
"But if sufficient manpower can be guaranteed, the Foundry Bureau can do its utmost to try."
He dared not give an absolute guarantee. After all, this concerned the major undertaking of marching south against the rebels, so he could only promise to do his best.
Liu Xie frowned at this answer, but he also knew how tight the schedule was. He nodded. "Give it a try... what are you holding?"
He noticed that Meng Yang was also holding a brocade box.
At the mention of it, Meng Yang immediately perked up and said eagerly, "Your Majesty, this contains the results of the Foundry Bureau's recent research. I brought them especially for your inspection."
As he spoke, he opened