1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 1781

For Haihan, who sends troops to fight overseas almost every year, there is already a complete set of mature operating mechanisms for gathering troops, preparing supplies, and formulating itineraries. Starting from the decision of the Executive Committee and the Ministry of National Defense, all relevant departments Departments have gradually entered a state of combat readiness.

The Northern Fleet of the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Special Warfare Independent Regiment together have a combined strength of more than [-] troops. To arrange such an armed force to go on an expedition to a destination thousands of miles away, the preparations required are naturally It is very cumbersome and cannot be completed in a day or two.

Soldiers on vacation received notifications from their superiors one after another through various channels. Although the assembly order made many people not so happy, but the military order was so mountainous that no one dared to question it. They had to finish their personal affairs as soon as possible and rush to Report back to base.However, the Ministry of National Defense immediately issued rewards on a per-person basis, and this practical measure quickly appeased the dissatisfaction of the soldiers.

The mood of the people is relatively stable. After all, it is nothing new for the country to organize troops to go out every year, and based on the experience of the past few years, this kind of large-scale expedition often means that there will be somewhere in a few months. The new colony is included in the territory of Haihan, and the people will also have the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of war.Many people have already begun to inquire about where the destination of this expedition will be.

Of course, this kind of military secret is not something ordinary people can inquire about. Apart from the high-level military officials, only North Korean envoys have received general information about Haihan's battle plan.Even the vast majority of soldiers who have returned to the barracks to report are still unclear about the final destination of this operation.

After Li Xi got the notification from Hai Han, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.Although he had the courage to propose a reward of 2000 taels of gold to Haihan before, he was not completely sure that Haihan would send troops to rescue his country. It is to fight against the cavalry of the Qing army alone, and this is almost a doomsday situation for North Korea.

According to Haihan's statement, several main forces previously stationed in the Liaodong area will participate in this aid operation, which makes Li Xi feel that the price he shouted is worth the money.After all, the achievements of these troops in the past two years are clearly displayed there, and no one will doubt their strength. It is not even something that can be done with money alone for Haihan to mobilize these main forces. up.Li Xi was also thinking about whether to write another memorial to explain the important role he played in the process of calling for reinforcements.

However, Yan Chujie had already specially greeted him, telling him not to leak any news. The transfer of Haihan troops was a top military secret. If the news leaked, the executive committee and the Ministry of National Defense might cancel the relevant action plan.This made Li Xihuai unable to show off the news, and he was a little itchy, but he also understood that the warning from the senior official of Haihan was not a joke. For North Korea's safety, he had to follow the other party's arrangement.

Originally, Zheng Zuo also invited him to go to Annan to inspect the local products and businesses, but Li Xi was thinking about Haihan's dispatch of troops, so he had no choice but to decline Zheng Zuo's invitation during this time. , Waiting for news in Sanya.Before the situation in Liaodong became clear, Li Xi would not dare to leave Sanya easily. At least he had to get Haihan's confirmation that the Qing army would not invade North Korea before he could truly feel at ease.

However, the news that the Haihan military began to assemble troops will still attract the attention of all parties. Both Annan and Fujian have approached Yan Chujie one after another to ask him whether they need to send troops to cooperate.In the process of cooperating with Haihan over the years, these two families have also reaped a lot of war dividends and tempered the actual combat capabilities of their own troops. They wish they had more opportunities to follow Haihan to drink soup.If sending thousands of troops can be exchanged for the opportunity to participate in the operation of Haihan's new colony, then they will never let it go.

Do you want to send troops to your door?In the past, Yan Chujie probably agreed without hesitation, but sending troops to North Korea this time is not an easy and pleasant job. If it is really going to be a confrontation with the main force of the Qing army on the frontal battlefield, it may not be Jinzhou The isthmus is an environment that can be guarded against danger.Moreover, with the strength of the Haihan army, it is difficult to deal with the cavalry-based Qing army in a large area on land. If the battle damage is large, it will definitely affect Haihan's invincible image.

In the previous war in Liaodong, the two families also sent military observers to the local area to observe the battle, but they never sent large-scale troops to participate in the battle. On the one hand, the direct benefits of sending troops to Liaodong to participate in the war are not obvious. It was not a good deal for them. On the other hand, the local combat environment was indeed not suitable for their troops. If the Haihan Army did not have perfect logistical support, it would be difficult for the troops to stay in the cold environment of Liaodong for a long time.

If these two companies are to send troops to North Korea, due to time constraints, their logistical support may have serious problems, and North Korea may not be able to solve this demand well.Yan Chujie thought over and over again, and after seeking Tao Donglai's opinion, he gave them a rough idea of ​​the direction of the troop dispatch, but he still didn't specify the destination of North Korea. If he wanted to follow the expedition, he had to prepare the military supplies first. supplies.

Hearing that the direction of sending troops is Liaodong, Zheng Zuo and Xu Yuzhuo hesitated at the moment. Of course, they knew who Haihan's main opponent was there. Sending troops to participate in the battle there would be much more risky than cooperating with Haihan in the South China Sea. .Moreover, Haihan didn't explain what kind of benefits there would be after the war, obviously he was not fully sure about the direction of the battle.You must know that in the Manila war before this, Haihan also explained to them in advance what kind of benefits they could gain locally after the war.

"You two don't have to feel any embarrassment. We won't force our allies to send troops together. You two might as well go back and think it over before making a decision." Yan Chujie was not in a hurry to urge them to express their views, lest their troops be damaged in battle in the future Seriously, he will have resentment for Hai Han's arrangement.

The Portuguese who finally got the news showed a strong interest in this. Thomas offered to send a small fleet to fight northward with the Haihan Army, just like the previous cooperation model in Manila.

Of course, Yan Chujie knew what the Portuguese were planning. After Japan began to close the country, Portugal’s trade volume in Northeast Asia was shrinking sharply. If new trade routes could not be opened as soon as possible, it would be difficult to ensure that it would pay enough profits and taxes to the country every year. .And if an armed fleet is sent to fight with Haihan in Liaodong, it may be possible to exchange for Haihan's charter, allowing Portuguese merchant ships to enter the waters north of Zhejiang, and even establish a relationship with North Korea through Haihan's channel.

As for risks, the Portuguese have much less scruples than Annan and Fujian. Their philosophy is to constantly open up new routes and trade partners to maintain income.As for the price that may be paid in this process, it is completely acceptable to them. As long as it can represent Europe to monopolize the trade routes in this region, it is only a matter of time before they can make money back.If I take the lead in entering this area and successfully settle down, I will be able to firmly hold down competitors such as the Dutch and the Spaniards in the future.

"We can afford most of the combat materials and supplies by ourselves." Thomas promised eagerly: "We will prepare the materials needed for at least two months, and then try to purchase the necessities for survival from the local area."

The positive attitude shown by the Portuguese is obviously much higher than that of Annan and Fujian. Yan Chujie understands that this is because the Portuguese have something to ask for, and because the other two are closely related to Haihan, they can enter this area for activities at any time. Less proactive.

"What do you want?" Yan Chujie asked straight to the point.Of course, Portugal sent troops to the war not to do good deeds, Yan Chujie had to grasp the purpose before making corresponding arrangements.

"We need permission to enter the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea region for commercial and trade activities, and have the right to operate an exclusive wharf in your country's colonial port. In addition, our country also hopes to conduct trade with North Korea and establish an embassy and business organization in the country. "Thomas saw that Yan Chujie asked so straightforwardly that there was no need to go around in circles, so he also confessed his own conditions.

The conditions proposed by the Portuguese were not outrageous, and the purpose was very clear. Yan Chujie immediately called Tao Donglai to ask for his opinion.

After a brief discussion by the Executive Committee, Thomas' several requirements were approved, but the Executive Committee also put forward corresponding requirements. One is that the armed fleet sent by Portugal must obey the dispatch command of the Haihan Army. The status of trade with North Korea must be monitored by Haehan.

Thomas hesitated a bit about the second condition, but agreed to Haihan's request. After all, this is not an insurmountable difficulty. First, get the trading opportunity in your hands, and then consider the issue of how much autonomy you can earn if you earn more or less.

So two months after the end of the battle in Manila, the Portuguese once again reached an agreement with Haihan to cooperate in dispatching troops. Portugal will send an armed fleet larger than the previous Western Expedition to fight in the north with the Haihan Navy. Portuguese officer Simão, who had previously participated in the Battle of Manila, will continue to participate in this operation as fleet commander.

As part of the cooperation conditions, there will be about a dozen Portuguese merchant ships joining the fleet from Macau Port. On the one hand, they will serve as supply ships for Portuguese combat ships, and on the other hand, they will also carry some goods to Fujian, Zhejiang and even further north. trade in the region.After the war is over, Portuguese merchant ships only need to register with Haihan's shipping department, and they can freely enter and leave the northern waters to engage in trade activities.Of course, the types of goods that the Portuguese can sell will still be restricted by Haihan. trouble.

For this reason, Schneider also came forward specifically to the Executive Committee and initially signed an agreement of intent with the Portuguese to ensure that Portugal's interest demands could be implemented after the war.Haihanken made some concessions at this time, mainly because of the actual combat capabilities of the Portuguese maritime armed forces. This has been fully proved in the Manila battle. Tom Wang believes that they can even blockade the lower reaches of the Yalu River alone. The river section blocked the Qing army's transportation and supply lines, so that the Haihan Navy could maneuver to a larger area to fight.

Only one day later, Zheng Zuo and Xu Yuzhuo, who heard the news, came together again, saying that they were willing to send troops to participate in this operation.However, it takes a long time for Annan to assemble the troops, so it may be ten days to half a month later than the Haihan fleet. At that time, he can only go to the north by himself, and then rendezvous with the Haihan army depending on the situation.But Fujian has no such troubles because of its geographical advantages. Xu Yuzhuo claimed that as long as a telegram is sent from Sanya to Penghu, the contact will be made there. When the Haihan fleet arrives in Fujian, the local navy can accompany the Haihan fleet. go north.

As for the scale of dispatching troops, both said that they had to consult their superiors to make a decision, but at least it would not be less than the troops dispatched by the Portuguese.It was later that Yan Chujie found out that after Thomas signed the agreement at Fort Victory, he had a celebration banquet at the embassy in the evening and drank too much, and let Annan and the Fujian family hear a little bit.Although there is no clear information, the two think that since the Portuguese have obtained the promise given by Haihan, it means that this matter is still profitable, and they must not be absent and let the Portuguese monopolize the benefits. Will hastily express his intention to participate in this matter.

These three armies are willing to take the initiative to send troops to participate in the war, which undoubtedly relieved a lot of pressure on Haihan. The Ministry of National Defense also believes that if the troops are deployed properly, the four armies can cooperate, and North Korea's own armed forces may be able to compete with the Qing army. The confrontation on the frontal battlefield will completely change the direction of this period of history.

However, the generals remained cautious enough for the situation that the five countries joined forces to fight against the Qing army, which had never happened in history, and did not blindly believe that this dispatch of troops would definitely save North Korea from the crisis.If the North Koreans' own will to resist is not strong enough, even if they go there, it will probably be a waste of time.So Sanya sent another message to Liaodong, first to inform the coalition forces of the planned itinerary, and second, to ask the local area to try to communicate with North Korea on the joint fight against the Qing Dynasty, so as to ensure that the North Koreans would not change their minds halfway and choose to surrender.

On April 1637, [-], half a month after the celebration of the tenth anniversary of crossing and the third anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, several units of the Haihan Army set off from Sanya again to start a new round of overseas combat missions.

(End of this chapter)