Even if the power of Anhui Province cannot expel East China*, then we can only find help. After consulting with our aides, Enming believed that the targets that could be rescued were Zhao Erxun, the governor of Huguang, and Duanfang, the governor of Liangjiang, and Zhao Erxun had a new Hubei army under his command. This was the new army second only to the new Beiyang army in the Qing court. Therefore, if Zhao Erxun could transfer some of the new Hubei army to support Anhui Province, Enming would have much more confidence. Although Duanfang, the governor of Liangjiang, did not have a new army, he was the governor after all, and the resources and power he held were far from Enming's. Moreover, the jurisdiction of the governor of Liangjiang actually included the Shanghai area, and could directly put pressure on Shanghai to prevent them from continuing to send people to Anhui.

In addition, if Enming could get the support of Zhao Erxun and Duanfang, he would have won two governors in the Yangtze River Basin area. Maybe he could take the opportunity to fully integrate the entire Yangtze River Basin area and unite to fight against East China **. So Enming immediately asked Zhao Erxun and Duanfang for support from both of them.

In fact, Enming's aides knew that Zhao Erxun and Duanfang would not give Enming any support. After all, at this time, opposing East China ** is basically a search for death, but this is better than asking Enming to directly confront East China **. The aide and the proprietor are coexisting, and they all prosper and lose all losses. If Enming really wanted to confront East China **, he would be unlucky. Perhaps after both Zhao Erxun and Duanfang refused to support Enming, Enming would wake up.

In fact, Enming did not understand that he and the East China ** were fighting each other, which was tantamount to touching stones with eggs. However, the court ordered that Enming also knew that the East China ** was a major concern of the Qing court. Moreover, this time it happened in his jurisdiction. Therefore, even if he knew that he could not beat the East China **, he had to bite the bullet and try it. Even if he eventually lost to the East China **, he would do his part to the court. Duanfang was also a Manchu, and it was impossible for him to share the same hatred of the enemy. Although Zhao Erxun was not a Manchu, he was also a Han army bannerman. If he asked for help from them, he would always give him some face.

Zhi Enming sent a telegram to Zhao Erxun and Duanfang respectively for help, and soon received a reply. Zhao Erxun refused Enming's request to second the Hubei New Army without hesitation, saying that the mobilization of the army required the imperial court to order it. At the same time, the Governor's Office of the Two Lakes had no money to fill military expenses and needed to pay Anhui Province. Only by meeting these two conditions can the Hubei New Army be dispatched. Duanfang's reply was much more tactful, saying that Liangjiang also had personnel from East China, and needed to use Liangjiang's manpower and material resources to drive it away, so he was unable to support Anhui. Please forgive me. However, although the language was tactful, the rejection was very clear.

These two telegrams also poured cold water on Enming. Although they greeted Zhao Erxun and Duanfang in their hearts, they were helpless. First, Zhao Erxun and Duanfang were both older than him; second, the jurisdiction of the Governor of Huguang was Hubei, Hunan, and Liangjiang was Jiangsu and Jiangxi, all around Anhui, but even if they were not concerned about Anhui, Enming had no choice. However, Enming was still a little unwilling to give up. Since Zhao Erxun and Duanfang did not help themselves, it was impossible to send troops to expel the personnel of East China **, but there was another move, which was to intercept the ships of East China ** on the river. Moreover, this time the aides could not stop them.

There are not many decent troops in Anhui Province, but there is a large-scale navy. The main warship is five wooden iron-shell paddle steamers with displacement between 200-400 tons. These ships were originally merchant ships of Concorde and Pacific Foreign Company. They were later bought by the Anhui governor and equipped with weapons and transformed into warships. There are also six wooden steamers, which are powered by steam sails and are also transformed by merchant ships. There are more than 10 wooden sailboats.

There are 25 ships of various types and more than 3,700 soldiers. It is also a water force on the Yangtze River that cannot be underestimated. After all, the Yangtze River is not a battlefield. The main task of the Anqing Navy Camp is to attack the thieves and thieves on the Yangtze River. Therefore, such a fleet is of course enough, and it is naturally possible to intercept the transport ships of East China. Although Enming also knows that East China has a powerful navy, the navy's warships generally do not enter the inland rivers.

So Enming ordered Huang Jin, the admiral of Anqing Naval Battalion, to lead the navy to attack and intercept the transport fleet of East China. At the same time, he also sent his confidant to follow Enqing to attack with the navy. In fact, it was to supervise the army to prevent Huang Jingong from doing his best.

After receiving Enming's order, Huang Jingong almost quit on the spot. Isn't it obvious that he wants to push himself into the fire pit? He often takes care of Enming on weekdays. During festivals, Ice and Fire and Two Jing will give away at least 45,000 taels of silver every year, but why did the governor even put himself in such a way to break the mud and let himself intercept the transport fleet of East China. He could not survive even if he had nine lives.

However, it was just Huang Jingong who thought about it. After all, this navy admiral was a fat man. Although he did not dare to care about foreigners and East China's ships, other ships could be intercepted. Therefore, he set up a checkpoint in the river, pumped water commission, and took both black and white, and could also be smuggled by official ships. There were at least 120,000 silver dollars a year. If he had to give up the run, his family would have dozens of people to drink the northwest wind. Moreover, if he really wanted to do this in front of Enming, Enming would probably have taken his life immediately. Therefore, Huang Jingong could only accept the order and agree vaguely, and then acted when he attacked.

This time, Huang Jingong took almost all the ships from the Anqing Navy Camp, dispatched a total of 5 wooden iron-shelled paddle steamers, 6 wooden steamers, 8 wooden sailboats, a total of 19 various ships, and more than 2,000 troops in the army. Because Huang Jingong also had a mind, hoping to use his huge force to deter the transport fleet of East China, so that they could retreat in the face and in the future.

There is room for easing. If the transport fleet in East China refuses to retreat, it is inevitable to fight. Huang Jingong has been lying on the river for a long time and knows that the transport fleet in East China only has 3 or 4 escort warships at a time. Therefore, Huang Jingong feels that concentrating all the forces of the Anqing Naval Division is expected to defeat the escort warships of the transport fleet in East China. Of course, the situation really needs to develop to this point, and Huang Jingong also plans to resign immediately after he comes back and take his family away.

Enming was very satisfied when Huang Jingong brought almost all the troops of the Anqing Naval Army camp out. He finally gave an explanation to the court, but Enming's aides were worried and didn't know how the situation ended.

After the fleet attacked, it patroled the river for 3 days and found the transport fleet of East China. At this time, Huang Jingong was also on the string and had to fire it. Therefore, he ordered the fleet to unfold horizontally on the Yangtze River to intercept the transport fleet of East China. At the same time, he issued a flag saying, requiring the transport fleet of East China to stop sailing for inspection or return. From Huang Jingong's mind, of course, he hoped that the transport fleet of East China to return, so that he could explain himself. Of course, because Enqing was monitoring by his side, he would still pretend to chase for a while, and then use the excuse of insufficient speed or mechanical failure to resolve it. Anyway, Enqing didn't understand, and he had previously tentatively held the banner of "stop flight inspection, or return", which was to deceive Enqing and not understand these routines.

That's the attitude of East China ** is much stronger than Huang Jingong expected. Not only did he send back a tough reply of "either leave or start a war", but he also listed the formation, which looked like a decisive battle and a death-death battle, and he also took the initiative to fire and warn him.

"Boom!" The shell fell into the river water more than 200 meters away from Huang Jingong and Enqing's ship, and a water column several meters high was stirred up.

Huang Jingong's face also became very ugly, because there was no room for relief from both sides. Enqing was staring at him? Why didn't the people in East China even understand this worldly style? Do they think that 7 ships could roam the Yangtze River?

At this time, a deputy general under Huang Jingong also became nervous, because Huang Jingong had given them a brief explanation. It would be better not to fight. It would be better not to fight. It would be best to scare the East China ** transport fleet away. Of course, no one wants to be an enemy of East China **, so they naturally agreed, just to hide Enqing alone. But now the East China ** transport fleet did not act according to this script and actually fired. What should we do now?

Huang Jingong gritted his teeth and said, "Let's fire!" Because he had no choice at this time, he could only fight first.

The deputy general obviously didn't react and said, "Military, this..."

Huang Jingong glared at him, because Enqing was by his side and could not explain much, so he had to sternly say, "Let's fire! Kill me."

Seeing that Huang Jingong's entire face was slung down, the deputy general did not dare to ask any more questions, so he could only say "recipient order" and then order the main gun position at the head of the ship. Huang Jingong secretly looked at Enqing, and saw that he held the windowsill on the porthole with both hands and looked forward. His face was quite excited, as if he had no tricks, so he felt a little relieved.

Huang Jingong and Enqing's ship were equipped with an 88mm caliber main gun at the bow, which was also the largest caliber main gun in the entire Anqing Navy warship. However, although the caliber of this gun is quite considerable, it is an old-fashioned retreat gun. It turned out to be an artillery eliminated by the army. It was installed on the ship and was considered a waste utilization. Bijing's Anqing Navy usually only attacks water thieves and does not use very good weapons.

With a "boom", Huang Jingong's main gun fired, and the ship immediately shook violently. This was the first time that Enqing participated in a water battle, and he was unprepared. If Huang Jingong hadn't helped him, he would have fallen on the deck.

As the flagship fired, the other ships of the Anqing Navy also fired, and rows of water columns were fired on the river surface, which was quite loud.

Seeing that all the Qing army's ships had fired, the People's Army's escort warships were naturally not polite, and the firepower was fully opened. For a moment, gunfire sounds roaring on the river surface, and water columns rose up, and fierce battle started.
Chapter completed!