Strictly speaking, from Penglai County, Dengzhou, the northernmost tip of Jiaodong, Dongmu Port, after passing through a series of islands including Changshan Island, it arrives at the nearest land edge of the Liaodong Peninsula, and the straight-line distance is only about 100 kilometers.

As a result, the relay of smaller fishing boats allows for limited trade activities. If it is a large sea boat, it can easily reach the opposite shore in half a day by following the natural current of the Bohai Rim.

Before the army entered Huaidong, pirates and smugglers who traveled between the Liaodong region and the Jiaodong Peninsula often used the Changshan Islands as a springboard for activities or as a place to escape and hide.

Because, the terrain and environment here are too convenient. Therefore, it was not until last year that it was really announced that these marginalized forces would be basically cleaned up.

Therefore, compared to the uncertain factors such as the danger and accident of sending troops to the Silla domain by sea in winter, this spring voyage almost did not have any decent itinerary, and it had already arrived at the other side of the destination without any surprise.

Dalian, a modern and emerging coastal city, naturally has a completely different flavor and feeling than the ancient division called Jili Prefecture.

In fact, the location of the city of Dalian in later generations was only a small fishing village named Qingnipu in Dalian Bay, the narrowest part of the small peninsula, and it really became the prototype of the city after the occupation of Liaodong by Tsarist Russia in the late Qing Dynasty.

At this time, the seat of Jili Prefecture was located in the northern part of the small peninsula and deep inland, which belonged to the state capital inherited from the Goguryeo period.

Therefore, in this era, when viewed from a distance on the sparkling sea, there are hardly any traces of artificiality except for the cascading low hills and the winding almost unrecognizable roads, all of which are gray-green mottled wilderness and rocky coastline, which fills the field of vision.

But the only exception is that after turning a headland, as the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the irregular long strip of small peninsula that shrinks and extends, as a port town that has traditionally emerged due to maritime trade, Duli Town (now Lushunkou) still has a considerable scale and prosperity.

It is said that there are records of human population here in the Qin Dynasty, and in the Han Dynasty, it belonged to the four counties of Lelang, and was called "Ma Shijin" in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and played the role of foreign sea trade between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Therefore, the history of being a port is quite long.

Although, because the coastal area is limited, and the overall pattern is not too large, it reminds people of the large Liangshanhai City at first sight, but it is much more orderly and orderly.

The cascading buildings are laid out from the seaside embankment to the slopes, terraces and hillocks near the shore according to a certain pattern and order, making almost ingenious use of almost every inch of height and drop difference.

It was then enclosed by a long circular wooden façade, leaving only the embankment and the part of the trestle that extended out of it facing the sea.

As for the town itself, the reaction and attitude of my foreign army who crossed the sea also seemed to have been given some kind of propaganda and explanation, and it was a little too calm and indifferent.

Only those merchant ships under the flag of foreign countries will show a little panic and surprise. Then, driven and urged by the port area, they hurriedly gave us a large number of berths with enough space.

And the person who is responsible for diverting water and opening the way for us is also a rowing fast boat from a business group with a Huaidong background. The only hiccup during this period was when two merchant ships collided and several people fell overboard.

It's just that when he got off the ship, Sanma's face was a little unsightly, or a little worse. Isn't there a bit of seasickness? However, it was clear that the wind and waves that were farther away from Silla in winter had come over, so why did the sea journey be so gentle and so gentle, but the boat became seasick.

"Why don't you go down and rest for a while......"

I asked kindly.

"If you can't do it, just go back with the ship. Don't force it too hard......"

What responded to me was her stubborn look and insistent expression, well, it seemed like what I said had the opposite effect.

After encamping on the spot and building a defensive area, demarcating the scope of the cordon and the basic firing boundary, the port was closed for a month, and all local ships and manpower were requisitioned to provide follow-up material delivery.

Naturally, there was a lot of complaint, but after the installation of several heavy guns at pre-set heights and the construction of the waves that were tested on the sea, all the noise disappeared.

On the other hand, most of the livelihoods in this capital town are more or less directly or indirectly related to the emerging Huaidong.

The only armed forces in the area were the 500 feudal soldiers who were used to levy taxes and maintain law and order, plus three small sea vessels that could only move along the shore.

It also looks like a bit of a weapon, old, weak, sick and disabled.

It took three days for me to arrange a stop, and then I continued my regrouped and downsized guard along the trade route carved out along the western coastline toward the interior of the peninsula.

It is said that it is a trade road, but in fact it is just a dirt road mixed with a little gravel, but because of the frequent business travel, there are people who regularly maintain and maintain a basic state of traffic.

As a mountainous and hilly geographical environment of the Liaodong Peninsula, it is located in the territory of Jili Prefecture at the southern end, and most of it is mountainous and gently formed by erosion.

The lowlands of the plains are scattered only at the mouth of rivers and some mountain valleys, and from them they are inhabited into coastal villages, market towns and towns.

However, it has an excellent climate, as the saying goes, there is no severe cold in winter and no heat in summer.

Because of the direction of the local mountain range, it not only blocks the cold current that blows from the north every year, but also intercepts the warm and moist moisture from the ocean in the coastal hills and flat land.

Therefore, the quality and yield of local fruit trees such as apple, pear, peach, and hawthorn are quite good, and because there are many trees led by oak trees, the yield of cocoons suitable for local propagation is not small.

There are also some profits from aquatic products, reed planting, salt drying, etc., and most daily necessities, including iron products, have to rely on foreign imports.

Therefore, although the time of trade with Huaidong is still short, it has a different degree of familiarity in the local area.

On the way to Jili City, I made a special stop at Qingnipu, which was still unknown in this matter, and collected some seashells and snails in the sound of the scattered beaches and waves, as a kind of empty remembrance of the tourist city and coastal resort of Dalian in the future.

According to the preliminary investigation,

This is the narrowest part of the small peninsula at the southern end of the peninsula and the land in the north, the width and length are only about ten miles, standing on the highest point, as long as you turn half a body, you can take the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea into view.

It is also a natural and dangerous place, with a rugged coast on both sides, and a dirt passage running through it with a ridge back to the sea.

Although the road is wide enough and relatively smooth, under the undulating ground drop, only a low wall or wooden fence can play a role in blocking and intercepting.

In fact, the Luo family also set up a customs card here. Behind it is a two-storey flat-roofed small village that takes advantage of the condescending terrain and rammed earth and timber. The garrison is also a feudal soldier from Liao County, who looks a lot stronger with a big shoulder and a round waist.

I think this is also the last time that the other party agreed, let me stay in the town of Duli to keep the confidence and barrier of the troops. After all, it is difficult for any foreign force to sustain itself by relying solely on the production of Duli Town and some surrounding market towns and villages.

It's just that the weapons and equipment used by these garrisons have lowered people's evaluation a lot.

Although there are both long and short soldiers, and nearly half of them are armored; However, most of them are old and rusty, and they seem to lack time for practice and maintenance. Even the garrison regiments of the six states on the Huaidong Inner Line are in a better condition than them.

After seeing my escort unit armed to the teeth, his expression was also a little complicated and deep. There are emotions similar to envy and jealousy, as well as astonishment and fear.

After passing through Qingnipu, the vast open coastal scenery gradually disappears, and it is again immersed in the rolling hills and mountains.

As the group walked and walked, it seemed that the road ahead of them, along with the first rider who had opened the way to reconnoitre, suddenly disappeared; Then when I got closer, I saw that behind a rock, between a low wooden bridge crossed by a stream, between a line of ravines and valleys, there were traces and ends again.

In the field, there was actually a small group of suspicious figures, peeking at something.