Chapter six hundred and seventeenth war on Yangzhou
"How is this boat?" Xue Yong asked Tang Liudao.
"It's not bad! Driving a boat is a bit awkward sometimes, but you'll get used to it." Tang Liu made an invitation gesture and invited Xue Yong to board his flagship.
This time Zheng Zhilong built eight medium-sized armed merchant ships for Wu Shigong. Because they were sea-going ships, they were always somewhat different from inland river ships, and their operation methods were also somewhat different. However, after Tang Liu and the others' exploration these days, they could still sail them.
It's stylish.
After boarding the ship, Xue Yong, led by Tang Liu, visited the ship curiously. Seeing the cannons mounted on the deck, Xue Yong asked with great interest: "How many cannons are there on this ship?"
"Seven doors!" Tang Liu replied, "One door at the bow is three pounds. There are three doors on each side, one door is three pounds, and two doors are one pound."
"That's quite a lot!" Xue Yong immediately laughed.
"It's still too few! It's not very useful." Tang Liu also said with a smile, "On such a small place, we can't place many cannons. When firing cannons on the water, the ship is shaking, and the accuracy is uncertain, but the cannons are so good. Sir! Look
This ship doesn’t even have room to fire cannons at the stern, so we can only arrange more manpower and prepare to join forces.”
"What are you afraid of? When have our Runing Army ever been afraid of real swords and guns?" Xue Yong immediately widened his eyes. But he still patted the cannon lovingly, "It's better to have cannons!"
"That's what you said!" Tang Liu also said happily. Although he has never participated in any naval battles, Tang Liu is still very familiar with surface combat, so he deeply understands the role of artillery on ships. Now Tang Liu,
He is already an avid supporter of big ships and cannons.
"Eh?" Xue Yong suddenly thought of something, "When I followed my uncle, I once heard him talk about a battleship. Aren't the cannons installed in the belly of the ship? My uncle said that there are many such ships that can be installed on them.
Baimen, why is it not this kind of ship this time?"
"Oh! Your Excellency, what you are talking about should be Fanzi's Western-style ship. The Commander-in-Chief also asked Zheng Youji that it could not be built in Fujian. Those of us who have been on Zheng Youji's ship also said that even Zheng Youji's own ship was
There are no Western gunboats. I guess Zheng Youyi didn't lie."
The construction technology of ocean-going ships and warships in the Ming Dynasty has indeed lagged behind the West. In addition, Zheng Zhilong now only wants to do business and hopes that each ship can carry more cargo, so he has little interest in building warships and has not carried out any construction.
research in this area.
In order to keep it secret, Tang Liu did not tell Xue Yong. In fact, under Wu Shigong's secret order, the Runing Navy had secretly built an experimental boat imitating a Western warship in Xinyang. So this time the Runing Navy Commander
——Zhang Rubao did not come, he was presiding over the trial voyage in Xinyang.
Although the ship is quite small, with only three three-pound guns on each side of the ship, it has at least been built according to this idea. Of course, making a small ship larger is not simply about increasing the size, there are many technical difficulties, and there are also wood.
The problem needs to be solved. But after all, research has already begun.
Wu Shigong is a person who likes to take everything into his own hands. To build such a small boat, he has made necessary technical reserves and trained a group of craftsmen, and can also increase his voice in his interactions with Zheng Zhilong, so in this way
There is no disadvantage in doing so. Besides, although this ship is small, it is still very useful in inland rivers. The navy of the Runing Army can use such warships to effectively control the water network and lakes in the south of the Yangtze River.
On August 28, more than 13,000 Runing troops formally joined the war, carrying their own navy and hundreds of requisitioned civilian ships. They sailed down the river from Huanggang.
On the same day, Xiong Wencan, the Prime Minister of the five provinces, also handed over to Wang Jiazhen and officially took over the command of the five provinces.
"Can't you just let Xiao Xinzi stay for two more days? He's going to the battlefield not even a month after getting married. You, a master, are too cruel!" In the inner house, Zhao Ruya and Wu Shigong started to quarrel.
"Stay two more days? Why don't you stay a few more months? I know you want Xiaojie to get pregnant before letting Xiao Xinzi out. Don't think I don't know, you two are chatting in the room.
Something."
The door curtain opened, and Xiaojie who was hiding behind rushed out. She was already dressed like a woman, and her eyes were as red as two peaches: "Dad! You have so many people, let your husband go this time."
!" After saying that, Xiaojie started to cry timidly again.
"Male Gobi!" Wu Shigong was furious. The Huguang battle this time was obviously not very dangerous, so Wu Shigong wanted to let Tao Xin make meritorious service and promoted him naturally. Unexpectedly, he was beaten by two men with long hair and knowledge.
The short girl was so entangled that her scalp was numb, and Wu Shigong felt that he was treating her like a donkey with good intentions.
But when he saw Xiaojie was particularly sad, Wu Shigong couldn't help but soften his heart. He said in a slow tone: "Girl! A man's ambitions are all over the place, so it's not good to trap him in a small place. Could it be that daddy will still harm you?"
Let's do this, let Xiao Xinzi bring the new army with him, and I will also give him three hundred people from my personal army, so that he can be protected! Be good! Be obedient!"
"But..., but..." Xiaojie also forgot to wipe the tears on her face, looking anxious.
"My daughter is afraid that Xiao Xinzi will bring women back from outside." It was Zhao Ruya who expressed Xiaojie's feelings.
"He dares!" Wu Shigong was full of domineering aura. "There is no such thing as childishness in the army. Who dares to touch women?"
"Isn't that what you are like?" Xiaojie muttered from the side.
"How are you talking?" Seeing Wu Shigong stunned on the spot, Zhao Ruya quickly tried to smooth things over, "Why don't you go out quickly?"
Seeing Xiaojie return to the inner room, Wu Shigong, who was very shameless, also felt a little blushing. He explained calmly: "I didn't bring a woman back these few times."
"Who knows?" Zhao Ruya rolled her eyes at Wu Shigong, "Didn't two pretty girls from Jinling City just write to you?"
"Nah, who chewed the tongue?" Wu Shigong suddenly became angry. When Wu Shigong received the letters from Liu Rushi and Gu Hengbo, he was indeed a little confused. But he was also afraid that the inner house would be uneasy, so he kept these two letters.
Well hidden.
"Humph!" Zhao Ruya ignored Wu Shigong at all, turned around and walked out of the house.
Wu Shigong also had a guilty conscience and hid the two letters in the inner house instead of putting them in the study. But there were so many brats and crazy girls playing around in the inner house that he couldn't find the hidden things.
?
As a compromise for his daughter Xiaojie, Wu Shigong sent an additional 3,600 troops to South Zhili. Under the leadership of Tao Xin, they went directly to Chuzhou via Fengyang Mansion overland. The new regiment dispatched this time was Ru
The Ning Army's newly formed corps is led by Yuan Shizhong. Compared with other main battle corps, this corps is slightly weaker and lacks firearms and equipment.
"Free activities? Where can we go for free activities?" Jin Xiong asked.
"You ask me, who am I going to ask?" Liu Guoneng looked annoyed, "Let's move forward anyway! You can't look back. Wherever you go, you won't be there."
"Then let's go to Nanjing and we can finally get a vote." Jin Xiong looked gearing up.
"Nonsense!" Liu Guoneng immediately laughed and scolded: "General Wu is still a member of the imperial court. If Nanjing is captured, he will not be able to protect us!"
"Then we don't just have to go to Chuzhou?" Jin Xiong was very depressed. He said for a long time that there was only one choice for free activities!
After receiving Xue Yong's order, Liu Guoneng's troops went straight to Chuzhou. Since all the nearby Ming troops were transferred to Nanjing, Chuzhou's defense was quite empty.
But Liu Guoneng no longer wanted to attack this city. The battle with Huang Degong had damaged Liu Guoneng's old foundation too much, and he was unwilling to waste his strength in siege warfare anymore.
So Liu Guoneng first swept away the countryside of Chuzhou, and because Hongze Lake blocked the way to the northeast, they headed east towards Yangzhou via Laian.
The salt merchants in Yangzhou City did not expect that the war would come to their doorstep. They were shocked and immediately used all kinds of connections to mobilize officers and soldiers from all walks of life to come to the rescue. They first withdrew the officers and soldiers of the Yangzhou Guard into Yangzhou City, and then
Go to Nanjing and use your connections to mobilize reinforcements from Nanjing city.
However, Liu Guoneng's ministry was too close to the city of Nanjing, and Nanjing itself had too much time to take care of itself and could not control Yangzhou across the river. So those salt merchants could only use money to clear the way.
They first rushed to Xuzhou and asked the officers and soldiers of the Xuzhou Guard to come for reinforcements. However, when they heard that they were fighting against a massive peasant army, the Xuzhou Guards refused to thank them. If they have a life to take money, they also have a life to spend!
So the Yangzhou salt merchants began to seek medical treatment in a panic. They actually spent 30,000 taels of silver and gathered more than a thousand horse bandits to stop Liu Guoneng. After collecting the money, the horse bandits went straight to Liu Guoneng with professional ethics, and then
They all took refuge with Liu Guoneng.
At this time, those Yangzhou salt merchants were at their wits end. But at this moment, they suddenly thought: two of the salt merchants were on good terms with Wu Shigong of Runing, so they immediately summoned Guo Zeng'an and Lu Jianchen for discussion.
"You two! It's going to be a big labor day this time. Please kindly ask Wu Runing to help us as soon as possible!" A salt merchant said politely.
"But water from afar can't quench the thirst for nearby people?" Guo Zeng'an said in embarrassment, "A round trip from here to Runing will take at least a month, and that doesn't include the time to mobilize troops?"
"This place can hold up! We have spent so much money over the years to feed those Qiu Ba and Yan Ding. After raising dogs for so many years, we must help look after the house and care for the home!"
"Tell you two! The shopkeeper under my younger brother reported that Wu Runing is arranging an army in Huanggang. As long as you two persuade them, I will guarantee here that next year's Yanyin will be given priority, and we will give Wu Runing another 50,000 yuan to set off.
Fee. And from now on, we in Yangzhou will give priority to supplying Wu Runing’s salt products.”
"Then let's go try it!" Guo Zeng'an and Lu Jianchen said.