Lu Ming

The dense rain shrouded the bay, and it seemed that only the sound of the tide and the mist remained between the sky and the earth, and it was misty everywhere, just like a fairyland.

Ha Long Bay, located in the middle of the Beibu Gulf, is the downstream outlet of the Red River Delta where Hanoi (Thang Long House) is located.

During the French colonial period in Halong Bay, Hon Gai City with coal mining as its core appeared.Later, Hon Gai City was renamed Halong City and was divided into Quang Ninh Province.

People from later generations have no moral obsession with place names.Generally speaking, if the time-travelers who are in charge don't intend to show bad taste, then most of the place names on this plane will use the names they are familiar with from their previous lives.

Therefore, the fleet parked at the mouth of Halong Bay today is about to land at Hon Gai Port.

Hon Gai Port is located at the west mouth of the pincer-shaped Ha Long Bay.

During the French period, Hon Gai Port was a typical mining port.At that time, the French built Hon Gai Port to export coal.Later, on this basis, with the passage of time and social development, Hongji City was gradually formed.

Of course, in the seventeenth century when the traveler lived, the so-called Hongji Port was still a primitive seaport area, desolate and natural, surrounded by no one.

It is different from the developed coastal areas in later generations.Productivity was low in the Middle Ages, but all coastal areas were bound to face specific disasters such as salinity, flooding, backwatering, and pirate attacks.

Therefore, the areas closest to the coast are often no-man's land.

"I have to say, the scenery is pretty good."

Shao Qiang was wearing a gray Rains personalized raincoat, holding a Sony digital handheld, standing on the bow of the boat, and scanning around.

In later generations, Halong Bay is a tourist attraction in the Beibu Gulf, with beautiful mountains and seas, and has the title of "New Seven Natural Wonders of the World".

There are more than [-] limestone hills and islands in and around the bay.The emerald green stone peaks protruding from the sea, the mountains and islands are dotted with mountains and islands, combined with the unique yellow-green natural background color of the quasi-tropical area, and even the misty rain and mist.

That's why Shao Qiang ignored the rain and stood at the bow of the boat to shoot.

However, Sha Zhengming, who presided over the landing, was not so casual.

Most of Annan's territory belongs to the tropical monsoon climate, which is characterized by high temperature and rainy seasons, with distinct dry and rainy seasons.The dry season is from November to April of the next year, and the rainy season is from May to October. There are often heavy rainstorms, high temperature and high humidity.

The time when Shao Qiang and the others arrived was July, which was in the middle of the rainy season, and the area around Halong Bay was raining all the time.This kind of weather is not good news for the fleet of twelve ships moored outside the port at the moment.

However, no matter how bad the weather is, the landing operation must be carried out.if not?Waiting on board until October?

The good thing is that, except for the rain, the rest of the landing conditions are not bad.At this moment, the wind is low and the sea is stable, and there are no hostile wild tribes on the shore... After all, this is Halong Bay Beach, not Omaha Beach.

Soon, under the order of Sha Zhengming, a batch of small boats set off from the merchant ships set off.

There are more than ten advance team members on each small boat.These people were uniformly wearing canvas raincoats, large self-produced waterproof glasses on their faces, high-top cowhide boots on their feet, and various hot and cold weapons in their hands. It can be said that they were armed to the teeth.

……

Wu Meng, Mr. Wu stood up, stretched his neck, and glanced left and right.

The vision through the lens is blurry, and sea fog and rain are everywhere in the eyes.Just over ten meters away, he could no longer see Master Yusheng's face clearly, but the third master knew that Master Yusheng and the rest of the team were on the small boat next to him at the moment.

Although the sea surface is not high and the waves are not high, it is still shaking for the small boat whose occupants are struggling to paddle.

Holding the knife handle at his waist tightly with one hand, Wu Meng grasped the icy edge of the boat with the other hand while he was swaying... Having not been a big brother for many years, at this moment he suddenly remembered Zhang Sutan's failure and escape day.It was also a wet, cold and rainy morning, and he was also sitting in the boat with the handle of the knife in his hand, fearing that the gunmen sent by Master Xiong would overtake him and kill him.

"I don't know how Master Xiong has built my Zhang Sutan, it must be making money every day!"

The next moment, looking at the coast getting closer and closer, Mr. Wu, who was hit in the face by the cold rain, turned his thoughts back.

After the city of Macau was broken before, each of the pioneering troops who participated in the war received a considerable amount of silver rewards.After Mr. Wu and the others rested on the spot, they had a relatively pleasant time.The daily work is simply to maintain law and order, learn internally, and in leisure time, you can also go shopping in Macau City and spend money, which will stimulate the local economy to stop falling and rebound.

However, the style of painting changed not long after the good days.The internal study time has increased, and the content is all about the climate and geography of Annan.Wu Sanye's team, who had long been familiar with the internal rules of the time-traveling forces, began to increase their self-study again.

Sure enough, after a period of urgent training, Wu Meng's team, as an elite advance team of the Pioneering Army, was dispatched to the transport ship to Qiongzhou.Within a few days of arriving in Qiongzhou, six transport ships escorted by six warships from the Southward Fleet set off along with another oath-taking meeting in Baisha Military Port.

In the end, Wu Sanye and his twenty brothers appeared on the two swaying boats just today.

The seven or eight small boats that lined up side by side quickly crossed the shallow water area and came to the coast of Hongji Harbor as the crew rowed vigorously.

"Get off the boat, hurry up!"

What the third master didn't know was that his first action of jumping off the boat had a profound meaning.This small move represents the first time in 1428 years since the Ming Dynasty revoked the Jiaozhi Cheng and announced the political commissioner in 200, the Han power once again expanded its territory in a real sense.

Dozens of well-trained advance team members quickly jumped out of the boat, trudged a few steps in the knee-deep water, and landed on the beach.

In the rain, the third master ran hard on the muddy beach for a few steps, looked left and right, and then began to assign tasks to the fan area that the team was responsible for according to the previous training at Qiongzhou Beach.In order not to make his subordinates misheard under the interference of the sea tide and the sound of rain, he gave a tactical command while stretching out his arms and spreading his five fingers out loud while giving orders.

"Parallel, ahead!"

"Xinhuizai, on the right!"

He Biandan, a leading soldier, and another Xinhui boy, a short and strong boy, received the order.Both of these two were good at using cold weapons. Under such difficult conditions, they were the only two of them in the whole team wearing half-length steel armor under their raincoats.

The next moment, He Biandan and Xin Huizai, who were carrying long knives, began to search in their respective directions as assigned by the third master.Behind them was the third master and his party who pulled out the skirmish line.

The young master Yusheng who stayed behind at the end.The rainy weather greatly reduced the fire rate of the muskets, so Yusheng led 4 musketeers to stay in the rear.

The Annan coast with a tropical climate is still different from the northern Daming coast.When Wu Meng's team and the rest of the team traveled less than 50 meters on the beach, sparse vegetation appeared in front of them.Fifty meters further forward, various tropical plants popped up abruptly. Together with some scattered mangroves, within a distance of 50 meters, the vegetation quickly blocked the search team's sight.

After discovering the lush vegetation in front of him, the battle-hardened San Ye felt that he could not enter the forest, so he raised his right fist and shouted: "Everyone stop! Be alert on the spot!"

Soon, the messenger ran back and came to the messenger surrounded by Yusheng and his musketeers.

The communication soldier looks a bit messy, with a small military radio wrapped in waterproof canvas on his chest, and a folded square umbrella propped up behind his back to protect him from the rain.

After hearing the news from the messenger, the messenger quickly sent back the situation ahead by radio.

Under the current visibility conditions, the fleet far above the sea cannot see the situation on the shore, and can only wait for the news ahead.So after receiving the radio signal, the small boat that had turned back soon sent the second group of team members ashore.

Since there was already a guard post on the shore, there were more people in the second wave of small boats.After two rounds of transportation, 200 advance team members completed the landing operation.

After this, all the boats of the fleet were lowered.The general dispatcher quickly arranged the channel, and dozens of small boats began to transport workers and tools ashore in an endless stream.

So far, despite the smooth landing operation, the fleet commander Sha Zhengming still frequently checks his watch: Everyone knows that the first 24 hours after landing in front of the enemy are the most critical, which is related to the question of whether it can stand.

Although the intelligence indicated that the North Vietnamese army in the seventeenth century would most likely not appear in Halong Bay, Sha Zhengming did not dare to take the risk at all: the so-called intelligence was just some historical data and a simple pre-survey ship near the shore. There is no Beidou system now, who knows if North Vietnamese soldiers will rush out from behind those lush vegetation in the next moment?

It is his dereliction of duty as a soldier to not prepare a plan according to the worst case.

The North Vietnamese soldiers of this era were quite capable of fighting - Sha Zhengming did not doubt this information at all.After all, Vietnam has already entered the North-South civil war mode during this period. Unlike the peaceful Ming Dynasty, it is impossible for North Vietnamese soldiers not to fight.

Unfamiliar enemy country, unfamiliar coast, lush vegetation, rain and fog with extremely low visibility, and rifles with reduced power... This kind of terrible environment is simply the standard equipment for the weak to face the strong.

As strong as the U.S. emperor was on this land, Sha Zhengming now does not know whether these "colonial militias" who have only been trained hastily can hold the beachhead in an emergency.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, the construction workers did not dare to stop for a moment after landing.After they went ashore and advanced for a while, they quickly selected a location and dug a drainage ditch, and then began to set up tents.

Another group of people rushed towards the vegetation line that blocked the field of view with tools: the field of view is the advantage of the strong, and it must be cleaned up as soon as possible.

In theory, this kind of dangerous and low-level work should be done by slaves.But there are no slaves right now, so the "regular workers" can only work hard to eradicate vegetation.

Chapter 572

Generally speaking, the first day when the landing fleet came to Halong Bay, the progress was smooth: by the evening, the engineering personnel who had landed earlier had built a temporary camp at the landing point.

The makeshift camp consists of a small patch of tents.In just one day, the engineering personnel first dug temporary ditches in the camp, and then raised the foundation as much as possible.All that's left is to pray, and who knows if the camp will be destroyed by a storm or heavy rain at night.

On the outskirts of the small camp are the last important supplies that were brought ashore under the setting sun: barbed wire.

In the seventeenth century, barbed wire was a well-deserved defensive artifact.Aboriginal people here, including Western colonists, have no way to deal with the barbed wire.The only downside to this good thing is that it's expensive, and it's also difficult to transport and deploy.

Fortunately, this time the landing operation is very important, and the person in charge has deduced the impact of the Annan rainy season on the landing in advance, so in the first batch of cabins, a lot of temporary appliances such as barbed wire tents were loaded first.

In just one day, in the tropical rain that fluctuated from big to small, relying on small boats to transport them back and forth, the energetic builders finally built a small temporary camp before nightfall.

Next came the evacuation: all tools and supplies were left behind, and personnel were withdrawn to the fleet empty-handed for the night.

Then Mr. Wu won the jackpot: he and his men, as well as another squad temporarily commanded by him, were ordered to watch the night at the camp... The long night is coming, and the watch will start from now on until death.

Standing on the shore, taking advantage of the last gleam of the setting sun, the third master pointed at the skiff that was rowing away and jumped to his feet, cursing: You rats who dare not share weal and woe!

The pioneering army colleagues on the small boat laughed while rowing, and raised their contemptuous middle fingers they learned from the boss... Everyone knows that it is the safest and most comfortable to go back to the cabin at night, and the devil is willing to stay on the shore. The rain feeds the mosquitoes.

The third master seemed unwilling, but military orders are military orders, and he couldn't disobey them.So when it was completely dark that day, he directed the brothers who stayed behind together to get busy for the night watch.

The first step... is to eat, of course, how can I not eat after a busy day.

Although kerosene is a hot commodity in the trade market and is always out of stock, there is no shortage of the southbound fleet.This is a very simple truth: if you want to get it, you must first invest.Now, as long as the supplies that the passing forces can provide, the southward fleet will be given priority.

Soon, a kerosene fire was lit in the tent, and an iron pan was placed on the cast iron kerosene stove chassis.Next, several large tinplate green military cans with a net weight of one kilogram were opened, and pork egg rolls from Taiwan and duck legs from the countryside of Yingde were all boiled into the pot.

The gurgling soup, the faces of Ming soldiers against the fire of industrial civilization, and the sound of rain outside the tent constitute a strange picture of time and space intertwined with ancient and modern.

After eating this calorie-rich dinner, the third master first ordered things like empty cans to be hung on the barbed wire—although the sound of the rain will affect the hearing, but this kind of sound passed down from "above" As a veteran driver, the third master will definitely follow the defensive tips.

Then began to arrange manpower for the night.

The lurking post is the hardest and needs to be ambushed and observed in the rain.Swimming sentry is not much better, need to patrol in the rain on slippery and muddy land.The fixed whistle is better, you can stand by in the tent.

After a circle was arranged, the third master ordered the whole camp to turn off the lights and enter the silent mode.

At the same time, he turned his head to look towards the coast.The fleet in the open sea has long since disappeared in the rain and darkness, only the sound of the tide beating against the coast is still heard from time to time.

The third master knew that the fleet had also entered a state of blackout.

Before joining a certain force, Wu Sanye, who was born as a purely wild man, never imagined that there are so many meticulous and persistent rules in an army.This is completely different from Daming's ranks.Don't think that the third master doesn't know what virtues are in the Ming army. He has taken in many deserters under his command.

Today, the third master standing on the coast of Annan has already understood what the so-called "strong army" should look like: strict military laws, sharp equipment, rich military pay, and sufficient food and grass.

……

The long night finally passed.

There is no thrilling rainy night raid scene.The military force capable of making such tactical actions was the core force in the core in the seventeenth century, no matter what force would take it seriously, no one would put their core force on the coast where no one would shit.

The only one who was upset was Mr. Wu.

As the temporary commander, the third master didn't close his eyes all night.Not only did he have to patrol and check everywhere in the rain and mud, but he also arranged for the guards to change.Every hour, I have to go to the tent to talk to the fleet and report the situation.

The huge command pressure made the third master nervous. He had to sneak into the tent to smoke a cigarette to stimulate his spirit until the moment when the sun rose.

On the second day of landing, after feeling that one foot had been firmly planted on the shore, the pioneers moved more and more.

In the early morning, the fleet first took action: after the first batch of transport boats set off, the two smallest frigates left immediately, heading straight to Catba Island not far away in the glow of the sun.

Catba Island is not far from the mouth of Halong Bay, and is the largest of the thousands of scattered islands nearby.The entire island is 24 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide, with a total area of ​​315 square kilometers.

In later generations, Cat Ba Island, with its natural white sandy beaches, is the pearl of North Vietnam and a vacation paradise.There are natural bathing beaches, various forest landforms, and a lot of precious wood, and the sea area is rich in cuttlefish.

However, in the seventeenth century, Cat Ba Island, like the coastal islands of Daming, was just a wild island that was ignored.

After the second batch of small boats set off, the big fleet also moved.

Yesterday, because I just arrived here, I don't know if I can stand on the shore, so the fleet anchored in the open sea.Today, considering that there is already a preliminary defense force on the shore, it is time for the fleet to move: enter Halong Bay.

In the rainy season, there are often storms along the coast of An Nam, so it is the right choice for the fleet to berth in Ha Long Bay for shelter from the wind.

At this time, the effect of sending ships to investigate in the early stage is reflected.Under the guidance of the pilot ship, the fleet avoided all kinds of bright and dark reefs blocking the way, and sailed smoothly into Halong Bay.

While the fleet was moving, the shore was already in full swing.

Today is different from yesterday.According to the plan, the engineering personnel who went ashore today will not evacuate in the evening, but will spend the night in the camp, so people are working hard, trying to make themselves safer when night comes.

Today's top priority is the trestle.

There must be a trestle first, even if it is the simplest one that can only unload light materials, after all, the efficiency of using small boats to transport materials in bulk is too slow.

So a large number of construction workers gathered at a beach facing the inland sea of ​​Halong Bay, and began to repair the trestle bridge in the most primitive way: manually digging pits, laying bottom piles, and laying bridge slabs.

The good thing is that although the plan is old-fashioned, the tools in the hands of the construction workers are serious crude steel products, including measuring tools and nails, which are all regular products produced by the Kiln District Tool Factory.In addition, the wooden piles and boards used to build the trestle bridge are also pre-processed standard parts.

As a result, the construction progress of the trestle bridge is very fast.In the case of lowering the passing standard, it took only one day for the base of the trestle to penetrate into the sea water.Depending on the situation, at most tomorrow, the small boat can come up to unload the cargo.

In the evening, the work outside the camp also came to an end.

Using a variety of sharp tools, the construction workers cleared the vegetation in sight for 200 meters. Now the camp has not only expanded its area, but also has a circle of bare open space around it that does not affect the shooting range.

The last program of the day was the return of the two frigates.

After the return of the two frigates, they quickly brought their harvest ashore: a dozen or so fishermen from Cat Ba Island who were captured.

The arrival of the new force accelerated the construction of the camp.Due to the language barrier, these Annan local fishermen were extremely panicked at first.Later, I found out that the food on the construction site was good, and I could receive golden Daming copper coins after work every day, so I gradually relaxed my mind and stopped thinking about running away.

In this way, another two days passed, and the hard-working pioneers finally waited for the second fleet from Qiongzhou.

As mentioned earlier, Qiongzhou is only a day or so away from Halong Bay.The reason why the reinforcement fleet came today was because they had to tow a special vessel: the floating dock.

Due to the low level of technology, today's floating docks are all disposable.After being towed to the designated location, the dock can be put into use after a series of procedures such as beach fixing.

The arrival of the floating wharf has greatly increased the speed of cargo loading: cargo ships can finally dock directly to load and unload cargo without the need for small boats.

Next, a batch of simple hoisting means of transport went ashore.After the tools were installed, a large amount of construction materials were landed on the pontoon.

And Zheng Yangyang, the traverser in charge of infrastructure construction in the Southward Military and Political Group, also went ashore in Halong Bay with the large force.

Zheng Yangyang is less than 30 years old this year and is one of the youngest time travelers.Before crossing, this gentleman worked in black engineering in the United States and studied house design. After crossing, he designed the standardized wooden houses built in Taijiang in the early days.

As a matter of fact, Zheng Yangyang presided over the revision of the standard wooden house model that is now being built in various construction sites and new districts in Fujian and Guangdong, as well as the industrial standards for wood production, processing, and transportation involved behind it.