Chapter 435 Catching a turtle in a urn

"The goods have been loaded, boss, please sign!" After the dock staff confirmed that the handover of the goods was completed, they asked Song San to sign for the corresponding documents.

Song San couldn't write, so he pressed his fingerprints with ink pads, and then called the sailors to gather and count the number of people in preparation for departure. Of course, he did not forget to send someone to notify the people of the militia and ask them to board the ship quickly.

Li Qingyang leaned against the side of the ship and watched a group of about twenty armed militiamen filing onto the ship from the pier. It was obvious that this was not the first time that these soldiers went to sea on a ship. Their faces looked very relaxed. If it weren't for the canvas on their backs,

With their backpacks and muskets, it was difficult for Li Qingyang to regard them as a group of soldiers.

Suddenly, Li Qingyang felt that someone was staring at him. He turned around and saw the Haihan officer named Xiao standing on the dock smiling at him and waving goodbye. This action made him breathe a sigh of relief. If this officer named Xiao

The Haihan people were also going to board the ship, so Li Qingyang's nerves were probably really tense throughout the whole journey. He didn't want to be watched by this terrifying Haihan people all the time during the days going to Sanya.

"Unmoor and raise the sails, let's set off!" Song San gave the order, and the sailors on the deck immediately became busy. Several sailors stood on the side of the ship, using pennies to slowly push the ship away from the shore, and several others

The combined force pulled up the anchor chain that was lowered into the water. Under the influence of the wind, the sailboat slowly turned around in the middle of the river and sailed to the southeast direction of the Pearl River.

The militiamen who boarded the ship did not enter the cabin to rest. Instead, under the command of the leading officer, they sat in two rows on the deck against the left and right sides of the ship.

Sailing from the waterway near Lijiazhuang into the Pearl River, it is still about 60 nautical miles away from Wanshan Port. This voyage takes about a little more than half a day for an "exploration-class" sailing ship, but for the Guangdong Province that Li Qingyang achieved,

For a ship, it took more than half a day to complete. When the sky started to get dark, the sailor in charge of the lookout finally managed to see the lighthouse on Dawanshan Island.

"Is that Wanshan Port?" Li Qingyang walked out of the cabin after hearing the news and asked, looking at a bright light on the sea level in the distance.

"That's right, we'll be there in about half an hour. We'll stay overnight at Wanshan Port tonight and set off again early tomorrow morning." Seeing that the destination was just around the corner, Song San seemed very relaxed.

When we arrived at Wanshan Port, it was already dark. Although there were lights on both sides of the port to guide ships in and out of the port, the coastal defense artillery fortifications on the island could no longer be seen clearly at this time, which made Li Qingyang feel a little regretful.

When the sailboat slowly docked, Li Qingyang noticed that a group of heavily armed Haihan militiamen were waiting on the shore, which made his nerves tense again. However, when he saw that no one else on the boat had any special reaction, he

It is expected that this is probably just a routine method of the Haihan people, but it should not be messed up and exposed.

Li Qingyang looked around. Although the sky had darkened, from the lights on the shore of the harbor, he could still roughly infer that the size of the port was not large. However, the terrain was naturally concave, making it a good sea haven.

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After the ship docks, the first person to board the ship is the staff of the Wanshan Port Port Management Center. They must first register the personnel and cargo on the ship. If there are people who need to land, they must register separately to arrange accommodation.

The group of militiamen who boarded the boat disembarked first. They did not need any form of registration, they only needed to obey the orders of the local military commander.

Li Qingyang made an agreement with his companions on the way, so that one person would stay on the boat and the other would go ashore that night. Li Qingyang was now basically familiar with the captain Song San, and his position was barely considered management. He could still enjoy the treatment of staying in a hotel for one night ashore.

After he proposed it, Song San also readily agreed - he would have to wander on the sea for a few days, and it would be good to stay one more night on land.

After completing the registration, Song San, Li Qingyang and others were led by the staff to a small courtyard on the shore, where their food and accommodation were arranged. Before leaving, the staff specifically warned them not to walk out of the courtyard at night.

areas outside the country to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

After the man left, Li Qingyang asked Song San: "The management here has always been so strict?"

Song San shook his head and said: "That's not true. Wanshan Port has a special activity area for outsiders. As long as they don't leave this area, it will be fine. There is no restriction on leaving the yard. I'll ask someone later.

Ask, maybe something happened."

Li Qingyang nodded, ate dinner absentmindedly, and then returned to the small single room arranged for himself. Considering the conditions of an overseas island, the conditions of this small single room were pretty good. There was a three-foot-wide wooden bed in the room.

There are thin quilts and bamboo mats on it. In addition, there is a small desk and a chair in the house, and a small wardrobe. On the cabinet is a glass-shaded windproof oil lamp from Haihan. The floors are all wooden and painted.

A layer of varnish. The house is clean without any peculiar smell. There is a bathing place next door and the toilet at the other end of the yard. They are all public facilities.

Because he only rested here for one night, most of Li Qingyang's personal luggage was put on the boat and was not taken out. Li Qingyang took the copper basin in the house next door to fetch water and washed up, then returned to the house and lay on the bed, thinking about today's events.

Experience and knowledge.

Compared with the fragmentary information obtained by Nanzhen Fusi before, the information obtained by Li Qingyang when he led his team south is undoubtedly more detailed and comprehensive. The Haihan people are by no means only three to five hundred people as rumored, and they are just engaged in maritime activities.

The overseas Han remnants of trade not only had the means to make money, but also showed great ambitions, and were definitely a potential threat to the Ming Dynasty.

This force chose to settle at the southern end of Qiongzhou Island, far away from the Emperor Tiangao. The entire Qiongzhou Island garrison only had 10,000 troops, and its combat power was even more worrying. On the other hand, the so-called militia organized by the Haihan people turned out to be all standard firecrackers.

, even the military uniforms are uniform, what kind of militia is this? It is simply a private army! Although it is not yet clear how big the specific size of the Haihan militia is, but judging from the territory and population controlled by the Haihan people, I am afraid that

The strength of the troops is in the thousands. Considering the equipment level of the Haihan Militia, its combat effectiveness is probably no longer at a level that the Qiongzhou Island garrison can handle.

What worries Li Qingyang the most is the navy of the Haihan people. If the rumors are true, then the armament level of the Haihan people's warships is also higher than that of the Ming Dynasty navy. And this gap in combat power may require five to ten times the strength to regain.

To bring the two sides back to the same starting line, the navy in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions is obviously still far from this goal. Let alone any battle, they may not even be able to block the trade routes of the Haihan people.

When Li Qingyang was ordered to go south, he thought that this should be an easy job. He only needed to verify the charges and then report to the local government to mobilize troops to wipe out these outsiders. But as he learned more and more about the situation, Li Qingyang also realized that he

I thought the matter was too simple at first. The information we have so far is enough to accuse the Haihan people of several treasonous crimes, but how can we deal with these people? They have money, soldiers and territory, so of course they cannot take over.

After receiving a piece of paper from the government, I put on my ankles and handcuffs and went to jail. If I want to put down this "rebellious party", I'm afraid I will have to use force in the end.

However, according to Li Qingyang's understanding, the Ministry of War probably does not have this part of the military budget for the large-scale war on Qiongzhou Island. Since the Tianqi period, the country's strategic center has been placed in northern Xinjiang, and the amount of Liao pay collected to raise military expenses has increased almost every year.

With the increase in the number, a considerable part of the imperial government's finances were spent on the northeastern front. If the Han people were to be invaded, South China would have to mobilize at least tens of thousands of combat troops to go to Qionghai. This would require mobilizing ships, grain, and supplies, which would not be short-term.

The amount can be raised within the country, but to deal with the Haihan people, the most important thing is probably the issue of time.

According to the information currently available, it has only been more than two years since the Haihan people settled in Yazhou. However, their strength has already become the actual controller of the Qiongnan area, and they have a strong influence in the officialdom and civil society of Guangdong, Guangxi and even Fujian.

They all have considerable influence. Over time, even if this force does not openly rebel, their methods will be enough to turn Qiongzhou Island into a lawless land and escape the actual jurisdiction of the imperial court.

Fighting may not solve the problem smoothly, and may even cause great trouble to the court. But without fighting, sooner or later the problem will become unmanageable. Li Qingyang suddenly discovered that he had not even reached his destination.

, has already fallen into a dilemma.

"After we settle down in Sanya, we need to write books and report back as soon as possible. Let's leave this troublesome matter to our superiors!" Li Qingyang tossed and turned until the middle of the night before finally coming up with a solution that was not a solution, and fell asleep in a daze.

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As soon as it got dark, Li Qingyang was woken up by a high-pitched sound of a trumpet. He got dressed and went outside, where he saw that the residents in other rooms had also come out one after another.

When Li Qingyang saw the sleepy Song San stretching out, he leaned over and asked in a low voice: "Brother Song San, what is the reason for this trumpet sound?"

Song San yawned loudly and said: "This is the morning exercise for the militia army on the island! This place is different from other places. It is an area directly under the jurisdiction of the militia army, so everything must follow the rules of the militia army.

Come on. They have morning exercises so that no one else can sleep in."

Li Qingyang said in astonishment: "Is this true for all ****?"

"This is true for all ****." Song San nodded with a matter-of-fact expression and said: "The Haihan militia is very good at fighting, and that is a skill they have learned through actual practice. It is not like the army of the imperial court, hey... forget it.

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Li Qingyang was speechless about this. Even the elite troops of the imperial court could not conduct drills every day. It was very common for local garrisons to conduct drills every half month or even once a month. Although no one usually thought there was anything wrong with this, but

Comparing with the training of the Haihan Militia, he is clearly superior. Although he is not a soldier, he also knows that if the army neglects training, it will be difficult to ensure that they can perform outstandingly on the battlefield, especially when facing the Haihan Militia.

An opponent like the regiment, which is well-equipped, well-trained and diligent, may eventually have to rely on its superiority in military strength to close the gap in combat effectiveness. But this will return to the starting point of the vicious cycle - the imperial court will probably not have any excess military expenditures to provide to the South for the war.

A large-scale military operation.

When Li Qingyang was feeling a little depressed, he heard the sound of neatly running from outside the hospital. According to his experience, this was at least the sound that would be made when more than a hundred troops were gathering. Li Qingyang wanted to go out and watch the Haihan militia exercise.

What exactly is the training method, but I am worried that my behavior will be too ostentatious and will be noticed by the Haihan people. When I was hesitant, I heard the footsteps stopping outside the courtyard.

After a moment of silence, many heads suddenly appeared on the surrounding rooftops, and then a row of gun barrels stretched out, pointing condescendingly at the stunned people in the courtyard.

"Everyone in Courtyard No. 1, please be patient. This is a normal military exercise. Follow the instructions and don't move. No one will be harmed!" Someone holding a tin speaker leaned on the wall and shouted loudly to the people in the courtyard.

Li Qingyang's first reaction was that something had happened, and he subconsciously began to look left and right for openings for escape. However, the courtyard was a square structure with flat-roofed houses on all sides. There was only one door facing the port for entry and exit, and each house

The windows all face the courtyard, and even the toilets and bathrooms have no exits to the outside. Apart from the main door, the only way to escape from the courtyard is to climb on the roof. But under the aim of more than a dozen guns, Li Qingyang did not dare

Make sure you have a chance to climb the roughly eight-foot-high roof without any injuries.

It was already dark when he checked in last night. Li Qingyang didn't notice the strange layout of the courtyard. At this time, he discovered that something was wrong and it was already too late. The design of this courtyard is simply like a small prison. The people who live in it have no feelings for the courtyard.

There is no chance of resistance or escape under the control of the outside world - this is a true portrayal of his situation at this moment.

When Li Qingyang was at a loss, Song San comforted him from the side: "Don't be afraid, the militia army does not arrest people casually. Since it is just an exercise, just stand still and nothing will happen."

Li Qingyang thought that this was not a drill arranged by the Haihan people, but was directed at him. He just didn't know where he had exposed himself, and they would notice him. Captain Song San had always been with him.

, and nothing was found wrong, so how did the Haihan people get hold of themselves?

The door creaked open, and a group of armed militia soldiers filed in, followed by a Haihan officer who looked very young, and could even be described as childish. But Li Qingyang could feel it from this young man's body.

He has an aura similar to that of the officer surnamed Xiao in Lijiazhuang. This murderous intimidation is not commensurate with his youthful appearance. It is not difficult to infer that this young Haihan officer has experienced the temper of war.
Chapter completed!