Yuntai Mountain, the fleet from Weihaiwei anchored here to rest.

The main force of the Ming Army's naval division led by Huang Fei sailed directly to Miaowan Town and joined forces with Liu Zeqing, the Eastern Pingbo.

Nanjing's armed pillars were the four towns of Jiangbei.

Xingping Bo Gaojie is nicknamed the Mountain Harrier, Gao Jie's department was born in the peasant army, and his combat power was the highest in the Southern Dynasty. Except for the braided soldiers, Gao Jie's men and horses are not afraid, and their nostrils are facing the sky when they walk on the road, which is very difficult to get along with.

Jingnan Bo Huang Degong was born in Liaodong, nicknamed Huang Chuangzi, he had a hot temper, he beat people at every turn in the army, and it was very tiring to work for him.

Guangchangbo Liu Liangzuo is the weakest, and he is a soy sauce player.

Liu Zeqing is different from the above three Earls of Qiu, Liu prides himself on being a Confucian general, and the shogunate has invited many literary scholars. Liu Zeqing feasted and drank with Tian Yang, the governor of Caoyun, in Huai'an Mansion all day long, and he did not control his subordinates strictly, so he was a good leader in the eyes of many officers and soldiers, and there were many remnants of the Ming Dynasty who defected to Liu Zeqing. Dong Pingbo also does not refuse to come, they are all comrades, and walking the rivers and lakes is the first righteousness.

For many Dengzhou soldiers, Liu Zeqing was their hometown in Shandong, and Tian Yang held the large grain depot of Caoyun in Huai'an Prefecture, so most of the retreating Ming troops chose to go to Miaowan Town to get grain.

Jin Shiying was also going to follow his boss to Temple Bay, but the Melville stopped their fleet.

Shou ordered Jin Shiying, Wang Zongyun, Chen Zhijun, and Liang Hexiang to board the ship.

"What do you mean, my lord?" Jin Shiying was very surprised, the cooperation between the two armies had always been very tacit before, and Shou Order's reaction this time was a little strange.

"Four, Jianyu goes south, if Shi Kefa's Jiangbei defense line collapses, what are you going to do?" The first sentence of Shou Order's first sentence threw out a bomb and blew up all three of them, and as middle- and lower-ranking officers, they didn't think that far ahead.

Jin Shiying said, "Guard the natural danger of the river and prevent Jiannu from poisoning Jiangnan." ”

"Soldiers and Fierce Battles ...... Danger"

"Qingshan buries loyal bones everywhere, why bother to return the body of the horse leather." Jin Shi's tone was indifferent, as if life and death were important factors for him to consider.

The three of them looked at each other and remained silent.

Blood and courage alone is not a long-term solution, and Shou Xiang wants to help them.

"Where is the duty of soldiers who died on the battlefield," Shou Xuan looked at them, "but what about your families?" You all know very well what will happen if you lose the battle and your family members fall into the hands of Jianzhou. ”

Liang Hexiang was shocked, "Jin Shoubei, brothers. We are guest troops in Huai'an and Jiangnan, and the soldiers will not want to be separated from their families. Now that there are so many troops fleeing to the south, it is unlikely that the imperial court will be able to build barracks for us and others in time, and the whole family will have to live on the ship by then. In wartime, we go into battle together, and if something happens, we can ......"

Jin Shiying raised his eyebrows, he was alone, and he really didn't think about this problem. It is not appropriate to fight with family members, and soldiers must take care of their wives and children behind them when fighting, which can easily cause confusion.

Shou Order: "Liang Qianhu is right. Your soldiers are not worried about their families because they do not have a safe home in Jiangnan, so I suggest that you first find a place to settle your families, so that the soldiers have no worries. ”

Wang Zongyun frowned, "Everyone wants a safe place, but I'm afraid I can't find such a place in Jiangnan." “

Jin Shiying's heart moved, "Is the lord of the country talking about Taiwan?" I am an official of the Ming Dynasty, and I have the responsibility to defend the territory, so I will not go to Taiwan. ”

Nanjing is still there, Jin Shiying wants to be loyal to the newly enthroned Hongguang Tianzi, and going to Taiwan is tantamount to desertion.

Seeing that Jin Shiying had misunderstood, Shou Xuan smiled slightly, and he asked Liu Jinqing to bring the chart of the Yangtze River estuary and point to the Shengsi Islands.

"To tell you the truth, I built a few forts in Sijiao Mountain not long ago. It was the territory of your country, and there were no officers and troops stationed there. I don't think it's good for us to occupy it for a long time, so it's better for you to be stationed. I just need to borrow a port where I can park my boats. ”

The words of the order are very humble, and the implication is that if a few of them don't go, the Ming Dynasty will lose a piece of land.

"This ......," Jin Shiying hesitated.

Shou Xuan said with a smile, "This will not delay you in defending Nanjing." Sijiao Mountain is very close to the mouth of the Yangtze River. If you put your wives and children there, and leave some soldiers to take care of them, can you still take the brigade to King Qin? ”

"Garrison, what the lord of the country said makes sense." Wang Zongyun was moved by the order, and it was exactly what they couldn't ask for to have a stable rear.

Jin Shiying's heart was dripping blood, and Wang Zongyun didn't understand.

Jin Shiying, who saw the prestige and achievements of this Nanyang maritime hero in the past, was clear, and he knew that keeping order was not only providing them with a stable rear, this friend was not optimistic about the current Nanjing regime at all, he wanted to save people.

"I understand......," Jin Shiying seemed to have some difficulty in spitting out the words, "Thank you......"

"You're welcome, you're my friends."

Chen Zhijun asked, "Lord, how big is Sijiao Mountain?" ”

"It's not very big, Sijiao Mountain is about two-thirds the size of the big Changshan Island that you are familiar with."

Chen Zhijun breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It's enough to temporarily fill the place for us to stay." ”

In addition to Dongjiang Town, if it were replaced by other Ming troops, it might be difficult to adapt to long-term island life. The current few people are exceptions, they have been stationed in the Changshan Islands since the defense of the Libune four years ago. Except for the occasional typhoon, the conditions of the Zhoushan Islands are better than those of the Changshan Islands, and the islands in the Liaohai Sea will freeze for several months in winter.

After a certain plan, the fleet did not go to Miaowan, set sail south, and sailed directly to the Shengsi Islands at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The huge fleet of ships bypassed the Maji Mountain from the west and anchored outside the Stone Pillar Pier. During the northerly wind period, the wind and waves are completely shielded by the flag post of the main peak of Sijiao Mountain and Majishan Island, and the stone pillar anchorage can naturally prevent 8-10 northerly winds.

The work of the remaining Filhoff is progressing well, and the Majishan Battery, the Flag Post Battery, and the Stone Pillar Battery have all been completed.

At Sijiao Mountain, Shou orderly reorganized the fleet. The galleys and the Melville remained. The Keelung, the schooner Luofu, the West Reef and Enzo's Zhenjiang formed the Ryan detachment, and the Dasha fleet with Shen Tingshu returned to Taipei.

Shou Xuan wrote a letter to Maiden, asking him to transport the follow-up reinforcements to Sijiao Mountain by schooner as soon as possible, since Alemand had returned to Taipei. In addition, try your best to delay the return time of the Shen family's fleet.

Sealed with wax and stamped with a ring seal, he handed Ryan the letter with the bright red orca whale coat of arms, "Tell Governor May that it will be burned when it is read." ”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Looking at the detachment commander who left, Shou Xian let out a long sigh. According to the normal sailing plan, the Shen family's fleet will return at the beginning of the south wind, and the time to arrive at the mouth of the Yangtze River will be very bad. Shou Xuan wanted to save some strength for Shen Tingyang and try his best to save a few more friends.

Nearly 2,000 officers and soldiers of Jin Shiying and other units and their families, plus the refugees from Weihaiwei and Chengshanwei who took the initiative to apply for evacuation, nearly 3,000 people landed in Sijiao Mountain.

The sappers followed the path of the hill and made a road up the mountain, some of which was paved with stones. Shou Xiang took four Ming army officers along the mountain road to the commanding heights of the island and planted the flag post.

The Flag Guard Fort is the smallest but most important battery on the island, with two 12-pounder guns, two 4-pounder guns and two 5-inch howitzers. The longest-range 12-pounder cannon was pointed at the sea to the south, overlooking the entire Pillar Pier, while the howitzer was pointed at the land of the island, preventing the enemy from threatening the battery from the north after landing on the other side. The 4-pounder gun had a moderate weight and firing range, and could be maneuverably arranged in the casemate.

There are some relatively gentle slopes sandwiched between several mountain ranges on Sijiaoshan Island, and the order points to the northeast of the island with a telescope, the largest piece of flat land, where Shengsi County is located in later generations.

"You can put your home there temporarily, it should be enough for everyone."

Wang Zongyun clasped his fists at the order, "There is enough to build a small city, thank you to the lord for borrowing our place to live." ”

"You're welcome," Orderly reminded them, "Guys, you may be facing a long war. The imperial court may not give you a full military salary, this Sijiao Mountain, as well as Huanglong Island, Goji Island, Shengshan Island, Luhua Island, and Flower and Bird Island not far away, are several miles or even more than ten miles away. Don't limit yourself to this Sijiao Mountain, mobilize the military and civilians to cultivate some fields between the islands. ”

The imperial court was unreliable, Jin Shiying understood what it meant to keep order, "I will immediately arrange for the construction of the city and the reclamation of the city." ”

"I will lend you grain and sow it."

Rice cultivation on these small islands must not be expected to yield sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can at least fill the stomach, supplemented by seafood, and can feed thousands of soldiers and civilians.

The Shengsi Islands were completely unfamiliar waters for these northern Ming troops, and Jin Shiying did not plan to divide his troops to occupy other small islands until he was familiar with the environment.

Sijiao Mountain has a high forest cover, so there is no need to worry about fuel for the time being. The Ming army set up camp in the area assigned to them, cut down timber and built temporary fortifications. Even a simple wooden fence can give these exiled soldiers a less illusory sense of security.

The island is mainly made of granite, and if you build a stone city, it will be very strong. But this is not a job that can be completed in a while, and Jin Shiying has to take his time.

In the southern part of Sijiao Mountain, there is a flat land 500 meters square. Filhoff turned it into a makeshift training ground. The 200 recruits in Taipei have been training here since the completion of the fort construction work. In addition to the usual queue shifts and shooting drills, Filhoff also added running in accordance with the requirements of order. In order to save military shoes, the soldiers wrapped their feet in canvas and wore straw sandals. The Ming army in the north of the island began to watch in amazement as the Jincheng soldiers ran around the island, the mountain road was rugged, and someone would fall down from time to time, which was very embarrassing and very hard.

After watching it for three days, Jin Shiying gritted his teeth and selected 300 young and strong soldiers from the headquarters to come out, and he took the lead and began to run circles.

Chen Zhijun didn't understand a little, what is the use of just practicing running.

His old comrade-in-arms Liang Hexiang thought so, "Old Chen, it's still General Xiaojin." Let's leave all our families on the island, and then take the troops to Jiangnan to make a fortune. If you run into Jiannu or Liukou, we can't beat it, just run, this is a good practice, how comfortable it is to come and go freely. ”

Wang Zongyun snorted heavily, "Have you forgotten Dadonggou?" ”

"How can I forget, it was the most comfortable battle that Lao Liang has fought in the army in 20 years." Liang Hexiang was a little embarrassed, the first level obtained in Dadonggou, the three of them were enough to upgrade a few levels. However, because the planner Zeng Ying soon stepped down, Zeng Hualong, who took over, felt that the plundering of North Korea was not a glorious thing, so he swallowed all the credit and sent them back to the island to station.

Chen Zhijun was angry when he thought about this.

Wang Zongyun's face sank, "In troubled times, having soldiers in your hands who can fight is stronger than anything else." You have all seen that Jincheng is fighting against slaves, and General Jin is learning the method of military training from them. You don't care if you can see it or not, just do it. ”

Liang and Chen suddenly understood.

"Lao Wang, then let's start practicing tomorrow?"

"We don't have so much fabric to put on the soldiers' feet, so we have to practice, but we still have to wait for the weather to warm up."

Intensive military training is not something that any military can do. Training is an investment, ensuring the nutrition of the soldiers' diet, and providing consumables, including military shoes and socks, all cost money.

A month and a half later, the three schooners Luofu, Xijiao, and Zhenjiang sent reinforcements to Sijiao Island in the whole journey. 1 infantry company, half an artillery company, 1 joint service detachment, a total of 180 people. In addition, 40 tons of rice and 10 tons of gunpowder were brought with the ship. Filhoff reorganized the army on the island, and the battalion headquarters plus 3 infantry companies and 1 artillery company, a total of 470 people. The artillery battery was armed with 2 6-pounder guns and 4 4-pounder guns. The Sijiao Mountain garrison consisted of 1 recruit company and 80 gunners.

Jin Shiying convened a military meeting. Whether it is the official position of the Ming Dynasty or the relationship between Jin Shiying and Shou Order in reality, he has steadily become the speaker of the Ming army on the island.

"Three, now that the island is basically stable, I want to lead troops to Jiangnan, who of you is willing to go with me?"

If you go to Jiangnan, you may have a fight, or you may make a fortune, and if you take some money and women, you can improve the lives of the families of the officers and soldiers on the island.

Wang Zongyun sighed slightly, "We came out of Dengzhou together, and now of course we have to go to Jiangnan together." ”

Jin Shiying shook his head, "There must be someone on the island to take care of the family, we can't all go." ”

The three of you look at me, I look at you, and they make eye contact with each other for a while.

"I'll go." Chen Zhijun stood up, "Don't fight, let's also learn to build slaves, each time half of the armor soldiers are drawn to fight, and the rest are guarded." This time it's me and Jin Shoubei going out, and next time it's your turn. ”

"It's fine." Wang Zongyun said.

Chen Zhijun's suggestion was very fair, each of the four families sent half of the troops, and the generals took turns to fight, and some captures were divided equally according to the number of troops. Jin Shiying selected 440 soldiers, with Chen Zhijun as his lieutenant.

The Ming army originally had a few Franco cannons and tiger squat cannons, but considering that they were going to stay in Sijiao Town, Shou ordered to send them 4 light mortar cannons. Jin Shiying left the Francophone and set off with only the Tiger Squat Cannon and the Light Mortar Cannon. The Ming army selected 6 flat-bottomed sand boats with slightly better windward performance, and the sharp-bottomed Penglai ships and other sand boats remained in Sijiao Mountain. On the Orderly side was the battleship Melville as the flagship, including 4 galliers, 6 labluffs, a total of 1 light cruiser and 10 galleys. 470 soldiers and 110 guards were scattered to the ships.

Taking advantage of a northeasterly easterly, the fleet sailed to Chongming Island in the northwest. On the way, Jin Shiying kept thinking about a question. His worries were temporarily resolved by the order, but what about the other Ming troops heading south?