Due to the defeat of Beixinzhou, the commander of Guazhou Water Camp and the commander of the Manchu Zhenghongqi Commander had been demoted to three levels by the emperor. It was only because no one among the generals in Manchu was more aware of the water war than Duobi, so he was ordered to listen to the army and make meritorious service on his crimes.

After the Taiping Army attacked Beixinzhou, the Guazhou Water Camp did not have a day of peace. The Taiping Army's navy would come to attack Guazhou Water Camp every now and then. Sometimes it could be bombarded for a long time, but sometimes it would be fired and retreated after a few shots. Sometimes there would be water ghosts diving to set fire late at night, which made Guazhou Water Camp very aggrieved.

Duobi had thought that he would lead the navy out of the camp to fight against the Taiping Army, but he couldn't get through the Beixinzhou Fort. Fortunately, the Taiping Army's navy could only block the Guazhou Water Camp and could not force the attack. Overall, the Taiping Army was profitable, but as long as the Guazhou Water Camp was there, they could not completely control the Yangtze River. This was like a nail. As long as the nail was not pulled out, the Taiping Army could not step onto the north of the Yangtze River.

When Duobi went to the camp the day before yesterday, he heard that the ministers in the inner court suggested to the emperor that they cross the river from Caishiji or Anqing areas in the upper reaches to avoid the advantageous naval forces of the Taiping Army in the downstream. The emperor was considering this policy, and it was not yet determined whether to accept this opinion. After all, whether the Qing army's naval forces were weak, and the only way to cross the river was to find a place where the Taiping Army was extremely weak in defense. Obviously, the ministers in the inner court believed that the main forces of the Taiping Army were all downstream, so there was a saying that they marched from the upstream.

This strategy is the saying of "avoiding the real and going to the virtual", but if we really want to follow this strategy, it would be a troublesome to mobilize the army. Not to mention how to avoid the detailed work of the Taiping Army in Jiangbei, how to raise enough ships to cross the river in the upstream is a big problem. The emperor issued an order to inquire about this matter, Kuenbu, the admiral of Jiangnan Jiang's in Anqing. Kuenbu reported that the Anqing Water Camp suffered heavy losses in the last Anqing defense battle and could not bear the responsibility of the army crossing the river. He suggested that the emperor should still choose the opportunity to cross the river downstream and must not move lightly.

In addition to the theory of "avoiding the real and taking advantage of the false", Cai Shiying, the new governor of the grain transportation, offered the emperor a "concealing the world and crossing the sea" strategy. This strategy was caused by the battle of the Sui army to destroy Chen, and was used by the Sui Dynasty general He Ruobi.

After He Ruobi led the Sui army to station on the north bank of the Yangtze River, in order to paralyze the Chen army stationed at Jingkou on the south bank of the Yangtze River, he sold the old horses among the army and bought a large number of Chen Dynasty ships. After buying them, he secretly hid the ships, and then purchased fifty or sixty small broken boats and stopped on the bank of the river. After Chen Jun spied and learned, he thought that the Sui army had no ships crossing the river. Secondly, when He Ruobi ordered the soldiers stationed along the river to transfer shifts, they must gather on the shore, hold flags, and camps everywhere.

At first or twice, when Chen's army on the other side of the river saw him, he thought the Sui army was going to cross the river, so he quickly mobilized the army to strengthen his vigilance. But several times, it was just a handover of soldiers, so he became accustomed to it and neglected to be prepared. In addition, He Ruobi also often led his soldiers to hunt along the river, with people and horses shouting, which was very lively. Gradually, no matter what big news there was on the other side of the river, Chen's army didn't care. As a result, when He Ruobi really led his army across the river, Chen's army had no reaction at all, and the natural danger of the Yangtze River was lost.

Cai Shiying's "hiding the world" strategy has received support from many people, but Duo Bi is disdainful of this whimsical method. Why? First, the Qing army could not buy a ship from the opposite side of the river. Secondly, the Taiping Army is now harassing and confusing the Taiping Army, not the Qing Army. Cai Shiying and others are in the back, talking about war on paper, thinking that they can succeed by copying successful examples of their predecessors, but they don't know the real situation on the front line. Duo Bi only agreed with this bullshit "hiding the world". What he is worried about is that one day the Taiping Army's naval army really attacks on a large scale, and whether his subordinates who are harassed by the Taiping Army every day can react in time.

To be honest, Duobi was unwilling to be the commander of this water camp. The emperor and the generals of Manzhou said that Duobi understood water war because when he followed Emperor Taizong to attack Korea, he had fought with the Ming army in Dongjiang on the sea for his side troops. However, Duobi lost that water war, but Emperor Taizong did not blame him for the punishment. Instead, after this battle, I, Manzhou's manlang, finally understood water war. After that, Duobi was known among the generals of Manzhou for understanding water war. Over the past 20 years, everyone said that Duobi was really a good player in the water. When he formed the Guazhou water camp, the emperor was the first to think of him Duobi, but he didn't know that Duobi actually did not understand water war. His only water war was that he lost, and it was ugly, and the whole army was wiped out.

Only when you lose money can you learn a lesson and succeed next time. Duobi ridiculed himself. Since he lost that time, he has not fought a water battle for more than 20 years, so how could he succeed? The emperor asked him to be the commander of the water camp, which really drove him to put him on the shelves and tortured him.

People in the north are good at horses, while people in the south are good at boats. This is an iron rule that has been eternal and will not change due to personnel and affairs.

Duobi knew himself and knew that he actually did not understand water wars, so he believed in several Han navy generals under Chong. Half a month ago, he even asked the emperor to transfer Shi Lang, who had originally defected from the great thief Zheng Sen of Jinxia.

Shi Lang was a famous general of the Jinxia Zheng army, but he was not valued after surrendering to the Qing court and his life was very poor. When Duo Bi reported to him, this man relied on his wife as a female tailor in the capital to supplement his family's income, otherwise he would not be able to continue with three meals a day.

Shunzhi approved Duobi's request, and the fast horse commander Shi Lang immediately went south to Guazhou Water Camp to listen and be appointed as the general of Yangzhou. However, Shi Lang could not come for a while, so Duobi could rely on the generals of the Shui Camp now. Among them, Yizhen General Jiang Daqing was the leader of the water battle. This person was originally a water bandit in Gaoyou area. After the Qing army advanced south, he took the initiative to surrender. He served as Qianzong, Dusi, and deputy general. He was promoted to general when the Guazhou Water Camp was established.

Jiang Daqing did not disappoint Duo Bi's trust and high hopes. Although he was unable to change the disadvantage of Guazhou Water Camp after the Beixinzhou Fort was seized, under his leadership, the water camp was very effective in defense. The last time he went out to the camp and the Taiping Navy in the east of Beixinzhou, he also made great achievements.

Because the Taiping Army's navy once attacked the camp in the evening yesterday, just after breakfast, Jiang Daqing invited General Duobi and brought several boats to the camp to inspect. If the Taiping Army Navy did not appear, Jiang Daqing would prepare to organize people to deploy iron chains to block the river, commonly known as the "Roll River Dragon". Originally, the Qing army had a "Roll River Dragon" on the river surface in front of the Beixinzhou Fort, but it was destroyed by the Taiping Army. Jiang Daqing planned to re-distribute a few channels this time. Although the effect was limited, it could at least delay the Taiping Army and provide enough warning time for the water battalion.

Jiang Daqing led his men out of the camp carefully. Several boats were divided into two teams, three in the east and two in the west, staying alert. When he first left the port, he didn't see anything wrong on the river. It was empty, and the Taiping Army in Beixinzhou did not move. Jiang Daqing felt a little relieved and said that the bandits had been harassing for many days, and they must have been exhausted. There was no fog covering today, so they had no reason to come again. Unexpectedly, just as the Clippers were about to report the news, he asked the water camp to start laying the "Rolling River Dragon" on the river to the west, there was a drum beat on the river.

The sound of "dongdongdongdongdongdong" war drums resounded across the river.

Jiang Daqing and his subordinates clearly saw that hundreds of warships were sailing in a mighty manner on the upper river. (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!