Blood from Daming

Chapter 418 Ferry
Qiao Guoliang told Xue Polu that there is a large drop between the upper and lower reaches of the Yalu River, and the water flow is rushing. The summer flood season enters in mid-May, and July is the largest monthly flow period of the year. Now it belongs to the rising period of the river. It's fairly smooth, and the most important thing is that it hasn't rained in the upper reaches these days. This should be the best time to cross the river here in Bitong after June this year.

Xue Polu said: "There are a lot of camps with thick ropes. Can flat wagons replace wooden boards?"

Qiao Guoliang said: "Fortunately, it is for one-time use. Thick ropes can also replace cables, and flat vans can replace wooden boards, which requires a lot of hemp ropes. However, there are no small wooden boats under the pontoon bridge, and the pontoon bridge cannot be built on the east side. of."

Xue Polu said: "Guoliang, I remember that when Wang Ping and Tao Yaofu's Datong army stayed with us, they brought some sheepskin bags. It seems that they brought them this time. See if you can tie them into sheepskin rafts. lead the rope across the river."

Qiao Guoliang said: "Second uncle, why did I forget about this, my nephew will deal with it now."

Qiao Guoliang ran towards the Xuejia Army's heavy supply camp by the river, and Xue Polu saw that the two fishing boats of Yan Laoyao and his party were already rowing towards the center of the river. There were about 20 people on each boat, and they were almost at the limit of their carrying capacity. Xue Polu couldn't help but sweat in his heart.

Zhao Ledjiao said: "I didn't expect the North Koreans to be so ignorant of current affairs, so delaying our Liaodong Army's crossing of the river will make our Liaodong Army fall into a situation of destruction."

Xue Polu laughed and said, "That's why it's funny to say that the officials of the imperial court are just taking advantage of us, Ming Dynasty, and they think they are the kingdom of heaven, and rush to the rescue just for the sake of the suzerain country's false name."

Zhao Lijiao said: "Brother Polu, the North Koreans don't understand affairs, but we have to save them. You must know that this is a dead end. If North Korea is destroyed, the pressure on Ming Dynasty in Liaodong will be even greater."

Xue Polu said: "It's a pity that people guard against us, Daming, and they are still very tight."

Zhao Lijiao sighed and said: "North Korea has been designated as the "Nation of Conquest" by Ming Dynasty since the time of Taizu. It is really superfluous for the North Korean country to worry."

Xue Polu said: "People's hearts are so close, how does North Korea know what our Ming thinks? As the saying goes, the heart of harming others is indispensable, and the heart of defense is indispensable. North Korea will naturally guard against us, Daming."

Zhao Lijiao said: "These North Korean clubs are really annoying and hateful."

Xue Polu said: "Forget it, after crossing the river, I will talk to the North Korean Bangchui, Lao Zhao, have the soldiers and civilians who will row boats be selected from the team?"

Zhao Lengjiao said: "The boating soldiers and civilians selected more than 400 people, and told them according to the conditions you offered, and gave them a tael of money for a trip back and forth from the Yalu River. There will be more than a thousand soldiers and civilians."

Xue Polu smiled and said, "Chinese people have always been like this, they love petty gains."

Zhao Lijiao suddenly pointed to the opposite side of the river and said, "Brother Polu, Captain Yan has already landed, and seems to be tying a cable."

Xue Polu saw that this was indeed the case. The two boats that passed by Yan Laoyao each brought a main cable. A soldier of the Xue family army ran towards the bank of Bitong city downstream.

And the two fishing boats were already rowing to the center of the Yalu River. Xue Polu saw that the two fishing boats were about to approach the shore. A fishing boat is considering the reef in the middle of the river, and loaded into the reef there to cross the river."

Several of Xue Polu's personal soldiers went to shout at the riverside at once, and Yan Laoyao's troops who were on standby immediately passed quickly on the pontoon bridge that had just been built. In order to reduce the weight, not only did they not bring horses, but their weapons were all light weapons. Standing on the reef in the middle of the river and waiting to cross the river.

Hearing the call, the fishing boat immediately leaned against the reef, and picked up another 40 soldiers from the Xue family army who had just arrived not long ago. The distance greatly speeds up the speed of our Liaodong Army crossing the river."

Xue Polu said: "Brother Zhao, this is helpless. Cross the river earlier to be safer. God knows when Jianlu will arrive at our place."

Zhao Lengjiao asked: "Didn't you wipe out more than 6000 Tartars this morning? I guess the Jianlu behind will take it easy."

Xue Polu said: "It's hard to say. It is normal to judge that Jianlu should arrive at our riverside before noon tomorrow. Tonight is the best time to cross the river. Brother Zhao will cross the river in a while. We must make every effort to find the ferry. , This is related to the life and death of our Liaodong Army."

When Xue Polu and Zhao Lijiao were talking, the second batch of soldiers from the Xue family army went to the east bank of the Yalu River. Forty soldiers ran down the river non-stop, and half of the boatmen on the fishing boat also left with the soldiers of the Xue family army. Only half of the boatmen left. Row the empty boat back to the reef in the middle of the river.

At this time, Qiao Guoliang came to report: "Second uncle, the sheepskin bag in our hand can only tie twelve sheepskin rafts, and now we have tied four sheepskin rafts, which are already ready for use."

Xue Polu said: "We use ropes to connect with the main cable. We are concerned about the safety of the rafts. Each raft is equipped with experienced Northwest soldiers. The rafts must not overload the soldiers. After crossing the river, we send people to search upstream to see if there is any damage. Can’t find some fishing boats to build a pontoon bridge.”

Qiao Guoliang left in a hurry, the fishing boat docked at the reef in the middle of the river changed a group of boatmen, loaded with forty soldiers from the Xue family army and set off to the east bank of the Yalu River, and then the four sheepskin rafts pulled the main cable on the river tightly, While transporting people on the east bank of the Yalu River, Xue Polu saw that a sheepskin raft could hold about ten people.

In just one hour, the Liaodong Army boatmen relayed another ten officers and soldiers, the number reached 400, and more than 100 boatmen also crossed the river. The Liaodong Army officers and soldiers went to Bitong City and the riverside. The number of rafts finally increased to twelve, and nearly 800 officers and soldiers of the Liaodong Army were transported.

During this period, intermittent explosions sounded from the fishing port of Bitong City. Xue Polu and Zhao Lediao suspected that Yan Laoyao was fighting with the Koreans, but after a while, no boats came from the downstream of Bitong City, but they were let down from the upstream. Seven or eight small fishing boats were ordered, and the Xuejia Army Engineer Battalion only needed five or six small fishing boats to build the pontoon bridge, and added two larger fishing boats to the transportation to the Liaodong Army.

The surface of the Yalu River where Xue Polu is located is about 30 to [-] feet. Since the center of the river happens to be supported by a large reef, a pontoon bridge has been laid over [-] feet on the west bank, and the reef in the middle of the river can be used as a small transfer station. On the [-]-zhang river on the east bank, Xue's army engineers used eight small fishing boats to lay more than [-]-zhang pontoon bridges, greatly speeding up the transportation of Liaodong army soldiers and civilians by ferry boats and sheepskin rafts.

Zhao Lijiao said: "Brother Polu, with another twenty boats, the laying of the pontoon bridge can be completed. Unfortunately, there is no reply from Captain Yan and the others."

Xue Polu said: "Brother Zhao, don't worry, the youngest will get the boat here soon."

At this time Xue Polu's personal soldiers stepped forward and reported: "General, Mr. Mao, Governor Yu, and General Man have arrived."

Xue Polu and Zhao Liaojiao looked back, and in the distance the flag of the Ming Army was flying. The officers and soldiers of the Ming Army of the brigade were walking towards the river. Master Yu, go to General Man."

Xue Polu, Zhao Shujiao, Mr. Mao, Lord Yu, and Man Gui gathered together. The two sides briefly talked about the ceremony, and Yu Anxing asked, "Polu, how come there are not many people crossing the river?"

Xue Polu said: "Not only did the sticks on the other side not help our Liaodong Army, but they also used the excuse that they needed to ask the Pyongyang Prefecture and Yongbyon Metropolitan Protectorate to allow us to go ashore. They even refused to give us a boat for the Liaodong Army."

Yu Anxing was furious when he heard this: "These North Koreans are simply bastards. Aren't they going to put our Liaodong Army to death?"

Man Gui next to him was also furious, yelling that he wanted to go to Bitong City to kill those Koreans who were strangely dressed with the Liaodong Army to relieve their hatred.

The most embarrassing one is Mao Yuanyi. He has always actively advocated the rescue of Uiju City in North Korea. Xing, Xue Polu, Man Gui, and Zhao Rate taught them how to speak.

(End of this chapter)