Pinghai County.
East China Sea Barrier Base Camp.
Lu Yulong’s hand fell on the Baekje Peninsula.
"There are more than 70,000 Xingluo people in the peninsula, and Xiao Zheng's Japanese army is more than 19,000 people, as well as a huge number of war horses. The daily consumption of so many people and horses is a huge number."
"Now the mountains in the north are blocked by heavy snow, and the Beihai Customs has been cut off by Japanese pirates. We don't know when the land route will be restored. Therefore, grain, grass and weapons can only be transported by sea."
He looked up at Li Hebai and said, "Hebai, would you like to be one of the food protection teams?"
"It seems that the danger of this mission is higher than simply guarding the waters off Huayang County."
Li Hebai hesitated for a moment.
He understood what Lu Yulong meant.
Not only is Yun Chui now aware of the plight of the Starfall Legion in Baekje, but the Japanese pirates may also be well aware of it.
Maybe the reason why they took a big detour to raid Beihaiguan was because they wanted to starve the Xingluo Legion and Xiao Zhengping's Japanese army to death first.
Therefore, as soon as the grain transport ship goes to sea, it will encounter obstacles halfway.
Lu Yulong laughed, "Fortunately, after fighting for so long, there are not many Japanese pirates left."
Doi Yuuto had already brought out a group before, and later Masato Nei brought countless battleships to the north. However, Ishikawa Taki had to leave some to guard the door of his home, so as not to be wiped out by the East China Sea Barrier.
Therefore, the Japanese pirates who came out to obstruct the owners of grain-carrying ships should not be too strong.
"The number of warships they sent may be quite large, but the officers and soldiers on each ship should be novices who have just come from the mainland, or even ordinary people who are boarding the ship for the first time."
Li Hebai's eyes lit up.
"In this case, it will be a good opportunity for our Zhennanguan fleet to practice."
Zhennanguan had fought with the Nanfeng Navy before. But after all, Nanfeng is a land country. It has a navy but it is not strong. It is not the same as a purely maritime country like the Japanese pirates.
"General Lu, I think this food protection team's mission is more suitable for us."
Speaking of this, Li Hebai's eyes flashed.
More than a year ago, the Xingluo Legion moved northward from Guangxin County.
At that time, he rushed to the Yingshan Camp to say goodbye. At that time, Li Hebai had thought about when he would be able to fight side by side with his brother-in-law Ren Ning or the Starfall Army again.
Unexpectedly, my dream is right in front of me now.
"Very good!" Lu Yulong patted him on the shoulder happily, "The general really saw the right person."
"After the fleet completes its supplies, you should go north to Huayang County Pier as soon as possible. The grain transport ship will soon appear there to receive the grain, and then go to sea with the wind."
"Understood." Li Hebai nodded in agreement.
He was a little curious.
"General, I remember that your Jade Dragon Fleet has been advancing and retreating with Uncle Xiao's Japanese army these years. Why don't you go there together this time while transporting food?"
Ha ha.
Lu Yulong laughed heartily.
"Our fleet has been in Baekje for more than three years, and many brothers are suffering from homesickness. It's hard to come back this time. While repairing the ship and replenishing the troops, we should also have a good time at home during the New Year."
He was smiling, but there was a hint of gloom in his eyes.
After all, the Yulong Fleet is a fleet under the barrier of the East China Sea. Lu Yulong must accept the command and dispatch of his commander Lu Fuhai no matter where he is.
Under normal circumstances, if Lu Fuhai asked him to stay, Lu Yulong would have to stay; if Lu Fuhai asked him to leave, Lu Yulong would have to leave immediately no matter how broken the boat was or how few people there were.
When the East China Sea Barrier left Baekje, it had already left Wan Shilei's Panshi Fleet with Xiao Zheng, so Lu Fuhai probably would not send the Jade Dragon Fleet over this time when he returned.
Thinking about it, Lu Yulong was a little lost.
Especially when he thought of the secret letter that his son Lu Ping'an sent from Dinghai Pier a few days ago, he felt like sitting on pins and needles.
There is actually a prince in Xingji City who, for his own personal gain, intends to let the East China Sea Barrier release water to the Japanese pirates, allowing the enemies to come ashore to cause harm to the people...
Although there is no evidence to prove this man's identity.
But Lu Yulong knew who the prince was who had a close personal relationship with the East China Sea Barrier without even thinking about it.
King Qi, Chen Xiuzhu!
But Chen Xiuzhu is still the best son in the eyes of Emperor Changxing, and may be Yun Chui's next emperor.
The more Lu Yulong thought about it, the more he became confused...
Ahem.
Li Hebai coughed several times.
"General, General Lu?"
"What's the matter?" Lu Yulong came back to his senses.
"The grain transport ship is here, and the grain protection team is in place, but where does the grain come from?" Li Hebai was curious, "Will the Ministry of Household Affairs send out help?"
Speaking of this, he burst out laughing.
Xingluo is the most powerful legion in Yunchui, so there are many popular people.
Therefore, Wei Junqian's ridiculous past stories are spread tirelessly among the major legions.
Qian Liang, the Minister of Household Affairs, is actually Wei Junqian's father-in-law.
However, more than twenty years ago, Wei Junqian was still a middle-level general in the Xingluo Legion who could not stand out. Although he and his daughter are in love with each other, the dignified Minister of Household Affairs naturally looks down on such a small person.
Wei Junqian was also bold. After he came to propose marriage and was rejected, he no longer cared about the matchmaker's marriage and directly abducted the family's eldest daughter.
Later, the girl from the Qian family became pregnant. Qian Liang, who was eager to love his daughter, had to hold his nose and admit the marriage, but he also hated Wei Junqian because of it.
The father-in-law and son-in-law are now considered prominent figures in Yun Chui, but they are always at odds with each other and can't help but glare at each other whenever they meet.
However, Qian Liang was still a minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs with a clear distinction between public and private matters. No matter how much he resented Wei Junqian in his heart, he never felt sorry for the Starfall Army in terms of food, grass, or other supplies.
But in the final analysis, in addition to Qian Liang, things from the Ministry of Revenue also need the permission of Emperor Changxing, and the procedures for dispatching them are cumbersome and lengthy. If Baekje is in a hurry to ask for food to save lives, it may not be useful for a while.
Lu Yulong naturally knew this, and his face looked a little strange.
"Food, as long as you wait for a while, it will come naturally. After you get there, just clear out the channel outside Dinghai Pier."
"Understood." Li Hebai nodded in agreement.
He glanced at the East China Sea on the map.
Except for a few ships, almost all of the fleet brought by Doi Yuto were sunk by the East China Sea barrier or rammed and sunk off the coast of Huayang County.
The water there is neither too deep nor too shallow. If the remains of those sunken ships are not cleaned up or marked, it will be very dangerous for large ships to travel in the future.
————
Guangxin County.
Ren Ning was a person who couldn't sit still. After a few days of tenderness with his two wives, he became busy again.
"How much grain and land have we purchased in Huayang County now?"
"Go back to the general, as per your instructions, as long as someone sells the grain, we will take whatever amount is available."
"The local tycoons are so stupid that they wouldn't have known that they had hoarded so much food without this acquisition. Every year during the lean years, the people in many parts of the empire are so hungry that they can only eat dirt."
Butler Zou Dahe cursed angrily before flipping through the notes in his hand.
"As for the fields..."
"According to the latest data received, your sworn brother Miao Xia has purchased 40% of the fertile land on both sides of Huayang County Yi Road. The rest are either not sold by the landowners or the price is inappropriate."
"In addition, Dinghai Wharf has a total of eleven roads leading to surrounding counties. We have acquired a lot of fertile land on both sides of each road, but the proportion is not high, only a little more than 30%."
Speaking of this, Zou Dahe looked a little ashamed.
"General, we really don't have enough money, so we can only buy the best ones."
"But the remaining fields seem to have been sold by the Zhenguo Palace and the Grand Master's Palace." He added.
"Well done." Ren Ning was very satisfied.
"Enough grain is left for the tenant farmers in the coming year, and the rest is ready to be weighed and loaded on trucks and then shipped to Dinghai Terminal."
"That's right." Ren Ning smiled slightly, "Remember to report to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs. We sold the grain out of kindness, but we will have to ask them for money in the future."
Zou Dahe grinned, "Understood."
Ren Ning asked him some more questions before letting him leave. He himself looked at the Baekje Peninsula on the map and couldn't help but frown again.
The Beihai Customs does not know how long the fight will take. The little food received in Huayang County alone may not be enough.
(End of chapter)
