Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 537 Jiayuguan

Yumen Pass is located in the westernmost part of the territory currently controlled by the Kyushu Army. It was established when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty opened the road to the Western Regions and established the four counties in Hexi.

In fact, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Yumen Pass was only a synonym for a place, and it was no longer used as a gateway to block the enemies of the Western Regions. It was replaced by Jiayuguan, known as "the most magnificent pass in the world".The three defense lines of inner city, outer city, and moat overlapped and guarded, with strict barriers. Jiayuguan and the Great Wall are connected as one, with a flint for five miles, a pier for ten miles, a fort for thirty miles, and a city for one hundred miles, criss-crossing.Jiayuguan has a guerrilla general's mansion. The guerrilla general not only shoulders the mission of defending against enemy attacks from the Western Regions, but also governs the local area, inspects the exchanges of merchants and envoys, and contacts the Western Regions.

After the Ming Empire was replaced by the Kyushu Army, Jiayuguan guerrilla generals led the Jiayuguan defenders to surrender to the Kyushu Army.The important position of Jiayuguan is well known. Even when the 36th Battalion in northern Shaanxi and the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were fighting to the death in Shaanxi, no one would move the defenders of Jiayuguan.Therefore, the small number of Jiayuguan defenders had almost no losses, and they seemed to have become the aborigines here, forming a relatively closed living environment.

After surrendering to the Kyushu Army, the original Jiayuguan soldiers could choose to be repatriated to their hometowns, or they could stay there if they chose to live there.However, there are too many officials and officers and soldiers who have surrendered in the millions of miles of land in the pass. Therefore, this group of Ming army soldiers in Jiayuguan still retains their own establishment, and guards the Xiongguan they have guarded for a long time in a special form for the last period of time.After the Shaanxi side settles down, the Seventh Corps will send an army to replace them.

Of course, this was the original plan. When something happened in the Western Regions, this well-organized Ming army would not be able to walk so freely, and might continue to be stationed in Jiayuguan.

"Guerrilla General, look, the vanguard of the Kyushu Army has arrived." On the tower of the majestic Jiayuguan, a soldier still wearing Ming Army armor pointed to a troop coming from the east, and exclaimed in surprise.

His yell made all the soldiers in the outer city of the pass look out at the same time, and a convoy of more than a thousand people appeared on the white horizon, with the yellow dragon flag fluttering in the wind!
"Open the door and welcome them in!" The guerrilla general beckoned and gave an order.

The heavy closed door was slowly opened with the joint efforts of the soldiers of the Ming army.Large horse carts, donkey carts, and mule carts pulled a large amount of supplies and more than a thousand troops into Jiayuguan.

Some Ming soldiers who had never seen the Kyushu Army troops watched the Kyushu soldiers on both sides of the central axis of Jiayuguan wearing "extraordinary costumes".They were far away on the Great Wall in the northwest. In the past few years, they hadn't even heard of the origin of the Kyushu Army. The Ming Dynasty they were loyal to collapsed.Just because no one here knows about the Kyushu Army, some city guards who like to brag make the Kyushu Army very mysterious.According to them, the Kyushu Army is sometimes a heavenly soldier and a general who defeated the [-] troops sent by the imperial court to suppress them at once, but sometimes it is a very brutal bull-headed horse-faced, capable of massacring cities and eating people.

"Look at them, they look no different from us!"

"Why don't they wear chain mail? They don't even have a decent piece of armor. How can they fight the enemy?"

"Shotguns, they also use shotguns, and it seems that they only have shotguns, don't they go with archers?"

"Look carefully, their shotguns seem to be different from ours."

The soldiers of the Ming army were whispering in private, which made the soldiers of the Kyushu army who came over feel depressed. They were originally compatriots in the Chinese civilization circle just like the Jiayuguan defenders, but their equipment was different. How could they be regarded as something rare? The feeling of the beast.

What was even more depressing was Sun Chuanting, the brigade officer of the [-]rd Infantry Brigade who led this battalion to deploy in Jiayuguan.He was also an official who came over from the Ming court, but he was taken seriously by the Jiayuguan defenders.

"Where is the Jiayuguan guerrilla?" Sun Chuanting exhaled mist and asked the defenders who received them.

"General, next is Jiayuguan Guerrilla." An officer of the Ming army led people hurriedly down the stone steps from the tower.

"I am Sun Chuanting of the [-]rd Brigade of the Seventh Corps. I led the leading troops to escort the first batch of supplies. There is a lot of black powder in it, which needs to be stored carefully and fire-proofed." Sun Chuanting pointed to the cloth-covered box on the horse team , Said to the Jiayuguan guerrillas.

"Yes! My subordinates must have someone take care of this batch of supplies." Jiayuguan Guerrilla quickly replied.

"Thank you. The soldiers I brought will be stationed in Jiayuguan with you from today. At the same time, Yumenguan in the west will be used as a place for exercises to adapt to the terrain of the Western Regions as soon as possible." Sun Chuanting said.

"Well...our Jiayuguan garrison should be disbanded at the end of next month according to the order of the Chief Secretary. We will make another arrangement. I don't know if it will still proceed according to the original schedule?" Jiayuguan Guerrilla asked.

"This matter has changed. Our Seventh Corps has not been able to deploy troops to guard Jiayuguan recently, so you will still guard Jiayuguan for a year. Not only will the military salary be paid on time, but it will also increase by [-]%. During the Chinese New Year, pigs and sheep will be slaughtered to greet you. Brothers, what do you think?" Sun Chuanting asked with some embarrassment.

The Jiayuguan guerrilla didn't seem disappointed or regretful, but said very easily: "Isn't it just another year of guarding? To be honest, we were really reluctant to leave here at once. As long as the military salary is paid on time, None of the brothers have an opinion."'

"Haha, that's great." Sun Chuanting breathed a sigh of relief.

"General Sun, the vanguard has arrived, so when will the main force of the Seventh Corps arrive?" Jiayuguan Guerrilla asked again.

"Wait until the negotiation is over, and then see what the outcome of the negotiation is, and then decide whether to come to Jiayuguan. Even if you decide to go to war, you will pass here before going out. Otherwise, tens of thousands of people will pile up here, relying on Suzhou and other places to spend a lot of money. It is unimaginable to consume manpower and material resources every day. It is really a waste of money.” Sun Chuanting looked around at the surrounding towers and city walls, and could not help but praise, “I have long heard that Jiayuguan is the Xiongguan Pass in the Northwest, and it is indeed so when I saw it today. Look at this narrow valley piercing through the mountains, with dangerous slopes closing in on the road, it's really like one man guards the gate and ten thousand men can't open it."

"Isn't it? Our Jiayuguan crew only has more than 200 people, and there are not many weapons. It is this majestic pass that can make the enemies in the west not want to go east. Of course, the more than 200 people do not include the peripheral subordinates. The officers and soldiers inside the fortress.” Jiayuguan Guerrilla said.

"However, I hope that there will be no need to set up Jiayuguan in the future." Sun Chuanting said with a slight smile.

(End of this chapter)