Dominate the Country

[Thanks to ‘Longchendada’ and ‘Dandansan’ for the 500-coin reward]

“My old friend left the Yellow Crane Tower, and went to Yangzhou in March. The solitary sail disappeared into the blue sky, and only the Yangtze River was seen flowing across the horizon.”

On the Yellow Crane Tower, Chen Ming, together with the generals behind him, watched the fleets of ships on the river below, with red flags fluttering. Looking west from the tower, it was unknown how many miles long, blocking the Yangtze River. Countless people gathered on both sides of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, and the shouts of ‘ten thousand wins’ were heard incessantly. That was really endless pride rising to the sky, and the ambition was fierce. These were his soldiers, and they were all the capital for him to dominate the world. "Meng Haoran went to Yangzhou in March, and we are in February now."

"Meng Haoran "enjoyed the beauty of mountains and rivers and often went boating." He preferred to travel by water. He went to Yangzhou in March to travel east to Wu Yue, and Yangzhou was the first stop on his schedule. And this time when we go east, although Yangzhou cannot be the first stop, we will definitely go there."

"The army is going south again. The purpose of this battle is to cut off the north-south traffic of the Qing Dynasty and seize the money warehouse in the southeast. Everyone, don't miss this great opportunity to make merit and be rewarded." Accompanied by the cheers outside, Chen Ming smiled easily. He began to mobilize troops without concealing it before the New Year. The Qing army also concentrated its forces in Jiangnan and took back all the soldiers who attacked Fujian. Then the two sides will have another showdown.

The Fu Han army is not in a position to lose now, but after all the soldiers are in armor, Chen Ming has the confidence to win.

He is not going to Jiangbei to clash with the Qing cavalry now, he is going to attack Jiangnan. If the Qing army was willing to put the cavalry in the Jiangnan water town, Chen Ming would also laugh.

"Wansheng, Wansheng, Wansheng..."

The gongs and drums on the riverside sounded, and the auspicious time for the army to march was coming. The people on both sides of the river burst into huge cheers again. "Liu Dezhao did a good job~" Liu Dezhao did a good job. No matter how many shills he, the prefect of Wuchang, inserted in these people, and how much money he spent, the atmosphere was really set off. Chen Ming watched the morale of the soldiers on the boat suddenly rise, it was really in full swing.

"The morale of the soldiers is boiling, and our army will win this battle." Chen Erbao's voice sounded on the side. Compared with the compliment just now, this voice was more solemn and solemn. Chen Erbao's face was full of serious expressions, and his eyes were shining as he looked at the fleet below.

"Only a small part of the Qing army in Jiangnan came from Jiangbei, and the rest were mostly soldiers from southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang. That ancient and prosperous paradise could not produce strong soldiers. At least after Qi Nantang, I have never heard of any strong soldiers from Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

And Chen Ming's attack on Jiangnan this time was both land and sea, unlike the last time when he was lame on one leg. In the waters of the Yangtze River estuary east of Jiangyin, the Fu Han Army Navy had no capital to compete with the Qing Army's foreign navy in the last battle. It just relied on the large number of cannons to block the artillery batteries in Jiangyin and Zhenjiang, eliminating the possibility of the Qing Army's warships entering Nanjing from the west.

This time it was different. Chen Ming dragged out all the navy warships in Yueyang, Wuchang, and Jiujiang. He really tried his best to fight the Qing Army's foreign navy at Wusongkou. Otherwise, how could he block the north and south of the Yangtze River!

From the spring and summer of last year to now, the three shipyards have completed three rounds of construction. Even for large ships like the Tingchuan, two rounds of construction have been completed. Twelve ships were launched in Dongting Lake, ten in Wuchang, and twelve in Jiujiang, as well as bird ships.

The three shipyards were launching warships of all sizes like dumplings. Chen Ming's silver was stuffed into it like a bottomless pit. However, the Fu Han Army swept along the Yangtze River and seized a large amount of stored materials from the Qing Army. The actual cost was much less than building ships with nothing. However, after more than half a year of continuous shipbuilding, the stored materials in the three places have gradually been used up, especially in Jiujiang.

At present, the rafting gangs on the Yangtze River and Han River have reappeared. But Chen Ming couldn't immediately use the big wood that the rafting gangs transported to Wuchang with great difficulty to build ships. Chen Ming really didn't know how to quickly dry the wood for shipbuilding. He vaguely remembered that when Europeans made sailing warships, some wood had to be steamed, softened and shaped, and fixed after drying, and would not deform. But who knows what kind of chamber is in this process, probably something like a steam chamber, how it is made, and how many matching standards there are. Moreover, when was this technology invented, and whether there are any other requirements, Chen Ming knows nothing.

The current way of handling wood by the Fu Han Army is still the old way. The heads of the three shipyards also listen to Chen Ming's words and organize a group of capable forces to conduct experiments continuously, but none of them succeeded. Therefore, the storage speed is slow, and everything is still a long way to go!

For the eastward advance that has already begun, Chen Ming has assembled a total of the Guards Brigade, the Cavalry Regiment, the entire First Division, the 16th and 17th Brigades of the Fourth Division, the entire First Division, the 13th Brigade of the Second Division and six independent artillery battalions, with only 50,000 land combat troops. The total number of logistics troops and naval battalions is absolutely huge.

As early as the year before, when the remnants of the First Division and two brigades of the Fourth Division arrived in Wuchang, the actions of the Fu Han Army attracted the attention of countless people. After the year, the Cavalry Regiment and the troops of the First and Second Garrison Divisions also went south to Wuchang one after another. Even the most obtuse people should know that the Fu Han Army is going to fight a big battle again.

As for the purpose of this large army -

The newspapers avoided talking about it, but the people have been discussing it.

"Boom boom boom..." The sound of cannons on the river interrupted Chen Ming's reverie. The army set off, and the first to go were fifty or sixty warships. The six leading warships were decorated with red and colorful patterns. The Fu Han soldiers in red uniforms stood on the deck with their heads held high. Amid the thunderous cheers from both sides of the river, they proudly sailed past the Yellow Crane Tower. Both sides of the Yangtze River were crowded with people, but I don't know how many Qing spies there were.

"Now, among the bustling crowds on both sides of the river, there must be people cursing why God didn't strike down thunder, but struck the Yellow Crane Tower, and killed all the people on the tower to make them happy." Chen Ming said to Chen Erbao beside him.

Chen Erbao had just arrived in Wuchang a few days ago and was about to leave again. He was the commander-in-chief of the front army.

"Haha, if this really strikes the Yellow Crane Tower with a thunderbolt, then God will be blind." Chen Erbao lost his seriousness and spoke in a relaxed tone. He was just like Chen Ming, full of confidence in the army's eastward march. "If God could really strike people with thunder, he should have struck that wild boar skin to death with a thunderbolt." His tone was full of frivolity and contempt, as if Nurhaci was still alive and he had no grudge against Nurhaci.

Chen Ming laughed loudly after hearing this. God would not strike people, but God could pass through him, so Chen Ming still had to maintain the necessary respect for it.

He glanced at the generals around him who all had smiles on their faces. At this moment, the brigade commanders and division commanders standing by were all smiling. Chen Ming did not think these smiles were so fake, but psychologically he once again felt that people were really complicated animals.

Take Chen Erbao, who just called Nurhaci a wild boar skin, for example. If you had told him about national justice three years ago, you might as well have thrown a piece of silver at him. But what about now? Every day, he looks like a "national fighter". This is not because he realized the "national justice" during the uprising, but because Chen Erbao has become rich.

After this person becomes rich, he should pursue connotation. Things that are too naked, which could be enjoyed directly without caring before, are now too straightforward. Now in Lushan, the "national justice" and "national defense" have become the banners and pretexts of many high-level officials of the Chen Han regime.

At the beginning of their uprising, they were forced to go to a desperate situation - not only the Qing government forced them, but Chen Ming also forced them, and then when they became more powerful, they pursued wealth and glory. Now that their momentum is even greater, it really has a bit of the taste of conquering the world and sitting on the throne, and they have raised one by one very formal and high-sounding banners. To show that he was not seeking wealth and glory, or a hundred generations of nobles, but for the sake of national justice and the defense of the Chinese and foreigners. This is a way of flattering oneself. This phenomenon officially appeared during the Spring Festival this year. Chen Hui mentioned several times in his letter to Chen Ming that the Seventh Lord, the Ninth Lord, Huang Lao Uncle and others, as well as the eldest uncle and the second uncle, are now reluctant to say the eight words "expel the Tartars and restore China".

The atmosphere on the Yellow Crane Tower was very relaxed, but the army set out, with more than 2,000 transport ships, military ships, and warships, which was a big project. Huang Song, Gao Yanming, Chen Jiqing and other relatives who had been with Chen Ming since last year, as the clerical staff of Chen Ming's headquarters, were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water a while ago, but now they are relaxed.

"Your Highness should let the front army stop at Hukou for a while, which will definitely scare Wu Shaoshi to death." Gao Yanming looked at the fleets that set out in waves amid the sound of cannons and cheers, and felt a sense of fulfillment in his heart. Chen Ming handed over the planning of the army's departure and logistics to the General Staff, and he was also a member of the General Staff.

Gao Yanming, who is a few months younger than Chen Ming, has completely lost his immaturity on his face. Everything makes people grow old, and under the situation of the Fu Han Army, it is very easy for a person to mature.

"The Qing army in Guangdong and Guangxi is happy, and the Fujian Tiandihui is even happier." Huang Song also said. He has matured as well.

When the news of the Fu Han Army's large-scale assembly came out, the three most worried places were Guangdong, Jiangxi and Jiangnan. Huang Song was one of Chen Ming's confidential secretaries and had access to a large number of letters and reports from the dark camp. Since the Fu Han Army gathered in Wuchang, Guangdong's troops in Fujian have temporarily suspended their offensive against the Tiandihui and dispatched 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers to gather in Shaozhou and Nanxiong, obviously wanting to rely on the continuous mountains there to defend the northern border.

Such a tense atmosphere continued until Chen Ming led his troops from Hunan to Wuchang, and the Guangdong Qing army breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Ming went north to Hubei, and the possibility of the Fu Han Army going south to attack Guangdong was gone. Now the 20,000 to 30,000 Guangdong soldiers gathered in Nanshao have become a major threat to Hunan.

Chen Ming, who was in Wuchang, sent a letter to Zhao Yongji in Hengyang and Zhou Zhilin in Chenzhou two days ago, asking them to guard against possible attacks by the Qing army. Chenzhou is also the southern gate of Hunan, with many mountains and few fields, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Nanchang is located on the edge of Poyang Lake. It is like a ripe peach for us. We can pick it whenever we want."

The Fu Han army gathered in Wuchang. The second most anxious place was Jiangxi. From Huguang to Jiangxi, and then from Jiangxi to Jiangnan, this was Chen Youliang's strategy back then. Jiangxi has Poyang Lake. The Qing army, which lost its water advantage, was equivalent to carrying a big burden. The Fu Han army had to go down by boat and directly attack Nanchang.

But Chen Ming's goal was always Jiangnan.

The Third Division led by Huang Jie still firmly defended the three areas of Nanjing. Now that the army has entered Jiangnan and launched such a large-scale attack, can the Qing army in Jiangnan stop the 50,000 armored Fuhan army?

The answer is almost self-evident. Chen Jiqing did not doubt the final victory of this eastward advance at all.

"The Tatars only have tens of thousands of soldiers in Jiangnan?"

"In this battle, it will be no problem for us to sweep Jiangnan for the second time. If we win this time, we won't have to leave." I don't know when the entire Fuhan Army has formed the idea of ​​'my combat effectiveness is strong' concept. The Qing army's total land and water strength in southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu and Zhejiang was only over 100,000 soldiers and bravery. How could such a small number of people resist the 50,000 Fuhan Army? In the eyes of many people within the Fuhan Army, the Fuhan Army that captured Huguang and then the southeast would have the fate of the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

In the past year, Qianlong dispatched some green battalions from Zhili and Shanxi to the south of the Yangtze River. However, the main increase in the strength of the Southern Qing Army was the military bravery organized by the Jiangsu and Zhejiang government after the "restoration". There was no hope of conquering Nanjing. After hope, Qianlong set his sights on Fujian, and Tiandihui was beaten into disgrace in the second half of last year. Years ago, the Han army gathered heavy land and water troops in Wuhan, and they might point their swords at the south of the Yangtze River at any time. The most excited person about this was none other than the Tiandihui rebels in Fujian.

Chen Jiqing, like Huang Song, worked as a secretary beside Chen Ming and was not involved in the military. Just because his brother was working in a secret camp outside, Chen Jiqing especially didn't pay attention to the news in that area. He is responsible for the exchange of information on the army's logistics and baggage. In Chen Jiqing's eyes, the Fuhan army's logistics relied on the convenient Yangtze River waterway, while the Qing army's first-line channel on the Yangtze River only left the short section of the Yangtze estuary. They mobilized troops from the north to the south. Thinking of him, he would be a good supporter of the Qing army. Poor panic.

"Qianlong didn't want to lose the money bag of Jiangnan anymore. Zhejiang has now withdrawn all the soldiers who invaded Fujian, and the Qing army from Shandong is also heading south to northern Jiangsu. Wang Lun is obviously making trouble, not to mention that Shandong is in the north." In winter. When deploying troops, military pay must first be spread out.

Several of the top second generation Quan in the Chen-Han regime gathered around the stove, exchanging views with each other and teasing the Qing army and Qianlong. They did not know that Chen Erbao had already gone down from the Yellow Crane Tower with the generals of the former army. In a small room, Chen Ming summoned the three generals who were currently in front of him from the Fuhan Army Naval Battalion.

"The newly built warships of the navy in Yueyang and Wuchang have brought together the original navy of our army. The number of warships has exceeded 100. Together with the new navy in Jiujiang and the warships of our army cruising in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the total number It will reach 176 ships."

"Among them are sixteen bird boats, thirty-two thunder boats, eighty large sampans, twenty-six long dragon boats, and twenty-two crab boats." The naval warships originally built by the Fuhan Army, In more than a year, some of them were destroyed or destroyed in battle.

In the room, what was placed in front of Chen Ming and the three navy generals was a very interesting sand table. The large sand table covered the entire middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. On this sand table, Yueyang, Changsha, Dongting Lake, Jingzhou, Wuchang, Hanyang, Jiujiang, Hukou, Poyang Lake, Nanchang, Anqing, Wuhu, all the way to Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Wusongkou are clearly visible. There are also Banbishan, Tianjia Town, Xiaochikou, Chengzi Town, Madang and other key points on the Yangtze River.

It is impossible for this sandbox to match the actual situation exactly. It is just a sandbox constructed by Chen Mingrang's logistics department based on existing maps and with the standard of "roughly correct". The purpose is just to let his subordinates have a concrete understanding of the battle situation.

Yang Shijin, commander of the river navy of the Fuhan Army, pointed at the location of Wuchang with his pointer. The Yangtze River in front of Wuchang was filled with small red wooden boat models. There was also a group of red small wooden boats in the Hukou area not far away, and there was also a The word "Chen" is a small flag, which is Chen Dai, another important general in the naval camp. Then along the way from Anqing to Nanjing and Zhenjiang, there are also several small red wooden boat models scattered here and there. On the Yangtze River below Zhenjiang, there are small wooden boats of another color - black.

"Just comparing the number of warships and artillery, our army is definitely better than the Qing army."

"but."

"Since the establishment of the naval battalion of our army, we have never experienced such a large water war. We have not even fought a hard or fierce battle." This is the biggest shortcoming of the Fuhan Army's naval force.

Xu Youruo and Luo Daliang, who were sitting next to them, pursed their lips and said nothing. Yang Shijin's words were harsh, but they were the truth. Since the establishment of the naval battalion, whether it is the Taihu Navy fighting the Qing army on Taihu Lake, or the two lakes navy fighting Huguang in Wuchang and Yanzhou Bay for lack of artillery, they have relied on the strong to bully the weak, with a huge gap in strength. Well, things are different now.

The Qing navy at Wusongkou was not as numerous as the Fuhan army in terms of number of warships, and its cannons were not as sophisticated as those of the Fuhan army, but they were not without fighting strength. Their officers and soldiers were all veterans on the warships, and they commanded the navy. No matter how miserable the division's officers are, they are still people who fought hard in the waves. When it comes to organizational ability and command ability in battle, it is difficult for the Fuhan Navy to say that it is better than the Qing Army. In order to make up for this, Chen Ming also sent people to Fujian to meet Zhang Qiu, Zheng Lianfu, and Zheng Lianchang, and recruited several veteran foreign bandits who could speak Mandarin from their team. But whether this will work, and how useful it will be, Still very doubtful.

These two sides are the competition between fierce tigers and hungry wolves, but the former is a tiger that grew up in the zoo.

Maybe the Fuhan Navy is now more courageous than the Qing Navy!

"But the battle on the river depends on the strength of the ship and the power of the gun, and the bravery of the soldiers. In these two aspects, our inland navy camp is definitely better than the Qing army." Yang Shijin's eyes were shining. As an officer, he knew the morale of the team best. Chen Ming did not doubt the courage of the navy camp to fight.

The Fu Han Army's Lu Yong exchanged military merit land, and the navy camp also exchanged military merit land, but it was obvious that the number of fields in the navy was obviously not as good as that of the army.

The military merit land is no longer a flower in the mist for the Fu Han Army soldiers. It is a real thing. Chen Ming did not want to admit that his ideological education failed, but it was obvious that the military merit land was far more powerful than the national justice in motivating the soldiers' courage to fight. The Fu Han Army is now like Chen Erbao and others at the beginning. They are straightforward and look for benefits. The current navy camp is a very obvious example. Even this force itself played a huge role when the navy camp expanded its army and when Yang Shijin and others recruited sailors.

"Your Highness. The Qing navy comes from many different sources. In the fierce battle, can the Shandong navy fight desperately to rescue the Guangdong navy? Can the Jiangsu navy fight with the Zhejiang navy?"

"Our navy does not have this defect. Although they are in three places, once the war starts, they must work together and dare not sacrifice the public for personal gain."

According to Chen Ming's plan, it will not take a month for the front army to reach Nanjing, because Jiujiang and Anqing are both firmly controlled by the Fu Han Army. The Qing army can only pose a certain threat to the Yangtze River in southern Anhui and Wuwei and Hezhou in northern Anhui. Can those places still stop the front army with both land and sea? They will definitely win battles one after another.

So after the front army arrives in Nanjing, Lu Yong will rest for three or two days, and then join the third division to sweep to southern Jiangsu. The navy will go straight to Chongming and Wusong!

In the eyes of Yang Shijin and other naval generals, this is their best opportunity to gain military merit.