Li Hongzhang looked at the telegram handed by Liu Jun, and immediately felt his blood surging and angry.

France, this country, although Li Hongzhang can't talk about hatred, but he doesn't have a good feeling, the war more than ten years ago, the Fujian Navy was wiped out, it was caused by the French Far East Fleet.

Over the years, the reason why France has not clashed with the imperial court is because the strong strength of the Beiyang Naval Division is placed here, and he has added his own repeated orders to remind the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou to beware of Vietnam, and this time the strength of France is still controlled south of Zhennan Pass.

Now, more than ten years later, France has actually extended its hand to Guangdong. This made Li Hongzhang not surprised.

Frowning, Li Hongzhang knew that this matter was not trivial. In order to hide people's eyes, after looking at Liu Jun who was standing on the side, Li Hongzhang stood up, and the four of them turned around and walked to the back study.

In the study, Li Hongzhang sat on a chair and put the telegram on the table. Squinted his eyes and looked at Liu Jun: "Say, what do you want to do?" ”

Smart people just don't talk the same. Li Hongzhang had already seen that Liu Jun had a way to deal with it in his heart, so he didn't bother to think about it anymore.

Liu Jun smiled slightly: "I want to mobilize all the Beiyang Naval Divisions to go south and conduct a big exercise with the Guangdong Naval Division." ”

Force deterrence. Li Hongzhang has a reason that he doesn't understand. Where did he get it from Zhong Lin just now, this telegram is just a secret telegram sent by Vietnam, and it is unknown whether it is true or not.

However, whether the telegram is true or not, it shows that France has bad intentions.

Instead of letting France gamble on where, it is better to tell France with practical actions that if you want Guangzhou Bay, I am afraid it will not work.

Li Hongzhang nodded, agreed, and after bowing his head and pondering for a while, Li Hongzhang said lightly: "The main force of the Beiyang Naval Division is going south, and the number of troops is still too small, after all, the main warships of the Beiyang Naval Division are only six warships: Buchan, Shichang, Zhenyuan, Dingyuan, Qiaoli, and Jiyuan, can this make the French retreat?" ”

Hesitation, this old man is hesitating, Liu Jun saw Li Hongzhang's tone of words, and knew that his title deed was insufficient, and it seemed that it was time to give him a doping.

The warship that Lin Guoxiang went to Germany to receive had already arrived in Guangdong, and he had already sent a secret telegram asking the Guangdong Intelligence Department to tell Lin Guoxiang that the warship would be postponed from returning to Lushun and that it would stay in Guangzhou. Wait for the brigade.

"Old man, the main force of my naval division is not these six, I still have an armored cruiser of more than 5,000 tons Ruojing in Guangdong."

With a poof, Li Hongzhang, who had just drunk the tea and hadn't had time to swallow it, suddenly spit out the tea in his mouth.

Liu Jun's words really startled him, when, where did Liu Jun get an armored cruiser of more than 5,000 tons. How did he not know the news.

Seeing Li Hongzhang's disbelief, Liu Jun smiled: "If you don't believe it, ask the old man to go, now Ruojing, he will anchor in Guangzhou Bay."

Li Hongzhang really didn't believe in this matter, turned his head and looked at Yang Shixiang, Yang Shixiang would think, turned around and walked out of the study.

Ten minutes later, Yang Shixiang walked into the study again and nodded at Li Hongzhang. That means to admit that the Beiyang Naval Division does have an armored cruiser in Guangzhou.

Rabbit cub, he can't hide anything, after Li Hongzhang muttered in his heart, he thought about it for a long time, and then he made up his mind. Slammed the table: "You wait here for two days, and I'll go to Beijing." ”

The Beiyang Navy Master went south to Guangdong for no reason, such a major matter, Li Hongzhang can't be the master, this matter must get the nod of the imperial court, and now, if you want the imperial court to agree, you must meet a person, this person, at least can persuade Cixi, this person, is Yi?.

Abundant? After being suppressed from the outside, ******** was reused and trusted by Cixi.

Li Hongzhang knew the urgency of this matter, and early the next morning, he took Yang Shixiang and rushed out of Tianjin, and then headed for Beijing.

After two days of anxious waiting, Liu Jun finally waited for Li Hongzhang, and from Li Hongzhang's smiling face that could attract flowers and butterflies, Liu Jun knew that it was done.

Indeed, this time, with the consent of the imperial court, Yi? After receiving the information and analysis sent by Li Hongzhang, he immediately entered the palace to meet Cixi, and after stating the importance of this matter, Cixi did not object, so he asked Guangxu to issue a holy decree to let the Beiyang Navy Division go south to join the Guangdong Navy Division and hold a large-scale military exercise.

After the reception, Li Hongzhang took out the holy decree and handed it to Liu Jun: "You can set off tomorrow." ”

Liu Jun smiled slightly, and without looking at the holy decree, he threw it to the instrument: "Old man, I think, can you issue a text for this military exercise, and invite the ministers of various countries to participate in it." ”

What does this mean, Li Hongzhang frowned. After a while, Li Hongzhang looked at Liu Jun and showed a smile.

Deterrence one is also deterrence, deterrence two is also deterrence, France uses this mind, then other countries must also have, since this is the case, it is better to solve it at one time, and save other countries when the time comes.

"Okay, tomorrow I will issue a letter inviting ministers from all countries." After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he showed a treacherous smile like an old fox.

The invitation letters from the Tianjin Governor's Office were delivered to the legations of various countries in less than noon, and the ministers of Tsarist Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan all agreed to come forward when they received the invitation.

Originally, with Li Hongzhang's heart, he would not send an invitation to Japan, but Liu Jun said: "Although Japan is a defeated country, it has always wanted to turn against the water in my heart, so this time it can be regarded as a warning to him, be careful." ”

Li Hongzhang, who has always acted in the overall situation, could only nod and add Japan at the end.

Wei Naval Port, the main warships of the Beiyang Naval Division, which received orders, have begun to purchase ammunition, coal and fresh water.

Weihai Liugong Island, originally the Beiyang Navy Naval Yamen. in the hall.

Liu Jun, who had already arrived in Weihai yesterday, was quietly in a daze in front of him looking at the huge map of the Qing Dynasty's maritime frontier at this time.

This map is also available in the Lushun Provisional Navy Yamen, but it is depicted from here.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, Liu Jun turned around, and saw Zhong Lin and Li He walking in.

Zhong Lin and Li He were ordered by themselves to formulate a plan for the exercise. Seeing Zhong Lin pick up a document in his hand, Liu Jun knew that the exercise plan had been formulated.

"Head, the plan has been formulated, do you want to take a look?" After Zhong Lin finished speaking, he handed over the document in his hand.

Smiling slightly, Liu Jun took it and put it directly on the table, in terms of the navy, he is not good at it, there is no need for him to point fingers on it, since it was formulated by Li He and various pipe belts, there is no problem.

Picking up the tea on the coffee table and taking a sip, Liu Jun looked at Zhong Lin: "Have the ministers of various countries arrived?" ”

"Head, it's already here, Li He's meaning is to temporarily let them be on the Hashidate, and when the time comes, when they arrive in Guangdong, they will transfer a coastal defense cruiser from the Guangdong Navy Division, and then act as a sightseeing ship, and set off with the fleet to the South China Sea for a visit."

Nodding slightly, Liu Jun turned his head to look at Li He: "Are all the ships ready?" ”

"It's over." After Li He finished speaking, he handed the itinerary in his hand to Liu Jun.

Liu Jun took it, opened it and looked at it, and he could clearly see the arrangements for the warships participating in the exercise and the Beiyang Naval Division to go south.

This time, the plan of the Beiyang Naval Division was to go to Fujian first, add fresh water to Mawei, and then go straight to Huangpu, the base of the Guangdong Naval Division. Where to rest after three days. On departure, head to the South China Sea, for a two-day military exercise.

This lineup is estimated to be the largest exercise since the founding of the Qing Dynasty. Abundant? It is estimated that he also knows that these exercises are not trivial, so let the governor of Liangguang do his best to deal with it. The Guangdong Navy Division and the Beiyang Navy Division participated in the exercise, with nearly 20 warships, large and small.

"Snap and close the plan. Handed over the plan to Li He: "Just handle this matter." ”

"Head, when are we leaving?" Zhong Lin stepped forward and asked.

With a snapping sound, Liu Jun put the teacup in his hand on the table, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the warship moored in the distance. Then he said slowly: "Eight o'clock tomorrow." ”