With Lao Zhu's permission, the first task of crossing the river naturally fell into the hands of Zhang Ximeng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.
But fighting across the river is not a simple matter. Time is tight and the task is heavy.
Zhang Ximeng discussed with Yu Tingyu and Liao Yongan overnight.
"This is my plan. I will temporarily organize the left military camp and the right military camp of the Navy. The commander of the left military camp will be Liao Yongan, and the deputy commander will be Yu Tonghai. The commander of the right military camp will be Yu Tingyu and Yu Lao, and the deputy commander will be Liao Yongzhong... What do you think?
How about next?"
The two men looked at each other with strange expressions. Under Zhu Yuanzhang, apart from Zhang Ximeng, the temporary governor, the highest military position was that of battalion commander.
Of course there is no problem in giving each of them one, and it is in line with the reality of the Chaohu Navy. But the problem is that these two deputy commanders are too weird.
Let Liao Yongan's younger brother be Yu Tingyu's deputy, and let Yu Tingyu's son be Liao Yongan's deputy. Is this playing matching?
Yu Tingyu and Liao Yongan were both a little dissatisfied, but they did not dare to speak out and just remained silent.
Zhang Ximeng saw this and smiled slightly, "I know what you two are thinking, but I would like to ask, how many buildings does the Yu family have?"
Yu Tingyu was startled and said: "There are more than sixty ships."
Zhang Ximeng looked at Liao Yongan again, "Where are you?"
"This one has more than forty ships. Although it is not as good as the Yu family, our Liao family soldiers are brave and good at fighting. This time we enter the Yangtze River and we take the lead!"
Zhang Ximeng smiled again and said, "Let me ask you again, do you know how many large ships the Yangtze River Navy has?"
Now I asked two people who lived there. They had been in Chaohu and they really didn’t understand the situation of the Yangtze River.
Zhang Ximeng pondered and said: "The Yangtze River Navy has more than 300 ships of various types, and they are generally bigger and better than your ships! We are already inferior to others, but we still have to distinguish each other and distinguish each other by family.
How can we successfully defeat the Yuan army?"
Of course these two people understand this truth, but with the interests in their hands and the family's years of management, how can they give up so easily.
Zhang Ximeng was not in a hurry, but smiled and said: "Mr. Yu, General Liao, I might as well reveal some news to you. I have selected a site in Yangzhou to build a shipyard specifically to build warships."
"What?" Liao Yong'an was shocked, "Commander, you want to build your own ship?"
Zhang Ximeng smiled and said, "It's not me who wants to build a ship, it's my lord... Which hero with ambitions in the world can't build his own ship? What's more, we are on the bank of the Yangtze River. Without a strong navy, we will only be bullied!"
"
Liao Yong'an nodded silently, with ripples in his heart. They took the fleet to join them. They thought it was a timely help, but they didn't expect that Zhu Jiajun had already planned it. It was really surprising.
Yu Tingyu was old and cunning. He pondered for a while and then smiled and said: "Building a ship is not a day's work. It is very difficult to use wood alone. We have been trapped in Chaohu Lake for several years, and we only built a few small fishing boats."
"Yes." Zhang Ximeng admitted frankly, "Shipbuilding is indeed not a simple matter, but you can't give up just because of difficulties. The navy may be more difficult than on land, but as long as you are willing to invest, you will always see results, or it will take three to five years.
Or in ten or eight years, there will always be a time to succeed. The shipyard in Yangzhou has recruited thousands of people, and as long as my lord is determined, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished!"
When the two of them heard this, they were shocked.
Indeed, Zhu Yuanzhang's step-by-step progress to where he is today is very impressive. He eradicated the powerful, divided the land equally, and fought bravely. These are not things that ordinary heroes can do.
With such a heart, no matter how hard you build ships or build naval forces, you will be successful.
Realizing this, Yu Tingyu and Liao Yongan lowered their heads subconsciously, and their pride was reduced by three points.
Zhang Ximeng saw this in his eyes and continued: "My lord has ambitions for the world, and he will not just focus on the Central Plains. The Mongols swept the world, conquered thousands of miles, and destroyed forty countries. Now there are countless vassals in the west that belong to khanates. These countries may not be in my lord's territory.
In my heart... Chaohu Lake is too small, and the Yangtze River is too narrow! A true navy must roam the seas and show its power in foreign lands. You may think that I am talking big words here, but to achieve great things, you must first have a vision and a pattern.
...The Navy cannot be someone's private soldier, let alone just a few ships and tens of thousands of soldiers. The Navy needs a large number of shipyards, needs to allocate wood from all over the world, needs skilled craftsmen from all over the world, and has people from all over the world.
Grain and rice trade goods.”
"If you just guard your own one-third of an acre, it will be difficult for the navy to grow bigger. Of course, to grow the navy, you need to have a broad mind and be open to all rivers. Since you have chosen to join the lord, you want to become a part of the Zhu family army, so that
Build meritorious service, make a wife and son, and leave a name in history. If you don't have this intention, wouldn't it be better to stay in Chaohu and become the king of the mountain?"
The two people's brows were trembling, and their hearts were surging.
The truth has been explained clearly by Zhang Ximeng, but it is still too difficult to take this step.
Yu Tingyu said: "Captain, to be honest, four generations of our family have made a living in Chaohu. Those old soldiers have been with us for decades and have long been used to it. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't recognize it!"
Zhang Ximeng smiled and said, "Yes, there will always be some difficulties, but a powerful navy is the capital for the lord to fight for supremacy in the world. The two legs of water and land are indispensable. You have also seen the ships and weapons of the Yuan army, compared with ours
But it is too strong. I have already ordered a batch of trebuchets and gunpowder to be dispatched. There will be more ships, sailors, food, grass and ordnance in the future... If you accept the reorganization suggestion, you will naturally get priority supplies. You can't resist the order and still
Will it be beneficial?"
Zhang Ximeng was already a direct inducement.
Any military leader has a natural urge to expand... Who doesn't want to have more and more soldiers under his command, better and better equipment, and more and more military expenditures at his disposal?
Zhang Ximeng holds these things in his hand, so he doesn't worry about them not taking the bait.
Of course, doing this will not eliminate the traces of the family. The navy will still be dominated by the Yu family and the Liao family, but as time passes, the formal construction will one day be completed.
He even said that as soon as he entered Jiqing, Zhang Ximeng's first suggestion was to establish a military academy. Not only the navy, but also the army would undergo further reorganization.
All in all, you must cross the river and have a broad space so that you can show your talents!
Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an pondered for a long time, and finally nodded. Yu Tingyu also said: "Commander, since we have joined the superiors, we are wholehearted and have no intention of becoming grass-head kings. It's just that it's hard to refuse kindness, and it's hard to go against the will of the people. There are too many subordinates, so always
Something I can’t figure out.”
Zhang Ximeng nodded with a smile, "I know exactly what Mr. Yu is thinking. Don't worry, I have prepared acres of land, as well as shipyards and wharves, and there are many places. Those who came here this time are all meritorious officials.
In terms of distribution, we will be treated as soldiers and enjoy double rations. Even if we are laid off, we will make everyone live a comfortable and prosperous life and not make it difficult for you."
Yu Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zhang Ximeng with admiration.
The strength has been demonstrated, the principles have been explained clearly, and now the benefits have also been delivered.
What else can be said?
Be obedient!
Almost two families started rectifying their navy overnight.
First of all, those small boats that could only be used for fishing, as well as a group of elderly soldiers, were laid off.
Both sides consolidated all the tall ships, Liao Yongzhong led twelve and merged them into Yu Tingyu's command, and Yu Tonghai led 21 tall ships and merged them into Liao Yong'an's command, keeping their respective number of tall ships at more than fifty.
In addition, when they broke through Ruxukou, they captured several large ships from the Yuan army. Some of them were too heavy and had to be demolished, but some of them were too light and could be used after emergency repairs.
The largest building ship among them became Zhang Ximeng's ship.
Huge warships, red flags flying.
Governor Zhang’s appointment has finally arrived.
In addition to the large-scale ships, Zhang Ximeng also ordered the selection of a group of small and medium-sized warships with strong structures. There were about 400 ships in total, half of which were used as supplements to the larger ships, and the other half were used as troop transport ships.
These troop transport ships generally have a shallow draft and can carry up to a hundred people, and at least twenty or thirty people. In the cabin, they are also equipped with items such as ladders, planks, crossbows, ropes, etc... Once the landing is successful, you can immediately
Launch an offensive campaign.
In other words, while Zhang Ximeng was reorganizing the Navy, he also created a Marine Corps.
And the commander of this Marine Corps is undoubtedly Chang Shiwan, who is rampant in the world!
As mentioned before, Chang Yuchun was not very lucky. He made up a story about a golden-armored god who asked him to join the Ming Dynasty. As a result, he was looked down upon by Lao Zhu and was almost kicked out.
Later, Lao Zhu got caught because of gambling.
Therefore, Chang Yuchun did not participate in the battle against Tuotuo and was kept in Hezhou, just watching from the sidelines and becoming a spectator.
Chang Yuchun was now extremely anxious, but what could be done?
However, opportunities always come to those who are prepared. Chang Yuchun was stationed in Hezhou when the Yuan army invaded in large numbers. They destroyed the beacon towers along the river and attacked Hezhou.
Zhu Jiajun's troops left in Hezhou were too few, and the militiamen were on the verge of collapse. Seeing that the Yuan army was about to seize the city, Chang Yuchun stepped forward and launched a counterattack with more than 700 troops.
An army of several thousand yuan was defeated, and an army of ten thousand yuan was defeated.
Then Chang Yuchun launched a series of raids as if possessed by the god of death, beating another ten thousand households until they almost fled back to the south of the Yangtze River. Chen Ye first personally led his troops to the rescue and stabilized the situation.
It was precisely because of Chang Yuchun's heroic performance that the Zhu Jiajun finally got through the most difficult time, defended Hezhou, and waited for Zhu Yuanzhang.
There is no doubt that with this performance, Chang Yuchun suddenly became a popular figure in Lao Zhu's eyes and was rewarded with many fine wines.
"I, my bad luck is due to these wines!"
Chang Yuchun felt aggrieved and told Zhang Ximeng... Ever since the last time he was negligent in drinking and Zhu Yuanzhang caught him, he has never been drunk again.
But this time he was rewarded for his meritorious service. Chang Yuchun couldn't control himself when he was happy.
He drank too much, and so did the people below.
Just in time, Lao Zhu ordered Chang Yuchun to cooperate in the attack on Jilong Mountain.
Just because of this drink, Chang Yuchun fell into a deep sleep and couldn't wake up. When he arrived, it was already an hour late, which delayed the fight and made Lao Zhu very angry.
He scolded Chang Yuchun, saying that he was stubborn and hard to control... Chang Yuchun also had nothing to say. Why was he so unlucky?
"Sir, do you think I need to get an amulet or change my name... Someone told me that a grown man named Yuchun is a bit frivolous. Changing it to Qiu might be able to suppress him."
Often encounter autumn?
Zhang Ximeng couldn't help but laugh, "You, please stop thinking nonsense. After all, you still don't understand what a soldier is and what military discipline is... My lord sent you here, probably to ask you to make meritorious deeds. I have no other requirements for you.
Just one sentence."
Chang Yuchun was startled and asked hurriedly: "What are you talking about?"
"It's very simple. Only by following the command and working in unison can you win!"
Chang Yuchun chewed silently for a moment, and finally nodded vigorously, "I've written it down!"
In the blink of an eye, five days later, the navy's training was initially completed, and Chang Yuchun's marines were also prepared. A total of 1,500 people were divided into fifty troop transport ships, ready to go.
Zhang Ximeng also put on a leather armor and boarded the building boat.
Frankly speaking, he is not that calm. The weather on the river is unpredictable, and the Yuan army's navy is still much stronger than them. If the Yuan army attacks, he is not sure whether this fleet can win.
.
Although Zhang Ximeng had secretly launched a small boat, found a corpse, and carried a letter with him down the river, if the Yuan army had picked it up, they would have thought that the Zhu army was going to attack Taiping, and would have gathered heavy troops in
Taiping defense, in that case, he will win.
Zhang Ximeng did not know whether the Yuan army received the letter or not, but they did successfully cross the Yangtze River. The building ships on both wings escorted the troop transport ship and approached the shore. The troop transport ship quickly rushed to the beach and landed.
The first person to jump off the ship was Chang Yuchun. He held an iron gun in one hand and a shield in the other. Without any hesitation, he led his men and rushed towards Tongling County.
Tongling is named after copper. It is a famous copper capital that began in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and flourished in the Han and Tang Dynasties... The copper production has lasted for thousands of years and has continued for a long time.
Copper is exactly what Zhu Jiajun lacks most at the moment.
After Chang Yuchun landed, he rushed straight to the county town. The soldiers guarding the city were still confused and had no idea what was going on. It was not until Chang Yuchun rushed forward that they hurriedly gave the order to pull up the suspension bridge.
But they were a step too late. Chang Yuchun rushed onto the suspension bridge with a few quick steps, cut the rope with the tip of his spear, stood on the bridge, and shouted loudly: "Follow me and fight in, and you will have great achievements!"
After saying that, Chang Yuchun was the first to rush in, waving the iron gun in his hand, but no one could hold it back. In the blink of an eye, he killed more than a dozen people, and the subsequent soldiers rushed into Tongling!
At this moment, Governor Zhang had just approached the shore and had not yet had time to land.
"What a natural-born general!" Zhang Ximeng exclaimed sincerely. Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an who were following him were also dumbfounded. "My dear, are all the people in the Zhu Jiajun so fierce?"
This big black man has no reputation, so why does he look like a tiger?
"Commander, let us also go up and take Tongling in one go!" The two men said in unison.