Chapter 1781 Set off again
For Haihan, who sends troops to fight overseas almost every year, he already has a complete set of mature operating mechanisms for assembling troops, preparing supplies, and formulating itineraries. Starting from the executive committee and the Ministry of National Defense making decisions, all relevant The departments gradually entered a state of combat readiness.
The navy's Northern Fleet, the Marine Corps, and the independent special operations regiment have a combined strength of more than 4,000. To arrange for such an armed force to go to a destination thousands of miles away, the preparations required are natural. It is very tedious and cannot be completed within a day or two.
The soldiers on vacation received notices from their superiors through various channels one after another. Although the assembly order made many people feel unhappy, there were so many military orders that no one dared to question them. They could only deal with their personal affairs as soon as possible and then rush. Report back to base. However, the Ministry of National Defense immediately issued rewards per head, and this practical measure quickly appeased the dissatisfaction of the soldiers.
The public's mood is relatively stable. After all, it is nothing new for the country to organize military expeditions every year. And judging from the experience of the past few years, such large-scale expeditions often mean that there will be somewhere in a few months. When new colonies are added to the territory of Haihan, the people will also have the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of the war. Many people have already begun to inquire about the destination of this expedition.
Of course, this kind of military secret is not accessible to ordinary people. Apart from senior military officials, only North Korean envoys have received general information about Haihan's combat plan. Even the vast majority of soldiers who have reported back to the military camp are still unclear about the final destination of this operation.
Li Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Haihan's notice. Although he had boldly offered Haihan a reward of two thousand taels of gold, he was not completely sure that Haihan would send troops to rescue his country. If he failed to mobilize this rescue force, the situation North Korea would face would be extremely serious. It may be that they have to fight against the Qing cavalry alone, and this is almost a fatal situation for North Korea.
According to Haihan's statement, several main forces previously stationed in the Liaodong area would participate in this operation to aid North Korea, which made Li Xi feel that the price he shouted was worth it. After all, the records of these troops in the past two years are clearly there. No one will doubt their strength. It is not even something that can be done with money alone to allow Haihan to dispatch these main troops. . Li Xi was also wondering whether to write another memorial to explain the important role he played in the process of calling for reinforcements.
However, Yan Chujie had specifically told him not to leak the news. The mobilization of Haihan troops was a top military secret. If the news leaked out, the Executive Committee and the Ministry of National Defense might cancel related action plans. This made Li Xihuai unable to show off the news, and he was very itchy, but he also understood that the warning from senior official Haihan was not a joke. For the sake of North Korea's security, he must comply with the other party's arrangements.
Originally, Zheng Zao had invited him to go to Annan to inspect local products and businesses, but Li Xi was thinking about Haihan's dispatch of troops. He dared not leave Sanya during this period, so he could only decline Zheng Zao's invitation. , stay in Sanya and wait for news. Before the situation in Liaodong becomes clear, Li Xi will definitely not dare to leave Sanya easily. At least he will not be able to truly feel relieved until Haihan confirms that the Qing army will not invade North Korea.
However, the news that the Haihan military began to gather troops would still attract the attention of all parties. Annan and Fujian both approached Yan Chujie and asked him whether they needed to send troops to cooperate. These two families have also gained a lot of war dividends in the process of cooperating with Haihan in fighting over the years, and they have also exercised the actual combat capabilities of their own troops. They are eager to have more opportunities to follow Haihan to drink soup. If sending thousands of troops can get the opportunity to participate in the management of the new Haihan colony, then they will never let it go.
Do you want the troops sent to your door? If it were in the past, Yan Chujie would have agreed without hesitation, but sending troops to North Korea this time was not an easy and pleasant task. If he really wanted to face off against the main force of the Qing army on a frontal battlefield, it would not necessarily be Jinzhou. The isthmus is an environment that can be defended based on danger. Moreover, with the strength of the Haihan Army, it would be difficult to deal with the Qing Army, which was mainly cavalry, in a large land area. If the battle losses were large, it would definitely affect Haihan's invincible image.
In the previous war in Liaodong, the two families also sent military observers to the local area to observe the fighting, but they never sent large-scale troops to participate in the war. On the one hand, the direct benefit of sending troops all the way to Liaodong to participate in the war was not obvious. It was not a good deal for them. On the other hand, the local combat environment was indeed not suitable for their troops. If the Haihan Army did not have complete logistical support, it would be difficult for the troops to be stationed in the cold environment of Liaodong for a long time.
If these two companies are to send troops to follow them to North Korea, due to time constraints, their logistical support may have serious problems, and North Korea may not be able to meet this demand well. Yan Chujie thought twice, and after asking for Tao Donglai's opinion, he roughly revealed to them the direction of the troop dispatch, but he still did not specify the destination of North Korea. If he wanted to follow the expedition, he would have to prepare military supplies on his own first. supplies.
Hearing that the direction of sending troops was Liaodong, Zheng Zha and Xu Yuzhuo were hesitant at the moment. Of course they knew who Haihan's main opponent was there. The risks faced by sending troops to participate in the battle were much greater than cooperating with Haihan in the South China Sea. . Moreover, Haihan did not explain what kind of benefits there would be after the war. Obviously, he was not fully sure about the direction of the war. You must know that during the Manila War before this, Haihan also informed them in advance of the benefits they could obtain locally after the war.
"You two don't have to feel any difficulty. We will not force our allies to send troops together. You may as well go back and think carefully before making a decision." Yan Chujie was not in a hurry to urge them to express their stance, lest their troops be damaged in the war in the future. If it's serious, he will be resentful of Haihan's arrangements.
The Portuguese, who finally got the news and came over, showed a strong interest in it. Thomas offered to send a small fleet to fight northward with the Chinese navy, just like the previous cooperation model in Manila.
Of course Yan Chujie knew what the Portuguese were planning. After Japan began to close the country, Portugal's trade volume in Northeast Asia was shrinking sharply. If new trade routes could not be opened as soon as possible, it would be difficult to ensure that sufficient profits and taxes were paid to the country every year. . And if an armed fleet is sent to accompany Haihan to fight in Liaodong, it may be possible to obtain Haihan's charter, allowing Portuguese merchant ships to enter the waters north of Zhejiang, and even establish relations with North Korea through Haihan's channels.
As for risks, the Portuguese have much less scruples than Annan and Fujian. Their philosophy is to constantly open up new routes and trade objects to maintain profits. As for the price that may be paid in this process, they think it is completely acceptable. As long as it can represent Europe's exclusive trade routes in this region, then it is only a matter of time before they can make money back. If you take the lead in entering this area and successfully settle down, you will be able to firmly dominate competitors such as the Dutch and Spanish in the future. "We can bear most of all combat materials and supplies ourselves." Thomas promised eagerly: "We will prepare the materials needed for at least two months, and then try to purchase survival necessities from the local area."< br>
The positive attitude shown by the Portuguese is obviously much greater than that of Annan and Fujian. Yan Chujie understands that this is because the Portuguese have something to ask for, while the other two have close relations with Haihan and can enter this area at any time. On the contrary, they Not so proactive.
"What do you want?" Yan Chujie asked straight to the point. Portugal certainly did not do good things by sending troops to the war, and Yan Chujie had to understand its purpose before he could make corresponding arrangements.
"We need permission to enter the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea areas for commercial activities, and have the exclusive rights to operate the terminal in your colonial port. In addition, our country also hopes to carry out trade with North Korea and set up embassies and business agencies in the country. "Seeing that Yan Chujie asked so straightforwardly, and there was no need to go around in circles, Thomas told him all his conditions.
The conditions proposed by the Portuguese were not outrageous, and their purpose was very clear. Yan Chujie immediately called Tao Donglai to ask for his opinion.
After a brief discussion by the Executive Committee, several of Thomas's requests were recognized, but the Executive Committee also put forward corresponding requirements. First, the armed fleet sent by Portugal must obey the deployment and command of the Haihan Army; second, Portugal Trade status with North Korea must be monitored by Haihan.
Thomas hesitated for a moment about the second condition, but agreed to Haihan's request. After all, this was not an insurmountable difficulty. Get the trade opportunity first, and then consider how much autonomy you have to earn more or less.
So two months after the end of the Manila War, the Portuguese once again reached an agreement with Haihan to cooperate in sending troops. Portugal would send an armed fleet larger than the last expedition to the west to fight in the north with Haihan's navy. Simão, a Portuguese officer who had previously participated in the Battle of Manila, would continue to participate in this operation as fleet commander.
As part of the conditions of cooperation, about a dozen Portuguese merchant ships will set out from Macau Port to join the fleet. On the one hand, they will serve as supply ships for Portuguese combat ships, and on the other hand, they will also carry some cargo to Fujian, Zhejiang and even further north. trade in the region. After the war is over, Portuguese merchant ships only need to register with the Haihan Shipping Department, and they can freely enter and exit the northern seas to engage in trading activities. Of course, the types of goods that the Portuguese can sell will still be restricted by Haihan. For example, arms will be prohibited from being sold as commodities to any country in the region except the Ming Dynasty, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble to Haihan. trouble.
To this end, Schneider came forward specifically for the Executive Committee to initial an agreement of intent with the Portuguese to ensure that Portugal's interests and demands could be implemented after the war. Haihanken made some concessions at this time, mainly because of the actual combat capabilities of the Portuguese maritime armed forces. This has been fully proved in the Manila War. Wang Tom believed that they could even block the lower reaches of the Yalu River alone. The river section blocked the Qing army's transportation and supply lines, allowing the Haihan Navy to maneuver to a larger area for operations.
Just one day later, Zheng Zha and Xu Yuzhuo, who heard the news, came together again and expressed their willingness to send troops to participate in this operation. However, it takes a long time for Annan to assemble the troops, so it may be ten days to half a month later than the Haihan fleet before setting off. At that time, they can only go to the north on their own, and then meet up with the Haihan army there depending on the situation. Fujian does not have this kind of trouble due to its geographical advantage. Xu Yuzhuo claimed that as long as a telegram is sent from Sanya to Penghu, the contact will be made from there. When the Haihan Fleet arrives in Fujian, the local navy can accompany the Haihan Fleet. Go north.
As for the scale of the troops dispatched, both said that they would have to consult their superiors for further instructions before deciding, but at least it would not be less than the troops dispatched by the Portuguese. Later, Yan Chujie found out that after Thomas signed the agreement at Fort Victory, he drank too much at the embassy's celebration banquet and spilled the beans, letting the Annan and Fujian families hear about it. Although there is no clear information, the two families believe that since the Portuguese have obtained the promise given by Haihan, it means that the matter is still profitable, and they must not be absent and let the Portuguese monopolize the benefits, so they Will rush to express his intention to participate in this matter.
These three armies are willing to take the initiative to send troops to participate in the war, which undoubtedly relieves a lot of pressure on Haihan. The Ministry of National Defense also believes that if the forces are properly deployed and the four armies can cooperate, and North Korea's own armed forces are added, it may be possible to compete with the Qing army. A duel on the frontal battlefield will completely change the direction of this period of history.
However, regarding the situation where the five countries joined forces to fight the Qing army, which had never happened in history, the generals remained cautious enough and did not become blindly optimistic that this dispatch of troops would definitely save North Korea's crisis. If the North Korean people's own will to resist is not strong enough, even if they go there, it will probably be in vain. Therefore, Sanya sent another message to Liaodong, firstly to inform the coalition forces of their planned itinerary, and secondly, to ask the local people to try to communicate with North Korea about joining forces to fight against the Qing Dynasty to ensure that the North Koreans would not change their minds and choose to surrender halfway.
On April 16, 1637, half a month after the celebration of the tenth anniversary and the third anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, several units of the Haihan Army set out from Sanya again to begin a new round of overseas combat missions.
(End of chapter)