Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 267 The First Step of the Autumn Offensive

The fleet passed by Anqing Mansion, and the Qing army was heavily guarded.

Mingliang stood at the top of Anqing City with a very ugly face. The words "The thieves are ready" lingered in his mind like a big stone.

Fortunately, they were not here to attack Anqing, but were heading up the river. The destination was self-evident.

Mingliang immediately wrote three urgent reports and submitted them to the capital, Prince Jia, and Jiangbei camp respectively.

After finishing these tasks, he rode back to the shipyard.

Three senior officials from the Ministry of Works hang around the construction site every day, not daring to neglect.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Ming."

Mingliang pointed to the south and said solemnly:

The next morning, Miao Youlin got up. He had a mission!

……

Water and land go hand in hand.

Three hours later, the fleet arrived at Chizhou Mansion.

……

Next to the pier, five cranes are lined up.

Water and land transport, loading and unloading weapons and equipment are the most complex and time-consuming, requiring machinery and experienced workers.

A doctor from the Ministry of Industry quickly explained with a smile:
"Sir, please follow me."

They all wore cowhide gloves to prevent injuries to their palms.

However, it was obvious that many people were seasick, walking unsteadily and looking extremely ugly.

The soldiers began to disembark in order, in an orderly manner.

"Back to the deputy commander-in-chief, my subordinate has a task to evaluate the transportation effect of the four-wheel carriage."

Pulleys and booms, with the assistance of manpower, hoisted heavy artillery from the cabin.

"That's not all. The official and several colleagues also supervised the construction of 20 long iron chains as thick as arms, spanning the river."

There is no technical difficulty in making gloves. The order for 1000 pairs of gloves was outsourced to a leather merchant in Songjiang Prefecture. Everyone who put on the gloves burst into tears of gratitude.

They just want to copy their own artillery technology!
Therefore, there is currently only one artillery production base: Xishan Gun Factory.

Maanshan Iron and Steel sent the steel materials to Xishan Wharf, and the gun factory manufactured various types of artillery and then transported them to various legions and cities.

The doctor from the Ministry of Industry explained:
"Sir, please see that the shipbuilding station is located upstream of the tributary, four miles away from the mouth of the river."

Mingliang picked up the telescope and found that it was indeed the case.

In the evening, the docks stopped working.

Rainy days promote sleep.

There are iron chains every 10 feet on the river, making it impossible for large ships to pass.

Locking the river with iron chains is the wisdom of our ancestors. It’s unmistakable!

On a hillside, the view is wide.

Hahahaha, everyone laughed happily.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

The march takes 4 days!
A guy named Zhang Changguang, who was a shogunate master, came to the staff headquarters and looked around all the way.

……

The doctor from the Ministry of Industry smiled reservedly:
"If you want to get over, you must first send sailors with giant axes to slowly chop the iron chains. This work is labor-intensive and time-consuming, and I'm afraid it will take until the Chinese New Year."

Li Yu was not worried about leaks, because the Qing government would not spend a single penny on labor protection supplies.

There is a cement road for 20 miles to the west from Chizhoufu. After that, it’s the original official road, which is very bumpy.

……

Mingliang finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:
"I would like to invite you all to have a drink and enjoy yourself."

Each crane is commanded by one person and 1 people work together.

The prince had an order to go 150 miles forward and build several forts in Huangshiji as outposts for the army.

"Just now the bandit fleet passed by, did you all see it? I'm worried about the shipbuilding department, just in case~"

The navy assisted in transporting the materials and artillery required for building the city. The infantry walks overland and is familiar with the terrain and road conditions along the way.

It started to rain lightly, which allowed the tired soldiers of the 2nd Army to have a good sleep.

Fortunately, we can rest in the city.

Miao Youlin stopped saying a word, rode on his horse and marched with his eyes closed.

"Two new forts were built on the river bank, and 2 people were stationed in the Green Camp."

The four-wheel mule cart is really useful when traveling on concrete roads.

After the noise of the sliding bearing becomes louder, the driver will brush some grease in time, and everything else will be normal.

But after leaving the cement road, the experience plummeted.

Because it had to avoid puddles on the road, the car swayed from side to side and made constant creaking sounds.

Zhang Changguang observed them one by one and recorded them carefully in his notebook.

Fortunately, there are wooden boards around the carriage, so the goods will not be shaken off, and the trouble of bundling the goods on the flatbed truck is eliminated.

Seeing his frown, Miao Youlin smiled and said:
"I'll give you a suggestion. Replace the entire wooden fence around it. Instead, wedge a square wooden post every half a foot."

"What about the gap?"

"Hemp ropes connect all the wooden posts and make them denser. This reduces weight and saves materials."

He thought about it for a while, and his eyes lit up:

"Wonderful, Master Miao, you are truly amazing."

Miao Youlin sneered:
"By the way, what kind of whale oil do you use to brush the car hubs?"

"Yeah, it works great."

"What a heck, hunting whales is a lot of work. You might as well squeeze castor oil, it's just as useful and not expensive."

"really?"

"Although I, Mr. Miao, have not read ten thousand books in this life, I have truly traveled thousands of miles. Believe me, that's right!"

Miao Youlin laughed loudly, thinking that the staff would use it as a ball to do all these foreign things that were not down to earth.

……

Zhang Changguang recorded it very seriously:

The military baggage carriages can be replaced by wooden posts and hemp ropes instead of wooden boards around them!

Castor oil, performance to be tested.

From then on the whole journey was speechless.

Fortunately, the weather is really starting to cool down, and the highest temperature during the day does not exceed 25 degrees.

Miao Youlin looked at the golden rice fields and suddenly said:
"The scale of this battle cannot be small."

Zhang Changguang came over, nervous and excited:

"Because of the autumn harvest?"

"Yes. Don't talk about Agui, even a small character like me knows that the autumn harvest is a hurdle."

Zhang Changguang quickly took out the map from his pocket and found the location of Huangshiji on it:
"No wonder the prince asked me to build a fortress here. It is to block the only way for the Qing army to attack the plains along the river in southern Anhui."

Miao Youlin nodded. Because the task was important, he took the initiative to volunteer.

First, he is not a fellow from Jiangnan, second, he has no younger sister to marry, and third, he is not an old member of Cunju Hall.

He could only rely on his military exploits to win the prince's admiration. Fortunately, competitor Zheng Hean was not acclimatized and suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea. I can't argue even if I want to.

……

Huangshiji is named after a mountain beside the river.

This mountain is not high, but the rocks are yellow in color, hence the name Huangshiji. In the 20th century, it was exploded because it affected shipping safety.

At this time, it is still standing beside the rolling river.

The fleet arrived earlier and was already waiting quietly on the shore.

Miao Youlin sighed:
"Your Majesty is truly a god. Hurry, prepare to build the city."

2 musketry battalions and 1 soldier battalion totaling 1500 people. Except for 200 people who were set aside to be on guard duty, the rest all took off their weapons and armor and served as laborers.

And Staff Officer Zhang finally had his highlight moment.

Holding the drawings, he happily arranged tasks with the three battalion commanders.

"The five-star bastion is the prince's exclusive invention and is exquisitely designed. You will understand after a defensive battle."

"Now follow my orders."

In half an hour, he used lime to draw two five-pointed stars on the ground, with the big one inside the small one.

"Dig down along the two white lines to a depth of 6 feet and a width of 10 feet."

"The excavated earth was used to build the city along the inner white line."

……

Zhang Changguang stood at a high place, spread out the drawings and nervously compared the data.

According to the design, the area of ​​this bastion is about 2 acres, and the drawings also specifically indicate the area inside the fort, which is a bit confusing.

Who could know how much of a shadow the previous difference between the building area and the apartment area would bring to the prince.

Temporarily build a city,

The city wall is definitely not high, only 12 feet, which is equivalent to the height of two basketball players.

The cross-section of the city wall is a trapezoid, taking into account stability.

Cement was not used on the exterior wall surface but was poured directly into the interior of the wall.

First drive down two rows of sparse wooden stakes, and then nail long boards to the inside of the wooden stakes. This forms a hollow structure. Pour in the mixed cement mortar, mixed with gravel and branches.

The soldiers held long wooden sticks and vigorously stirred the cement mortar.

Miao Youlin was stunned. Zhang Changguang smiled:
"Theoretically, if there is coal cake residue, you can pour it in. Use local materials for whatever purpose."

……

The thickness of the cement layer is only half a foot. Temporary fortification in the field is different from building a city. Logistics pressure must be considered.

Under sunlight, the cement solidifies at a reasonable speed.

After it was only slightly formed, Staff Officer Zhang couldn't wait to order soil to be piled on both sides and sealed inside with wooden boards and cement walls.

It's like a cream sandwich cookie.

The cement layer is the sandwich and the soil is the biscuit on both sides.

The cross section is a trapezoid.

It is easy to form while there is moisture in the earth, and it will gradually stabilize after exposure to sunlight.

"Are you a little confused?"

"The prince has said that if there is enough time, it is recommended to build another layer of wooden walls on the surface.

"now what?"

"Let's finish the basic structure first."

There is no one standing on the wall, it is just a barrier.

But a plank road was built along the inside of the wall, close to the fort wall.

Once there is a police presence, the soldiers can quickly rush up the plank road along the steps and stand on the plank road to shoot.

The five corners of the bastion were built into a rhombus-shaped platform.

There was just room for a 6-pounder cannon, four gunners, and a few musketeers to be placed on the platform, surrounded by a circle of earth bags to form a low defensive wall.

Miao Youlin's eyes were bright and novel!

He scratched his scalp and said with a smile:

"Which ancient book did the prince find this interesting thing from?"

……

Zhang Changguang smiled:
"I don't know where it comes from. But it is definitely not invented by our ancestors."

"What?"

"I am also a scholar, and I have never seen a similar design of a field fortress in a book."

"What did you do before?"

"My subordinate works as a bookkeeper in a commercial bank in Shaoxing, earning 6 taels of silver per month."

Miao Youlin nodded:

"A fellow countryman of Minister Hu?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, Shaoxing people are capable. Let's work together and achieve some military success together."

"It's what you wish for."

Zhang Changguang said something polite, and then inspected everywhere to record the progress.

He is from the neighboring village of Hu Xueyu.

After the 2nd Army Corps occupied Shaoxing, he came to join the army.

At first, he worked in the Accounting Department doing accounts, and later passed the exam and entered the Staff Headquarters.

the reason is simple,
Which scholar is willing to work as an accountant all his life? The ultimate goal is of course to become an official!

He failed repeatedly in the imperial examinations of the Qing Dynasty. Then we can only find another way and strive to take the curved promotion route of helping with military affairs.

The literary style in Shaoxing Prefecture was flourishing, and literati were like crucian carp crossing the river. It was difficult to even become a scholar. In order to earn a living, he had no choice but to work as a master or accountant.

Gradually, we have embarked on a unique path of talent output!

Shaoxing master is famous all over the world!

……

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Qing Army Scout!"

Miao Youlin grabbed the telescope and saw two riders in the distance, observing silently.

"Don't worry, hurry up and build the fort."

After the exterior of the fort is completed, several rows of simple wooden houses will be built inside.

A nearby forest was cut down and transported back by mule cart.

It seems that the forest is owned by an owner, but the owner does not dare to claim compensation.

Firewood is a precious living material. After experiencing a population explosion in the past hundred years, it has become difficult to find an unowned but dense forest.

The soldiers of the 2nd Army were very efficient at their work. They all come from poor backgrounds, and there are no young soldiers.

On the third day of busy work, the fort was completely completed.

The rain also arrived as expected!

The Qing army's scouts gradually became more courageous, taking advantage of the rain to even get closer to 1 mile away for reconnaissance.

"Captain. Qing Gou is too arrogant. Do you want to fuck him?"

"use this?"

"Correct."

The captain thought for a while and agreed.

……

Simple awnings have been installed on the platforms at the five corners.

Four thick wooden pillars hold up a layer of spliced ​​wooden boards covered with oil paper cloth.

The gunners of the 2nd Corps were taught by members of the Guards Corps.

A gunner finished loading in the rain.

I aimed it visually and felt it was high. So he picked up the hammer and hit the triangular wooden wedge under the cannon's tail several times.

The wooden wedge advanced and the muzzle was lowered.

"All right."

There was a muffled sound in the rain and fog, and the solid bullets tore through the rain curtain and roared towards the scouts.

The two Qing army scouts were shocked. One fell off his horse in fright, and the other tried to rein in his horse to dodge. However, the cannonballs in sight seemed to be very slow, but they were impossible to avoid.

The cannonball bounced on the ground and hit the horse.

The war horse was torn apart in an instant. Only when the knight landed on the ground did he realize that his leg was gone and let out a miserable wail.

The other man ignored his companions, climbed on his horse, cracked his whip vigorously, and disappeared from sight.

"Who fired the cannon?"

Miao Youlin rushed to the platform with a bamboo hat. After listening to the process, his anger disappeared instantly.

"Go and search for anyone alive."

Unfortunately, apart from a little bit of silver and a sword, nothing else was gained.

The Qing army scout who was shot died and lost too much blood.

The gunner, who was very good at getting by, thought for a while and dragged the dead horse back.

Eat meat!

……

On a rainy day, a pot of meat stew is delicious.

It's so beautiful to hide under the awning and drink a bowl of broth.

There is no shortage of coal under the prince's command, so there is no need to worry about dry wood being wet and unable to light a fire on rainy days.

Simply take a few wood shavings to ignite the briquettes.

When a piece of honeycomb briquettes are burning vigorously, throw in some high-quality anthracite coal and it will continue to burn for a long time.

Hot water and hot food are the guarantee of combat effectiveness!
The navy's ships have left, and according to the agreement, they will also bring food and various supplies.

This fort is just the first step.

Next, three similar forts will be built.

It is impossible for 1500 people to crowd into such a fortress with an area of ​​only 2 acres for a long time. It's too crowded and it can't exert its fighting power.

After the fortress group is completed, grain, grass and weapons will be stored in a valley at the rear to serve as an outpost and supply base for the army.

The autumn grains collected by Chizhou and Taiping were hoarded for use in this autumn offensive.

……

Li Jiajun's style of play is conservative.

Mainly because Li Yu had scruples in his heart.

He knows very well that his power looks like a burning fire, but is actually a loose body of interests knitted together by personal charm (force).

It has never been truly tied to a powerful class, nor has it cultivated a solid basic base!

Even the most reliable military has many subtle dangers.

To put it more bluntly:
Li Jiajun can win big or small, win verbally, or suffer small setbacks, but there must be no big defeat.

Otherwise, under the heavy pressure of the Qing troops from all walks of life, the seemingly stable people in the rear area will become unstable, and young people from all walks of life will immediately emerge from the water. Both ends of the first rat are light, and I'm afraid something more terrible will happen.

It cannot be said, it cannot be said.

……

Huai'an Prefecture,
The new food supervisor, Yu Yunhe, was angry with a group of subordinates in the hall.

Yesterday, Prince Jia, the governor of Wannabei, sent a mission:
"The army is wiping out the remnants of the Shun Dao Sect bandits in northern Anhui. It still needs 30000 shi of military rations and 18000 kilograms of fodder. It is ordered to be transported to the grain and grass camp at the foot of Bagong Mountain in Fengyang Prefecture, Anhui within 12 days without any mistakes."

As for the officials and scribes below, the king talked about him and excused him for various reasons.

Yu Yunhe was annoyed:
"The military situation is raging. Prince Jia is personally in charge, and Jiangsu and Anhui provinces are ordered to help organize military supplies. Do you want to rebel?"

(End of this chapter)