Zhu Yuanzhang, who was high-spirited and high-spirited, returned to being deep and reserved again after returning from the river. His frown showed that the worries in his heart were deeper.
According to the original idea, we could seize the ferry along the river, cross the river by boat, and directly capture Jiqing. However, it seems that Yuan Ting's navy is too powerful, with many ships and soldiers lying across the river.
Water warfare is different from land warfare. On a large river, more ships are better than fewer ships, and more ships are better than smaller ships. It is much crueler and more direct than ground warfare.
Not only did Zhu Yuanzhang not have any ships, he didn't even have any decent navy!
"Sir, we thought we were making rapid progress these days and our troops and horses were strong, but when we got to the river, we realized that we were still far behind!" Lao Zhu sighed with Zhang Ximeng.
Zhang Ximeng also felt helpless. Yuan Ting's navy was indeed ridiculously strong.
The rule of the Mongols was a mess, but one thing is still worth talking about, and that is foreign trade. Because the Mongols conquered an unprecedented territory, a large number of Semu people who were proficient in business came to the Central Plains to engage in commercial activities.
They transported goods back to their hometowns by sea and earned huge profits. The developed trade gave birth to a powerful fleet.
Boyan, the Prime Minister of the Yuan Dynasty, once suggested transporting grain by sea. It was this suggestion that allowed a total of three million tons of grain to be transported into the capital every spring and summer to supply expenses.
It was the huge maritime transport that maintained the operation of the Yuan Dynasty.
In fact, as early as when Zhang Shicheng first captured Gaoyou, some people judged that Yuan Ting would go south. However, more than a year had passed until Zhang Shicheng became king, and there was still no movement from Yuan Ting.
In addition to being related to the internal chaos in the Yuan Dynasty and the difficulty in sending troops, it is also related to shipping. After all, tigers and wolves are always reluctant to move when they can still have their stomachs full.
However, sea transportation cannot solve all problems after all, and once the Red Scarf Army captures the Jiangnan and Zhejiang areas and cuts off the source of food, no matter how many sea-going ships there are, they will be of no use.
Therefore, it is still imperative for Yuan Ting to move south.
"Lord, after I saw Yuan Ting's navy, I thought of one thing... What should we do if Yuan Ting attacks us with its navy?"
Lao Zhu thought for a moment, then his expression changed!
Yes, the Yuan Dynasty has a powerful navy, which can not only prevent them from going south, but can also take the initiative to send troops to attack Hezhou and other places, making Zhu Yuanzhang and others exhausted!
Does the Yuan Army have this strength?
Not only does it exist, it is also very powerful!
Taiping, Jiqing, and Suzhou were all places with great wealth and the lifeblood of the Yuan Dynasty. Not only did they have powerful official and military forces, but there were also many landlords armed with more than 100,000 people conservatively estimated.
The main force of the Yuan Dynasty moved south along the canal from Dadu, and the Yuan army gathered in Qing crossed the river to attack, attacking from the north and the south, echoing each other... Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang broke into a cold sweat on his back, and he could no longer calm down.
They are getting stronger and their enemies are getting stronger.
Although Zhang Shicheng from Gaoyou is still there to protect him, he cannot leave his life to others, not to mention that once Zhang Shicheng wins, he will become a serious problem... We can't wait any longer, we must act!
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng discussed all night, and even invited the old man Jia Lu, how to deal with the Yuan army navy?
"Sir, what I mean is to go all out and develop firearms. Our ship cannot be built that big, and time does not allow it. If we can use powerful firearms to kill the Yuan army, we will have a better chance of winning!"
As a master of technology, Jia Lu shook his head, "You are oversimplifying things. I ask you, what kind of firearms should you use to deal with the Yuan army?"
"Use...artillery!" Zhang Ximeng tried.
"Artillery? Do you have that much copper? What's more, artillery is easily damaged. What if the barrel explodes after firing a few shots?"
"Then, how about using a trebuchet or a ballista?"
Jia Lu added: "Of course these are possible, but I ask you, doesn't Yuan Ting have any? Moreover, Yuan Ting's ship is big, the deck is high, and it is condescending. Who has the better chance of winning against your small boat?"
Zhang Ximeng was stunned, this won't work, that won't work either, is there no other way?
Jia Lu scratched his beard and looked at Zhang Ximeng's anxiety. He couldn't help but laugh again, "You are a young man after all. I can't hold my breath. I didn't say that your idea is wrong. Firearms are indeed good things, but let's talk about it.
, but also depends on the person!”
"people?"
"Yes!" Jia Lu said flatly: "Back then, the Jin soldiers went south and wanted to cross the river at Caishi. As a result, the soldiers and horses of the Southern Song Dynasty were afraid of the enemy and avoided fighting and did not dare to attack. Only Shao Qing drove a boat and led eighteen warriors to fight against the strong enemy on the river.
The enemy, hit by seventeen arrows, fought to the death, and the Jin people were frightened. Finally, the blood of the son of the Han family was saved!"
When Jia Lu said this, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
"A small ship versus a big ship will certainly suffer a loss with fewer soldiers versus more soldiers. But as long as the courage remains and the people's hearts are still there, there are ways to defeat the enemy. You think of developing firearms to meet the enemy, but I think you should train soldiers to dare to fight hard.
, not afraid of life and death, able to kill generals and seize ships, make use of strengths and avoid weaknesses, this is the real way to win!"
After hearing what Jia Lu said, both Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Yuanzhang were greatly shocked.
That's right, no matter how much Yuan Ting pulls his hips, he is still a royal court with a huge family fortune.
Comparing skills and equipment with them is not impossible, but it takes time.
The real weapon for Zhu Yuanzhang should be the soldiers' courage, wit, and courage... Small boats fighting big ships have happened in the inland waters of rivers and also in the South China Sea. In order to protect the islands and face destroyers several times the tonnage of themselves, this
The small boats and boats nearby rushed up, got close to each other and fought a bloody battle, and won!
Of course, if you want to fight a big one with a small one, it is not enough to have courage alone. You must also have sufficient training, be able to use your strengths and avoid weaknesses, and maximize your own advantages... Otherwise, you will just rush forward and give snacks to others.
This conversation with Lao Jia promptly corrected Zhang Ximeng's thinking weapons. The development of firearms and training of soldiers, walking on two legs, cannot be ignored.
What's more important is what conditions are there and what battles are fought.
Everything is ready on your side and you are 100% sure. The enemy has long retreated and avoided the battle. No one has the intention to die on his own initiative.
And Ja Rule made another suggestion.
"I'm thinking that the Yuan army in Jiqing might cross the river to support them, or even take the initiative to attack Hezhou... At this time, it would be best to build a beacon tower by the river, and send soldiers and civilians to garrison it. If the Yuan army is discovered,
Immediately send a beacon signal, and dispatch cavalry here to quickly meet the enemy. Only by guarding it tightly can we sit back and relax!"
As expected of an old science and engineering man, Jia Lu's meticulous thinking impressed both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng.
There’s nothing else to say, just follow the old man’s suggestion and implement it quickly...
To train sailors, you need to recruit sailors; to build a beacon, you need civilian men.
In the final analysis, we still need to mobilize the power of the people.
No matter at any time, you can rest assured to rely on the people!
As long as you are willing to do things for the people, the people will not let you down!
"Clean up unjust prisons, divide the land equally, and clean up bandits! When we go to Hezhou, we will do these three things!"
Lao Zhu posted his own notice, with twelve bright big characters, indicating his determination.
Thanks to the accumulated experience in Chuzhou, it became a matter of course when we arrived in Hezhou... A strong wind started blowing.
The yamen's injustices were uncovered, the people who had been framed were brought to justice, and the corrupt officials who bullied the people, as well as the local tycoons, were killed one by one.
The common people in Hezhou have never seen this. In the past, they only heard that there was a man named Zhu in Chuzhou who was a good official and a great master.
But now when they saw him, they realized that this was not Master Qingtian, he was simply a living Bodhisattva!
They gave the Chuzhou soldiers the title Zhu Jiajun.
In the hearts of the common people, these are soldiers and horses that can be compared with the legendary Yue Family Army.
Some elderly people even call Zhu Jiajun the Bodhisattva Soldier.
The luck here in Hezhou is not good. Not long ago, Tianwan and Yuan Bing had a little friction.
War, insurgents, and bandits took turns ravaging this fertile land along the river. There were more bandits in Hezhou than there was air in a certain brand of potato chips.
After Zhu Yuanzhang entered Hezhou, he immediately appointed Hu Dahai to cooperate with Xu Da and Tang He to suppress the bandits.
They started from Jilong Mountain, the old bandit's nest. In less than half a month, five groups of bandits were uprooted. The army moved towards the west of Hezhou.
Liu Ju, the biggest bandit leader, was also scared.
On this day, he summoned all his brothers and prepared a meal of wine.
"Brothers, we have encountered a tough situation this time. The man named Zhu is a ruthless man. Sun Deya asked him to be killed. Hu Dahai, a black-faced man, also became his lackey. In Hezhou,
We probably won’t be able to gain a foothold.”
Liu Ju suddenly chuckled, "It doesn't matter if we can't stand, let's just go! Go to Luzhou, go to Xinyang, there are many good places anyway, the sky is huge. We have so many brothers, we can fight and kill, and we can eat wherever we go.
Meat! We are wolves! A pack of howling wolves!"
As he spoke, he raised the wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and turned to look at a muscular man.
Liu Ju smiled kindly, even a little bit flattering, "Brother Chang, you gather your subordinates and act as the vanguard for everyone. In three days, we will leave for Luzhou?"
The big man did not agree immediately, but lowered his head and drank silently. Just when everyone was almost impatient, the big man suddenly raised his head and silently asked, "Big boss, are we going to rob homes?"
The corner of Liu Ju's mouth twitched. How could the bandits not rob?
"Brother Chang, this is what we do, do you have other ideas?"
The big man pondered for a moment and didn't say anything. He actually stood up and walked out, leaving behind a group of surprised bandit leaders. Could it be that Chang Yuchun had his brain damaged?
The big man shook off his long legs, took long steps, and soon arrived at his residence, where a woman came out to greet him.
"Master, is there something wrong?"
"Yeah! Pack up and follow me!"
The woman did not dare to neglect and hurriedly packed her luggage, but the big man said: "You don't need to bring too many things, just call your brother Lan Yu!"
Not long after, a young man as thick as a calf ran in.
"Brother-in-law, what's the matter?"
Chang Yuchun looked at him and smiled slightly, "Let's go, I will take you to seek refuge with the Ming Lord! We want to take off this thief skin and become a great hero!"
The young man was startled, then ecstatic, gnashing his teeth and said: "Okay, I have long looked down on this thief Liu Ju. Last time he robbed a pair of siblings and brought them into his own room, and later he even touched me.
nausea!"
Chang Yuchun suddenly stopped, his brows raised, and a surge of anger went straight to the ceiling. He strode out, but unexpectedly, Liu Ju led someone, blocked the way, and asked angrily.