Chapter 1153 Revisiting Liaodong

Although the intelligence information on Dongjiang Town at hand is relatively limited, the Zhifu Island Command still tried its best to study the opponent's organizational structure and staffing, and finally came to the conclusion that Shen Zhixiang can be a key target to win over to manage the relationship. The current Dongjiang Town Commander-in-Chief Shen Shikui

Since he has no children, his most trusted descendant is Shen Zhixiang. Due to the special historical reasons of Dongjiang Town, it is difficult for the imperial court and the Ministry of War to directly influence personnel appointments here. Shen Shikui will most likely hand over the position of General Soldier to Shen Zhixiang in the future.

Originally, it was gratifying that there was still someone in Dongjiang Town who could compete with Shen Zhixiang, but because he was squeezed out by Shen Shikui, he defected to Houjin last year. Vice General Jin Riguan has always followed Shen Shikui's lead and will certainly not oppose his wishes. Now

There is no one else in Dongjiang Town who can compete with Shen Zhixiang for the position of successor. When Haihan invests in Shen Zhixiang, the risk will be relatively small, but the future returns are promising.

If he just wanted to forcibly enter Liaodong, Haihan could certainly do it with his own force. However, this approach would definitely arouse the dissatisfaction and vigilance of the Ming Dynasty. In the long-term plan of Northeast Asia, Haihan did not intend to have a real relationship with the Ming Dynasty.

They will even help maintain the stability of the Ming Dynasty in the foreseeable future, so that it can continue to resist the southward momentum of Hou Jin's armed forces in the north. Therefore, it is important for Haihan to find a reasonable and legal cover as a cover for his actions.

It not only saves some unnecessary troubles, but more importantly, it can continue to maintain the "peaceful" relationship between Ming Dynasty and Haihan without affecting the increasingly close economic and trade relations between the two parties.

The recent armed conflict between Haihan and the Ming army in Dengzhou was not a big deal in Wang Tom's opinion. Sun Yuanhua, the governor of Denglai, was executed by the court for Kong Youde's rebellion. It was only two years ago.

With this lesson learned, who dares to let Dengzhou fall into war again? Previously, the headquarters decided to let go and give the Dengzhou Ming Army a hard time. It was because they saw that the Dengzhou government was in trouble and did not have the courage to speak out. Instead, it would be worried.

He was punished and had to cover the lid himself.

Compared with the cooperation between the Dengzhou government and the garrison, Haihan was more concerned about the role of Dongjiang Town. Almost all of his Ming troops were from Liaodong, and they were far more familiar with the local situation than the Haihan army, which was mainly from the south.

, with this help, Haihan's actions in Liaodong can be carried out under the guise of the Ming army, and many things can be handled much more conveniently. At present, as long as Shen Zhixiang is captured, it can be said that it is equivalent to capturing half of Dongjiang Town.

For the next actions of the Haihan Army in Liaodong, there is no need to worry about being held accountable by the Ming court.

It is precisely because of this that Haihan is willing to give Shen Zhixiang some very generous conditions and promises, clearly expressing his willingness to support him, hoping to win over the other party and completely join Haihan's camp.

Shen Zhixiang responded noncommittally: "I believe what General Wang said, but I also want to know what your country's plans are for the future development of Dongjiang Town? There is no need to repeat the dramatic remarks you made to my family before.

I repeat, after all, almost everything he knows about your country’s situation was relayed by me. If he had gone to Zhifu Island to see the measures implemented by your country with his own eyes, he might not have agreed to cooperate so easily!”

Tom Wang smiled and said: "What you said is quite straightforward... Well, let me tell you about the situation that may arise in the future."

When Shen Zhixiang asked this question, Wang Tom could certainly sense his ambition. Although Dongjiang Town is now in dire straits, it was once one of the main forces guarding Liaodong, with thousands of soldiers and horses under its command, and tens of thousands of people supporting it.

The Han people in Liaodong only recognized this partial division, so many people fled to Pidao in the direction of North Korea instead of to Shandong across the sea. With this foundation, and Haihan's deliberate attempts to win over, Shen Zhixiang

Naturally, I felt that I had some bargaining power, so I did not immediately agree to Tom Wang's conditions, but wanted to have some more in-depth discussions.

"If what I say next offends Dongjiang Town, please forgive me, General Xiao Shen!" Since this was an essential discussion, Wang Tom took the precaution first.

Shen Zhixiang nodded solemnly and said: "It's easy to talk, General Wang, please speak freely without any scruples."

Wang Tom said: "The main enemy of the Ming Dynasty is the Houjin Kingdom in Liaodong. I believe General Xiao Shen is also very aware of the trend of the war situation between the two sides in recent years. The Ming Dynasty has won less and lost more. The Liaodong Dusi has lost most of its territory, and

There is no hope of retaking it in a short time. Hou Jin will go south to harass the Xuanda area every year, and the Ming Dynasty can only deal with it and cannot come up with effective countermeasures. Given time, it is only a matter of time before Hou Jin breaks through the northern defense line of the Ming Dynasty.

Now. I would venture to ask, without our country's intervention, how long does General Xiao Shen think the current situation of Dongjiang Town can last?"

Shen Zhixiang was so engrossed in listening that he did not expect that Tom Wang suddenly raised such a very essential question. After hesitating for a moment, he answered: "Dongjiang Town will not be able to survive long without the support of the imperial court. So next

I see that we can survive for a year or two at most. If we don’t destroy Dongjiang Town until we build slaves, we don’t dare to go south without worry.”

Tom Wang continued to ask: "Is this your personal opinion, or is it the general opinion of Dongjiang Town's senior officials?"

Shen Zhixiang looked at Wang Tom and said: "To be honest, this is actually my family's opinion, otherwise he would not have agreed to cooperate with your country so easily!"

Wang Tom nodded and said: "Master Shen has judged the situation correctly, and his vision is accurate. In fact, our country also holds a similar view on the situation in Liaodong. At the latest, the Hou Jin Dynasty will send troops to solve the hidden dangers in the east, not only your Dongjiang Town, but also

There is a vassal state called Korea. Let’s not talk about Korea. They are just a bunch of mediocre people, and we can’t count on their contribution. But at that time, Dongjiang Town probably couldn’t muster many troops to fight against Hou Jin.”

Shen Zhixiang deeply believed what Wang Tom said: "North Korea is a group of cowards from top to bottom. They are obedient to the Ming Dynasty, but at the same time they are afraid of offending Jiannu. In addition to supplying a little food to Dongjiang Town, they are really embarrassed.

Very useful."

Tom Wang continued: "North Koreans are not only embarrassing and unfaithful, but they may also turn back at critical moments. In short, they are not trustworthy people. When dealing with North Korea, you must be more cautious and don't be betrayed."

Already."

In the original history, Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty Huang Taiji led an army of 100,000 to invade North Korea in 1636 and forced it to surrender. This was known as the Bingzi Rebellion in history. The purpose of this war was to relieve worries about the subsequent attack on the Ming Dynasty and to defeat the ignorant country of North Korea.

It only took the Qing army less than two months to force North Korea to surrender, causing it to sever its relationship with its original sovereign, the Ming Dynasty, and accept the canonization of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. Even the reign name used was changed from the Ming Dynasty to the Manchu and Qing Dynasty.

Year number. At that time, Li Zhu, who was the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty, was forced to negotiate peace with the Manchu Qing Dynasty. The crown prince Li Zhen and the second son Li Hao were both sent to Fengtian as hostages. However, the great scholars Yin Ji and Wu Daji who advocated anti-Qing Dynasty

, Hong Yihan and three others were executed in public, and from then on Korea became a vassal state of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Of course, Huang Taiji did not forget the remnants of Dongjiang Town on Pidao, and ordered North Korea to send troops to assist the Qing army in attacking Pidao. After more than two months of hard fighting, most of the Ming army on the island died on the battlefield, including Shen Shikui and Jin Riguan.

After all the major generals died for their country, the establishment of Dongjiang Town was finally completely wiped out. The only high-ranking general on the island who surrendered to the Manchus was Shen Zhixiang.

Of course, Tom Wang cannot tell the truth about these details, otherwise Shen Zhixiang will not only not believe it, but may also become suspicious. However, since the top management of Dongjiang Town has a relatively clear prediction of the future situation, Tom Wang will follow this trend.

It's easier to say.

Wang Tom said: "We don't want Ming Dynasty to be defeated, but directly sending troops to attack Hou Jin Dynasty, or providing military assistance to Ming Dynasty, that is not what we can do now. So we can only try to delay Hou Jin Dynasty, not

Let them remove the obstacles to the south so easily. We can't support the Ming Dynasty, but we can support Dongjiang Town. Although your strength has declined sharply, as long as you have enough time and resources to recover, I think you should still be able to follow.

Jin will take it easy."

Shen Zhixiang said: "Let me also venture to ask, if we can defeat the Jiannu and regain the country, who will have the final say in Liaodong from now on?"

"The place in Dongjiang Town has the final say." Wang Tom responded solemnly: "But the place under the jurisdiction of our country, of course, has the final say."

"Is it like Zhifu Island?" Shen Zhixiang asked.

"That's right, the area under the jurisdiction of Haihan is managed by the Haihan Executive Committee and enforces the laws of Haihan." Wang Tom said: "I have already explained these contents to Mr. Shen when I had a private meeting with him. The principle

He has already accepted our conditions."

Shen Zhixiang said: "In that case, I have one more question. If one day, your country has a conflict with the Ming Dynasty, will Dongjiang Town also be listed as an attack target?"

Wang Tom said: "The covenant that Mr. Shen and I made does not represent Haihan and Ming Dynasty, but Haihan and Dongjiang Town. We will not unilaterally tear up the covenant. I hope Dongjiang Town can do the same."

"Understood, I also hope that there will never be a day when Dongjiang Town needs to make a choice." Shen Zhixiang is also a smart man, so he naturally understands the meaning of Wang Tom's words. This is both a warning and a promise.

Speaking of this, even if the matter is basically finalized, Wang Tom does not need anything signed and signed by Shen Zhixiang to prove the cooperative relationship between the two parties. The conversation changed to another matter: "Now that winter has begun, we

After escorting the Pi Island troops, our fleet will soon head south back to Zhejiang, so there should be no major wars this winter."

When Shen Zhixiang went to Zhifu Island last time, Haihan had already let him go, so he was not surprised when he heard Tom Wang's words now. He nodded and said: "General Wang has been working hard this time, but it's all over now."

You can go back to the south and have a good rest for a few months. After next spring, it won’t be too late to come back to Liaodong to deal with the slaves!"

Wang Tom said: "Don't be too idle this winter. In addition to organizing your troops to rebuild various facilities in the Changshan Islands, you can select some close associates and capable personnel to go to Zhifu Island to receive military training."

Shen Zhixiang said with some disapproval: "Although Dongjiang Town is not powerful, they are all veterans of Liaodong Dusi's battles for many years. More than 90% of them have seen blood on the battlefield, and they are adapted to the geography and climate of Liaodong. Why do they need any more training?

"

Wang Tom explained: "Your combat methods mainly use cold weapons, and you have seen the weapons we use on Zhifu Island, and the combat methods are completely different from yours. First train a group of officers, and then

Only when these officers go back to train soldiers can the overall combat strength of Dongjiang Town be improved."

Shen Zhixiang sighed: "Although your country's weapons are sharp, they are expensive to make. With the financial resources of Dongjiang Town at this time, I am afraid that it will not be able to install such expensive weapons."

When Shen Zhixiang went to Zhifu Island for inspection, he naturally had to visit the actual combat drill specially arranged by Haihan. The Haihan Army, which almost exclusively used firecrackers and artillery to fight, left a very deep impression on Shen Zhixiang with its advanced combat methods and powerful lethality.

Impression. At that time, he also specifically inquired about the cost of making and using these weapons from Haihan, hoping to introduce them to the troops in Dongjiang Town, but in the end he could only bow his head in front of the high price.

"We can use interest-free loans to sell a batch of weapons to Dongjiang Town to help you form a new army with all firearms." A businessman-like smile appeared on Wang Tom's face: "As for the loans, they can be divided into

You can repay it slowly over a few years, or you can use young immigrants as a mortgage at a discount. There will always be a way to solve such small problems."

"Are you serious?" Shen Zhixiang's eyes lit up and he immediately asked. If a strong army equipped with all firearms can be formed, the chances of counterattacking Liaodong will undoubtedly be much greater. As for the cost of purchasing these arms, it will be paid by then.

Now that you have returned to Liaodong, are you still worried that you won’t be able to get any money from the slaves?

"Of course, and we will give priority to introducing General Xiao Shen's subordinates as training subjects. After the spring, we will transport a batch of weapons, so it is best not to delay the time, and strive to form combat effectiveness by next spring." Wang

Tom smiled and said: "I just wonder if General Xiao Shen is interested in military cooperation in this area?"

"Yes, yes! Of course I'm interested!" Shen Zhixiang nodded repeatedly and responded: "Without further delay, I'm going to gather my subordinates and make a list first... By the way, how many people does General Wang think are more suitable?"

"Thirty to fifty people!" Wang Tom thought for a while and gave a rough range.

"Okay, okay, I'll take my leave first!" After hearing the news, Shen Zhixiang was far more excited than the cashier before, and he couldn't sit still at that moment.

Wang Tom sent Shen Zhixiang away and sat back down to take a sip of water. He raised his eyes and looked out the porthole and saw the outline of Pi Island slowly disappearing into the distant sea level.
Chapter completed!