"The Wusong River is frozen three feet high, and Guangzhou has been experiencing heavy snowfalls year after year?"
Haizhou (Lianyungang).
Zhu Yihai found that he had made a mistake. He had overlooked an important thing, which was the extremely cold weather during the Little Ice Age in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. This Little Ice Age was so severe that in severe years, the Yangtze River Estuary would freeze for a month.
The three major lakes, Taihu Lake, Poyang Lake, and Dongting Lake, have ice that is more than three feet thick, allowing carriages and horses to pass through.
It even snowed in Guangzhou and snowed in Hainan Island.
He didn't take this matter too seriously before, and now he was planning to withdraw some of his troops to Haizhou and Yuzhou Island. However, when some local gentry came to see him, they mentioned that the weather had turned cold in recent years.
They told Zhu Yihai that according to the weather in the past two years, the temperature has been getting colder every year, and it may be even colder this year. In the past few years, not only the canal north of the Yellow River has been frozen every year, but also the canal from Huai'an to Hangzhou has been frozen every year.
They all need to be frozen for at least a month or two.
This is not the worst news. The worst news is that Haizhou Bay will also freeze over, which means that Yuzhou Island is no longer safe in winter.
Originally, Yuzhou Island was a large island in the sea far away from the mainland. However, due to the alluvial sediment from rivers entering the sea, Huaibei's land continued to expand, and it became closer and closer to Yuzhou Island. Now it is very close.
Historically, Yuzhou Island was completely connected soon after the Qing Dynasty. Just like Jingjiang in the Yangtze River, it was originally an island but was later connected to the mainland.
Although Yuzhou Island is not connected yet, it is not far away.
In winter, the island is frozen with ice, so there is an ice surface connecting the island to Haizhou.
The Qing army could just step on the ice or even ride horses to the island.
Then there would be no use for the Navy.
Zhu Yihai's second Northern Expedition was not only to sweep Huaibei, but also to focus on operating Yuzhou Island and Miaowan Town, using this as a stronghold to compete for control of the canal.
Without such a support point, in the cold winter, when the ship freezes, the water surface freezes, and the island is connected to the land, it will be no different from an ordinary land city.
With the current strength of the Ming army, it is almost impossible to defend a land city in Haizhou Bay near Shandong.
He tried hard to recall memories related to Xiao Glacier.
It seems that the Little Ice Age during the Ming and Qing Dynasties was also called the Fourth Little Ice Age?
It seems that there was the first extreme cold period from the end of the Yuan Dynasty to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and then there was a period of relief for about a hundred years, and then there was another extreme cold period from the Jiajing to the Wanli years.
Then Wanli was also very powerful when he came to Chongzhen, but it seems that the most powerful thing was the peak fifty years after the death of the Ming Dynasty, and then it recovered, but it didn't really end until Qianlong?
So, the really coldest winter of the Little Ice Age in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was just about to begin?
During the Chongzhen period, disasters were frequent and winters were even colder. Even the Jiangnan Canal could freeze three feet high. It snowed heavily in Guangzhou and it snowed in Hainan. So if from now on, it will become more serious in the future, how serious will it be?
The winters during the Chongzhen period were extremely cold. It is said that countless people froze to death on the south bank of the Yangtze River every year. In Changzhou Prefecture alone, it is said that thousands of people froze to death in one year.
Even the citrus fruits originally brought as tribute from Jiangnan were frozen to death in winter due to the extreme cold. Jiangxi people simply cut down the frozen trees and stopped planting them.
From time to time, things like extreme cold in summer that kill crops, early frost in autumn that kill crops and livestock, etc. happen.
Agricultural harvests failed due to natural disasters, and the people were unable to pay taxes. The government's finances were tight, and frequent disasters aggravated famine. As a result, peasant uprisings continued, leaving the court unable to defend the border. In addition, the dynasty had been suffering from long-standing abuses for more than two hundred years, and the ship was turned around due to a disaster.
of collapse.
The Little Ice Age could not directly destroy a dynasty, but it exacerbated many problems.
Just like the end of the Yuan Dynasty was also the Little Ice Age, but the beginning of the Ming Dynasty was also the same Little Ice Age, with each one dying and the other rising.
But after all, the Little Ice Age did exacerbate many of the Ming Dynasty's difficulties.
Just like now, Zhu Yihai, who was making great progress, has to face many new challenges brought to him by this Little Ice Age.
Yuzhou Island obviously cannot be garrisoned in winter, let alone serve as a forward base against the Qing Dynasty.
Even if the canal is frozen in winter, all its advantages in the water will be gone in winter.
Even the canals in the south of the Yangtze River and the Wusong River will be covered with several feet of ice, so there will be no water advantages north of Wuling.
Taihu Lake is covered with several feet of ice, so Taihu Lake is not safe as a naval base in winter.
"Will this winter be colder than last year?"
"definitely."
After receiving this reply, Zhu Yihai fell silent again.
What a mistake.
I thought that the Little Ice Age was a long period, lasting for one or two hundred years, and that the problem would not be too serious. It might even be an occasional extreme cold outbreak. Who would have thought that it would be much more serious than imagined.
Little Ice Age, extremely cold.
This kind of winter is actually beneficial to the Tatars from Liaodong. They grew up in the bitter cold land of Liaodong and have long adapted to the cold. On the contrary, people from the Central Plains and the south will be very uncomfortable with this extreme cooling.
cold.
For example, oranges originally grown in Huainan were called tangerines, and oranges grown in Huaibei were called tangerines. But now the winter in Huainan is the same as in Huaibei, and Lingnan is equivalent to Huainan. Then the oranges north of Lingnan and south of the Huaihe River will also freeze to death in winter. This
It may also lead to other problems, such as the possibility of affecting both crops of rice, etc.
The canal from Wujiang to Jiaxing can freeze, and even the Qiantang River is unsafe in winter.
Originally, we were thinking of setting up a small naval force to fight guerrillas in Weishan Lake, Hongze Lake, and Gaoyou Lake to threaten the Jiangbei Canal. But now it seems that this was a mistake.
Even Taihu Lake can be frozen with three feet of ice, not to mention Weishan Lake, which will be as frozen as an iron plate.
This plan can only be implemented in summer and autumn.
It's already mid-September, and it's already starting to snow outside the customs, and it's almost starting to snow in the Huanghuai area as well.
"Prepare to withdraw to the Yangtze River." Zhu Yihai thought for a long time and finally made a helpless decision.
······
Jiangxi, Nanchang.
In the east of the city, at the General Military Mansion, Wang Tizhong was a little surprised by the sudden visitor in front of him. He had such a great name, Jiang Riguang, who was known as one of the three wise prime ministers in Nanzhong.
"I wonder if Mr. Jiang comes to visit unexpectedly. What can I learn from you?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Although Wang Tizhong used to be in the Hunshun Army and was not from the same party as the Ming Dynasty, the other party was after all a former Ming Dynasty pavilion elder. This kind of famous person always deserves his respect.
, not to mention that the other party's sudden secret made him feel that things were not simple.
Jiang Riguang looked at Wang Tizhong for a long time and then said, "The general's face is full of death, and he is dead."
Wang Tizhong couldn't help but frown, "Why did Mr. Jiang scold me? I have never offended Mr. Jiang, right?"
"I know a little bit about the art of physiognomy. I was watching the stars at home at night. I saw a mass of death energy shrouding the east of Nanchang City from a distance. I followed this mass of death energy to find this place. Now the general is covered with death energy. It is a big disaster. General
He won’t survive more than three days.”
"How outrageous!" an officer shouted angrily.
Wang TiZhong smiled instead.
"I know you scholars like to make shocking remarks. If Mr. Jiang has something to say, just say it directly without beating around the bush."
Jiang Riguang smiled but said nothing.
Wang Tizhong waved the others to leave.
"It's just you and me here. If you have anything to say, it doesn't matter."
"I said that the general will not live for three days. I am not scaring you. I have solid evidence. Let me tell you one by one. First, you and Jin Shenghuan are in the same town in Jiangxi. He is the admiral and you are the commander-in-chief. However, he borrowed your
The military power of his army has pacified half of Jiangxi. You are brave and good at fighting, and you have strong soldiers and horses, but you are below him. You are unwilling to accept it, and he is uneasy. The two of you have been incompatible with each other for a long time. Fire and war will happen sooner or later, but you are both waiting for someone.
Wedge machine.”
"Secondly, this wedge machine already exists, and Jin Shenghuan mastered it first."
Wang TiZhong remained calm, "Oh?"
"The Qing court has long ordered Qing troops everywhere to shave their heads and keep braids. Jin Shenghuan was originally a general of the Zuoliang tribe and had his hair shaved long ago. But General, you were originally a general of the Shun army. Although you surrendered to the imperial court, you still consider yourself Han'er."
You are willing to shave your head, but so far you have not ordered the army to shave your head, right?"
Wang Tizhong nodded, "The body's hair and skin are protected by parents, so how can we shave them lightly?"
"Yes, but the Tatars deliberately issued the order to shave their heads, just to force us and other Han people to change their obedience. Jin Shenghuan shaved his head but the general did not, so he naturally had a reason to attack the general."
"He doesn't dare, he doesn't have the strength." Wang Tizhong said confidently.
"Wrong, on the surface he is indeed not as powerful as General Wang, but General Wang's troops are not monolithic."
"What's the meaning?"
"Who is the most powerful general under the general? Wang Deren, right? I heard that Wang Deren was Bai Wang's confidant general and his adopted son. He promised to pass the throne to him in the future, but Bai Wang died at the hands of the general. Wang Deren always remembered this
As for Qiu, he is just not as strong as the general, so he has been holding back, but now Jin Shenghuan also knows about this and has been secretly wooing Wang Deren."
"Wang Zamao doesn't dare!"
"Now there is a second wedge machine, which is pushing things to develop in a direction that the general does not want. Previously, the Ming army surrounded Huguang and kept asking for help from Jiangxi, but Jiangxi has not sent troops for a long time. Now Huguang has rescued the siege. Hong Chengchou and Le
Kedehun is also about to move west from Anqing and pass through Jiangxi."
"Do you think these changes are beneficial to Kim Sheng-hwan or to the general?"
Wang Tizhong sat up straight and said, "Mr. Jiang, please continue."
"I don't hide anything from the general. I, a minister of the imperial court, returned home begging for help, but now that King Lu is supervising the country and Zhang Ge is supervising Liangjiang, I naturally have to work for the imperial court. I have exact information. Jin Shenghuan previously reported to the prisoners
The imperial court secretly impeached the general and refused to shave his head because he did not sincerely surrender. He also blamed the general for failing to leave Hubei in time. He even said that the general was secretly acting secretly and that the situation in Jiangxi was ruined."
"In this way, the Qing government intends to get rid of the unstable chess piece of the general. Their original plan was to wait for Hong Chengchou to quell the Huguang rebellion, then transfer the general to Huguang, and then take the opportunity to remove the military power, and then kill him.
Just say a word.
Of course, there is even worse news. Jin Shenghuan can't wait any longer. He plans to wait for the Luck De Hun troops to cross the border and join forces with Wang Deren to suddenly attack and assassinate the general, and then use the power of the Qing troops passing through the border to surrender your troops."
"Why did Mr. Jiang tell me this?"
"Because the enemy of the enemy is a friend. Our Ming Dynasty wants to regain Jiangxi, and Jiangxi Admiral Jin Shenghuan is the first enemy. Now he wants to get rid of the general and then hurry up. Of course we are willing to help the general and work together to get rid of Jin Shenghuan."
"General Wang, you have been unwilling to shave your head, which shows that you still cherish your Han identity and are unwilling to be a slave of the Tatars. Now that Jin Shenghuan and the Qing court cannot tolerate the general, why not return to the Ming Dynasty anyway?"
Jiang Rigong advised, "General Li Guo and others from the Shun Army are now our loyal camp in the Ming Dynasty. Each general will be awarded the title of Hou Bo and the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Army. If General Wang is willing to surrender anyway, the imperial court will grant you the title of Admiral of Jiangxi."
, and be granted the title of Marquis, how about that?"