Originally, Pei Ting wanted to write a letter to his brother Pei Lin, telling him what he had seen and felt today, and by the way, he would like to talk about his views on the heir of the Nanzhong Army, and which son the Li family should support. After thinking about it for a long time, he still suppressed this thought of himself.

The power struggle in the deep palace has always revolved around this, although the Li family was on the border back then, but they also knew the origin of the contradictions and struggles between Shenzong and the civil official group, not that the Wanli Emperor wanted to set up his favorite son as the crown prince, but the civil officials cried and shouted and asked him to make the eldest son of the emperor the crown prince according to the ancestral system.

! If it is according to the ancestral system, Chengzu will not be able to be the emperor!

While carefully tearing off the pages of the paper that recorded what he had seen and heard today, and then put them on the lamp to light them and scatter the ashes, Pei Ting decided that when he returned to Hue one day to see his brother, he should seriously discuss this issue with him.

Just when Li Peiting was tossing and turning in bed and couldn't sleep for a long time, a touch of fish belly white appeared in the eastern sky, and the morning of September 12 came.

In the open space on Hong Kong Island, the camp tents of the naval division of the South Central Army were densely packed, and in the open space behind the camp tents, the baggage soldiers and men of the Xuanwu Battalion began to prepare breakfast for the whole army by the side of the cooking car.

In addition to the normal porridge and rice, meat, salted eggs, and meat steamed buns are piled high in the basket like a hill.

"Second brother, the whole army will sail north today, you will be here for a few days, and when we have news from Fujian, you will return to Guangdong Province."

In a makeshift tent. Shouhan sat at his breakfast table, holding chopsticks in his hand, chewing according to the case, and at the same time, Pei Ting, who was sitting opposite him and had breakfast with him, explained the follow-up work.

"After we went south from the sea in Fujian, all the military supplies here will no longer be transported back to Nanzhong, and you will quietly sell them in Guangdong, Fujian and other places."

Hearing that Shouhan was going to hand over more than 10,000 catties of military rations and tens of thousands of catties of oil and salt, as well as more than 10,000 catties of wrought iron, to himself for disposal, Pei Ting knew that something must have happened again, if he just gave himself a business opportunity. Shouhan would never explain him so seriously.

Really. Then came a barrage of questions.

"What is the price of rice in Guangdong recently? Is it according to our meaning that we are accused of hurting the peasants? ”

In fact, there is no need for Pei Ting to answer this, as long as Shouhan himself looks at the various customs in Nanzhong, the number of rice and rice exported from the port, and he can deduce one or two.

The red-headed boats, while trying to try their luck in Nanzhong, a land supposedly full of hope for a prosperous life, delivered to their destinations, and returned to Canton laden with cheap rice as ballast. As soon as it changes hands, it is a huge profit.

"My lord. Among the cities and towns of the Pearl River and the Dongjiang River. Seventy percent of the oil and salt shops in the grain store of the big millet are sold in our southern and central regions, and at present, many foreign businessmen are buying rice in Guangdong and going north. Or to Fujian, or to Jiangxi, Huguang and other places to sell for profit. ”

"Profit-making? What is the profit? ”

After Shouhan cleaned up a cage of crystal shrimp dumplings like a whirlwind of clouds, he ordered someone to brew a pot of rock tea from Wuyi Mountain in front of him, and discussed the prices of the southeastern provinces with Peiting.

"At present, there are frequent civil unrest in Shaanxi in the mainland, and it has been reported that it has been circulating in Shanxi and other places, and there seems to be a trend of going south into Sichuan. In the eleventh year of Wanli (A.D. 1583), there was a famine in Shaanxi, and the grain was two or three taels per stone. In the 40th year of Wanli, there was a famine in Shaanxi, and the price of rice and stone reached three taels. However, during the Apocalypse, when the so-called Wei Eunuch Wei Zhongxian monopolized the dynasty, the price of rice was quite low. After the current Chongzhen Tianzi Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne, grain prices in Shaanxi and other places began to rise. The price of rice is generally three taels as the constant price, in case of disaster, it is even more priceless market, it is said that there are three coins of rice multiplied by seven coins. And last year, in the fourth year of Chongzhen, Shaanxi's Yulin Mansion Dou Rice was up to six dollars in silver, and people were stable in Dou Rice to one or two or two dollars, how could this not make the people become homeless? ”

"At present, the price of rice produced in Liangguang is not as good as that of rice in our southern and central regions, but all kinds of taxes, salaries, and salaries cannot be paid, so there are black-hearted businessmen who come here to buy them in the hands of farmers and transport them to various places for sale. That is, according to the calculation of three taels of silver and one stone of rice, at least the profit is more than one tael and five coins. If you count the big bucket in and out of the small bucket, and mix some bran and sand and gravel in the rice, then the benefits are indescribable. ”

"Wait!" Shouhan found a flaw in Pei Ting's words.

"You just said that some people are trafficking rice from Liangguang to Jiangxi, Huguang, Fujian and other places, but Fujian is just fine, it has always been a lot of people, little land, and narrow and densely populated. Haven't Huguang and Jiangxi always been known as the land of fish and rice? The so-called 'lake is ripe and the world is full'? ”

Huguang is familiar with the world, and this is naturally true. However, although the Jianghan Plain and Dongting Lake Plain, which are currently wide, have tens of thousands of square kilometers of land, the terrain is flat and the land is fertile, but the best land is either the land of the clan or the gentry of officials, and how many of them pay grain and taxes? Most of them transported rice to Jiangnan for profit. In addition to the grain, the grain and rice shipped out of the province by Hubei are as much as 10 million stones.

The Susong Taiping Plain, which bears almost one-third of the taxes of the Ming Dynasty, has long turned the land of fish and rice into a pure grain import area.

"When I was in Shanghai County, the rice transported from all over the country in Shanghai County was about 300,000 stone every year! This is why the two gangs of Yancao regard the people I sent to Jiangnan in Nanzhong as parents, and they are indeed parents of food and clothing! In the spring of the sixteenth year of Wanli, Shanghai County first had a major drought and a major epidemic, and then to summer and May (lunar calendar), and it was a big flood. In autumn and July, the wind was strong, the fields were exhausted, and the people were hungry. According to the old gentlemen who edited the "County Chronicle", at that time, there were two coins of silver for rice and one penny for silver for wheat and one penny for wheat silver, and people ate chaff. Crumbs and beans are used as porridge, this is still known as Songjiang, which is known as a rich place, and in other places, it is even more of those three words, cannibalism! ”

Seeing that Pei Ting, who has always been a gentleman who likes gorgeous clothes and delicious beauties in Shouhan's eyes, was able to say such breathtaking words, Shouhan didn't dare to imagine how far the disaster in the mainland had developed. However, the more you are at this time, the more you must stabilize your mind, and you can't spoil a big thing because of a little unbearability in your heart!

I could barely suppress the inexplicable urge in my heart. Shouhan kept admonishing himself. Bear with it, hold back! To learn from Zhu Chongba, don't do things that don't match it before you don't have enough strength.

"What is the situation between the two Guangzhous?"

From the year of the Apocalypse. Shouhan then tested the Liangguang region. In the Chongzhen period. It has also been dumped in large quantities in the two regions, including grain, edible oil, refined salt, sugar, cloth and other daily necessities, as well as iron, which is an important material for the national economy and people's livelihood.

Pei Ting smiled slyly at Shouhan. "The lord sees thousands of miles away, why do you knowingly ask?"

Pei Ting is also well aware of several secret detective agencies in Shouhan, but he thinks that he is not rebelling, not corrupt, and working diligently in his own position, so he is naturally not afraid of the actions of these secret agencies of Shouhan. What's more, the so-called investigation room, statistics room, and other places are far more interested in the outside than in wielding the butcher's knife inside.

"The lord designated the rice and grain from the state capitals of Fu'an, Pingkang, Pingshun, Xianshun, Ningshun, Zhenbian, Fanzhen, Changtun, Longhu, Zhuli, and Hexian in the south of the Yangtze River to go north, plus the iron from the iron factory, the people of Liangguang were about to be unable to bear it. At present, the state capitals in Guangdong are urging the department very urgently, and the autumn grain of the whole province is being levied, if my expectations are good, I am afraid that before the year, there will be a Daze Township in Guangdong! ”

"If that's the case, then my subordinates will need to be adjusted."

Shouhan picked up the teapot and refilled some tea into Pei Ting's teacup, "When we go north, you hire some plasterers in Xin'an County to repair the houses here, so that the soldiers of the Xuanwu Left Battalion can live, and there are also battle defense facilities." ”

"What do you mean?"

When he heard that he was going to leave a battalion of soldiers on Hong Kong Island, he couldn't help but be very excited, because he had a strong army around him, and he was always much more down-to-earth. What's more, there are rumors everywhere now, and from time to time there are rumors of conflicts between landlords and tenant farmers, and cases of killing people.

"My subordinates must do their best!"

Just as he was about to say something to Shouhan again, the soldiers at the door came from the sound of saluting, and a small figure rushed in with a jump.

"Daddy, Daddy! Have you had breakfast? ”

It was Li Huamei who came to see if Daddy had eaten breakfast, and by the way, urged Daddy to act quickly.

"It's already time to get on the boat and raise the anchor! Daddy, you've got to hurry! ”

"Daddy is discussing with the second uncle, let's see what the name of your big ship is!" Shouhan glanced at his baby daughter lovingly, and used the topic of Pei Ting and Xiao Huamei yesterday to divert her attention.

Today's Xiao Huamei wears a uniform similar to that of a sailor, although it has the same narrow sleeves and narrow sleeves, it is cut very well, and unlike the formal sailor uniform, the cuffs do not have those Taos and stars that mark the rank of the military.

"Daddy is lying to me again! I clearly heard Daddy talk about food, soldiers and horses, when did he say that my ship was gone?! Xiao Huamei pursed her beautiful little mouth.

Seeing Xiao Huamei's expression, I don't know why, Shouhan suddenly remembered his first naval battle back then, strictly speaking, it was not a naval battle, but an offensive battle from sea to land.

It's a pity that the little girl who followed her to start a fire in Manila Bay was already lying in a handful of loess. "Is it true that every time I go out to sea, a little girl will follow me?" Shouhan smiled in his heart.

However, looking back at the smiling face of his baby daughter, he couldn't help but twitch himself in his heart, "Bah! Without restraint! The wind is blowing! He didn't want his daughter to be like Xiuxiu.

On the dock, the Chang Sheng had already raised half of its sails, floating on the surface of the sea like a giant whale on the sea, undulating with the waves of the sea. On board, the soldiers and sailors of the Guards Battalion wore red and yellow bands as identification marks.

"In this naval battle, among friends and foes, there are mixed personnel! Among the enemy army, there are Hongmaoyi people, Nanyang Tu people, and there are also scum of our China! And among the friendly forces. There are also Han Chinese, Japanese people, it is rumored that there are also Portuguese, in our army, Han Chinese, Portuguese, Miao people, Nanzhong natives, Arakan people, if you accidentally fall into the water, brothers will see the identification belt on your body, and they will recognize you as their own person for the first time! You'll be able to get your life back in no time! "On each boat, the officers of the sailors and the guards battalion, the pro-soldiers, and the Xuanwu battalion kept going back and forth to check the clothes on the soldiers.

Looking out along the Lei Yue Mun waterway, the wind ships, wind hunters, and brigs are waiting for them like aquariums guarding the dragon king of the sea.

An autumn wind blew, and the flag on the bow of the sailboat on the mast was blown to the sound of hunting. can't help but make people feel proud. Shouhan raised his head to look at the sun and moon flags and Li Zishuai flags hanging on the main mast. Waving his hand and pulling out the sword at his waist, "Ships, fire the cannon!" Anchor and go! ”

In the rising white smoke, Chang Sheng's horn took the lead in firing three cannons. The ships followed with three cannon shots. Along the Lei Yue Mun Waterway. More than 40 boats, large and small, headed eastward.

Hong Kong waters are only 300 nautical miles off the coast of Xiamen. If it is a modern ship, it is just a matter of day, but in the age of sails. It will take a few days for the full fleet to arrive.

"Don't be in a hurry, go slowly!"

It is rare to have such a complete lineup, almost two-thirds of the sailors have been dispatched, and there are more than 1,000 large and small artillery pieces in the whole fleet, not including those rocket launchers temporarily placed in the bow of the ship. With such an opportunity, Shouhan naturally would not let it go, and simply took the voyage before this naval battle as a good opportunity for exercise and training.

Anyway, in the naval warfare of this era, the reconnaissance and control of the situation around the battlefield are very weak, both in terms of ability and awareness, and it is completely possible to arrive at the battlefield without psychological preparation on both sides.

Along the way, the sailing ship was in front, the wind ship was on both sides, and the wind hunter was cruising behind the fleet to escort, and along the way encountered passing ships, and the kind words of the south inquired about the situation and the war in the waters of Xiamen, and the north, sorry, all of them were shot over, ordered them to drop sail, anchor, and accept inspection, and then ordered them not to go north within two days, otherwise they would all be sunk.

Under the command of the two fleet commanders, Zhang Xiaohu and Chu Tianlei, the warships successively practiced the change of formation, and all of them practiced many times in the process of advancing eastward.

Along the way, from time to time, ships acting as sentry forwards sent forward war reports.

On 13 September, Zheng Zhilong, a guerrilla of the Five Tigers, who "held heavy troops and had many powerful generals," was the vanguard, Gao Yingyue, deputy general of the South Road, was the left wing, Zhang Yongchan, a guerrilla in Quannan, was the right flank, and Wang Shangzhong, a guerrilla in Penghu, was the guerrilla. With the governor's subordinate Liu Yingzhong, the former deputy commander-in-chief, and Deng Shu, the former staff general, as the central army, Shi Bangyao, the minister of Zhangnan, and Lu Ying, the minister of Xingquan, as the supervising army, the soldiers and horses of all roads gathered in Haicheng to attack.

On 14 September, the Five Tigers guerrilla Zheng Zhilong used the information provided by his interpreter and drinking eye in the Dutch fleet to dispatch Lin Xianzhong, the former commander-in-chief of the Sentinel, and others to lead a division to attack the Dutch sailors in the waters of Penghu. Attacked and burned a Dutch plywood boat on the surface of Lantau Sea, burned hundreds of people to death and drowned, captured one chieftain, six people, and three real thieves.

On 15 September, Zheng Zhilong led the main force of the naval division to hold the head of the bird, and the nine plywood boats of the Dutch and more than 50 ships of Liu Xiang's gang immediately retreated to the open sea to anchor when they saw that the situation was not good. While Zheng Zhilong waited for the arrival of the rest of the troops, he quickly commanded the fleet to occupy Weitou, while the combined forces of the Dutch and Liu Xiang retreated to Shangliuluo.

At this time, seeing that the army was encircled in a big way, and the main force on the opposite side was Zheng Zhilong, the sworn enemy of the year, and Liu Xiang, who was trying to make a big profit in Fujian waters with the Dutch, he began to feel a little apprehensive. Especially the news that came out of Zheng Zhilong's troops. "There are more than 20 big Buddha Lang machines on the big Qingtou boat, and there are at least eight big Buddha Lang machines on the bird boat and the sand rushing boat!"

"On the small boat, there are sailors with firearms, who can pierce armor a hundred paces away, and specialize in shooting leaders at all levels, far better than the 'cat's eye' of the red haired Yizhi (the musketeer who took a small boat to attack the officers and gunners on the Ming army's ship, was called Maoyaner by the Ming army, similar to the sniper of modern warfare. ）”

"Isn't it time for us to go? Don't stir up the troubled waters of the Dutch Rimbur again? "Liu Xiang was in his own cabin, with his righteous son, Li Jiu, who was named the Seventeenth Elder in his gang (according to the customs of this era, he should follow the surname of his father-in-law, called Liu Jiu. The generals discussed the question of going to stay together.

On the sea, the dark and dreary night shrouded the fleet like a cauldron, and Liu Jiu looked at the fleet and the lights on the Dutchman ship in the distance, and he was also melancholy. I thought I could make a windfall on the Dutch's artillery and ships, but I didn't expect to lose all my money.

In the fleet of the Dutch, there was already an epidemic of diseases and deaths, mainly due to scurvy caused by vitamin deficiencies. Because of the lack of fresh meat and vegetables, the combat effectiveness of the troops dropped sharply. That's why the Dutch immediately went ashore to plunder wherever they went, and there was no logistical support.

In contrast, the situation of the Ming army was much better.

Zheng Zhilong's reward and the military salary paid in advance greatly boosted the morale of the subordinates, and because the governor Zou was bent on showing his hand in front of the emperor, he was also quite effective in the supply of the various departments participating in the war, needless to say, the food and salary were sufficient.

"Yes! It's time for us to go. ”

Father and son were about to discuss how to escape, when a terrible scream broke the silence of the night.

"Enemy attack! The officers and soldiers are coming! ”

"Zheng Zhilong set fire!"

In the darkest hour before dawn, the fire on the surface of the sea becomes more and more dazzling. (To be continued......)