Chapter 641: Chapter 293 Naval Arrangement_2

However, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

With the current upward trend of Chu State, it is not certain, but it is quite possible that one or two more Inborn Grandmasters could be added within the next ten years.

Then the problem arises.

Chu State has only four provinces in total, and there is one Inborn Grandmaster overseeing each of the provinces, excluding the king.

So, when one or two more Inborn Grandmasters emerge, how should they be arranged?

Positions with high authority and influence, where the full potential of an Inborn Grandmaster can be utilized, are limited.

The Forbidden Army in the capital is the king’s personal army, and military control here is absolutely impossible to relinquish.

Looking at Great Chu as a whole, the only position with both real power and the ability to exert the deterrence of an Inborn Grandmaster is that of the naval forces.

The Dongting Naval Forces, with 50,000 soldiers, have all of Chu State’s water armies under their control; it is unreasonable to entrust such an important force to a weak leader like Chu Wei, who is not even a top-tier expert.

Previously, there was no better choice, so he was temporarily appointed as the naval commander. That’s understandable, as the situation was urgent.

But now that there is a more suitable candidate, it becomes exceedingly conspicuous and unreasonable to have someone below the Inborn level commanding the entire national naval forces.

It is well known that the eastern Ning Country has a commander, Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming, who is a bona fide Inborn Grandmaster, leading their 100,000 naval forces.

As Chu State is ambitious to surpass Ning Country, take its place, and become the Master of Yangzhou, it is only natural that their configuration should not be inferior now that they have the conditions.

The commander of the 50,000 Dongting Naval Forces must be an Inborn Grandmaster.

Otherwise, if one side has an Inborn Grandmaster while the other does not, the difference in appearances alone is significant.

On the battlefield, the presence of an Inborn Grandmaster on the enemy’s side is disastrous for Chu State’s naval forces.

Thus, promoting an Inborn Grandmaster to be the naval commander is not only necessary for the proper configuration but also the needs of actual combat, and it is imperative.

This is the overall situation, which cannot be defied.

Chu Wei knows in his heart that as Chu State continues to grow, he most likely will not be able to hold the position of naval commander for much longer.

However, if he cannot be the naval commander, can at least his position as deputy naval commander be assured?

After all, he has made great contributions through hard work and personally developed the Chu State Naval Forces from scratch, building them up ship by ship and sailor by sailor, to their current level through countless efforts.

With such merit, it is more than enough for him to be a deputy commander handling trivial matters.

After all, how great and important are Inborn Grandmasters?

Their time is precious.

It is for cultivation or enjoyment, not for managing such trivial matters.

Based on this point, there is a need for a deputy commander to handle these day-to-day trivial affairs in the naval forces.

As long as he firmly holds the position of deputy naval commander, it is uncertain how high he can ascend, but at the very least, he should be able to firmly secure a position within the top ten of Great Chu’s military.

Realizing that with his talent, he will most likely never reach the Inborn level in this lifetime.

Being able to reach this position amongst the Inborn Grandmasters has already become Chu Wei’s greatest expectation.

Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, he chose to personally lead the team and participate in this operation.

The purpose was to perform well in front of his king and master, reminding them of his merits so they would not forget his position when deciding on rewards in the future.

Apparently, his performance had an effect.

“Hmm, as long as there are enough ships, it’s fine.”

Lu Yuan listened to the reply and nodded with satisfaction, then turned back and smiled, “You’ve done a good job. In just six years, you’ve managed the naval forces to their current state, which shows that you’ve put in a lot of effort.

However, the current scale of 30,000 naval forces is still not enough.

Nowadays, the Ning People are getting more and more aggressive, and their 100,000 naval forces are training day and night in Chaisang main camp, flaunting their military prowess at the boundary from time to time.

Baling City is located right next to the Chaisang main camp, and the sound of drums from the latter can be heard in Yingfeng City with the wind.

How could the capital of a country be threatened by another country like this?

You must strive to fill the 50,000 Dongting Naval Forces quota by the end of this year. If there are not enough funds, submit a report to the Military Department, and they will approve it directly for you, as I have already instructed them.

So, are you confident in accomplishing this task?”

Lu Yuan looked at his disciple with a smile filled with expectation.

Faced with the trusting and appreciative gaze from his king and master, Chu Wei instantly felt the pressure and the recognition of his abilities.

Thinking of his goal, he could not afford to back down and immediately said, “Your Majesty, rest assured, as long as the Military Department provides enough funds, I will recruit the remaining 20,000 naval forces by the end of this year.”

Yes, he could recruit 20,000 naval forces by the end of this year.

However, the ships required for those 20,000 forces could only be completed at the earliest by the year after next.

After all, building ships is not an overnight process and cannot be produced all at once.

Under normal circumstances, a qualified warship takes at least two to three years to build.

Therefore, no matter how anxious Chu Wei is, the shipyard cannot produce the ships magically for him.

It is not impossible to produce more ships, provided he accepts that the ships built would fall apart in just a few months.

In that case, whether it is 20,000 ships or 100,000 ships, the shipyard can build them for him.

However, this clearly does not meet the standards of the naval forces, nor is it in the best interests of Chu State.

If Chu Wei dares to pursue such a course, he would not receive any merit, and Lu Yuan might even behead him for wasting so much money.