Chapter 440: The Pioneer of the Application of Western Learning
Niuzhuangyi in the upper reaches of the Haicheng River, Ximucheng in the lower reaches, and Tashanpu south of the Haicheng River formed the three outposts of the Dongjiang Army against the Haizhou Guard.
Yaozhouyi, Liangfangkou Pass, and Yingkou are heavily garrisoned defense systems; the base camp for frontline command is located in Gaizhou Acropolis.
There are enough men and horses from three associations piled here, plus the flying cavalry battalion, nearly 40,000 troops blocked the southward path of the Jianlu, making everything south of the Gaizhou Acropolis a safe base.
Not only are the troops strong, hundreds of artillery are concentrated here, and the firepower is so powerful that it makes people feel desperate. Jianlu's attempt to break through the defenses and plunder the three states in southern Liaoning is simply a fantasy.
After Guo Dajing led his troops back to southern Liaoning, he added two more troops in Gaizhou, which were both reserve and mobile, and could also take turns to rest and reorganize, making southern Liaoning impregnable.
Small but strong, this is the characteristic of the Dongjiang Army's Liaonan base area, and it is also its advantage over the vast territory occupied by the Jianlu.
With their forces concentrated in one place, the forces separated from the Jianlu were weak, and coupled with the huge advantages in weapons and equipment, the strategic initiative was firmly in the hands of the Dongjiang Army.
After Guo Dajing returned to Gaizhou, he only rested for one day before rushing to the front line to patrol to ensure that nothing went wrong.
It is almost impossible for Jianlu to attack Liaonan, but the Liaonan base area is the foundation of the Dongjiang Army, and there cannot be even the slightest accident.
It was already late autumn, but the temperature was close to early winter. Fallen leaves were fluttering in the wind, and all we saw along the way were desolate and solemn scenes.
"Shuai Guo is also familiar with Western learning. It's really surprising and admirable." Wang Zheng only chatted with Guo Dajing for more than an hour yesterday and found that this famous marshal and fierce general actually knew a lot and was by no means just a rude general.
Although he had long known that Dongjiang Town hired Portuguese technicians and artillery instructors, Wang Zheng never expected that Guo Dajing could learn and master the knowledge of Western learning.
Of course, Guo Dajing did not learn it from the Portuguese at all, but he had the knowledge of later generations himself.
Regarding Wang Zheng's surprise again, Guo Dajing just smiled and said calmly: "Thank you, Mr. Wang. Mr. Guo just learned a little through his ears and eyes. Mr. Wang wrote books and established theories, so he is a great talent who is familiar with Western learning.
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Wang Zheng shook his head and said: "It's just a literal translation, how can we talk about writing a book?"
Guo Dajing said: "Master Wang is being too modest. After hearing you talk about the mechanical knowledge in "Illustrated Notes on Strange Weapons of the Far West", as well as simple machines and their combined use, Guo thinks it is worthy of in-depth study and application in practice."
Wang Zheng was convinced of this and said: "The Hongyi cannon is heavy and can be hoisted and moved using various simple machines. Xianguan saw that there are already many lifting devices on the port pier, which is unique in the Ming Dynasty."
The hoisting and lifting of moving pulleys has indeed been used in practical work in Dongjiang Town several years ago. For example, whaling ships have devices with moving pulleys or axles.
But this was not learned from Westerners, but was designed by Guo Dajing. However, Guo Dajing did not want Wang Zheng to know this.
"Guo thinks that Western science has great merits. Mr. Wang is just translating books. Hasn't he thought about opening a library to teach students and spread this knowledge better?" Guo Dajing led the topic in the direction he expected.
Wang Zheng glanced at Guo Dajing and said with some helplessness: "Although I have compiled "Illustrated Notes on Strange Weapons of the Far West", I dare not say that I have mastered all the knowledge in it. Wouldn't it be a mistake to open a library to teach students?"
Being able to translate physics books does not necessarily mean that he has a complete grasp of the physics knowledge contained in them. It can only be said that Wang Zheng is proficient in Latin.
Guo Dajing understood and couldn't help but ponder.
Perhaps Sun Yuanhua was in a similar situation to Wang Zheng. He was able to introduce and spread Western learning, but his attainments in Western learning were not necessarily profound.
To learn and master the knowledge of statics described in "Illustrated Notes on Strange Weapons of the Far West", such as the center of gravity and its solution, the volume of water, the volume of floating bodies, specific gravity, etc., requires not only theory, but also a large number of experiments to prove it.
Obviously, this requires the establishment of a corresponding education system and educational conditions, such as experimental equipment. Sure enough, it is not easy to achieve your own plans and goals. With a textbook, everything will be fine.
Guo Dajing sighed in his heart and had to give up for the time being. He turned to the matter of pacifying Liao and exterminating the captives, and pointed out the areas where Sun Yuanhua's support and help were needed.
"Hongyi cannons are needed. The more the better. There are also shells and gunpowder..." Guo Dajing was also more honest. He opened his mouth to gain three points. It was enough even if he didn't give it, so he asked for it!
Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly, and after Guo Dajing finished speaking, he said: "Destroying Liao is a top priority. The governor has already said that he will give us full assistance."
"Firearms are also being manufactured in Dongjiang Town. The governor and the lower officials are very concerned and want to visit." Wang Zheng looked at Guo Dajing and said: "Especially the flint-fired muskets, the lower officials are very interested."
Guo Dajing did not hesitate and said: "This is easy to handle. Mr. Wang can go to the workshop in Dalian to inspect and provide guidance. As for the flintlock musket, the principle is also very simple."
After a pause, he continued: "It's just that the flintlock musket is an important military weapon, and the Western Yi people don't have it. I also hope that Mr. Wang will not take it to Denglai and keep it secret first."
"Didn't it come from Xiyi?" Wang Zheng's eyes widened. This was completely different from his guess.
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "This was invented by the craftsmen of Dongjiang Town. It is easier and faster to operate than the matchlock gun. At the same time, it has advantages over the matchlock gun when used in rainy, snowy and windy days."
"That's it." Wang Zhengxin believed it to be true and said, "If the official understands, he will not cause any trouble to Mao Shuai and Guo Shuai's great cause of Pingliao."
Guo Dajing cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wang."
"By the way." Guo Dajing seemed to have just remembered something and said with a smile: "There is an orphanage in Dongjiang Town, and those children are receiving basic education in literacy, digits, and arithmetic. Guo also values Western learning very much and hopes that they will After laying the foundation, we can start teaching.”
Wang Zheng stroked his beard, chinned his head, and said: "It takes ten years to grow trees, and a hundred years to cultivate people. Guo Shuai has such a foresight, and there are some good deeds in Dongjiang Town, which are admirable."
"Master Wang is familiar with Western learning and must also know relevant talents." Guo Dajing said: "I hope you can recommend some people who can be teachers for children."
"Okay, okay, I will definitely pay attention to it." Wang Zheng agreed, feeling happy that he could spread Western science faster and better.
Wang Zheng really didn't expect to see a shocking and gratifying sight in Dongjiang Town. The war was still going on, and being on the front line of the direct resistance against the Japanese was actually full of vitality.
Not only did the people live and work in peace and contentment, without the worry of hunger and cold, even orphans were adopted and received education, which was very rare or even non-existent in the mainland of the Ming Dynasty.
I'm afraid, this is Dongjiang Town's biggest capital. The internal stability and hundreds of thousands of people provide them with sufficient motivation.
In the distance, a large group of people are working. Although it is already a slack period, the work of repairing water conservancy, digging ditches, expanding ponds, paving roads, etc. has not stopped yet.
It is precisely thanks to the continuous improvement of infrastructure that agricultural planting in the three states of southern Liaoning can maintain stable output. Even if there are droughts and floods in some areas, the impact will not be significant.
Moreover, Dongjiang Town is fully developed in terms of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and sideline fishery. Offshore and freshwater aquaculture, as well as offshore fishing, are developing steadily. Breeding and fishing techniques are also becoming more proficient, providing the cheapest meat for the army and the people.
"Ponds can store water and raise fish, and pond mud can fertilize fields." Guo Dajing pointed and introduced with a smile: "Every village must have at least one large pond. The fish raised can be distributed to each family during the new year and festivals." To one or two.”
"There are many villages where lotus flowers are planted. They look good on one hand, but the lotus roots can also be eaten as vegetables. As long as you give them space, they will put their ingenuity to full use..."
Wang Zheng lamented: "If the governments everywhere can pay so much attention to people's livelihood, how can there be so much civil unrest? Of course, Liaodong has its own advantages, which is the vast land. There is land for the tiller, and it is reasonable for the people to be stable. middle."
Guo Dajing smiled and did not want to discuss the land annexation issue with Wang Zheng. Although Liaodong has advantages, other places cannot be governed well, so this cannot be used as an excuse.
He has already written a letter and sent someone to Dalian immediately. When Wang Zheng arrives, he will be accompanied by someone from the Military Intelligence Department to visit the arsenal.
The key to the flintlock gun is the elastic steel piece, which is the steel-making process in the crucible. This must be kept strictly confidential, and even Wang Zheng is no exception.
As long as the elastic steel sheet is unqualified, the flintlock musket produced will only look similar in appearance. The fire rate is low, so naturally it will not be manufactured in large quantities and equipped with troops, and the matchlock gun can only continue to be used.
Historically, when the flintlock gun first came out, the army's reaction was such that it could not be widely used for a period of time.
Of course, it would be too narrow to compare the fire rate of a flintlock gun with a matchlock gun. In terms of overall performance, the flintlock gun should have a crushing advantage over the matchlock gun.
Wang Zheng accompanied Guo Dajing on an inspection tour of Liangfangkou Pass, and saw what Westerners call a bastion structure, as well as a defensive combination of hundreds of Hongyi cannons and mortars.
Guo Dajing also ordered the artillery to conduct a live fire, which opened Wang Zheng's eyes and amazed him.
"Three thousand defenders, with sufficient food and ammunition, are enough to defend against tens of thousands of captives." Guo Dajing did not brag, and was very satisfied with the defense facilities at Liangfang Pass.
Not every castle is converted into a bastion, just because the Liangfang Pass is not large and the conditions are more suitable. The defenses of other castles or positions include trenches, deer villages, etc., and their defensive capabilities are not inferior.
As for Jianlu's ability to attack fortresses, Guo Dajing despised them very much. Even if they had artillery, they could not withstand the long-range bombardment of mortars from high above.
Wang Zheng felt that this trip to southern Liaoning was so worthwhile. He sat in a well and looked at the sky, thinking that Dengzhou was already the "fortress of Western learning" in the Ming Dynasty. But he never expected that Dongjiang Town had gone further and applied it more skillfully.
"So this is the bastion." Wang Zheng walked excitedly along the battlements, patting the battlements, and then looked at the city wall diagonally opposite, pointing with his hand, as if he suddenly realized something.
"So it turns out that while the enemy is attacking on one side, the defenders can attack from two or three sides. Even if they hide under the city wall, they can't avoid the bullets and arrows fired from the side."
"Although the horse face of the old city wall has a similar function, its external side still has a blind spot for shooting, which is not as sharp as this sharp horn..."
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded, seeing the old man happily, but he did not despise the fuss.
If I didn't have the knowledge and memory of future generations, I should be equally surprised and excited, even less so than others.
At that time, Wang Zheng could be said to be well-informed, much better than those harsh Confucian scholars. However, due to the isolation between the East and the West and the speed of information dissemination at that time, he could only obtain Western knowledge from books and missionaries. .
"It can hit three miles away, which is already more than the Hongyi cannon. Or it will explode and explode, and it will be more lethal than the Hongyi cannon, right?" Wang Zheng stopped in front of a bronze mortar, looked at it, caressed it, and asked.
Guo Dajing smiled lightly and said: "The two types of artillery are almost the same in terms of killing effect, but in terms of mobility and flexibility, the mortar is far superior to the Hongyi cannon. The Hongyi cannon is astonishingly powerful when fired, but it is its own advantage."
The Hongyi Cannon cannot be belittled too low, otherwise, asking Sun Yuanhua for the cannon will seem reluctant. Besides, the Hongyi Cannon does have its own advantages.
"Made of bronze, it is simpler and easier to cast than the Hongyi cannon." Wang Zheng nodded and said: "I will report it to Lord Mingsun later and measure the material resources. Most of them will be cast for Dongjiang Town."
No matter what kind of artillery it is, as long as it is free, I want it all.
Guo Dajing thanked him and thought of the field artillery. It was also made of bronze and was less difficult to cast than the Hongyi cannon.
In addition to the Hongyi cannon, Guo Dajing prepared to send samples of mortars and field artillery when Wang Zheng returned to Dengzhou and asked Sun Yuanhua to help cast them.
There are thousands of artillery pieces of all kinds, and when the battle against Jianlu begins, they will be bombarded head-on and face-to-face, followed by the attack of musketry formations and flying cavalry, and victory is almost within grasp.
Of course, the war is not that simple. But under the suppression of absolute firepower, the Dongjiang Army does have a great chance of winning.
Moreover, in the current situation that Jianlu was in, the tactical space for maneuver and flexibility had been compressed to very little.
Haizhou Wei, Liaoyang, if Haizhou, which is about to be abandoned, is not included, Shenyang will only have a large buffer city like Liaoyang left.
The key is that Shenyang is different from Shanhaiguan in that there is no escape route. Once it is besieged and the city is defended to the death, there will basically be no external assistance and it is equivalent to defending to the death.
What's more, the old slave's grave is just outside Shenyang City. Can it be abandoned? Should we divide our troops into two places, one to guard the city and the other to guard the grave?
Obviously, the decisive battle is in Liaoyang. If they win, the Jianlu will have only one choice if they don't have enough brains, which is to dig up the grave, pull the old slave's coffin, and flee to the north.
As for transporting the coffin into Shenyang City and fighting to the death with the Dongjiang Army, this was what Guo Dajing hoped for most, to be able to solve the problem of Jiannu once and for all. It was also the most stupid path to death for Jiannu.