Fenghou

Chapter 286 Conditions
In the west of Baling County, there is a small river called Balingshui. This small river leads directly to the Yangtze River and winds from the southeastern mountainous area. It does not intersect with Dongting Lake. More than [-] ships captured by Chen Qing are moored in Balingshui. Guarded by a thousand soldiers.

Among the more than one hundred ships, there were two Yang Yao's chariots and boats. This was the first time the Song army captured Yang Yao's sharp weapons. Chen Qing valued them very much, and a hundred soldiers were specially assigned to guard these two chariots and boats.

On the second day after Chen Qing arrived in Baling County, Xuan Fu envoy Li Gang also rushed to Baling County to discuss with Chen Qing how to defeat the enemy.

Chen Qing took Li Gang to the bank of Balingshui River, and visited the two vehicles and boats.

"Baizhi feels that there are three key points in defeating the enemy, one of which is on these two vehicles and ships."

Chen Qing pointed at the car and boat and said with a smile: "This is Yang Yao's magic weapon to control Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River. If we can find a way to deal with them, we can break his most proud magic weapon, which is equivalent to cutting off his wings. "

"Have you found a way to crack it?" Li Gang asked happily.

"The chief craftsman in our army is researching!"

Just as he was talking, Xie Changzhi came out of the cabin with a lame leg. Li Gang was startled, "Aren't you Master Xie?"

Xie Changzhi hurriedly saluted, and said a little excitedly: "Mr. Li still remembers the villain?"

"Why don't you remember that the thousand-step cannon you built hit the arrogance of the Jurchens so hard that the Jurchens had to withdraw their troops from Bianliang for the first time. I remember personally rewarding you!"

"Exactly! Exactly! It's a pity that when the mediocre minister came to power, the thousand-step cannon was abolished by the demon Taoist Guo Jing, which led to the subsequent Jingkang disaster." Xie Changzhi sighed.

Chen Qing asked curiously: "What is a thousand-step gun?"

Xie Changzhi smiled and said, "It's the super-large catapult brought back by the general from Ganquan Fort. We named it the Thousand-step Cannon. In fact, it can't reach a thousand steps. It can throw a [-]-jin gunpowder barrel five hundred steps away."

Chen Qing was even more puzzled. You must know that he invented the fuse. He used to ignite the gunpowder and then throw it, or ignite the oil paper, but the success rate was too low, and many oil papers were extinguished in the air.

"Then how did you light the powder keg?"

"Reporting to Dutong, at first we used oiled paper, but found that it was not good, because it was easy to extinguish in the air. Later, we used long gunpowder tubes, the kind tied to gunpowder arrows. Once it burns to the end, it can ignite the gunpowder barrel.

Chen Qing understood, this method is good, it is actually a kind of fuse, a thick tube type fuse, of course, it is not as convenient as a real fuse.

At this time, Chen Qing saw that Li Gang was still watching eagerly, and smiled a little embarrassedly: "I am digressing, let me talk about this car and boat, does Master Xie have a way to crack it?"

Xie Changzhi smiled triumphantly, "I have at least ten ways to crack this kind of ship!"

Li Gang's eyes lit up, "Tell me!"

"To crack this kind of vehicle and boat, we have to start with its outer impeller. There are two key parts in it, one is the shaft and the other is the blade. At first I thought their shafts were made of copper and iron, but later I found out that they are actually If it’s made of wood, the leaves are also made of wood, think about it, Mr. Li, what is wood most afraid of?”

"Burning with fire?" Li Gang reacted immediately.

Chen Qing smiled and shook his head, "Using fire is not the best way. First, it will take a long time to burn it with fire. Secondly, it is in water, so the fire can be easily extinguished."

"You are right. Attacking with fire is one method, but it is not the most effective. There are two most effective methods. One is to destroy him instantly with firearms. This is very effective, but it is not easy to do. You need a small boat to approach it. When the water ghost enters the water, the gunpowder can’t touch the water, and it needs to be ignited, which is more troublesome, much more troublesome than the simplest method I thought of.”

Li Gang said with a chuckle: "Master Li, don't make me want to make people want to talk about it. Tell me quickly, what is the easiest way?"

"Reporting to Mr. Li, the easiest way is to use a fishing net."

Li Gang and Chen Qing looked at each other and laughed together, using a fishing net, this method is really simple and practical, throwing a fishing net on it, the impellers will be twisted together, unable to move at all.

Li Gang couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and said, "When can I have a try?"

Chen Qing smiled slightly: "Beizhi said just now that vehicles and boats are one of the three key points to defeat the enemy. Doesn't the envoy want to know the other two?"

Li Gang stroked his beard and said: "Chen Dutong, please tell me the other two key points, I will listen all the time!"

"One is that I need decision-making power in wartime. How to plan, how to make decisions, and how to fight are up to me. The envoy only needs to accept the results afterwards."

Chen Qing's governors of the two states are still under the control of the Huguang Xuanfu envoys, especially when it comes to exterminating the Dongting water thieves, Li Gang is the coach, Chen Qing is just a former general of the army, Li Gang still has tens of thousands of troops in his hands, and the Yangtze River Navy also obeys orders Yu Li Gang, not Chen Qing.

Li Gang is not Zhu Shengfei, he is even more enlightened than Zhang Jun. He knows that he is a civil servant, and his combat experience is not as good as Chen Qing. Li Gang pondered for a moment and said: "It is not impossible to give you the command and decision-making power, but I have one condition."

"Xuan Fu envoy, please speak!"

"I don't allow you to kill prisoners of war, you must hand them over to me!"

Chen Qing smiled wryly and said, "The envoy Xuanfu also knows?"

Li Gang sneered and said: "Can I not know? The prestige of Chen Dutong's demons has spread all over the states. Not only the bandits are afraid, but the people are also afraid. I am here today for this matter. If you refuse to listen to me Persuasion, then I will impeach you to the officials!"

"The envoy Xuanfu spoke seriously. This is just for the sake of my prestige. I am not a cruel person, and I am not cruel to the people. Instead, I have strict military discipline."

"I know that your military discipline is very good, so I sincerely welcome you to come, but I cannot accept the killing of prisoners. If you find it troublesome, then leave it to me to deal with it."

Chen Qing pondered for a while and said: "I can only promise half of the envoy's promise. I can promise not to kill innocent people indiscriminately. If the captives are not stained with the blood of innocent people or rape prostitutes, then I can hand them over to the envoy!"

Li Gang still shook his head, "I'm not abusing good people. I can't tolerate the two situations you mentioned, but I will strictly screen them. With all due respect, I don't believe your trial. You would rather kill a hundred people by mistake than Never let anyone go!"

Seeing that Li Gang refused to give in, Chen Qing could only sigh and said, "If the Xuan Fu envoy agrees to my third condition, then I will promise to hand over all the prisoners of war to you."

Li Gang smiled slightly, "You just admit it now, are you actually negotiating terms with me? It's nice to say, two key points."

Chen Qing blushed, and said with a cheeky smile: "It's still the Xuan Fu envoy Gao Ming, I can't hide anything from you!"

"Stop talking nonsense, let's talk! What's the third condition?"

"I want fifty two-thousand-stone warships, completely under my command."

Li Gang looked back at Balingshui behind him and said with a smile, "You already have more than a hundred warships here."

"These warships are too small, I need large warships to transport troops to Junshan Island!"

"Okay! I'll give you fifty warships of three thousand stone and five thousand sailors under your full command, but it's agreed, you must change the killing order to surrender and not kill."

Chen Qing said helplessly: "I just promise the Xuanfu envoy!"

Li Gangsheng was afraid that his words were duplicity, and said again: "You don't even know that not all of Yang Yao's subordinates are water thieves. It was later. At the beginning, many people were forced to ruin their families by taxes, so they had no choice but to follow Zhong Xiang, Yang Yao rebelled, these people don't deserve to die."

Chen Qing shook his head, "Emissary Xuan Fu don't try to persuade me, I promised to hand over the prisoners of war to you, just because you gave me decision-making power and navy ships, this is an exchange.

My philosophy is different from yours. As long as you become a water thief, whether it is forced or voluntary, you have to pay the price. Even if you don’t kill him, you have to serve three years of hard labor. I will never accept release without punishment. Otherwise, even if the banditry is wiped out for a while, it will reappear in the future. "

Li Gang waved his hand, "Since we can't convince each other, then don't argue about this matter, as you said, this is an exchange, and I don't want Lu Yihao's grandson, you can stay in the army yourself! No If I don't give you face, the old grudge is hard to get rid of."

Chen Qing had learned about Li Gang's uprightness, he nodded, "Okay! I'll settle him down."

Li Gang then smiled and said: "When are you going to send troops?"

"You hand over the water army and warship to me. I will train for ten days and then dispatch troops."

Li Gang's eyes widened, "I don't allow you to change generals, whoever is disobedient, you tell me, I'll change, this army is only lent to you, you are not allowed to annex him!"

Chen Qing laughed loudly, "I will go back to the northwest in the future. It is useless to ask for a navy army. I promise not to annex this army."

Only then did Li Gang let go of his heart, "Then I will wait for your good news!"

(End of this chapter)