Chapter 104: February 15

Over time.

More and more soldiers and horses from both sides gathered.

Here in Haiphong, the headquarters of the Nanyang Naval Division gathered, with more than 300 warships and more than 20,000 or 30,000 people. Wang Yue's first department, there are about 20,000 people, but they are all elite soldiers. It was a soldier trained by Guo Deng in Guangxi.

There are also 5,000 Dong Xing's Guangdong army, and 30,000 troops have already occupied the city.

Of course, the strength of the Cham army is negligible, and it can be written as a people's husband.

And although the Annan side is all elite, the soldiers that can be used are comparable to the Ming army, not much worse, as for the people?

At this moment, Li Sicheng doesn't care about anything else, but within the scope of the war zone, all men must obey orders.

It's just the Red River Delta, which is the most important grain-producing area in Annam.

Today's order is a painful one, but we don't know what to do with the reduction in grain production that we will face in the future.

However, now Wang Ying is also facing the biggest problem, which is the complex hydrology of the Baiteng River.

Wang Ying wanted to avoid the Baiteng River.

It's just that after carefully surveying the geography of the Baiteng River, it is found that it is impossible at all.

First of all, the waterways of Annam are vertical and horizontal, and the Red River Plain is divided into pieces by large and small rivers, and the Mongols defeated Annam three times, and the biggest lesson is.

If you want to run a horse in Annan, it is simply impossible.

In other words, if there is no advantage of the navy in the Annam water system, it is easy to be divided between the rivers by the Annam navy.

Even if the army is close at hand.

It's also like the end of the world.

The south ship and the north horse, this is a wise saying for Jiangnan.

Not to mention, Annam, which is further south than Jiangnan.

Therefore, if you want to win in the interior of Annam, the right to control the Red River is particularly important.

Secondly, on both sides of the Baiteng River, there are rocks and rugged, and the mountains are pressing, which is very unfavorable for the army's march.

In other words, land and water are not a viable solution.

Therefore, Baitengjiang cannot be avoided.

The water conditions of the Baiteng River are complex, which is mainly manifested in these aspects.

The first is that there is a large tidal difference. At high tide, the water is open and large boats can be navigated. However, when the tide falls, the water withers and rocks come out, and the water level in many places is less than one meter.

Secondly, the dark tide is silent.

There was no sound at all from high tide to low tide, especially at night, and it was easy to see the next day that all the ships were stranded on the shore.

In the previous battles on the Baiteng River, the Annam army laid wooden stakes at the bottom of the Baiteng River, and when the tide was high, it had no effect at all, but when the tide was low, the wooden stakes seemed to grow out of the ground, overturning the boat, or smashing out a big hole.

At this time, Annam's army will be able to attack with small boats.

This is another problem, that is, the advantages of the Ming army's naval army are all on the sea ships, and the ships are big and the ships are small, so they are naturally very comfortable.

It's just that on the Baiteng River, the big boat is a burden.

There was a shortage of boats in the Ming army's sailors.

These situations were difficult problems for the Ming army.

Wang Ying was worried for a while, Wang Yue saw this, pondered for a while and said: "Uncle, the danger of the Baiteng River is known to the world, why not abandon this place and attack elsewhere?" To divide the soldiers of Annan? ”

Wang Ying secretly shook his head in his heart.

How could he give in?

Attacking the Baiteng River and entering the city of Shenglong is the immortal achievement of breaking the country and ruling the king, not to mention anything else, the title on Wang Ying's head, even if he can't reach the country, at least he can become a marquis.

But if you attack elsewhere.

In Haiphong City, I have also seen the stubbornness of the Annamite people. Not to mention attacking other places, I'm afraid I won't be able to get Guo Deng's permission.

Such a large military operation would not have been possible without Gordon's permission.

If there is no supplement from Wang Yue and Dong Xing's department, relying on Wang Ying's headquarters alone, although he can run rampant on the sea, he may not be able to establish any great achievements.

After all, the ship can't sail ashore.

Whether it is Wang Ying's own interests or the interests of the Nanyang Naval Division, it is not suitable.

Wang Ying categorically refused and said: "Annan is a small country, but it relies on natural insurance, thinking that it can resist the Celestial Empire. He can't be allowed to have such a fluke, although Bai Tengjiang is a natural danger, but if there is a natural danger, my army will not be able to overcome difficulties? ”

"Now the battle of the Baiteng River is the morale of the people of Annan, which is really a fluke and an excellent opportunity."

What Wang Ying said cannot be said to be wrong.

Because of its special historical origin, the Baiteng River is almost equivalent to the spiritual symbol of Annam.

Once the Baiteng River is breached, the people of Annam will never be so tenacious.

After all, in ancient times, for the lowest class of people, many people did not have much thought of their homeland. If the Ming army showed its strength on the battlefield of Annam, both the common people of Annam and the nobles of Annam had the possibility of surrendering.

The problem is that after several months of fighting, the Ming army has not had a single victory that can be called a decisive victory.

Many people in Annam thought that this war would be the same as it was a few years ago.

It's just a half-year fight, and each of them is just a truce.

After all, the rainy season will not watch them fight like this, and will jam the arrival of the point at their own pace.

In this way, under the command of Wang Ying, hundreds of the small boats of the Guangdong Naval Division and the small boats of the Nanyang Naval Division advanced into the Baiteng River during the day, and immediately met the resistance of the Annam ships.

Let's be honest.

If it was at sea, the Annan Navy Division naturally did not look at the battle with the Ming Army's Navy Division. But above the river, both sides were small boats, both with firearms. There is no generational difference between firearms.

Basically, what the Ming army owned, Annan also had, the only difference was the quality.

The two sides jumped into gangs and fought continuously on the Baiteng River for several days.

The Ming army fell into the downwind, and if it weren't for the fact that the big ships of the Ming army were all in the rear, the Annan ships would not dare to pursue, otherwise they would have to be defeated.

The reason is simple.

The engagement between small boats is more of a broadside battle.

The number of small boats of the Ming army was small and did not replenish. Whether it is ships or soldiers, but the Annan army is different, they have a whole Annan behind them.

Almost all of Annam's ships were requisitioned by Le Sze Cheng.

There is a constant supply of ships, and there is a large replenishment of personnel. Naturally, the people of Annam are becoming more and more courageous the more they fight. If we continue to fight like this, it will be useless at all.

Wang Ying also knew this, and he finalized another plan.

"February 15 is our chance to win." In the past few days, Wang Ying has visited the nearby people, and finally understood one thing, that is, the tide of the Baiteng River cannot get rid of the gravitational pull of the moon, and around the 15th of each month, it is the time when the tide is at its largest.

It lasted for about three days.

During these three days, even at low tide, large ships can pass.

Just let the Ming army go all out.

Wang Yue was a little worried, after all, what was the water situation of the Baiteng River, Wang Yue believed that the Annan people knew better than them. What Wang Ying knew, how could the people of Annam not know.

Wang Yue also knew that he couldn't persuade Wang Ying. could only be silent, and secretly said in his heart: "Sometimes even if you know, you can't do anything." There was no turning back. ”

So, in the 27th year of Orthodoxy, on February 14, the ships of the headquarters rushed into the Baiteng River at low tide

Although the ship did some things to reduce its weight, such as leaving a lot of baggage in Haiphong City, in any case, the entry of the big ship into the Bai Teng River at low tide was a great victory.

It's just that Annan's army seems to have been prepared for a long time, and has prepared a series of iron cables. Stopped in the middle of the river.

In order to fuse or cut the iron cable, the Ming army had to let the boat come forward, fish the iron chain out of the river, and then burn it in a furnace. This is the easiest way to do it.

The Annan army counterattacked vigorously when the Ming army cut the iron chains.

Even in the face of the Ming artillery, he was not afraid.

Seeing this, Wang Ying sneered in his heart: "It turns out that I want to delay time, how long can the Baiteng River be, and how many iron cables can you put down." ”

The special water conditions here in the Baiteng River are actually the effect of the joint action of sea water and the water of the Red River. Therefore, this section of the Baiteng River is not very long. It is said that some of them are long for dozens of miles.

Therefore, the idea of Annan's sailors dragging on time is not very effective.

Three days was enough for the Ming army to open up this channel and gain a firm foothold in the Red River. At that time, as long as you sail through the Baiteng River within a fixed time, there will be no problems.

However, even so, Wang Ying urged the people below to speed up, lest something unexpected happen.