In the middle of September of the tenth year of the Holy Dao, the decisive battle of the Yangtze River, which touched the hearts of the people of the British and Chinese people, gradually came to an end.

When the fully loaded cargo ships sailed into Huangpu Port, the dispatchers and stevedores on the wharf looked at the emblem and flag of the Nanyang Company hanging on the mast of the ship, and remembered the war that started vigorously last year but ended quietly.

A large number of officers and men in gray clothes and blue pants came down from the ship, all with yellow skin and black hair, and the people of the dock subconsciously regarded them as volunteers from Nanyang, and greeted them with respectful eyes and warm greetings. Unexpectedly, these "volunteers" nodded and bowed more humbly, brushing together, like the wind swinging in the grass, and the short call of "Ali Gaduo Baba Masi" was particularly powerful.

"This is the legendary ・・・・・・ Whampoa, where the Son of Heaven of the Holy Dao is!?"

"There are so many boats, so many people, so lively!"

"That's the steam engine!? Steel can still move, it can breathe black smoke and pant! That's a living thing! It's a god! ”

After bowing ninety degrees to a group of applauding stevedores, Takahashi Yoshiryo, the commander of the Japanese Association [1] under the British South Ocean Governor's Office, looked around, his eyes lit with stars. The subordinates are more like Grandma Liu who has entered the Grand View Garden, either looking at the crowd in a daze, or praying with their palms together towards the dragon gate crane.

"It's a lot colder now, and if you came back a few days ago, you're afraid you'll be scared to the ground. Not only are there more people, but there are more boats. There was also a huge fleet in the harbor, including six huge warships like mountains, each of which was two or three times the size of the magic dragon ship that had entered Jianghu Bay! Although there were only two gun decks, the Portuguese minister told me that even the three-deck guns of the Europa countries might not be able to beat them. ”

The Japanese minister Aoki Kunyang came to the dock to greet them, and when he saw that everyone was in a daze, he added another yard with disdain.

Takahashi Yoshiren sighed with emotion: "Sure enough, the Celestial Empire defeated the shogunate with just a little finger." ”

Aoki Kunyang nodded: "Of course, to destroy Burma, occupy Malacca, and force Batavia to open the port, the Celestial Empire only used one hand." ”

Looking at the officers and soldiers who were looking around curiously and apprehensively, Aoki Kunyang raised his voice: "China is a great country, establishing the center of the universe and pursuing the way of heaven, and the country's strength is getting stronger day by day. It is the heavenly kingdom that we in Japan should throw themselves into the ground and respect wholeheartedly! It is a great honor for you to set foot on the land of China and the Son of Heaven to walk! You should restrain yourself more strictly, and you must not mess up the etiquette and make the people of the Celestial Empire laugh! ”

He said very seriously: "The people of the Celestial Dynasty nod their heads, you have to bow!" The people of the Celestial Empire bow, and you must bow down! The Celestial Empire has given us an order, we must not make a single request, and we must not bring any trouble to the Celestial Empire! We must not let the Celestial Empire be embarrassed in the slightest! ”

Takahashi Yoshiren followed thousands of Japanese officers and soldiers to bow in unison, and responded in an extremely resolute tone: "Hey! ”

After the "welcoming ceremony", Takahashi Yoshiren asked expectantly, "Aoki-kun, what is the result of our oath of invitation?" ”

Aoki Kunyang shook his head: "Governor Xie refused, and his attitude was still very strict, saying that this was a family matter of the Celestial Empire......"

Takahashi Yoshiren said eagerly: "The Manchurians are not Chinese・・・・・・ us Satsuma samurai, no, we Japanese samurai are willing to sacrifice their loyalty and lives to fight for the expulsion of the Tatars and the restoration of China!" Aoki-kun, just work harder! ”

Aoki Kunyang obviously thought the same way, and said unwillingly: "Yes, I fought for it like this, but Governor Xie said, what is this...... Minefield, whoever touches it will die without a place to be buried........."

A deep puzzle rose on his face: "Aren't the Manchurians aliens?" For the people of the Celestial Empire, isn't it the same as us Japanese? ”

The Bohai Sea is calm and calm, but it can be like a cloud and a sail pressing on the sea, which is containing endless wind and thunder. //…,

In the officer's cabin of the battleship Kunlun, Li Xi sat upright, looked around at the civil and military officials with different expressions below, and said in a deep voice: "Although the Manchurians are of a different race, they are also abscesses on my Huaxia body!" At the beginning, Huaxia's own body festered, so it took advantage of the weakness to enter and merged with Huaxia Shen. What we want to solve is not only the Manchurians, but also to recreate China, so that it can spit out the old and embrace the new, and be able to improve itself! ”

"This trip to the north has been a hundred years, but it is not allowed to be popular with public opinion for a while. I don't want you to take responsibility, I carry it alone! Therefore, I must also stop talking about the road, close my ears and eyes, and the controversy along the way will be put to rest! If there are any more people who disagree with each other, or coerce the public to admonish, don't blame me for severely punishing the crime! Those who leak this matter to the outside world will be punished as rebellious! ”

Everyone present here are Yinghua civil and military officials, including Fan Jin, the second assistant of the Political Affairs Hall, Wang Youdun, the deputy governor of the General Affairs Hall, Song Ji, the counselor of the Jiangnan Xingying, and Xue Xue and Chen Wance, the heads of the Hanlin Academy. Wu has the right governor of the Privy Council, the naval envoy of the Commander-in-Chief, the governor of Nanyang Xiao Sheng, the commander-in-chief of the Nanyang Fleet Hu Hanshan, the deputy envoy of the navy, Zheng Yong, the commander of the Fubo Army, and Liu Cheng, the deputy commander of the Yulin Army. There was also a beautiful woman in military uniform standing beside Li Shi, who was Lu Siniang, the deputy commander of the guard's army.

was suppressed by Li Shi's domineering, which was rarely revealed, everyone's faces were awe-inspiring, Fan Jin, Hu Hanshan, Liu Cheng and even Siniang were still frowning, obviously their mood had not yet come to their senses.

Six battleships, eight cruisers, twenty frigates, and twenty transports, the vast fleet headed north, and public opinion in the country declared that it was the emperor's northern tour to pacify the south of the Yangtze River. But the fleet hurried all the way, rested for a while in Dinghai, and then went straight into the Bohai Bay, and the troops came to the mouth of Dagu.

The simple-minded people like Siniang were extremely excited, thinking that they were going to take Beijing City directly and drive away the Manchurians. But Li Xi only announced the purpose of the action at this time, which made many people difficult to understand for a while.

There was no turmoil among the officers and men at the grass-roots and even middle-level levels, not only was the Anglo-Chinese military system with military academies and training camps as the core becoming more and more stable, and the principle of orders and prohibitions was implemented very thoroughly, but Li Shi also personally sat in the town and personally gave orders, and if there were any fluctuations in the morale of the army, then the efforts of the British and Chinese army for more than 10 years would be in vain.

In order to ensure that there are no accidents in this operation, the troops carrying out this mission are still the old red-clothed old Fubo Army, and the members of the Heavenly Punishment Society occupy the main body of the officers, so there are no problems below.

The problem comes from the top, Siniang is a person around her, and she is not responsible for the military, the problem is easy to solve, but up to Hu Hanshan, Liu Cheng, down to the division of Meng Songjiang and Feng Ding, these hard generals are difficult to do. Even if they are moved by emotion and reason, the depression in these people's hearts is still difficult to dissipate, and they have to argue a few words in front of Li Xi from time to time.

The fleet had arrived at the mouth of Dagu, and at this time there was no time or intention to argue, so Li Shi had no choice but to act arbitrarily and suppress all objections. Since the incident, he has rarely been so resolute, even Hu Hanshan and others, who have the strongest opposition, have trembled in their hearts, and secretly examined whether they were pampered and arrogant.

Seeing that Hu Hanshan's lips were still squirming, Xiao Sheng frowned and said, "The world north of Beijing is ours?" What childishness! Beijing City is just a layer of skin, and if you get this skin, the lining will be taken away by people like Nian Qianyao, and I don't know how much effort it will take to take it back. The basket that was poked out had to be put on our backs, and idiots did this kind of thing! ”

Liu Cheng retorted aggrievedly: "We all understand this truth, but we still need to put on the skin ...... of Tartar."

Chen Wance said: "You are entangled, but the Manchurians are even more entangled." ”

Thinking about the reaction of the Manchurians, Hu Hanshan, Liu Cheng and the others gradually improved, yes, at this time, it was not them who were most entangled, but the Manchurians on the shore.

Laughter began in the cabin, and the sound of cannons rang out, but it was not the fleet that fired, but from the Dagu battery on the western shore. ..., Li Xian frowned, didn't there already be an agreement?

Xiao Sheng hurriedly arranged for his subordinates to find out the situation, but his expression was still relaxed: "I'm afraid that the defenders of the fort are so frightened that they miss." ”

Li Xi was very unhappy: "The fort has been leveled!" ”

Everyone is secretly cool, this is right, we are here to help, but if you don't open your eyes, don't blame us for being polite.

When Xiao Sheng gave the order, he added one more sentence: "Be careful, don't hit the shells in Beitang, we killed Hongli, we have to find another person." ”

In Beitang, a group of people are gathering at a high place to look at the sea, all of them are surprised and burst into tears.

"It's coming! He's coming! He came with a cloud-like battleship! This world is a matter of his words...... I've seen it for a long time! In the world, I was the first to see it! ”

Instead of being supported by Li Lianying, or not by others, Ru Xi was already lying on the ground and crying bitterly.

"Saved! I can live! It's time for me to finally return to my hands, God has opened his eyes! ”

Looking at the mighty fleet on the sea in the distance, he felt that it was a heavenly soldier sent by heaven, with an unstoppable force, to advocate justice for him.

"Nanban...... Is this the power of the Nanban・・・・・・"

"With such a strong neighbor, what will happen to me in the future?"

The perceptions of courtiers such as Fu Qing and Liu Tongxun were more complicated, both happy and worried.

Although the mood is complicated, although the feet are soft, but with such a powerful reinforcement, the danger in front of them should be able to disappear, and the kick that has crossed the ghost gate in everyone's hearts is finally recovered.

With the assurance of the messenger from the south, the morale of this group of "four elder brothers" was high, and the "imperial army" that came to attack continued for several days, and its vigor had been lost, and because the imperial party rejected the imperial government, the military affairs system was in shambles, the logistical supply was frequently urgent, and the morale plummeted, and the two sides actually held each other in Tanggu for a month

This month's suffering is coming to an end.

At this moment, I heard a few cannon shots, and I could see white smoke rising from the Dagukou Fort a few miles away.

What's the situation?

Ru Xi Hongli and the others were stunned for a long time, and before their brains could react, the sails on the sea suddenly turned into thunderclouds, and the Dao flames burst out, and then the rumbling cannon sounded, constantly beating their eardrums, like thunder and thunderbolts, which seemed to shatter their entire body and mind.

The earth was trembling, and the smoke and dust rose from the Dagukou Fort, and it was not long before it was shrouded in thick dust and mist.

A group of people on the side of Beitang were in an uproar, scurrying around like headless flies.

"He's here to get me! He came to occupy the city of Beijing! What are you doing here!? Someone, protect ...... Escort! ”

Hongli trembled and screamed in panic, snot and tears all together. I felt that I fell from the top of the clouds to the underground, this psychological contrast was too strong, and I no longer had the grace and calmness of the past. But everyone was scattered, and no one noticed his gaffe.

"Catch you? Fourth brother, you think too much, and you didn't sit on the dragon chair, what's the use of catching you? ”

A young man's faint words sounded, and everyone seemed to have a backbone, and the heartbeat finally found a place. This is the Anglo-Chinese messenger, Cai Xin, the deputy general secretary of the General Affairs Hall, but he is young in his twenties, but he has an extraordinary bearing that has been trained by great experience.

He said leisurely: "As for whether to occupy the city of Beijing...... It depends on your sincerity, Fourth Brother.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Ru Xi shouted at the top of his voice: "Eshan! Eshan! Tell him to send someone to fly the white flag quickly! ”

Calm down, everyone has understood, I am afraid that the officers and men of the Dagukou Fort were so frightened by the huge fleet that their hands slipped and lit the fuse.

Eshan came in a hurry, pulled the white sheets and cut down the tree, and was busy for a quarter of an hour or two, Ru Xi suddenly sighed: "Don't send people, let's ...... Let's go and greet you. ”

The sound of the cannon has gradually subdued, and there are countless sea boats on the sea, pulling the fine wake waves, rushing towards the shore. To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come (anm) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. T [1: The use of the servant army by the British and Chinese implements the principle of grasping the command of the upper echelons, and the servant army is organized by battalions, and no matter how many people there are, they are only integrated by the association. The "association" level is not a military establishment, and all battalions under the association are under the command of the combat units of the Anglo-Chinese Army that specifically command them. In order to appease the supreme military commander of a country's servant army, and at the same time give him rank and treatment commensurate with the size of the servant army, he was given the title of "co-commandery" or "metropolitan commander", and in fact was only responsible for the administrative management and diplomatic communication of that country's co-subordinate army. ] B [An assistant commander like Takahashi Yoshilian has the treatment of a general with Zhonglang, while the Siam Association army has more than ten battalions, close to 20,000 people, and is still led by the prince, so he was awarded the rank of "joint commander", the same as the treatment of a major general. 】