Just after midnight, Zhu Daolin returned to the wide and desolate beach on the east side of Yan'erdun, looking up at the starry night sky with concern in the howling cold wind and the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

For a long time, Zhu Daolin couldn't help but sigh secretly, the light snow was gone just a few days ago, and the Jiaodong area was likely to be unable to avoid a large-scale drought in the coming year.

Once a large-scale drought and locust plague break out, more than 5 million Qilu people will starve to death all over the wilderness, and the White Lotus Sect, Maitreya Sect, Red Flower Society and other riot organizations will resurrect.

At that time, the peasant uprisings one after another will surely drag the Ming Empire, which was struggling to survive internal and external difficulties, step by step into the abyss.

Xu Wentao inspected and returned to Yuanmen, and saw a tall figure coming from Yan'erdun in the east, and immediately ordered the sentries and attendants to be on guard, strode forward with a treasure knife in his hand, and quickly recognized Zhu Daolin with the blazing bonfire.

Zhu Daolin, who was wearing a Lei Feng hat and a black coat, returned the salute, stepped forward to pat Xu Wentao's arm, and motioned for him to walk to the central camp together:

"The Tianshu Pavilion trading fleet has sent 3,000 tents, 20,000 cotton coats, 20,000 pairs of winter suede shoes, 50,000 pairs of cotton fleece gloves, 880 boxes of toffee, more than 400 boxes of various tools and 16 large iron boxes of copper materials, as well as 240 gun wagons and 27 tons of valuable thin copper plates that will be used soon, which are now being unloaded, and it is estimated that it will be completed soon.

Xu Wentao had experienced such a thing many times before this, and he was surprised and happy when he heard it:

"Tianshu Pavilion is really powerful, it can deliver goods to this place so quickly. I wonder if I can transport more food and various tools to Weihaiwei next time? ”

"Don't worry, I have already told them that after the end of the counterinsurgency, a large number of steel, cement and various construction tools will be sent to Weihaiwei...... As for the food, don't worry, you can have it after cleaning up the Jiang family in Jimo. Zhu Daolin replied easily.

Xu Wentao reported to Zhu Daolin the good results of sending food and warmth to the officers and soldiers of the Fushan Institute and their families in the past few days, and finally told Zhu Daolin:

"Zhongjun and Yuming have drawn up a map of Jimo's city defense at noon yesterday and have made a battle plan. All the details of the Jiang family have been investigated, and the brothers of the garrison battalion and the five musket battalions of Jinzhouwei are ready, just waiting for you to come back and give the order. ”

Zhu Daolin nodded: "You go and inform a few of them to come over, and call Lao Li up, the Longtan army may enter the ground in Jiaonan at any time, so you must do it immediately, otherwise it is likely to startle the snake, once the officials and gentry of Jimo County close the city gate to prevent the guest army, the previous preparations will be in vain." ”

"Understood."

Xu Wentao immediately turned around and ran to the pro-guard tent on the west side.

Twenty minutes later. Li Yiliang, Xu Wentao, Jiang Yulong, Li Yuming and other eight generals surrounded the commander Zhu Daolin, standing in front of the just-hung Jimo City defense map and listening to Guo Zhongjun's explanation, and soon understood the distribution of the 800 defenders of Jimo City and the Jiang family.

Guo Zhongjun finally added: "This is Hedong Town, 7.2 kilometers east of Jimo City, which is the only way to Aoshanwei, the second largest private salt producing area in Shandong, and is also the main grain producing area of Jimo. ”

"Before, we only knew that the Jiang family had thousands of families, and we didn't know the equipment of these families, so we sent the brothers to investigate and report back. There is a big fort at the foot of Tianjing Mountain in the east of Hedong Town, and the salt ding wandering on the wall of the wall has muskets......"

"The subordinates and Yuming didn't dare to slack off. At midnight the night before, Yuming and Senior Brother Qi went into the walled fort to investigate, and found that the inside of the walled fort built by the mountain was very large, with five courtyard houses, more than 50 large and small warehouses, and all kinds of carriages were parked on both sides of the road in the walled fort. There are more than 400 horses in the large horse pen covering an area of nearly five acres in the south, and there are 9 old-fashioned artillery pieces on the front of the wall and the east and west sides, most of them are equipped with spears and knives, and only more than 100 people guarding the fortress are equipped with arquebuses and three-eyed guns. ”

After dawn, Yuming and Senior Brother Qi climbed up Tianjing Mountain. Condescendingly, he used a telescope to observe for a morning, and finally determined that the number of salt in the walled fort was about 1,200, except for a few wearing leather armor, the others were not armoured, but there were many people and carriages in and out of the walled fort, and it was estimated that salt was transported out. ”

The expressions of the crowd became heavy.

A walled fort more than ten miles away from the county town walled fort, the number of soldiers is even more than the county seat, and 9 artillery pieces have been erected, which is enough to show that the importance of this walled fort is not under the Jiang family in Jimo City.

Zhu Daolin pondered for a moment: "Jade Dragon, Zhongjun, how do you plan to take Jimo City?" ”

The two glanced at each other, and Jiang Yulong, who was in charge of the overall command, replied, "Tomorrow night...... No, it should be tonight, the garrison battalion and the three musket battalions set off overnight and lay in ambush outside Jimo City! ”

"After the city gate is opened tomorrow morning, two hundred households and 20 brothers from the guard battalion of Fushan entered the city from the south gate, and the guards who controlled the city gate immediately set off fireworks, and their subordinates led 300 cavalry to ambush in the southwest of the hill, and when they saw the fireworks rising, they immediately rode their horses into the city gate, directly entered Jiang's mansion, and captured the four brothers of Jiang Xiaokun."

"The rest of the battalions followed, closed the city gates, took over the city defenses, and carried out the search, arrest and confiscation as planned, and handed over the town of Hedong to the personal guards of Zhongjun and the two musket battalions."

"The key to this battle is to act covertly, as long as you quietly open up the encirclement, you will be considered to have succeeded for the most part."

Zhu Daolin thought for a moment: "The plan is good, let me add that Jimo City is far more important than Hedong Town, and there are 13 large and small targets that need to be suppressed, which requires the entire operation to be resolute and decisive, and sufficient troops are needed to be ready to be mobilized, otherwise it is very likely that the people of the Jiang family and the patrol inspector surnamed Gao will mix into ordinary people's homes, and finally successfully slip away." ”

"So, you and Zhongjun will bring all the five musket battalions to Jimo, and Hedong Town will be handed over to me, and Yuming will lead the personal guards, and Wen Tao will lead three thousand recruits to follow me."

The generals nodded frequently, Jiang Yulong and Guo Zhongjun had two more main musket battalions, and they were more confident.

Li Yiliang, who is old and serious, also thinks that this plan is good: "This is more secure, even if three thousand recruits can't beat the walled fort under Tianjing Mountain, they can surround it, and after Jimo City is solved, the main battalion equipped with more than 2,000 flintlock guns will rush over, and it only needs to be taken by a salvo and then a charge." ”

Once the plan is decided, the next step is the specific tactical execution and various details.

Zhu Daolin instructed the guards to send Li Yiliang, who was not energetic, back to rest, and sat down beside the brazier while drinking tea while listening to the heated discussions of his subordinate generals and colonels, and finally a satisfied smile finally appeared on his cold face. (To be continued.) )