"We can make another furnace of good steel." Chen Haiyang said jokingly, looking at Dai Xie from the Planning Institute Action Team who was greedily registering numbers in the record book.
"It's not one furnace, it's several furnaces. For these cannons, the amount of pig iron needed to melt the iron is enough." Dai Xie, as the director of the Investigation and Statistics Division of the Planning Institute, rarely visits the front line in person. This time he personally led
The "house raiding team" - the special search operation team - came to the Pearl River Delta, which shows that Wu De had high hopes for seizing a large amount of supplies from the Pearl River Delta region. Of course, the Planning Institute did gain a lot, especially the capture of several forts.
The cannons captured later - even the Folan machine and the like can produce two to three hundred kilograms of molten iron, not to mention the Hongyi cannons that weigh several thousand kilograms.
The cannons dismantled by the navy were piled up into a hill on the beach, among which 12 bronze cannons were precious trophies. However, there were no ships to transport them yet, so we had to wait for the subsequent supply fleet to arrive.
The big whale was breathing black smoke and was working intensively. The steam winch pulled out the wooden piles driven from the bottom of the water one by one. The wooden piles used for blocking were simply knocked down by the civilian workers with a sledgehammer.
It was not the result of a mechanized pile driver. The depth of the pile driver was just enough to make it stand firmly in the river. It was pulled out one after another with a gentle pull from the steam winch. Even the crane and the specially prepared wire rope were not used.
There were hundreds of wooden piles blocking the river, and the Planning Institute, which is known for its diligence and thrift, did not let go. Several sailors who had worked as rowers arranged the wooden piles into rows, preparing to be towed back to Humen by ship.
After clearing the water obstacles, the scouts found a group of boats moored horizontally on the river a few kilometers away from Wuyong, filled with sand and gravel. This was obviously another water obstacle. Chen Haiyang thought it was lucky that the Ming army did not
If the ship is sunk, it will certainly not hinder the current wooden ships, but the channel of the future 10,000-ton giant ships will be greatly affected.
However, according to the measurement of the survey ship, officers and soldiers have indeed sunk a number of ships in the channel. Although the blockage lines are intermittent and cannot be connected as a whole due to problems with tides, currents and shipwreck operations, the water depth in some waters has still changed.
It is only about 1 to 2 meters. The survey ship has set up buoys in all areas where there is a risk of stranding.
The Great Whale began to dismantle certain blocked areas that might affect normal navigation. Several steamboats towed the ship filled with sand and gravel to the shore. The prisoners captured in Wu Chung were used as laborers. Chen Haiyang
He ordered a short rest, cleaned up the artillery, and prepared to continue the ascent. At the same time, he sent sailors to nearby villages to post notices and collect "reasonable burdens."
Now there is no longer any village that has the determination to resist them. Even before the sailors arrived, the elders and wealthy households in nearby villages sent people over to give gifts and "rewards", expressing their willingness to accept all the conditions of the Australians.
Nearby villagers also rowed small boats to sell vegetables, fruits, meat, and alcohol. There was a conflict with civilian boats following the fleet preparing to do business.
Many small boats gathered around Wuyong, forming a temporary but lively floating market. Finally, even the prostitutes' boats came. Of course, it was possible for them to do the task force's business, but the prostitutes never
Sailors and traders on other civilian ships still made a lot of money.
Seeing that more and more civilian ships were gathering together, in order to prevent Shui Yong from mixing among them and launching a sneak attack, Chen Haiyang ordered that all civilian ships must be anchored near the mouth of the Wuchong River and were not allowed to enter the waters where the fleet was berthed. The two must be 100 meters apart to prevent the enemy from using arson boats
Conduct a sneak attack.
So many small boats selling goods came that Chen Haiyang discovered that as long as his fleet still had money to pay for it, there was no need for a dedicated supply fleet to transport food for him - rice, poultry, eggs, vegetables and fruits, and even
You can buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and wine from the boat, and the price is not expensive.
Chen Haiyang ordered that a large amount of fruits such as citrus be purchased for the soldiers to supplement their vitamins. At the same time, he ordered that if the food does not involve hygienic issues and the price is suitable, it can be purchased directly from vendors on small boats.
He was surprised that the common people did not care about doing business with the "thieves" who beat up the "government troops". Although this phenomenon was beneficial to the Fubo Army, he was also surprised by the common people's voluntarily acting as "traitors".
I feel very uncomfortable.
Just when I was feeling uncomfortable, another "delegation" came. This time they were ship owners and merchants anchored in Huangpu Port. Because of the war, their ships and cargo were stranded in the port and they dared not sail. Now I heard that the Kun bandits had conquered Ukraine.
The whole Huangpu Port turned into a naked woman tied to the bed. The thieves could come to them whenever they wanted, and as many times as they wanted. The owners and cargo owners of more than 2,000 large and small ships in the port were
They were so frightened that they lost their minds. The sailors and helmsmen had already escaped, and even the officials and servants of the Huangpu River Station had also escaped completely.
The cargo owners had no choice but to nominate a delegation of ten people to go to Wuyong to ask the Australians to "show mercy". The ship owners and cargo owners were willing to pay a "ransom" of 50,000 taels of silver in exchange for the thieves' promise not to confiscate the goods and not burn the ship.
"I hope you will give me your permission!" The leading businessman kowtowed heavily on the ground. The people behind him also kowtowed together. There was a loud bang on the floor of the cabin.
Wen Desi gathered his hands in a very stylish manner - it feels really good to be the master: "Get up. No need to kowtow."
"Thank you, sir." The leading businessman cupped his hands again, then stood up carefully, bowed his head and listened to the instructions.
"Your name is...um..."
"The villain Qin Haicheng." The leading businessman said cautiously.
"Is he a foreign businessman?"
Qin Haicheng was nervous and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes, the younger one is a foreign businessman."
"Where to trade?"
"Reporting to your lord, the Luzon Islands..."
"You must have made a lot of money."
Qin Haicheng trembled and did not dare to answer. He was afraid that if he said something wrong, he would be blackmailed greatly.
Wen Desi probably also realized that such words were inappropriate. He quickly changed his tone:
"We don't need the money," Wen Desi said grandly, "but I have other requirements."
"Yes, please show me!" Qin Haicheng was secretly relieved when he heard that no silver was required, but he thought that the price of this "request" would not be cheap, and it might be much more expensive than fifty thousand taels of silver.
The first requirement is "buy with peace". Basically, they will send personnel to each merchant ship to inspect the goods. All goods that are in demand will be "buy with peace". The price of "buy with peace" is the price of such goods in Guangzhou.
The wholesale price plus 10% shipping and gross profit.
All ships with goods to be "bought" must sail to Hong Kong, and then be escorted by special boats in the local formation to Lingao to unload the goods. Due to the cutoff in foreign trade, Lingao now has a huge demand for many goods, and there is a backlog in Huangpu Port.
There are more than 2,000 ships, many of which are merchant ships, with a wide range of goods on board. A large amount of materials can be obtained by "buying" at one time. Of course, this kind of buying and selling has a certain predatory nature - compared with the past between Lingao and Guangzhou.
The normal foreign trade purchase price is much cheaper. However, it still leaves a certain amount of profit for ship owners and cargo owners to prevent them from losing money.
Although this condition is harsh, it is still bearable. Qin Haicheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief - he is not worried about the Australians not paying him or anything like that - the reputation of Australians as businessmen is still very good in Guangdong.
The second request didn't sound like a request, but more like a suggestion. He just talked about the strategic location of Hong Kong Island, which is currently under the control of Australia and Song Dynasty, how complete the port services are, etc. I hope everyone will visit Hong Kong often.
Ships can be docked on the island to load and sell goods - as for the goods that need to be transshipped, they can be transported by inland river ships in bulk.
These words were polite, but in fact they contained an element of coercion. According to the plans of the Central Government Affairs Council, the Planning Institute and the General Staff, although the main force of the task force will return to Lingao after the war against Guangzhou, the control of the Pearl River waterway
The right will not be given up. In the future, the light patrol fleet based in Hong Kong will continue to patrol the Pearl River Estuary and the Pearl River waterway, forcing merchant ships entering and exiting the Pearl River Estuary to go to Hong Kong for trade. Eventually, Hong Kong will become the main outer port of Guangzhou and the South
The gateway port for China's foreign trade and coastal trade.
"Yes, yes, I understand." Qin Haicheng was a little curious as to why they valued Hong Kong Island so much. He knew Hong Kong Island. It was a very desolate island. Although it had a considerable area and a good anchorage, ordinary merchant ships could not
Dare to go there - that area is the main activity place for pirates. Are the Australians preparing to turn Hong Kong into another Macau when they occupy it?
"As long as you understand." Wen Desi smiled, "Just keep in mind what you say and don't go against the will."
"Young ones don't dare!" Qin Haicheng was so frightened that he almost knelt down. "Young ones will definitely let the ships dock in Hong Kong for trade!" Others also firmly stated that they would dock in Hong Kong for trade.
"Okay, let's go. Now everything is safe on the river and at sea. You can trade wherever you want. As long as you don't commit hostile acts, our navy will never stop attacking civilian ships."
"Thank you, Sir." Qin Haicheng was very surprised that he was let go by the thieves without spending a penny. But thinking that there might be some "pig-killing knives" waiting for everyone in Hong Kong, he felt a hair in his heart. But now Zhujiang is an Australian
In this world, if one "disobeys", both the ship and cargo will be lost immediately, and maybe even one's life will be lost. It seems that either you don't want to engage in maritime trade, or if you want to do it, you still have to go to Hong Kong to pay tribute. I guess.
At most, the price Australians ask is about the same as Liu Xiang.
Wen Desi smiled and said, "But in the future, it would be better for your merchant ships to come to Huangpu Port less often, so as not to burden you all when setting off fire and artillery fire."
"I don't dare, I don't dare. I will never dare to come to Huangpu Port again! I will definitely go to Hong Kong Island for trade."
Chen Haiyang then ordered the navy to dispatch a company, and at the same time dispatched two squadrons of spy boats to Huangpu with the representatives. Dai Xie led the indigenous clerks of the Planning Institute to conduct a "peace purchase" - each ship owner and cargo owner must submit a bill of lading.
After review, if the goods are refused or the cargo manifest has been tampered with, the cargo will be confiscated.
Qin Haicheng led the representatives to announce the policy to the ship owners and cargo owners gathered on the shore. Everyone was relieved to hear that they did not have to pay. Although Hemai made less money, after all, the overall loss was limited. As for trading with Hong Kong Island, everyone discussed
Later, I thought that this was just an imitation of Zheng Zhilong's old trick. Before Zheng Zhilong came to Fu, he repeatedly attacked Yuegang, burned the ships and razed the streets to the ground. The purpose was to force all the trading merchant ships along the Fujian coast to go to the Zhongzuo Station under his control. The Australians also
I want to use this hand to make money by sitting on the ground.
Of course, the businessmen had no choice but to accept all the conditions - you know that the Australians were already merciful, they could have accepted the 50,000 taels, or simply extorted 100,000 taels and made these two demands, and they would still have to accept them.
The marines boarded the pier, destroyed the wharf facilities and river moorings in Huangpu, and set fire to the river moorings.
The task force continued to move up the next day and effortlessly defeated the defenses of the two forts at Pazhou and Qinzhou. The defenders on the two forts fled after hastily firing their cannons. The spy boats did not even have time to fire back.
.
The ensuing battle can no longer be regarded as a battle. The morale of the Ming army is extremely low. Neither Shui Yong nor the navy has the intention to launch an attack. Even when guarding the fort, they are unwilling to contribute - since the enemy can only hit themselves.
, If you can't hit the enemy yourself, what's the point of defending such a fort?
Only in Liede and Ershawei did the task force encounter some trouble - not caused by the forts, but by the fact that the river had been completely blocked. The whale had to carry out a long search in each area.
The demolition and obstacle clearance work lasted for two to three hours. During this period, both the Liede and Ershawei forts only fired a few shots in response to the accident and did not take any measures to organize the Fubo Army to remove the river obstacles.
As soon as the spy boat fired its cannon, the battle was over.
Now, the task force has advanced to less than three or four kilometers away from Baietan. Except for a few hastily repaired sandbag forts, nothing can stop the Australians from entering Baietan. This
This terrifying prospect caused chaos in the city of Guangzhou. The flower boats on the White Goose Lake scattered overnight and fled to the upper reaches of the Xijiang River. The wealthy gentry fled the city with their families in large numbers, and the shops were closed. The common people had no choice but to flee.
They closed the door tightly and hid from the noise. Many lawless people in the suburbs of the city raised the Australian flag, such as: "Pioneer of the Great Song Dynasty Zhengming", "Australia Dingyuan Marquis", "Da'ao Guerrilla General of Guangdong", "Da Kunguo"
Titles like "Former Enemy Supervisor Recruit", "Australian Left Pioneer", "Australian Song Guangdong Zhengyin Pioneer"... and other names are everywhere. Some people know that the Australians fly red flags and blue and white flags, so various colors similar to red or blue
The white flag was flying in the four towns of Guangzhou. These gangsters were either robbing homes or extorting money, which suddenly made people panic.
The task force moved forward slowly, mopping up bandits and broken troops along the road - villages and towns no longer dared to fight against them, but the bandits and broken troops everywhere under the banner of "Australia" seriously affected the reputation of the Fubo Army.
.To this end, the task force carried out large-scale search and seizure activities along the way. After successively annihilating more than a dozen groups of bandits claiming to be Australian troops and executing several bandit leaders with numerous crimes, this trend was basically over in the Henan Island area.
.
Xu Tingfa, urged by Li Fengjie, had no choice but to launch the last major counterattack against the Kun thieves on the Pearl River. Everyone from Li Fengjie to Shui Yong, who was just trying to make ends meet, knew that this was the last chance for the officers and soldiers to repel the Kun thieves.
.Xu Tingfa used the last weapon of the Ming Navy - the arson boat.
Since the Portuguese first came to the border, the most effective tactical method used by the Ming Navy to deal with European maritime forces that had certain technical advantages in ships and guns was to use arson ships. A large number of arson ships were deployed on the naval warships.
Under cover, they were driven by sailors selected with a heavy reward to ram enemy ships. In narrow sea bays, a small number of tall and clumsy European-style ships often suffered heavy damage due to lack of cover from light ships. This is
A tried and tested method to deal with European sea-going ships since the mid-Ming Dynasty.
Xu Tingfa and others thought of this tactic again when they were desperate. Compared with the open area above the Pearl River Estuary, fire attack tactics seemed to be more effective in the inland rivers of Guangzhou. The inland rivers were narrow and the warships were densely packed, making it difficult to maneuver and avoid;
There are many inland harbors, and fire attack ships can spread out and hide in search of opportunities to launch.
Xu Tingfa discussed with the generals and believed that this method was feasible. However, the fire attack ship would consume a lot of ships, and the navy itself lacked ships. Therefore, as usual, this matter had to be resolved by the governor.
At this time, Li Fengjie could say anything as long as the Kun thieves did not break into Baietan. He immediately issued an order, ordering the prefect of Guangzhou and the magistrates of Nanhai and Panyu counties to seize ships in Xijiang, Beijiang and other places. No matter how big or small, all ships would be sealed.
They were sent to Bai'etan for use. For a time, fishing boats, cargo ships and flower boats that had just escaped from Bai'etan on the river suffered disasters one after another, and a large number of people were imprisoned to Bai'etan without explanation. The officials and naval generals who were responsible for the period were inevitably among them.
Fraud, in the name of fighting, was sealed everywhere. If the ship owner had money and connections, he would naturally ask someone to spend money to clear the way and redeem his ship. People who had no money could only watch as their food costs were piled up.
The firewood was poured with clear oil and prepared to be burned, and there was no way to do it despite crying and crying.
In two days, the Navy assembled more than 50 fire attack ships of various types on Baietan and Xijiang River, and more than 100 fire platoons were rushed to float along the current. These ships and fire platoons were all equipped with
fuel, and fixed large iron nails on the bow of the ship. Xu Tingfa recruited people with good water skills among Shui Yong, fishermen and navy officers and soldiers, promising that each person would be given ten taels of silver for housing expenses first, and two more for those who came back alive.
Twelve taels, and even if he died, he would be compensated ten taels. With the favorable conditions, he immediately recruited more than 300 people, who were preparing to sail the ship to ram the Kun bandit's ship.