nashuaworldcup Chapter 363 Arrival in Shandong
Chapter 363 Arrival in Shandong
At Liu Ye's instruction, a joint document from the Lingao County government and the Qiongzhou garrison, requesting permission from the prefectural government to open the official granaries and "borrow grain," was produced and sent by fast horse to the prefectural government in Qiongshan County.
When Prefect Qin Bingyan saw this unprecedented and defiant letter requesting grain, he was extremely depressed.
A county government official and a local military officer dared to open the granary to borrow grain, completely disregarding the laws of the court and the rules of officialdom, and showing no regard for the possible political consequences. Qin Bingyan lamented that he must have done something terrible in his past life to end up as an official in Qiongzhou Prefecture and have such subordinates.
He picked up the letter several times, wanting to tear it up, but put it down each time. Faced with the real threat from the Qiongzhou Camp, everything else was insignificant. After hesitating for a long time, he finally summoned his clerk, dictated a letter in his private capacity, and had the clerk write it down. He then made three copies and sent them to the magistrates of Changhua County, Danzhou, Wanzhou, and Lingshui County, instructing them to act accordingly if the Qiongzhou Camp came to negotiate the "grain loan." This was the limit of what Qin Bingyan could do. He neither directly offended the Qiongzhou Camp nor completely absolved himself of responsibility—he had not explicitly ordered the opening of the granaries to release grain, and a private letter could not replace official documents; at least there was no obvious incriminating evidence in the official procedure.
However, given the notorious reputation of the Qiongzhou garrison and the ambiguous private letter, no county dared to refuse the request to "borrow grain," and the result was no different from a formal order from the prefectural government.
After making preparations to receive and accommodate refugees, the Qiongzhou garrison was about to set off for Shandong. One day in mid-May, under a clear blue sky, Bofu Port was bustling with activity. Army soldiers boarded ships in company-sized units, while laborers carried loads of grain onto the ships. The Guangzhou and Fujian ships used for transporting grain and preparing to transfer refugees lined up all the way to the estuary. To coordinate with the Qiongzhou garrison's actions, Governor Mu Tianyan personally ordered the requisition of all civilian ships in the Guangzhou area to "assist the court in suppressing the rebellion." Except for small inland river boats that could not go to sea and overly dilapidated cargo ships, all the boats of all sizes on the Pearl River in Guangzhou were cleared out.
As Liu Ye and his group were preparing to board the "Guangdong," they encountered an unexpected guest at the dock. A handsome young man with a refined appearance, accompanied by a refined-looking pageboy, blocked their path.
The young man coughed lightly and said, "I was introduced by Governor Mu of Guangdong and would like to hitch a ride with you to visit my relatives in Shandong. I wonder if General Liu would be willing to do me this favor?"
Liu Ye recognized the voice. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't some young master at all, but Lin Shiyue in disguise. The page beside her was the same, probably her personal maid in disguise. What exactly was this Miss Lin up to?
He walked over and said softly, "Miss Lin, we're going to quell the rebellion, not to go sightseeing. Why don't you just stay out of the way? Once Shandong is pacified and there's no more war in the country, I'll send someone to take you to Shandong to see your father, okay?"
Lin Shiyue rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I'm a woman who doesn't know what's good for her and acts recklessly?" she said, handing him a letter.
Liu Ye took the envelope with suspicion and saw that it was signed by Mu Tianyan and marked to be opened by him personally. He had no choice but to open it and read the letter.
The letter explicitly instructed him to take Lin Shiyue to Shandong, and to avoid any inconvenience, he was to "disguise himself as a man and board the ship." Upon arrival in Shandong, Lin Shiyue would introduce him to his father, Lin Tianming.
Liu Ye considered it. Although bringing Lin Shiyue along was somewhat inconvenient, she could indeed act as a go-between, connecting him with Lin Tianming, the Imperial Inspector of Shandong. Liu Ye had many plans that depended on Inspector Lin, and he needed to quickly establish a good relationship of trust and cooperation; he didn't have much time to slowly cultivate a rapport. Therefore, bringing Lin Shiyue along seemed to be useful.
He calmly slipped the letter back into the envelope and nodded, saying, "Since the governor has spoken, how could I dare not agree? Please board the ship, Miss Lin. However, I must warn you beforehand that the sea is rough and the ship is rocking, so you may have some trouble. If Miss Lin wishes to change her mind, there is still time."
Lin Shiyue replied calmly, "Thank you for the reminder, but Shiyue is not a delicate young lady who can't endure any hardship, so these are no problem. Shiyue has only one request: please arrange a private cabin for the two of us, master and servant."
"Of course, I'll arrange it," Liu Ye agreed.
With everything prepared, the massive fleet set sail, leaving Bofu Port for Shandong.
According to information Lin Shiyue obtained from the imperial gazette and her father's letter, the rebellion in Shandong was nearing its end. The rebels' rampage of burning, killing, and looting throughout Shandong had been contained, and they were suppressed by the pacification army within Dengzhou. Their area of activity was limited, and most of Shandong was relatively safe at this time. The Qiongzhou garrison could choose to land anywhere outside of Dengzhou. Ultimately, Liu Ye decided to land at Laizhou, because Zhu Dadian was leading the pacification army stationed between Dengzhou and Laizhou, and Lin Tianming was also in the army.
To accommodate the transport ships from Guangdong and Fujian, the warships of the Qiongzhou garrison had to slow down to prevent the fleet from becoming separated and losing their way. After a hurried journey, they finally reached the Shandong coast in June.
Before heading to Laizhou, the fleet first arrived at its designated anchorage—Changdao Island near Dengzhou.
Changdao Island, later known as Shandong's only island county, is quite large, covering 56 square kilometers. In this timeline, the world hadn't been developed, and there were no government offices. Aside from a few scattered fishermen, it was essentially uninhabited. The island boasted an excellent natural environment, with dense forests, several streams, and abundant vegetation and freshwater resources, easily accommodating tens of thousands of people.
According to the pre-arranged plan, the main fleet and transport ships were to anchor here, awaiting developments in the Shandong campaign. If the war went smoothly and the rebels fled by sea, the fleet could use this location as a base to intercept them; after the recapture of Dengzhou, the transport ships could then use the Dengzhou port to transport refugees back to Lingao. Meanwhile, the army would travel by troop transport ships to Laizhou to join the imperial army sent to quell the rebellion.
Before departing, Liu Ye repeatedly instructed the fleet commander Gao Jie: "If the rebels really flee north by sea, you must do everything in your power to intercept their fleet, and try not to let a single ship escape. The rebels may take the well-made cannons from the castle with them, including the craftsmen who made them. I am worried that these cannons and craftsmen will fall into the hands of the northern barbarians, which would undoubtedly be a disaster for the Ming Dynasty and for us."
Gao Jie understood the immense military significance of intercepting the rebel soldiers. He was determined not to fire on a single boat, not even a small one.
"Understood, General. I will do my utmost to sink the rebel ships in this area."