1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2079
Jeju Island is an island formed in the sea by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The entire island is oval in shape and covers an area of ​​more than 800 square kilometers. It is also the largest island in North Korea.In the middle of the island is Halla Mountain, which is nearly 2000 meters above sea level and is the most prominent landmark on the island.

Most of the residents on the island make a living from agriculture and fishing, and they are basically a small self-sufficient society.In fact, Haihan also had the idea of ​​this place in the early years, thinking that the relatively closed environment of the island could be used to vigorously develop animal husbandry.However, because the geographical location of Jeju Island did not meet the requirements of Haihan’s external expansion at this stage, and the manpower, material and financial resources required to develop the island would be very large, it was eventually rejected by the Executive Committee. It is to put the development direction on the Daming Coast.

The fleet circled from the west side of Jeju Island to the south along the coast, and after traveling for dozens of miles, it was the destination of the trip, Seogwipo.It is said that this place was a stop that Xu Fu once visited when he crossed to the east, and left several rock carvings on the island.The so-called Seogwipo is the ferry where Xu Fu left here.

The temporary supply port prepared by the North Korean side for Haihan is located in Seogwipo, which is the mouth of a river. There are more than ten villages and two slightly larger towns in the nearby area, with a permanent population of about two to three thousand .It can't be said to be prosperous, but it is already a relatively large populated area in the south of Jeju Island, which can basically meet the needs of Haihan's small fleet for material supplies and logistical manpower support.

After Seoul made the decision, it sent people to Jeju Island to convey the will of King Li Ji as soon as possible, asking the local area to cooperate with the visiting Haihan fleet and prepare food, medicine and other materials in advance.So when the fleet arrived at Seogwipo Port, all officials, large and small, from the Jeju Muzimu envoy were already waiting here to show that they attached great importance to the Haihan fleet's visit.

Officials at all levels of Jeju Island have arrived, and the people nearby will naturally be moved by the news, and follow to see the excitement, so this small port has gathered thousands of people to watch, which is more than the strength of the Haihan Army dispatched this time. more.Although the Haihan military originally planned to act in a low-key manner, it is unlikely to be able to do so given the current situation.

"General Shen, it seems that we need to ask the local parents to issue a notice as soon as possible, explaining that we are only staying here for a few days and will not be permanent, otherwise the local people's attention will be focused on us." Yuan Zhi saw The situation on the shore is unavoidable. This reconnaissance operation chose to arrange the supply port on Jeju Island for the sake of concealment, but the North Koreans went a little too far in order to flatter.

Shen Xueyi was the general who led the troops, so of course he knew the importance of keeping secrets, and immediately scolded these local officials who didn't know how to measure in his heart.The imperial court originally wanted the local authorities to prepare supplies and manpower in advance for deployment by the Haihan people, but these local officials obviously misunderstood this intention and took this as an opportunity for their own existence.However, it is not easy for him to get angry in front of outsiders, so he can only express to Yuan Zhi that he will disembark first to deal with the situation.

After Shen Xueyi disembarked, he called a group of local officials to the side with a dark face and reprimanded them, telling them to evacuate the crowd as soon as possible, so as not to affect the future actions of the Haihan Army.

Shen Xueyi's official rank is actually one level higher than that of the pastors present, but the so-called Beijing official ranks three, coupled with his family background, he naturally has the confidence to dictate in the local area.

These local officials probably didn't expect that the flattery would hit the horse's leg, and they didn't dare to offend Shen Xueyi, so they hurriedly ordered their men to go and try to disperse the onlookers near the pier, so there was another mess.The thousands of people who came to watch with curiosity would not be easily driven away. After walking a few steps to the outside, they stopped again and sent people to drive to the east, and the west surrounded them again. It took more than an hour to finally achieve it. Shen Xueyi's request.

"General Shen, the local officials here don't seem to be very capable. Can you really entrust them with the task of replenishing the fleet?" When Shen Xueyi returned to the ship, Yuan Zhi questioned him, apparently for Seogwipo's reception work is not satisfactory.

How can Shen Xueyi feel satisfied? The ship has been at the port for so long before it can handle the affairs on the pier. With such efficiency, even he can't help but worry a little whether the local officials here can handle the demands of the Haihan people well. up.

Fortunately, the Jeju pastoral envoy took them to check the military rations and supplies prepared in the port warehouse first, to prove that the local government had also worked hard to do what it should do before that.However, this warehouse was just vacated a few days ago. It was used to store pickled fish and various seafood. As soon as you walk in, you can smell the strong smell of sea.

"Several generals, after receiving the order from the imperial court, I immediately mobilized official warehouses all over the island to transport grain to Seogwipo. The rice in this warehouse is first-class new rice harvested last autumn. Five thousand catties have already been put in place, and more can be added in the future depending on the demand. In addition, vegetables, fruits, meat, and seafood can be purchased locally in Seogwipo. The official has ordered that Seogwipo will prohibit the private slaughter of poultry and livestock in the near future , for the needs of the army."

The pastor, An Zhengcheng, probably also knew that the previous affairs were not done well, which made these distinguished guests unhappy, so at this time, he was desperately earning his performance, hoping to save some impression points in front of them.In short, as long as it is the food that can be obtained on Jeju Island, he has made arrangements in advance, so that the military can not find faults.

"How are the medicinal materials prepared?" Shen Xueyi asked.

An Zhengcheng responded: "A batch of trauma medicine and clean gauze have been prepared as required, and they are currently stored in another place on the pier. The general can check them later."

"Is the civil husband arranged properly?"

"The local area has temporarily recruited [-] civilian husbands, and they are ready to wait for arrangements at any time."

"Your Majesty An has arranged everything very well, thank you for your hard work." After confirming that all the preparations were in place, Shen Xueyi flatly praised the other party: "After this task is completed, I will report to Your Majesty the contribution of Jeju Mu. "

"Then there will be General Raushen!" An Zhengcheng was waiting for these words, and finally a little smile appeared on his face: "I have already prepared the reception banquet, and I hope the three generals will reward me!"

Although Shen Xueyi was the host, he didn't dare to make decisions for the Haihan people, so he turned to look at Yuan Zhi and Amakusa Shiro.The two men made eye contact, and Yuan Zhi responded, "I have already caused a lot of trouble for Jeju Mu, and I shouldn't bother Mr. Mu Shi anymore. How embarrassing it is."

"General Yuan is too far-fetched!" An Zhengcheng replied hastily: "Your country and our country are brothers and friendly countries. When a distinguished guest comes to visit, why bother about having a meal?"

Of course, Jeju Mu, which is located at the southernmost tip of the Korean territory, was not directly affected by the war last year, but An Zhengcheng has a rough idea of ​​how influential Haihan is in the Korean court today.This time, he finally had the opportunity to get to know high-ranking Haihan officials. Naturally, he has to put more effort into the reception work. Maybe when the Haihan people can speak well for him in front of the king, he will make a lot of money. .

Even if this chance is very slim, An Zhengcheng must not let the high-ranking officials of Haihan leave a bad impression on him, otherwise he will turn around and say in front of the king, "Jeju pastor can't handle things", then his official title may not be stable. up.

Yuan Zhi didn't think too much about it. He just thought that he might need more support from Jeju Island during the mission. Building a good relationship with the local officials should also be conducive to the subsequent action arrangements. It's easy to connect with each other at the dinner table But that's all.

Although Seogwipo is a small place, it is rich in seafood, and various seafood from nearby sea areas were used as the main ingredients for the reception banquet.

However, Yuan Zhi's mind was not completely focused on eating. During the meeting, he took the initiative to learn about the customs and geographical environment of Jeju Island from An Zhengcheng, and asked around if there were any Japanese coming to Jeju Island for activities.

"Japanese?" An Zhengcheng shook his head and said, "There are very few Japanese who come here for activities. The locals are farmers who grow food and fishermen who make a living. Merchants don't have much business to do here."

Yuan Zhi said: "I heard that the five islands closest to Jeju Island used to be occupied by Japanese pirates, so they must have come to harass the local area before?"

An Zhengcheng replied: "In the early years, there were Japanese pirates' activities, but in the past two or three years, they have gradually decreased. After all, Jeju Island is just a poor place in the countryside, and the farmers who come to rob here can't make a fortune."

"It's also possible that the Japanese pirates over there have found a more lucrative job and have changed careers." Amakusa Shiro also responded.

An Zhengcheng knew that Amakusa Shiro was joking, and echoed a few words, but Yuan Zhi knew that Amakusa Shiro was not joking.If Shibazhi's remnant party started again in the Hirado Domain, they would inevitably recruit soldiers nearby, and recruiting pirates should be the most familiar operation for these people.The Goto Islands, which are very close to the Hirado Clan, used to be one of the lairs of Japanese pirates. If the Eighteenth Zhiyu Party wanted to recruit a group of people there, I believe it should not be difficult for them.

Of course, they didn't plan to discuss these inferences with An Zhengcheng. First, An Zhengcheng might not know the situation in Japan. Second, the target of their reconnaissance still needs to be kept secret from the outside world, even though An Zhengcheng's official position can already be regarded as high-ranking. Local officials, they are not going to tell each other the purpose of this trip.

If the two of them didn't mention this festival, Shen Xueyi would not take the initiative to mention it, and this An Zhengcheng can be regarded as a person who can read the eyes. Since the three military officers did not mention the reason for coming to Jeju Island, he would Anticipating that this matter might involve some secrets, he wisely did not pursue the matter, and only chatted about some local-related topics to pass the time.

From that night onwards, the pier where the Haihan Fleet was moored was designated as a military restricted area, and the public was prohibited from approaching, and all civilian ships had to find another place to dock.Of course, this caused some inconvenience to the local people, but considering that this was the fleet of the Haihan people, no one dared to express their dissatisfaction publicly.

When the fleet departed from the Datongjiang base, it also carried some military supplies. The supplies to be replenished in the nearest Jeju Island were mainly rations, medicinal materials and fresh water.The next day, the civilian men recruited by the local government were in place and began to carry the materials stored in the warehouse onto the ship.However, the number of 200 civilian husbands prepared locally is too much, and in the end only [-] people are enough.

The Haihan sailors also take the time to rest and recuperate. They will have to sail at sea for the next few days. This task is not easy, and they need to keep their bodies in a relatively good condition.

After two days of docking in Seogwipo, the fleet quietly left the pier in the early hours of the morning and headed east towards Japan.

During this period, in order to maintain the coordination of the entire fleet, the two scouting sailboats were not in a hurry to separate from the main force and act independently. It was not until the fleet sailed into the waters near the Goto Islands a day and a half later that the two scouting ships finally began to take advantage of their speed. , soon left the fleet.

The Goto Islands include five larger islands, Fukue Island, Kuga Island, Naru Island, Wakamatsu Island and Zhongtong Island, and more than 100 small islands surrounding them.Most of these islands are mountainous, and only the southernmost Fukue Island, which has a larger area, has some flat areas for farming.

Due to the complex geographical environment and the isolation of the Goto Islands in the westernmost part of Japan, they are relatively close to North Korea and Daming, so this place was occupied by Japanese pirates for a long time before, and they used this as their nest to attack Daming and North Korea. looting.A considerable part of the population and property robbed by these Japanese pirates flowed into Japan through the two nearby ports of Hirado and Nagasaki. Limit and combat it.

And after these Japanese pirates have a certain amount of wealth, they will also try to strengthen their own armed forces, and buy guns and even artillery from Western businessmen, so that even if they encounter regular troops when plundering other countries, they can still have the power to fight.

Daming and North Korea have been in the midst of internal and external troubles in recent years, and they are powerless to deal with the Japanese pirates in the Wudao Islands, unable to organize fleets to cross the sea to conquer these pirate gangs.Ten thousand steps back, even if an armed fleet is really organized to kill them, these Japanese pirates only need to temporarily abandon their nests and retreat to the territory of Kyushu, Japan, and the expeditionary force will have nothing to do with them.Therefore, the Japanese pirates in the Wudao Islands have been a big trouble for Ming and North Korea for a long time in the past.

Just as An Zhengcheng felt, the Japanese pirates in the Wudao Islands seemed to have gradually quieted down in the past two years, and they rarely came to North Korea to plunder.He may think that this is caused by some changes within the Japanese pirates. As long as there is a peaceful life, there is no need to delve into the real reason.However, the Haihan military believed that this change might have some connection with the target they were going to scout on this trip, so they made the Wudao Islands the first scouting target of this operation.

(End of this chapter)