Chapter 968 - Qimu Island
Following the outline Xu Ke had provided, Huang Ande focused his inquiries on several officers destined to lead the Dengzhou Mutiny: Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Li Jiucheng and his son, among others.
Sun Yuan, however, knew little of them. He was only aware they had all originated from the Dongjiang garrison. After Mao Wenlong's death, they had clashed with the current Dongjiang Commander Huang Long and subsequently relocated to Dengzhou. The sole exception was Geng Zhongming—he served in the headquarters staff and had more frequent contact with retainers like Sun Yuan.
Here in Dengzhou, troops from various regions had gathered. The local Shandong soldiers were the most arrogant, followed by the guest troops transferred from the south. Commander Zhang Keda primarily relied on the southern contingent. The Liaodong soldiers who had arrived from Dongjiang skulked about somewhat, diminished in status. As a Shandong man, Sun Yuan didn't think much of them. In his view, if not for the Dengzhou-Laizhou navy guarding the islands in Bohai Bay, braving wind and waves to transport provisions to Dongjiang, the garrison holding LĂĽshun would have been finished long ago.
He did note, however, that Sun Yuanhua treated the Liaodong troops who had transferred to Dengzhou-Laizhou quite well. Not only did he favor the officers, but the family members evacuated from LĂĽshun, Jinzhou, and other places were also given housing. Thus Sun Yuanhua's prestige among the Liaodong troops ran relatively high.
"Those Liaodong fellows stick together like brothers," Sun Yuan said, then spat. "That Kong Youde you asked about has high prestige among them, and the Governor treats him quite courteously. If the Governor hadn't taken him in at Dengzhou-Laizhou back then, that homeless ghost would have been left on some island eating salt sand in the wind—now look at him strutting about."
He mentioned further that the Liaodong troops possessed many cavalry. Kong Youde's command alone had over a thousand cavalrymen, which explained why Sun Yuanhua treated him with such distinction.
Huang Ande listened more than he spoke, occasionally refilling Sun Yuan's wine cup. Once he had gathered sufficient intelligence, he proposed venturing into the water city to visit old friends and relatives.
Sun Yuan laughed. "What's difficult about that? Craftsmen and laborers go in and out every day. Tomorrow I'll speak to the squad leader for you—just blend in with the workers. So many people come and go through the city gates—it's nothing important."
Huang Ande couldn't help but feel disdain at such lax security—matters he wouldn't have given a second thought before now struck him as deeply improper after his years as a Fubo Army soldier.
When they had drunk their fill, both parties parted in good spirits. The next day, Huang Ande smoothly infiltrated the water city. Using visits to old friends and relatives as his pretext, he wandered freely inside. He already knew most of the facilities and their locations from his previous service—this was merely reconfirmation.
While Huang Ande plied his trade as a "spy" in Dengzhou, Lu Wenyuan—following prior arrangements—traveled to Longkou to survey possible sites for a land base.
During the Ming, Longkou fell within Huang County, and Huang County would later become the theater where Kong Youde and the Ming army fought their seesaw battles. Therefore, the chosen site had to lie as far as possible from the coming battle zone. The General Staff's final selection was Qimu Island in Longkou Bay.
Qimu Island was a long, narrow peninsula extending from Longkou into Bohai Bay, surrounded by sea on three sides. Its area measured approximately four square kilometers. The southern portion was an open golden beach; the northern end bordered sheer sea cliffs. The entire landmass connected to the mainland via a sand spit some ten kilometers long and one kilometer wide, like a giant arm reaching into the sea.
Even in the twenty-first century, Qimu Island had been developed only as a tourist area. In the seventeenth century, it was merely a barren peninsula dotted with a few small fishing villages and almost no permanent inhabitants. Most of the island's soil was saline-alkaline or sandy—worthless for cultivation.
But for the Elders, this made it an excellent base site. Qimu Island was bordered by sea on three sides. With just a few naval vessels and a small core force, combined with mobilized militia holding fortifications on the sand spit, the entire island's security could be assured. The four-square-kilometer expanse was sufficient to accommodate a considerable number of refugees. The sole disadvantage was freshwater scarcity, though it wasn't entirely absent. The guide mentioned that streams and springs of "sweet water"—meaning freshwater—still flowed among the hills on the island's northern section. Wells dug on the island also yielded water, but that was "bitter water"—suitable only for washing. Combined with a rainwater collection system, a basic water supply could just suffice for refugee needs.
This location, within Huang County but quite remote, attracted little attention. It stood thirty kilometers from Huang County seat and only sixty kilometers from Penglai—the epicenter of the future Dengzhou Mutiny. If intervention became necessary, forces could enter the fray quickly. Moreover, in the seventeenth century, this was all wasteland no one wanted—incapable of growing crops. Very suitable for a Senate that needed to "live frugally."
Lu Wenyuan rode on horseback, feeling the whistling sea wind sting his face—and this was still summer. What would winter bring? Knowing that even in the twenty-first century the Bohai Sea often froze over vast stretches, the Little Ice Age of this timeline would surely mean "a thousand li frozen, ten thousand li of drifting snow." Being an "estate master" here, buffeted by sea winds and watching frozen seas—that wouldn't be pleasant at all.
The thought that he might have to serve as estate master here for at least two years gradually cooled the blood that hormones had heated. Shandong lasses were certainly attractive, but he needed to take care of himself to have any energy left.
Among the party were several trusted men dispatched by Sun Yuanhua. Zhao Yingong's proposal to establish an estate in the Longkou area of Huang County for recruiting refugees to work coastal agricultural land, along with plans to build a church, had moved Sun Yuanhua. He had specifically sent these men to accompany Lu Wenyuan in the endeavor.
"Master Lu!" The guide called out, watching the party continue to push deeper into Qimu Island. Though the island itself wasn't large, the sand spit stretched on considerably—reaching the end would take at least another half hour. And there was nothing to see along the way. Except for some hills at the island's northern end with somewhat scenic views, everywhere else was nothing but sand flats and saline-alkaline wasteland. He strongly suspected this young Master Lu suffered from some kind of mental illness, insisting on sightseeing across this barren island and examining land plots.
"What is it?" Lu Wenyuan spoke what passed for Mandarin with a strange, stiff accent.
"The island looks the same all the way to the end—all sand and saline-alkaline soil. Can't farm here, and there's no water," the guide advised. "Please turn back, sir."
Lu Wenyuan replied: "I specifically want saline-alkaline land. Let's continue. Keep going."
The guide silently cursed this incomprehensible Guangdong barbarian but had no choice except to lead them onward. Finally reaching the island's terminus, Lu Wenyuan stood against the sea wind and gazed outward. South of Qimu Island lay Longkou Bay—in the original timeline, this was where Longkou Port would be built. Qimu Island's peculiar geography actually served as a natural breakwater for the bay, creating an excellent harbor. On the southeastern coast of Longkou Bay, many fishing boats at anchor bobbed gently. The faint outlines of market streets were visible on shore—obviously far more prosperous than Qimu Island. The reason was simple: the south shore of Qimu Island, facing Longkou Bay, was all sandy shallows where large vessels could scarcely approach.
No wonder no merchant ships landed here, and even the fishing village remained small. Fishermen who settled here could only use small boats, and even mooring proved difficult—there was almost no natural harbor or dock along the coast.
"What are those ships?" he asked.
"Merchant vessels from Tianjin Wei and the south," the guide explained. "Ships from the north sell grain; ships from the south sell paper and sugar. Return cargoes are local dried seafood. The merchants have built some warehouses at that fishing village."
Lu Wenyuan nodded. Future development in Longkou would have to occur on the southeastern shore of the bay. Qimu Island wasn't suitable as a port. He noticed a tall earthen mound on the opposite shore, somewhat resembling the beacon towers in Lingao, and asked: "Is that a beacon tower over there?"
"Indeed. That's Longkou Mound. They say it was built during Emperor Hongwu's reign by one of the dukes. Longkou takes its name from that very beacon mound."
Lu Wenyuan surveyed his surroundings once more. In the northern part of Qimu Island rose a hilly region with several peaks. Though not high, they possessed some undulation and appeared lush and green. If an estate was to be established, a sheltered hollow in those mountains would make a suitable location—at minimum, it would provide protection from the wind. And the guide had said the island's "sweet water" sources were all among those hills.
He had the guide lead them up into the highlands, observing the terrain as they climbed. He memorized the landforms, and when memory failed him, he sketched them on the spot. Soon a rough development plan took shape in his mind: where to site the estate, where to build artillery batteries, where to construct lookout posts, where to build docks and piers, and where to settle refugees when they arrived.
Filled with enthusiasm, he climbed to the island's highest peak. Warm sunshine scattered gently down. The eastern coast boasted sand white as whetstone, glittering with golden light. The western cliffs were craggy with strange, jagged rocks; occasionally tall stone pillars protruded from the sea. Warm breezes blew gently, and he felt refreshed throughout his body. He couldn't help but silently praise the picturesque scenery.
Standing atop this highest point, he could see the entire layout of Qimu Island spread before him. Strictly speaking, Qimu Island proper didn't include the nearly ten-kilometer sand spit. The entire island was almost wholly covered with hills, with higher elevation in the north and lower terrain to the south. The island possessed seven mountain peaks of various sizes: Old North Mountain, Lighthouse Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Battery Mountain, East Mountain, West Mountain, and Snake Mountain. Of course, these names were given by modern people. In this timeline, they remained nameless hills.
Though the mountains on the island weren't high, the scenery was pleasant: "Mountains with the rugged heights of Phoenix and other peaks; waters with the vastness of the Bohai; caves with the depth of Dragon Grotto; rocks with the grandeur of General's Stone." Quite a fine landscape of mountain and sea.
The island's western side faced endless blue waves—the necessary passage for all ships entering and exiting Longkou Bay. The northern end featured sheer cliffs where "clouds shifted like snow waves dotted with light gulls"—a place to enjoy the meeting of mountain and sea, experiencing both morning sunrises and evening scenes. The southern coast was the golden sand shallows—where shallow-draft small boats could anchor. Looking east from the island, the sea lay calm—that was Longkou Port, destined to become one of the six major northern harbors.
"Does this land have landlords?" Lu Wenyuan asked.
"This is just a fishing village—where would landlords come from?" the guide replied. "Who would farm here, unless they've gone mad!" Realizing his slip, he quickly added: "This land can neither be farmed nor used for residences or graves. What use is buying it? Except for some land around the fishing village that has owners, most is government land."
(End of Chapter)