Kai Fu Han

Chapter 530 Threatening Haizhou
The fleet stopped after arriving at Yuzhou Island, and Zhao Liang arranged a small boat to send Xu Zhong south.

On March [-], the fleet stormed Yuzhou Island. The three thousand defenders on the island were vulnerable. First, their formation was blown away by ship-based artillery, and then sand ships stormed the beach and landed, and the army rushed to the island.

In the next day, the three army infantry field regiments on the island swept across Yuzhou Island. When the field army arrived, the officials, gentry and defenders in Donghai County had already fled by boat to Qushan City on the other side of the strait.

As Guofu County in Haizhou, Qushan is heavily guarded, not only Han Zhong's 20 elites, but also [-] Western troops, [-] forbidden troops, plus Qushan's original defenders and servants. The number of defenders is close to [-].

The fleet circled from the north to the west, and the ship's heavy artillery was barely able to reach the city wall of Qushan. After two rounds of running, which destroyed a small area of ​​the city wall, the fleet docked directly at Donghai Port.

All the armies that had been drifting at sea for ten days were able to land ashore. Many of the army soldiers who had never been on a ship had their legs become very soft and weak when they stood on land. A few of them even knelt on the ground and were beaten by their comrades. Laugh at it.

"It's a shame to show them off. We must practice their water skills when we go back." Standing beside Liu Xinqi, Liu Xinhui was ashamed to see his soldiers kneeling on the ground.

"It's normal. People who don't often take boats are like this." Liu Xinqi smiled and said without blaming: "But it's better to practice."

In later generations, simple swimming was regarded as a basic skill for the army. These soldiers would be very idle when they were not engaged in war. It would be good to find something to do. The more skills you learn, the more chances you have to survive.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, refused to cross the river east of the river. If his soldiers could swim and pick up some floating objects and jump into the river, there would always be an extra chance of survival without drowning or being killed.

……

Hangzhou Titing Stronghold, March [-]th.

"Why don't you use grenades?" Xu Zhong asked.

"There is a mole in our team. The gunpowder I borrowed from Ye Chuan was soaked in water. Even the grenades were soaked in water." Zhao Nan replied.

Xu Zhong arrived in Hangzhou on March [-]. The first thing he did when he landed was to find Zhao Nan.

"How long was the gunpowder soaked in water before you assassinated?" Xu Zhong asked.

"Three hours, I'll let the soldiers and the navy elites participating in the operation rest, while the others will make preparations, guard the material warehouse, etc. The ones who do the tricks are those who have not rested," Zhao Nan replied.

"After the gunpowder has been soaked, have you tried to see if it can be used?" Xu Zhong looked helpless.

"No, can it be ignited if soaked in water?" Zhao Nan was in disbelief, realizing that he might have done something very, very stupid.

"Yes, soaking gunpowder in water for a day and night will not affect its performance. It can be ignited even under water." Xu Zhong replied.

"How is this possible?" Zhao Nan still couldn't believe it, and asked someone to bring a water basin and gunpowder.

Use gunpowder to make a long lead on the edge of the basin, then fill the basin with water.
Then place the lead outside the water.

The flame burned along the fuse toward the basin. When it came into contact with the water, it did not go out. Instead, it continued to advance. The flame burned in the water until the fuse burned out.

"It's really amazing. It turns out that gunpowder is not afraid of water." Zhao Nan exclaimed.

"Did you just know this?" Xu Zhong couldn't believe that Zhao Nan had been listening for a long time and he didn't even know this common sense.

Firearms are afraid of water, and essentially the propellant is afraid of moisture. Long-term moisture will affect the performance of gunpowder, but it does not mean that it cannot be used.

"There has been no war in Nan Zhao. I am just a trade middleman and I really have no knowledge in this area." Zhao Nan explained.

After hearing Zhao Nan's explanation, Xu Zhong didn't know whether to blame himself or who to blame.

"However, since the assassination failed because of me, I am willing to take all the responsibilities." Seeing Xu Zhong's silence, Zhao Nan took the initiative to take the blame.

"Forget it, where is the mole?" Xu Zhong planned to expose this matter.

"Already killed, killed in public." The "public" Zhao Nan mentioned refers to the spies who were listening and the naval officers who participated in the assassination.

"I will compile a scientific knowledge manual when I go back. Then you have to study hard and don't make the same mistakes again." Xu Zhong did not punish Zhao Nan. "Thank you, supervisor."

"Bring me the information about Song Gou and Wang Boyan, and I'll take a look." Xu Zhong started to get down to business.

Zhao Nan took a stack of documents and placed them separately on the table in front of Xu Zhong.

The information about Song Gou accounts for [-]%, and it seems that there is very little information about Wang Boyan.

"Do you understand Wang Boyan?" Xu Zhong asked.

"I understand."

"Tell me."

Zhao Nan said while Xu Zhong looked at the information in his hand.

"...Wang Boyan is not only greedy for money and lust, but also a clique. Apart from being good at flattery, he has no special abilities..."

"Please help me send this invitation to Wang Boyan." Xu Zhong took out a letter from the package. This letter was written by Zhao Liang and had the same font as the previously signed agreement.

"No problem, I'll see you tonight." Zhao Nan promised.

It seems that Zhao Nan has done a very good job of infiltrating Jiangnan, much better than some city team leaders in Northern Truth.

"Write down your experience in cultivating spies, and I will study it later in Penglai." Xu Zhong said.

"No problem, I'm sure I'm not hiding anything private at all."

After saying that, he sat directly at the table by the window and started dictating.

……

Yuzhou Island, March [-]th.

"Have you read Xu Zhong's letter?" Liu Xinqi asked.

"See." Zhao Liang replied.

"How do you feel?" Liu Xinqi asked again.

"I think the training of mid-level officers is urgent."

"That's right, those low-level and middle-level officers all came up from combat meritorious deeds. It can be said that they all lack systematic theoretical knowledge learning. It's not obvious yet. When they rise to the top of the Xinghan League with their merits, then we will be recruited." That's it." Liu Xinqi agreed.

"Are we going to spend all this time here?" Zhao Liang asked.

"Waiting for the outcome of the negotiations, it would be best if they can end peacefully. Let us continue to develop for a while. In two or three years, we will be able to oppress them with a overwhelming force. By then, they will be able to surrender more easily and commit fewer crimes. .”

"Then is there any need for us to spend all our time here?" Zhao Liang was puzzled.

"Yes, as long as tens of thousands of us are here, the entire Southern Zhao army on the southern line of the Yellow River will not dare to move. They will be worried that we will go directly south from Huainan and enter Hangzhou to take advantage of them." This is a threat.

With a knife on his neck, even if the man being threatened is muscular, and the person holding the knife is as thin as a stick, it can still make a strong man dare not act rashly.

Nan Zhao deployed nearly 70 troops in Henan this time. Liu Xinqi was really afraid that these troops would rush into Jingdong and corrupt the place.

(End of this chapter)