Chapter 847 The Weak Side
"If I had known this, I should have taken advantage of the enemy's formation and rushed out to kill them!" Ma Ling sighed bitterly.
Of course, he just sighed verbally. If he really wanted to open the city gate and go to war, few people in the city would dare to take the risk. The Hai Han army outside the city were all equipped with muskets, and their weapons were far more advanced than those of the Ming army in Shipu Suo. It was definitely the Ming army that suffered in a head-on fight. Ma Ling only had a few hundred people under his command, so he didn't dare to mess around at all. He could only watch the Haihan Army outside the city slowly setting up artillery positions.
What Ma Ling was worried about now was not how to defeat the enemy forces outside the city, but how to stop this fighting as soon as possible. Seeing the enemy's posture outside the city, he had long lost his previous composure.
"Tell Zhang Qian to come see me as soon as possible." The only way Ma Ling could think of now was to quickly find someone to leave the city to negotiate with the Haihan Army. And among his cronies, it seems that only one person can be used.
Zhang Qian is an old scholar who failed to get any honors. He is in his forties and has no ambitions of becoming an official. He is currently working as a military Chinese clerk at Shipu Institute to earn a living. Zhang Qian's wife and Ma Ling's wife were cousins. Through this relationship, they became Ma Ling's confidant. Occasionally, they also played the role of the master's staff and helped Ma Ling with advice. Ma Ling didn't trust the few people under his command who were greedy for life and fear of death. If he had to force them to go out of the city to negotiate, the first thing they might do after leaving the city would be to sell himself, so he had to rely on someone he could trust. Just go and do it.
Zhang Qian quickly came to Ma Ling. He seemed to have anticipated Ma Ling's purpose of summoning him at this time, and took the initiative to ask for his orders: "The situation is critical at the moment. Why don't you let me go out of the city to talk to the Haihan people."< br>
Ma Ling pretended to persuade: "It is very dangerous to leave the city at this time. Brother Zhang should think about how to resist the enemy's attack on the city."
Zhang Qian said: "If peace talks can be resolved, the lives of hundreds of soldiers in the city may be saved, but once a war breaks out, the swords and guns have no eyesight, and the casualties will be difficult to control. If I don't go, when the city is broken, I will not be able to escape even if I die. It would be better to give it a try. Since the Haihan people had previously sent a letter to the city for an interview, they must have left some room, and it would be better to give it a try than wait for death. ”
Ma Ling originally had the idea of asking Zhang Qian to leave the city for peace talks. Since Zhang Qian took the initiative, he saved himself the trouble of persuasion. Regardless of whether Zhang Qian's courage was true or not, Ma Ling was grateful at this time. After all, he couldn't abandon the hundreds of people in the city and go out to negotiate with the enemy in person.
After the two agreed on some details, Ma Ling asked the soldiers to open the city gate and send Zhang Qian out of the city. However, in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Zhang Qian refused the proposal to bring a few soldiers with him and went out alone.
"Zhang Qian is truly a righteous man!" Ma Ling sighed and decided to treat his brother-in-law better in the future and try to get him a formal establishment in the army. Of course, the premise is to survive the current difficulties.
Of course, Zhang Qian was not as brave as he appeared. After the Haihan fleet entered Shipu Port, he had a premonition that something was going to happen to Shipu Institute. After the other party concentrated the fleet on the shore and sent people ashore to deliver letters, Zhang Qian became more certain that the defenders of Shipu Suo had little chance of winning. Although he was a clerk and was not an expert in military matters, he could at least see that the Haihan fleet was not just an ordinary person, and it was not within the reach of Chang Guowei's navy. Ma Ling ordered the city to be closed and defended, hoping to wear down the enemy's patience, but Zhang Qian believed that the enemy would not let Shipu Suo stand under their noses like this. Sure enough, the Haihan Army soon sent infantry to land, and even the cannons were unloaded on the shore.
When Ma Ling sent someone to report to him, Zhang Qian knew that he had to bear the blame, because all of Ma Ling's men were warriors and couldn't do the negotiation at all. Even if he doesn't want to go, Ma Ling will still force him to go. Instead of making everyone look bad, he might as well take the initiative to apply. At least he can gain a good reputation this way. If the negotiation fails and he is caught and killed by the Haihan people, it is better than dying silently in the chaos.
Now that Zhang Qian has figured out the worst outcome, he is not so scared after leaving the city. He also knows that if he acts timid, he will not only lose Ming's face, but more importantly, his opponent will see it. If you feel guilty, you can't negotiate the peace terms. Although Zhang Qian believed that the most ideal result was that the other party was willing to negotiate for peace, he had to at least give the Ming army a little room for bargaining.
"Now that I want to negotiate, I really can't shed tears until I see the coffin!" Takahashi Minami put down the telescope in his hand and said with some disdain.
As soon as the gate of Shipusuo City opened, Gao Qiaonan had already received the report. He originally thought that the Ming army in the city dared to go out to fight, but when he saw a man coming out of the city, he obviously planned to negotiate terms. Peace was negotiated. This did not go beyond Haihan's expectations, but Gao Qiaonan was also slightly disappointed that the Ming army was so cowardly.
Xu Yuzhuo, who had just landed ashore, felt a little relieved. If he could avoid breaking up with the Zhejiang Ming Army, it would be better to avoid it as much as possible. After all, his men had also received military pay for several years. If they wanted to attack the Zhejiang Ming Army, they would feel awkward because of their status. Of course, he will definitely not come forward to negotiate such matters, leaving all the power to the Haihan people to handle it.
Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen briefly discussed it, and decided to let Shi Diwen come forward to deal with the Ming army envoys. At this time, the fleet had cleared the area east of Shipu Port, and Xu Yuzhuo was still in charge. The navy was There was no need for him to keep an eye on it himself. The Army's positions outside Shipu Institute have not yet been deployed. If the negotiations break down later and need to take action, Qian Tiandun may need to be on-site to take command.
Zhang Qian arrived in fear all the way outside the Haihan position, when several scouts who had been out of town came over with muskets to question his identity. Zhang Qian reported the truth and stated his intention. After the Haihan soldiers came forward and searched him, they took him into the Haihan camp.
Zhang Qian saw that all the Han soldiers were dressed in gray cloth uniforms. Almost no one was wearing armor or even a helmet. But let's say they were poor. Basically everyone had a musket in their hands, which was far better than the three in the Ming army. Equipped with 50% musketeers. Moreover, there are so many artillery in the Han Dynasty army, and their number is probably greater than that of the entire Ming Dynasty garrison in Changguo Guard. Zhang Qian arrived at the Central Army and saw that the Haihan Army that had just landed was gathering here. Hundreds of Haihan soldiers silently and neatly formed a queue quickly following the officer's instructions, preparing to move to the front line. Even if Zhang Qian didn't understand military affairs, he could still feel the murderous aura in these soldiers, which was definitely not something that the Ming troops like Shipu Suo, who had been away from battle for a long time, could possess.
"The villain Zhang Qian, the clerk of Shipu Guards, has met all of you heroes!" After Zhang Qian was led into the tent of the headquarters, he quickly bowed and introduced himself.
"We are not just heroes. I am Shi Diwen, the supreme commander of Haihan's East China Sea Fleet. What you see outside are the men and horses of our East China Sea Fleet." Shi Diwen introduced himself unhurriedly.
Zhang Qian thought that this fleet is the "East China Sea Fleet", so there must be a "South China Sea Fleet". With a fleet of this size, the entire Ningbo Prefecture... no, maybe the entire Zhejiang Navy cannot gather the same combat strength. fleet. The strength of the Haihan people at sea is indeed as strong as the rumors. Although I have not seen the situation of the Haihan people fighting at sea, I think that the Fujian Navy has such high regard for Haihan, it should not be bad.
"It's a villain who made a mistake." Zhang Qian apologized while thinking about how to call this Haihan officer. Calling him "Sir" or "Military Lord" was definitely not in compliance with the rules. Calling him "Master" seemed a bit too green, so he could only force himself in the end. With a smile on his face, he called: "Shopkeeper Shi Da, this is the boundary of the Ming Dynasty. It seems a bit...unfriendly for your fleet to be blocked in Shipu Port like this."
Shi Diwen thought to himself that this was not only unfriendly, but also a situation where war could start at any time. But now that the Ming army envoy is here, the deployment outside will still take a while, so he doesn't mind taking some time to listen to what the envoy has to say.
Zhang Qian continued after thinking about it: "I heard that Haihan has always been on good terms with me, the Ming Dynasty, and has done many righteous deeds to assist the government in eradicating bandits in Fujian and Guangzhou provinces. Why did he do such illegal things when he arrived in Zhejiang? Ma Qianhu of the Shipu Guards Station thought that Your fleet had just arrived and didn’t understand the rules on the ground, so they quickly retreated without caring about your abrupt actions.”
Although they are here to negotiate peace, Ming Ming's face cannot be lost casually, and those who should be reserved should be restrained first. Zhang Qian estimated that the Haihan people might be afraid of the majesty of the Ming Dynasty, so they really retreated, which was also a good deed. Of course, this was just a good wish, and it was shattered immediately.
"It is right that we have good relations with the Ming Dynasty, and we are willing to help the local government solve the troubles caused by the land and sea bandits, but this also requires the local government to cooperate with us." Shi Diwen responded: "I heard that pirates have been rampant in the waters near Ningbo Prefecture for many years. The government has been unable to solve the banditry problem. We, the Haihan Army, could not bear the suffering of the people of Zhejiang, so we sent our troops north to prepare to completely solve this problem for the Zhejiang government!”
Zhang Qian cursed in his heart and said, "It's none of your business whether the people of Zhejiang endure hardships or not. Who wants you to come all the way here to meddle in this business?" But he said with a smile on his face: "His kindness is really admirable to this villain. It's just that we are using troops in Zhejiang. , it is necessary to obtain the approval of the imperial court, the permission of the adults at all levels in Zhejiang, and the time, place and action plan before entering the defense areas of each guard station. Otherwise, misunderstandings and conflicts will occur, which will not end well. "
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"If we follow your rules, I'm afraid we won't be able to enter Zhejiang in ten or eight years, right?" Shi Diwen said with a smile: "I think it's better to follow our way. Go back and ask the Ming army in the city to put down their weapons." , leave the city and accept our control. Let’s save some ammunition, you can save your lives, and everyone will not be harmed.”
Zhang Qian could hardly control the expression on his face when he heard this. Although he knew that these Haihan people had no good intentions in their actions, hearing the commander of the other party say it so bluntly, as a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, he still felt ashamed. hot. Zhang Qian retorted: "This is the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and we must follow the rules of the Ming Dynasty!"
Shi Diwen said: "Oh? Did the pirates of the East China Sea abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty? Do you, the soldiers in Shipu Institute, fulfill your obligations to defend the Ming Dynasty's waters? Rules must be enforced by someone, just write them on paper Who can you scare? The few thousand Haihan soldiers outside this tent can uphold my Haihan's rules. What can you do to uphold your rules?"
"Having said that, what is the difference between your actions and those of the East China Sea pirates?" Zhang Qian, of course, would not agree with Shi Diwen's statement, and continued to argue: "What you are doing at this time can be regarded as Invasion, I would like to advise Shopkeeper Shi Da not to openly become an enemy of Ming Dynasty!”
Shi Diwen said: "Being an enemy of Ming Dynasty? This is just your idea. If I order the destruction of Shipu Institute now, what do you think the consequences will be?"
Shi Diwen looked at Zhang Qian's eyes rolling around and said calmly: "After receiving the news, the Zhejiang governor may be in chaos for a day or two and dispatch Ming troops from other places to intercept us. Several games in a row. After the battle is defeated, the big shots will find that they can't attack us. If they don't want to be reprimanded by the court, they will have to cover up the matter and not report it to the higher authorities. As for the unlucky ones like Shipu Suo, they will probably just give it a name. For example, if you encounter a shipwreck while patrolling the sea, or you are killed while killing pirates, in short, we will give you a reasonable reason to disappear. At that time, the commander of Chang Guowei or a higher-level official will come to negotiate with us, and the tone will be better than yours. They are much more polite now. In the end, they will reach some exchange terms with us and meet our demands in exchange for the stability of the coastal areas. No one will mention them again after this incident."
"No...it won't..." Although Zhang Qian refused to believe Shi Diwen's rhetoric, he felt that it seemed reasonable. Those big figures who were only interested in profit would really put the lives of people like Shi Pusuo at risk. Is it more important than their official careers?
"Even if you people can make some money for the adults, can you compare to the benefits we can bring?" Shi Diwen saw that Zhang Qian's position was in chaos, and he continued to strike while the railway was hot: "Even if you all die here, , no one will care about it in the future, there will not even be an exact cause of death, and the court will not recognize your sacrifice, because this will be a huge shame for Ming Dynasty. "
Shi Diwen raised his hand and pointed at Zhang Qian and said: "It is meaningless for you and the Ming army in Shipu to continue fighting. Think about your families. If you all die, who will support them? At this moment, Under this situation, I suggest that you survive first and then think about other things. I will give you an hour to think carefully. After you return to the city, you can advise the thousands of households in the city. Remember, you only have one hour. If you still refuse to cooperate with us, then you are sorry!”
(End of chapter)