The administration office of the Fujian Administrative Commissioner's yamen was bustling with activity. The administrative commissioner's office, the Inspectorate of Officials, the Prefectural Yamen, and the Commander's office were all moved in. Yang Ling had come to work together during wartime. The administration office was connected to two reception rooms on the left and right. The advisors and advisors were all gathered together. They didn't dare to delay the submission of all kinds of official documents.
They had to gather enough rations and military supplies. They had to allocate enough ships, horses, and laborers. The areas that had been plundered by the Wokou pirates had to be comforted and provided with food. The tax yamen had to continue to collect 'wartime tax' from the areas and large families that had not been affected by the war.
Secret agents from the General Staff Headquarters and the two factories and one guard came in an endless stream, continuously sending in military intelligence and developments from various places. In front of every official's desk was a mountain of documents, but everyone was conscientious and conscientious. It was a complete change from the perfunctory and procrastinating yamen style of the past. The newly promoted group of young officials were even more vigorous and decisive in their work.
Who dared to not work hard? The stench of blood on the streets of Fuzhou had not yet dissipated. This Governor-General Yang looked amiable and amiable, who would have thought that he had this kind of boldness? More than a thousand human heads, even if he killed more than a thousand chickens, it would make people's hands and feet weak, but unexpectedly with one order, he slaughtered them all like mowing grass.
This kind of iron and blood method immediately intimidated all the officials in the province. On both sides of the administrative commissioner's yamen, there were two large banners: 'Imperial Envoy Governor-General' and 'Formidable General Yang'. It had the effect of 'welcoming the envoy here, welcome to the Western Paradise'. When the officials from various places saw these two banners from afar, who didn't hold their breath as if they were walking on thin ice?
The atmosphere of Fujian was completely new. The governing body of the province was slowly starting up and starting to play its role again. Yang Ling's study was located in the backyard. In front of the study was a winding corridor. On the left and right were fake mountains and ponds. However, it hadn't rained for a few days. The weather was too stuffy. Even though he was by the pond, he didn't feel cool. Yang Ling was only wearing a light shirt and trousers. The door to the study was wide open. He waved his fan as he listened to Chief He's report on the military situation.
"That's the basic situation. Miyamoto Hiroshi has six warships with multiple cannons. Together with his original ships, his ambition has increased greatly. It seems that he also knows that as a foreigner, he can only plunder on the land of Ming Destiny, but he can't gain the support of the Han people and gain a foothold for a long time. So although Miyamoto Hiroshi's men are still plundering everywhere, he himself has begun to look for a foothold on the sea. "
He Bingwen sat on the chair next to Yang Ling and bowed.
Ever since he was saved by Yang Ling, he saw Yang Ling as his savior. Besides, the two of them could not be compared to the past, Yang Ling's official rank was much higher than his. Although right now he was wearing the lion uniform, becoming the Zongbing Officer in charge of Fujian's land and water troops, he was even more respectful toward Yang Ling.
Yang Ling knew that he was a somewhat old-fashioned regular soldier and couldn't be compared to a crazy soldier like Min Wenjian. After persuading him a few times and seeing that he was still very respectful, Yang Ling didn't force him.
Yang Ling gently waved his fan. A light breeze brought a trace of coolness and lightly ruffled his hair.
He frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "If they want to settle down in this part of the sea, where can they go? To the north is the Diaoyu Islands, to the south is Manchu, to the east is Yizhou, and in the middle is only Penghu. If they are allowed to gain a foothold, it will take a lot of effort to subdue them. The Fujian navy is currently in the process of reorganizing, and the other naval forces can't be drawn out at the moment. Sigh … "
Chief He asked curiously, "Sir, Penghu is very close to the land, and Bai Xiaocao is entrenched in the Diaoyu Islands. Manchu has western pirates stationed there. If they want to take it, Miyamoto Hiroshi will most likely go for Yizhou. Right now, the battle situation in Fujian isn't clear. This general has been worried about whether the city guards can do their best to fight. I see that although the officials of the various yamens are very busy, Sir seems to be a bit … a bit … "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "A little careless, aren't you? Haha, it's not that I'm not anxious, but the battle situation in Fujian can't be rushed. At present, although the morale of the city guards has recovered, beheading to establish our might doesn't have the effect of turning iron into gold. I also don't have extravagant hopes that they will immediately win. As long as they can control the battle situation and change the one-sided situation, that will be enough.
Giving the Wokou some illusion of victory and attracting them here will instead be beneficial for us to wipe out the Wokou pirates once and for all. However, now that Miyamoto Hiroshi has six new warships, it won't be difficult to take Yizhou in addition to their original ships. This is what I am most worried about. "
He looked at He Bingwen and solemnly said, "Yizhou is very important to our mainland. It is now and will be even more so in the future. Sir He cannot treat it lightly. Disregarding everything else, just these Wokou pirates are far away in Japan and can still cross the sea to harass our coast. If we allow these bandits to occupy the land close at hand, Fujian will be plagued with trouble. How will there be a day of peace? "
He Bingwen only looked at the battle situation in front of him and didn't think so far ahead. Hearing Yang Ling's words, he thought about how if the Wokou pirates painstakingly managed Yizhou and had a convenient base camp, they would be like a fierce tiger that could explode and devour people at any time for Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang. He couldn't help but agree in horror.
Yang Ling lightly tapped the table and said, "As a battlefield commander, you have to pay attention to the gains and losses of a single area. As the commander-in-chief of a province, General He needs to look at the overall situation and have a long-term vision. En … Yizhou definitely cannot be taken by the Wokou pirates, but the northern navy … "
He suddenly stood up and resolutely said, "The Emperor has already issued an edict agreeing to station troops in Ryukyu. I originally wanted to wait until the Shandong and Jiangsu regions were cleared of the Wokou pirates before transferring troops. Now it seems that time waits for no one. We must immediately station troops in Ryukyu to put pressure on the Snow Cat and Fur Seal and force them to accept the court's offer of amnesty as soon as possible. Only then can our restrained navy move south as soon as possible."
He walked to the desk and wrote a military order, requesting Bai Chongzan and the commander-in-chief of Shandong and Jiangsu to immediately transfer a 20,000 man army to be escorted by the navy to be stationed in Ryukyu. After Yang Ling finished writing, he stamped it with his personal seal and sealed it with fire lacquer. He called the guard at the door and told him to immediately hand it over to the military station.
After dealing with this matter, Yang Ling turned to He Bingwen and said, "Right now, the army should focus on adjustment and stability. After all, restoring the morale of the army is not something that can be done overnight. There are strict military orders and clear rewards and punishments. As long as any unit achieves victory, even if it is a small victory, the commander-in-chief's office must reward them and inform the entire army. At the same time, the local government must increase the treatment of the victorious troops. Haha, those soldiers still have courage in their bones. This way, compared to people, it will be easier to raise the morale of the army. "
"Yes!" He Bingwen also laughed and said, "Daren is a natural-born Confucian general. This general heard that Daren commanded tens of thousands of troops in Datong and used tactics to beat the arrogant and despotic Bayan Meng to flee at the mere sight of the wind. I did not expect that you also have unique methods to reorganize the army and raise morale. These troublemaking ruffian soldiers, without Daren's swift and fierce methods of killing a thousand people at the crossroads, they really can't be suppressed.
The thousand-man battle group led by Miao Qianzong in Fujian did not have anyone to support them and was completely annihilated. When the other thousand-man battle groups heard this news, they were greatly angered and sorrowful. Whenever there is a battle, they will passively avoid battle.
After the news that Daren beheaded a total of one thousand one hundred and twenty-five criminal officials, bandits, and illegal soldiers spread out, the morale of the army and the morale of the army was greatly boosted. Every time there is a battle, they will wrap a white cloth around their heads and write the words' Pledge to Die 'on it. When they fight, they are like madmen who do not care about their lives. Now, whenever the Wokou encounter soldiers with white cloth on their heads, they will have a terrible headache. Unless they are many times the size of our army, they will immediately turn and run for their lives. Haha, our Ming army has finally shown its might. "
Yang Ling had long heard of this matter from the foreign guard. Hearing this, he nodded and said with a sigh, "Yes, the soldiers are risking their lives on the frontlines and do not ask for much. A bit of understanding and support is enough for these hot-blooded men to have the ambition to die for those who understand them. I used lightning fast methods to deal with these criminals who supported the enemy, secretly worked as bandits, and murdered the imperial envoy. First, it was to reorganize the morale of the army, second, it was to quickly activate the almost paralyzed government in Fujian Province, and third, it was … it was for those soldiers who died in vain …"
When Yang Ling spoke to this point, his eyes couldn't help but overflow with sparkling tears. He Zongbing also became silent. After a moment of silence, a gust of wind passed through the window and the two woke up from their silence. At this time, a personal soldier appeared at the door and said in a light voice, "Daren, there is an unidentified person who says he has an important matter to discuss with Daren. We asked for his identity but he was unwilling to say. He only said that Daren would not regret meeting him and told us to report to Daren. If Daren does not want to see him, he will leave immediately and would not dare to disturb Daren. "
"En?" Yang Ling and He Bingwen exchanged a look before asking, "Just one person came? What kind of attire is he wearing? Can't you tell who he is? "
"Yes! That person … he also brought two attendants with him. It looks like they are skilled in martial arts. I have checked them and they are not carrying any weapons. The leader is short and plump and has a ruddy complexion. He looks like a wealthy gentleman who has been living like a prince. "
"Hehe, now the infamy of I, Yang Zhantou, has spread throughout the eight provinces. Wealthy gentleman? He didn't even dare to come when I invited him. Why would he take the initiative to send himself to my doorstep? Invite him to the guest hall and have a seat. I will be there immediately! "
Watching the guard leave in a hurry, Yang Ling smiled at He Bingwen and said, "Daren He, who do you think wants to see me?"
He Bingwen frowned and said, "I can't think of anyone who would be so daring … uh … to want to see Daren. Could it be the imperial court …?"
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "No. Even if the imperial court sent a secret envoy, they would not come to my yamen in secret. I am also very curious now. I don't know if the arrogant Miyamoto Hao has eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall. He hasn't tasted enough sweetness and actually wants me to give him money? Haha, I will go meet him. "
He put on his robe and walked to the door. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned back to say, "Oh yes, Magistrate Liu came to see me just now. He was hesitating to plead for the family of a criminal. I think it was someone called Wang Yiren. He said that she was very close to his beloved concubine. These two days, his concubine has been causing him a headache. He had no choice but to come and beg me. Hehe, I didn't know that Old Liu was afraid of his wife.
Now, all the family members of the criminal are in your hands. If he wants to buy them, let him buy them back. I originally didn't agree to punish the family … but the law is like this. Sigh! Remember, you can sell them as slaves, but if the brothels come to pick people, chase them all out. You can't do such things. "
"Yes!" He Bingwen replied and thought to himself, "Wang Yiren? Magistrate Liu really knows how to play dumb. That is Wang Feiling's sister, the family of the criminal. Daren is very kind. It's just that they are all sold as slaves and are not allowed to be sold to the brothels. This will greatly reduce the military's pay. No, Old Liu is almost sixty years old. If I bring this woman back, sooner or later he will sleep with me. She will grind the mirror until she goes to his bed. If I want to sell her to this cold and unscrupulous old pervert, I have to raise the price and blackmail him. "
Yang Ling didn't know that the seemingly honest Zongbing He not only fought well, but was also good at blackmailing people. After giving his instructions, he hurried to the front hall.
In the front hall, a short, fat, beardless man sat on a chair with his legs crossed, calmly sipping tea. A burly man stood at the door and looked outside for a while. He walked back to his side and said in a low voice, "Big Brother, there are more than a thousand people, and there are second-rank officials among them. He actually didn't report to His Majesty and used the Emperor's sword to kill them. Isn't he afraid that the court will report that he is arbitrary? This surnamed Yang is simply a hothead.
I think we were too careless this time. We worshiped the wrong dock and worshiped the wrong deity. If we don't handle it well, we will be sending sheep into the tiger's mouth. Should we find some excuse, like pretending to be gentry to donate money to the military and then slip away? "
The short, fat man was smiling as he drank his tea. Hearing what was said, he glared at him and scolded, "I think you are a pig. Can't you grow some brains? Right now Fujian is a mess with smoke everywhere. He has arrested so many high-ranking officials. If he doesn't deal with them in time, the people's hearts will be unstable and the political situation will change at any time.
It will take at least a month for the imperial edict to come down. During this period of time, the criminal officials will go up and down and rumors will spread everywhere. The newly appointed officials don't even know whether they can sit still or not. Who will be willing to work for him? How can those soldiers of his not feel resentment? Hey! A month later, when the imperial edict arrives, the place with smoke everywhere will become a place with fire everywhere. It will be difficult for him to restore the morale of the military and the people, and even his Iron Guards who have long been disloyal and disloyal! "
He put down his thigh and dusted off his clothes. He laughed and said, "When I heard this news, I felt that it was the right decision to come. This Mr Yang is a responsible man, and he knows how to judge the situation. This business, ah, must be done with him."
This short, fat man spoke softly and his voice was a little soft. No matter who he was talking to, he would always smile before he spoke. It was hard to tell that he was an important person with power. His slender eyes flashed with a cunning light. He said confidently, "I think … this Sir seems to be calm now, but in fact, he is in a terrible situation. Money should be spent on the edge of a knife, and friendship should be made when he is in trouble. Do you understand sending charcoal in the snow? It is more valuable than adding a golden flower to a brocade. Heh, heh, heh, that surnamed Yang has a big appetite. He is absolutely not interested in my life. "
Just as he said this, Yang Ling appeared in front of the door with eight armed Iron Guards. The short, fat man hurriedly put down his teacup and greeted them with a flattering smile. When he came close, he made a long bow and laughed, "This commoner greets the imperial envoy, Mr Yang."
Yang Ling examined him and asked doubtfully, "You are …?"
The short, fat man smiled obsequiously. His eyes glanced at the eight guards beside him and said hesitantly, "This … This commoner wants to report to Sir. It is an extremely important matter of military affairs. Can Sir dismiss your attendants?"
Yang Ling laughed and walked in calmly. The eight guards followed closely behind him, their military boots clanking.
Yang Ling had been diligently practicing his martial arts. He was no longer the same person he was in the past. As for the so-called martial arts, as long as one had practiced to a certain level, it was very difficult to close the gap. It was not as the difference between heaven and earth as the legends said, where one could be restrained in one move even if the opponent was prepared.
The jade belt on Yang Ling's waist was an extremely well-concealed Burmese saber. If someone wanted to ambush him suddenly, he was confident that even if the opponent's martial arts were extremely high, it would not be a problem for him to withstand eight to ten moves. Therefore, he entered boldly. His courage caused the narrow eyes of the short, fat, middle-aged man to flash. He admired him even more.
Yang Ling slowly sat down on a chair and said with a smile, "Your people do not need to retreat. My eight guards are also brothers who will follow you through life and death. They are absolutely trustworthy brothers. If there is anything you need to hide, just say it. No matter what news comes out of your mouth and enters my ears, my people will not spread half a word. "
"Hahaha, Your Excellency is the Mighty Marquis and the Pillar of the State. You control hundreds of thousands of troops from the six coastal provinces. Your words are heavy, so this commoner naturally trusts you."
After the short, fat man finished speaking, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared. He solemnly took a step forward, brushed his sleeves, and solemnly knelt down. He solemnly said, "Remnant of the South Sea, Prisoner of Ten Thousand Crimes Bai Xiaocao, kowtows to the Governor of Suppressing the Pirates, Sir Yang!"
When Yang Ling heard this, his body trembled and he heard a 'clang' sound. Eight gleaming steel sabers were pointed at the short, fat man kneeling on the ground. The two men under Bai Xiaocao were unarmed. They wanted to step forward but were hesitant. Only Bai Xiaocao calmly knelt on the ground with her forehead touching the ground, motionless.
Yang Ling composed himself and a meaningful smile suddenly floated on the corner of his mouth. He lightly waved his hand and ordered the imperial bodyguards to put away their weapons. Then he stood up and personally helped Bai Xiaocao up with a smile, saying, "So it's Head Bai. Haha, this official has been waiting for you for a long time. Since you came to see me, if this official's guess is correct, you and I will most likely become officials in the imperial court in the near future. As the saying goes, lay down the butcher's knife and immediately become a Buddha. Why call yourself a prisoner? "
Of course, Bai Xiaocao wouldn't be deeply grateful just because of a few words. However, he had bypassed Beauty Wang and stopped contacting the imperial court through that line. Instead, he disguised himself and came ashore to see Yang Ling. Admittedly, he wanted to obtain more benefits, but at the same time, the Diaoyu Islands were surrounded by danger, so he couldn't stand it anymore.
As soon as he heard that Yang Ling's words weren't completely out of politeness and did contain a bit of sincerity, Bai Xiaocao's heart calmed down. He stood up and respectfully said, "This prisoner is muddle-headed and has done many things that violate the imperial court's laws. Ever since I heard that Your Excellency wants to recruit me, this prisoner has been dancing with joy and has been looking forward to it day and night. Recently, I heard that Your Excellency has arrived in Fujian, so this prisoner took the liberty to come and ask for an audience with Your Excellency."
Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "Don't keep calling me a prisoner. If you come to the imperial court to recruit me, I will let bygones be bygones. You're older than me, so I'll call you Brother Bai. Brother Bai, please sit down. We can slowly discuss this matter. "
Bai Xiaocao bowed and said, "Yes, yes, yes. Then … this commoner will obey Your Excellency's orders."
Bai Xiaocao carefully sat down next to Yang Ling and went straight to the point, "Your Excellency, this commoner has received several messages from the beautiful King of Mount Putuo. This commoner also wants to rely on the imperial court and find a place to live. However, there are over ten thousand people under my command, so this commoner needs to understand the intentions of the various island leaders to avoid making any mistakes. Thus, I wasn't in a hurry to respond to Your Excellency's good intentions."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "This … I have heard that Brother Bai's willingness to accept the offer of enlistment is pure sincerity, so I have no doubts about it. In order to give you enough time to communicate with the opinions of the various islands, this official also ordered the Penghu Inspection Division to reduce the number of patrolling ships and not chase after your merchant ships. Recently, not a single warship has been sent out. Haha, Brother Bai, did you come here today because you have a unified opinion with your subordinates?"
Bai Xiaocao wasn't stupid. In the beginning, it was true that the Penghu Inspection Division had reduced the number of patrolling ships, but the purpose was obviously because they had suffered losses at the hands of the western warships. It wasn't because he, Bai Xiaocao, had any face.
Currently, the navy didn't go out to sea because more than half of the navy's high-ranking officers had been arrested. The new navy admiral had selected a group of young officers and was currently reorganizing the army. In addition, the Wokou pirates were causing trouble on land and water, so they didn't have the time to 'take care' of him.
He didn't dare to point it out, so he chuckled and said, "Yes, this commoner is deeply moved by Your Excellency's good intentions and kindness. Since this commoner has come here, I intend to be honest with Your Excellency and not dare to hide a single word from you. Your Excellency, to tell you the truth, in fact, some of the island masters under this commoner are very arrogant and unruly. They have some doubts about the sincerity of the imperial court's offer of amnesty, so this commoner didn't dare to push them too far. However, an accident has occurred, so this commoner took this opportunity to discuss with my subordinates. Finally, everyone agreed to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty. "
Yang Ling patiently didn't ask any questions. Sure enough, Bai Xiaocao licked his lips and continued, "The Wokou pirates, Miyamoto Hiroshi, lack large ships and cannons, so he has always plundered on land and rarely has any ideas about the sea. A few days ago, he obtained a few warships …"
At this point, he glanced at Yang Ling. The news of Ruan Dawen supporting the enemy had long spread. Everyone knew where Miyamoto Hiroshi's warships came from. Of course, it was a bit awkward for this imperial envoy to say it out loud.
Yang Ling calmly said, "Miyamoto Hiroshi... has ideas about you guys? Oh... this is beyond this official's expectations. I thought that he would have ideas about Yizhou. However... if he conquers your people, he can increase the number of warships on the sea out of thin air, which is enough to dominate the South Sea. Giving up the easy and finding the difficult is not a small goal. "
Bai Xiaocao smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Your Excellency guessed wrong. If he wants to be the overlord of the sea, he must control Manchuria. That is the only way for the Nanyang to do business with Ming Destiny, Luzon, Ryukyu, and Japan. The source of wealth is rolling in. Moreover, most of the more than 70 vassal states of Ming Destiny are in the Nanyang. If he wants to trade with Ming Destiny, he must pass through Manchuria. Ming Destiny is about to open the sea. If he controls it, he will control an inexhaustible and inexhaustible gold mine. Therefore, what Miyamoto Hiroshi wants is not my island, but Manchuria."
This really surprised Yang Ling. He asked in astonishment, "If that is the case, how... how can Brother Bai use this matter to convince the troops to willingly accept the offer of amnesty?"
Bai Xiaocao took a breath and slowly said, "This commoner had a merchant ship coming back from the Nanyang. They didn't know that Manchuria had fallen into the hands of the Western pirates. When they passed through the Strait of Manchuria, they were caught off guard and captured by the warships of the Western pirates. Coincidentally, before the pirates boarded the ship, Miyamoto Hiroshi led nine warships to attack Manchuria. Among them... there were six new warships equipped with a large number of cannons. "
Yang Ling suddenly became spirited and hurriedly asked, "Oh? You know so much. It seems that your merchant ship took advantage of the chaos to escape back? Did you see the naval battle between the two sides? How many warships did the Western pirates send? Who won and who lost? "
Bai Xiaocao said with a solemn expression, "Your Excellency has foresight! The owner of my merchant ship was very clever, and the ship was also equipped with weapons. But because he didn't know that Manchuria had changed owners, he was captured by them when he docked. Therefore, when the two sides fought, he took the opportunity to repel the pirates who were preparing to board the ship and sailed away.
Three Western warships were dispatched and had a fierce battle with Miyamoto Hiroshi's nine warships in the strait. My merchant ship witnessed the whole battle. Miyamoto Hiroshi's nine warships, in just over an hour, were sunk by three Western warships, two were damaged, the other three fled in panic, and one Western warship was damaged. My merchant ship's owner saw that the situation was not good when the two sides decided the winner and the loser, so he had already escaped from the battle and fled back to the island. Only then did this commoner know that the Western pirates in Manchuria were so powerful. "
Yang Ling was shocked when he heard this: How could it be? Nine warships against three, six of which were Ming Destiny's new warships. How could they be defeated so miserably? This was simply a copy of Han Wu's three warships against the Wokou pirates' eleven warships. Were the Western pirate ships so powerful?
He pondered for a while and came up with the answer, so he said slowly, "Well, the Wokou pirates are not very familiar with the new warships, and there are very few people who can operate the cannons. Although they have weapons, they are not familiar with using them, which inevitably led to a great defeat!"
Although Bai Xiaocao was slippery and knew how to steer according to the wind and flatter, he didn't dare to cover up such a major event. He said flatly, "No, Your Excellency, my merchant ship saw clearly that the Wokou pirates were not skilled enough in using cannons, but the impact was not too big. According to the observation of my ship's owner, the speed of the Wokou's warships was not inferior to the Western ships. They only lost in two points: One was that the Western cannons had a long range. The waves on the sea were undulating, and it was difficult for the cannons to aim. Once the battle began, the two ships would get close to each other and destroy the other's warships with the dense cannons. However, the cannons on the Wokou ships could only exert their power at a distance of 300 feet. Judging from the situation at that time, the Western ships fired from 300 feet away and hit the Wokou's warships. Most of the Wokou's cannons fell into the sea and could only be beaten.
Second, after the Wokou risked destroying two warships to get close to the Westerners, my ship's owner saw clearly that there were 16 cannons on the side of the main warship of the Wokou, while the smaller Western warship only had 12 cannons. However, the interval between firing the cannons was more than three times faster than that of the Wokou. In this way, the 12 cannons were equivalent to 36 cannons, and the Wokou pirates were defeated. "
Yang Ling's face finally changed. Bai Xiaocao looked at his expression, and his fat face became solemn. He said in a deep voice, "We know that the Western pirates are also thinking about us. Although we make a living on the sea and do some illegal things, we are descendants of the Han people after all. If we are defeated by them, we can only be enslaved by these Western savages. Therefore, after discussing with the island owners, we have unanimously decided to accept the imperial court's recruitment and deal with the Western pirates together with the officers and soldiers!"
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