The spring rain was drizzling. The rain of Jiangnan would never make people feel desolate.
When the rain came, the beginning and end of Wutou and Chuwei were instead filled with a poetic and picturesque feeling. The raindrops hit the eaves, bamboo hats, and narrow alleys paved with bluestone, converging into a gurgling stream, flowing into a cheerful stream. The misty rain weaved between the eaves and bamboo hats was immediately filled with the atmosphere of the human world.
April 27th, Nine Mile Crossing.
There was a small lake in front. The wind blew across the surface of the lake, rippling the water. Fine raindrops gently sprinkled on the surface of the water.
Yang Ling stood in the rain with his hands behind his back, looking at the willow forest across the lake. In the forest, groups of soldiers were marching in the rain. Liu Da Bang Chui and a dozen or so bodyguards were standing under a willow tree not far away. Their armor was wet, shining with an oily sheen.
In the willow forest by the lake, the Anji Live Fish Tavern stood silently in the misty rain. Most of these rural taverns were old and dilapidated. The roof tiles were washed in the rain with a kind of dilapidated blackness. The wooden railings were so old that they were almost black. The wine banners gently fluttered in the rain, forming a picture of Jiangnan's mountains, rivers, and rain.
A weeping willow by the riverside, a thatched house, what could be used to make the wind and moon? Only the ears of beauties.
Right now, there was a beauty holding a yellow oiled-paper umbrella, lifting the hem of her dress as she gracefully walked out from the waterside pavilion. That graceful figure walked in the misty, drizzling willow forest, and the surrounding scenery suddenly came to life.
She walked behind Yang Ling and raised her arm to shield him from the wind and rain. She said softly, "Daren, Qiyun has ordered a live fish for you and heated up some wine. The country's wild game is unique. Daren, please go and have a taste."
Yang Ling nodded, turned around, and walked into the tavern. The tavern owner hurriedly and attentively served him a steaming large grass carp, four plates of light rural vegetables, and a bottle of wine. He then stood to the side with a smile. His small tavern had never had such a high-ranking official visit before, and he could not help but feel a little overwhelmed by the favor.
Yang Ling stamped his feet and took off his cloak. Cheng Qiyun took it and hung it on the pillar by the door. Yang Ling walked to the table and sat down. He waved his hand, saying, "You sit too. Haha, this official can't help but worry. If this prescription is not effective, this war with the pirates will last at least two years. If that happens, there will be too many variables. Hopefully, the 20,000 soldiers that I have personally trained will not disappoint me."
Cheng Qiyun smiled sweetly, saying, "The pirates have been harassing the coast for over a hundred years and have never been resolved. If daren can pacify the pirates within two years, it would already be a great achievement. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Yang Ling waved his hand and the tavern owner hurriedly bowed and retreated into the room. Only then did Yang Ling gently shake his head, saying, "I cannot wait. The officials in the court who oppose the lifting of the ban on the sea have been enduring silently, not daring to openly oppose me. They are looking for an opportunity. I cannot give them this excuse. The pirates must be dealt with quickly and decisively!
I want you to quickly summon the four pirates of the East Sea because our navy has just been established. Although they are strong, they are not familiar with the sea. These matters on the battlefield cannot be sloppy. The four pirates of the East Sea understand the topography of the thousands of islands on the sea, as well as the undercurrents and submerged reefs. With their help, we can prevent the pirates from escaping back to the sea to deal with us. From there, we can completely annihilate them! "
"Other than Beauty Wang, do the other three pirates have any intentions of accepting the imperial court's offer of amnesty?" Yang Ling watched Cheng Qiyun intently. Cheng Qiyun had rolled up her sleeves and was currently pouring him a cup of wine.
"Bai Xiaocao of the Diaoyu Islands mainly does business with the various countries of the Southeast Sea. The western pirates have blockaded the Malacca Strait and have mobilized troops to suppress the pirates on land. Bai Xiaocao is trapped on the island and has nearly ten thousand subordinates who are currently eating away at their resources.
In addition, he is not on good terms with the snowy cat and fur seal brothers, so it is difficult for his power to reach the north. There are not many paths for him to choose from, so I ordered people to directly contact him in the name of the imperial court. Bai Xiaocao has already expressed the intention of accepting the offer of amnesty. "
"As for the fur seal and the snowy cat..." Cheng Qiyun slightly frowned and put down her chopsticks, saying, "These two have territory close to Japan and have always had a close relationship with the Wokou pirates. According to the information from my spies, they have no intention of helping the Wokou pirates. However, they want to sit on top of the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When the Wokou pirates have suffered losses and retreat to the sea, they will take the opportunity to subdue them and expand their territory."
Cheng Qiyun laughed contemptuously, saying, "They are currently in high spirits and think that this is a good opportunity for them to travel far and wide to the East Sea. How would they be willing to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty?"
Yang Ling gently took a sip of soju and said in a low voice, "If they immediately surrender upon seeing the imperial court's offer of amnesty, then they are not fit to be called the great pirates that roam the four seas. Do you think we should send the navy to teach them a lesson? Only when they feel pain and sit down to talk will they be willing to consider our proposal. "
Cheng Qiyun hesitated for a moment and then raised her eyes, saying, "Milord, the war is urgent right now and some of the rich merchants have the intention to wait and see. In addition, the funds are really tight and the shipyards don't have enough silver, so the speed of the warship manufacturing has been greatly affected. In addition, the warship manufacturing needs to be equipped with cannons and other weapons, and the cost of a cannon is several thousand taels. It will be very difficult for us to assemble a strong fleet in such a hurry.
The battle prowess of the four great pirates of the East Sea is not something that the Wokou pirates can compare to. If we send a navy team that is not familiar with the sea to forcefully fight against the pirates, against the hundreds of warships led by Hai Gouzi and Snow Cat, as well as the 20,000 battle-hardened pirates, even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory. At that time, how will we seal off the coast and wipe out the Wokou pirates that have escaped back to the sea? "
A trace of a smile appeared in Yang Ling's eyes and he coughed lightly, staring at her and said, "Old habits again! Are you going to keep me in suspense again? If you have any plans, why don't you say it, my female military advisor. "
Cheng Qiyun smiled and said, "Milord, in my humble opinion, it will not be easy to capture all four great pirates under our command. Even if we agree to their various conditions and take them in, they will definitely be arrogant. At the same time, these enlistment soldiers who came from pirate backgrounds are used to being disobedient. Since ancient times, there have been many bandits who have rebelled and rebelled. Who knows if they will have a change of heart?
Does Milord still remember Official Bai's three plans to suppress the pirates? They are luring them to surrender, enlisting them to be enlistment, and using military force to encircle and suppress them. The plan to lure them to surrender has already been rejected by Milord, but this lowly official wants to be flexible and use the name of enlistment to entice the rebellious Snow Cat and Fur Dog to surrender. Of course, even if this is the case, we still need to display the power and prestige of the military in the battle against the Wokou pirates and agree to some of their unreasonable conditions. Only then will they consider the possibility of enlistment.
Although they are sworn brothers, these two Kings of the Sea, who have their own armies, have always been wary of their own sworn brothers. As long as we cleverly use a clever plan to make these two great pirates suspicious of each other, this lowly official will be able to make these two great pirates kill each other without damaging the reputation of the imperial court and without sending a single soldier.
When they are both injured, Milord will come out to clean up the mess and lead our navy to victory in one go. We will be able to take over the large area of the sea controlled by Fur Dog and Snow Cat. At the same time, we can also intimidate Beauty Wang and Bai Xiaocao, these two great pirates, so that they won't dare to have second thoughts. "
Yang Ling rubbed his forehead as he looked at Cheng Qiyun. Cheng Qiyun had a well-thought-out appearance as she calmly looked back at him. Yang Ling suddenly put on a stern face and sat up straight. He enunciated each word clearly, "I can't swindle people. You can't get promoted. So... you swindle people and I get promoted. Whether or not the four pirates of the Eastern Sea can be subdued will all depend on Miss Cheng. "
He was imitating a character from a movie. Coincidentally, that person was also from Zhejiang. Yang Ling had stayed in Jiangnan for a few months, so he was able to learn a few simple words of the accent.
It was rare for Cheng Qiyun to see him joke around, so for a moment, she was laughing back and forth. She covered her mouth and giggled, "Then this lowly official wishes for Milord to be promoted step by step. The higher you rise, the more powerful this lowly official's backing is. Only then will it be satisfying to swindle people. However... whether or not this lowly official's plan will succeed will also depend on Milord. If Milord's soldiers can fight with awe-inspiring might, then I will be able to continue negotiating with that cat and dog. "
"My soldiers?" The smile on Yang Ling's face disappeared. He turned his head to look at the green waves of the willow forest in the misty rain. He sighed softly, "I hope they can live up to expectations!"
In the past ten days, Yang Ling ordered Wu Hanchao to train the soldiers with Song Ai. They specifically learned the infantry stabbing techniques used by the Strong Home Army. Then, they combined the weapons and battle characteristics that the Ming army used and modified them before teaching them to the Ming army.
The Strong Home Army was made up of seven people. Among them, there was a "Three Men Beheading Team" that specialized in beheading people and collecting silver from the leader. Naturally, the Ming army would not waste their soldiers like this. In addition, the Ming army's morale and courage were not as good as the Strong Home Army. A seven-man team would not be able to defeat the Wokou's valiance. After some research, Yang Ling and Wu Hanchao decided to make a team of ten people and use long and short weapons.
Because there were many mountains and swamps along the coast of Zhejiang and Fujian, and the roads were rugged, it was not easy for a large army to spread out. The Wokou were also good at setting up ambushes and fighting at close quarters. At the same time, the Wokou were used to using heavy swords, long spears, and Wokou knives to fight. Yang Ling and Wu Hanchao used this characteristic to create a team of Wokou from the prison. Every day, they accompanied the Ming army in battle. They continuously improved the Ming army's battle teams' weapons and infantry battle formations.
This kind of ten-man infantry battle team would have the strongest and most courageous person as the team leader. He would hold a long spear, and the two people on his left and right would hold a long shield, a short shield, and a knife at their waist. They could protect the team leader and the team behind him and could also participate in the battle at any time.
The other two people would hold bamboo spears to protect the shield-bearer, and at the same time they would be protected by the shield-bearer. The five people at the back would use three long spears and two podaos. They could attack from afar and attack from near and far, and could also split the formation into two or three small formations according to the terrain and the distribution of the enemy's forces. It was very flexible.
The armies of Shandong's Meng Sihai and Sichuan's Jiang Zhou had all been trained in this new battle strategy. Their soldiers had never fought with the Wokou pirates before, and their morale was much higher than that of the Jiangnan soldiers. Now that the war was at its peak, Yang Ling saw the results of the training and sent them out to the battlefield. He really did have the two enemies form a triangle, with the Guangxi Wolf Army in the middle. The three armies swept towards the southeast.
The troops from the other provinces had already arrived. Yang Ling ordered them to stay in Suzhou and receive his new training. He took the opportunity to divide the 20,000 Suzhou soldiers who had defeated the Wokou pirates and received the new training into 20 groups of one thousand. He then divided his own 3,000 elite guards into 150 groups and divided them into these 20 groups as commanders. He then ordered them to go to each province and become the main force of the Wei Station to lead the fight against the Wokou.
This method was very feasible because the Wokou pirates, in order to make it easier to resupply and also to avoid the main force of the Ming army, mostly fought in groups of a few hundred people. This caused half of Jiangnan to be filled with smoke and fire. Although the Ming army had the advantage in numbers, their morale was low and they were no match for the Wokou pirates. Otherwise, with more than a thousand elite soldiers, it would be enough to deal with the small groups of Wokou pirates.
Yang Ling divided the 20,000 soldiers into groups of one thousand and divided them into the six provinces to become the main force of the Wei Station. As long as they won a few battles, it would greatly increase the morale of the entire army. At the same time, they would train the soldiers in the new infantry battle formation. This way, they would be able to quickly change the face of the entire coastal army.
As long as this method was effective, it could be imagined that the 20 sparks that were thrown out would quickly become a prairie fire and change the entire situation on the battlefield. This strategy was no longer just directing a specific battle. It was a strategy that Yang Ling came up with after considering the entire situation.
In order to realize this strategy, he would need to have hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command to move between the six provinces. This would force the Wokou pirates from small groups to large groups. Thus, when the Ming army had an advantage in numbers, they would gradually have an advantage in both quality and quantity. They would then be able to use the terrain and manpower to force the enemy into a direct battle and wipe out their main force.
Whether this strategy could achieve its goal depended on whether his well-trained tens of thousands of soldiers could become the backbone of the Ming army. At the same time, his gaze had already jumped out of the warring mainland and started to deal with the four pirates of the East Sea. He was prepared to cut off the Wokou pirates' retreat after the decisive battle and wipe out the invading enemies on the central plains.
The first time Yang Ling came up with a strategy against the enemy was during the war in the north. Under the Ming court's deliberate strategy of fighting one and supporting the other, Huo Si and Boyan Khan were preparing their troops and temporarily formed a strategic balance. As long as the equally ambitious Wa Ci and Duoyan Sanwei could not help but join in the gamble, the temporary balance would immediately be broken. Ming Destiny could then wait to reap the benefits. Even if they lost this battle, they would only maintain the current situation and would not cause any worse consequences.
However, the war against the Wokou pirates in the six provinces of the southeast was different. It was the first battle that Yang Ling was commanding alone. If he succeeded, he would have an outstanding military achievement that no one could deny. After his personal soldiers and personally trained soldiers from the six provinces, they would undoubtedly become staunch supporters of Yang Ling's faction in the army.
If he failed, the flames of war might even be drawn inland. As the commander-in-chief of the war against the Wokou pirates, he had an unshirkable responsibility. At that time, he would have to face the impeachment of all the civil and military officials in the court. He would have to face the broken and defeated army of Jiangnan and the people who were in dire straits. No matter how much the Emperor doted on him, could he just sit back and watch the situation that he had created? Even he himself would have to beg for forgiveness and accept his death.
Yang Ling knew the importance of this war, so he temporarily put aside the matters of Guangxi and Sichuan. He also turned a deaf ear to the reports from the capital that Liu Jin was becoming increasingly arrogant and domineering in the court. He put all his energy into the war against the Wokou pirates.
However, the commander was the one who strategized, and the soldiers were the ones who decided the victory of a thousand miles!
The success of his "Nirvana" plan depended on whether his sparks would hatch a fire phoenix or a grass-boned chicken.
Soldiers …
* * *
The army was routed like a landslide!
Donghua Lu Zhijie carried two knives and ran madly all the way. Behind him was a continuous line of defeated soldiers. Once the troops were routed, it was impossible to immediately organize an effective resistance.
His troops, including real Wokou pirates and fake Wokou pirates, totaled more than two thousand people. It was the largest group of Wokou pirates that were attacking everywhere. Donghua Lu Zhijie was originally the owner of a tailor's shop. After his small shop fell and died in the flames of war, he joined a group of Wokou pirates. Twice a year, he would go to the mainland to plunder. After a few years, he actually became the leader of the pirates. Later, after the leader died of illness, he became the leader of this group of Wokou pirates.
This time they crossed the sea to come here. After settling down their wives and children on an island, they brought their own men and horses to plunder near the sea. This was so that they could transport the looted goods back to the island at any time. The nearby Ming army could not even defeat a few hundred Wokou troops. They had fought them several times and were defeated every time. This further fueled their arrogance.
One day, Donghua Lu Zhijie was leading his men to kill and plunder in the town of Mozhi. Suddenly, a group of Ming army appeared. The two armies fought and the Ming army was routed. Donghua Lu Zhijie saw that the Ming army only had about five hundred people and thought that the nearby guards had accidentally appeared. He immediately ordered his army to chase and kill, wanting to annihilate the Ming army.
Unexpectedly, the sly and cautious Wokou pirates, because the recent battles had been too smooth, did not pay any attention to the Ming army. They chased all the way out of the town and unexpectedly fell into the Ming army's ambush.
When the Ming army surrounded them from all directions, Donghua Lu Zhijie still wanted to counterattack. Who would have thought that this Ming army was Meng Sihai's Shandong army. They and the Sichuan army had rushed all the way to the southeast, gathering all their strength to determine who was superior. The quality and combat power of this army was originally stronger than the Jiangnan army. In addition, their morale was high and they had more soldiers than the Wokou pirates. Although the Wokou pirates were brave and fierce, they still suffered a great defeat.
Donghua Lu Zhijie saw that the pursuers were in a hurry and split up into two groups to escape. There were some Han people in his group who were familiar with the surrounding terrain. On Ming land, using their understanding of the terrain to defeat the Ming army was their specialty. Now, they wanted to use the same trick again. They wanted to split up the Ming army and then use their understanding of the surroundings to take small paths to surround the two armies. Perhaps they would have a chance to turn defeat into victory and annihilate the Ming army.
Unexpectedly, Meng Sihai was stubborn and only focused on chasing after him. He did not care about the other group of Wokou pirates that had escaped. Donghua Lu Zhijie secretly cursed. He had just escaped two li with his group when they ran into the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers who came south at the same time as Meng Sihai.
This time, he suffered a great loss. After giving the Wolf Soldiers a gift of a hundred heads, Meng Sihai also caught up. Donghua Lu Zhijie finally gave up on meeting up with the other group of Wokou pirates and retreated towards the northeast in a panic.
Meng Sihai and Song Ai joined forces and chased from behind. Lu Zhijie saw that the pursuers were getting more and more urgent and that there was a dangerous peak on the left side of the sea. He led his men up the mountain and guarded it.
This mountain was surrounded by cliffs on two sides and the sea on one side. The mountain was higher and more dangerous. It was a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Meng Sihai led his army to the foot of the mountain. The Wokou pirates used stone to build walls and defended the side of the mountain. They used the terrain to fight the Ming army.
Meng Sihai and Song Ai commanded their soldiers to attack for a while. Seeing that their soldiers had suffered heavy casualties, they temporarily withdrew their troops and sealed off the foot of the mountain. At this time, the sun was setting in the west. The surface of the sea was dyed red by the sunlight and the rosy clouds. The mountain was still illuminated by a ray of sunlight.
Song Ai looked up at the mountain and observed it for a while. She said, "This mountain can only be climbed on one side. I think we should stay at the foot of the mountain and trap them. I don't believe they won't eat or drink!"
Wu Hanchao shook his head and said, "I'm afraid they won't stay here forever. I just looked around. The side facing the sea is full of shallow reefs. Even if we built a raft, we won't be able to cross it. Besides, our soldiers are not good swimmers.
If they use vines as ropes and come down the mountain in the dark, it will be difficult to stop them from our side. But if they really want to do that, we won't have enough time to send people to the other side of the mountain. "
This female soldier was proud and arrogant, but she listened to Wu Hanchao's advice. She immediately said, "Then let's attack the mountain immediately. Based on our forces, I don't believe we can't take this mountain."
Meng Sihai immediately said, "We can't, this mountain is too steep. Look, those Wokou pirates are building mud and cutting trees to block the mountain. If we attack them by force, too many soldiers will die in vain!"
Song Ai fiercely glared at him and scolded, "We can't defend, we can't attack either. Are we going to sit here and watch them escape? If you are afraid of death, then I will attack! "
When Meng Sihai heard this, he was furious. Wu Hanchao saw that the two of them were about to quarrel. He quickly stopped them and said, "Two Daren, please don't quarrel. This mountain is indeed dangerous. It looks like one man can hold the pass. Attacking by force is not a solution. I have a plan. First, we will defend the foot of the mountain. Then, we will organize our soldiers to pretend to attack. On one hand, we will attract the attention of the pirates. On the other hand, we will prevent them from cutting down the vines.
At the same time, two Daren, please send some soldiers who are good at climbing to the other side of the cliff. We will get some ropes from the town. Although the cliff is as steep as a mirror, I am confident that we can climb it. When the time comes, I will tie the ropes and bring one or two hundred warriors who are good at climbing. While it is dark, we will be able to take advantage of the situation. When the time comes, two Daren will hear about the chaos on the mountain. Then, you will lead your soldiers to attack the mountain. We will definitely be able to wipe out the pirates. "
Song Ai happily said, "Hee! General Wu is indeed more intelligent. Let's do it this way. When the time comes, we will attack from both sides and make a great contribution to the Governor! "
When Meng Sihai heard this, he said, "General Wu, that cliff is too steep. Even if we have ropes, it will be difficult to climb. I think … I think that this cliff is more than a hundred feet high. Not many people will be able to climb it."
Song Ai smiled proudly and said, "Hehe, General Meng, just because your soldiers can't climb it doesn't mean that my soldiers can't climb it. General Wu, I will choose five hundred soldiers for you. We will act according to your plan. "
She glanced at Meng Sihai with her big, round eyes and said, "If we destroy these pirates, the merit will belong to you, General Wu. This official will definitely report to the Governor on your behalf!"
Meng Sihai snorted and turned his head to roll his eyes.
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