Chapter 370: Chongming Prepares for War
In the southeast waters of Hangzhou Bay, a huge fleet appeared on the sea. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info
This fleet is Zhang Yukun's northbound fleet. This huge fleet of five battleships, four hexagonal fast cruisers, sixteen fourth-class cruisers, twenty-four fifth-class cruisers, and fifty-six sixth-class privateers crossed the South China Sea, first resupplying at Halong Bay in Annam, then at Xiamen, and then continuing north.
Looking at the sea water that gradually turned yellow in front of him, Zhang Yukun put down his binoculars and said excitedly: "We are about to enter the mouth of the Yangtze River!" Stop at Chongming Island first! ”
On Chongming Island, Luo Zimu, who was in charge of guarding Chongming Island, got up early in the morning this morning, and before that, he had received news that the Nanyang Navy fleet would enter the mouth of the Yangtze River, and then he would prepare to attack Jiangning. It's just that the communication speed of those years was too slow, and there was no exact time when the fleet could arrive. So in the past few days, Luo Zimu's nerves have been highly tense every day.
"There's a fleet on the sea!" Suddenly, one of the soldiers pointed to the sea to the southeast and shouted.
Luo Zimu picked up the binoculars and looked at the sea and sky in the distance, only to see the tip of the ship's mast appear on the distant sea. After a few moments, the sail appeared in the telescope. It's just that the distance is so far that even from the telescope, you can't see the flags hoisted by the fleet.
"A fleet is coming! If there are no accidents, it should be our fleet! Luo Zimu put down the binoculars and said, "Brothers, go and get ready, get ready to meet our fleet!" ”
After about half an hour, countless black dots on the sea level in the distance converged into a white fleet, which was heading towards Chongming Island, and from the telescope, the sun and moon flags hoisted by the fleet could already be seen.
"It's our fleet!" Luo Zimu said excitedly.
The arrival of the northbound fleet means that the battle of Jiangning is about to begin. As Zhang Huangyan's general, Luo Zimu was going to participate in the Battle of Jiangning. As early as when he got the news that the Battle of Jiangning was about to start, Luo Zimu was extremely excited, and he couldn't wait to be the first to lead his troops into Jiangning City and recover the southern capital.
The fleet had entered the mouth of the Yangtze River and was slowly heading towards Chongming Island. When the white figure of the fleet was magnified in people's eyes, the salute was fired in the fleet, and the fireworks bloomed. Clouds of white smoke rose up, and the ceremonial flowers rose into the air, blooming in the sky above the fleet.
On the shore, gongs and drums sounded in unison. In the fleet, sailors in white sailors' uniforms stood neatly on the deck, and on each ship there were people blowing horns and making a low, deep sound that echoed across the river.
The fleet approached the dock, and Zhang Yukun and Albert stepped down from the battleship Nanjing. On this battleship, you can see items with the ship's name written on them everywhere. However, on the bow of the battleship, there were huge Arabic numerals, and the Nanjing was written with 12 black Arabic numerals.
This kind of number on the side of the ship is the ship number, which is a method "invented" by Wang Xinyu to count the grade of warships. For example, a battleship has a two-digit board number, and a cruiser and privateer have a three-digit number, with fourth-class ships starting with one, fifth-class ships starting with three, and privateers starting with seven. As for some of the smaller boats, they are all four-digit broadboards.
The fleet was anchored on Chongming Island, and Luo Zimu asked people to receive the brothers of the navy, but he personally took a boat to the opposite side to find Zhang Huangyan to report that the fleet had arrived.
The boat on which Luo Zimu rode entered the Huangpu River, and at the mouth of the Huangpu River, the Ming army built two forts. After the ship sailed into the Huangpu River, a huge shipyard could be seen at the mouth of the river. Sail further inside, on both sides are lined with wharves and wharf equipment, on the east and west banks of the Huangpu River, high-rise buildings have been built.
Although the advent of cement made it easier for builders to build taller buildings, in this era, a five- or six-storey building is already a great high-rise building. No matter how high it is, it is technically feasible, but because there is no automatic mechanical equipment, the cost of building it is too high, and there is no elevator, and it is tiring to climb the stairs.
At present, the buildings along the Huangpu River are all three- to six-story buildings, and such a tall building can definitely be called a high-rise building in this era.
At present, Zhang Huangyan lives in Shanghai, an emerging city, which is one of the most prosperous commercial and industrial cities, where both Nanyang companies and businessmen from all over the world have set up their own companies, built a large number of factories here, and is also an important port for the import and export of goods.
Because the waterway route from Hangzhou to Shanghai is too complicated, the Yangtze River Delta is a dense river network area, all kinds of rivers are as dense as spider webs, from Hangzhou, unless it is to take the Grand Canal is relatively straight, the route to Shanghai is too complicated, so Wang Xinyu decided to build the Shanghai-Hangzhou railway, has been ready to start.
"Our fleet has arrived?" When Zhang Huangyan heard the news, he immediately followed Luo Zimu's boat and boarded Chongming Island.
Seeing Zhang Yukun, Zhang Huangyan stepped forward and couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and said, "General Zhang! I don't know when I can let the fleet set sail to attack Jiangning? Our soldiers can't wait! ”
"The naval fleet can set off at any time, and as long as the land division is ready, it doesn't matter when the fleet departs. Take Jiangning and change back to Nanjing! Zhang Yukun said.
Zhang Huangyan stroked his beard and nodded: "The old man has also been preparing for war!" The army that is about to attack Jiangning is ready, one is on Chongming Island, one is in Suzhou, and one is in the Huzhou area. At that time, the three-way army will attack at the same time, advance by land and water, and recover Nanjing, which is just around the corner! ”
Zhang Yukun lowered his voice and whispered in Zhang Huangyan's ear: "Master Zhang, in fact, in Nanjing City, there is a dark line we have arranged!" We can capture Nanking at the lowest cost! ”
Zhang Huangyan was overjoyed: "When my Wang Shi breaks through Nanjing, it will be the day when Liang Huafeng will be crowned!" Seven years ago, the old man and Yanping were defeated in Nanjing, the four culprits of the Tartars, Liang Huafeng, Lang Tingzuo, Guan Xiaozhong and Jiang Guozhu, Lang Tingzuo was beheaded by our army four years ago, Guan Xiaozhong was sent to Ningguta by Shunzhi, Jiang Guozhu is in Shandong, we can't catch him, what we can catch is Liang Huafeng! Moreover, this Liang Huafeng was the first culprit who caused the fiasco of our army back then! ”
"We must capture Liang Huafeng alive! Can't let him die so easily! Zhang Yukun said.
After the Ming fleet arrived at Chongming Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the agents of the Heaven and Earth Society secretly sent a letter to Geng Jingzhong, who was stationed in Jiangning City, asking Geng Jingzhong to abandon the secret and surrender to the Ming, cooperate with the Ming army, and sacrifice Jiangning. (To be continued.) )