Lu Ming

Chapter 385 Another battlefield

There is a saying that fighting a war is logistics.

This sentence can be subdivided: war is fought with organization, dispatch, supplies and food.Specifically, at the moment, when the crossing crowd successfully transported a group of miscellaneous soldiers to the destination, the raid operation was tantamount to over.

The seemingly simple marching action actually included early capital investment, high-tech night sailing, internal organization and coordination, and other things that the Ming army could not do.Since recruiting security, the people across the world have had many contact and cooperation experiences with the military system of the Ming Dynasty, which is fully reflected at this moment.

When the first ray of sunlight in the morning hit the hilltop in the center of Luozhou, the sleepy-eyed pirate lookout finally saw a line of battleships rushing from the north, and a large number of ships slowly approaching from a distance.

At the same time as the flag flower rocket was released from the top of the mountain, the fast fleet had already rushed into the bay where ships were moored on the west side of the island.

Without being polite, at the maximum distance of 2 kilometers, the 12-pounder cannon could not wait to smash the shells into the dense pile of pirate ships.Immediately after rushing to a range of 1.5 kilometers, the fleet slowed down, and the largest number of 6-pound guns also began to fire rapidly.

A large number of pirates who spent the night on the shore are rushing frantically to their own ships, trying to raise the sails and set sail.At this time, many sensitive boats had rushed out of the pile.The crooked course exposed the fear in the hearts of the pirates: they were trying to avoid the path of the row of strange ships so that they could escape.

However, when the boat bypassed the fleet and rushed to the mouth of the bay, it soon encountered a greater crisis: a black mass of Chinese sailboats was coming.

A certain force is now very familiar with the number of ways to close the door and beat the dog: under the command of the new lock ship and the liaison officer, the large fleet quickly opened a blockade at the mouth of the bay, just waiting for the pirates to break out and come to the door.

After plowing slowly from left to right, the battle line in the bay turned around regardless of the wind direction and started the second round of crazy shooting.

Not without braves.In the chaos, a few ships of Zhucai's direct descendants organized a counterattack, trying to drive the raiders out of the bay and buy time for their own side to regroup.

However, the so-called charge of five or six Fuchuan ships is as ridiculous as an old man chasing a car in front of the fast fleet.The Cantonese pirates who had never seen the power of a sailing boat before, were educated solidly this time, and the tuition they paid was their own lives.

Like a fish pond broken into by a shark, the bay is boiling at this moment, faint smoke is floating on the ocean surface, and there are enthusiastic escape scenes everywhere. No one wants to get close to the evil dragon that is constantly spraying flames and white smoke .

On the outskirts of the bay, the blockade lines that have been laid out have also begun work at this moment.A large number of panicked pirate ships plunged into the prepared arc, and were hit head-on by the high-moralized officers and soldiers. Soon, desperate ships lowered their sails and hoisted white flags.

There is a reason for the high morale of officers and soldiers.On the one hand, the opponent flees in a panic, and on the other hand, it is naturally the silver reward method common in the multiverse: the general who catches the captives will be rewarded, and it will be counted by the head.

There is nothing new under the sun.The tactic of rewarding money was once a great success in Zhangzhou Bay, setting off a wave of military and civilian arrests of pirates. Today, the old trick is used again, and it still works.

Although the ten new lock ships are transport ships, since this trip is clearly going to war, they are also equipped with rifled guns and naval soldiers.Coupled with the two six-pound guns at the head and tail, the firepower is already quite fierce.

Under the gunfire of the new lock boats serving as the backbone of the guerrillas, the pirate ships that ran out were immediately defeated, and then the official ships gradually found the knack, and began to intercept and capture the pirate ships while slowly shrinking the line of defense.

The fighting peak didn't last long.The further back, the more pirates who ran out in large numbers surrendered, because they saw the end of their accomplices.

After that comes the long finishing touches.There are about 3000 under Zhu Cailao's men, and the size of about [-] ships, which is basically the same as the size of the attacking army.

If the ratio of 1:1 had not been maintained, the officers and soldiers would not have been able to gamble their opponents in the harbor. This is the reason why the crossing people organized a large army to come at any cost: the one-pot is the way that causes the least harm to the coastal residents. The traversers who have regarded Guangdong as their own territory will not allow large-scale routs to loot everywhere.

With the early morning sea fog and gunpowder smoke, the visibility in the harbor gradually reached its limit, and all objects began to become hazy; and the sound of the fast fleet's guns stopped in time.

In the harbor at this moment, the ships are clearly divided into two layers: the layer lying on the shore after being hit by shells, and the layer captured on the outer ring.

In the middle is the fleet cruising.

Dealing with this kind of scene is very familiar to everyone who travels through: the brave officers and soldiers have already driven all the desperate pirates into the hold, and the sufficient manpower reserve allows the officers and soldiers to allocate half of them to start the seized ships.

Not long after the officers and soldiers landed on the island, Mr. Zhu Cai himself was also found: the leader of the gang was hit on the head by a broken mast in the chaos, and died on the spot in a silent place.

After identifying Mr. Zhucai himself, today's battle is considered to have done its best - the court is very real, and the head of the bandit leader must be used for inspection to count the credit.

After that, it is the favorite activity of cleaning the battlefield for officers and soldiers.In addition to the belongings in the old camp being taken away by the traversers, there are still many fragments of property on the shore and on the stranded ship that can be picked up.So the officers and soldiers worked very hard, and by the way rescued some ordinary people who were kidnapped by pirates.

At this time, another group of people arrived: Hailing Island is only separated from Yangjiang County by a strait 3 kilometers wide, so the county magistrate and government servants who received the support military order led a large number of ragged civilians The gangster came running.

After the gang of wolves landed, they first set up the big pot of the pirates and cooked the rice and bacon left by the pirates.During this process, all the corpses of the pirates scattered on the shore and on the ship were searched by the militiamen, and after leaving behind the high-quality clothes, the rest of the naked corpses were thrown into the sea.

In fact, Yangjiang County still has a lot of money to make in this trip: there are nearly fifty or sixty pirate ships that leaked and ran aground there. Ya Xia really wanted to make a fortune this time.

After spreading the subconscious seed of "good things will happen with the short hair" in the coastal area again, the official army brigade started the journey back to the voyage early the next morning.

When the bloated fleet came to the Pearl River Estuary again, it was already late at night.However, the excited fleet did not stop. Under the guidance of the shining beam of light, for the first time in tens of thousands of years, there was a huge noise and countless boat shadows on the Pearl River at night. People on both sides of the strait got up one after another, thinking that there was another big wave pirate.

However, early the next morning, news spread from the upper reaches: the officers and soldiers had won a big victory last night, and they were now boasting at Baietan.
The enthusiasm for the expedition a few days ago has not yet passed, and the residents of Guangzhou City once again ushered in a large-scale live broadcast.This time it was at the Spring Festival Gala level.Not only has the number of people eating melons doubled, but all the officials in the city, big and small, are also present: this is a big victory that the army has not seen in many years, and an official who does not come here to catch the heat at this time is not a qualified official. Son.

The time-travelers who are committed to increasing their influence will naturally not miss this opportunity.A series of head offerings, prisoner offerings, and bonuses were held lively and prosperous.From the second day onwards, a boat auction with a starting price of one or two taels of silver was held on the pier, not to make money, but to attract attention.

As for the more than 2000 pirates who were captured, they were naturally swallowed by the transversal crowd and shipped to Taiwan—all the expenses in the early stage were counted on these strong men to pay off their debts, whether they went to dig coal or work in factories, in short, they could do it. With the technical job of pirates, these people must be very capable.

After the end of the Prisoner Offering Spring Festival Gala, another battlefield began: the confrontation between General Cao and Governor Wang.

Theoretically speaking, Cao Chuan, a high-ranking military figure, should go to Zhaoqing to pay a visit to the top military figure, the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, the first time he arrives in Guangzhou, even if he is a visitor from other provinces.

However, when the subordinates went to Zhaoqing to call for an appointment time, the Governor's Mansion replied with a cold sentence: "The matter of suppressing bandits is urgent now, and General Cao is not in a hurry to make an appointment, so he can concentrate on his errands."

After hearing this news, the people who traveled across the world immediately understood: Wang Zunde, an old man, was still very upset when he lost face.

So this matter was suspended, and it has been dragged on until today - with the Dongfeng who defeated Li Kuiqi Group, this matter was put on the agenda again.

It's not that General Cao insisted on meeting Wang Zunde, but that this meeting will promote the implementation of the previous implicit agreement: Wang Zunde wants to recommend someone Cao as Zhangchao's deputy commander.

This implicit agreement was acquiesced by the governments of Fujian and Guangdong before General Cao sent troops. Otherwise, who would come to help you suppress the bandits?
In fact, the brochure has already been prepared—the joint recommendation brochure written by Xiong Wencan himself is now in the hands of Cao Chuan, and all that is needed is for Wang Zunde to sign on it.

So now everything is ready, and the only thing left is the east wind: the Cao family has made great achievements in suppressing the bandits, and the public opinion of other officials around has also been settled, only Wang Zunde's nod is missing.

This is the reason why General Cao had to pay a visit to Wang Zunde; in other words, Wang Zunde had to agree to meet Cao Chuan once while pinching his nose, complete the official papers, and then sign the booklet.

Ever since, a subordinate sent from General Cao's mansion, where General Cao was temporarily staying, came to Zhaoqing again after the prisoner offering ceremony, met with the subordinates of the governor's yamen of Guangdong and Guangxi, and asked for an appointment for Vice General Cao to see Governor Wang.

Soon after, the subordinate officials brought Governor Wang's meaning: agree to meet.

(End of this chapter)