On March 25, when a strong southeasterly wind blew, a large fleet of ships began to sail northward on the Xijiang waterway between Xiangshan County and Xinhui County in Guangzhou Prefecture.
This fleet is mainly composed of sand ships that can sail on inland rivers and offshore waters. They are all merchant ships that travel between Macau and the hinterland of Guangdong on weekdays. When Zhu Heji invaded Macau, these merchant ships were either parked in the Guanzha River or in the Haojiang Inner Harbor. So they were all blocked by the Qiu family's old lock ship and couldn't escape, and now they are all being dragged together to "attack Guangzhou and destroy the Shang family"!
Attacking Guangzhou and destroying the Shang family was the slogan proposed by Zhu Hexin... It can also be called a threat or a lie.
In short, every wooden boat in this fleet is hung with various flags with the words "Attack Guangzhou, destroy Shangjia".
On the land on the east bank of the Xijiang waterway where the fleet sailed, there were groups of Jinyi soldiers or Qiu family officers and soldiers advancing on foot. In addition to their own flags, they also held the flag of "attack Guangzhou and destroy the Shang family".
The heads of the townships and towns that the army met along the way were all informed of the news that Zhu San Taisun was going to Guangzhou to destroy the Shang family and avenge the millions of Cantonese people who died tragically under Shang Kexi's butcher knife.
Of course, at the same time, there will be a special person to promote to them the good policy of Zhu San Taisun's "the world is for the common good and the world is unified", and to demonstrate the power of sugar bombs... As one hundred years old walls are hollowed out with explosives The candy bomb collapsed and exploded, and the anger buried in the hearts of the Guangdong people against Shang Kexi's brutal rule was finally ignited!
As the army continues to advance towards the capital city of Guangzhou, the number of people in this "Fushigong Army" is also increasing!
When the "Vashang Army" moved along a waterway in Shunde County from the Xijiang River to the lower reaches of the Beijiang River, the number of rebels marching on land on both sides of the waterway in Xiangshan and Shunde counties exceeded 20,000!
If you include the soldiers who set out from Macau, the total strength of this army of Conquerors has reached 60,000. It is really mighty!
Standing on the stern deck of a Portuguese-style galley that serves as the flagship of the fleet, looking at the marching teams on both sides of the strait with their heads wrapped in red cloth, Zhu and Ji felt like they were taking off, as if they were about to spread their wings and fly to Guangzhou Fucheng is now in charge.
"What does it mean to be well-behaved and have many supporters, but to be unrighteous is to have few help? Look, this is what it means to be well-behaved and have many supports, and to be unrighteous is to have few help... Military advisor, it seems that by the time we arrive at Guangzhou Fucheng, the number of our army will exceed 100,000, right?" ? If my Jinyi personal army reaches ten thousand, I will be invincible. If I have one hundred thousand, where in the world can I not go?"
Zhuge Military Advisor standing next to him waved his goose feather fan and said: "If a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers attack the city of Guangzhou, people like Shang Keke and Shang Kele may flee... Then we can win without a fight." Got Guangfu!"
Da Bo Ling also followed Zhu Heji and said with a smile: "If the slave is Shang Keai or Shang Kele, he will definitely abandon the city and leave. The Shang family has killed countless people in Guangdong for more than 20 years. , all Cantonese people hate it to the core. If Guangzhou is broken by us, how can the Shang family survive? It is better to run away early, maybe a few more people can survive."
As the great steward of tens of thousands of people, Mr. Guo now has a high position of authority and can stand with Zhu Heji, Zhuge Sanhe, and Da Boling. He immediately agreed with a smile: "Isn't it right, the dog of Xiangshan County?" The officers and soldiers all fled, and the two old thieves Shang Keai and Shang Kele might also run away."
Zhu Heji sneered: "If Shang Keai and Shang Kele abandon the city, it will be difficult for us to conquer Guangdong. If they gather their troops and defend Guangzhou, that will be in line with my son's wishes!"
"Sir," Qiu Rong, who was also on the galley riding the wind at this time, heard Zhu Heji's words and said with some confusion, "this Guangzhou city has high walls and strong walls, and there is Cidu on Pearl Island in the south of the city. Temple fort, there is a square fort on Yuexiu Mountain in the north of the city, it is not easy to fight, if we can do it without fighting, why not go to the top?"
Guangzhou is indeed a fortified city that is difficult to capture. The terrain alone is a headache. There is the Pearl River on both sides to the southwest and Yuexiu Mountain to the north. Only the east side is flat, making it easy to attack.
Moreover, Shang Kexi built a square fort on Yuexiu Mountain in the north of Guangzhou, and also converted Cidu Temple on Haizhu Island in the Pearl River in the south of Guangzhou into a fort. Protected by two forts, one in the south and one in the north, the city's defenses in Guangzhou became stronger.
It's really impossible to defeat ordinary enemies, but Zhu Heji is extraordinary, he has "demon magic and sweet medicine"!
Zhu Heji shook his head and said with a smile: "What's so difficult about attacking Guangzhou? No matter how strong the forts at Cidu Temple and Yuexiu Mountain are, can they still compare with the St. Paul's Fortress? Once these two forts are obtained, Guangzhou City cannot be defended at all. .
The thirty-six red barbarian cannons and Portuguese artillery on the St. Paul's Fortress were all brought with us by the army, and the Portuguese craftsmen from the Bugalao Artillery Factory also came with their equipment and materials. Moreover, we also have sugar pills and flower hammers. Guangzhou's little city defense is simply vulnerable!
If these two old fools Shang Keai and Shang Kele can gather all the Qingyao from Guangfu, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and even Shaozhou to Guangzhou, then we can't conquer the villages of Guangfu and various counties, as well as Zhaoqing without any blood. , Huizhou, Shaozhou and other places were won? This is how you become fat in one bite! "
"Then how can we join forces and attack Guangzhou together?" Qiu Rong was a little puzzled. "Except for the towns along the river, and Xiangshan County, which Qingyao abandoned, we didn't divide our forces to capture it!"
Zhuge Sanhe smiled and said: "Xueshi Qiu, we joined forces and even made a big show of saying that we would attack Guangzhou and destroy the Shang family, just to scare the two old men Shang Keai and Shang Kele. As long as they are afraid, they will attack each other. All the troops and horses in the area will be transferred back to Guangzhou to save their lives. In this way, all the counties and villages in Guangfu and the forts garrisoned by green battalions will be empty. It will be very easy for us to divide our troops to capture them."
Zhu Heji nodded and said: "This is called the strategy of encircling the city from the countryside... Most of the coolies we recruited in Macao and Xiangshan came from Guangfu, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and other places. The Gu family has already arranged them according to the registration system. The county organized 20 teams of rural warriors. After the army arrived at Guangzhou and established a stronghold, dozens of elite soldiers could be divided and asked to take these 20 teams of rural warriors to capture each team. hometown.”
"High!" Before Zhu Heji finished speaking, Qiu Rong had already provoked his thumb and shouted loudly, "If all the soldiers of the Shang family retreated to Guangzhou, then the rest of the city would be an empty city, relying on a few dog officers and some strong people. Tuan Ding, if we resist our soldiers? If we capture all the counties in Guangfu, Zhaoqing, and Huizhou, how can Guangzhou, an isolated city, be able to hold on like this? When Guangzhou is also captured by us, then we will capture the whole city. The best piece of land in Guangdong!”
Zhuge Sanhe shook his goose-feather fan and added: "Another advantage of taking Guangzhou in the end is that it can leave some illusions to Old Thief Shang and Young Thief Xuan Ye, making them think that we have conquered the city... ..In this way, troops will not be immediately mobilized for reinforcements. As long as we are given a month or even half a month, most of Guangzhou Prefecture and parts of Huizhou and Zhaoqing can be captured, and we can capture them completely!"
Completely taking over and simply occupying the county seat and planting a flag are not the same concepts.
What Zhu Heji wanted to "completely win" was to put the foundation of the political power into the rural capital! In addition, reforms such as land equalization, tax equalization, service equalization, and school running must be completed. The sugar, brewing, ironware, money, and finance of the Pearl River Delta must be completely controlled through technology transfer and upstream and downstream integration through the Macao Commercial Port and the five factories in the southeast, northwest, and northwest. industry, but also to control the supply of gunpowder to each township in the Pearl River Delta. You can even use the "miraculous garlic" to set up the "Original Confucian Health Clinic". Integrate the land, population, wealth, and resources of the Pearl River Delta from all aspects to form a joint force against the Qing Dynasty!
Thinking of this, Zhu Heji smiled and said to his left and right: "As long as we win the best land in Guangdong, our situation will be completely opened up... When we meet Wu Sangui from Yunnan, most likely They will also be unable to resist and rebel, and then our big thing will be done!"
