Griffin Commander in the Late Ming Dynasty

However, it was very unusual that they had never encountered a major town like Huangqibao.

The high-ranking officials in the court also thought so. How could someone attack Huangqi Fort at this critical juncture? Wasn’t it said that Mao Wenlong had been killed?

Although they were surprised, the civil and military officials thought again and again about whether to summon Huang Taiji and decided not to do so for the time being. Now that the emperor's mission of entering the pass was at a critical juncture, if they were distracted by the rear, wouldn't it make them appear incompetent?

What Lai Bu and Bai Guanmen didn't expect was that they actually took down Huangqi Fort within three days! The tragic scene in front of him made him full of doubts. He really wanted to know what happened here?

"Bring someone here, I want to ask them in detail"

"promise"

Soon, a wounded soldier with a zip tie on his arm was brought over. As soon as he saw me, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed like crazy: "I deserve to die, I deserve to die, I failed to defend the Yellow Flag Fort, please punish me, master!"

Lai Bu snorted coldly: "Get up, you dog! Tell me in detail the attack on Huangqi Fort!"

“Yes, yes…”

Today, the Yangzhou wharf is extremely busy, with a large number of ships entering the port. These ships are of quite strange shapes and are all in foreign languages. It is obvious that these are large ships from foreign countries.

The number of these large ships was so large that the throughput of Yangzhou Port was somewhat unbearable, and the entire dock became extremely crowded.

"Phew... Thank God, the goods you needed were finally delivered. To be honest, these things really took me a lot of effort."

Van Leighton took off his gentleman's hat and kept fanning himself without any regard for etiquette. This was his first important big business, so naturally he had to keep an eye on it personally. He was very tired these days, and today he had to come and watch the unloading of goods at the port.

However, it's all worth it.

What surprised him was that the people who were responsible for carrying goods into the warehouse were all dressed tightly, with their faces covered with a mask that looked like... Doctor Crow. At the same time, they also brought some bottles and jars, which they sprayed on the goods that were brought down, which made Van Leighton feel very novel.

"Dear Mr. Jiang, forgive my ignorance, but these men of yours...are you suffering from the plague here?"

"Oh, no, Mr. Van Leighton, these are just some quarantine measures for entry. You should know that many things that do not belong to this land may bring disaster to this place, so we must be careful and cautious. I hope you don't mind."

This step is very necessary. In the next two weeks, Jiang Han will send people to conduct a comprehensive inspection, disinfection, and sterilization of the incoming goods to avoid possible viruses and invasions of some organisms that have no natural enemies here. That would be a headache.

Customs is very necessary to nip these conflicts in the bud as soon as possible.

"By the way, those animals should be difficult to transport, right?"

"is not that right?"

I feel a little depressed when I think of Van Leighton: these little things don’t eat much, but they excrete a lot, making our entire cabin stink. Oh my God, the smell is simply unbearable. I must clean the entire ship thoroughly after this trip.

"Hahahaha, that's really hard for Mr. Van Leighton."

Jiang Han joked, then turned his head and warned: "Remember, take all living things to take a bath, make sure there are no parasites on their bodies."

After hearing what Van Leighton said, Jiang Han no longer had any hope for the sanitary conditions on the ship. He hurried to wash these animals to prevent them from bringing in any parasites and causing further infection.

"The warehousing and inspection process is expected to last for a few days. If you don't mind, Mr. Van Leighton can come to my place to rest for a while. After the inventory is completed, I will settle the balance. During this period, we can also discuss the next business matter."

"Of course, of course, just do as you wish."

Today, Jiang Han is the God of Wealth for big customers. Van Leighton dare not offend him. To him, he is his God.

The two men walked across the dock and headed towards Yangzhou City. Along the way, many people bowed and greeted Jiang Han respectfully.

Today, Yangzhou Wharf can be said to be extremely prosperous. There are more than ten inns of various types, and even then, every one of them is packed, simply because the business at this wharf is so lively.

Due to the actions of Jiang Han's various soldiers, the entire lower reaches of the Yangtze River have been almost completely controlled by Jiang Han. This has led to all passenger ships traveling in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River being almost in Jiang Han's hands. With such resources, Jiang Han came up with a brilliant idea.

Water transportation.

Almost all the ships of all sizes in the Yangtze River section are marked with Jiang Han's label. To take a boat across the river or go downstream, you only need to buy a ticket at a fixed price. At the same time, merchants can also ask the fleet to transport goods by paying some rent. It is much more convenient than forming a fleet by themselves. With Jiang Han as a credit guarantee, this business is very prosperous, and many people rely on it for their livelihood.

The prosperous trade industry and logistics and transportation industry made the port more prosperous. Jiang Han was also constantly adding more jobs in the city. Workers from all walks of life now had some spare money in their hands due to the reduction of agricultural taxes. They naturally needed to eat while working on the construction site, so the inns on the roadside with good quality and low prices became the best choice.

Yangzhou's economy used to be stagnant, but Jiang Han is slowly getting it flowing.

"Sir, you are looking better and better."

"Sir, I wish you good fortune."

"Sir, these are the eggs my chickens just laid..."

"Sir, my sheep just gave birth..."

...

Jiang Han nodded and responded with a smile. To the people of Yangzhou today, seeing Jiang Han was like seeing a living Bodhisattva. After all, the Bodhisattva could not feed them, but the gentleman could. The imperial court could not keep them alive, but the gentleman could.

It is a very simple idea, but it is very true. After all, when the people can't even afford to eat, how can they discuss loyalty to the emperor and patriotism?

"Mr. Jiang, you are truly loved."

Such courtesy surprised Van Leighton who was standing by.

"Hahaha, I just did a small job. Come on, I'll welcome Mr. Van Leighton."

Inside the Jiang Mansion, Van Leighton was enjoying the steak in front of him: "Oh my God, Madam's cooking skills are amazing. I haven't eaten such authentic steak for a long time."

"As long as Mr. Van Leyden likes it."

Looking at Chuntian who was silently picking food for him, Jiang Han felt a little warm in his heart. Originally, he wanted to go out to eat, but Chuntian said that it was too dangerous to eat outside and it would be safer to eat at home, so Jiang Han just went with him.

"Mr. Jiang, I have brought all the goods on the list as you requested. I think we can talk about the next part of the transaction."

"Hahaha, Mr. Van Leighton is very anxious. Well, here is the list of goods we prepared this time. Please take a look at it."

Jiang Han took out a small booklet from his side and handed it to Van Leighton. Van Leighton immediately took it and opened it impatiently. Looking at the items inside, the corners of his mouth slowly grinned to his ears.

"Tea...porcelain...gems...good, good, very good"

But soon, he had another question: "Mr. Jiang, can we add some artworks and oriental paintings to these items? If these things are sent to us, they will be sold at a very good price."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Van Leyden. The paintings we have here are not well preserved and can't withstand the wind and waves at sea. I'm afraid the damage will be great if we take them over, so I can't agree to it at the moment."

Jiang Han looked embarrassed but sneered in his heart, "You son of a bitch, you actually want our famous calligraphy and paintings? You’re dreaming."

"How about I add silk to the cargo list as compensation?"

Hearing this, Van Leyden's dull eyes suddenly lit up: "Oh, generous Jiang, of course, you are so generous, the bay of the Black Sea cannot compare to your broad mind."

"Hahaha, that person is so shameless to accept this compliment. Now that Mr. Van Leighton has put forward his conditions, it's my turn to talk about some new trading items."

Jiang Han smiled, and Chuntian beside him wiped his mouth considerately. After Chuntian fiddled with Jiang Han, he slowly asked, "Mr. Van Leighton, do you know about black kerosene?"

Volume 320: Chapter Chapter : Lai Bu: What the hell?

"Black kerosene? Oh, of course I know, sir."

After just a slight hesitation, Van Leighton quickly figured out what the black kerosene that the rebel leader was talking about was.

"You are talking about the black and sticky kerosene. Of course I know that. It is a good thing. You only need a small bucket and throw it into the enemy's position to ignite it. It cannot be extinguished no matter what. But, you should not need this stuff, right?"

At a time when the internal combustion engine had not yet been invented, the West's understanding of oil was not deep enough. But even though they did not understand industry, their great shortcomings and virtues allowed them to discover another use for oil - incendiary bombs.

Taking advantage of the high viscosity of petroleum and the fact that it cannot be stopped from burning no matter how much water is poured on it, this thing is generally used by them as a siege weapon. A large wooden barrel with a catapult is thrown into the opponent's city and then ignited with a fire. No matter how strong the stone city is, it will be burned to ashes. Why not use it for civilian purposes? The smoke produced by this thing when it burns is too heavy, and there are all kinds of pungent smells that are unacceptable.

However, this thing was soon replaced by more useful artillery. What era is it now? Are you still playing traditional siege? You like building castles, right? I'll just use the cannon to bombard you!

The priority of oil as a weapon has also been moved back a lot.

Van Leighton was not surprised why the rebel leader in front of him knew about black kerosene. Ever since he saw the bastion fortifications outside Yangzhou, he knew that the man in front of him was no ordinary person. He must have a very deep understanding of the West and could not be fooled.

"I don't know if you're asking this because..."

"Of course I want to negotiate a deal with you. I would like to add this to the next cargo list. How about that?"

"Oh, of course, of course... It's just some useless black kerosene, of course it's fine, for the sake of our friendship, I can even give some away personally."

Van Leighton nodded repeatedly. This stuff was everywhere in Persia. You could just fill a big bucket of it. The main expensive thing was the shipping cost. But as long as you established a good relationship with the party in front of you, you could easily earn back this money.

"Hahahahahaha, then I would like to thank Mr. Van Leighton for his generosity."

Jiang Han nodded. Oil is a good thing. It is the core of future industrial production. There are so many things that can be done with the help of oil, such as refining energy, industrial compounds, rubber, plastics, and the remaining asphalt can be used to pave the road. It is really a treasure trove.

Of course, the current industrial level is not yet capable of refining so many things from petroleum, but using it simply as energy and raw material for road construction is enough to make it worth the money. This thing is an important source of energy for industrial internal combustion engines. Only with it can Jiang Han's industrial reform plan be further carried out.

"So, wish us a happy cooperation?"

Jiang Han raised the wine glass beside him and gestured slightly.

"Haha, of course, happy cooperation."

The clinking of wine glasses represents the conclusion of a new cooperation. Now Van Leyden is very proud and feels that he has already won.

"Sir, the goods and silver payments brought by the Dutch are all in the warehouse. Should we put the silver into the warehouse or..."

An official at the dock came over to report to Jiang Han.

"Click and check the amount. Keep a sum for the purchase of the ship from the British, and store the rest. Melt all the gold coins into gold bars. This thing won't work for large transactions."

"Yes"

Ships still need to be purchased. The number of ships under Jiang Han's command is obviously not enough compared to what he wants to do. Even if they are just used as warships, it seems too stingy, not to mention external colonization.

Petrochemical plants have a huge impact on the environment. If you put this thing in your home, you are just asking for trouble. Think about London a hundred years ago, which was known as the foggy city. Was that real fog? It was all smog!

The PM2.5 in London has reached the point where one's teeth will turn black, and the poisonous gas in the city is even so strong that it can kill people. He must not repeat the mistakes of others, so he has to find a way to contract out the project. As for who to contract it to, he already has a very suitable choice in his mind.

"Sir, the reply from the court has arrived."

Outside Huangqi Fort, Lai Bu's army was stationed there. The city had been destroyed too badly by the Iron Bloods to meet the army's stationing requirements. At this time, the city was trying its best to rescue supplies and property, and to help the victims buried under the ruins.

After repeated questioning, Lai Bu finally got nothing out of him. The defenders seemed to be scared out of their wits. The information they provided about the enemy was completely irrelevant. What? Cavalry riding on monsters? What? Giant monsters? What? Hundreds of artillery pieces...

This is simply nonsense. I asked you to tell me the battle report, but you told me a fairy tale, right? However, as the saying goes, three people make a tiger, one person is fine, but when a large number of surviving wounded and sick people spoke so convincingly, Lai Bu began to believe part of it. After all, the traces of artillery fire on Huangqi Fort could not be faked.

This group of enemies is not simple.

After this idea popped up in his mind, Lai Bu immediately decided to send a message to the court. According to his guess, the other party would never give up and they would definitely continue to move inward. Before they caused greater damage to the cities in Shengjing, he must lead his troops to catch up and stop them as soon as possible.

To be cautious, he sent a message to the court, giving a detailed explanation of the situation in the area, describing the current status of Huangqi Fort, and then told the court officials that there might be a group of enemies with heavy artillery now heading inland, which posed a great threat. At the same time, he requested reinforcements from the court, believing that such an enemy might not be defeated with their current strength.

The Shengjing court was naturally shocked after receiving the message from Lai Bu. They had originally thought that Huangqi Fort would at most suffer some property losses, just like when it was attacked by Mao Wenlong in the past, with surrounding houses destroyed, civilians kidnapped, and wells filled up. This would give them a headache for a while. They had actually been studying how to carry out the reconstruction work. As a result, this battle report directly overturned all their expectations.

What surroundings? I even gave you the Yellow Flag Fort!

Such a situation has never been seen since entering the Pass. Although Mao Wenlong is ferocious, he always seeks good fortune and avoids evil. He picks on the weak and bullies the people in the rear, and adults beat children. He almost never engages in head-on confrontation with his own army.

But this group of people was completely different. Their first target was the heavily guarded Huangqi Fort. They captured both the fort and the people there, which was enough to show that they had ill intentions. Moreover, with such strength, it would not be difficult for them to capture another city.

"Your Majesty must be informed of this matter as soon as possible."

Some ministers felt that something was not right and they had to tell Huang Taiji immediately, otherwise it would likely lead to a disaster.

"Indeed, but we can't just sit there and wait. Right now, we in Huangqi Fort don't even know who the enemy is. We should take the initiative to attack and find out the situation."

"A few days ago, a battle report came from the navy camp, saying that they were attacked by a group of foreigners and suffered heavy losses in their ships. After destroying the ships with artillery fire, the enemy fled. Is this incident related to the group of enemies in front of us?"

"Foreigners? Are you sure?"

"I also checked what the naval commander said. The other party is indeed driving a foreign ship. It is definitely not from the Ming Dynasty."

The minister who had spoken earlier nodded and said with great certainty:

"Fanbang... this matter is of great importance. We must inform His Majesty and send someone to report the situation over there as quickly as possible, eight hundred miles away. Hurry!"

The foreign countries are invading. Although we don't know what their purpose is, it is obvious that they are not like Mao Wenlong who would be satisfied with just robbing gold and silver treasures and leaving. There must be a deeper purpose behind it. Although we can't figure it out, the top priority now is to stop them as soon as possible.

"Write back to Lai Bu and tell him to hurry up and pursue the enemy. We will send a group of soldiers to reinforce him and make sure to delay the enemy's progress."

"Yes!"

Looking at the reply from the court, Lai Bu roughly understood the current situation. As he expected, it was a foreign country...

Slowly crumpling the letter into a piece of waste paper, throwing it into the brazier and lighting it, Lai Bu walked out of the tent and said, "Hurry up and get ready. The whole army is ready to march. We have to catch up with those bandits and teach them a lesson!"

The subsequent pursuit made Lai Bu a little confused.

"General, these are the footprints we tracked. Judging from the footprints, the enemy's target should be the direction of Phoenix City."

The scout looked at the footprints in front of him and felt like he was about to say something but stopped.

"What is this mark...? Why is it so strange?"

The huge print beside the foot was more than twice the size of a human hand, with a square sole and traces of claws scratching the ground in front. But no matter how hard Lai Bu racked his brains, he couldn't figure out what kind of species would leave such strange footprints.

"There are traces of wheel tracks. It seems that there are indeed a lot of artillery pieces..."

"Based on the footprints, the number of the enemy should not exceed a hundred..."

The scout hesitated and expressed his judgment. He was a little unsure. After all, it was a bit unbelievable that less than a hundred people could destroy Huangqi Fort.

Lai Bu looked at the footprints in front of him and fell into deep thought: "How long ago were these footprints made?"