On Chongming Sand
Pine oil torches were lit all around, making crackling sounds in the air. The Han army made way for a passage, and the North Korean navy also dropped its weapons one after another and surrendered to Chen Han's army.
Jia Heng looked at Duduo, with a cold look in his eyes.
At this moment, Duduo also stared closely at the young man. He couldn't help but tighten the saber in his hand and said: "Jia Heng, please accept your fate!"
Jia Heng dragged the knife in his hand and rushed towards Duduo.
As he got closer, a pair of sword blades suddenly appeared, slashing in the air.
Along with the harsh sound of gold and iron clashing, sparks flew everywhere, and Duduo staggered as if he was struck by thunder. He felt an overwhelming force coming from the opponent's sword, and quickly moved towards the distance. He stepped back, and the saber in his hand had already flown high into the sky.
"Master, take the sword!"
Deng Biao, who was fighting with several Jurchen guards and the Han army, threw the knife in his hand towards Duduo. At this time, the Han army's junior high school saw this and stabbed Deng Biao with a spear.
"Puff, puff!!!"
Deng Biao froze on the spot, looking down at the spear on his abdomen, and wanted to say something, but after saying "ho ho", he finally fell to the ground with blood gurgling.
Duduo took the knife again, and with all his strength, he slashed hard at Jia Heng's leg.
"Dang!" Jia Heng's expression remained unchanged. The big knife in his hand collided with the knife in Duduo's palm, causing a piercing scream. This time, Duduo's knife did not fly away again.
Just like this, you come and I go, after about five rounds.
At this moment, the back of the knife swept towards Duduo's ribs. With a muffled groan, Duduo spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately fell to the ground.
Just as he was about to struggle to stand up with his arms, he felt that the cold blade was already close to his neck. He felt like a basin of cold water had been poured all over his body, and he looked at the boy in the python suit with bloodshot eyes.
"Duduo, could you have imagined that today would happen?" Jia Heng said.
Duduo's helmet had been swept aside by Jia Heng, and his hair in front of his braids was messy and hanging down. His face was gray and his pupils were bloodshot.
There was a ruthless look in Jia Heng's eyes, and he roared again and again, and hit the blade of the sword in Jia Heng's hand, but suddenly he heard a "pop" sound, and felt a sharp pain in his cheek, and the front teeth in his mouth were accompanied by He vomited out blood and water, then lay on the ground and didn't get up for a long time.
Jia Heng put away his sword and stood up, with a calm face, looking at Duduo with indifferent eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Come here, tie Duduo up, Liu Jixian, take him down and let someone guard him!"
Duduo regained some consciousness and cursed angrily: "Jia Heng, kid, kill me!"
Jia Heng ignored Duduo, looked at Ye Kai and Jia Fang, and asked, "Accept the surrender of the North Korean navy."
Then, several people tied up Dodo with ropes, shouting, "Be honest."
The North Korean navy, which still had sporadic resistance from all sides, watched Duduo being captured alive by Jia Heng, and completely stopped resisting, dropped its weapons, and surrendered to the officers and soldiers.
At this time, after listening to Jia Heng's inquiry, Jia Fang's eyes were full of reverence. She walked forward quickly, cupped her fists and said, "Commander Jie, Li Daoshun and the North Korean Navy Commander want to see Commander Jie."
Jia Heng nodded and asked, "Where are the people?"
At this moment, the North Korean naval commander, headed by Li Daoshun, who was not far away, handed over his weapons and walked over with bare hands.
"Li Daoshun, the general of the small country, has met Uncle Yongning of the superior country." Li Daoshun and several generals knelt down with a "pop" and kowtowed to Jia Heng.
Under the torch that was swaying in the wind, the young man in python suit had a frosty complexion and asked: "You are a vassal of my Han Dynasty and have been granted the title of imperial edict by my dynasty for many generations. Why did you invade the territory as a captive?"
Li Daoshun lowered his eyebrows and said: "North Korea is across the sea. We are recovering from Master Wang. For the sake of the survival of the Korean people, we dare not fight to the death against the Jurchens. I hope the general of the country will forgive me."
The answer was quite candid.
Jia Heng was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Jia Fang, help General Li get up."
These North Korean naval forces obviously cannot be put back and can serve as a leading party or even as a puppet army to instigate rebellion against North Korea again.
Looking at Li Daoshun and others, Jia Heng said coldly: "Liaodong has fallen, our Han army's king's division has not been seen in the fertile land thousands of miles away from the pass, and Korea, as a vassal country, can't support itself. You can be forgiven, but today we were captured by our Han army. You must serve my great man and make meritorious deeds."
Seeing this, Li Daoshun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The great powers of the Central Plains have always been gentle and gentle towards foreign countries like them.
"The big man is our sect master. Our country has been serving thieves and looking south to the king's master for many years." Li Daoshun said loudly.
It is obvious that the Lee family of Jeolla Province is deeply influenced by Chinese culture. At this moment, the answers were fluent, and in the end, even the voice was a little choked.
Jia Heng didn't take it seriously and said: "Jia Fang, take a few generals down to have a rest and wait to return to Jinling tomorrow."
It's sad to say that these are all targets of the United Front.
Then, Jia Heng looked at the Han army with torches like dragons and spears and halberds like a forest, and said solemnly: "Generals, listen to the order and camp on the island tonight."
"Yes." The voice of answering the order sounded in the fields, and the sound shook the mountains and forests.
Generals such as Zhen Shao, Zhen Zhu, and Cai Quan have not yet returned from chasing down the enemy invaders, and they have to wait for subsequent generals to come over and report the results of the battle.
In the Chinese army barracks built with reeds, oil lamps were lit, and two figures appeared inside.
Jia Heng entered the military tent, sat behind the commander's desk, picked up the map and looked at it. It also showed the direction of the Jurchen's troops, and he could catch a glimpse of Duduo's troops.
Chen Xiao looked at the young man and said softly: "This battle is almost over now."
Jia Heng put down the map in his hand, looked at the girl, and said: "We will be heading to Jinling tomorrow. After this time, the navy will need to be reorganized and reorganized, and more of the Hongyi cannons will need to be built to prepare for capture. "
After this battle, in Jinling, he was unparalleled in the army, and the meritorious generals could be promoted appropriately. After sorting out the loose ends, it was almost time to return to the court.
Come to think of it, the garden in Beijing should also be repaired.
Chen Xiao nodded and said: "We need to build more Hongyi cannons and firearms, so that we can have a better chance of winning in the future."
After this battle, I think my cousin became more and more relied upon by that person.
Jia Heng said: "I will write a memorial to report the victory first."
How to write this memorial also needs to be considered.
However, just as he was writing, the voice of Captain Jinyi came from outside the military tent, saying loudly: "Commander, General Zhen, General Cai is here."
Zhen Shao, Zhen Zhu and Cai Quan had previously gone to hunt down the fleeing Sihai Gang, Nujiao Gang and thirteen other pirate forces. Now it was getting late and they all led their troops back to Chongming Sand.
Jia Heng had just written a few words, put down his brush and said, "Let them in."
Not long after, they saw Cai Quan, Zhen Zhu and Zhen Shao opening the tent from the outside, and the strong smell of blood was poured in along with the autumn wind.
After all, Zhen Zhu had no chance to fight to the death, although he fought hard to kill the enemy while chasing the pirate's ship and suffered serious injuries.
"The last general has seen Uncle Yongning." The three generals said in unison.
Jia Heng left the desk and reached out to support him. With admiration in his eyes, he said, "Thank you for your hard work, three generals. Please get up quickly."
The three generals thanked them and left. Jia Heng asked: "The three generals pursued the other fleeing pirates. How is the battle going?"
Cai Quan said in a deep voice: "Commander Jie, many of the leaders of the Sihai Gang were killed by our army. Qindong has fallen into the hands of our army, and the last general has taken the head of this beast."
Jia Heng nodded and asked, "Where is General Zhen?"
Zhen Shao looked slightly shaken and replied: "The Nu Jiao Gang has been defeated and captured two thousand pirates. The giant owl and his gang fled to the sea on a fast boat."
During the Battle of Haimen, Shangguan Rui, the leader of the Nujiao Gang, was the first to escape. Now he also saw that the situation was not good and fled back towards the river mouth by boat.
Under Jia Heng's sharp gaze, Zhen Zhu's face looked a little unnatural, and he said in a deep voice: "The Jinsha Gang and the thirteen groups of pirates were also defeated by our army, and three thousand pirates were captured. The others took advantage of the darkness. Run away."
Jia Heng looked indifferent and said: "They can't run away. When the government troops are mobilized, we will catch them all."
With that said, he looked at the three generals and said: "Three generals, go have dinner first and keep the prisoners in custody until I can thank the generals for their merits later."
Zhen Shao was overjoyed when she heard Shang Shu's request for credit, but her face remained calm. Zhen Zhu looked at Jia Heng with less of the usual resentment.
After the three generals left the military tent, Chen Xiao whispered: "The only thing left is to send the navy to hunt down the pirates."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Yes."
After saying that, he came to the writing desk, picked up the brush, and prepared to continue writing the memorial.
Chen Xiao picked up the inkstone and polished it gently, and said softly: "It's not too late to start writing tomorrow morning. I've been tired all day."
"It's okay, strike while the iron is hot." Jia Heng smiled and whispered.
After writing for a while and briefly describing the battle report, Li Shu, the personal guard of Baihu, served the food and said: "Captain, dinner is here."
Jia Heng put down his brush, stared at Chen Xiao, and said warmly: "Xiaoxiao, eat first."
Chen Xiao said "hmm", and as Jia Heng took his seat, he raised his eyes and asked, "When do you plan to return to Beijing?"
Jia Heng thought for a while and said warmly: "If you stay for another half month, there is still the matter of the Lianghuai salt tax that needs to be dealt with. It's better to check what's going on in the north. If there is no intrusion, just stay in Jinling longer." a period of time."
Chen Xiao said: "The Jurchens originally used the chaos in the southeast to look for opportunities in the north, but now that Duduo has been captured alive, I think they will not start a war lightly in the north."
"It's hard to say." Jia Heng picked up a chopstick and put it into Chen Xiao's bowl, saying: "There is not much time left for the Jurchen, but it is unlikely that she will raise an army out of anger. If it is the beginning of next spring, maybe Come with an army that will overwhelm the country."
The defeat of Duduo and the Korean Navy must have shaken the Jurchens. According to Huang Taiji's temperament, he may have to be cautious, and the season is about to enter winter.
Chen Xiao pursed her glossy pink lips, feeling a warm feeling in her heart. She picked up the chopsticks and put them into her mouth, chewing them gently.
After the two of them finished eating, Jia Heng poured two cups of tea, handed it over and said, "Drink some tea."
Ever since he kissed Xiaoxiao that day, in his heart, she was already his.
At this moment, Li Shu, a member of the Jinyi bodyguard Baihu, entered the military tent and said, "Captain, the captives around Duduo want to see you."
Jia Heng said: "Oh? Duduo's retinue?"
"The people said that we are old friends with the governor." Li Shu replied.
At this moment, Wei Guang, the young novice monk of the Hulu Temple, accompanied by two guards in royal robes, looked at the military tent with orange lights on, feeling uneasy in his heart.
While eating just now, I heard some prisoners talking. For example, prisoners of the North Korean Navy would be sent to the mines for "reform through labor." If they were Han lackeys, they would still be punished for treason when they returned home, and treason was one of the ten worst crimes.
Instead of doing this, it would be better to vote for Uncle Heng. It turns out that he has a close relationship with the Jia family.
Jia Heng's expression paused slightly, he put down his chopsticks, looked at Chen Xiao, and said softly: "Let me see what's going on."
While they were talking, two guards in Jinyi escorted the young novice monk from the Calabash Temple into the military tent. He knelt down and said, "I've seen you before."
Jia Heng's face paused slightly, and he looked at the attendant. Naturally, his forehead was shaved, and the back turned into a pig's tail, which looked quite funny.
Wei Guang, the novice monk of Hulu Temple, said with a flattering smile on his face: "You may not recognize me, but I am an old friend of Yin Jiayucun of Jinling Prefecture, and Jiayucun is a disciple of your house."
Jia Heng looked at Wei Guang and said, "It is true that Jia Yucun was once a disciple of Jia's family. However, because he was a corrupt official and held an unfair position, I have alienated and expelled him. Who are you? How can I call you an old friend of Jia Yucun?" ?”
Since the fall of King Zhongshun, Jia Yucun is now following Qijun Wang Chen Cheng, who has not paid attention to Jia Yucun for some time.
Wei Guang said: "Sir, I met Jia Yucun when I was at the Calabash Temple, and I later moved to Jinling."
Jia Heng narrowed his eyes and said, "Calabash Temple?"
If we follow the settings of the original novel Red Mansions, this disciple will become a Jurchen official in the future, and then after the Qing army enters the customs, he will take revenge on Jia Yucun.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Get up first. Since you are a Han, why did you vote for Duduo?"
Wei Guang said with a bitter face: "I had no choice but to do so. I was sent to Ji Town to pour chamber pots and dig trenches for the soldiers. Later, when the Jurchens came, the army lost their beacons and some of our prisoners I voted for the Jurchens."
Jia Heng frowned and said coldly: "That's not the reason for your treason."
Seeing the unkind look on the face of the young man in python suit across from him, Wei Guang said quickly: "Uncle Heng, I have some bad intentions. Duduo had previously told me to tell the Jurchen country about the power of military firearms."
Hearing this, Jia Heng narrowed his eyes and said, "What do you mean?"
"The little one has the Eight Banners flag of Duduo on his body, and there is also a blood letter to prove it." Wei Guang whispered: "It is said that I want the little one to go to Liaodong to find the Jurchen Prince Dorgon to remind the government of the power of firearms."
Chen Xiao frowned and thought to himself, this man is really a groveling and capricious villain.
Jia Heng winked at the palace guard and found a token and a blood letter from his body.
Wei Guang was previously worried that if this thing was discovered, it would lead to death, so he decided to surrender to the army.
Jia Heng took the blood cloth and looked at it under the light. He couldn't understand the Jurchen language on it, but he believed Wei Guang's words 70% to 80%.
"What do you mean by dedicating this thing to me?"
Wei Guang knelt down again and said: "Brother Heng, please give me a way to survive. I had a miserable life experience and was homeless. I had no choice but to lose my virginity to a thief. Now that I have returned to Han, I hope you can give me a way to live."
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Get up first."
This Wei Guang is indeed somewhat clever. If the Jurchen is put back to serve as an eyeliner, he may be able to achieve certain results.
But this person is capricious and should not be trusted.
"You can be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape the living crime. If someone comes, please take him down first and wait until he is punished." Jia Heng's heart moved slightly and he made up his mind.
When Wei Guang heard this, his heart trembled and he said: "Brother Heng, the younger one..."
But without saying anything, he was dragged out of the Chinese army barracks by the Jinyi Mansion guards.
"Do you want to use this person as your wife?" Chen Xiao frowned and said softly.
"I know I can't hide it from Xiaoxiao." Jia Heng said softly, put down the token and blood cloth in his hand, and took the girl's hand naturally.
Chen Xiao snorted coldly, but broke away from Jia Heng's hand. A slight blush appeared on his snow-white cheeks. He picked up the flag talisman and blood cloth that Jia Heng had placed on the table and said, "But if this person goes If you kill the Jurchens, there is no doubt that it will happen again, and then the Jurchens will send you false information in turn, which will mislead your judgment in future wars."
Jia Heng said: "Xiaoxiao really knows the art of war, so I'm still hesitant and thinking of other ways."
Even if he only has time, he will not just listen to one source of news, but will send several spies who do not intersect with each other, and then confirm each other's news.
Chen Xiao nodded and said, "As long as you have an idea."
Nothing more to say all night.
The next day, Jia Heng left two thousand naval forces stationed at Chongming Sands to meet the naval forces in Denglai and Fuzhou. He then led the naval forces in the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps and escorted the prisoners back to the Weigang camp in Tongzhou. , stopped for a while, and headed towards Yangzhou.
…
…
Jinling
The clouds were overcast, and at some point, the sky started to rain. It fell on the bluestone pavement on the streets of Jinling City, causing dust to fly everywhere. The autumn wind blew up the restaurant's walls, making them "squeak" and "squeak" every now and then. "Squeak" sound.
There were few pedestrians on the street in front of the rows of houses. Occasionally, people pushing wheelbarrows passed by in the rain.
Liangjiang Governor-General's Office
In the courtyard, rainwater flowed down along the green eaves roof tiles, and thousands of threads hung like bead curtains, while the front hall was filled with officials from the Six Ministries of Nanjing.
As Jia Heng led his troops to Chongming Sand, all officials in Jinling City focused their attention on the battle at Haimen. As time passed, various rumors began to ring in the streets and alleys of Jinling City.
What, Yong Ningbo has been defeated, fled to the north of the Yangtze River, and all the navy was destroyed.
What, Duduo has already led his troops into Tongzhou Weigang, and Tongzhou Weigang is a sea of fire.
Such rumors permeated the city of Jinling, causing the gentry in the city to be startled!
A conservative estimate is that in the past two days, seventy or eighty wealthy businessmen and officials took boats to Xiangyang Mansion in Huguang to avoid trouble.
The Governor of Liangjiang, Shen Fang, was wearing a crimson official robe. He was sitting in the reception room on the west side of the official hall. Under the light of candlelight, he said in a deep voice: "My lords, you came to my Governor's Yamen very early in the morning. I don't know why. ?”
At this time, Lin Yingqi, the minister of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, cleared his throat and said in a clear voice: "Everyone, Uncle Yongning is too young to send troops so rashly. Once defeated, our old capital of Jinling will be in danger. He is so ignorant of the interests and is worthy of being a leader of the military." Heavy?"
It was said before that Jia Heng was sitting on the navy, but it was still this group of officials who avoided fighting, and it is still these officials now.
"Yongning Bo has more than 10,000 naval troops, and the enemy has 50,000 naval troops. How can he defeat this?" Fang Yaochun, the gray-haired Imperial College minister, shook his head and sighed.
Yuan Tu, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, said: "It does not mean that the naval reinforcements from Fuzhou and Denglai are already on the way. We can wait a few days to send troops. Then it will be safer."
Fang Yaochun said: "Mr. Yuan, the previous reinforcements from Zhejiang Dusi were defeated by the bandits. The navy in these two places may not be able to help."
Shen Fang said: "Everyone, I still have tens of thousands of troops in Jinling. Even if Yongningbo is defeated, Jinling City will still be as safe as a rock. What's more, there are elite soldiers from all provinces coming to help in an emergency. Don't worry."
Military affairs are always dangerous. If Yongningbo is defeated and the bandits approach Jinling, he will just stick to Jinling and die with the city.
The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the rough waves know the loyal ministers.
Shen Fang's words did not comfort these old bureaucrats who had been in high and low official positions for many years. They all sighed and looked gloomy.
At this moment, a loud voice suddenly came from outside, saying: "Great victory, great victory!"
Everyone in the official hall looked at each other, confused at first, and then as if they saw a ghost.
Shen Fang looked calm and calm, and said in a deep voice: "What's going on? Chief Bai will go and have a look."
The chief secretary, Bai Sixing, took the order and left the official hall, and ordered a messenger to ask questions on the street. However, a red-feathered messenger came riding a fast horse in the rain and said loudly: "Uncle Yongning defeated the Korean Navy at Chongming Sands." , a great victory for the army and the army! A great victory!"
The officer had just arrived under the eaves of the corridor. Hearing this, he was startled and quickly turned over to report. However, because of his panic, he almost tripped when he passed the calf-high threshold of the Governor's Yamen, while other officers were already heading towards the inner room. Shouted: "Great victory! Great victory for the army and the army!"
At this moment, the news of Jia Heng's victory spread like a whirlwind throughout Jinling City, blowing towards the bustling teahouses and wine shops.
Jinling is the economic and cultural center of the southern province. It has an open atmosphere. Not only are there many high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but there are also many scholars. At this moment, many people are paying attention to the water battle between the Han army and the Japanese invaders. This matter was brought up during the meeting, and even the number of people in the naval division of Jiangnan and Jiangbei was spread.
Fifteen thousand people versus fifty thousand people, how to fight this battle?
At this moment, above the restaurant with the plaque "Yiranju", there is a three-story private room facing the street. The tables and chairs are elegantly arranged and filled with cups, bowls, chopsticks and plates.
Fang Kuang, son of Fang Yaochun, who was offering wine at the Imperial Academy, was talking to Du Ding, Ruan Yin, Xiang Shizhang, Wang Guo and others among the Six Horsemen of Jinling.
Ruan Yin put down the tea cup in his hand, thinking on his red cheeks, and asked with emotion or inquiry: "The navy from the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps went to Tongzhou to defend the port. I don't know how to fight this battle. It's been two or three days, and it's still... No news."
Du Ding muttered: "Fifteen thousand versus fifty thousand. After all, Uncle Yongning is young and has been influenced by some public opinions in Jinling."
"The impeachment memorial in Jinling was delivered to Beijing like snow flakes. It would be impossible if we did not send troops." Xiang Shizhang smiled softly and said: "Otherwise, if we hold on in Jinling and the enemy invaders run out of food and grass, Denglai and Fuzhou will It will be more secure if the navy supports us."
As Xiang Shizhang spoke, he looked at Fang Kuang and asked, "Brother Fang, I heard that the second and fourth masters of the Zhen family have gone to the Jiangbei camp."
Everyone else stopped drinking cups of wine in their hands and cast curious glances at Fang Kuang.
The Zhen family is indeed a top-notch family in Jinling, with two princesses, and the four Zhen brothers span the political, business, and military circles. The four Zhen sisters, in addition to the two princesses, and Lanxi are talented girls from a family of officials in the south of the Yangtze River. .
Fang Kuang looked indifferent and said: "As Uncle Yongning went to Tongzhou Weiport, there was no news yet, but now there is a buzz in the city that Uncle Yongning is going to suffer a defeat."
It will not be easy for the Zhen family to turn around after this war, and signs of decline are already evident.
According to his father, it is best to find a way to cancel the previous marriage, but if Zhen Lan is willing to be his concubine...
Fang Kuang suppressed some secret thoughts in his heart, shook his head and said: "Uncle Yongning was clearly dazzled by the last victory at Haimen. It is not that easy to defeat more with less. Now Jinling is exposed to Under the enemy's attack."
Xiang Shizhang nodded and said: "Uncle Yong Ning cannot withstand the public opinion of Jinling Prefecture, so he comes out hastily. With this defeat, I am afraid that Jinling will be in danger of losing his eggs."
"Don't worry about this. There are still 40,000 to 50,000 people in the Jinling Jiangnan camp, and the guards from all over the two rivers will rush to Jinling City to help." Seeing that the expressions of several people were not good, Du Ding said comfortingly.
However, while everyone was discussing, bursts of cheers suddenly came from downstairs.
Several people in the box looked at each other, and Du Ding ordered the waiter: "Go and ask the guy what's going on."
Not long after, the servant came back and said with a smile on his face: "My lords, I heard that Uncle Yongning defeated the bandits at Chongming Sand and captured the Jurchen Prince Duduo, and achieved a great victory."
Fang Kuang's face changed slightly, and he murmured: "How is it possible? How can fifteen thousand naval forces achieve a complete victory?"
However, at this moment, everyone was looking at each other, but no one responded to Fang Kuang's doubts. Instead, they sent someone to inquire about the details of the war.
Not only the Six Horsemen of Jinling, but also the bureaucrats and gentry in Jinling City who had been discussing for several days and paying close attention to the war, all sent people to inquire about the details of the victory of the army.
How is this possible that 15,000 naval forces defeated 50,000 Jurchen naval forces? Could it be a fake military report? Or was it that when reinforcements from Fuzhou and Denglai arrived, the Jurchens retreated and escaped to the sea?
But as time passed, details were gradually revealed, and the news that the Jurchen Prince Dodo was captured alive undoubtedly further confirmed the authenticity of the news of the great victory.
Capturing the Jurchen Prince alive cannot be faked.
(End of chapter)
