Fu Shanhe

Chapter 370 Storm on the Sea
Compared with the wailing in the Vietnamese army camp, the scene inside Zhennan Pass was quite different.

The last time I encountered such a stupid enemy was when we were encircling and suppressing the rebels a few years ago.

The rebels who had just raised the banner of rebellion lacked military knowledge and simply sent themselves to death in various ways.

As time goes by, the rebels who have been tempered in blood and fire are no longer the rookies they once were.

Under the same situation, I will pay tuition once or twice at most, but I will never pay it a third time.

I never expected that after several years, I would encounter a low-end game again.

As the defending side, they already had the advantage, and it would be difficult for them to lose when facing a rookie opponent.

"My Lord, the results of the day's battle have been counted.

According to preliminary estimates, at least 3,000 casualties were inflicted on the enemy.

It's a pity that the Annan people retreated too quickly, otherwise the victory would have been even better!"

Feng Jingxing said with a look of regret.

This kind of opportunity to take advantage is not easy to come by.

The enemy's top brass are not stupid and will definitely learn a lesson after suffering a loss.

“The battle was good.

Go back and write a battle summary, analyzing all the gains and losses in this battle.

All military officers above the rank of centurion must write it personally.

The general flags and squad leaders below are allowed to give oral summaries. "

After Li Mu finished speaking, the generals who were originally delighted suddenly became depressed.

Most of the generals present had grown up from the grassroots.

Most of the reading and writing were completed in the army, and the cultural level is quite touching.

If Li Mu had not set a rule that one must learn 3,000 commonly used characters before being promoted to a centurion, most of these people would probably still be illiterate.

When you reach a certain age, your learning ability declines.

Expecting everyone to learn on their own is pure dreaming.

"My Lord, this battle was entirely due to the enemy's stupidity. It will be hard to encounter this again in the future, so there is nothing to summarize.

Otherwise, don’t write it! ”

Li Sanqi, the commander of the Guilin Left Guard, could not help but speak.

As a big boss, he was able to quickly learn 3,000 Chinese characters in ten days, which caused a sensation among his soldiers.

Even Li Mu thought he was a learning genius, but after getting to know him, he found out that he was simply a power-hungry person.

Under the temptation of promotion, he showed extraordinary learning ability.

However, this learning ability comes and goes quickly.

After being promoted to a centurion, his efficiency in learning military tactics and battle formations dropped suddenly.

He was promoted to the position of commander of the guards, partly because of his bravery in combat and partly because of his good reincarnation skills.

Eight generations of his ancestors have worked hard for the Li family, and he has been following Li Mu as a bodyguard since he was a child.

"roll!"

"Your task is doubled. In addition to the post-war summary, you also need to do a self-review.

Hand it over tomorrow and I will check it myself.

If you don’t understand deeply enough, you will suffer!”

As he spoke, Li Mu kicked him.

It is easy to cultivate confidants and military generals.

It is troublesome to ensure loyalty and be strong enough to fight at the same time.

Judging from the quality of officers alone, the group of direct generals under his command are indeed inferior.

Influenced by their knowledge level and vision, these people look at problems much more simply, lack strategic vision, and have a serious lack of overall perspective.

Their only advantage is that they are obedient and do whatever Li Mu tells them to do.

"I will obey your orders!"

Li Sanqi replied bitterly.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have taken the risk.

Check it yourself, you can't just write something and get away with it.

He couldn't even find anyone to help him. Li Mu knew exactly what level he was at.

After the episode, the atmosphere in the camp suddenly became joyful.

With the unlucky guy at the bottom, everyone doesn’t find the summary difficult to write.

Looking at the topographic map on the sand table, Li Mu found that he was too early.

There is only one road between Guangxi and Annan that is suitable for the passage of a large army, and it is blocked by Zhennan Pass.

Zhennan Pass is not a big place, and the space available for maneuver is limited. It is enough to place 20,000 troops in the city.

The local troops in Guangxi cannot be left behind inside the Great Wall.

In order to reduce logistical pressure, the reinforcements he brought had to be temporarily dispersed and stationed in various places.

It was difficult for the enemy to attack us, and it was equally troublesome for them to fight their way out.

"Send a letter to the Yunnan Governor's Office and ask them to strengthen the defense of the Annan border."

After pondering for a while, Li Mu slowly gave the order.

There are only two ways for Annan to invade Dayu.

Either break through from Guangxi or open up the situation through Yunnan.

After encountering a setback at Zhennan Pass, the enemy, unless they are stupid, will not choose to fight to the death.

More than 3,000 casualties may not sound like a large number, but this was only the first day of the war.

Although the Annan people's wealth was considerable, they could not withstand such a disaster.

The traffic in Yunnan is even worse than that in Guangxi.

As long as the defenders are prepared in advance, it will be difficult for the enemy to gain an advantage.

……

The first rays of sunlight in the early morning spread across the earth, but the atmosphere in the Vietnamese military camp was extremely solemn.

"My dear ministers, who is willing to lead the charge for me?"

Hu Xinbo asked with a frown.

It was really tactless. He couldn't even ask for a fight, but he had to ask in person.

"Humph!"

Seeing no one responded, Hu Xinbo's anger accumulated to a critical point.

Although he was a new monarch and had limited influence in the military, he was still the emperor of the Dai Viet Dynasty.

The generals' behavior clearly showed that they were not giving face.

“Your Majesty, we lost our siege artillery yesterday, and all other siege weapons also suffered heavy losses.

We are busy with the construction now, so the siege may be postponed for a while."

The old general Shi Yufeng responded nervously.

As a veteran general in the army, he was firmly opposed to attacking Yu.

Whether it was the detention of the delegation or the border conflict, in his view it was nothing more than a warning from the Emperor of Dayu to them.

If you really want to use military force against them, you should suppress the civil unrest first and then launch a southern expedition.

"Can't we attack the city without artillery?"

"I remember that the White Lotus rebels' tactic of digging tunnels was highly praised by you.

Since a bunch of evil cults can use it, can't the army of my Great Viet Dynasty even learn from it?"

Hu Xinbo couldn't help but question.

He is not very familiar with how to fight a war specifically, but he still knows how to calculate the economic accounts.

Since the outbreak of the war, the Dai Viet Dynasty has been spending money like water.

Even the Minister of Revenue avoided him, fearing that he would ask for money again if they met him.

The heavy siege artillery was lost, and it would take at least several months to reforge it in the rear and then transport it to the front line.

We can't just leave the army doing nothing at the front line and wait for months just for siege artillery.

They retreat when encountering difficulties. If they continue to play this way, it will be difficult to take over Guangdong and Guangxi even in the next three to five years.

"Your Majesty is wise, and we are foolish.

I will arrange for people to dig a tunnel and try to capture Zhennan Pass as soon as possible!"

Left General Chen Jingfu stepped forward decisively and echoed.

He didn't care whether the terrain of Zhennan Pass was suitable for digging tunnels.

He was able to gain meritorious service despite his defeat because he was a close confidant of the emperor. He did not respond immediately because he did not know how to attack the city.

Now that the emperor has given a plan, no matter whether it works or not, let’s send someone to try it first.

Anyway, digging tunnels is mainly hard work, and even if the operation fails, not many soldiers will be lost.

"General Shi, you will lead your troops to feint and attack the city, and cover General Chen to dig a tunnel and blow up the city wall."

Hu Xinbo gave the order indifferently.

Even though he was unhappy with Shi Yufeng, he had to admit that this veteran was the best in the Dai Viet military.

During the previous emperor's time, he led his troops in several major foreign wars.

The combat effectiveness of the army under his command was in the first echelon in the Dai Viet Dynasty.

In launching this war, in addition to realizing his own ambitions, he also wanted to take the opportunity to seize military power.

During this process, any general who dared to say no to him would be targeted for purge.

However, Hu Xinbo was rational and knew very well that his foundation in the military was still shallow and this was not the time to act rashly.

It is still possible to take this opportunity to reduce the power of these opposition groups.

"I will obey your orders!"

Knowing that he was being targeted, Shi Yufeng was powerless to do anything.

The emperor is playing an open conspiracy.

Feint attack and main attack are two different concepts. The former clearly tells him that he just needs to pretend.

If the army still suffers heavy losses during the attack, then it is a problem with the general's command.

The problem is that there is a limit to how much you can pretend. At least you have to make a strong show and not just shout and scream from a few kilometers away.

If you want to fool them, you still need the soldiers to charge.

We have no firepower support, and the enemy's artillery is so powerful that once it gets close to the city, it will definitely cause considerable damage.

Even if dozens of people were killed in each siege, it would still be a considerable loss over time.

Using a blunt knife to cut the flesh doesn’t cause much damage each time, but it is really painful!
……

Neptune Island.

The dim candlelight flickered in the dilapidated wooden house, illuminating the walls and making the three large characters "Juyi Hall" particularly dazzling.

The pirates sat around a cracked wooden table, and the air was filled with the smell of salt and tobacco.

The leading pirate was dressed in ragged black clothes, and the long scar on his face made him look even more gloomy under the dim light.

"Brothers, we just received news that the Annan people and the imperial court have started fighting.

Zhu invited everyone here today to do a big deal. "

Zhu Zhongxuan slapped the table and said.

Even if you have made up your mind deep down, you will still feel a little hesitant when the time comes.

Annan is not a small country, and plundering such a country would inevitably involve considerable risks.

"Does Mr. Zhu want to seize Quanzhou?"

The man in gray asked solemnly.

They are active along the coast of Fujian all year round. If they want to make a big move, robbing Quanzhou is the most convenient place.

As an important maritime trade port in Dayu, Quanzhou gathers goods from all over the country, and making a profit can represent countless years of hard work.

“The imperial court sent troops to Annan for the greater good.

Zhu is also a well-known man, how could he hinder the court at this time?

Besides, Quanzhou is not easy to rob.

Not to mention that the local garrison is not easy to deal with. Even if the robbery is successful, where can they sell the stolen goods?
Once the imperial court gets serious about it, the coastal merchants will not cooperate with us.

We have recovered a lot of goods, but we have no way to sell them. We can't transport them to Luzon Island and sell them ourselves, right?

I'm over there, and I still have a bonus of 50,000 taels, and those red-haired devils want to eat me alive!"

Zhu Zhongxuan said with a proud look on his face.

Pirate gangs are divided into two categories.

The first category is those who were persecuted by the government or gentry, and whose family members were basically all dead, so they belong to the group with no ties.

He usually has no bottom line in doing things, is particularly hostile to the imperial court and gentry, and often brings trouble to court.

The other category is coastal fishermen who go to sea to make a living because they can no longer make ends meet.

Because they are concerned about something, they try to leave a way out when doing things and generally do not provoke the court.

Normally they would rob people far away from home, and occasionally they would help the villagers, who would also help cover for them.

In an era when imperial power did not extend to the countryside, local officials would not interfere as long as there was no trouble.

Most of the pirates invited here today are the latter type.

"Boss Zhu wants to seize Annan, but that's not our territory!"

The scholar next to him frowned and said.

Pirates also have their own territories, and doing business across borders is a taboo.

Competition among peers is one thing, but the key is that the sea routes are unfamiliar and accidents are prone to occur.

"Scholar, you are smart enough to see through my plan at a glance.

Yes, this time we are going to rob the Annan people.

I have received accurate intelligence that the King of Annan has mobilized all his troops to attack Guangxi, and the country is currently short of troops.

You are well aware of how huge the wealth accumulated by a country over hundreds of years is.

If we can accomplish this, we can save twenty years of hard work.

This is a sea chart of the Annan region, which shows the locations of all reefs and islands, and even has a detailed description of the climate.”

As he spoke, Zhu Zhongxuan placed the nautical chart on the table and opened it.

A group of pirates came forward and examined the location on the nautical chart, the flames in their hearts growing hotter in the dark night.

"Master Zhu had been prepared for this, and it seems that the King of Annan is doomed to be in trouble.

However, before taking any action, the Annan navy must be dealt with first, and then everyone can act freely.

Could it be that the imperial court is willing to send out the navy to help us get rid of the trouble?"

The scholar in white asked tentatively.

It is true that now is the best time to rob Annan, but robbing does not necessarily mean doing it.

Usually at times like this, even if everyone has an idea, they do it in private.

Few people would gather so many colleagues to join in the action, let alone share the sea charts with everyone.

"Ha ha……"

"The Annan navy is nothing to be proud of!

It would be best if the imperial navy could destroy them, but if the government army fails to do so, it will not have any impact.

In addition to us, our colleagues in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi coastal areas will also join this feast.

The Governor-General's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi secretly spread the news that all actions of plundering Annan were legal.

In other words, all the property we looted from Annan can be sold openly in Guangdong and Guangxi.

Maybe we can even use the heads of the Annan people to exchange for weapons and ships from the government.

It won't take long for this news to spread in the circle.

It is estimated that a number of maritime merchants will also organize personnel to participate in the operation.

If we go too late, we probably won’t even get a sip of soup!”

As Zhu Zhongxuan finished his words, the smell of smoke in the house became thicker and the pirates fell into deep thought.

Everyone knows that once the court makes such a promise, many people will be tempted.

For pirates, robbery is not the most important thing; what is more troublesome is selling the stolen goods.

No matter how valuable something is, it only counts when it is sold.

Pirates were able to develop because they were large clans along the coast and had set up special black markets outside to sell stolen goods.

The big pirates are quite powerful and have some bargaining power, while the small and medium-sized pirates are completely at their mercy.

If you can sell the goods for 30% of their actual value, you are considered lucky.

If they encounter someone who is dishonest, they will just buy it at a 10% discount and they will have no choice but to accept the loss.

There is no way. In addition to the channels for selling stolen goods, they also control the coastal shipyards.

If you want to grow bigger, you have to buy ships and weapons from these people.

Even if you become a pirate, you are still someone else's cattle and horses and have to endure exploitation by the wealthy and powerful families.

……

(End of this chapter)