Outside the mouth of the Yangtze River, a large number of black pressure ships were moored on the sea, and the rice-shaped flags hanging on the masts of large and small ships sounded fiercely in the wind. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

On the waterway of the estuary, more than 10 advance ships were extremely busy carrying out the final hydrological survey and confirmation, and laying buoys and boats along the way, marking the channel, and making various careful preparations for the navigation of the fleet.

On the flagship of the "Kang Huali", Pu Dingcha put down the binoculars expressionlessly, looked at the wide river mouth and was speechless for a long time, the fleet entered the channel of the Yangtze River, and attacked Jiangning against the river, taking a great risk.

Yilu slowly paced up and said, "Tomorrow morning, you can launch an attack, right?" ”

Pu Ding didn't reply and said, "What are you worried about?" ”

"The longer the delay is made, the more troops the other side will gather."

"No amount of troops is vulnerable." Pu Dingcha said in a disdainful tone: "I am happy to destroy the opponent's confidence in resistance in a battle." ”

The British fleet pressed the border, the atmosphere of the Wusong Fort became tense, a group of officers and soldiers were busy making preparations before the war, Baoshan County was in a panic, the people in the city flocked out of the city to hide, Zhou Gongshou, the magistrate of Baoshan County who went up to inspect the defense on the city wall, looked at the chaotic scene in the city and couldn't help but look depressed, the people can go out of the city to avoid disaster, he is the magistrate, but he is responsible for defending the land, what a fucking bad luck!

Chen Huacheng arrived at Baoshan County in the afternoon, and when he heard that the British fleet showed no signs of attacking, he breathed a sigh of relief, and after a little rest, he personally went to Wusong Fort to inspect to boost morale.

The county seat of Shanghai is not much better than Baoshan, the same people are panicked, the gentry and merchants have poured out of the county town to avoid trouble, slightly different is that the streets and alleys of the county town have volunteers with muskets on their backs patrolling around, although the people are flustered, but not chaotic.

Suzhou Creek Estuary, Lujiazui both sides of the busy line, here is the third line of defense of the county seat of Shanghai, but also the last line of defense, but also completely defended by the volunteers, except for 500 people in the city to maintain order, all the volunteers are busy on the position, reinforcing fortifications, placing artillery, carrying ammunition.

Xiao Mingming, the commander of the third regiment, inspected the position back and forth, and was both excited and worried that the main fleet of the British army finally appeared at the mouth of the Yangtze River, which meant that the battle of Jiangning would officially begin, and the deployment of the past six months was finally in vain, but the worry was whether Shanghai could be kept.

He knew very well that the Wusong Fort was not the Humen Fort, and it would not be able to stop the attack of the British fleet at all, and once the Wusong Fort was lost, it would be tantamount to a fool's dream to block the British fleet by relying only on these 2,000 newly trained volunteers and these limited artillery.

"Captain Xiao." A regimental warrior hurriedly came over and saluted.

The person who came was Hu Yibo, the squad leader of the Yizhizu Guard Company, Xiao Mingliang was overjoyed and was about to speak, but Hu Yibo hurriedly said: "Please return to the camp with Commander Xiao." ”

Xiao Mingliang was overjoyed, explained a few words and quickly rushed back to the camp of volunteers, because the volunteers were all transferred, the camp was quite quiet, and the horses rushed directly to the outside of the tent, he dismounted, entered the tent, and saw that Yi Zhizhi was looking at the map hanging on the wall, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Xiao Mingliang has seen the principal." ”

Yi Zhizu didn't even reply, and asked lightly: "Are you sure to hold the county seat of Shanghai?" ”

After a flurry, Xiao Mingliang said: "If a group can be transferred, Shanghai may be able to keep it." ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled contentedly, turned around, and said, "Don't have confidence in the righteousness and courage you have trained single-handedly?" ”

"Back to the principal." Xiao Mingliang said loudly: "It's not that I don't have confidence in righteousness, but that there is a serious lack of artillery and muskets. ”

"Even if there is enough artillery, with 2,000 volunteers, you can hold Shanghai?" Yi Zhishu slowly lit a cigar and said slowly: "Yiyong has never experienced actual combat, and this defense should be regarded as actual combat training, and let them see blood." ”

Listening to his tone, it seemed that he didn't want to transfer a group to Shanghai, Xiao Mingliang felt a little drumming in his heart, and only then hesitated and said: "The principal said that Wusong will be the main battlefield, and with only these two thousand volunteers, the students are worried that they will delay the military plane." ”

"You don't have to worry about that." Yi Zhizhi said: "Your main task is to wait for the Yingyi fleet to leave Wusongkou and go to Jiangning, lead the volunteers to recapture Wusong Fort and Baoshan County, and then build fortifications. ”

Xiao Mingliang hurriedly saluted and said, "The student receives the order." ”

After dark, Chen Huacheng rushed to the camp, and when he saw that he was content, he said straightforwardly: "The British army is exploring the channel today, and it is estimated that it will launch an attack early tomorrow morning, when the tide is high, ......." After a slight pause, he said in a deep voice: "To what extent can I evacuate?" ”

"Evacuate?" Yi Zhishu shook his head and said, "Don't evacuate!" ”

"Not evacuating?" Chen Huacheng was stunned, and then said with a dissatisfied face: "They are also raised by their fathers and mothers, and if they are content, they can't bear to let them die in vain?" ”

Seeing the sweat on his face, Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "Chen Junmen, don't be angry first, sit down and talk." As he spoke, he handed over his big pu fan, and then said slowly: "The military gate should not think that the defenders of Wusong Fort and Baoshan will fight to the death and not retreat, right?" ”

Hearing this, Chen Huacheng was speechless for a long time, since Yingyi ravaged the southeast, examples of collapse at the touch of a button abound, and there are not no people who fight to the death and do not retreat, but they are rare, and he sighed lightly, and he said: "I will still need them in the future, and another one, if they know the truth...... ”

"Okay." Yi Zhizhi said: "When Yingyi landed and outflanked from the flank, he ordered a retreat. After a pause, he said: "Tomorrow's battle, don't go to the military gate." ”

"If the old man doesn't go, the army's morale is unstable." Chen Huacheng said without hesitation: "In the battle tomorrow, we still have to make a difference, otherwise it will make Yingyi suspicious." ”

Seeing that he insisted on going, Yi Zhixin was not easy to persuade him, and immediately advised: "Once the two wings collapse, the military gate must not fall in love with the war, and the overall situation is important." ”

Seeing off Chen Huacheng, Yi Zhishu immediately left the camp and rushed to Salted Gua Street in the south of the city to visit Wang Tongchun, the owner of the Merchant Marine Club. In the salted melon street, the king's house, and the east cross courtyard, Yu Taifeng, Shen Wanxiang, Wang Renbo and other Dasha boat owners sat in the courtyard to enjoy the coolness, and there was no word of gossip.

Several sand boat owners are worth a lot of money, and at this time of chaos, they all have some panic in their hearts, just looking forward to leaving Shanghai early to avoid the limelight, but they were notified by Yi Zhishu to wait at Wang's house, and they inevitably felt a little uneasy.

Just when a few people were waiting anxiously, Wang Tongchun accompanied Yi Zhizu with a lantern and walked slowly into the courtyard. ”

As soon as they heard this, several people hurriedly stood up and were about to salute, Yi Zhizu waved his hand and said, "Don't be polite, let's go into the house." ”

Entering the room and sitting down, Yi Zhizu glanced at a few people before saying, "Do you want to keep Shanghai?" ”

Hearing this, several people were stunned, what do they have to do with keeping Shanghai? If you want to raise money, you can't just look for a few of them, right? After a slight sigh, Wang Tongchun spoke: "Please also make it clear that you will not shirk what you can do." ”

"I want a boat." Yi Zhishu didn't go around in circles, and said straightly: "I want a lot of boats." ”

Yu Taifeng said tentatively: "Fire attack? ”

Yi Zhixiang glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said: "The fall of Wusong Fort is inevitable, and the defense line at the mouth of the east ditch is even less enough to defend, what we can rely on is the defense line at the mouth of the Suzhou Creek, but with two thousand volunteers, we can't stop the British fleet, if we want to hold the county seat of Shanghai, we need at least five or six hundred ships as fireships to cooperate with the defense line at the mouth of the Suzhou River." ”

Five or six hundred ships! Several people couldn't help but look at each other, and after a while, Wang Tongchun said: "My lord, we can't make up so many boats." ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "This official has quickly sent an order to Fengxian Zhixian County to requisition all the large and small ships on the river. ”

Yes! I heard that the British fleet appeared in Wusongkou, and most of the ships on the Shanghai River were going up the river, so as not to be affected by the war, and the ships of several of their families were also like this, and it is estimated that they have not yet arrived in Fengxian today, if this is true, their ships will not be able to escape.

Seeing the expressions of several people, Yi Zhizhi said slowly: "Rest assured, the cost of the sand boat is not low, and I can't bear to burn it down, collect the fire attack of the ship, the focus is on deterrence, the British army has robbed Shanghai once, there is no reason to attack Shanghai, and it will not take the risk of attacking."

Take 10,000 steps back and say, if you fight with the British army, all the lost ships, Yuan Qi will compensate according to the price, and you will not suffer this huge loss. ”

Is this true or false? Wang Renbo said boldly: "Can you write a notice....... your lordship?" ”

"Yes." Yi Zhizhi said without thinking: "Tomorrow morning, you will come to the Yuanqi branch to collect it, and the official will stamp the big seal of the provincial government and the county government and the seal of the Shanghai branch of Yuanqi Bank on the notice. ”

Hearing this, several people were moved, Yu Taifeng immediately got up and knelt down, and said: "Your Excellency is sitting in Shanghai, it is really a blessing for the people of Shanghai, and there are not many sand boats under the "Yu Sensheng", and all the ships obey the dispatch, even if they are all burned, there is no need to compensate. ”

Seeing him like this, several people could still sit still, knelt down one after another, and Wang Tongchun also said loudly: "The sand boat "Wang Yongsheng" is also ....... ”

"Everyone, please get up." Yi Zhizu got up and helped him up, and said: "If you have this intention, this official will understand it, five or six hundred boats, Yuan Qi can afford to pay for it, but dozens of boats are your net worth, how can this official let you go bankrupt." ”

Early the next morning, at the mouth of the Yangtze River, on the foredeck of the "Kang Huali", the sailors were busy early when the sky was twilight, tidying up everything on the deck in an orderly manner, and working hard to wipe the deck shiny, Rear Admiral Baga stood on the bow of the ship with a cigar in his mouth, looked at the mouth of the river, did not say a word, he could not sleep, and got up when he heard the movement.

He was not the only one who couldn't sleep, as soon as the sailors left the deck, Pu Dingcha and Yilu walked onto the deck together, and when they heard the movement, Baga hurriedly greeted him and said, "Today is a rare good weather. ”

Good weather is conducive to the attack of the fleet, Yilu glanced at Pu Ding Cha, and said: "There is a saying in China, the soldiers are expensive and fast, we should not delay for too long." ”

After glancing at the two of them, Pu Ding Chacai said without hurrying: "We don't need any speed, we have to go up the river, all the way to Jiangning, and force the Qing Emperor to sign a treaty with us that satisfies us." As he spoke, he took out his pocket watch and looked at it, and said, "There are still two and a half hours before the high tide ......." After a pause, he said in a deep voice: "Order all ships to prepare for battle." ”

The tide was rising, and with the sound of the rushing waves, the water level in the estuary began to rise gradually, and the smoking steamers boarded and became busy, each dragging one warship after another into the estuary channel and arriving at the predetermined attack position.

On the Wusongxi Fort, through the telescope, he watched a steamship slowly dragging a huge battleship into the channel, Chen Huacheng looked bitter, what kind of steamship is really powerful, no wonder Yingyi has the confidence to dare to attack Jiangning against the river, he said in a deep voice: "Order all gun positions, calm down, and fight again when you get closer!" ”

The British fleet gathered in the sea at the mouth of the Yangtze River had 30 large and small warships, 12 steam paddle wheelers, 6 troop carriers, and 52 transports, but only 12 warships participated in the battle, including two third-class battleships, the 'Melville' and the 'Brownland'.

Watching the two huge warships swaggering straight to the front of the West Fort, Chen Huacheng couldn't help but curse secretly, "Damn, it's too much of a deception!" The other party's move didn't pay attention to the artillery on their turret at all, "It's all aimed at me——。 After taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Fire!" ”

"Boom, boom, boom" Several artillery pieces on the west fort opened fire one after another, the dull sound of artillery was deafening, and Chen Huacheng, who was holding a telescope to watch, shouted, "Good fight!" He could see clearly that a cannonball hit the deck of a battleship, and at least a few Yingyi were killed.

As the west battery opened fire, the artillery of the east battery also opened fire one after another, and the British battleships naturally did not show weakness, and immediately fired back, and for a time the cannon rumbled, resounding across the river.

The county seat of Shanghai is not far from Baoshan, hearing the sound of cannons, the people in the county town are even more frightened, and they have accelerated their speed to leave the county seat, all the streets are crowded with fleeing people, the big and small rivers are also crowded with boats of all sizes, and all the businesses in the city are closed, even the large and small branches of Yuanqi Bank are no exception.

In the county office, Liu Guangdou, the county magistrate, hurriedly circled in the lobby, at this juncture, Yi Zhi's contentment This platform is far away in Hangzhou, once the British fleet hits Shanghai, he will stick to it? Or run away? There was no one to discuss, and to be honest, he didn't dare to count on the 2,000 volunteers at the mouth of the Suzhou Creek.

It's not just Liu Guangdou who is anxious, Yan Shikuan, the big shopkeeper of the Yuanqi branch, is also anxious, and the branch and various semicolons are closed, but what about the silver? The branch still has more than 200,000 taels of silver in Shanghai County, and if the British army breaks through the city, it will not be given to the British army! (To be continued.) )