Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Bang, bang..."

A series of cannon shots rang out, and many Jurchen fire ships were sunk before they could even get close to the Ming warships.

However, there were always highly skilled sailors who, under the threat of death from the Jurchens, skillfully maneuvered their fire ships to approach the Ming warships.

However, before the sailor could even rejoice in his achievement, the Ming Dynasty archers on the warship, armed with muskets, concentrated their fire and killed him.

The sailors who witnessed this scene all turned pale, realizing that not only could the Jurchens kill people, but the Ming soldiers could also kill them.

Out of fear, these people began to jump into the river as soon as they entered the range of the muskets, allowing the fire ships to move forward with the current.

This made it easier for Ming Dynasty gunners to practice target shooting, as only a few fire ships were able to get close to the warships.

Dorgon and the others watched this scene with great anticipation that the fire ships would set the Ming warships ablaze.

To their disappointment, the Ming soldiers not only used poles to brace the fire ships, but also deployed cannons to sink them.

Even if a few stray fireballs splashed onto the warship, they were quickly extinguished by the soldiers using water-drawing tools.

Not a single Ming Dynasty warship was set on fire, much to their regret.

What they didn't know was that the Ming Dynasty's ocean-going warships were not only made of wood, but also covered with a layer of galvanized steel plates—

This was designed to prevent corrosion from organisms such as ship maggots during ocean voyages, and in this case, it also served as a fireproofing measure.

Without prolonged burning, the galvanized sheet simply cannot be melted.

Zheng Zhihu knew this, so he had no worries about the fire ships.
-
While directing his soldiers to intercept the fire ships, Zheng Zhihu suddenly felt the ship sway as if it had hit something, and its speed came to an abrupt halt.

Caught off guard, the soldiers were suddenly jolted, and many fell off the deck.

Without much thought, Zheng Zhihu knew that this was an ambush by the Jurchens; they had put something in the river.

"iron chain!"

"There are iron chains blocking the river below!"

The sailors at the bow shouted loudly, and Zheng Zhihu quickly realized that he had encountered an iron chain across the river.

This ancient tactic was used by the Jurchens.

For a time, iron chains blocked the way in front, and fire ships attacked from behind.

The Ming fleet was suddenly in danger.

Faced with this tense situation, Zheng Zhihu should have been nervous, but for some reason, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Iron chains, fire ships."

"You guys really know how to surprise me!"

"Are you trying to amuse me because I'm too boring?"

After ordering his soldiers to rescue those who had fallen into the water, Zheng Zhihu walked to the bow of the ship and directed the gunners:

"fire!"

"Aim at the iron chain and fire. Let's see who can break it first."

Numerous cannons were launched and fired at the iron chain.

Some people even aimed at the iron posts on either side of the iron chain, intending to break the connection between the posts and the chain.

Some clever soldiers even used poles to guide the drifting fire ships onto the iron chains, using fire to burn the chains.

With these multiple methods employed, the iron chains soon began to loosen, and Zheng Zhihu gave the order:

"Aim the ramming head at it and smash the iron chain!"

He maneuvered the warship back slightly, then rammed it into the chains.

The soldiers on the ship jolted suddenly and heard a piercing sound.

With a loud crash, the warship, chained together, slid downstream—

However, the chains connecting the iron pillars were cracked by cannon fire and broke under the impact of the warship.

The Jurchen sailors, who had finally managed to place the chains on the iron pillar, stood on the shore, watching this scene in disbelief. They never expected the Ming Dynasty to use such a brutal method to simply break the chains.

Zheng Zhihu looked at the iron chains at the bow of the ship and laughed loudly:
"Pull it up!" "Perfect for making anchor chains."

"Thank the Jurchens with me, and let's celebrate with a cannon shot!"

The soldiers were ordered to fire artillery towards the banks where people might be hiding. Dorgon, Fan Wencheng, and others panicked and hurriedly hid under the soil and rocks.

Although these shots didn't kill many people, they had a significant impact on them. They made Dorgon and his men realize that wherever Ming warships could pass, the shore was no longer safe.

Fan Wencheng murmured:

"Strong ships and powerful cannons!"

"The ships of the Ming Dynasty are too sturdy, and their cannons are too powerful."

"They relied on their weapons to break my plan!"

They attributed the Ming army's escape to the superior strength of their ships and cannons, rather than to the incompetence of their own strategies.

Huang Taiji was disappointed by his excuses, but he was even more afraid that rumors of the Ming army using "magical arts" would spread.

Therefore, he also promoted this view, making the Jurchens' consensus on the Ming navy that the Ming navy was strong and powerful.

They cursed the Ming Dynasty bitterly, saying, "The Ming Dynasty relies on its strong ships and powerful cannons," and no longer had the courage to fight a naval battle with the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty navy made great contributions to the Liaodong campaign by navigating numerous battlefields.
-
Beijing.

Upon receiving the report on the naval battle on the Hun River, and learning from his spies that the Jurchens feared the Ming navy's powerful ships and cannons, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but laugh out loud:

This was more than two hundred years ahead of schedule, allowing the Jurchens to experience the power of strong ships and powerful cannons.

Although the Ming Dynasty's ships were far inferior to the sailing battleships of two hundred years later, the Jurchens' strength and technology were also far inferior to the Manchus.

Even if they respond more proactively than their juniors, they still cannot solve the problem.

The Ming Dynasty has already secured naval power with its strong ships and powerful cannons, and can launch an attack at any time.

"Unfortunately, the Jurchens had no strongholds by the sea, and navigation on the upper reaches of the Hun River was inconvenient."

"Otherwise, the navy alone could have achieved victory."

This was a point of regret for Zhu Youjian: although the Ming navy held an absolute advantage, it ultimately could not decide the outcome of the Liaodong War.

To eliminate the Jurchens, land warfare was the only option.

Guan Ningjun's current performance made it impossible for him to trust him.

Recalling the two-year stalemate in the Battle of Songjin in history, Zhu Youjian prepared for a protracted battle.

As long as the Jurchens are willing to prolong the war, then let them prolong it indefinitely.

Considering that the Liao River would freeze over in winter and the northern Bohai Sea would be difficult to navigate, Zhu Youjian decided to take advantage of the summer and autumn to transport as many supplies as possible to the front lines:
"The state of war needs to be deepened."

"We can't just focus on public opinion; we also need to consider supplies, prices, and transportation..."

"Everything related to the war must be brought under control."

He urged Yuan Keli to draft wartime legislation to control all aspects of wartime production, procurement, supplies, prices, and transportation.

Faced with the emperor's urging, Yuan Keli could only smile wryly. He had clearly aged more since becoming the wartime prime minister.

The greater the power a position holds, the greater the responsibility it entails.

The wartime control of public opinion had already made him quite controversial among intellectuals.

With so many regulatory measures being implemented, his reputation will only worsen.

But at this point, there was no time to worry about anything else. Having been in constant communication with Sun Chengzong, he knew that if the Liaodong campaign continued like this, it would inevitably become a protracted war.

The most crucial elements of a protracted war are logistics and supplies, which is why the emperor urged him to act.

The imperial court needs to concentrate all its resources to win the war in Liaodong.

Soon, the Wartime Act, which had been drafted for many days, was passed by the Wartime Committee and submitted to the Preparatory Office of Congress.

The numerous members of the parliamentary committees appointed by the imperial court gathered to discuss the matter. (End of Chapter)