Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 231 War Cloud

The actions of Jin Shengheng's troops became more and more obvious, and Bai Yingtu in Jiangbei also seemed to have received secret information. After receiving the news that Jin Shengheng was preparing to attack Nanzhili, Bai Yingtu built a fort at the Guazhou ferry in Yangzhou and transferred Geng Zhongming's navy to Guazhou.

Although Geng Zhongming was defeated by Shen Tingyang in the last naval battle, he has not been idle these days. He has requisitioned ships and recruited sailors. The military strength has been restored to its previous level, but it is still unknown how much combat power there is now that the personnel and ships have arrived.

Meng Jun has gradually felt the pressure from Jiangbei and Xiuning, Jiangxi. Meng Jun still feels that the Qing army is definitely stronger than Jin Shengheng. To be on the safe side, Meng Jun dispatched the Wuwei army led by the surrendered general Gao Jinku to station in Zhenjiang to assist in the defense of Bai Yongfu and Yanjiang with more than 30,000 troops to protect Nanjing.

He also sent Qian Biao's troops to garrison in Xuancheng first, and at the same time ordered the shogunate to begin preparations for war. After the order was issued, shogunate officials began to count food, weapons, arrows, armor, etc. At the same time, Meng Jun ordered Lin Shiqi to send scouts to explore the terrain, collect intelligence, and arrange logistical support, from medical treatment to the placement of the wounded and sick, from the feeding of war horses to the preparation of transportation tools.

The entire shogunate began to operate slowly and majestically like a huge machine. Every day, messengers and clerks of the shogunate came in and out of the government office in an endless stream, sometimes even blocking the gates. Government orders were issued to various cities and counties, recruiting laborers, transporting food and fodder, requisitioning livestock, and so on.

While Meng Jun was working hard, Jin Shengheng and Li Chengdong were contacting each other more and more frequently. They could no longer wait and did not want to pay attention to the news from Wang Huacheng, Jin Bao and Ma Jixiang. Military preparations in Guangdong and Jiangxi were also being rapidly raised.

At this time, Han Xiong in Fuzhou had already felt the pressure from the Fujian-Guangdong border, and immediately sent his deputy general Zhao Erchun to lead a battalion of 3,000 soldiers from Kewu Town and Li Xiu's own 3,000 soldiers to garrison at Fenshui Pass in Zhao'an County, Zhangzhou Prefecture.

Fenshuiguan Pass is located in a high and steep terrain, and is the main transportation route from Fujian to Chaozhou and Shantou in Guangdong. It has always been the main route from Guangdong to Fujian, and the words "the first pass in southern Zhangzhou" are inscribed on the gate.

At the same time, in order to guard against Jiangxi, Han Xiong sent another battalion of soldiers to Chong'an County, Shangrao. There is also a water diversion pass here, but it is generally called Daguan by the locals.

Daguan, located in Qianshan, Shangrao, is the boundary between Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. It is located on the northwest watershed of Chong'an County, Fujian, and borders Qianshan County, Jiangxi. It is the key point between Fujian and Jiangxi, a transportation hub and a place of contention for military strategists. It is an important pass on the Tea Horse Road.

The east side of Daguan is Donglu Mountain, which is nearly 400 meters high, and the west side is Wangfu Mountain, which is also unreachable. The north of the mountain is steep and steep, with lush bamboo and trees. Therefore, Daguan is known as the "first pass into Fujian" and has always been a place of contention for military strategists.

Fujian is protected by important passes on three sides. If it had a strong navy, Fujian would be easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it would not be a problem to occupy it for ten years.

Since ancient times, attacks on Fujian have generally been carried out by both land and sea. The navy, as the main force, transports the army directly to the land, while the land route is only to contain the Fujian army. As for the land route, Han Xiong is not afraid of Li Chengdong's attack, but the navy is Han Xiong's weak point.

When Zhang Cunren ruled Fujian in the past, he had organized a navy several times, but they were all destroyed by the Zheng family. After Han Xiong entered Fuzhou, he had also been preparing to build a navy, but time was still short and there was a shortage of both soldiers and ships. In the coastal provinces of Fujian, there were not even ten large ships, only some small boats used by fishermen. For Han Xiong at this time, this was like a drop in the bucket.

As for Han Xiong, it was not his wish to go to war with Li Chengdong. He still had a trace of attachment to the Ming Dynasty in his heart. Now that the north was not pacified, he did not want to start a civil war. But on the other hand, Meng Jun valued Han Xiong very much. Han Xiong was grateful to Meng Jun, which made Han Xiong's hair fall out because of his worry these days.

Regarding the threat posed by Li Chengdong's Guangdong navy, Han Xiong knew that Meng Jun's navy was not strong enough and had to block the Yangtze River, which would not quench his thirst. Han Xiong thought hard and finally decided to ask the Zheng family for help with a try-it attitude.

At this time, Zheng Chenggong had led his army to besiege Taiwan Fort, and Chikan had been conquered by Zheng Chenggong, although the Dutch East India Company's Batavia Governor's Office (located in present-day Jakarta, Indonesia) had sent warships to Taiwan's aid.

However, under the tactics of Zheng's army's dense warships, the "Hector" was sunk and the "Via" was damaged, and they later raised the flag of surrender. After Zheng Chenggong defeated the Dutch reinforcements, he built earthen platforms around Taiwan City and besieged the Dutch colonial army.

After receiving Han Xiong's letter for help, Zheng Chenggong was hesitant. He was wary of Meng Jun. He admired his feat of conquering the Southern Capital, but was dissatisfied with his unauthorized declaration of kingship. But in comparison, Zheng Chenggong hated Li Chengdong more. Li Chengdong was the culprit who forced the death of the two emperors Longwu and Shaowu, and his fickleness made Zheng Chenggong even more disdainful.

After thinking for a long time, Zheng Chenggong agreed to Han Xiong's request, but he was only willing to send more than ten warships to patrol the Minjiang River to prevent Li Chengdong's surprise attack. He scoffed at Han Xiong's idea of intercepting Li Chengdong's navy.

After receiving Zheng Chenggong's reply, Han Xiong felt mixed feelings. He was happy that Zheng Chenggong actually agreed to provide support, but he was worried that these more than ten warships could only serve as an early warning and could not intercept Li Chengdong for him. Helpless, Han Xiong could only step up the recruitment of soldiers and military training on the one hand, and send fast horses to Nanjing to request reinforcements on the other.

The horses traveled day and night and arrived in Jinling. The city was bustling. Although the shadow of war loomed over Jinling, it also brought a different kind of vitality to the city. The market in the city was unusually prosperous due to the busy preparations for war. On both sides of the street, there were shops lined up, flags fluttering, and the cries of vendors could be heard one after another.

Food and fodder are the primary supplies in war, so long queues formed in front of grain shops as people rushed to buy food. When the war broke out, people rushed to buy food in order to increase their own reserves just in case.

The herbal medicine shop also ushered in the peak season. Various herbs were placed in categories, and doctors were busy preparing prescriptions to prepare for the upcoming war. Hemostatic powder, wound medicine, and other medicines became hot items.

In addition, cloth shops and chariot shops were also crowded with people. In cloth shops, women were busy sewing military uniforms, and in chariot shops, craftsmen were repairing and making chariots to transport supplies.

Meng Jun looked at Han Xiong's letter of help in his hand, and his heart sank. He knew the predicament Han Xiong was facing, but at the moment he could not spare enough troops to rush to Fujian. Because most of his troops had already been deployed in the upcoming war, and he had no time to spare. And the 300,000 troops that Jin Shengheng claimed to have, no matter how strong they were or whether they were elite, the number alone was already daunting.

Although Meng Jun was confident in Gu Yanwu, facing such a large number, how could Meng Jun dare to underestimate the enemy? Meng Jun could only say in his reply to Yu Hanxiong: "Fujian is a strategic place, and you are the pillar of our army. Now the enemy is strong, and I cannot withdraw reinforcements. I hope you will hold on to Fujian and wait for my reinforcements to arrive. After we defeat the Jin thieves, we will reunite with you."