Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 464: Logistics is difficult to sustain for a long time
The cannons on the river had been firing for several days, but the Ming navy was unable to reach the river mouth.

This is naturally due to the solidity of the fort, but as a frontline general, Zhang Shiyi has some other opinions.

When these forts were built, both Duoduo and himself actually just wanted to cause some trouble to the Ming army and never expected to stop the enemy.

In the final analysis, if you defend for too long, you will lose.

Although the Qing Dynasty had ordered the construction of warships when Duoduo returned to the north, Shen Tingyang had taken all the boatmen away when he went to Chongming. Huai'an had spent so much time and effort but had only built dozens of inland warships, which was far from being able to compete head-on with the Ming navy.

Without the protection of the navy, the fort at the river mouth could only passively take the beating. Even if Zhang Shiyi built it to the same level as Yingtian, it would be blown open by artillery one day.

With such an understanding, it was understandable that the Qing court used the Lianghuai area as the price for peace talks.

But this situation changed with the arrival of Western artillery.

With the support of these powerful weapons, the attack range of the fort increased significantly. The most direct result of this change was that the Ming army's navy did not dare to approach and fire recklessly, and the damage caused to the fort was greatly reduced.

It has to be said that this situation gave Zhang Shiyi great confidence.

Even though the artillery of the fort could not cause much damage to the Ming army's warships for various reasons, it was a huge surprise that it could keep the Ming army's navy out of the canal.

just
"Three times seven is twenty-one, four times seven is twenty-eight, five times seven is thirty-five"

"Hey, when did Admiral Zhang become an accountant?"

As soon as Zhumala pushed open Zhang Shiyi's door, she heard him muttering to a piece of paper. Then she moved closer out of curiosity and saw that the paper was covered with drawings.

The Ming army had made no progress in the past few days, which surprised Zhumala, who had prepared for defeat.

As a general of the Eight Banners Army stationed on the front line, he even began to wonder if it was possible to take a slight step forward.

This is not his fantasy. He is now Mele Ezhen, and the next step up should be Angbang Ezhen.

A position like this is already considered a high position among non-Aisin-Gioro clans. To move up further, one must not only have military merits but also a strong background.

As far as military achievements were concerned, he had more than enough. The only thing he lacked was that no one spoke for him.

But now, several princes of the Aisin-Gioro family have been defeated by the Ming army one after another, and the situation in the court has become delicate.

If he can really show enough value through this, then the princes in power in the court will definitely look at him differently, and by then it will not be difficult for someone with his background to become an Aungbang Ezhen.

As a result, he visited Zhang Shiyi more frequently these days, apparently intending to learn from him.

"Let's settle the accounts."

Zhang Shiyi was probably used to Zhumala's uninvited visits, and while listening to what the other party said, he just kept writing down the numbers he was muttering on paper without even raising his head half an inch.

Zhumala did not take it as an offense to the other party's behavior.

The two people on either side were already very familiar with each other, so he sat down on a chair and started watching quietly.

There were lines of items written on the paper, with numbers of different lengths at the end. After Zhang Shiyi calculated one, he filled in the blank space, and then he took a number from somewhere and started calculating again.

Zhang Shiyi was only a military general after all, and he was able to achieve this level only because of his duties and had to learn some things. After another one or two incense sticks had passed, he began to feel dizzy and could no longer concentrate.

"I can't believe you can do this."

"Of course," Zhang Shiyi replied nonchalantly while stretching himself. Then, no one knew what he was thinking about, but he changed his expression and said, "Although we are military commanders, we must know about this matter of settling accounts."

Although this statement may sound a bit self-boasting, it is the truth that cannot be more true.

Most people think that the most important thing for a general is to anticipate the enemy's moves and fight in battle, but in fact the most important quality of a general is to be able to write and calculate, and to grasp all the situations of his own army.

This has been the case since ancient times. If one cannot even recognize a few characters, no matter how brave or strong one is in battle, he can only be regarded as a consumable with higher value, but has no possibility of becoming a true commander who can stand on his own.

Zhumala has more or less realized this.

However, he had previously thought that this was all he would be able to do in his life, and even though he understood the importance of this point, he had no interest in learning. But now, he has seen the possibility of further advancement, and immediately began to ask Zhang Shiyi for advice.

"That makes sense. Earlier, I had no one willing to teach me and could only be a blind man. But this time, I unexpectedly met a good teacher like you. It's a good opportunity for me to learn from you carefully."

Zhang Shiyi naturally showed satisfaction when he heard the words, but he was only half-baked, so his first reaction was to refuse.

But then again, Zhumala had originally wanted to learn how to command the navy from him, so how could he let her go now that things had come to this?
"What are you calculating?"

Zhang Shiyi knew that Zhumala could not read a single word, so when he heard this he wanted to say something in general terms. However, when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he suddenly changed his mind and a look of difficulty appeared on his face.

"We've been spending a lot of money on the front lines these days, so I have to figure out if we can hold on in the back."

Hearing this, Zhumala didn't take it seriously.

Although it was not as good as before, they could get sufficient supplies every time they captured a city. It could be said that the two Huais were also rich places. They had a steady supply of military supplies sent from Huai'an to stop the powerful enemies at the front.

And Zhang Shiyi was actually still worried about whether he could live up to the expectations in the future. Doesn't this prove the saying "worrying about nothing"?

No matter what she thought in her heart, Zhumala never showed any expression on her face. When she put a look of curiosity on her face, the other party really started to talk in detail.

According to earlier prices, a pound of gunpowder cost two cents and four cents of silver, and a pound of pig iron cost about five cents.

If you want a cannonball weighing about ten pounds to threaten the Ming army's warships on the river, it will cost more than a pound and a tael of silver to fire it.

At this time, thirteen or fourteen days had passed since the Ming army's warships attacked. Assuming that two thousand ships were attacked a day, the consumption of the river mouth fort alone was nearly thirty thousand taels.

Just as Zhumala thought, Huai'an would take care of the logistics, and as generals at the front, they didn't need to worry about it.

However, the Ming navy was much more advanced in the use of firearms than the land army, and Zhang Shiyi's research on gunpowder was much more detailed than Zhumala's.

As far as he knew, saltpeter and charcoal were both produced in the north, and no matter how much was consumed, they could be replenished in time. The key was this sulfur.
"Guangdong and Sichuan have sulfur, but this place is not in our hands. Then there are Japan, Taiwan, and Qinghai. Japan and Taiwan are located overseas, so with our navy, there is no need to think about it. Our sulfur can only be obtained from Qinghai."

As he spoke, Zhang Shiyi glanced at Zhumala, but the other party still looked puzzled, obviously not understanding how the topic had led to these things.

Seeing this, Zhang Shiyi did not feel too emotional. He just sorted out his words in his mind and continued speaking.

"Qinghai is five or six thousand miles away from Beijing. We will wait until it is made in Beijing and then transport it to us."

At this point, his voice gradually faded away, and Zhumala finally understood what he meant.

The battle at the river mouth lasted only ten days, but more than a thousand stones of gunpowder had been consumed. Not to mention whether Qinghai could afford such a large amount, even if it could really guarantee the needs of the front, the cost would certainly be extremely terrifying.

When he thought of this, he thought of the Ming Dynasty again and blurted out what he said.

"What about the Southern Dynasty? I think they fire a lot more cannons than we do, so they can provide it."

Zhumala's voice suddenly stopped when she had only said half of her words.

Whether it is Guangdong, Sichuan, Taiwan or Japan, there are water routes that can reach Yingtian directly.

Under such circumstances, not only is the sulfur supply in the Ming Dynasty much more abundant than theirs, but the money required is also much less.

Even if the number of artillery fires per day were several times higher, I'm afraid it would be able to hold on.

Thinking of this, Zhumala couldn't help but frown.

If it had been earlier, he would probably have said something stupid like firing fewer shots.

But during this period he had to stay in the fort for a long time every day, so he naturally knew that if the frequency of firing on the shore decreased, the Ming army warships would approach and shoot without restraint.

By then, a lot of gunpowder could probably be saved, but the fort might not be able to withstand it.

Thinking in this way, the amount of gunpowder used cannot be reduced at all.

Yes, since he is calculating this, he must have thought of this issue a long time ago. It would be better to listen to his opinion first.

Thinking of this, Zhumala's eyes inadvertently fell on Zhang Shiyi. Then he cleared his throat and asked a question.

"Has Shiyi thought of a solution?"

"If we keep wasting time like this, our gunpowder will surely run out in front of us. Even if Zhuge Liang is reincarnated, he will be unable to make a meal without rice."

Zhumala, who regarded the battle at the river mouth as a means of advancement, couldn't help feeling disappointed when he heard the words. But just as he was about to show disappointment on his face, the other party's voice came again.

"But it's clear that if this road is blocked, we should look for another one. Since most of the Ming navy is near the river mouth, why can't we find an opportunity to have a good fight?"

"Fight a war? How?"

After spending so many days together, Zhang Shiyi had a good understanding of Zhumala's thoughts. Although she looked surprised at this moment, she could not hide the slight expectation in her words.

After all, one of them was not taken seriously, and the other was just a surrendered general.

If they could give the Ming army a severe blow at the river mouth, the princes in the court would certainly look at them differently.

By then, there would be no question of whether he would be promoted to admiral or not. It would be impossible for him to fly like those Han princes.

Thinking of this, Zhang Shiyi suppressed his excitement. After whispering in Zhumala's ear for a while, he stared at the changes on her face with anticipation.

"No, your plan is too costly. Not to mention that the princes will not agree to it, even the general will not agree to it."

"You know the higher-ups' thoughts better than I do. The fact that we were settled here doesn't mean we never planned to defend Lianghuai. If we don't take this opportunity to persuade the higher-ups to take action, people like you and I will probably end up like this!"

With just this one sentence, Zhumala, who had been resistant a moment ago, was stunned for a moment.

Zhang Shiyi used to be in charge of all the waterways in Lianghuai, and was considered to be very powerful. Although he was later sent here for some reasons, the court could not find a second general who could lead the navy. After he survives this period, he will naturally be valued by the court.

But what about him?
His military achievements were mostly from fighting in battles, and he had no experience in leading troops. If we take into account his birth and background, which seemed to be there but not there, what did Zhumala count for in the Qing Dynasty?
Other people can plan carefully for their own future, so how can we, who have no strengths at all, have a stable life?
As his thoughts turned, Zhumala's expression changed again. After talking with Zhang Shiyi in detail for a while, he finally decided to seize this opportunity.

"Okay, I understand what you said. You take care of the fort first. I'll go to Huai'an."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhumala walked out of the room directly. Without even calling for his attendants, he went straight to Huai'an alone on horseback.

Zhang Shiyi's plan was quite ambitious, but the few troops they had were just a drop in the bucket.

What's more, military supplies all depend on Huai'an, and there is no need to even discuss it without obtaining Lekedehun's consent.

He rode at full speed all the way and his journey was much faster than before. When the sun was about to set, he had already entered the Qing army camp in Huai'an.

Perhaps because he was a frontline general, the process of entering the camp was extremely fast. In less than an incense stick of time, he was summoned to the central military tent.

After explaining in detail the considerations regarding the supply of gunpowder, Zhumala looked at her immediate superior with a little anticipation.

According to him, this idea not only took into account the battle situation at the front, but also took into account the situation of the entire Qing Dynasty. After hearing this, the prince would definitely give a very high evaluation.

But to his surprise, the other party did not react much after hearing these words, but just nodded slightly.

"Well, I originally thought you could only fight on the battlefield, but I didn't expect you to consider these things." Having said this, Leke Dehun picked up the tea bowl in front of him and took a sip. After putting it back on the table, he continued, "What I told you earlier is probably because of this. Now that you have understood it thoroughly, go back and do your job well."

Ok?
Did Lord Beile and the others have thought of this a long time ago? Was that the reason for the earlier arrangements?
Yes, Zhang Shiyi was just a general before he surrendered. How could the princes and the lords not consider the things he could consider?

But why do they have completely different thoughts about what comes next?

Is there anything we haven't thought of?

Zhumala's thoughts were constantly turning, but there was no sound of words in the military tent.

Seeing this, Lekedehun was somewhat puzzled, but since the other party had stopped talking, he would not say more.

"Okay, although there is nothing serious at the river mouth, you shouldn't stay for long. Have dinner in the camp and then go back."

"twitter."

Things had come to this point, and Zhumala knew that she had no room to speak anymore. She stood on the ground and bowed for a while, but finally she retreated reluctantly.

"Why didn't I see it before? He is a promising talent."

Seeing the man leave, Lekedehun said something to the empty tent. Then a man came out from behind the screen, but he seemed to be unaware of the words of General Pingnan.

"I've been hiding here and there every day, but I don't know when I'll be able to finish it."

"Okay, I think it will only take a few months. Once the river mouth is breached, you will have the chance to show off your power."

"Hey~~~~, we have to wait."

(End of this chapter)