Wu Mu looked at the copy of the government document that had just been delivered. It had just been delivered from the postal inspection station located at Guanrongpu Station.
Although the entire territory of Lingao has been controlled by them for a long time, in order to "clear the heart of Pi'ao" policy, the post roads have always remained open. After Shan Daoqian arrived at the transportation department, he not only built the post roads, but also took over the post stations along the road.
The crumbling houses were repaired, and the impoverished postmen also had a guaranteed life. Therefore, the fast horses of the postmen carrying various official documents were still running smoothly on this post road. This gave the General Administration of Political Security a glimpse of the entire island.
This is a great opportunity for government movements. Zhao Manxiong set up a postal inspection station in the Guanrongpu Station nearest to Lingao. All official documents that passed through Lingao were first opened and copied, and then re-sealed and delivered.
Of course, official documents in the Ming Dynasty were sealed with sealing paint, and important documents had to be sealed, but this was not a problem for time travellers, whether they were using special letter-picking tweezers to wrap up letters, using steam blowtorches to dissolve the paste, or even forging official documents.
There are people who know how to do the seals. Even if no one knows how to do it, you can always find it by checking the information.
Not only can they see the official documents sent to Lingao County at any time, but they also have to make a copy of all government documents that pass by and send them to the General Administration of Political Security. Now they also send a copy to the Foreign Intelligence Bureau.
As usual, these official documents were read by Wu Mu. Although most of the official documents were written in the vernacular of the time, there were many official terminology in them, and the ancient vernacular and Mandarin were different after all. It is difficult for modern people to fully understand, so he had a dedicated county government official next to him.
The clerk's office serves as a team of consultants, providing him with detailed explanations of the meaning of the official document.
Most of the official documents are not of much value. Most of them are daily administrative documents of various counties. More than 90% of them are about taxation and the handling of criminal cases. This may be an excellent first step for those who are interested in studying the history of the Ming Dynasty.
It is a first-hand source, but it is of little interest to Wu Mu.
The exchange of official documents between Lingao County Government and Qiongzhou Prefecture is the focus of their surveillance, especially whether Wu Mingjin and his men have privately reported the current actual situation in Lingao to Qiongzhou Prefecture. Therefore, both official documents and private letters are subject to the most
Strict inspection.
The situation has been tense recently, and there have been more and more official documents passing through. Wu Mu was very surprised to find that official documents destined for Danzhou, Changhua and other places continued to be passed down one stop through the Lingao post station. It seemed that he was interested in
I don't care whether official documents can pass through the "bandit area".
The General Administration of Political Security and the Intelligence Bureau easily knew from past official documents that the Ming army had no plan to send troops from Danzhou - the official documents only ordered the locals to prepare food and wait to be sent to Lingao, but did not allow the Danzhou garrison to assemble and prepare for battle.
The order did not instruct the garrison to immediately steam and clean the firearms for later use.
He opened a few letters and found nothing special. When he opened another one, his eyes suddenly widened.
This is an official document calling Wu Mingjin to return to the provincial capital immediately to report on his duties.
A copy of this letter was immediately in the hands of Xiong Buyou. Then it was in the hands of the Executive Committee. Ten minutes later, Ma Niao's field army headquarters also received the news.
"Of course we can't let Wu Mingjin go to the provincial capital." Xiong Buyou expressed his attitude simply and clearly, "First, he will probably tell everything when he gets to the provincial capital. Even if he doesn't tell everything, he has a lot of first-hand knowledge.
It would not be good to reveal some of the information. Secondly, this person is still useful in our hands. If he goes to the provincial capital, we will no longer be able to use him, life or death."
"Of course it would be easy to not allow him to go, but if the Lingao pattern continues in the future, he, a county magistrate, who openly disobeys orders, may no longer be an official." Wu De was worried about this issue.
"It doesn't matter, just ask him to send an emergency document." Xiong Buyou said, "Isn't He Ming sending a small force to harass Chengmai and Qiongshan? Let's add some more information. It is said that the Kun bandits are besieging the county seat.
, he is trying his best to defend and cannot get out of the city."
"Is that possible?"
"You can get it done by asking Master Wang."
Inside the county government office, Wu Mingjin and others were in a very depressed situation. The news that the government troops were coming to suppress bandits was also known to the government office. Although the county government officials had either changed or no longer dared to contact him privately, the inner government office
They are all his family members, and he can always get news about the outside world from their mouths.
The news was just a chatter at first, but then it became more and more solid. The news coming from everywhere showed that it was imminent for the Governor to send troops to suppress the attack. The servants told him that the Australians were mobilizing troops, and the roads were full of troops and
Cannons and ships in the port are also being mobilized. And there are rumors that Australia has sent new troops to prepare for a decisive battle with the Ming Dynasty.
Wu Mingjin felt conflicted and painful in his heart. He knew that he had not committed suicide due to a single thought, nor had he fled to the capital alone to seek emergency. Now there was no way out. He could only "share life" with the Australians. The Australians won, and he
The unclear county magistrate can probably continue to do so - but he may not be the Lingao County Magistrate of the Ming Dynasty. Thinking of this, a burst of sorrow for the motherland can't help but surge into my heart. However, if the Ming Dynasty wins, the Australians pull up anchor and sail away.
After leaving, I can't just go with him and abandon my ancestral graves to become an Australian! I can only stay and wait for death!
Thinking of this, he could hardly sleep at night. He knew very well that once the Ming Dynasty regained Lingao, he would never consider himself a loyal minister "trapped in an isolated city". Not only would his life be at stake, his reputation would be in jeopardy, and his family would also be implicated.
.My wife and children are both on their way to death, and I’m afraid they will all be dead by then.
Wu Mingjin spent more than ten days in such an extremely contradictory and complicated state of mind. Xiong Buyou knew about his inner suffering from the insider installed in the inner office, and was very worried that he would suddenly commit suicide. According to the executive committee, Wu Mingjin was a person who was under special protection.
Therefore, he ordered the insiders among the servants placed around him to keep a close eye on the county magistrate to prevent him from committing suicide. He also ordered You Guotuan to strengthen security at the inner offices and county gates to prevent him from escaping or to send people to deliver messages privately.
Xiong Buyou decided that he still had to discuss this matter with Wang Zhaomin - after all, the county magistrate's seal was still in Wu Mingjin's hands. It was inconvenient for him to take it by force. Although Master Wang had lost his power now, he had become a senior adviser to the Government Affairs Council. For such a
He is not dissatisfied with his life. He has no fame and no salary from the Ming Dynasty. Now he is receiving double allowances from the county magistrate and the Australians, raising a concubine, and living a comfortable life. He only longs for this in his heart.
My life was uneventful until Mr. Wu left office.
Wang Zhaomin knew the news that the Ming army was about to attack earlier. But he did not think that the Australians would be defeated. Unlike Wu Mingjin, he often dealt with the Australians, visited many places, and knew that the Australians were extremely strong. Ming
The army's encirclement and suppression campaign will inevitably end in failure.
The biggest negative consequence of this siege is that the position of his employer, Lingao County Magistrate, may not be guaranteed. However, this has little to do with his own immediate interests - Wang Zhaomin can find another employer and continue to be a master.
Xiong Buyou came to discuss with him and showed him the official documents. Wang Zhaomin agreed with the judgment that Wu Mingjin should not be allowed to go to the province to report on his work, and he also held a positive attitude towards the idea of sending people to report on the situation.
"There is no need to let Mr. Wu know about this matter - he is disturbed now, and bothering him will only make it more difficult for Mr. Wu." Wang Zhaomin followed the master's usual style and acted boldly, "The seal is in the signing room, sign and seal
He was originally my mission, so I will handle this matter."
"Okay. Then I'll rely on your creative writing, Mr. Wang."
Wang Zhaomin immediately started writing this urgent letter. This letter was written with great care. Although he knew nothing about the situation in Guangdong, judging from the fact that he wanted Wu Mingjin to return to the province, the Guangdong officialdom was not very concerned about the situation in Lingao.
Clearly, I know almost nothing about the situation of Australians.
However, the Australians could not hide this matter from anyone in the three years before and after Lingao - Wu Mingjin sent many urgent documents to Fucheng at the beginning, and the Guangdong side will definitely check the original documents in Tang Dynasty.
It is difficult to explain satisfactorily why the local county government did not respond to the Australians' three years of Lingao. Especially now that the word "suppression" is at the forefront, any excuse will be criticized. Only *** changes.
When it becomes "touch", it doesn't matter what contradictory words you say.
After thinking about it again and again, since it is difficult to tell a lie, it is better not to tell it at all, and just write an urgent letter saying that Lingao is currently besieged by the Kun bandits, who are setting up cannons and building ladders outside the city, preparing to storm the county seat. The county magistrate is urging everyone to
The army and the people of the city defended the city.
After I finished writing, I circled and smeared it again before I was satisfied. I then copied it and gave it to Xiong Buyou for review.
"It's just that the person who delivers the letter has to go through a lot of trouble." Mr. Wang said with a twist of his beard. "Although the official document only needs to be delivered to the city, if the prefect or Tang Shen comes to ask about the situation in the county, he must be able to speak.
Only those who are good at eloquence and not afraid of death can do it.”
"It's no problem, I have my own choice."
Xiong Buyou took the document and did not go back to his office. Instead, he went directly to the office of the General Administration of Political Security. He studied the letter repeatedly with Wu Mu, Li Yan and others, and thought there was no problem, so he called in an intelligence training officer.
A locally-born indigenous intelligence agent studied in Department A of the center asked him to deliver the letter to the capital.
Li Yan told him how to answer if he was questioned. He also told him about the dangers he might encounter and asked him to be careful.
The news that the Kun thieves broke into the Lingao Guards Station, harassed Chengmai, and surrounded Lingao County finally reached the Guangdong Governor's Office in Zhaoqing through the Hainan Express. Wang Zunde was originally unhappy that he failed to capture the Kun thieves in Guangzhou.
Now I heard that the Kun bandits from Lingao broke into the local guard post in Lingao, besieged the two counties of Chengmai and Lingao, and harassed the local areas. I became even more angry and ordered He Rubin to gather his troops as soon as possible and quickly cross the sea to conquer. In order to supervise He Rubin
During the combat operations, Wang Zunde ordered Zhao Ruyi, the commander of the Hainan branch, to be the supervisor of the army. Then, he appointed Lu Yizhong as an alternate commander in the army.
As a result, He Rubin had two "supervisory troops" before he was dispatched. Not to mention Zhao Ruyi, it was inconvenient for others to leave their duties without authorization in Qiongshan County, but this Lu Yizhong was a close confidant in the governor's shogunate, and he came here to urge him.
Those who want to fight will inevitably often point fingers in the army and ask them to "send troops quickly".
Lu Yizhong cornered various shops in Guangzhou that usually had trade relations with the Australians. After some bluff threats, he finally raised 40,000 to 50,000 silver. Even the Gao family had to spend thousands of taels of silver to spend. This figure
Although he could not satisfy Wang Zunde, he finally regained some trust.
While Wang Zunde sternly urged the army to go into battle, he also stepped up the mobilization of grain, grass, gunpowder and armor and prepared to ship it from Guangzhou to Qiongshan for storage.
The summer is hot, but there are cool breezes blowing by the seaside. Although this is still an inland river of the Pearl River, the river is wide and the wind and waves on the river are as big as those on the sea. The waves are undulating and rushing toward the shore, hitting the beaches and rocks.
Because of the order of Wang Zunde, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, ships are prohibited from entering and exiting the Pearl River Estuary. Moreover, merchant ships knew that the government was recently sealing large ships at the Pearl River Estuary and did not dare to appear here. Therefore, there were only a few fishing boats and naval patrol warships on the river.
In the river bay in front of Humen Village, there are many ships, with masts and masts like a forest. There are ships of the Guangdong Navy and various civilian ships temporarily nailed. Some large ships are loaded with food and armored weapons and have white sails.
, heading west to Hainan Island.
In the open space in front of Humen Village, many military tents have been erected in a dense pattern. Flags cover the field, and swords and guns are like forests. Drums and horns echo each other. The military appearance is very majestic.
Flags were flying on the Ya Niang Shoe fort opposite Humen Village, which was one of the main forts outside Guangzhou. There were earthen forts, archery towers, and blockhouses built around it. Many Ming troops were stationed there, and the flags were fluttering in the wind.
He Rubin led a group of generals, staff and retinues to the riverside, looking at the large army gathered from all over the province. Since the expulsion of the Penghu Hongmao Fan at the end of Tianqi, Guangdong has never assembled such a large army.
An army. In order to support this army, in addition to using the grain accumulated in official warehouses on Hainan Island over the years, a large amount of additional grain must be transported. Because they knew that the Kun thieves had sharp firearms and were prepared to lay siege to the city for a long time, from Foshan
Many newly cast cannons and muskets were transported, as well as a lot of gunpowder. A new gunpowder factory was set up in the leeward and sunny place behind Ya Niang Shoes Mountain, and saltpeter, sulfur and saltpeter were continuously transported from all over the province.
Willow charcoal was transported here to be made into gunpowder.
"If we have well-equipped soldiers and adequate food supplies, we will be able to gain full success in one battle once we have secured the platform." Some of his staff flattered him.
"According to what the Tang newspaper said: The morale of the Kun thieves has not declined. Not only did they have no intention of retreating, but they destroyed our guard post and surrounded me in Lingao and Chengmai counties. It seems that there must be a fierce battle to determine the outcome. Military affairs
It's so dangerous that there can't be any negligence." He Rubin was very surprised by the sudden activity of the Kun thief. Since the Kun thief had been living a peaceful life in Lingao for nearly three years, why did he suddenly attack everywhere now? Is it really like what Lu Yizhong said?
, is it just to retaliate against the government for sealing down Australian businesses?
He vaguely felt that this matter was not that simple.
A middle-aged civil servant stood on horseback beside him. He was Lu Yizhong, who was sent by Wang Zunde as an alternate to carry out the Zhan Rubin Army's frontline painting. Although he came with the title of Zanhua's military affairs, everyone knew that he was sent by Wang Zunde.
of supervisors.
Zhao Ruyi, the official supervisor of the Hainan branch, was still in Qiongshan County. He would not come to Guangzhou to give advice. Lu Yizhong was not so easy to dispatch. Soon after he arrived in the army, he kept urging He Rubin to cross the sea to Hainan as soon as possible.
.
After listening to He Rubin's words, Lu Yizhong quickly continued: "What Master Zhentai said is absolutely true. The bandits know that their doom is coming, and the so-called poor rats will bite back. Our division can only quickly cross the sea to capture such Xiaoxiao."
Everyone knows that Lu Zanhua is urging troops again. In fact, the invasion force, which is said to be fifty thousand, but is actually twenty thousand, has only gathered more than ten thousand people so far. This is already mobilizing troops within the province, so the speed is much faster.
According to the practice of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, so many troops cannot be mobilized and sent on the road at once, because it is difficult to provide food and accommodation for so many people at one time, so the troops everywhere are "set up" in groups of two to three hundred people.
They set off day by day for the unit. Since they were going to war and not on vacation, the soldiers and officers naturally walked as slowly as they could, and could not walk more than twenty miles in a day. It was normal for tens of thousands of people to gather for three or four months.
According to this speed, it will take half a month for the entire army to be assembled. Moreover, the troops are improvised. Although they are nominally controlled by He Rubin, he is not familiar with all the generals under his command who are scattered throughout the province.
Unfamiliar soldiers are a taboo in battle. He Rubin originally wanted to assemble the entire army in Guangzhou, take advantage of the rainy season in Hainan and the subsequent typhoon weather to conduct local training for one or two months, and wait until early autumn before sending out troops. However, Lu Yizhong
With constant urging, he had no choice but to cross the sea first with his food, armor, and his Zhongbiao Zhongying.
"The wind and waves are so strong today!" He Rubin looked at the fleet that was sailing away. He couldn't help but worry about the safety of the fleet. In the past few days, several ships transporting food and armor to Hainan capsized, and even the supplies were lost.
Public.
"Don't worry, sir. These sailors are accustomed to sailing, and they use large local ships that are nailed. They can sail to the Western Ocean, and there will be no problem in going to Qiongshan." The staff reassured him.
Back in the camp, He Rubin discussed the marching strategy with his staff. The governor was eager for him to cross the sea and fight. In addition to his eagerness for success, there was also the problem of labor and pay. The 20,000-strong army had still been assembled.
The Guangdong vassal had already spent more than 100,000 yuan, and the cost of food, ships, and firearms had not been included. When they arrived in Lingao and had to besiege the bandits for several months, the cost would be even greater.
To this end, he had to make a gesture and let his most reliable troops cross the sea first.
Watching the first batch of sea-crossing troops leave, He Rubin seemed to be relieved - he finally had room to deal with the governor. However, he felt great worries in his heart. He knew very little about the situation of the bandits.
Originally, I wanted to wait for the Lingao County Magistrate to arrive and ask him face to face. Unexpectedly, the Kun thieves suddenly besieged the county seat, and the county magistrate could only be trapped and unable to rush to the provincial capital.