On the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, the day of the imperial court chosen by the Imperial Heaven Supervision. On this day, from the capital to the local prefectures and counties, all the officials were decorated with lights and held ceremonies. Of course, the chief officials were indispensable to hold banquets to celebrate and comfort officials and clerks who had worked hard for a year, and then the Spring Festival holiday lasted for a month.

The affairs of various countries and the Western Affairs Office of Shanghai Nanyang Prime Minister were naturally different. Yi Zhizu, who rarely visited the government office, rushed to the yamen in his court robe early in the morning and then led officials of all sizes to the palace to salute, sealed three official seals, and then held a banquet to entertain a group of colleagues of all sizes.

Returning from the yamen, Yi Zhizu originally thought that he could be relaxed and peaceful for a while, but he didn't want to take a nap and woke up. Lin Meilian came in with a few prayer posts and took them over and saw that they were all officials. He couldn't help but be stunned, "I've been closed, why are you still visiting?"

"This year's Spring Festival, the Lord will not be able to live in peace." As he spoke, Bao Shichen slowly stepped in and bowed casually, then smiled and said, "I'm afraid most of the officials in the southeastern provinces will come to visit."

Yi Zhizu was a little surprised, "It has been more than half a month since he impeached officials, so are they still worried?"

"If the Lord is not given a reassurance, how dare they put their hearts in their stomachs?" Bao Shichen smiled and said, "After this impeachment, no one knows that the Lord is able to decide honor and disgrace in one word. It is no exaggeration to say that the Lord is already a veritable Southeast King. How dare they not come for filial piety in the New Year?"

"It's too early for the King of Southeast to say it." Yi Zhizu waved his hand, "Now, officials above the third rank in the southeastern provinces have basically not moved."

Bao Shichen tentatively said: "Does the Lord plan to move after the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war?"

"To be precise, we have to wait until the Taiping Army is encircled and suppressed before moving." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "And, I want to change the way to let the court take the initiative to adjust officials from various southeastern provinces."

After hearing this, Bao Shichen agreed: "It is indeed necessary to change the method, otherwise it will be detrimental to Yuanqi's future development."

If you make too many enemies, you don’t worry about being content. The southeastern provinces must be firmly controlled. Even if you make enemies on all sides, he will do whatever he wants. However, he was lazy to explain and ordered: "Sir, please screen the third-rank officials carefully. You should stay the best. We are not unable to tolerate others." As he said that, he looked at Lin Meilian again and said: "Teach them in."

Since the day when the ban was enfeoffed, officials from nearby prefectures and prefectures and counties have come to visit one after another. The closer it is to the end of the year, the more officials come to visit. Governor Yiliang, Governor Jin Qishan, Governor Xu Jishe, Governor of Jiangsu, Luo Bingzhang, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Anhui, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Anhui, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Jiangxi, Governor of Guangdong, Ye Mingchen, Governor of Guangdong, and other civil and military officials from various provinces have all come one after another. The civil and military officials of Southeast provinces are all clear in their hearts. When they come to Shanghai to visit Yi Zhizu, they may not be impeached, but if they don’t come, they will definitely be impeached. Yi Zhizu wants to control the government affairs in the southeast, which is already known to everyone! However, all officials come here tacitly and concealed, after all, they still have to worry about the face of the court.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yi Zhizu also clearly put forward a series of requirements for setting up factories, opening mines, building railways, widening post roads, laying telegrams, establishing newspapers, advocating Western learning, holding new schools, demolishing Lika, encouraging trade, developing local economy, developing high-investment and agricultural models in various southeastern provinces, and organizing a group of officials to visit factories of Baoshan and visit old county towns in Shanghai.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Yi Zhizu had just sent Jin Qishan, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang who had come to say goodbye to the gate of the yard. Yan Shikuan and an officer wearing a navy woolen coat came quickly. The woolen coat and military uniforms belonged to the school uniforms, only officers above the battalion level were qualified to wear. However, this person wearing the major's ejection was very eye-catching.

Walking quickly to the front, Yan Shikuan whispered: "The war has broken out."

Yi Zhizu certainly knew that the war he mentioned refers to the Russian-Turkish war, that is, the Crimean war! He was not surprised by this, and the officer followed and said, "Student, the captain of the 'Seagull', Du Shengping, had met the principal."

The 'Seagull Ship' is a newly-appointed fly-scissor ship, which means Du Shengping is the newly promoted captain. It is not surprising that Yi Zhizu looked at the eye of life. After returning a greeting, he said, "Get into the house and talk."

After entering the yard, Yan Shikuan whispered: "Big shopkeeper, the war has already broken out. The previous clipper that came back to report the news has disappeared. It must have encountered a storm at the sea."

Shipwreck? Yi Zhizu's pace couldn't help but slow down. Although there were not many people on the fly-scissors used to convey information, there were still about twenty people. He couldn't help feeling sad. After entering the room, he said: "The aftermath of the pension must be properly arranged. In addition, if you continue to give me instructions, even if you have any urgent information, try to avoid the storm period on the Nanyang Sea as much as possible."

"I understand." Yan Shikuan nodded quickly.

"Sit." Yi Zhizu said and lit a cigarette. Du Pingsheng sat down with some restraint, straightened his waist, pondered for a while before speaking: "Principal, after the Russian-Turkish negotiations broke down, the Russian army crossed the Prut River, but Turkey did not officially declare war on Russia until mid-August. After that, there was no major war between the two teams. In late October, a large-scale naval battle broke out in the Port of Shinop, the southern end of the Black Sea."

After pausing, he continued: "The naval battle lasted for four hours. As a result, the Turkish fleet lost fifteen warships, and only one steamship cruise ship escaped, with more than 3,000 casualties and more than 200 captured, including the Marshal Osman Pasha and three captains. Only one battleship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was damaged, 37 people were killed and 235 were injured."

The disparity is so great! Yi Zhizu couldn't help but be shocked and couldn't help asking: "How many main warships does the Russian Black Sea Fleet have? How many warships have been dispatched in this battle?"

"According to the information currently obtained, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has four battleships with 120 guns, twelve 84 gun battleships and four 60 gun cruisers, and a large number of auxiliary ships." Du Shengping said without hesitation: "In the Battle of Sinop, the Russian Black Sea Fleet dispatched only eight battleships, two cruise ships, and six battleships, a total of 720 artillery pieces, of which 76 were bombardment guns that fired explosive bombs, which were extremely powerful.

Although the Turkish fleet is sixteen warships, it is mainly cruise ships and light cruisers, with a total of 510 artillery pieces and small caliber artillery pieces. The firepower difference between the two sides is huge. However, the Turkish fleet is anchored in a port and there are 38 coastal artillery pieces on the shore."

Yan Shikuan was moved and said in shock: "A Black Sea Fleet has such strong strength. How many fleets does Russia have?"

Indeed, although the Nanyang Navy has many warships, it is basically no different from Turkey's warships. Except for the five third-level battleships with 74 guns, the others are light cruisers, and the guns are also small-caliber artillery, which is incomparable to the Black Sea Fleet.

"According to the information collected at present," Du Sheng said gently: "Russia has three major fleets, the Baltic Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet, and the Far East Okhotsk Fleet. The Baltic Fleet is the main force of the Russian Navy, but there is no detailed information at present."

Yan Shikuan glanced at Yi Zhizu without saying a word, but the meaning in his eyes was very clear. The Nanyang Navy Fleet could not be compared with the Russian Navy Fleet at all!

"What's there to envy?" Yi Zhizu said disrespectfully: "Sailing warships are all eliminated goods, and no matter how many they are, they are decorations." As he said, he continued to ask: "Where are there any land-occupying reporters interviews and photography?"

"No." Du Shengping said: "The war broke out too suddenly and did not last long. However, someone still conducted timely interviews after the war." As he said that, he took out a stack of interview manuscripts and information from the file bag he was carrying and sent over.

The interview manuscripts are written in English and French, and in Chinese, because the war correspondents sent are mainly journalists from the "North China Journey Newspaper" run by the British. Of course, Yuanqi's newspaper also sent some journalists to accompany him. Naturally, the costs of war correspondents are all funded by Yuanqi.

After a little look, Yi Zhizu put down the interview manuscript and said, "Don't change all interview manuscripts. Please publish the selected original text so that they can record everything they see. The Qing Dynasty needs to understand this war. In addition, they will learn in detail about the basic situation and glorious history of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, so that the officials, gentlemen and people of the Qing Dynasty can see what the consequences of behind technology will be!"

"Yes!" Du Shengping quickly stood up and stood attentively and said loudly.

The two of them were waiting for a retreat, and Yi Zhizu immediately ordered Lin Meilian, "Go and invite Mr. Bao and Prince Hui over."

Bao Shichen came very quickly. After reading the interview draft and information, he said with emotion: "The Lord is really a god-like prediction. He could have predicted this war several years ago."

"The Russian-Turkish war is not once or twice." Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "After Russia's Tsar Nikolai ascended the throne, he did not hide his ambitions for the Ottoman. He has repeatedly stated on many occasions, 'The Ottoman should die, and he will definitely die.' The most important thing is that Russia's war on the expansion of the Ottoman Empire is cheap and has great benefits. With Russia's greed and ambition, he will definitely be greedy and will not stop."

That's it, but there are probably no one who can accurately judge the time of the war as if it were Yi Jingzuo. You should know that not many people in the Qing Dynasty had heard of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and no one paid attention to the empire that was far away and seemed to have nothing to do with the Qing Dynasty, and no one would realize what the war broke out in that empire had to do with the Qing Dynasty.

Bao Shichen was sincerely admired from the bottom of his heart and pondered for a moment before he said, "Britain and France have not participated in the war yet?"

"It should be soon." Yi Zhizu pondered: "It won't be later than this year."

"When will the northwest move?" Bao Shichen said slowly: "Whenever Britain and France join the war?"

"Yes, this is the safest." Yi Zhizuji said: "For the current Qing Dynasty, Russia is a behemoth, and we cannot take risks." Lin Meilian, who looked up, came in to serve tea. He ordered: "The telegram notified Yulin Port, sent a clutch to Manila, and informed the governor of Luzon that in the first half of today, the telegram between Groba and Manila must be opened! The cable laying from Yulin to Manila will also be urged to complete it together!"

"I'll let them send a report now." Lin Meilian responded quickly.

Bao Shichen was very curious about laying cables under the sea and couldn't help but say: "How many days will it take to sail from Qiongzhou to Manila? Can you really lay submarine cables?"

"Of course," Yi Zhizu said with confidence: "Four or five years ago, the Anglo-French Telegraph Company laid the world's first submarine cable between Britain and France. The year before yesterday, London and Paris opened telegraphs through submarine cables, and Citigroup has also frequently laid submarine cables in recent years.

In fact, submarine cables are more convenient than land cables, because submarine cables do not require digging tunnels or supporting them with brackets. Not only does it cost less, but the construction speed is also fast. Moreover, the cables are on the seabed at a certain depth, and are not affected by wind and waves. The safety, stability and confidentiality are better than land."

"Telecommunications are really a clever tool, and they can be sent and received thousands of miles away." Bao Shichen sighed: "With telegraphs, no matter how vast the railway is, there is no need to worry about being out of reach and difficult to manage."

"What the sir said." As he spoke, Prince Hui Mianyu walked in with a smile, "A few years ago, I never dared to imagine that it would be as convenient as it is now."

"The prince is here." Yi Zhizu, Bao Shichen quickly got up to greet him. After greeting and sitting down, Yi Zhizu handed over the information and interview manuscripts he sent. "The Russian-Turkish War broke out in August last year, and a fly-scissor ship that sent the information had happened at sea, which led to the late news."

The Russian-Turkish war broke out! Mian You was happy and quickly looked down. After reading it, he pondered for a while before tentatively saying, "What are the plans for Guocheng?"

He lit a cigarette slowly and threw out the matches. Yi Zhizu said slowly: "According to the information, the total number of registered officers and soldiers of the Russian Army is 1.4 million. Britain and France have not participated in the war yet. We have to wait until Britain and France join the war. The main forces of the Russian army are transferred to the Ottoman, which is a good opportunity to send troops to the northwest.

However, the northwest road is long. Before the northwest freeze this winter, the troops in Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi must arrive at Yili and Tacheng. The expeditions and suppression of the Nian Army and the Taiping Army will be about to be opened. The prince will prepare and we will go to Wuchang together in the next few days. However, I have a condition."

After hearing this, Mian You was excited and hurriedly said, "Jiangcheng just says it!"

After taking a breath of cigarettes, he slowly exhaled a stream of smoke. Yi Jingzuo said softly: "Delegate power, give local governors and governors the power."

Delegating power to the local governor? Mianyu didn't react for a while. What does this mean? Bao Shichen was also very surprised. He really didn't expect Yi Zhizu to make such a request. For a while, he was a little puzzled. He pondered for a moment and said, "Due power to the local governor, is it out of the need to encircle and suppress the Taiping Army and the Nian Army?"

After hearing this, Mianyu hurriedly said, "Guocheng might as well talk in detail."
Chapter completed!