Chapter 3583
Chapter 3583
Chapter 3583
As the sharp trumpet sounded, the entire Yanziji Wharf knew that the naval troops of the East China Sea Fleet stationed there had begun to gather again.
Qin Jian heard the horn sound coming from outside in the office, but he just frowned slightly and had no intention of getting up to take a look.
Since the fleet arrived in Yanziji, such a situation has occurred almost every two or three days, and this bugle call is the signal for the troops to assemble for training.
At the beginning, there were many people who liked to join in the fun and would rush over to watch after hearing the bugle call. Later, they realized that it was just a call to assemble and not a signal to launch an attack, and the number of spectators gradually decreased.
Although Qin Jian had been transferred to the Nanjing Management Committee, he still retained an office at Yanziji Wharf so that he could return here to handle official business at any time.
Ever since he received the task from Tao Hongfang a few days ago to arrange for the East China Sea Fleet to be stationed in Yanziji, he knew that it was a matter of great importance, so he simply packed up his bedding and moved to the dock to stay temporarily so that he could handle related matters nearby.
With him in charge, the East China Sea Fleet's deployment went smoothly. It was just that the higher-ups had originally requested that relevant matters be kept confidential to avoid leaking military secrets, but within two days, Qin Jian was asked to organize a meeting of all shipping companies and deliberately pass on some confidential information, which inevitably made him feel a little at a loss.
Although the war had not yet broken out, the number of Ming refugees transported to Yanziji Pier had suddenly increased in recent days. After Qin Jian looked at the registration information, he found that most of these refugees came from Jiangpu and Liuhe counties on the other side of the river. After fleeing to Yangzhou, they were diverted by local organizations and transported to Nanjing for resettlement.
It goes without saying that the arrival of the East China Sea Fleet created tremendous pressure on the other side, causing people to believe that war was about to break out, which led to a large-scale exodus of local people.
Seeing these refugees sent to Nanjing, Qin Jian seemed to suddenly understand why the East China Sea Fleet organized exercises every few days but was not in a hurry to launch a real offensive on the other side.
If they really fought, they would not be able to gather and control tens of thousands of refugees so easily. After the other side lost so many people in vain in a non-war state, the two counties of Jiangpu and Liuhe on the other side were actually about to fall into a situation where they could not be attacked.
After Qin Jian entered the officialdom, he also took time to read a lot of books. He knew that this tactic was called "subduing the enemy without fighting" in military books, but this was the first time he had seen it applied in such a practical way.
Qin Jian has been thinking about this these past two days: if most of the people in the two counties on the other side of the strait flee and only two county towns are left, should Nanjing really send troops to capture those two county towns?
At this moment, one of his men came in to report to him that today's assembly seemed a little different from the previous few days, and the warships had begun to cast off the cables and raise the sails.
After hearing this, Qin Jian immediately stood up and walked outside to confirm what his subordinates had said.
During the assembly training a few days ago, most of the warships of the East China Sea Fleet did not leave the port. The only ones that actually took action were a few high-speed reconnaissance ships, and the local fleet was also dispatched several times to act as an atmosphere group.
However, the scene at the dock at this time was different from the training a few days ago. Even the two largest Majestic-class battleships were raising their mainsails, obviously preparing to move.
Qin Jian was dumbfounded when he saw this. It was not because he had not received advance notice from the military, but because he initially thought that there would be a war after the arrival of the East China Sea Fleet. However, things did not go as planned. The fleet only continued to intimidate the other side, but did not actually start a war. So he thought that this was a good show deliberately arranged by the higher-ups, and that a war would not really break out. When the people on the other side had almost all fled, the show would naturally end. However, the East China Sea Fleet's assembly at this time seemed like it was really going to go out for a fight.
"This... isn't this a plan to turn the fake into reality?" Qin Jian muttered to himself, watching the scene in front of him in disbelief.
Not only Qin Jian raised this question, but also Tao Hongfang who was communicating with Shi Chengwu.
According to the plan Shi Chengwu told him in advance, the East China Sea Fleet's stationing in Nanjing was merely a normal cross-regional deployment and training exercise, and the military deterrence against the Ming Dynasty was only to create chaos, and no real offensive would be launched.
However, Shi Chengwu suddenly came to him early in the morning and told him that the time was ripe and they could take over Jiangpu and Liuhe counties on the other side of the river.
This was not in the original plan, and Tao Hongfang was naturally very surprised when he heard the news.
What he was worried about was not only whether the East China Sea Fleet could quickly enter combat status, but also whether this matter had been approved by the Executive Committee.
If this was just Shi Chengwu's personal decision, then who should bear the consequences?
Shi Chengwu was quite frank: "Regarding the situation in Nanjing, I have reported it to the Ministry of National Defense and the Executive Committee, requesting further action, but I have not received a reply yet. If you are willing to sign a petition with me, it will surely give the higher-ups more confidence in this action."
Tao Hongfang hesitated for a moment and then sighed, "It has not even been a year since we signed the armistice agreement with the Ming Dynasty last year. It is easy to start a war but difficult to end it. I am worried that there is still too little time for the local people to recuperate."
Shi Chengwu could tell that he was not resolute in opposing the action, so he immediately explained, "Hongfang, the target of this operation is mainly Jiangpu and Liuhe counties. According to the agreement reached with Ming Dynasty last year, the control of Yingtian Prefecture must be transferred to our country, and these two counties were originally under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture. It is only natural for us to send troops to take back control."
"This operation will only take the two counties. We will not launch further offensives against Chuzhou and Fengyang. Even if the Ming Dynasty is dissatisfied with this, it will most likely only negotiate with the Executive Committee through diplomatic channels. It is unlikely to send troops to fight against us, so the possibility of a large-scale battle is also low."
Tao Hongfang reminded: "There are two county towns over there, and there must be some soldiers guarding the city. Can we take them down without taking action?"
Shi Chengwu laughed and said, "It's really possible. Half of the people in the two counties on the other side have fled. How can we defend the two counties without reinforcements? As long as we agree to let the people in the city go, we can probably get them to abandon the city on their own initiative."
Tao Hongfang said: "If we really want to fight, we still have to be prepared for a siege. We must not underestimate the enemy!"
Shi Chengwu said: "So, Hongfang, you agree?"
Tao Hongfang said: "Since you and I are partners, of course I will do my best to help you succeed. But you must act quickly and don't rush into anything!"