Chapter 521 Unification of Qiongzhou Island
If the militia army did not arrive in time to relieve the siege, it is really hard to say how many days Qiongzhou Fucheng could hold on. Therefore, although Yan Chujie's words are somewhat suspected of showing off, they are indeed irrefutable.
Yan Chujie continued: "We invite everyone here today for two main purposes. One is to inform you of the current situation so that local people know what is happening outside. The other is to announce our next defense measures for the northern part of Qiongzhou Island. , after everyone understands, you might as well try your best to cooperate with our militia army... and the local government to drive away the invading pirates.”
People with a discerning eye have actually noticed something wrong with today's occasion. No prominent figure in the government showed up, only a master from the government office came as a representative. Whether this is a celebration or a pledge of loyalty, it seems too unreasonable to have no official from the government. And what Yan Chujie said obviously did not put the Qiongzhou government in its proper place.
"Come here, hang up the map!" Yan Chujie ordered, and several soldiers immediately hung a large hand-drawn map of Qiongzhou Island on the wall next to the banquet hall.
Yan Chujie walked to the map and began to explain the war situation to the gentry present: "At present, except for Fucheng, all other prefectures and counties in the northern part of Qiongzhou Island have fallen into the hands of this group of pirates. According to the intelligence we have learned, this group invaded Qiongzhou The number of pirates on the island is not just a few thousand as previously rumored, but nearly 10,000 troops! Although our militia army has broken their encirclement of Fucheng, this group of pirates has not retreated too far, and there may be many tough battles ahead. Want to fight!”
"It is very regrettable that the Ming Dynasty's garrison on Qiongzhou Island was of no use at all. Their fighting will, weapons and equipment, and combat level were far inferior to this group of invaders. Drive away the pirates and regain the lost land. It seems that the mission can only be completed by our Haihan Militia." Yan Chujie waved his arms and said decisively: "In order to ensure the victory of the battle, during this period, all defense arrangements in the northern part of Qiongzhou Island, including Fucheng. It will be uniformly arranged and directed by our Haihan Militia. If anyone does not cooperate during this period... for the sake of the overall situation, we can only treat him as an accomplice of pirates!"
The preparation time for the "Prairie Fire Plan" took more than half a year. Relevant departments have already made relatively comprehensive arrangements and detailed plans on how to take over and control the areas that originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty after the war. To implement these new systems, the first thing that must be ensured is the obedience of the people. Whether it is intimidation, shock, or appeasement, the people must first be made to obey, especially those at the top who hold social resources and the right to speak, are the first targets that Haihan must deal with.
The purpose of Yan Chujie's meeting was to let the gentry living in Fucheng understand that the people who call the shots here have changed, and they must abide by the new rules and adapt to the new system in the future, so as not to be like those in the Qiongzhou officialdom. Like useless officials, they were quietly discarded.
Of course, he did not expect to be able to completely frighten those restless people with just his speech. In the process of Haihan's unification of Qiongzhou Island, some "reactionary elements" are bound to jump out and try to stop Haihan. control measures. But thinking on the bright side, at this time, some people will eventually take the initiative to play the role of leading the party for various reasons, and Haihan does not have to worry about having no one available locally.
Beginning on the 24th, the people of Fucheng discovered that the guards at the city gates and various government offices had all been replaced by sallow-looking guardsmen and Haihan militiamen wearing gray short-shirt military uniforms. Although the red sun pennant with a yellow background symbolizing the Ming Dynasty is still flying on the top of the city, an additional flagpole has been erected next to it, and a red and blue flag has been hoisted - according to notices posted throughout the city , this is the military flag of the Haihan Militia. Even the most ignorant people can feel from this atmosphere that things are about to change here.
On the 25th, the militia army gathered armed forces outside the East Gate, then entered the city from the East Gate and marched through the city on the East-West Avenue. During this period, the militia did not impose strict military control on the city, and the people were able to enjoy an armed parade up close that was deliberately arranged by the Haihan military. This kind of marching in columns is a basic skill that almost every Haihan militia soldier must master, so it is easy to practice it in Fucheng.
Someone in the crowd asked: "Why is the tip of the Haihan spear so narrow?"
"That's a spear, you see clearly, it's all a musket! There's a dagger stuck in the front, so you can kill the enemy at close range with a musket..." Immediately, someone kindly conducted a "science popularization".
"There are so many musketeers... No wonder they fought off the pirates within two days of arriving!"
"My Ming Dynasty also has musketeers, why can't we defeat the pirates?"
"You're stupid, you didn't see that they were dragging a cannon behind them!"
Watching dozens of artillery pieces dragged by packhorses slowly passing through the avenue, all the bystanders fell into silence. Although the garrison in Fucheng is also equipped with a lot of artillery, they are either in disrepair and can only be displayed on the city wall for show, or they have been destroyed in the battle with pirates a few days ago, and the few surviving cannons are behind. I was so panicked when I retreated that I lost it on the battlefield and was taken away by the pirates. The number of artillery pieces of the Haihan militia seems to be far greater than that of the Ming army. As for its combat effectiveness, there seems to be no need to doubt it.
The troops passed through the Fucheng area in silence, and then departed from the west gate to the outside of the city. Only an hour later, the rumble of cannons was heard in the distance. It goes without saying that this is a conflict between the militia and the pirates. Even those who don't like the appearance of the Haihan militia in the city can only silently pray that the militia army can drive away the invading pirates as soon as possible and restore tranquility to Qiongzhou Island.
At this time, Yan Chujie and Qian Tiandun had already met at a manor ten miles west of Fucheng to discuss the next march arrangements.
"I only have two thousand troops stationed near Danzhou now. The others have already arranged to evacuate to the west. If you start from here, I will arrange the retreat from here. Just keep an interval of one or two hours, so that you can also Take over local control in a timely manner." Qian Tiandun pointed at the map and said, "But most of the people I left here are Annan guards. Their marching speed is not very fast, so don't rush too fast. Hurry, lest the trick is ruined.”
"I will remember to remind the people below to pay attention to this detail." Yan Chujie nodded and said: "Is everything normal in the few counties we have occupied?"
"Only something went wrong in Chengmai. A fire broke out in the county government and all the files were burned. But this may not be a bad thing for you. Then there will be no pressure to acquire land in Chengmai." Qian Tiandun He smiled and said: "It just so happens that you also like to be a villain. You can be enough this time."
"Then hurry up. Today, the base camp sent a telegram, urging us to finish the performance." Yan Chujie sighed: "You still fought a few battles. I led the team here just to arm you." The parade didn’t bring in much work at all!” “Just be satisfied, why don’t we do the dirty work for you?” Qian Tiandun responded: “The base camp is busy, probably because of the high expenses here. Too big, I want to finish the trick early to save some money.”
Just as Qian Tiandun guessed, the reason why the base camp urged to finish the work quickly was partly due to financial expenses. In order to achieve the desired results for this military operation in the northern part of Qiongzhou Island, the Annan Front Army alone, who played the role of the villain, mobilized more than 5,000 people. Coupled with the almost overwhelming force of the Haihan militia, the total number of troops invested by the Military Commission in the northern part of Qiongzhou Island has reached nearly 10,000. There is no doubt that this is the largest military operation since the crossing.
Although there was not even one large-scale battle during this period, and the consumption of ammunition was not large, the daily consumption of troops of such a size was quite staggering. In order to ensure the supply of materials for the troops participating in the war, Haihan The recent maritime trade had to be sacrificed, and sea ships were concentrated as a means of transportation for logistical supply and troop projection. Calculating the expenses inside and outside here, a considerable amount has been consumed in more than half a month.
Judging from the current progress, the effects expected by the Military Commission have basically been achieved. It is difficult for the local people to realize in a short period of time that the pros and cons in this drama are actually played by Haihan, and Haihan takes over the local government. The reasons for the incident were so sufficient and irresistible that Ming had almost no chance of making a comeback. At this time, based on the consideration of saving a little bit, the base camp naturally urged them to speed up their actions.
After two hours of simulated combat exercises, the two had already discussed a rough plan for the next regional handover steps, and the details of subsequent actions had to be communicated through the radio during the process of advancing and retreating. Waiting for ways to keep in touch and communicate.
At night on the 25th, the anxious people finally received news of the victory of the Haihan Militia. However, the defeated pirate army had withdrawn to the west, and the siege of Fucheng ended. The gloomy mood caused by the half-month-long siege of the city was immediately forgotten by the people. Although the curfew in the city was still not lifted, the people still celebrated the long-awaited victory in various ways.
"You see, as long as we can provide them with a safe and stable living environment, they don't care who is sitting in the position of ruler." Yan Chujie pointed to the courtyards of several households under the city wall where fireworks were being set off and said, "Yes To these common people, we are good people, and we do better than the Ming government.”
"After the situation calms down in a few days, once the naturalized citizen system is promoted here, then this place will really be brought under the control of the executive committee." The person who answered the call was Qiu who had just arrived here to report. Yuan, he had been appointed by the Executive Committee as the person in charge of the Qiongzhou Fucheng area after the war.
Qiu Yuan was one of the first batch of expatriate cadres of the Executive Committee. He was one of the members when the Cliff Office was established. He was later transferred back to Shengli Port and served as the director of the Port Management Committee. In terms of his experience in dealing with all walks of life in the Ming Dynasty, he There are not many competitors in the Cross Travel Group, so getting this promotion opportunity is a matter of course and undisputed.
Starting from the 26th, the militia army marched westward, "recovering" Chengmai, Ding'an, Lingao and other counties like a broken bamboo. On the 30th, they had advanced into Danzhou, much faster than when the pirate army came over. .
On October 31, after a "fierce battle" in the south of Danzhou City, the pirate army retreated again, and the flag of the militia was successfully planted on the top of Danzhou City, which also represented all the pirates on Qiongzhou Island. The city has been successfully recaptured by the Haihan Militia.
That afternoon, thousands of fleeing pirates boarded ships in Danzhou Bay and retreated, declaring the complete failure of the pirate attack on Qiongzhou Island. Of course, it seems a bit inaccurate to say that they fled in panic. According to what the people of Baimajing Fishing Village on the seaside saw, the pirates' retreat was as orderly as when they came, and there was no sign of panic. The militia army did not pursue them one after another. It was not until the pirates completed boarding the ship and left Danzhou Bay for more than half an hour that the troops of the Haihan militia arrived at Baima Well and announced that everything here would be immediately included in the Haihan militia. within the military control of the regiment.
November 2, 1630, September 28, the third year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, the Governor's Mansion of Guangdong and Guangxi in Zhaoqing.
Liu Qian hurriedly walked into Wang Zunde's study with a document: "Sir, the latest news has been sent from Qiongzhou Island!"
"Oh?" Wang Zunde raised his head and put down the brush in his hand: "Read it!"
"... Our troops fought hard for five days and recaptured Qiongzhou City on September 20th, killing more than a thousand enemies. On September 22nd, we defeated the enemy in Chengmai County and killed more than 300 bandits. On September 24th, , after a day of vigorous fighting, they broke through Lingao County and killed several bandit leaders. The bandits retreated all the way to the west, and our troops pursued them one after another at night. Two days later, we fought a decisive battle with the bandits outside Danzhou City..."
"What was the result of the battle?" Wang Zunde couldn't help but became nervous after hearing this, and asked aloud.
Liu Qian quickly continued reading: "...the soldiers spared no effort in life, but fortunately did not disgrace their orders and successfully recaptured Danzhou City. The remaining bandits fled by boat from Danzhou Bay. They are no longer as strong as the three-man army when they invaded, so they have nothing to worry about in the near future... …”
"Good! Good! Good!" Wang Zunde finally felt a big stone fall into his stomach. Before Liu Qian could finish reading the book, he was already praising him repeatedly.
This time Qiongzhou Island encountered a large-scale attack by pirates, which was undoubtedly an extremely serious dereliction of duty for the Guangdong government. When Qiongzhou Island had lost almost all the cities in the north, the Guangdong government had not even organized a rescue team. army. If this situation were finally brought to the court, officials from top to bottom in Guangdong would be in trouble.
If Haihan had not taken the initiative to send militia troops to fight and relied solely on the Guangdong government's own strength, it is estimated that half of Qiongzhou Island would have been lost by this time. For Wang Zunde, what the Haihan Militia saved was not just a few cities on Qiongzhou Island, but also the black gauze hat on his head.
(End of chapter)