Hearing that more than a dozen warships would come, Guan Tianpei said with a worried face: "If the warships coming from Yingyi are all giant ships with three-deck guns, this battle will be difficult to fight." ”

Yi Zhizu stepped forward to salute the two of them, and then said: "Our Qing Dynasty is the most important foreign trade country in England, and it is also a large empire with a vast territory and a large population.

Therefore, the scale of the battleships dispatched by the British army will not be too large, and there should not be many three-deck third-class battleships, and it is estimated that there will be only about five or six. ”

Guan Tianpei asked, "How many battleships with three-deck guns does Yingyi have?" ”

"According to the intelligence collected, the third-class battleship is the main warship of the Yingyi Navy." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "It is impossible to count how many third-class battleships the British Navy has, but from its so-called 'sea overlord' and its fleets all over the world, it is estimated that the British Navy's third-class battleships should be between fifty and one hundred. ”

"Will there be so many?" Guan Tianpei said with some suspicion: "With such a valuable warship, Yingyi can actually have such a huge number?" ”

"There shouldn't be much of a deviation." Yi Zhizhi said: "It is understood that the annual naval budget of England is about seven million pounds, that is, about 30 million silver dollars. ”

Lin Zexu frowned and slowly paced back to the chair and sat down, and said, "How old can the English Imperial Court be in a year?" The Navy alone invests 30 million yuan a year? ”

"England has a developed industry, many factories, and taxes are not low, and the annual income should be more than 100 million when converted into silver dollars." Yi Zhishu groaned: "The English mainland is an island country, and it has always been heavy on the navy and light on the army. 30 million yuan a year, which is not a large proportion. ”

The military expenditure of the Qing Dynasty was as high as 30 million silver dollars a year, but they all raised a group of wrecks! Lin Zexu only felt bitter in his mouth, and groaned slightly, before he looked at Guan Tianpei and said, "Contentment is also here." Let's talk about it. ”

As soon as he heard this, Yi Zhi couldn't help but sigh secretly, calling him here was really because of the incident of the officers and soldiers making trouble, sure enough, Guan Tianpei said in a deep voice: "Since the Yingyi third-class battleship arrived in the open sea on the 22nd, there has been a panic in the naval battalion. It was necessary to make up the arrears of the previous years, and yesterday afternoon, there was a large-scale demand for arrears. Yi Zhizhi asked, "How much is the total amount of wages?"

"It's not really unpaid." Guan Tianpei said in a deep voice: "Xinjiang Zhang Ge rebelled, and the military budget of the imperial court was suddenly tightened, so it was to reduce the salary of the local Eight Banners Green Battalion. ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhi's brows furrowed slightly, and the Xinjiang Zhanger rebellion lasted eight years from the twenty-fifth year of Jiaqing to the seventh year of Daoguang. Even if you deduct 20% of the salary, it is not a small amount. And this is simply a confused account, no wonder Guan Tianpei can't say the specific number in one bite.

It is impossible for Yuan Qi to fill this hole with silver now, and even if this hole is filled, it will be useless, he is afraid that Lin Zexu will ask Yuan Qi to donate it, and he said in a deep voice: "The salary to be owed is nothing more than an excuse." In fact, they are afraid of war and cowardice, and even if they make up the arrears in full, they will find other excuses to prevaricate. ”

Hearing this, Guan Tianpei hesitated and said: "Now that the enemy is present, the number of officers and soldiers who are paying is as high as six or seven percent. He said. He glanced at Yi Zhishu and said, "It's not that they are completely afraid of the enemy, the salary of the Yuanqi regiment is more than twice as high as that of the sailor, and many soldiers are a little dissatisfied in their hearts, and there are also some of them." ”

Is this still practiced in the Yuanqi group? Yi Zhisuff said with a little crying and laughing: "Yuanqi group training is not a division of the economic system, if there is a war, it will be built, and if there is no war, it will be abolished, and the salary is not high, who wants to be a group brave?" Saying that, he glanced at the two of them and said: "If the officers and soldiers of the Water Division are dissatisfied because of this, then simply, disband the Yuanqi regimental training, if you really want to meet the enemy, you still rely on the officers and soldiers of the Naval Division, and the silver to support the Yuanqi regimental training is enough to make up for the arrears of the Naval Division." ”

Eliminate Yuanqi group practice? Lin Zexu and Guan Tianpei are all the same, this kid has actually learned to coerce? The enemy is pressing, how can Yuanqi group training be abolished at this time? Both of them were like mirrors in their hearts, and the Yuanqi group training was not only not comparable to the 20,000 righteous bravery, but also compared with the Eight Banners Green Battalion.

Lin Zexu didn't go around in circles, and said straightly: "Yuanqi has no cash?" You don't have to donate. ”

Yi Zhishu shook his head and said: "I don't say no, even if there is, I don't approve of spending money on these soldiers who don't have the slightest fighting spirit, although the enemy is pressing the territory at the moment, but the war may not be imminent, there is still time, I suggest that the elite be selected from the volunteers, and replace the officers and soldiers who make trouble and ask for pay." ”

"Contentment is light, how can those officers and soldiers be easily dismissed?" Guan Tianpei said: "Once there is a mutiny, the consequences are unimaginable. ”

"There's something hard to do." Yi Zhizhi said disappreliantly: "Scatter and reorganize the officers and soldiers, and transfer them to various places, do they dare to rebel?" ”

As soon as the words fell, Mai Tingzhang, a guerrilla from the left battalion, strode in, bowed down and said, "Lord Yubutang, the military gate, and many people have gathered outside the gate of the Admiralty Office. ”

Humen Village is a military camp, and it is natural that the officers and soldiers gathered outside the Admiral's Office will be officers and soldiers, Yi Zhizhi glanced at Guan Tianpei when he heard this, and said with a smile: "They really give Guan Junmen a long face." ”

Guan Tianpei's face was a little unbearable, he glanced at Lin Zexu, and then turned to Mai Tingzhang, pretending to be relaxed: "The officers and soldiers in the battalion should have heard that the master of the ministry and the shopkeeper Yi Da were here, and they came to inquire about the news, it is not worth making a fuss, go down." As he spoke, he winked at him.

Mai Tingzhang understood, and hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Understand under the mark, and retire under the mark." ”

"Wait." Lin Zexu opened his mouth to stop Mai Tingzhang, and said in a deep voice: "This matter can't be careless, the order, the general and deputy generals of the general of each battalion will restrain the soldiers, and lead them back to the barracks. ”

"Mark the order of the Lord of the Ministry." Mai Tingzhang hurriedly bowed and said.

After Mai Tingzhang retreated, Lin Zexu looked at Yi Zhizhi and said: "At present, the great enemy cannot mess with his own position, let alone cut his wings, there are many officers and soldiers of the Navy Division who are afraid of the enemy and are cowardly, but it will not be the majority." If all the officers and soldiers are transferred out, the morale of the army will inevitably be unstable, and it is impossible to make up for the arrears of the past years.

War is imminent. In the name of rations, it is still necessary to issue a part of the salary and silver to appease the morale of the army, and we also know the situation of Yuanqi, in this way, Yuanqi will give 200,000 taels, and the treasury will add another 100,000 taels. First appease the officers and soldiers, this silver, do not need to be donated by Yuanqi, offset against next year's Yuanqi's taxes, just pay taxes in advance, how about it? ”

Lin Zexu said everything about this, where is Yi Zhi's contentment and reason to refuse, he originally wanted to drastically reduce the officers and soldiers of the Navy Division through this matter. Then, Yuan Qi regimental training had the opportunity to go to the various forts of Humen to assist in the defense. By the way, it can also train a group of artillery for the Yuanqi regimental training, and the Yuanqi regimental training is far stronger than the officers and soldiers of the naval division.

I didn't want Lin Zexu and Guan Tianpei to still have illusions about the water master, he felt helpless in his heart, and immediately bowed and said: "The lord of the ministry speaks, how dare the kid disobey, don't worry." Yuan Qi smashed the pot and sold iron, and he had to make up the 200,000. ”

"Okay." Lin Zexu said: "It's hard to know that you know so much. Saying that, he looked at Guan Tianpei and said in a deep voice: "Don't let go of the troubles, investigate them thoroughly, and lead the soldiers who make the troubles." All vacancies will be opened, officials will be suspended and transferred, a list will be made, and the headquarters will be impeached. After a slight pause, he admonished: "The implication should not be too wide, so as not to make the army unstable." ”

"The last will obey." Guan Tianpei hurriedly bowed and said.

Seeing this, Lin Zexu stretched out his hand to bring the teacup, and Yi Zhishu hurriedly spoke: "Lord Ministry, it is very likely that the Yingyi Navy will go north without attacking Guangzhou, and I hope that your Excellency will expedite the flight of 800 miles to report to the Beijing Division and Fujian Liangjiang and Zhili to take strict precautions." ”

Lin Zexu smiled bitterly and said: "The report is naturally to be reported, but except for Deng Butang in Fujian and Zhejiang, I am afraid that no one will take the urgent report of the Ministry Hall seriously, and most of them will think that the Ministry Hall is alarmist." After a pause, he continued: "The headquarters did not come to Guangzhou, and it was not under the repeated reminders of contentment to carefully investigate and understand the situation in England, and I would not believe that England dared to provoke my great Qing Huang Tianwei, even if someone reminded me, I would not believe it." ”

Guan Tianpei nodded and agreed: "The civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, the local officials, the impression of England, I am afraid that they are still staying in the time of Qianlong, England sent a delegation to Beijing to pay tribute, who would know that England is actually the overlord of the sea, the hegemon of Europe, and the national strength is so strong." ”

Lin Zexu was deeply touched by this, when he was the governor of Huguang, how could he ever put the English in his eyes? When he first arrived in Guangzhou, he also didn't pay enough attention to Anglia, and if he had known about it in the morning, maybe the smoking ban would have been more strategic.

Seeing that Lin Zexu was silent, Guan Tianpei looked at Yi Zhizhi and said, "What do you think about contentment in this situation now?" Is there a solution? ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "How dare you talk about military affairs?" ”

What do you mean by that? Guan Tianpei was overjoyed, and before he could speak, Lin Zexu was already the first to say: "There is no need to have scruples for contentment, what is the best strategy, just say it boldly." ”

"Then the boy will be bold." Yi Zhisuff said with a smile: "England is very clear about our defense and the situation of the sailors, if you want to say that we have a little scruples, one is the Humen Fort, and then the twelve new Western warships added by the sailors."

Now that England is gathering troops outside Haikou, there are only two possibilities, one is to attack Guangzhou, and the other is not to attack Guangzhou, and the coast is northward and attack other coastal ports.

Guangzhou is heavily defended, if the British fight Guangzhou, they have to forcibly attack the Tiger Gate, although the British are strong, but for them, the Tiger Gate is tantamount to a hard bone, the British army is far away, if the battle can not be completely won, it will inevitably be a sharp setback, hard and bloody battles, both defeats, or a tragic victory, are not the British army is happy.

Furthermore, the Yingyi did not necessarily want to fight Canton subjectively, because the Yingyi went to war for the sake of trade -- both for the sake of making crows. The legalization of trade and the desire to achieve an equal position in normal trade and trade were carried out, so the British army was likely to focus their attacks on Tianjin, which was very close to the Beijing Division, and won the battle in a battle, so that they could negotiate directly with the nearby imperial court. ”

After a pause, he said: "If the British army does not fight Guangzhou, and goes north along the coast, will you abandon Guangzhou, or continue to blockade Haikou?" ”

"It is impossible to ignore it, and it will definitely continue to blockade Haikou and cut off Guangzhou's trade with other countries, because it is the peak season for maritime trade." Lin Zexu groaned: "Besides, Yingli has been blockading Haikou for nearly half a year, so it is impossible to give up halfway. ”

"The Lord of the Ministry said." Yi Zhizu nodded and said: "The British army will definitely leave some warships to blockade Haikou, the problem is that the Guangdong Navy Division now has twelve Western warships, and if the British want to continue to blockade Guangzhou, they must leave at least eight to ten warships." This greatly weakened the strength of the British army to move north. ”

After a brief pause, he continued: "But what will happen if the twelve warships of the Navy Division leave Guangzhou?" ”

Hearing this, Guan Tianpei hurriedly said: "The Western warships are here to assist in the defense of the Humen Fort, and if they leave Guangzhou, isn't Humen in danger?" ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said: "Even if the British want to attack Humen, they will also divide their troops to guard against those twelve warships, besides, I am more than sixty percent sure that the British army will not attack Guangzhou first, and even if they attack Guangzhou, they will not be able to break through Humen in a short time." ”

"No, still no." Guan Tianpei categorically denied: "The danger is too great, the Western warships have not been fully trained, and the artillery on board does not have large-caliber heavy artillery. ”

"That's a good proposition for contentment." Lin Zexu said approvingly: "Twelve warships swimming outside, nowhere to be found, for Yingyi, it is a headache, can contain Yingyi's warships to the greatest extent, whether Yingyi is blockading Guangzhou Haikou, or coastal north, must beware of these twelve warships, but." ”

Speaking of this, he shook his head and said: "Once the fleet goes to sea, I am afraid that they will not be able to escape the tracking of the Yingyi clipper, and they themselves are not as skilled as Yingyi in maneuvering Western sailing ships, once they are pursued, it is indeed very dangerous." ”

Seeing that both of them were opposed, Yi Zhizhi was content and could not insist anymore, he knew that the two of them were very precious to this Western warfleet, and they were reluctant to let it take risks, but in his eyes, this kind of modified warship was not worth mentioning at all compared with a serious 800 warship, and it was to play the role of cannon fodder.

In fact, the British warships are now moored in the Jiuzhou Ocean, the Grinding Knife Ocean, and the Triangle Ocean, and there are only four or five warships in one place, and now there is no way to communicate at sea, so they want to pursue, that is, the four or five warships that found the fleet are chasing and leading to the direction of Hainan Island.

However, this could not be said explicitly, and he had to give up, besides, it was difficult to say anything about the sea, there were too many accidents, and no matter how good the plan was, it could not catch up with the changes. (To be continued.) )