Chapter 34 The Boat Gang Makes a Dowry
The conversation between Mai Ke and Zeng Guofan had two far-reaching effects on Lao Zeng. One is to make him feel that he has to make a difference in the world immediately, and he can't passively wait for the time to come.
The second was the Christian faith, which did not change him immediately, but it touched him deeply. In the past, although he, like Confucius, did not flatly reject the affairs of ghosts and gods, but stayed away, he never seriously thought about the relationship between God and himself.
However, the gods of the Christian faith introduced to him by Mai Ke have a decisive influence on people. He decided to go back and study the Bible thoroughly and then give it a serious thought.
As soon as Mai Ke sent the guests away, three people came to him. It turned out that after the wedding ended yesterday, until now, Mai Ke has not been seen, and it is better to say other things, the newlyweds thank the parents of both parties, but they can't complete it. Who asked Mai Ke to pretend to be Peter's parent?
Therefore, Peter and Meng Ruofei, the newcomers, after thanking Meng Baxi, waited for a whole morning, plus half an afternoon, until this time to find Mai Ke to settle accounts.
However, what kind of excitement did this old man make? Mai Ke was dewy. It wasn't until Peter and Ruofei thanked Mai Ke half-jokingly and half-seriously that they knew that he was not disrespectful to the old man, but had to come.
It turned out that last night, everyone had enough fuss, and after sending the bride and groom into the cave room, Lao Meng gathered the ten dragons and ten helmsmen of the boat gang together, and told everyone an important decision: he wanted to give the entire boat gang to Peter as Ruofei's dowry!
As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned. You love the house and the black too much, the old gang leader, right? I just married my daughter, and it doesn't count if you sent half of the boat gang to serve, and now the whole boat gang has to send it.
Although it was unexpected, there was no objection in everyone's hearts. Anyway, sooner or later, the boat gang will belong to the beloved daughter of the gang leader. For Peter, everyone has nothing but admiration. If it weren't for him turning the tide in Dangtian Lake and defeating the pirate ship and the Ning family's fleet, not only would the boat gang not be where it is today, but even the survival of ZĂ i would be a big problem.
Therefore, as soon as the old gang leader said it, the matter was already settled. Only Wen Fu, the leader of the pirate ship, who has now been surrendered, asked a question.
Peter was an admiral, and gave him the boat gang as a dowry, and how could he go to sea with these inland ships? To put it mildly, these ships were small and old, and when the waves were tossed and the wind blew, they fell apart.
If he doesn't go to sea, how can he be stationed in the interior as a naval commander? Since Commander Meng is married, it is impossible for him to stay and continue to manage the fleet, right? Therefore, if it becomes a trouble for him, it is better not to give it.
As a result, the problem is stuck here. Bring it up to Peter today. At first, Peter insisted on not accepting it, but the newly promoted lady rolled his eyes, and he didn't dare to say anything. It seems that this trainer has achieved remarkable results.
There is a problem to find the boss, so now the three of them are watching how Mai Ke has a headache. Especially Lao Meng, now he is the shopkeeper, watching these juniors being played by him, it is called a peace of mind, secretly proud.
In fact, what Lao Meng didn't know was that this was exactly in line with Mai Ke's expectations. He played a big game of chess, the details of which even Peter did not know.
One is at ease, the other is in the middle, and as a result, things are done unusually smoothly. Mai Ke is just a matter of making reasonable arrangements on a ready-made basis. And this arrangement can only be regarded as a piece of cake for Mai Ke, a time-traveler with four doctoral titles and considerable practical experience.
Taking over the boat gang, Mai Ke made the decision for Peter. From now on, all the boats and their property, their land and their people, belong to Peter, both in the middle and upper reaches of the river and its tributaries, and in the lower reaches of the Pearl River. The pirate ship and the Ningjia ship captured last time were also among them.
At present, the fleet and sea power that Mai Ke has mastered include four parts: the Xijiang Boat Gang, which is the most numerous and powerful. Corsairs, in addition to the 200 big ships brought by Wen Fu, they also have 500 ships of various types in the South China Sea base, and they can also concentrate 300 big ships as mobile forces.
The 400 Ningjia ships captured last time, as well as other ships controlled by the Ningjia sphere of influence in Gwangju, can still draw out at least 600 boats. Due to the absolute trust of the new chief manager Jing Rui in Mai Ke, this part of the ship is also under Mai Ke's control.
Finally, there was Peter's American fleet. In fact, the warships at this time cannot be compared with the behemoths of later generations, but they are much higher than the wooden ships of that time. Peter brought fifteen warships with him, and under his command there were forty-five stationed in other seas.
These warships were nominally under Peter's command, but they were not completely free to be arranged and dispatched like other fleets, and they could not be separated from the command of the U.S. Navy Headquarters. McMahon, in particular, had been following Peter's observations very closely. He couldn't understand why Peter, a high-ranking American military cadre, married a Chinese woman without warning.
Therefore, it would be good if Peter's sixty ships could be counted as half. Unless you tear your face with the U.S. government, the fish will die and the net will be broken. Mai Ke's policy towards Peter's fleet was to obey the US Navy's transfer command as usual in normal times, and at critical times, to show the flag and completely stand on Mai Ke's side.
Mai Ke decided to use these four forces as the team to establish the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Naval Division. At present, this title is not open to the public for the time being, and the corresponding flag and logo will not be set up for the first time. The naval division has one commander-in-chief and two deputy commanders-in-chief.
Mai Ke sent someone to find Wen Fu, and then appointed the senior officials of the water division. The commander-in-chief was Peter, who was directly responsible to Mai Ke. Ostensibly the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Naval Fleet, he was actually in charge of this newly created naval division.
The two deputy commanders-in-chief, one was Meng Baxi, the boss of the Yuan Boat Gang, commanded all the inland river vessels, and on the one hand, they were responsible for consolidating the control of the Xijiang basin, and on the other hand, they were responsible for expanding to other inland rivers, first all the inland rivers in Liangguang, including the Nanjiang, Dongjiang, and Pijiang rivers. At the same time, preparations should be made to capture the Changjiang Valley.
The other deputy commander-in-chief is Wen Fu, who is in charge of all the ships of the former pirates, and the short-term goal is to sweep away all the pirates in the Nan Pacific region, recruit as many as possible, and carry out peaceful reorganization. Those who do not accept surrender are to be uprooted, and the forces of disharmony are never allowed to exist.
Mai Ke specifically explained that if he encountered difficulties in sweeping up pirates, he could ask the US Navy for help. This was not only within Peter's absolute right, but also did not arouse suspicion from the US Admiralty. In the name, it is to protect American merchant ships.
Hahaha! Peter burst out laughing, this reason is absolutely gone! Those old men in the military department can no longer think of what the real reason is. They are very interested in fighting pirates and protecting merchant ships, and they will definitely give the green light.
"If you think it's okay. Mai Ke continued his appointment. Although Meng Ruofei was not among the three giants of the sailors, he was given a special task. In the event of Peter's absence or inconvenience, she could take his place as commander-in-chief, and the main consideration of this arrangement was that Peter would avoid prematurely clashing with his duties in the American army.
And in order to prepare for this replacement, she had to participate in the management of Peter's sailors at all times, and be familiar with all aspects of the situation, otherwise she would not be able to intervene when needed. Therefore, Mai Ke gave her a position: assistant commander-in-chief.
Equipped with the supreme command of the water division, Mai Ke should be the shopkeeper. It is only a matter of principle that they should reorganize the existing fleet in complete accordance with the organizational form of the modern navy, and those who do not have the conditions can first build a shelf, but they cannot but take it into account.
He then gave it to Peter to worry about, and he shifted the target. He hadn't seen Tranquility for three or four days. There's something to say about there, and maybe there's a beautiful woman looking forward to it. Mai Ke thought to himself feeling good. As a result, he left the four people he had just appointed and disappeared without a trace.
Peter is worthy of being a high-ranking admiral in the navy, not only commanding water battles with ease, but also reorganizing and reorganizing the forces of the navy. After the two Deputy Commanders-in-Chief provided detailed information on the ships and personnel, he came up with an integration plan.
Peter's first cut of reorganization was directed at the original boat gang. All the helmsmen and the ten dragons were concentrated, and only the deputy helmsman and the deputy of the ten dragons were left behind in the original base. All the ships, with the exception of a third that were old or defective, were brought by these centralized chiefs, as were the personnel.
For the assembled men and ships, Peter regrouped, and according to their specific tasks, selected the responsible persons and the constituent personnel.
The first to be appointed was the original seventh dragon, Meng Zhi, the dragon who ruled the river. Because he was wise and cunning, and even if he did not take advantage, he would never suffer, so Peter set up a fleet of detectives, with Meng Zhi in charge. The immediate task is to investigate the forces along the Nanjiang, Dongjiang, and Pijiang rivers, which are adjacent to the Xijiang River. Provide intelligence for the occupation of large forces in the back.
In order for them to master how to reconnoiter the enemy, not only to gather useful information, but also to ensure their own integrity, Peter will send reconnaissance experts from the Naval Staff to train them. The reason, of course, is to protect the interests of American businessmen.
The second group is the sailors who will be responsible for landing in the future attack, which is equivalent to the modern Marine Corps. These people are in charge of Meng Yi, Meng Yong, and Meng Yong, who were among the original ten dragons. Meng Yi is the original fourth dragon who follows the river dragon, and he is brave and brave, and there is no word backward in his head. As long as he thinks it's right, he has to throw his head out and smash the enemy, which is the most suitable for charging into battle.
Meng Yong is the original ninth dragon trapped in Jianglong, daring to dare to fight, and bold. When the attacking enemy camp is deadlocked, he goes up and most likely opens the situation.
Meng Yong is the tenth dragon to expand the river, although it is stable, it does not lack an enterprising mentality. With him, he can enter the enemy line with dignity and occupy the enemy's stronghold.
The third group is the remaining six dragons, who are responsible for opening the waterway for the Marines in front of them, maintaining surface attacks and providing cover when they land. This flotilla is a conventional force on the surface, and it is necessary to overwhelm the opponent's water power and the blocking force on the shore in combat effectiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate forces appropriately based on the intelligence obtained by the reconnaissance fleet.
The fourth plan is additional, that is, for each such attack, the original corsair must be involved, using its height and width to provide high-altitude strikes for the regular fleet. In the future, this part will be equipped with firearms that match the times and be able to suppress the enemy with firepower. Further on, it provides high-altitude attacks.
The fifth part is logistical support, which consists of all the helmsmen leading their ships. This fleet maintained a steady stream of transport, carrying arrows, food, and weapons necessary for the attack to the front line, and transporting the wounded and captured goods back to the rear. The head of this logistics fleet, the logistics minister, was built by the old gang leader, and was served by Uncle Lu, the loyal head of the top ten King Kongs. It turned out that his main task was to protect Miss, and now that this task has been taken over by Peter, he can be regarded as honorably retired.
It turned out that half of the Ning family's fleet was involved in the various detachments of the Ten Dragons, and the other half was handed over to Wen Fu to make up for the part of his fleet that was drawn to provide high-altitude strikes to support the naval division.
As for how the robber ship swallowed the various pirate forces in the Pacific Islands, Peter and Wen Fu, two guys who knew the situation well, thought about all kinds of conspiracies and tricks, and did not invite the old gang leader to participate, anyway, he neither knew nor cared about such distant things.