Chapter 1117
: Internal and External Troubles
Chapter 1117: Internal and External Troubles
Although Shen Zhixiang replaced Shang Kexi's position in Phi Island, the Changshan Islands that were previously under the jurisdiction of Shang Kexi were not immediately assigned to his name.Shen Shikui preferred to let the mature and prudent lieutenant Jin Riguan go to guard the Changshan Islands, rather than his nephew with a good mouth and kung fu.But because Shang Kexi and Kong Youde both have navy divisions under their command, the Houjin army will no longer just sit back and watch the Ming army deploy to an island very close to the Liaodong mainland. Respond to the carbine returned by former comrades-in-arms and colleagues.
However, just when Pidao was preparing to re-enter the Changshan Islands, Shang Kexi led the Houjin army to break through Zhenjiang Fort. Now Shen Shikui did not dare to divide his troops easily, because Zhenjiang Fort was only more than 30 nautical miles away from Pidao. It only takes three or four hours for the ship to come over, and the Hou Jin army may launch an offensive against Pidao from Zhenjiang Fort at any time.Even if Shen Shikui knew that the Changshan Islands were a treasure land capable of producing food, he still had to consider the safety of the Phi Island base camp first, so he could only swallow his anger and shrink the line of defense.
Naturally, Shen Zhixiang was very dissatisfied with this situation. He managed to get the opportunity, but he couldn't get the treatment he deserved.Now Dongjiang Town has lost Lushun, Changshan Islands, Zhenjiang Fort and other places. After being seriously injured, the people and horses have retreated to the vicinity of Phi Island. He, the so-called third in command of Dongjiang Town, has nothing to do at all, and his military power is also concentrated. In the hands of Shen Shikui and Jin Riguan.Even if Shen Zhixiang was going to North Korea to urge food, he would have to have Shen Shikui's approval before he could apply for a ship, which was far inferior to Shang Kexi's autonomy when he was guarding the Changshan Islands.
On this day, Shen Zhixiang was still assigned a seemingly insignificant task, leading a team to patrol the northwest waters of Phi Island, with the purpose of preventing the Jin army from the direction of Zhenjiang Fort from launching a sneak attack on Phi Island.However, Shen Zhixiang knew that the possibility of such a situation happening was very small, because Phi Island had already received information that the Zhenjiang Fort had an epidemic before the summer, and the local Houjin Army lost a large number of personnel because of this, and it has temporarily Lost the ability to initiate large-scale battles on its own initiative.This so-called sea patrol is just a means to keep the people on Phi Island stable, and it doesn't have much practical effect.
Shen Zhixiang took such a boring job, so naturally he didn't have the mental motivation to finish it seriously, so he went back to his cabin and lay down after going out to sea.This trip will take at least two days at sea, and there is no entertainment on board, so I can only drink and sleep to pass the time.
However, this mission was not as ordinary as he expected. Just as Shen Zhixiang was in a drowsy sleep, he was woken up by his subordinates: "My lord, there is a situation at sea!"
Shen Zhixiang woke up suddenly, got up quickly, put on his clothes and went out of the cabin to the deck. Sure enough, he saw the shadows of sails on the sea level in the distance, and the direction of their travel was towards Phi Island.
"Prepare for war! Prepare for war!" Shen Zhixiang knew very well that there was no stronghold of the Ming army in the northwest, and the ships coming from there could never belong to his camp, and as far as he knew, no other troops had been dispatched from the island these days. Ships headed in this direction to perform missions, and there was a [-]% chance that those who came were enemy warships.
However, the three patrol boats led by Shen Zhixiang didn't have much combat power at all, and the most powerful weapons on board were a few small-caliber Francois machine guns.The range and power of this thing are extremely limited, and the distance of more than [-] feet is basically a display, and it can only be used in close combat.In addition, each ship also had a few blunderbusses, but in the combat environment of the sea, such a few blunderbusses could only be used as a frightening decoration except that they could play a little role in boarding battles.
Shen Zhixiang can only hope that the opponent is the fleet of the Houjin Army, so that even if there is a gap in the number of ships between the two sides, he still has the strength to fight. Running away to save their lives, no matter whether it is Kong Youde or Shang Kexi, they have much more experience in fighting than him, and it is difficult to have any good results in a head-on confrontation.
But as the distance gradually approached, the astonishment on Shen Zhixiang's face became more and more difficult to hide. The visitor was not a standard warship of the Ming army, but it was definitely not a sea-going ship of Houjin either.The dozens of ships approaching from the opposite side looked like he had never seen them before, and he couldn't tell which country's ships they were.What's more important is that the size of these ships of the opponent is astonishingly large, and the smallest one is about [-] materials by visual inspection, which is almost the upper limit of the Ming army's existing warships.The three ships under Shen Zhixiang's command were about the same size when added together.
"Turn around and go back to Phi Island!" Shen Zhixiang is not a reckless man. After realizing the huge gap in tonnage between the two ships, he did not choose to rush up and confront him, but decisively avoided, intending to send the warning message back to Phi Island first, so that The troops on the island can prepare for battle in time, which is the main purpose of the fleet's patrol mission at sea.
However, Shen Zhixiang soon discovered that he had made this decision a little too late, and the speed of the opponent's attack from the northwest was unexpectedly fast.Shen Zhixiang roughly estimated the speed, and the opponent was at least half faster than his own ships.Running at this speed, I am afraid that he will be intercepted by the opponent before returning to Pidao.
"Send the signal and retreat separately!" Shen Zhixiang decisively used the emergency plan, notifying the other two ships to run separately, so as to distract the opponent's attention and increase the chance of his side escaping from pursuit.Even if one of the three ships can escape back to Phi Island, it will be able to play its due role.
When Shen Zhixiang was sweating profusely, Wang Tom couldn't help laughing behind him: "These Ming soldiers...run so fast, they think of us as Houjinshui masters!"
Why the warships of the Ming army slipped so fast, Wang Tom can naturally guess about seven or eight points, thinking that these guys may not be good at fighting, but their ability to escape is first-class, and they even know how to be flexible and escape separately. I don't know whether it is well-trained or has escaped experience.
Of course, Wang Tom didn't intend to really intercept these Ming army warships, but this misunderstanding probably cannot be resolved for the time being, and he can only wait until Pidao.In order to prevent the opponent's misunderstanding from deepening, Wang Tom ordered the fleet to slow down a little, so that the opponent really thought that it was going to attack Phi Island, and it would not be easy to end in an armed conflict later.
Shen Zhixiang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the fleet in the rear being thrown further and further away.Of course, he didn't think that it was the other party's intention to let go, but felt that his separate retreat strategy had worked.However, he did not dare to relax at the moment, and still urged the sailors on the ship to move at full speed, striving to get back to the island as soon as possible.
"The enemy is coming from the sea, please, Commander-in-Chief, gather your troops and prepare for the battle!" The first thing Shen Zhixiang did after he landed was to take out his military talisman and ask people to report to Shen Shikui immediately.
Shen Shikui was taken aback when he received the news, he said to himself that Hou Jin's speed was so fast that he really didn't have any time to breathe!
Dongjiang Town has had bad luck since last year. First, the former governor Huang Long died in Lushun, and Hou Jin took away the last base of the Ming army on the Liaodong Peninsula.Then at the beginning of the year, Shang Kexi defected to Houjin and took away all the personnel and materials in the Changshan Islands, causing Dongjiang Town to lose its frontier against Houjin.Before and after the summer, the Jin army raided Zhenjiang Fort under Shang Kexi's guidance, took away the land base closest to Phi Island, and compressed the sphere of influence of Dongjiang Town to a small area near Phi Island.
Dongjiang Town is a thorn in the flesh in Houjin's eyes. Shen Shikui is very clear about this. He also understands that the other party and the soldiers and civilians like Dongjiang Town must end in endless death.In his original estimate, it would take at least a few months for Hou Jin to solve the epidemic problem encountered by Zhenjiang Fort, and then use it as an outpost to gather troops. It's next year.And Dongjiang Town can recharge its batteries during this period, see if it can get more official assistance from Shandong or Tianjin, arm more Dingkou on the island, and strive to recapture Zhenjiang Fort and Changshan Islands, stabilize the Live in Dongjiang Town within the control area of this area.
However, the enemy chose to attack in late summer and early autumn, which seems to indicate that the enemy did not want Pidao to survive another winter.Although Shen Shikui was well aware of his current situation, he was not willing to let him go without a fight. Immediately, he and Lieutenant General Jin Riguan gathered troops separately and prepared to fight the coming enemy.
At present, there are still three full battalions of sailors on the island, and there are still more than 20 warships. Shen Shikui thought that he should still have the power to fight, so he ordered Jin Riguan to lead the warships to leave the port and wait for a suitable time to attack. .If the opponent intends to attack the island, then your own fleet will attack the rear. If the opponent wants to deal with the fleet first and then attack the island, then avoid the fight and spend time with the opponent in circles at sea as much as possible.This is not due to the fear of war, but the personnel and warships of the Dongjiang Township Navy cannot afford to lose, and once damaged, it is difficult to make up for it. Can wear out the navy.Therefore, it is still possible to procrastinate at the moment, try not to rush to confront the opponent head-on, and procrastinate for a while to see if the domestic situation has improved, and can provide Pidao with more troops and weapons to launch a counterattack.
As soon as Jin Riguan and the navy fleet left the port, Shen Shikui saw Fan Ying appearing on the northern sea, and immediately asked Shen Zhixiang to carefully identify whether it was the fleet chasing him at sea just now.
It is difficult to identify the identity of the ship several nautical miles away, but the logo of Haihan Fleet is really conspicuous. The mainsail of the flagship is a half-red and half-blue two-color sail, which can be clearly seen from a long distance.Shen Zhixiang naturally noticed this feature, and immediately responded: "It's this fleet!"
After the opponent drove closer, Shen Shikui was able to identify the size of the hull, and he was indeed taken aback by the size of the flagship. No matter it was Dongjiang Town or Denglai Prefecture, there had never been such a large warship before. .However, Shen Shikui can basically conclude that this ship was definitely not built by Houjin, who is not good at naval warfare. If they had this ability, Dongjiang Town might have been raided a few years ago, and how could they survive until now.
At this time, the combatants on the island have basically entered the state of preparation for battle, and the naval warships have also circled to the east of Phi Island to wait for an opportunity. If the opponent rashly launches a landing battle, then Shen Shikui is at least [-]% sure to stop him on the beach. .
Seeing that this unidentified fleet arrived a few miles away from the island, the other party slowly slowed down, and did not directly attack the port, but stopped on the sea.Then a small boat was lowered from the largest sailboat, and several people paddled towards the port.
"What is this for? Is the gold thief planning to persuade me to surrender first?" Shen Shikui snorted and said, "Zhixiang, you go to the port. If the gold thief persuades you to surrender, let them die!"
Shen Zhixiang was waiting to be ordered to leave, when Shen Shikui added: "If the visitor speaks kind words, don't hurt his life, just drive him out."
Although Shen Shikui also played a disgraceful role in a series of mutinies in Phi Island in the past two years, and he did a lot of fighting for power and profit, but in his bones he has extremely high loyalty to Daming.In the original history, in 1637, the Qing general Mafuta led his army to break through Pidao. After being captured, Shen Shikui not only refused to visit or worship, but also refused to surrender, and even taunted Mafuta severely, and was finally sentenced to beheading. , can be regarded as a heroic loyal minister of Ming Dynasty.
In Shen Shikui's heart, the choice of "surrender" does not exist. His meaning in Pidao is to lead the local soldiers and civilians to fight with Hou Jin, just like his predecessors.Even if the enemy army has already overwhelmed the border, he will still fight rather than surrender, and defend to the end.Seeing that the enemy sent a small boat out to persuade him to surrender, he was not even interested in meeting the enemy envoy, so he asked Shen Zhixiang to send him away.
The envoy who took the small boat to Phi Island to meet the Ming army was one of Wang Tom's adjutants. He is currently the naturalized navy captain Xie Li who is the first mate on the flagship of this fleet.He was Wang Tom's subordinate before the official establishment of the Haihan Navy. In the past few years, he also followed Wang Tom in the north and south, and made a lot of military exploits.He and the South Vietnamese general Wu Sen are currently the most optimistic naturalized officers in the navy, and they are very likely to become the first batch of naturalized fleet commanders appointed besides the traversers.
In addition to Xie Li, Sun Bing, who was born in the Northeast, was also on board the small boat, who temporarily acted as Xie Li's deputy.Sun Bing had joined the army in the Fuzhou Guard of Liaodong earlier, and had a better understanding of the situation here, so he could provide Xie Li with some help in the peace talks if necessary.
The small boat rowed by eight sailors soon sailed into the port and docked. Shen Zhixiang stood on the shore, looking suspiciously at the several Haihan soldiers who were walking on the gangplank.He had never seen such attire before. These people were neither Hou Jin nor Ming army, and there were obvious differences from the Japanese pirates and Koreans in their attire.
(End of this chapter)
Although Shen Zhixiang replaced Shang Kexi's position in Phi Island, the Changshan Islands that were previously under the jurisdiction of Shang Kexi were not immediately assigned to his name.Shen Shikui preferred to let the mature and prudent lieutenant Jin Riguan go to guard the Changshan Islands, rather than his nephew with a good mouth and kung fu.But because Shang Kexi and Kong Youde both have navy divisions under their command, the Houjin army will no longer just sit back and watch the Ming army deploy to an island very close to the Liaodong mainland. Respond to the carbine returned by former comrades-in-arms and colleagues.
However, just when Pidao was preparing to re-enter the Changshan Islands, Shang Kexi led the Houjin army to break through Zhenjiang Fort. Now Shen Shikui did not dare to divide his troops easily, because Zhenjiang Fort was only more than 30 nautical miles away from Pidao. It only takes three or four hours for the ship to come over, and the Hou Jin army may launch an offensive against Pidao from Zhenjiang Fort at any time.Even if Shen Shikui knew that the Changshan Islands were a treasure land capable of producing food, he still had to consider the safety of the Phi Island base camp first, so he could only swallow his anger and shrink the line of defense.
Naturally, Shen Zhixiang was very dissatisfied with this situation. He managed to get the opportunity, but he couldn't get the treatment he deserved.Now Dongjiang Town has lost Lushun, Changshan Islands, Zhenjiang Fort and other places. After being seriously injured, the people and horses have retreated to the vicinity of Phi Island. He, the so-called third in command of Dongjiang Town, has nothing to do at all, and his military power is also concentrated. In the hands of Shen Shikui and Jin Riguan.Even if Shen Zhixiang was going to North Korea to urge food, he would have to have Shen Shikui's approval before he could apply for a ship, which was far inferior to Shang Kexi's autonomy when he was guarding the Changshan Islands.
On this day, Shen Zhixiang was still assigned a seemingly insignificant task, leading a team to patrol the northwest waters of Phi Island, with the purpose of preventing the Jin army from the direction of Zhenjiang Fort from launching a sneak attack on Phi Island.However, Shen Zhixiang knew that the possibility of such a situation happening was very small, because Phi Island had already received information that the Zhenjiang Fort had an epidemic before the summer, and the local Houjin Army lost a large number of personnel because of this, and it has temporarily Lost the ability to initiate large-scale battles on its own initiative.This so-called sea patrol is just a means to keep the people on Phi Island stable, and it doesn't have much practical effect.
Shen Zhixiang took such a boring job, so naturally he didn't have the mental motivation to finish it seriously, so he went back to his cabin and lay down after going out to sea.This trip will take at least two days at sea, and there is no entertainment on board, so I can only drink and sleep to pass the time.
However, this mission was not as ordinary as he expected. Just as Shen Zhixiang was in a drowsy sleep, he was woken up by his subordinates: "My lord, there is a situation at sea!"
Shen Zhixiang woke up suddenly, got up quickly, put on his clothes and went out of the cabin to the deck. Sure enough, he saw the shadows of sails on the sea level in the distance, and the direction of their travel was towards Phi Island.
"Prepare for war! Prepare for war!" Shen Zhixiang knew very well that there was no stronghold of the Ming army in the northwest, and the ships coming from there could never belong to his camp, and as far as he knew, no other troops had been dispatched from the island these days. Ships headed in this direction to perform missions, and there was a [-]% chance that those who came were enemy warships.
However, the three patrol boats led by Shen Zhixiang didn't have much combat power at all, and the most powerful weapons on board were a few small-caliber Francois machine guns.The range and power of this thing are extremely limited, and the distance of more than [-] feet is basically a display, and it can only be used in close combat.In addition, each ship also had a few blunderbusses, but in the combat environment of the sea, such a few blunderbusses could only be used as a frightening decoration except that they could play a little role in boarding battles.
Shen Zhixiang can only hope that the opponent is the fleet of the Houjin Army, so that even if there is a gap in the number of ships between the two sides, he still has the strength to fight. Running away to save their lives, no matter whether it is Kong Youde or Shang Kexi, they have much more experience in fighting than him, and it is difficult to have any good results in a head-on confrontation.
But as the distance gradually approached, the astonishment on Shen Zhixiang's face became more and more difficult to hide. The visitor was not a standard warship of the Ming army, but it was definitely not a sea-going ship of Houjin either.The dozens of ships approaching from the opposite side looked like he had never seen them before, and he couldn't tell which country's ships they were.What's more important is that the size of these ships of the opponent is astonishingly large, and the smallest one is about [-] materials by visual inspection, which is almost the upper limit of the Ming army's existing warships.The three ships under Shen Zhixiang's command were about the same size when added together.
"Turn around and go back to Phi Island!" Shen Zhixiang is not a reckless man. After realizing the huge gap in tonnage between the two ships, he did not choose to rush up and confront him, but decisively avoided, intending to send the warning message back to Phi Island first, so that The troops on the island can prepare for battle in time, which is the main purpose of the fleet's patrol mission at sea.
However, Shen Zhixiang soon discovered that he had made this decision a little too late, and the speed of the opponent's attack from the northwest was unexpectedly fast.Shen Zhixiang roughly estimated the speed, and the opponent was at least half faster than his own ships.Running at this speed, I am afraid that he will be intercepted by the opponent before returning to Pidao.
"Send the signal and retreat separately!" Shen Zhixiang decisively used the emergency plan, notifying the other two ships to run separately, so as to distract the opponent's attention and increase the chance of his side escaping from pursuit.Even if one of the three ships can escape back to Phi Island, it will be able to play its due role.
When Shen Zhixiang was sweating profusely, Wang Tom couldn't help laughing behind him: "These Ming soldiers...run so fast, they think of us as Houjinshui masters!"
Why the warships of the Ming army slipped so fast, Wang Tom can naturally guess about seven or eight points, thinking that these guys may not be good at fighting, but their ability to escape is first-class, and they even know how to be flexible and escape separately. I don't know whether it is well-trained or has escaped experience.
Of course, Wang Tom didn't intend to really intercept these Ming army warships, but this misunderstanding probably cannot be resolved for the time being, and he can only wait until Pidao.In order to prevent the opponent's misunderstanding from deepening, Wang Tom ordered the fleet to slow down a little, so that the opponent really thought that it was going to attack Phi Island, and it would not be easy to end in an armed conflict later.
Shen Zhixiang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the fleet in the rear being thrown further and further away.Of course, he didn't think that it was the other party's intention to let go, but felt that his separate retreat strategy had worked.However, he did not dare to relax at the moment, and still urged the sailors on the ship to move at full speed, striving to get back to the island as soon as possible.
"The enemy is coming from the sea, please, Commander-in-Chief, gather your troops and prepare for the battle!" The first thing Shen Zhixiang did after he landed was to take out his military talisman and ask people to report to Shen Shikui immediately.
Shen Shikui was taken aback when he received the news, he said to himself that Hou Jin's speed was so fast that he really didn't have any time to breathe!
Dongjiang Town has had bad luck since last year. First, the former governor Huang Long died in Lushun, and Hou Jin took away the last base of the Ming army on the Liaodong Peninsula.Then at the beginning of the year, Shang Kexi defected to Houjin and took away all the personnel and materials in the Changshan Islands, causing Dongjiang Town to lose its frontier against Houjin.Before and after the summer, the Jin army raided Zhenjiang Fort under Shang Kexi's guidance, took away the land base closest to Phi Island, and compressed the sphere of influence of Dongjiang Town to a small area near Phi Island.
Dongjiang Town is a thorn in the flesh in Houjin's eyes. Shen Shikui is very clear about this. He also understands that the other party and the soldiers and civilians like Dongjiang Town must end in endless death.In his original estimate, it would take at least a few months for Hou Jin to solve the epidemic problem encountered by Zhenjiang Fort, and then use it as an outpost to gather troops. It's next year.And Dongjiang Town can recharge its batteries during this period, see if it can get more official assistance from Shandong or Tianjin, arm more Dingkou on the island, and strive to recapture Zhenjiang Fort and Changshan Islands, stabilize the Live in Dongjiang Town within the control area of this area.
However, the enemy chose to attack in late summer and early autumn, which seems to indicate that the enemy did not want Pidao to survive another winter.Although Shen Shikui was well aware of his current situation, he was not willing to let him go without a fight. Immediately, he and Lieutenant General Jin Riguan gathered troops separately and prepared to fight the coming enemy.
At present, there are still three full battalions of sailors on the island, and there are still more than 20 warships. Shen Shikui thought that he should still have the power to fight, so he ordered Jin Riguan to lead the warships to leave the port and wait for a suitable time to attack. .If the opponent intends to attack the island, then your own fleet will attack the rear. If the opponent wants to deal with the fleet first and then attack the island, then avoid the fight and spend time with the opponent in circles at sea as much as possible.This is not due to the fear of war, but the personnel and warships of the Dongjiang Township Navy cannot afford to lose, and once damaged, it is difficult to make up for it. Can wear out the navy.Therefore, it is still possible to procrastinate at the moment, try not to rush to confront the opponent head-on, and procrastinate for a while to see if the domestic situation has improved, and can provide Pidao with more troops and weapons to launch a counterattack.
As soon as Jin Riguan and the navy fleet left the port, Shen Shikui saw Fan Ying appearing on the northern sea, and immediately asked Shen Zhixiang to carefully identify whether it was the fleet chasing him at sea just now.
It is difficult to identify the identity of the ship several nautical miles away, but the logo of Haihan Fleet is really conspicuous. The mainsail of the flagship is a half-red and half-blue two-color sail, which can be clearly seen from a long distance.Shen Zhixiang naturally noticed this feature, and immediately responded: "It's this fleet!"
After the opponent drove closer, Shen Shikui was able to identify the size of the hull, and he was indeed taken aback by the size of the flagship. No matter it was Dongjiang Town or Denglai Prefecture, there had never been such a large warship before. .However, Shen Shikui can basically conclude that this ship was definitely not built by Houjin, who is not good at naval warfare. If they had this ability, Dongjiang Town might have been raided a few years ago, and how could they survive until now.
At this time, the combatants on the island have basically entered the state of preparation for battle, and the naval warships have also circled to the east of Phi Island to wait for an opportunity. If the opponent rashly launches a landing battle, then Shen Shikui is at least [-]% sure to stop him on the beach. .
Seeing that this unidentified fleet arrived a few miles away from the island, the other party slowly slowed down, and did not directly attack the port, but stopped on the sea.Then a small boat was lowered from the largest sailboat, and several people paddled towards the port.
"What is this for? Is the gold thief planning to persuade me to surrender first?" Shen Shikui snorted and said, "Zhixiang, you go to the port. If the gold thief persuades you to surrender, let them die!"
Shen Zhixiang was waiting to be ordered to leave, when Shen Shikui added: "If the visitor speaks kind words, don't hurt his life, just drive him out."
Although Shen Shikui also played a disgraceful role in a series of mutinies in Phi Island in the past two years, and he did a lot of fighting for power and profit, but in his bones he has extremely high loyalty to Daming.In the original history, in 1637, the Qing general Mafuta led his army to break through Pidao. After being captured, Shen Shikui not only refused to visit or worship, but also refused to surrender, and even taunted Mafuta severely, and was finally sentenced to beheading. , can be regarded as a heroic loyal minister of Ming Dynasty.
In Shen Shikui's heart, the choice of "surrender" does not exist. His meaning in Pidao is to lead the local soldiers and civilians to fight with Hou Jin, just like his predecessors.Even if the enemy army has already overwhelmed the border, he will still fight rather than surrender, and defend to the end.Seeing that the enemy sent a small boat out to persuade him to surrender, he was not even interested in meeting the enemy envoy, so he asked Shen Zhixiang to send him away.
The envoy who took the small boat to Phi Island to meet the Ming army was one of Wang Tom's adjutants. He is currently the naturalized navy captain Xie Li who is the first mate on the flagship of this fleet.He was Wang Tom's subordinate before the official establishment of the Haihan Navy. In the past few years, he also followed Wang Tom in the north and south, and made a lot of military exploits.He and the South Vietnamese general Wu Sen are currently the most optimistic naturalized officers in the navy, and they are very likely to become the first batch of naturalized fleet commanders appointed besides the traversers.
In addition to Xie Li, Sun Bing, who was born in the Northeast, was also on board the small boat, who temporarily acted as Xie Li's deputy.Sun Bing had joined the army in the Fuzhou Guard of Liaodong earlier, and had a better understanding of the situation here, so he could provide Xie Li with some help in the peace talks if necessary.
The small boat rowed by eight sailors soon sailed into the port and docked. Shen Zhixiang stood on the shore, looking suspiciously at the several Haihan soldiers who were walking on the gangplank.He had never seen such attire before. These people were neither Hou Jin nor Ming army, and there were obvious differences from the Japanese pirates and Koreans in their attire.
(End of this chapter)