Chapter 1289
A Different Military Exercise
Chapter 1289 A Different Military Exercise
Compared with the various banquets and delicacies along the way, the meals enjoyed by the inspection team at the Danzhou garrison base were relatively simple. There was no sumptuous feast to entertain them, but they were arranged to eat in the officers' canteen at the base.But this is not a bad thing for Liu Shang. He ate too much oil and water along the way, and his stomach couldn't bear it. It would be nice to eat some simple home-cooked food to adjust.
While eating, Liu Shang also paid attention to the Haihan officers who came in and out to eat here.These officers are all dressed in gray military uniforms, and their military branches and ranks can only be distinguished from their collar patches and armbands. Everyone has their hair trimmed very short and their skin is tanned. It is impossible to tell from their appearance that they were originally Han people, Li people, and Miao people are still from other neighboring countries.
There is also an accompanying officer in the inspection team, Lu Ting, but he was born as a literati. He joined the Sanya militia in his early years and was later transferred to the regular army as a clerk. With a certain cultural foundation, he was transferred to the Political Propaganda Department of the Ministry of National Defense, specializing in propaganda work.Although Lu Ting is a civilian officer, he joined the army earlier and has been working in the government, so his rank is not low. The collar badge symbolizing a major is enough for most of the officers here to take the initiative to salute him.
But halfway through the meal, Lu Ting suddenly put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, stood up, and raised his hand to salute a military salute. Stand up quickly, even Yu Xiaobao stood up.Liu Shang knew in his heart that there were important people present, so he didn't bother to look back, so he quickly stood up before talking.
The visitor went straight to Liu Shang's table and said, "I heard that the inspection team is here, so I'll come over to see everyone."
Only then did Liu Shang see clearly that the person who came was a middle-aged military officer in his forties, surrounded by a group of officers. Although they were all wearing the same military uniform, his collar badge did not have a military rank mark, only a red and blue Haihan flag logo.But judging by the reactions of these people in the room, this person is obviously a very high-status figure.Reminiscent of the few words he heard before, Liu Shang guessed that the person in front of him was Yan Chujie, the head of the Haihan Ministry of Defense. The officials all stood up.
The people at the table of the inspection team naturally respect Yu Xiaobao's official position, and he and Yan Chujie have known each other for many years, and they have long been like family members.At that moment, because of Xiaobao's appearance, he briefly exchanged a few words with Yan Chujie, and roughly talked about what he saw along the way.
Yan Chujie just came over to show his face to say hello, and encouraged everyone, and then called the military officer in charge of logistics at the garrison base, and asked him to add some more dishes to the inspection team, and everyone quickly thanked them.Of course, it's not that their food is really bad, it's just that the boss shows a sympathetic attitude to his subordinates and does enough work on the scene.
Everyone sent Yan Chujie away respectfully, then sat down and continued eating.However, the low-level officials who rarely had the opportunity to meet such a big man couldn't help being very excited. Several people couldn't help but whispered to each other about the reason why Yan Chujie came to Danzhou to direct the military exercise.
Liu Shang is naturally thinking about this issue, but the outside world knows very little about the situation of the Haihan military. Except for a few outstanding generals, the most popular thing about the Haihan military is that they are invincible However, the outside world knows little about the establishment, garrison arrangements, weaponry, combat methods, deployment status, etc. of this powerful armed force.It is really too difficult to speculate on the movements and intentions of the leaders with limited information. While listening to others' discussions, Liu Shang pondered secretly in his heart, but he still had no clue.
Yu Xiaobao naturally also noticed the discussion of the crowd, and ended the topic: "You don't have to guess, the military's arrangements have always been kept secret, so you can wait and watch the military exercise with peace of mind!"
After eating, everyone returned to the barracks. They didn't have much freedom of movement here. Without the permission of the military, everyone including Yu Xiaobao was not allowed to walk around in the barracks at will.Although this inevitably felt a little under house arrest, but the secrecy policy required this, and they could only abide by the system.
But it didn't take long for an officer to come and inform them that they would set off with the troops tomorrow morning to participate in the next three days of military exercises and observations.This news naturally made everyone very excited, but Liu Shang was thinking that the military exercise would last up to three days, and the scale of the operation might not be the same as a military drill at the school ground, and it would be over after a few drills in the military camp.
But Liu Shang didn't know that Haihan's military exercise was very different from Ming's military exercise. It was not used to deal with higher-level officials and cheat the court of military expenses, but a real exercise in the field to practice actual combat tactics. And there are often large-scale observation groups participating in it.Among these observers were officials from Haihan, some specially invited guests with special identities, and even senior military officers who came from other countries to participate.There are at least three or four teams of observers like them just living in this base.
Yu Xiaobao was afraid that everyone would be too excited and affect their mental state the next day, so he asked everyone to turn off the lights and rest early.Liu Shang lay on the bed but couldn't help but continue to ponder the truth about Haihan's military exercise, and he couldn't bear it until midnight and fell asleep from exhaustion.
Early the next morning, Liu Shang woke up to the loud sound of the wake-up call.He is no stranger to this kind of trumpet sound. When he lived in the training center in Sanya, he could hear the wake-up call of the nearby army base every morning.But Liu Shang didn't expect that one day he would live in the Haihan barracks. When he woke up from the sound of the trumpet, he was a little confused about where he was for a while.
After getting up, washing and having breakfast, an officer came to inform them that they were ready to leave.In addition to a small number of personal items that need to be used every day, they don't need to carry too much luggage on the road.
The carriages that picked them up outside the barracks were still the ones that brought them to the barracks. As Liu Shang had expected, the carriages were heading for Danzhou Bay, probably going to sea with the navy.When they left the barracks, they noticed that the garrison here was also marching slowly outside the barracks, and they probably wanted to participate in this military exercise.
But after leaving the barracks, the carriage turned around and headed north of Danzhou Bay, as if they didn't intend to go to Baimajing Wharf where they landed when they came.Sure enough, as soon as the direction was changed, we made a big circle along the coast of Danzhou Bay. After crossing two bridges, we returned to the coastline.After getting off the car, Liu Shang looked at the sun, and then looked at the entrance of Danzhou Bay, which was clearly visible on the sea in the distance, and judged that his position was on the easternmost coast of Danzhou Bay, which was also the farthest from the exit of the bay. The place.Liu Shang visually estimated that the straight-line distance from here to Baimajing Wharf in the west is at least about ten miles. Could it be that the military exercise arranged by Haihan is in this place?
But soon Liu Shang's question was dispelled. On the pier on the shore, there was a sailboat waiting for their arrival. The Haihan military flag hung on the mast of the sailboat, indicating the identity of the ship.
At the moment, someone has already asked the officer leading the way, since they are going to sea, why not board the ship directly at Baimajing Wharf.Although the officer's tone was very polite, he didn't reveal anything at all: "This is the arrangement of the headquarters. I just follow the order and bring you here to board the ship. I don't know about other situations. You just need to board the ship." , and the next actions will be arranged by the officers on board."
Among this group of people, maybe only Yu Xiaobao and Lu Ting, who are military officers, are more aware of why there is such an arrangement.Obviously, there are certain secrets at Baimajing Wharf that cannot be opened to non-military personnel, so they specially arranged for them to take a detour here in a horse-drawn carriage to board the ship.As for whether there are new types of equipment that have not yet been publicly unveiled, or special personnel whose identities are more sensitive and should not be shown, it is temporarily unknown.
Although Danzhou Bay is large, there are actually only two or three places for military docks. It is inconvenient for the military to arrange for them to board at Baimajing Pier, so they can only be sent here.Although the location is a bit off, it won't take too much time to go out to sea by boat.
After boarding the ship, the sailors on the ship unmoored and raised the sails, and set sail for the western bay exit.And the passengers on this ship seem to be only their group, but there are several troop carriers like this docked on the shore, and it seems that there may be other visitors who will board the ship from here.
Sure enough, the boat they were on was not far from the pier when Liu Shang saw several carriages parked on the pier, and many people got out of the carriages.It's just that they are far away, and the clothes of these people cannot be seen clearly, so it is impossible to deduce their identities.
When the boat they were on approached the mouth of Danzhou Bay, Liu Shang found that all the warships he saw yesterday had disappeared from the berths on the shore, and it seemed that they had already set off first. However, they saw that the ship they came on was still at the berth where it docked yesterday.The ship they were originally on was also an official ship, and the sailors and crew members on board were all employees of the Ministry of Shipping, but they were still unable to participate in the military exercise observation. It can be seen that the level of secrecy is indeed quite high.
After sailing out of Danzhou Bay, the boat turned to the north.At this time, the naval officers on board finally showed up and introduced the general arrangement of the military exercise to them.
In fact, a similar large-scale military exercise is basically held in the Beibu Gulf every summer. The only difference is the size of the participating troops and the number of military subjects in the exercise. The year is used to distinguish.For example, this year's military exercise was named the "Crossover 1635" exercise in accordance with the command principle.
Liu Shang didn't understand why Haihan's dating method was so weird, and he didn't understand where 1635 came from. He only knew that this year was the year of Yihai, and it was also the eighth year of Chongzhen in Ming Dynasty.These Haihan people have too many tricks, and he can't figure out all their customs and habits.
The officer went on to introduce that last year, because the Haihan Army had continued to fight abroad in the first half of the year, the scale of the exercise was relatively small. It was just a one-and-a-half-day amphibious landing exercise organized by the garrison in the Qiongbei area.However, the exercise plan formulated by the Ministry of National Defense this year is the largest in recent years. Not only the navy and army formed by the garrisons from all over Hainan Island, but also the Annan Navy who came here specially to participate in the exercise, and after Liu Shang listened, The Guangxi navy frowned.The Haihan Army expects to put more than 2000 troops into the exercise. In addition, the foreign army estimates that the total number of troops will be in the early 3000s. This is a big operation that will last for three days. The scale is indeed not small.
How much strength the navy in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions still have is a data that Liu Shang's camp has never fully figured out.The Haihan Navy had already controlled several major outlets in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions a few years ago, while the functions and scope of activities of the Daming Navy have been shrinking day by day, and they have basically been reduced to an inland navy.A large number of sailors were even transferred to serve in the Haihan Army under Haihanming's secret recruitment.The navies in many areas along the coast of Guangdong and Guangxi have long existed in name only, leaving only a short establishment.
Liu Shang has never heard of any naval forces preserved in the coastal areas of Guangxi, and they can be brought together by the Haihan Navy.The only possibility is that the Guangxi Navy is probably just a puppet army that relies on the establishment of the Daming Navy and actually obeys the orders of the Haihan Military.
And this time, many countries were invited to send representatives to visit the Haihan military exercise. In addition to the Ming and Guangxi government, there are also many countries such as Annan, Champa, Siam, Mataram, Portugal, and the Netherlands.Coupled with the observation team sent by multiple departments such as the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Ordnance Industry, and the Ministry of Shipping, such as the inspection team, there are hundreds of spectators just watching the military exercise.
Liu Shang couldn't help but feel puzzled when he heard this. The Haihan Army clearly set a threshold of secrecy for this military exercise. It's nothing more than inviting people from the relevant government offices in China to watch it. Why did they invite foreigners to watch it? Isn't this watching Are all the secrets gone?But then he thought about it, this kind of military exercise is of course also a good opportunity to show off its power to other countries, and deliberately taking this opportunity to show off its force, and after the military exercise is over, it will sell a wave of weapons. Isn't that flattering?
Haihan's arms sales business is as famous as the army's record. As far as Liu Shang knows, the Fujian military is probably the largest buyer of Haihan's arms and equipment in the Ming Dynasty. The coastal areas, especially the naval forces, are almost all equipped. In recent years, even the warships have been gradually updated to be made by Haihan.As for the countries in the South China Sea, such as Annan and Champa, the main armies are built by Haihan, and the number of armaments purchased from Haihan every year is not a small amount.Haihan invited representatives from various countries to come to observe, presumably also with the intention of selling arms by taking the opportunity.
(End of this chapter)
Compared with the various banquets and delicacies along the way, the meals enjoyed by the inspection team at the Danzhou garrison base were relatively simple. There was no sumptuous feast to entertain them, but they were arranged to eat in the officers' canteen at the base.But this is not a bad thing for Liu Shang. He ate too much oil and water along the way, and his stomach couldn't bear it. It would be nice to eat some simple home-cooked food to adjust.
While eating, Liu Shang also paid attention to the Haihan officers who came in and out to eat here.These officers are all dressed in gray military uniforms, and their military branches and ranks can only be distinguished from their collar patches and armbands. Everyone has their hair trimmed very short and their skin is tanned. It is impossible to tell from their appearance that they were originally Han people, Li people, and Miao people are still from other neighboring countries.
There is also an accompanying officer in the inspection team, Lu Ting, but he was born as a literati. He joined the Sanya militia in his early years and was later transferred to the regular army as a clerk. With a certain cultural foundation, he was transferred to the Political Propaganda Department of the Ministry of National Defense, specializing in propaganda work.Although Lu Ting is a civilian officer, he joined the army earlier and has been working in the government, so his rank is not low. The collar badge symbolizing a major is enough for most of the officers here to take the initiative to salute him.
But halfway through the meal, Lu Ting suddenly put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, stood up, and raised his hand to salute a military salute. Stand up quickly, even Yu Xiaobao stood up.Liu Shang knew in his heart that there were important people present, so he didn't bother to look back, so he quickly stood up before talking.
The visitor went straight to Liu Shang's table and said, "I heard that the inspection team is here, so I'll come over to see everyone."
Only then did Liu Shang see clearly that the person who came was a middle-aged military officer in his forties, surrounded by a group of officers. Although they were all wearing the same military uniform, his collar badge did not have a military rank mark, only a red and blue Haihan flag logo.But judging by the reactions of these people in the room, this person is obviously a very high-status figure.Reminiscent of the few words he heard before, Liu Shang guessed that the person in front of him was Yan Chujie, the head of the Haihan Ministry of Defense. The officials all stood up.
The people at the table of the inspection team naturally respect Yu Xiaobao's official position, and he and Yan Chujie have known each other for many years, and they have long been like family members.At that moment, because of Xiaobao's appearance, he briefly exchanged a few words with Yan Chujie, and roughly talked about what he saw along the way.
Yan Chujie just came over to show his face to say hello, and encouraged everyone, and then called the military officer in charge of logistics at the garrison base, and asked him to add some more dishes to the inspection team, and everyone quickly thanked them.Of course, it's not that their food is really bad, it's just that the boss shows a sympathetic attitude to his subordinates and does enough work on the scene.
Everyone sent Yan Chujie away respectfully, then sat down and continued eating.However, the low-level officials who rarely had the opportunity to meet such a big man couldn't help being very excited. Several people couldn't help but whispered to each other about the reason why Yan Chujie came to Danzhou to direct the military exercise.
Liu Shang is naturally thinking about this issue, but the outside world knows very little about the situation of the Haihan military. Except for a few outstanding generals, the most popular thing about the Haihan military is that they are invincible However, the outside world knows little about the establishment, garrison arrangements, weaponry, combat methods, deployment status, etc. of this powerful armed force.It is really too difficult to speculate on the movements and intentions of the leaders with limited information. While listening to others' discussions, Liu Shang pondered secretly in his heart, but he still had no clue.
Yu Xiaobao naturally also noticed the discussion of the crowd, and ended the topic: "You don't have to guess, the military's arrangements have always been kept secret, so you can wait and watch the military exercise with peace of mind!"
After eating, everyone returned to the barracks. They didn't have much freedom of movement here. Without the permission of the military, everyone including Yu Xiaobao was not allowed to walk around in the barracks at will.Although this inevitably felt a little under house arrest, but the secrecy policy required this, and they could only abide by the system.
But it didn't take long for an officer to come and inform them that they would set off with the troops tomorrow morning to participate in the next three days of military exercises and observations.This news naturally made everyone very excited, but Liu Shang was thinking that the military exercise would last up to three days, and the scale of the operation might not be the same as a military drill at the school ground, and it would be over after a few drills in the military camp.
But Liu Shang didn't know that Haihan's military exercise was very different from Ming's military exercise. It was not used to deal with higher-level officials and cheat the court of military expenses, but a real exercise in the field to practice actual combat tactics. And there are often large-scale observation groups participating in it.Among these observers were officials from Haihan, some specially invited guests with special identities, and even senior military officers who came from other countries to participate.There are at least three or four teams of observers like them just living in this base.
Yu Xiaobao was afraid that everyone would be too excited and affect their mental state the next day, so he asked everyone to turn off the lights and rest early.Liu Shang lay on the bed but couldn't help but continue to ponder the truth about Haihan's military exercise, and he couldn't bear it until midnight and fell asleep from exhaustion.
Early the next morning, Liu Shang woke up to the loud sound of the wake-up call.He is no stranger to this kind of trumpet sound. When he lived in the training center in Sanya, he could hear the wake-up call of the nearby army base every morning.But Liu Shang didn't expect that one day he would live in the Haihan barracks. When he woke up from the sound of the trumpet, he was a little confused about where he was for a while.
After getting up, washing and having breakfast, an officer came to inform them that they were ready to leave.In addition to a small number of personal items that need to be used every day, they don't need to carry too much luggage on the road.
The carriages that picked them up outside the barracks were still the ones that brought them to the barracks. As Liu Shang had expected, the carriages were heading for Danzhou Bay, probably going to sea with the navy.When they left the barracks, they noticed that the garrison here was also marching slowly outside the barracks, and they probably wanted to participate in this military exercise.
But after leaving the barracks, the carriage turned around and headed north of Danzhou Bay, as if they didn't intend to go to Baimajing Wharf where they landed when they came.Sure enough, as soon as the direction was changed, we made a big circle along the coast of Danzhou Bay. After crossing two bridges, we returned to the coastline.After getting off the car, Liu Shang looked at the sun, and then looked at the entrance of Danzhou Bay, which was clearly visible on the sea in the distance, and judged that his position was on the easternmost coast of Danzhou Bay, which was also the farthest from the exit of the bay. The place.Liu Shang visually estimated that the straight-line distance from here to Baimajing Wharf in the west is at least about ten miles. Could it be that the military exercise arranged by Haihan is in this place?
But soon Liu Shang's question was dispelled. On the pier on the shore, there was a sailboat waiting for their arrival. The Haihan military flag hung on the mast of the sailboat, indicating the identity of the ship.
At the moment, someone has already asked the officer leading the way, since they are going to sea, why not board the ship directly at Baimajing Wharf.Although the officer's tone was very polite, he didn't reveal anything at all: "This is the arrangement of the headquarters. I just follow the order and bring you here to board the ship. I don't know about other situations. You just need to board the ship." , and the next actions will be arranged by the officers on board."
Among this group of people, maybe only Yu Xiaobao and Lu Ting, who are military officers, are more aware of why there is such an arrangement.Obviously, there are certain secrets at Baimajing Wharf that cannot be opened to non-military personnel, so they specially arranged for them to take a detour here in a horse-drawn carriage to board the ship.As for whether there are new types of equipment that have not yet been publicly unveiled, or special personnel whose identities are more sensitive and should not be shown, it is temporarily unknown.
Although Danzhou Bay is large, there are actually only two or three places for military docks. It is inconvenient for the military to arrange for them to board at Baimajing Pier, so they can only be sent here.Although the location is a bit off, it won't take too much time to go out to sea by boat.
After boarding the ship, the sailors on the ship unmoored and raised the sails, and set sail for the western bay exit.And the passengers on this ship seem to be only their group, but there are several troop carriers like this docked on the shore, and it seems that there may be other visitors who will board the ship from here.
Sure enough, the boat they were on was not far from the pier when Liu Shang saw several carriages parked on the pier, and many people got out of the carriages.It's just that they are far away, and the clothes of these people cannot be seen clearly, so it is impossible to deduce their identities.
When the boat they were on approached the mouth of Danzhou Bay, Liu Shang found that all the warships he saw yesterday had disappeared from the berths on the shore, and it seemed that they had already set off first. However, they saw that the ship they came on was still at the berth where it docked yesterday.The ship they were originally on was also an official ship, and the sailors and crew members on board were all employees of the Ministry of Shipping, but they were still unable to participate in the military exercise observation. It can be seen that the level of secrecy is indeed quite high.
After sailing out of Danzhou Bay, the boat turned to the north.At this time, the naval officers on board finally showed up and introduced the general arrangement of the military exercise to them.
In fact, a similar large-scale military exercise is basically held in the Beibu Gulf every summer. The only difference is the size of the participating troops and the number of military subjects in the exercise. The year is used to distinguish.For example, this year's military exercise was named the "Crossover 1635" exercise in accordance with the command principle.
Liu Shang didn't understand why Haihan's dating method was so weird, and he didn't understand where 1635 came from. He only knew that this year was the year of Yihai, and it was also the eighth year of Chongzhen in Ming Dynasty.These Haihan people have too many tricks, and he can't figure out all their customs and habits.
The officer went on to introduce that last year, because the Haihan Army had continued to fight abroad in the first half of the year, the scale of the exercise was relatively small. It was just a one-and-a-half-day amphibious landing exercise organized by the garrison in the Qiongbei area.However, the exercise plan formulated by the Ministry of National Defense this year is the largest in recent years. Not only the navy and army formed by the garrisons from all over Hainan Island, but also the Annan Navy who came here specially to participate in the exercise, and after Liu Shang listened, The Guangxi navy frowned.The Haihan Army expects to put more than 2000 troops into the exercise. In addition, the foreign army estimates that the total number of troops will be in the early 3000s. This is a big operation that will last for three days. The scale is indeed not small.
How much strength the navy in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions still have is a data that Liu Shang's camp has never fully figured out.The Haihan Navy had already controlled several major outlets in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions a few years ago, while the functions and scope of activities of the Daming Navy have been shrinking day by day, and they have basically been reduced to an inland navy.A large number of sailors were even transferred to serve in the Haihan Army under Haihanming's secret recruitment.The navies in many areas along the coast of Guangdong and Guangxi have long existed in name only, leaving only a short establishment.
Liu Shang has never heard of any naval forces preserved in the coastal areas of Guangxi, and they can be brought together by the Haihan Navy.The only possibility is that the Guangxi Navy is probably just a puppet army that relies on the establishment of the Daming Navy and actually obeys the orders of the Haihan Military.
And this time, many countries were invited to send representatives to visit the Haihan military exercise. In addition to the Ming and Guangxi government, there are also many countries such as Annan, Champa, Siam, Mataram, Portugal, and the Netherlands.Coupled with the observation team sent by multiple departments such as the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Ordnance Industry, and the Ministry of Shipping, such as the inspection team, there are hundreds of spectators just watching the military exercise.
Liu Shang couldn't help but feel puzzled when he heard this. The Haihan Army clearly set a threshold of secrecy for this military exercise. It's nothing more than inviting people from the relevant government offices in China to watch it. Why did they invite foreigners to watch it? Isn't this watching Are all the secrets gone?But then he thought about it, this kind of military exercise is of course also a good opportunity to show off its power to other countries, and deliberately taking this opportunity to show off its force, and after the military exercise is over, it will sell a wave of weapons. Isn't that flattering?
Haihan's arms sales business is as famous as the army's record. As far as Liu Shang knows, the Fujian military is probably the largest buyer of Haihan's arms and equipment in the Ming Dynasty. The coastal areas, especially the naval forces, are almost all equipped. In recent years, even the warships have been gradually updated to be made by Haihan.As for the countries in the South China Sea, such as Annan and Champa, the main armies are built by Haihan, and the number of armaments purchased from Haihan every year is not a small amount.Haihan invited representatives from various countries to come to observe, presumably also with the intention of selling arms by taking the opportunity.
(End of this chapter)