The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 157 Liaodong Navy
The Yalu River was called Peishui in ancient times, Mazishui in the Han Dynasty, and was called Yalu River only in the Tang Dynasty.

The origin of this name is said to be because the river water is clear.

Liu Zhaosun stood on a huge rock by the river, looking silently at the turbid Yalu River in front of him.

During the ice flood season, the Hunjiang River, laden with silt and debris, flooded the banks, making it impossible to distinguish between cattle and horses, and the water was no longer clear. Liu Zhaosun was not worried about the water quality, but only that the sudden surge in the river had made navigation more difficult.

There was no bridge connecting the Yalu River in the Ming Dynasty. The bridge was not built until the Japanese colonial rule several hundred years later. On weekdays, the passage of goods and personnel between the two sides was maintained by passenger ships, which were hired by Kuandian and were considered the official ferry of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, the North Koreans on the other side of the strait did not pay any money, as a gentleman is apt to be poor.

There are ten ships in this section of Guandu. It is unknown how long it will take to transport thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of stones of grain across the river.

Yuan Chonghuan sent people to the surrounding fishing villages to hire some fishing boats and fishermen, and barely gathered thirty boats, which was still not enough.

Li Tiran, who came with Yuan Chonghuan, finally met Ping Liaohou. After some greetings, he urged the army to cross the river as soon as possible.

Lingyang Jun plans to take action in Seoul the day after tomorrow, which is March 3rd.

Prince Yeongyang will expel Prince Gwanghae in the name of clearing the court. If Marquis Pyeongryeo cannot lead his troops across the river on time, they will be in great danger in Seoul.

Ping Liaohou had heard Yuan Chonghuan talk about the Korean envoy and knew that he had a stubborn temper, so he suppressed his anger and did not deal with Li Tiran.

The transportation capacity was insufficient. In addition to transporting soldiers, they also had to transport horses, and there was also food and fodder. In desperation, Liu Zhaosun had to send the elite soldiers across the river first, and let the auxiliary soldiers and fire soldiers follow behind.

Yuan Chonghuan looked at the turbid Yalu River and said anxiously:

"Marquis Ping Liao, the Mongolian barbarians we captured last time confessed that they have accomplices in other places. Several tribes on the grassland are ready to take action, waiting for the Kaiyuan troops to weaken and then rob Fushun and Qinghe."

"We must fight quickly and decisively this time. Once we have those barbarians in Seoul under control, we must quickly escape from Korea."

Liu Zhaosun nodded in agreement.

"These prairie wolves are really hard to deal with. They gather and disperse at random, coming and going like the wind. We have to find a way to control them."

Speed is of the essence in war. If we fail to capture Uiju quickly, and wait for Gwanghaegun to mobilize his troops north, the Mongols will stab us in the back, and things will be troublesome.

Just when they were getting anxious, several rafts (also called rafts) floated down the Yalu River from the upper reaches. Hundreds of heavy wood were tied together to form a huge raft, which rushed downstream in a mighty manner.

Liu Zhaosun was born in the south and knew that this was a rafting activity.

Rafting refers to the process of logging in forests and tying the felled wood into large rafts. Since most forests are located in the mountains, the terrain is high, so rafts can be used to float directly downstream.

The raft serves as both a means of transport and a means of cargo, killing two birds with one stone.

Liaodong has dense forests, and the high-quality woods such as fir, pine, and cypress needed for seagoing ships can all be obtained from here. During the dry season, lumberjacks go up the mountain to cut trees and bring the cut wood to the nearest ditch first.

"In spring, the water is covered with peach blossoms." When the flood season arrives, wood and bamboo are pushed into the water. When the river is wide, the wood and bamboo poles are woven into large rafts. Several rafts are connected end to end in a row, and then several raftsmen steer them downstream.

The rafting industry has a long history in Liaodong.

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the emperor personally visited the border to inspect the Jilin Navy and wrote a poem: "The masts and ships are stationed in the river city."

~~~~~
There were several thin raftmen standing on the raft, who skillfully operated the raft to avoid the reefs in the middle of the river and drift forward.

Seeing a large group of soldiers approaching from the shore, the raftman hurriedly manipulated the rudder, and several workers held up long poles, trying to leave quickly.

Liu Zhaosun waved to Jin Yinghe, who immediately sent archers to draw their bows to their full extent, forcing the row of rafts to stop.

"Master Liu wants to question you, you are not allowed to run away!"

Two arrows flew onto the raft. A lean porter (Note 1) quickly pulled the raft to the shore and trotted over to the group.

The people carrying the buttresses thought Yuan Chonghuan was the one in charge and saluted him by clasping their hands together on their left shoulders. This was how they saluted when they met the gang members.

"A cloud hangs in the northwest sky, crows descend upon a flock of phoenixes. I wonder which is the ruler and which the minister?"

Yuan Chonghuan had just arrived in Liaodong, so he naturally didn't understand these idioms and looked at the boatman with a confused look on his face.

Several captains who had defected from Liaozhen were about to step forward to talk to him, but were stopped by General Liu.

Liu Zhaosun had watched "Lin Hai Xue Yuan" in his previous life and had some understanding of Northeastern slang.

I know that this is a compliment from the porters, which is equivalent to Yuan Chonghuan's catchphrase "Poushizai".

As soon as he opened his mouth, he lowered his status to that of a gangster, which was really a loss of status.

Liu Zhaosun politely asked the stacker:
"Where did you come from?"

The man who was carrying the pile was shocked. He did not expect that the official in front of him could understand these jargons. He quickly replied:
"I dare not call myself a master, I will call myself the boss."

The meaning of this statement was to tell General Liu that he was a small-time soldier and only had to eat in the queue.

After saying that, the porter handed over a ticket, Pei Dahu took it and handed it to Liu Zhaosun.

The so-called ticket is a small wooden tag the size of a bowl that proves one's identity. In layman's terms, it is a license to transport timber.

Liu Zhaosun took the ticket in his hand and looked through it for a while. The front was engraved with five big characters "Liaodong Dusi Appointed", and the back was engraved with the name of the stacker: Meng Jinbao.

"Oh, this brother is a waiter, where are you from?"

Meng Jinbao said quickly:

"Sir, there are thirty of us who came from Changbai Mountain and the village. I know hundreds more. We are all very poor. It's not easy for us to come here. We only earned a little money. I want to honor you and let you live."

As he spoke, he took out a few ingots of silver from his pocket and held them high above his head.

This guy really thinks he's a robber. Liu Zhaosun turned around and asked Qiao Yiqi:
"General Qiao, do I look like a true outlaw?" Qiao Yiqi blurted out, thinking of Liu Zhaosun's refusal to pay back the money.

"It's more than just like, it's exactly like!"

Liu Zhaosun laughed heartily.

The gang jargon I learned during the game Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy has been used up.

So I didn't waste time talking to this guy and got straight to the point:

"I am the General of Kaiyuan, bestowed the title of Marquis of Pingliao by the Emperor. I will not ask you for money, but will give you money!"

The man carrying the pile was startled and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Liu Zhaosun's name had spread throughout Liaodong long ago, and in remote areas he was as famous as Wong Tai Sin.

"How much money do you make from a raft trip?"

The stacker raised his wrinkled face and looked at the general as if he were looking up to a god:
"Master Liu, raftsmen work their butts off for two taels of silver per trip, but after paying bribes and giving to the Liao soldiers, they end up with less than half a tael. The Tartars have been wreaking havoc in Liaodong these past two years, forbidding us from cutting trees in the mountains or launching rafts. The shipyard at Jiangkou has also shut down, leaving many of our brothers without work and food. My mother starved to death last year."

The porters had drifted for hundreds of miles along the Hunjiang River and were exhausted both physically and mentally. As they spoke, tears began to flow.

"Luckily, Master Liu defeated the Jiannu, so the raftsmen have food to eat. I'm just unlucky. This time we ran into the bandits. The head treasury said this year was a bad year, so they stole all our money. This is all we have left."

The life of the Liaodong raftsmen is even more difficult than that of the trackers on the Tianjin Canal.

The extremely harsh living environment throughout the year has endowed this group with strong willpower and combat effectiveness. Rafting also requires them to have strict discipline. In the turbulent river, only if everyone performs their duties and cooperates with each other can they survive.

Liu Zhaosun suddenly realized that these raft launchers were actually the best naval recruits he could find.

He was ecstatic.

But on the surface, his face was full of sorrow. He sighed deeply and reached out to help the unlucky man up.

Qiao Yiqi and others standing nearby also shook their heads and sighed, lamenting the difficult survival of the Liao people.

Due to hydrological conditions, rafting is only possible for three months a year.

Setting out from Changbai Mountain in the spring, the journey was full of storms, mosquitoes, wild beasts, difficulties caused by the weather, and extortion by bandits.

After finally reaching the prosperous area downstream, they found casinos, brothels and mistresses who squeezed all their hard-earned money out.

Those who return home alive will not have much money left and can only wait until next year to go out and fight for their lives again.

The stacker stared blankly at Liu Zhaosun, knowing that this was the immortal Liu, who specialized in saving people from suffering.

General Liu spent a year in Liaodong and saved countless lives. His story was passed down from household to household, and many Liao people enshrined statues of Liu Zhaosun in their homes.

"What's your name? Can you sail a ship? A Fu ship, a sand ship?"

"My name is Meng Jinbao, I'm 31 years old. I travel to the Yalu River estuary all year round. I know how to sail all kinds of boats and even hoist the sails."

Liu Zhaosun was overjoyed and looked at the people carrying the stacks carefully.

This man is very courageous and looks smart and capable, and meets the selection requirements.

If someone can be a stacker, he must be no ordinary person.

"Meng Jinbao, do you know me?"

"General Liu's name is known throughout Liaodong. Even the bandits of Changbai Mountain worship him! He brought the dead back to life in Hunjiang and collected only half the land tax in Kaiyuan. He is a living god who saves the world from suffering."

Liu Zhaosun imagined the image of Zuoshan Diao (a member of the Northeastern tribe) burning incense and kowtowing to him. He chuckled. The rumors were becoming increasingly outlandish. He figured in two years, they'd be making up a whole duo opera about him.

Meng Jinbao looked at Liu Zhaosun, this living immortal, and his body trembled slightly because of his excitement.

Fortunately, he wandered all the way from Changbai Mountain, was robbed by gangs and bullied by Liaozhen along the way. When he was at his wit's end, he met General Liu.

"As a soldier, you must be bound by military law. You can't be as lax as before. Go wherever you are told to go. Beat whoever you are told to beat! Otherwise, you will be subject to military law. Let me be frank. I am not only a living god, but also a living devil. When it comes to killing, I never show mercy. On that day in Shenyang and Yehe, I killed 3,000 Tartars in a single day! Not a single one was spared!"

Meng Jinbao nodded repeatedly. He had heard of General Liu's name and knew that he was strict in his military discipline.

In this rafting business, brothers die every year. He survives life-threatening situations and faces discrimination. If it weren't for the need to support his family, he would have quit long ago.

"I've endured hardships, but I'm not afraid of death! The other day, I was caught by gangsters who wanted money, so they hung me up and beat me, but I didn't even blink! If the lord tells me to go east, I won't go west!"

Liu Zhaosun looked at the whip marks on his arm and nodded approvingly.

"Two taels of silver a month, kill the Tartars, do great things! You can even go to Japan in the future! Your family can get land in Kaiyuan and settle down. You don't have to suffer in the mountains anymore."

Meng Jinbao kowtowed repeatedly and said loudly:
"I am willing to follow General Liu and abide by your military laws!"

Liu Zhaosun took out a few pieces of silver and handed them to Meng Jinbao:
"Okay, there's no joking in the military! From today on, you'll be the first flag captain of my Liaodong Navy. This is your monthly salary. As long as you work diligently, your life will get better and better."

When Meng Jinbao saw the huge pile of silver, he wanted to refuse, but General Liu had already stuffed the silver into his hand.

"Captain Meng, find some more raftsmen willing to follow me. Use your rafts to transport the soldiers and horses from the west bank to the east bank! Come with me to Korea and accomplish great things!"

Notes:

(1) Stacker: The most dangerous type of worker in the industry, risking their lives for money. They are commonly known as night watchmen or stackers. "Tiaoduo" is a Northeastern dialect word that is still used by many people in the Northeast to describe people who shoulder the responsibilities of saving the country.

(End of this chapter)