Coinciding with the trial voyage of the "Lin Zhengjun", Lin Fu invited Chen Mingzhe, Liu Wenzhong, Zuo Guangrong and others to board the "Lin Zhengjun" for a visit.
Compared with the previous crossbows placed on the exposed deck, the "Lin Zhengjun" has dedicated crossbow cabins at the bow and stern, each equipped with eight giant crossbows capable of firing four to five hundred paces, and there are closeable firing chambers on the sides. hole, so that armored soldiers can be deployed on the crossbow cabin deck to increase the density of strikes against enemy ships.
The giant crossbow can shoot giant iron arrows the size of lances into the depths of the city bricks, and the destructive power is quite terrifying. With blunt-tipped arrows, it can even break ship plates two to three inches thick, causing direct damage to less sturdy enemy ships. destroy.
The "Lin Zhengjun" is currently only an armed merchant ship, with more than 200 armored soldiers, more than 40 sailors, crew members and other handymen.
Compared with the force of escorting the ship, the more obvious feature of the "Lin Zhengjun" is its speed.
This sailboat, which Lin Fu personally participated in the finalization and supervision of the production, can travel a hundred miles in a downwind or headwind, and it will save one-fourth to one-fifth of the time compared to the existing fast sailing boats in Jinghaihai Camp.
This makes the "Lin Zhengjun" very convenient as an armed merchant ship. Even if it encounters pirates and hostile naval forces at sea, it can quickly get rid of pursuit, and there is almost no possibility of interception by enemy ships at sea.
With a carrying capacity of nearly 20,000 stone, the "Lin Zhengjun" is even more dazzling.
If the money and materials allocated to the Yongjia Army in northern Zhejiang were transported by two-masted sea ships, which were the most common in the world, a huge transport fleet of one hundred and fifty to two hundred ships would be enough.
If such a huge transport fleet were to go to Yongjia Prefecture through the waters outside the Changguo Islands, there would be no way the Eastern Zhejiang Navy would be able to avoid the battle!
And these supplies, transported by the "Lin Zhengjun", only need to make three round trips.
Not to mention the excellent performance of the "Lin Zhengjun", only the transport fleet composed of the Lin Zhengjun and several fast escort warships quickly passed through the waters off the Changguo Islands, and its goal was more than a fleet of more than a hundred cargo ships and escort warships. The huge fleet formed is much smaller, and the possibility of interception by the East Zhejiang Navy is quite low.
In order to support the Yongjia Army and Lushan Island, and to strengthen the intensity of the confrontation with the Shejia Navy in the East China Sea, Lin Fu decided to temporarily incorporate the "Lin Zhengjun", which had been on trial for two months, as an armed transport ship into the Jinghai No. One water camp provides unified command and dispatch for the Shengsi defense line.
Using the Lin Zhengjun to import a large amount of supplies to southern Zhejiang is one thing; incorporating the Lin Zhengjun into the Jinghai No. 1 Water Camp will allow the southern raiding fleet to obtain sufficient supplies by raiding the eastern Fujian coast. Staying outside the Hengdao base for a month or even longer - this will provide convenience for the southern attack fleet to ambush commercial and civilian ships in the Zhejiang and Fujian areas in the waters off eastern Fujian and southern Zhejiang for a long time.
At first, Liu Wenzhong was worried about how he would transport money and materials to Yueqing. After visiting the "Lin Zhengjun" with Lin Fu, he felt relieved.
In Chen Mingzhe's view, Huaidong was coming with sharp fangs.
Chen Mingzhe felt this way, and it was precisely Huaidong who had predicted that the price of rice in Jiangdong would surge two months ago. At that time, others only treated it as a joke and did not take it seriously. However, just two months later, as expected in Huaidong As everyone expected, the price of rice in Jiangdong surged by more than 30%.
"Luo Xiancheng led the Changle bandit army into Qichun, which caused great damage to the farming in the southern area of Jinghu Lake. Secondly, Qichun cut off the two Hunan provinces, and the opening for rice grains from eastern Sichuan to the east; thirdly, Luzhou and During the Qichun period, a large number of people fled eastward to avoid the thieves - these three points have intensified the food pressure in Jiangdong County," Lin Fu said. "The second point is the most important. At this time, there is not even detailed data that can let people know the past. How much rice grain flows into Jiangdong from the two lakes and Sichuan every year..."
"There is no accurate number for Huaidong?" Chen Mingzhe asked. He served as the censor of northern Zhejiang. The four prefectures under the jurisdiction of northern Zhejiang, Jiangning Prefecture, and Weiyang Prefecture were exactly the three areas with the most serious food shortages in Jiangdong. He regretted it very much.
At the beginning, we did not resolutely store grain in Huaidong in Pingjiang Prefecture. Changing to mulberry farming was a time-consuming and labor-intensive matter. It was delayed for two months, even after one season. I don't know if I can convince others.
Lin Fu shook his head and said: "The merchant ships transporting grain eastward do not need to go to Huaidong to report, so how can we have an accurate number? We can only roughly estimate that the total amount of rice grain shipped from the two lakes and east Sichuan is three million shi.
Between 5 million shi and 5 million shi, it is about 600,000 to 700,000 men for one year - Shi Linmengde, the director of the Huaidong Army, has gone to Jiangning on my behalf. Maybe Jiangning's household department has more accurate data..."
Chen Mingzhe has no expectations at all for Jiangning's household department. In this regard, he can say with certainty that no yamen can do a better job than Huaidong. It's ridiculous that many people back then ridiculed Lin Fu for being a pigherder who only knew how to raise pigs.
.
Compared with his youthful and frivolous days at the beginning, Chen Mingzhe has concentrated on studying the art of managing the world and benefiting the people in recent years. He has become more pragmatic and even deliberately studied the political affairs of Huaidong. He has seen many things more profoundly than the officials of the same period.
More profound.
Compared with the nearly ten million ding in Jiangdong County, the shortfall of three to five million dan does not seem to be large, but this is only one factor.
The war in Henan and Huaisi is still going on. Although Haozhou, Shouzhou, Xuzhou and other places have been recovered, the population has been displaced, and the livestock power that is almost indispensable for grain farming has been almost completely lost - without Huaidong's organizational ability and
If the grain production in these prefectures is to be restored to pre-war levels, it will take ten or eight years to rest and recuperate.
The three prefectures of Jiahang Lake are a traditional land of plenty, but they are at the forefront of the confrontation with the She family. Due to the existence of the She family's Zhejiang navy, almost the entire Qianjiang River is under the control of the south bank. The She family's military forces in eastern Zhejiang are
Horses often pass through warships and enter the branch rivers on the north bank of the Qianjiang River, sneaking into the hinterland of the three prefectures of Jiahang Lake to harass, causing great damage to the grain fields of the three prefectures of Jiahang Lake, and the grain output is less than 60-70% of the past——
This gap is quite terrifying.
Luo Xiancheng led his troops to march southward and forced into the western part of Jiangdong County, which involved military disasters in the southwest of Luzhou Prefecture and caused great damage to agricultural production. At the same time, all the armies in Jiangdong County were expanding their troops and increasing their rice and grain consumption.
It also reduces the number of local cultivation sites.
Pingjiang Prefecture and Danyang Prefecture were already short of food. They were severely attacked by the East China Sea bandits in the past two years, and they have not yet fully recovered.
At almost the same time, only the eleven counties in Huaidong Prefecture were experiencing rapid growth in grain production. However, the eleven counties in Huaidong Prefecture accommodated too many Huaisi refugees, and the amount of rice they could export was limited - in comparison
At this time, Jiangdong County actually governed 139 counties in 15 prefectures, and the 11 counties in Huaidong Prefecture were only in the corner.
It is still November, and soon after the autumn grains have been collected and put on the market, the price of rice has risen by 30%. If the situation is not alleviated, the pressure on food will be even greater when the lean season comes after the new year. At least next spring, there will be no escape from the food shortage in Jiangdong.
.
Of course, the most urgent and effective method at present is for the Huaidong Navy to enter the Qianjiang River. As long as the Huaidong Navy can fight for control of the Qianjiang River, it will have immediate effects on the stability of the three prefectures of Jiahang Lake and the restoration of grain farming.
Effect.
Chen Mingzhe mentioned this matter within Northern Zhejiang, but he was ostracized and hostile in Northern Zhejiang.
Obviously, the Huaidong Military Division has included the East China Sea territory within its jurisdiction and strictly prohibited all commercial and civilian ships south of Changshan Island from going to sea. This has made people in northern Zhejiang quite unhappy. How can they be willing to let Huaidong's tentacles extend into the Qianjiang River system?
Come?
Lin Fu was not without ears and eyes when setting up the envoys in northern Zhejiang. He also had some knowledge of Chen Mingzhe's words and deeds in the military affairs department in northern Zhejiang.
Dong Yuan was very concerned about his territory, so how could he take the initiative to invite the Huaidong Navy to enter the Qianjiang River?
Of course, in the future, if the Huaidong Navy wanted to enter Qianjiang to fight with the Zhejiang Navy, there would be no need to ask Dong Yuan for instructions.
Dong Yuan does not have the navy power in his hands, so he has no right to speak - any problem is always very realistic.
On November 12, the "Lin Zhengjun" was loaded with supplies from Chongzhou and returned to Daheng Island. The money and supplies shipped to Yongjia were all allocated from Chongzhou first, and Chongzhou would settle accounts with Pingjiang Prefecture in the future. This was to avoid wrangling.
The most effective way to improve efficiency.
On the night of the 14th, the "Lin Zhengjun" secretly sailed out from the base of Daheng Island. Under the escort of several warships, it transported Liu Wenzhong, Zuo Guangying and others as well as Huaidong's military team supporting Lushan Island southward.
Lin Fu entrusted all matters on the southern front to Fu Qinghe and others, and he returned to Chongzhou the next day.
Huaidong maintained a suppressive force against the Zhejiang and Fujian rebels in the East China Sea, but it could not reverse the deterioration of the situation in the entire Central Plains. On the 15th, he rushed to Chongzhou with Lin Fu at the same time. Zhang Gou, Chen Enze and other generals from the Military Intelligence Department also followed Lin Fu.
Return to Chongzhou.
Lin Fu couldn't get away. As the director of the military department, Lin Mengde was promoted from a white body to a sixth-grade civil servant. It was natural for Lin Fu to go to Jiangning on official business on behalf of Lin Fu.
On the 15th, Lin Mengde also returned to Chongzhou from Jiangning, and the news he brought back was not optimistic.
"Tao Chun hurriedly led more than 10,000 Changhuai troops back to Luzhou to guard against the Changle bandits led by Luo Xiancheng to advance eastward along the river. However, in his haste, he was unable to organize any offensive against Qichun," Lin Mengde brought back from Jiangning.
The news was told to Lin Fu and everyone in Chongzhou, "The Dongting Lake bandits are marching eastward and gathering on the Qichun side. It is obvious that the two bandits are colluding to cross the river, but the Jiangning side does not advocate the Jiangning water camp to take the initiative to fight, and is more focused on guarding the quarry.
Ji, to prevent Changle bandits and Dongting Lake bandits from invading Jiangning along the east side of the Yangtze River...Jiangning saw that Huaidong's harassment of the She family on the eastern front was indeed effective, and Yongjia Mansion restored Yongjia and Yueqing cities, forcing the She family to move from western Zhejiang
After moving troops eastward, everyone in Jiangning decided to draw troops from the southern front to strengthen the defense at the mouth of Poyang Lake to prevent the Changle bandits and Dongting Lake bandits from entering Jiangxi..."
As Lin Mengde spoke, Zhang Gou and Chen Enze quickly marked the map, marking the situation in Jiangdong County and its surrounding areas with diagrams. He thought to himself: "Tao Chun led the Huai Army to rush back to Luzhou to aid.
The girl in red coat should be able to breathe a sigh of relief in Huaiyang..."
"How to deal with the Red Coat Army and the transfer of Chen Zhihu's troops? How did Jiangning decide?" Lin Fu asked with a frown. Jiangning's passive response was not beyond his expectation. The private message sent by Gu Wuchen meant
It is also the priority to be cautious and grow old.
"After all, Chen Zhihu also serves as the envoy of Henan, and it is difficult to mobilize in a hurry," Lin Mengde said, "Red Coat Army, Jiang Ning hopes that we will send troops to take over the position of Chang Huai Army and continue to encircle Huaiyang..."
"There is no possibility of sending troops to Huaidong on two fronts. There is nothing to discuss about this. You just refuse it for me in Jiangning," Lin Fu said, "Jiangning still wants to recruit troops, and Huaidong can do it for me!"
Hearing what Lin Fu said, Zhang Gou breathed a sigh of relief.
Hearing what Lin Fu said, Lin Mengde smiled awkwardly. If he could make such a decisive decision, it wouldn't be him. He said: "Then write another reply letter and explain the meaning, although it is more troublesome...
"
Lin Fu didn't blame Lin Mengde for not being decisive enough in Jiangning. He nodded, glanced sideways at Song Jia, who was sitting on his left, and said, "I'll bother you with a reply; if you want to come, I'll write it myself.
The tone must not be tactful..."
There are many Dianshu and Dianshu officials in the Military Sifu, but most of them hold concurrent posts. For example, Wang Chengfu is already considered a core official in the Military Sifu, but there is no suitable official position for him, so he uses the title of Dianshuling to participate in the important affairs.
Among all the canons, Song Jia was the only one who actually wrote and handled documents for Lin Fu.g