Chapter 435 Catching a Turtle in a Urn
"The goods have been loaded, boss, please sign!" After the dock staff confirmed that the handover of the goods was completed, they asked Song San to sign for the corresponding documents.
Song San couldn't write, so he pressed his fingerprints with ink pads, and then called the sailors to gather and count the number of people in preparation for departure. Of course, he didn't forget to send someone to notify the people in the militia and ask them to board the ship quickly.
Li Qingyang leaned against the side of the ship and watched a group of about twenty armed militiamen filing onto the ship from the pier at the dock. It was obvious that this was not the first time for these soldiers to go to sea by boat, and their faces looked very relaxed. If it weren't for the rucksacks and firecrackers carried on their backs, it would be difficult for Li Qingyang to regard them as a group of soldiers.
Suddenly, Li Qingyang felt that someone was staring at him. He turned around and saw the Haihan officer named Xiao standing on the dock, smiling and waving goodbye to him. This action made him breathe a sigh of relief. If this Haihan man named Xiao also wanted to board the ship, then Li Qingyang's nerves would probably be really tense throughout the whole journey. He didn't want to be watched by this terrifying Haihan man all the time during the days going to Sanya.
"Unmoor and raise the sails, let's go!" Song San gave the order, and the sailors on the deck immediately became busy. Several sailors stood on the side of the ship and slowly pushed the ship away from the shore with their pennies. Several others The combined force pulled up the anchor chain that was lowered into the water. Under the influence of the wind, the sailboat slowly turned around in the middle of the river and sailed to the southeast direction of the Pearl River.
The militiamen who boarded the ship did not enter the cabin to rest. Instead, under the command of the leading officer, they sat in two rows on the deck against the left and right sides of the ship.
Sailing into the Pearl River from the waterway near Lijiazhuang, there is still about 60 nautical miles away from Wanshan Port. This voyage takes about a little more than half a day for an "exploration-class" sailboat, but for the Guangdong ship Li Qingyang accomplished, it took more than half a day to complete. When the sky began to darken, the sailor responsible for the lookout finally managed to see the lighthouse on Dawanshan Island.
"Is that Wanshan Port?" Li Qingyang walked out of the cabin after hearing the news and asked, looking at a bright light on the sea level in the distance.
"That's right, we'll be there in about half an hour. We'll stay overnight at Wanshan Port tonight and set off again early tomorrow morning." Seeing that the destination was just around the corner, Song San seemed very relaxed.
When we arrived at Wanshan Port, it was already dark. Although there were lights on both sides of the port to guide ships in and out of the port, the shore defense artillery fortifications on the island could no longer be seen clearly at this time, which made Li Qingyang feel a little regretful.
As the sailboat slowly docked, Li Qingyang noticed that a group of heavily armed Haihan militiamen were waiting on the shore, which made his nerves tense again. However, when he saw that no one else on the ship had any special reaction, he guessed that this was probably just some routine method of the Haihan people, but he should not mess up his position and expose his flaws because of this.
Li Qingyang looked around. Although the sky had darkened, from the lights on the shore of the harbor, he could still roughly infer that the size of the port was not large. However, the terrain was naturally concave, making it a good sea haven. .
After the ship docks, the first person to board the ship is the staff of the Wanshan Port Port Management Center. They must first register the personnel and cargo on the ship. If there are people who need to land, they must register separately to arrange accommodation.
The group of militiamen who boarded the boat disembarked first. They did not need any form of registration, they only needed to obey the orders of the local military commander.
Li Qingyang agreed with his companions on the way that one person would stay on the boat and the other would go ashore that night. Li Qingyang is now basically familiar with Captain Song San, and his position is barely considered management. He can still enjoy the treatment of staying in a hotel for one night ashore. After he proposed, Song San also readily agreed - he would have to wander at sea for a few days, and it would be good to stay one more night on land.
After completing the registration, Song San, Li Qingyang and others were led by staff to land at a small courtyard on the shore, where their food and accommodation were arranged. Before leaving, the staff specifically warned them not to walk out of the yard at night to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
After the man left, Li Qingyang asked Song San: "The management here has always been so strict?"
Song San shook his head and said: "That's not true. Wanshan Port has a special activity area for outsiders. As long as they don't leave this area, it will be fine. There is no restriction on leaving the yard. I'll ask someone later. Ask, maybe something happened.”
Li Qingyang nodded, ate dinner absentmindedly, and then returned to the small single room assigned to him. Considering the conditions on an overseas island, the conditions of this small single room are pretty good. There is a three-foot-wide wooden bed with a thin quilt and a bamboo mat on it. In addition, there is a small desk, a chair, and a small wardrobe. On the cabinet is a glass-shaded windproof oil lamp from Haihan. The floors are all wooden with a layer of varnish. The room is clean and there is no odor. There is a bathing place next door, and the toilet is at the other end of the yard. They are all public facilities.
Because he was only resting here for one night, most of Li Qingyang's personal luggage was left on the boat and was not taken out. Li Qingyang took the copper basin in the house next door to fetch water and washed up, then returned to the house and lay on the bed, thinking about today's events. Experience and knowledge.
Compared with the fragmentary information obtained by Nanzhen Fusi before, the information Li Qingyang obtained this time when he led his team south was undoubtedly more detailed and comprehensive. The Haihan people are by no means only three to five hundred people as rumored. They are just the remnants of the overseas Han people who are purely engaged in maritime trade. This group of people not only has the means to make money, but also shows great ambitions. They are definitely a threat to the Ming Dynasty. potential threats.
This force chose to settle at the southern end of Qiongzhou Island, which is far away from the Emperor Tiangao. The entire Qiongzhou Island garrison only has 10,000 troops, and its combat power is even more worrying. On the other hand, the so-called militia organized by the Haihan people turned out to be all standard firecrackers. , even the military uniforms are uniform. This is not a militia, it is simply a private army! Although it is not yet clear how large the Haihan Militia is, judging from the territory and population controlled by the Haihan people, the number of troops is probably in the thousands. Considering the equipment level of the Haihan Militia, its combat effectiveness is probably no longer that of Qiongzhou. The level that the island garrison can deal with. What worries Li Qingyang the most is the navy of the Haihan people. If the rumors are true, the level of armament of the warships of the Haihan people is also higher than that of the Ming Dynasty navy. And this gap in combat power may require five to ten times the strength to regain. To bring the two sides back to the same starting line, the navy in Guangdong and Guangxi is obviously still far away from this goal. Let alone any battle, I am afraid that it cannot even block the trade routes of the Haihan people.
When Li Qingyang was ordered to go south, he thought that this should be a relatively easy job. He only needed to verify the charges and then report to the local government to mobilize troops to wipe out these outsiders. But as he learned more and more about the situation, Li Qingyang also realized that he had thought about things too simply. The information currently available is enough to accuse the Haihan people of several treasonous crimes, but how to deal with these people? If a person has money, soldiers and territory, it is of course impossible for him to just put on shackles and handcuffs and go to jail after receiving a piece of paper from the government. If you want to quell this "rebellious party", I'm afraid you will have to use force in the end.
However, according to Li Qingyang's understanding, the Ministry of War probably does not have this part of the military budget for a large-scale war on Qiongzhou Island. Since the Tianqi period, the country's strategic center has been placed in northern Xinjiang. The amount of Liao salaries collected to raise military expenses has increased almost every year, and a considerable part of the imperial government's finances has been spent on the northeastern front. If the Haihan people are to be attacked, then South China must mobilize at least tens of thousands of combat troops to go to Qionghai. The ships, food, grass, and supplies that need to be mobilized are definitely not an amount that can be raised in a short time. But to deal with the Haihan people, the most important thing is I'm afraid it's just a matter of time.
According to the information currently available, it has only been more than two years since the Haihan people settled in Yazhou. However, their strength has already become the actual controller of the Qiongnan area, and they have a strong influence in the officialdom and civil society of Guangdong, Guangxi and even Fujian. They all have a lot of influence. Over time, even if this force does not openly rebel, their methods will be enough to turn Qiongzhou Island into a lawless land and escape the actual jurisdiction of the imperial court.
Fighting may not solve the problem smoothly, and may even cause great trouble to the court. But if we don’t fight it, sooner or later this problem will become unmanageable. Li Qingyang suddenly found that he was already in a dilemma before he even reached his destination.
"After we settle down in Sanya, we need to write books and report back as soon as possible. Let's leave this troublesome matter to our superiors!" Li Qingyang tossed and turned until late at night before finally coming up with a solution that was not a solution, and fell asleep in a daze. .
As soon as it got dark, Li Qingyang was woken up by a loud sound of trumpets. He got dressed and went outside, and saw that the residents in other rooms had also come out one after another.
When Li Qingyang saw the sleepy Song San stretching out, he leaned over and asked in a low voice: "Brother Song San, what is the reason for this trumpet sound?"
Song San yawned loudly and said: "This is the morning exercise for the militia army on the island! This place is different from other places. It is an area directly under the jurisdiction of the militia army, so everything must follow the rules of the militia army. Come on. They have morning exercises, so no one else can sleep in. ”
Li Qingyang said in astonishment: "Is this true for all ****?"
"This is true for all ****." Song San nodded and said with a matter-of-fact expression: "The Haihan militia is very good at fighting, and that is a skill they have learned through actual practice. It is not like the army of the imperial court, hey... forget it. .”
Li Qingyang was speechless about this. Even the elite troops of the imperial court could not conduct drills every day. It was very common for local garrisons to conduct drills every half month or even once a month. Although no one usually thought there was anything wrong with this, but Compared with the training of the Haihan Militia, it is a clear cut. Although he is not a soldier, he also knows that if the army neglects to drill, it will be difficult to ensure that they can perform outstandingly on the battlefield, especially when facing an opponent like the Haihan Militia, which is well-equipped and well-trained and diligent. In the end, I am afraid that they will have to Relying on military superiority to close the gap in combat effectiveness. But this will return to the starting point of the vicious cycle - the imperial court will probably not have excess military expenditures to provide the South with large-scale military operations.
Just when Li Qingyang was feeling slightly depressed, he heard the sound of neat running coming from outside the hospital. According to his experience, this was at least the sound that would be made when more than a hundred troops were gathering. Li Qingyang wanted to go out and see how the Haihan militia exercised, but he was worried that his actions would be too conspicuous and would be noticed by the Haihan people. Just when he was undecided, he heard the footsteps stopping outside the courtyard.
After a moment of silence, many heads suddenly appeared on the surrounding rooftops, and then a row of gun barrels stretched out, pointing condescendingly at the stunned people in the courtyard.
"Everyone in Courtyard No. 1, please be patient. This is a normal military exercise. Follow the command and don't move. No one will be harmed!" Someone was holding a tin speaker, lying on the wall and shouting to the people in the courtyard.
Li Qingyang's first reaction was that something had happened, and he subconsciously began to look left and right for openings for escape. However, the courtyard is a square structure with flat-roofed houses on all sides. There is only one door facing the port for entry and exit, and the windows of each house face the courtyard. Even the toilets and bathrooms have no exits to the outside, except for the door. Otherwise, the only way to escape from the yard is to climb on the roof. But with more than a dozen guns aimed at him, Li Qingyang wasn't sure if he had a chance to climb onto the roughly eight-foot-high roof unscathed.
It was already dark when he checked in last night, and Li Qingyang didn't notice the strange layout of the yard. At this time, it was too late to realize that something was wrong. The design of this courtyard is simply a small prison, and the people who live in it have no chance to resist or escape from the control of the outside world - this is a true portrayal of his situation at this moment.
When Li Qingyang was at a loss, Song San comforted him from the side: "Don't be afraid, the militia army does not arrest people casually. Since it is just an exercise, just stand still and nothing will happen."
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Li Qingyang thought that this was not a drill arranged by the Haihan people, but was directed at him. He just didn't know where he had exposed himself, and they would notice it. Captain Song San has been with him all the time and has not noticed anything wrong. So how did the Haihan people get hold of him?
The door creaked open, and a group of armed militia soldiers filed in, followed by a Haihan officer who looked very young and could even be described as childish. However, Li Qingyang could sense from this young man an aura similar to that of the officer surnamed Xiao in Lijiazhuang. This murderous deterrent was not commensurate with his youthful appearance. It was not difficult to infer that this young Haihan officer had already Experienced the temper of war.
(End of chapter)