Chapter 2011
Lu Kangtai didn't know how many casualties the night's fighting had caused to the opponent, but his own losses were obviously heavy. According to preliminary statistics, even if we do not count the casualties suffered by the Musketeers during the previous operation at the dock, at least more than forty people were killed in this night's pursuit on the water alone, and the number of injured was already over a hundred. Some of those who were seriously injured may not be able to survive the life-or-death situation. As for the degree of damage to the ship, it was not bad. After all, the opponent did not use any heavy weapons, and it was basically impossible to sink the ship chasing behind.
What the Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants lost that night was not only the secret musketry team that had pinned their hope for a comeback, but also hundreds of elites temporarily summoned by several salt merchants, many of whom were regarded as They are young and strong juniors who are the key targets for training. However, these people were killed by the opponent as easily as chickens in tonight's battle. Lu Kangtai's mind was in confusion at the moment, and he had no idea how to explain to the council and the various salt merchants involved in tonight's operation after he returned.
Although this cannot be said to be a devastating disaster for the Shanshan-Shaanxi salt merchant camp, it is indeed a quite heavy blow. And after tonight's news spreads, whether the Huizhou salt merchants will take advantage of the situation and rob them is something that has to be guarded against.
"Give me the order to block the news first. No one is allowed to mention tonight's events to the outside world!" Lu Kangtai gave the order with a tired look on his face. In fact, he also knew that the current situation could not be completely kept secret. With so many people killed and injured in one night, how could it be possible to completely cover it up? At most, it would only delay the spread of the news. But as long as we can buy some more time, the severity of the situation may be slightly alleviated, and the council can arrange some necessary countermeasures in time.
There were many people in Yangzhou who had not slept a wink that night. Not only were there a large group of people in Hejiazhuang north of the canal who were anxiously waiting for news, there were also a group of salt merchants in Daijiazhuang south of the canal who were waiting for this confrontation. the final result.
"Report——"
A long-drawn voice sounded outside the house, which cheered up the drowsy heads of the seven families. They had been gathering here since dark yesterday to wait for news. They were already exhausted and couldn't hold on any longer. At this time, it was already getting dark outside, and it was almost time to have breakfast.
"The two ships of Ningbo Salt Merchant have successfully escaped into the Yangtze River. Lu Kangtai gave up the pursuit and was on his way back to Yangzhou City! According to observations, Lu Kangtai suffered heavy losses in this battle. When he set off from the canal dock, there were sixteen ships. On the return trip, there were only six boats left.”
Everyone was greatly encouraged by the news coming back from the front line. Although they were just watching the excitement and did not directly participate in it, it was a happy thing after all to see their competitors being frustrated. What's more, the armed conflict last night was extraordinary. They knew that the Shanshan salt merchants had mobilized their strongest forces, and the fighting lasted all night, from the canal in the south of the city to the melons dozens of miles away. Zhou, it is said that gunshots can be heard constantly along the way. Such a fierce armed conflict has never occurred in Yangzhou in recent years. Although the two groups of salt merchants have fought from time to time, there has never been such a big fight.
"Don't rush to be happy yet!" Dai Yingda asked in a deep voice: "Has the government responded?"
Another person responded: "After opening the city gate, a group of cavalry came out from the south gate and hurried toward the south, but calculating the time, it should be too late."
Dai Yingda snorted coldly and said: "I guessed that they would use their official connections, but luckily they didn't succeed... I'll go back and find out which adult took the initiative for them, so that I can be careful in the future!"
One of the reasons why Huizhou salt merchants relied on their superiority in Yangzhou was their extremely well-managed official connections. Although these connections may not always be on their side, if they still choose to side with Shanshan at a critical moment On the side of the salt merchants, this shows their true position. There is actually little point in spending money and energy on in-depth cultivation.
However, the government's response was similar to Dai Yingda's previous expectations. No one was willing to risk being held accountable later by opening the city gates in the middle of the night and leading troops out of the city to assist Shanxi salt merchants. If they waited until dawn to open the city gates before sending out troops, the daylilies would have already If it's too cold, it won't have much practical significance.
Ma Zhengping stroked his beard and responded: "Even if the government sends troops in time, they may not be able to retain those Ningbo people! You may wish to think about it. At least hundreds of people were dispatched across the river last night, including the musketeers. First of all, There was a fight on the pier and a chase for dozens of miles, but in the end they failed to intercept the opponent's ship. So what's the point of sending a team of cavalry? "
What Ma Zhengping said is also true. The local garrison in Yangzhou actually had a navy, but the Shanxi salt merchants probably did not have enough energy to mobilize the navy, so in the end only a group of cavalry chased out of Yangzhou City, which was obviously impossible to intercept. Live on the two cargo ships that evacuated Yangzhou from the canal. Even if they catch up, they don't have to pay attention to the cavalry on the shore and just walk down the Yangtze River. The cavalry can't pursue them all the way.
Yang Chengye remained silent, but the shock in his heart could not be greater. Last night, he first heard that Lu Kangtai's Musketeers were defeated by the canal. After one night, he heard that the second wave of offensive commanded by Lu Kangtai also suffered a complete defeat. He was not only surprised by how powerful the opponent's fighting power was, but also that Some are worried about how Lu Kangtai will shoulder the corresponding responsibilities after losing again and again.
Yang Chengye probably knows Lu Kangtai's status and influence in his camp. With such a big setback this time, some people will inevitably attribute the failure to him, and I'm afraid life will be difficult.
But what Yang Chengye didn't know was that the pressure Lu Kangtai was facing now came not only from within the Shanshan-Shaanxi salt merchants, but also from partners who provided him with military support. This operation commanded by Lu Kangtai not only caused the loss of the Musketeers, but also lost a large number of weapons and ammunition, which will definitely make the partners who keep secret about this very angry.
After driving into the Yangtze River, Gong Qiqi and Ji Yuanqing finally breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the other party did not continue to chase them. Both of them suffered some skin injuries in this fierce battle that lasted all night. Although it would not affect their actions, when they stopped to rest, they felt unbearable pain everywhere on their bodies.
The two of them sat side by side with their backs on the side of the boat. Gong Qiqi used his uninjured arm to dig around for a long time. Finally, he took out half a pack of cigarettes, shook them out, then stretched out his hand to Ji Yuanqing and said, "Here's one." ?”
Ji Yuanqing was injured on one shoulder and the other arm. He had difficulty moving both hands. He stretched his neck and took out a cigarette in his mouth. Gong Shiqi smiled dryly and lit the cigarette for him with a lighter.
"What a good thing!" Ji Yuanqing couldn't look away from the kerosene lighter in Gong Qiqi's hand.
Gong Shiqi lit a cigarette for himself, then flicked it coolly, closed the lid with a snap, held the cigarette in his mouth and showed off: "Isn't it beautiful? There are not many of these things, they are used as small gifts for the officials of the Ming Dynasty. , it’s not on the market yet. I kept one for my work needs.”
Ji Yuanqing said: "I have always been curious when I saw a general using this little thing to light cigarettes. How about you try to get one for your brother later?" "What are you waiting for? This is already ready!" Gong Shiqi directly threw the lighter in his hand to Ji Yuanqing: "Go on!"
Ji Yuanqing subconsciously stretched out his hand to catch it, but this movement pulled the wound on his body. The pain immediately made him grin, but he still held the little thing firmly in his hand without letting go. He immediately looked at Gong Seventeen just started playing with the way he lit the fire.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that this thing is burning a special kind of kerosene produced in Taiwan. It must be added from time to time before it can continue to be used." Gong Shiqi reminded: "This thing is not available on the market. If you have an acquaintance in the Ministry of Commerce, you might be able to think of something.”
"...Then should I use it as a decoration? Forget it, give it back to you!" Ji Yuanqing closed the lid and gave it back to Gong Shiqi.
Gong Shiqi did not reach out to pick it up, but grinned and said: "Keep it, just think of it as a souvenir of our happy cooperation this time. I will find a way to get the kerosene for you when I get back. If this mission hadn't been If you come together, maybe I won’t be able to leave Yangzhou alive.”
When he said the last sentence, Gong Shiqi's expression became serious, and he didn't look like he was joking. He has been through life and death a lot in his career, but this is the first time he has experienced a fierce fight that lasted for such a long time. If Ji Yuanqing hadn't been on board to direct the battle, he might not have been able to withstand the all-night pursuit by the salt merchants' armed forces.
Ji Yuanqing also smiled and said: "It's my duty to do my best. I also want to live a good life!"
After a pause, he continued: "If the canal has another ten or twenty miles to reach the Yangtze River, then we may not be able to hold on. This is still a bit of luck."
In fact, when they sailed into the Yangtze River, most of the people on the ship, including the sailors and crew members who were not directly involved in the battle, were heroically wounded. Many people were like them, relying on one breath to hold on until the battle was over. If the battle continued, it was hard to say whether they could evacuate safely.
The last night would turn into such a dangerous situation, which they had not expected when they came to Yangzhou. Although I knew in advance that the musketeers I was looking for might be in Yangzhou, I never thought that in addition to the musketeers, the second wave of counterattack organized by the local salt merchants should not be underestimated. It was even more important than dealing with the useless musketeers on the dock. The defensive musketeers had a much harder time.
If the ammunition they carry is reduced by one-fifth, or if the number of combat personnel on the ship is reduced by about ten people, or if Ji Yuanqing is not with them as Gong Shiqi hypothesized, then it is very likely that there will be no way Hold on until you leave the canal. Although Gong Shiqi was not afraid of death, he still felt a little scared when he thought about the fierce battle last night. This night was one of the most dangerous in his career experience.
Fortunately, the mission has been completed fairly well. The main goal of this trip is to investigate the ownership and source of weapons of the mysterious musketeers, and wait for an opportunity to attack them. At present, the witnesses and physical evidence are complete, and they were eliminated in one fell swoop in last night's battle. The main force of the Musketeers was captured, and the mission objective was basically achieved. As for the remaining details, more valuable information will surely be uncovered when the survivors captured this time are interrogated.
After Ji Yuanqing played with the lighter for a while, he took the initiative to bring up the business: "Last night, when I directed them to get the dead and injured people on the dock onto the ship, I did see that one of them looked like a Westerner."
"Oh? There really is Xifan!" Gong Shiqi immediately became energetic when he heard this: "Then we need to interrogate him as soon as possible and learn his identity as soon as possible."
Among the intelligence previously obtained, witnesses of the attack said that there were members of the musketeers who were suspected of being Westerners and Koreans. The Ministry of Security believed that this information was probably related to the source of their weapons, so they also asked Gong Qiqi to go to Yangzhou. After that, I focused on this detail, but I didn't expect that I actually discovered something.
"It's too late. He was already dead when I saw it yesterday." Ji Yuanqing shook his head slightly and said, "I was shot twice in the chest, both of which went directly through the back. I guess he was standing in the first row at the time. He was too close. .”
"Dead!" Gong Shiqi was slightly regretful. Dead people cannot speak, so naturally there is no way to provide them with more information.
"But we still have a lot of people alive, and we should still be able to dig out something." Ji Yuanqing comforted: "When we meet the ship in front, we will start interrogating the prisoners as soon as possible."
After leaving the canal and sailing toward the lower reaches of the Yangtze River for about two hours, they reunited with another ship that had evacuated first at a sandbank in the middle of the river. However, Ji Yuanqing's plan to transfer to another ship to interrogate the prisoners failed to materialize, because going to another ship required transfer by boat. However, both he and Gong Shiqi had injuries to their upper limbs and could not walk along the side of the ship. Climbing up and down the rope ladder, in the end I could only suppress my eagerness and wait to find a safe place downstream to dock the boat, and then build a springboard and walk directly there.
We waited until dusk in the afternoon when we arrived in Changzhou Prefecture. After confirming that there were no suspicious ships following us, we found a dock along the river and docked temporarily for a while. By the way, we asked the military doctor on board to go to a nearby pharmacy to purchase some more hemostatic drugs. and bandages.
Gong Shiqi and Ji Yuanqing also took this time to change ships and came to another ship to interrogate the members of the Musketeers captured last night. Although there were still many people alive, everyone was injured. After being locked up in the cabin for a day and a night, their physical condition was already very unsatisfactory. Several people had fallen into a semi-conscious state, and it was obvious that they would not be able to last much longer.
(End of chapter)