***
In this world, no one who can become a hegemon is a fool.
Qin Mu was plotting against Zheng Zhilong, and Zheng Zhilong was also plotting against Qin Mu. This was a game of the mantis stalking the cicada, while the oriole was behind, or perhaps there was a hunter hiding in the bushes.
In Shuangyu Port, 20 battalions of the East China Sea Fleet and 129 warships were all in first-level combat status. The warships were loaded with ammunition, and the soldiers wiped their swords and guns again and again. The atmosphere was extremely tense and solemn.
Gu Rong, Zheng Sihai, Zhang Mingzhen, Shi Dasheng and others were also unable to relax. The patrol boats they sent out had not found any trace of the Zheng family fleet so far, and they could not be sure whether there was a more powerful fleet following Zheng Zhilong.
According to the information obtained by Ye Bushou, Zheng Zhilong dispatched 20,000 troops from Fuzhou, and more troops were gathering in Kinmen.
According to Qin Mu's analysis, it is impossible for Zheng Zhilong to go to war with other forces at this time. The troops assembled on Kinmen Island may be secretly following Zheng Zhilong northward, preparing to take advantage of the situation.
The problem is that everything is now based on analysis of an uncertain piece of news. So far, not to mention whether there is someone behind Zheng Zhilong, even the whereabouts of Zheng Zhilong’s fleet has not been found.
Gu Rong's scalp was tingling, and he was deeply moved by Qin Mu's trust in him. In this battle, Qin Mu also handed over the command to him.
But the enemy is strong and we are weak, if it is an ambush, there is still a chance of victory. But now from Zheng Zhilong's reaction, Zheng Zhilong is obviously on guard. In this case, is it still possible to defeat Zheng Zhilong
Gu Rong was under great pressure, and Shi Dasheng and other battalion commanders were also not at ease. "Commander-in-chief, what should we do? Just waiting like this is not a solution!"
Fei Zhiwu, the commander of the second battalion, also said: "Admiral, we are the main force this time. How can we stay in the harbor and wait for news? What if Zheng Zhilong comes and blocks the waterway out of the harbor? Then we can only hide in our turtle shells."
Zhang Mingzhen, the deputy commander of the army, said, "Don't worry, everyone. If you worry, you will get confused. We haven't found out the exact enemy situation yet, so it's not a good idea for us to go out to sea rashly. According to the schedule, Zheng Zhilong should still have another day to reach Zhoushan. Let's wait patiently for a while to see if there is any accurate news before making any plans."
Gu Rong looked at the scene outside and estimated that it would take another hour. It was getting dark, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Then wait another hour. Everyone, get ready. When it gets dark, no matter if there is accurate news or not, the fleet must go out to sea. Damn it, at worst, we will fight Zheng Zhilong. If he blocks us in the harbor, we will all just commit suicide."
An hour of waiting seemed very long. Yet, it was so short. During this hour, no patrol boat returned, and Gu Rong did not get the exact whereabouts of Zheng Zhilong.
According to the plan, he decided not to wait any longer. He first sent someone to notify Di Zhongxing's North Sea Fleet to cooperate, and then at night, all 129 warships of the East Sea Fleet sailed out of Shuangyu Port and headed for the open sea.
On the periphery of the fleet, the small boats were like rangers on the grassland, leaping over the sea and taking on the task of guarding. The fleet that seemed so huge in the harbor was as small as wandering souls on the vast sea at night.
Lights flickered from time to time on the ships, keeping in touch with each other. There were many islands in the Zhoushan area, and in the night they looked like giant black beasts lurking on the sea.
The sound of the waves hitting the water is varied and strange. Some are like the howling of wild ghosts, some are like the screaming of night demons, some are like women singing, and some are like the echo of nature.
The sea surface under the moonlight was surging, the waves reflected the silver light, and big fish jumped out of the water from time to time, like the dance of fish and dragons. The night wind blew the sails, making a snapping sound.
"Order, turn left and sail to Guihu Island." Gu Rong's voice was firm and powerful.
The messenger on the mast gave a signal and the fleet began to turn slowly.
Zhang Mingzhen, the deputy commander, walked up to Gu Rong and reminded him, "Admiral Gu, the sea conditions at Guixu Island are complicated. We have never been there at night. Isn't it too dangerous to go there now?"
"Don't worry, Lord Zhang. You haven't been there, but I was on Guixu Island for a while a few years ago. I once hid in the waters of Guixu Island to escape the pursuit of the Zheng family. Now the enemy situation is unclear, and everyone is like a cat playing with a mouse. Whoever reveals his position first will be the mouse."
Gu Rong's voice became much calmer. Having been on the sea for more than ten years, he did not have the fear of the sea as ordinary people do. On the contrary, after returning to the sea, he felt like he was home, and his mood miraculously calmed down.
The Zheng family fleet is very powerful, but does that mean they are weak
Zheng Zhilong brought an army of 20,000. Although he only had 10,000 men, he had 22 gunboats and more than 500 large and small cannons, which outnumbered Zheng Zhilong.
The 10,000 navy recruited this time were all veteran sailors, and their proficiency in rowing ships and sailing was not necessarily worse than that of Zheng's army.
For the past two months, the East China Sea Fleet has been training in live-fire shooting every day, spending countless amounts of money. The Zheng family's ten-year veterans have not necessarily trained in more live-fire shooting than the East China Sea Fleet's gunners in the past two months.
Of course, Gu Rong also knew the shortcoming of the East China Sea Fleet, that is, the lack of combat experience. Among the 10,000 troops, only his original 3,000 subordinates had combat experience.
It is questionable whether the remaining thousands of soldiers can perform at the level they have trained in actual combat.
In order to keep the novices as calm as possible in their first battle, Gu Rong put in a lot of effort. The first, second and third battalions concentrated the most powerful firepower, all of which were composed of veterans under his command, who were responsible for the frontal sprint during the war.
The other battalions adopted the form of veterans leading new recruits. With a veteran around, the situation would be very different, and it could prevent the new recruits from being at a loss when they first fought.
In addition, there is a very mysterious 18th Battalion.
The 18th Battalion is also called the Night Owl Battalion. The battalion of 510 people usually only has two Fuzhou boats, which are not equipped with artillery. The two Fuzhou boats are loaded with many small boats. The training for the past ten days is also separate from other battalions. Except for the Night Owl Battalion, the soldiers of other battalions do not know what they are training.
*****
Huaniao Island is about 200 miles northeast of Zhoushan. The main shipping route to Japan passes through here. The Huaniao Mountain on the island is 600 feet high. The mountain is densely covered with trees and many monkeys. It is said that this is the Flower and Fruit Mountain in "Journey to the West".
After nightfall, the monkeys on the mountain cried incessantly, like ghosts. On the sea north of the island, under the dim moonlight, hundreds of ships were seen quietly anchored, with lights on the ships off and no human voices to be heard.
Suddenly, six red fireworks shot up into the night sky from the direction of Lion Reef in the southwest, exploding with brilliant light. The monkeys on Flower and Bird Island were frightened into silence, but the fleet on the sea suddenly came alive, with lights lit up and people talking.
Di Zhongxing woke up Qiu Bingzhang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and said to him, "Sir Qiu, the situation has changed. You must lead the delegation and the caravan westward and retreat to Chongming Island immediately. The sooner the better."
Qiu Bingzhang was shocked and asked, "Master Di, what happened? What happened?"
Di Zhongxing replied in a deep voice: "We have received the most urgent fireworks message. The specific situation is not clear yet. We must go south immediately. You don't need to be bait anymore. Return to Chongming Island immediately. The matter is urgent. Lord Qiu, please leave quickly."
In fact, the delegation and caravan led by Qiu Bingzhang had lost their role as bait, and it was very dangerous to stay on the sea. It was very necessary for Gu Rong to send a message to warn the delegation and let it withdraw to Chongming Island as soon as possible.
After an incense stick of time, the hundreds of ships anchored under Huaniao Island split into two groups. Qiu Bingzhang's thirteen merchant ships headed westward toward the Yangtze River estuary, while Di Zhongxing's Beihai Fleet, with two hundred warships of various sizes, set sail southward, passing through the large and small Huanglong Islands from the west side of Shengshan Island and heading toward Qushan Island...
The route chosen by Di Zhongxing mainly follows the islands, and there are lights on every island that he passes through. This not only ensures that the fleet will not lose its way in the night, but also facilitates timely contact with the East China Sea Fleet.
From Zhoushan Islands to the east of the Yangtze River estuary, there are densely packed islands, which, together with some fishing boats specializing in messaging, form the fastest channel for communication between the East China Sea Fleet and the North China Sea Fleet.
When fireworks are set off on an island, fishing boats or islands ten miles away can see them. In this way, some simple information can be conveyed at the fastest speed.
The six red fireworks just now meant that Di Zhongxing should head south urgently.
Since the amount of information transmitted was very limited, Di Zhongxing didn't know what happened to Gu Rong. On the way south, he felt very uneasy... ... ...
************************
ps: The war is coming, and passion is needed. Please vote for recommendation and monthly ticket!
.(To be continued..)
...