"The Nanjing Metropolitan Commander's Department has issued an order to mobilize troops, and are they ready to take action against us?"
Through the all-pervasive intelligence system, the information that Nanjing was preparing to send troops was quickly transmitted to Xujiazhuang via telegram.
We even know the exact number of troops sent: five thousand.
Xujiazhuang, a military staff meeting in a secret conference room.
"Captain Shi, the noble man behind the salt merchants is finally going to take action against us. With 5,000 elite guards, are we sure of victory?" Xu Yuan put his hands behind his back and looked at Shi Yong, the captain in charge of security, and asked.
"Master, this small force is not something to be afraid of."
Shi Yong said: "Today, our 1,550 elite village protection team members are equipped with a full set of stab-proof suits, helmets and explosion-proof shields. They are invulnerable. They are all proficient in the use of breech-loading guns. Each person has fired more than a thousand times, as well as grenades and the like.
We have a sharp weapon and use a bicycle as a mount, which can march three hundred miles a day. It is also equipped with a radio station for communication and command. Although the total number is only 1,550, it can defeat at least thirty times the imperial army, a mere 5,000 people. We
It can be defeated easily."
After the introduction, his self-confidence was extremely inflated.
If coupled with Xujiazhuang's mysterious and powerful intelligence department, there will be no suspense about who will win in this upcoming military conflict.
"Don't take it lightly."
Xu Yuan shook his head and said: "We must ensure that nothing goes wrong and strive for zero casualties. In this way, all eleven collective manors have entered a state of first-level combat readiness. Five hundred of the strongest farm workers from each manor have been selected to serve as
In the reserve team, each person is issued a set of anti-stab suits and anti-riot helmets, equipped with homemade compound bows and homemade alloy knives as weapons, and immediately begins combat readiness training. In addition, all men over the age of sixteen and under the age of forty are also organized
Get up, distribute steel shovels, steel picks, and thick wooden sticks as weapons, and serve as the final reserve team. They will all be there at critical moments! Anyone who is cowardly and cowardly will be executed immediately! The family will be driven out of the manor, we don’t need cowards."
A set of stab-proof suits and explosion-proof helmets costs nearly a thousand yuan. Now it is necessary to purchase 5,500 sets and spend millions of yuan. To be honest, Xu Yuan feels a little sad.
But for absolute safety, some money should be spent.
in this way!
With 1,550 village protection team members as the core mobile force.
Each manor organizes and trains a reserve team of 500 young men.
Then organize all the remaining adult males as the final reserve team.
In this way, each manor has enough self-defense force. Even if it encounters an unpredictable situation, even if it does not receive support for a while, it can resist for a period of time, and even defeat the opponent alone. In this way, there will be no obvious weak points, no matter where it is.
When problems arise in the manor, they can deal with them calmly, instead of being left to their own devices like the Ming Dynasty.
"Yes, the village owner! But how should Harbor City respond? Should we transfer most of the village protection team members back to strengthen the defense of the main village?"
Patrol Captain Zhao Yang asked, most of the village guards are now staying in the Harbor City to maintain public security, and there are only more than 300 people staying at the main village, which is obviously insufficient. In order to cope with the next challenge, the strength of the main village should be strengthened.
"Deploy 500 people back and leave 500 people there to maintain order. Harbor City has a large population and it is impossible to have fewer members to protect the village. The other 30,000 young people must be brought into full play. These young people cannot defeat the regular army of the imperial court.
, but you can always deal with those gangsters raised by salt merchants, right? They are all outstanding villagers who have been screened and trained."
Xu Yuan thought for a while and said.
"Master, the intelligence is that there are tens of thousands of soldiers and thugs organized by the salt merchants. If they all go to attack the Harbor City, if the situation is critical, can they dispatch tractors, excavators, road rollers and other construction machinery to join the war?
Increase our chances of winning and reduce losses?"
Xu Huoqing, who is specifically responsible for the defense of Harbor City, asked, his eyes flashing with eagerness. He is 21 years old and is one of the first beggars taken in by Xu Yuan. His original name was Goudan, but he later changed his name to Xu Huoqing. He is a very smart and clever young man.
, he is restless and always comes up with all kinds of weird ideas. He also likes military affairs and aspires to become a great general like Huo Qubing and Wei Qing. His biggest dream is to seal the wolf as his Xu and leave his name in history.
"If the situation is really critical, use it. If it's not a crisis, don't use it! Precious diesel cannot be wasted on a bunch of scum."
Sensing Xu Yuan's thoughts, he said to him with a straight face.
"Yes, owner!"
…
April 10th.
It took nearly half a month, and with the help of sufficient deployment funds, the Nanjing Capital Command and Envoy Department completed the concentration of troops with a very high efficiency.
More than 20 health centers were mobilized.
There are a total of 3,500 elite soldiers in the guard station. Their combat effectiveness is at the servant level and they are equipped with sophisticated weapons. Some of the soldiers even have experience in fighting the enemy, so they exude a very capable atmosphere.
Huh?
What's going on?
Didn't they say that they would recruit 5,000 elite soldiers to annihilate Xujiazhuang? Why did the number become 3,500?
This is naturally a result of the Ming Dynasty generals' traditional skills being left without pay. As long as there are more vacancies, the officers will have more pay and pay. Take this time's five hundred thousand taels of wasted deployment fee as an example, because there are few soldiers.
By paying 1,500, the officers had at least tens of thousands more taels of silver. They were already rich before the war even started.
Sun Guangde, the general in charge of commanding this army, also felt helpless. Although he knew that this approach would seriously weaken the combat effectiveness of an army, this was the unspoken rule of the Ming Dynasty's military system. Others had taken the free money.
If he doesn't take it, he is out of tune with the general environment. In the end, he is the only one who will be ostracized and attacked.
The only good thing is that the various guards are very interested in attacking Xujiazhuang. Not only are they sent elite soldiers, but their morale is also very high, because as long as Xujiazhuang is captured, there will be mountains of money, food, treasures, and exotic goods from overseas.
The profit share is smaller, and Xujiazhuang is as rich as the country. It is said that the property he owns is at least more than 50 million taels, or even hundreds of millions of taels. If he can eat it, it is estimated that ordinary soldiers can become rich instantly.
Therefore, during the pre-war mobilization stage, after hearing the introduction about the wealth of Xujiazhuang, the soldiers in the audience immediately became excited:
"Conquer Xujiazhuang and seize money, food and women!"
"As long as I can grab a bicycle, I, Zhang Xiaojin, will become rich."
"You must grab a mechanical watch. One piece is worth thousands of taels. If you can grab a hundred taels, you will have enough food and clothing for ten lifetimes!"
"Women also want to be robbed. I heard that the women in Xujiazhuang have big butts and big breasts, and they are extremely powerful!"
"Hahaha, kill all the men, rob all the women, and move all the treasures away."
Some of these soldiers looked greedy, some looked ferocious, or some roared with excitement like beasts.
Saw this scene.
Sun Guangde immediately felt confident, and his confidence in winning increased by at least 30%, reaching nearly 100% confidence in winning.
"Soldiers are like wolves and tigers, their morale can be used, their morale can be used!"
A scratching sound.
He pulled out his sword from his waist, pointed to the east, and said: "Xujiazhuang is rebellious and will be destroyed today. Soldiers, go to war!"
"Whoa whoa!"
This army with high morale set out on a conquest vigorously and vigorously, marching at a speed of thirty to fifty miles a day and arriving at Xujiazhuang in ten days at most.
…
The other side.
Yangzhou City, suburbs.
The salt merchants formed a larger and larger army and set off as early as April 8th.
Heading straight to the Harbor City, about three hundred miles away, the goal of participating in the war was to capture the Harbor City, destroy the salt drying ponds, bring back all the salt workers in the kitchens, and restore the business order of the salt merchants to the state two months ago.
On the long official road.
The composition of this legion formed by the salt merchants was very complex. It had no unified command uniforms and carried a variety of weapons. It walked and marched sparsely, with piles here and there. They traveled up to twenty miles a day, and they always appeared.
Various situations.
It gives people a feeling of being a mob.
In fact, this is a ragtag group composed of patrolling salt soldiers, salt owl thugs, local gangsters, strong men, etc. The most powerful and fierce fighting force among them is about two thousand salt owl thugs, plus those hired at high prices.
Hundreds of pirates are all vicious men with many lives on their hands. Just looking at their appearance can make ordinary people tremble with fear.
However, a rabble is a rabble after all. Even if the total number is close to ten thousand, the overall combat effectiveness is still questionable. It can only play a supporting role to complete the tasks of robbing homes, plundering people, killing people and setting fires. After all, these are what they are best at.
From the back of the line, an angry voice came.
"Hurry up, walk faster!"
"Within seven days, we must rush to Harbor City, snatch back our salt workers, and capture more people to cook salt for us."
"Damn it, those bastard salt workers, if they don't boil salt for me honestly, my mother-in-law will have to drink the northwest wind!"
"There are also those bastards from the army and the fattest Xujiazhuang. They want to fight on their own and won't let us participate. They want to eat Xujiazhuang alone. We can only go to Harbor City."
"Mom, if I had known this, I wouldn't have spent money to hire those officers and soldiers. We will fight Xujiazhuang ourselves, and the money, food, and women will all be ours! How can these bastards be so cheap?"
Liu Papi, a man with a scar from the corner of his eye on his face, took a whip in his hand and beat his men, constantly urging them to speed up, cursing at the same time, very unhappy.