Chapter 843 Fanfare
When Xu Xinsu presided over the selection of clan members to go to Zhejiang, Xu Yuzhuo was actually among those listed. The two even received special training in the field of latent intelligence for a period of time. However, Xu Yuzhuo suddenly fell seriously ill before departure. In the end, he was missing from the list of people going to Zhejiang. However, this was also a blessing in disguise. After staying in Fujian, he slowly showed his military talents, and eventually rose up the ranks in the navy based on his accumulated military exploits. If Xu Yuzhuo had also been sent to Zhejiang, he might be like Xu Ke now, just living incognito as a rich man in the countryside.
For Xu Ke, Xu Yuzhuo's current situation is indeed something to be envied. Who wouldn't want to have such a life of being promoted, getting rich, and honoring his ancestors? However, he also knew that his current status was too different from that of Xu Yuzhuo. Even if he returned to Fujian in the future and entered officialdom under the protection of his family, it would be difficult to catch up with the progress of his distant cousin. Having said that, how much achievements Xu Ke can get after completing this matter depends to a certain extent on how Xu Yuzhuo reports it to the superiors. Therefore, at the moment, the relationship that should be cultivated needs to be cultivated, and the flattery that should be flattered still needs to be flattered. .
After the two exchanged a few words, Xu Yuzhuo made the introduction and explained the identities of Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen to Xu Ke. Xu Ke had already seen the Haihan fleet at sea before landing. At this time, Xu Yuzhuo respectfully called the two men "generals". Xu Ke knew that the two men had extraordinary status, so he quickly stepped forward to salute.
After everyone greeted them, they returned to the temporary marching tent on the shore and began to discuss business. The combat plan formulated by the coalition forces before the war was only a framework. The specific goals and implementation methods could not be finalized until more detailed intelligence was provided by the internal forces in Zhejiang. The Xu family has two front lines, one as an official and one as a civilian in Ningbo Prefecture. Another lurker is serving in the Ningbo Navy. Contact and travel are not so convenient, so Xu Ke has become the only credible source of intelligence at present.
Qian Tiandun was the first to speak: "We have also read the secret letter that Boss Xu sent back last time. It is of great reference value. However, the amount of information that can be carried in writing is limited, so some questions still have to be consulted in person. You can do it.”
"Don't take it upon yourself to ask for advice. It's my responsibility to do my best. Whatever I know, I will tell you the truth. Please rest assured, General Qian." Xu Ke responded quickly.
Qian Tiandun nodded and said: "Boss Xu is one of our own, let me tell you the truth. The purpose of our coming to Zhejiang this time is to gain a foothold in the Zhoushan Islands. In view of the actual situation on the ground, we want to pass the peaceful It is probably impossible to achieve the goal by means. It is estimated that the necessary level of force will be used, at least to clear away all potential threats in the area around the foothold.”
Xu Ke nodded silently while thinking that the Zhoushan Islands span from south to north is less than 300 miles, and the east and west ends are even narrower. The sea area in the middle is densely distributed with more than a thousand small and large islands, no matter where Haihan finally settles. Wherever it is, this "surrounding area" can forcibly include islands within a radius of two to three hundred miles. As for the Haihan people's cleanup methods, when he transferred to Beiyushan Island, he had already heard the sailors on the ship talking about the several anti-bandit operations in the waters of Wenzhou and Taizhou a few days ago. Presumably this method will also work. Just copy it to Ningbo. The pirates in the Zhoushan Islands did not know that disaster had come from the sky.
Sure enough, Qian Tiandun then said: "We have seen the methods of Zhejiang pirates on the way here, and they are a very dangerous group. In order to ensure the safety of the sea route between Zhejiang and Fujian in the future, we think it is necessary to All unofficial armed forces in the country will be cleared out, and we will definitely crack down on those who refuse to cooperate.”
Xu Ke felt in his heart that the tone of General Haihan was frightening. The vast sea area was thousands of miles away, and if it was said to be cleaned up, it must be cleaned up. Things that the Ming Dynasty had not accomplished for two to three hundred years could not be so easy. But when he looked at Xu Yuzhuo again, he found that his cousin had a matter-of-fact expression and didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with what Qian Tiandun said.
Xu Ke then thought about it. The Haihan people helped the army in Fujian to expel the Shibazhi and had a brilliant record. Xu Yuzhuo naturally followed his advice. It's just that although the Eighteen Zhizhi is unparalleled in the Fuguang area, it may not be able to cover it if it is placed in Zhejiang. In the same way, Xu Ke still had reservations about whether the Haihan people could still perform at their combat level in Fujian when they arrived in Ningbo.
Qian Tiandun continued: "Although the pirates here in Zhoushan are weak and do not pose a big threat to us, there are many islands in the East China Sea and the terrain is complex. It takes a lot of energy to defeat them one by one. And time is not a small problem. It would be better if we could gain control of the Zhoushan Islands in an easier way. Boss Xu is familiar with the situation here. Can you give us some suggestions on how to move offshore from Ningbo as soon as possible? These islands are under our control.”
The question asked by Qian Tiandun was somewhat beyond Xu Ke's expectations. He originally thought that when he was called over, he would only be asked some specific questions, such as which local pirates were the strongest and who had interests in Ningbo government. Wait, I didn't expect that General Haihan would throw such a big question to himself.
Seeing that he frowned and didn't respond, Qian Tiandun comforted him: "Boss Xu, don't worry too much. We just want to hear what people like you who are familiar with the local situation think about it. We don't want to force you to do our next work for us." decision based on the action.”
Xu Ke then responded: "I am short-sighted. If I say something wrong, please don't blame me."
"It doesn't matter if you say so. These two generals are veterans who have been on the battlefield for a long time, so they will have some considerations." Xu Yuzhuo also encouraged him from the side.
Xu Ke thought that both of them looked to be in their early thirties, and the term "veteran" was a bit exaggerated. However, he only thinks about this kind of complaint in his heart and will not show it out. Then I heard Xu Ke say: "Then let me first tell you about the situation from Yushan Island to Xiangshan Port..."
From the Yushan Islands to the north to the north shore of Xiangshan Port, this section of the mainland coast is the defense area of Changguo Guard. From south to north, it is the jurisdiction of Shipu, Juexi, and Qiancang. Although these guard posts have given up patrolling the coastal defense, the local garrison is not completely blind. As long as the Haihan fleet sails into the nearby sea area, it will inevitably be discovered by local fishing boats and merchant ships. Xu Ke believes that the fleet may encounter certain troubles if it wants to obtain supplies from nearby areas.
When Qian Tiandun heard this, he interjected and asked: "I remember that in the secret letter sent back to Fujian by Boss Xu, he specifically mentioned that there was almost no piracy activity in the waters east and south of Chang Guowei. What is the reason for this?"
Xu Ke explained: "There are only a few islands east of Changguowei, Guanchuan'ao Island and Nanjiushan Island. They are too small and have no natural harbor, so they are not an ideal place for pirates to stay. Although there are many islands in the south and the area is large enough, But it is too close to the mainland. The largest Nantian Island in the south is only five miles away from Shipu Station. Even if they know that the garrison will not do anything to them, no pirate would dare to set up their base so close to the guard station. "< br>
Qian Tiandun and others began to check the terrain against the map while listening to Xu Ke. Shipu Port is located at the southernmost end of Changguowei, and Shipu Port is surrounded by a string of offshore islands. Slightly larger islands such as Hua'ao Island, Gaotang Island, Nantian Island, Dongmen Island, and Daxiayu Island are almost all concentrated in the area around Shipu Port. Almost all the natural harbors south of Xiangshan Port are concentrated in this area. Only pirates who have burned out their brains would do something like go to the gate of the military station to open a mountain cabinet. Shi Diwen looked at the map for a while, and suddenly came up with a sentence: "The location of Shipu Port is quite good."
Qian Tiandun seemed to understand what he meant, and nodded in agreement: "It's indeed good."
Xu Yuzhuo said: "Although the place is good, if we start here, wouldn't it be too showy?"
Xu Ke was startled, and then he realized that the two Haihan generals were actually planning to let the fleet enter Shipu Port. It's nothing more than an ordinary merchant fleet. 70% of the sailing ships in this armed fleet are loaded with varying numbers of artillery. If they enter Shipu Port, the local garrison will probably misunderstand the Haihan people's intentions. It is very likely that something will happen. armed conflict.
Xu Ke quickly advised: "The Shipu Port is an important garrison of the Ming army. If you break in rashly, it will definitely cause misunderstandings. Please think twice!"
Xu Ke didn't know that Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen had already had their thoughts on Shipu Port. Between Fujian and the target battlefield, the Zhoushan Islands, the fleet does not have a relatively reliable supply point. Even starting from Funing Prefecture, which is adjacent to Fujian and Zhejiang, the supply route to Zhoushan is nearly 300 nautical miles long. Combat supplies even have to be shipped from the Penghu base further south. For wartime supply lines, firstly, the route is too long and the risk is high, and secondly, there is no reasonably located wartime supply transfer port ahead. If all supplies and personnel handovers need to be carried out at sea, there will be too much trouble. Therefore, before setting off, they were already planning to choose a location close to the Zhoushan Islands with a relatively stable environment as the forward camp for this operation.
Considering the objective requirements of the Haihan Navy for supply locations, the potential risks in the surrounding environment, and the calculation of the combat range, this location is not so easy to determine. According to the intelligence obtained by the coalition forces before their departure, the main activity area of Zhoushan pirates is north of Xiangshan Port in Ningbo. Xu Ke’s previous report mentioned that there are large groups of pirates stationed on Hengdao at the outlet of Xiangshan Port. The coalition forces can choose The best area should be south of Xiangshan Port.
Shipu Port is about thirty nautical miles away from Hengdao. For Haihan, it is a good choice geographically because it can attack when entering and defend when retreating. The only problem is that the Ming Dynasty's guard army is stationed here, and it is impossible for the other party to turn a blind eye to the arrival of the Haihan Fleet. And it is unlikely that all the large number of armed warships will enter the port disguised as merchant ships. Even if the Ming army is useless, it will not be blind and will not turn a blind eye to the conspicuous gun windows on the side of the Haihan warship.
Qian Tiandun did not inform Xu Yuzhuo of this plan before this, because he knew that Xu Yuzhuo was concerned about his own identity and would definitely hold a conservative view on it. But as the fleet approaches the end point of Zhoushan Islands little by little, the problem of choosing a garrison point will eventually have to be resolved. Today, since the locals who know the situation best are present, Qian Tiandun took the initiative to bring this matter up. If it doesn't work out, at least let's discuss it first.
Qian Tiandun asked: "Boss Xu, if this is feasible, let's talk about it bit by bit. Do you have more accurate information about the number of troops stationed in Shipu and the strength of the land and water armies?"
< br>
Xu Ke responded: "This Shipu Institute is a standard establishment with 1,000 households. It has 1,120 soldiers on the list, both land and water. There is a stone fortress in Shipu Port, with walls one foot and four feet high, and several artillery pieces. I have not seen it with my own eyes. I have seen it, but it is said that they are all Folang machine guns bought from the Folangji people in the early years. As for the fire guns used by the soldiers, although the army has more equipment, they are not as sharp as your army. "
Haihan exported as many as 20,000 to 30,000 matchlock guns to Ming Dynasty in recent years, and a small part of them also flowed into Zhejiang. Although the Heavenly Kingdom is not too fond of overseas barbarians, this good thing is a good thing. The performance of the Haihan Musket is far better than the blunderbuss produced under the supervision of the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty. This is a fact that no one can deny. What's more, many people know that the officers and soldiers in Fujian have long been equipped with more advanced Haihan flintlock guns. They no longer need to use an open flame to light the match rope when firing, and the speed of reloading ammunition is also much faster. The Shibazhi have been defeated repeatedly in recent years. A large part of the reason is that their weapons are inferior to the Ming army. Every time they face off, they suffer greatly because of this disadvantage.
Xu Ke had also seen the Haihan flintlock gun bought by others at a high price in Ningbo. Indeed, in terms of power, range, and ease of loading, it was better than the firecrackers currently equipped by the Ming army. Moreover, it is said that the Haihan people only export second- and third-class weapons, and keep all the best and most advanced ones for their own use. This Haihan militia group came to Zhejiang in person. Needless to say, the weapons they used were far superior to the equipment of the Ming army.
As for the combat ships equipped by Shipu, Xu Kelian did not mention it. After seeing the size of the Haihan fleet with his own eyes, he did not think that the few naval warships in Shipu, which could only scare the fishermen, could do anything. A chance to fight back.
Qian Tiandun continued: "There are more than 1,100 people registered, so the actual situation must be even less than this number?"
Xu Ke nodded and said: "At least one-third is missing. I know a hundred households in Shipu Institute. According to him, when the monthly payment is made, there are only six or seven hundred people actually present."
Qian Tiandun smiled and said: "Since this is the situation, even if we drive into Shipu Port with great fanfare, what can they do?"
(End of chapter)