the world is at stake

hiring?

It sounds simple enough.

But Chen Liangce knew it was not easy to do.

Zhenjiang Fort is already under the control of the expedition team, and the seven or eight hundred original Ming troops in the fort have all been registered on the roster, so the recruitment must not be done in the fort.

According to Wang Xin's meaning, Chen Liangce must be asked to go to other places to attract people.But he just wanted to continue to be an official in Zhenjiang Fort, so that he could hold some power without doing anything.

Such a tactful refusal made Chen Liangce quite embarrassed.Wang Xin wanted to talk to Mao Wenlong again, but the other party bowed his hands and left without saying a word.

After all, Chen Liangce is the boss of Zhenjiang Fort, and the internal and external affairs of the fort cannot be hidden from him.The next day when he was at home, a servant came to report that the pier on the shore had not been repaired, but there was another big ship coming from the direction of Jiangkou.

"The big ship was called 'Poyang Lake', and it brought hundreds of soldiers who used gunfire, plus four small boats that could emit smoke. The small boats carried the soldiers again to the upper reaches of the Ai River.

I heard from the coolies working on the pier that the Xinhua Expeditionary Team was going to attack Phoenix City, capturing the city along the way, and fighting all the way to Aiyangbao.Arriving at Aiyang Fort, it is tantamount to cutting off the retreat of Kuandian Jiannu. "

Hiss...Chen Liangce couldn't help standing up, pacing around the room.He has a rough map of Liaodong in his hand, and Aiyang Fort is on the upper reaches of the Ai River.

If the expedition team really had a foothold there, it would be very difficult for Jiannu.

The servant continued: "In addition to attacking from the Ai River, it is said that the Xinhua expedition team will also attack from the Pushi River, go straight into Kuandian Fort, and attack Jiannu from the north and the south."

Ah... Chen Liangce was even more stunned, and said to himself: "This expedition team really came from Jiangnan? Why are they so familiar with my Liaodong geography?

They have smoking boats, which are very convenient for transporting troops along the river, and they can go deep into the hinterland of Liaodong in two or three days.In the event of a real fight, Jiannu will inevitably fall from top to bottom, and it will be difficult to take care of everything. "

Liaodong has high mountains and dense forests, and all fortresses are built in open valleys.In many places, the mountain roads are difficult to walk, but the waterways are connected.The Jiannu were distributed scattered, and there were only a hundred people in each place, so they were easily defeated by the concentrated forces of the expedition team.

What Chen Liangce thought of, the expedition team is carrying out.But from a perspective he couldn't see, the expedition team was using small favors to win over the people.

For example, textiles from transport ships are very popular.One thousand bolts of cotton cloth and five thousand pairs of cotton shoes were shipped ashore, and the low price made the people in Zhenjiang Fort have an unprecedented desire to buy.

It is too cold in the north, and people freeze to death every year.The more you wear it, the longer it will last.

Are the people of Liaodong short of money?It doesn't matter, there are valuable raw materials in the mountains.

The salary currency issued to the naturalized mountain people in the forefoot is recycled through commodities after changing hands.Civil servants who come to Liaodong have been trained to know what kind of policies can stimulate the economy, stabilize prices, and create a harmonious scene.

In short, with cheap sources of goods in hand, there is no need to worry about the disobedience of the local people.

Chen Liangce is the "Old Liaodong" who has been entrenched in Zhenjiang for many years, and he is powerless to be beaten by this dazzling means.

When Jiannu came, he had to use him to manage the place, but when the Xinhua Expeditionary Team came, they dared to lift him up.But he could only sigh and had no more thoughts.

On the other side, Zhou Qingfeng personally led the team and commanded the 'mosquito' boat to move upstream along the Ai River.His first destination was Phoenix City, also known as Fengcheng City in later generations.

At the same time, Fei Yingdong in Kuandian also used the Aihe waterway to quickly increase his troops towards Phoenix City as a barrier.After all, Jiannu is going downstream, which is easier.

Zhou Qingfeng went upstream along the Ai River unhurriedly, building a village of naturalized mountain people every ten kilometers.

He provided the village with public services such as safety and shelter in exchange for a good mass base, as well as readily available firewood and boiler water.

The marching strategy of the expedition team is very steady, never aggressive.The distance from Zhenjiang Fort to Phoenix City is less than [-] kilometers, the waterway is doubled, and the mountain road is doubled.

The shallow water steamer could have arrived in Phoenix in one day, but apart from the preliminary investigation, it took the expedition team about a week to reach the Grass River near Phoenix.

When Zhou Qingfeng decided to officially attack Phoenix City, the two small steamers encountered a dozen wooden boats floating down from the upper reaches of the Ai River at the confluence of the Cao River and the Ai River.

The river is narrow and curved, and when the two sides meet, it is already unobstructed and the distance is less than 200 meters.

When the wooden boat on the opposite side saw the small steamer bursting out of smoke, someone immediately shouted and shouted, commanding the soldiers to paddle to speed up, trying to take advantage of the upstream and downward speed, to bully more and attack less, and caught the expedition team by surprise.

Zhou Qingfeng stood firmly on the bow of a small steamer, and without a telescope, he could see the shaved and bald heads of more than a dozen wooden boats on the opposite side.He shouted to the sailor who was controlling the engine behind him: "Ten forward, and the direction remains the same."

"Ten forward." The sailor repeated loudly. "The direction remains the same."

"Fourteen small boats from the Ministry of Jianzhou were found rushing towards us. Prepare for battle and load shells." Zhou Qingfeng also shouted: "The rest of the staff check the ammunition and shoot freely."

The artillery crew of the expedition team stood up and tore off the gun coat covering the bow, revealing a front-loading bronze gun fixed on the deck.The gunners took out tools such as ammunition and push rods from the cabin, and quickly loaded them into the muzzle.

This cannon is an enlarged flintlock.The caliber is 60 mm, the multiplier is 20, and it fires solid bullets and shrapnel.The effective range is 200 meters, too far for the gunner to shoot accurately.

The second gunner took out the cardboard shells from the ammunition box and stuffed them directly into the barrel.The third gunner grabbed the ramrod and drove the shell to the bottom.A gunner installed the priming powder, turned the height and direction gear on the gun mount, and aimed the muzzle stably.

Throughout the process, a gunner has to estimate the distance between the enemy and the enemy, determine the amount of advance, and select the shrapnel fuze.When everything was ready, he shouted: "The artillery is ready."

Zhou Qingfeng was right behind the artillery crew, looking coldly at Jiannu who was holding a knife and ax and shouting.The opponent regards showing off one's power as a way of expressing combat power, which is very noisy.

"Fire and shut up those idiots forever."

Chapter 38

"Master, this is the breastplate issued to the soldiers by the Xinhua Army. I asked someone to look at it. It is made of high-quality iron and forged by a master craftsman. It can be said that it has been honed and solidly crafted. The enemy is so strong that it cannot be underestimated." watch for."

In Phoenix City, Nurhachi's eighth son, Huangtai, sits in the lobby of the city's yamen.The four or five servants with thin braids brought up several pieces of military equipment for him to examine.

The first piece is the half breastplate issued by the Xinhua Expeditionary Team to the naturalized militiamen. It is made of patterned steel and made by a forging machine, which is light and strong.It only protects the chest, and is fastened at the shoulders and waist with cowhide belts, leaving the back empty.

Soldiers wearing this kind of breastplate must always rely on their companions to cover the rear, otherwise it is very dangerous.But if it is a head-on confrontation, its protective ability is quite impressive.

Due to Zhou Qingfeng's "slowness" seeking stability, he drove towards Phoenix City step by step in a small steamer.A few days ago, Jiannu's garrison in Phoenix had the opportunity to go south to spy on Zhenjiang Fort.

After Han Ai formed the naturalized militia in Zhenjiang Fort, he quickly expanded it into a team of thousands of people, and fought against the Jiannu sentry who went south to spy on the mountains.

During this process, some soldiers died, and some defected and surrendered.The corresponding equipment also fell into the hands of Jiannu.

Tong Yangzhen fled back to Kuandian and was sent back to Hetuala, but the relevant news was reported by Kuaima.Before the high-level officials of Jiannu understood how to deal with it, Nurhachi ordered his son Huang Taiji and nephew Amin to bring 3000 troops to support Kuandian.

The Huangtai class led troops to Kuandian and immediately turned southwest to support Phoenix.He and Amin advanced by land and water, trying to keep the western fortress of Kuandian, and prevent the latter from being attacked from the rear.

Last year, the Huangtai class was awarded the title of "Heshuo Baylor" by Nurhachi, and officially entered the top management of the Ministry of Construction.He is only 25 now, young and energetic.After the defeat of Tong's family, he was furious, thinking about how to take revenge.

Entering Phoenix City with an army of [-], the Huangtai class was in a hurry to reorganize the city's armaments, killing more than a dozen so-called Han Chinese spies in one go, and also torturing the entire city for food and grass for military supplies.

Use a high-pressure situation to deter the people in the city, suppress the resistance consciousness of the Han people, and improve the morale of the Jianzhou army.This is one of the Huangtai-level methods.The second is to quickly collect the situation in Zhenjiang, and the servants below will send the breastplate.

Seeing the breastplate, all the generals in Jianzhou frowned.

Although this armor is only half-length, but its texture is too good, it protects the vital points on the chest, and it is of great advantage in battle.

"The ordinary soldiers over there in Zhenjiang also wear this kind of armor?" Huang Taijiu didn't want to accept this fact, and had asked several times.

The servants below always replied, "Master, this is indeed the armor of the Han soldiers. The general's armor is better, and it covers the front and back. We have suffered a lot from fighting with it recently. Only when we die two or three sharp soldiers can we fight hard." Lose the opponent alone."

In addition to the breastplate, there is also an iron helmet.

Unlike the pointed iron helmets of the Ming army, the iron helmets of the Xinhua army were stamped out by steam engines.It is like a round hat, and has an iron mask over its face.Officers even have neck guards, which provide comprehensive protection for the upper body.

"The Xinhua army has a lot of iron, and the helmets, visors, and neck guards are all complete. My Dajin's "While Tooth La" warriors have to get close and shoot their thighs with bows and arrows.

The reliable ones are getting closer, and our side has suffered a lot of casualties.

Yesterday there was a 'Batulu' named Abai who wore three layers of armor and led a team to defeat the enemy. He killed five or six soldiers of the Xinhua Army in a row, but he was still besieged and died by them.

These Han-made artifacts are really powerful, and they are getting harder and harder to fight. "

Several servants were sighing, but the Huangtai class raised their arms and was furious, "If it is not easy to fight, we will fight even more. We must suppress the momentum of the Han Nikan. I have few people in Dajin, but there are many Han people. I can't suppress them. Everyone must die."

The servants were obedient, nodding their heads again and again, and brought up some captured spears and machetes.Each piece is made of extremely rich materials and exquisite workmanship. Among the Jurchen, only military nobles of a certain level can equip it.

Nurhachi hadn't fought Fushun yet, and there wasn't enough captured or plundered. The equipment used by ordinary Jurchen soldiers was very shabby, and even with Guo Hai's supply, it was impossible to popularize ironware.

Huangtai class saw them one by one, shocked and angry.He knew that the Han people in the Ming Dynasty were good at iron smelting, but he also saw the Ming army in Liaodong who used lacquer-coated leather as iron armor and helmets.

"If all the Han people in the world are like this, how can I survive as a Dajin?" Huang Taijiu hated in his heart, but he didn't express it on his face.He only ordered military affairs to be rectified and asked to go south to Zhenjiang immediately.

But before the order was issued, the guard Xiaoqi at the gate hurried over to report, "Master, two smoking boats coming up the lower reaches of the Ai River happened to collide with Master Amin's fleet."

Amin and Huang Taijiu led a team to Phoenix City, responsible for escorting military supplies by water to reduce the burden on land.The Huangtai class was startled, and hurriedly led the team up the city wall, looking towards the direction of the river bank.

The surface of the Ai River is less than [-] meters, and even small boats are not easy to turn around.A Min came down from the upper reaches to enter the Caohe River, and at the junction of the river, he happened to bump into Zhou Qingfeng who was attacking against the current.

In addition to food, grass and military supplies, there are more than 200 elite fighters with blue flags on board a dozen wooden boats.

Amin has a violent temper, and recently he has heard a lot of words about the resoluteness and courage of the Han people in Xinhua.It was not surprising to see the smoking ships coming from the south, so he wanted to bump them head-on to show off his might.

The opponent only had two ships, and they were downstream. Amin subconsciously believed that he had the upper hand.He personally stood on the bow of the ship, brandished his machete, and shouted at his subordinates, "Fight, fight, fight with me."

Baoyi, a Han Chinese, acted as a sailor, paddling desperately, and rushed towards the river.

The Huangtai class also just stepped onto the city wall of Phoenix City, saw it from a distance, and immediately ordered: "Send archers to the shore to help in the battle, and don't let these two Han ships escape. It is best to snatch it for us. Used by Daikin."

The servant below gave a 'cha' and hurried to do it.

On the surface of the river, two 'mosquito' class small steamers were traveling against the current, and their speed could not be pushed by twelve horsepower, which was half as slow as the Jiannu wooden boat rushing forward.

It's just that the small steamer was quickly ready for battle, the front gun on the bow was fully loaded, and a gunner aimed at the first Jiannu wooden boat that rushed up, and pulled the flintlock rope.

Considering that the hull is ten tons, and the caliber of this front-loading gun is small, the mechanical group reinforced the deck of the ship after calculation in order to save trouble, and made a simple sliding damping guide rail to rigidly connect it to the deck.

With a pull of the flint, there was a loud bang from the muzzle.The gun body recoiled less than half a meter on the damping guide rail, and was pushed to reset again.

A shrapnel shot from the muzzle, also called canned shot.The fast-burning fuze was shortened to ensure that the explosive in the bomb would be detonated after shooting 80 meters.The cannon and the explosion sounded almost simultaneously.

The bronze cannon smoked, and a puff of smoke exploded 80 meters away. Dozens of one-centimeter-sized steel balls burst out from the smoke, covering more than a dozen square meters, changing from point strikes to surface strikes.

The surface of the water near the burst point reacted first, splashing large waves like hailstones.On the wooden boat behind the waves, the Jiannu elite who raised their knives and axes and shouted loudly were hit squarely by the hail of steel balls.

A piece of iron rain swept across.

The flesh and blood resisted this wave of iron rain, but they couldn't hold it back.

The one-centimeter carbide steel ball is extremely hard, and it is endowed with powerful kinetic energy the moment it is ejected from the gun bore.It can easily penetrate armor after being blasted a second time.

So blood mist exploded on the leading wooden boat.The three or four 'inlaid blue flag warriors' standing at the bow of the ship fell down like mud without humming after receiving the first round of ammunition.

The steel ball smashed the armor, shot through the warrior's body, and hit other targets without stopping.Some shot into the river, splashing waves; some hit the ship planks, and sawdust flew; some killed and wounded other Jiannu.

As soon as the cannon came down, the surface of the river exploded, and nearly half of the wooden boat was killed or injured.

The sound of the cannon spread, and a thunderous roar rushed into Amin's ears.The owner of the inlaid blue banner was waving his blade, urging the Han servants who were paddling to work harder.Hearing the sound of the cannon, his heart tightened suddenly.

Where is the shooting?

In a blink of an eye, on the wooden boat that was shelled, the bow was smashed and mutilated.The board of the ship is full of blood, which is shocking.Several corpses fell into the river, quickly staining a large area of ​​river red.

The surviving slave soldiers on the ship stopped clamoring, their arms wielding their knives were slowly lowered, and they stared blankly at their companions who died suddenly and tragically, a little inexplicably.

No one had ever seen such a ferocious bombardment. Even the gunners of the Xinhua Expeditionary Team only used straw men as targets on the training ground, and it was the first time they saw actual combat effects.

But there is no time to waste on the battlefield.The muzzle-loading gun of the other steamer also fired.This round of solid ammunition was aimed at the waterline of a Jiannu wooden boat at the rear.

A solid bullet with a 450mm caliber weighs close to three kilograms and has a muzzle velocity of 30 meters per second.Do the math and you will know that its kinetic energy is [-] joules.

The bullet ejection kinetic energy of AK47 is only more than 600 joules, which is not worth mentioning compared with a gun.

The solid bullet hit the target accurately.It hit the side of the Jiannu wooden boat, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction—the boards on the side of the ship and the planks of the ship exploded in an instant.

The kinetic energy of 30 joules interrupted the six or seven meter long wooden boat.The two Jiannu soldiers who were staying on the side of the ship were pierced by the exploding wood like hedgehogs, and their flesh and blood were flying everywhere.

Under the impact of the projectile, the river water soared into the sky, splashing a lot of water.A depression first appeared on the river surface, and then the water poured in, entering the wooden boat from the broken ship's side.

But...it doesn't matter anymore.

The hull of the Jiannu wooden boat was rotten, completely rotten.While the log doesn't sink, it capsizes completely out of control.The Jiannu soldiers on the boat did not have time to react, and most of them were sucked into the river with the overturned hull.

Fortunately, the boat did not sink, and the river was cool in summer, but the feeling of suddenly entering the water was not pleasant.The survivors panicked, waving their hands and feet and calling for help.

At this time, the weapon in his hand can't be taken care of, so he can only discard it.The body armor became a deadly burden, and he wished he could take it off immediately.

Some people's body is too heavy because the armor is too heavy, and the cotton armor and mail armor are filled with water.No matter how he struggled, he disappeared into the water with only a few shouts.

Comparing the two, to deal with this kind of small wooden boat, as long as it can hit, the power of solid bullets is greater than that of shrapnel.

Amin was still standing at the bow, and the white armored guards behind him forcibly pulled him down.He struggled a few times, made a few angry noises, but did not persist.

It's just that the white-armored guards with the blue flag have already panicked.They were yelling: "Master, the artillery fire of this group of Han people is too strong, we have to retreat."

"Retreat, ghost, we are going with the current, if we retreat, we will die."

Amin explained the current embarrassing situation of the blue-flag fleet.If you go downstream, you can still have speed, but if you go upstream, you will not only have to turn around and waste time, but you will not even be able to run if you slow down.

Now bite the bullet and rush forward.

In the time of two shells, the opposing sides narrowed the distance to 50 meters, and they were still meeting at high speed.

Amin got up again, and shouted viciously: "Fight, fight, fight to the death! The first person to jump on the Han boat will be rewarded with two futures. The one who beheads the head of the enemy will be rewarded with three hundred households."

The flag owner personally offered a big reward, and the soldiers with the blue flag on board stabilized their morale.Seeing that they were not far away from the enemy, they not only yelled and yelled, but someone stood on the bow of the ship, slapped the armor, shouted and invited to fight, to show their fearlessness.

bang bang bang...

The platoons of the two small steamers fired.A large amount of smoke came out, and was thrown off by the forward hull.The space on the ship was limited, and three-stage shooting was unaffordable, so more than a dozen fusiliers raised their guns and fired in volley.

The man who slapped the armor was too arrogant. He was aimed by several muskets and was shot in the chest three times.The front chest seemed to be nothing serious, but the back exploded like a pulp.

The large-caliber projectiles tore his armor apart, smashed his heart, lungs and bones into a ball, and sprayed it on the river.His corpse fell down with a thump, his eyes opened angrily, and he could not rest in peace.