1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 843 Big fanfare
At that time, Xu Xinsu presided over the selection of the children of the clan to go to Zhejiang. In fact, Xu Yuzhuo was also included in the list of candidates. The two even received special training in the field of latent intelligence for a period of time, but Xu Yuzhuo suddenly fell ill before leaving. In the end, he was not included in the list to go to Zhejiang.However, this was also a blessing in disguise. After staying in Fujian, he gradually showed his military talents, and finally rose up step by step in the navy by relying on the accumulation of military exploits.If Xu Yuzhuo was also sent to Zhejiang at the beginning, he might be the same as Xu Ke now, just hiding his name and becoming a rich man in the countryside.

For Xu Ke, Xu Yuzhuo's status quo is indeed enviable. Who wouldn't want to have such a life of getting promoted and getting rich?However, he also knows that his current status is too far from Xu Yuzhuo's. Even if he returns to Fujian and enters the officialdom under the protection of his family, it will be difficult to catch up with the progress of this distant cousin.Having said that, how much merit Xu Ke can get after finishing this matter depends to a certain extent on how Xu Yuzhuo reports to the higher authorities, so right now, the relationship that should be drawn must be drawn, and the flattery that should be paid still needs to be paid. .

After the two exchanged a few words of pleasantries, Xu Yuzhuo introduced in the middle and explained the identities of Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen to Xu Ke.Xu Ke had already seen the Haihan Fleet at sea before landing. At this time, Xu Yuzhuo respectfully called the two "generals".

After everyone saw the ceremony, they returned to the temporary marching tent on the shore and began to discuss business matters.The combat plan formulated by the coalition forces before the war was only a framework, and the specific goals and means of implementation could only be determined after more detailed intelligence was provided by the internal staff in Zhejiang.The Xu family has two lines of officials and civilians in Ningbo Prefecture, and another lurker is serving in the Ningbo Navy. It is not so convenient to contact and go out, so Xu Ke has become the only credible source of information.

Qian Tiandun was the first to speak: "We have also read the secret letter that Boss Xu sent back last time, and it is very valuable for reference. However, the amount of information that can be carried in writing is limited, so some questions still have to be consulted in person. You can do it."

"I don't dare to ask for advice. I have the responsibility to do my best. Whatever I know, I will tell the truth. Please rest assured, General Qian." Xu Ke replied quickly.

Qian Tiandun nodded and said: "Boss Xu is one of his own people, so I'll just say it straight. The purpose of our visit to Zhejiang this time is to gain a foothold in the Zhoushan Islands. In view of the actual situation in the area, we want to It is probably not feasible to achieve the goal by means, and it is estimated that the necessary level of force will still be used, at least to clean up all potential threats in the area around the foothold."

As Xu Ke nodded silently, he thought that the Zhoushan Islands spanned less than 1000 miles from south to north, and the east and west ends were even narrower. The sea area in the middle was densely packed with more than [-] islands of various sizes, no matter where Haihan finally settled. Where, this "surrounding area" can forcibly include islands within a radius of two to three hundred miles.As for the cleaning methods of the Haihan people, when he transferred the ship to Beiyushan Island, he had already heard the sailors on the ship talking about the several battles against bandits in the waters of Wenzhou and Taizhou a few days ago. Copy it to Ningbo.The pirates in the Zhoushan Islands still didn't know that disaster had fallen from the sky.

Sure enough, Qian Tiandun went on to say: "When we came here, we have already seen the methods of Zhejiang pirates. They are a very dangerous group. In order to ensure the safety of the sea route between Zhejiang and Fujian in the future, we think it is necessary to divide this section All unofficial armed forces in the country have been wiped out. For those who refuse to cooperate, we must resolutely crack down."

Xu Ke felt in his heart that General Haihan's tone was scary. He said that the sea and the sea would be cleaned up, and that the Ming Dynasty hadn't done a good job in two or three hundred years. How could it be so easy.But when he looked at Xu Yuzhuo again, he found that his cousin had a natural expression, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with what Qian Tiandun said.

Xu Ke thought about it for a second, the Haihan people helped the government army expel Shibazhi in Fujian, and the record was outstanding, so Xu Yuzhuo naturally obeyed his advice.It's just that although the Shibazhi is unparalleled in the Fuguang area, it may not be able to cover it in Zhejiang.In the same way, Xu Ke still has reservations about whether the Haihan people can still display their combat level in Fujian when they arrive in Ningbo.

Then I heard Qian Tiandun continue to say: "Although the pirates on the Zhoushan side are weak and not enough to pose a great threat to us, there are many islands in the East China Sea and the terrain is complicated. It takes a lot of energy to fight the islands one by one. And time is also a big trouble. It would be better if we could gain control of the Zhoushan Islands in an easier way. Boss Xu is familiar with the situation here, so can you give us some advice on how to get Ningbo off the coast of Ningbo as soon as possible? These islands are brought under our control."

The question Qian Tiandun raised was somewhat beyond Xu Ke's expectations. He originally thought that when he was called over, he would only be asked some specific questions, such as which local pirate is the strongest, and who has an interest dispute with the Ningbo government. Wait, I didn't expect General Haihan to ask himself such a big question.

Qian Tiandun saw that he was frowning and didn't respond, so he comforted him: "Boss Xu, don't worry too much, we just want to hear what people like you who are familiar with the local conditions will think, and we don't want to force you to follow up for us. action to decide."

Only then did Xu Ke respond: "My knowledge is short, if you say something wrong, don't blame me."

"You just say it's okay, these two generals are veterans who have been on the battlefield for a long time, so they will have some consideration." Xu Yuzhuo also encouraged beside him.

Xu Ke thought to himself that both of them looked to be in their early thirties, the term "veteran" was a bit exaggerated.But this kind of complaint is just thinking about it in his heart, and he won't show it.Then I heard Xu Ke say: "Then let me tell you about the situation between Yushan Island and Xiangshan Port..."

From the Yushan Islands to the north to the north shore of Xiangshan Port, this section of the mainland coast is the defense area of ​​Chang Guowei. From south to north, it is under the jurisdiction of Shipu Office, Juexi Office, and Qiancang Office.Although these guards have given up patrolling coastal defenses, the local garrisons are not completely blind. As long as Haihan's fleet sails into the nearby sea area, it will inevitably be spotted by local fishing boats and merchant ships.Xu Ke believes that when the fleet wants to obtain supplies from nearby areas, it may encounter certain troubles.

When Qian Tiandun heard this, he interjected and asked: "I remember that in the secret letter that Boss Xu sent back to Fujian earlier, he specifically mentioned that there are almost no pirate activities in the waters near the east and south of Changguowei. What is the reason?"

Xu Ke explained: "To the east of Changguowei, there are only Guanchuan'ao Island and Nanjiushan Island. They are too small and have no natural harbors. They are not ideal places for pirates to stay permanently. Although there are many islands in the south and the area is large enough, But it is too close to the mainland. The largest Nantian Island in the south is only five miles away from Shipu, even if they know that the garrison will not do anything to them, no pirate would dare to set up their lair so close to the guard."

While listening to Xu Ke, Qian Tiandun and others began to check the terrain against the map.This Shipu site is located at the southernmost tip of Changguowei, and Shipu Port is surrounded by a string of offshore islands.Larger islands such as Hua'ao Island, Gaotang Island, Nantian Island, Dongmen Island, and Daxiayu Island are almost all concentrated in the area around Shipu Port.And the natural good harbors south of Xiangshan Port are almost all concentrated in this area.Unless the pirates have burned their brains, they will do such things as running to the gate of the military garrison to open a mountain and set up a cabinet.

Shi Diwen looked at the map for a while, and suddenly said a word: "The location of Shipu Port is good."

Qian Tiandun seemed to understand what he meant, and nodded in agreement: "It's really good."

Xu Yuzhuo said: "Although the place is good, wouldn't it be too ostentatious to start here?"

Xu Ke was taken aback, and then realized that the two generals Haihan were actually planning to let this fleet enter Shipu Port.Ordinary merchant fleets are nothing more than that, [-]% of the sailing ships in this armed fleet are loaded with different quantities of artillery. If they enter Shipu Port, the local garrison will probably misunderstand the intentions of the Haihan people, and there is a very high possibility that something will happen. armed conflict.

Xu Ke hurriedly persuaded: "The Shipu Port is an important garrison area for the Ming army. If you break in rashly, it will definitely cause misunderstandings. Please think twice!"

But Xu Ke didn't know that Qian Tiandun and Shi Diwen had already thought about Shipu Port.Between Fujian and the Zhoushan Islands, the target battlefield, the fleet did not have a relatively reliable stop for replenishment. Even counting from Funing Prefecture adjacent to Fujian and Zhejiang, the replenishment route to Zhoushan was nearly [-] nautical miles long. Combat supplies even had to be shipped from the Penghu base further south.For wartime supply lines, one is that the route is too long and the risk is greater, and the other is that there is no reasonable wartime supply transit port ahead.If all the transfer of supplies and personnel needs to be carried out at sea, then there will be too much trouble in the middle.Therefore, before they set off, they were planning to choose a place close to the Zhoushan Islands, but with a relatively stable environment, as the forward camp for this operation.

Considering the Haihan Navy's objective requirements for the supply location, the potential risks in the surrounding environment, and the calculation of the combat voyage, this location is not so easy to determine.According to the information obtained by the coalition forces before their departure, the main area of ​​activity of Zhoushan pirates is in the north of Ningbo Xiangshan Port, and Xu Ke's previous report mentioned that there are a large number of pirates stationed on Hengdao at the mouth of Xiangshan Port. The coalition forces can choose The best area should be south of Xiangshan Port.

Shipu Port is about 30 nautical miles away from Hengdao. It is indeed a good choice for Haihan in terms of geographical location.The only problem is that there is Daming's Guard Army stationed here, and the arrival of the Haihan Fleet cannot make the opponent turn a blind eye.It is also unlikely that the large number of armed warships will all enter the port disguised as merchant ships. Even if the Ming army is useless, they are not blind and will not turn a blind eye to the conspicuous gun ports on the side of the Haihan warship.

Before that, Qian Tiandun did not tell Xu Yuzhuo about this plan, because he knew that Xu Yuzhuo was concerned about his own identity and would definitely hold a conservative view on it.But as the fleet approached the end point of the Zhoushan Islands bit by bit, the issue of choosing a station still had to be resolved. Today, since the locals who knew the situation best were present, Qian Tiandun took the initiative to raise this matter, and successfully If it doesn't work, at least discuss it first.

Qian Tiandun asked: "Boss Xu, is this feasible? Let's talk about it bit by bit. Do you have any more accurate information about the number of troops stationed in Shipu and the strength of the land and water armies?"

Xu Ke replied: "This Shipu office is a standard establishment of thousands of households. There are 120 soldiers on the register. It is a combination of water and land. In Shipu port, there is a stone fortress with a wall height of one foot and four feet and several artillery pieces. I have not seen it with my own eyes. But it is said that they are all Fran cannons bought from the Frang machine in the early years. As for the firecrackers used by the soldiers, although there are more equipment in the army, they are not as sharp as your army."

Over the past few years, there have been as many as [-] to [-] matchlock guns exported by Haihan to Daming, and a small part of them have flowed into Zhejiang.Although it is said that the Heavenly Kingdom is not very fond of overseas barbarians, this good thing is a good thing. The performance of the Haihan musket is far better than that of the bird blunderbuss supervised by the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty. This is a fact that no one can deny.What's more, many people know that the officers and soldiers in Fujian have already been equipped with more advanced Haihan flintlock guns. When firing, there is no need to use an open flame to ignite the match, and the speed of reloading ammunition is much faster.Shibazhi has been defeated repeatedly in recent years. A large part of the reason is that the weapons are not as good as the Ming army. Every time they face-to-face confrontation, they suffer a lot because of their disadvantages.

In Ningbo, Xu Ke also saw Haihan flintlock guns bought by others at a high price. It is indeed better than the firecrackers currently equipped by the Ming army in terms of power, range, and reloading convenience.Moreover, it is said that the Haihan people only export second- and third-class weapons, and keep the best and most advanced weapons for their own use.The Haihan militia came to Zhejiang in person. Needless to say, the weapons they used were far superior to those of the Ming army.

As for the combat ships that Shipu is equipped with, Xu Ke didn't even mention it. After seeing the size of the Haihan fleet with his own eyes, he doesn't think there is anything in Shipu's navy warships that can only scare the fishermen. Chance to fight back.

Qian Tiandun continued: "There are more than 100 people on the register, presumably the actual situation is a little less than this number?"

Xu Ke nodded and said: "At least one-third of the difference. I know a hundred households in the Shipu Institute. According to him, when the salary is paid every month, there are only six to seven hundred people actually present."

Qian Tiandun said with a smile: "Since this is the situation, then even if we drive into Shipu Port with great fanfare, what can they do?"

(End of this chapter)