The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 160 Encounters at Modi Ferry

Modi Ferry and Bailang Ferry are both important ferry crossings on the Sanmenxia section of the Yellow River, with boats of all sizes coming and going on a regular basis.

Of course, the largest ferry crossing was Maojin Ferry, but at this time, Maojin Ferry was firmly guarded by Zuo Liangyu.

Jiang Han needs to use a feint to the east while simultaneously diverting Zuo Liangyu from the other side of the river.

Military strategy is basically just a few sets of tactics, and the method of feinting to the east and attacking in the west, and crossing the river with wooden jars, used by the military genius Han Xin back then should be sufficient.

With the plan decided, everyone in the tent accepted the order and returned to their respective camps to prepare for the next operation.

Jiang Han went even further, collecting and requisitioning sheepskins, wooden barrels, wooden jars, and anything else that could increase buoyancy from the camps of various leaders.

He then instructed his auxiliary soldiers and craftsmen to turn these items into leather rafts.

Jiang Han's unabashed actions naturally attracted the attention of the traitor Xu Kebian.

He keenly realized that the tiger climbing the mountain probably wanted to cross the river, and judging from its posture, it didn't seem to be just making a feint.

Sure enough, two days later, Shangshanhu summoned all the leaders again and openly told them about the next action plan.

“Fellow leaders, the government troops are now very powerful, and we cannot remain trapped here for long.”

"After much deliberation, I plan to launch a night raid to seize Bailang Ferry downstream, and then the entire army will cross the river south and enter the Central Plains!"

"After we return tonight, please pack your bags and prepare your troops immediately."

"At the second watch tomorrow, the army must immediately break camp and set up camp without delay!"

"Bailang Ferry is about 150 li away from here. It will take us no more than two days to reach Bailang Ferry."

Xu Kebian appeared calm as he and the other leaders clasped their hands in obeisance to receive the order, but inwardly he was incredibly excited.

Finally, finally, I've got my chance to make a name for myself and be rewarded!
Xu Kebian suppressed his elation and, upon returning to his own camp, immediately wrote down in a secret letter the plan of Shangshanhu to launch a night attack on Bailangdu and the progress of the various camps in making leather rafts over the past two days. He then dispatched his trusted personal guards to deliver the letter to Cao Wenzhao overnight.

Cao Wenzhao was overjoyed upon receiving this secret report.

He immediately mobilized his troops, ordering Ai Wannian and Zuo Guangxian to each lead 6,000 elite soldiers to rush to the vicinity of Bailang Ferry to set up an ambush, preparing to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop when they were halfway across the river.

To ensure everything went smoothly, he even sent someone to inform Zuo Liangyu on the other side of the Yellow River, hoping that Zuo Liangyu could send troops to assist in the defense and jointly suppress the bandits.

He himself, however, acted as if nothing had happened, and continued to lead Bai Guang'en around the camp every day to recruit and surrender traitors.

As expected, the Tiger Army broke camp and set off silently towards the lower reaches of the Yellow River under the cover of darkness the following night.

Xu Kebian led his more than 700 men among them, secretly pleased with himself.

During the march, his troops were positioned in the middle of the main army.

Ahead of him was Shao Yong, a battalion commander under Shangshanhu; behind him was another fierce general, Li Laowai.

Xu Kebian was caught between these two elite forces, and a strange unease crept into his heart.

He rode on his horse, turning back from time to time to look at the central command flag of Shangshanhu, hoping to find Shangshanhu himself under the flag to put his mind at ease.

By the dim moonlight, he could vaguely see Shangshanhu from the central army headquarters, still wearing his signature gold-lacquered mountain-patterned armor, surrounded by a large number of personal guards.

Seeing this, Xu Kebian's somewhat uneasy heart finally calmed down a little.

Little did they know that the "tiger on the mountain" in the central command was actually Dong Erzhu in disguise.

Dong Erzhu changed into Jiang Han's eye-catching armor, covering himself up completely.

His head was covered by a helmet and visor, and he was surrounded by his personal guards, who were in a very imposing manner, preventing anyone from getting close.

Meanwhile, the real Jiang Han had already slipped into the Zhongtiao Mountains.

While everyone's attention was focused on the main force, Jiang Han quietly led his men out of the mountains.

Modi Ferry is only seventy miles away from Jiang Han's garrison. Eight hundred elite troops can travel swiftly along the banks of the Yellow River and arrive in just one day.

Modi Ferry, also known as Dujin Ferry.

A river called the Tuo River flows out from the Zhongtiao Mountains on the north bank and joins the Yellow River at the ferry crossing, hence the name Tuojin.

The "Biography of King Mu" records: "The King of Mu then traveled from Tianling to the south bank of the Yu River. On the day of Dinghai, he entered Nanzheng."

Located at a major water and land transportation hub, the salt transport industry was highly developed from the Tang and Song dynasties, especially in the late Ming dynasty.

Before the bandits raided Shanxi, large pack caravans, laden with salt from the lakes of Jiezhou, would cross the Zhongtiao Mountains every day, then sail south across the Yangtze River to reach the Yangtze River basin.

As a result, a large number of people gathered around the ferry crossing to transport goods for merchants traveling to and from the north and south, the most common of which were grain, cotton, salt, and various daily necessities.

After traveling at various stops, Jiang Han and his companions finally arrived at a secluded river bend downstream of Modi Ferry the following evening.

Looking at the Yellow River flowing endlessly and surging with turbid waves, even Jiang Han, who was usually fearless, couldn't help but feel a little scared at this moment.

Although it was early winter and the Yellow River had entered its dry season, the narrowest part of the river bend still stretched for about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) as far as the eye could see.

Looking at the wide river before them, many soldiers looked troubled and subconsciously swallowed.

These guys from the inland northwest spent most of their time staring blankly at the Mu Us Desert. They'd never seen a river this wide before.

Now, suddenly seeing the Yellow River, a natural barrier, looming before me, even if I don't say it, I feel a heavy weight in my heart.

They didn't have ferries; all they had were rafts made of sheepskin floats, with a few wooden jars and barrels tied to the side at most.

Faced with this mighty river, they felt so small, so many hesitated and dared not go into the water.

Seeing this, Jiang Han knew that he, as the commander-in-chief, had to step forward.

He took a deep breath, removed his helmet, and gathered everyone together:
"Brothers, the Yellow River may be wide, but it cannot stop us from heading south to seek a living."

"Today, I will lead the charge and be the first to charge for you!"

After saying that, he walked to a sheepskin raft on the shore and pushed it into the water.

Seeing their commander personally take to the front lines, the soldiers under his command, who had previously been somewhat hesitant, suddenly felt a surge of courage.

They couldn't really let Jiang Han lead the charge. To put it bluntly, it was just that he was afraid because it was the first time he had faced such a large river.

Seeing that their own commander had already disregarded life and death, how could they possibly back down?
A group of people rushed forward with shouts, and hurriedly lifted the raft to the water's edge, preparing to cross by force.

These rafts are not very big; each one can barely hold seven or eight people.

Due to time constraints and limited materials, these rafts were generally not well-made, and many were even leaking air. They were probably only good enough to cross the river once.

After everything was ready, Jiang Han no longer hesitated, grabbed the oar, and shouted in a low voice:
"Come with me across the river!"

At a command, dozens of rafts were launched into the water one after another, and the soldiers hurriedly grabbed oars and rowed with all their might toward the opposite bank. At first, when they were on the shore, the group rowed in a somewhat uncoordinated manner, but they were still able to move forward with difficulty.

But as the group got closer to the center of the river, the current became faster and faster, and an accident still occurred.

Caught off guard, some soldiers lost their balance and fell into the water. Fortunately, their comrades on the raft reacted quickly and used oars to pull them out of the icy river.

But some people aren't so lucky.

As a raft reached the middle of the river, a soldier rowing it slipped and, in a panic, accidentally capsized the entire raft.

In an instant, the seven or eight soldiers on the raft were thrown into the turbulent waves like dumplings being dropped into boiling water. They only had time to utter a few short cries of alarm before they were swallowed up by the merciless river and sank to the dark bottom of the river, never to be seen again.

Fortunately, such tragedies are rare.

Most of the rafts, though swaying and fraught with danger, managed to cross the Yellow River safely and reach the other side thanks to the soldiers' strenuous paddling and teamwork.

The soldiers who were the first to cross the river did not take a break and immediately divided up their tasks and threw themselves into their work.

Some people lined up on the riverbank to keep watch, while others hurriedly removed the floats from the rafts, tied them to hemp ropes, and kept throwing the floats into the river in an attempt to guide their comrades who were crossing the river later.

And so, after more than an hour of intermittent work, Jiang Han's team finally crossed the Yellow River, a natural barrier.

Jiang Han mustered his troops on the opposite bank and, after taking stock, discovered that nearly forty or fifty people had unfortunately fallen into the water while crossing the river.

Most of these people couldn't swim, and after falling into the water, they panicked and struggled wildly, which only hastened their sinking.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Han couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

The deceased are gone, but the living must continue on their journey.

After a brief reorganization, Jiang Han immediately led the entire army along the riverbank, making their way upstream to the Modi Ferry.

According to observations, there should still be a government army stationed here.

Carefully stepping out of the river bend, Jiang Han glanced up and easily spotted the garrison camp next to Modi Ferry.

Under the cover of night, several scouts went forward to conduct a thorough reconnaissance. Judging from the sparse tents scattered throughout the camp, the garrison numbered at most three to five hundred men.

Moreover, the camp was very lax in its defenses, and many sentries were even dozing off.

Seeing this, Jiang Han didn't waste any words and immediately commanded his elite troops to launch an attack on the camp.

Inside the camp, hundreds of government soldiers were still asleep, unaware that divine troops had already descended upon the camp.

Caught off guard, they offered no resistance whatsoever and were slaughtered by Jiang Han's soldiers as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

After dealing with the garrison, Jiang Han and his men finally managed to occupy Modi Ferry.

After checking, it was found that there were indeed quite a few boats at the ferry crossing.

There were more than ten government patrol boats and fast boats, as well as more than thirty private boats and covered boats used for ferrying and transporting goods.

Jiang Han was overjoyed and immediately ordered his men to gather all the ships together.

But when the soldiers boarded the ships, they found that many civilian boats were still inhabited by people, including boatmen, the elderly, women and children.

After some careful questioning, Jiang Han finally understood what was going on.

These boatmen, who have made a living on the banks of the Yellow River for generations, mostly come from impoverished families, with their entire families living and eating on their boats.

This small boat, less than three zhang long and no more than five chi wide, was all their possessions for survival.

On ordinary days, the income from transporting goods and ferrying passengers was meager, often even insufficient to cover expenses. Yet, they were frequently extorted by officials and clerks along the river, and their boats were even requisitioned without compensation to transport salt and grain.

Just a few months ago, in order to prevent bandits from crossing the river, the government ordered many civilian boats in the area to be sunk.

Only by paying a "ship protection fee" can one escape disaster.

Many boatmen couldn't afford the insurance premiums and could only watch helplessly as their ferries sank to the bottom of the river.

Most of these boats were built by their ancestors and have been repaired and maintained by generations of people, which is how they have been passed down.

With nowhere else to turn, many people even dragged their families and jumped into the Yellow River.

At this moment, the surviving boatmen, seeing the group of murderous bandits suddenly occupy the ferry crossing, assumed that the bandits had also come to rob their boats.

One by one, they were so frightened that their legs went weak, and they immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Jiang Han, begging him to be merciful and spare their lives.

As Jiang Han listened to the boatmen's tearful pleas and the elderly, women, and children shivering in the boat's awning, he felt a tightness in his chest.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, whether they were border troops loyal to the emperor, common people struggling to make a living on the loess slopes, or boatmen supporting their families, they were all sacrifices to this corrupt dynasty.

Jiang Han pondered for a moment, but ultimately did not forcibly requisition these ships. Instead, he ordered his soldiers to bring out the Moon Echoes they carried with them.

After much piecing together, they finally managed to buy all the civilian boats at a price of thirty taels per boat.

Although it might not be worth the market price, the boatmen were stunned as they held the silver in their hands, some of them unable to believe their eyes.

Is this a thief? They actually... they actually gave him money?
One by one, they knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, and pulled their family members to kowtow repeatedly to Jiang Han in gratitude.

Jiang Han took this opportunity to hire the boatmen who were used to sailing on the Yellow River to act as guides.

There were still too few boats at Modi Ferry, so Jiang Han decided to go downstream and launch a night raid on Maojin Ferry.

Maojindu has been one of the most important ferry crossings on the Yellow River since ancient times. Not only were there more boats there, but many of them were large official boats and cargo ships.

As long as Jiang Han can capture Maojindu and seize those large ships, he will be able to bring the large army that is still on the north bank of the Yellow River across the river in the shortest possible time.

Upon receiving the instructions, the boatmen immediately set sail, heading towards Maojin Ferry.

The Yellow River is narrow and full of hidden reefs in the Sanmenxia section. Fortunately, the boatmen were experienced, and Jiang Han and his companions were able to cross the dangerous shoals safely.

The army sailed downstream and arrived at the bend in the river upstream of Maojindu in less than half a day.

Upon reaching this point, the army could no longer proceed. They had to find a secluded place to disembark, hide in the woods, and quietly wait for nightfall.

According to scouts, there were less than 500 soldiers left near Maojindu. The rest of the soldiers were probably taken by Zuo Liangyu to Bailangdu downstream to intercept the large army.

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Han breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Commander Zuo was now a loyal and capable general, honest and obedient.

If Commander Zuo remains inactive, he will be in a very difficult position.

Now we just need to wait for nightfall, launch another night raid, and we can successfully take Maojindu.

(End of this chapter)