Chapter 24: Turning

The singing sounded in the fields, and the bright sunshine fell from the clear sky in April. A group of infantry came neatly from the paved road. It was obvious that these infantry had just returned from the wilderness, and I don’t know how many days they had been. Their Western-style military uniforms were washed white, and the shoulders of the guns, the hands and joints that often rubbed against the ground were patched. The mud and water and sweat were mixed together, making the uniform look a little soft. Only the armbands of the Imperial Guards were still bright and dazzling.

The officers and soldiers had their skin tones turned into bronze, no matter where they came from. They looked thin, but they seemed to contain endless energy. All this shows that the Imperial Guards - at least the First Town, are no longer a rookie team.

Behind this infantry team of about one battalion was a team of artillery soldiers, with 75 mm tubes pulled by four horses. The artillery was sitting on the artillery carriages. Perhaps the brothers walking in front were too comfortable to see them. An officer shouted, and the soldiers immediately sang military songs: "The general of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Zilong is the first to be!..." As the military songs, they stepped on the ground hard, splashing balls of smoke and dust, rolling straight to the artillery soldiers behind, causing people to cough. An officer wearing a Hungarian light cavalry coat, the green horizontal bars with different widths on the sleeves of his military uniforms showed that his troops were actually artillery soldiers, and his current dispatch was battalion commander, and in the imperial guards, they were at least equivalent to the rank of guerrilla military officers of the Qing Dynasty.

This officer was actually a foreigner! The black hair of the Latin man showed a lot from the crooked Silesian military cap. His dark eyes were deep, his nose was pointed and small, and he was not tall. He suddenly felt a series of swear words in front of him. He responded to him with a louder laughter. No officer in charge of the noise like infantry, and no officer in charge was willing to take care of the noise of the infantry.

This foreigner is Bartoni, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italian exiled cavalry artillery officer. I don’t know if he had a wrong mind or Lord Xu had a wrong mind. It is more likely that this guy had committed something major in other countries. He applied to join the Qing Dynasty and became a military officer at the Qing Dynasty. Lord Xu agreed immediately and was promoted, and actually got him the only battalion commander of the teaching artillery battalion directly under the Imperial Guards! Although there are still three artillery battalions training, the only one who can follow the field, maneuver, and cooperate with the cooperation. The official title of this foreigner has also been promoted to guerrilla.

Overall, he is a lawless guy and a bastard. Last year in Seoul, he was the first to use a saber to chop the Huai Army's advance officers and soldiers. I have to say that he is also good at training artillery soldiers. But everyone always feels that he is a bit out of place with him. Especially for officers from Nanyang, who has a good impression of foreign devils?

At the moment, laughter and scolding were mixed, but the team still walked straight. Although Bartoni knew a lot of Chinese, it seemed that he was still at a loss to scold. After a while, the battalion officers led the team to see that it was almost done and scolded him. The team continued to move forward neatly and quietly, but the smoke and dust of the march were not necessarily missing at all.

Bartoni covered his face with his cloak, looked back at the artillery soldiers under his command, and looked at him blankly. None of them was accustomed to their foreign devils. The Latin man secretly swallowed his mouth and spitted: "Damn, if you really want to fight, you will know that in the modern battlefield, the queen is no longer an infantryman, but our artillery! Let you kiss my horse boots one by one!"

Now it is May of the 20th year of the Guangxu period. According to the Gregorian calendar, it is June of 1894. Time flies so fast that people just skipped away without catching anything.

A lot of things have happened these days. The envoy to the Japanese Union, and finally sent a painless minister to Japan to play a fancy whistle. Of course, the minister complained about the mission to hold Xu Yifan. He read out the polite letter of the country to Hirofumi Ito, and disappeared. Only the geisha in Tokyo had some impression of the minister in private.

Regarding the replacement of the envoys to Japan and the same attitude, there was a high voice in Japan's protests. However, the Huai Army was still stationed in North Korea, and it was strange that it was silent. This putting the cart before the horse made the Qing Dynasty feel that Japan was actually fighting on the outside but the middle. It was even more dissatisfied at the moment.

The news about the follow-up matters between the two sides are still negotiating, and Japan has made some small moves from time to time, such as setting up a cable telegraph line between Seoul and Busan............ There are many disputes, but everyone can still get through the big face. These things are just as they are discussed and passed. Li Hongzhang, who was in charge of all this, did not take it seriously at all, let alone the ministers in the court.

Everyone is now thinking about the longevity of the Empress Dowager Lady. This longevity started from the preparation of the Sanhai Project, and there was also the matter of the late Buddha returning to power. It took a long time to make trouble, and I don’t know how many people’s heads were ruined! It was about to come, and everyone has accumulated enough thoughts to decorate this peaceful and prosperous era.

All kinds of rare treasures and rewards are already being prepared in full swing, and various projects are being taken to finish the finale. Legend has it that this is still a shortcoming, and the wind has been released from the palace. If there are those who do not have a job, those who do not have a job can be specially ordered to pass the class. If you want to place more than one or more real ones, you can also discuss it. The few fats and vacancies in the world are clearly marked. Shanghai Guandao, 800,000, several salt roads, 300,000...... People who run the door gathered in the Beijing gate, and were busy in a mess.

Even so, the cost is still insufficient. The preparation of birthday rewards, celebration fees, and bannermen's general rewards are still missing. The Ministry of Revenue Bank's bank has started running mice, and the inner trunk has also fallen. It is Li Lianying who sent a message, and the governors from all over the country, should they take the lead in serving? Especially the focus is on Li Hongzhang's Beiyang area, three customs, two salt roads, and Zhili Lijin are all in his hands. There are so many provinces supporting his Beiyang army, the fattest. As soon as the wind came out, Li Hongzhang did not say a word and served two million!

The governors and governors from all over the country also became more and more loyal. From the beginning of the Three Seas Project, for more than ten years, until the magnificent Qing Dynasty, the glorious Qing Dynasty, had paid more than 160 million taels of silver for the leisurely years after Cixi's "return to power"! It was equivalent to 80 million US dollars at that time, nearly 30 million pounds...... More than 200 iron-clad ships like Dingzhen could buy more than 200 iron-clad ships, even if they were the maritime overlords who were about to come out, and the former fearless battleships could buy dozens! Not to mention that more than 100 million taels of silver entered the national treasury and internal treasury, officials at all levels attached a little income to put them in their own private pockets.

All of this stupidity, corruption, sleepiness, and incompetence were staged in the Qing Dynasty in 1894. The most prosperous moment of flowers and oil cooking was performed in the Qing Dynasty.

As for Xu Yifan, he seemed to have been forgotten by the center of power in the Qing Dynasty and went to an unknown corner behind his head.

Xu Yifan didn't take himself seriously.

The hot spring where he opened two excellent flower buds of Rhododendron and Chen Luoshi was now a secret office location for the newly established town general staff. It is in the mountains, but not far from the base. For this hot spring, Li Xuan used his own private money to build a building, renovate the road, and prepared to enjoy it as Miss Li's Korean Winter Palace. As a result, the unscrupulous Xu Yifan saw it at first sight - it's kept secret! When the mountain pass was stalked, no one could enter. What was his actions that could not be heard from outsiders, and it would be amazing if it was spread. For example, seeing the leader of the Korean rebels in the military camp, what was going on?

And the enjoyment was good. After a busy day, I took a hot spring or something, it was a heavenly day.

Throughout the winter and spring, he was running around the military camp and here. While catching the army training, he worked at the temporary headquarters of the General Staff Headquarters. He summarized the information one by one, concentrated the information one by one, proposed the idea one by one, and formulated the plans one by one... His whole mind and energy were filled with the coming storm. Sometimes he was counting on his fingers, which day was going to start? He couldn't remember the specific days, and always felt that it was time to come, right? It was right? It was just like a young man looking forward to saying goodbye to his virginity.

But how would the Japanese come? In history, these guys have been settled by him. Now the uprising of the old party at the waist of North Korea is completely under his control. There are several ronin-like figures in Japan who have come into contact with these so-called old parties and want them to invite them to mediate the struggle between the old party Rebel Army and Park Yong-hyuk North Korean government... These guys were tied up by Jiang Ziming and sunk to the Han River.

However, he had no doubt at all that the Japanese could find excuses. Anyway, they were all about their strength in the end and talked to guns, cannons and warships. No matter how ridiculous the excuses were...... The Japanese would come in the end!

The contradiction now is that while he is looking forward to the arrival of Sino-Japanese War, he hopes to prepare for him more time. There are too many things to do, such as training equipment, improving relationships with people with discerning people in Beiyang, optimizing his strategic situation, and thinking about carefully deducing them...... Let him lose his hair all these days. It's so fucking exhausting!

Unfortunately, there are not many people involved in the Beiyang community who saw that this was the night before the storm was brewing. At least there are no ones who were looking back and forth. Ding Ruchang has thought that this has not happened since he sent a letter before the New Year! Perhaps the quiet these days have made him, the navy admiral, be lucky and thought he had made a mistake in his judgment. After all, dealing with Xu Yifan is too risky and too irrational. Everyone knows that after the Empress Dowager Lafayette's birthday is the day when Master Xu is finished. Besides, is it reliable to be the backer of Beiyang or this small guard reliable?

Xu Yifan is now soaking in the hot spring, with a towel on his head, so lazy that he doesn't want to move. On the stone next to him, there is a glass of iced freshly squeezed apple juice. The hot spring heat is igniting, and water droplets on the outer wall of the cup are constantly rolling down.

Speaking of which, he was really not strong enough and Puritan. He had many wives and liked to enjoy it a little. But now the Qing Dynasty has very low requirements for a good leader. If you can do things, just be less greedy.

Xu Yifan is undoubtedly able to do things. What is the ability to start from scratch to raise such a prosperous group? As for corruption......... he is all paying money outside the door! He doesn't have the opportunity to embezzle, and he has to look out for money all day long.

After a busy day, his ears were still buzzing. The staff officers and German advisers fought hard. Everyone was judging when Japan would take action. The German advisers believed that it would be the most advantageous time to take action. The Japanese army, which had been trained in modern times, could defeat the main force of the Huai Army. They also had a compatriot, Major Merkel, to participate in the process of building a modern Japanese army, but the Chinese staff officers had different opinions. Various intelligences came, and the Japanese army had not yet begun to mobilize formally, nor had they concentrated into field corps. Even now, it is probably winter when they land in North Korea and seek battle. In such a cold winter, can the main battle be launched? Everyone is inclined to have a chance to go through the New Year......

Everyone was staring at the Japanese Army, and only Chu Wanli's opinion was that in North Korea, the 25,600 Huai Army Land Division was already the flesh on the chopping board. The modern national army won the old-style army that was only equipped with firearms without exception. Even if the mobilization was insufficient, it was far ahead! The only point to pay attention to was the mobilization of the Japanese Navy. As long as the navy mobilized, the war was imminent!

As long as you have the power of the sea, the main force of the Huai Army, which is isolated in southern Korea, will be in the jar. The Japanese army can come and go freely and change the direction of the strategic strike at will. After the main force of the Huai Army is empty, everyone understands the consequences.

But until now, the strategic intelligence about the Japanese Navy has not been sent...... Li Nobita initially started to operate the strategic intelligence network. Needless to say, the experts are experts in the army. Even the army is okay, but the high-level confidential information cannot be obtained, but the army is still more than enough to master the mobilization situation. The Japanese army is all local corps. If it is mobilized, it will not be hidden. To mobilize, it must be organized in wartime, and the wartime organization must be recruited. If there are too many red envelopes to recruit reserve soldiers, you will know which corps Japan is mobilizing!

But the navy is different. They are all standing soldiers and fully equipped. The military port is also well equipped, let alone infiltrating the top naval forces...

Xu Yifan frowned in distress, shrank his head under the water, and spit out a burst of bubbles.

You must seize this opportunity... He must evacuate his family's belongings early! Some actions must also seize the opportunity to proceed. It is not too early or late. When will this signal be sent?

"Zhongtang, this is a memorial from Nie Junmen......There is a hurried one..."

Yang Shixiang was following Li Hongzhang with a stack of official documents. In Li Hongzhang's signing room, there were still a bunch of people, listening to the old man's fingering and dispatching tasks.

"Have the silver you received to Beijing for the payment of the payment? Don't think that even if the money is over, you have to prepare enough door bag fees to enter each door! A little wrong is that I, Li Hongzhang, have no shame! If the payment of two million yuan, I have to be matched with 300,000 yuan. Let's make a little wider, and I would rather be more than less!"

"The guards are ready to be the most powerful, even if they are trying to beat my Goshha! Why don't you vote for me......You pig's brain! The Queen Mother wants the decentness of governors from all over the country to the capital? At this time, there must be no unpleasant things to make the Empress Dowager......"

"The navy wants repair fees and replenishes ammunition? What trouble is coming at this time? After so long, I have been worshiping for ninety-nine years, and I can't stand the tremor? On the other side of Japan, I, Li Hongzhang, are still staring at me! I will wait for Wansheng before I will talk about it! Now all reimbursements are stopped!"

It was finally easy to wait until Mr. Li was fully assigned, but Yang Shixiang handed over the official document. During this period, Yang Shixiang lived a little cautiously. He fell into Xu Yifan's case. Even if he came back, Li Hongzhang still treated him in everything, but he always felt shameless. Although he was still in charge of the camp office, he knew that his prestige was not as good as before, and many people were rumoring him to jokes behind his back. So he was less in business and less in Li Hongzhang's place, and he was just helping Beiyang prepare for a long life and mobilize money and goods.

These days, he has been thinking about a question. Why did Xu Yifan do this? On the surface, he was calm and unwilling to leave North Korea's business, but in fact he has never relaxed in collecting news from there. This time Nie Shicheng gave him the benefits and specially asked him to transfer the memorandum directly to the old Zhongtang. Otherwise, Zhongtang was busy with longevity and didn't know when to read it. This memorandum also coincided with the issue he had been considering, so he delivered it immediately without stopping.

After Li Hongzhang finished his work, his energy was a little overwhelmed and he felt a little dizzy when he sat there. Looking at Yang Shixiang holding the memorial of Nie Shicheng, the current governor of the Fungal Army of North Korea, he really didn't want to read it. However, Yang Shixiang's face finally took it lazily, opened it and took it casually, and snorted: "Make trouble!"

Yang Shixiang had known the content of this memorization for a long time. He could even recite the words and sentences above. Nie Shicheng, a martial artist, actually had such a vision! His appreciation for Nie Shicheng was also the reason why he personally transferred the memorial.

"... Our army was ordered to pacify the Han rebellion. It took a long time to station, but it was too tired to play. It was also short of wages and the army was in a state of depression. Tens of thousands of Beiyang tigers were hanging alone in the Han area. The navy was still in short supply. The land army was not strong, and the navy was not prepared. The Japanese have been watching Han for a long time. Once there is something wrong, there is something that cannot be said!

In the Han territory, Xu Yifan and his army were enough to suppress the scrupulous army. I might be able to leave 3,000 troops, and control Seoul was enough to control Seoul. The brigade helped the internal ferry and consolidate the national peace. If Han had something to do, Xu Yifan would take it alone, and our Beiyang could take it as a result. If the Japanese invaded it, Xu Yifan would take it as a result. When both sides were injured, our army would leave Jiuliancheng to turn to Pyongyang and the naval warship brigade blocked Incheon and he would be able to break it in one go. If nothing happened, it would be a great blessing for the national dynasty.

The only thing that comes from the bottom of the foolishness is to pray for the wise and decisiveness of the central hall.”

Seeing what Yang Shixiang wanted to say, Li Hongzhang did not give him this opportunity and raised his hand and said, "Lotus House, don't worry about the North Korean affairs anymore... The big thing now is the Queen Mother's Wanshou!"

He raised his eyebrows: "If it weren't for the Huai Army brigade there, how could the little Japanese be so honest recently? If it weren't for the Beiyang Navy's patrol of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, why would the little Japanese warships dare not even show their faces? Withdrawing back would save a lot of worries, but if there was a trouble in Korea and add shame to the Lafayette, what would we become? The reason for doing things in the Qing Dynasty is to make the superiors happy and cause less trouble!"

Seeing Yang Shixiang's face turned red, Li Hongzhang felt that his tone was a little heavier, and a smile appeared on his face: "Lotus Room, I know you remember Xu Yifan's humiliation... But now I really can't move. When the Huai Army comes back, I have to make up my salary first. Where do I get the money now? It's better to be quiet if I move... Besides, once the Huai Army comes back, the little Japanese will not come. Isn't that throwing North Korea to Xu Yifan? What's the matter? Just settle it, the Huai Army will not move!"

Yang Shixiang had nodded, and he knew that Li Hongzhang was all right, but he always felt a little bit up and down. Considering these days, the situation of the Huai Army was indeed too unfavorable. It was so unfavorable that he could even lead the generals and generals to smell it! Once something happened, the Huai Army would undoubtedly face the Japanese, and Xu Yifan was in the north, and he was in a position where he could advance and retreat and defend. Not only could he not do anything to him, but this kid might also get a big prize... Thinking of Xu Yifan's proud look, he would make things difficult!

Nie Shicheng's idea is the best way to make Beiyang take the initiative and take Xu Yifan to the front line... But will the Japanese really come? If they don't come and the Huai Army comes back, that's a big joke!

During this period, Japanese and Japanese people should not be too honest, and the small troubles of the past have almost disappeared. The negotiations between the Zhongtang are not unfavorable, so you should believe the Zhongtang's judgment...

He kept persuading himself, but he always felt that there was a dark cloud pressing down on his heart and was in a dilemma.

Forget it, I am a shameful person, don’t mess with me anymore... Everything is in the middle of the hall.

Li Hongzhang had already stood up and left the signing room swayingly. After a day of busyness, the old man wanted to rest. When he went out, he seemed to guess what Yang Shixiang was thinking, and turned around and smiled: "With me, Li Hongzhang, the little Japanese can't beat him! No matter how bad we are, we are, we are so much bigger than the Japanese... I am there!"

Wugang, Japan.

Today, this Japanese military port was heavily guarded, with white leggings everywhere, carrying Murata-style rifles and opening the cordon. It is said that the prince accompanied Western guests to visit to ensure the safety of His Royal Highness.

Within the military port, warships and ships are arranged neatly. "Matsushima", "Rangsu", "Yoshima", "Chyoda", "Yidashima", "Bashima", "Takachiho", "Akizushi", "Haisu", "Haisu", "Fuso", "Yaeshan", "Braizi", "Atgo", "Mayya", "Bihai", "Tiancheng", "Mountain Eagle", "Dianlong", "Oshima", "Yamato", "Iwaki", "Kashiro"............

All the essence of the Japanese Navy's 20 years of training are here. Some of these warships are old-fashioned self-made gunboats, some are new fast cruisers purchased from Britain, and some are carried 320 mm cannons under the guidance of foreign technicians, specifically targeting the secret weapons of the two ironclad ships in Dingzhen, Beiyang...

The navy stood on the side of the side, with its military uniforms straight and motionless, only the shawls and streamers of the navy uniforms moved with the wind.

On the bridge stand, a group of people gathered at the tail of the ship, and the military band was on the side, playing the warship march drippingly. A flag slowly rose.

In May of the 20th year of the Guangxu period, on June 10, 1894, the Japanese Navy merged the West Sea Fleet and the Standing Fleet for the first time to form a joint fleet! The Japanese Navy officially entered the wartime system today!

Then the flag was raised by the commander-in-chief of the Joint Fleet. Lieutenant General Ito Yuuyu, the first commander-in-chief of the Joint Fleet, stood in the queue and performed a British military salute.

The brief ceremony was soon completed, and Lieutenant General Ito never laughed, but just had a tense face. He didn't hear any words of congratulations and encouragement to others. Ito Hirofun, who came from Hiroshima, walked to him and bowed stiffly.

"Lieutenant General, I will give you all the things on the sea. The fate of the Sunrise Kingdom for the next hundred years is in your hands. I and the 80 million citizens of the entire Japanese country will stand behind you. We have no hesitation."

Ito Yuki Yuki didn't answer, but just looked at the steel armored soldiers floating around and said softly: "It's a bet for the whole country..."

"Don't have confidence?" Ito asked back and smiled.

Ito Yuki Yuki also smiled: "At least at sea, I have absolute confidence! The war is easy to start, and I hope you have made a decision on how to end this war!"
Chapter completed!