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The recent weather in China is a bit like Little Glacier.

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On the blue sea, a small fleet of more than a dozen medium-sized fishing boats sailed towards the south.

It was already very cold in November. Li Yuanqing was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket and a rabbit fur hat, looking at the sea in the south, letting the cold wind blow across his face.

Next to him, Chen Zhong was dressed in almost the same attire, but his expression was more stern than Li Yuanqing's, and he didn't know what he was thinking about.

At this time, Guan Canghai carefully came to Li Yuanqing's side and whispered: "Sir, in two hours, around evening, we will be able to see the land in Dengzhou."

Li Yuanqing nodded, smiled and said to Chen Zhong: "Brother, the wind is strong on the bow of the ship, let's go to the cabin to warm up for a while."

Chen Zhong sighed and whispered: "Yuan Qing, I, I always feel a little uncomfortable in my heart. We, we are still the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty after all."

Li Yuanqing patted Chen Zhong on the shoulder and said as softly as possible: "Brother, it's true that we are officers and soldiers, but don't forget that we are just motherless children now. The general's situation is unclear and he doesn't care at all.

Not with us. Don’t even think about it in this hospital. If we want to survive, we can only rely on ourselves. Besides, brother, you know better than me what the wealthy gentry of Ming Dynasty are like. We are just

It's just asking for money, it won't really hurt their lives."

Chen Zhong nodded heavily, "Yuan Qing, I understand everything you said, but...hey. Sometimes, I often think that if I had died in Zhenjiang at that time, I wouldn't have so many worries."

Li Yuanqing shook his head, "Brother, if you die in Zhenjiang, you will forever lose the opportunity to revenge against this old slave."

Hearing Li Yuanqing mention the old slave, Chen Zhong's eyes sharpened instantly, "Yuanqing, I'm not as good as you. However, you don't have to worry too much. I, Chen Zhong, am not a foolish and loyal person. Now, not only are we ourselves, but we are also

We must help these brothers under our command to live well. Only by living can we have a chance."

In the evening, the fleet had already seen the outline of the land. The sky was gray, and not long after, fine snow began to fall.

Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong briefly discussed that the fleet did not dock immediately, but docked at a nearby uninhabited island to rest temporarily.

Before leaving, Li Yuanqing, Chen Zhong, including the main officers of the two armies, all participated in the military discussion of the trip, and everyone carefully discussed the destination of the trip.

At this time, unlike later generations, the economy of the Shandong Peninsula was very developed. In this era, the coastal area of ​​Shandong was actually a bitter cold zone. The real wealth was in the Qingzhou Plain, the provincial capital Jinan, and the Jining area in the south along the canal.

With the strength of Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong, they definitely would not dare to go to these places.

Although the Ming Dynasty is weak, it is still a dragon. Although the young emperor Tianqi is young, he still firmly controls the entire Ming Empire.

Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong's trip was actually a crime of treason.

But in order to survive, all these can only be avoided.

At this time, Li Yuanqing only brought 100 soldiers, and Chen Zhong only brought 80 soldiers, but there were more than a dozen ships, just to bring more supplies back.

At this time, the two most prosperous places along the Shandong Peninsula were the two states of Denglai.

Due to their proximity to the sea, these two states have a large number of salt farms, which are the main pillar industries here.

If you want to make a fortune, the best way is to go deep into the hinterland. Even if you cannot enter Dengzhou and Laizhou cities, the effect will not be bad if you go to the towns on the seaside where private salt is flourishing.

The Ming Dynasty has been stable for hundreds of years. Even when Japanese pirates were rampant, they were mostly in the south, Denglai area, and were rarely affected.

In these two states, the main military forces are mostly garrison posts and military garrisons, with very few real soldiers.

The Ming Dynasty was in such a state that the Liao Territory, which was on the front line of the war, and the garrison and military garrison system were already in dilapidated condition, let alone the hinterland like Denglai.

Pushing back more than ten years, Chen Zhong, a descendant of Li Yuanqing, and Kong Youde, who was born in the Dongjiang Army, had been wreaking havoc in Denglai and Denglai Prefectures for several years. The court was unable to capture it, but Kong Youde successfully defected to the Hou Jin Dynasty.

At this time, although the situation was not as corrupt as the Chongzhen Year, it was roughly the same.

If Chen Zhong and Li Yuanqing really want to force themselves, they may not have a chance.

However, after all, the two of them are still officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, and there is the true god Mao Wenlong behind them. Naturally, they will not do anything unless they have to.

As long as it can temporarily maintain the livelihood of the brothers, this is enough.

The fleet took a temporary rest, but a dozen small boats exploring the path took advantage of the darkness and drifted around.

In the cabin, the stove was lit, and the thick curtains blocked the sea breeze outside. Li Yuanqing leaned against the stove, closing his eyes in a fit of exhaustion.

Chen Zhong was holding a small wine pot and kept pouring wine, wondering what he was thinking about.

A dozen of their trusted officers were gathered at the other end of the cabin, leaving enough space for the two of them.

At this time, Chen Zhong took another sip of wine and suddenly said to Li Yuanqing: "Yuanqing, do you think the general can escape Hou Jin's offensive this time?"

Li Yuanqing was stunned. He didn't expect that Chen Zhong's thinking would actually jump like this. After thinking for a moment, he said: "North Korean officials should not let the Jin army do anything. Of course, this may not have much effect. But it can delay

A moment is a moment. The general is talented and strategic, and his vision is far beyond that of ordinary people. He will definitely have a way to turn danger into disaster. What we need to do is to survive before contacting the general."

If Li Yuanqing remembers correctly, Longchuan was defeated by the Jin Army more than a month after Zhenjiang City was defeated.

Afterwards, Mao Wenlong continued his wandering career, and after another period of time, he finally established a firm foothold on Pidao.

According to historical calculations, if Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong wanted to contact Mao Wenlong, they would have to wait at least after the New Year.

Therefore, Li Yuanqing is not in a hurry to contact Mao Wenlong. The most critical thing at this time is to stabilize and even strengthen his own strength.

By then, Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong will be confident even when facing Mao Wenlong.

After the battle of Zhenjiang, there are not many old brothers who were present in the surprise attack on Zhenjiang that day.

Chen Zhong nodded silently, "I hope heaven will bless you, general."

…………

At dawn the next day, the boats that went out to explore the path came back one after another, and they also brought back the latest news.

At this time, Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong were located in the sea east of Dengzhou City, about a hundred miles away from Dengzhou City.

In the sea area approaching Dengzhou City to the west, there are dozens of large and small salt farms. There are several large salt farms that are quite close to Li Yuanqing's goal.

The Baili Sea Area to the east is already a bitterly cold place with a sparse population density. There are also a few salt farms, but most of them are small family-style workshops with no climate.

Now, the goal is clear.

After careful deliberation, Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong chose a large salt farm thirty miles east of Dengzhou City. This salt farm has a radius of more than ten miles. Ordinary gentry and landlords may not be able to support such a big arrogance. It must be very special.

Wealth means wealth.

However, it is too close to Dengzhou City, so there will inevitably be mistakes if we take action hastily.

After discussion, Li Yuanqing and Chen Zhong decided to continue sending people to investigate the salt field during the day today to collect detailed information, and then take action at night.

Soon, several small boats led by the two men's confidants set off towards the salt field, while the large army lay in the boats, waiting patiently.

The sky is getting dark, and the light snow that stopped during the day is drifting away again, and it is gradually getting heavier.

The reconnaissance boat has returned, and they have obtained some more precise data on the salt field.

The owner of this salt farm, whose surname is Liu, is a well-known wealthy family in Dengzhou. The son of owner Liu is even more remarkable. At a young age, he won the imperial examination and became a disciple of Zuo Guangdou, the great scholar of the time and the leader of the Donglin Party.

It can simply be said to be the pride of Dengzhou people.

Father and son are a perfect match. In Dengzhou, the old Liu family is like a local emperor. He is also the prefect. Now when he meets Dongzhu Liu, he has to be polite and call him "Sir".

As for the salt field specifically, perhaps because the family business is too big and the reputation is too great, the Liu family and his son do not pay much attention to the defense of the salt field. According to intelligence reports, there are currently no more than 0 guards in the salt field, and only salt coolies.

There were hundreds of people, so it was a godsend.

If Li Yuanqing were to attack the salt farm of an ordinary wealthy family, he might feel a little guilty, but he is actually the disciple of Donglin boss and the future pillar of Donglin. Who the hell is he going to do if he doesn't do it?

After a brief discussion, the team quickly set off and headed straight for the Liu family salt field.

Before midnight, the fleet had already approached the salt field area. At this time, the snowflakes in the sky were getting bigger and bigger, and they were already overwhelming.

Fortunately, it's not yet the freeze period, so it won't have much impact on the fleet's operations.

Li Yuanqing and the soldiers under Chen Zhong are also in their prime, so naturally they are not afraid of the cold.

At this time, looking from a distance, the entire salt field is located in a small half-moon-shaped bay. The surrounding terrain is flat and the bay is wide. It is really a treasure land.

In several places in the bay, there are tall watchtowers with lights on inside. However, judging from their layout, these watchtowers are not for monitoring the enemy's situation, but for monitoring the coolies working inside.

Faced with this kind of defense, Chen Zhong couldn't accept it for a while, "They, how could they be so careless?"

Li Yuanqing couldn't help but smile, "Brother, this is Dengzhou, not in our Liaoning region."

Only then did Chen Zhong react and let out a long sigh, "Yuan Qing, let's do it. I'll take the lead myself."

Of course, Li Yuanqing understood what Chen Zhong meant. During these days, his tribe's food, drink, and toilets were all Li Yuanqing's. With Chen Zhong's temperament, he naturally would not take a free meal, so he wanted to contribute more in this battle.

The two had known each other for such a long time, and Li Yuanqing was naturally relieved about Chen Zhong's strength. He nodded, but whispered: "Brother, they are all sons of the Han family. If they are not heinous people, they can be spared their lives. Also,

Brothers, try not to speak to avoid others recognizing your accent."

Chen Zhong nodded quickly, "Yuan Qing, don't worry."

As he said this, he waved his hand, hailed the ship from his headquarters, and quickly moved towards the salt field.

Li Yuanqing also recruited Guan Canghai and Wang Hai, and quickly followed them with his troops.

Chen Zhong's movements were very smooth, and he soon arrived at the coast. Before setting off, both troops had changed their clothes. They were not the battle uniforms of the Ming army, but the ordinary cotton jackets and trousers worn by the common people. In order to distinguish them,

They all have a white scarf tied on their left arm.

It's snowing heavily tonight and the wind is strong. It must be uncomfortable for the night guard on the watchtower.

In this kind of weather, the salt field cannot produce at night, and the warning level has been lowered by one point.

Not long after, the lights of the two nearby watchtowers changed somewhat, and Chen Zhong's men had succeeded.

Li Yuanqing naturally did not waste time. With a wave of his hand, he directly signaled his troops to go to the main building complex of the salt field.

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Chapter completed!