Listening to Huang Dianyuan's request for benefits, Yi Zhizhi was really a little difficult, the aforementioned Yuan Qi responded positively in Guangzhou, providing a large amount of silver loans for the Heaven and Earth Society, he said casually, because he knew very well that the British army could not fulfill the will of the Heaven and Earth Society, but the latter benefit was to be cashed, so naturally he could not express his position at will.

After a slight hesitation, he said: "If the British army can be severely defeated, not only can China be prevented from becoming a colony of England, but also can it shake the British rule in Southeast Asia, isn't it good for the Nanyang World Club to make a living in Temasek?" What other benefits does Brother Rong want? ”

Huang Dianyuan didn't go around in circles, and said directly: "Muskets, two thousand Western muskets." ”

Hearing that he just wanted 2,000 muskets, Yi Zhishu secretly laughed that he was really a lion, and immediately smiled: "Brother Rong has a lot of appetite, 2,000 muskets, Yuanqi Tuan Lian has not had so many muskets, and now the situation is tense, there are no Western merchants to trade, even if you want to buy it, there is no place to buy it, at most five hundred, don't bargain, and it can only be delivered after the war." ”

"According to the words of contentment." Huang Dianyuan said briskly, last time in the Eighth Institute, he had the intention to set up a pure musket battalion, however, Yi Zhishu said that the musket battalion had a large expense, which made him a little worried, and he was also satisfied with taking this opportunity to form a musket battalion, besides, whether this thing could be done or not, maybe he couldn't bargain now.

After a slight pause, he continued: "Whether the British army will reuse the brothers of the Heaven and Earth Society, this matter is still difficult to say, if it is really as content said, we will definitely find ways to influence it, but first say well, the Heaven and Earth Society is only responsible for inducing, not participating in the battle against the British army." ”

Yi Zhixiang glanced at him and said sarcastically: "It seems that Nanyang Tiandi will know quite well about the combat power of the British army, otherwise it would not be so afraid of confrontation with the British army." ”

Huang Dianyuan didn't care about his tone at all. said: "The British gunboats are not something that our small ships can deal with, and this self-knowledge will still exist in heaven and earth." After a pause, he said: "Can Yuanqi regimental training shake the British army head-on?" ”

"I can't." Yi Zhishu shook his head slowly, and said, "But try your best to try it anyway, besides." Fighting a war is not entirely about strength, seeking more and winning more, seeking less and winning less, not seeking victory, and having some chances to calculate whether or not to have an intention. As he spoke, he turned his head and said, "Regarding the British army's marching route and attack plan, Brother Rong's timely clipper ship informed Yuan Qi. I have time to deploy. ”

"That's fine." Huang Dianyuan said without thinking: "We will try our best to collect intelligence from the British army and report it to Contentment in time." ”

Sending Huang Dianyuan away, Yi Zhicontent was stuffy in the study alone, smoking a cigarette for the first time. He didn't know much about the war, and God knew how many of those records in later generations were true, so after hearing that Heaven and Earth would have the intention of assisting the British army. He fooled Huang Dianyuan, hoping to obtain information about the British army through the Heaven and Earth Society.

Although the Yuanqi regiment had more advanced muskets than the British army. But after all, he is a recruit who has never been on the battlefield, and he also lacks generals, he himself is also a recruit egg, and he is really a little weak in his heart, but the battle of Guangzhou. He must fight hard, there is no way out, once the British army hits the city of Guangzhou, it will definitely not let go of Yuanqi and these factories.

With the attitude of the Heaven and Earth Society, the British army attacked other places. They may have no scruples to provide information, but if the British army attacks Guangzhou, the Heaven and Earth Society is afraid that they will not provide information truthfully, not only have to arrange people to collect intelligence in Macao, but also collect information from the Guangzhou gang through the Qinglian Sect and Su Mengdie, especially the triads.

Is it necessary to remind Lin Zexu about the fact that Heaven and Earth will intend to assist the British army? This thought flashed in his mind, and he quickly extinguished it, there was no need to cause trouble, he was not easy to explain, and if Lin Zexu vigorously investigated the triad in Guangzhou, how could Huang Dianyuan not suspect him? It is possible to denounce him, it is really nothing to do, and the reason why Huang Dianyuan dared to leak this news unscrupulously must be that he did not dare to denounce it.

If the Heaven and Earth Society really went all out to assist the British army, it would be really a troublesome matter! Yi Zhishu couldn't help but sigh lightly when he thought of this, Lin Zexu here launched a local group training to implement the strong wall and clear the wilderness, but the Heaven and Earth Society volunteered to act as a traitor, and the strong wall and clear the field was simply a luxury, and the harm was far more than that, but he couldn't make the Heaven and Earth Society change his mind.

On the 22nd, two large and one small English warships arrived off the coast of Macao and Jiuzhou, a large warship with three decks loaded with guns, and one with only one deck of artillery, and on the 23rd, seven more large and small warships arrived, plus the four warships that had arrived one after another since last year, and the number of British warships outside the mouth of Guangzhou at this time had reached as many as 13.

Since last year's severance of trade with England, England has repeatedly threatened to mobilize a large number of troops to attack Guangzhou, but it has been thundering and not raining, only four warships came to blockade outside Haikou, and after the Guangdong Navy Division purchased 12 merchant ships of Citigroup and converted them into warships, both the officials and gentry and the merchants and the common people in Guangzhou were greatly excited, and they had a little luck in their hearts, thinking that England would not dare to commit a rash offense.

But now England has suddenly added nine warships, including a large warship with three decks and guns, which immediately shattered the luck in everyone's hearts, and everyone knew in their hearts that a big war was just around the corner!

The situation in the city of Guangzhou is slightly better, a group of gentry and merchants and ordinary people just rush to buy and store grain, salt, etc., outside the city Dongguan, Nanguan, Xiguan, Henan, Huadi and other places are panicked, many people drag their families into the city of Guangzhou, most of the shops have also closed their doors, a chaotic scene.

Yuanqi general number lobby, although there are many people who withdraw cash, but it is orderly, everyone abides by the rules, queues up to withdraw money, Yi Zhizhi can't sit still in Rongyuan, come out and turn around, see the withdrawal team has been discharged out of the lobby, standing under the sun, couldn't help frowning, slowly pacing to the backyard, just met Kong Jian'an who was in a hurry, and said: "Why don't you increase the number of people on the counter?" ”

"The Great Treasurer." Kong Jian'an hurriedly said: "It has been arranged." ”

Yi Zhizhi said: "Is the cash still sufficient?" ”

"The big shopkeeper can rest assured, he is very well prepared." Kong Jian'an said with a smile: "Don't look at the number of people, in fact, the amount is not very large, and the general large deposits have been withdrawn one after another as early as two months ago." ”

"That being the case, you take care of the house." Yi Zhizhi said: "I'll go to Huadi and Henan Daying to have a look." ”

"The big shopkeeper." Kong Jian'an hurriedly said: "Now the people outside are panicked and in chaos. All the guest officers withdrew cash silver, and besides, each semicolon has limited manpower, so I am not afraid of 10,000, but I am also afraid that in case, can I transfer some group training. Maintain order outside? ”

Yi Zhizhi said: "What I am worried about is that I will go to Huadi and send a battalion to patrol Xiguan." Saying that, he turned around and walked out, maintaining local law and order, this is the duty of the local group training, although the Yuanqi group training is different from the general local group training, but the responsibility of the group training must still be fulfilled, otherwise some gentry and businessmen should complain again.

Just out of the gate of Yuanqi, Yi Zhizu bumped into Yu Baochun, who was in a hurry in civilian clothes, and he hurriedly arched his hand and said with a smile: "Lord Yu is also here to get silver?" ”

"Contentment, don't joke." Yu Baochun smiled and arched his hand. said: "What kind of silver does the old man take, is it so difficult that he is afraid that Yuanqi will go out of business?" Saying that, he lowered his voice and said: "Lord Mintang is going to Humen, and he specially asked the old man to come over to inform him, and he accompanied him with contentment, and the official ship was at Tianzi Wharf." ”

Yi Zhixiang really didn't want to go down to Humen with Lin Zexu, so he said: "Now people everywhere in the suburbs are panicked and chaotic. In the next to arrange a group practice inspection, adults and reply to the ministry adults. Catch up later in the next Clipper. ”

Arrange a group practice to inspect the place, this is a serious matter, Yu Baochun naturally didn't want to say much, and immediately said: "Then contentment will come later." ”

In the Huadi battalion, a group of regimental warriors were nervously training the musket shooting steps, because it was a breech gun. The loading of gunpowder bullets must be carried out from the muzzle of the gun, and after loading, it must be pressed with a pressure strip, and the ignition is not a needle impact, but a fire cap that ignites the powder pool. It is also necessary to install a fire cap, so to speak, the musketeer is a technical job.

Yi Zhizhi decomposed the whole musket shooting into several steps, and the regimental warriors trained completely according to the steps, for a full three months, the regimental warriors were tirelessly carrying out boring loading training and gun training, one by one picked up the gun with a bitter gourd face, and the heart was already tired, the news that a large number of British warships arrived outside Haikou in Guangzhou, the battalion was greatly excited, and England had hit the door, so it was time to let live ammunition training, right?

As soon as Yi Zhixiang entered the camp, Yan Yangtian hurriedly greeted him and saluted, "The student has seen the principal. ”

"Two battalions were dispatched to patrol Xiguan, Nanguan, and Huadi to maintain order." Yi Zhizhi said: "In addition, the Henan battalion also dispatched two battalions to inspect Henan Island and Dongguan. ”

"The students obeyed." Yan Yangtian hurriedly stood up and saluted, put down his hand, and then he asked: "Principal, now that the war is about to break out, should the battalion conduct live-fire training?" After all, it takes a lot of time to aim and shoot. ”

Yi Zhizhi said: "How's the reloading training going?" ”

"Back to the principal." Yan Yangtian said loudly: "At least twenty percent can reach the reloading speed of four rounds in one minute, and the remaining eighty percent can fully meet the minimum standard of three rounds in one minute." ”

"Are you happy with the progress?" Yi Zhishu glanced at him and said: "Under normal circumstances, without pressure, to reach three rounds in a minute, on the battlefield, it is very likely that there is no level of one round, tomorrow you try it, let each battalion simulate actual combat shooting at a distance of thirty paces, load gunpowder, do not load bullets, see how many rounds can be loaded in the next minute in this situation?" Count all kinds of errors. ”

"The students obeyed." Yan Yangtian hurriedly stood up and responded.

After a slight sigh, Yi Zhizhi said: "The 2,000 elites of the Henan battalion can be trained with live ammunition, but once they enter the live ammunition training, it will be like entering a wartime state, and those four battalions will be stationed in separate locations, and no one will be allowed to leave the team, and the live ammunition training of muskets will not be allowed to leak in the slightest." ”

Yan Yangtian said loudly: "Students understand. ”

At dusk, Yi Zhishu arrived at Humen Town by fast boat, close to the wharf, he found that smoking had been quit on the wharf, and the heavily armed soldiers were three steps and one post, five steps and one sentry, fortunately, the officers and soldiers of the sailor division knew him, the God of Wealth, otherwise, I am afraid that the ship would not be able to approach the wharf.

Boarding the dock, a military attache hurriedly greeted him, and said with a smile: "Lin Butang and the military gate have explained, if the shopkeeper of Yida comes, please rush to the governor's office as soon as possible, and prepare an open sedan for the shopkeeper of Yida." ”

He is easy to recognize with contentment, he is the president of Guan Tianpei's personal barracks, surnamed Qin, and immediately said politely: "There is labor." As he spoke, he took a cigar and handed it over, and said with a smile: "When you are about to fight, is there a lot of pressure?" ”

This kind of Western cigar smoke is expensive, Qin Qian naturally knows the goods, said thank you before taking it and sniffing it on the end of his nose, and said softly: "How can the pressure not be too much, there are many officers and soldiers who are making trouble these days." ”

"Trouble?" Yi Zhishu was a little surprised, the sailor was not short of silver, how could he owe silver? He quickly reacted that this was owed by the imperial court over the years!

"Old debts accumulated over the years." The military attache said disdainfully: "The trouble is just the beginning, but in fact, it is cowardice, and I was frightened by the Yingyi warship." ”

Yi Zhishu was also inconvenient to stay for a long time, so he immediately gave up his hand and sat in the open sedan chair, he pondered, Lin Zexu and Guan Tianpei called him, wouldn't it be to ask Yuan Qi to pay the silver in advance? Yuan Qi really can't take out the silver at this time, except for the merchant's deposits, the other deposits are almost all withdrawn, and now only the principal silver is left, and his investment in Changhua Iron Mine, Foguang Railway, English Iron, and Yuanqi Group Training is not small, and he does not dare to use the principal silver at all.

Besides, it is also a headache for the officers and men of the Navy Division to be so cowardly, even if all the arrears are repaid, will they obediently go to the battlefield to work hard? I'm afraid that this may be very small, think about him and have a headache, these green battalions are really bastards, they all say that they raise soldiers for a thousand days, and use soldiers for a while, they are good, and they are cowardly in battle, what kind of soldiers are they raised?

Entering Humen Village, getting off the sedan chair outside the gate of the Admiralty's Office, Yi Zhizu stepped forward quickly, and was about to hand over the post to report, but Menzi smiled and said: "Yi Da shopkeeper doesn't need to report, the military gate has ordered, follow the way, and there is no need to pass it on." ”

Yi Zhishu nodded, walked in quickly, and said a word outside the signing room, before he quickly walked inside, as soon as he came in, Lin Zexu, who was standing in front of the large coastal defense map, beckoned: "Content, come and see, the English warship is now anchored in the Jiuzhou Ocean, the Grinding Knife Ocean, and the Triangle Ocean, and it seems that there is no intention of attacking, is it possible that there are still warships coming?" ”

"The Lord of the Ministry is not bad." Yi Zhishu said as he walked: "The news that the sailor has purchased twelve Citi merchant ships to be converted into warships, Yingyi should have heard about it, since it is a vigorous coming, how can it only come to only thirteen warships?" It is estimated that there will be at least a dozen warships on the way to Guangzhou. (To be continued.) )