Chapter 1121 Old acquaintance
Although Shen Zhixiang has a quick mind, he still shook his head and refused after hearing this suggestion: "How can this be done? The Ming Dynasty's officers and soldiers can only serve the emperor and the court, how can they be hired by foreign countries!"
"Since you think the term employment is not appropriate, let's change the term." Wang Tom did not give up the persuasion immediately: "In exchange for the military operations carried out by the Ming Army in Dongjiang Town, Haihan's material assistance in weapons and equipment, How about this? ”
Shen Zhixiang frowned. This statement sounded easier to accept, but with Shen Shikui's old-school philosophy, he might not be able to accept Haihan's arrangement.
Wang Tom saw that his face was gloomy and uncertain, and he could roughly guess what he was thinking, so he continued to persuade: "Dongjiang Town is at the moment of survival, and there is not much room for your army to make choices. The Ming Dynasty and the Korean Empire General Xiao Shen must also be aware of the help that can be provided to Dongjiang Town. If Dongjiang Town is willing to cooperate with Haihan, I think the conditions we can provide to your army will be more practical than those of Ming and North Korea. "
Ming Dynasty is currently in a state of constant internal and external troubles and has no time to take care of the overseas enclave of Pidao. However, North Korea's national strength is poor and weak, and it is under the direct threat of Hou Jin. The support it can give Dongjiang Town on the surface is indeed very limited. Hou Jin's continuous suppression, coupled with the tens of thousands of civilians on the island who were a burden, made Dongjiang Town able to take fewer and fewer self-rescue measures. Haihanneng provided assistance to Dongjiang Town in the fields of immigration and weapons, which exactly targeted two problems that Pidao Mingjun was currently unable to solve on its own. Shen Zhixiang felt that it was difficult to resist such a temptation.
But after all, Shen Zhixiang is not the one who calls the shots in Dongjiang Town now. No matter how good the conditions Haihan offers, he cannot make the decision on behalf of Pidao right now. Shen Zhixiang could only cough twice and said: "I can naturally feel Mr. Wang's kindness, but this matter needs to wait until I return to Pi Island and discuss it with the Governor and Deputy Commander Jin before I can give a clear answer. I don't know. Can this artillery information be brought back to Pi Dao next time?”
"That's no problem." Wang Tom nodded and said: "If necessary, we can send people to the island to give face-to-face explanations to the adults. Any questions about these weapons can be cleared up in person. If your army Order our weapons in bulk and we will also provide related gunner training services.”
Haihan has rich experience in foreign military sales, and has provided complete supporting services to meet the needs of customers. As long as it seizes the opportunity, it will sell weapons and equipment to foreign countries. These mature marketing methods are very important to Shen Zhixiang, who has lived on the island all year round. It was very new to me, and I just felt that after returning home, I would let Shen Shikui see the conditions offered by Haihan no matter what.
Wang Tom also knew that the other party's authority could not be decided, so he did not discuss this topic in depth. He immediately asked Xie Li to take him to the cabin on the ship where the prisoners of war were kept, and randomly brought out a few people for Shen Zhixiang to verify their identities. Shen Zhixiang followed Xie Li down to the lowest cabin on the ship. In addition to the cabins where prisoners of war were temporarily held, there were also various supplies packed full of supplies. It was the first time for Shen Zhixiang to enter the interior of such a large ship. He looked around curiously all the way, hoping to deepen his understanding of this kind of Haihan warship.
When Shen Zhixiang saw the prisoners held in the cabin, he was already convinced of their identities. These people were all wearing the standard uniforms of the Ming Navy. Even if Haihan wanted to find someone to pretend to be a prisoner of war, he would be able to find someone in a hurry. It's hard to take care of such details.
"Brother Shen...how come you were caught too?"
Shen Zhixiang was looking at these shackled prisoners of war when he suddenly heard someone among them greeting him. Before he could tell who it was, he heard Xie Lida behind him say: "Pan Yan, do you recognize General Shen?"
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Only then did Shen Zhixiang notice Pan Yan's presence, and he was also surprised: "You are actually here!"
Xie Li saw that the two of them must be old acquaintances, so he immediately had Pan Yan taken out of the cell, removed the shackles and handcuffs, and then took them back to the upper deck to sit down and talk in the officer's dining cabin. When Shen Zhixiang saw Pan Yan, he was sure that Haihan had not lied about being a prisoner of war. He immediately stopped hiding anything and told Xie Li about his personal relationship with Pan Yan.
The two men knew each other long before the Denglai Rebellion. Pan Yan's Dengzhou Navy delivered supplies to Dongjiang Town every few months. He also went to Pi Island many times with the fleet. During this period Get to know Shen Zhixiang. The two were similar in age and got along well. At that time, Shen Shikui was just Mao Wenlong's in-law and did not hold any power. Therefore, Shen Zhixiang only held a temporary position in the army. Like Pan Yan, he was just a hundred-year-old general. The two also talked about each other as equals. .
However, later Shen Shikui achieved enlightenment by himself, chickens and dogs ascended to heaven, and after seizing power in Pidao, he promoted all his close associates. As a result, Shen Zhixiang was promoted three levels in a row and became a soldier. There is a slight gap in the status of the two sides now.
When Kong Youde defected to Liaodong, he took the Dengzhou Navy with him, and Pan Yan was one of them. For Shen Zhixiang, this friend's life or death was always uncertain, and the person he originally planned to inquire about the whereabouts of the prisoners of war was Pan Yan, but he did not expect to directly Then he saw someone alive on the boat, and now he no longer had any doubts about Haihan's statement. Pan Yan thought that Shen Zhixiang, like him, was captured after an armed conflict with Haihan. However, he now saw that Shen Zhixiang did not have shackles and handcuffs on his body. Haihan officer Xie Li was very polite to him, so he knew that he The judgment was wrong. Shen Zhixiang was not captured, but a guest invited by Haihan to the ship.
After Pan and Chen exchanged a few words, Shen Zhixiang asked Pan Yan about the reason and process of being captured. Pan Yan, as a loser, told the story of the battle with the Haihan fleet that day. Although he did not deliberately exaggerate, it still made Shen Zhixiang sigh in admiration from time to time.
Even if Shen Zhixiang is not an expert in naval battles, he can still judge from Pan Yan's description that the gap in strength between the two fleets resulted in a one-sided victory. He was secretly glad that the Haihan fleet did not act rashly when it arrived at Pidao, otherwise it would probably be a disaster. Cause huge damage to your own home.
Because every time he went to a place, Pan Yan would be asked to confirm the terrain, so in the past few days, Pan Yan also had a very clear understanding of Haihan's navigation route, confirming that the Haihan fleet went north along the Liaodong Peninsula and visited what was once the Dongjiang River. various locations in the town.
"As for Pidao, it was only after Pan Yan mentioned it that we decided to come and have a look." Xie Li lost no time in explaining: "Originally, we planned to see the situation in Liaodong and then return to Shandong, but we heard that Pidao is here There are still Ming troops stationed, so the leader said he would come here to take a look and provide some help to the Ming troops. ”
Shen Zhixiang immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Pan Yan and said, "Thank you, Brother Pan, for your guidance. If Pidao can be rescued, the soldiers and people on the island will definitely appreciate Brother Pan's kindness." Pan Yan also quickly stood up and returned the gift, saying no thanks. dare. He only knew that Haihan marched along the coastline of the Liaodong Peninsula to Pi Island. As for how the Haihan people came into contact with the Ming army on the island after arriving at Pi Island, what they talked about in detail, and why Shen Zhixiang appeared here, but he I don't know clearly, and I don't dare to say anything casually at the moment.
Xie Lidao: "We have reached a preliminary cooperation intention with Mr. Shen Shikui. We will help Pi Island evacuate the Liaodong refugees on the island as soon as possible and reduce the supply burden. We will also try to provide some food and daily supplies to Pi Island."
"Then Brother Shen is heading to Shandong with the Haihan Fleet this time?" Pan Yan also guessed some clues when he heard this.
Shen Zhixiang nodded and said, "The Governor sent me to Haihan's station in Shandong to discuss the details of cooperation." Because the arms transaction has not been determined, Shen Zhixiang intentionally did not mention this. As for the specific direction of cooperation in the future, he still has to wait until he visits the local residence of Haihan people. If he feels that Haihan's foundation in Shandong is not strong enough, then Dongjiang Town will definitely have reservations about the degree of cooperation. In case the Haihan people just slap their butts and sail away one day, Dongjiang Town will have to clean up the mess.
With Pan Yan, an old acquaintance, it was much easier for Shen Zhixiang to find relatives and friends, so he directly asked him about the whereabouts of several acquaintances in the Dengzhou Navy. Pan Yan answered truthfully one by one. Some of them had died in the war, and some were kidnapped and fled to Liaodong like Pan Yan. However, among these captured people, only Pan Yan knew him.
Shen Zhixiang's old friends all served in the military, and dying in battle was considered an acceptable outcome. However, when the two of them talked about the changes in the situation in the past two or three years, it was inevitable that they would feel a little sad. Before the Dengzhou incident, the Ming Dynasty's control in Liaodong could at least restrain Hou Jin's troop mobilization, preventing him from investing all his resources on the western front bordering the Ming Dynasty. However, a riot in Dengzhou directly cut off Dongjiang Town's supply line, causing the Ming Dynasty's control in Liaodong to plummet. Dongjiang Town lost most of its territory in just one year, and even had no power to fight back. The troops were reduced to survive on the island.
No matter how loyal Pan Yan and Shen Zhixiang were to Ming Dynasty, from their standpoints, they did not want to see Ming Dynasty suppressed step by step by Hou Jin. But relying solely on Dongjiang Town's own strength, it is difficult to change the current unfavorable situation, and even its destruction is only a matter of time. When it comes to external aid, Pidao has no room to be picky. Whether it is food or weapons, it is important to get some sponsorship. You have to work hard to survive first. This is precisely why after Haihan appeared, Pidao would hold on to him as a life-saving straw.
After Shen and Pan had a conversation, Shen Zhixiang bowed to Xie Li and said, "I still have something to ask of you."
Xie Lidao: "You don't need to tell me to know what happened. Pan Yan will temporarily regain his freedom from now on. General Xiao Shen will return to Pi Island in the future, and he can leave with you."
Shen and Pan looked at each other and felt relieved. Haihan's favor may not be big or small, but the two of them will definitely owe this favor.
Since Xie Li took the initiative to express his goodwill without waiting for Shen Zhixiang to tell the truth, Shen Zhixiang naturally had no choice but to express his feelings. He immediately said: "I have deeply understood your sincerity in cooperation. When I return to Pidao in the future, I will try my best to persuade the Governor. , accept your terms”
During the next voyage back to Zhifu Bay, the two people were temporarily arranged to stay on the flagship. However, their scope of activities is limited to the first deck, and they are not allowed to enter key areas such as the lower artillery deck and power cabin to prevent the ship's military secrets from being excessively leaked.
But just what they saw on the deck was enough to dazzle them. Haihan's deck personnel system is divided into two parts: combat personnel and sailors. The combat personnel are mainly responsible for operating more than ten naval guns deployed on both sides of the ship, while the sailors are responsible for controlling the complex sail and rope system on the deck. Although there were many people on the deck, they were busy but orderly, and their well-trained performance surprised the two of them.
Both of them are officers with relatively rich navigation experience. Naturally, they are very aware of the difference between the performance of civilian sailors and professional sailors. The performance of both sailors and gunners on the Haihan warship is obviously at the level of professional soldiers, and the command and The execution efficiency seemed to be higher than that of the Ming Navy. Everyone knew their division of labor and responsibilities, and there was no chaos at all during the voyage.
In addition, the special tools used by some sailors also attracted their attention. These instruments for observing sea conditions and distinguishing the direction of the sea are all made of brass and look very delicate. The commanders on the ship basically judge the position and correct the course. It all depends on the feedback after using these small tools.
"The Haihan people claim to be proficient in navigation, but it seems they are not bragging." Shen Zhixiang looked at the busy sailors on the deck and sighed thoughtfully: "There are such powerful vassal states in the south, why have I never heard of them before? Said? ”
Pan Yan shook his head and said: "Brother Shen, you are wrong. This country is so powerful in navigation and shipbuilding. If it is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, how could you have never heard of it before? From what I see, this Haihan country must be a powerful power that has only risen in the south in recent years. , but they are not members of the Ming Dynasty. And judging from their behavior, how much do you really think they respect the Ming Dynasty?”
When Shen Zhixiang heard this, he also felt that there was some truth in it. Although the Han people here spoke Chinese, they were not like the special envoys from Korea, Ryukyu, Japan and other countries, who were full of awe for the Celestial Kingdom. Whether they were facing senior officials of the Ming army or talking about the armed forces of the Hou Jin Dynasty, they were full of mysterious confidence and seemed to be able to deal with these with ease.
"In any case, Haihan expressed his willingness to help the Ming army deal with the gold thieves. This is a good thing after all. If done properly, it may be possible to retake Liaodong in a year or two." Although Shen Zhixiang thinks that Pan Yan's words are reasonable, But I don’t dare to think too deeply at the moment, I can only try to think in the best direction.
(End of chapter)