First Minister of Ming Dynasty

But he soon felt that something was wrong, the current was too fast, and they couldn't turn back.

After days of heavy rain, the river swelled and the flow was extremely fast. It was difficult for this kind of boat to maintain stability in the water, so it could only go down the river.As for the Yuan army, they anchored at the bottom of the river and stabilized the big ship. Not satisfied with this, they used chains to connect the warships, forming a water wall to prevent the navy from rushing out.

This small boat was undoubtedly a scout released by the Chaohu Navy. They also knew that the trip was dangerous, but no one hesitated.

Resolutely rushed up with the momentum of moths to the flame.

When there were still a hundred steps away from the Yuan army, bows and crossbows were fired on the big ship.

The sailors on the boat could only squat and cover themselves with shields.The soldiers in charge of the boat adjusted their direction with difficulty and avoided it as much as possible.

The wide river course, the turbulent water, the sky full of bows and crossbows, the small one-leaf boat... Zhang Ximeng's expression gradually became serious, and even Lan Yu's sloppy demeanor was restored, her eyes widened and she watched carefully.

They hope that the small boat can win, but the water battle is far more cruel than the land battle, and the boat is powerful and can really do whatever they want.

Under the random arrows, several soldiers had already been hit by the arrows. They were still holding on, but they couldn't hold on anymore. One soldier was shot through the neck by the arrows at a tricky angle, turned over and fell into the river.Several heavy arrows were quickly shot in from this gap, and the other two soldiers were also injured and fell into the water.

There were less than ten people on board, and they were in danger.

The leader saw that he had no choice but to grit his teeth.

"Rush, rush up! Fight them!"

The small boat was getting closer and closer to the big ship. At this moment, the Yuan army on the big ship moved immediately. There was a huge wooden pole at the bow. A Yuan army swung the hammer vigorously to trigger the mechanism. At the other end, a large stone was tied, and it was thrown towards the boat.

Seeing this scene, Sapphire was dumbfounded.

"Then, what is that?"

"It's a pole!" Zhang Ximeng recognized it.This is a very ancient water warfare weapon. On the five-toothed boat of the Sui Dynasty, six poles can be mounted on it. It is quite powerful. Once hit, the boat will be smashed to pieces immediately.

The so-called shooting pole can be roughly regarded as a trebuchet on a ship, but due to different vehicles, the shape and usage are slightly different.

The paddle pole on a boat is usually a column with a horizontal bar on it. One end of the horizontal bar is tied, and the other end is filled with things like stones.

When using it, soldiers can first use the potter's wheel to fix the stone at a certain height, then suddenly cut off the rope, the weight at one end will drop quickly, and then use the principle of leverage to throw the stone out.

Since the pole is used on the ship, the deck below is not as stable as the ground after all, so the distance of the pole is not far away, and it can even be regarded as a melee weapon. Only when it is close can it play a role.

On the other hand, because it is installed on a boat, the pole can be made very large, and the stone bombs thrown are also several times that of a trebuchet, even larger and heavier.

Once it hits an enemy ship, even a smaller one, it shatters instantly.The Sui army smashed more than a dozen ships of the Chen army in a row in a water battle, and the results were outstanding.

Seeing the Yuan army firing and clapping the pole, Zhang Ximeng knew that the sailors on this small boat were finished.

However, unexpectedly, these men who had lived in Chaohu since childhood managed to steer the boat and avoided the boulder attack under such unfavorable circumstances.

They were already very close to the big ship, and two soldiers had already gripped their hook and sickle guns, ready to rush up and meet the ship for close combat. Although they were few in number, they still had to fight against the Yuan Tartars!

At this moment, another soldier on the ship was hit by an arrow, and his head fell into the water. The ship lost control and suddenly hit the bow of the big ship.

The large ships of the Yuan army were all equipped with rams on the bows, and the small boats were immediately smashed to pieces. All the sailors on it fell into the river, were swallowed by the vortex, and disappeared without a trace.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Ximeng felt his heart hit hard!

The equipment is not as good as the people, what a big loss!

At this moment, more and more naval ships appeared in the field of vision.

Some people even witnessed the tragedy of their own ships, and everyone felt heavy.

There is Yuan army blocking the way, how to rush over?

At this time, Yu Tingyu held his saber in his hand, looked at the leaders in front of him, and said in a deep voice: "Now that we are here, we have no choice but to advance or retreat. Although the Yuan army's ships are large, as long as we can get close, we will be able to move forward." There is still hope!"

The leaders of the navy nodded one after another, and in a blink of an eye, another fifty warships were dispatched, with full sails, they went down the river to attack the Yuan army.

Although there were records of the use of firearms in water warfare as early as the Song Dynasty, the development of water warfare technology in the entire Yuan Dynasty was not fast, and the Chaohu Navy was indeed inferior to the Yuan army, and it still had to rely on traditional board battles.

The soldiers with shields are in the front, defending against arrows, and the soldiers behind are holding long hooked sickle guns. As long as they collide with each other, they will immediately grab each other with hooked sickle guns, and the following soldiers will swarm up and rush into the enemy ship.

Of course, if you don't want the opponent to get close, you can also use the hook and sickle gun to hold the opponent's ship. All in all, how to use it depends on the needs of the battle situation.

But this time, there is no doubt that they are going to get close to the Yuan army.

Chaohu sailors have risked their lives. The big guys mustered up their courage and braved the rain of arrows to move forward. Soldiers continued to fall into the river, but there was not a single coward who lived to death, rushed out of Ruxukou, and entered the Yangtze River go!

The two sides got closer and closer, and the Yuan army's shooting pole was fierce again. Ships kept being hit and soldiers fell into the river, but follow-up ships quickly replenished.

The big guys lurked to follow up, and finally, someone hooked the Yuan army's ship gang with a hook and sickle gun.

"Go up, go up!"

The soldiers of the navy struggled upwards, but in comparison, the Yuan army’s buildings were too tall, and it was not easy to climb up. At this moment, the Yuan army also rushed over. They shot randomly with bows and arrows, and people kept getting injured and fell. Seeing that the Chaohu navy suffered heavy casualties, they rushed over!

"I come!"

Liao Yongzhong took the initiative to fight with a spear in his hand. He wanted to lead the elite of the Liao family to fight!

It was Yu Tingyu's decision to take refuge in Zhu Yuanzhang, and their Liao family could not fall behind.

Although there are many bad things and good things to come, but I don't care about anything.

But just as Liao Yongzhong was about to set off, a young man suddenly appeared on the shore, with several soldiers from Zhu's army behind him.

"Zhang's experience said, the Yuan army is iron-strapping Hengjiang, attack with fire!"

"Fire attack?"

Liao Yongzhong was startled, and then he thought, that's right, the Yuan army connected the boat with iron chains to block the mouth of Ruxu, isn't it a good opportunity to set fire to it!

Immediately he gave the order, and twenty boats were selected, loaded with kindling, and sprinkled with fish oil.And choose the soldiers with the best water ability to make the boat.

With the wind and the water, go straight to the Yuan army to kill.

Just a hundred steps away from the Yuan army, someone made the soldiers on the boat light the firewood on the boat, turn over and jump into the river.

And the raging boats rushed towards them quickly, and the Yuan army wanted to stop them, attacking desperately with their poles, but the number of boats they destroyed was far less than that of the attacking boats.

In addition, there are many soldiers of the Chaohu Navy, not afraid of the flames, and continue to climb the boat and attack with their lives.

Bang!

A fire ship was captured, and the fire burst into flames, followed by the second ship, and the third ship... The Yuan army fled in fright. The ships that were not on fire tried to escape, but they were caught by iron chains. They were anxious and angry. He hurriedly split the iron chain and wanted to escape, but in a hurry, he bumped into himself, and people kept falling into the water, making a mess.

At this moment, Liao Yongzhong led the fleet and came up again. They surrounded the big ship of the Yuan army. At dusk, the blockade of the Yuan army disappeared. The Chaohu navy broke through the barrier and went out of the Yangtze River smoothly!

Chapter 148

Liao Yongzhong was the first to break through the blockade of the Yuan army fleet, and chased after him for a while, until the last ship carrying the Yuan army disappeared in front of his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the hot sweat from his forehead, and told the sailors to turn around. The bow of the ship returned to the east bank of Ruxukou.

When Liao Yongzhong came ashore, he found that Zhang Ximeng was already waiting here, with Lan Yu standing beside him, Li Wenzhong was also there, and the Yu family's father and son brothers also came.

Everyone was happy, and Yu Tingyu greeted Zhang Ximeng first.

"Zhang Jing, I have heard about it for a long time. You are the confidant of the superior, and you are unparalleled in resourcefulness. Seeing you now, you are a heroic boy, which makes people admire you."

Zhang Ximeng smiled and said, "Mr. Yu, you are being polite. You took the initiative to lead the Chaohu Navy division to join you. You will be strong when you are old, and you will know the pearl with your eyes. There is a saying that if there is an old man in a family, it is like a treasure. I think that the children of Chaohu Lake should thank Mr. Yu, Remember Mr. Yu's great kindness."

These few words made Yu Tingyu's heart burst into joy, and the old man couldn't stop smiling.

He made the right move, so Yu Tingyu asked: "Zhang Jing, you see we have also broken the Ruxukou, and now we can enter and exit the Yangtze River at will... What does the superior mean, should we continue to hunt and kill the Tartars? "

Liao Yongan and the others were also looking forward to it, and couldn't wait to know the next mission.

But Zhang Ximeng smiled, "Don't be too busy, big guys. Ruxukou needs land. We need to build camps here, station troops and guard them, and don't fall into the hands of the Yuan Tartars. As for how to arrange the navy, we need to How to use troops, you have to wait for the order from the superior. The most important thing for a soldier is to be united and united, like arms and fingers, and the military regulations must not be broken. How about this, you first build camps on the east and west banks, so that the soldiers can settle down Come down. This time in the battle with the Yuan army, if there are sacrificed and injured soldiers, please report them quickly, and I will properly compensate them."

After watching the battle, Zhang Ximeng didn't rate the Chaohu Navy too high.

There is no doubt that they are brave and good at fighting, but it is not enough to be brave in water battles. First of all, the boats of the Chaohu Navy are not good.There is a general lack of large ships, and the weapons equipped on them are much worse.

Soldiers will suffer losses if they only rely on their blood and courage.

Secondly, the navy divisions belong to the Liao family and the Yu family. This time, the Liao family grabbed the credit, and the Yu family watched from behind. It was obvious that they lacked cooperation and were still fighting on their own.

The Yuan soldiers did not deploy heavy troops here, only arranged dozens of buildings and boats, and some small boats, and their fighting spirit was not high.If the Yuan army had been more prepared, it would not have been so easy to succeed.

Therefore, in Zhang Ximeng's view, what the Chaohu Navy needs more is a thorough rectification, to complete the transformation from a water bandit to a regular army, and to go to the battlefield after some proper training.

But then again, what is the situation with Zhu Yuanzhang? Does he need to join the navy immediately... If Lao Zhu wants to fight, Zhang Ximeng has no power to stop him. Partially obeying the overall situation, even if there is a loss, he must bear it.

This is the advantage of not being in charge of the house. When the sky falls, there is a tall man to support him, so he doesn't have to bear the consequences.

Therefore, Zhang Ximeng just visited the army to learn about the situation, talk with the big guys, and count the soldiers who died in battle, and give appropriate compensation.

Zhang Ximeng enjoys this state very much, he has something to do, and the pressure is not too much, which is very good!

But Zhang Ximeng's good life only lasted for two days. Zhu Yuanzhang sent an order, to be precise, a letter of appointment, and he appointed Zhang Ximeng as the commander of the navy.

Guo Ying was in charge of delivering the letter, and he said with a playful smile, "Congratulations to Zhang, you have been promoted to the governor!"

But Zhang Ximeng was not happy at all, and even a little angry, "My lord, what's the matter, what's the matter with this naval commander?"

Guo Ying smiled, "Didn't the superior originally serve as the commander of the capital! But now that there are navy divisions, you can't be called the commander of the navy and army, right? You are not with the superior. After thinking about it, the superior decided to upgrade. For the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion."

Zhang Ximeng frowned. It stands to reason that with an extra 2 sailors, the commander of the capital is indeed not imposing enough. It is reasonable to be promoted to the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion.

But there is only one governor in the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, how can he be given the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy?

"That's right, the superior is the commander-in-chief, and you are the commander-in-chief of the navy, so you have to listen to the superior."

"Nonsense!" Zhang Ximeng rolled his eyes angrily, "No matter what the name is, I will listen to the superior. It's just that there is only one person in the army who can be called the great. No matter what, I can't be called the great governor."

Guo Ying blinked his eyes, he couldn't understand Zhang Ximeng's insistence, and asked, "Then, is that called the governor?"

Zhang Ximeng thought about it seriously, then shook his head and said, "That's not good, let's call him Zuo Dudu, or Dudu Tongzhi, and Dudu signed the matter."

Guo Ying has a big head, how can he distinguish between these official titles? In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang also has only a half-knowledge. There are people around, and Lao Zhu can figure it out. But without someone to help the staff, there will inevitably be mistakes, such as The captain of the navy made a joke.

But no matter what, Lao Zhu's meaning is clear, he wants to hand over the navy to Zhang Ximeng.

Captain of the Navy!

Isn't this Zhou Lang of the Three Kingdoms!

Could it be that Lao Zhu wanted to win a glorious victory in the Battle of Chibi?

I really think highly of myself!

"My lord, do you have anything else to say?"

"No." Guo Ying said honestly: "The superior has said it. After reading it, sir, he will naturally understand."

Zhang Ximeng immediately held Lao Zhu's letter of appointment in his hand and looked at it carefully. After appointing Zhang Ximeng as the commander of the Navy, there were eight words: rectify the troops and horses, and cooperate to meet the enemy.

Zhang Ximeng instantly understood what Old Zhu meant. Zhu Yuanzhang needed the navy to play a role immediately.

There are 2 people in the Chaohu navy, many of whom are old and weak. If there is time, we can dismantle and reorganize them, train thousands of elites, and choose good ships, and their combat effectiveness will naturally increase a lot.

But I'm sorry, Zhu Yuanzhang can't wait.

That being the case, the establishment of 2 people cannot be reduced.

In history, after Zhu Yuanzhang incorporated the Chaohu Navy, he appointed two ten thousand households, the Yu family and the Liao family, to be impartial.But because of Zhang Ximeng's involvement, there is no such thing as Wanhu in Zhu's army. If Wanhu must be appointed as a sailor, what will Xu Da and others do?

In the middle of a battle, just adjust the formation casually?

Obviously, this doesn't work.

In desperation, Lao Zhu gave Zhang Ximeng the position of commander-in-chief of the navy. The so-called commander-in-chief meant that Zhang Ximeng was fully responsible.

There are at least three meanings in this. The first is that Zhang Ximeng takes over all powers, the second is to find out the true strength of the Chaohu Navy and make proper arrangements, and the third is to find fighters to cooperate with Zhu Yuanzhang in the battle in Hezhou.

The responsibility is not small.

Zhang Ximeng also did not expect that under such special circumstances, he would gain sole authority.

He is not rare as the captain of the navy, and Zhou Lang has nothing to envy. He is still a humble social tool, and he will honestly hand over the navy as soon as this battle is over.

It's just that before handing over the navy, you still have to think about defeating the Yuan army.

Zhang Ximeng suddenly became nervous. He was obviously a supporting role, but he was suddenly pushed to the role of the protagonist. Isn't this embarrassing for me!

"Command, gather generals!"

Accompanied by the sound of drums, Yu Tingyu, Yu Tonghai, Liao Yongan, Liao Yongzhong, including Lan Yu and Li Wenzhong, all gathered together.

Zhang Ximeng talked about the appointment of him as the commander of the Navy, and unexpectedly, even Yu Tingyu had no opinion.

To be honest, today's group of people don't have any idea about the official position system. If you have the ability to convince the big guys, we will recognize you.

When Zhang Ximeng took control of the Chaohu navy and attacked Ruxukou, Zhang Ximeng proposed an arson strategy, burning a series of warships and successfully defeating the enemy.

The Chaohu navy admired Zhang Ximeng very much.

So he was a great governor, and it went smoothly.