The waves rolled up white foam and slapped against the beach near the Haikou Shouyu Thousand Households, and the sound of the waves resounded in the eardrums. Behind the beach, three fortresses rise from the ground, and the most convenient and dangerous part of the coastline of Qiongzhou is to hold the coastline.

In the north city tower of Haikou City, more than ten military flags swayed in the wind. Dozens of personal soldiers belonging to the battalion of the Governor Biao stood solemnly with knives wearing iron cotton armor that almost covered their entire faces, and surrounded the city tower.

More than a dozen officers from all over the world, wearing different uniforms, whispered in the hall on the first floor of the city tower, exchanging information, opinions, and experiences. Naturally, they were divided into small groups according to geography, old division, and language.

Yang Qianqing and Jin Shiying had just arrived in Qiongzhou, and the two had contacts with Zhang Shijie, who had been promoted to deputy general of Qiongya, in the southeast.

The Emperor Shao Wu of Guangzhou was only a small episode, and after the martyrdom of Emperor Longwu, King Yongming, as the clan closest to Shenzong in blood, had an indisputable right of inheritance. The three ministers of the south, Ding Kuichu, the governor of Liangguang, Zeng Ying, the governor of western Guangdong, and Qu Shiyun, the governor of Guangxi, were all Bingchen Kejin scholars in the 44th year of Wanli and the protégé of the Son of Heaven of Mingshenzong. Emotionally, they all leaned towards the Yongming King, the grandson of the Divine Sect. Another pillar of the Ming army, He Tengjiao, the governor of Huguang, wanted to support King Yongming early on.

With the support of the four powerful factions, King Yongming became the nominal master of the remnants of the Ming Dynasty.

Ding Kuichu grabbed the first credit for making a decision, and naturally became the first assistant of the Yongli Imperial Court. Because of the competition for the production of cane sugar in western Guangdong, since the beginning of the year, there has been an irreconcilable contradiction between Ding Kuichu and Zeng Ying. Ding Kuichu immediately recovered the military power in western Guangdong, sent his confidant Hong Tianzheng to serve as the governor of Gao Lei Lianqiong, and transferred Zeng Ying to the cabinet. With such an obvious rise and fall, Zeng Ying simply refused to obey the edict on the grounds of military training.

The most combat-effective army in Qiongzhou was all controlled by Zeng Ying, and Ding Kuichu's stubborn tone could only send his face to the countryside. In the center of the Yongli Imperial Court, he has been promoted to the right attendant of the Ministry of Officials, a scholar of the East Pavilion University, and the head of the Ministry of Officials Qu Shiyun in the middle of the siege, so that the son of Yongli Tianzi was promoted to Zeng Ying as a scholar of the East Pavilion University, supervising the coastal military affairs, and controlling the two provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi.

After Tong Yangjia and Li Chengdong occupied Guangzhou, they pursued the Yongli Emperor along the Xijiang River. Most of the province of Guangdong fell to the wind, Emperor Yongli retreated to Guangxi, Qiongzhou lost contact with Xingzai, and now I don't know where the emperor is.

Li Chengdong was not very interested in Emperor Yongli, and the pursuing Shi Fu and Shi Lang stopped in Wuzhou. Li Chengdong instead used more than half of his main force to attack western Guangdong.

Li Mingzhong, the chief soldier stationed in Gaozhou, surrendered, and Governor Gao Lei Lianqiong, in fact, Hong Tian, who had only been in charge of Gaozhou Mansion, retreated into the mountains and also lost contact.

Li Chengdong sent many troops to western Guangdong, including the commander-in-chief Yan Keyi, Zhang Daoying, Zhang Yue, Luo Chengyao, and Yang Dafu. The quantity and quality of the enemy's troops are temporarily superior, and the two prefectures of Leizhou and Lianzhou cannot defend it. The enemy soldiers approached the strait, which made the Ming army in Qiongzhou very nervous.

What's even more dangerous is that the Tanmin people were led by Zhou Zhen, Zhou Yu, and Li Weirong, and collectively threw themselves at Li Chengdong. On this basis, Cheng Dong recruited Zheng Tingqiu, one of the four pirates surnamed in the Pearl River Estuary. Zheng Ting begged for Li Chengdong's help to quickly destroy the other three that were still under the banner of the Ming army. Emperor Shaowu's military pillar, Lin Cha, the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Naval Division, had to flee west to Gaozhou Prefecture.

Almost overnight, Li Chengdong had a naval division unit with no weak combat effectiveness, and the generals knew that the current situation was not optimistic.

Leather boots and steel nails accompanied by the sound of Chinese official boots from the stairs, Yang Qianqing hurriedly extinguished the pipe, knocked off the ashes, and stood solemnly waiting.

Zeng Ying wore a seven-beam Jinxian crown, and the cloud crane brocade ribbon was hidden under the black outer and red skin, only revealing a little corner, which was already a product of literary submission. Yongli has a small piece of territory left in the southwest, but there are several bachelors and governors in several provinces, in fact, this is an empty official title, and Zeng Ying's actual control of the territory is still only Qiongzhou.

Shou Xiang helped Zeng Ying and walked down side by side from the top floor of the castle tower.

Shou Xuan wore a military uniform with a slightly special style today. Large-brimmed hat, black slim-fitting military uniform, knightly medallion and senate medal inlaid with large sapphires hanging from the neck. Riding boots, white woolen gloves are dazzling. The ruby at the tip of the Admiral's Scepter reflects a breathtaking glow in the sun. Orderly is more accustomed to wearing the usual captain's uniform, and this set of admiral gowns is usually pressed to the bottom of the box, and only a few occasions like today will be taken out in a year.

"See the Cabinet!"

The generals bowed down, only outsiders, and Andreo West, the commander of the Qiongbei Battalion stationed in Dongshui Port, bowed slightly.

"Generals are excused."

The generals stood up, their armor clanging.

Zeng Ying turned her head and said softly, "You can say a few words." ”

Shou ordered to stop at the landing of the staircase and look around the hall.

The commanders of the troops in Qiongzhou are all in the hall.

Lei Lian's deputy general Guo Jingcai from Haibei Province, He Chengqian, the general of Hengshan and Baigemen Shuizhai, Li Biao, the general of Lianzhou, and Zhang Lie, the commander of Lianzhouwei.

Zhang Pengfei, the general of the conscription, Zhang Shijie, the deputy general of Qiongya, and Jin Shiying and Yang Qianqing, the generals of the conscription.

Zeng Wende, a guerrilla commander of the battalion, and Peng Xingu, Cao Junfu, Chen Wu, Wu Lutai, and Xie Zhiliang, were the battalion officers of the left, center, and right five battalions of the Qiongzhou Regiment before and after the training.

Combined, these Ming troops numbered nearly 20,000. It's just that except for Zhang Pengfei, Jin Shiying, and Yang Qianqing, the proportion of recruits in the other land divisions is too high, and their combat effectiveness is very weak.

"Generals, from today onwards, I will take over the command of the defense of Qiongzhou." In the faint tone, what was revealed was unquestionable.

Sanya is the only iron-rich mine in the federal-controlled area, and it cannot sit idly by and watch the Ming army lose Qiongzhou again, so the order can only be taken office in person.

"Your Excellency, please allow me, on behalf of the military and civilians of Qiongzhou, to welcome you as our commander-in-chief. You are known as the Victorious General, and we are honored to serve under you. ”

Shou Xiang followed the voice and looked over, and it was the garrison of the former battalion of the Qiongzhou regiment training, and Cao Junfu of thousands of households in Wanzhou. Cao Junfu still wears the cuirass that Shou Xiang gave him back then, the armor is covered with a layer of oil, shiny, and it seems that it has been carefully maintained.

"Cao Qianhu," Shou Xuan smiled and nodded, "gentlemen, some of you have fought alongside me, some of you have never known me in your life, and some of you have not fought with me, but we have long admired each other's great names. No matter what our relationship was before, from today onwards, please give me your lives, and I will definitely lead you to successfully protect Qiongzhou. ”

The hall instantly resounded with a gentle chatter, and the guards looked over one by one, and the expressions on the faces of the generals were colorful.

Zhang Pengfei, Zhang Shijie, Jin Shiying and Yang Qianqing showed joy on their faces, the Haibei battalion soldiers were surprised, and Cao Junfu was dancing with his eyebrows, explaining something to the local officers in Qiongzhou around him.

"I have a few questions for a few people." Shou orderly walked to the side of the four Ming generals who retreated from Haibei Province.

He Chengqian, the general of the White Pigeon Gate Water Village, hurriedly said: "The lord of the country, please ask." ”

"How strong are your cavalry?"

Theoretically, there should be cavalry units in the battalion structure of Lei Lian's Second Mansion, and Shou Xian was very interested in this.

The three Ming generals in Haibei glanced at each other, and Guo Jingcai exhaled lightly, "Cavalry? In short, there were almost no cavalry. ”

Shou Xuan nodded and continued to ask, "Ammunition?" ”

"It's also limited."

"Artillery, swords and spears, replenishment of troops?"

"The number of artillery, swords and spears is limited, and the number of supplementary soldiers is slightly better, but they are not used to battle formations, and their combat effectiveness is worrying."

In the six months since the completion of last autumn's harvest, Zeng Ying has been thoroughly mobilized in Haibei, and the whole army has retreated.

A considerable number of the military households, battalion soldiers, and their families of Lei and Lian Prefectures were evacuated to Hainan Island, and many civilian households were also evacuated, and the total number of officers and men, and the families of ordinary people and their families were about 100,000.

"You can practice slowly. I will replenish some of the weapons captured in Fuzhou to you, and I hope that the three generals can recover their combat strength as soon as possible. ”

Most of the weapons seized in the orderly manner were left to the local rebel army in Fujian and Taiwan, and only half of the Franco, bird, and armor were brought to Qiongzhou.

Hearing that they could get weapons replenishment, the faces of the three Haibei generals were all happy.

Shou Xu asked Deputy General Qiongya again, "Zhang Shijie, how many obstacles and mines are laid on the beach of Haikou?" ”

"3,000, Your Excellency."

Shou Xian habitually raised his scepter and lightly tapped Zhang Shijie a few times, "This is not enough, we have to lay mines and obstacles along the entire coast, including every beach, every sand dune, and every reef!" Within a month, it will be increased to 5,000. ”

Zhang Shijie was a little embarrassed, "Your Excellency, our people haven't stopped for a moment, and they haven't mentioned the matter of rest and recuperation at all, and the soldiers are exhausted. ”

"General Zhang, would you rather exhaust your soldiers or die?"

Zhang Shijie opened his mouth and moved twice, but he stopped talking.

Shou Orderly lifted his scepter, stepped out of the threshold of the castle tower, and walked along the castle tower, looking out into the strait. Today's weather is excellent, and the Leizhou Mansion on the other side of the bank can be faintly seen from the upper floor of Haikou City.

Shou Xiang held the large Franc cannon erected on the wall of the sea wall, "Look at the other side, gentlemen, the strait is so quiet and peaceful. The strait, which lies between Hainan and the mainland, is our last line of defense. Across this strait, the Tatars are on our side. Over there, on the calm coastline, a monster lurks. The Tatars are gathering ships and armies everywhere in an attempt to crush us with a single blow. But I assure you that not a single Tatar can get on this beach. No matter when and where the enemy invasion takes place, I will annihilate them on the beach. ”

"Yes."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Shou Xuan pointed at Zhang Pengfei with a scepter, "General Yaoyu, all the sailors in Qiongshan County are under your unified command. General Shi Jie, the ground defense of Haikou is handed over to you. ”

Qiongshan faces the mainland directly and is the area where the invasion is most likely. The Order handed over the place to one veteran on land and water. Four local battalions in Qiongzhou were deployed along the northern coastline of Hainan Island and stationed in Danzhou, Lingao, Chengmai, Puqian and other places.

The battalions and warships of the naval divisions that had withdrawn from Haibei were also scattered to various ports to carry out reconnaissance, defense, and low-intensity combat missions.

The two divisions of Jin and Yang, as well as Zeng Ying's three superintendent battalions, are the mobile forces of the whole island. Yang Tangqing is stationed in Lingao and supervises Hangzhou. Jin Shiying is stationed in Qiongshan Fucheng and supervises Chengmai and Wenchang counties.

Shou ordered to hand over half of the defense of Dongshui Port to Cao Junfu, and pulled out the Qiongshan battalion and the Ming army recruit battalion that followed the Qiongshan battalion training, with a total of 800 people personally controlled.