As for everything under the title, Guo Dajing just had a flash of thought and threw it away. It was not short of a little money. Zhao Guang, the eunuch, might be useful in the future, who knows?
Under Zhao Guang's expectant gaze, Guo Dajing finally nodded and agreed, "After delivering it to your nephew, I will ask him to write a letter to you."
"There is no need to write a letter." Zhao Guang refused with a sad expression, "I have to wait and see if I can send it to the Za family. I'm afraid it will harm him and his family."
Guo Dajing looked at the appearance of the old eunuch and couldn't help but laugh again and said: "Eunuch Zhao doesn't have to be like this. Even if he loses power, his life may not be in danger. Are you Wei Zhongxian's best friend and confidant? Are you very good under Wei Zhongxian?"
famous?"
Zhao Guang looked at Guo Dajing blankly, with great shock in his heart. Before Jiu Qian was defeated, General Guo dared to call him by his name, which showed that he had already expected that Wei Zhongxian would end badly.
Guo Dajing stood up, walked to Zhao Guang, patted him on the shoulder, and said: "Eunuch Zhao knows better than I do the emperor and the ministers. Okay, that's it. I still have official business to deal with!"
Zhao Guang suppressed the shock in his heart, stood up quickly, and left.
When the old eunuch returns to the capital, he may be able to catch up with Chongzhen to deal with Wei Zhongxian. Even if he can't catch up, it would be great if he told the story about me eyeing Old Wei!
Guo Dajing sent Zhao Guang away and came to the conference room. The generals and stewards had already arrived, waiting for him to preside over the meeting.
Having just received several thousand taels of silver, Guo Dajing seemed to be in a good mood. His smile and relaxed state were contagious, making everyone present feel less heavy.
Guo Dajing did not give too many instructions to the generals and officers. He only told them that they had purchased enough food and there would be no problem with military supplies. He then asked them to continue supervising and training and sent them away.
The managers of each workshop began to report their work to Guo Dajing. Generally speaking, they were working according to Guo Dajing's orders, manufacturing weapons, equipment and ammunition, and preparing for the war.
The supporting bayonets for the Korean muskets have all been built, and the ammunition has all been replaced with granulated gunpowder. A batch of trebuchets, simple trebuchets, and boxcars have also been built...
Oh, we have already made a copy of an eagle-billed musket. After testing, the quality is up to standard?!
Guo Dajing was very excited and happy when he heard the good news. Making his own firearms was an inevitable development path. Even the Western Yi technicians would have to get rid of their dependence on them in the future.
Guo Dajing not only praised the firearms foundry, but also rewarded it with twenty taels of silver, which was extremely generous.
Having just received several thousand taels of silver, Guo Dajing was a bit like a nouveau riche. At least mentally, he didn't take it seriously when he took out dozens of taels of silver. He just gave it to him for free and didn't cherish it.
The news that the workshop has been rewarded will spread quickly, which is more effective than words to stabilize people's hearts. Coupled with the increased amount of food distributed to the soldiers to compensate for their wages, the morale of the military and the people will be completely settled.
"There are still more than a dozen fishing boats on the island. We have summoned the fishermen and craftsmen from the carpentry workshop in the afternoon. I want to discuss with them the installation and use of new fishing gear." Guo Dajing mentioned the key issue.
In addition to the fishing bases and fishing fleets of Ocean Island, each island also has small and medium-sized fishing boats operating, and the fishing volume is not large.
Guo Dajing will first conduct experiments on the island, weave a bladder-shaped trawl net, and install a winch on the ship. Improvements in net gear will only have benefits and no harm, and an increase in output is foreseeable.
From now on, Guo Dajing will devote himself wholeheartedly to "eating". To ensure the stability of the people on the island, to ensure the normal training of the army, and to ensure that next year's military operations are not affected.
In addition to fishing, Guo Dajing also organized some troops and civilians to land in the mountains and forests to collect pine nuts, ginseng, medicinal materials, and hunt.
It is really difficult to cut off food and salary at this time. Unlike spring and summer, there are wild vegetables and fruits. Once autumn is over, where can we get food in winter?
But people still need to eat when they are idle. How to make people active, have work to do, and create labor value can better overcome difficulties.
All Guo Dajing can think of is fishing, hunting, aquaculture, wicker weaving, sewing, and if whale oil is available, he can also start experimental manufacturing of soap.
As for weaving, there was no cotton or raw silk, and Liaodong women were not good at it either.
In fact, in ancient times, there were very few side jobs that could be done in winter. As for winter leisure, basically if you wanted to work, there was none.
Now is not the most difficult time for the common people. There is autumn harvest to eat. Tomorrow, if there is no harvest in the spring, it will be even more fatal!
But for Dongjiang Town, there is not that much land for cultivation, and there is not that much agricultural output. Basically, it depends on the food and salary from the court, and the situation is very serious.
"The military and civilians must brainstorm and come up with more ways to tide over the difficulties." Guo Dajing couldn't think of any on his own, so he had to use his collective wisdom, which will always help, no matter how big or small.
Zhao Qingshan was already one of the stewards of the foundry. He seemed to have some suggestions, but he opened his lips and felt that he was not mature enough, so he did not say anything.
It is better to wait until the actual object is made before suggesting it to Dajing. He values him for promotion, so he must be prudent in his work. If he is not sure, others will laugh at him.
After the meeting was over and everyone dispersed, Guo Dajing thought for a while alone without much clue, so he got up and headed to each workshop.
The steward's report is just a way for Guo Dajing to understand the situation. He also needs to see the progress of the work with his own eyes and hear the craftsmen's opinions or suggestions with his own ears before he can feel relieved.
After inspecting various workshops, two or three hours had passed. Guo Dajing had a simple meal in the military camp and then summoned the fishermen and craftsmen from the carpentry workshop.
After drawing the shape of the trawl net, Guo Daqian asked the fishermen to weave it according to the size of the boat, and asked the craftsmen to install a winch on the boat.
The small boat cannot carry a trawl net that is too large, and there is no need to install a winch. Only medium-sized and large ships need to use a winch to collect the net.
The trawl fishing technology is also divided into single boat, double boat, bottom and middle level.
Specific operations, such as adjusting the drag line length or drag speed to keep the net in a predetermined water layer, and what kind of fish or shellfish to catch, must be mastered by the fishermen and sailors themselves.
Guo Dajing knows that his advantage is that he has a lot of knowledge and broad ideas. But in specific and micro aspects, he needs professionals to operate.
He can design the drawings of a trebuchet, but he does not know carpentry, so it can only be made by a carpenter; he can come up with the recipe for burning glass, but it must also be operated by a kiln worker.
The same is true for trawl fishing. He can only come up with the shape design of the trawl net and a rough method of use. Then it is up to the experienced fishermen to adjust the fishing depth for different sea areas, different seafood, and different wind speeds.
The medium-sized motorized trawlers of later generations were equipped with fish detection instruments and could catch two to twenty tons of seafood in one net.
Guo Dajing does not expect to achieve this output. A tenth, even a twentieth, would already satisfy him.
After explaining how to use it and answering the fishermen’s questions, this job is finished. Everyone, roll up your sleeves and get to work!
……………..
Lushun Fort.
Li Weiluan walked on the built deformed fortress with a heavy heart. The food shortage crisis was destroying the soldiers' psychology and also destroying his ambitions.
If food and pay are cut off for another two to three months, let alone the recapture of Jinzhou next year, the soldiers will starve to death, unable to hold their swords and guns, and it is not surprising that they will even starve to death.
This fortress was built with so much effort. Li Weiluan patted the city wall and sighed helplessly.
The fishing fleet of Haiyang Island did deliver two thousand kilograms of pickled fish, but for thousands of soldiers, it was a drop in the bucket.
You must know that Lushun Fort has 3,000 troops. According to the normal distribution of one grain per person, the grain should be 1,500 dan per month.
Li Weiluan and others have tried every means to send troops for hunting and boats for fishing, but they still need at least seven to eight hundred shi of food every month.
If we continue to cut back on savings, the troops will have to eat porridge. This is a result no one wants. Let alone combat effectiveness, they will just barely survive starvation.
"Sir." Shang Keyi walked to the top of the city and bowed to report: "More than a dozen hunting teams have returned. Today, a total of more than 400 kilograms of wild animals were harvested."
More than four hundred kilograms is four shi. Although meat provides more calories than grain, how many kilos of grain can it be worth? You know, a day's consumption is nearly thirty shi of grain.
Including fishing, it should be about 300 kilograms more?
Li Weiluan nodded and said: "Tomorrow we will send more manpower to hunt dozens of miles north."
Shang Keyi bowed to accept the order, but there was no relief on his face, and he could hear Li Weiluan's helplessness and pessimism.
It is simply impossible to feed thousands of people by fishing and hunting, and it is better than nothing. Just like nomadic people, they do not live on mutton and milk.
"Next year -" Li Weiluan sighed heavily, full of regret and unwillingness, looking at the trenches crisscrossing the city.
I was originally full of confidence in next year's Jinzhou campaign, and all preparations were basically completed. But just because the imperial court cut off food and salary, everything came to nothing.
Shang Keyi opened his lips twice and lowered his head silently.
Building fortresses, digging trenches, forging weapons, training soldiers...all the hard work will be wasted because of a problem of "eating", and no one will give in to it and feel resentful.
"Sir -" an officer hurried up, his face full of joy, he came forward and saluted and reported: "A ship has arrived from Guanglu Island, carrying two thousand shi of food."
Li Weiluan and Shang Keyi almost simultaneously asked in surprise, "Really?"
"It's absolutely true." The officer handed over the letter with both hands and said, "The brothers are unloading the ship at the dock. This is a letter from General Guo."
Li Weiluan stretched out his hand to grab it, tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter paper and looked at it. The handwriting written with the quill pen came into view.
Guo Dajing wrote clearly in his letter, telling Li Weiluan not to worry, he had a way to solve the food problem. Next year's military operation will go on as scheduled. He hopes that the soldiers of Fort Lushun will continue to train and not slack off.
Li Weiluan read the letter and was filled with emotion. He handed it to Shang Keyi and said, "General Guo is so righteous that I don't know what to say."
Shang Keyi glanced at the content. After browsing the content, he took a long breath and said: "I don't know what to say. From tomorrow on, I will personally supervise the training. Next year, I will fight a good battle to be worthy of General Guo."
generous help.”
Li Weiluan was in a good mood. He patted Shang Keyi on the shoulder and said, "Inform the entire army that food will be shipped steadily so that the soldiers can train with peace of mind."
Next year - Li Weiluan moved his eyes and looked around. The criss-crossing trench fortifications outside the city and the trebuchets erected high above the city gave him strong confidence.
………………
Fort Port Arthur was not the only garrison to receive food aid, nor was it even the first.
Zhang Pan from Ludao had already seen the grain transported into the warehouse. He returned to the military camp and wrote a reply to Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing did not forget the potatoes he planted in Ludao and hurriedly transported the grain, fearing that the precious seeds would be eaten.
Fortunately, Zhang Pan also valued the overseas varieties with astonishingly high yields, and despite the difficulties, he still saved all the potatoes.
The food sent by Guo Dajing can be said to have solved Ludao's urgent need, and Zhang Pan, who was frowning, could finally breathe a little easier.
Regardless of where the food comes from, the soldiers and civilians on the island are already desperate for food, and they will soon starve.
The situation is really that serious, and Kashima is just a microcosm of many islands.
After writing the letter, Zhang Pan sealed it, handed it to his soldiers and took it to the dock, where it was then delivered to Guo Dajing on the Guanglu Island ship.
Zhang Pan summoned the officers and ordered them to resume training. There will be a big war next spring.
After all the officers were ordered to retreat, Zhang Pan only left Zhou Qing behind.
"Take a few sentries to Port Arthur after the New Year?" Zhou Qing was a little confused after receiving the order.
Zhang Pan nodded and said: "General Guo plans to regain Jinzhou, or even cover two states, and he will occupy it according to the situation. I have already agreed to send troops to help the battle."
Sending troops to assist in the war is a general term, which also includes the matter of dividing land. Not only the generals stationed in Ludao, Shicheng Island, Big and Small Changshan Islands and other places, Guo Dajing also sent letters and transported food.
Hongyi cannons, heavy muskets, light muskets, granular gunpowder reloading... gave Guo Dajing greater ambitions.
Not only must they occupy Jinzhou, but they must also gather enough troops to deal a heavy blow to the invading Jianqi and occupy as much land as possible.
This was also forced by the imperial court's shortage of food and salary. Guo Dajing had to speed up his plan and march to the land to obtain as much land as possible for cultivation.
The loss of North Korea's farmland was a huge loss to Dongjiang Town. Guo Dajing believed that the temptation of using the land could allow the troops stationed on each island to send troops to assist in the war and get their share according to a certain share.
The safest plan is to build a defense line at Nanguan and capture most of the Golden State; the slightly more ambitious plan is to advance northward to Xiaoheishan and Hongzui Fort to capture the entire Golden State.
As for Fuzhou and Gaizhou, it would be a better result if they could be turned into outposts. They would provide early warning and buffering for the Jinzhou base, and prevent the Japanese from attacking the Jinzhou base while the offshore ice froze in the winter.
According to Guo Dajing's estimation, if he had 10,000 troops, he could basically achieve his goal. If the Dongjiang headquarters also sent troops to assist in the battle, the results would be even greater.
"I understand the humble position." After listening to Zhang Pan's introduction, Zhou Qing felt infinite emotion in his heart.
He was still a refugee at the beginning of the year, but in more than half a year, Guo Dajing had become a guerrilla general, and he was on the verge of becoming the leader of the generals of the Liaonan Islands.
Zhang Pan patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder and said, "If nothing else goes wrong, General Guo will rush to Lushun in the next year to start preparations and arrangements for regaining Jinzhou. You and he are old acquaintances, and you should have a good relationship."
Zhou Qing smiled bitterly and bowed to accept the order, but he didn't know whether Guo Dajing could still be approachable due to the huge disparity in status.