Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 263: Second Navy Division

The Red Army won a great victory but did not take advantage of the victory to counterattack Conghua and Zengcheng. Du Yonghe had no choice but to take advantage of the Red Army's military power in Guangzhou to counterattack Zengcheng. Zengcheng was sandwiched between Guangzhou and Huizhou. If the Ming army captured Zengcheng, it could intimidate Huang Yingjie, the commander of Huizhou, and win over Huang Yingjie.

Cen Danchu focused his energy on expanding the navy. The Red Army won great victories in both naval and land battles, and was in the limelight. Many righteous armies came to join him, and from time to time some came to request to be reorganized into the Red Army.

The expansion of the army was a big deal, and the Red Army was far away from the base in western Guangdong. Danchu was very cautious about this and did not recruit the volunteer army on a large scale, but focused on recruiting the navy, especially the navy that could sail in the open sea.

Liang Biaoxiang was converted from a red-flag pirate, and his unit was reorganized into the fifth unit of the navy. Although Chen Qice was a general of the Ming Dynasty, he was not from the Dongxun system and had no support in eastern Guangdong. After the great victory in the naval battle, Chen Qice requested to join the Red Army, and his unit was reorganized into the sixth unit of the navy.

There were many naval divisions in eastern Guangdong, so Danchu took this opportunity to establish the Second Naval Division, which governed the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Second Shipbuilding Divisions of the Naval Division. The original Naval Division was reorganized into the First Naval Division, and Yang Yandi's Fourth Naval Division was transferred to the Second Division.

The second baggage battalion was led by Huang Heming, who was originally a horse dealer and often transported horses in the Xijiang River Basin. After the Qing army invaded Guangdong, Huang Heming spent all his family wealth to raise an army to resist the Qing. Danchu thought that he was good at transportation and had a firm will to resist the Qing, so he incorporated his troops.

From now on, the First Brigade of the Navy will be the Inner River Navy, specializing in inland river operations and transportation; the Second Brigade of the Navy will be the Offshore Navy, specializing in near-shore operations and transportation, and the organization will be more reasonable.

The First Marine Division was founded by the Red Army, and most of its officers and soldiers were from the boat people of western Guangdong, making them easy to command. The Second Marine Division was much more complicated, and all its battalions were recruited. The three main battalion commanders, Yang Yandi, Chen Qice, and Liang Biaoxiang, all came from the lower classes, were smart and capable, and stood out in the brutal war at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Liang Biaoxiang was the strongest and had repeatedly defected. Yang Yandi was the weakest and, like Liang Biaoxiang, was a pirate. Chen Qice was a minor official and was between Liang and Yang in strength. He was a deputy governor and general and had a high reputation.

Dan initially planned to appoint Chen Qice as the commander of the Second Brigade of the Navy, but was afraid that Liang Biaoxiang and Yang Yandi would not accept it, which would affect internal unity, so he ordered Yang Yuqi, a military assistant, to serve as the commander of the Second Brigade of the Navy, and Chen Qice as the deputy commander.

Yang Yuqi was born in the Shaanxi frontier army and was not used to naval warfare. He had to rely more on Chen Qice for naval affairs. He was a Red Army assistant and had also served as the director of the Operations Bureau. He was very smart. When the time was right, Chen Qice would take over as the assistant commander, and it would be a natural thing.

On June 8, Danchu arrived in Foshan and presented the flag to the Second Naval Brigade. After the ceremony, Danchu stayed with the naval commanders to discuss military affairs.

"Gentlemen, the construction of the navy requires a base to repair ships and avoid storms. The first navy is the Neijiang Navy, which has four bases in Hengzhou, Xunzhou, Tengxian, and Bashizhai.

"Although the Second Naval Division has just been established, we must make plans early. Although Foshan and Sanshui can be used to berth ships, they are not the Red Army's garrisons and are not a long-term solution. In your opinion, where can we base the Second Naval Division?"

The offshore navy is very different from the inland navy. First, the ships are small, so a base can be built in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River. Second, the base must be located on the coast, at least in Sanshui or Foshan, close to the estuary.

Liang Biaoxiang was eager to serve and wanted to show off his knowledge, so he said, "Xiangshan and Xinhui are close to Guangzhou. Shangchuan Island, Xiachuan Island, and Hailing Island are large enough to station tens of thousands of soldiers. Although the coastal garrisons such as Hailang, Shuangyu, Ningdian, Ningchuan, and Hai'an are in disrepair, they can be renovated with a little repair."

Danchu nodded and smiled, but said nothing. These places were close to Guangzhou and belonged to Dongxun or Wang Xing's territory. They were too far from western Guangdong and were obviously not suitable.

Chen Qice was about to object, but Yang Yuqi stopped him and said, "The above places belong to either Guangzhou Prefecture or Zhaoqing Prefecture. They are too far from the old camp in western Guangdong to be the base of the Second Association. However, Shendianwei and Ningchuan Station belong to Gaozhou Prefecture. Gaozhou is adjacent to Yulin Prefecture, so there is some possibility."

Danchu made his position clear, saying, "The Red Army came to East Guangdong this time to rescue Dongxun, not to compete with Dongxun for territory. The purpose of seeking a naval base is to house the Second Naval Assault Ship, not for any other purpose. Since it is a base, it must be stable and reliable so that the naval officers and soldiers can rely on it. Please understand the meaning of this."

Seeking the navy base is a big deal, which is related to the long-term plan of the Second Association. Yang Yandi is a general under Deng Yao, who is under the command of Li Mingzhong, the Marquis of Haikang, and originally did not want to stab his former master in the back.

In the past two days, the Intelligence Bureau has been asking him about Li Mingzhong, and Yang Yuqi has also talked to him about the customs and people of Lianzhou. Yang Yandi knows what this means.

At this point, Yang Yandi had no choice but to offer a plan in public, saying: "Although Lianzhou Prefecture belongs to eastern Guangdong, it is adjacent to Nanning Prefecture and Yulin Prefecture in the south of Guangdong. Qinzhou, Hepu, and Longmen are all seaports, which can be used as naval bases. From Qinzhou, it is less than 200 miles northwest to Nanning, which is enough to connect with western Guangdong."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and Danchu asked, "What do you think of Haikang Hou Li Mingzhong, the commander of Gao, Lei, Lian, and Qiong?"

Li Mingzhong, a native of Xinjian, Jiangxi Province, was generous and fond of talking about military affairs. When he was young, he served as the chief clerk of Changyi County, Shandong Province. Later, he joined the army and served under Mao Wenlong in Dongjiang Town. He was on good terms with Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming.

When Kong and Geng surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, they invited Li Mingzhong to surrender together. Li Mingzhong said with emotion, "People from the Central Plains should return to the Central Plains. I do not wish to live in wealth and honor in other places." He returned to the capital alone. Because he was born in Dongjiang Town, he was not valued.

In the first year of the Hongguang reign, Shi Kefa selected talented warriors. Li Mingzhong ranked first in the exam and was appointed as the Lieutenant General of Xishan, Guangdong, and then the Deputy General of Xunwu. When Emperor Yongli ascended the throne, he conferred Li Mingzhong the title of Marquis of Wujing. When the two vassal states of Gui and Tang fought for the throne, Li Mingzhong supported Emperor Yongli and led his army to fight against the army of Tang, winning first and then losing. After Li Chengdong entered Guangdong, Li Mingzhong surrendered and later followed Li Chengdong in the rebellion.

Li Mingzhong is very senior, and now he has been appointed as the Prince's Grand Tutor, the Governor of the Central Army Governor's Office, and holds the seal of General Ningwu. He is in charge of Gao, Lei, Qiong, and Lian, and is also in charge of food and wages, liaisons with the volunteer army, and acts at his discretion.

"Haikanghou was stationed in Gaozhou. Although he was not a general of Dongxun, he controlled four prefectures in the southwest of Guangdong, and his territory was larger than that of other generals of Dongxun. He was promoted to marquis at the beginning of the year, but gradually became arrogant. He once killed the entire family of Hong Tianzhuo, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, because of a personal grudge. Hong Tianzhuo was poor, and Haikanghou plundered his family property, which was less than 100 gold. People at that time sighed, and gradually lost the support of the people."

Li Mingzhong is nearly fifty years old and has lost his fighting spirit. Although he controls four prefectures, Gao, Lei, Qiong and Lian, his strength is weak. There are many garrisons and villages in the garrison area, and the people are not loyal to him.

Lianzhou is adjacent to Nanning and has access to the sea, so its geographical location is unique. If the Red Army seizes Lianzhou, it will not only gain access to the sea, but also establish a base for the Second Naval Division, so it is imperative to seize it.

"Good. Fortunately, thanks to your loyalty, our Red Army has established the Second Navy Division. Lianzhou is a land of God, which is enough to be the base of the Second Division. This matter should be planned in secret, and you must not leak it. We should take our time and not rush it."

(End of this chapter)