The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 303: Northern Tartars Attack Taozhou

The Chishui River has been dredged.

Navy warships swarmed in, bringing in an unknown amount of food and supplies.

There were already countless garrisons cutting down trees on the hillsides on both sides of the river.

Water wheels and workshops popped up along the river like mushrooms after a rain.

The city wall of Maotaiwei is also taking shape at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The more than 100,000 Tusi soldiers who were originally dredging the river here were pulled by Li Hualong to the Wujiang River basin to dredge the river.

The Jinling Longjiangzhou Treasure Shipyard is also rushing to build a 100-200-ton speedboat for this purpose.

The development of the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan Branch was in full swing, and Zhou Danquan actually came here.

He actually came to deliver wine bottle samples. Many things could not be explained clearly in the letter, so he had to come in person to ask Wanli for advice.

At about 9:00 a.m. that morning, he rushed to Maotaiwei Wharf.

At this moment, Wanli was discussing the packaging boxes for the wine bottles with Yongnianbo Wang Wei in the newly built waterwheel workshop next to Maotaiwei Wharf.

They decided to use nanmu wood because it made the best boxes.

There are records in ancient books that nanmu trees grow in the deep mountains and valleys of Chu and Shu for countless years. Their trunks are a hundred feet tall and as hard as iron and stone. If you make a box with the moon in the sky and put raw meat in it, you can open it after several nights without changing its color.

Of course, the claims that Baizhangzhi Gan and raw meat can be kept in it for several days without spoiling are a bit exaggerated.

However, there are really a lot of nanmu trees in the mountains of Bashu. There are still many nanmu trees that are more than ten meters tall, and there are also some that are dozens of meters tall, but they are relatively rare. As for those that are hundreds of meters tall, they may have existed in the past, but they can no longer be found.

The reason why they chose to use nanmu to make the box was not a waste of materials, because the box for the wine bottle was only a few inches in size, and the thickness was only eleven inches.

Such a small and thin board is just a drop in the bucket compared to the nanmu wood that is tens or even dozens of meters long. It is unknown how much the scraps can be used to make furniture, so there is no waste at all.

They were discussing the style of the packaging box when Zhou Danquan walked in quickly holding a bottle.

Wanli took the bottle and looked at it, and couldn't help but laugh or cry.

This bottle looks quite high-end and classy. The light blue bottle body shines with a luster like glass, and the large gold-plated letters look simple and high-end.

The problem is, this is just a miniature wine jar, round and plump.

He thought for a moment, then held the bottle in both hands and gestured, "Duke Zhou, this bottle is so bulgy that it's not convenient to pour the wine. You have to hold it with both hands. It's also not convenient to process. It has to be processed by hand and can't be pressed out with a mold.

You have to make it into a cylindrical shape that can be held in one hand so that it is convenient to pour the wine, did you know?

Also, we're not going to make just one or two bottles, or even ten or eight, but hundreds of thousands or even millions. You have to consider using molds, you know?"

Zhou Danquan suddenly realized what was going on and said, "Your Majesty, do you mean to make it into the style of a new-style kerosene tank?"

Uh, how can you make a wine bottle look like a blasting tube?

There happened to be some pen and paper on the large platform of the saw.

Wanli picked up his brush and gestured on the draft paper, saying, "You need to make the wine bottle like this. It's cylindrical at the bottom, and the top needs to be closed. The opening needs to be about an inch. Can this kind of bottle be pressed out using a mold?"

Oh, so that’s how it is.

Zhou Danquan nodded slowly and said, "This can be pressed out using a mold, but it needs to be pressed into two parts, a cylindrical part at the bottom and a constricted part at the top. Then, use the prepared clay paste to glue them together, just like gluing the handle of a kettle."

Well, as long as it can be made with a mold.

Wanli nodded slightly, then gestured and said, "This cork cannot be made into a cylinder of an inch in size, otherwise it will be difficult to pull out.

The bottom of this cork is about an inch in size, just like the bottle mouth. However, the top needs to be made into a large, canopy-like head to facilitate the removal of the cork. The top also needs to be embossed with an exquisite pattern using a hundred-fold tempered steel mold. "Father-in-law, can this kind of cork be mass-produced?"

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei took a closer look and then nodded slowly, saying, "No problem, Your Majesty. We can make a special scraper. We can use a waterwheel to spin a larger piece of wood at high speed, and then slowly push the scraper over it, and a cork will come out."

They were discussing this when a naval officer suddenly rushed in, knelt on one knee, held up an envelope in both hands, and said urgently, "Report, Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Gansu Town Commander-in-Chief, arriving eight hundred miles away."

Full of osmanthus?

What happened in Gansu Town?

Wanli took the envelope, tore it open, and his face turned pale. This general deserves death!

The combined forces of the Tatar Dolon Tumed and Weiwushen tribes raided Taozhou Wei.

Li Fang, the garrison commander of Taozhou, led an army of more than a thousand soldiers to defend Gurjan Fort. They fought to the death and refused to retreat until the last soldier. Li Fang died in battle.

Li Lianfang, deputy general of Taomin, led an army of more than 3,000 to reinforce, but was ambushed on the way and his entire army was wiped out. Li Lianfang died in the battle.

Now the soldiers and civilians of Taozhou Guard are fleeing north to Lintao Prefecture, and the Tatar cavalry are still pursuing them along the Tao River Valley. The soldiers and civilians of Taozhou Guard and even Lintao Prefecture are in imminent danger.

I have mobilized all my personal guards and Gansu Town cavalry, more than 10,000 of them, to rush to Lintao Prefecture for reinforcement. If I cannot make meritorious service and repel the northern barbarians in this battle, I will die as a token of my guilt.

Five thousand border troops stationed in Taozhou Guard, including the deputy general of Tao Min and the garrison lieutenant general of Taozhou Guard, were all killed in the battle!

Duolun Tumed and Weiwushen tribes, you are so bold!
Wanli took a deep breath and then gritted his teeth and said, "Quickly fetch the map of the Shaanxi Xingdusi. Also, order Yuan Jing to come quickly."

What's going on here?
Upon hearing this, Li Xuancheng hurried out.

Soon, he brought the map of Shaanxi Xingdusi.

The Shaanxi Xingdusi is actually the area to the west of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission. It originally only included Gansu Town. After Guyuan Town moved north, Lintao Prefecture, Taozhou Wei, and Minzhou Wei were also transferred to the Shaanxi Xingdusi.

Taozhou Wei is still in the southwest corner of Shaanxi Xingdusi.

In other words, the joint forces of the Duolun Tumed and Weiwushen tribes attacked from the south.

Wang Chonggu, the three great families of Puzhou, what a good thing you have done!
How did the Duolun Tumed and Weiwushen tribes get to the south of Taozhouwei?
That is because after Longqing's meeting, Altan Khan went on a western expedition, and Wang Chonggu ordered the border towns and military garrisons along the way not to engage in sniping!

Altan Khan fought around Gansu Town and all the way to the south of Qinghai Lake. The Mongolian tribes that surrendered to the Ming Dynasty frantically asked for help, but the Ming border troops and the military garrisons along the way did not send a single soldier to snipe them.

As a result, all the remaining Mongol tribes were conquered by Altan Khan, and the Duolun Tumed tribe rose to power. Altan Khan's fourth son, Bingtu Taiji, also led the Weiwushen tribe to stay in the Qinghai Lake area.

All the territories outside Gansu Town were given to Altan Khan by Wang Chonggu and the three powerful families of Puzhou.

If the Gansu border troops had sent reinforcements to the Mongol tribes that had surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, would Altan Khan have dared to circle around Gansu Town?
He didn't dare to fight at all, because the Gansu Border Guard Army could completely cut off his food supply and even block his way back.

These traitors who collaborate with the enemy and betray their country are truly shameless. They are helping Altan Khan so much!

Wanli was so angry that he wanted to slam the table.

He was just gasping for breath when Qi Jiguang walked in quickly.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli directly handed over the urgent report.

When Qi Jiguang took it and looked at it, his face changed drastically.

This is a problem. The Taozhou Guard has been defeated, and Man Gui only has more than 10,000 cavalrymen. How can he possibly defeat the joint forces of the Duolun Tumed and Weiwushen tribes?

He thought about it carefully, then said carefully: "Your Majesty, we must send cavalry reinforcements as soon as possible."

I'm so angry that I'm dizzy.

Wanli looked down at the map again and then asked, "Yuan Jing, how many troops do you think the combined forces of the Duolun Tumed and Weiwushen tribes will have this time?"

Qi Jiguang looked at the urgent report in his hand and estimated, "They were able to annihilate the Taozhou garrison in such a short time. I guess they are going all out this time, probably with around 100,000 troops."

With so many troops, it would be useless to just dispatch cavalry from nearby border towns to reinforce them.

Ningxia Town, Guyuan Town and Yansui Town each had only 10,000 cavalrymen, and Guyuan Town and Yansui Town also had to guard against counterattacks from the Tumed and Kharchin tribes.

Wanli thought carefully and then decisively said, "Send an urgent order eight hundred miles away. Command Xiao Ruxun, the general of Ningxia Town, to quickly mobilize all his cavalry and rush to Lintao Prefecture to support Man Gui. Instruct Xiao Ruxun to tell Man Gui that this battle was not his fault and that he does not need to die as an apology."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuancheng hurriedly took out a blank imperial edict and wrote it quickly.

Wanli said loudly, "Pass on my oral order. Order the navy warships to immediately build a pontoon bridge between Hejiang and the Jialing River north of Chongqing. I will lead the Shenwu Battalion cavalry to Lintao Prefecture to provide support. Order the navy's fast ships to quickly transport food and supplies to Lintao Prefecture, and prepare to build pontoon bridges on major rivers along the way."

what?
Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang quickly advised: "Your Majesty, please allow me to lead the army."

Not this time, I want revenge this time!
Wanli slowly shook his head and said, "Hurry up and gather the cavalry from the Shenwu Camp and go with me."

(End of this chapter)