Chapter 1119 Seeing is Believing
Haihan has been engaged in immigration introduction for so many years, so he naturally knows what method is most convincing. For these Ming officials who are dealing with Haihan for the first time, even if they talk openly, it is impossible to completely dispel all the doubts in their hearts. The most effective way is to let them see Haihan's actual immigration operations.
Sure enough, Shen Shikui was very moved by Xie Li's suggestion. After hearing this, he asked: "When can I go?"
"You can do it at any time." Xie Li continued to suggest: "Otherwise, Master Shen will send someone to follow our fleet back to Shandong, so that we can see the most real situation there."
Xie Li is full of confidence in the progress of Haihan's construction in Zhifu Bay. Although Haihan has not arrived there for a long time, the infrastructure facilities are much more decent than those on Pi Island. He is not worried about the consequences of people from Pi Island visiting. It will affect their confidence in Haihan. This matter has all the advantages and no disadvantages for Pi Dao, and there is no need to bear any risks. Xie Li believes that Shen Shikui will not reject this plan that can solve Pi Dao's survival crisis.
Of course, Shen Shikui still had some doubts. After all, these uninvited guests who fell from the sky were too kind. You must know that no one in the Ming Dynasty even found a solution for him. A group of foreigners whose names he had never heard of before But he had to take the initiative to help him solve the problem, which was simply unreasonable. But he really couldn't refuse the temptation of the other party's solution. If the survival problems of the people and garrison on the island were not solved as soon as possible, the next mutiny might come soon, and Pidao's strength had shrunk so much in the past year. Awesome, I can no longer withstand the tossing.
Shen Shikui looked at his nephew: "Zhixiang, will you take a group of people and go to Shandong with them?"
"I humbly accept my order!" Shen Zhixiang didn't refuse, so he agreed. There are currently only a few generals leading troops on the island, and there are even fewer people Shen Shikui can trust. Shen Zhixiang also knows that this job must fall on him. However, judging from the attitude shown by the other party, there should be no risk in this trip.
Xie Li added: "I decided to come to Phi Island at the last minute. I didn't prepare any gifts in a hurry. I could only squeeze out a thousand kilograms of food from the fleet's supplies. I hope Master Shen won't dislike it."
"You're welcome!" Of course, Shen Shikui would not turn away the food that came to his door. Based on the current situation of Pi Island, the food supply is no more than ten thousand catties, and no less than one hundred catties, as long as there is food coming in. How much is not the point? If we can maintain channels for food imports, we can appease the hungry and restless people on the island.
After the two parties finished talking about business, Xie Li went to see the people on the island, and Shen Shikui asked Shen Zhixiang to take him around. Xie Li found that the situation in this place was very similar to that outside Fushan County a few days ago. There were simple shacks all over the place, people with dull eyes due to hunger, skinny skin, and a putrid smell in the air. .
Xie Li remembered something and asked Shen Zhixiang: "Are there enough doctors on the island?"
Shen Zhixiang didn't know what he meant, but he still responded and explained: "There are seven or eight doctors on the island, but their medical skills are mediocre... The special envoy feels unwell? Can a doctor be sent to check and take the pulse?"
Xie Li shook his head and said: "That's not true. The reason I asked this is because I saw that the living conditions of the people here are so simple, and I am afraid that there is a risk of epidemics. If there are not enough doctors and medicinal materials on the island, then once the epidemic breaks out, Probably out of control.”
Shen Zhixiang responded: "The special envoy is right, but we don't know this truth. It's just that the traffic on Pi Island is blocked, and it is difficult to divert materials and personnel. We can only maintain the status quo. This island is full of Liaodong with no way out. It is impossible for the Han people to drive them out of Pi Island. Even if there is a possibility of an epidemic, they still have to stay on the island. ”
Xie Lidao: "If there is no outside help, Pidao will not be able to survive for long. When Houjin Tathagata comes to surrender, the people on the island will probably have to surrender in order to survive!"
Shen Zhixiang shook his head and said: "The Governor is loyal to the emperor and the court and will never choose to surrender. Even if the golden thieves come to attack, the Governor will fight to the end."
"If General Shen had made the decision, would he have made a different choice?" Xie Li continued to explore.
Shen Zhixiang didn't seem to notice the trick in Xie Li's question, and responded very straightforwardly: "We people have been guarding the border for the Ming Dynasty at sea for many years, but does the imperial court really care about us? We need people but no one, and we need food but no food. , when the gold thieves harass places like Ji, Liao and Xuanda, the imperial court will order us to attack Liaodong to hold back the gold thieves' strength. It is only at this time that the imperial court will remember that we still have troops overseas. The people on this island should try to survive first, then consider other things. What’s the use of being loyal to the court if you can’t save your life?”
Before Xie Li came to Pi Island, Wang Tom specifically instructed him to pay attention to the attitude of Shen Shikui's nephew - this was a new instruction Wang Tom received after reporting to the Zhifu Island headquarters. Although Xie Li didn't know the intention, he still paid special attention to it and tried to test Shen Zhixiang whenever he got the opportunity.
What Xie Li didn't know was that after consulting the database, the command found that historically Shen Shikui generously went to justice after being captured and was killed by Qing soldiers, but his nephew Shen Zhixiang chose to surrender to save his life and was later classified as Zhengbai Banner, after the Qing troops entered the customs, he led troops to defeat Li Zicheng, and also followed Kong Youde south to fight in Huguang. He sacrificed his life for the Qing government and fought many more battles than when he served in the Ming army.
Although this plot has not yet happened, it would be too early to accuse Shen Zhixiang of being a "traitor" in advance. However, the Haihan people believe that since the other party has a tendency to treason and surrender to foreigners, they must take precautions in advance to avoid bringing Haihan into trouble in the future. Han was also sold together. Of course, if he can seize the opportunity, he might be able to get ahead and use it for his own use. After all, judging from his original life trajectory, his loyalty to Ming should be relatively limited. Enter his uncle Shen Shikui.
When Xie Li heard Shen Zhixiang's statement, he found that it was indeed different from the Ming army officers he had contacted in the past. Even if those people he had come into contact with in the past were involved with Haihan, they would definitely still talk about the politically correct rhetoric of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and they would be very superficial. But Shen Zhixiang's tone was obviously dissatisfied with the imperial court, and he was also full of pessimism about the current situation and future of Dongjiang Town. He obviously had some small thoughts.
Xie Li did not continue to discuss this topic in depth at the moment, firstly to prevent Shen Zhixiang from becoming alert, and secondly because this Pi Island is another family's territory after all, and he was afraid that people might listen through the walls. This doesn't matter to Shen Zhixiang, but if his uncle knows about it, it will inevitably affect his perception of Haihan.
The situation on Phi Island is far worse than Haihan expected. A large number of refugees can only squeeze into shacks and suffer from hunger. The sanitary conditions are extremely poor. Who can persist for such a long time without the plague? I don’t know if Shen Shikui and his Whether the predecessors managed well or it really all depends on luck. Although Xie Li has traveled to many places in the past few years and has seen many refugee camps, he also believes that the situation on Phi Island is on the verge of being very dangerous, and a devastating event may occur at any time.
After visiting two refugee settlements, Xie Li had basically understood the general living standards of the local people, and invited Shen Zhixiang to leave Pi Island to join the Haihan Fleet. Shen Shikui allocated two ships to Shen Zhixiang, one to follow him south to Shandong, and the other to transport back the thousand kilograms of grain presented to Pi Dao by the Haihan fleet.
Before leaving, Shen Shikui warned him: "Observe the Haihan people carefully along the way to see if they are bragging or if they are really capable. Also, after going to the local area, if you can meet the person in charge of Haihan, you should try your best to promote cooperation." , If we can get this assistance, Dongjiang Town may be able to survive the current difficulties. "Shen Zhixiang has been to Shandong before, but he always went to the local area with his own fleet to collect food. This is the first time to go south to the sea with others. He and Xie Li took a Haicang ship out to sea together, tied the small boat Xie Li came in behind the ship, and slowly approached the Haihan fleet anchored on the north side of Pi Island near Tieshan County of North Korea.
As he got closer and closer to the Haihan fleet, Shen Zhixiang truly realized how big the Haihan flagship was. The small Haicang ship gestured at its side. The side of the ship was at least five feet shorter. It had to be followed. A rope ladder hangs down to climb to the deck. The most conspicuous thing on the side of the ship was the neat square gun windows. Shen Zhixiang took a quick look and saw that there were at least twenty of them, and he was very shocked. If these gun windows were not decorations on the ship, then the firepower of this ship would be astonishingly strong.
Xie Li observed the situation and knew that the other party had noticed the firepower configuration of the warship. He pretended to be unintentional and said: "We went to Lushunkou a few days ago and met the Dengzhou navy who defected to Liaodong last year."
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Sure enough, Shen Zhixiang immediately asked: "Will there be a fight with him? What will be the result?"
Xie Li smiled and said: "Since we have encountered each other, of course we have to fight each other. However, there are only four lucky ships on the opposite side. We can deal with them in a few or two."
Shen Zhixiang was a little unconvinced: "The Dengzhou Navy is well-trained and can be considered a strong army. Can your army easily solve it?"
Xie Lidao: "There is no basis for what we say. The dozens of prisoners of war we captured at that time are being held on the ship. General Xiao Shen will know the truth when he gets on the ship. Please come!"
Shen Zhixiang was dubious, but he still followed the instructions and climbed up the side of the ship from the rope ladder. After getting on the deck, Shen Zhixiang found that there were indeed several artillery pieces placed on both sides of the deck. The firepower alone was definitely stronger than that of the Ming army warships. These artillery pieces are fixed on complex-shaped gun mounts, and the gun bodies are covered with oilcloth. It is presumed that they will be removed during the war.
After Shen Zhixiang waited for Xie Li to come up, he couldn't wait to ask: "May I ask the special envoy, where did your country purchase this artillery?"
Xie Li smiled and said: "Want to buy it?"
Shen Zhixiang nodded repeatedly and said: "If the price is right, then book a few doors."
Shen Zhixiang had seen the power of artillery in combat on the battlefield. In the early years, Dongjiang Town was able to defend a small place like Lushunkou because of the powerful weapon of artillery. However, in the past year, Dongdongjiang Town has lost ground one after another, and a lot of artillery deployed at various strongholds has also been lost as a result. Now there is not much inventory on the island. But this thing is not a commodity that can be made everywhere, and if you want to buy it, you can't find it anywhere. When Shen Zhixiang saw so many artillery pieces on the Haihan battleship, he immediately became interested.
Xie Li brought him to a naval gun, pulled off the gun jacket, pointed at the gun body and said, "Look at the words on it."
Shen Zhixiang bent down slightly and took a closer look. He saw two lines of Song-style inscriptions along the direction of the gun barrel. One line read "Made in the 41st Workshop of Haihan Ordnance Industry", while the font of the other line was like earthworms rolling sand, not Chinese characters. . Shen Zhixiang only understood the first line, raised his head and asked: "Is this cannon made by your country? What does the second line of words like a heavenly book mean?"
Xie Li nodded and explained to him: "The first line is the unit that built the cannon, and the second line is the number of the cannon. These numbers are specially recorded. If necessary, you can check the specific number from this Manufacturing time and craftsmanship. ”
The guns and cannons produced by Haihan Ordnance Industry all have unique numbers, which are composed of English and Arabic numerals. This provides confidentiality, and secondly, it is more convenient to engrave them than to engrave Chinese characters. However, in the eyes of outsiders like Shen Zhixiang, this is naturally like a book from heaven.
Xie Li continued to introduce: "The total weight of this gun is 640 kilograms, and the projectile weighs ten kilograms and eighty taels. It is fifty feet and can break a two-inch thick ship plank. It is the least powerful artillery on this ship."
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Shen Zhixiang had been listening attentively before, but he almost burst out when he heard the last sentence. However, Xie Li stopped abruptly when he said this, and put the oilcloth gun jacket back on the gun: "We will talk about the artillery later. First, we will take General Xiao Shen to see the commander. If General Xiao Shen has any ideas, you can ask him The chief mentioned. ”
Although Shen Zhixiang didn't know what the official rank of "chief" was in Haihan Kingdom, but judging from the respectful look on Xie Li's mention, he thought he must be a real big shot, so he quickly straightened his clothes. He remembered Shen Shikui's instructions before setting off, and wanted to take this opportunity to see how the senior figures in Haihan acted.
Xie Li led Shen Zhixiang through the noisy deck and through the stairway cabin at the back of the ship. The captain's cabin of this ship is located at the rear of the ship, and there are two guards on duty at the door. Xie Li introduced Shen Zhixiang's identity to Tom Wang, and then consciously stood beside and behind Tom Wang.
"General Shen, nice to meet you!" Wang Tom put down what he was doing and stood up to greet Shen Zhixiang.
Shen Zhixiang responded, but his eyes noticed the various charts hanging on the four walls of the cabin. Some of them he could immediately recognize as the terrain of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, but many more charts were completely unfamiliar. In the sea area, it is obvious that the other party has much more sailing experience than myself.
(End of chapter)