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Chapter 1155: Battle of Fau Harbor 9
"Gao Quezi, keep your voice down. If the navy hears us, they will use their cannons to blow your broken car to pieces!" There were not only the Imperial Stables Warrior Battalion but also some army soldiers in this trench. After hearing what happened, they started to make a noise.

Although they could not enjoy the treatment of officers' meals, they did not resent it. After eating this meal, they had to serve as the death squad and take the lead in attacking the enemy's trenches. No one had ever fought such a battle, so they were unsure. We were all born by our parents, so we should not do work that was too strenuous if we could avoid it.

“They dared. I used to cook for Governor Yuan. Governors Huang and Li had to rely on my protection to steal canned food from the kitchen.

You see, if I hadn't been shot by a Jurchen outside Shanhaiguan, breaking my bones and legs, I would have been a cook. If I hadn't died in battle, I would have at least earned a twelve-pointed silver star, and maybe even a red shoulder strap!"

The chef named Gao was quite tough. He stuck the spoon in his hand into the wooden barrel, lowered his head, rolled up his trouser legs, pointed at the scar on the side of his knee, and talked about his bravery in the past.

Not to mention, if he really followed Yuan Keli and participated in the Battle of Shanhaiguan, whether in the army or the navy, as long as he could survive and not retire, he would not have to make great contributions in every battle, but could accumulate merits by following the crowd and get a rank of about the fourth rank. If he was a little luckier and made two great contributions, it would not be a dream to get a rank of the third rank.

In fact, such low-level officers and even soldiers in the army and navy are not uncommon. They cannot take higher positions for various reasons, but are unwilling to leave the army, so they gain experience year after year. After more than ten years, although they are still soldiers under command, their honors and treatment are higher than many mid-level officers.

And when they grow old and have to retire, it is easiest for them to find a job as long as they are not seriously disabled. Everyone wants someone who can work quietly for more than ten years, without fighting or competing, and is down-to-earth.

"Shut your stinky mouth! If you said ten less words every day, you would have been a governor long ago. Come on, come on, go out and stay in your positions. This is a battlefield, be careful that the military police will cause trouble for you."

As Chef Gao was talking happily and the soldiers were listening attentively, a shout of scolding suddenly came from outside the crowd. Except for the people in the Warrior Battalion who did not run away, the area was immediately cleared.

"Chief of Staff, today's food is delicious and still hot. Would you like to have one portion?" Gao Cuzi naturally did not run away. In addition to his cooking skills, he was able to make it to his current position in the army because he was thick-skinned and had the ability to handle things.

"I'm here to take a look at the food... Who can go and inform Admiral Zhao? I have something to discuss with him." Ding Shunke didn't have time to be frivolous. He waved his hand to signal the officers and soldiers of the Warrior Battalion to continue eating. He walked to the dining car to take a look at the quality of the food before stating the purpose of his trip.

As the chief of staff of the army governor, he could have sent someone to call Zhao En to the tent for discussion, but the impending war made him put aside the difference in position and rank.

The rough outline of the trench network dug by the Ottoman defenders was sketched out by the lookout on the hot air balloon yesterday afternoon. Senior officers from the army and navy and the emperor studied it until late at night, but they still could not find a way to reduce casualties except for a violent attack.

As the Army Chief of Staff, he was well aware of the heavy casualties the Warrior Battalion would suffer if it took on the main attack mission, and that it might even set a record for the Ming army.

Although the Imperial Stables are not under the jurisdiction of the army, more than half of its soldiers are elite troops in the army. Seeing so many familiar faces about to leave and never return, it would be against my conscience not to see them off in person.

"Chief of Staff...is it very dangerous for them to go there?" While Zhao En was not there yet, Gao Quezi brought a lunch box of hot cocoa tea to Ding Shun and asked a question carefully.

With his experience and knowledge, he had long felt that today's incident was very unusual. It was normal for the Warrior Battalion to raise the food standard by relying on the emperor's personal army. As long as there was an order from above, it would not be strange to eat officer meals every day. But it was not the first time that the emperor led the army in person, and every time he was accompanied by the imperial horse guards. Sometimes time was tight and there was no time to prepare hot food, so he and the soldiers ate biscuits and canned food directly. There had never been any special treatment, so there was no need to suddenly change the rules.

The sudden arrival of the Governor-General's Chief of Staff Ding Shun and the extremely gloomy expression on his face indicated one thing: the war might not be going well.

“It’s hard to say…” Ding Shun took the lunch box without asking whose it belonged to. He took a big sip. It seemed a little hot and he grinned.

"No way, there are so many warships on the river, with at least more than 200 guns. The Ottomans are not indestructible and can't withstand the artillery shells!" Gao Quezi was a little panicked now. Regardless of the gap between superiors and subordinates and the confidentiality rules, he opened his mouth to give instructions on military deployment.

The navy and army of the Ming Empire had never been defeated since their establishment, and there had not been many tough battles between evenly matched opponents. When they suddenly heard that even the emperor was unsure about leading the army in person, one can imagine how shocked they were.

"You are also a veteran... Now you understand why His Majesty added earthwork to the drill manual! Cannons are not omnipotent. As long as the trenches are dug deep and tortuous enough, no matter how many shells you fire, it will be useless."

Ding Shun frowned and was about to scold him as the chief of staff. But he stopped after saying the beginning. He was also very upset and couldn't vent it to his colleagues, so he decided to use the cook to relieve his boredom.

"Then...then...let's dig up the river bank and catch the rats!"

"The water level is too low, it's useless."

"Why don't we dig trenches and go straight over there? It's not like the Ottomans are the only ones who can dig trenches. It's much better than charging in and letting them fight in vain!"

Gao Quezi is not a veteran soldier. Even if he does not have the qualities to be an officer, he is well-informed in specific tactics. He came up with an idea by patting his bald head with his big hand, and it was in line with the current needs. He was not just talking nonsense.

"We are running out of time. The main force of the army is gathering at Hormuz. If the battle at Faw drags on for too long, the navy's supply pressure will increase. The journey is too long. Okay, don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask. I'll borrow the tables and chairs in your car. Clean them up!"

Unfortunately, no matter how experienced Gao Quezi was, he couldn't catch up with the professionalism of the staff. These methods had been thought of by others, but they didn't work after repeated arguments. At this time, Zhao En came over hurriedly with the guards. Ding Shun looked around but couldn't find a suitable place to talk, so he just borrowed the dining car to talk.

Actually, there was nothing to talk about. Let's set the time to launch the attack and check the watch. The only support we can provide to the Warrior Battalion now is the naval guns and the smoke from burning heavy oil, so as to minimize the distance and shooting accuracy of the defenders in finding the target.

Another reason is God's favor. The reason why the attack was launched in the early morning was the emperor's idea, saying that he wanted to use the backlight to further affect the firepower of the defenders. It seems that God heard the emperor's request. The eastern sky line was already full of rosy clouds, and it was likely to be a sunny day.

(End of this chapter)