Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 108 Before the War

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The next day, Li Fu informed Master Liu of the news from Guangzhou that the government was planning a second crackdown. He also showed Liu Ye the government's strategy for this bandit suppression.

Liu Ye realized the importance of the problem and summoned everyone involved in the war to discuss how to deal with the army's advance. However, he excluded Sun Yuanhua—after all, it was a war against the imperial court, and it would be awkward for everyone to involve him.

After reviewing the bandit suppression strategy that we had painstakingly obtained, Yan Guang said, "The army of 15,000 includes 6,000 combat soldiers, all of whom are the main force of their respective battalions. They are far superior to the garrison troops and local militias, and should not be underestimated."

Yan Guang judged from the quality of the soldiers: "Apart from the expulsion of the Penghu red hairy men during the Tianqi era, the Guangdong garrison troops have been at peace for a long time and are only slightly stronger than the garrison troops. If we have three thousand soldiers, we can be evenly matched. If we have five thousand, we can win the battle."

Shi Ying sighed, "It's a pity that Qiongzhou has a small population, making it too difficult to recruit suitable soldiers."

“You might want to take a closer look at the attack route in the strategy: organize a large army to cross the sea, assemble in Qiongshan, and attack by land. The Guangdong navy will act according to circumstances, and Tang Yunwen’s naval force in Baisha Village, Qiongzhou, will be responsible for blocking the waterways. What does this mean?” Liu Ye asked.

Yan Guang immediately understood: "Abandoning a direct naval attack, going through great lengths to cross the sea, and then setting off from Qiongshan to launch a land-based attack... this shows that they are afraid of our warships and think we are not good at land warfare?"

"Exactly. The text refers to us as pirates, entrenched in the Bofu area, which means they believe we are incapable of conquering county towns and are only skilled in naval warfare."

Liang Xiaoming chimed in, "Actually, the navy hasn't yet developed sufficient combat power. Right now, we're stronger on land. However, the disparity in numbers is huge, and if we really go to war, the losses will be heavy. Why not abandon land warfare and use the navy to attack their weak points?"

Yan Guang pondered for a moment and said, "But what if they are unwilling to fight us at sea? If your opponent doesn't take your challenge, what should you do?"

Liu Ye laughed and said, "No matter which way they come from, I'll only go in one direction. Whether they accept the challenge or not, I'll still play by my own rules."

Because Liu Ye learned that Liang Xiaoming had been engrossed in studying naval warfare and had made good progress, he made up his mind.

He asked Liang Xiaoming, "The enemy has three hundred ships, not large in tonnage, all of which are transport ships with no ability to resist. If you were to attack them, what kind of results could you achieve?"

Liang Xiaoming rubbed his hands together, eager to get started: "Now that our five warships are fully operational and equipped, at the speed of those hard-sailed ships, unless they scatter and flee, I can sink a quarter of them. That's a conservative estimate. If we had ten ships, we could sink half of them."

Everyone suddenly understood Liu Ye's strategy: before the army's transport fleet arrived in Qiongshan, they would use their superior ships and cannons to directly attack the fleet. The transport fleet would be powerless to resist, becoming moving targets. When the cannons bombarded them, the government troops would be either killed or wounded, and if they were unlucky, their ships would sink, and everyone on board would meet their demise. The remaining ships that escaped the bombardment might escape back to Guangdong. In that case, how many of them would actually be able to land in Qiongshan? At most, three or four out of ten would reach Qiongshan.

This enhanced "attack while the enemy is crossing the river" operational plan was approved by everyone, and the next step was to finalize the details.

Liang Xiaoming continued his analysis: "However, this plan is brilliant. The only difficulty lies in accurately pinpointing the enemy's location. If we guard the outer perimeter of the island, we'll be too close. Even if we sink a few ships, the rest will have a chance to reach the shore, failing to achieve the desired effect. If we guard the enemy's estuary, launching an attack too early will allow them to escape back to port, again failing to achieve the desired result. The best location is in the middle of the strait. Whether they flee back or charge forward, we'll have enough time to attack them one by one!"

Liu Ye asked, "Could we use the Far Voyage for reconnaissance and attack guidance?"

Liang Xiaoming praised, "I think this is a great idea!"

“There is no more suitable ship than the Far Voyage for such a mission. We can position the Far Voyage at the enemy’s port and follow the fleet when it appears. Once we reach the middle of the strait, we can use our speed advantage to reach our port first and guide the fleet to attack.”

Shi Ying said, "Since arrangements have been made at sea, arrangements must also be made on land. The government forces have more than three hundred ships, and it is impossible to annihilate them all. A considerable number of them will definitely reach Qiongshan, so a land battle is unavoidable."

Liu Ye nodded: "Of course, we need to be fully prepared for both land and sea routes."

After weighing the options, he said, "This battle is far larger in scale than the last one. We need both sufficient confidence and detailed planning. I have decided that Liang Xiaoming will be fully in charge of this naval attack; on land, Shi Ying will be in charge of combat command, and Lin San will also participate."

With the general framework of the battle plan finalized, sufficient weapons and ammunition also needed to be prepared. Liu Ye ordered the arsenal to increase production and stockpile ammunition to ensure the warships and escort fleet could sustain themselves during the war.

With the military deployment complete, Liu Ye felt that with the support of the advanced naval forces, repelling the government's massive offensive should not be a problem. He was even less nervous than the first time, even though the government forces this time were several times larger than the first time—not even including the navy.

However, he overlooked one problem: his opponent was the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, who controlled both civil and military affairs and whose resources far exceeded those of a mere prefect of Qiongzhou. The means to deal with him were far more than just military means.

News came from Suwen that Wanhualou had been shut down, Wuliangye's goods had been sealed, and its profits had been confiscated. Liu Ye was shocked. Wanhualou and liquor were his main sources of income. If these two sources of revenue were cut off, how could he continue his business? He couldn't help but feel annoyed, realizing he had underestimated the government and ended up in a passive position.

Liu Ye thought for a moment, then called Yan Guang over and asked, "Mr. Yan, what methods are there to get Wang Zunde removed from office?"

Yan Guang replied, "Wang Zunde is the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, holding a high position and wielding great power. It is difficult for him to be shaken by trivial matters. May I ask, my lord, what is the matter that must force him to step down?"

Liu Ye relayed the message from Su Wen to Yan Guang. Yan Guang frowned: "If that's the case, it's troublesome. Even if we can repel the government troops' advance, as long as Wang Zunde doesn't fall, the shops in Guangzhou won't be able to continue operating. Wouldn't Lingao become a tree without roots, a river without a source, only able to sit and eat away at its reserves? What a brilliant move to cut off the fuel supply!"

"That's right. Right now, we're training our troops, building ships, and manufacturing guns and cannons, and we rely entirely on these incomes. If we want to break the government's strategy of cutting off our supply lines, the only way is to develop our maritime trade. But that's a long shot, and we don't have many enemies at sea. There's Liu Xiang nearby and Zheng Zhilong further away. It's not something that can be done in a short time."

Yan Guang nodded and said, "I've heard that Wang Zunde is known for his frugality and fortitude. In other words, money doesn't work, and it's hard to change his mind. He's unyielding. If we want to continue doing business in Guangzhou, the only way is to bring him down."

"In your opinion, will this failed campaign cause him to lose Emperor Chongzhen's trust and be dismissed from his post as governor?"

"With the position of governor, he must have many people in the court speaking up for him. The failure to suppress the pirates may not necessarily cause him to lose power completely."

Liu Ye stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, and suddenly said fiercely, "Let's give him a good beating! After defeating the government troops, let's bombard Guangzhou! I refuse to believe that this won't make him step down!"

Yan Guang wiped the sweat from his brow. His lord really dared to think that far ahead: "...If we can really bombard Guangzhou and the defending troops are unable to retaliate, someone has to take the blame. If the whole thing started because of the failed campaign, the governor-general will naturally be held accountable..."

Once Liu Ye made up his mind, he sent someone to find Liang Xiaoming to discuss countermeasures.

Finally, after Liang Xiaoming understood Liu Ye's intention, he promised to quickly develop cannons to bombard Guangzhou.

"Then it's settled. After defeating the main force of the government troops, we'll sail the warships into the inland waterways and bombard Guangzhou!"