Chapter 320 Dong Yanyun’s plan to borrow troops
The procurement projects and scope provided by "Haihan Military Industry" made the buyers who came in excitement a little frustrated. They can actually make ammunition themselves. If they hadn't considered that the two sides would need to deal with each other for a long time in the arms trade in the future, who would have spent this wasted money to buy the high-priced ammunition from the Haihan people?
Of course, even the most picky buyers cannot deny that in terms of the manufacturing process and use effect of ammunition, Haihan's original products are indeed much better than the knock-off products made by buyers themselves. Using the same amount of propellant, the range of the original product is nearly a quarter longer than that of the counterfeit product, and such a distance is enough for the warring parties to decide whether to live or die.
As for the artillery, Haihan’s original ignition tube is indispensable. With this thing, you don’t have to consider the shooting error caused by the fuse ignition delay when firing, and you don’t have to worry about the damp fuse going out halfway through burning. Tricky things like falling off happened. As long as they have used this thing, the artillerymen are unwilling to use the old-fashioned fuses again, and the buyers have to pinch their noses and bear the high price offered by the Haihan people. Moreover, the flame tube is sold with the original propellant bag and cast iron shells. If you want to buy the flame tube, you must first buy a certain amount of ammunition. Even if the buyers are not very willing, they can only pay for it obediently.
After the North Vietnamese mission repeatedly confirmed that it could not purchase artillery at present, it angrily ordered 500 matchlock guns and a batch of ammunition. However, they can only owe this money in the form of loans for the time being. After all, the follow-up expenses of the battle two months ago have not yet been settled, and now they really can't come up with enough cash to buy the weapons of the Haihan people. Years of war and a huge trade deficit with the Crossing Group have put the North Vietnamese regime, which controls thousands of miles of territory, in a weak position in this transaction in which the strengths of both sides are unequal.
Although the North Vietnamese regime has achieved a certain victory in the civil war and has taken the initiative, those in power are also very aware that the current favorable situation is inseparable from the support of the Haihan people. There are some things that they can only choose with their eyes closed even if they know they will suffer a loss. accept. For example, the Crossing Group's domestic stronghold in Annan has developed from the original Black Earth Port to the current three ports. The scope of control has basically covered the coastline of North Vietnam, and the permanent military strength will continue to increase during the year.
Seeing the grim faces of the North Vietnamese mission, military representative Yan Chujie comforted him with kind words: "My dear prince, it is not the weapons that determine the outcome of the war, but the people. A well-trained army is what determines the outcome." Your hope of unifying Annan, as for more sophisticated weapons, just makes the process smoother."
Zheng Zha sighed: "How can I not know what General Yan said? It's just that the training period of this firearms unit lasts for several months. If you want to form a considerable combat power, the more soldiers you can put into training at one time, the better. Now your side Unable to provide enough weapons, the speed of our army formation has to be slowed down.”
"It's not a big problem to be slower." Yan Chujie said with a smile: "Your country and we are brothers. As long as your war needs it, we can organize an expeditionary force again at any time to assist you in attacking the South Vietnamese rebels."
"This...it's better not to send out your troops frequently." Zheng Zhu quickly declined Yan Chujie's "kindness".
North Vietnam, which was desperate last time, recklessly hired the Hai Han militia to fight across the sea. Although the battle was won in the end, it caused a huge financial loss and required a high military expenditure to be paid to Hai Han. After the war, some senior figures in North Vietnam believed that if the money from hiring the Hai Han militia was used to purchase arms, then North Vietnam would have a great chance of defeating its opponents on the frontal battlefield with its own strength. There is nothing wrong with thinking this way, but these people ignored that even if they could spend so much money at that time, Haihan did not have enough weapons to sell; even if Haihan had so many weapons in his inventory, the Haihan people Considering the long-term interests, they may not be willing to meet their purchase requirements; even if it is sold to them, the situation at the time would not allow enough time for North Vietnam to train a firearms unit.
Although there are still some objections in Annan about whether Haihan militia should be hired to fight across the sea at that time, there is one point of view that all parties agree on - unless it is absolutely necessary, we can no longer spend money to hire Haihan militia to fight. . Although fighting a war means spending money, the Hai Han Militia's military expenses are no longer just money, but money burnt. In less than a month of fighting, the North Vietnamese military spent more than half a year's military expenses. Not to mention, they still owe money. A pile of debt. Although South Vietnam lost this battle, it was only a muscle injury at most, not a bone. The two sides will still have to fight in the next few years. If North Vietnam wants to hire Haihan militia to participate in the war, it must first do a good job Prepare to sell iron to pay for the military.
Of course, for this problem, Haihan's side also gave a solution to this problem early - if the money is not enough, then use food, manpower, and various resources that North Vietnam can sell to offset the price. If even these are not enough, there is the ultimate solution - ceding land, or even directly exchanging the land for arms or other forms of military assistance. The Executive Committee will not dislike having too many colonies under its control.
Naturally, the people in power in North Vietnam will not accept this trick now. They are working hard to organize the army and civilians to fight against the rebels in the south. Is it because they want to give the territory they have won to the Haihan people bit by bit? Even though Hai Hanfang has hinted several times that arms prices can be "appropriately adjusted" as long as it cedes territory, North Vietnam has always insisted on not relenting in this regard.
Although Dong Yanyun, the envoy sent by Fujian, had already known about Haihan's advantages in armaments and weapons, this was the first time he heard that the Haihan people sent their militia across the sea to fight in Annan, and they also won a great victory. . Judging from the polite attitude of the North Vietnamese envoys, they must have been impressed by the performance of the Hai Han militia on the battlefield.
Compared with the caution of the North Vietnamese envoys, Dong Yanyun was much more confident. Before coming to Victory Port this time, he had already obtained a secret letter from Xu Xinsu sending a horse to Guangzhou, and was given extremely high authority to act. As long as the measures were useful in defeating the "Eighteen Zhi", Xu Xinsu allowed Dong Yanyun to decide whether to implement them on his own. As for money, there is no upper limit for Dong Yanyun at all - as a super sea merchant who controls most of the export trade along the coast of Fujian, Xu Xinsu's wealth is not the level of ordinary wealthy businessmen, and his annual income is as much as hundreds. In a desperate attempt, the economic strength alone far exceeds that of the other dozen or so shareholders of "Qiong Lianfa", and even Chuan Chuan Group is no match for it.
If "Eighteen Zhi" could be defeated by spending money, then Xu Xinsu would probably not hesitate to use a considerable part of his silver inventory as a weapon. As long as the "Eighteen Zhi" stumbling block is gone, the entire Fujian coast, including the Taiwan Strait area, as well as the waterways to Ryukyu and Japan, will all return to Xu Xinsu's hands. By then, Jianyinku may not be able to follow. The speed at which money comes in.
After watching the military exercise the day before, Dong Yanyun felt as if a cat was scratching his head. Although it was just a military exercise, when Dong Yanyun was in Fujian, he had seen the officers and soldiers who had been transformed from pirates under his lord's command, and he had also seen the real Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers. Not as good as the militia trained by the Haihan people. The Haihan people relied on fierce artillery fire and a complete combat command system to complete the landing operation with ease. Dong Yanyun believed that if the defenders were their own troops, their performance would probably not be as good as those targets destroyed by the Haihan militia during the exercise. Where to go.
If it weren't for the Haihan Militia's small manpower, Dong Yanyun would have thought that these guys were preparing to rebel in Yazhou. Fortunately, it seems that the Haihan people have no plans in this regard at present, and their relationship with Yazhou officials can be described as very harmonious. I heard that the judge Zhang Tong who came to Victory Port this time will take over the post of governor of Yazhou within the year. Judging from the attitude of the Haihan people towards him, it should be related to wearing the same pants. Therefore, Dong Yanyun didn't quite understand what the Haihan people wanted to do by raising such a powerful private army before. It was not until today's private occasion that he knew that the Haihan militia had already been on the real battlefield, and was Being invited to fight abroad is completely different from training with ordinary civilian regiments.
Dong Yanyun has not personally witnessed the strength of Annan's army, but he can be regarded as a well-informed scholar. He knows that the Yuan and Ming Dynasties' many southern expeditions to Annan ended in failure. The Ming army died in Annan. With tens of thousands of soldiers, they finally had to withdraw their troops angrily and recognized Annan's independence in disguise. In terms of historical performance, the strength of the Annan army is probably not inferior to that of the Ming army. In order to win the civil war, the Annan people actually approached the Haihan people, not only buying weapons but also borrowing mercenaries. This at least shows that the Annan people have a deep understanding of the Haihan people. The combat effectiveness of the Han militia is quite recognized.
A very bold idea came to Dong Yanyun's mind: The Annan people can hire them, and so can I. With so many arms bought, why can't we hire an army to go to Fujian to help us fight?
While the North Vietnamese mission here was checking the musket samples, Dong Yanyun quietly pulled Yan Chujie aside and asked: "General Yan, may I ask if it is true that you sent a militia group to fight in Annan?"
Yan Chujie said vaguely: "We only sent some military advisers to provide some strategic planning as a reference for the North Vietnamese army's operations. The specific combat tasks are still completed by the North Vietnamese army."
Dong Yanyun said: "Why would General Yan lie to me? I should have known about this militia's expedition at Victory Port by asking, right?"
Seeing that he couldn't get around it, Yan Chujie simply asked directly, "What does Boss Dong have in mind?" Dong Yanyun said, "I just want to find out how I can invite your militia to fight in Fujian."
"Fujian?" Although Yan Chujie has always been serious, he couldn't help but feel a little moved after hearing Dong Yanyun's words: "Boss Dong means..."
"Since your militia can go to Annan to fight, they can also go to Fujian, right?" Dong Yanyun twirled the beard on his chin and said unhurriedly: "General Yan must also know that my lord has been committed to annihilating the '18 Zhi', but this group of pirates headed by Zheng Yiguan is also quite capable and has been stubbornly resisting. If we can get your help, I believe that the defeat of 'Eighteen Zhi' will be just around the corner."
Yan Chujie thought to himself, "Do you think I don't know the war situation in Fujian? If it hadn't been for "Fu Ruifeng" deliberately selling weapons to you since last year, Xu Xinsu should be the one who is resisting now, right?
Seeing Yan Chujie's silence, Dong Yanyun thought he was waiting for him to make a condition, so he continued: "We can bear all the military expenses of your militia, including post-war pensions and awards. If Yan Chujie The general has some additional requirements, which can be discussed.”
Dong Yanyun deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the word "extra" to remind Yan Chujie not to miss the point. Yan Chujie was secretly amused, thinking to himself, do you think this Haihan militia is my private army, Yan Chujie? If I can be bribed, I can drag the troops to fight in Fujian?
Yan Chujie coughed dryly and said: "Boss Dong, things are not as simple as you think. Our militia's decision to go to Annan was only made after discussion and approval by the executive committee. Here, the military leader has no say in everything. It all depends on the decision of the executive committee!”
"Then how can we get the Executive Committee to agree to this matter? Please give me some advice from General Yan." Dong Yanyun continued to ask.
"With all due respect, I think it is impossible for the Executive Committee to agree to going to fight in Fujian." Yan Chujie's gentle words shattered Dong Yanyun's fantasy.
Dong Yanyun frowned and emphasized again: "If it's about expenses, then everything is easy to discuss."
"It's not a matter of money." Yan Chujie shook his head and said, "We will send troops to Annan because there are three ports that belong to us in Annan. There are thousands of naturalized people working for the Executive Committee, and there are people who are closely related to us. The interests exist. For us, Annan cannot be ignored and must be protected.”
Yan Chujie didn't finish his words, but Dong Yanyun already understood what he meant. Annan had interests in Haihan, so he sent troops to help at North Vietnam's request. The situation in Fujian is completely different. Although the two parties have now established a trade relationship, and Dong Yanyun has also invested in "Qiong Lianfa" on behalf of Xu Xinsu Group, but to be serious, except for Xu Xinsu as a customer, Hainan now has The Han side indeed has no practical interests to speak of in Fujian.
It is true that Xu Xinsu is rich, but sometimes money is not everything. It is indeed not easy for a wealthy owner like Haihan to hire them to do things with money. After figuring this out, he asked himself, Dong Yanyun felt that if someone came to Xu Xinsu and asked him to pay him to send troops to fight in Qiongzhou Island, Xu Xinsu would probably be beaten out as a madman. Of course, I will definitely not be treated as a madman by the Haihan people, but it is indeed a bit hasty to ask the Haihan people to send troops with money.
Dong Yanyun held up his hands to Yan Chujie, bent down slightly and said, "I was rude just now! But is there really no way around this matter?"
"Well..." Yan Chujie touched the stubble on his chin and fell into deep thought.
It would be a lie to say that Yan Chujie was not moved at all. After the Battle of Annan, the morale of the entire militia was at its peak. After receiving the benefits brought by the war dividends, the soldiers were no longer as resistant to combat missions as they were before they went to the battlefield for the first time. The harvest and post-war rewards from just a few battles combined were even more than the income from working and farming for one or two years. After returning, many militiamen began to ask when there would be new combat missions. The Executive Committee, which also received the dividends of the war, is no longer as resistant to taking the initiative to start a war. After all, this overseas operation has fully proved that the actual combat effectiveness of the Haihan Militia is still trustworthy. If it can be more If this opportunity for actual combat is given to these militiamen on the battlefield for a year or two, their combat level will far exceed that of the armies of the same era.
But the goal of Fujian is indeed too far for the current Haihan Militia. The straight-line voyage from Victory Port to Zhongzuo Institute, the base of Xu Xinsu Group, has exceeded 600 nautical miles. A Chinese-style sailing ship has to drift at sea for more than ten days to complete this task. During a voyage, route safety is a huge issue. The Haihan Militia's combat method relies heavily on logistical support. From long guns and short cannons to daily utensils, almost all of them rely on the supply of Victory Port to maintain their combat capabilities.
When they went to Annan to fight last time, the Military and Police Department organized a huge fleet of more than a dozen ships to transport supplies and personnel, in order to extend the combat cycle as much as possible for the troops fighting across the sea and reduce their dependence on supplies. At that time, the main battlefield was less than 200 nautical miles away from the base camp, and the difficulty of logistical supply from the sea was completely different from that in Fujian, which was three times that amount. Moreover, before sending troops to Annan, the combat cycle planned by the Military and Police Ministry was to resolve the battle within a month. But if troops were sent to Fujian, how long would this combat cycle have to be? If the combat cycle is long, supplies will have to be transported thousands of miles from the base camp during the combat. This is not a simple task for the current shipping department's still tight transportation capacity.
Compared with another more serious problem, distance is a trivial matter. During the voyage between Victory Port and Fujian, nearly half of the waters are currently under the control of the "Eighteen Zhi" - from the west of the Fotangmen Strait in Hong Kong, it is considered to have entered the "Eighteen Zhi" "The sphere of influence of its pirate leader Liu Xiang. If the Haihan Militia wants to fight in Fujian, they must first face this maritime threat. Even if the two sides will not encounter each other at sea in the early stage, there is a possibility that the maritime supply line will be cut off by the other side after the war begins. This is definitely a threat that cannot be ignored for the Haihan Militia.
Face to face with "Eighteen Zhi" at sea? Even Yan Chujie could only think about this idea occasionally in his mind and would not really say it out loud, because doing so would be tantamount to putting meat on the chopping block. Although the militia now has several warships and has begun to form a naval force, it is still far from enough to rely on its limited surface power to fight a naval battle with a group of pirates who have been roaming the China Sea for many years. A little bit.
(End of chapter)