The next day, bright and early, Yang Zhenshan took his entourage and left the Capital City, riding swiftly on horseback to Jin Hai Guard. At the dock of Jin Hai Guard, a substantial amount of money and provisions had already been loaded onto Tenglong Advanced Guard’s warships. By the time Yang Zhenshan arrived, the fleet was ready to set sail.
A gathering of over a hundred large and small warships was still an extremely spectacular sight.
In September, the prevailing winds were still southeasters, and the cold winds from the snowy plains had yet to blow through.
The fleet headed south along the coast, passing Hai State Mansion, Yu State, Songjiang Prefecture, and other locales, arriving at Zhao Wu Guard on the 28th of September.
When Yang Zhenshan reached Zhao Wu Guard, his brow furrowed deeply.
Zhao Wu Guard wasn’t a naval base, but its garrison was located on the coast and also had a dock for military households’ fishing boats.
But how could a dock used for mooring fishing boats accommodate dozens of large ships?
To say nothing of a dozen, the dock couldn’t even fit one Da Fu Ship; Yang Zhenshan had to board a smaller boat to enter the dock.
As he disembarked, Yang Jinhe and Sun Yunfeng, along with a group of officials, had been waiting on the dock for a long time.
"Greetings to the Marquis!" the officials bowed.
Yang Zhenshan glanced at them, and then at the dock.
This dock was even less adequate than Tenglong Guard’s original one. Back then, leveraging the terrain, Tenglong Guard’s dock could accommodate Da Fu Ships after minimal reconstruction, yet this current dock couldn’t even berth one.
Bear in mind, in the days to come, several thousand warships would arrive, necessitating a large seaport.
"Who is the Commander of Zhao Wu Guard?" Yang Zhenshan didn’t bother with pleasantries, asking directly.
One of the officials, a man in his sixties, stepped forward, "Reporting to the Marquis, I am Zhang Hee, the Commander of Zhao Wu Guard."
Yang Zhenshan looked at the white-haired Zhang Hee, his mouth twitching slightly.
This is, what exactly did the court think when they appointed Zhao Wu Guard?
Before arriving, he had already braced himself for Zhao Wu Guard’s condition, for he knew the current state of Da Rong’s garrison.
Yet, since the court had chosen Zhao Wu Guard, he had thought it would differ somehow; now, it seemed Zhao Wu Guard probably had little to no combat capability.
Yang Zhenshan turned to Sun Yunfeng and Xue Chang’an, both showing a bitter expression.
Seeing them , Yang Zhenshan understood that Zhao Wu Guard might have been neglected for a long time.
The court had only considered Zhao Wu Guard’s geographical position, completely overlooking whether it was suitable for stationing a significant navy.
The blame fell on the officials of the Ministry of War, who likely had never visited Zhao Wu Guard.
However, contemplating the situation, it became clear; Emperor Yanping had pressed urgently, and the Ministry of War had no choice but to pick a suitable location for the Four Seas Navy to be stationed.
Now wasn’t the time for recriminations. Yang Zhenshan asked, "Is there a suitable place here to build a dock?"
Zhang Hee, initially full of trepidation, hurriedly pointed southward as he heard Yang Zhenshan’s question, "Yes, a dock can be constructed over there."
Yang Zhenshan instructed Xue Ping behind him, "Arrange for someone to go and inspect the area!"
"At once!" Xue Ping complied.
Afterward, Yang Zhenshan, without saying more, followed the officials, leaving the problematic dock, and went to the garrison of Zhao Wu Guard.
The Guard City was as dilapidated as expected, like the original Tenglong Guard, perhaps even more so.
And the Guardian Department’s office was also in quite a sorry state, lacking a proper main hall.
Damn it, what’s the use now!
Presently, only two naval forces, Tenglong Advanced Guard and Jin Hai Guard, had arrived. The other guards were yet to come, and when all were here, there wouldn’t even be enough space for the soldiers to lodge.
Given the small size of the main hall in Guardian Department’s office, Yang Zhenshan couldn’t bother entering and instead asked questions right in the courtyard.
"Uncle Xue, please give us a summary of the situation."
Xue Chang’an responded, "Marquis, Zhao Wu Guard is too decrepit, completely incapable of providing an adequate camp for us, nor a proper government office!"
"Is there any open space that can be used for encampment?" Yang Zhenshan asked.
"There is. I’ve already inspected the coastal area, which can be used for encampment, but building barracks is out of the question!" Xue Chang’an was equally helpless.
Having arrived a few days earlier, he had thought that Zhao Wu Guard could at least offer a campsite, but to his utter disbelief, Zhao Wu Guard lacked not only a campsite but even a few decent buildings.
Yang Zhenshan looked around, noting that the so-called city walls looked more like a village.
The walls were severely collapsed, and there were no significant structures within, apart from a few brick and tile houses that lacked fitting courtyards.
This was unlike Tenglong Guard back in the day, which had the wealthy Lan family. When Yang Zhenshan eliminated the Lan family, he also conveniently seized their courtyard and houses.
"Mr. Sun, what about the residence of Mr. Zhang?" Yang Zhenshan openly inquired about Zhang Hee’s residence in front of him.
Sun Yunfeng glanced at Zhang Hee, "Mr. Zhang is an honest official!"
Great, there goes the chance of commandeering a better place!
Even Zhang Hee, the Commander, was penniless, which showed the destitution of the entire Zhao Wu Guard.
A flustered Zhang Hee looked at Yang Zhenshan, "Marquis, I – "
He wanted to explain, but Yang Zhenshan waved him off, "Alright, I know, there’s no need for explanations, Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Hee was unlucky; he had been the Commander of Zhao Wu Guard for over a decade. Truth be told, his abilities were quite mediocre, but the sorry state of Zhao Wu Guard could not be blamed on him.