Due to the incident of the Dongzhong Station being attacked by pirates, Li Dayin moved the inspection fleet out of Songjiang Camp and stationed it in Zhoushan, which guarded the north-south waterway.
There are eleven sea-going ships with a load of 500 tons, two ships with a load of 300 tons, and fifty small and medium-sized ships with a load of less than 200 tons. After supplementation, there are 180 monks and more than 2,500 fleet officers and soldiers.
A fleet of this size should be regarded as the largest fleet assembled by the Ming Dynasty in the past hundred years. Although it cannot fight against the East China Sea Island Lords Alliance, which is characterized as a pirate, it can play a certain deterrent effect if used properly.
On the seventh day of May, the fleet once again headed toward the northeastern sea to Shengsi Island to further expand the scope of exploration.
Zhao Ran waited in Jingyang Building to meet Rong Niang who had returned from Baochao Department: "Why are you back so late?"
"Many people gathered at the Gate of the Ministry of War and the Chaotian Palace, demanding that the Taoist Gate and the Ministry of War severely punish the pirates. The roads are blocked and carriages cannot get through."
"It seems that the people's support can be used."
"We haven't suffered such a loss in the Ming Dynasty for many years, and the people are very angry."
Zhao Ran said with emotion: "Well done to the people. They all support the Taoist sect. We can't let them down. I plan to send Master and Disciple Gu Kexue to serve in front of Li Dayin's army. What do you think?"
"It's okay if you think it's okay. Why do you ask me?"
"The military situation is urgent and I would like to use the Cloud Lily."
"You want to go too?"
"I'm not going, I'm just going to let Master Gu Kexue and his disciples ride on the misty lilies, which will make it faster, haha."
Rong Niang glanced at him: "The main thing is to requisition my Misty Lily, isn't it? It's enough to just say it plainly? Is there any need to beat around the bush?"
Zhao Ran chuckled and held Rong Niang's hands tightly: "You understand the righteousness!"
When Gu Kexue's master and apprentice arrived at Shengsi Island by the mist and lily, Li Dayin almost thought that Zhao Ran had come in person and asked: "Zhi Ran is willing to lend this good thing?"
Gu Kexue said: "Abbot Zhao said that we will obey the command of the Li Yuan Envoy and ask the Li Yuan Envoy for orders!"
Li Dayin did not hesitate, and directly called Zhou Keli and Ling Congyun over, asking them to point out the key points of Gu Kexue's master and apprentice's high-altitude exploration of the enemy's situation.
Half an hour later, the Infinite Rosette and the Cloud Lily rose into the sky at the same time, and the two flying instruments were dispatched to the north. The Cloud Lily floated fifty miles ahead and marked its direction. The Infinite Rosette used the former as a reference point to extend its exploration range outwards.
Thirty miles away, the two flying instruments formed an eighty-mile long exploration axis, sweeping out a fan on the sea.
After three consecutive days of no harvest, Li Dayin was waiting for news of the pirates' next robbery. Emotionally speaking, Li Dayin did not want the tragedy of robbery to happen again, but from a military perspective, he looked forward to the pirates' whereabouts happening again.
exposed.
On the tenth day of May, he finally received the news that the pirates had plundered Clam Port. Clam Port was also in Huai'an Prefecture, but it was further south than Dongzhongsuo and closer to Zhoushan.
Because the news of the robbery of Dongzhong had spread to the villages and towns along the coast of Huai'an Prefecture, Clam Port was prepared in advance, discovered the pirates' movements earlier, and rushed the people at the dock into the city. The city gates were closed tightly, and the locals
The garrison in the city came to defend the city and was on tight alert.
In the end, the pirates only robbed some fishing boats in the dock and retreated without hurting anyone.
"Three ships, one search for 300 materials, two ships for 100 materials, this is why they dare not attack the city wall of Clam Port." Gu Kexue reported to Li Dayin. He was sent to Clam Port to understand the situation, but was also attacked by the pirates
The bold move of the Ming Dynasty was shocked. Three small and medium-sized ships dared to rob a dock in a county town in broad daylight. This shows how arrogant the other party is, and it also shows how weak the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense is.
Who made the Ming Dynasty always regard enemies in the west as the primary threat? Without coastal defense, it would be like this. Wind leaks everywhere, and the enemy can attack wherever they want, and there is no way to defend it.
Of course, these pirates are not extremely arrogant. At least they know how to rob and run away. Otherwise, they will be blocked by Taoist monks on the shore and die without knowing how.
Hearing the number of three ships, Li Dayin was a little moved, and discussed with the people below: "I want to eat these ships, firstly to punish the murderer severely, and secondly to boost the morale of our army."
Someone asked: "If we attack north, will we be ambushed? What if this is a way for the pirates to lure the enemy deeper?"
Li Dayin said: "We have been stationed at the Songjiang camp a long time ago. We have been vigilant for fifty to one hundred miles every day. We have basically guarded the north and south waterways. Such a large fleet of pirates wants to sneak past us.
In the past, it was very difficult, and it would be good to just pass a few small boats sporadically. So I guess that the main force of Wutong's bandit is still in the south."
The sea is vast, the direction is difficult to discern, and the celestial phenomena are unpredictable, so the boat's route is to follow the island signs one stop at a time. If there is land as a reference, it will be safer, and generally it will not be more than a hundred miles away from the land.
Zhou Keli and Ling Congyun used the infinite rosette to sweep a distance of more than fifty miles every day. As far as their sight could reach, they could even reach seventy or eighty miles. This range was actually equivalent to covering the waterway from south to north.
In particular, the Island Owners Alliance has a very large force of ships. It is said that there are thousands of ships. It would take a whole day to find a ship group of this size appearing and disappearing right under your nose.
Unless they sail at night. But with thousands of ships sailing at night, this operation is too difficult and extremely dangerous.
This is the reason why Li Dayin judged that the main force of Taoist Wutong was still south of Zhoushan.
Of course, he was not the one who couldn't listen to opinions. He immediately said that while the fleet was searching north, it would move the infinite rosette twenty miles forward to provide the fleet with sufficient early warning.
The only worry is that if the pirates use the strategy of seducing the east and attacking the west, they will definitely not dare to divide their troops for the first time. After the fleet moves north, if the Yangtze River mouth is released, the pirates will take advantage of the opportunity and invade.
Yingtian.
He informed Zhao Ran of his worries about the flying talisman, and Zhao Ran replied: "It is up to the fleet to decide whether to go north to clean up, but what you are worried about is really unnecessary. Under any circumstances, the pirates will definitely not dare to go up the river, otherwise it will become a disaster."
If he really dares to enter the river, he will not be able to leave the sea!"
Li Dayin suddenly woke up and immediately sent an order. At the beginning of the next day, the fleet headed north.
That night, Zhao Ran stood blankly in front of the large table in Jingyang Tower, staring at the chart without saying a word, and said nothing for a long time.
Rong Niang handed over a bowl of elixir soup, forced him to drink it, and asked: "Don't worry too much. Didn't you say it was just a few boats that missed the Zhoushan channel? Could it be possible that we will lose the battle?"
Zhao Ran said: "It's not that I'm afraid of losing. If I really encounter those small boats, I will never lose. I'm looking at where these enemy ships are. I'm afraid that I won't be able to find these three ships. We need them too much."
A victory."
Rong Niang pointed to Zhoushan and asked: "What if the pirates occupy Zhoushan?"
Zhao Ran said: "If he dares to occupy space, he is seeking death."
Rong Niang asked again: "What if we neither occupy any space nor enter the Yangtze River Estuary, but chase after Li Dayin and outflank him?"
Zhao Ran said: "Yunmiao Lily is staying in Zhoushan, specializing in exploring the waterway. Once the main force of the pirates is found, he will inspect the fleet and eat those few ships, and then go to Denglai."