Villager of Daming

Chapter 1243: Staying put to help transport fish

It drizzled all night and continued to rain after daybreak.

Forty steamboats were in position, moving back and forth upstream.

Nahachu stood on a temporary platform and looked through a telescope. Sure enough, it was a boat running back and forth on the Hunhe River. It was called a Zhengqi motor boat, which means to fight for one's dignity.

He was very envious and always wanted to rob one, but unfortunately it was far away, and even if he disguised himself and went there with a large group of people, it would not be possible.

In places with rivers, it is fast and labor-saving to use a boat that can move on its own. People row the boat to eat, but this kind of boat that moves on its own uses coal, but everyone needs to drink water.

One boat can tow several other wooden boats, but it doesn't need to go downstream, unless the wind is strong from downstream to upstream, otherwise the wooden boats will slowly drift down.

Sailing against the current can save a lot of energy and, most importantly, takes less time. It can be used to transport troops and fight naval battles. The enemy will have no way to stop it because it is fast!

It looks like they are moving very fast now. There are ten of them coming down the river, still smoking. When they reach the ropes, they just cut them... Eh?

No! They cut my rope, the rope I used to cross the river was cut by them!

"Release the arrows, release the arrows, release the arrows quickly..."

Nahachu shouted. He had just been looking at the ship through a telescope, thinking while watching. He didn't expect that the Ming army's ship would rush over to cut the rope.

The rope broke, what should the people on the other side do?
As the order was given, Yuan soldiers' archers on both sides stepped forward and shot arrows, which fell like raindrops.

Ten steam ships simultaneously pulled up their shields, and when arrows were shot at them, they were either bounced away or stuck in them, and could not penetrate them at all.

"What we made this morning is really useful. A layer of barbed wire and two layers of rattan nets outside. With their arrows... humph!"

On the other side of the bank, the fifth brother Zhu Su, who was waiting for breakfast, was looking at the boats on the river through a telescope without any worry.

Because I have tried it, only a powerful crossbow with a long arrow, not the kind that can be strung and fired by one person, but a large crossbow that is smaller than a siege crossbow, can penetrate the defense network.

Nahachu’s army didn’t have it. Who would carry such a heavy thing on a long journey?

We did have muskets, but they were all broken now. The gunpowder got damp and a lot of it was lost, and what was left couldn't even light a fire.

If Nahachu could really take out dozens of muskets that could be fired, the people on the boat would cover themselves with wet quilts and use assault rifles to shoot at the muskets.

At this moment, just cut the rope and don't fight back. Wait until you catch the fish. If you don't accept the other party's toast, give them a penalty drink.

"Release the arrows, release the arrows, release... No need. Tui! Hetui! You coward, cut all my ropes. Are their scissors so useful?"

Nahachu shouted and saw ten ships sailing away, looking unhappy.

Your own shield and armor cannot block the enemy's bullets. If the enemy can just make a shell, your bow and crossbow will be useless.

If we had known earlier that we would encounter the Ming army, we would have prepared things that could block bullets in advance, such as several layers of leather, with hemp and sand in between. If they got wet, bullets would not be able to penetrate them.

It's too late now. If we charge on flat ground with such a thick 'shield', we will collapse from exhaustion before we can even walk through the muddy road to the battle.

The bows and crossbows stopped, and the Yuan army on both sides watched as ten enemy ships went down, and the remaining thirty ships were there in formation.

No one ran to the upstream shore to continue shooting arrows, but just watched, not knowing what the enemy was going to do.

"Collect the rope, take it back, and you can use it again after you connect it."

A centurion shouted that the thick rope that was made with great difficulty had to be reeled in if it broke.

The same sound was heard from everywhere; the people in Nahachu were reeling in the ropes.

The thirty ships upstream began to move downstream in batches of ten ships. They had no hulls, and the covers made it inconvenient to drop explosives.

This time they used the confiscated musket gunpowder to blow up fish. The power was smaller, but there was one more thing: the water in the river vibrated violently, with a loud bang, and the shock wave could travel far away.

There were multiple explosions, and the shock waves collided with each other and continued to vibrate. Not to mention the fish, even the human organs inside could be shattered.

"Boom~~" "Boom~~" "Boom~~" "Boom... "

Explosions occurred from time to time on the river surface, and water columns rose up and then fell with the light rain. The Yuan army on both sides of the river: "..."

They couldn't figure it out. Were the Ming soldiers stupid? Were they sick from the rain? Were they shot by their own arrows? Otherwise, why would they throw explosives into the water?

Before they could figure it out, the boats dispersed, tied themselves with ropes, and lowered the nets.

The mesh of the top net is large and gradually becomes smaller. Anyway, all the fish will be knocked unconscious or killed. It would be a pity if we don't catch them and let them float down the river.

As the boats dispersed, some were more than ten meters away from the shore, and the people on the boats shouted.

"Don't attack. If you dare, I'll shoot you. Our prince has ordered that we catch some fish and stew them for you. Fight is one thing, eat is another. You can fight again after you're full..."

The Yuan soldiers on the shore: "..."

Someone looked at his centurion, and the centurion said: "..."

They had no choice but to look towards the governor, watch the flags, listen to the noises, and decide whether to fight or not.

The news soon reached Nahachu, who said: “…”

"Don't hit him." The voice of Nahachu's sister Gege Haji was heard from behind the curtain in a shed on the high platform.

"Keep your troops still!" Nahachu gave the order. The messenger just glanced at the shed and didn't dare to ask. He pretended nothing had happened and quickly passed on the order.

The flag was waving, and people on both sides of the enemy breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the flag.

The Yuan soldiers on the shore did not want to fight because it was too close and they knew how powerful the Ming army's weapons were.

The prince knew that the plan was successful. Nahachu was indeed unable to fight anymore. The next step would be easy. Persuading him to surrender was the best option, as it would be a way to defeat the enemy without fighting.

Fish and shrimp were caught in nets one by one. After catching a batch, the boat came to the shore on the princes' side. Some of the captives who were not released were loaded onto wooden boards and towed back with ropes.

The big animal also followed, with a wooden board placed behind it, with the front of the board raised up.

On plains, when it rains, a car with wheels is difficult to move and will get stuck. It is most convenient to use a towing board, which is equivalent to a sled.

The Yuan soldiers on the shore looked at their colleagues coming over and pulling the fish back, and suddenly felt a little confused.

"You've all come here, why are you going back?" someone asked.

"Do you have anything to eat? If I don't go back, I'll starve. Please help me. I'll stew some fish for you. It's hot. The food they cook is delicious!

Hurry up, the pots over there are on the set. If you don't believe me, come over and take a look. There's something for you.

They said that our governor couldn't fight at all, and couldn't run away. More than 80% of the baggage was lost, and they didn't want the people anymore?"

The prisoner loaded the fish and called on his comrades for help.

"Oh! Just take a look! Come on, everyone lend a hand. Are you afraid of them? I'll go and take a look."

"I will go too. When two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys. We will go over to see the situation without taking up weapons."

"Really? I'm starving. Eating raw fish makes me want to throw up. And there's no salt. It's killing me!"

When the people on the shore heard this, they came forward to help pick up the fish and shrimp, and the turtle was also shaken out.

Then we went over there together. With more people we had more strength and could pull the board faster.

On the other side of the shore, Nahachu, holding a telescope, said: "..."

"Our people helped them transport the fish, and they said they would stew the fish for us. Is that true?" he asked his sister.

"We'll know soon. There are boats there and the river is blocked, so there's nothing we can do." Gegehaji's voice sounded.

(End of this chapter)