noveltune Chapter 77 Hamutai's Spring
Chapter 77 Hamutai's Spring
Chapter 78 Hamutai's Spring
Chapter 077 Chen Ying was unaware that Mangultai was sharpening his sword against the Xibe tribe. Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care too much. After all, the Xibe tribe wasn't Chen Ying's subordinate. Moreover, their attack on the Jurchens wasn't out of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, but out of self-interest.
Since they had enjoyed the benefits brought by the profits, they had to be prepared to bear the retaliation of the Jurchens. Chen Ying did not stay in Shuangchengwei for long. As soon as the five thousand military households arrived in Shuangchengwei, they immediately reinforced and repaired the city.
Shuangchengwei had become a huge construction site, and many young people from various tribes came to work and learn Chinese. Learning Chinese was beneficial because when the able-bodied men from various tribes came to trade, the shop assistants of Chen Ying Trading Company would give them small gifts, such as a sharp dagger, a small iron pot, or a small packet of tea.
Although the value was not high, it was an unexpected windfall. Under this subtle influence, the Shuangchengwei trade market began to see a surge in the learning of Chinese.
Chen Ying did not stay in Shuangchengwei for long before heading to Vladivostok, more than 100 kilometers away. During the Tang Dynasty, Vladivostok was under the jurisdiction of Shuibin Prefecture. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Yongming City. During the Ming Dynasty, it belonged to Yongning Post Station. From Yongning to Xixiangzhou (now Wanli Ancient Pagoda Ancient City, 30 kilometers northeast of Nong'an County, Jilin Province), there were eighteen stations along the way.
However, with the rise of the Jurchens, this place had long been abandoned. When Chen Ying arrived at Yongning Post Station, only broken stone tablets remained. In the early Ming Dynasty, this place was a trading post between the Ming Dynasty and various tribes of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. The berths of the port were basically intact, but the warehouses at the docks were reduced to scattered building frames.
These ruins also reveal that this place was once a bustling mega-port, a huge port with more than two hundred berths, even larger than the current Tianjin Port.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
Chen Ying had just arrived at Golden Horn Bay Port when he discovered at least six or seven thousand warships and transport ships docked at the pier. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around and was surprised to find that it was Su Mei.
Su Mei gave a slight curtsy: "My lord, what are you thinking about?"
"Why are you here?"
"Since you value this place so much, it's only natural that I had to come!"
"That Great Deer Island—"
"I've already made all the arrangements!"
Su Mei smiled faintly, "Of the more than 50,000 people that Your Excellency moved from Ningyuan to Dalu Island, I have moved almost all of them here. This is Yongning, why is it called Vladivostok?"
Chen Ying smiled wryly. He had actually made the mistake of relying on past experience. He vaguely remembered that someone in later generations had said that his hometown was called Ningguta. He corrected the person at the time, saying that Ningguta was a name given during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. In fact, Ningguta was the location of Bohai Town in the Bohai Kingdom during the Tang Dynasty, and it was the Asuhe Guard during the Ming Dynasty.
Vladivostok was similar; during the Tang Dynasty it belonged to the Shuai Ke Fu (率客府), and during the Ming Dynasty it was Yong Ning Yi (永宁驿).
"Yes, I was mistaken. This is Yongning!"
Chen Ying smiled faintly and said, "I intend to build Yongning City along the old site of Yongyi Post Station, and name this port Yongning Port, meaning eternal peace!"
"Does Your Excellency truly intend to build Yongning into the foundation of the Shahe Guard?"
"right!"
Chen Ying laughed and said, "Dalu Island is too small. Originally, there were only less than two thousand acres of land suitable for growing crops. Now, tens of thousands of people live on Dalu Island, which is far too crowded. Yongning has a warm climate, much warmer than Dalu Island!"
This is not something Chen Ying made up on the spot. Yongning, also known as Vladivostok, is actually a natural ice-free port. For seawater to freeze, it generally needs to be below minus 18 degrees Celsius. In Vladivostok, the temperature only drops to around minus 20 degrees Celsius under extreme weather conditions, with an average temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius.
The coldest time of winter is actually around minus fifteen degrees Celsius. Of course, the best natural ice-free port is Lushun. However, the problem is that Lushun is now in the hands of the Ming Dynasty. Since the loss of the four prefectures in Liaonan and Lushun in the first year of the Tianqi reign, Liu Xingzuo rebelled against the Jin and returned to the Ming Dynasty in the third year of the Tianqi reign, and the four prefectures in Liaonan and Lushun returned to the embrace of the Ming Dynasty.
However, between July and October of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Liaodong was occupied by the Jurchens. Wu Zhiwang threatened them with grain supplies, and Mao Wenlong eventually compromised and recaptured Liaodong. It was not until the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign, when Huang Long, the second commander of the Dongjiang Army, died in battle at Lushun, that Lushun was completely lost from the Ming Dynasty.
Chen Ying planned to use Yongning, also known as Vladivostok, as a base to build warships and develop a navy. Not only could this place avoid the Ming Dynasty's sight, but at crucial moments, Chen Ying could also use Yongning to lead the Haixi Jurchens to attack the Jurchens.
Chen Ying continued, "Dalu Island is too small and has too few resources. It relies entirely on transport from Korea and the mainland, which puts us in a passive position. Vladivostok-Yongning is different. There is timber, a good harbor, land, and resources there. We can cultivate land, build ships, and be self-sufficient. As long as we manage it well, we can attack or defend as needed. No matter how powerful the Jurchens are, they can't do anything to us."
Su Mei was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "My lord, sometimes I really don't understand you. Are you a merchant, a general, or—"
"Both, and neither. I just want to find a way to survive for those who follow me in this chaotic world. And by the way—"
Chen Ying looked northwest: "Let those who want to slaughter us like cattle and sheep taste what it's like to be slaughtered."
"Time—"
Su Mei sighed and said, "Do we have that time?"
"A little over a month is enough to build Yongning City!"
Chen Ying waved his hand, and Chen Yongren placed the map in front of Su Mei. He pointed to the map and said, "This is the Suifen River. Go upstream along the river. There are large trees on both banks. You can organize a logging team to cut down the large trees along the riverbank, simply assemble them into rafts, and then float them downstream. Here at the estuary, we can set up an iron net to intercept the rafts floating downstream and tow them to Yongning Port. With enough timber, we can build houses and settle these craftsmen in!"
Su Mei added, "Is this a rocky hill?"
"yes!"
"This is Liqingshi Mountain!"
"Then why don't we send people to blast the mountain here, transport the bluestone over on rafts, and then use the bluestone to build the city wall? It doesn't need to be too big at first. We can use the old site of Yongning Post Station, borrow the foundation of the old city wall, and use the check stones."
"No need for stone tablets, use cement!"
Chen Ying smiled faintly and said, "Cement is easier and more efficient than the construction method. The initial city wall will be 800 paces long and 400 paces wide. After future expansion, this city can be used as an inner city."
"Those two city guards?"
"When the time comes, Shuangchengwei will defend if they can, and retreat if they can't. The Jurchens can't possibly chase us all the way to the sea."
Chen Ying asked, "Did you bring a mineral exploration team this time?"
"Yes, more than 160 people!"
"Release them and, using a radius of one hundred li around Yongning City as a baseline, explore for any resources we need!"
Chen didn't know much about Vladivostok. He knew it was rich in resources, but whether they could be easily mined was another matter, since the technology wasn't advanced enough to extract many resources.
When Chen Ying was in Yongcheng, Yongcheng was one of the six major anthracite coal bases in the country, with more than 6 billion tons of coal reserves. However, the problem was that the shallowest coal seams in Yongcheng were two to three hundred meters deep, which was impossible to mine with the technology of the Ming Dynasty. Yongcheng also had more than 60 million tons of iron and steel resources, which could not be mined either.
"I'll arrange it right away!"
Chen Ying nodded.
Four four-wheeled carriages were unloaded from the ship. These four carriages were Su Mei's personal vehicles, which could be considered an upgraded version of the four-wheeled carriages. These four carriages looked ordinary, but under the driver's operation, the four-wheeled carriages were parked together, two in front and two in back. As the side of the carriage split in two, one half fell down and joined the side wall of another carriage to form the floor, while the other half rose up and joined the roof of another carriage.
In this way, the four four-wheeled carriages formed a huge motorhome that was about 66 feet long and 26 feet wide, with a total area of more than 170 square meters.
This is the office space for Su Mei's accounting team. It's even more convenient and faster than setting up a tent. More importantly, the desks and bookshelves in the carriages and RVs don't need to be moved around and are easy to access.
Su Mei is a person who knows how to enjoy life. After she boarded the RV, she realized that she had left Boss Chen outside. Under the intimidation of the Black-Clad Guards, the managers of each ship, after taking stock of the personnel on their own ships, began to head towards the target area according to orders.
Compared to Su Mei's carriages and RVs, Chen Ying's side had dozens of carriages, with a large number of house components placed together. The craftsmen were responsible for assembling them. These were mortise and tenon structural components, and the assembly speed was very fast. After the craftsmen laid the foundation, a five-room wooden house was completely assembled in the middle of the day.
The entire room was divided into a bedroom, living room, study, and bathroom. Chen Ying was very satisfied with Su Mei's arrangement.
He arrived in Yongning from Shuangcheng exhausted. After a quick wash, he fell asleep. However, while Chen Ying was asleep, Mangultai led eighteen unorganized Niru (units of the Plain Blue Banner), about five thousand cavalry, and marched towards the Xibe tribe.
Among the various tribes of the Haixi Jurchen, the Xibe tribe was considered one of the stronger tribes, with a total of nearly two thousand people. If they gritted their teeth, they could gather six or seven hundred archers. However, it was a great pity that they were not on the same level as the elite of the Zhenglan Banner. With Mangultai's order, more than five thousand bannermen of the Zhenglan Banner attacked the Xibe tribe from all directions.
Mangultai thought it would be an easy hunt, but he was almost overwhelmed by a counterattack from the strong men of the Xibe tribe. As the leader of the Xibe tribe, Hamutai knew very well how many Jurchens he had offended, so he beheaded more than 1,400 people and destroyed four or five tribes.
Because of the large number of beheadings, he changed his equipment frequently. He changed 230 sets of plate armor made by Chen Ying in one go. Apart from a small amount of salt, he didn't even ask for an iron pot. As a result, each of his 230 able-bodied men had an iron bow, 60 arrows, a Tang-style sword hanging at his waist, and a three-edged spear in his hand.
This long spear, though called a spear, is actually a lance. However, the wooden shaft is of inferior quality to that of a lance. The blade is three feet long, with three sharp edges, and it also has a rotating blood groove.
As soon as the battle began, Mangultai was stunned. These Xibe cavalrymen completely ignored the arrows. By the time the Zhenglan Banner soldiers realized something was wrong, they had already charged in. Their sharp spears easily pierced through the armor of the Zhenglan Banner soldiers, whether it was leather or iron armor, as easily as tearing through window paper.
During the close combat, the soldiers of the Zhenglan Banner sadly discovered that their swords only left shallow marks on the armor of the Sibe knights, and their spears slid away easily when they were thrust at.
As soon as the Xibe cavalry made their move, the Plain Blue Banner suffered heavy casualties. Mangultai stared in disbelief: "Why are there so many Xibe soldiers in white armor?"
Indeed, the Xibe cavalry, reinforced by Chen Ying, were equipped with Ming army gear. In terms of armor protection, they were even better than the White Armored Soldiers. The Plain Blue Banner alone had less than two hundred White Armored Soldiers combined.
The scattered white-armored soldiers were slaughtered by Hamutai, who did not realize that these armors had turned his men into invulnerable monsters.
Two hundred and thirty heavy cavalrymen charged into the Zhenglan Banner's ranks like tanks.
"The armor of the superior nation is indeed formidable!"
Hamutai roared, "Warriors, avenge them! Slaughter all the Jurchens!"
"Master, this battle is unwinnable, we must retreat!"
Although Mangultai did not want to admit defeat, the problem was that he had already lost two Niru under his command, and this battle had crushed two more Niru. If Nurhaci knew this, he would see the fate of Daišan as a warning to him.
When Daišan attacked Korea, he was ambushed by Mao Wenlong. He lost only 500 men, but Nurhaci whipped him 20 times, almost killing him.
"withdraw----"
Mangultai turned and ran, his Plain Blue Banner soldiers looking resentful. What kind of hellish battle was this?
They intended to encircle and annihilate the Xibe tribe, but instead, over two hundred iron-clad monsters charged out from the Xibe tribe. Even more unexpectedly, Mangultai escaped—
"Father, Mother—I've avenged you!"
Hamutai burst into laughter, and tears streamed down his face as he laughed. He was still himself, and his warriors were still the same warriors. They couldn't defeat the Jurchens before, but the reason they won now was because of their equipment.
"Pooh----"
Hamutai said with a face full of disdain, "Wild boar skin, you just wait, one day I'll twist your head off!"
"Hamutai—Hamutai!"
His soldiers roared. They had been bullied by the Jurchens for over a decade. Any girl in the tribe who was even slightly pretty didn't dare wash her face, for fear that the Jurchens would see her and snatch her away.
Of course, these tribes didn't care about those things, but the problem was that the Jurchens were notoriously weak and playful. Like a toad crawling on your foot, they might not kill you, but they'd disgust you to death.
He became famous instantly. With less than 600 cavalrymen under his command, he fought against more than 5,000 men of the Plain Blue Banner. As a result, he only suffered more than 60 casualties, but he crushed the more than 5,000 men of the Plain Blue Banner and chased Mangultai for more than 20 miles.
When many small tribes saw how powerful Hamutai was, they quickly knelt down and called him "father." The Xibe tribe, a small tribe with less than two thousand people, saw its population double in just a few days, with more than a dozen tribes joining them, bringing the total number of people to four or five thousand.
Even among the sick, a general can be chosen. By selecting the best of the best, Hamutai established six commanders of thousands, and his influence was unparalleled for a time.
Six days later, Chen Ying, who was in Yongning City, received Hamutai's report of victory, and he was instantly dumbfounded: "Holy crap!"
Chen Ying thought that someone as flamboyant as Hamutai would definitely be discovered by the Jurchens, but the problem was, he didn't expect that Hamutai would actually fight a Plain Blue Banner soldier single-handedly and win.
What puzzled Chen Ying even more was that Hamutai not only did not rest and recuperate, but launched a series of attacks, beheading more than 1,800 Jurchen heads. This time he did not target the Yehe tribe. Like a mad dog, he attacked the Plain White Banner, the Bordered White Banner, and the Bordered Blue Banner. As long as they were Jurchens, he would fight them.
Chen Yongren hesitated and said, "Godfather, this Hamutai is playing with fire—"
"What does this have to do with us?"
"But he needs to change to plate armor again—"
"Give it to him!"
"What if these plate armors fall into the hands of the Jurchens—"
"What does it matter?"
Chen Ying chuckled dismissively, "These plate armors can only defend against melee weapons and revolvers, but against our muskets, they're a one-shot kill!"
P.S.: Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, all the best, and success in both work and love!