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Chapter 59 Liu Xiyao Invasion

Shen Shuren used the trick sent by Liu Xiyao to cast smoke bombs to stabilize the opponent.

Liu Xiyao was greedy for "reinforcement materials" that did not exist, slowed down the offensive plan, and gained nearly an additional month of preparation time.

Of course, Shen Shuren would not waste this time. From the end of August to the end of September, he asked Shen Fu to speed up the production of new lead shotgun shells and custom-loaded ammunition, frantically improving firearms combat readiness.

In the late Ming Dynasty, there was originally the idea of ​​quantitatively distributing ammunition in advance. Qi Jiguang’s "Ji Xiao New Book" also mentioned that the gunpowder and lead bullets needed for each shot of a musket should be separated in paper bags. Three coins for gunpowder and three coins for lead bullets.

On the other side of Japan, at the end of the Oda Nobunaga era 60 years ago, there was also the concept of "zaohe", which literally translates as "combining (a portion of gunpowder and lead bullet) together in advance".It's just that the Japanese soldiers used thin bamboo tubes to load the ammunition in advance, and then poured it into the barrel for compaction before firing, and they didn't put the bamboo tubes as containers into it.

This idea is actually more convenient than Qi Jiguang's paper package, after all, it is easier to pour in wartime.After the Ming army fought the Japanese army in North Korea during the Wanli period, they also knew the existence of this kind of thing. Now some Ming army generals with good vision have learned this trick.

With these foundations of the times, Shen Shuren made a little improvement to make integrated paper cartridge case sub-loading ammunition, and the acceptance was much higher, and there was no additional difficulty for soldiers to practice when using it.

It is nothing more than removing the paper bag or bamboo tube before firing and pouring the ammunition into it, but now it is changed to plug the paper tube together and compact it——

Of course, musketeers who use the new paper cartridges must wear a spiked iron wrench on their fingers.The bottom of the cartridge should be punctured and inserted into the gun with the hole facing down before loading, so as to ensure that the gunpowder leaks out and contacts the ignition port at the bottom of the barrel.

As for the paper material used for the bullet casings, Shen Shuren also specially selected a relatively elastic one, and it needs to be rolled up several layers to achieve the elasticity similar to that of leather.In this way, when stuffing it tightly, it can ensure that it is pressed down, and when it is released, it will naturally fluff up and rise back a little, completely filling the barrel to improve air tightness.

After these ammunition were successfully mass-produced, they were combined with small lead beads with high sphericity, and the live ammunition test results were very good.

……

In addition to working hard on weapons and equipment, Shen Shuren on the other side did not forget to let Zuo Zixiong and Pizarro step up their training.

After more than a month, the soldiers have mastered the basic Spanish phalanx tactics, at least on the surface they seem very disciplined.

And a small number of elite troops also practiced mandarin duck formations in preparation for being assigned to outflank combat missions through complex terrain during wartime.

The tactic of using long spears to stab neatly does not require much martial arts. Musketeers only need to be familiar with the loading process. As for the aiming of muskets, it is not very important. Anyway, the accuracy of the gun itself is not high. The general direction is right. Don’t be nervous when you are in battle. I was so scared that I forgot to reload, it was enough for the time being.

Anyway, the enemies to face in the first battle are only the third-line warlords among the thieves, and they are not elite soldiers.

While the soldiers exhausted their energy and practiced their skills and tactics hard every day, the logistics department of the Shen family army did not forget to provide the soldiers with food and drink to stabilize the morale of the soldiers, and to promote Shen Tongzhi's tolerance for the poor people.
Emphasized that "thieves don't do production, they only kill and loot. Even if they give the poor a good life temporarily, they will eventually collapse due to lack of succession. It is better to live a long-term peaceful life in a paradise under Shen Tongzhi's rule."

This kind of ideological education work is of course not easy. After all, most of the leading soldiers in this era are completely illiterate, and there is no time for Shen Shuren to teach cultural lessons.

Therefore, all rhetoric that unifies thoughts must be organized and metaphorized in the most profound and simple language to ensure that even the illiterate can understand it.

Initially, this job was handed over to Zhao Yunfan, the county magistrate, and Gu Yanwu, who was recently idle.But the effect of what they did at the beginning was not good. Shen Shuren asked people to spot check secretly, and found that the soldiers didn't listen at all.

Only then did Shen Shuren intervene in person, dialed a bit, and provided Gu Yanwu with some ideas of persuasion.Let scholars like Gu Yanwu have more empathy for the illiterate poor.

"Don't talk about the principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, just analyze with them that the thieves don't pay attention to production, and the distribution of money and food is not sustainable. It is the same reason as the private borrowing of money and interest, and finally they can't hold on.
He needs more and more territory, and more and more believers to grab the new and return the old. In the end, if the entire Ming Dynasty is ruined, there will be no need to grab it. What I said before can't be fulfilled!

How to word it and how to organize it is up to you to figure out a way. In short, let the soldiers distinguish the difference between a full meal and a full meal. Follow me for the time being and don’t necessarily eat meat and drink in large bowls, but fortunately it lasts. "

After all, Gu Yanwu has the foundation of a great philosopher, and after being instructed so simply, he quickly exerted the curative effect that an excellent tool person should have.

However, after Gu Yanwu carried out the brainwashing work according to the new idea, as the practice deepened, he gradually thought of some problems, and couldn't help but come back to ask Shen Shuren for advice:

"Brother, I modified the rhetoric taught by you, and after preaching to the soldiers and newly promoted officers, the effect was really good, but some officers raised doubts:
They think that you have really benefited the people when you took office as a new official in Huangzhou, and now Huangzhou does not have to bear national taxes, as long as it is self-defense with local money and food.

However, what if you were transferred after beating Liu Xiyao?When the imperial court wants Huangzhou to pay taxes, money and food to support the great cause of suppressing bandits and training troops in other places, what should I do if I change to a plundering one?You are just a low-level official, and the "satisfaction" you promised is just water without a source and a tree without roots. "

The problem Gu Yanwu summed up can be regarded as a stubborn disease that has not been solved in the past 2000 years.

To be honest, the floating official system is only conducive to the centralization of power and the rule of the emperor. At the same time, the biggest advantage is to avoid civil wars.

But if we really want to say that local officials have restrained their search for the people and restrained their efforts to exploit the disabled, the system of floating officials is still not as good as the system of secular officials or even the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty.

At least the people under the entrustment of the world officials are their own people, and they don't see each other when they bow their heads.More or less, the lord hopes that the people can at least survive, don't run away and become people for others, and at least keep a hand when searching.

After the transfer system, the local government is not an official anyway. It doesn’t matter if you serve for three years or five years. After finishing your job and leaving, of course you have to spend three to five years to get back your money, especially those who spend money to buy officials. The squeeze of the rate of return is even more devastating.

Shen Shuren could brag, but his bragging obviously exceeded the upper limit allowed by the laws of the Ming system, so it seemed a bit fake, and even the military officers who knew a little bit about the court's laws would not believe it.

Up to now, Shen Shuren had no choice but to take the risk a little bit.

Anyway, he would never return to Beijing even once in his life to become a Beijing official.Even if you say something wrong, it will take a considerable amount of time to spread, so you are not afraid of being liquidated by Chongzhen.

Shen Shuren was forced to have no choice but to secretly reveal the truth to Gu Yanwu:

"Brother Ting Lin, I have to trouble you to grasp the scales in this matter. You have to learn to analyze with them. They say that after Huangzhou is flattened, the imperial court may be promoted to my magistrate, and after the entire territory of Luzhou in Anqing next door is also cleared, I may become a magistrate." Military equipment, in short, I will not be able to leave this land for three to five years.

In the future, the world is in such chaos, who can say it right.In short, this Yinghuo mountain area is relatively isolated from the outside world. By then, I will be able to manage the needles and water, and the Yangtze River waterway will be under the control of my Shen family. benefit. "

Although these remarks did not explicitly say that they want to separate the regime, they at least revealed some meaning of "listening to the tune and not listening to the propaganda", showing the ambition of "I have managed a good site, and I will follow me for a long time in the future".

Fortunately, the waterway of the Yangtze River is controlled by the Shen family, and the locals can't get out, and the Dabie Mountains can't be crossed if they go out. If Shen Shuren privately released it in the Shangougou base area, it won't spread outside within a year or two.

After hearing this, Gu Yanwu was also shocked. He was a little suspicious whether Shen Shuren had a different ambition, but Shen Shuren told him with clear eyes: "This is just a matter of haste. There is no other way, who knows in the future. Let’s take a step and see.”

Gu Yanwu was silent for a long time and did not dare to speak, but he also knew in his heart that Shen Shuren was telling the truth.He is only a sixth-grade fellow student now, how could he have too much ambition?

Shen Shuren just wanted to keep the place where he worked hard to regain peace, and prevent the situation from being messed up by other officials.

Just like Cao Cao really just wanted to be a general who conquered the West at the beginning, this is not a lie.

Forget it, everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world.China's clothes and the world's Zhengshuo are more important than a family and a surname. It's like this in the Ming Dynasty. Let's see if Shen Xiandi can create a miracle.

After accepting this setting, Gu Yanwu actually has the consciousness to follow him all the way to the dark.

Later, Zhao Yunfan, the magistrate of Zhao Yunfan, who shared the "ideological education work for soldiers" with Gu Yanwu, also noticed something.At the beginning, he also struggled in his heart, but in the end he was slowly dragged into the water by Gu Yanwu and accepted this setting.

It is impossible to get through this crisis without uniting around Shen Tongzhi.

……

The time of more than a month has been spent so nervously.Shen's army's weapons and equipment, training, morale, and cohesion have all made great progress.

And Shen Shuren's old opponent was not idle either. As early as mid-September, Liu Xiyao's cavalry began to go south along the narrow river beach plain on the north bank of the Yangtze River to harass and investigate.

Huanggang County is 120 miles away from Qishui County in a straight line, and Qishui County is [-] miles away from Qizhou County, so the garrison bases of Liu and Shen are actually only [-] miles apart.The cavalry entered the territory to harass, and marching was still very convenient. It can be said that coming and going like the wind, entering the country one day, and turning back the next day.

Shen Shuren also stood still and did not conflict with Liu Xiyao, but only moderately implemented the policy of fortifying the walls and clearing the wilderness, showing weakness to the enemy.

On the other hand, Shen Shuren also knew that this was a manifestation of his success in deception, so he did a full set of plays, and even allocated a support fleet from his family to wander around the mouth of the Yangtze River in Qishui according to the date when the false information was leaked. face.

In this way, Liu Xiyao believed it more and more.

Another day later, when Shen Shuren's "ammunition supply fleet" entered Huangqiankou Town at the mouth of the Qishui River, and was about to go upstream and enter Qizhou County, Liu Xiyao's troops finally got into trouble.

Liu Xiyao got the information in advance, and gathered all the cavalry under his command, as well as the soldiers who could make up their mounts and march quickly, and set off at nightfall the day before. .

The chief general of this cavalry unit is Liu Xiong, the eldest son of Liu Xiyao. Liu Xiyao is also worried about handing over all the cavalry to outsiders.

Before leaving, Liu Xiyao also told his son: "Your cavalry is not suitable for a long-distance attack. If you can directly enter the dock and rob the fleet, then do it. If the officers and soldiers are prepared and you are short of manpower, first surround the town. Just stay here, and then block the Qishui waterway. Wait for the time, I will arrive with my army at most half a day later."

Liu Xiong was only in his early twenties, and he was full of vigor. He didn't find the task assigned by his father difficult, so he left with the cavalry in high spirits.

On the other hand, Shen Shuren also knew that the bait he released was very attractive, so he had quietly asked Zuo Zixiong to take two thousand elite soldiers to deploy defenses in Huangjiakou Town in advance, and specially brought three hundred Spanish turtledove guns, One thousand bird guns and Lumi guns.

The remaining troops defended Qishui and Qizhou county respectively. The most important Qizhou was divided into 2000 people, and there were only a few hundred regular soldiers on the Qishui side.

Fortunately, the target of Liu Xiyao's first sneak attack was very clear, and Shen Shuren's defense was no problem.

(End of this chapter)