Chapter 178: The burnt jade axe

If the control of the Yangtze River channel is an important factor that determines the battlefield in the south of the Yangtze River, then the Pacific channel will be the most important factor in this contest.

At this time, Jiangnan was not the later generations. Both population, economy, and infrastructure were incomparable to later generations. The three hundred years of operation in the Southern Dynasty had just revealed the signs of prosperity, but it turned out to be lost in the rebellion of Sun En, Hou Jing and the late Sui Dynasty. What Li Shimin occupied was just a thatched hut built on the ruins.

The tall buildings are only in the north. Jiangnan cannot support the supply consumption of Li Shimin's more than 2 million troops, and cannot support Li Shimin's more than 8,000 battle elephants and more than 30,000 rhinos. All of this requires Li Shimin to transfusion blood from the Fusang continent to the Central Plains.

Li Shimin was naturally not a fool. He could easily think of where the disappearing Tang Navy went. The Tang Navy, which had just annexed Li Shimin's huge ocean-going transport fleet, must have gone to the long route in the Pacific Ocean to ambush at a certain point.

It's just a pity that Li Shimin can no longer look back, let alone modify this ending.

Because the two sides have different focus, the Tang Navy and the Fusang Ocean Fleet adopted two completely different strategies. Under the leadership of Li Jing, the Tang Navy focused on naval battles, so the Five-Tooth Warships built were significantly different from the Five-Tooth Warships invented during the Sui Dynasty.

The five-toothed ship invented by the Sui Dynasty actually refers to a five-layer structure that is more than a hundred feet high. Six slapped rods are set up on the left and right front and back, which are fifty feet high. Each wooden mast is equipped with a huge rock with a wheel underneath. When the enemy ship approaches during battle, you can quickly use the wheel to lower the rock and smash the enemy ship. If one blow fails, you can quickly put it away and then put it away. If the enemy ship is surrounded on all sides, you can also "take six-pronged approach". It can be seen how strong its combat power is.

However, the Five-Tooth Warship is still in the traditional Chinese architectural style, just like a building ship. The rectangular structure, although tall, does not have strong resistance to wind and waves, and has very average control. However, although the Five-Tooth Warship is also a five-story building, it lowers the high-rise deck, adds a pointed structure, and adds a keel to make the entire hull smoother. Moreover, the entire ship has canceled the pole structure and uses eight-ox crossbow or stone cannon as the main long-range attack method.

However, in order to pursue carrying capacity, Li Shimin sacrificed flexible handling and speed. Even when winding in the same direction, the speed of the ocean-going transport ship was slower than that of the Tang Navy's Five-Tooth Warship, although not too much, about one or two percent less. However, in naval battles, this was very fatal.

At this time, Li Shimin's ocean-going fleet would be very embarrassing when facing the Tang Navy. He could not fight, but could not escape.

There is a very inconspicuous island on the endless Pacific Ocean. However, this island is very important on the ocean route from the Central Plains to the Fusang continent.

This small island is the famous Midway Island. Originally, it was a coral island without fresh water, and it had no value to replenish fresh water. However, Li Shimin transported a lot of materials and could not use his limited carrying capacity to transport fresh water. Moreover, it still has a certain shelf life in fresh water.

Midway Island was transformed by smart craftsmen into an island with fresh water. Of course, this fresh water is still limited, and the Pacific Ocean is still rich in rainwater. A reservoir specially used to collect rainwater can be built using ceramic tiles to replenish some fresh water.

Three months ago, the Tang Dynasty Navy arrived at Midway Island and ambushed the Fusang Ocean Fleet on the ocean route. The number of ocean fleets is as many as 6,000, but it is divided into hundreds of squadrons. Each squadron consists of dozens or hundreds of ocean transport ships. Not only does it have special naval combat personnel, but there are no escort fleets.

During these three months of battle, the Tang Dynasty Navy was in full swing.

They disguised themselves as Fuso Ocean Fleet, and quietly approached under the banner of needing rescue, and made unexpected attacks, destroying dozens of ocean-going fleets of squadrons, with minimal losses themselves.

The war thousands of miles away is too far away for Chang'an, as far away as if it had happened in another time and space, and had nothing to do with him.

There was no news about this war in the courts of Chang'an, among the people, Shilin, and even through all channels. The Tang Dynasty seemed to have not built more than 400 five-toothed warships and more than 1,000 subsequent warships.

It seems that it has never happened. People should live like this, drink and dance, and everything is as usual.

Only a very small number of people are nervously paying attention to this war and everything that happened there. Of course, this circle is too small and the identity of the people in this circle is too special. It is difficult to have anything to do with the people. Everyone should do their own things.

The people only knew that every time, the Chang'an court would recruit some soldiers to the battlefield of Jianghuai, and they would not know when they would come back. Tens of thousands of soldiers rushed to the battlefield with great enthusiasm, but never came back once they left.

Some sensational guys criticized the court's policies with a deep face in social occasions, and called on the court to stop this stupid behavior that made the Tang youth bleed. They caused quite a stir, but soon disappeared.

It is the most complete disappearance and can't even find the hair.

There is no democracy to talk about in major events that affect the fate of the Tang Dynasty court, and the world will evaporate if it jumps out and sings the opposite tune.

When Li Shimin had not received a supply ship for three months, he realized that something was wrong.

He had no choice now, and could only launch a fierce attack on the Jianghuai defense line of the Tang Dynasty while the stock supplies were still sufficient.

In an instant, the world was filled with smoke, from the northern battlefields of Yun, Dai, Yi, Shuo, to Xiashule, Geluo Ridge, Kunlun Mountain, Jiannan Road, and along the Jianghuai River, fighting was almost everywhere.

In this flash, a year has passed.

During this year, Li Xiuning successfully gave birth to a pair of twins for Chen Ying. Even when it was less than a month old, Li Xiuning threw the pair of full-month-old children to Xu Erniang for care, and she and Li Daozhen moved into the military camp.

When Li Siye was sixteen years old, Li Daozhen finally made a decision to return Li Siye to Chen and rename him Chen Jiye. Li Xiuning wrote a letter to Li Jiancheng, asking Chen Jiye for title and inheriting the title of Duke Liang.

Chen Qian also inherited his father's business, moved to Anxi, and became the King of Anxi. With the help of Chen Ying's old subordinates, he served as the northwest border guarded by the Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Shimin tried his best to attack the Huaihe River defense line of the Tang Dynasty regardless of casualties, Chen Ying commanded the Tang army soldiers and refused to give in.

War directly catalyzed the technological development of the Tang Dynasty. Artillery, mines, rockets and even steam airships appeared one after another. The war mode of the Tang Dynasty slowly began to move towards hot weapons from the age of cold weapons.

The war lasted for three months, and the letter from home was worth ten thousand gold.

Li Xiuning, who was in Chang'an, finally received a letter from Chen Ying.

Looking at the familiar and friendly handwriting, Li Xiuning was already in tears.

Xiuning's wife's name is Rushi:

Since you married me with red dowry, I have been nearly sixteen years. I have been so sorry for you for so many years. I just looked back and realized that the person you are most sorry for in this life is you.

Chen has no ambitions and would rather be mediocre for life. However, for his husband, he cannot bear to see you fighting for the world, so he can only run around for you, but he has no choice but to make you red makeup like a guardian empty curtain... You and I have given birth to three sons, humble, supreme, and three daughters, Ruoxi, Ruobing, and Ruoshui. This is the best gift God has given me. If you have a son, everything will be enough, and all family affairs will be entrusted to you...

...

The war was extremely cruel, the forces of the Fusang coalition seemed endless, their officers were cunning and tenacious, and their generals were all experienced in battles. Even the most subtle flaws would be immediately captured by them, and then they would turn into a terrible disaster. The Huaihe River defense line has been completely lost, and we have retreated to Longkangxiang Mountain, and millions of people in Jianghuai moved to Hebei.

Fortunately, Hebei is large enough, and the land that can be cultivated is not worse than that of Jianghuai. Thanks to our Chidao, we can use steam engine trains to provide us with sufficient food and equipment.

Many Zhechong Mansions have been exhausted, and my personal guard, Zhechong Mansion, have been exhausted three times and rebuilt three times. Even I don’t remember how many waves my subordinates have changed.

It's really cruel. I dare not imagine anymore. So many excellent soldiers, if they say they're going to do it, how can I explain to their relatives? How can I explain to their parents, brothers, sisters, children, and wives when they ask me for someone? I don't have the courage to think about these things.

Fortunately, the country born from the war was not scared by the fierce war. Our people were unwilling to become slaves of failure. The farmers worked hard to grow workers, the craftsmen worked hard, and the scholars, farmers, industry and commerce performed their own duties. We were close to endless resources and manufactured weapons and equipment for us at an astonishing speed. As the production efficiency of the military industry in the Tang Dynasty increased exponentially, the replenishment of equipment kept up with the consumption speed for the first time.

...

When I sent you this letter, the Fusang coalition forces had already repelled the offensive against Xiangshan by us, and the Tang Dynasty was temporarily safe.

Reinforcements from all northern states continued to come and join our camp. Although the current situation is still extremely serious, I firmly believe that our persistence and sacrifice will not be in vain. The people of the Tang Dynasty yearn for peace cannot be destroyed. As long as we do not give up, victory will definitely belong to us!

After reading it in one breath, Li Xiuning's eyes were a little wet.

Chen Ying didn't mention the specific situation of the war, but she completely imagined how tragic the war was and how difficult his situation was, which made her feel distressed.

At this moment, suddenly a sound of footsteps came.

Princess Yongle, wearing a princess outfit and running quickly with her short legs, rushed towards Li Xiuning.

Princess Yongle said angrily: "Mom, what kind of person is Daddy? Why don't he come back to see us? Does he want us?"

Li Xiuning felt a moment of trance, squatted down and touched Princess Yongle's head, and said seriously: "No, your father... is a great hero who stands tall and strong."

Princess Yongle's eyes were blurred and said, "When will Dad come to see me? Yongle will be good!"

"Yes, it's almost!"

Li Xiuning suddenly saw Li Daozhen's eyes red, leaning against the window, looking desperate.

Li Siye, who changed his name to Chen Jiye, stood beside Li Daozhen with a gray face.

The smile on Li Xiuning's face slowly stopped, and he realized something was wrong.

Li Xiuning felt something was wrong. She looked at the date at the end of the letter. It was July Bingwu, and it was July Jiayin, which means nine days have passed.

This is simply impossible. No matter how poor the efficiency of the Tang Dynasty was, it would be impossible for a letter from the front line to be sent back from Xiangshan in nine days.

Tears faintly appeared in the corner of Li Xiuning's eyes: "What's going on?"

Li Daozhen choked up but didn't say anything.

Li Xiuning walked up to Chen Jiye, looked at Chen Duanye and said seriously: "Dalang, you said..."

Chen Jiye murmured and opened his mouth.

Finally he sighed, "Nothing!"

"Dalang, look at me!" Li Xiuning's voice became sharper, and Chen Xun and Li Ruoxi came to Li Xiuning.

Chen Jiye suddenly couldn't control himself anymore: "Nine days ago, the father-in-chief repelled the Fusang coalition and then launched a full-scale counterattack..."

...

Chang'an Tai Chi Palace.

Li Jiancheng looked at Li Anyan with a gloomy face and roared: "Have you found someone?"

Li Anyan shook his head and said bitterly: "I searched all over the Mufu Mountain and found 1,049 vague corpses, and found this..."

Speaking of this, Li Anyan couldn't continue. He held a jade axe in both hands.

This jade axe has been shattered by the fire.

Li Jiancheng looked at the jade axe and felt dizzy.

Wei Zheng quickly stepped forward to support Li Jiancheng.
Chapter completed!