Fu Shanhe

Chapter 123 Sea Storm

Received departure fee.

After gathering the troops, Li Mu led his team straight to Nantong Prefecture.

For Yangzhou Prefecture, destroying as many pirates as possible was secondary; the key was not to lose Nantong Prefecture.

It concerns the reputation of the imperial court and also everyone's career.

If the people under his rule lose cities and territories, during the imperial examination, even if the people above want to take care of him, he will still fail.

It doesn't matter to the military commander to have such a stain on his body.

As long as you are not the direct person responsible and you are good enough to fight, you can still make up for it on the battlefield later.

The same cannot be said for civil servants.

Many political achievements are difficult to quantify, and the key to promotion is who makes fewer mistakes.

With the idea of ​​taking money from others and helping them get rid of their misfortunes, Li Mu led his team to advance seventy miles on the first day.

This is the advantage of fighting on home soil, without logistical pressure.

The troops can set out on their journey with confidence as long as they carry a few days' worth of dry food.

With cavalry leading the way, the enemy has no chance of a surprise attack.

……

"Commander-in-Chief, the scout has come to report.

The pirates besieging Tongzhou suddenly began to withdraw their forces this morning, presumably because they sensed our army was approaching. "

Captain Zhang stepped forward to report.

The enemy's actions were completely within Li Mu's expectations.

A large-scale military operation cannot be kept secret.

As long as the pirates are not stupid, they will send people to collect intelligence.

It had been the third day since the army was dispatched, and they were only a few dozen miles away from the city of Nantong.

Knowing that the government troops were surrounding the pirates, it would be strange if they did not take any action.

"Assign people to keep watching and report immediately if they find any signs of the pirates running away.

Send someone to notify the Jiangnan Navy and ask them to cut off the pirates' return route."

Li Mu gave the order calmly.

The key to whether or not the pirates can be kept back lies mainly in the navy.

Frankly speaking, he really didn't understand the audacity of these pirates.

Throughout history, there were deep-seated conflicts of interest behind the great pirate attacks on coastal areas.

Unlike these idiots, who robbed the salt field in Nantong Prefecture and instead of running away, they even had the mind to besiege the prefecture city.

With such shortsightedness, the local officials have no choice but to encircle and suppress the rebels.

"General, follow your orders!"

……

Under the city of Nantong.

When the pirates heard the news that the government troops were coming to encircle and suppress them, the morale among them became uneasy.

For ordinary pirates, the Dayu Dynasty still has a strong deterrent power.

Especially the new recruits, they are even more afraid of the imperial court.

"Captain, we can't take the state capital in a short time.

The government troops are already on the road. If we don’t evacuate now, it will be difficult to leave later.”

Liu Damazi tried hard to persuade.

They had been trying for an hour to persuade the boss to run away, but unfortunately Yin Kainan was unmoved.

"Why panic? The government troops will arrive at the earliest tomorrow afternoon, so we have plenty of time to prepare.

Pass the order down, have the brothers pack their bags, and we will go to Chongming Island instead."

Yin Kainan gave the order slowly.

He just wanted revenge and was not ready to die.

He was not clear about the combat effectiveness of the Yangzhou Camp, but he knew very well what kind of people his men were.

In a one-on-one duel, he was not afraid of the government troops at all.

A thousand versus a thousand fighting on a frontal battlefield, with a 30:70 chance of winning or losing.

Within three hours, he was defeated seven times by government troops.

This is the difference between a makeshift team and a regular army.

Even though pirates fight on the sea all year round, when they reach land, they are still a group of mobs.

“Captain, what is there to steal in Chongming County?

Besides, our ship is full of spoils, so even if we want to rob it, we can wait until next time."

The scar-faced man on the side objected.

They had offended the powerful officials in the court and were stranded on land for a long time, which was a way to their death.

It is true that Chongming Island is an island, but it is too close to the mainland.

The government troops could attack at any time, and they could not play to their strengths at all.

"Humph!

I have told you many times that you should take a long-term view, why are you still so short-sighted?

You can all see the risks, why can't I?
Someone came to see me last night and said that someone in the court had proposed lifting the maritime ban and imposing tariffs on maritime trade.

The incompetent Emperor Tianyuan, who clearly knew nothing, actually showed a strong interest.

Such actions made many people feel threatened.

The aristocratic families engaged in maritime trade did not want the court to lift the maritime ban and increase their competition.

At times like this, someone needs to step up and stir things up to dispel the emperor's unrealistic ideas."

Yin Kainan pretended to be nonchalant.

Ever since he became a pirate, he no longer cared so much about court affairs.

No matter what those big guys do, it can't affect his pirate life.

But if the imperial court wants to lift the maritime ban, the situation will be different.

From a purely pirate perspective, this is definitely a good thing.

Without the restrictions of the imperial court, maritime trade will become more prosperous.

It will be easier for them to compete if there are more merchants.

Yin Kainan was obviously not a simple pirate. After having seen the world, it was difficult for him to be interested in money.

He was able to rise in a short period of time and secure his position as pirate leader.

In addition to his mastery of political tactics, there is another important reason why he is willing to share his money.

Even though his orders were often incomprehensible to everyone, they were still carried out seriously for the sake of the money.

"Captain, you are using us as cannon fodder! If you want to fight against the imperial court, don't mention little pirates like us.

Even the most powerful ones would be doomed if they got involved in this kind of thing."

The young man who looked like a scholar said indignantly.

The confrontation between the maritime merchant families and the imperial court was a political game among the bigwigs.

If a small person gets involved, he will be crushed to pieces if he is not careful.

What's more, they are now pirates, which makes them even less welcome.

No matter which side wins, they will inevitably be held accountable afterwards.

“Smiling Scholar, you are also considered a top figure.

It’s such a simple thing, can’t you understand?
Being able to be used by others means that we are valuable to be used.

As a person, you should not be afraid of being used by others, but you should be afraid of not even having the qualifications to be used!
What's more, they paid a huge price and promised to give us five large ships, which are the best in the official navy.

At another time, even if we had more money, we wouldn’t be able to buy it! ”

Yin Kainan said disdainfully.

Getting involved in this turmoil was completely accidental. Now that I have encountered it, I naturally have to find ways to maximize my benefits.

In the maritime trade chain, pirate gangs like theirs have always been at the bottom.

It seems that he is plundering everywhere and making a lot of money.

In fact, most of this money is earned for others.

Because they are pirates, the cost of each ship repair and maintenance is more than ten times that of a normal merchant ship.

Purchasing new ships is even more difficult.

If you want to sell the loot you have grabbed, you will inevitably be forced to lower the price.

The aristocratic families that control these chains are at the top of the interest chain.

There is no bargaining, as there are only a few companies that dare to engage in this kind of business.

Only powerful pirate groups with their own shipyards can have a certain say.

"Captain, that's true.

We’re afraid that we’ll be finished before others have fully taken advantage of us.

In the past, those who did this kind of work were all famous figures on the sea.

If one wants to influence the court's decision, one must at least create trouble in several provinces.

As for this minor incident, those officials who like to keep it secret will not report it to the higher-ups."

The smiling scholar said without changing his expression.

To be honest, this pirate gang only has a dozen ships in total.

It sounds like a large scale, but in fact, all together there are only about two thousand people.

Among many pirates, he is of middle level.

If they were really strong, they wouldn't be standing around Nantong Prefecture in vain.

“The greater the risk, the higher the reward.

What can you do these days without risk?
All I know is that after adding five large ships, our strength can be doubled.

In time, we will be known as brothers on the sea.

As for the future outcome, we should be mentally prepared from the moment we embark on the road of no return as pirates.

While you can still fight and kill, quickly accumulate some money.

Then find a place where no one knows you, settle down and start a new life.

Just like I never ask your real names, everyone’s situation is similar and no one wants to disgrace their ancestors.

If you think you have earned enough, then just leave the team.

We are all brothers, and parting in peace is better than anything else. I will never pursue the matter!"

Yin Kainan said half-truthfully.

It's not easy to be a pirate leader. Not only do you have to lead everyone to make money, but you also have to be on guard against your subordinates trying to usurp the throne.

He got the position of the boss by bloody means.

The younger brothers below can naturally follow suit.

Since he himself is not upright, Yin Kainan naturally cannot talk about loyalty and righteousness, and can only open up an exit mechanism.

……

"Commander-in-Chief, the scouts ahead sent news that the pirates have begun to retreat."

Hearing the news, Li Mu frowned.

These pirates are so ignorant.

He brought his troops here from a long distance, at least he could fight a battle before running away!

They were so bold as to besiege Nantong Prefecture just now, but they suddenly became cowardly in the blink of an eye.

Nantong Prefecture has a special geographical location, facing the sea on one side and close to the Yangtze River on the other.

The enemy came from the water and could leave by boat at any time.

Once the pirates board the ship, no matter how powerful the Yangzhou camp is, they can only watch helplessly.

"Pass the order down, the cavalry brigade will attack immediately.

If the enemy retreats, chase them from behind.

Kill as many as you can, and if you can't kill the bandits, keep as much of the spoils as possible!"

Li Mu gave the order decisively.

The distance between the two sides was only forty miles. If the infantry caught up, it would be too late. Now only the cavalry could be used.

If it weren't for the lack of actual combat experience, there would be concerns that the cavalry would suffer heavy losses in their first battle.

His order was not to chase after the enemy, but to let the cavalry directly cut off the enemy's way back.

"The general will get the order!"

Cavalry Captain Shu Zhongyi replied immediately.

After receiving the order from the general, Shu Zhongyi went straight to the cavalry team.

He was a military scholar and originally worked on the Liaodong front.

Because of the monopoly of the Nine Frontier Generals in the military, he did not have a good time in Liaodong.

Even though he had made many military achievements, his superiors eventually found excuses to suppress him, and he was stuck at the position of a centurion and could not be promoted.

When the Yangzhou Camp was formed, Li Mu lacked people to train cavalry.

Through his uncle's relationship, he recruited several grassroots generals from the Liaodong front, and Shu Zhongyi was one of them.

Because of his good performance during the cavalry training, he was appreciated by Li Mu and is now acting as the deputy captain.

At this time, Shu Zhongyi urgently needed to prove himself in a battle so that he could gain a foothold in the team.

……

(End of this chapter)