MLMD -Chapter 430 Interception

Since ancient times, warfare has never been simple, and battles involving over a hundred thousand men were especially troublesome. The coordination of weapons, ammunition, provisions, laborers, transport, and troop movements could drive even the dullest officers to the brink of collapse.

“One thousand stones of flour, ten thousand stones of millet, thirty thousand stones of horse feed, five thousand crates of canned goods, two thousand crates of hardtack, two hundred thousand pounds of gunpowder, five million lead bullets… my god… if all this has to be transported overland, it would take at least four to six months. When would all this be ready?”

Yue Yang frowned as he looked over the supplies and transport requisitions delivered by Shunbao and the others. The Xuan army, which hadn’t fought a major battle in over a year, was clearly unprepared for a large-scale conflict. Most of these materials had to be transported from Shanxi, and the time required via land was even longer.

“This won’t do… the land route takes too long. If only we could go by sea,” Yue Yang muttered to himself. The key to using the sea, of course, was ships. But he wasn’t sure how the warship construction was progressing. Thinking this over, Yue Yang called for a guard and gave some instructions. Soon, Guo Jingxian, who was training the navy, arrived.

Guo Jingxian bowed and said, “Marquis, I heard you were looking for me!”

Yue Yang sized him up carefully. The former pirate was much darker than the last time they met. Yue Yang said lightly, “General Guo, the Weihaiwei navy has been rebuilt for over half a year. How is the training progressing?”

Guo Jingxian quickly replied, “Reporting to the Marquis: I was ordered to rebuild the navy. After more than half a year, the newly recruited five thousand sailors have completed their basic training and are now qualified naval personnel. However, our warships have only just been delivered, and training time is still short, so they have yet to form real combat capability.”

Yue Yang asked, “How many warships do we currently have?”

“Reporting to the Marquis: We have two third-class warships, four fourth-class, eight fifth-class, twelve sixth-class, and nine Yan-type vessels.”

“I see…”

Yue Yang stroked his chin in thought. He was a pragmatic man: if people in another timeline had already defined sailing warships, he wouldn’t hesitate to copy it. Technically, third-class warships weren’t even battleships; they were more like heavy cruisers. With a displacement of about 1,500 tons, a crew of six hundred, seventy-four cannons, and a high cost, they were money-hungry monsters.

Suddenly, Yue Yang asked, “At this pace, won’t we run short of sailors by next year?”

Guo Jingxian nodded, “Yes. I was about to report that the five thousand sailors we’ve trained are nearly all assigned to ships. If more warships are built next year, we won’t have enough men.”

“Five thousand sailors isn’t enough?” Yue Yang chuckled wryly. He had thought this was sufficient for a fleet, but clearly it wasn’t. A single ship required far more sailors than in later centuries. A thousand-ton sailing ship could need hundreds of men, unlike modern ships, where computers allow a few dozen crew to operate a ten-thousand-ton vessel.

“Keep recruiting sailors,” Yue Yang said with a wry smile. Building a powerful fleet quickly would be a long and difficult process.

“Is there anything else you need, Sir?”

“Of course.” Yue Yang realized he hadn’t yet addressed today’s main matter. “Soon I intend to take action against the Tartars. Most of our forces will be mobilized to crush them in one decisive strike. Supplies and equipment will be enormous, and transporting them overland to Liaodong would be slow and cumbersome. Therefore, I plan to call upon all naval vessels for this campaign and use Weihaiwei ships for troop and supply transport. As the naval general of Weihaiwei, this responsibility falls on your shoulders. Do you have the confidence to complete this task?”

Guo Jingxian knew that the army would be the main force in the battle, with the navy playing a supporting role. But their role wasn’t unimportant; tens of thousands of soldiers’ provisions depended on the navy. This was Yue Yang’s first mission assigned to him since the navy’s formation. He lifted his chin and declared loudly, “Rest assured, Marquis! I will give my utmost to complete this mission!”

“Good. That’s all I need to hear,” Yue Yang said, satisfied.

As the saying goes, “Before an army moves, provisions must go first.” Preparing for a decisive battle of over a hundred thousand men required extraordinary logistics—especially for Yue Yang’s army, which had advanced beyond the age of simple cold weapons. As weapons grew more sophisticated, logistical work became increasingly complex.

At Yue Yang’s command, Shanxi and Shandong swiftly mobilized. Troops were gathered, supplies moved, and countless riders shuttled orders back and forth. Such large-scale movements could not go unnoticed, and soon discussions spread throughout the court and among the people.

Even Emperor Chongzhen could not remain unaware, but Yue Yang had already reported the plan. The Emperor was pleased—since their rise, the Qing had brought immeasurable suffering to the Ming. The memory of their cruelty was bitter, and if not for the Qing, the Ming wouldn’t need to pour so much into maintaining a Liaodong army each year. In another timeline, the fragile Ming finances were nearly crushed by these military expenses.

Late at night, the naval academy on Liugong Island, several miles southeast of Weihaiwei, was quiet. Only a few dozen lanterns flickered outside, and all students, except for the guards, had gone to bed.

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

A sharp whistle echoed, and the academy erupted like a boiling pot. Within minutes, students in blue-and-white uniforms poured out from all directions to assemble on the main drill field. Surrounded by a few officers, Naval General Guo Jingxian stood calmly in the center, observing.

“Right face!”

“Left face!”

“Attention… count off…”

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…”

A few minutes later, a duty officer reported loudly, “Reporting, Sir: All students are assembled. Expected: 500, present: 498. Two absent due to injury. Awaiting your instructions!”

Guo Jingxian nodded. “At ease.”

The students’ footsteps echoed in unison.

Seeing nearly 500 students standing in perfect formation, Guo Jingxian addressed them:

“Brothers… I apologize for calling you up in the middle of the night. I am here to tell you that by order of Marquis Yue, the Ming will launch a full-scale assault against the Tartars beyond the border!”

Excitement sparkled in every eye. Most students were from Shandong, a region often ravaged by the Qing. Their hatred ran deep. But discipline kept them from cheering aloud.

Guo Jingxian observed them carefully and thought: The army’s morale is usable!

He continued, “Don’t get too excited. The main force of this Liaodong expedition is the army. We, the navy, are responsible for transporting troops, supplies, and logistics. But even so, our task is critical. Tens of thousands of soldiers’ supplies depend on us. You are all elite students who passed rigorous selection to enter this academy. The navy is watching you, and Marquis Yue is watching you. Anyone who fails will face my wrath. Understand?”

The students roared in unison: “Understood!”

“Good. You have fifteen minutes to prepare. Then everyone to the docks to board the ships!”

“Yes, Sir!”

Two weeks later, on the open sea, a mighty naval fleet sailed across the horizon.

Hai Laoda and Liu Laizi were in the gun deck cleaning 24-pound cannons, each weighing over 800 pounds. They had to be scrubbed daily to prevent rust. Hai Laoda was lucky to be assigned to the Qingzhou, a third-class warship, as the assistant gun captain. Coincidentally, Liu Laizi, a fellow villager, was serving as loader.

The Qingzhou looked like a floating wooden mansion from afar. Its ornate stern had two tiers of gilded windows. The aft deck, dominated by the main mast, took up nearly half the upper deck. It was the officers’ space, the cleanest part of the ship, and strictly off-limits to ordinary sailors.

Below, the gun decks were cramped, dark, and foul-smelling, housing both cannons and livestock for the officers. Sailors slept suspended above the guns, ate in tight spaces, and endured long, monotonous workdays. Storms would flood the lower decks, spreading filth and creating unbearable conditions.

Hai Laoda wiped sweat from his forehead. “I admire your endurance here, Liu Laizi.”

Liu Laizi smiled wryly. “What choice do we have? We take the pay, we do the work. Two silver coins and three dou of rice per month isn’t easy to earn. But at least we rotate to the upper deck every month—then we can enjoy some comfort.”

Having cleaned the cannon, they opened the drainage flap, letting out the water. Suddenly, a sharp whistle echoed—three short, two long. Enemy sighted. Sailors stopped their work as gunners shouted orders.

“All hands, prepare! Raise the hatches! Stations, move!”
“Idiots! Load the ammunition!”

Amid the chaos, Hai Laoda rammed a powder charge into the barrel, loaded the 24-pound shot, and used the rammer to push it home. “Reporting, Sir! Fifth gun ready!”

“Third gun ready!”

“Second gun ready!”

“First gun ready!”

Above deck, Guo Jingxian and other officers peered through telescopes at a fleet ahead.

“Sir Guo, that’s the Zheng family’s fleet!”

A subordinate cried out. Guo Jingxian’s eyes burned with barely contained fury. Before joining the court, he had been allied with the Zhengs’ enemy, Liu Xiang, and hated the Zhengs bitterly.

Expecting him to open fire immediately, the subordinate was surprised when Guo Jingxian instead ordered:

“Signal their fleet to stop. Verify their identity, purpose, and cargo.”

“Yes, Sir!”

The flagship raised the battle flag, signaling the fleet to approach the Zheng fleet. The sailors’ inexperience caused some disorder, earning Guo Jingxian a few curses under his breath.

Several miles away, the Zheng fleet noticed the approaching ships.

“Second boss, that’s the Ming navy!”

“Ming navy?”

A middle-aged man at the bow, wearing a black short shirt and blue headscarf, peered through a spyglass. His face darkened when he saw the approaching fleet flying the red sun-and-moon banner.

“Damn it, how is the Ming navy here?”

This man was Zheng Zhibao, brother of Zheng Zhilong. He was shocked—the fleet looked nothing like typical Ming ships but like foreign vessels.

“Second boss, the Ming are signaling us to stop and board for inspection!”

“What? These bastards are this bold?” Zheng Zhibao fumed, seeing red.