Chapter 330 Rush to the rescue of Lijiazhuang
"You two, this is just a small thought from me. I hope you two can say a few kind words for the Li family. I will express my gratitude to you once everything is done!"
Li Jifeng had a sincere look on his face. This was his third visit to the Guangdong Office in five days. This time, he even brought his two sons, Li Nai and Li Po, with him, which seemed to suggest that the whole family was going out to ask for help.
"Um...Boss Li, if you do this, it will make things difficult for us. Let's take this gift back first!" Maliko looked at the plate of gold ingots on the table, shook his head and pushed it back. Although this thing was very tempting, he definitely wouldn't dare to accept it without permission - not to mention that there was He Xi sitting next to him who was not particularly on the same page as him.
What is the nature of He Xi's work? Malik, who has worked with him for half a year, knows very well that intelligence personnel like He Xi who are under the direct jurisdiction of the Executive Committee may be responsible for more than just collecting intelligence about the Ming Dynasty. Supervising internal personnel is most likely part of his job. If I dare to openly accept bribes from wealthy businessmen of the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that the news will be sent back to Victory Port and placed on the desk of the Executive Committee before it gets dark today.
"Boss Li, we have sent the news back to Shengli Port about your family affairs. As for the process of our work, you should also be very clear. The executive committee must make a decision, and only those of us who handle the matter can decide what should be done. How to do it. Even if you put mountains of gold and silver in front of us now, it will have no practical effect." He Xi persuaded calmly.
When Li Jifeng visited the Lijiazhuang Office five days ago, he claimed that a large group of bandits might attack Lijiazhuang in the near future and requested that the armed personnel of the Lijiazhuang militia under the name of "Golden Shield Security" be temporarily transferred back to Lijiazhuang to participate in the defense. For this request, the Guangzhou Guangdong Office also cooperated. After all, compared with the business of "Golden Shield Security", the safety of Lijiazhuang is definitely more important. But at that time, neither party realized the seriousness of the problem and believed that the problem could be solved as long as the Li's vigilante group was transferred back.
Two days later, Li Jifeng visited again. This time he had more precise information - multiple bandits in Guangzhou Prefecture had joined forces and were preparing to attack Lijiazhuang in Panyu within the month, and they were currently determined to participate in this attack. There were more than 2,000 rogue bandits attacking. And this momentum is still gradually expanding. It is said that the bandits in Huizhou Prefecture have also sent people to Guangzhou Prefecture to connect with them, intending to join in.
Li Jifeng spent thousands of taels of silver to buy this information, which is still quite credible. The rogue bandits in Guangzhou Prefecture have been wreaking havoc for three or four years, but almost all rural areas with weak defenses have been wiped out. The remaining places that dare not move are either too close to Guangzhou City and are still under the control of the government. If it was a Dazhuang Dazhai, it would have a certain number of armed personnel. It would be very difficult for a disorganized organization like the rogue bandits to attack the fortress. But now as there are fewer and fewer targets, the rogue bandits can only focus on fortresses like Lijiazhuang. If one family cannot defeat them, then they can gather people from several more families to attack together. After all, these fortresses are not as powerful as Guangzhou City. They can only be trained by a few hundred strong men. If thousands of people launch an offensive together, there is still a high chance that they can be captured.
Another fort, only more than 70 miles away from Lijiazhuang, was captured by multiple groups of bandits ten days ago. It is said that even the people and things in the area were looted. The bandits, who have tasted the benefits, have turned their attention to Lijiazhuang is richer in oil and water.
After receiving the exact information, Li Jifeng naturally did not dare to be careless again. When he visited the Guangdong Office for the second time, he clearly asked Haihan to provide military assistance. As for the cost issue, Li Jifeng readily stated that he could let the Garrison and Guangdong Office set the price on its own, as long as the reinforcements could arrive before the rogue bandits took action. However, the Guangzhou Guangdong Office does not have such great authority, so it can only kick the ball back to the base camp and let the executive committee make a decision.
Li Jifeng waited restlessly at home for nearly two days. Seeing that the Haihan people had not yet given a clear reply, he had no patience to wait any longer. He took his two sons, packed two large trays of gold ingots, and went to ask for help again. . Li Jifeng has already thought about it. If the Haihan people don't come up with a clear explanation this time, then he will have to stay in the Guangdong Office.
Li Jifeng continued to persuade without mercy: "Two of you, what is the situation here in Guangzhou? The bosses of the executive committee can only get information from a few words. They may not be able to feel the urgency of the situation. If you urge more, Several times, the executive committee will definitely be able to make decisions faster. If it is delayed for a few more days, I am afraid that things will change and we will not be able to catch up even if we send assistance!”
"Boss Li, you have to believe in us and the wisdom of the executive committee..." Ma Like was about to brainwash Li Jifeng again when he saw Yu Xiaobao running in holding a piece of paper: "Director Ma, there is an urgent call from Victory Port. ! ”
Maliko quickly took it and took a quick look at it, then put it on the table slowly and said to Xiaobao: "You go down first."
After Yu Xiaobao left the study, Malik said: "Boss Li, regarding the matter of Lijiazhuang, the executive committee has made a decision..."
"Ah? What's going on?" Li Jifeng stood up in such a hurry that he almost couldn't control himself and grabbed the piece of paper on the table in front of Maliko.
"The executive committee decided to send a militia group to support Lijiazhuang and assist the local defense." Maliko said in a deep voice.
"When can your militia reach Panyu?" Li Jifeng asked anxiously.
"When we can arrive, this is a matter for the military, but I think we should be preparing to leave by this time." Seeing Li Jifeng's anxious look, Maliko smiled and comforted him: "You don't have to be so nervous. It will arrive tomorrow at the latest.”
"How is this possible? I haven't read much, Mr. Ma, please don't fool me." Li Jifeng shook his head repeatedly and said: "I think the Victory Port is six hundred miles away from the Pearl River Estuary. Although your ships are well-made, they are It’s fast, but it’s impossible to get from Victory Harbor to the Pearl River Estuary in one day and one night.”
"I didn't say that the reinforcements came from Victory Port!" Malik smiled and told the answer: "There happens to be a company of the militia conducting training at the Pearl River Estuary. It will be able to set off soon after receiving the order from the Executive Committee. Panyu. There are also two companies as follow-up reinforcements, which will come from Victory Port as soon as possible.”
"So that's it...very good, very good! If we rush from the Pearl River Estuary to Panyu, it can indeed be reached in one day..." Li Jifeng suddenly turned his head and said: "Po'er, go back quickly and escort two thousand kilograms of grain to Panyu. , the sooner the better! Also, try your best to purchase more daily necessities and transport them together to avoid inconvenience after the Haihan reinforcements arrive.”
After hearing this, Li Po was about to leave, but Li Jifeng stopped him again: "When you arrive, you will live in Lijiazhuang and be responsible for liaising with the Haihan reinforcements after they arrive. The local defense must be based on the Haihan reinforcements. All affairs are subject to the command of Officer Haihan! If Dad can make it in time, he will rush back to guard the village with his sons in the next two days! ”
"Baby, take your orders, let's go!" Li Po hurriedly said goodbye to Maliko and He Xi and left.
Maliko and He Xi both nodded secretly. Jiang was still hot. Although Li Jifeng was extremely anxious, he still acted calmly. He immediately thought of ensuring the supply of living materials for the reinforcements - this is what the Haihan Militia is famous for. One of the characteristics of the people is that they must be well-fed, well-clothed and well-housed wherever they go. In comparison, the treatment of the Li's Vigilante Corps is far behind.
Li Jifeng was able to decisively hand over military command to Haihan, which was also a very wise decision. Otherwise, the defenders will have to face a chaotic command system while using less to fight more, and the battle will not be easy to fight.
Guangzhou City is only forty or fifty miles away from Panyu, and there are official roads in the middle. It doesn't take much time to transport supplies from here. If Li Po's work efficiency is high enough, most of the materials transported can arrive at Lijiazhuang ahead of the reinforcements.
"Boss Li, are you relieved now?" He Xi joked to him as he watched Li Jifeng finally sit back on the chair calmly. "Don't worry, don't worry. Now that you have mobilized the militia to support me, I feel completely relieved. I have to thank you two for your generous help!" Li Jifeng cupped his fists and bowed to the two of them.
After Li Nai participated in a series of anniversary activities and project promotion meetings organized by the Haihan people in Victory Port, he returned to Guangzhou with a lot of knowledge. In addition to the business gains, there were also various anecdotes about the Haihan people's battles in Annan. thing. Others may be skeptical of some of the news, but Li Nai, as a serious addict of Haihan culture, has no doubts about the victory of the Haihan militia in Annan. Of course, the biggest reason for his judgment was that one night Tao Donglai and others personally introduced him to the envoy from Annan, who was said to be a young prince who was very respected in Annan. The Executive Committee hopes that by establishing entrepot trade in Victory Port, Annan will have the opportunity to purchase more Ming goods - the benefits of this major supplier will naturally fall on "Fu Ruifeng".
With the personal endorsement of Annan's young prince and Annan officers, Li Nai was convinced of the actual combat capabilities of the Haihan Militia. And his confidence also directly infected his family members, including Li Jifeng. Therefore, after receiving an early warning that Lijiazhuang would be attacked by rogue bandits in the near future, Li Jifeng's first reaction was to apply for military assistance from the Haihan people. As long as the Haihan militia came Well, these bandits are nothing more than local chickens and dogs.
All kinds of merchant ships, cargo ships and fishing boats entering and exiting the Pearl River Estuary all witnessed a strange-looking sailing ship sailing towards the upper reaches of the Pearl River at an unimaginable high speed one morning. The pointed nose and long body of this sailboat are somewhat like a Cantonese sailboat, but the mast is much higher than that of an ordinary Chinese sailboat, and the sail is like a Western-style soft sail.
This strange sailing ship without any flag is naturally the "Exploration" warship that set off from Dawanshan Island to Panyu. All the officers and men from the Fourth Company of the Militia and more than 60 sailors from the "Exploration" were the first batch of reinforcements to go to Panyu to support Lijiazhuang.
Chen Yixin was temporarily appointed by the Military Commission to command the support force, but the command was limited to the voyage from Dawanshan Island to Panyu, because in addition to him and his company, the Garrison and Guangdong Office also sent Xiao Liang to lead the army. Two squads of militiamen went to Lijiazhuang. In the military's ranking of wartime command authority, Xiao Liang, a veteran, is obviously higher than Chen Yixin. Therefore, after arriving at Lijiazhuang, the highest military command will be controlled by Xiao Liang. Although Chen Yixin has the same military rank as Xiao Liang, he can only play the role of deputy.
However, Chen Yixin was not depressed at all. He was very excited to be lucky enough to participate in the Haihan Militia's first battle in the mainland. As for the fact that the combat command was handed over by the Military Commission to Xiao Liang instead of himself, Chen Yixin believed that this was a matter of course. After all, Xiao Liang had been in Guangzhou for half a year and was much more familiar with the situation here than himself, a newcomer.
The "Exploration" took eight hours to successfully pass through the waters of the Pearl River Estuary and arrived in Panyu County through the Shawan Waterway. The location of Lijiazhuang is not far from the Shawan Waterway, and a small pier has been built on the north bank of the Shawan Waterway. When the "Exploration" arrived here, there were already people from Lijiazhuang waiting on the shore - three hours ago, Li Po from Guangzhou arrived at Lijiazhuang one step ahead of the "Exploration", and with him there were Xiao Liang and others came from the Guangdong Office.
The unique appearance of the "Discovery" quickly attracted onlookers from nearby villagers. However, after seeing the Haihan militiamen with live ammunition appearing on the side of the ship, the onlookers consciously backed away for a distance. After receiving the news, Li Po quickly came to the dock with a group of militiamen from the Li Family Vigilante Group to help maintain order.
"Oh, you should have waited until dark before coming in, but now you are all exposed!" Chen Yixin looked at the chaotic people on the shore and couldn't help but sigh.
"It's okay, don't worry about such details." Xiao Liang said calmly with a cigarette in his mouth: "Do you think the bandits who are planning to attack Lijiazhuang will give up their original plan just because a boat appears here? ”
"Probably not. If it were me, I might still think about how to snatch this big ship together." Chen Yixin was also a smart man and immediately understood what Xiao Liang meant.
"People die for money and birds die for food. When bandits' only purpose of survival is to steal more things, they will not stop." Xiao Liang flicked the cigarette butt out hard and watched it draw an arc and fall into the In the river, he continued: "We won't get off the boat for the time being. Let Li Po get on the boat... Let's have a meeting first, and then get off the boat and enter the village when it gets dark."
Xiao Liang's handling method can be regarded as a helpless solution. The arrival of the reinforcements will definitely not be hidden from everyone, and there may already be rogue spies operating nearby in Lijiazhuang, constantly inquiring about the defense situation of Lijiazhuang, and the only way the reinforcements can What we do is try not to expose our strength in advance to the public.
Soon Li Po also came to the ship and greeted Chen Yixin who came with his troops. Xiao Liang was a very direct person and immediately told Li Po three things. First, let these people disperse before dark, and try not to let them see the Haihan Militia disembarking from the ship. Second, immediately block the roads in and out of Lijiazhuang, check local strangers, and prevent rogue spies from sneaking into the village. Third, give the Haihan militia a place to camp and provide them with plenty of drinking water and meals.
After Li Po got the order, he immediately got off the boat and got busy. Xiao Liang and Chen Yixin returned to the cabin and began to discuss the next battle plan.
Xiao Liang took out a pen and paper and said: "After I got here today, I briefly investigated the situation around Lijiazhuang. Since time is short, you can make do with it."
After speaking, Xiao Liang began to draw a simple map around Lijiazhuang on paper. Lijiazhuang is located in a plain along the river. There are no strategic commanding heights or dangerous terrain nearby that can be used. Considering the gap in strength between the attacking and defensive sides, the defensive side still needs to rely on the buildings of Lijiazhuang as the main defense method.
As a relatively wealthy village in Panyu County, the houses in Lijiazhuang are basically made of masonry. Xiao Liang has gone to see it on site and the solidity is still good. As long as the bandits do not have decent heavy firepower, it will not be easy to destroy these houses and courtyards. . And because of sufficient financial resources, Lijiazhuang also built an adobe wall and a small pass surrounding the village, which can be used to arrange defensive means.
"So powerful? Are the walls of Fort Victory strong?" Chen Yixin couldn't help but blurt out after hearing this.
"Compared with Victory Fort, it is still far behind. After all, the construction technology is not of the same level." Xiao Liang did not comment highly on Lijiazhuang's wall: "There is no prismatic defense, no wall trench, and no multi-level three-dimensional defense. The structure is basically just an earth wall of about 2.8 to 3 meters.”
"That's it..." Chen Yixin became a little discouraged immediately after hearing this: "This wall is too short. You can climb it in two steps. We only have so many people. If we want to spread it out to the southeast, northwest, etc. Not too conservative.”
"It's not that easy." Xiao Liang smiled and said: "Before going to Annan, you should have taken a special defense theory class, right?"
Chen Yixin nodded. After the amphibious landing tactics were determined at the base camp, the Military and Police Department opened a special commander course, led by Yan Chujie and Gu Wei, who taught some basic field and urban defense to grassroots commanders like him. Skill. Of course, most of these measures were not used in subsequent battles, because the South Vietnamese army could not even rush to the front of the defense line and was defeated by various long-range firepower from a distance.
"You can't just stand on the city wall to defend the city. You only see that the wall here is too short to arrange the three-dimensional firepower network we are familiar with. But in fact, this problem can be solved by changing the way of thinking." Xiao Liang said the map he just drew The paper stood up: "This is the village wall. If we deploy our troops outside the wall, won't we have a three-dimensional fire network?"
(End of chapter)