It is midsummer in July and the typhoon season is far away. For small fishing boats, it is very irrational to venture out to sea at this time. However, the Zhenyuan is a large warship and can withstand typhoons of level 7 or 8, so it can ride the waves calmly.
All are out of the question.
On July 1, two Zhenyuan and two Dingyuan were delivered to the navy. Among the four warships, each Zhenyuan had a crew of 300, and each Dingyuan had a crew of 200. The number of crews was relatively small, but
It's okay for now, because both warships are equipped with large artillery, and they win with artillery rather than hand-to-hand combat.
On the day the navy left the port and went to sea, celebrities from all walks of life in Shuntian government, military and business came to watch the ceremony. Because the completion of the warship meant that Shuntian government began to move towards the vast ocean. In Wan Lei's words, a blue sea would be opened up, and Shuntian government would never be seen again.
It is passively closed.
After nine gun salutes, the warship began to weigh anchor. Wan Lei stood by the ship's ladder, the sea breeze ruffling his clothes. Fu Wei personally put a cloak on his husband, like all ordinary wives of soldiers who went out to war.
She asked her husband to take care of himself and pay attention to safety...
In the end, thousands of words converged into one sentence: I'm waiting for you to come back!
Since this is the first time that the warship goes to sea for combat, Wan Lei, as the chief designer and chief engineer of the warship, must go with it. If there is any problem with the warship, he can solve it in time. Of course, the shipwrights also go with him. After all, the warship
There may be problems that require shipwrights to repair.
"Sir, Tamsui's rations and ammunition have been loaded onto the ship. The southwest wind is blowing now, is it time to set sail?" Liu Wenxiu reminded in Wan Lei's ear.
Wan Lei nodded to Liu Wenxiu, turned around and hugged his beloved wife, refusing to let go for a long time. This time he went to sea to go to war with the Ming Navy, and the fate was uncertain, so Wan Lei had already delegated power to important military and political officials.
When a major incident occurs, they can hold a party meeting to discuss it and then act expediently without asking for instructions.
At the same time, in order to ensure that there are no traitors and traitors in the military and political circles of Shuntian Mansion, Wan Lei also gave Zhang Yan a task, which is to monitor all officials. If anyone dares to have different intentions and betray the interests of Shuntian Mansion, the Jingzhong Guards can also act expediently and control the traitors.
Waiting for the fall.
In short, with all his worries relieved, Wan Lei could safely step onto the warship and go on an expedition with the army. However, he still felt a deep attachment to his beloved wife. Finally, the warship set sail, and he left his wife's arms with a heartless heart.
Step on board.
Wenwen Township is the Tomb of Heroes, and real men should be cruel to themselves.
The warship slowly left the military port, Wan Lei waved goodbye to everyone on the deck, and Fu Wei stood there, watching the ship slowly go away, and finally turned into a small dot.
"Sister, let's go back. The wind is really strong here. If you catch a cold, Brother Wan will have to blame me again." Zhao Xueer reminded, in fact, she didn't want to leave just now, but now that the sun was setting, there was nothing she could do if she didn't leave.
Entered the city before dark.
"Let's go home." Fu Wei jumped on his horse, looked back at the desolate military port, pulled the reins of the horse and walked in the direction of Peiping. As the Ming Navy was approaching, Shuntian Prefecture implemented the policy of strengthening the walls and clearing the country. All personnel and
All supplies were brought back to Beiping City, with only the Peking Army patrolling back and forth outside the city.
On the vast sea, twenty-four warships formed a Yanxing formation and headed eastward. Wan Lei stood at the stern of the ship, looking at the gradually disappearing land. The setting sun reflected half of the sky red, and the sunset glow shone on the sea, glowing with golden phosphorus.
Such a charming scenery made him obsessed with it.
"Sir, Mrs. Liu has brought people over. It's time for a meeting." A Jingzhong guard standing nearby reminded.
A few days ago, Mrs. Liu took all the warships north to Dagu Port and reached a consensus with Wan Lei on coordinated operations. Since the Peking Army's naval ships were strong and powerful, they naturally became the main force in the battle, and Mrs. Liu was responsible for the coordination.
In battle, we naturally have to obey the commands of the Peking Army.
Of course, this coordinated combat method is more beneficial to Madam Liu, because she does not have to do anything. She only needs to follow the Peiping Army to fight in the autumn wind, and she may get half of the loot. And Madam Liu also knows that with her own strength,
Unable to compete head-on with the Ming Dynasty navy, it would be a wise choice to find a strong partner.
Moreover, almost all the elite navy of the Ming Army were sent north. As long as this navy is wiped out, the East China Sea and the South China Sea will be her world from now on. She can even send her troops up the Yangtze River, approach Jinling, and take away the capital of the Ming Dynasty.
, destroying the ruling center of the Ming Dynasty in one fell swoop.
Of course Wan Lei knows the little things in Mrs. Liu's mind, but now Shuntian Mansion is weak and needs partners, so he doesn't want to fall out with Mrs. Liu prematurely. In addition, he also admires Mrs. Liu, this old woman actually
Being able to lead thousands of dead soldiers is very special.
The pre-war meeting was held in the command room of Zhenyuan No. 1, chaired by Liu Wenxiu. Wan Lei sat aside and listened without making any comments. During the march and fighting, Wan Lei was self-aware and actively learned from Liu Bang to be a good leader.
As long as you choose your generals, you don't have to worry about the rest of marching and fighting.
At the meeting, the staff of the navy gave several combat plans for reference. The first plan was to rush to the mouth of the Bohai Sea and use the advantages of the sea shape to block the Ming Dynasty navy; the second plan was to go out of the mouth of the Bohai Sea and ambush at sea.
, avoid the main force of the Ming Navy, attack the subsequent grain transport team of the Ming Navy, and then attack the main force of the Ming Navy; the third plan is to stay in the Bohai Sea, show the enemy's weakness, and wait for the Ming Army to attack deeply, and then find a way to break it up.
Among these three plans, only the first plan is to fight head-on with the Mingshui Division. The other two plans are to fight guerrillas, but the location of the guerrillas has changed. These plans were also jointly formulated by more than ten senior staff officers of the General Staff Department.
, as for how to make a decision, that is a matter for the general.
Liu Wenxiu looked at Mrs. Liu, her group and her subordinates present, and instead of Qiankun being arbitrary, she asked, "What do they think?"
"Commander Liu, option one is too risky, option three is too passive, option two is safer, but it has to go out to sea, and the sea is very rough. If there is a typhoon, it will be dangerous, so we have to consider it carefully." Mrs. Liu.
She said, as soon as she finished speaking, her subordinates nodded in agreement.
"What do you think?" Liu Wenxiu looked at his subordinates.
"Who are the enemy's general and deputy general?" Luo Yiquan, commander of the naval artillery battalion, asked.
"Yu Min, the Marquis of Yuecheng, is the chief military officer, and under him are deputy generals Chen Xuan, Wang Ning and others, as well as several generals and partial generals." After Mrs. Liu introduced her, she added: "Yu Min is a dandy who borrowed his talent from his father.
He was granted the title of Marquis of Yue City and has never been in a battle. Chen Xuan is a wallflower who only recognizes money but not people; Wang Ning is a prince-in-law who is good at literature but does not know about military affairs. He is good at talking about military affairs on paper and is not worth mentioning. "
"Since these people are just losers, what do we have to worry about? Just seal the entrance to the Bohai Sea and annihilate the enemy on the spot." Luo Yiquan said.
"You can't say that. I heard that the imperial court sent two military officers to the navy, one named Xie Jin and the other Yang Zirong. Xie Jin is a nerd, so don't worry about it, but Yang Zirong is smart, clever, mature and prudent, and he is a talent.
As long as he is here, it will not be easy for the Ming Navy to get it," Mrs. Liu said.
"Who is Yang Zirong?" Luo Yiquan frowned. Since the Jingzhong Guard had just started and had just entered Jinling, the Ming Dynasty had not yet found out much information.
"Yang Zirong, named Mianren, was born in Jian'an, Fujian. He was a Jinshi in the second year of Jianwen and was awarded the title of Editor of the Hanlin Academy. Although he was an official for only a short time, his talent and learning were valued by many ministers of the dynasty, so he was sent to supervise the army." Liu Wan said.
"Since there are intelligent helpers in the Ming army, it is better for us to be more cautious. In my opinion, it is better to adopt the second plan." Liu Wenxiu said, because this is his first battle, he wants to get a good start, but
After failing the trust of Wan Lei and the Military Commission, and winning this battle, his ranking in the Military Commission rose, and he had the right to speak, so he did not dare to be careless.
The commander had spoken, and the generals had nothing to say. They turned to look at Wan Lei who was listening. Seeing that Wan Lei had no objection, they all nodded in agreement. Mrs. Liu didn't have anything to say, anyway.
He's not the main force, he's just following the autumn wind. It's strange why Wan Lei didn't say a word in the meeting. This is not what a king should do.
The strategic plan was finalized, and the staff of the staff department came up with several sets of detailed tactics for reference. Wan Lei still said nothing. The generals deliberated for more than an hour. After all the details were discussed, they began to allocate operations.
Task.
Our own side only has twenty-four warships, while the enemy has three hundred warships and more than two hundred grain ships. Our strength is obviously far behind that of others, so it is naturally not suitable for dividing the troops for fighting. Therefore, the twenty-four warships were divided
They are divided into four teams, each team is about ten miles apart, and they advance in a rhombus formation at the angles of each other. Once they encounter the enemy, they form a crescent formation, fight and run, and must not let the enemy ships bite.
The pre-war meeting was over and it was already dark. Wan Lei, who had been silent for a long time, finally invited everyone to have a meal together. Due to the good preparations before the war, a lot of fresh water and military rations were brought on the warship, so there was no need to worry about running out of food. The long dining table
On the table, Wan Lei was chatting and laughing with the generals, but the people around Mrs. Liu were a little reserved and didn't move their chopsticks much.
"Sir, the hair on our soldiers' heads is too long, which makes them feel uncomfortable. It is also prone to hair lice, which is very inconvenient. I want to cut it off, but I am afraid that my parents will accuse me of being unfilial. After all, my parents dare not accept it because of my skin.
Injury is the beginning of filial piety." Liu Wenxiu sat closest to Wan Lei, raised his book bag and frowned at the same time, because he also felt uncomfortable on his head.
"Brother Liu, don't worry. Your hair grows on you. You can cut it if you want. I will convince those old guys." Wan Lei said with a smile. Not to mention, it is really inconvenient for navy officers to have long hair.
There is little fresh water on sea ships, so it is impossible to use it to wash your hair. If you don't wash your long hair for a day, it will inevitably itch and become uncomfortable, and it will also breed hair lice and even infectious diseases. It is really not necessary to have long hair.
However, social public opinion is indeed very strong. The old masters all said that "the hair and skin of the body are received by the parents and dare not be damaged, which is the beginning of filial piety." Many people just want to do business and just follow others without understanding. Now people in the Ming Dynasty think that haircut is a big deal.
It is unfilial, so you tie your hair and wear a crown, and no one dares to use a knife on your head.
"Master Wan, keeping your hair tied and wearing a crown is a symbol of my Han family. Cutting your hair and stripping it is no different from barbarians. People's words are scary, and you should think twice." Liu Wan didn't want to interrupt, but couldn't help but advise.
"The ancients are right, but we understand it wrong. What is damage? Short hair can make the hair straight and luxuriant, beautiful and decent, which is the embodiment of loving hair and skin. Long hair can easily cause hair loss, baldness, and lice.
Hair leprosy. In my opinion, long hair not repaired will not only damage the hair, but also damage the skin, which is unfilial." Wan Lei said.
Wan Lei didn't want to be different with his hair before, so as not to cause more misunderstandings. But now that the navy has been established, the hair problem has become a big problem. If this problem is not solved, it will affect the overall combat effectiveness of the navy, so we can't wait any longer.
, he decided to start the haircut movement after the war. The army must have a crew cut, and the people can voluntarily choose whether to cut their hair. Of course, the public opinion work must be done well first, otherwise it will not be good if it causes misunderstanding.
"Master Wan's statement is quite new, but if the people of Shuntian Prefecture pick their hair, outsiders will definitely regard them as barbarians. Who will dare to deal with the people of Shuntian Prefecture in the future?" Mrs. Liu also said.
"What is a barbarian? People who are uneducated and unreasonable are barbarians. In Shuntian Prefecture, culture and education are prosperous, and the people are enlightened. In addition, science and technology are changing with each passing day, the economy is prosperous, and the military is strong. Compared with the Ming Dynasty, it is an enlightened country. Who is a barbarian?
It's China, and anyone with a discerning eye can tell it at a glance." Liu Wenxiu said tit for tat.
"Haha..." Mrs. Liu shrugged and said no more, because she had never understood the people of Shuntian Mansion, so she knew that her words were in vain.
The people on Mrs. Liu's side stopped talking. The situation was a bit awkward. Wan Lei put down his bowls and chopsticks and said: "That's it for tonight. Everyone should stay in their respective positions and use flags to command. Don't act privately."
"Signal language?" Mrs. Liu didn't understand what the flag language was.
"Semaphore is a language expressed by flags, just like a mute using sign language." Liu Wan, who had seen the Peking Army and Navy training, so he was well-informed, explained on his behalf.
"We have assigned a flagman to each of your ships. When the time comes, just let them receive and send orders and military information." Liu Wenxiu said.
"Oh, since we have been prepared, we will just obey the order." Mrs. Liu said no more. After all, the sea is different from the land. The ships are too far apart and the shouts cannot be heard. And at sea, it is difficult to hear the words.
You can't rely on fast horses to convey messages, you can only use boats, which are too slow. Using semaphore can be regarded as a quick and effective way to convey military information.
Of course, Mrs. Liu is also very eager to understand how the flag language conveys the message. She is learning various advanced experiences now so that she can build her own powerful navy in the future. After all, this time she only has a temporary cooperative relationship with the Peking Army, and she plans to attack Jinling in the south.
You have to fight this kind of big battle yourself, lest others take away the fruits of Ming Dynasty's victory.
Wan Lei certainly knows the little things in Mrs. Liu's mind, but now that the war is imminent, there is no need to delve into these small issues anymore. Everything can be done after defeating the Mingshui Master.