Chapter 151: Brothers and Sisters of the Lin Family, Bomb the Bridge and Destroy the Enemy
Liujiagang, East Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.
After the Yuan Dynasty began to transport grain by sea, they set out from here. Therefore, it is also known as the first warehouse in the world. Zheng He's voyages to the West also started from here.
Two medium-sized sand boats slowly left the dock and headed south into the vast sea.
The sand ship is a flat-bottomed sea-going ship in the Yangtze River Estuary. It has a unique structure, with a square head, square tip, flat bottom, and shallow draft. It is wide, large, flat, and shallow. The bottom is flat and can sit on the beach. It is not afraid of being stranded. The draft is shallow and affected by the tide.
Relatively small; and more suitable for sailing in northern seas.
At the same time, because it has multiple masts and sails, tall masts and sails, a shallow draft and low resistance, it can sail quickly on the sea, has good seaworthiness, and has a large load capacity.
The load capacity of medium-sized sand ships ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 shi, which is about 500 to 800 tons. The largest sea-borne sand ships can even reach about 1,200 tons.
Lin Tiansheng was sitting in the cabin, sipping fragrant tea, flipping through a book casually, nodding slightly from time to time, as if he had learned something from the book.
After the purchase of 10,000 stone meters was completed, it was time to take advantage of the favorable wind and send it to Liaodong and Guanglu Island to complete the agreement with Guo Dajing.
In addition to rice, there were also cloth and sugar on the two ships, which were also goods designated by Guo Dajing and he gave a deposit.
What is not known to outsiders is that there are also 500 heavy matchlock guns and six red barbarian cannons on board, which were purchased from the Portuguese in Macao. Also traveling with the ship to Liaodong were four Portuguese people and their entourage.
Lin Tiansheng did his best for the tasks assigned by Guo Dajing.
Through Portuguese businessmen who had business dealings with the Lin family, as well as Italian missionaries in Jiaxing, he and Fujino Masa finally arrived in Macau, purchased matchlock guns, and hired Portuguese gunners.
Heavy matchlocks, called eagle guns by the Ming dynasty, were not in stock much in the hands of the Portuguese in Macao. It took them more than a month of waiting before they could barely get enough of them to get their hands on them.
Guo Dajing decided that the more, the better, and the sooner they could be shipped, the better. Fujino Masaru asked Lin Tiansheng to transport these muskets first, and he continued to stay in Macau to escort the next batch of matchlock muskets back to Liaodong.
Back in Jiaxing, the steward of the Lin family had already purchased ten thousand kilo of rice and grain according to his instructions. As it happened, Lin Tiansheng did not delay after loading the ship and immediately set sail for Liaodong.
"Master." A steward hurriedly entered the cabin and reported with a strange expression: "Miss, the lady is hiding on the ship."
Lin Tiansheng was taken aback, stood up and scolded: "What happened? She hid on the boat and no one noticed her?"
The steward lowered his head in aggrieved manner, saying that he did not dare to defend himself and that he indeed had his responsibility.
"Now turn around and dock." Lin Tiansheng ordered in a deep voice: "Bring her to me."
"Brother, don't dock!" Lin Wan'er was outside the cabin door. When she heard her brother's words, she quickly pushed the door open and begged pitifully: "You love me the most, so you can't bear to watch me jump into the fire pit?"
Lin Tiansheng rolled his eyes and said: "I have to make trouble with the Chen family again. I have postponed the wedding and will wait until next year!"
"But I'm afraid that the Chen family will come to snatch the bride while you are away." Lin Wan'er pursed her lips and looked like a pitiful little girl who was about to cry. "When you are not at home, I am worried all day long and have nightmares when I sleep. You see, I
Have you lost weight again?”
Lin Tiansheng knew without looking that the girl was not lying. However, this marriage was arranged by his late father, and it was not easy for him to break the promise and cancel the engagement, even though he heard that the son of the Chen family was very unbearable.
"The Chen family doesn't dare to steal the bride, so you're just worried." Lin Tiansheng's tone softened a little, and he advised tactfully: "It's better to send you home first. My eldest brother will be back in Yue Yu."
Lin Wan'er snorted, sat in the chair, and said stubbornly: "I will follow you wherever you go. If you want to send me back, I will sneak away. You will never see me again when you come back."
"You -" Lin Tiansheng pointed at his sister, and then put it down feebly for a long time.
This girl is the most beloved, and she has also developed a spoiled temperament. She can say it, and she can do it.
"No need to turn around, go straight to Liaodong." Lin Tiansheng had no choice in the end, so he handed over to the manager and sat in his chair sulking.
Lin Wan'er was happy. On the one hand, escaping from the marriage was something to behold, but being able to go out and see the colorful world was also something to be happy and excited about.
Seeing that her brother was angry and silent, Lin Wan'er laughed twice and said, "Brother, is that General Guo worthy of your full help? After so much money, my family's fortune is almost empty!"
It is an exaggeration to say that the family's wealth is drained. Although the Lin family is not a wealthy businessman, they can still afford tens of thousands of taels of silver.
There are eight taels for a heavy matchlock gun, three hundred taels for a thousand-jin red barbarian cannon, and about one hundred taels for a five-hundred-jin gun. The total cost of purchasing these weapons and equipment is more than 5,000 taels.
However, Fujino Masaru placed an additional urgent order for a thousand matchlock guns and ten thousand-jin red barbarian cannons. Even with a large discount for large quantities, there were still nearly ten thousand taels.
The deposit was paid by Lin Tiansheng in advance, plus the purchase of grain, cloth, sugar and other items, it amounted to almost seven or eight thousand taels.
Lin Tiansheng took a sip of tea, and his anger subsided a little, but he was still a little unhappy, and his tone was a little stiff, and he said: "What do you know, it's only ten thousand eight hundred silver. If you get along well with General Guo, the Lin family may become rich."
"Just based on this -" Lin Wan'er took out a small mirror and shook it towards her brother.
The Lin family advanced funds, and Fujino Masa used the mirror as a mortgage. Lin Tiansheng had no intention of selling it, so he gave it to his beloved little sister.
Lin Tiansheng shook his head and said: "This is nothing. Tianyou and I have seen many times bigger than this. Besides, we are all optimistic about General Guo and think he will be prosperous in the future."
Lin Wan'er was surprised at first. She didn't expect that there would be such a big mirror and it must be very valuable. But then she felt that her elder brother was a little careless and had high hopes for a warrior on the battlefield.
"General Guo is a very strange and interesting person."
Lin Tiansheng lowered his eyes, smiled slightly, and said slowly: "To put it bluntly, when he fights without his life, he looks like a desperado; but when he sits down and talks, he gives people a different feeling, that he is a human being."
He is generous and sincere and worth making friends with.”
Lin Wan'er pondered for a moment and said: "What if he is different from what he appears to be? Liaodong is his territory, so what should I do if he cheats and refuses to pay me?"
Lin Tiansheng glanced at the girl and said: "He wants to cooperate with the Lin family for a long time and will not destroy his reputation just for that little money. Besides, I feel like he is richer than our Lin family."
"So you have money and still fight hard?" Lin Wan'er's eyes widened, thinking this was very contradictory.
Lin Tiansheng snorted and said: "There is a bloody feud with Jianlu, how can General Guo not take revenge? That is why he should not take money seriously!"
Lin Wan'er nodded doubtfully, and said in a pitiful tone: "All my family members died at the hands of Jianlu, and he was the only one left. It is indeed a blood feud, and a man should avenge himself."
Lin Tiansheng reminded: "When you get to the island, don't say anything about this in front of General Guo."
"I know." Lin Wan'er said, "I'm not stupid, why would I bring up other people's sad things?"
"And -" Lin Tiansheng remembered something again and said: "I heard that Mrs. Guo had one of her arms chopped off by Jianlu. If you can see her, don't stare at her."
Oh, pity flashed through Lin Wan'er's eyes again. The woman with the broken arm is so pitiful.
………………….
The rear fort woke up in the morning light, and it seemed to be another morning like any other. There were guards patrolling back and forth on the wall of the fort, but the owner had changed inside.
The sneak attack was successful. After less than an hour of fighting, more than a hundred captives were wiped out. No one slipped through the net, so no news leaked out.
Liu Xingzhi led his troops and more than 20 soldiers to sneak into Xibao in the middle of the night. He not only cut off the retreat of Xibao's enemies, but also went out for reconnaissance to find out the condition of the rivers and bridges between Xibao and Xiuyan City.
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Whether to encircle the point for reinforcements or to continue the sneak attack must be determined based on the results of reconnaissance and spying. There are slightly more enemies in West Fort, but for more than a thousand troops, they can still win.
Guo Dajing was perfecting the map at this time. This was his habit and also because he couldn't stand the rough maps of that era.
The hooks, hooks, and crescents that resemble ghostly drawings can be used as a reference, but when used in military command, they are still far behind.
The map should be more detailed. It is best to make a sand table with mountains, rivers, towns, etc., so that it can be seen clearly at a glance.
The reason why he wanted to continue to attack the Jianlu in depth was that Guo Dajing also had the idea of rescuing the people of Liao and strengthening Dongjiang Town.
The people in the coastal areas either fled to the islands controlled by the Dongjiang Army, or were forcibly moved inland by the Jianlu. Without breaking through the Jianlu's defenses, it was impossible to rescue them.
Of course, there were Liao people who escaped from the Jianlu-controlled areas from time to time, but after all, they had a narrow escape. What Guo Dajing had to do was to push his stronghold northward and establish a guerrilla zone to better cope with the Liao people.
Since the Xiuyan area is suitable for mountains and rivers, we made many sorties to not only train our troops but also become familiar with the topography of the area.
"General Guo." Eunuch Zhao came uninvited and greeted with a smile, "Where are you busy?"
"My father-in-law, please sit down." Guo Dajing responded with a kind smile, stretched out his hand to indicate, and said: "Modify the map to make it more convenient for future battles."
Eunuch Zhao nodded repeatedly, sat in his chair, and said, "General Guo leads the army and takes the lead in every battle. This is really admirable."
Guo Dajing smiled faintly and said, "Father-in-law, I'm sorry."
Eunuch Zhao blinked his eyes and asked tentatively: "If you go deep into enemy territory, you must be cautious in your actions. It is better not to provoke the two thousand captives and cavalry in Xiuyan City easily. After all, the enemy is strong and we are weak, and we are alone.
Go deep.”
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "What my father-in-law said is very true. I am not a reckless person. When you lead your soldiers out to kill the enemy, you must also try to let them return safely. Of course, if there is a battle, there will be bloodshed and sacrifices."
After a pause, Guo Dajing added with a smile: "Don't worry, father-in-law. Although the Jianlu are fierce, our troops are well prepared. There will be no problem in retreating intact."
Zhao Guang laughed dryly, feeling that he looked a little timid when he spoke like this, and was Guo Dajing looking down on him again?
Guo Dajing didn't have this idea. As a eunuch, it was good to be able to go on an expedition with him. Moreover, Eunuch Zhao was very well-behaved and did not interfere in military command.
Everything is as usual inside the camp. From the outside, no flaws can be seen, but the smoke is rising continuously. If you approach the camp gate, you can still smell the aroma of meat.
"Go ahead and grill some more meat and bring it with you." When Fujino Hide saw that all the wounded had been bandaged, Wen Yan said to several doctors and nurses, "Have a good sleep again."
Smelling the aroma of meat, Yao Xin and Ah Qiao's eyes lit up. However, they were able to resist the temptation, lick their lips and swallow from time to time, but finish their work meticulously, which still satisfied Fujino Hide.
If you go deep behind enemy lines, it would be best if you can support the battle with fighting. If you only rely on the dry food you carry, you can only last less than ten days.
If we exclude the march and the return journey, the time we can fight will be very short. Of course, this does not include the role of Guo Dajing's mobile warehouse, which he will not be able to use easily.
There is no mutton this time, only horse meat, which is also very good!
Yao Xin grilled the meat skillfully, picking up the bowl from time to time, drinking broth, eating pieces of meat, and taking a few bites of pancakes.
"Roast the meat until it is dry so it can be preserved." Yao Xin also imparted his experience to Ah Qiao next to him, "It was like this last time. I ate it for more than ten days!"
Ah Qiao was already attracted by Yao Xin's skillful movements. Hearing the suggestion, he couldn't help but smile and nod, and said with some admiration: "I came late, and I have to learn a lot of things! You are really good, and you also know herbal medicine."
Yao Xin was not idle on the way. He plucked herbs he knew when he came across them. Now he has picked up a satchel.
"I don't know many." Yao Xin told the truth and said, "If you want to learn, I'll teach you."
Ah Qiao nodded vigorously, imitated Yao Xin, and took the time to bake the dried meat.
Only those who have experienced hunger know that the feeling can drive people crazy. Yao Xin and Aqiao have experienced this, as have Axiu and Ronger, and almost all the soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town have experienced it.
Therefore, everyone cherishes the opportunity to eat well or eat well. Yao Xin baked some dried meat and wanted to leave some for his grandfather to eat. Many soldiers also thought about their families, younger siblings or children.
At dusk, Liu Xingzhi sent people back with the reconnaissance results and decided on the next move.
"If you work harder, tell Liu Xingzhi that our troops will sneak up on Xibao in the middle of the night and ask him to release a few of them to report to the enemies in Xiuyan City."
Guo Dajing wrote the order and handed it to Han Zhong. He also asked: "Be more careful on the road."
"Don't worry, sir." Han Zhong took a bag of barbecue and bowed before leaving.
Guo Dajing ordered the troops to rest more quickly, took the simple map drawn by Liu Xingzhi, and began to study it carefully again.
The main road between Xibao and Xiuyan City does have to pass through a wooden bridge. The river is not wide, but it cannot be forded. In other words, blowing up the bridge will be enough to block or separate Jianlu.
Of course, there are other bridges on this river. According to Liu Xingzhi's reconnaissance, the closest one is more than ten miles downstream.
It's more than ten miles, or twenty or thirty miles if we turn back. At the speed of the cavalry, it won't take an hour.
If the bridge was blown up to intercept the enemy, Guo Dajing felt that it would be more risky to destroy the enemy within an hour, retreat safely, or be prepared to fight the enemy again in a detour.