Chapter 589: Sudden Arrival

GetMt; >

Select background color: SelectColors(); Select font size:

showm(); Main Text

showmn5();

sho; Time: Three days after the "Barracks Secret Pact." Location, the Official Dock at Dengzhou Water Fortress.

At this point in time, the Denglai Governor's Office, located on the Shandong Peninsula, had already received the urgent military dispatch sent by swift horse from Beijing: the main army at the Battle of Dalinghe had suffered a crushing defeat, losing tens of thousands of troops, with fewer than half escaping back to Jinzhou.

Upon receiving the military intelligence, Sun Yuanhua was initially shocked, but that was the extent of it. After all, they had lost so many times over the years that everyone was now quite calm about the eastern slave affairs.

Of course, even with an unruffled heart, normal work still had to continue, so Sun Yuanhua urgently summoned Sha Zhengming, Kong Youde, and other military officers for a council of war.

From the big picture, this Dengzhou detachment—a flanking force combined with the southern navy—privately did not care about the great defeat beyond the passes, because the main battlefield was never the business of their peripheral faction.

Even Sun Yuanhua, who had close ties with the Donglin Party, would at most lament for the nation and leave it at that. After all, playing politics meant sticking to factions, and the Xu Guangqi–Sun Yuanhua faction belonged to the minor Christian Faction at court, having neither the intention nor the power to meddle in any major state affairs.

And the Transmigrators, who had long known about the great defeat beyond the passes, could only feign shock at this moment and shout: "Military Governor, we must immediately set sail to reinforce beyond the passes!"

This was precisely the attitude Sun Yuanhua wanted.

In this era, information traveled slowly and transportation was inconvenient. By common sense, southern King's Rescue armies usually took several months to reach the north, so the imperial court could not possibly set a specific timeline for the Dengzhou detachment.

In other words, the so-called urgency today was actually feigned by all parties present... one always had to observe political correctness.

However, from a personal standpoint, setting sail now was also a necessity.

After all, Sun Yuanhua had already received the military intelligence, and the Transmigrators' fleet had been resting and refitting in Dengzhou for several days. If they did not set sail now, it would be easy to leave a handle for others in the aftermath.

Thus, Sha Zhengming's loud shout landed perfectly on Sun Yuanhua's heart: he was afraid these military chiefs would stir up some trouble.

Seeing Sha Zhengming so perceptive, Old Sun hastily stroked his beard and nodded: "Indeed, a great defeat has been suffered beyond the passes. Zu Dashou is still struggling to hold out at Linghe, awaiting reinforcements; the situation is critical. Since you generals are already prepared, in my opinion, it is better to act sooner rather than later. Generals, please dispatch your troops at once!"

"Your subordinates obey!"

Sha Zhengming rose to accept the order, and the Dongjiang Generals, whose work had already been done, naturally rose with him and acknowledged the command in unison.

And so, a military council tacitly understood by all parties came to an end.

Next came the standard procedure: the Grand Coordinator's cordial farewell, a grand send-off, toasting with wine at the dock, and the oath-taking before departure.

This was a necessary procedure; later, Sun Yuanhua would also send a memorial, so as to loudly and clearly inform the imperial court: we have begun to move here, and the officials of Dengzhou are all working hard!

Thus, the fleet, laden with grain and daily sundries, set sail... oh, and also troops: 1,500 elite soldiers from Kong Youde's Forces, double the soldiers compared to history, but with 800 fewer horses.

Everything was proceeding according to the Transmigrators' plan.

——————————————————————————

Setting sail from Dengzhou, the distance to hotspots like Lushun across Bohai Bay, the Liao River Estuary (Panjin), and even the Dongjiang Garrison was very close. For example, the nearest Dongjiang Garrison Regional Commander's station at Lushun was less than 150 kilometers in a straight sea line from Dengzhou. For a fleet averaging 4 knots, one day and one night was enough to see the coastline.

However, after Kong Youde set sail this time aboard the Transmigrators' fleet, he quickly lost his bearings.

It was not like this before. The small boats of the Dongjiang Garrison, often picking a calm day to sail south with the wind, could drift to the Shandong Peninsula by naked eye.

This time, as soon as they set sail, the fleet first headed due east, then north, south, east—twisting and turning, the Natives, having left the reference points of the coastline, soon had no idea where in the ocean the fleet was.

Not only did they lose their bearings, the Natives now could not even estimate the approximate speed: the fleet sometimes emitted black smoke, ignoring the current, moving fast then slow, the passengers...

Coupled with the bad weather at sea these past two days, with occasional winter rain drifting down and thick clouds covering the sky, Kong Youde was shocked to discover that he had now lost even the fleet's general location... was it Shandong, or Goryeo?

Having learned a harsh lesson, Kong Youde and his men could only, as before, lower their proud heads and go to the operations room to learn advanced experience.

The Transmigrators had this one good point: they never hoarded knowledge.

Upon learning the Natives' intention, Sha Zhengming chuckled and assigned a navigation officer to temporarily act as an instructor, explaining the most advanced navigational positioning to the students.

And when the students finally understood the meaning represented by those lines and symbols on the sea chart, it was already the next morning. At that moment, someone suddenly slapped his thigh: "In that case, isn't this place Guanglu Island?"

"It seems this general has graduated!"

The students instantly rushed out of the cabin in a swarm. Looking again—ah, wasn't that island within sight the very familiar Guanglu Island!

Guanglu Island lies off the coast of Dalian, and in later generations belonged to the jurisdiction of Changhai County.

Changhai County is the only island county in Northeast China, and the only island border county in the country. This place faces the Korean Peninsula and is the region in the Northeast closest to Japan and South Korea.

In the seventeenth century, the five Big Islands under Changhai County's jurisdiction, combined with the surrounding Pi Island (present-day Tilia Island in Korea) and other places, formed the famous "home base" of the Dongjiang Garrison.

At this moment, the Transmigrator fleet, located off the coast of Guanglu Island, had already begun dropping anchor and lowering sails one after another, preparing to enter the harbor in sequence.

In the thinking of the Liao generals, the fleet should have directly entered Bohai Bay to attempt a landing at the Liao River Estuary. At the very least, it should have gone to Lushun to contact the current Dongjiang Garrison Regional Commander, Huang Long, to discuss landing operations along the Lushun-Jinzhou One Line.

What the hell was coming to Guanglu Island for?

The Liao generals naturally had no idea what medicine the Transmigrators were selling in their gourd, nor could they directly ask. So, after discovering the fleet had come to Guanglu Island, they sought out Sha Zhengming and his companion, who were sightseeing and chatting on the command deck, and started making small talk as a routine.

Li Jiucheng, whose confidence had clearly grown since the secret pact, grinned and spoke first upon meeting them: "You two gentlemen, in fine spirits! Speaking of which, this Guanglu Island does have scenic beauty. Once ashore, I, Lao Li, am the landlord here, and I must guide my honored guests on a tour!"

"The old pals have arrived!" Since the secret pact was signed, the two power bases had grown increasingly familiar, and their forms of address had switched to the familial type.

After a greeting, Zhang Zhongqi pointed to another island about a dozen li to the southeast and asked with keen interest: "Lao Li, do you know what place that is?"

Li Jiucheng thought to himself, aren't you just teasing me? A tiny place, a few islands—I've stayed here for so many years, how could I not know?

So he chuckled and said: "That place is Zhangzi Island, nothing much to it. The brothers usually just catch some seafood to get by."

Li Jiucheng answered casually, not expecting Zhang Zhongqi to say something that would leave him utterly puzzled long after he returned: "Lao Li, although we've never been here, I do know that the seafood here is not so simple."

"Oh? Not simple?"

Zhang Zhongqi leaned in and whispered mysteriously into his ear: "The scallops here have feet. When the year's end comes, they take their families and travel far to the Wo State for a leisurely tour, not returning until the following year!"

"Oh... I see... Your insight is profound!"

Li Jiucheng looked utterly baffled, responding dumbly.

show_read();