Ming Zuo

Chapter 426
The Ming Dynasty chose Dengzhou as the logistics base of Liaodong. In addition to being the closest to the Liaodong straight line, there was another consideration.

Along the way from Dengzhou across the strait to the Liaodong Peninsula, there happen to be many islands distributed like a necklace.

Long Island, Big and Small Bamboo Island, Tuoji Island, Daqin Island, North and South God Island, Tieshan Island, etc., connect Dengzhou and Lushun.

Ships sailing on the sea, once encountering a storm, can berth on the nearby islands passing by, avoiding the fate of shipwreck and human death.

Fortunately, when the Terengganu Navy was disbanded, half of the ships were placed in Fushan, not far away.Otherwise, it would be a lot of trouble to dispatch ships from Jiaozhou Bay at this time.

On the ninth day of December, the advance team to receive Liaodong set off.

In order to be sure, Huang Sanhu personally led the team and led a battalion of troops to take the lead.In addition, there are staff offices, reconnaissance companies, and civilian officials in the advance team.

Zhu Qinglan, director of the Dengzhou Civil Affairs Bureau, was appointed by Zuo Menggeng as the administrative director of Lushun, responsible for receiving matters.

Huang Long and Shen Shikui followed the advance team, and it was very strange to see the advance team not rushing along the way.

Especially when they saw people from the staff office running around on the ship with all kinds of things, they didn't know what was going on.

Huang Sanhu comforted: "This is the first time our army has gone to sea. The sea conditions and road conditions are all black. Therefore, the staff members need to carry out surveying and mapping for future use."

Huang Long was even more puzzled.

"The general has been waiting on this sea road for a long time, and he is familiar with all kinds of situations. Why doesn't the general ask us?"

Huang Sanhu didn't speak, and a staff officer who happened to pass by heard this and said with a smile: "Does Mr. Huang know how deep the water is here? The precise location of the various islands and reefs?"

Both Huang Long and Shen Shikui were questioned.

They sailed around, relying on rough sea charts and experience. When they were free, who would pay attention to how deep the sea was?
Shen Shikui reluctantly said: "The sea must be unfathomable."

The staff officer laughed and said: "Shen Zongrong doesn't know, the water depth in this sea area is actually very shallow. The place we are in now is already very deep, only forty or fifty meters."

He explained the definition of distance in meters.

Huang Long and Shen Shikui were dumbfounded when they heard this, it was the first time they knew that the magnificent sea in front of them was so shallow.

But they still have doubts.

"Brother, what's the use of knowing the depth of the sea?"

The staff officer became serious.

"It's very useful. It should be noted that if the water is too shallow, large ships will not be able to pass. This is a matter of safety."

Huang Long and Shen Shikui looked at each other, seeing such a strict army for the first time.

On the morning of the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, the fleet docked near Nanmiaozi, east of Lushun.

Although the best port in Lushun is on the west side of the peninsula, it is frozen over there at this time and ships cannot pass, so they can only stop on the east side.

Lushun and Dengzhou are only more than two hundred miles away, but they are already very different.

Dengzhou has just been covered with snow for the first time, but Lushun has already covered the mountains with heavy snow, and the temperature is much colder than that in Dengzhou.

Fortunately, Zuo Menggeng made complete preparations before departure, otherwise, many people in the advance team would be frostbitten.

Even so, Huang Sanhu, Zhu Qinglan and others also have a certain understanding of the hardships in this place.

The terrain on the side of Lushun facing the sea is very dangerous. Jiguan Mountain goes deep into the sea from south to north, forming a natural barrier of Lushun Bay.

Opposite is the Golden Mountain.

There is a narrow waterway between the two mountains. The waterway between Huwei at the end of Jiguan Mountain and the opposite Golden Mountain is only [-] meters wide.

In other words, after the fortresses were built on both sides, the fleets outside would not be able to enter.

But at this time, this place is still under the control of the Ming Dynasty, so Huang Sanhu and others entered smoothly.

The guard post on the Golden Mountain had already delivered the news to Lushun City.

Lushun City is not far from the sea on the east side of the bay. It belongs to the South City of Lushun and faces the North City across a small river.

However, the northern city was demolished in the [-]th year of Jiajing when the Jurchens went south, so only the southern city remained isolated.

When the fleet docked, Huang Sanhu and Zhu Qinglan took a closer look and found that Lushun City was very small, with a radius of no more than a mile. The city wall was built of bricks and soil, and it was not very strong.

The reason why it was able to persevere until now and has not been captured by Houjin is probably because Houjin lacked skills in dividing troops and could not take care of this for the time being.

However, the terrain around Lushun is very dangerous.

Huang Sanhu, who was old in battle, just took a look, and immediately had a clue.

He pointed to the surrounding terrain and said to Zhu Qinglan: "Look, the two mountains to the north of this place are guarded. You only need to deploy a small amount of troops, and then block the front official road. No matter how many troops there are, the Tartars will not be able to break in."

Zhu Qinglan's ambition is much bigger.

"This place is barren. If you want to develop, you must have enough space. Brigadier Huang, if possible, I hope you can expand as much as possible to fight for territory for Lushun."

The two mountains mentioned by Huang Sanhu refer to Baiyu Mountain and Dongjiguan Mountain in later generations.

Although these two mountains are not very majestic, they are just like the two barriers of Lushun City, leaving only a passage in the middle.

If you want to defend Lushun City, you only need to hold these two mountains in your hands, and deploy a certain amount of troops on the official road in the middle to form a situation where one man guards the gate and ten thousand men cannot open it.

But Zhu Qinglan was not very satisfied with the surroundings of Lushun City.

The plains around Lushun are narrow and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians gather here, and they cannot support themselves by farming alone.Even if one wants to pursue other livelihoods, there is not enough room.

Huang Sanhu didn't reply immediately to Zhu Qinglan's request.

"The specifics can only be discussed after our army has gained a firm foothold."

Now the new army has a black eye on the Liaodong Peninsula, and the information they have is extremely limited. The prudent Huang Sanhu does not dare to issue military orders indiscriminately.

When the fleet docked at the pier, Xiang Zuolin, who stayed behind, had brought people from the city.

"Chief town, let's..."

Huang Long led them to Huang Sanhu, and happily said: "From now on, our brothers will all belong to General Zuo. This is Huang Sanhu's brigade commander. Brother Xiang, come and see him soon."

Xiang Zuolin didn't know what level of general the brigade commander was, but he was under the eaves, so he had to be careful.

"The last general, Xiang Zuolin, pays homage to the general."

This "general" made Huang Sanhu very useful, because his current military rank is still a colonel, and he is not in the ranks of generals.

"General Xiang doesn't need to be too polite. Everyone in our new army is equal. When we meet in the future, we can just salute like this, and there is no need to condescend."

Huang Sanhu demonstrated the military salute of the new army, which made Xiang Zuolin very happy.

Originally thought that after surrendering to the new army, he would lie low and be a small boy, so he just survived.I didn't expect to get great respect in terms of etiquette alone.

"There is already a lack of food in the city, and more than a hundred people died of starvation or freezing yesterday. If this continues, the population will be reduced by at least half this winter."

After winter, people starve to death and freeze to death in Lushun City every day.

Although it's miserable, it's like this every year, and the common people like weeds have long been used to it.

Only the generals were frowning, knowing that the wasted manpower would eventually affect the safety of Lushun.

But the crisis in Lushun is a good opportunity for the new army to gain a foothold here.

Huang Sanhu immediately said: "General Xiang, don't be impatient. When we set off, we had already brought relief food and grass. The first batch of [-] jin of food is on board, and the second batch of [-] jin of food will be delivered tomorrow at the latest. .”

Hearing that the new army not only came, but also brought life-saving food, Xiang Zuolin and others all burst into tears.

"General, you are really our life-saving Bodhisattva! We kowtow to you. From now on, we will set up a shrine for you and burn incense for generations to worship."

Facing the agitation of the soldiers and civilians in Liaodong, Huang Sanhu was terrified and hurriedly stopped him.

"It can't be helped, these are the graces of our attendance. You should thank us, remember, thank us for attending."

Huang Sanhu didn't dare to take credit for it, and knew that this was a way to bring disaster.

Zhu Qinglan watched from the side, and also praised him as a warrior.

He is fierce and knows how to advance and retreat. If all warriors in the world are like this, why worry about the country's unrest?
He stood up and said to Xiang Zuolin and the others: "I am the newly appointed head of Lushun County. From now on, I will be in charge of the local people's livelihood. General Xiang, hurry up and recruit people, first get the food into the city and distribute it to the big guys .”

Xiang Zuolin came to his senses and hurried away.

After a while, Lushun City, which was originally lifeless, seemed to be boiling. Countless men, women, old and young flocked in, and everyone was crying and running.

Crying and laughing, that is the hope of new life.

Huang Sanhu didn't bother Zhu Qinglan how to appease the people's livelihood, but said to Huang Long and Shen Shikui: "Let's go, let's take over the defense."

Looking at Lushun who was completely different from the past, Huanglong knew that the past days would never come back.

Zuo Menggeng used only five thousand catties of grain to buy off the morale of the people in Lushun.

These people are destined not to be able to continue to be the emperor here.

Realizing the reality, Huang Long and Shen Shikui also became active, leading the detachment to various passes to replace the original soldiers and horses, and also turned Lushun into an overseas base for the new army.

(End of this chapter)